Uranium and nuclear power facts
Uranium is a silvery-white metal and a primary energy source. After raw uranium is mined and milled, it is processed to make fuel for nuclear reactors to generate electricity.
Key facts
- Canada is the second largest producer and fourth exporter of uranium in the world, with 13% of global production in 2019.
- Nuclear power generation accounted for approximately 15% of Canada's electricity in 2018. Nuclear power is a source of energy that does not emit greenhouse gases.
- In 2019, 75% of Canada's uranium production was exported for use in nuclear power throughout the world.
- Canada has developed a unique nuclear reactor technology, CANDU; there are 18 CANDU reactors in Ontario, 1 in New Brunswick and 10 in operation outside of Canada.
- Under Canada's nuclear non-proliferation policy, Canadian uranium can be used only for peaceful purposes.
Learn more about uranium and nuclear power
International context
Uranium
Find out how Canada's uranium ranks on an international scale:
World production
| Rank | Country | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kazakhstan | 43% |
| 2 | Canada | 13% |
| 3 | Australia | 12% |
| 4 | Namibia | 10% |
| 5 | Niger | 6% |
World exports
| Rank | Country | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kazakhstan | 49% |
| 2 | Australia | 15% |
| 3 | Namibia | 12% |
| 4 | Canada | 12% |
| 5 | Niger | 7% |
World known recoverable resources
| Rank | Country | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 30% |
| 2 | Kazakhstan | 14% |
| 3 | Canada | 8% |
| 4 | Russia | 8% |
| 5 | Namibia | 7% |
Nuclear power
Find out how Canada's nuclear power ranks on an international scale:
| Rank | Country | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 31% |
| 2 | France | 15% |
| 3 | China | 13% |
| 4 | Russia | 8% |
| 5 | South Korea | 5% |
| 6 | Canada | 4% |
Supply and demand
Nuclear energy is a major part of the Canadian landscape from coast to coast. Nuclear power stations operate in Ontario and New Brunswick. Uranium mining, refining and fuel fabrication steps are completed in Saskatchewan and Ontario.
There is a strong nuclear science and technology presence across Canada, including the production of isotopes for medical and industrial applications.
Canadian supply and demand
Text version
This map shows that all uranium comes from mines in Saskatchewan, but uranium processing, refining, conversion, fuel fabrication, research and waste management happens across Canada. Nuclear power stations are located in Ontario and New Brunswick.
Uranium production and uses
Uranium is primarily used to produce fuel for nuclear power plants (more than 99% of total use). Other uses of uranium (less than 1%) include the production of medical isotopes and fuel for research reactors.
Canadian production of uranium was 6.9 kilotonnes in 2019. The uranium came from mines in Saskatchewan and was valued at approximately $800 million.
Key facts
- Canada is the world’s 2nd largest producer and 3rd largest low-cost resource base.
- More than 500,000 tU available at a cost of less than US$50/lb uranium oxide (U3O8) – supports continued production for at least 40 years.
- All production is from high-grade deposits in Saskatchewan with uranium concentrations of up to 100 times the world average.
- Output from the Cigar Lake Mine/McClean Lake Mill in 2018 was 6938 tU, ranking this operation as the world’s largest uranium producer.
- Production from the McArthur River mine and Key Lake mill, the world's largest uranium mine and largest uranium mill respectively, has been suspended indefinitely since January 2018 due to low uranium prices and low demand. Only, 61 tU was produced at the Key Lake mill in 2018.
- Since mid-2016, operations at the Rabbit Lake mine have also been suspended due to low uranium prices.
Canadian production of uranium, 2007–2018
Text version
This bar graph shows Canada's annual mine production of uranium from 2007 to 2018. Production from 2007 to 2014 was fairly stable, averaging approximately 9,380 tU per year. Since 2014, increased output from the Cigar Lake mine has resulted in record uranium production for Canada. Production in 2016 was 14,022 tU, before decreasing to 7,001 tU in 2018 when production was suspended at McArthur River mine and Key Lake mill.
Further refining and conversion of uranium occurs in Ontario to produce uranium hexafluoride and uranium dioxide.
Approximately 75% of Canada's uranium production is exported. Based on long-term contracts (whose values can vary based on changes in regional demand), uranium from Canadian mines is generally sold in Asia (42%), North America/Latin America (33%) and Europe (25%). In 2019, 21% of uranium purchased by U.S. nuclear reactors came from Canada, making Canada the largest foreign supplier of uranium to the U.S.
Domestic use in Canada's CANDU reactors in Ontario and New Brunswick was approximately 25% of production in 2018.
