By the time CDU is mining ore with significant uranium content, we can reasonably expect the current uranium mining anachronism to be over.
There is overcapacity in world uranium enrichment and we have never had problems getting our uranium enriched. Why should we be investing in extraordinarily expensive enrichment facilities when there is no unfulfilled demand?
Hwill said...
using lasers that promises to halve the cost of enriching uranium around the world and can reprocess existing nuclear waste. Sounds too good to be true. General Electric, Hitachi and Camecon didn't think so and formed a joint venture with silex which will ultimately pay blue sky royalties, all going well. GE are now in the final stage of their test loop process and all going well, next step a billion dollar plant in Wilmington North Carolina. The great pity is that if it weren't for Labor and Green nuclear luddites, that billion dollar plant and many, many more could have been built here in Australia.
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This "nanna bligh's" thread has drifted a longish way from CDU, but indirectly these issues are relevant because of the known high uranium content in the Mt Isa inlier. CDU may have high U, maybe even minable U. So on that score being informed is necessary.
I agree with Opaline's first comment - though expect a lot of huffing and heat on the way there.
But on the second the world is NOT stagnant. What impact on electricity demand will there be with the forecast big increase in electric cars starting in 2015? Electricity demand in Australia is driven by air conditioners and the internet and millions of appliances on stand-by. That is not going to change except by MASSIVE 3x increases in price signals...or..cheaper baseload power becoming available. A combination of both is likely because of toe dipping/wetting before introduction of nuclear becomes de rigeur.
Australia as well as the rest of the world is faced by this problem. So..as Deputy Prime Minister by appointment, I propose that the high value adding can be done here and stuff the existing foreign enrichment plants...if they want U, come here and invest and build and you'll get a better safer long term supply. Existing plants though may likely continue as demand for U rises anyway. This can be achieved simply by denying Export Licences for countries that haven't agreed to assist in Australia's plan (well, basically MY plan - but happy to share -shades of KR there).
As for Silex that boat sailed a long time ago. We can thank the US entities for doing the front end development investment, and would be available technology for implementation if useful, and adds value for next 100 years or more.. At some point probably Thorium reactors will come of age and Uranium will slowly fade away but this is 50 years away or more, but with an established safe waste facility and infrastructure we still have money spinner.
All this means is that demand for copper is not going away anytime soon. Car electric motors will be here, and recharging cars will mean more beefed up electricity distribution systems. Third world demand for electric cars will explode, as they do NOT have the western mindset for "petrol head" engines...just a car, anything mobile with shelter from the elements for travel independence will do. In China, a strong preference for "green" and reduction of city air pollution automatically means small electric cars (small because car parking space plus limits of physically road space).
CDU in copper and polymetallic resources containing Uranium all seems like good stuff to me.
Mr Jumpstart (D/PM, AO, VD and scar)
CDU Price at posting:
$4.35 Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
