Electric expectations as mining conference goes nuclear
While goldminers dominate the speaking program of the three-day mining industry networking fest, uranium will be the focus of the curtain-raiser keynote on Monday morning.
For the first time in the conference's 34-year history, the keynote will take the form of a panel discussion.
Canadian physician turned nuclear evangelist Chris Keefer has been flown into the Western Australian gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie, alongside Centre for Independent Studies energy analyst Aidan Morrison and the free market think tank's executive director Tom Switzer.
The panel was scheduled before the coalition's catastrophic federal election meltdown in May, when their nuclear power ambitions went up in flames.
But Diggers chairman Jim Walker says the setback doesn't dim the importance of the topic.
As Australia grapples with the question of how to power its energy transition, it's worth listening to an international perspective, he says.
"Look, we've seen a change going from diesel-powered submarines to nuclear-powered submarines," he told AAP.
"We are non-political, all right. We are definitely non-political. We just thought, from the interest we've had from miners around the place asking the question about where we're going to get our power from, let's grab hold of these people and let them give their presentation."
Paul Hemburrow, chief operating officer of the ASX's largest dedicated uranium miner, Paladin Energy, will try to drum up investor interest as he follows up the keynote with the first presentation of the forum.
Even without the evaporated prospect of a domestic nuclear market, it's been a tricky time for the uranium sector.
Prices have slumped in 2025 after the emergence of Chinese AI disruptor DeepSeek challenged assumptions that the technology would fuel a massive increase in energy demand globally.
Uranium has rebounded slightly since but Paladin faced a further setback in late July when its Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia missed its output guidance.
Traders dumped shares in the Perth-based miner, which is down nearly 21 per cent since the start of 2025.
Paladin has taken the title of the most shorted stock on the ASX, while second-placed Boss Energy suffered an even more brutal 40 per cent sell-off after it warned traders it would miss its projected output at its Honeymoon uranium mine in South Australia.
Boss Energy chief executive Duncan Craib will be second cab off the rank to deliver a presentation at Diggers.
The previous prime target for short sellers - lithium miners - will be feeling slightly more bullish as they look to revive interest in the industry at the forum.
There is increasing optimism that prices for the battery ingredient may have bottomed out following a dire three-year bear market, as China looks to stamp out oversupply.
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