NRC to hold hearing on NC uranium enrichment plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission wants to hear the public's views about a North Carolina facility using confidential technology to test whether lasers can be used to enrich uranium.

The Star News of Wilmington reports the public hearing Thursday will talk about the NRC's recent safety evaluation and environmental impact report on the experiment in creation fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.

The NRC is reviewing a licensing application for the GE-Hitachi Global Nuclear Fuels facility near Wilmington. Enriching uranium with lasers could create it cheaper to fuel nuclear power plants that generate electricity. Nuclear weapons control advocates fear that allowing companies to use the technology raises concerns it can fall into the wrong hands.

Niger uranium workers threaten to expand strike

Niger is the top supplier of uranium to France's nuclear power manufacturing. Workers construct Areva's new Imouraren mine began a week-long strike on Wednesday due to a divergence with management over days off."If the strike continues at Imouraren, we will include to mobilise all workers of the mining companies. We'll stop working until there is a solution for the Imouraren workers," said Inoua Neino, Secretary Common of the Syntramines union.

Niger produces concerning 4,000 tonnes of uranium per year from mines operated by Areva. China National Nuclear Corporation also has a uranium mining project in the country with production of 700 tonnes per year.

Areva's Imouraren mine is expected to additional than double current production when it comes online in 2014 with predictable output of 5,000 tonnes per year.An Areva spokesman in Niger declined comment, but a basis at the company said the workers were aware of the project's vacation policy previous to they were hired.

Public Fears of Nuclear Power in the Uranium Mining Industry, in March's Issue of Energy Digital

Energy Digital takes a second look at the uranium market and the significance of nuclear energy. Despite what various may think about nuclear power in light of Fukushima's nuclear reactor meltdown incident earlier this year it residue an integral part of the world's power supply. Compared to burning additional fossil fuels, it's also the better option.

"It's the only form of power generation in the world that is low cost, large-scale, dependable and emissions-free," says Uranium Energy Corporation's CEO Admir Adnani in an interview with Energy Digital. "There's just no credible option to that."

Comparing the injure caused from nuclear reactor failures, fossil fuels continue to dump ridiculous amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere on a daily basis. The nuclear industry has taken unbelievable effort to adjust those safety issues, but the difficulty now is supplying uranium to keep it running.

Andhra uranium mine set to fuel nuclear power output to 7-year high

At a time when coal and gas shortages have crippled operations at nearly everyone of India’s thermal stations, a boost in nuclear fuel is set to take atomic power generation to a seven-year record next fiscal. With supplies from a new uranium mine and dispensation facility at Tummalapalle in Andhra Pradesh set to commence later this year, the capacity factor of the 20 operational nuclear reactors, adding together up to an installed capacity of 4,780 MWe, is now projected to top 80 per cent in 2012-13, according to latest estimates drawn by the Department of Atomic Energy. Uranium imports from Russia, France and Kazakhstan have previously helped half the nuclear fleet achieve near-optimal operations.

In 2006-07, the capacity factor was 64 per cent, but plummet to 50 per cent in 2008-09. (The ability factor is the ratio of the actual output to its output if operated at full potential.) It bounced back to 61 per cent in 2009-10 and increased further to 71 per cent in 2010-11. In the first nine months of this economic it has reached 78 per cent.

This marks a whole turnaround from the uranium shortage that stymied nuclear power generation for much of the second half of the last decade. Fuel imports from the three countries that supply uranium to India are now additional than what is required by the ten reactors under international safeguards. “Currently, ten reactors are fuelled by indigenous fuel, which is not accessible in the required quantity. So these are organism operated at lower power levels,” said an official.

2011 Uranium Market Trends

In 2011, the uranium mining industry experienced a number of important events which had an impact on uranium prices and equity market volatility.

Germany, Italy and Switzerland have made policy decisions concerning nuclear energy which are not positive for the industry; however, these three countries joint represent a relatively small proportion of global demand for uranium totaling just about 5.8 percent of annual requirements. Following up with key points on the stipulate and supply arguments Mr. Khaliqi underscored “Germany’s stance to decommission all nuclear plants has also prompted other European nations to evaluation their policies. On the supply side, the biggest news story or catalyst in my view which will have substance impact on medium to long term prices is BHP’s (NYSE:BHP) planned expansion of Olympic dam. The expansion at Olympic Dam will considerably lift the mine’s annual production of uranium from 4ktpa to 19ktpa, adding major amounts of uranium to global supply.

