Graphite energy

Port Lincoln Times
Tuesday 26/2/2008 Page: 5

REVELATIONS about graphite being a reliable green energy source puts the mine site at Uley near Sleaford, south of Port Lincoln, in good stead for mining to start. Mining was supposed to begin this month, with Eagle Bay Resources ready to begin, but it is waiting for joint venture partner Mikkira graphite to set the direction. Eagle Bay Resources chairman Jim Craib visited the mine last week and said there was about 384 million tonnes of graphite in the area.

He had been in Adelaide for the International Solar Cities Congress from February 18-20 before coming to Port Lincoln. "There seems to be a great drive to use solar power, wind power, wave power, but the biggest problem is it does not guarantee power," he said about the congress. "This conference really spelt out those limitations as well as encouraging people to use the power." Although Mr Craib had not seen it himself, graphite could reputedly generate 24-hour electricity through heating 10- tonne blocks to about 1800 degrees.

"They are talking about powering the whole of Cloncurry that way. "If it works it is going to be astounding. "It has implications that every mine site in the outback, all the (pastoral) stations, will be able to have permanent electricity." Mr Craib and executive director Jonathon Salomon were visiting Sydney after Port Lincoln to meet with Mikkira graphite about getting the Uley mine running again.