Netter Beitrag vom Australian zum Uranpreis:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/the-u…
The uranium conundrum
NOW, let's get this straight. Much of the media in the past week
has been lambasting Tony Abbott for being a conservative, yet the
new Liberal leader is open to a discussion on nuclear energy for
Australia.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who is ostensibly on the progressive
side of politics, has ruled out such a discussion.
Abbott is a “humans-are-causing-climate-change” agnostic/sceptic,
but one with a professed open mind on the subject.
We know where Rudd stands - he believes urgent action is needed
lest Bendigo and Charleville become the new seaside places to build
that weekender. Yet there is a considerable body of scientific
opinion on the side of the argument that nuclear offers a way to
provide large quantities of electricity with comparably low carbon
emissions.
So a conservative wants to hold a conversation about how nuclear
could help reduce emissions, but the left does not.
As someone once famously said: please explain.
But here is the delicious irony: the talkfest now under way in
Copenhagen is expected to provide a major boost to the global move
towards nuclear generated power, according to the latest energy
report out of Brussels from BNP Paribas Fortis Bank. “The much
delayed renaissance in the US nuclear power industry will be
guaranteed by the Copenhagen accord,” the report adds. The bank is
expecting US Energy Secretary Steven Chu to provide government
funding for up to another 10 power plants. (Are you with us so far,
Kevin?)
The bank is, as a result of the upsurge in nuclear plant
building programs, expecting uranium spot prices to hit $US95/lb
next year, almost double their present levels (the price
dropped by US50c to $US45/lb last week). The forecast is still a
long way from the $US140/lb peak in 2007 but get this - the bank
says the looming uranium shortage will mean that figure will be
reached again “before too long”.
Just in the past week we have seen Armenia announce a new 1000
megawatt nuclear plant, the South African power utility say the
only way it can reach its emission reduction target by 2020 is if
the country has a nuclear plant operating, India has announced four
new 700MW plants and Mississippi regulators have approved expanding
the generation capacity of the Grand Gulf nuclear power station in
that state.
So, while sobbing uncontrollably about your recently acquired gold
stocks which are now looking a little limp or cursing yourself for
not getting in on the ground floor for potash and phosphate, this
might be the time to start paying attention to what the uranium
plays are up to.
In the past 24 hours, for example, we’ve seen a number of
announcements.
WildHorse Energy has begun drilling at its 72sq km Mecsek Hills
uranium project in Hungary, Extract Resources announced some
exciting assays from its Rossing South project in Namibia including
28m at 0.45 per cent U3O8, Aura Energy has committed $1.6 million
to define a uranium resource at its Storsjon project in Sweden, and
Impact Minerals has started the first drill program at its Botswana
uranium project.
This is no time for nodding off when someone mentions uranium.