RE:RE:RE:InfoZeker... Hi wannabeinvestor,
The news from Azarga is accurate the initial startup of the light water reactors requires a special first core with fuel rods at various %,'s of uranium to initiate the reaction. Subsequent core changes are required to maintain the reaction. What is unknown if all rods are changed or only certain rods. Once running these reactors require 33% of the fuel to be changed every 18 months. It is also my understanding that when the reactors are shut down the reactions die out and must be restarted possibly with a similar startup sequence but I am not 100% sure if a full 'First Core' sequence is required. I will check with my contacts in the industry and report back if I find anything.
I honestly have no idea how much secondary supply is in the market. In my experience the actual quantities at the various locations are kept secret due to national security reasons.
While uwatcher is correct that the megatons to megawatts news is old but the time it must take to process HEU into a form that is usable in a reactor does not happen over night. Just the paperwork to ship anything in this industry has reams of red tape and approvals. I am betting it takes over a year to fully process and deliver making it closer to the end now and not back in 2013. Centrusenergy is a company in the US that process the HEU and has a simple description of the process (see link)
https://www.centrusenergy.com/educational-resources/heu-leu-step-step
GLTA