Uranium, for many years the ugly duckling of the South African mining industry, is making a strong comeback as both the government and mining companies start to embrace its nuclear energy capabilities, according to this article on Mineweb.com.
Not only are companies such as SXR Uranium One and Simmer & Jack jumping onto the uranium bandwagon to take advantage of sharply higher uranium prices, but the government has also started extolling the virtues of a mineral shunned in favour of other base and precious metals for decades.
Just last week, Minerals & Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica indicated that the state is looking into the merits of nuclear energy playing a bigger role in meeting South Africa’s growing energy needs. State-owned Eskom, which relies mainly on coal as its feedstock, is also considering further use of nuclear energy.
Trade & Industry Minister Alec Erwin has also waxed lyrical about the opportunities for the much-debated pebble bed modular reactor and has referred to uranium as the mineral of the future.
While exhaustive cost-benefit studies are likely to take place before the government and Eskom increase their uranium involvement, companies like Simmer & Jack are forging ahead with examining the commercial viability of uranium based projects . . . .
Not only are companies such as SXR Uranium One and Simmer & Jack jumping onto the uranium bandwagon to take advantage of sharply higher uranium prices, but the government has also started extolling the virtues of a mineral shunned in favour of other base and precious metals for decades.
Just last week, Minerals & Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica indicated that the state is looking into the merits of nuclear energy playing a bigger role in meeting South Africa’s growing energy needs. State-owned Eskom, which relies mainly on coal as its feedstock, is also considering further use of nuclear energy.
Trade & Industry Minister Alec Erwin has also waxed lyrical about the opportunities for the much-debated pebble bed modular reactor and has referred to uranium as the mineral of the future.
While exhaustive cost-benefit studies are likely to take place before the government and Eskom increase their uranium involvement, companies like Simmer & Jack are forging ahead with examining the commercial viability of uranium based projects . . . .
