Morocco stands to win big in the global race for uranium

Tens of billions of dollars are being invested to capitalise on this natural resource along the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

Morocco has unexpectedly emerged as a new giant in uranium production, thanks to the recent discovery of vast reserves of phosphate and its derivatives.
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Morocco has unexpectedly emerged as a new giant in uranium production, thanks to the recent discovery of vast reserves of phosphate and its derivatives.

Morocco stands to win big in the global race for uranium

Climate change, the Ukrainian war, the military coup in Niger, and the rush to acquire lethal weapons in more than one regional hotspot are all factors that contribute to the rising prices of various raw materials, fossil fuels, and extraction-related resources used in all forms of energy production.

This is despite the apparent weakness of the global economy, which is expected to fall short of 3% growth by the end of this year.

Uranium — which is controlled by a small number of producers throughout the world — is one of the main raw materials whose prices have risen to $57 per pound at the end of last July, up from roughly $33 two years earlier.

Global surge in demand

Demand surged abruptly due to geopolitical and geoeconomic factors; however, supply remained stagnant.

Uranium is regarded as a versatile mineral since it may be used to produce electricity from nuclear reactors, generate heat and cooling, desalinate seawater, develop medical treatments, and reach military industries if enrichment rates rise.

This technology is almost entirely restricted to a few countries, and those governments actively prohibit the spread of enrichment technologies to third-world countries for fear of manufacturing lethal weapons that could spark a nuclear arms race.

It is no secret that France is defending its final bastion in Africa in order to protect its access to this precious mineral. Niger alone supplies about 25% of nuclear reactors’ needs within the European Union, including 56 stations in France alone.

AFP
A Nigerien Soldier walks outside France's state-owned nuclear giant Areva's uranium mine on September 26, 2010 in Arlit, Niger.

Read more: Niger coup marks yet another French setback in the African Sahel

This comes at a time when supplies from Russia were disrupted due to war and sanctions, winter fuel prices have risen due to the energy crisis, electricity demand has increased due to rising summer temperatures, and European options have been limited for a year and a half.

According to the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), three countries, Kazakhstan, Niger, and Russia, accounted for 67% of the European Union's uranium imports by the end of 2021.

According to estimates by Electricité de France (EDF), global natural gas reserves may be depleted in 63 years, oil in 54 years, uranium in 100 years, and coal in 122 years.

Moroccan phosphate

Morocco has suddenly emerged as a potential new producer of uranium, thanks to its vast reserves of phosphate and its derivatives, which are estimated to account for about 73% of global reserves.

With an annual production of 40 million tons of rock phosphate, this would be enough for hundreds of years, allowing for the extraction of derivatives such as fertilisers for agriculture and uranium for blue energy production from yellow phosphoric acid.

The Middle East Institute in Washington expects Morocco to become “a global giant in producing essential uranium material that could exceed the current largest global reserves of Australia by threefold.”

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Women tend to a flock of sheep near a phosphate mine in Morocco.

According to a report published by American Professor Michal Tanchum, “the ‘Office Chérifien des Phosphates’ (OCP) manufactures phosphoric acid, which is an intermediate product in the manufacturing of phosphate fertilisers and can be used to extract uranium.”

Morocco has emerged as a potential new producer of uranium, thanks to its vast reserves of phosphate and its derivatives, which are estimated to account for about 73% of global reserves.

Between 1980 and 2020, Morocco produced more than seven million tons of phosphoric acid. The technology for extracting uranium from phosphoric acid was developed in the 1980s and accounted for 20% of US production before being discontinued due to the decline of uranium prices in the 1990s.

Morocco's uranium reserves are believed to be over 6.9 million tons, according to American studies referenced in a Middle East Institute report in Washington. This makes Morocco the world's largest producer, surpassing all other countries on the list of producers of this element, whose demand will increase with further technological advancement.

Unlike oil and gas, uranium is not traded on open markets, but rather through bilateral agreements overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Given the impact of climate change on agricultural production and the need for sustainable sources of water, energy, industry, and tourism, Morocco is interested in developing peaceful uses for uranium and its enrichment based on phosphate derivatives.

