Russia remained the top supplier of nuclear reactor fuel to the US last year, even after a ban on enriched uranium imports from the country became law in May, data from the Department of Energy shows.
Russia provided 20% of the enriched uranium used in America’s fleet of commercial reactors, down from nearly 27% in 2023, according a Tuesday report by the Energy Information Administration.
The shipments continued despite legislation halting Russian imports of reactor fuel following the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. The ban, which became effective in August 2024, allows the Energy Department to issue waivers through 2028 if no alternative source is available, or if the imports are determined to be of national interest. Among those that have received waivers are Constellation Energy Corp. and Centrus Energy Corp.
The figures come as the Trump administration urges Europe and other countries to curb reliance on Russian oil and natural gas.
Congress last year gave the Energy Department billions of dollars to revive the nation’s nearly dormant capacity to produce reactor fuel, and the agency is expected to begin releasing those funds soon.
Source: Bloomberg