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Uranium and Nuclear Power Industry

Niger government continues to support Dasa, Global Atomic says (World Nuclear News – August 14, 2024)

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/

“We continue to make significant progress at our Dasa Uranium Project, currently employing over 450 people at site and expecting to increase that number to 900 once plant construction is in full swing,” Roman said. “We have an excellent relationship with the government and have the support of their entire cabinet, as they appreciate the jobs and economic benefit that Dasa will create for Niger.”

More than 1200 metres of ramp development has been completed since the November 2022 Opening Blast Ceremony, with 7000 tonnes of development ore hauled to surface to date. Mine development is continuing, and raise boring is now under way for the main components of the mine’s ventilation infrastructure.

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First Nations declare opposition to nuclear waste project – by Mike Stimpson (NWO News Watch – August 7, 2024)

https://www.nwonewswatch.com/

A deep geological repository would be bad news for the environment and people of Northwestern Ontario, according to the AKRC.

SIOUX NARROWS – The Township of Ignace has said yes to a nuclear waste repository project, but five First Nations in the Lake of the Woods area say no way.

Storing nuclear waste between Ignace and Dryden would endanger the region’s ecosystem and violate their rights as Indigenous peoples, according to a declaration from the Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council (AKRC).

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Paladin excited to enter the ‘Pilbara of uranium’ – by Mariaan Webb (MiningWeekly – August 7, 2024)

https://www.miningweekly.com/

Australia-headquartered uranium miner Paladin Energy is set on transforming itself from a single-asset entity into a “serious global producer with scale and upside potential”, said COO Paul Hemburrow.

Speaking at the Diggers and Dealers forum, in Kalgoorlie, this week, he expressed enthusiasm about the proposed acquisition of Fission Uranium, a deal valued at C$1.14-billion.

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Protesters say uranium shipments near the Grand Canyon threaten health, safety – by Trilce Estrada Olvera (Arizona Republic – August 7, 2024)

https://www.azcentral.com/

GRAND CANYON — On a summer Sunday morning near the intersection of Forest Road 320 and State Route 64, more than 100 people gathered to protest the first shipments of uranium ore from a mine south of the Grand Canyon.

The protest took place at a point along the authorized route for transporting uranium ore from Energy Fuels’ Pinyon Plain Mine to its White Mesa Mill near Blanding, Utah. The mining company had moved the first truckloads or unprocessed ore from the mine last Tuesday.

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Paladin CEO bullish on clearing national security test on Fission deal, as Ottawa inquires about state-owned China shareholder – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – July 18, 2024)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Australia’s Paladin Energy Ltd.is confident its proposed acquisition of Canada’s Fission Uranium Corp. will clear a national security probe, as Ottawa makes enquiries about CGN Mining Co. Ltd., a China-based state-owned deal stakeholder.

Perth-based Paladin last month said it had reached a friendly agreement to buy Kelowna, B.C.-based Fission in an all-stock transaction worth $1.14-billion. Fission is developing the Patterson Lake South (PLS) uranium project in the Athabasca Basin region of Saskatchewan and hopes it will be in production by the end of the decade.

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Turkey Top Envoy Goes to Niger in Bid to Secure Uranium Supplies – by Selcan Hacaoglu (Bloomberg News – July 17, 2024)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — Turkey’s foreign, defense and energy ministers visited Niger on Wednesday to secure access to the West African nation’s rich uranium deposits.

The delegation, which is led by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and includes top spy chief Ibrahim Kalin, wants to tap Nigerien supplies of the fissile mineral to fuel Turkey’s nascent nuclear-power industry, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified as they’re not authorized to speak to the media.

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Cameco is breaking ground on new ways to mine uranium – by Michael Joel-Hansen (Saskatoon Star Phoenix – July 15, 2024)

https://thestarphoenix.com/

About half of the ore mined by the Canadian nuclear fuel giant is now extracted using automation and AI

Many countries around the world are looking to build out their capacity for nuclear power as they try to reduce their carbon emissions, which has created an increased demand for uranium. But the market for uranium has also been undergoing some major changes due to sanctions on Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. There have been quite a few changes on the operations front, too.

For example, Saskatoon-based uranium miner Cameco Corp. is undergoing a major evolution in the way it extracts the heavy metal. Lloyd Rowson, vice-president of technical services, said the best example of this change can be seen at the Cigar Lake mine, which began operating in 2014.

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GoviEx Uranium has mining licence in Niger revoked, shares plummet – by Staff (Mining.com – July 4, 2024)

https://www.mining.com/

GoviEx Uranium (TSXV: GXU) no longer has rights over the perimeter of the Madaouela mining permit following the Niger government’s decision on Thursday to withdraw its licence, dealing a big blow to the development of one of the world’s largest uranium projects.

The Vancouver-based uranium miner had feared that its licence could be revoked if mining could not start by July 3, 2024, a deadline set by Niger’s military leaders who came into power around this time last year.

