For the first time in more than 30 years on Australian shores there has been the beginnings of a public debate on greater Australian involvement in nuclear power. Politicians from the Prime Minister down have had something to say on a range of issues from increasing uranium mining to the use of nuclear power for electricity here, and while many have been nervous about expressing their own positive views, the general tenor has been quite positive.
The main driver has been a growing awareness of Australia's isolated position on climate change policy and consideration of what might be done if there was greater political resolve to limit greenhouse gas emissions. A secondary factor has been the realisation that with Australia having one third of the world's known economic resources of uranium, and countries such as China rapidly expanding their use of it, the economic opportunity is great - especially with the recent price recovery.
Behind what has been in the media, there have been over 50 submissions to the House of Representatives Inquiry on Australia's uranium resources, with hearings on the issue commencing in mid August. At the same time the Minister for Industry Tourism & Resources has initiated development of a Uranium Industry Framework, which is to look at opportunities and impediments for the industry "in partnership with relevant State and Territory Governments, industry and other stakeholders". While industry does not expect identification of impediments to take long, "development of the Framework is expected to take three years and will involve the identification and prioritisation of issues and development of an Action Plan Š. followed by a two year implementation phase."
Education, Science & Training Minister Brendan Nelson was the first to fly an overtly pro-nuclear energy kite, but when this attracted virtually no flak, others joined him and newspaper editorials supported the need for a proper debate on the question. In a drought-conscious Canberra, Nelson included the nuclear desalination possibility to augment water supplies.
The next development was the Minister for Industry Tourism & Resources berating states which did not allow mining of uranium due to Labor party policy or their own ideological leanings. He called for a more coherent national approach to uranium exploration and mining. South Australia's Labor Premier said the Labor uranium policy should be changed, and federal Labor figures publicly backed the government's moves to negotiate a bilateral safeguards treaty with China which would allow uranium exports there. The Minerals Council pointed to absurdities in the Labor policy, limiting the number of mines but allowing unlimited production from those existing.
In June, the former NSW Labor Premier called for consideration of nuclear power locally in the light of the country's large uranium resources and the need to reduce CO2 emissions. While Labor Premiers of Queensland, WA and SA quickly distanced themselves from the suggestion, support for airing the matter came from both sides of politics, including Peter Garrett, former president of the Australian Conservation Foundation and now federal Labor MP, though he flagged his scepticism. The Foreign Minister and Treasurer also supported calls to examine the potential for nuclear power generation. Finally the Prime Minister weighed in with support for a national debate.
However, a counterattack came at the NSW Labor Party conference, where the federal Labor environment spokesman and Peter Garrett put a successful motion reaffirming Labor's opposition to nuclear power in Australia, supported by the Queensland Premier who said that it "would jeopardise the Queensland coal industry."
Further developments in the discussion are likely in the context of the House of Representatives Inquiry hearings. The UIC has made a submission to the Inquiry on behalf of its members.
Australian 27/5 & 2-4, 10, 13/6/05, AFR 19/4/05, Age 20/4/05.
The US President has announced that he will ask Congress to end sanctions against India which have arisen from its inability to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) on the same basis as China (ie without abandoning nuclear weapons). This is a major step to accommodate the reality that India has developed nuclear weapons albeit seven years or so behind China, thus leaving it outside the 'nuclear weapons states' status of NPT, while acknowledging that its commitment to non-proliferation ranks with the best of those five states.
The US President also pledged to "work with friends and allies to adjust international regimes to enable full civil nuclear energy cooperation and trade with India". Both USA and India agreed that India should "acquire the same benefits and advantages" and assume the same responsibilities as other states "with advanced nuclear technology". India has agreed to separate civil and military nuclear facilities, and to place all of the former under IAEA safeguards as well as "signing and adhering to an Additional Protocol" to its existing limited safeguards agreement with IAEA which puts those safeguards on a tighter and intrusive basis. India will also continue its strong support for international efforts to limit the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technologies, claiming that its "track record in nuclear non-proliferation is impeccable" - in contrast to Pakistan.
