June 2007

Nuclear Energy Update
June 11 - June 15, 2007

Welcome to Nuclear Energy Update. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in international, domestic, and scientific nuclear energy news.

 

International

Scottish Nuclear Shutdown Fuels Energy Debate
A Scottish nuclear power plant was manually shutdown this weekend after workers discovered problems with the temperature control mechanism. The Hunterston B power plant in Ayrshire, Scotland, had previously been closed for major repairs on cracked pipes and had only been open for one month since the maintenance. Since the recent shutdown, experts remain skeptical about British Energy's plans to prolong the lives of Scotland's two nuclear power plants: Hunterston B and Torness. The Scottish National Party (SNP) Executive has rejected plans to build new nuclear power plants. John Large, an independent nuclear consultant, signalled the seriousness of Hunterston B shutdown to the Scottish energy supply by saying, "Quite frankly, if Hunterston B closes down, there could be shortfalls." However, officials at the National Grid, the electrical network that ensures electricity to all of the United Kingdom, said supplies would not be affected by the weekend shutdown. The Scottish Executive is pushing Scotland away from nuclear power and promoting renewable energy. Additionally, the Scottish government is pushing the use of new technology to generate energy from non-renewables like coal without producing large, harmful emissions.
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=915592007 06/12/07

Algeria, US Sign Nuclear Energy Agreement
Algerian and American officials recently signed a joint protocol agreement aimed at collaboration between the two nations on civilian nuclear energy. A delegation of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) experts are in Algeria on a six-day visit. During the stay, the DOE delegation will meet with the Comena, Algeria's atomic energy commission, and travel to two Algerian atomic research centers. Chakib Khelil, the Algerian energy minister, said the agreement was to create "cooperation mechanisms and the exchange of experiences, of know-how, of visits by specialist and experts, but also on the means to drive common programs."
http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20070611-072430-4205r 06/13/07

Australian Nuclear Energy Leader Says Nuclear Option 'must be considered' for Island-Nation
Australia's Dr. Ziggy Switkowski said Australians must consider nuclear power, as well as coal, gas, and hyrdopower, to cut greenhouse emissions. In 2006 Switkowski, the chairperson of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, led an Australian federal taskforce on nuclear power and uranium mining. He stated in a lecture this week at the University of Melbourne that "we are living through a significant warming period largely driven by the accumulation of GHG (greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere arising from our use of fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and petrol." Embracing nuclear power was the next obvious step for Australians serious about lower greenhouse gas emissions Switkowski said. Compared to power generated by fossil-fuels, he said nuclear power stations produce less greenhouse gases.
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,21895573-5005361,00.html?from=public_rss 06/12/07

IAEA, Iran Talks on Nuclear Activity Cancelled
A meeting between a top Iranian negotiator Javeed Vaidi and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei was suddenly canceled this week in Vienna. The proposed meeting was seen as "a test of Iran's readiness to end years of stonewalling on past suspicious nuclear activities." Diplomats connected to the talks have said that the abrupt cancellation was dictated by hard-liners who oppose concessions in Iran's nuclear energy program and are associated with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The talks were cancelled based on perceptions that Vaidi would bring "nothing substantial" to the meeting, a diplomat said. This week President Ahmadinejad continued to reject UN demands to halt the enrichment even in light of UN Security Council sanctions. Vaidi did meet with European Union negotiator Robert Cooper; both diplomats acknowledged "some progress" but cautioned against "miracles."
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/7951642.html 06/12/07

Thailand Drafts Plans for Two Nuclear Plants
This week Thai officials said that two nuclear plants will be built and operational in Thailand by 2021. According to The Star Online, a Malaysian news source, each new plant will pump 2,000 megawatts. Energy Minister Piyavasti Amranan said, "the country made a big mistake 15 years ago scrapping plans to build a nuclear power plant because of opposition." He further said, "Thailand cannot depend too much on natural gas because the fields in the Gulf of Thailand will run out very soon...Coal is cheap but the environmental costs are unquantifiable." Thailand's generating capacity will double with the new nuclear plants.
http://www.upi.com/Energy/Briefing/2007nuclear_plants_by_2021/1135/ 06/13/07

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic

 

