In recent months two leading environmentalists have very publicly asserted the pressing and urgent need to develop nuclear energy on a large scale to counter global warming.
These are both individuals who have demonstrated for several decades an abiding concern with the environment and its health, which has finally caused them to distance themselves from the green movement - which on energy issues is now largely trading on populist sentiment. One man is an eminent scientist with expertise in climatology, the other a churchman and theologian who has been a trustee of Friends of the Earth in UK for 20 years, before being pushed out: "The future of the planet is more important than membership of Friends of the Earth" - not to mention being divergent from its agenda.
Professor James Lovelock is best known as originator of the Gaia hypothesis, which arises from the notion of a 'balance of nature'. It represents the Earth and its atmosphere - organisms and their material environment - as a self-regulating system with complex climate and chemistry feedbacks which maintain conditions for life. It countered the then prevalent scientific reductionism, included humanity with nature, and has gained significant scientific support as it has evolved.
Professor Lovelock now sees an urgent need to limit greenhouse gas emissions, pointing to the "unprecedented" northern European summer of 2003 where 20,000 people perished as evidence of accelerating global warming. He thinks we are approaching a carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere which will be a "tipping point", when the warming becomes irreversible and civilisation is threatened. Natural processes would eventually correct the situation, but the time scale involved is thousands of years. "There will always be breeding pairs of humans around, but civilisation is much more fragile. I don't want to go back to another Stone Age and then have to start all over again."
However, "despair is the wrong attitude altogether". Rather than choosing "to go to war with the Earth itself - and the Earth, Gaia, is a powerful enemy," we need to take urgent action.
Bishop Hugh Montefiore has been an outspoken environmentalist within the Church of England for three decades. He was Bishop of Birmingham 1978-87. In October he wrote that "the dangers of global warming are greater than any other facing the planet. ... As a theologian, I believe that we have a duty to play our full part in safeguarding the future of our planet". In the light of this "I have now come to the conclusion that the solution is to make more use of nuclear energy." He goes on to refer to the UK government's 60% carbon dioxide reduction aspiration, and outlines why renewables cannot achieve this.
But "Nuclear energy provides a reliable, safe, cheap, almost limitless form of pollution-free energy. The real reason why the Government has not taken up the nuclear option is because it lacks public acceptance, due to scare stories in the media and the stonewalling opposition of powerful environmental organisations. Most, if not all, of the objections do not stand up to objective assessment." He discusses nuclear wastes and concludes that "There is minimal risk of danger to posterity."
"The advantages far outweigh any objections, and I can see no practical way of meeting the world's needs without nuclear energy. The predictions of the world's scientists are dire and the consequences for the planet of global warming are catastrophic. This is why I believe we must now consider nuclear energy. The subject is so important that it should be a matter of informed public debate."
Professor Lovelock has been pro-nuclear for many years, but due to the increasing urgency of the climate situation and the dilatory responses of many governments he is now much more outspoken about the need for widespread replacement of fossil fuel generating capacity, so that most countries would get 20 to 50 percent of their power from nuclear energy. "I think that there would have to be draconian measures taken" to avoid delays and overcome objections so that building new plants could be expedited. While "nuclear power has a few dangers, they are trivial compared with the dangers of just letting global warming happen." He particularly attacked the "absolute nonsense" voiced about nuclear wastes in current folklore.
Asked about how he might get this message across to the green movement, he said: "They will listen to me, but they don't act." This is "because the green movement is to an extent political, and it depends on the perception of its supporters. It is not so much the leaders of the green movement that have to be persuaded, but the public at large, and this is where the media come in."
Australian Broadcasting Corporation 'Lateline' 18/10/04, The Independent 22/10/04.
Licence extensions of four more reactors and uprate for one
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved 20-year licence renewals for four reactors at Exelon's Dresden and Quad Cities Plants in Illinois, to 2029-32. This takes the total to 30 of 104 licensed US reactors granted extensions to 60 years operating life, enabling major investment in refurbishment. The NRC has also approved a 45 MWe uprate of Entergy's Indian Point 2 reactor to 1040 MWe.
Nuclear Energy Overview 1/11/04, Ux Weekly 1/11/04.
