Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

India and its new quest for uranium – short supply, desperate need

India and its new quest for uranium – short supply, desperate need
10 September 2010
India is following China's lead with an ambitious plan to build new nuclear reactors. But India is in desperate need for uranium and will need to plan accordingly at home and with international partners to feed tomorrow's energy needs.

By Paul French, Asia Correspondent
In previous articles in Nuclear Energy Insider we’ve covered how China’s current and ongoing ramp up of nuclear power is affecting global uranium prices and leading to a flurry of both new deals around the world and diplomatic engagement by Beijing to ensure supplies everywhere from Canada and Australia to Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
Lagging behind China?
However, while China has made most of the running and the news in additional reactor capacity, India is also clearly important.
China currently has over 60GW of additional nuclear capacity either under construction or in the planning stage; India follows China’s global lead with a planned 24GW of planned capacity additions by 2020.
This equates to 19 reactors currently operating, four under construction, 20 planned and another 40 in the proposal stages, according to statistics from the World Nuclear Association.
While China has found and begun to exploit additional deposits of uranium on its own territory (notably in Sichuan Province) and entered into a large number of sourcing agreements, India though suffers from having only miniscule deposits of uranium on its territory and those that exist are deemed to be of generally poor quality.
Additionally, in contrast to China, India’s nuclear programme has had relatively little contact with the outside world.
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New Indian law threatens US nuclear suppliers

A new Indian law, which exposes firms supplying equipment to nuclear plants to liability in the case of accidents could seriously damage plans for US companies with plans to supply India’s nuclear reactor construction plans.
The news has come unexpectedly for US companies, such as General Electric and Westinghouse.
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Executive Viewpoint John Ritch, World Nuclear Association:"Nuclear waste is the duty of governments"

20 August 2010
John Ritch, Director General at the World Nuclear Association and  former adviser to US President Bill Clinton, spoke to an audience of graduates at the Sixth Annual Summer Institute of the World Nuclear University at Christ Church, Oxford last week.  In this edition's Executive Viewpoint we publish some excerpts from his remarks, which include a few chosen responses that he believes can be used to defend the industry with convinction and clarity in the current economic and geopolitical climate.
John_Ritch_2.jpg
When it comes to nuclear waste, “It is the duty of governments – following the lead of Finland, Sweden, Russia and others – to summon the political will to implement this crucial component of the nuclear fuel cycle,” said John Ritch, Director General at the World Nuclear Association and  former adviser to US President Bill Clinton to an audience of graduates at the Sixth Annual Summer Institute of the World Nuclear University at Christ Church, Oxford. 
His speech, A Responsibility of Leadership: Presenting and Defending the Global Imperative of Nuclear Power, provides some interesting insights into which issues and which people will ultimately shape the future of nuclear energy across the globe.
 We have published some excerpts found at link
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Ohio Facility to Starts Operations with AREVA Technology

Ohio Facility to Starts Operations with AREVA Technology

News out of Southern Ohio yesterday— AREVA announced the start-up of operations at a recently completed conversion facility at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Portsmouth Site. Constructed by Uranium Disposition Services LLC, a joint venture of AREVA, EnergySolutions and Burns and Roe, the facility will use a proprietary AREVA process to perform conversion. The UDS partnership is also working on a sister plant across the state border in Paducah, Ky., which should be ready in the coming months.
These two facilities will be used to perform an valuable function for the nuclear energy. They will convert depleted uranium hexafluoride, commonly known as DUF6, into uranium oxide. Expected operate until 2037; the Portsmouth facility will convert 13,500 metric tons of DUF6 per year.
The conversion process is detailed in this graphic from the UDS site below:

As a world leader in the design and operations of DUF6 conversion facilities, AREVA supplied proven process technology based on our nuclear fuel conversion facilities operating in Richland, Wash., and Lingen, Germany.
AREVA North America CEO Jacques Besnainou said that this is “an important recognition of AREVA’s expertise in the construction and operation of safe, efficient nuclear facilities.”
For more information on this new facility and its positive impact for the nuclear industry and economy for Southern Ohio, read the full press release http://us.areva.com/scripts/home/publigen/content/templates/Show.asp?P=913&L=EN.
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Jordan signs nuclear accord with Japan

