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UxC Update

August 2014

A periodic newsletter to keep our clients up to date on developments within our company.

Second Quarter Activity

During the second quarter, UxC senior staff were quite busy making presentations at various conferences around the world.

  • UxC Vice President, Anya Bryndza, spoke at the World Nuclear Association plenary session on April 8th on the implications for the current geopolitical developments in Russia and Ukraine for the nuclear fuel and power markets. Anya is also managing editor of UxC's Policy Watch briefing service, and in this capacity provided a number of updates on various policy developments during the quarter.
  • UxC Senior Vice President, Nick Carter, presented a paper entitled "Uranium Market in Transition" at the IAEA's International Uranium Symposium URAM 2014 held June 23-27 in Vienna, Austria. He indicated that uranium prices could languish around current levels in the near- and medium-term until additional production is curtailed/delayed. However, he painted a more bullish picture for prices recovering in the longer-term as new/replacement production will be necessary to meet higher demand.
  • UxC's consultant, Dr. Yun Zhou, gave a presentation entitled "Uranium Enrichment in China: Perceptions of the Fuel Cycle and their Nuclear Future" on June 27 at a conference in DC sponsored by the Global America Business Institute (GABI). Dr. Zhou spoke at length about China's nuclear reactor program and China's plans for increasing its uranium enrichment capacity. GABI hosts various business roundtable discussions, workshops, and Congressional programs, including the monthly U.S./Korea Nuclear Roundtable, where distinguished professionals from the nuclear industry are invited to speak.

UxC in the Community

ANS Atlanta Chapter Meeting - Philip Johnson, UxC's Director, Uranium Projects, spoke at the Atlanta Chapter meeting of the American Nuclear Society, giving an overview of the services that UxC provides and discussing our role in the market.

Science Quest

Science Quest - UxC was recently invited to participate in Science Quest, a special event to inspire students to get excited about science. The event took place at Lovinggood Middle School in Powder Springs, Georgia.

UxC partnered with the Nuclear Literacy Project to teach middle school students about the benefits of nuclear energy. UxC was represented by Trisha Turner, UxC's Assistant Director, Marketing and Administration, who taught the seventh and eighth graders the basics of the nuclear fuel cycle. Suzy Hobbs-Baker from the Nuclear Literacy Project informed students about the benefits of nuclear fuel. She shared her personal experiences about nuclear, which help overcome the misinformation publicized by the anti-nuclear sector.

After the presentations and many questions, students painted their own atom on a canvas to be displayed at the school.

For more information about the Nuclear Literacy Project, contact Suzy Hobbs-Baker via email suzy@nuclearliteracy.org or visit http://nuclearliteracy.org/

UxC in the Press

  • Carlyn Greene, UxC's Executive Director, Back End Publications, published an article, "Daily Challenges and Long-Term Planning A Summary of the 29th INMM Spent Fuel Seminar," in the Journal of Nuclear Materials Management.
  • Anya Bryndza was asked to provide her views on recent nuclear policy developments in France for the June issue of Strana Rosatom.

Just Released

UxC has just released the 2014 version of its Fabrication Market Outlook. At nearly 300 pages, this annual report details the latest supply and demand as well as market dynamics in the fuel fabrication industry. This year's essay entitled "The Death of Competition?" presents a comprehensive assessment of the present declining trends in competition, how the fabrication markets may develop in future years, and what (if anything) can be done to enhance competition in various global markets. Contact Jonathan Hinze for more information.

Summer Market Survey

UxC is currently conducting its Summer survey of nuclear fuel participants. UxC's market surveys provide useful insights to how the industry views market trends and the market impact of recent developments. For those that were sent the survey, we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Upcoming Presentations

NEI IUFS 2014

During the next quarter, the following presentations are planned.

  • UxC President, Jeff Combs, will speak during the WNA Symposium in London this September. The title of his presentation is "Market Metamorphosis."
  • Anya Bryndza will provide an update on the U.S. Government's uranium inventories and related policies at the Plenary Session during the WNA working groups' meetings in September.
  • NEI Atlanta - UxC will be co-hosting the special event and will have several speakers presenting as well at the upcoming International Uranium Fuel Seminar (IUFS) to be held in Atlanta on October 20-22. More details will be forthcoming.

Slated for Second Half Release

UxC is planning to release several reports during the second half of the year in addition to its standard quarterly and biannual market reports.

  • Uranium Suppliers Annual (USA): UxC is currently updating its 10th edition of its Uranium Suppliers Annual (USA) report, which examines uranium producers, both current and prospective, worldwide. The ongoing decline of uranium prices has impacted a number of projects, and the current version of the USA will address how this is affecting the uranium supply situation. Contact Nick Carter for more information.
  • Reactor Technology Outlook (RTO): UxC has been working on a new special report that will address key questions facing the currently troubled reactor markets. First, what are the potential market opportunities for nuclear power when compared to other electric power-producing technologies? Second, what kind of reactor technology commercially available or mature fits into each of these markets? Third, are the current reactor design offerings capable of responding to these market conditions? Fourth, are there new kinds of reactor technology paradigms that will help to fill the gaps? UxC's new RTO special report is scheduled for completion by early October 2014. Contact Jonathan Hinze for more information.
  • Nuclear Industry Value Chain (NIVC): This annual report provides detailed data and analysis of every aspect of the global nuclear markets with balanced perspectives on commercial and technical issues affecting all parts of the value chain. The NIVC report covers all sectors in the nuclear industry, including the front-end fuel markets, the broader reactor sector, as well as the back-end of the fuel cycle. Publication is planned for November 2014. Contact Jonathan Hinze for more information.