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America gets Ukraine to hop on its nuclear power marketing bandwagon

Russia-USA marketingHow Washington Is Fighting For Russia’s Old Europe Energy Market, Forbes, Kenneth Rapoza , 17 May 16

“……..Nuking Ukraine

Getting Ukraine to hop on the Westinghouse band wagon was particularly crafty. Either it was simply fantastic timing on the part of Westinghouse, or the U.S. government and the new, post-Euromaidan government of Ukraine colluded to kick Russia to the curb.

“I think that Westinghouse was somehow involved in getting the EC to push Ukraine away from Russia on this front,” says Tomas Vlcek, an nergy security expert based out of Masaryk University in the Czech Republic.

In March 2014, just two months after the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted, a European environmentalist group called Bellona sent out stories saying that the Russian government was ready to punish Ukraine with an embargo on nuclear fuel supplies from TVEL.

When compared to what Gazprom has done with gas supplies, Putin ordering a stop on TVEL sales of nuclear fuel assemblies simply sounded like something he would propose. Only, it is not possible to ban nuclear fuel supply. Not only does the fuel rod stay in the reactor for years, someone else can make it for the reactor instead of the Russians. Like Westinghouse.

The Bellona coverage brandished Russia as a villain in the nuclear energy business too. Brussels called for “diversification” in Ukraine’s nuclear fuel market and gave Westinghouse’s European fuel division millions of euros in subsidies for the sake of “energy security”.

The whole shebang had nothing to do with Westinghouse in Pennsylvania. Their spokeswoman said she’s never heard of Bellona. Her colleagues in Europe, on the other hand-

Derek Taylor, the former E.U. civil servant who works at the Brussels branch of Bellona is also a Senior Advisor on energy at Burson-Marsteller which, in turn,is a public affairs firm working for Westinghouse worldwide.

Despite the civil war in East Ukraine, sanctions and Gazprom gas disputes, the Russians have never missed any scheduled nuclear fuel delivery to Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Westinghouse is more than a brand name American power company. It’s a battering ram used by Washington to promote energy security.

In 2012, Ukraine’s nuclear regulator banned the use of Westinghouse fuel assemblies in the country pending an investigation. Two years later, according to sources in Ukraine, then-Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk consulted Westinghouse on picking a new nuclear safety regulator for his new government.

In 2015 during a scheduled outage at a reactor unit at the South Ukraine nuclear power plant, two of the Westinghouse-made fuel assemblies were found to be leaking contrary to Westinghouse’s claims that those were of an ‘improved’ modification to fit the Rosatom VVER-1000 type nuclear reactors there.

Regardless, anti-Russia politics trumps technological problems. Westinghouse is currently planning to deliver five reloads of fuel to the South Ukraine and Zaporizhia nuclear power plants, the company said on April 28, meaning the new regulator has concluded its study and their VVER-1000 fuel assemblies are as good as those made in Russia. Capturing that market, as Toshiba says it will in corporate presentations, serves as a means to punish the Russians. It’s a political convenience the Russian’s are not willing to ignore.

“Our ability to make VVER fuel is not in question,” says Westinghouse Roderick. “We will continue to sell to VVER-1000s. I think it’s good to have competition in that market.”

It is good. Political pressure, whether Russian or American, is probably more harm than good. And it’s going to really irk countries, like Russia, who clearly see it as Washington poking them in the eye on purpose.

Energy security is therefore as much fact as it is fiction. It is as much a means to market Russian rivals as it is to limit the serious role energy politics plays in Russian-European relations.

But derailing nuclear projects while running into technical difficulties with Westinghouse fuel assemblies in Rosatom reactors is a dangerous way to promote energy security there. Paradoxically as it might seem, it plays into Russia’s hands when those projects to work according to plan. The Russians look reliable and solid by comparison.

“On the finance side too, I think Rosatom has Westinghouse beat,” says Jirusek about the Russian company’s ability to finance the construction of a new power plant and long term fuel supply deals.

Apart from Ukraine, where diversification was imposed for political reasons, Rosatom’s TVEL still holds its market share. Japan’s Westinghouse, despite paying no corporate tax in the U.S., will continue applying the pressure with the help of Washington and the U.S. taxpayer.

For the Russia-United States nuclear stand off , once again it is a war of attrition.

On May 12, Toshiba said it is coming back from the brink. It will post an operating profit of $1.1 billion this year after losing $6.6 billion last year due to massive write downs associated with Westinghouse and restructuring costs in the wake of a damaging accounting scandal.

