Uranium Prices Surge To 16-Year Highs Due To Supply Uncertainties, Rising Demand For AI Data Centers
Uranium Prices Surge To 16-Year Highs Due To Supply Uncertainties, Rising Demand For AI Data Centers
Long-term uranium contract prices have surged to over 16-year highs, driven by supply uncertainties and increasing demand, as the industry scrambles to prepare for powering AI data centers. Other factors, such as supply chain disruptions, geopolitical uncertainties, and environmental mining restraints, contribute to the situation.
由于供应不确定性和需求增加,长期铀合约价格已经飙升至超过16年高位,这促使行业紧急为AI数据中心供电做准备。其他因素例如供应链中断、地缘政治不确定性和环境矿业限制也加剧了这种情况。
Term prices for uranium now hover around $79 per pound, the highest since 2008, with further increases anticipated in the coming months.
目前铀期价维持在每镑79美元左右,是自2008年以来最高水平,并预计在未来几个月进一步上涨。
"With a stronger market environment, we're currently locking in ceilings of about $125-130/lb and floors at about $70-75/lb in market-related contracts," said uranium miner Cameco (NYSE:CCJ), per a Reuters report.
铀矿商Cameco (NYSE:CCJ) 参考一份路透报告称:“在更强的市场环境下,我们目前正在锁定每镑大约125至130美元的上限和每镑70至75美元的市场相关合同的下限”。
Over the past year, spot uranium prices have risen nearly 88%, reaching a 14-year high of about $82 per pound in February 2024. The rapid increase in spot prices began in 2022, with a notable 41% rise to $49.81 per pound.
过去一年,现货铀价格已经上涨近88%,在2024年2月达到了每镑82美元的14年高点。现货价格的快速上涨始于2022年,价格飙升41%至每镑49.81美元。
Now read: Alaska Energy Metals CEO: Nickel Demand Will Increase '23 Times By 2035′
现在阅读:阿拉斯加能源金属CEO:镍的需求将在2035年增加23倍
The demand for uranium is anticipated to grow substantially. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that nuclear generation could almost double by 2050 due to the global push for clean energy. This would necessitate a corresponding doubling of uranium supply, which seems challenging given the current market conditions.
预计铀的需求将大幅增长。国际能源署(IEA)预测,由于全球推动清洁能源,核发电量到2050年可以增加近一倍。这将需要相应地翻倍铀供应量,由于当前市场条件,这似乎是一个具有挑战性的问题。
They estimate that uranium prices need to be at least 30% higher than the current marginal production cost of $90-$100 per pound to incentivize new projects, suggesting that supply shortages may persist over the next decade.
他们估计,铀价格需要至少比现行每镑90-100美元的边际生产成本高出30%,才能激励新项目,这意味着供应短缺可能在未来十年持续存在。
According to a May 2024 Goldman Sachs Research report, global data center power demand, which currently accounts for 1-2% of total electricity consumption, is expected to grow by 160% by 2030. Such a surge, accompanied by the push for clean energy, is a positive catalyst for a higher share of nuclear power in the energy grid and, consequently, the demand for uranium.
根据2024年5月高盛研究报告,目前占总用电量1-2%的全球数据中心电力需求预计到2030年将增长160%。这种激增以及对清洁能源的推动是能源网络中更高比例核电的正面推动力,并因此推动了铀的需求。
Australia's recent decision to ban mining at the Jabiluka site, one of the world's largest high-grade uranium deposits, doesn't help the supply side. The Jabiluka deposit, discovered in the early 1970s, has been central to legal and cultural disputes between Indigenous custodians and mining companies. However, the Australian government announced the extension of Kakadu National Park to include the Jabiluka site, effectively prohibiting any future mining activities.
澳大利亚最近决定禁止在贾比卢卡(Jabiluka)矿区采矿,该矿区是世界上最大的高品位铀矿床之一,这并未有利于供应端。贾比卢卡矿床于20世纪70年代初发现,一直是土著管理人和采矿公司之间的法律和文化争端的中心。然而,澳大利亚政府宣布将卡卡杜国家公园范围延伸至贾比卢卡矿区,有效禁止了任何未来的采矿活动。
Energy Resources of Australia (OTCPK: EGRAF), a company majority-owned by Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO), previously held mining leases at Jabiluka.
澳洲能源金属(Energy Resources of Australia)(OTCPK:EGRAF)以前持有Jabiluka的采矿许可证,该公司是里约热内卢公司(Rio Tinto)(NYSE:RIO)的大股东。
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