China should start receiving shipments of Canadian uranium within a year. That’s the statement Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall made recently in an interview in Beijing. The Globe and Mail has covered the story here and it makes for some very interesting reading if you’re following the nuclear energy industry and uranium market.
As quoted in the Globe: “I just don’t see a lot of roadblocks” to an arrangement that is expected to open the door to some $3-billion in sales over the next decade, possibly starting as soon as six months from now…It’s very significant.”
I agree, it is indeed significant. What the agreement is not, however, is surprising. If you’ve been following China’s energy industry (or reading my blog regularly) you’ll know that not only is China spearheading a major wave of worldwide nuclear reactor construction but they have made clear that they see Canada as a critical part of securing their energy supplies.
Why is Canada so critical? It’s simple…. grade, environment and infrastructure. Let me break it down into more detail.
• Grade: the Athabasca Basin has the world’s highest uranium grades (and supplies nearly 20% of the world’s uranium.
• Environment: Canada has a pro-mining political environment at every level of government
• Infrastructure: The Athabasca Basin has been home to uranium mining for over 40 years, which translates into multiple high-capacity mills, three generations of local mining professionals, excellent transport links and power grid access.
How do I know all of this, well aside from the fact that I’ve been involved with successful uranium exploration and development for many years, Fission’s flagship property (Waterbury Lake) and our newest discovery (PLS) are both situated in the Basin.
If you’ve not already done so, be sure to check out our project pages and as always, if you have any questions feel free to get in touch.
Dev Randhawa
