Given Venezuela's rich oil, gas, and hydroelectric resources, the need for a nuclear power program seems questionable.
Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Monday, December 13, 2010
Venezuela's nuclear program – the alarmists are right International Affairs Review
http://www.iar-gwu.org/node/240
Given Venezuela's rich oil, gas, and hydroelectric resources, the need for a nuclear power program seems questionable.
Given Venezuela's rich oil, gas, and hydroelectric resources, the need for a nuclear power program seems questionable.
Russia plans 2013 start of construction of Turkish nuclear plant
Russia plans 2013 start of construction of Turkish nuclear plant
Russia will begin constructing a $20 billion nuclear facility in Turkey by 2013, said Vladimir Ivanovsky, the Russian ambassador to Turkey. "The launch of the plant's first power unit is planned for 2018, while the other three will be launched with an interval of one year," he said. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20101212/161741673.html
Russia will begin constructing a $20 billion nuclear facility in Turkey by 2013, said Vladimir Ivanovsky, the Russian ambassador to Turkey. "The launch of the plant's first power unit is planned for 2018, while the other three will be launched with an interval of one year," he said. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20101212/161741673.html
Egypt plans to build first nuclear plant by 2019
Egypt plans to build first nuclear plant by 2019
Egypt plans to have first nuclear plant operational by 2019, and build 3 more by 2025 http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Egypt-plans-to-build-first-apf-1424993263.html
Federal Appeals Court To Begin Yucca Mountain Hearings In 2011
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hold earnings early next year on whether the Department of Energy has the right to withdraw its application to use Yucca Mountain as a nuclear-waste disposal site.
It is the latest development in a multi-decade, multibillion dollar push to use Yucca Mountain as a nuclear-waste repository. The U.S. government began reviewing options on how to handle nuclear waste when legislation to do so passed in 1982. In 2002, federal lawmakers identified the Nevada site as the way to move forward. About $10 billion has been spent on this process.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101210-714550.html?mod=dist_smartbrief
It is the latest development in a multi-decade, multibillion dollar push to use Yucca Mountain as a nuclear-waste repository. The U.S. government began reviewing options on how to handle nuclear waste when legislation to do so passed in 1982. In 2002, federal lawmakers identified the Nevada site as the way to move forward. About $10 billion has been spent on this process.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101210-714550.html?mod=dist_smartbrief
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Money Never Sleeps Thorium – The New Green Fuel?
It has been estimated that the nuclear energy available in thorium is greater than that available from all of the world’s oil, coal and uranium combined. And thorium is also very abundant in nature. Thorium is approximately three times as abundant as uranium in the earth’s crust, reflecting the fact that thorium has a longer half-life. It is approximately as abundant as lead in the earth’s crust. In addition, thorium generally is present in higher concentrations (2-10%) by weight than uranium (0.1-1%) in their respective ores, making thorium retrieval much less expensive and less environmentally damaging per unit of energy extracted. Countries with significant thorium mineral deposits include: Australia, India, Brazil, USA, Canada, China, Russia, Norway, Turkey, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, South Africa, and Malaysia.
Naturally occurring thorium has one isotope- thorium-232. In a typical thorium reactor, a very small amount of U-235 is used to “kick-start” the reaction process after which only thorium fuel is added. Unlike a conventional uranium reactor, where one-third of the U-235 fuel is added every 18 months, a typical thorium reactor only requires about 3% extra thorium every 18 months.
So, thorium is more abundant than uranium, it costs less to extract from the earth, it produces only minimal amounts of nuclear waste and the impact on the environment of thorium extraction is far less than that of uranium. Why, then, is thorium not the fuel of choice for nuclear reactors? The main reason appears to be that, unlike uranium, thorium is very difficult if not impossible to “weaponise”. In other words, it is far more difficult to construct a nuclear bomb from thorium. More at:
http://www.newstime.co.za/column/ChrisGilmour/Thorium_%E2%80%93_The_New_Green_Fuel/99/2755/
Naturally occurring thorium has one isotope- thorium-232. In a typical thorium reactor, a very small amount of U-235 is used to “kick-start” the reaction process after which only thorium fuel is added. Unlike a conventional uranium reactor, where one-third of the U-235 fuel is added every 18 months, a typical thorium reactor only requires about 3% extra thorium every 18 months.
So, thorium is more abundant than uranium, it costs less to extract from the earth, it produces only minimal amounts of nuclear waste and the impact on the environment of thorium extraction is far less than that of uranium. Why, then, is thorium not the fuel of choice for nuclear reactors? The main reason appears to be that, unlike uranium, thorium is very difficult if not impossible to “weaponise”. In other words, it is far more difficult to construct a nuclear bomb from thorium. More at:
http://www.newstime.co.za/column/ChrisGilmour/Thorium_%E2%80%93_The_New_Green_Fuel/99/2755/
India's 'nuclear renaissance'
The next phase of India’s civilian nuclear programme has been kickstarted with India signing a deal to buy reactors from the French firm Areva. Two other reactors are being set up by the Russians and will be commissioned next year. And if there were any fears that India’s indigenous nuclear programme might be overshadowed by imports, they have clearly been put to rest with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India setting up eight new units using its own heavy water reactor technology.
