The U.S. Senate approved legislation aimed at prohibiting imports of Russian uranium, as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Russia's actions in its conflict with Ukraine. The measure was passed unanimously, indicating that no senators opposed it.

The House of Representatives had already passed the bill in December. Uranium serves as a crucial component for fueling commercial nuclear reactors, which generate electricity.

The legislation, which is set to take effect 90 days after enactment, will prohibit imports of Russian uranium. It includes waivers to address potential supply shortages for domestic reactors.

Additionally, the bill allocates $2.7 billion, previously approved in other legislation, to support the expansion of the domestic uranium processing industry. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States imposed a ban on Russian oil imports and implemented price caps on certain exports of Russian crude oil and oil products.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. nuclear power plants obtained approximately 12% of their uranium from Russia in 2022. U.S. Senator John Barrasso, the leading Republican on the Senate Energy Committee and representing Wyoming, stated, "Wyoming has the uranium to replace Russian imports, and we're ready to use it."

He emphasised the bipartisan legislation's aims, stating, "Our bipartisan legislation will help defund Russia's war machine, revive American uranium production, and jumpstart investments in America's nuclear fuel supply chain."

President Joe Biden signed a foreign aid bill last week, providing billions of dollars of aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. It is anticipated that Biden will sign the uranium imports bill into law.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council issued a statement urging Congress to impose the ban, emphasising that doing so "would provide assurance to industry, allies, and partners that the U.S. has made a clear decision to establish a secure nuclear fuel supply chain, independent of adversarial influence, for decades to come."

Image source: Reuters