6 Oct (NucNet): Kazakhstan became the leading supplier of uranium for the US’ fleet of commercial nuclear reactors in 2014, a report by the US Energy Information Administration said. The total uranium supplied from Kazakhstan amounted to 12m pounds (5.4m kgs), or 23 percent of all uranium purchased in 2014 by US nuclear power operators, the report said. The figure is almost a two-fold increase compared to the 6.5m pounds supplied by Kazakhstan in 2013. The report said that in 2014 average Kazakh uranium prices, at $44.47 (€39.69) per pound, have been lower than the overall weighted-average price of non-Kazakh uranium, at $46.65 (€41.63) per pound. In 2009, Kazakhstan became the world’s main uranium producer after surpassing Canada. All uranium production and export in Kazakhstan is controlled by the state-owned national atomic company Kazatomprom. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the US has 99 reactors in commercial operation. Full report online: http://1.usa.gov/1QWwnIs
