> It becomes a larger problem as the world moves away from fossil fuels like natural gas.

I actually remember a similar problem from some compound that was mainly formed as a byproduct of some old Canadian nuclear reactor design. As the tech gets phased out, the material is no longer available in significant quantities, with consequences for a projects that need it (like Iter).

Some things can be cheap if they are produced as a byproduct, but very expensive if they have to be obtained directly.