Another key increase this year was the feasibility study of the Husab uranium project, a $1.7 billion uranium undertaking on the western coast of Namibia. Earlier in this month, Extract Resources Limited (ASX:EXT) was offered $2.2 billion by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp (CGNPC) designed for its Husab uranium project. This is of importance as the Husab project is the largest in-situ, and maximum grade, granite-hosted uranium deposit in Namibia. It is as well the fifth-largest uranium-only deposit in the world.

The Australian uranium exploration and mining companies may have seen enhanced regulatory conditions, as Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, appeared intent to vary the current policy which did not allow uranium sales to India. India’s new rules to provide liability limitations for uranium producers and equipment suppliers in the case of a grave accident at Indian nuclear power plants saw a positive ending for all uranium producers.Earlier this month, the Nunatsiavut Assembly in Eastern Canada, lifted a suspension on uranium mining on Inuit land in Labrador after three years.

Chinese power group eyes uranium companies

A Chinese state-owned power company has set its sights on two uranium companies, making a £632m offer for London-listed Kalahari Minerals that if completed would trigger an offer for Australia-listed Extract Resources.China Guangdong Nuclear Power has bid 243.55p for Kalahari, an investor in a Namibian uranium project, representing a 16 per cent premium to the Aim-quoted group’s share price over the past six months.

Kalahari’s board recommended the latest offer from the Chinese group, which is trying to secure supplies of nuclear fuel as the country embarks on the world’s biggest reactor-building programme.Earlier this year, CGNPC tried to buy Kalahari but its 290p offer was disrupted by falling uranium markets after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima in Japan as well as an adverse ruling from the UK’s takeover panel.

Kalahari is an investment company whose sole asset is a 43 per cent stake in Extract, which is developing the Husab uranium project in Namibia.Australian securities laws require bidders to extend their offer to all shareholders if they buy a stake of 20 per cent or more in an Australian company.

Rio Tinto needs to move fast on Husab uranium mine

That is the final step in achieving all the essential permits, allowing Husab to move into the production phase. A clear path to developing a mine would also make Extract a additional inviting target. Indications are that China Guandong Nuclear Power Corp is set on a fresh bid for Kalahari Minerals, which would under Australian takeover rules trigger an present for its primary asset, 43 per cent-owned Extract.

Extract this week said it was conscious that CGNPC was talking to Namibia’s state-owned Epangelo Mining regarding buying a 10 per cent interest in Husab - something that CGNPC could only sign off on if it proscribed the mining project. Extract said plans for infrastructure such as power and water for Husab are well advanced.

"Discussions with potential debt financiers of the project are well under way, and the company continue to appraise offtake arrangements and opportunities for asset in the project by strategic partners," said Jonathan Leslie, chief executive and managing director of the Perth-based firm. Analysts have long optional Rio is a logical buyer of Extract, given its scale and the nearness of its operating mine to Husab..

Namibia clears Extract to build Husab uranium mine

Extract Resources has won a licence to enlarge its Husab uranium mine in Namibia, which could help push up he price a Chinese suitor can offer for the $2 billion Australia-based company in a widely likely buyout bid.State-owned China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp (CGNPC) is in talks to take over Extract's 43 percent shareholder, Kalahari Minerals, through Husab, the world's fourth-largest uranium deposit, seen as the key target.

Extract said on Wednesday it had established the terms that Namibia's Ministry of Mines and Energy had set for granting a licence for Husab, and the ministry would through the mining commissioner to issue a licence for the project."This marks the final step to achieve all of the permits that we need in order to initiate the development of the Husab Uranium Project," Extract Chief Executive Jonathan Leslie said in a statement.

Extract has been in talks with global miner Rio Tinto to link expansion of Husab with Rio's neighbouring Rossing uranium mine. Rio Tinto owns an 11 percent stake in Kalahari and a 14 percent stake in Extract.CGNPC, which first approach Kalahari in March just previous to 
Japan's Fukushima disaster, has until Dec. 8 to decide whether to go ahead with a for Kalahari or be forced to wait a additional six months before it can come back with another.

