BRICs – Brazil, Russia, China, India, all nuclear prospects looking dodgy
China is looking much less committed to nuclear power than it was a year ago.
The reality is that China needs nuclear power much less than the nuclear industry needs China.
Prospects for Nuclear Power in 2012 Source: Platts - a leading global provider of energy, metals and petrochemicals information. London, 30 January 2012 “….BRICs [Brazil, Russia, India and China] + South Korea China has dominated new nuclear plant orders in the past few years, accounting for 25 out of the 38 reactors on which construction started worldwide between 2008-2010. Six of these units were for Gen III+ designs, four AP1000s and two EPRs. Almost all the others used a design imported from France in the 1980s, which in turn had been licensed from Westinghouse in the early 1970s. This design, the CPR1000, is showing its age and there was an expectation, even before Fukushima, that the AP1000 would replace it. This would have been a huge boost to the AP1000, giving it the volume of orders that might have allowed costs to come down and for teething problems to be solved. The EPR, by contrast, appears to have no prospect of further orders in China.
However, there were signs that the strain of the rapid pace of construction was beginning to show. In 2011, no new starts were made, compared with ten in 2010. Fukusima explains this to a degree, but some might have been expected in the first three months of 2011 before disaster struck. The reason behind the slowdown is the high cost of the AP1000. The large Chinese utilities appear to be looking at other options.
There is now talk of pursuing indigenous advanced designs developed from the CPR1000 as well as Small Modular Reactors. China has always been adept at convincing nuclear suppliers that there was a great future for their particular technology in China.
It is unclear whether talk of SMRs and new advanced designs will go any further. Read more »
Growth of anti-nuclear movement in Asia
Anti-nuclear movement growing in Asia Though nuclear power still has a strong foothold in Asia, anti-nuclear sentiment and protest are growing from Mongolia to South Korea to Taiwan and even – in modest ways – in China. Christian Science Monitor, By Winifred Bird, January 27, 2012 YOKOHAMA, JAPAN
Heonseok Lee has a simple way of describing how public sentiment 
toward nuclear power has changed in South Korea since the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant last March 11. “Before 3/11, I’d post an article criticizing the nuclear power industry, and right away there’d be hundreds of really nasty comments. After 3/11, there’ll still be a few dozen. But not hundreds,” says Lee, a full-time anti-nuclear activist in one of the world’s most pro-nuclear countries.
Though nuclear power still has a strong foothold throughout the region, and public opinion is
mixed, activists across Asia have anecdotes like this to show that anti-nuclear sentiment and protest are slowly growing from Mongolia, to South Korea to Taiwan and even – in modest ways – to China.
This month, activists from Japan and South Korea announced plans for a new East Asian civil society network to promote renewable energy and oppose nuclear power. Read more »
Stiff opposition in South Korea to new nuclear power plants
New nuclear plants face public backlash, Korea Herald, By Shin Hyon-hee, 27 Dec 11 2011 Civic groups, environmentalists, residents stage protests, voicing safety concerns The government’s plan to install new nuclear reactors in the country’s eastern shore faces stiff opposition from residents, stoking safety concerns in the aftermath of a Japanese disaster.
Last week, the government picked two candidate sites for nuclear power plants –Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang Province and Samcheok in Gangwon Province. The decision will be finalized by late next year after on-site inspections and environmental surveys.
On Monday, civic groups, religious organizations, environmentalists and residents staged a mass rally in downtown Seoul and the two regions, calling to scrap the country’s atomic energy policy.
“The government’s latest site selection completely neglects a global anti-nuclear trend that has been reigning supreme since the Fukushima meltdown in March,” Green Korea United, one of the country’s major environmental groups, said in a statement. In Samcheok, Gangwon
Province Gov. Choi Moon-soon added fuel to the flame by expressing his regret over the announcement. “It’s hard to understand the government is pushing ahead with its nuclear expansion program at a time when there is no national consensus and public understanding of the safety of the plan,” he said. ..
..Among the imminent issues is the storage of spent radioactive fuel rods that will run of space in 2016. The ministry plans to host a public forum in the first half of next year to discuss how to take care of such obsolete equipment, Hong said….http://www.koreaherald.com/business/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111226000732
Wind power growing in importance in South Korea
South Korea’s drive for renewable energy By Lucy Williamson, BBC News,1 Dec 11 South Korea “…..Wind power is becoming increasingly important to South Korea – not just as a way to help meet ambitious targets on greenhouse gas emissions, but also as a way to boost the economy.