Jordan signs nuclear accord with Japan


AMMAN, Sept 11 (AFP) Sep 11, 2010 Jordan and Japan have signed an agreement on civilian nuclear energy cooperation in the ninth such accord made by the kingdom, the official Petra news agency reported.It said the deal covers "the exploration for and exploitation of uranium, the construction and operation of nuclear reactors, as well as the protection of the environment from radiation."
Jordan's Atomic Energy Commission chief Khaled Tukan was quoted as saying that Amman wished to "profit from Japanese experience in the field of nuclear energy."
"The agreement will allow Japan to export to Jordan technology for the civilian use of nuclear energy," Tukan said, adding that Jordan hoped to sign a similar accord with the United States "in the coming months."
Jordan, which imports about 95 percent of its energy needs, has signed nuclear cooperation agreements with several countries in a bid to produce atomic energy for power generation and water desalination.
It already has deals with Argentina, Britain, Canada, China, France, Russia, South Korea and Spain.

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International Energy Agency (IEA) 2010 World Energy Statistics

International Energy Agency (IEA) 2010 World Energy Statistics

Turning Russian Nukes into U.S. Energy By Eben Harrell / London

Turning Russian Nukes into U.S. Energy

 
In 1993, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, the U.S. and the Russian Federation signed a landmark arms-control accord. The "Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) Purchase Agreement" called for Russia to dismantle thousands of nuclear warheads and convert the weapons-grade uranium in the bombs into fuel for American nuclear-power plants. The agreement is rarely talked about today, but it has been a huge success: Nearly 10% of all electricity in the U.S. is generated by nuclear material taken from the tips of Russian missiles once aimed at American cities.
Think about that: one in every ten lightbulbs in U.S. kitchens, Wal-Marts and baseball stadiums is illuminated by nuclear energy initially designed to obliterate millions of Americans. On Thursday, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which monitors the dismantling of Russian weapons on behalf of the U.S. government, announced that the agreement has reached a milestone: Approximately 400 metric tons of Russian highly enriched uranium — the equivalent of around 16,000 nuclear weapons — have now been converted into low-enriched uranium, the form of the element needed to power nuclear reactors. In the vexing effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons, this little-publicized agreement provides arms-control advocates with an inspirational example of success — and a model for how to move forward.


Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2017465,00.html#ixzz0zFuhXjkT
 
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Putting nuclear energy in the right light for solving our energy crisis

Putting nuclear energy in the right light for solving our energy crisis

Nuclear energy does not deserve to be a pariah. The tide is turning but exceedingly slow. At stake for the United States – and Georgia – are a reputation as an innovation leader and a chance to spur economic growth and prosperity. Let’s not relinquish that to a quixotic quest for reliability through renewables. Let’s not allow misinformation to rob us of the proven promise of nuclear power.
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Megatons to Megawatts – USEC Recycles 400 Tons of Weapon Grade Uranium into Nuclear Fuel

Megatons to Megawatts – USEC Recycles 400 Tons of Weapon Grade Uranium into Nuclear Fuel

"For more than 15 years, USEC and TENEX have cooperated in fueling America's nuclear reactors while reducing the threat of nuclear proliferation for the entire world," said John K. Welch, USEC president and chief executive officer. "Our bilateral efforts have made the world safer, benefited the American consumer, and reduced greenhouse...
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Hyperion and Savannah River Site Announce Partnership on a Small Modular Reactor

Hyperion and Savannah River Site Announce Partnership on a Small Modular Reactor

"The Hyperion power module developed at SNRS can be plugged into small villages around the world. To provide electricity, purify water and help elevate the standard of living for those people." said Dr. Terry Michalske - Edited By Chris Reed - According to WJBF-TV in Augusta Georgia, Savannah River Site and Hyperion are in discussions to develop...
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Comparing Nuclear Accident Risks with Those from Other Energy Sources

Fresh Capital in the Uranium Fuel Race By MATTHEW L. WALD

Fresh Capital in the Uranium Fuel Race

Green: Business
For decades, the business of enriching uranium for  use in nuclear reactors was simple: companies bought the uranium and sent it to one of the plants built by the federal government as part of its nuclear weapons program. The government increased the proportion of uranium 235, the kind that splits easily in reactors.
But in the 1990s, the government sold the plants to the United States Enrichment Company, now called USEC. Meanwhile, other companies started looking at the American market.
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US Navy Seeks 'Safer' Bomb

US Navy Seeks 'Safer' Bomb

Show some restraint (Image: Said Khatib/AFP/Getty)

From New Scientist:

COULD a variable-yield bomb reduce the number of innocent people killed or injured during an air attack targeting enemy soldiers? That's the thinking behind a US navy plan to develop a "dial-a-blast" bomb.