USEC to Demonstrate New Process
The United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) is preparing to unveil a new gas centrifuge plant at the company's Piketon, Ohio facility. Last month interior construction began on the American Centrifuge Plant which is expected to begin commercial operation in late 2009. A spokesperson for USEC said that a demonstration of the new facility could only be weeks away though no date for a demonstration has been scheduled. Workers at the plant will use centrifugal force to enrich recycled uranium from Russian warheads. According to USEC officials, the gas centrifuge method is expected to use about five percent of electricity needed for the previous 1950s-developed gaseous diffusion method. While there has been some apprehension residents living near the Piketon plant, the new facility received a 30 year license for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April. With the closure of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (part of the Piketon facility) in 2001, enrichment activity was transferred to USEC's Paducah facility. USEC continues searching for $2.3 billion from investors to fund the project.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Atomic-Plant.html 6/12/07

A "Nuclear Renaissance" Expected in Coming Years says NRC
The United States is expected to experience a ‘nuclear renaissance' as energy companies over the next two years plan to file for permits to build 27 new nuclear reactors. Currently in the United States, 104 nuclear reactors are operated by power companies around the nation. According to Luis Reyes, the executive director of operations at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, most of the new reactors would be added to present sites; however, there will be two to three new sites. The price of oil and natural gas, coupled with the greater awareness of greenhouse gases and global warning, have caused power companies renewed interest in nuclear energy. Additionally, power companies through recent legislation have received incentives to build new reactors.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070612/sc_nm/usa_nuclear_dc_3 06/13/07

Pennsylvanian Utility Considers New Reactor
PPL Corp., an Allentown, PA.-based utility company, announced on Wednesday that the firm is considering constructing a third nuclear reactor at the Susquehanna plant near Berwick, PA. While the company is also contemplating the use of coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, and renewable energy to boost energy production, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been notified of PPL's intent to apply for a combined license for construction and operation. "We're not just filing a piece of paper here," PPL spokesperson Dan McCarthy said. "We're interested in seeing if this fits in our mix going forward." Scott Burnell, a NRC spokesperson, said a new reactor at the Susquehanna facility would not be operational until 2015. According to PPL top executive James Miller, PPL would seek out another company to partner with in the construction of a new reactor. There are two existing nuclear reactors at the Susquehanna facility built in the 1980s.
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18473024&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415891&rfi=6 06/14/07

Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor Back Online
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission reported that Wisconsin Energy Corp.'s Unit 1 nuclear reactor, a 512 MW nuclear reactor at the Point Beach station in Two Creeks, Wisconsin, has returned to full power. On June 5 the reactor was shut-down because of the failure of a feedwater valve. However, the station's other reactor, Unit 2, remained full operational. The licenses for both reactors at the Point Beach station were renewed for another twenty years by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in December 2005.
http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN1146241320070611 6/14/07

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opinion

 

"After the Bomb"
A New York Times op-ed by William Perry, Ashton Carter, and Michael May poses a serious and provocative question about the federal government's response the day after a nuclear weapon is detonated in an American city: "what will we actually do on the day after [a nuclear explosion]? That is, what actions should our government take?" The authors reject any federalist notion of state and local governments leading a response. The federal government, led by the Department of Homeland Security, should take control of the crisis. According to the authors, all federal government resources should be devoted to the crisis, including all Department of Defense assets. People within a two-mile radius of the blast have little hope of survival even if residents were not killed in the blast. Perry, Carter, and May warned citizens who live downwind of the blast to take "shelter in a basement for three days or so and only then leave the area." The authors acknowledge that "this is a hard truth to absorb, since we all would have a strong instinct to flee." However, fleeing homes would expose people to greater levels of radiation. In regards to the weapon, only governments currently have the capability to enrich uranium; therefore, terrorists would have to either buy or steal a nuclear weapon for a government. In the wake of a nuclear denotation, the authors warn that the United States would be prone to quickly retalitate against the government of the weapon's origin; however, a retaliatory attack would be "counterproductive." Additionally, a council of top executive, legislative, and judicial leaders should be assembled to concur on aspects of the government's response.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/opinion/12carter.html 06/14/07

Compiled and Edited by: Matthew Laferty

 

 

Past Updates

April 23 - 27, 2007
April 30 - May 4, 2007
May 7 - May 11, 2007
May 14 - May 18, 2007
May 21 - May 25, 2007

 

 

Nuclear Energy Update
June 25 - June 29, 2007

Welcome to Nuclear Energy Update. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in international, domestic, and scientific nuclear energy news.