The agreement aims to put India on the same footing as China, but with much closer international scrutiny of its nuclear facilities (only China's imported power plants are under safeguards). The IAEA has welcomed the agreement as it will effectively bring India into the international non-proliferation regime, also enhancing safety if technical cooperation with Canada is opened. It will also mean that India can buy uranium and reactors on world markets, and sell its own smaller reactors to developing countries.
White House 18/7/05, FT 19 & 20/7/05, NY Times 19/7/05, IAEA 20/7/05.
Congress passes Energy Policy Act
After a joint conference worked through House and Senate versions and considered further amendments, the Energy Policy Act 2005 comfortably passed both houses - 74-26 in the Senate and 275-156 in the House. It includes incentives for the nuclear power industry including production tax credit of 1.8 c/kWh from the first 6000 MWe of new nuclear plants in their first 8 years of operation (same as for wind power on unlimited basis), federal risk insurance of $2 billion to cover regulatory delays in full-power operation of the first six advanced new plants, rationalised tax on decommissioning funds (some reduced), federal loan guarantees for advanced nuclear reactors or other emission-free technologies up to 80% of the project cost, and support for advanced nuclear technology. Also $1.25 billion is authorised for an advanced high-temperature reactor (Next Generation Nuclear Plant) at the Idaho National Laboratory, capable of cogenerating hydrogen. Overall more than $2 billion is provided for hydrogen demonstration projects, and the Price Anderson Act for nuclear liability protection is extended for 20 years.
TradeTech NMR 31/7/05, Nucleonics Week 30/6 & 28/7/05, NuclearFuel 1/8/05.
Nuclear generation costs fall
The average cost of power generation from US nuclear reactors in 2004 fell 7% to 1.7 cents/kWh. This is operating (including fuel) and maintenance costs only and excludes any capital cost, since that is relatively meaningless in the US context prevailing when plants were built. The data covers 61% of US nuclear generation.
Nucleonics Week 7/7/05.
US reactor sale and licence extension
FPL Energy has agreed to pay $300 million for 70% of the newly-uprated 599 MWe Duane Arnold BWR from an Alliant Energy subsidiary, which will continue to buy the power - at about 4.6 c/kWh in 2006 rising to 6.1 cents in 2013. An additional $87 million is for fuel and inventory, while $188 million in decommissioning funds will be transferred to FPL. At $716/kW the price is one of the highest of US sales so far, and the new owners will seek a licence extension to 2034. The plant is run by Nuclear Management Co.
The 33rd US reactor to be granted a 20-year licence extension is Entergy's Arkansas ANO-2, a 1013 MWe PWR, which can now run to 2038.
Platts 1/7/05, Nucleonics Week 7/7/05, Nuclear Energy Overview 11/7/05.
Nuclear task force reports
A DOE Nuclear Energy Task Force, charged with assessing issues related to US nuclear energy, has supported nuclear energy expansion and identified issues the federal government needs to address to pave the way for added nuclear capacity. The task force noted that improvements in efficiency over the past decade to a current 90% average have produced the equivalent power of 18 new nuclear plants. Over the same period, nuclear safety improved significantly, while operating costs declined. It noted that once the extra expense of a first-of-a-kind plant are overcome, then the costs of nuclear power are competitive with coal.
The task force concluded "it is imperative that the US government act decisively to create the environment and incentives to ensure that the construction of new, safe, and reliable nuclear generation capacity occurs expeditiously." It also suggested ways for the government to clear up residual uncertainty in the licensing of nuclear plants and to minimise the threat of the abuse of litigation to delay the operation of new plants.
Earlier, the US Energy Secretary said he hopes to see new nuclear plants completed by 2014, though this will require some licensing reform, including raising the criteria for evidence late in the process. The Department of Energy will also ask Congress to establish a $3 billion insurance fund to provide protection to investors in new nuclear plants against regulatory delays. The first two reactors of each of the new GE and Westinghouse designs would be insured for up to $500 million and the premiums for such insurance would be waived for utilities placing firm orders by 2009. He said that no further incentives should be needed since the economic case for new plants was already evident and the technology could stand on its own without any government subsidy.
