Polluting industries uranium and coal make themselves look good, in with Minerals Council
Australian Uranium Association joins forces with the Minerals Council of Australia Australian Mining 14 November, 2013 Vicky Validakis The Australian Uranium Association will be integrated into the Minerals Council of Australia in a merger agreed upon by member companies of both organisations.
Departing chief of the AUA Michael Angwin said the move will enhance the uranium sector’s advocacy, reinforcing its position in the mining industry as a whole.
AUA chairman Darryl Cuzzubbo said the integration is set to secure the uranium sector stays well positioned…….The AUA has been the main advocacy body for the nation’s uranium industry, lobbying for policy changes and aiming to educate the public on the advantages of using uranium as an energy source.……
Earlier this year the Australian Coal Association was dismantled and integrated with the MCA. http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/australian-uranium-association-joins-forces-with-t
Uranium miner Paladin loses US $40 million in last three months
Uranium miner Paladin makes $US40m loss Yahoo 7 Finance AAP , 15 Nov 13 Uranium miner Paladin Energy made a $US40 million loss in the three months to September as uranium prices remain low…….Its average realised uranium sales price for the September quarter was US$41.38 per pound, as the spot price trades around eight year lows. Paladin is looking to sell a stake in the Langer Heinrich mine. It is also cutting jobs and costs in response to falls in the price of uranium.
15 partners leave Finland’s troubled nuclear power consortium
More partners pull out of Fennovoima nuclear project UUTISET, 14 Nov 13, The consortium of Finnish power companies backing a planned nuclear power plant in Pyhäjoki, western Finland is shrinking. Some 15 members of the Fennovoima public power consortium announced Thursday that they were pulling out of the project, leaving 45 partners still on board. Thursday’s development saw 15 members of the Voimaosakeyhtiö SF announce their withdrawal from the planned nuclear power project in Ostrobothnia, western Finland. Voimaosakeyhtiö is a power consortium comprising 67 companies who jointly own Fennovoima.
Among the companies that decided to withdraw support from the nuclear power plant are Boliden Harjavalta, Boliden Kokkola and Componenta.Back in 2012, Finnish retail cooperative S-Group and the German-based power giant E.ON announced that they were leaving the project behind. E.ON sold its 34 percent stake in the consortium, saying that the move was part of a strategy to sell off all of its Finnish operations. S-Group said it shed its three-percent shareholding to focus on investments that would benefit its shareholders.
Fennovoima still in talks with Rosatom
About 45 companies remain as partners to the project. However their support is still conditional, given that Fennovoima is still in talks with Russian nuclear contractor and proposed minority owner, Rosatom. The remaining consortium members include mining company Talvivaara, steel company Outokumpu, dairy company Valio and a group of regional energy companies…….http://yle.fi/uutiset/more_partners_pull_out_of_fennovoima_nuclear_projec
Low uranium prices cause uranium company to freeze expansion plans
Rosatom’s Uranium One to Freeze Expansion Moscow Times, 13 November 2013 | Issue 5255 Reuters Canadian miner Uranium One Holding, acquired this year by state-owned reactor builder and supplier Rosatom, said it would freeze expansion projects in Russia and elsewhere due to low uranium prices.
The price of uranium, used mainly as fuel for nuclear plants, plummeted after the March 2011 meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi atomic power plant and has shown no signs of recovery. Continue reading
Incidents at Paladin’s uranium mines in Africa
Paladin Energy: Financial Report for Three Months Ended 30 September 2013 PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA–(Marketwired – Nov. 14, 2013) –
“………Tragically, on 30 July 2013 a workplace fatality occurred at the
Kayelekera Mine. The incident occurred in the mine’s motor vehicle
workshop where the worker was struck in the chest by a light
vehicle wheel he was inflating. Prior to this tragic accident,
Kayelekera Mine had operated for 489 days without an LTI.
— Post quarter, on 3 October 2013, there was a serious electrical
incident at Langer Heinrich Mine involving one employee and two
contractors being hospitalised. Two of the workers received
significant burns while the third worker received smoke inhalation
and has been discharged. The more seriously injured worker passed
away on 29 October 2013.
— The Company is investigating both these incidents, with the
findings and outcomes pending. A review of safety procedures
within the group was initiated in July and as a result of these
serious incidents, this has now been expanded to a full review to
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