 

International

IAEA Invited to Iran
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tehran has invited the UN's nuclear agency to Iran to discuss the nation's nuclear program. The invitation comes in the midst of threats of new UN sanctions and could force the United States and its allies to rethink their objections about Iran's nuclear program. The UN Security Council has called Iran to stop nuclear enrichment and the construction of a nuclear reactor, as well as answer IAEA questions about activities linked to nuclear weapons. Since December, the Security Council has ordered two sets of sanctions against Iran. Melissa Fleming, an IAEA spokesperson, said that Iran's top nuclear negotiator "invited the IAEA to send a team to Tehran to develop an action plan for resolving outstanding issues related to Iran's past nuclear program." She further stated that "the IAEA intends to send a team as early as practicable." The United States remains skeptical of Iran's invitation. "I don't think Iran's track record is particularly noteworthy or particularly likely to give me or anyone else confidence that anything will come of these discussions," said Tom Casey, a U.S. State Department spokesperson. "We certainly would like to see them comply, but to date they haven't."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070625/ap_on_re_eu/nuclear_iran_7

Brazil Energy Committee to Debate New Nuclear Reactor
Next week Brazil's nuclear policy agency will meet to decide on a project to build a third reactor at Angra dos Reis, about 60 miles west of Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said to guarantee electricity in the future Brazil should construct a third reactor at Angra. However, strong opposition in the government remains. Environmental Minister Marina Silva argues that a safe, permanent waste disposal site should be found before construction on the reactor should begin. The new reactor is expected to produce 1,350 megawatts of electricity and cost US$3.7 billion to build. The two current reactors at Angra were built in the 1970s and 1980s.
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/News.htm&

U.S.-Indian Nuclear Deal Done By Year End Says Rice
On Wednesday U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Indian business leaders that she anticipates a US-Indian nuclear deal to be completed by the end of 2007. Rice said, "we're not quite there yet, but with will and determination and more hard work to do, I assume that we will reach final agreement and be in position to complete this deal by the end of the year." As part of the deal, the U.S. wants India to stop any further nuclear tests and prohibit reprocessing of spent fuel. India is worried a compromise on the nuclear program will face strong opposition at home. Despite a recently failed round of negotiations in New Delhi, Secretary Rice remains optimistic.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070627/pl_nm/india_usa_nuclear_dc_1 06/28/07

India-Iran Gas Deal Could Bust U.S.-India Nuclear Agreement
A natural gas agreement between India and Iran could spoil a nuclear deal involving India and the United States. As India and Iran are nearing final agreement on a natural gas pipeline, members of Congress are rethinking their position on the US-India nuclear deal. Some lawmakers are concerned that the Iran-India agreement will provide Iran will billions of dollars to fund Iran's nuclear weapons program. While the US-India nuclear deal initially enjoyed widespread support in Congress from both parties, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who recently visited India, said he "wouldn't bet right now that it [the US-India nuclear deal] would pass." House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos (D-CA) and ranking member Ileana Ros- Lehtinen (R-FL) recently sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stating India's relations with Iran will be a factor on a vote to approve a nuclear agreement. In lobbying members to support enabling legislation, the two members said "the expectation of an enhanced effort by India to restrain Iran's nuclear weapons program was a crucial factor." Congress consented to legislation last December enabling a nuclear agreement between the United States and India. The "123 Treaty" still has to be approved by Congress to complete the agreement. India is not a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The proposed pipeline will run between Iran, India, and Pakistan and is expected to deliver 6 million cubic meters of natural gas a day.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/energy-deal-with-iran--with-india-2007-06-26.html 06/26/07

Nuclear Reactor Shutdown Talks Begin in North Korea
On Tuesday a team of UN nuclear officials arrived in North Korea to discuss terms for inspectors to monitor the shutdown of Yongbyon's nuclear reactor; the reactor provides North Korea with weapons-grade plutonium. In February North Korea approved a nuclear disarmament deal in which Pyongyang would disable the Yongbyon complex. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team will be in North Korea for three days hammering out an IAEA verification and sealing off of the nuclear reactor and reprocessing plant. Olli Heinonen, head of the IAEA delegation, told reporter in Beijing before the trip that "we are always needing to be optimistic. I think the DPRK will now do what they have (been) asked to do." South Korea also announced that it will resume rice aid to North Korea after a year long suspension. The release of US$25 million from Macau's Banco Delta Asia has caused Pyongyang to comply with the February agreement; the money was frozen after the United States blacklisted the bank.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070626/wl_nm/korea_north_dc_8 06/26/07