Can using thorium instead of uranium make nuclear energy safer

Thorium, a naturally occurring radioactive element establish in abundance in the Earth’s crust all around the world, might well be a better fuel basis than uranium for nuclear power generation for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, just one ton of the silvery metal can make as much energy as 200 tons of uranium or 3.5 millions tons of coal, according to Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia of the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Another advantage is that it come out of the ground as a 100 percent pure, functional isotope.

Unlike uranium, which contains only 0.7 percent fissionable material, thorium doesn’t need enrichment to be used in nuclear reactors. Also, the spent-fuel waste beginning thorium fission cannot be re-formulated for nuclear weapons like plutonium, the waste product of uranium-based fission.Also, proponents say that thorium doesn’t need the high temperatures and mitigation equipment of uranium-based reactors. “The plants would be a large amount smaller and less expensive,” Kirk Sorensen, a former NASA rocket engineer and now chief nuclear technologist at Teledyne Brown Engineering, told the UK’s Telegraph last year.

“You wouldn’t need those huge containment domes since there’s no pressurized water in the reactor.” With no high temperatures, thorium reactors can’t “melt down” and liberate radiation.“Once you start looking additional closely, it blows your mind away,” adds Sorensen. “You can run civilization on thorium for hundreds of thousands of years, and it’s basically free.” The advocacy-oriented Thorium Energy Alliance reports that there is “sufficient thorium in the U.S. alone to power the country at its current energy level for over 1,000 years.”

India eyes Australia uranium assets: report

Energy hungry India will consider acquire Australian uranium mining assets if a contentious ban on exports to the nuclear power is lifted, according to a report.Australia has the world's major reserves of uranium and senior New Delhi officials said the country could move to buy up assets if a ban on sales is detached as favoured by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

"Once Australia comes into the fold all property will be reviewed," said A.K. Sarangi, deputy general manager of tactical planning at the Uranium Corporation of India, the government agency dependable for mining and purchases."Australian deposits will be a aim along with assets in other countries," he added to The Australian newspaper.

"If we decide we need to reach properties abroad and the Australian government agrees then Australian assets are also considerations."Federation of Indian Mineral Industries chief R.K. Sharma agreed.“I think it would be extremely desirable to invest in Australian uranium assets since Australia is a very investor-friendly country," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Australia's uranium industry poised for growth

Global demand and prices contain fallen in the aftermath of the radioactive leaks at the power plant in Fukushima in March.However, a push by the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to sell radioactive fuel to India has boosted hopefulness in the industry. Australia supplies about 13% of the world's uranium, behind Canada and Kazakhstan, but covered in the red dust of the vast outback lies an estimated 40% of the world's known coffers of this valuable yet controversial commodity.

Simon Clarke, from the Australian Uranium Association, told the BBC that the sector had taken stock of the awful events in eastern Japan and was ready to move on. "Fukushima caused the global nuclear industry to pause and to be trained the lessons from that accident," he said.

"I think it is robust sufficient to bounce back. The fundamental reasons why countries opt for nuclear energy as parts of their electricity generate portfolios haven’t changed. Many countries still see nuclear energy as a safe and reliable source of electricity."Prof Tony Owen from the School of Energy and Resources in Adelaide believes that while the global industry still faces uncertainty, the extend of nuclear power is likely to increase.

Chinese bet on Extract's uranium

An expected $2.2 billion bid for uranium explorer take out Resources by a Chinese state owned nuclear power company is being labelled as the boldest show of hold for the sector since the Japanese nuclear disaster in March.

The takeover speculation was spark after Guangdong Nuclear Power reopened talks with Extract's biggest shareholder, which hold nearly 43 per cent of the share register, according to a media statement in the UK over the weekend.

Australian-listed Extract's intended Husab uranium project in Namibia is the focus of Guandong's intentions it is a 15 million pound a year mine that take out says will be one of the world's three largest uranium mines take out placed its shares in a trade halt after it had climbed 82 cents, or 10.2 per cent, to $8.86 following an hour of trade

Uranium up on strong nuclear case

Uranium spot prices rose 2.4 percent last week as buyers look beyond the impact of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, Ux Consulting Co said Uranium-oxide focus for immediate delivery sold for $54 a pound (0.45 kg) in the seven days ended Monday, compare with $52.75 the previous week, Ux said in an emailed report Tuesday that is based on the mainly competitive offer tracked by the U.S. company.

