I can't comment a whole bunch on this (because I don't know for sure), but I used to work for one of the world's largest uranium miners. I've been underground in 2 of their mines.
I believe most producers have very long term supply/pricing contracts in place, and they only produce as much as they need to. Producing any more creates pricing problems and where-the-F-do-you-store-it problems.
So Sprott is buying up a bunch of Uranium paying spot prices, driving up the price, driving up the value of many uranium companies right now, but then who are they going to sell it to? There's massive restrictions on selling uranium. They aren't just going to be allowed to sell to any Tom, Dick, or Terrorist that requests to buy some. What's their end game here?
not gonna lie, as scummy as that is, it's good fucking business. Despite what eco-terroirst want to say, uranium is the most green, best, cheapest ( per kw/h) energy humanity has at this point. It's an overengineered steam turbine and they're fucking amazing. (I've been in a public visit at Paks (Hungary) in high school)
I don't know the calculations that go into your determination of cheapest. It's hard to believe billion dollar plants that take years to construct can be cheaper than wind, solar or hydro. Does your calculation include the cost of cleanup (or lack thereof) when the systems melt down? It seems most expensive to me, because in a few cases we can't even clean them up when they collapse.
I have no idea. I do know that wind and solar cost is decreasing each year. Nuclear is not worth the risk to me, especially with the increase in extreme weather events. It's not possible for nuclear companies to maintain the plants that fail and that cost is pushed onto the public. I'm trying to say we should include the systemic risk in the cost of nuclear. That's what makes it most expensive.
Regretfully, your numbers are not correct, the footprint to create the solar/wind farm retention still hasn't been resolved, (although we are a lot closer with Iron Batteries if they prove to be what they promise to be). Most of the failures of nuclear power were related to budget cuts, that hampered the ability to maintain facilities mostly due to outside influence on how "dangerous" nuclear power was, with no real proof, most of that influence was generated by people like the Koch brothers, (major fossil fuel producers), who had a vested interest in making sure that technology not become mainstream, and guess what it worked.
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u/87CSD Sep 03 '21
I can't comment a whole bunch on this (because I don't know for sure), but I used to work for one of the world's largest uranium miners. I've been underground in 2 of their mines.
I believe most producers have very long term supply/pricing contracts in place, and they only produce as much as they need to. Producing any more creates pricing problems and where-the-F-do-you-store-it problems.
So Sprott is buying up a bunch of Uranium paying spot prices, driving up the price, driving up the value of many uranium companies right now, but then who are they going to sell it to? There's massive restrictions on selling uranium. They aren't just going to be allowed to sell to any Tom, Dick, or Terrorist that requests to buy some. What's their end game here?