Hi! Can anyone from the beautiful Czech republic give me a run down on how Uran Ltd an Australian company trying to re-open old mines Rozna , Brzkov etcis viewed by the people and by the government officials. I would very much appreicate any feedback on this. Archer
62% Czechs support nuclear energy (stats from 2006), but nobody wants uranium mine or nuclear powerplant in neighborhood.
INTERVIEW: Australian miner Uran Ltd. seeks Czech clarification on uranium mining - CEO By Brian Kenety PRAGUE. FEBRUARY 8. INTERFAX CENTRAL EUROPE – Australian uranium miner Uran Limited last week met with key members of the Czech Parliament as part of its stepped up effort to lobby the government to clearly define its stance on the industry, Uran's managing director Kate Hobbs told Interfax in an interview. "The Czech Ministry of Environment is currently taking the view that the country's Raw Materials Policy prevents uranium exploration and mining," Hobbes said. "Our legal review – and our discussions with the Ministry of Industry and Trade – indicate [the policy] doesn't even mention exploration, and we don't believe that it prevents mining of uranium." Hobbs said she and Uran's local director last week met with parliamentarians to discuss the potential for mining and the within the context of the Academy of Science's final report on the Czech Republic's long-term energy policy needs, due out in June 2008. The Czech Republic currently mines some 300 tonnes of uranium while Russian state-run nuclear fuel supplier Tvel, contracted to become supplier to Czech state-controlled power utility CEZ's Temelin plant in 2009, estimates it will need some 400 tonnes of uranium per year to meet its contract. Tvel already supplies fuel to CEZ's Dukovany plant. "The Czech Republic's mine at Rozna is the only operating uranium mine in the European Union and the only in Europe, other than in Ukraine," Hobbs told Interfax, adding that active exploration by Czech state firm Diamo stopped before 1990. "So I think there is an opportunity for the country to not only be self-sufficient in energy, but make itself a significant provider to other parts of Europe." Global uranium prices increased exponentially in recent years and in late May 2007 Diamo launched extensive exploration at the Rozna mine, following governmental approval to prolong domestic uranium mining. Until now, the state company hasn't had money to spend on exploration, or even maintenance and upgrades, for at least 10 years, Hobbs said. "We were talking to them about some kind of joint undertaking [and] invited to make an offer," Hobbs said. "Then it became a political issue and the Ministry [of Industry and Trade] announced they would do it themselves. But they did also send us a letter saying that if they involved [another company] we would be the preferred partner [to develop the Rozna mine]." Hobbs said that currently about 40% of the world's demand for uranium comes from reprocessing, particularly of old nuclear warheads. "That means there's a 40% shortfall and the competition to acquire uranium is absolutely intense – from China, the United States, France – all these countries that use nuclear power," Hobbs told Interfax. "So, the Czech Republic, to ensure its own energy security needs to look very hard at trying to source most, or all of its uranium supplies, internally." In January, the Perth-based uranium miner lodged five new applications for exploration permits in the Czech Republic through its new Czech subsidiary Urania Mining, after having last year lost appeals for a uranium-survey license lodged by a Czech geological partner firm, Timex Zdice. "If the permits are not granted to us, I have no doubt whatsoever that other companies – and countries – will seek to acquire them," Hobbs said. "Given the country's significant uranium sources […] I wouldn't be surprised if there were government-to-government approaches, and I'm not sure anyone in this country would favor seeing further Russian exploitation of uranium resources." According to Uran Limited's fourth quarter 2007 report, the company is also pursuing advanced projects and mines in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
14/09/2007 10:39 : CZECH REPUBLIC & SLOVAKIA BUSINESS (Weekly,En) PRESS: Czech Environment Ministry rejects fresh uranium-survey appeal from Australian Uran Ltd. PRAGUE. SEPTEMBER 14. INTERFAX CENTRAL EUROPE - Against the backdrop of protests from local Czech villages, the Environment Ministry has rejected an appeal for a uranium-survey license to explore sites in East Bohemia filed by Czech firm Timex Zdice on behalf of Australian group Uran Limited, Czech daily Lidove noviny (LN) reported Friday. "We understand people's concerns," said Uranium Limited's director Wolf Martinick, as cited by LN, adding that uranium mines impact upon the environment to a much lesser degree than does coal mining. Martinick came to discuss the issue locals from the East Bohemia regions of Polna and Brzkov, where uranium was mined in pre-1989 Czechoslovakia, and some of whom oppose further uranium mining, citing environmental and health concerns. Hana Gabrielova of civic association Calla said that once an exploration permit is approved, according to Czech legislation a company also has the right to begin mining. She said that during the communist regime, the mining of uranium, which is radioactive, harmed the local environment and some CZK 53 bln through 2040 is required to tackle the problem. In the Czech Republic, uranium - the price of which has increased exponentially on global markets in recent years - is currently only mined in the town of Dolni Rozinka. In late May, Czech state-run mining company Diamo launched extensive exploration at the Dolni Rozinka mine following governmental approval to prolong domestic uranium mining. However, ministry spokesman Jan Kaspar said the Czech state's overall energy concept does not call for expanding uranium mining and most of the villages in the region are against it. Uran Limited's appeal through Czech firm Timex Zdice related to the initial decision of the ministry not to allow surveying for uranium in the nearby Czech village of Brzkov-zapad, whose residents are less opposed to the prospect, according to LN. Timex Zdice was also unsuccessful in petitioning the Environment Ministry for uranium exploration permits in the towns of Jamna, Brzkov- zapad, and Polna. Meanwhile, Russian state-run nuclear-fuel supplier Tvel has also shown interest in exploration in Brzkov. Tvel has closed a contract with Czech state-controlled energy giant CEZ, which opted to replace U.S. Westinghouse as the fuel supplier at its Temelin nuclear plant as of 2009.Tvel is already supplying fuel to CEZ's older Dukovany plant. The Czech Republic currently mines 300 tonnes of uranium, according to Tvel Vice President Jurij Alexandrovic Olenin, who said in a June interview with Czech business daily Hospodarske noviny (HN) that just to cover the new contract with CEZ the company will need some 400 tonnes of uranium per year. The Czech state initially planned to reduce uranium mining but Uran Limited showed interest in the Dolni Rozinka mine, the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade decided to keep the mine at least until the end of 2008. "It is more advantageous for the state to extract [the country's] supplies alone," Czech Industry and Trade Ministry spokesman Tomas Bartovsky said, as cited by LN. "If it turns out there are more beds, we will consider an entry of another investor."
Thank you Eso for the time taken to reply - I really appreciate it. I once visited your beautiful city - for musical reasons - I hope one day to return. Currently preparing some songs by Martinu for a performance - might have to ask for some help there with nuance too! A
