Antinuclear

The Eastern world, nuclear power and Australia – theme for November 2013

The future for Australia’s uranium industry is murky indeed.    The Australian uranium lobby loves to tell us, ad nauseum, what a great future they have in uranium sales to China.   What they don’t tell us is that China is determined to become self sufficient in nuclear fuels.  Also China has  become apprehensive about nuclear power, since the Fukushima disaster.  There are serious safety concerns.  China has a developing anti nuclear movement   China’s renewable energy program is growing faster than its nuclear program .  China has suspended inland nuclear projects and slowed its nuclear program. It is almost certainly abandoning its 3 largest nuclear projects.

And of course – with the current world glut of uranium, uranium prices are going to be low for a long time yet (perhaps forever)

The World Nuclear Association is busily touting the future of nuclear technology in Asia and Middle East –  (more about that next week on this page) .   This may not be all that relevant to Australia.   The great leap forward in nuclear power in Asia and Middle East is not happening nearly as fast as the Australian Uranium Association would have us believe. Which means that the future of uranium sales is not looking good.

This is one big reason why the  nuclear lobby is turning its attention to Australia becoming in fact like a Third World country –  that is – being  not so much an exporter of uranium fuel , but a customer for the nuclear materials that USA, France, Russia  Japan,  (and even China and South Korea) are desperate to sell off.

There’s another side to Australia’s nuclear relationship with Asia. This is the curious contradiction between Australia’s drive to develop trade with Asian countries, and especially with China –   and the danger of Australia as  a nuclear target.   More about this on the sidebar at right.

October 30, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina themes