Uranium shipments are like VIP travellers. They go by land, sea or air and have layovers like any other traveller, but their global influence and appeal to criminals means every detail of their journey is designed to ensure safety and security each step of the way.
“Uranium is only produced by a few countries and is required to produce fuel for most nuclear power plants worldwide, which is why it’s a high-value, strategic global commodity,” said Robert Floyd, Director General of the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO). “Given the need to transport uranium globally, it is important that high standards are sustained internationally.”
More than 80% of the uranium used worldwide is produced by just five countries. Of the 30 countries that operate 450 nuclear power reactors, few produce their own uranium. This means that more than 50,000 tonnes of uranium ore concentrate are typically shipped each year.
Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element. Uranium ore concentrate, or yellowcake, is a concentrated powder form of uranium made by removing impurities from raw uranium ore. (For more information on how yellowcake is made, see page 23 of the IAEA Bulletin on Uranium: From Exploration to Remediation). Most uranium is shipped as yellowcake because it is more cost-effective than transporting unrefined uranium ore.
Although yellowcake poses little radiation hazard, it still requires safe handling. “From a safety perspective, only basic radiation protection measures are necessary,” said Eric Reber, a transport safety specialist at the IAEA.
From a security standpoint, explained David Ladsous, an IAEA senior nuclear security officer, “protection measures ensure uranium does not end up in the wrong hands. They are particularly important because uranium has major economic and strategic value that can also motivate theft or sabotage.”
The IAEA works with authorities worldwide to train personnel and help develop national safety and security regulations for transporting uranium. National regulations for the safety and security of radioactive material should be designed to meet international standards and be integrated into a global safety and security regime, Reber said. This joint effort covers the whole transport process, from production and packaging to transit routes and delivery. It also addresses potential issues such as piracy.
“Even though the transport of yellowcake is of relatively lower risk than other parts of the nuclear fuel cycle, having high standards of safety and security is vital to building domestic and international confidence in the nuclear industry as a whole,” Floyd said.
Even though the transport of yellowcake is of relatively lower risk than other parts of the nuclear fuel cycle, having high standards of safety and security is vital to building domestic and international confidence in the nuclear industry as a whole.