"The industry believes that the holder for nuclear energy is still strong, given that lots of countries are still moving forward with their nuclear energy plans," Ux said.

The spot price for the nuclear fuel has dropped 19 percent since the week previous to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami injured Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima No 1 power station, triggering the worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl in 1986 and prompting a few nations to put their nuclear power plans on hold.

Areva to temporarily shut down 2 French uranium plants

French nuclear group Areva on Thursday said it would for the moment shut down two uranium exchange plants in France during November and December the temporary shutdown of the two plants, which employ approximately 570 staff, comes after a sharp fall in orders from Japanese nuclear power producers in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, said a spokeswoman at Areva.

"This decision is justified by events that occur in Japan and that are reducing Japanese power groups' delivery needs against this background we deem it unreasonable to create large amounts of converted uranium," the spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman said the temporary shutdown would decrease estimated production to 10,880 tonnes in 2011, down from an early goal of 13,400 tonnes for the full year the plants, which are owned by Areva's subsidiary Comurhex and are situated in the southern French cities of Tricastin and Narbonne, chemically arrange uranium before its is enriched to become fuel for nuclear power plants.

The undimmed danger of Iran’s nuclear program

IRAN HAS TAKEN two new steps toward produce a nuclear weapon according to a report released Friday by the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has begin to use a new, more higher centrifuge to enrich uranium, which could allow it to make bomb grade material in a much shorter time period, be supposed to it choose to do so.

It also has begun installing centrifuges in a ability dug into a mountain near the city of Qom, which could be nearly invincible to a U.S. or Israeli air attack iranian officials say those centrifuges will be used to triple the making of uranium enriched to 20 percent, creating a stockpile for which Tehran has no reasonable legitimate use.

The report underlines the fact that, contrary to the impression often promote by the Obama administration, the danger that Iran will develop into a nuclear power is growing, not diminishing administration spokesmen often speak of what they say have been the crippling effect on the Iranian economy of sanctions to have been stepped up during the past two years extensive media reports contain told the sensational stories of computer viruses that may have disabled 1,000 or more Iranian centrifuges and assassinations to have eliminated several Iranian scientists.

Kalahari Minerals: bid for uranium firm back on?

The takeover bid for Namibia-focused uranium firm Kalahari Minerals (LON:KAH) will quickly be back on, according to Ambrian Partners analyst Duncan Hughes, now with the purpose of three months have elapsed since the UK Takeover Panel forbade Chinese firm CGNPC-URC from falling its 290 pence per share offer for Kalahari to 270 pence per share.

On May 10 the Takeover Panel ruled so as to China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group – Uranium Resources Co , would not be permitted to announce an present for Kalahari for a price of less than 290 pence per share for three months at the time, Proactive Investors reported so as to Rio Tinto, which owns the neighbouring Rossing uranium mine, might also be a rival suitor for Kalahari.

Ambrian’s Hughes now believes that an offer of 270 pence per share might be imminent, “I think that something will contain to happen here,” he told Proactive Investors, “If not CGNPC, then it will be Rio” An important signal for a renewed takeover attempt might be CGNPC’s announcement this week that it is issuing approximately £283 million in short-term bonds, with a maturity of 366 days, on the interbank market, although it said that the proceeds will be worn to “replenish the firm’s working capital and repay loans”.

Areva sweet-talks NPCIL, offers uranium mine stake

French energy major Areva, which is supply nuclear fuel for Indian reactors, has accessible partnership stakes in the direction of the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) in its uranium producing mines abroad. "We have accessible to NPCIL and the Atomic Energy Commission to invest through us in our new and existing uranium mining projects," chairman and managing director, Areva India, Arthur de Montalembert told HT in a limited chat.

"NPCIL has shown interest and talks are succeeding for a stake in some uranium mines in Africa."Areva is one the largest producers of uranium and has mines in Canada, Kazakhstan and Africa.The company will provide NPCIL with six of its European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) in an estimated R60, 000 crore deal. It is hoping designed for an early on start to the construction of one of the world's biggest nuclear power complexes at Jaitpur in Maharashtra.

