WASHINGTON, May 3. /TASS/. The US has "just about enough time" or about three or four years, to stand up new uranium conversion and enrichment capacity and replace Russian imports, Kathryn Huff, the Department of Energy’s assistant secretary for nuclear, told Reuters.

"The reality is this: over the last few years there has been a very real and present possibility that Russia could stop abruptly sending enriched uranium to the United States," she said, adding that countries including Canada, France and Japan will help the US deal with an "allied alternative" to Russian uranium.

The imports ban would also unlock $2.7 bln from previous legislation for building out the domestic uranium industry, Huff noted.

The US Senate passed legislation on April 30 that bans uranium imports from Russia. The ban, which is expected to be signed by US President Joe Biden, starts 90 days after enactment, although it allows the Department of Energy to issue waivers in case of supply concerns.