Government funds new reactor developments
The US Department of Energy has announced that it will share the costs of two consortia negotiating the new combined construction & operating licence (COL) process for new Generation 3+ nuclear plants. The NuStart Energy group is proceeding with the Westinghouse AP1000 and the General Electric ESBWR reactor designs, while the Dominion-led group is focusing on the Canadian ACR-700 design. Initially $4 million and $9 million respectively is being granted under the Nuclear Power 2010 Program, but the cost-sharing agreement will cover the ongoing process, subject to review at each stage. The NuStart consortium estimates a total cost of $800 million over seven years, and Dominion $500 million, with the reactor vendors picking up most of the private sector share. An actual COL cannot be lodged until design certification of the reactor type is granted, and only the AP1000 has that so far. Either consortium could have a new reactor in operation by 2014.
DOE 4/11/04, NuclearFuel 8/11/04.
US weapons plutonium recycled
A shipment of 140 kg of weapons-grade plutonium oxide has been sent from South Carolina to France where it will be made into mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for trial use at the US Catawba nuclear plant in 2005. The 2 tonnes of fuel pellets made at Cadarache will be fabricated into four fuel assemblies at the Melox plant at Marcoule. The USA has earmarked 34 tonnes of weapons plutonium for disposition as MOX in power generation, and plans a MOX fabrication plant at Savannah River in South Carolina to utilise it from 2009. Under a 2000 agreement, Russia is also to dispose of 34 tonnes of weapons plutonium in reactor fuel.
SpentFuel 27/9/04, NuclearFuel 11/10/04.
Recycle of US military uranium proceeds
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a licence for downblending 33 tonnes of weapons-grade uranium for reactor fuel. This is part of 174 tonnes of military high-enriched uranium declared to be surplus and available for civil power generation - the 33 tonnes was transferred to Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) several years ago. TVA awarded a contract for downblending and fuel fabrication to a consortium of Framatome-ANP and Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) - the Blended Low Enriched Uranium project. A start has been made on downblending it by NFS in Tennessee, and the fuel fabricated from it by Framatome-ANP at Richland, Washington will be shipped to TVA power plants. NFS also supplies nuclear fuel for the US Navy.
Half of the uranium used in US nuclear power plants currently comes from Russian weapons-grade military uranium, downblended in Russia. Under this program so far 226 tonnes of high-enriched uranium has become 6648 tonnes of low-enriched uranium for reactor fuel, representing 41.5 million SWU of enrichment and over 9000 warheads, at a cost of US$ 3.5 billion.
Ux Weekly 11/10/04, Nuclear Energy Overview 11 & 18/10/04.
Major contract to manage R&D
The US Department of Energy has awarded a ten-year, $4.8 billion contract to manage the new Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to Batelle Energy Alliance. INL will combine the functions of two present labs and will be the prime US nuclear energy R&D establishment.
DOE 9/11/04.
New Ukraine reactor connected to grid
Rovno-4, the second of two new Ukrainian VVER-1000 reactors, has been connected to the national grid after starting up in October. From both, some 1900 MWe will replace capacity lost by Chernobyl's closure. Ukraine now has 15 nuclear reactors in operation (13,168 MWe), nine of which have started commercial operation since the Chernobyl accident. It now plans to call for bids in December to build (or complete) the third unit at Khmelnitsky.
Nucleonics Week 14/10/04.
Site announced for new French reactor
Electricite de France (EdF) has announced that Flamanville in Lower Normandy will be the site for the first French European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) advanced reactor. In final deliberations, two coastal sites, each already hosting two 1300 MWe reactors, were preferred to Tricastin on the Rhone River, and of them Flamanville had the strongest local support for the project. The new 1600 MWe third-generation unit from Framatome ANP is likely to be the first of about ten to be built by EdF, and the company is seeking investment in it by utilities from Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain. It will "permit EdF to renew its generation capacity and to do so in a competitive way." EdF will now formally refer the proposal to the National Commission for Public Debate and after a year of national discussion, formal licensing can begin. Construction is expected to start in 2007, for 2012 commissioning, about two years after Finland's first EPR at Olkiluoto.
Earlier in October and after several years' consideration, the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) issued design approval to EdF for the Framatome ANP unit. This is said to be equivalent to US design certification.
ASN 5/10/04, EdF 21/10/04, Nucleonics Week 14 & 21/10/04.