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Uranium mining: A Colorado company pumps out ore, with implications for economy and national security – by Scott Weiser (Denver Gazette – July 7, 2024)

https://denvergazette.com/

Travis Chiotti puts a brass tag bearing his name on a hook on the “in” board before heading 1,400 feet down-shaft. It’s a pair — the other tag goes in his pocket. Just in case. Helmet, headlamp, heavy steel-toed rubber boots, emergency respirator. Check.

Mining is hard work. Simply moving around is taxing. In these wet tunnels, the slopes are steep and slippery. The mud clings, and calf-deep pools of water can trap a boot. Underground miners are a special breed. Absent the cacophony of pumps, ventilation air blasting at 140,000 cubic feet per minute, drilling, blasting, and moving rock with diesel skip loaders, the absolute silence is deafening.

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U.S. Nuclear Fears as Iran Targets African Uranium – by Hugh Cameron (Newsweek Magazine – July 2, 2024)

https://www.newsweek.com/

Iran is trying to source uranium from West Africa, signaling a further expansion of the nuclear program that has long rattled states in the West.

Despite continued scrutiny and multiple efforts at curtailment, Iran still hosts one of the most advanced nuclear programs in the world, and reports have emerged that the country’s weapons program is gaining steam. One expert told Newsweek that, while the country has not definitively begun weaponizing its nuclear capabilities, continued attempts to boost its enriched stockpile should raise concern.

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Coalition nuclear policy leaves traditional owners of Kakadu uranium mine worried – by Jane Bardon (Australian Broadcasting Corporation – July 2, 2024)

https://www.abc.net.au/

Mirarr traditional owner Corben Mudjandi is desperate for his spectacular land at Jabiluka to be incorporated into Kakadu National Park, which surrounds it, rather than mined for its uranium. “Its sacred to us, and it’s a piece of human history, 65,000 years, we want Jabiluka not mined; we want to show people the beauty of nature, and what we call home,” he said.

Mr Mudjandi is worried the federal Coalition’s plan to open nuclear plants if it wins government could drive demand for Jabiluka’s uranium. The Mirarr are also concerned that almost a year after Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) applied to extend its uranium mining lease over Jabiluka for another decade, the Northern Territory and federal governments have not yet decided whether to reject or approve it.

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Judge hearing case on whether federal agency should order removal of mining waste from Elliott Lake properties – by Kate Rutherford (CBC News Sudbury – July 03, 2024)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission says remediation of properties outside its jurisdiction

Three Elliott Lake homeowners are being represented in federal court today and tomorrow by the Canadian Environmental Law Association. They’re asking a judge to order the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to compel the clean-up of mining waste from their properties.

The three all own properties where waste rock from Rio Algom uranium mines was used as fill under and around their homes when they were built in the 1970s. The homes all have higher than acceptable levels of radon gas and require special mitigation to keep them safe.

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Unable to effectively operate its lone existing nuclear reactor, New Brunswick is betting on advanced options – by Matthew McClearn (Globe and Mail – July 2, 2024)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Mike Holland was among Canada’s leading evangelists for small modular nuclear reactors. During his tenure as New Brunswick’s energy minister, from 2018 to when he stepped down on June 20, he vigorously supported plans by the province’s Crown utility, NB Power, to construct two different small reactor designs from startup companies: U.S.-based ARC Clean Technology and Britain’s Moltex Energy.

This represents Canada’s most ambitious – and perhaps riskiest – foray into bleeding-edge nuclear technology. In an interview shortly before he resigned to pursue an opportunity in the private sector, Mr. Holland recalled how SMRs arrived on his agenda soon after he assumed office.

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Can Niger’s military junta seize the country’s uranium opportunity? – by Jason Mitchell (BNE Intellinews – July 2, 2024)

https://www.intellinews.com/

Niger — one of the world’s poorest countries — could become considerably wealthier if its uranium resources were fully exploited, but political instability is hampering its development.

The land-locked country’s uranium resources total 311,000 metric tonnes (mt), the third highest in Africa after Namibia (470,000 mt) and South Africa (320,000 mt), according to Statista. It has the continent’s highest-grade uranium ores. In 2022, it produced 2,020 mt of uranium, down from 2,991 mt in 2020, according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA).

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Australia’s Paladin Energy to buy Canada’s Fission Uranium for $1.14-billion – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – June 25, 2024)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Australia’s Paladin Energy Ltd. has reached an agreement to buy Canadian mining development company Fission Uranium Corp. in a friendly transaction worth $1.14-billion, as Fission lays down a big bet on a uranium project in Saskatchewan. Kelowna, B.C.-based Fission is developing the Patterson Lake South (PLS) project in the Athabasca Basin region of Saskatchewan, and hopes to be in production by the end of the decade.

Paladin is offering 0.1076 of its shares for each Fission unit, or $1.30 a share, a premium of just under 26 per cent compared to Friday’s closing price on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

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