“Green Growth” has been a key national strategy since President Lee Myung-bak took office four years ago……..South Korea is relatively late to the green technology market. Europe is the established leader in wind turbines – and even China is judged to be steaming ahead.
Korea completed its first wind farm five years ago. Spread across a beautiful series of hills in Gangwon Province, near the country’s eastern coast, the wind farm produces an impressive 240MW per year….. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15984399
South Korea’s radiation hotspot – from Japan, or from China?
The Institute of Nuclear Safety has previously reported that cesium-137 has been detected over the past 10 years in South Korea’s air and soil when so-called yellow dust blows in from China .
Radiation Hot Spot Detected in South Korean Pavement,Voice of America , November 3rd, 2011 South Korea’s Institute of Nuclear Safety says it has discovered a patch of pavement in Seoul is emitting radiation at levels 10 times higher than normal. Read more »
South Korea’s nuclear regulator serving the industry rather than safety
concerns that this organization created to regulate nuclear power plant safety will merely serve to bolster the industry and serve as its shield
A conflict of interest in nuclear safety oversight, THE HANKYOREH , 26 oct 11, Today sees the launch of a presidential commission on nuclear safety and security. It was established to assume the safety regulation duties of nuclear power promotion organizations and conducting proper examinations of nuclear power safety so that citizens can rest easy. But the commission has gotten off on the wrong foot.
The individual appointed as the commission’s chair, a position comparable Cabinet minister, is Seoul National University Emeritus Professor of Nuclear Engineering Kang Chang-soon, a leading figure in the nuclear power industry. Kang reportedly held the post of vice chairman of the Korea Atomic Industrial Forum, an organization of nuclear power industry figures, only to resign that post just after his nomination. He previously served as an outside director for Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, a firm that builds nuclear power plants, and as an advisory committee member for the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company, which manages them. He has taken on numerous projects commissioned by nuclear power companies and stated his belief that South Korea should increase its reliance on nuclear power to 70%. Read more »
South Korea’s history of seeking nuclear weapons
CIA documents shed light on S Korea’s nuke ambition in 1970s, The Korea Herald/Asia News Network, Sep 26, 2011 As the international community continues to grapple with how best to thwart North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, a Seoul-based publication has revealed declassified US Central Intelligence Agency documents shedding light on South Korea’s own efforts to acquire nuclear weapons four decades ago.
Global Asia, a publication of the East Asia Foundation in Seoul, said the previously secret US documents show that South Korea continued to develop nuclear weapons at least two years after Washington thought it had ceased during the 1970s……..
Park’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons may have influenced North Korea’s own threat perception at the time, and fuelled the North’s desire to acquire its own nuclear weapons ? a fact that continues to be relevant today……
these historical documents illustrate that engaging North Korea from a position of political, economic and military strength ? not extended nuclear deterrence ? remains the best policy option…http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20110926-301465.htmlThe two Koreas to discuss nuclear disarmament
Korea Envoys to Discuss Resuming Nuclear Talks, NYT, By CHOE SANG-HUN, September 16, 2011, SEOUL, South Korea — The top nuclear negotiators from North and South Korea plan to meet next week in Beijing to discuss terms of restarting the long-stalled six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, a senior government official here said Friday. Read more »
Meeting between North and South Korea
Two Koreas meet to discuss nuclear issue, By Jack Kim and Andrew Quinn, SEOUL/NUSA DUA, Indonesia Jul 22, 2011 (Reuters) - The nuclear envoys of South and North Korea met on the sidelines of an Asian forum in Bali on Friday, an official in Seoul said, in the first high level contact since tensions spiked on the Korean peninsula last year….. Read more »
South Korea urged to close Gori nuclear reactor,and to ‘leapfrog’ to safe renewable energy
Greenpeace and the Korean Federation of Environmental Movement called in a statement for the immediate closure of the Gori 1 reactor 325 kilometres (200 miles) southeast of Seoul…..South Korea had enough technological knowledge to leapfrog to clean renewable energy and provide a very safe future for the country…….