TradeTech NMR 3/6/05, Ux Weekly 23/5/05, Nuclear Energy Overview 23/5/05.
Energy bills incorporate reprocessing provision
Although the USA turned firmly away from reprocessing used nuclear fuel in the Carter era, new energy bills explicitly revive the prospect. In particular the report accompanying the $31 billion energy and water funding bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on 16 June emphasises the need for new nuclear energy technologies. DOE's Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) would receive $85 million to develop fuel cycle technologies for Generation IV reactors. Part of this would be for a demonstration project to provide "the capability to conduct R&D into advanced spent fuel separations and transmutation from laboratory scale through engineering scale prior to commercial deployment." DOE is also expected to evaluate using fast neutron reactors to destroy long-lived components of wastes.
The House of Representatives Subcommittee on Energy, considering its version of the energy and water funding bill, also looked closely at reprocessing options, with the emphasis on proliferation resistance. A major driver however is reduction in the volume of high-level wastes, possibly obviating the need for a stage 2 of the Yucca Mountain repository. The report here requires the DOE to develop an integrated used fuel recycling plan by 2007 and select a reprocessing technology soon after.
Part of the Senate's AFCI allocation was earmarked to study "deep burn-up of nuclear fuel" and related research. This is a General Atomics concept which involves incorporating separated actinides from reprocessing into refractory fuel particles which can be used in high-temperature reactors. (Fuel for these reactors is in the form of TRISO particles less than a millimetre in diameter. Each has a kernel of uranium oxycarbide, with the uranium enriched up to 14% U-235. This is surrounded by layers of carbon and silicon carbide, giving a containment for fission products which is stable to 1600°C or more.) The long-lived actinides incorporated into such fuel would be turned into short-lived fission products. It is claimed that 95% of the plutonium-239 and 60% of the other actinides would be destroyed.
Nucleonics Week 23/6/05, NEI Nuclear Energy Overview 20/6/05.
First US weapons plutonium makes electricity
The first four fuel assemblies with mixed oxide fuel made from US military plutonium (plus depleted uranium) are generating electricity in Duke Power's Catawba-1 nuclear power plant in South Carolina, on a trial basis. They incorporate 140 kg of weapons-grade plutonium.
Nuclear Eng. International 15/6/05.
Public support for nuclear grows
A May poll shows continuing increase in public opinion favourable to nuclear power in the USA. Some 70% favour continued use of nuclear energy, 58% say that new nuclear plants should definitely be built and 74% want the option to build new plants to be kept open. More than three times as many strongly support nuclear energy than strongly oppose it.
NucNet News # 100/05.
France to host ITER fusion reactor
After deadlocked discussion, the partners in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor have agreed to site ITER at Cadarache, in southern France. The deal involved major concessions to Japan, which had put forward Rokkasho as a preferred site. The EU and France will contribute half of the EUR 10 billion cost, with the other partners - Japan, China, South Korea, USA and Russia - putting in 10% each. Japan will provide a lot of the high-tech components, will host an EUR 1 billion materials testing facility and will have the right to host a subsequent demonstration fusion reactor. The total cost of the 500 MWt ITER comprises about half for the ten-year construction and half for 20 years of operation. (ITER is both an acronym, and means 'a path' or 'journey' in Latin.) ITER is a tokamak design which confines a deuterium-tritium plasma magnetically in a torus shape. Currently the largest fusion reactor is the 16 MW Joint European Torus (JET) which can sustain plasmas of a few megawatts for a few seconds.
NucNet news # 107/05, Nuclear Engineering International 28/6/05.
Dutch reversal on nuclear policy
The ruling coalition in the Netherlands has reversed its previous policy of closing down the country's only remaining nuclear power reactor by 2013, and is looking at increasing the nuclear contribution - for energy security reasons and to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The change is based on a Christian Democratic Alliance report on sustainable energy, supported by the VVD. The left-liberal and previously anti-nuclear D66 party then conceded.
