Opposition says domestic nuclear power should not be ignored
Kate Haycock
Mining Net News
THE Federal Opposition has reiterated its pro-nuclear stance, with deputy leader Julie Bishop and former resources minister Ian Macfarlane calling for a rethink on the use of nuclear power in Australia. But while the prospect of a nuclear future for Australia could be a boon for the uranium industry, it will be a long time coming.
News reports this morning have quote Macfarlane as saying the nuclear option “could not be ignored” if Australia wanted to reduce greenhouse emissions.
His comments follow on from Bishop’s comments last month that the country needed a rational debate about nuclear power.
However, both Federal Climate Change Minister Penny Wong and Environment Minister Peter Garrett have reiterated the Labor government’s anti-nuclear power stance.
Wong told reporters in Sydney today the government did not believe it was appropriate for Australia to “go down the nuclear path”.
"Australia has an abundance of renewable energy sources. We have a lot of solar, we have a lot of wind, we have geothermal resources," she said.
"We have a lot of work to do as a nation that will enable us to tap those.”
Michael Angwin from the Australian Uranium Association told MiningNews.net any debate over nuclear power in Australia would take some time to resolve and would have little impact on the Australian uranium industry now.
For the moment, he said, the industry was focused on increasing exports and helping export partners to use uranium to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from other forms of power generation.
“You’ve got to rise above what passes for the nuclear debate in Australia and ask, what is it we can do best to make a contribution to managing global climate change and what we can do best is to export our uranium for use in other people’s nuclear power stations,” he said.
“… we can’t foresee nuclear power in Australia in the short term,” he added.
Angwin also said both the Opposition and the government had similar, positive views on the expansion of Australian uranium mining which would be helpful to the industry.
According to figures from the association, Australia has around 24% of the world’s known and reasonably assured uranium resources, coming in at around 1.1 million tonnes – meaning it would be easily able to supply enough uranium for a domestic power industry.
Uranium mined at Australia’s three yellowcake operations – BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam, Energy Resources of Australia’s Ranger, and Heathgate Resources’ Beverley mine – is sold to American and European utilities.
Meanwhile yesterday BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers said BHP’s expansion work could see the mine provide enough uranium for sale to Chinese buyers.
News reports this morning have quote Macfarlane as saying the nuclear option “could not be ignored” if Australia wanted to reduce greenhouse emissions.
His comments follow on from Bishop’s comments last month that the country needed a rational debate about nuclear power.
However, both Federal Climate Change Minister Penny Wong and Environment Minister Peter Garrett have reiterated the Labor government’s anti-nuclear power stance.
Wong told reporters in Sydney today the government did not believe it was appropriate for Australia to “go down the nuclear path”.
"Australia has an abundance of renewable energy sources. We have a lot of solar, we have a lot of wind, we have geothermal resources," she said.
"We have a lot of work to do as a nation that will enable us to tap those.”
Michael Angwin from the Australian Uranium Association told MiningNews.net any debate over nuclear power in Australia would take some time to resolve and would have little impact on the Australian uranium industry now.
For the moment, he said, the industry was focused on increasing exports and helping export partners to use uranium to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from other forms of power generation.
“You’ve got to rise above what passes for the nuclear debate in Australia and ask, what is it we can do best to make a contribution to managing global climate change and what we can do best is to export our uranium for use in other people’s nuclear power stations,” he said.
“… we can’t foresee nuclear power in Australia in the short term,” he added.
Angwin also said both the Opposition and the government had similar, positive views on the expansion of Australian uranium mining which would be helpful to the industry.
According to figures from the association, Australia has around 24% of the world’s known and reasonably assured uranium resources, coming in at around 1.1 million tonnes – meaning it would be easily able to supply enough uranium for a domestic power industry.
Uranium mined at Australia’s three yellowcake operations – BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam, Energy Resources of Australia’s Ranger, and Heathgate Resources’ Beverley mine – is sold to American and European utilities.
Meanwhile yesterday BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers said BHP’s expansion work could see the mine provide enough uranium for sale to Chinese buyers.