Gross capacity of nuclear power plants in Canada
There are 6 nuclear power stations in Canada, which have a combined capacity of 14,071 megawatts. The Bruce generating station is the largest operating nuclear power plant in the world.
| Facility | Province | Total capacity (MW) | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | Ontario | 3,512 | 4 |
| Bruce A | Ontario | 3,220 | 4 |
| Bruce B | Ontario | 3,390 | 4 |
| Pickering A | Ontario | 1,084 | 2 |
| Pickering B | Ontario | 2,160 | 4 |
| Point Lepreau | New Brunswick | 705 | 1 |
Prices
The majority of Canadian uranium production is sold via long-term contract, as opposed to the spot market. In the short term, spot prices do not have a significant impact on the annual value of Canada's uranium production. Uranium from Canadian mines is generally sold in North America/Latin America (41%), Asia (42%) and Europe (16%).
In 2019, the U.S. nuclear reactor purchased 21% of uranium from Canada, which made Canada the largest foreign supplier of uranium to the U.S.
The average spot contract uranium price increased to a peak of $88 per pound U3O8 equivalent in 2007, then started a general decline to $28 in 2019. Meanwhile, U.S. purchases from foreign suppliers surpassed the value of spot contracts in 2009, and reached a peak of $57 in 2011, before declining to $36 in 2019.
Uranium Prices, 1996–2019
Text version
This line chart shows the weighted-average price of uranium purchased from foreign suppliers and spot contracts (U3O8) price in U.S. dollars per pound from 1996 to 2019. The average spot contract uranium price increased to a peak of $88 per pound U3O8 equivalent in 2007, then started a general decline to $28 in 2019. Meanwhile, U.S. purchases from foreign suppliers surpassed the value of spot contracts in 2009, and reached a peak of $57 in 2011, before declining to $36 in 2019.
Canadian nuclear research and development
Canada has nuclear research and development capabilities that are supported by academic research centres, the private sector and government laboratories—including Chalk River Laboratories, Canada's largest science and technology complex.
Nuclear energy research is focused on supporting existing reactor technologies as well as next-generation nuclear energy systems. Canada is also a leader in nuclear R&D for areas such as nuclear medicine, pharmacology, environmental protection and wastewater treatment, among others.
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are nuclear reactors that operate at a smaller scale than current nuclear power plants. Although not yet commercially proven in Canada, they may have future applications as a replacement to fossil fuel power plants or as load-following units equipped with systems for storing excess electricity to complement larger shares of variable renewables.
SMRs may also have applications in the production of heat and electricity at both on- and off-grid industrial sites, and to help off-grid northern and remote communities reduce their reliance on diesel.
CANDU nuclear reactors
Canada has developed a unique nuclear reactor technology called CANDU and is one of roughly half a dozen countries that offer domestic-designed reactors to the open commercial market.
In addition to Canada, CANDU reactors have been sold to India, Pakistan, Argentina, South Korea, Romania and China.
World locations of CANDU reactors
Text version
This map shows that, outside of Canada, CANDU nuclear power technology exists in Argentina, Romania, Pakistan, India, China and South Korea.
CANDU technology continues to evolve to enable the use of alternative fuels. Work is under way in Chinese CANDU reactors to demonstrate that they can recycle used fuel from other nuclear power plants, reducing the volume of nuclear waste.
Learn more about Canadian Nuclear Energy Technology.
Find out more about minerals and metals facts
Notes and sources
All dollars are Canadian unless otherwise indicated.
- World production and exports: World Nuclear Association (World Uranium Mining) and NRCan estimate based on World Nuclear Association production data
- World known recoverable resources of uranium: World Nuclear Association (Supply of Uranium), OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and International Atomic Energy Agency
- Nuclear power world generation: United States Energy Information Administration (International Energy Statistics) table (Nuclear Electricity Net Generation), International Atomic Energy Agency and OECD Nuclear energy agency
- Canadian supply and demand: World Nuclear Association (Uranium in Canada), Cameco Annual report and compiled by NRCan from company information
- Purchases by United States of nuclear reactors: United States Energy Information Administration (Uranium Marketing Annual Report) table 3 (Uranium purchased by owners and operators of U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors by origin country and delivery year)
- Nuclear power plants in Canada: compiled by NRCan from Statistic Canada 57-206, International Atomic Energy Agency Power Reactor Information System and other public sources
- Uranium prices: United States Energy Information Administration (Uranium Marketing Annual Report) Table S1b (Weighted-average price of uranium purchased by owners and operators of U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors)
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