Nucleonics Week 30/6/05.
German conservative parties set out nuclear policy
In a pre-election manifesto, the German CDU and CSU parties have promised longer operating lives for the country's nuclear power plants, abandoning the intended phase-out presently in prospect. "The exit from nuclear energy is disastrous from a technological and environmental policy viewpoint," they say. "A global solution to the carbon dioxide problem that does not contain nuclear power is unthinkable." However, the policy also promises a cap on power prices, and will be subject to any coalition compromises.
Nuclear Engineering International 13/7/05.
Swedish reactor shuts down
Barseback-2 has finally been shut down as a result of political edict, related to Danish pressure over many years. Unit 1 was closed in 1999, with compensation of some EUR 900 million. The 602 MWe reactor had operated since 1977. The Swedish government has indicated its support for uprating a number of the country's ten remaining nuclear power reactors, including 410 MWe at three Forsmark units. The closure will also enhance the prospects for TVO building a sixth reactor - probably a 1600 MWe EPR - in Finland to follow Olkiluoto-3 which is now commencing construction.
Nucleonics Week 2/6/05.
French deal gives Italy nuclear power
In line with an earlier announcement Electricite de France and Italy's ENEL have signed a co-operation agreement which gives ENEL some 200 MWe from the new Flamanville-3 EPR nuclear reactor (1700 MWe), and potentially another 1000 MWe or so from the next five such units built. As well as the 12.5% share, ENEL will also be involved in design, construction and operation of the plants, which will enhance Italy's power security and improve its economics - Italy's electricity prices are 45% above EU average. A major benefit however will be in rebuilding Italy's nuclear skills and competence. EdF sees the agreement as a prototype of other "fruitful partnerships with European industrial leaders" - Suez-Electrabel and Endesa have also expressed interest in joining the Flamanville-3 consortium. ENEL is expected to pay about EUR 350 million for its share in the project.
Nucleonics Week 2/6/05.
UK radioactive committee decays
Britain's Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) has now lost its two main scientific members in frustration, the latest having accused the UK government of endangering public safety by ignoring scientific expertise. He charges that CoRWM has open antagonism to the views of nuclear specialists and has become obsessed with public consultation at the expense of expert advice, tediously revisiting ideas which have been rejected worldwide on scientific grounds, and which are therefore not real options.
Times 3/6/05.
Cogema begins reprocessing research reactor fuel
At its La Hague plant in Normandy, Cogema has started reprocessing Australian HIFAR research reactor fuel. This aluminium-based fuel with highly-enriched uranium is the first research reactor fuel to be reprocessed there. It is mixed with power reactor fuel to meet technical requirements.
Platts 9/6/05.
Russia confirms floating nuclear plant
New Japanese reactor in operation
Hokuriku Electric's Shika-2 nuclear power reactor has been connected to the grid. The 1358 MWe advanced boiling water reactor - Japan's fourth 3rd generation unit, started up in May and commercial operation is expected in March 2006.
Atoms in Japan 4/7/05.
Mitsubishi to bid for Westinghouse
Japan's Supreme Court affirms Monju
The Japanese Supreme Court has overturned a lower court decision to veto the restart of the Monju fast neutron reactor. This clears the way, nearly ten years after a sodium leak, to restart it as an international R&D facility. JNC has been working on engineering modifications and upgrading since earlier this year and plans to restart the 246 MWe unit in 2008, subject to approval by Tsuruga city and Fukui Prefecture.
Atoms in Japan 31/5/05.
Japan to push LWR development
Japan is switching its immediate focus in new reactor development from the fast breeder reactor to advanced light water reactors, though fast reactors remain a clear policy objective by 2050. The Nuclear Energy Policy Planning Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy has instigated a 2-year feasibility study on development of next-generation LWRs. The new designs, based on ABWR and APWR, are to lead to a 20% reduction in construction and generation costs and a 20% reduction in spent fuel quantity, with improved safety, 3-year construction and 60-year life. Projected sizes range from 800 to 1700 MWe. The Agency will seek funds for this development in 2006 budget. Hitachi is already well advanced with variants of the ABWR, and Mitsubishi with Westinghouse and four utilities is developing a 1500 MWe APWR design - seen as the basis of the next generation of Japanese PWRs.
