Uranium from mine to nuclear power plant

Uranium is a very common metal that can be found in bedrock all over the world. Uranium can be used as fuel in a nuclear reactor. In terms of energy content, one kilogram of uranium equals 90 tonnes of coal.

Since Vattenfall’s nuclear power operations started in 1975, technology and know-how advancements have improved generation efficiency. Today, nuclear power plants require considerably less uranium to generate the same amount of electricity.

Strict demands on uranium procurement

All nuclear fuel procurement within the Vattenfall Group is handled by the subsidiary Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel. The uranium is procured from mines in Australia, Namibia and Russia.

All suppliers in the uranium purchasing chain are visited and assessed by Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel staff in order to ensure their operations follow Vattenfall’s policies. We make a thorough evaluation of our uranium suppliers through onsite visits and assessments according to our own environmental and social criteria. Vattenfall follows trade recommendations issued by the Swedish Foreign Ministry, the EU and the UN.

The process from mine to power plant

Uranium mining and milling

Uranium is a very common metal that can be found in bedrock all over the world. It is either mined at the surface or underground. At the mines the ore (uranium rock) is crushed and separated from the rock into a powder-like substance called ‘yellow-cake’ (U308).

Transportation

The yellow-cake is transported by ship, train or truck to conversion plants.

Uranium conversion

The next step is the conversion of the yellow-cake into gas, uranium hexafluoride (UF6), which is suitable for enrichment operations. Conversion plants are found in, among other countries, France, Canada and the US.

Uranium enrichment

The uranium hexafluoride is then enriched (raising the proportion of U-235 isotope). This is done at plants in France, Germany, the Netherlands and England.

Fuel fabrication

Fuel fabrication facilities in Sweden, Spain and Germany convert enriched UF6 into fuel pellets to be inserted into nuclear reactor rods.

In the nuclear reactor, a self-sustaining chain reaction of atom splitting (or fission) is started, converting nuclear fuel to heat. The heat is then used in a steam turbine to generate electricity. During this process the nuclear fuel becomes highly radioactive.