050131 天然ウランの需要が高まり、オーストラリアのウラン鉱山が再び活況を呈しつつある
世界の天然ウランの４０％を埋蔵しているオーストラリアでは、このところ、エネルギーセキュリティと温暖化対策の観点から原子力発電の重要性が国際的に再認識されるにつれて、ウラン鉱山が再び活況を呈しつつあるようです。本日のオーストラリアの有力紙The
Australianに載った論文によれば、先月EUのエネルギー関係２０社のトップ
が、各国政府に対して原子力発電を重視するよう申し入れたそうで、長らく原子力に後ろ向きだったEU諸国でも原子力再生の動きが活発になってきた模様です。米国でも、昨年１０月のある世論調査によれば、１０人中８人が原子力発電の重要性を認め、６７％がその推進を支持しているとか。
その結果、ウランの価格が上昇し始めており、世界のウラン業者がオーストラリアのウラン鉱山に投資したり、企業買収を図っているが、とくにWestern
Mining Corporation社の Olympic Dam ウラン鉱山（
全世界の３分の１の生産力を持つ）が最も脚光を浴びている、うんうんと、同国のウラン産業が活況を呈しつつある様子を詳しく紹介するとともに、従ってオーストラリア政府はウラン政策の整備拡充を急く必要があると強調しております。
ただ、スイスのXstrata
社、フランスのCogema社、カナダのCameco社等の進出が大きく報道されているのに、肝心の日本企業の活動が全く触れられていないのは、関心がないからなのか、経済的余力がないからなのか、はっきりしません。とくにNorthern
Territoryの Ranger鉱山の開発にはかつて日本（関電、四国電力など）
も積極的に参加し、小生自身も外務省で大いに側面支援したものですが、その後どうなっているのか、気になるところです。どなたか、こうした最近の状況について詳しく説明または情報提供をして下されば幸いです。
--KK
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Plenty
of power in uranium
Leslie Kemeny
The Australian, January 31,
2005
AUSTRALIA is endowed with more than 40 per cent of the world's
economically
recoverable uranium resources. And the year 2004 had, as a
defining moment,
the rediscovery by many nations of the excellence of
nuclear power and the
uranium fuel cycle as a greenhouse-friendly, cheap,
reliable and safe energy
source.
Over the past decade, the growth in
global installed nuclear generating
capacity has been led by China and
India. But informed realism concerning
the versatility, safety and
environmental advantages of nuclear power plants
is now attracting renewed
interest in the European Union, the US, Japan and
elsewhere.
Last month
the chief executives of more than 20 EU energy companies called
upon their
governments to make nuclear power a central part of their energy
policies on
the basis of energy security and environmental protection. They
pointed out
that all low-carbon and zero-carbon sources will need to be
mobilised ?
notably nuclear and renewables ? and hence all should be able to
compete
equitably.
This statement was presented as the opening shot in a new
offensive to
change policy settings in EU countries to give due credit to
the virtues of
nuclear power and to remove measures that discriminate
against it. The head
of the Confederation of British Industry had earlier
called for the
immediate construction of six new nuclear plants over the
next 10 years, as
the British Government's reliance on wind would achieve
little. A similar
call has come from the Swedish forest products industry in
relation to that
country's policies.
So, internationally, public
perception of nuclear power and support for its
use has shown a remarkable
growth. Typically, an October 2004 poll in the US
showed that eight out of
10 people believe that nuclear energy will be
important in meeting the
nation's electricity needs and 67 per cent
personally favour it. Perhaps
even more significantly, two-thirds of
self-described "environmentalists"
favour it.
No wonder uranium prices are surging and overseas uranium
traders are
seeking to invest in or take over Australian uranium production
facilities.
In particular, Western Mining Corporation's Olympic Dam uranium
mine ?
potentially one-third of global resource ? makes an attractive
target.
Last year Australian uranium production set a record of more than
10,500
tonnes of U308 or "yellowcake". Rio Tinto announced production of
more than
5143 tonnes from the Northern Territory Ranger mine. WMC Resources
produced
4370 tonnes from Olympic Dam, and Heathgate Resources 1084 tonnes
from
Beverley, a mine now running at full capacity and also situated in
South
Australia.
WMC is proposing a $5 billion expansion of the
Olympic Dam mine by the year
2010, to increase production to 15,000 tonnes
per annum. This would make it
the world's largest producer. This expansion
is envisaged in the light of a
surging global demand for uranium, which has
already seen a price rise from
about $US10 per pound (0.45kg) in 2003 to
about $US20.50 ($26.75) per pound
at the end of 2004. The prognosis for
further significant price rises to the
year 2010 is excellent.
So
it's hardly surprising that the Olympic Dam uranium resource is being
targeted for takeover by the Swiss mining giant Xstrata and possibly by such
nuclear giants as Cogema of France and Cameco of Canada. Xstrata is
part-owned by commodities trader Glencore.
There is no doubt that
Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board will be
monitoring all aspects
of this transaction. As well, the Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
will need to keep under constant surveillance the
transport and destination
of any exported uranium if WMC is purchased by an
overseas
consortium.
If Olympic Dam remains in Australian hands, the commonwealth
Government
should encourage Australian uranium producers to establish a full
uranium
fuel cycle industry whereby enrichment, fuel element fabrication and
reprocessing and waste disposal is carried out in this country.
In
such a situation, the fuel could be leased to Australia's trading
partners,
who would pay for its energy content. This would maximise the
economic
return to the Australian industry and ensure optimum
non-proliferation
observance.
Australia's energy policy, furthermore, should be revised as
soon as
possible by the federal Government. The full approval of the Council
of
Australian Governments and its expert advisers should be sought to
facilitate the introduction of nuclear power plants for the co-generation of
electricity and the production of fresh water and hydrogen.
For at least
the next 100 years, Australia's sustainable development will
substantially
depend on this greenhouse-friendly
technology.
-------------------------------
Leslie Kemeny, an
Australian member of the International Nuclear Energy
Academy, was the
foundation technical consultant to the Australian Uranium
Information Centre
in the 1970s.