Design and Cost Studies on the Extraction of Uranium from Seawater

Abstract For a country like Japan, which has very limited energy resources, nuclear power generation is an attractive energy option. However, since known domestic resources of uranium are limited, it is desirable to develop less-conventional uranium sources. To investigate the technical and economic feasibility of extracting uranium from seawater, a research program has been carried out since 1975 by the Metal Mining Agency of Japan, under sponsor-ship of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. The program includes studies in the following research areas: chemical process selection, adsorbent development, continuous adsorption and elution performance, eluate recovery by steam stripping or electrodialysis, and secondary concentration of uranium in the eluate. Several site selections around the Japanese coast have been examined along with a comparison of various seawater contacting structures. Conceptual designs and tentative cost estimations have been conducted on two types of commercial plants: ...