Japan's large scale uranium from seawater and superconducting wire plans

From Next Big Future:

Japan considering Using gene engineered seaweed to get million of tons of Uranium

The Mitsubishi Research Institute (MRI) has recently recommended Japan mass-culture seaweed to collect natural resources such as bio-ethanol and uranium. In the “Apollo and Poseidon Initiative 2025,” MRI suggests that Japan cultures gulfweed, which can grow more than 2 metres high a year in the sea. The plants could also absorb carbon dioxide and purify the seawater, and can be used as non-food alternative energy sources for bio-ethanol. In April, MRI plans to inaugurate a consortium comprising public research institutes and manufacturers to move the plan forward. Using advanced molecular and gene-engineering technologies, MRI estimates that Japan would be capable of producing 65 million metric tons of gulfweed a year, and recovering 195 million tons of uranium – 40% of Japan’s total consumption – that is absorbed in the seaweed. (19 February 2008, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun)

Note: Current conventional uranium reserves are 5.5 million tons. There is another 10 million tons expected to be developed in the same geological formations. There is 22 million tons of Uranium in phosphate reserves. So 195 million tons would be a lot, but it would only be part of the 4.6 billion tons in the oceans. 65,000 tons per year of uranium are used worldwide now.

This is related to the article on this site that uranium from seawater and breeder reactors would enable Uranium to power nuclear reactors for tens of thousands or billions of years depending upon the rate of usage....MORE