S.Korea’s oldest reactor must close: Greenpeace – Yahoo! News Jun 17, ETSEOUL (AFP) – Greenpeace urged South Korea Friday to shut down its oldest nuclear reactor, expressing concern about its safety and drawing a parallel with a disaster-stricken reactor in Japan.The anti-nuclear environmental group is currently sailing around South Korea on its campaign ship, the Rainbow Warrior, visiting and showing solidarity for communities sited around nuclear plants. Read more »
Two Koreas may meet for nuclear negotiations
Chief Nuclear Negotiators from Both Koreas ‘May Meet, The Chosun Ilbo , 12 April 11, ‘South Korea is likely to accept a proposal from China for a three-stage process to revive the stalled six-party talks that would start with an inter-Korean meeting between chief nuclear negotiators as a lead up to North Korea-U.S. talks and the resumption of six-party talks. Read more »
USA not putting tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea
U.S. not mulling redeploying tactical nukes to S. Korea: official, By Hwang Doo-hyong, WASHINGTON, March 3 (Yonhap) — The United States will not consider redeploying tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea despite growing concerns about North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, a senior U.S. official has said. Read more »
South Korea radiation leaks from nuclear power centre
Radiation leaks reported at nuke power research center in S.Korea 2011-02-20 SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) – A South Korean nuclear power research center issued a warning of radiation leaks on Sunday, which forced its staff there to evacuate immediately, according to local media. A “white” warning was issued at around 2:32 p.m. local time at the state-run Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), located in the central city of Daejeon, about 160 km south of Seoul, after minor radiation leaks were detected at a 30 megawatt research reactor, HANARO, at around 1:03 p.m. local time, the KAERI told local media….Radiation leaks reported at nuke power research center in S.Korea
South Korea will lend $10 billion to beat AREVA in selling nukes
Beating GE, Areva. Korea Electric, the country’s biggest electricity provider, beat General Electric Co. and Areva SA of France for rights to build the U.A.E.’s first nuclear reactors.
South Korea Plans to Lend $10 Billion for U.A.E. Nuclear Plants – Bloomberg, By Ayesha Daya – // Oct 6, 2010 South Korea expects to lend about $10 billion for the United Arab Emirates’ first nuclear plants, more than doubling pledges it has already made this year to finance construction projects in the Middle East. Read more »
South Korea alarmed at North Korea’s nuclear programs
- Seoul warns of nuclear ‘havoc’, The Australian, October 07, 2010 A SENIOR South Korean official has warned that North Korea’s nuclear program had reached “a very alarming level”. Read more »
1 THIS MONTH
Uranium mining in Namibia http://namibian.me/group/canwin2?commentId=4103091%3AComment%3A47391&xg_source=msg_com_group
Nuclear industry is moribund, despite 2 new reactors licensed in USA http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3428147.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3413882.htm Is the world facing a groundwater crisis?
of the week http://climaterealityproject.org/thin-ice/
and another WEBSITE : - New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution http://www.necnp.org/
EVENT
February 18 Hindsdale, Chicago American Association of University Women - nuclear disaster preparedness H.OB.aauw.reservations@gmail.com.
March 2012 is “March Against Nuclear Madness” and Beyond Nuclear has created a new March Against Nuclear Madness Facebook page.
March 8th & 9th – Cape Town, South Africa - The Global Conference: Nuclear Power For Africa? http://koebergalert.org/npfree/
May 31 USA - Portland, Maine, Bonnie Raitt benefit concert for New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution
Nuclear power and water – theme for February 2012
FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT and WATER – present state
That nuclear core is in direct contact with tons of water. And that containment, while not leaking down, is leaking out the sides. That contaminated water is going into every other building on site. And there is literally thousands and thousands of tons of water in other buildings. That water contains radioactive cesium, radioactive strontium, and it also contains nuclear fuel. There will be uranium in that water and plutonium in that water as well. We know for sure that that water is leaking into the ground water and into the Pacific Ocean. So while it is important to know that we are not going to release the nuclear core directly into the center of the earth, the problem is not over. And as a matter of fact, the problem will last for tens, perhaps even as long as 30 years because this contaminated water is in the basements of all the buildings on site. And not only does it contain cesium (that hangs around for 300 years), strontium (hangs around for 300 years), but it also contains plutonium and uranium and they have half lives of tens of thousands of years.
