- China successfully extracted kilogram-level uranium from seawater in real marine conditions
- The oceans contain much more uranium than all known land deposits combined
- The concentration of uranium in seawater is extremely low, making recovery technically demanding
Chinese scientists have revealed a successful kilogram-scale extraction of uranium from seawater in real marine conditions, a milestone that takes the concept beyond laboratory testing.
The announcement came through state-linked nuclear institutions and was linked to the operation of a dedicated offshore test platform in the South China Sea.
Seawater contains uranium at extremely low concentrations, approximately 0.003 ppm, making recovery technically demanding and energy intensive.
Seawater uranium draws long-term interest
Despite this low concentration, the large volume of the oceans means that the total uranium content is enormous and far exceeds known terrestrial reserves.
Therefore, the claim to extract 1,000 g indicates a controlled demonstration rather than a commercial breakthrough.
Conventional uranium mining relies on finite terrestrial deposits, many of which face limitations related to cost, geopolitics and environmental pressures.
Estimates by international nuclear agencies put economically recoverable terrestrial uranium at several million tons, enough for centuries at current reactor consumption rates.
In contrast, seawater is believed to contain around 4.5 billion tons of uranium, which is continually replenished by geological processes.
This has fueled years of research into adsorption materials and marine extraction systems, while China’s recent trial adds data but does not solve the fundamental challenge of costs.
The reported extraction was based on a large marine testing platform designed to validate materials under real ocean conditions, including currents, biofouling and corrosion.
Officials described progress in adsorption materials and scale-up experiments, suggesting incremental improvements rather than disruptive leaps.
Extracting uranium from seawater requires repeated deployment, recovery and chemical processing of absorbent materials, and each step carries energy and maintenance costs.
No public figures were provided on extraction efficiency, energy return or projected costs per kilogram, which remain critical to assessing viability.
Without those metrics, the kilogram figure functions primarily as proof of controlled operation.
China’s stated ambition to achieve what it describes as “unlimited battery life” by 2050 is linked to the long-term availability of nuclear fuel rather than short-term technological change.
Nuclear power relies on uranium as a primary energy source, and the scale of accessible uranium directly affects how long reactors can operate without supply constraints.
If uranium could be extracted from seawater on an industrial scale, the nuclear fuel supply would shift from finite terrestrial deposits to a continually replenishing natural resource.
However, international assessments suggest that advanced reactors, recycling and breeder systems could expand uranium availability even without seawater extraction.
In this context, seawater effort represents an additional option whose viability remains unresolved.
While the oceans offer an immense theoretical resource, translating it into reliable and affordable fuel would require advances that have not yet been publicly displayed.
The kilogram extracted marks progress, although its significance depends entirely on whether future data supports claims of a large-scale sustainable operation.
Through IT Home (originally in Chinese)
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