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• Coal power to abort the nuclear industry?

  Australia's Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union thinks residents of Queensland would rather work in a coal mine than a nuclear power plant. The union's mining division has begun an advertising campaign featuring glum-looking miners and the slogan, "Nuclear power will kill the coal industry." It intends to persuade voters to support the Labor party, which opposes nuclear power and wants to invest $1.5 billion in 'clean coal'. There was no mention of Queensland's uranium miners. Posted Aug 27 2008, 11:11 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia, Nuclear Energy

• Australian uranium deposit sale completed

  Cameco and Mitsubishi have completed their joint acquisition of the Kintyre uranium deposit in Western Australia from Rio Tinto for $495 million. Canadian uranium miner Cameco now has a 70% interest in the deposit, with Mitsubishi Development Pty, an Australian subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corp, holding the remaining 30%. Cameco says it will operate the project, where Rio Tinto identified uranium reserves (not JORC-compliant) of 24,000 tonnes U 3 O 8 and inferred resources of 12,000 tonnes U 3 O 8 at relatively high grades in 1988. Rio Tinto has sold the deposit as part of plans to divest some $10 billion of assets in 2008 following a strategic portfolio review in the wake of its acquisition of Alcan in 2007. According to the company, options are now being explored to divest its Sweetwater uranium assets in the USA, despite saying earlier in the year that it had withdrawn Sweetwater from sale while it reconsidered its options. Posted Aug 12 2008, 09:52 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia, Uranium

• Resource boost at Namibian deposit

  Bannerman Resources, based in Perth, Western Australia, has announced a fivefold boost in indicated resources at its Goanikontes deposit in Namibia. The overall resource estimate increased by 48%. Posted Aug 11 2008, 11:18 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia

• Cameco and Mitsubishi buy major Australian deposit

  Following a bidding process, the Kintyre uranium deposit in Western Australia - potentially ready for development - has been bought from Rio Tinto by a Cameco (70%) and Mitsubishi (30%) joint venture for $495 million. Posted Jul 10 2008, 11:56 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia, Cameco:Mitsubishi

• Australian report on addressing climate change

  A draft of a landmark report by leading economist professor Ross Garnaut was released today. It provides detailed analysis of how climate change will affect the Australian economy and what should be done to counter it. It rejects calls for delay. Posted Jul 04 2008, 11:52 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia

• Mining lease application submitted for Four Mile

  Quasar Resources has submitted an application for a mining lease for the Four Mile uranium project in South Australia. Beverley Four Mile comprises two deposits 5-10 km northwest of the Beverley mine and is being explored by Quasar Resources. Alliance Resources is a 25% free carried joint venture partner in the Four Mile Uranium Project. Quasar Resources is an affiliate of Heathgate Resources, which owns and operates the Beverley mine. Output from Four Mile would be processed at the Beverley mine. Mike Rann, South Australia's premier, welcomed the mining lease application. He said, "South Australia is a step closer to having a new world-class uranium mine." He noted, "I understand the company is seeking to break the record for the time between the discovery of the resource in 2005 and production by having an operating mine by early 2010." Rann added, "Although the mine size is not as big as the proposed Olympic Dam expansion, the grade of the uranium is ten times higher than the uranium found at Olympic Dam, which is good news." Last month Quasar announced that, in the light of recent "outstanding exploration success" it had decided to fast track the Four Mile project. At that time, the company said the first stage of mining will commence as soon as a lease is granted, probably in late 2009. Posted May 20 2008, 07:40 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia

• Nuclear future worth $17 billion a year to Australia

  Australia's minister for resources and energy, Martin Ferguson, has launched a major new economic analysis of the potential for Australian uranium supply to meet world needs to 2030. Carbon prices to fight climate change would boost the Australian economy via uranium exports. Posted May 15 2008, 01:56 PM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia

• Green light for Opal restart

  The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Ansto) announced on 5 May that it had been given the go-ahead to restart the Opal research reactor following approval on 1 May by the country's nuclear safety regulator for it to use a modified fuel design, altered to prevent dislodgement of nuclear fuel plates. The Open Pool Australian Light-water (Opal) reactor began commissioning in 2006, reaching full power during November that year. However, it was shut down in July 2007 following the partial displacement of some fuel plates. Ansto's CEO, Ian Smith, said: "It has been a frustrating time for all involved. However, it was important that these painstaking steps were taken to ensure that Opal can recommence operating." He added, "We are hoping that full power of 20 MWt will be achieved in a few weeks' time, but this has to be done gradually. It's not just a case of flicking a switch." Meanwhile, Ansto has announced that Dr Smith has decided not to accept an extension to his contract and will leave office on 16 May following four years as the organisation's CEO. He plans to return to New Zealand with his family. Ron Cameron, currently chief of operations, will act as CEO until Smith's successor is appointed. Posted May 07 2008, 11:40 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia

• Opal fuel modifications approved

  Approval has been given to use a modified fuel design in Australia's Opal research reactor, designed to prevent dislodgement of nuclear fuel plates. The unit has been shut down since July 2007 while the solution was developed and proven. Posted May 01 2008, 10:33 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia

• New Australian uranium mine project for fast track

  In the light of recent "outstanding exploration success" this year and encouraging metallurgical test work, Quasar Resources has decided to proceed directly to mining its Four Mile East deposit in South Australia. The first stage of mining will commence as soon as a lease is granted, probably in late 2009. Posted Apr 29 2008, 12:06 PM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia, Uranium

• Australia must end uranium confusion

  Australia's uranium industry has vented its frustration at state and federal governments, saying the "pathetic" political situation has to change. Posted Mar 17 2008, 12:03 PM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia, Uranium

• Australia rejects uranium sales to India

  [Reuters, Bloomberg, 15 January] Australia's new Labor government announced that it will not sell uranium to India unless the country signs the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), seemingly reversing a decision in principle by the previous government. Foreign minister Stephen Smith informed Shyam Saran, a special envoy of Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, of the decision at a meeting in Perth on 15 January. Posted Jan 16 2008, 09:14 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia, Uranium, India

• Climate change meeting starts, Australia ratifies

  The latest two-week climate change conference started today in Bali, Indonesia, as Australia ratifies the Kyoto Protocol. Negotiators hope to agree the key areas of a new climate change deal. Posted Dec 03 2007, 09:38 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia

• Ziggy: Australia will get there

  Ziggy Switkowski, chair of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Ansto), told business leaders on 15 November that he is confident nuclear power will one day be part of Australia's mix. "We will get there, I'm sure that we will get there, whether it happens in the next term of government or the one after," he said. The Australian Associated Press reported that Ziggy continued: "The attitude in Australia, I think, will move from concern to grudging acceptance, to enormous relief that we have this very efficient technology and these vast reserves [of uranium] that will give us what we think will be the lowest cost, safest, cleanest form of baseload electricity." Australia's Labor and Liberal parties have both made pre-election pledges to extend the Mandated Renewable Energy Target (MRET) beyond the current level of 9.5 TWh per year, but nuclear power has remained out of the debate. Polls indicate current prime minister John Howard's Liberal coalition, which has taken many steps to open a debate on nuclear power, is likely to be replaced by Michael Rudd's Labor Party, which has an anti-nuclear stance. This would affect future prospects for uranium enrichment and nuclear power, but would not change the status of uranium mining, which is governed at the state level. Australians go to the polls on 24 November. Posted Nov 16 2007, 07:42 AM by World Nuclear News Filed under: Australia