Lithuania Authorizes a New Nuclear Plant
The Lithuanian Parliament approved legislation allowing the construction of a new nuclear power plant. The new facility will provide power to Lithuania along with Latvia, Estonia, and Poland. Lithuania's current nuclear power plant Ignalina will be shutdown in 2009 as part of an agreement with the European Union; Ignalina is the only nuclear power plant in the Baltic region and has a similar design as the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Ukraine. Of the 141 member of Lithuania's Seimas (parliament), only four members voted against the measure, one hundred five members supported the legislation, and the remaining legislators abstained or were absent. This new nuclear plant reflects the four countries' fear of growing reliance on Russia as a natural gas and power supplier. "It is very important for Lithuania to remain a nuclear energy producer and exporter," said Gediminas Kirkilas, the Prime Minister of Lithuania. "It will help us to guarantee energy independence and national security and will be of huge strategic importance for the whole region." Currently Lithuania supplies 80% of its electricity needs from nuclear energy.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070628/lithuania_nuclear_power.html?.v=1 06/28/07

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic

 

California's Waste Storage Facility in Nevada Uncertain
The fate of a high-level radioactive waste site at Nevada's Yucca Mountain is not clear. California electric customers have paid $1 billion to the federal government for the development of the Yucca Mountain site as a nuclear waste repository. The California Energy Commission heard from federal government officials and nuclear power companies this week that the Yucca Mountain underground repository will open someday. Eric Knox of the U.S. Department of Energy was confident about the project and said the facility could open as early as 2017. The site opening is likely to be delayed until 2020 Knox stated. The nuclear power industry insists that only a lack of political will not scientific reason is preventing the repository development. However, Nevada officials do not want the facility in their state and Nevada's elected officials like U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have vowed to stop the project. Bob Loux of Nevada's Yucca Mountain office said "the prospects (of Yucca opening) are very dim." Nuclear waste storage expert Allison Macfarlane told the California commission that the Yucca site is problematic. She stated that the Yucca area was volcanically and seismically active and the humidity and oxidizing minerals in the soil will cause the storage casks to become corrosive.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/77331.html 06/26/07

Toshiba Near a Deal to Produce Reactors
Japanese company Toshiba is close to a nuclear deal with NRG Energy, a US producer of power generators, to build two boiling-water reactors in Houston. The two firms are in discussion, but no contract has been signed. Originally, NRG told the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission that Hitachi and GE were the contractors building the Houston plant reactors. However, NRG has not reached an agreement with Hitachi and GE after a year long negotiation. The proposed Houston nuclear power facility will operate 1.35 million kilowatt reactors and is expected to begin operations as early as 2014. Toshiba bought Westinghouse Electric Company in 2006 for US$5.4 billion and is illustrative of the current consolidation of the nuclear sector. Along with Toshiba-Westinghouse two other Western-Japanese alliances are vying for dominance in the nuclear sector: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-Areva and Hitachi-GE.
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,html?from=public_rss 06/28/07

 

 

 

 

Opinion

 

Nuclear Pork Barrel Spending Not Good for New Mexico
In an opinion article by Greg Mello, Mello blasts New Mexico's Congressional representatives for not supporting an overall 6% reduction in nuclear warhead programs. The author names four out of five members of the New Mexico Congressional delegation and describes their participation in restoring funding to New Mexico's nuclear facilities: Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. After Mello explains that the U.S. has "no coherent U.S. nuclear policy," attention is given to U.S. Senator Pete Domenici in the remainder of the article. Sen. Domenici, in the opinion of the author, is the problem with nuclear weapons policy. The nuclear labs keep Domenici in power and "create a strong right-of-center tug on New Mexico politics." Mello says that Domenici's push for federal government pork in nuclear weapons, coupled with the nuclear labs in New Mexico, "explain why our [New Mexico's] relative economic performance as a state has fallen in a direct proportion to a rising laboratory spending."
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jun/28/-new-mexicos-e/

Compiled and Edited by: Matthew Laferty