French utility privatisation to proceed
The French cabinet has authorised the sale of 30% of Electricite de France to raise up to EUR 11 billion, as part of its transformation from state-owned entity to a limited liability company. An initial public offering is expected in late 2005. EdF's net debt is about EUR 24 billion, following utility acquisitions in Italy, UK and Germany between 1998 and 2002. A government commission has now recommended an annual investment by EdF of EUR 1 to 1.2 billion through to 2012 to renew its nuclear plants. This will include construction of the first French 1600 MWe EPR at Flamanville.
NucNet news in brief 24/11/04, Platts 24/11/04, FT 25/11/04.
Warning to German government of nuclear need
The association of German power plant operators has released a study on how electricity demand to 2020 may be met, with reference to both Kyoto targets and present government policy. The latter includes both nuclear phase-out by 2023 and providing 20% of electricity from renewables. The implication of these policies is that 37,000 MWe of new fossil fuel power plants will be needed, including replacement of 20,600 MWe of present nuclear capacity, making the country's 40% CO2 reduction unattainable. Hence "simultaneous realisation of both the phase-out and the ambitious CO2 targets is out of the question."
This conclusion is in line with Economic Ministry warnings, but until now major utilities have been unwilling to criticise government nonsense for fear of repercussions. But as Green-driven policies are increasingly out of favour for economic reasons, utilities are more openly confronting them. Since the onset of SPD-Green rule in 1998, renewable capacity has risen to 17,000 MWe due to generous subsidies - the actual cost of wind generation is EUR 7 to 9 cents/kWh (double the cost from coal and nuclear) and requiring a 6.2 c/kWh average subsidy through feed-in tariff. To conform with present policy, another 30,000 MWe renewable capacity will be needed by 2020, at a cost of some EUR 80 billion. Alternatively, the government's CO2 target could be met if the nuclear phase-out was deferred to 2020.
Nucleonics Week 21/10/04.
Major Swedish capacity increase
Forsmarks Kraftgrupp has announced a 410 MWe (13%) uprate of the three reactors at its Forsmark plant, costing SEK 2 billion (US$ 275 million). This will be carried out over 2008-10, in response to forecast demand exacerbated by the government's announced closure of Barsebäck-2 in 2005. The plant will then provide an extra 3.3 billion kWh/yr.
Forsmarks Kraftgrupp 7/10/04.
Sweden to close Barseback-2 in 2005?
After two years of discussion with utilities on the future of the county's 11 nuclear power plants, the Swedish government broke off negotiations and declared that Barseback-2 will close next year after 28 years operation, regardless of previous conditions regarding indigenous replacement power. Compensation for the premature politically-inspired closure of unit 1 in 1999 cost the Swedish taxpayers some SEK 8 billion (EUR 900 million), and this is likely to be repeated. The plant's 4.5 TWh/yr output will be replaced by nuclear generation from Finland and Russia, in the latter case from old Chernobyl-type reactors which the EU is anxious to shut down elsewhere. Nuclear provides 45% of Sweden's power, hydro 36%, and net imports 10%.
Nucleonics Week 7/10/04.
Sweden firms pro-nuclear sentiment
An October public opinion poll in Sweden shows continued support for nuclear power, at 82%. However, the proportion indicating support for further developing nuclear power (not just replacing existing reactors) has increased markedly to 21%, and the proportion giving top environmental priority to phasing out nuclear power has halved since 1998 - now 7%. Preventing an increase in greenhouse gases was seen as 'most important' by 76%, while 14% said this of protecting undeveloped rivers from hydro-electric power developments. While 60% said that the government proposal to close the Barseback-2 reactor in 2005 was bad, the government continues its official nuclear 'phase out' policy maintained as a sop to minor coalition parties.
Analysis Group 18/10/04.
Romania seeks partners for new reactor
The Romanian government has advertised for companies interested in completing Cernavoda unit 3 - a 700 MWe Candu 6 unit - through a public-private partnership arrangement. Financing is expected to be organised early in 2006 so that the unit comes on line in 2011. Of almost US$ 1 billion, some 70% would be debt financed against future cash flow and assets, requiring a secure long-term sales contract for power. The project company would complete, own and operate the plant for a concession period of 40 years. Cernavoda 2 is 71% built and due to start up in 2007.
Energy in E.Europe 3/9/04.
