> Uranium is actually pretty rare
> estimate is something like 50 years
those are pretty pessimistic estimates.
From a 2009 article on Scientific America
According to the NEA, identified uranium resources total 5.5 million metric tons, and an additional 10.5 million metric tons remain undiscovered—a roughly 230-year supply at today's consumption rate in total
the extraction of uranium from seawater would make available 4.5 billion metric tons of uranium—a 60,000-year supply at present rates
fuel-recycling fast-breeder reactors, which generate more fuel than they consume, would use less than 1 percent of the uranium needed for current LWRs. Breeder reactors could match today's nuclear output for 30,000 years using only the NEA-estimated supplies.
> estimate is something like 50 years
those are pretty pessimistic estimates.
From a 2009 article on Scientific America
According to the NEA, identified uranium resources total 5.5 million metric tons, and an additional 10.5 million metric tons remain undiscovered—a roughly 230-year supply at today's consumption rate in total
the extraction of uranium from seawater would make available 4.5 billion metric tons of uranium—a 60,000-year supply at present rates
fuel-recycling fast-breeder reactors, which generate more fuel than they consume, would use less than 1 percent of the uranium needed for current LWRs. Breeder reactors could match today's nuclear output for 30,000 years using only the NEA-estimated supplies.