What this means for the Indian industry is a `130,000 crore opportunity over the next 10 years as India races to its target of 20,000 megawatt (MW) of nuclear power by 2020 and an even more ambitious target of 63,000 MW by 2032. We currently have an operational capacity of 4,780 MW in the country. “This is a huge opportunity as all the balance of plant will be procured by NPCIL from Indian companies,” says Dr Shreyans Kumar Jain , chairman and managing director of NPCIL.More at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/sunday-et/business/Indias-nuclear-renaissance/articleshow/7085559.cms
What this means for the Indian industry is a `130,000 crore opportunity over the next 10 years as India races to its target of 20,000 megawatt (MW) of nuclear power by 2020 and an even more ambitious target of 63,000 MW by 2032. We currently have an operational capacity of 4,780 MW in the country. “This is a huge opportunity as all the balance of plant will be procured by NPCIL from Indian companies,” says Dr Shreyans Kumar Jain , chairman and managing director of NPCIL.More at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/sunday-et/business/Indias-nuclear-renaissance/articleshow/7085559.cms
Israel may have no military option against Iran
Israel may have no military option against Iran
Israeli leaders should understand that the attack option isn't really an option - a thousand new fire trucks and even the Iron Dome missile defense system will not provide protection.
By Gideon Levy
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-may-have-no-military-option-against-iran-1.330130
Maariv: How to build another nuclear reactor without signing the NPT
Debunking Myths of Iran's Fuel Deal - Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
Dealing with Iran’s nuclear program is one of the most important foreign policy issues of the day. Years of stalled talks, diplomatic dead-ends, and sanctions have made it difficult to see exactly where progress has been made with Iran and what efforts are worth pursuing. In “The Iranian quagmire: How to move forward” (November/December 2010 Bulletin), leading foreign policy experts weigh in from around the world on how to proceed with Iran -- from clear diplomacy to fuel swaps to the darkest scenario of military strikes. Whatever their proposed solutions, the writers express one common theme: We ignore Iran at our own peril. From the US, Thomas R. Pickering, Lawrence J. Korb, and Bennett Ramberg; from Turkey, Mustafa Kibaroglu; from Iran, Kayhan Barzegar; and from Israel, Emily B. Landau.
Below, more experts explore the options, their strengths and weaknesses, and propose various structures and points to consider as the West and Iran are set to re-enter talks in November.
http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/roundtables/iran-and-the-west-next-steps#rt8569
How Will Iran Respond to NATO's Missile Shield? By Michael Eisenstadt
How Will Iran Respond to NATO's Missile Shield?
By Michael Eisenstadt
http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2010/11/21/how_will_iran_respond_to_natos_missile_shield_99286.html
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Egypt to take bids on first nuclear plant
Bidding for the first of four nuclear plants Egypt intends to build will open soon
The countdown is on for the founding of four Egyptian nuclear power plants dedicated to peaceful purposes that are to be build in the north coast area of Al-Dabaa as of early next year.
According to Hassan Younis, minister of power and electricity, the bid invitation for the first power plant is to be out “either by the end of this year or by early next year”.http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/1658/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-to-take-bids-on-first-nuclear-plant.aspx
USA and Czech Republic sign joint declaration
The USA and the Czech Republic have signed a joint declaration on civil nuclear power that will strengthen commercial relations between the two countries and help to develop new nuclear energy opportunities, the US Department of Commerce (DoC) has announced. The declaration was signed by US commerce secretary Gary Locke and Czech minister of industry and trade Martin Kocourek as well as US energy secretary Steven Chu. The agreement expresses both nations' commitment to commercial cooperation on existing and future nuclear projects as well as encouraging cooperation in science and research, including training and human resource development.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/IT-USA_and_Czech_Republic_sign_joint_declaration-0912107.html
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/IT-USA_and_Czech_Republic_sign_joint_declaration-0912107.html
China backs Iran's nuclear ambitions, official says
China backs Iran's nuclear ambitions, official says
Iran has the right to develop a nucle industry, said Yang Jiechi, China's foreign minister. -More-
Navy: Dahlgren Railgun test is successful
http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/12/navy-dahlgren-railgun-test-is.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2Fadvancednano+%28nextbigfuture%29
the Navy has the goal of using the railgun to fire 200 nautical miles with Mach 7 velocity using 64 megajoules with full deployment to ships in about 2020-2025.
Friday, December 10, 2010
How are we reducing greenhouse gas emissions from urban mobility?
Forty percent of all road transport CO2 emissions come from urban mobility, according to the European Commission. Many projects aim to reduce greenhouse emissions while simultaneously improving mobility.http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-12-greenhouse-gas-emissions-urban-mobility.html
Assessing the seismic hazard of the central eastern United States
As the U.S. policy makers renew emphasis on the use of nuclear energy in their efforts to reduce the country's oil dependence, other factors come into play. One concern of paramount importance is the seismic hazard at the site where nuclear reactors are located.
http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-12-seismic-hazard-central-eastern-states.html
http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-12-seismic-hazard-central-eastern-states.html
EDF seeks U.S. partner French-owned Unistar says its not under foreign control
Though they are searching for a U.S. partner to help build a third reactor at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, executives of foreign-owned Unistar Nuclear Energy made their case Wednesday that they do not need one in order to comply with federal law, which prohibits foreign ownership or control of U.S. nuclear facilities. More at:
http://www.somdnews.com/stories/12102010/rectop132428_32375.shtml
http://www.somdnews.com/stories/12102010/rectop132428_32375.shtml
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