Ux Weekly 13/6/05, Atoms in Japan 15/6/05 & 19/7/05.
New Indian reactor on line
India's new Tarapur-4 reactor, which started up in March, has been connected to the grid. The 490 MWe unit is the first of a series of large heavy water reactors developed indigenously from the 220 MWe (gross) units, ten of which provide most of India's nuclear power. Commercial operation is expected in August.
Nucleonics Week 9/6/05.
South Africa to protect uranium
South Africa's Minerals & Energy Department is planning to declare uranium a "protected mineral resource" to secure supplies for an expanding local industry.
Ux Weekly, 13/6/05.
China safety authority to boost capacity
China's National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) anticipates working closely with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) to enhance its capacity for safety assessment and inspections. NEA proposes to integrate Chinese members into its committees on a continuing basis in the same way as Russian involvement over the last decade. NNSA is facing a sharply increased workload both in relation to new licensing and also ageing-related safety issues.
Nucleonics Week 16/6/05.
South Korean nuclear resolve
The Ministry of Science & Technology's third comprehensive nuclear energy development plan, for 2007-11, has projected that South Korea should develop its nuclear industry into one of the top five in the world. About 60% of electricity is projected to come from nuclear by 2035, up from 38% now. As well as emphasis on production of nuclear fuel, the report envisages construction of the Korean Advanced Power Reactor, APR-1400. The first of these units - evolved from the present Korean Standard Nuclear Plant - are expected to be built as units 3 & 4 at Shin Kori, to come on line about 2012.
Asia Pulse 27/6/05, Power in Asia 21/7/05.
New Brunswick to refurbish power plant
The New Brunswick government has announced that it will proceed with the refurbishment of its Point Lepreau reactor as the most cost-effective option to secure power supplies, with Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) as the contractor. The 635 MWe unit was commissioned in 1983, and the refurbishment outage will be over 18 months from April 2008. The C$1.4 billion cost includes purchase of replacement power.
NB govt 29/7/05.
Canadian uranium production up slightly
Production from Canada's mines slightly increased in the half year to 30 June. Cameco Corporation and Cogema Resources have reported 1327 t U3O8 (1125 tU) from McClean Lake, 4218 t U3O8 (3577 tU) from McArthur River/Key Lake and 1387 t U3O8 (1176 tU) from Rabbit Lake, giving 6932 t U3O8 (5878 tU) total.
Cameco, CRI.
Spent fuel plans recycled
Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organisation (NWMO) has published recommendations that the country's spent fuel be placed in a deep geological repository, retrievably, but not until there has been a further 18 years of public discussion to identify a site. The deep repository is in line with all other national plans and is essentially where an eight-year federal review had got to early in 1998, but the government was forced into a legislative process which then put the question back into play without any decision.
NWMO 24/5/05.
BHP Billiton wins control of Olympic Dam
After outbidding a rival offer, BHP Billiton has secured control of WMC Resources, and hence the Olympic Dam copper-uranium mine, which holds about one third of the world's known economic resources of uranium. The strength of the A$ 9.2 billion (US$ 6.9 billion) bid was due to the prospect of tripling production from the mine. Having secured more than 90% of WMCR shares, BHPB will take full ownership.
BHPB 3 & 17/6/05, WMCR 6/6/05.
Australian uranium production edges up
Production from Australia's three mines totaled 10,964 tonnes U3O8 (9297 tU) in 2004-05, up 15% on the previous year. (The 6-month to 30 June total was 5390 t U3O8, 4571 tU.) ERA reported 5544 tonnes U3O8 (4701 tU) from Ranger, WMC Resources 4356 tonnes U3O8 (3694 tU, 4382 t UOC) from Olympic Dam and Heathgate 1064 tonnes U3O8 (902 tU) from Beverley.
