Uranium in 2022: How High Can Prices Go?
Last year, the price of uranium rose by 45%, going from about $29 per pound at the start of the year to $50 per pound in September. This increase followed growth in 2020, which saw uranium go from $24 in January to $30 by year’s end. Despite not being able to maintain that $50 level, the value of the energy fuel has remained at about $40 since then.
Uranium is one of the few commodities that has seen two years of solid gains in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which most analysts believe indicates that the metal’s price is not dropping any time soon. However, on the supply side, current supply of the metal cannot meet demand. It is expected that constrained supply will push the price of uranium even higher this year.
IndependentSepculator.com CEO and founder Lobo Tiggre stated in an interview that unlike the 2007 uranium price surge, which saw uranium hit $139 from $45 in a single year, the current surge in price would be affected by a number of factors. Tiggre, who expects uranium to settle between $60 and $70 this year, explained that in 2007, no companies and funds were voluntarily holding back cheap supply and sitting on significant amounts of uranium.
Now, however, he noted that the presence of funds such as ANU Energy OEIC and the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust, which has bought more than $1 billion of uranium since last year, could serve as a price headwind or a catalyst. The ANU Energy OEIC is a physical uranium fund that was launched last year by Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s primary uranium producer.
Nuclear Energy Institute VP of public affairs and policy development John Kotek stated that nuclear was the second biggest source of carbon-free electricity, making up 10% of total electricity produced around the globe. Kotek explained that while this figure wouldn’t change significantly in the short term, the interest in new nuclear constructions combined with decarbonization efforts increased expectations that nuclear’s share would grow in the long term. This outlook is backed by the increase in demand for clean energy, particularly the need for carbon-free power.
An analysis conducted by the International Energy Agency, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Atomic Energy Agency and other organizations also found that global nuclear generation capacity will have risen substantially by 2050, which supports Kotek’s expectation. This increase will be facilitated by the coming online of new reactors, which will join the already operating global fleet.
Needless to say, the increased nuclear energy generation capacity around the world will have a beneficial effect upon the value uranium extraction companies, such as Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR), offer to their shareholders.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/UUUU
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the MiningNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by MNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.MiningNewsWire.com/Disclaimer
Last year, the price of uranium rose by 45%, going from about $29 per pound at the start of the year to $50 per pound in September. This increase followed growth in 2020, which saw uranium go from $24 in January to $30 by year’s end. Despite not being able to maintain that $50 level, the value of the energy fuel has remained at about $40 since then.
Uranium is one of the few commodities that has seen two years of solid gains in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which most analysts believe indicates that the metal’s price is not dropping any time soon. However, on the supply side, current supply of the metal cannot meet demand. It is expected that constrained supply will push the price of uranium even higher this year.
IndependentSepculator.com CEO and founder Lobo Tiggre stated in an interview that unlike the 2007 uranium price surge, which saw uranium hit $139 from $45 in a single year, the current surge in price would be affected by a number of factors. Tiggre, who expects uranium to settle between $60 and $70 this year, explained that in 2007, no companies and funds were voluntarily holding back cheap supply and sitting on significant amounts of uranium.
Now, however, he noted that the presence of funds such as ANU Energy OEIC and the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust, which has bought more than $1 billion of uranium since last year, could serve as a price headwind or a catalyst. The ANU Energy OEIC is a physical uranium fund that was launched last year by Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s primary uranium producer.
Nuclear Energy Institute VP of public affairs and policy development John Kotek stated that nuclear was the second biggest source of carbon-free electricity, making up 10% of total electricity produced around the globe. Kotek explained that while this figure wouldn’t change significantly in the short term, the interest in new nuclear constructions combined with decarbonization efforts increased expectations that nuclear’s share would grow in the long term. This outlook is backed by the increase in demand for clean energy, particularly the need for carbon-free power.
An analysis conducted by the International Energy Agency, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Atomic Energy Agency and other organizations also found that global nuclear generation capacity will have risen substantially by 2050, which supports Kotek’s expectation. This increase will be facilitated by the coming online of new reactors, which will join the already operating global fleet.
Needless to say, the increased nuclear energy generation capacity around the world will have a beneficial effect upon the value uranium extraction companies, such as Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR), offer to their shareholders.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/UUUU
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the MiningNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by MNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.MiningNewsWire.com/Disclaimer
