David Johnson a securities broker with Paterson Securities believes that the overseas demand for uranium yellowcake could rise to unprecedented levels in the next decade.

This opinion was reported on the Australian news service ABC news online. The usual reasons were put forward, a shortage of fossil fuels, coal is dirty and a big pollutant, etc.

A boom in nuclear energy was coming due to the energy needs of China. This is something that we have referred to in the past but does not appear to get very much airtime. The analyst also mention that China that could become Australia’s biggest customer in the years ahead.

However, there are still political difficulties to be overcome. For instance, the Premier Alan Carpenter says it will take a change of Government before uranium is mined in Western Australia. He seems adamant that uranium mining will not occur on his watch. As the Labour Party has won two elections in Western Australia on an anti nuclear platform it remains to be seen how long this policy will stay in place.

Our view is that sooner or later they will follow the other Australian states and have a change of heart, once the issue of nuclear waste has been resolved.

11 August 2006