Moroccan chemists discuss recovering uranium in Morroccan phosphates.

[NNadir]

Moroccan phosphate contains uranium at varying concentrations, usually between 50 and 80 ppm. During the production of phosphoric acid, the uranium initially present in the phosphate rock will be found to be more than 80% in the phosphoric acid; thus it is in the phosphoric acid that uranium recovery, in view of its valorisation, can be envisaged. From the beginning of the 1950s when the first process of uranium recovery from phosphoric acid was developed, the history of valorisation of uranium from the phosphates has undergone a number of phases, which have been essentially a consequence of the economical interest in such valorisation. For example, in the 1960s there was a lack of interest due to the low prices of uranium. A new interest arose at the beginning of the 1970s. During these periods many processes were developed and a number of uranium recovery plants from phosphoric acid were started. The new interest in the 1970s was dictated by the oil crisis and a surge in uranium prices, which climbed from $5/lb U3O8 in 1973 to almost $45/lb U3O8 in 1979. The beginning of the 1980s saw a drop in the oil prices, as a consequence uranium prices dropped and this led to the shutdown of most of the facilities for uranium recovery from phosphoric acid, thus putting an end to the boom of recovering uranium from phosphates...

...It shall be assumed that Morocco can separate 500 tonnes of natural uranium per year from its phosphate rock and the phosphoric acid industry. Once transformed into slightly enriched uranium, say about 3.5% U-235 for use in light water reactors, this would produce about 100 tonnes of enriched fuel which could feed four large electricity producing reactors of 1000 MWe each. This could also feed six high temperature reactors (HTR) of the type described by Lecomte and Bandelier (2003) using a higher enrichment, compatible with civilian uses.

Stress needs to be laid once again on the interesting properties of such a reactor type. Its intrinsic safety, durability, simplicity and ease of maintenance, low emissions and radioactive waste, ease of operation and its good thermodynamic yield equivalent to that of a gas-fired plant make it an ideal choice.(Figure 1) Moreover, a water desalination plant can be affixed to such a reactor and its wasted heat used without any reduction in the electrical output. In other words, electricity and water can be produced without interference at a maximum output, which is a bonus in a country like Morocco, which needs both electric power and water. Moreover, the steam used to produce water, by using a multiple-effect distillation facility (MED), is cost free, since it is paid for by the electrical energy production.

We shall consider a facility comprising one standard HTR reactor unit producing 280 MW of electricity and able to produce about 25,000 m³/day and up to 40,000 m³/day of fresh water of excellent quality, depending on the number of distillation stages. More water of ‘drinking’ quality could be produced if part of the electrical output were used to feed a reverse-osmosis (RO) plant besides the MED plant. For example, one 10,000 m³/day RO unit costing about 15 million euros, would consume about 3 MW of electrical power. Whereas the MED facilities have to be near the power plants, the RO facilities can be installed anywhere at request as they rely on electrical power lines only.

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