WNA: Uranium supply adequate to 2030

The World Nuclear Association's 2007 Market Report, The Global Nuclear Fuel Market, Supply and Demand 2007-2030, forsees steady growth in nuclear electricty generation of 1.5% per year under its Reference Scenario, taking global capacity to 377 GWe in 2010, 454 GWe in 2020 and 529 GWe in 2030. The Upper Scenario, which would take capacity to 720 GWe by 2030 is seen as more probable than in earlier reports. Authors noted that nuclear fuel buyers have chosen to decrease enrichment tails assay levels to offset the recent high costs of uranium, and that this has led to an increase in demand for uranium enrichment services which will continue. An adequate supply of uranium is expected until 2030, with production picking up sharply in the period to 2015. Between 2010 and 2015 there could even be a surplus of the metal.