Hungary extends life of nuclear plant
The Hungarian parliament economic committee has decided upon a 20-year life extension project for Paks nuclear power plant. Paks has four VVER 440 reactors which started up in 1982-87 and these would otherwise have closed after 30 years. The US$ 900 million cost will be met from cash flow and spent mainly for engineering work through to 2030, including an early 8% uprating of each reactor to over 500 MWe gross.
Nucleonics Week 18/11/04.
Euro approval for enrichment joint venture
The European Commission has approved the joint venture under which Areva would acquire joint control of Urenco's centrifuge enrichment technology. Areva will then use this to replace the large Eurodif diffusion enrichment plant at Tricastin in France, by 2007. The approval is conditional upon transparency to Euratom to ensure an open competitive market, failing which the 20% cap on Russian enrichment supply to Europe will be reviewed. German, French and UK governments need to confirm approval.
NuclearFuel 11/10/04.
EU to provide EUR 1 billion for decommissioning
The European Commission has proposed allocating EUR 1.05 billion over 2007-13 for the closure of two Lithuanian and two Slovak reactors required to be shut down under the terms of EU accession. Ignalina 1 & 2 are very large RBMK reactors attracting EUR 815 million, and Bohunice 1 & 2 are early VVER-440 units, receiving EUR 237 million. In both cases the funding extends beyond the technical decommissioning to arranging replacement capacity.
EC 29/9/04.
China pushes reactor vendors
Potential suppliers for two pairs of third generation nuclear power plants at Sanmen and Yangjiang were given a month to decide whether to participate, and five months to lodge their bids, with a decision anticipated late 2005. The tender is issued on behalf of two utilities by China National Technical Export & Import Corp, and follows a meeting with three vendor companies. Bids will be assessed on level of technology, the degree to which it is proven, price, local content, and technology transfer. It is now expected that the successful design will be the basis of future Chinese plants.
The three vendor companies briefed in mid September were Areva, Westinghouse and Atomstroyexport (ASE). Areva will bid its 1600 MWe EPR, Westinghouse its 1090 MWe AP1000 and ASE probably its 1000 MWe AES-92 for the turnkey projects. The first two designs are generation 3+ units, the last is less sophisticated but would probably be cheaper than the expected $1200-1250/kWe overnight capital cost of the others (beyond the initial units). Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co is also wanting to offer its APR-1400 design.
Nucleonics Week 7/10/04.
China and Korea sign for Kazakh uranium
China National Nuclear Corporation has signed a 16-year agreement with KazAtomProm for the supply of uranium and possibly fuel pellets. Kazakhstan has 18% of the world's known uranium resources, and plans to increase uranium production from its 2003 level of 3300 tU to 6500 tU by 2007. The country also has the major and long-established Ulba Metallurgical Plant which exports fuel pellets (made from uranium enriched in Russia) to Russia, Ukraine and USA. The plant has ISO 14001 accreditation. A separate government-level strategic partnership agreement to "unite ... the two countries' nuclear energy industries" was also signed.
Earlier, the South Korea Resource Corporation signed an agreement with KazAtomProm for the joint development of an unnamed uranium deposit in Kazakhstan. It comes within the context of a government-level memorandum of understanding with South Korea. The anticipated 1000 tU annual output from the new project would be bought by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co.
AP 8/11/04, FreshFuel, 27/9/04, TradeTech NMR 24/9/04.
Japan confirms commitment to reprocessing spent reactor fuel
Confirming a long-standing government policy, Japan's Atomic Energy Commission advisory group has decided by a large majority (30 to 2) to proceed with the final commissioning and commercial operation of the Rokkasho-mura reprocessing plant, now substantially complete, and costing some 2.4 trillion yen (US$ 20 billion). The Commission rejected the alternative of moving to direct disposal of spent fuel, as in the USA. This is seen as a major milestone in the joint industry-government formulation of nuclear policy for the next several decades.
A recent government study showed that projected over the next 60 years it would be significantly more expensive to reprocess - at 1.6 yen/kWh, compared with 0.9 - 1.1 yen for direct disposal. This translates to 5.2 yen/kWh overall generating cost compared with 4.5 - 4.7 yen, without considering the implications of sunk investment in the new plant. The country's policy has been based on security of energy supply, and the consequent desirability of extracting an extra 25-30% of energy from nuclear fuel by recycling the unburned uranium and plutonium as mixed-oxide fuel (MOX).