The EPR reactors to be complete for Jaitpur nuclear power plant is a third-generation reactor and is touted as the most advanced in its class. The Jaitpur plant is single of several nuclear power developments planned for a 200-km strip of the Maharashtra coast, south of Mumbai, with a total generating capacity of around 33,000-MW. India at present has 4,700-MW of nuclear generating capacity.

Rio sticks by uranium mining plans in wake of Japan crisis

Rio Tinto says it will soldier on through plans to mine uranium, even though it acknowledged the sector could stay behind unmoving for several years in the wake of Fukushima.The mining giant’s chief executive Tom Albanese said in a talking there is no doubt the recent nuclear meltdown in Japan had precious the growth of uranium mining and nuclear power sectors..''For us, I think maybe the growth rate of uranium over the next 10 years may well be slower than it would include been, post-Fukushima,''.

''There will probably be, over the next five years, an extensive delay in some new construction as a consequence of studies, more group of people challenges in getting new facilities planned, permitted or built.''Rio has an interest in the Rossing mine in Namibia and a scheming stake in Energy Resources of Australia and is at this time one of the biggest uranium producers.

Despite the debate surrounding the manufacturing and the decision by Italy, Germany and Switzerland to abandon nuclear power, Albansese said the insist will not decrease.In the wake of the earthquake in Japan, nuclear energy is at the forefront of nearly all people’s minds right now as the world is looking for conduct to generate baseload electricity with minimal greenhouse gas emissions.

Italy's 'non' vote hits uranium explorers

AUSTRALIAN uranium explorers have endured yet an additional bad day of trading, with confidence in the nuclear power sector additional injured by political developments in Europe. Italy has joined Germany and Switzerland in rotating its back on nuclear power, after a public referendum on Monday voted to rescind laws that meant to revive Italy's nuclear industry. Introduced in 2009, the laws were the initial step in plans to have 25 per cent of Italy's electricity complete by nuclear power by 2030.

But concerns over the current nuclear meltdown in Japan prompted more than 90 per cent of Italian voters to dispose of nuclear power, just as they did at a referendum in 1987 following the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown. Several ASX-listed uranium explorers observe their share price fall on the news, with Paladin Energy diminishing 18¢ to $2.61 and Energy Resources of Australia falling 21¢ to $4.04.

Falls were also record by Toro Energy, Extract Resources, Marathon Resources, Marengo Mining and Bannerman Resources. Many of individuals companies have watch their market capitalization more than halve because the Fukushima disaster in March.Energia Minerals - whose share cost fell 1¢ to 9¢ - will be directly precious by the Italian decision given the company's plan to expand two uranium projects in the Lake Como region of northern Italy.

Powertech break uranium mine

Powertech Uranium Corp. has indefinitely put on hold its future Centennial Project uranium mine northeast of Fort Collins, partially due to the Japanese nuclear disaster's impacts on the uranium industry, Powertech's president said Wednesday. The company plans to focus all its efforts on receiving its Dewey-Burdock uranium mine allowed and producing uranium in South Dakota before moving ahead with the Centennial Project, Powertech USA President Richard Clement said. The Centennial Project is planned to be construct in Weld County about 15 miles northeast of Fort Collins between Wellington and Nunn.

Powertech plans to mine uranium there and at Dewey-Burdock using a process called in situ leaching, need the company to inject a baking soda-like resolution into the ground, suspend the uranium ore and pump it out as a liquid. "Dewey-Burdock is the most superior project the company has, therefore, we are concentrating our efforts on Dewey-Burdock to get allowed," Clement said. "Especially in the post-tsunami financial environment, we require to concentrate our efforts as much as any other company." The March 11 Tohoku earthquake in Japan and nuclear reduce at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant that follow sent uranium prices plummeting.

Just before the earthquake, uranium prices had top out around $75. By Tuesday, the price had drop to $55.25, according to TradeTech, a Denver-based uranium market study firm. “This is about as bad a story as you can visualize for the U.S. nuclear power industry,” said Charles Mason, True Chair of energy economics in the finance department at the University of Wyoming, who is script a book about uranium exploration and its impacts. “It definitely is bad news.” Once it became clear the quake would guide to prolonged nuclear disaster, nuclear industry forecasters started to expect unhappy consequences for uranium prices.