Three more companies - enCore Energy, Ur Energy and Uranium Energy Corp - have been selected to provide domestically produced uranium to the USA's federal strategic uranium reserve. At the same time, Ur Energy has announced a ramp-up of production at its operating Lost Creek mine after expansions to its sales agreements.

Energy Fuels Inc and Peninsula Energy Limited subsidiary Strata Energy Inc have been awarded contracts to supply natural uranium concentrates to establish a federal reserve of domestically produced material. The reserve is intended to be a backup source of supply for US nuclear power plants in the event of a significant market disruption.

The government's newly released strategy maps out how Canada can seize the "generational opportunity" presented by a global energy transition underpinned by the exploration, extraction, processing, product manufacturing and recycling of critical minerals including uranium.

Russia's national nuclear company's Internexco subsidiary and Brazil's state-owned Industrias Nucleares do Brasil have signed a contract to supply the Angra nuclear power plant from 2023 to 2027.

 

A newly signed tripartite agreement broadens the scope of the collaboration between Orano Mining and its Uzbek partners and lays the foundations for the development of new uranium mines in Uzbekistan.

The company's Board of Directors has made the financial investment decision that will see production activities begin at the Lance project during the first quarter of 2023, for delivery into existing offtake contracts in the final quarter of the year.
 

Consolidated Uranium Inc has agreed to buy Virginia Energy Resources, which owns Coles Hill - the largest undeveloped uranium project in the USA - in a transaction worth around USD32.2 million. The company is hopeful Virginia's 40-year moratorium on uranium mining may be overcome.

In a wide ranging interview for the World Nuclear News podcast, Cameco CEO Tim Gitzel explained:

• Why the time was right for the Westinghouse deal
• How Russia's war with Ukraine has led to 'bifurcation' of the nuclear sector
• Explained Cameco's long-term strategy
• Looks ahead at the impact of new technologies, including SMRs
• How nuclear will need to play a key role in getting to net-zero

Tim Gitzel explains the thinking behind the Cameco, Brookfield Renewable and Westinghouse deal - and why he thinks the nuclear industry is up to the challenge of playing a critical role in providing clean energy for generations to come.

The recovery of uranium-bearing solution during the ongoing Phoenix in-situ leach (ISL) feasibility field test (FFT) is a historic moment for uranium mining in Canada, according to Denison Mines Corp.

A contract has been signed for the environmental remediation of the former Taboshar uranium mining and processing site near the city of Istiklol in western Tajikistan. The work - to be carried out by specialists from Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom - is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Mid- and long-term contracts have given the Kazakh uranium producer the confidence to increase its uranium production in 2024 by 2000-3000 tU above expected 2023 levels, it said in its mid-year financial update. Although its primary shipping route via St Petersburg has so far remained available, the company intends to use an alternative route via the Caspian Sea later this year.