Platts 1/11/04, Asahi Shimbun 6/10/04, NuclearFuel 8/11/04.
China's power demand soars, coal fatalities increase
This year's power demand in China is set to rise by 14.5% over 2003's, to 2160 billion kWh. In 2005 it is expected to rise 10.5%, according to the State Grid Corporation. The Premier has urged acceleration of nuclear power plant construction and establishment of a national nuclear technology company.
As China's coal production is pushed up - 20% this year - by booming electricity demand, coal mine deaths have increased even more. A coal mine methane explosion at one of the better-run mines claimed 148 lives in October, and last year the national death toll in coal mines was officially 7200, or 4.2 per million tonnes of coal. This compares with 7 fatalities/Mt in Ukraine, 0.034 /Mt in USA, and 0.009 /Mt in Australia.
As well as implementing a fourfold increase in nuclear capacity by 2020, China is building many new coal-fired power plants. Acute coal shortages threaten heating in many cities, affecting 200 million people in 14 provinces. Its greenhouse gas emissions rose by 38% from 1990 to 2001. Air pollution from coal, with its public health effects, is a major concern.
Agence France Presse 21 & 27/10/04, The Age 23/10/04, CEI news 9, 10 & 15/11/04.
Vietnam confirms nuclear energy policy
A national energy plan approved by Vietnam's National Assembly includes at least 2000 MWe of nuclear power capacity to be commenced by 2010. This follows a feasibility study in 2002, and establishment of nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia and South Korea, the former related principally to its Da Lat research reactor. Power demand is growing strongly.
FreshFuel 15/11/04.
Turkey revives nuclear power plans
Turkey's energy minister has announced plans to build three nuclear plants totalling 4500 MWe by 2011, to meet increasing power demand. No site is yet selected. Private sector bids are to be invited. Previous plans for a 2000 MWe plant at Akkuyu on the Mediterranean cost were abandoned in 2000 due to economic circumstances, after bids had been received from Westinghouse, AECL and Framatome.
TradeTech NMR 19/11/04.
Olympic Dam resources boosted 30%
WMC Resources has announced a major upgrade of the uranium and copper resources at Olympic Dam, South Australia, following the first phase of a drilling program in connection with its development study. Total resources are now about 1.5 million tonnes of U3O8, with the increase being mainly in the southern section of the orebody where it is closer to the surface. This advances the prospects of large-scale open cut mining to produce 15,000 t/yr U3O8. Alternatively, production by underground mining could be doubled from present levels. The long-term price assumption is A$ 30/lbU (US$ 20/lb U3O8), approximately the present spot price. Reserves figures have not been updated.
WMCR 25/10 & 24/11/04.
Expert report supports ISL mining
A report by the Commonwealth government's main R&D organisation for the South Australian government reviews the environmental impacts of acid in-situ leach (ISL) mining of uranium in SA. It concluded that "overall, the process of ISL mining of uranium has considerably less environmental impact than other conventional mining techniques." Disposal of liquid wastes back into the aquifer "is preferable to surface disposal", since the groundwater is highly saline and "has no apparent beneficial use other than by the mining industry." So, "It is recommended that acid ISL mining of uranium and re-injection of liquid wastes into the aquifer be allowed to continue subject to monitoring showing that there are no excursions of leach solution or waste liquids into other aquifers." Also "assess trends towards natural attenuation" of aquifer quality, to ascertain whether it was "returning to pre-mining condition ... over several years to decades" as expected.
CSIRO report August 2004.
Southern Cross modifies Honeymoon plans
Despite having all government approvals in place, in 2002 Southern Cross Resources deferred the construction of the Honeymoon uranium mine in South Australia pending delineation of additional ore resources. New technology (PFN tool) has increased the confidence in resources at Honeymoon but did not significantly increase them. It is now being applied to the deposit at Gould's Dam 80 km away. In the light of all this the company has revised development plans down to a 400 tpa plant at Honeymoon costing $A 44 million (US$ 31 million) and with production cost of A$ 17.70/lb U3O8 (US$ 12.40/lb). Development remains deferred pending higher uranium prices and the outcome of further exploration at Gould's Dam.
Meanwhile Havilah Resources NL plans to spin off its uranium exploration interests - which extend north from Honeymoon in the Yarramba palaeochannel - as Curnamona Energy early in 2005.
SXR 1/11/04, Havilah 27/9/04.