ERA announced a half-year net profit of A$17.0 million, and that it was focusing on plans for closure of the Ranger mine in 2008, with processing to finish in 2011. Net present cost of closure and rehabilitation to a standard allowing transfer of the mine lease to the Kakadu National Park is expected to be A$176 million, which is provided for.
ERA 22/7/05, WMCR, Heathgate.
Southern Cross to merge with Aflease
Southern Cross Resources, owner of the Honeymoon and associated uranium deposits in South Australia, has announced a merger with Aflease Gold & Uranium Resources to form SXR Uranium One Inc, with uranium projects in Australia, Canada and South Africa. Aflease has just approved development of the Dominion uranium mine in South Africa, which is expected to start production in 2007, the output increasing to 1800 t/yr in 2011.
SXR 5/7/05.
Sites announced for radioactive wastes
The Commonwealth government has announced that its radioactive wastes will be disposed of at one of three named sites in the Northern Territory, selection to be based on "field assessment". Environmental assessment and licensing will follow. Two sites are near Alice Springs, one near Katherine. The Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Facility will take low and intermediate-level wastes from Commonwealth sources. About 3500 cubic metres of existing low-level wastes (plus 45 more per year) and 50 cubic metres of intermediate-level wastes are involved. In the light of "the failure of the states and territories to cooperate with the Australian government in finding a national solution for the safe and secure disposal of low-level radioactive waste" and their making a political football out of it last year, they will need to make their own arrangements elsewhere.
DEST media release 15/7/05.
World nuclear output up in 2004
The world's 439 nuclear reactors generated 3.7% more power last year than in 2003, with a steady 16% share of world output, according to IAEA figures. The 2618.6 billion kWh took world civil operating experience to 11,588 reactor-years at end of December.
IAEA 7/7/05.
Ethical funds remove uranium screen
From August, BT Financial Group's six Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) funds will remove the negative screen on uranium mining for power generation. This follows a 7-month review by Monash Sustainability Enterprises (MSE), which advises BT on its sustainability and ethical funds. BT cites "compelling" greenhouse gas emission reasons for the change, coupled with the fact that excluding BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto from the funds would lead to "sub optimal" investment decisions, including an increase in risk and volatility of returns. Uranium mining companies will now be assessed on performance by MSE.
BT 30/6/05.
Westinghouse coopts Chinese expertise
To bolster its bid for the US Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), Westinghouse has teamed up with Tsinghua University's Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET). INET will cooperate with Westinghouse in bidding for design, supply and construction of the NGNP demonstration plant. The NGNP is to be a technical and economic demonstration of an advanced fission reactor to produce both electricity and hydrogen, built at the Idaho National Laboratory and running by 2017.
As reported in the lead story of our last Newsletter, INET is a world leader in high-temperature reactor technology, using pebble bed fuel. South Africa's PBMR, working on the same technology, is already involved with the Westinghouse bid (along with Shaw Group and others), and it also has a relationship with INET through Chinergy, a joint venture between INET and the China Nuclear Engineering & Construction group, which is building a 195 MWe Chinese demonstration reactor of that design for operation about 2010. PBMR also plans to have a demonstration pebble bed modular reactor built at Koeberg in South Africa soon after then, and with Westinghouse help is preparing to file a design certification application with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2007.
Ux Weekly 11/7/05, Nucleonics Week 14/7/05.
Hopes for multilateral design approval
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has outlined to OECD Nuclear Energy Agency a proposal for a three-phase program culminating in a fully international design certification process for new reactor designs. Phase 1 would be international participation in the NRC design approval process such as for Framatome ANP's EPR and Canada's ACR-700/1200, and regulators from seven countries are to finalise this part of the proposal by September.
Platts 14/6/05.
Silex uranium enrichment success
Silex Systems' second stage of development - the direct measurement program - has confirmed the economic prospects for the SILEX laser enrichment technology for uranium. Stage one had showed that it worked, and was therefore further ahead than where any other laser enrichment program had reached. The Australian company is now concentrating on finding a major commercial partner for construction and operation of the full pilot plant stage of development, probably in North America. Its silicon and other enrichment research continues separately.
