Chinese scientists have developed a new electrochemical system to extract uranium from seawater more efficiently, potentially reducing energy use and costs for nuclear power production.
Chinese scientists have developed a new method for extracting uranium from seawater, which could become a major breakthrough for the country’s nuclear energy sector.
China currently leads the world in the construction of nuclear power plants. However, it imports most of its uranium, making the country dependent on external suppliers. Seawater contains an estimated 4.5 billion tons of uranium — roughly 1,000 times more than known land-based reserves.
The challenge lies in concentration: uranium in seawater is extremely diluted, with an average concentration of just 3.3 micrograms per liter. Until now, technologies designed to extract uranium from seawater have been complex, expensive, and energy-intensive.
According to reports, Chinese researchers have created a new electrochemical system that is significantly more efficient than previous methods. While full technical details have not been disclosed, the system reportedly collects uranium simultaneously on two copper electrodes — both positive and negative. This approach is said to consume 1,000 times less energy than earlier electrochemical extraction systems.
In laboratory tests using water from the East China Sea, scientists reportedly achieved a 100% uranium extraction rate. Tests with water from the South China Sea achieved 85% extraction efficiency.
The reported cost of the process is approximately $83 per kilogram of extracted uranium. This is about half the cost of traditional physical adsorption methods and four times cheaper than earlier electrochemical techniques.
If successfully scaled, the new technology could provide access to a virtually inexhaustible uranium supply. However, large-scale industrial implementation is expected to take considerable time.
