Commodity bulls twisting in the wind

Rio Tinto is eager to secure a joint venture with the likely new owners of the huge Husab uranium deposit in Namibia.

The Hindu Business Line reports the Tummalapelle uranium mine in the YSR district of Andhra Pradesh, India, will be commissioned by early April.

According to a new European Wind Energy Association report a record 71% of all the new power generating capacity installed in the Europe Union in 2011 came from solar panels, offshore and onshore wind turbines and other renewable energy sources. This at the same time as the world's largest clean coal power station project appears stuck in the starting blocks.

China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp (CGNPC) declared its offer for Kalahari Minerals unconditional on Friday, paving the way for it to launch a takeover bid for Extract Resources, owner of one of the world's largest uranium mines.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 31, 2012) - Argus Metals Corp. (the "Company" or "Argus") (TSX VENTURE:AML) reports that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission has granted and signed Argus' PL29/2011 licence. This licence allows for the exploration of uranium, gold and precious elements. PL29/2011 is west of, and contiguous with Argus' PL53/2009 licence, which also allows for the exploration of uranium, gold and precious elements. With PL29/2011 in place, Argus now holds the full 10 x 1 kilometre extent of the Kaituma uranium target and plans to execute a drill program on the project as soon as technically and financially feasible.

Tournigan Energy Ltd. (TVC: TSX-V; TGP: Frankfurt) has received a Preliminary Feasibility Study (“PFS”) on its flagship Kuriskova high-grade uranium deposit located in Slovakia from its independent consultant, Tetra Tech, Inc. (Tt), in Golden, Colorado.

The meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant last March had uranium investors fleeing for the exits. While the nuclear fuel used to make yellowcake had enjoyed something of a renaissance (after tanking in 2008-09 due to the financial crisis) in the runup to the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan, all that changed in the aftermath of the quake.

Thomas Drolet, a nuclear expert, warns of a coming uranium deficit as Cold War-era supplies dry up.

While miners and explorers may be hitting the investment conferences looking for funding, NGOs are successfully using crowd sourcing to get projects started.