- Some 2.5 tons of natural uranium stored in a site in war-torn Libya are missing, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Thursday, raising safety and proliferation concerns.
- Natural uranium can’t immediately be used for energy production or bomb fuel, as the enrichment process typically requires the metal to be converted into a gas, then later spun in centrifuges to reach the levels needed.
- However, each ton of natural uranium — if obtained by a group with the technological means and resources — can be refined to 5.6 kilograms (12 pounds) of weapons-grade material over time, experts say. That makes finding the missing metal important for nonproliferation experts.