Silex 19/5/05.
European CO2 emission price heads north
As gas and electricity prices reached seasonal and oil-related highs, the price of an allowance to emit a tonne of carbon dioxide under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme reached over EUR 28 (EUR 103/t carbon), equivalent to almost 3 cents/kWh on coal-fired electricity price. It declined to EUR 22 at end of July.
Oil majors differ on renewables
Pushed to be seen taking global warming seriously, the three largest oil companies are developing different approaches. Shell has said that it expects renewables to supply one third of the world's energy by 2050 and has invested $1.5 billion accordingly. However, it concedes that these will be uncompetitive for some time. ExxonMobil is sceptical of the Kyoto Protocol and has been politically active against it, has dismissed wind and solar power as uneconomic and inconsequential - able to supply less than 1% of world energy by 2030, and calls for focus on low-emission energy sources which will deliver. BP says renewables will be important and has invested $500 million in them, but cautions against high expectations.
FT 7/7/05, Guardian 7/7/05, D Telegraph 23/6/05.
Asia-Pacific climate initiative
A new agreement announced by the USA and including Australia, Japan, South Korea, China and India will aim to counter escalating emissions of greenhouse gases by technology development and transfer. The USA and Australia have rejected the UN Kyoto Treaty, Japan and South Korea have ratified it, while China and India are outside its requirements as developing countries. The six countries account for almost half the world's population, economic output, and greenhouse gas emissions. Economic growth in India and China, and rapidly-increasing greenhouse gas emissions from them, expose a glaring deficiency in the Kyoto Treaty. No emission caps or targets are proposed at this stage. The focus will be on "clean coal" technologies, LNG and nuclear energy.
The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate is designed to complement the Kyoto Treaty rather than supplant it, and will come into effect in November when a charter is agreed. It is open for further countries to join.
FT 29/7/05, Economist 30/7/05, Australian 30/7/05.
Radiation and Modern Life, by Alan Waltar, Prometheus Books, New York, 2004, 336 pp including index, glossary and endnote references. ISBN 1 59102 250 9
This is a very wide-ranging introduction to many aspects of radiation and its uses. An historical Introduction by Marie Curie's granddaughter sets the scene for a helpful brief overview of what radiation is and where it comes from, followed by chapters on every application of it. Much of the narrative is fascinating, and detailed appendices make it a reference book as well as a good read. One irritation is typical US failure to use SI units.
IHL
Australian Uranium Conference, 11-12 October, Esplanade Hotel Fremantle, WA.
Focus on uranium exploration and production. www.verticalevents.com.au
"ANA 2005 - The Facts on Nuclear Science, Uranium and Nuclear Power".
Australian Nuclear Association conference, 10 November at Westin Hotel, Sydney.
$250 if paid by 7 October and $300 thereafter. Contact: Hon. Secretary, ANA, PO Box 85, Peakhurst, NSW 2210.
Reactor table
World uranium mining
Supply of uranium
Economics of nuclear power
Canadian U production & nuclear power
Advanced nuclear power reactors
International nuclear waste disposal
Chernobyl accident
Nuclear power in Sweden
Nuclear power in Switzerland
Nuclear power in China
Nuclear power in South Korea
Nuclear power in Germany
Nuclear power in Bulgaria
Nuclear power in UK
Nuclear power in Japan
Nuclear fusion power
Plutonium
Synroc
Aust U deposits & prospective mines (UIC mines paper)
See also Ux Consulting graphs
World reactor changes
Sweden: Barseback-2 closed - 602 MWe
India: Tarapur-4 grid conn 490 MWe
USA: Duane Arnold uprate 60 MWe
USA: Waterford-3 uprate 86 MWe
USA: Indian Point 3 uprate 47 MWe
USA: Seabrook uprate 58 MWe
Japan: Shika 2 1358 MWe operational
GPO Box 1649N, Melbourne 3001, Australia
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