Uranium: Emissions
One of the lowest carbon footprints in power
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions. Emission intensity 0.01 t CO2e per MWh (12 g per kWh) range 0.0037-0.110 · cradle-to-grave life-cycle median; UNECE 2021 gives about 5-6 g/kWh for current plants Global emissions per year 34.0 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · 12 g CO2e/kWh x 2,818 TWh of nuclear generationPer MWh of nuclear electricity, full life cycle (mining to decommissioning). Intensity: IPCC AR5 WGIII Annex III, 2014; UNECE 2021 (indicative). Global total: Derived from IPCC AR5 and Energy Institute 2025.
Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction | a few g CO2e/kWh; rises steeply at ore grades below about 0.01% | – | diesel and power for mines; acid for in situ leaching | In situ leaching avoids moving rock but uses large volumes of sulphuric acid | World Nuclear Association (indicative) |
| Refining / processing | conversion, enrichment and fabrication; enrichment by centrifuge uses about 50 kWh per SWU | – | electricity for enrichment; fluorine chemistry for conversion | Old gaseous diffusion used about 50 times more power; enrichment emissions depend on the grid | World Nuclear Association (indicative) |
| Movement | negligible, well under 1 g/kWh | – | drums of yellowcake and fuel assemblies by ship and road | Masses are tiny relative to energy delivered | Indicative |
| Usage | near zero in operation; plant construction is a main share of life-cycle emissions | – | fission produces no CO2; concrete and steel for the plant | Published shares vary by study, so none are given here | IPCC AR5 (indicative) |
| Recycling / end of life | reprocessing and decommissioning add a small share | – | spent fuel storage, reprocessing in France, Russia and India, decommissioning | Reprocessing recovers uranium and plutonium; mixed oxide fuel replaces some fresh uranium | World Nuclear Association (indicative) |
Other environmental impacts
Mill tailings contain radium and other decay products and need long-term containment. Spent fuel stays radioactive for thousands of years and needs deep geological disposal; Finland's Onkalo is the first such repository (indicative).
Levers to cut emissions
- Use low-carbon power for enrichment and conversion
- Higher fuel burnup and longer reactor life to spread construction emissions
- Low-carbon cement and steel in new plant construction
- Re-enrich tails and recycle uranium from reprocessing
India
India's PHWRs use natural uranium, skipping enrichment, the most energy-intensive front-end step. It generated about 55 TWh of nuclear power in 2024, roughly 0.7 Mt CO2e on a life-cycle basis (derived: 12 g/kWh, Energy Institute 2025).
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.