So the problem is, what do we do with all that water that is contaminated? It is already leaking into the groundwater. It is already leaking into the ocean. TEPCO is frantically catching it and putting it into tanks. But just today, TEPCO announced that they are running out of tank space on site, and eventually they are going to have to release those tanks into the Pacific Ocean. Now they will try to clean up some of the isotopes like cesium. But they have been unable to capture all the strontium. Strontium is a bone seeker that causes leukemia… http://fairewinds.com/content/fukushima-could-it-have-china-syndrome
NUCLEAR REACTORS - WATER USE : Per megawatt existing nuclear power stations use and consume more water than power stations using other fuel sources. Depending on the cooling technology utilised, the water requirements for a nuclear power station can vary between 20 to 83 per cent more than for other power stations.”- Dep of Parliamentary Services research note, 4 December 2006, no. 12, 2006–07, ISSN 1449-8456 Water consumption figures:
Nuclear: 2.3 L/ kWh
Solar (PV): 0.110 L/ kWh
Wind: 0.004 L/ kWh
(American Wind Energy Association estimate & US DOE)
A typical 1000-megawatt pressurized-water reactor (with a cooling tower) takes in 20,000 gallons of river, lake or ocean water per minute for cooling, circulates it through a 50-mile maze of pipes, returns 5,000 gallons per minute to the same body of water, and releases the remainder to the atmosphere as vapor. A 1000-megawatt reactor without a cooling tower takes in even more water–as much as one-half million gallons per minute. The discharge water is contaminated with radioactive elements in amounts that are not precisely known or knowable, but are biologically active.
Some radioactive fission gases, stripped from the reactor cooling water, are contained in decay tanks for days before being released into the atmosphere through filtered rooftop vents. Some gases leak into the power plant buildings’ interiors and are released during periodic “purges” and “ventings.” These airborne gases contaminate not only the air, but also soil and water. http://www.nirs.org/factsheets/routineradioactivereleases.htm
NUCLEAR REACTORS -IONISING RADIATION to GROUNDWATER In USA the nuclear industry has contaminated groundwater with radioactive tritium at nuclear power plant sites all across the country. Nuclear plants that have admitted leaking tritium into the groundwater include:
- Braidwood, Byron, Dresden and Quad Cities in Illinois;
- Indian Point and Fitzpatrick in New York;
- Yankee Rowe and Pilgrim in Massachusetts;
- Three Mile Island and Peach Bottom in Pennsylvania;
- Callaway in Missouri
- Catawba in South Carolina
- Oyster Creek in New Jersey
- Hatch in Georgia
- Palo Verde In Arizona
- Perry in Ohio
- Palisades in Michigan
- Point Beach in Wisconsin
- Salem in Delaware
- San Onofre in California
- Seabrook in New Hampshire
- Shearon Harris in North Carolina
- Watts Bar in Tennessee
- Wolf Creek in Kansas
- Connecticut Yankee in Connecticut
- Vermont Yankee in Vermont
URANIUM MINING – OPEN CUT or UNDERGROUND It is very difficult to find figures on the amounts of water used. All mining is water intensive, but uranium mining is the greatest guzzler Water is extensively used to suppress airborne dust levels, to try to reduce the radioactive clouds that would otherwise emanate constantly from the uranium tailings.IN SITU LEACHING – Uranium Mining Process in-situ leaching uses a hydrogen peroxide mixture to strip the uranium from the rock, which kills tissue and destroys cells in human and animal life. The addition of oxygen and sodium bicarbonate called oxygenates causes uranium and other radioactive substances and trace metals to be liberated from the rock into the groundwater.
.. judges have too often taken the stance that they are judges who know nothing of the mining industry and accept the data of corporations, claiming the corporations are in the know.
..the water taken from the extremely pristine Westwater Canyon Aquifer near Crownpoint for uranium mining and used for flushing out chemicals would not be replaced in our lifetimes.
It takes hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, to transform aquifer water back into a drinkable condition. Virginia Against Uranium Mining: Scientists Back Navajos’ Uranium Mining Fight: Tribe fears contamination of drinking water
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