Lift the uranium ban: Cauldron Energy’s Jonathan Fisher

Cauldron Energy chief executive Jonathan Fisher advocated for uranium mining in Australia at the WA Mining Club July luncheon.

Mr Fisher argues uranium mining is essential to decarbonisation and cites the Federal ban on nuclear energy and WA ban on uranium as roadblocks in achieving emissions reduction goals.

“The nuclear industry globally is now awake,” he said.

“That is driven by decarbonisation because other than hydro, nuclear is the only mass available, baseload generating, zero carbon source which is on 24/7.”

Following the triple nuclear pledge signed at COP28 — which saw 22 countries pledging to triple nuclear power capacity by 2050 — the United States, Canada, France, Japan and the United Kingdom formed the Sapporo 5 to establish a reliable nuclear energy supply chain.

“[The Sapporo 5] have put billions of dollars on the table for likeminded, politically aligned, Western friendly countries to develop uranium supply chains,” said Mr Fisher.

“Australia should be a part of this; we’re not.”

Mr Fisher sought to debunk misconceptions around nuclear energy and uranium, including Australia’s lack of a nuclear industry.

“The only thing we don’t have at the moment is a civilian nuclear industry,” he said.

“We have world class uranium, technology and enrichment, we have an ANSTO reactor and we have the best radioactive waste repository in the southern hemisphere already operating in WA.”