Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ERA) chief executive Rob Atkinson says Australia is entering a new era in uranium mining after the company posted a record first half profit.

"I think Australia's absolutely blessed with uranium resource ... we're certainly pleased to be part of an industry which hopefully will grow in the years to come and for Australia really to lead the way in very safe and successful uranium mining," Mr Atkinson said in an interview with ABC's Inside Business program.

On Friday, the Rio Tinto Ltd majority-owned company reported a net profit of $127.55 million for the first half of calendar 2009, up 228 per cent from $38.9 million in the prior corresponding period.

Mr Atkinson said the industry wasn't getting as much political opposition to uranium mining as it did in the past.

"I think as public awareness not only about greenhouse gas but also about the nuclear industry comes to a head and also the relative acceptance of nuclear in many of the other countries around the globe such as the UK, Japan, US, France etc," he said.

"I think the climate has just changed in the last few years, and it's very, very different to the years gone by."

In July, the Labor government approved the country's fourth uranium mine to be built in South Australia's northeast.

A lift in the average realised uranium sales price to $US48.02 a pound, from $US35.69 per pound in the six months to June last year, helped boost the company's revenue from uranium sales to $336.1 million.

"The uranium market has been quite volatile and has come down off the highs from 18 months ago, two years ago, but in terms of historic terms, the price of uranium is still quite high."

On Friday, ERA shares closed up 35 cents, or 1.4 cents, at $25.30.