The navy is seeking proposals from companies to create a bomb weighing 200 kilograms that can either be detonated at full or reduced power. The idea is that the device could be loaded onto planes before a target has been identified, and the explosive power set by the pilot once a target is known. If there is a risk of killing civilians, then the explosive power can be reduced to ensure a small blast radius. In an unpopulated area the bomb, currently known as the Selectable Output Weapon, could be set so that it has the same power as a regular bomb of the same size. Carrying a single bomb would make it easier and cheaper for the navy to arm its planes.

Read more ....
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Friday, September 10, 2010

Pentagon: USS George Washington Nuclear Aircraft Carrier to join military drills off Korean Peninsula - 2010-09-10

Pentagon: USS George Washington Nuclear Aircraft Carrier to join military drills off Korean Peninsula
- 2010-09-10

Silicon carbide cladding proves its mettle

Innovation is powerful, but in a field like nuclear engineering, new materials, designs and processes must prove their merit under all foreseeable conditions before moving into everyday use. An NSE team is using specialized facilities of the MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory to evaluate a new approach to protecting reactor fuel rods, with the prospect of enabling better reactor performance and safety, while also reducing waste production.
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Bill Gates: I love nuclear power

Bill Gates: I love nuclear power

Speaking at MIT on April 21, 2010, Bill Gates answers a question from NSE student Matt Denman regarding his support for nuclear power.

Culture of Innovation (NECN Report)

Culture of Innovation (NECN Report)

Director of MIT's Industrial Performance Center Prof. Richard Lester

Harnessing the Power of the Atom Southern Company's new nuclear units in Georgia will create 3,500 construction jobs and 800 high-paying permanent jobs

Harnessing the Power of the Atom

By Buzz Miller Sep 08, 2010
Buzz Miller, EVP for Nuclear Development, Southern Nuclear Company
Southern Company's new nuclear units in Georgia will create 3,500 construction jobs and 800 high-paying permanent jobs Despite the economic downturn, the population of the southeastern United States continues to increase. Moreover, that growth is expected to hasten as the economy rebounds. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 40 percent of the U.S. population will live in the South by 2030.  The state of Georgia alone is expected to grow by 4 million people over that same period, boosting the state’s electrical demand by nearly 30 percent.

As a result, a comprehensive approach to maintaining reliable and affordable supplies of electricity for this region’s economy is paramount.  Along with increased energy efficiency and conservation, and expanded use of renewables, natural gas and 21st century coal, it will be essential to build new nuclear power generation, the only proven large-scale generating technology that produces no greenhouse gas emissions.

Southern Company has a 30-year track record of safely, securely and efficiently operating nuclear plants in Georgia and Alabama. Three nuclear plants, each with two generating units ─ Plant Hatch near Baxley, Ga., Plant Farley near Columbia, Ala., and Plant Vogtle near Augusta, Ga. ─ currently serve customers across our region
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Nuclear Plants Boost Economy, Protect the Environment A balanced portfolio is needed to meet 20 percent increase in electricity use by 2030

Fertel: Investing in nuclear energy means more jobs
With the expected 20% increase in electricity use, the energy industry must rely on a "balanced portfolio" of production sources, writes Marvin S. Fertel, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute. In keeping up with growing electricity demands, the industry should look toward nuclear energy, a low-carbon source that also presents a significant opportunity to create new jobs, he writes. GreenLaborJournal.org

Nuclear reactor at SRS in works Private firm to contribute funds

SRNL eyes construction of S.C. nuclear reactor with Hyperion
The Savannah River National Laboratory has struck a partnership with Hyperion Power to develop a small modular nuclear reactor at Savannah River Site. "This is the first step -- a rather small step but an extremely important step," said Mike Navetta, manager of energy-park initiatives for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. Executives are optimistic that the project will be completed and launched by 2020. The facility is expected to generate hundreds of jobs, said Pete Knollmeyer, vice president for strategic planning at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. The Augusta Chronicle (Ga.)
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In Georgia, new nuclear power units can help stir economy

