编辑“︁鈾”︁（章节）

===資源儲備===
[[File:Uranium production world.PNG|thumb|200px|2005年全球主要鈾礦分佈圖]]

經估計，全球目前有550萬噸鈾庫存，每磅鈾可售59美元；<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/ENF_Exploration_drives_uranium_resources_up_17_0206082.html |title=Exploration drives uranium resources up 17% |publisher=World-nuclear-news.org |accessdate=2008-09-12 |archive-date=2020-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526221819/https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/ENF_Exploration_drives_uranium_resources_up_17_0206082.html |dead-url=no }}</ref>另有3500萬噸鈾尚待開採。<ref name="IAEAResourcesDemand"/>鈾價格從2003年5月的每磅10美元升至2007年7月的每磅138美元。這促使了人們對鈾的開採：<ref name=autogenerated1/>2005年世界為鈾開採花費2億美元，比2004年高出54%；<ref name="IAEAResourcesDemand"/>2006年世界花費7.74億美元，比2004年高出250%。<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

澳洲擁有全球已知鈾礦藏的31%。<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf75.html |title=Supply of Uranium |accessdate=2013-07-23 |archive-date=2008-05-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509123211/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf75.html |dead-url=yes }}</ref>世界上最大的單個鈾礦藏並位於[[南澳州]]的{{le|奧林匹克大壩礦山|Olympic Dam mine}}。<ref>{{cite web |title=Uranium Mining and Processing in South Australia |url=http://www.uraniumsa.org/processing/processing.htm |accessdate=2007-01-14 |publisher=South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy |year=2002 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106005859/http://www.uraniumsa.org/processing/processing.htm |archivedate=2012-01-06 }}</ref>[[中非共和國]][[姆博穆省]][[貝庫瑪]]也擁有大型鈾礦藏。

「[[百萬噸變百萬千瓦計劃|百萬噸變百萬千瓦]]」等類似計劃通過拆卸核武器，將可用物質轉變為核燃料。<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf13.html |title=Military Warheads as a Source of Nuclear Fuel |publisher=World-nuclear.org |accessdate=2010-05-24 |archive-date=2013-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224155717/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf13.html |dead-url=no }}</ref>

[[海水]]中铀浓度很低，但蕴藏量巨大，约45亿吨，是陆地上已探明的铀矿储量的2000倍。1960年代後期，中國[[華東師範大學]]在世界上首次從海水中提取出公斤級的鈾。<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://qdhys.ijournal.cn/hykx/ch/reader/create_pdf.aspx?file_no=19860617 |title=中科院海洋研究所 |access-date=2016-06-22 |archive-date=2021-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217232729/http://qdhys.ijournal.cn/hykx/ch/reader/create_pdf.aspx?file_no=19860617 |dead-url=no }}</ref>1980年代，日本科學家證明，用[[離子交換]]法從海水萃取鈾元素在技術上是可行的。为此，日本已于1986年4月在香川县建成了年产10千克铀的海水提取厂。<ref name="UseaWater">{{cite web |title=Uranium recovery from Seawater |url=http://www.jaea.go.jp/jaeri/english/ff/ff43/topics.html |accessdate=2008-09-03 |publisher=Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute |date=1999-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017081215/http://www.jaea.go.jp/jaeri/english/ff/ff43/topics.html |archive-date=2009-10-17 |dead-url=yes }}</ref><ref name="stanfordCohen">{{cite web |title=How long will nuclear energy last? |url=http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/cohen.html |accessdate=2007-03-29 |date=1996-02-12 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070410165316/http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/cohen.html |archivedate=2007年4月10日 }}</ref>科學家曾進行從海水中提取鈾的實驗，<ref>{{cite journal | last=Tsezos | first=M. | last2=Noh | first2=S. H. | title=Extraction of uranium from sea water using biological origin adsorbents | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_canadian-journal-of-chemical-engineering_1984-08_62_4/page/559 | journal=The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering | publisher=Wiley-Blackwell | volume=62 | issue=4 | year=1984 | issn=0008-4034 | doi=10.1002/cjce.5450620416 | pages=559–561}}</ref>但由於水中含有碳酸鹽，使鈾產量很低。2012年，美國[[橡樹嶺國家實驗室]]的研究人員宣佈成功研發了一種稱為HiCap的新型吸附劑，能比過去的吸附劑更好地保留固體或氣體分子、原子和離子。研究人員稱，這種材料提取出的鈾比過去多5至7倍。<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ornl.gov/info/press_releases/get_press_release.cfm?ReleaseNumber=mr20120821-00 |title=ORNL technology moves scientists closer to extracting uranium from seawater |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States |date=2012-08-21 |accessdate=2013-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825192521/http://www.ornl.gov/info/press_releases/get_press_release.cfm?ReleaseNumber=mr20120821-00 |archive-date=2012-08-25 |dead-url=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pnnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=938 |title=PNNL: News – Fueling nuclear power with seawater |publisher=Pnnl.gov |date=2012-08-21 |accessdate=2013-02-22 |archive-date=2012-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825155837/http://www.pnnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=938 |dead-url=yes }}</ref>