Reply #15: Well industry rarely works that way. [View All]

[Statistical]

Saltwater extraction DOES work however cost is about $300 per kg. The "problem" with uranium is it is cheap. This is why reprocessing is not economical (there are non-economic reasons to reprocess though).

Spot uranium prices are about $40 but that is partially depressed because we are turning bombs into electricity. Without megatons to megawatts program uranium likely would be about $60 per kg.

We won't move to seawater extraction until one of three things happen:
a) Amount of high yield uranium is consumed thus driving pricing of uranium > $300 per kg
b) Uranium becomes scare enough that Japan (or other uranium poor country) decided the security is worth more than economic premium
c) Carbon Tax raises the economic cost of extraction.

Funny how many places Carbon Tax fits into aligning economic goals with climate goals. It is the giant answer to hundreds of diverse problems all over the planet.

It is unlikely we will ever make any meaningful reductions to carbon emissions without a carbon tax.

Still the "study" is bogus. I would like to re-iterate that the author has 8 peer reviewed studies. This one is NOT peer reviewed but instead included in a book he is trying to sell.