Rabat has allocated a $15.5bn investment portfolio to build desalination facilities on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts in order to provide sufficient drinking water for densely populated coastal areas hosting industrial and tourist activities.

These investments are estimated at nearly $40bn as a result of collaboration between the public and private sectors at the local and international levels.

Nuclear power plant ambitions

Reliable sources told Al Majalla that Morocco intends to simultaneously seek American and Russian expertise to successfully produce uranium from phosphates and establish nuclear power plants for development purposes, including wastewater treatment plants.

Morocco is considered the second-largest phosphate producer after the United States, with exports valued at $12bn in 2022. The sources also say that "relying on local uranium would reduce the cost of seawater desalination, which represents practical solutions to the shortages crisis in the agricultural sector and in the consumption of the population."

AFP
Unprocessed phosphates at OCP's Marka plant, near Laayoune, Western Sahara.

On the sidelines of the second Russia-Africa Summit held in St. Petersburg on 27-28 July, a memorandum of understanding was signed between The National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) and the Russian group "Rusatom" to explore the possibility of building a nuclear power plant for peaceful purposes in Morocco to help address the problem of natural water resources shortage.

It is worth noting that "Rusatom" is not subject to either American or European sanctions like companies owned by the Russian federal government.

Any cooperation with Rabat in the future may be subject to the involvement of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Geneva, which has previously authorised Rabat to build civil nuclear power plants for water treatment.

Morocco is considered the second-largest phosphate producer after the US, with exports valued at $12bn in 2022. Rabat intends to seek both US and Russian expertise to build nuclear power plants

The topic of peaceful nuclear cooperation between Moscow and Rabat dates back to October 2022, when the Russian government approved a plan for partnership in seawater desalination and the use of nuclear fuel produced from Moroccan phosphate.

Building on its prior successes in seawater treatment and the installation of peaceful nuclear power plants in Turkey and Egypt, the Russian corporation intends to expand its field of operations to encompass other countries in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.

American investment

Rabat is regarded as a friend, ally, and partner by Washington, who is also interested in developing technology for extracting yellow cake from phosphate and assisting in the delivery of technologies for desalinating seawater.

Over the medium term, the city of Dakhla in southern Morocco is of particular interest for US investment in the region. With a projected cost of around $2bn, it is scheduled to house the second-largest port on the Atlantic Ocean, directly facing the US state of Florida.

AFP
A picture taken on October 10, 2019, shows a kitesurfer riding waves at Dakhla Beach in Morocco-administered Western Sahara.

Investments allocated for the desalination of water using new technologies are estimated to reach around $40bn by 2050. It is an opportunity for American companies to enter African markets through the Moroccan gateway.

This may perhaps explain America's calm rhetoric when discussing the crisis in Niger and other West African countries, as opposed to France's agitation and rush to war on the coast.

Last week, US President Joe Biden decided to ban uranium exploration and extraction in Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park as part of an environmental protection and climate change initiative, converting it into a national reserve for local residents.

Due to the Kingdom's possession of the world's largest phosphate reserves, Morocco could be one of America's options for supplying uranium in the medium term to cover Russia's share.

This came at a time when the demand for these minerals was increasing in domestic and international markets. The Wall Street Journal criticised the president's decision, who is preparing for his election campaign, calling the move a "gift to President Vladimir Putin to control the uranium market," which may push the US to seek alternative sources in new regions.

In 2021, 35% of Washington's uranium imports came from Kazakhstan, 15% from Canada, 14% from Australia, and 12% from Russia.

Due to the Kingdom's possession of the world's largest phosphate reserves, Morocco could be one of America's options for supplying uranium in the medium term to cover Russia's share, since uranium can be recovered from phosphoric acid using a process known as solvent extraction.

The American magazine Science previously stated that "Morocco is set to become a rich country by 2040 due to its abundance of phosphate fertilisers, which will be in greater demand to increase global food production, one of the biggest challenges posed by climate change, water scarcity, and drought."

Will uranium stoke international discord, or will it serve as a catalyst for accelerated development in Africa?

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