Australian uranium production
For the September quarter, ERA reported drummed production from Ranger of 1422 tonnes U3O8(1206 tU) and WMC Resources 971 t U3O8 (979 t UOC, 823 tU) from Olympic Dam. Beverley production was 264 t U3O8 (224 tU), giving Australian total 2657 tonnes (2253 tU).
ERA 20/10/04, WMCR 13/10/04.
Final ANSTO spent fuel shipment to France
The final shipment of spent fuel from Australia's old HIFAR research reactor at Lucas Heights has been despatched to Cogema's La Hague plant in France for reprocessing. It comprises 276 fuel elements, representing about seven years of operation and 3 million nuclear medicine treatments. The resulting wastes will be returned to Australia by 2015. This is the seventh shipment to Europe or USA since 1963, and it leaves 469 US-origin fuel elements which will be sent to the USA in two shipments after the reactor is shut down.
Commissioning of the replacement research reactor is due to begin late in 2005, and the intention is that its spent fuel will either be returned to the USA or reprocessed in France. The US Department of Energy has just extended its take-back program for foreign research reactor fuel to 2019, making specific reference to Australia's new reactor.
ANSTO 22/11/04, Platts 25/11/04.
Energy Outlook 2004 published
The OECD International Energy Agency's 2004 World Energy Outlook highlights the need for government policies to move away from reliance on fossil fuels both for energy security and to limit CO2 emissions. Energy demand will grow strongly, and electricity demand even more so - doubling to 2030. The reference scenario based on present government policies is fraught, but an alternative scenario limiting CO2 emissions looks more manageable, secure and environmentally sound, and involves greater reliance on nuclear power.
IEA 26/10/04.
Kyoto Protocol over the last hurdle
After several years of internal wrangling, the Russian government approved the Kyoto Protocol and sent it to the parliament for ratification. This is seen as a concession to EU persuasion (having extracted major political concessions) and the key to the treaty's implementation. The Duma (parliament) then ratified the Protocol by a vote of 334 to 74, and the upper house followed suit with a 139-1 vote. Now with the president's signature, this ensures that the Protocol will now enter force in mid February 2005, with 129 countries representing more than 55% of world greenhouse gas emissions being parties to it. Of the 38 industrialised countries which signed the Protocol, only the USA and Australia are not ratifying it, though Australia is committed to meeting its emission reduction target agreed to under it.
Russia's ratification will also open the way for full international emission trading in carbon. While Chicago Climate Exchange prices have been less than $1/tonne, the price of CO2 emission rights in the European Emissions Trading Scheme jumped to over US$ 11 per tonne ($40/tC) following the announcement, and it is estimated that Russia could earn some US$ 10 billion per year by selling the unused portion of its quota during the first round of Kyoto targets. However, with 6% economic growth they are likely to be buyers by 2010. Talks on the next round of targets to 2020 will start in 2008 and are likely to involve countries such as China and India, and to include much deeper emission cuts.
FT 30/9/04, Guardian 1/10/04, UNFCC 22/10/04.
South Africa funds first Pebble Bed reactor
The South African government has budgeted to allow development of the first Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) to proceed. This is seen as conditional approval for the demonstration unit at Koeberg. The Brayton cycle turbine design has been simplified from 3-shaft vertical to single shaft horizontal configuration. PMBR Ltd is still seeking a further international equity partner in the venture, but with the first unit likely to be in operation about 2010 and the South African government now envisaging construction by Eskom of 24 or more units totalling at least 4000 MWe, the prospects are brighter. In the USA, the company is planning to submit a design certification application for the reactor, and to bid for a nuclear-powered thermochemical hydrogen production plant at the Idaho National Laboratory.
Nucleonics Week 4/11/04, Platts 3/11/04.
Brazil looks to Germany and Russia for nuclear help
Brazil and Germany have extended their 1975 nuclear cooperation agreement for five years to 2010, during which time it may be superseded by a broader energy cooperation agreement. Meanwhile Brazil is interested in reviving its 1224 MWe Angra-3 PWR project, most of the German equipment for which is stored on site. Eletrobras has been seeking a partner with US$ 1.8 billion to complete it, and German industry regards the opportunity as being of "exceptional importance".
Then President Putin, on the eve of a visit to Brazil, flagged Russia's interest in undertaking completion of Angra-3, though he said Brazil should conclude the Additional Protocol to its IAEA safeguards agreement first.