In Georgia, new nuclear power units can help stir economy
The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that 40% of the U.S. population will reside in the South by 2030, greatly increasing electricity demands. Nuclear power will be the only energy source that can meet those demands because of its ability to handle large-scale generation, according to Buzz Miller, executive vice president of nuclear development for Southern Co. Citing the company's 30-year track record, Miller writes that Southern's new nuclear units will add jobs and will create the low-carbon energy needed to meet demands. GreenLaborJournal.org
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Ohio opens depleted-uranium facility

      A depleted-uranium hexafluoride conversion site has opened in Ohio. The plant will convert depleted uranium into a more stable kind for disposal or reuse. Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland announced the facility's startup. Manufacturing.net/The Associated Press
http://manufacturing.net/News/FeedsAP/2010/09/mnet-market-sectors-aerospace-depleted-uranium-plant-now-operating-in-ohio/
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Nuclear Progress

Opinion: European interest in nuclear is long overdue
German Chancellor Angela Merkel extended the lives of her country's nuclear plants, but there is more work to be done, according an editorial in the Financial Times. Nuclear power is the best choice for the future because it economic, reliable and clean, the newspaper said. Financial Times

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Argentina renews interest in nuclear energy

Argentina renews interest in nuclear energy
Argentina aims to build new nuclear plants to curb its dependence on diminishing oil and natural gas reserves. The South American country opened its first nuclear facility in 1974, but safety concerns worldwide later prompted it to stop the use of two plants. Argentina is completing work on its third nuclear facility and seeks to construct another two by 2025, as part of its goal to obtain 15% of its electricity from nuclear sources. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6884TS20100909
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Kuwait plans to develop 4 nuclear reactors by 2022

Kuwait plans to develop 4 nuclear reactors by 2022
Kuwait intends to construct four nuclear reactors by 2022, joining the push among oil-rich countries seeking alternative energy sources. Kuwait is in talks with foreign entities on "how nuclear energy fits in the energy mix of Kuwait for the next 20 years," said Ahmad Bishara, secretary general of the country's National Nuclear Energy Committee. Bloomberg

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Energy Infrastructure & Supply Forbes Examines Resurgence of Nuclear Energy Through Southern Co.

Forbes today tackled the question of whether the development of the new nuclear power plants in Georgia was the "start of a much bigger round of nuclear construction in the U.S.—if the controlling owner of the site, Southern Co., can pull this off." The article detailed how cost overruns and construction delays contributed to the setbacks that utilities faced in the past in bringing nuclear power plants forward.
Wrote Forbes: "Now Southern Co. is trying to revive it with a pair of reactors set to come online in 2016 and 2017 next to two older reactors at its Vogtle power station, 30 miles south of Augusta. At $31 billion, Southern, based in Atlanta, is the biggest utility in the country by market value. It runs 73 fossil and hydro plants along with six nuclear reactors at three sites. The company earned $1.6 billion in 2009 on $15.7 billion in revenues and has the reputation on Wall Street as one of the best-managed utilities. If someone's going to build a nuke, it probably should be Southern."
Aris Candris, CEO of Westinghouse, the Toshiba-owned company supplying the reactor design for Southern as well as 12 of the 20 other new projects planned in the U.S., was quoted by Forbes as saying: "We went through a long, lean period in nuclear. That gave us plenty of time to lock arms as an industry and decide next time we were going to do it right." Forbes noted that the model Southern is building, the AP1000, is totally new, with safety systems powered by gravity instead of electricity, a so-called passive design. Candris stated: "We spent hundreds of millions of dollars to prove to the regulators that water indeed flows downhill." Wrote Forbes: "The AP1000 has half the valves, 35% fewer safety-grade pumps, 80% less pipe and 85% less cable than existing plants. Three AP1000s can fit within one first-generation nuke."
Forbes, Sept. 9.

