Chapter 610: Chapter 271 Extracting Uranium_4 Chapter 610: Chapter 271 Extracting Uranium_4 “Because it only adsorbs uranium ions and not other elements, the uranium we obtain after reduction is going to have a purity between 95%-98%,” he explained. “Such high-purity uranium could even be used for nuclear weapons. A single piece of uranium extraction equipment can adsorb at least one kilogram of uranium a day, and the complete fission of one kilogram of uranium produces the same amount of heat as burning 2500 tons of standard coal. In terms of electricity, that's 20 million kilowatt-hours generated from one kilogram of uranium.”
Yan Fei was truly overjoyed at this. If he could obtain one kilogram of uranium every day, that would mean 20 million kilowatt-hours, already more than double the daily output of Misty Island's thermal power station and diesel generators. With this surplus electricity, Yan Fei would be able to make more uranium extraction equipment, obtain more uranium, and then produce even more electricity. It's worth noting that the Super Nuclear Power Station produces 800 billion kilowatt-hours annually. That breaks down to 2.2 billion kilowatt-hours per day, with a maximum uranium consumption of 110 kilograms.
Although electricity is scarce on Misty Island, it's impossible for the island to use up all that power, so the Super Nuclear Power Station was not planned to be completed all at once. It would be built gradually in a three-phase project. However, once the first phase was completed, it would satisfy Misty Island's power needs for a long time. After the first phase, the station would consume roughly 10 to 20 kilograms of uranium each day.
Another reason for Yan Fei's happiness was his access to high-concentration uranium, which could be directly used for weapons. This meant he was now capable of manufacturing nuclear weapons. He had previously caused substantial losses to The United States of America, so he was constantly worried about retaliation from them.
Although The United States of America doesn't flaunt nuclear threats as Russia does, in reality, America's nuclear capabilities are the strongest in the world. The reason the US doesn't boast about nuclear weapon threats is that their conventional military force can already overpower anyone on earth, making nuclear weapons just a sideshow. But if pushed by Yan Fei, they would certainly play their trump card of nuclear weapons. Considering that Misty Island is far from the mainland, even if a nuclear explosion were to occur here, the impact on the mainland would not be severe. Destroying Misty Island might only require a few nuclear weapons.
Yan Fei had been extremely cautious for fear that The United States of America might launch a few nuclear weapons at him. But once he also had the capacity to manufacture nuclear weapons, he could threaten The United States of America with the same, thus achieving a terrifying nuclear balance and no longer fearing the nuclear threat from them.
Yan Fei had not expected that just by trying to extract uranium from seawater, Yang Qi had supplied him with the raw materials needed to create nuclear weapons, nullifying the nuclear threat from The United States of America.
This also demonstrates an issue, that scientists, despite their high IQs, often have low EQs. In pursuit of facilitating their research, they sometimes create things with destructive powers. Later, when these inventions are discovered to have other uses, they can pose a massive threat to the world. Therefore, scientific research must be conducted within allowable limits; otherwise, it could herald the arrival of a disaster for humanity.
Yang Qi was unaware of the profound impact his uranium extraction equipment had on Yan Fei as he continued, “Manufacturing the uranium extraction equipment also requires the addition of Black Gold and extremely precise manufacturing capabilities, but its requirements are slightly less stringent than those of the Super Nuclear Power Station. I can compile the manufacturing process for you, and you can have someone produce it.”
Yan Fei said, “Good, I'll wait for your manufacturing process.”