Nucleonics Week 25/11/04, Nuclear.Ru 23/11/04.
Progress in reducing research reactor concerns
Since 1978 US and Russian efforts have been directed to reducing the levels of uranium enrichment in research reactors throughout the world. Over 100 of the world's 283 research reactors operating in 53 countries required conversion to use low-enriched fuel, and 38 have so far been changed over. Another 36 are considered convertible at present, but more than 30 others await the development of new kinds of fuel with greater uranium density to compensate for the lower enrichment.
NuclearFuel 11/10/04.
Nigeria commissions new research reactor
Nigeria's first research reactor has been commissioned at Ahmadu Bello University. It is a 30 kW Chinese Miniature Neutron Source Reactor similar to other Chinese units operating in Ghana, Iran, Syria and China. The IAEA assisted the Nigerian government with the project, to "reinforce and widen the human resource base to sustain nuclear technology" in relation to medical technology, geochemistry, mineral and petrochemical analysis and exploration.
Nuclear Engineering International 19/10/04.
Uranium price steady over $20
The uranium spot price passed US$ 20 per pound U3O8 (US$ 52/kgU) in September, the highest for 20 years, and has held there. The long-term price is over US$ 23.
UX Weekly, TradeTech NMR.
Plutonium pioneer dies
Dr Eric Voice has died at a ripe old age of 80, of motor neurone disease. He was the lead volunteer in a series of trials involving injecting and inhaling plutonium isotopes, confident that they had no serious harmful effect - as already clear in radiopharmacological tests with animals (at least for ingestion). The studies were designed to find out how best to treat people in the event of accidental exposure, and they tracked the movement of plutonium in blood, bone and internal organs. Inhalation provided data on absorption from the lungs and subsequent behaviour in the bloodstream. He remained in good heath after the tests, and remained fit and active in his retirement. He was vocal in challenging folklore about plutonium being a particularly dangerous substance. In 1999, he caused a stir by stating: "There is no evidence that any human on Earth has suffered in health from plutonium and I have no adverse effects." He was a founding member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in UK but was also convinced that nuclear power is our only hope for the future and is essential to counter global warming.
Radiation Protection in Aust. Sept 2004.
Radiation, People and the Environment. International Atomic Energy Agency 2004, 84pp.
This is a very comprehensive, well-illustrated and data-rich coverage of the whole subject. Nuclear power occupies only two pages directly, a few more incidentally. Nearly half the book is taken up with natural ionising radiation and radiation protection, the balance with how it is used, occupational exposure, pollution, wastes, risks, etc. There is an extensive glossary (7pp) but no index. In dealing with the linear dose-risk hypothesis, the graph of probability against dose starts at 2.4 mSv/yr (average world background radiation level) and beneath this "the value of the slope is irrelevant" and background cancer incidence is noted there as 25%. Chapters on waste management, environmental pollution (notably Chernobyl) and emergencies in particular are soundly informative. This would be a magnificent addition to any school library, as well as most valuable for anyone needing occasional information or perspective.
IHL
Reactor table
Small nuclear power reactors
Safeguards to prevent nuclear proliferation
Safety of nuclear power reactors appendix
US nuclear power industry
Nuclear power in Russia
Nuclear power in Ukraine
Nuclear power in Japan
Nuclear power in China
French nuclear power industry
Nuclear power in Sweden
Nuclear power in Hungary
Nuclear power in South Africa
Nuclear power in Romania
Nuclear power in Argentina (new)
Australia's uranium
Canada's U production and nuclear power
Uranium markets
Thorium
Hydrogen economy
Nuclear powered ships
Nuclear power plants & earthquakes
Hiroshima, Nagasaki & weapons tests
Radioactive waste repository & store for Australia
"Clean Coal" technologies
Australia's uranium mines (mines paper)
Australian U deposits & prospective mines (mines paper)
Uranium exploration in Australia (mines paper)
See also Ux Consulting graphs
World reactor changes
Ukraine: Rovno-4 950 MWe started,
Khmelnitsky-3 to planned.
France: 1 x 1600 MWe proposed.
USA: uprate Indian Pt 2 by 45 MWe.
Japan: Monju 246 MWe to 'planned'.
Turkey: 3 units 4500 MWe proposed
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