US, New Zealand pledge to move forward

US, New Zealand pledge to move forward
Washington (AFP) Sept 9, 2010 - The United States and New Zealand pledged Thursday to look for ways to cooperate more closely and turn the page on a 25-year dispute over nuclear weapons. Senior US diplomat Kurt Campbell, who visited New Zealand last month, said the two nations' relationship was "profoundly underperforming" as they saw eye-to-eye on most issues from climate change to Afghanistan. New Zealand declared it ... more

S.Korean minister warns of global nuclear 'domino effect'

S.Korean minister warns of global nuclear 'domino effect'
Seoul (AFP) Sept 9, 2010 - South Korea's point man on North Korea warned Thursday of a global "nuclear domino effect" unless the communist state scraps its atomic weapons. Unification Minister Hyun In-Taek was speaking days before senior US officials travel to South Korea, Japan and China for talks on the issue. North Korea's atomic armament meant "major changes" in the region's security environment as well as the ... more

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Iran Is Developing A 'Major' Nuclear Enrichment Site: Opposition Group


Shown here is a satellite image of an alleged nuclear enrichment site in Iran.
(DigitalGlobe/globalsecurity.org)


Iran Is Developing Secret Uranium-Enrichment Site, Dissident Group Claims -- Bloomberg
Iran is developing a secret uranium enrichment site near Qazvin, 120 miles west of Tehran, a dissident group said today, citing satellite images of the area.
The facility is called Behjatad-Abyek and is code-named 311, according to the Iran Policy Committee, which supports the anti-regime People’s Mujahedeen of Iran.
“This is certainly part of the secret weapons program,” said Alireza Jafarzadeh, who presented the photos at a Washington press conference. “It’s just moved underground, in tunnels, hidden from the outside world.”
Read more ....
More News On Iran's Nuclear Program
Opposition Group Claims Iran Secretly Developing 'Major' Nuclear Enrichment Site -- FOX News
Opposition claim secret enrichment site in Iran -- AFP
Blair Warns on Iran's Nuclear Program -- Wall Street Journal
US lauds Japan for new Iran sanctions -- AFP
South Korea imposes independent sanctions on Iran -- AP
China Opposes South Korean Sanctions Against Iran -- Voice of America
Powers urge defiant Iran to cooperate with IAEA -- Reuters
UN report underscores concerns about Iran nuclear plans: US -- AFP
IAEA report: What's driving Iran's latest bout of nuclear obstinacy -- Christian Science Monitor
Iran's Shadow Games -- Wall Street Journal editorial
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Bringing Israel's Bomb Out of the Basement Has Nuclear Ambiguity Outlived Its Shelf Life?

Bringing Israel's Bomb Out of the Basement
Has Nuclear Ambiguity Outlived Its Shelf Life?

For decades, Israel has maintained an "opaque" nuclear posture -- neither confirming nor denying that it possesses nuclear weapons. The time has come for Israel to reconsider the policy of nuclear ambiguity. It can do so without jeopardizing the nation's security.

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Group: Nuclear power is clean, safe and reliable

Se belowImage via WikipediaOpinion: Nuclear energy helps curb carbon emissions
Years of research verifies that nuclear energy is clean, safe and reliable, writes Karen Walsh of the Pennsylvania Energy Alliance. It is the only energy source capable of producing continuous electricity without emitting greenhouse gases, she writes. Nuclear-generated power saves the atmosphere nearly 700 million tons of carbon dioxide and 3 million tons of sulfur dioxide every year, Walsh writes. The Mercury (Pottstown, Pa.)
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Editorial: For a better energy route

Paper: Ore. officials should support company's reactor designs
Oregon officials should push for the certification and use of local company NuScale's small-scale nuclear reactors if the state is serious in its goal to significantly reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, according to an editorial in the Democrat-Herald of Albany, Ore. NuScale's modular reactors could be built inside factories and arrayed to match the power requirements of customers. NuScale plans to file for certification of a reactor design in 2012. Albany Democrat-Herald (Ore.)
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Southern Co.'s Nuclear Game Plan Jonathan Fahey, Forbes Magazine dated September 27, 2010

image

Buzz Miller leads nuclear development for Southern Co.


