UxC's Uranium Market Outlook (UMO) highlights recent developments and their impact on the market.
Each quarterly report, at over 130 pages, covers key supply and demand developments as well as the
overall supply and demand situation, reviews spot and long-term contract activity over the
past three months, provides a near-term technical analysis along with detailed spot market
indicators, projects prices under different market scenarios with associated probabilities,
and examines key developments in the market through a topical essay.
This quarter’s essay, “Uranium versus Thorium,” examines the future role of uranium and thorium in the fuel cycle. In doing so, it compares and contrasts the characteristics of each fuel type, and discusses the upsides and downsides of each. The essay also looks at the implications of a possible transition to a thorium cycle, and points out the complementary nature of uranium and thorium as fuel for reactors.
Also included are a review of recent market activity and a look a current and prospective activity,
and a detailed listing of reactor and production developments that promise to shape the future market.
Uranium Suppliers Annual
Sometimes referred to as "The Uranium Bible", the Uranium Suppliers Annual contains comprehensive data and
information on all of the world's uranium suppliers, including detailed sections on planned producers and
junior/exploration companies.
Whether you are a utility, producer, trader, or investor, the Uranium Suppliers Annual provides the
basis for understanding potential future developments surrounding the availability of supply, particularly
since uranium production has continued to be sub-par against a backdrop of growing demand. In light
of the increasing volatile nature of the uranium market, primary and potential suppliers are continuously
re-evaluating their properties and future production plans, as well as expanding exploration programs where
economically feasible.
Each bi-annual report, at over 120 pages, covers key supply and demand developments as well as the
overall supply and demand situation, reviews spot and long-term contract activity over the
past three months, provides a near-term technical analysis along with detailed spot market
indicators, projects prices under different market scenarios with associated probabilities,
and examines key developments in the market through a topical essay.
This year's essay, “Macro vs. Microeconomics: The Conversion Quandary” analyzes the anticipated gap forming between global supply and demand in conversion and how these might be filled through either new primary conversion capacities or additional secondary supplies. It also addresses the question of how and when new conversion capacity may be realized given the current lack of strong economic incentives.
Also included are a review of recent market activity and a look a current and prospective activity,
and a detailed listing of reactor and production developments that promise to shape the future market.
UxC's Enrichment Market Outlook (EMO) Covers a Dynamic and Key Segment of the Overall Nuclear Fuel Market.
Enrichment developments not only are important for understanding the enrichment market, but are
also crucial for understanding the future progression of the uranium market.
Since uranium and enrichment are substitutes, increases in enrichment supply can
have a major impact on the future demand for uranium.
Each quarterly report, at over 110 pages, covers key supply and demand developments as well as the
overall supply and demand situation, reviews spot and long-term contract activity over the
past three months, provides a near-term technical analysis along with detailed spot market
indicators, projects prices under different market scenarios with associated probabilities,
and examines key developments in the market through a topical essay.
This issue’s essay, “Perseverance & Determination – LES Readies for Business,” examines presents the work that has taken place to get LES’s National Enrichment Facility (NEF) ready to come on line early next year. In doing this, the essay recounts the history of LES, from its founding in 1989, and discusses the various attempts to bring forth a new enrichment plant on U.S. soil, which finally culminated with establishing the site in Eunice, New Mexico. The essay then takes the reader through the construction process, and the unique challenges that LES has faced along the way. It also examines the potential for an expansion of NEF, which has the potential of being the major source of enrichment supply in the United States in the coming decade.
Also included are a review of recent market activity and a look a current and prospective activity,
and a detailed listing of reactor and production developments that promise to shape the future market.
New report on USEC Enrichment Outlook
In enrichment, a key question on many utilities' minds is the prospects for success of USEC's
American Centrifuge Program (ACP) and how this may shape the market and supply opportunities in the future.
To this end, UxC has just released a repprt entitled
Commercial Viability of USEC and ACP Update - 2009
The ACP report, authored by Steve Turner, a UxC consultant and expert on the economics of
centrifuge technology, looks at the likely economics of the ACP based on an analysis of historical data,
including reliability, and factoring in advances that have been made to improve the prospects for commercial success.
The Ux Consulting Company (UxC) is pleased to present the 2009 Fabrication Market Outlook (FMO),
which is the third annual edition in this series. This year’s report incorporates a number of significant additions in our
continuing efforts to enhance information exchange and understanding in the global nuclear fuel fabrication market.
UxC has prepared a new special report to provide an overview of the zirconium alloy market for the nuclear industry entitled
Nuclear Grade Zirconium Alloy Market Outlook.
Nuclear-grade zirconium alloys and products are used in the fabrication of fuel assemblies,
which are used in the vast majority of nuclear reactor designs either currently operating, under construction, or planned around the world.
As the nuclear renaissance takes hold in countries all over the globe, many questions about the international nuclear supply chain have arisen.
The supply of nuclear-grade zirconium – from zircon mineral sand through the cladding and components used in finished fuel assemblies – has also not escaped this scrutiny. Therefore, the primary objective of this report is to factually and analytically approach the current and expected future direction of the nuclear-grade zirconium market to help formulate clear conclusions about how producers of fuel assemblies for nuclear reactors will obtain the necessary zirconium for their finished products.
Each quarterly report, at over 200 pages, covers key supply and demand developments as well as the
overall supply and demand situation, reviews spot and long-term contract activity over the
past three months, provides a near-term technical analysis along with detailed spot market
indicators, projects prices under different market scenarios with associated probabilities,
and examines key developments in the market through a topical essay.
Given the intriguing results from multiple recent nuclear power forecasts from the WNA, IAEA, EIA, and OECD-IEA, the purpose of this essay is to examine both the common themes and the variations among these forecasts as well as to compare and contrast them with our own UxC reactor growth scenarios that are presented on a quarterly basis through the NPO.
Also included are a review of recent market activity and a look a current and prospective activity,
and a detailed listing of reactor and production developments that promise to shape the future market.
UxC announces new report
The Ux Consulting Company (UxC) is pleased to announce the availability of a special report on
Nuclear Reactor Technology Assessments. This in-depth study provides nuclear reactor technology
assessments and overall evaluations of the major reactor designs currently available in the world.
The decision of which reactor design to pursue is an extremely important one and must be based on many
factors, such as the robustness of the technology, the constructability of the plant, the plant
economics - both initial and operating, the type of fuel used, the ability to license and regulate,
among a variety of other considerations.
UxC's SpentFUEL and StoreFUEL -
UxC is not only expanding its geopolitical coverage of the market, but is also now covering more of the fuel cycle.
In June 2007, UxC began to publish SpentFUEL and StoreFUEL, two leading newsletters dealing with the backend of the fuel cycle.
Both publications cover major fuel cycle and backend-related conferences in detail.
In addition, UxC can advise clients in issues related to the back end of the fuel cycle, including
profiles of utility spent fuel storage facilities and plans, country profiles, vendor profiles, etc.