Southern hopes Ga. project will spark growth in nuclear sector
All eyes are on Southern Co. as it begins a seven-year, $14 billion expansion project of its Vogtle plant in Georgia, building the first nuclear reactors in the U.S. since 1977. "Success here is the linchpin for the nuclear industry in this country," said Joseph Miller, Southern's executive vice president for nuclear development. Forbes
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Poisoned rats aren’t ham: a new look at anti-nuclear propaganda

Poisoned rats aren’t ham: a new look at anti-nuclear propaganda

NNSA Announces Elimination of More Than 400 Metric Tons of Russian HEU

U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear S...Image via Wikipedia
NNSA NEWS
National Nuclear Security Administration
U.S. Department of Energy      
For Immediate Release
September 9, 2010      
Contact:  NNSA Public Affairs, (202) 586-7371

NNSA Announces Elimination of More Than 400 Metric Tons of Russian HEU
Program reaches 80 percent completion milestone

WASHINGTON, DC - The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced that it has monitored the elimination of more than 400 metric tons (MT) of Russian highly enriched uranium (HEU) – the equivalent of more than 16,000 nuclear weapons – under a landmark nuclear nonproliferation program.
The 1993 U.S.-Russian HEU Purchase Agreement is now 80 percent complete and by 2013 will convert 500 MT of HEU from dismantled Russian nuclear weapons into low enriched uranium (LEU) for peaceful nuclear energy use. Nearly half of all electricity generated in commercial nuclear reactors in the U.S. comes from fuel that has its origins in Russian nuclear weapons. 
"This is the ultimate swords to plowshares program, and I commend the continued joint commitment of the U.S. and Russian Federation to the safe and irreversible elimination of excess fissile materials under this important bilateral agreement," said NNSA Administrator Thomas D'Agostino. "This milestone puts us one step closer to accomplishing the President's goal of securing or eliminating all weapons-usable nuclear materials worldwide."
The agreement requires the Russian Federation to convert weapons-origin HEU into LEU in Russia. The LEU is then delivered to the U.S. where it is fabricated into nuclear fuel and used in commercial reactors to generate approximately 10 percent of all electrical power nationwide.
NNSA's HEU Transparency Program monitors the Russian HEU to LEU conversion process to ensure that all LEU delivered to the U.S. under the agreement is derived from Russian weapons HEU. The Program implements extensive access and monitoring rights during 24 annual monitoring visits to four Russian HEU processing facilities. At these facilities, U.S. experts measure and observe HEU processing firsthand, and this information allows the U.S. to confirm that Russian HEU conversion activities fulfill the agreement’s nonproliferation goals.
To date, the NNSA Program has conducted 290 monitoring visits to Russian HEU processing facilities, and U.S. experts monitor the elimination of 30 metric tons of HEU each year – the annual equivalent of 1,200 nuclear weapons. The Russian Federation also conducts reciprocal monitoring activities at U.S. facilities to confirm the peaceful use of all LEU delivered under the agreement. 
The United States Enrichment Corp. and Techsnabexport, the executive agents for the agreement, manage the commercial aspects and logistics of the uranium shipments and transfers.
Follow NNSA News on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.

        Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science in the nation’s national security enterprise. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability, and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; reduces the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad. Visit http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/ for more information.
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South Korea announces sanctions against Iran

The coat of arms of South KoreaImage via WikipediaSouth Korea announces sanctions against Iran
Seoul (AFP) Sept 9, 2010 - South Korea said it would penalise a key Iranian bank and put all financial transactions with Tehran under strict government supervision as part of sanctions over its nuclear programme. Foreign ministry spokesman Kim Young-Sun said Wednesday the government would impose a "heavy penalty" on the Seoul branch of Bank Mellat, which allegedly facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in transac ... more
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US watches 'leadership process' in North Korea

US watches 'leadership process' in North Korea
Washington (AFP) Sept 8, 2010 - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the United States is watching the "leadership process" in North Korea but hoped whoever is in power in Pyongyang will scrap nuclear weapons. Speaking before US envoys tour Asia to discuss North Korea, Clinton said Washington is making clear to the North Koreans what they must do and what they would gain if they "seriously discuss denuclear ... more
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Kuwait to buy Patriot missiles

map of Kuwait (CIA)Image via WikipediaKuwait to buy Patriot missiles
Kuwait City (UPI) Sep 8, 2010 - Kuwait looks poised to purchase Patriot missiles from the United States but won't allow its territory to become a springboard for any military assault, a senior defense official said. In a published statement, Kuwaiti Defense Minister Sheik Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah spelled out the intended use of the Patriot missile, clarifying that the $900 million system would boost the military's capab ... more

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Who Knows More About Radiation Risks - Anti-Nuclear Activists or Former and Future Uranium Miners? by Rod Adams

Who Knows More About Radiation Risks - Anti-Nuclear Activists or Former and Future Uranium Miners?

by Rod Adams
Hessler's work should cause thinking people to question why so much money has been and is still being wasted to reduce an already minor hazard and why there has been so much vocal opposition to wise use of nuclear energy.

The Uranium Widows [ABSTRACT]

Letter from Colorado

The Uranium Widows [ABSTRACT] 
LETTER FROM COLORADO about uranium mining. There are many uranium widows in southwestern Colorado. The local history of uranium is long and often troubled, and the economy has been devastated since the Three Mile Island accident, in 1979, when Americans turned against nuclear power. Of the old-time Colorado miners…
by Peter Hessler


Read more http://www.newyorker.com/search/query?query=The+Uranium+Widows&queryType=nonparsed&submitbtn.x=8&submitbtn.y=13&submitbtn=Submit#ixzz0z2oKqR23
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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

General Atomics to Develop Energy Multiplier Module Reactor for 2022

General Atomics to Develop Energy Multiplier Module Reactor for 2022


Nuclear and defense supplier General Atomics announced in February, 2010 that they would launch a 12-year ($1.7 billion) program to develop a new kind of small, commercial nuclear reactor in the U.S. that could run on spent fuel from big reactors.

The General Atomics reactor, which is dubbed EM2 for Energy Multiplier Module, would be about one-quarter the size of a conventional reactor and have unusual features, including the ability to burn used fuel, which still contains more than 90% of its original energy. Such reuse would reduce the volume and toxicity of the waste that remained. General Atomics calculates there is so much U.S. nuclear waste that it could fuel 3,000 of the proposed reactors, far more than it anticipates building.

The EM2 would operate at temperatures as high as 850 degrees Centigrade, which is about twice as hot as a conventional water-cooled reactor. The very high temperatures would make the reactor especially well suited to industrial uses that go beyond electricity production, such as extracting oil from tar sands, desalinating water and refining petroleum to make fuel and chemicals.

General Atomics intends to complete a preliminary design for the reactor and demonstrate that it can manufacture fuel elements in the next few years. It wants to be in a position to seek NRC design certification within five years, and, if no big problems emerge, to gain required approvals to sell reactors and make fuel assemblies by 2022

There was a presentation at the commission on America's Nuclear future (10 page pdf)

 

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Nuscale Presentation at Commission on America's Nuclear Future

Nuscale Presentation at Commission on America's Nuclear Future

# Japan, Kuwait agree on nuclear energy cooperation September 8, 2010

‘Jordan can lead region in nuclear safety’ By Taylor Luck

South Korea’s drive for reprocessing gets U.S. attention

South Korea’s drive for reprocessing gets U.S. attention

Seoul wants to know why it is treated differently than India

Report: Long-term plans to develop an FBR based plutonium economy in France is not demonstrated

Report: Long-term plans to develop an FBR based plutonium economy in France is not demonstrated

Here's the report (in French).

Yves Marignac has a highly critical series of four posts at the International Panel on Fissile Materials blog:

http://www.fissilematerials.org/blog/2010/09/france_official_plan_admi.html
http://www.fissilematerials.org/blog/2010/09/report_long-term_plans_to.html
http://www.fissilematerials.org/blog/2010/09/fuel_recycling_a_myth_a_f.html
http://www.fissilematerials.org/blog/2010/09/less_than_4_of_french_nuc.html
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Dutch provinces eye construction of new nuclear facility

Dutch provinces eye construction of new nuclear facility
Dutch provinces, through their company Energy Resources Holding, plan to file an application to build a second nuclear plant in the Netherlands. The application will include plans to develop a facility with a maximum capacity of 2,500 megawatts, the company said. It wants to secure key permits by 2014 and fire up the plant by 2019. Reuters
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