No one should bet that Washington will suddenly stop selling their Westinghouse nukes to the Europeans. They could promote another Japanese-American hybrid, like the General Electric/Hitachi boiled water reactors. Or Oregon-based NuScale, who make a smaller modular reactor that is less capital intensive and is designed to be integrated into a renewable energy grid.  But they do not, obviously. It’s not because those are inferior products or even that Europe is currently a pressurized water reactor market. They do it because Westinghouse competes directly with the Russians. That’s what Washington is really after. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2016/05/17/washingtons-european-energy-security-boondoggle/#4247a5f362ef

May 21, 2016 Posted by | marketing, politics international, Russia, Ukraine, USA | Leave a comment

Russia aims to set up a nuclear sales empire, now pushing nuclear power to South East Asia

Putin Pushes Nuclear Power To Southeast Asia, Forbes, Kenneth Rapoza 20 May 16 Russian president Vladimir Putin did some lobbying for state owned Rosatom in Sochi on Friday, telling southeast Asian countries there that it was time to go nuclear.

Russia colonialism

“The level of cooperation between Russia and ASEAN in the fuel and energy sphere needs to be taken to a new level,” Putin was quoted as saying in the local press today. ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “Moscow is ready to cover the market and is ready to offer member countries projects on the construction of next generation nuclear electrical power stations,” he said during the Russia-ASEAN Summit in Sochi.

None of the 10 ASEAN nations are currently hooked up to nuclear power…..Rosatom is the world’s third largest developer of nuclear reactors. Its subsidiary TVEL producers fuel assembly rods, the technology that holds the uranium used to power the reactor and generate electricity. It competes with Westinghouse Electric Company, AREVA Inc. and now Chinese companies are starting to get in on the action, primarily in China but also in Eastern Europe, an historic strong hold for Russian utilities…..

No reactor deals between Rosatom and ASEAN nations have been signed at this time. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2016/05/20/putin-pushes-nuclear-power-to-southeast-asia/#6ec263f32e0a

May 21, 2016 Posted by | ASIA, marketing, Russia | Leave a comment

Russia to build Bushehr Nuclear Plant in Iran

Russian-Bearflag-Iran‘A Partner We Can Trust’: Iran Chooses Russia to Build Bushehr Nuke Plant Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom, will start work on Iran’s Bushehr-2 nuclear power plant by the end of this year after the construction site preparations are completed……

Russia has already built a power plant in Bushehr. The agreement for the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant was finalized in 1995, but the project was delayed several times due to a number of technical and financial issues……http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160520/1039943927/iran-russia-bushehr.html

May 21, 2016 Posted by | Iran, marketing, politics international, Russia | Leave a comment

Russia runs pro nuclear workshop in Vietnam

nuclear-marketing-crapWorkshop promotes nuclear power A workshop to enhance the understanding of nuclear power among people and media alike was held on May 19 in Hanoi. The event, part of activities of the “2016 Nuclear Science Day in Hanoi ,” was jointly organised by Russia ‘s State Nuclear Energy Corporation (ROSATOM), the Vietnam Atomic Energy Agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Information Center on Nuclear Energy (ICONE) and the Hanoi University of Technology.

Speaking at the event, Andrey Stankevich from ROSATOM Vietnam attached significance to publicity work to promote the development of nuclear energy…….

Communication work is crucial to raise public awareness of the development of the nuclear sector and get people’s approval of nuclear power,  said Deputy Director of the Agency Nguyen Thi Thu Trang

According to the representative from ROSATOM Asia, the press and media need to be a reliable source of basic information on radiation, nuclear science and the safety of nuclear power plants.

They should also promote the benefits of the sector in terms of socio-economic development, health care, agriculture and industry.

Numerous activities will also take place during the “2016 Nuclear Science Day in Hanoi” programme, which runs until May 20, including a lecture by a professor from the Russia National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI) and an awards presentation for the recent Physics Olympiad winners. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/science-it/156747/workshop-promotes-nuclear-power.html

May 21, 2016 Posted by | marketing, Russia, Vietnam | Leave a comment

Russia looks to nuclear colonise Africa

Russia colonialismRussia’s Rosatom seeks cooperation agreements for African nuclear expansion By Wendell Roelf CAPE TOWN (Reuters) 20 May 16, – Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom plans to sign cooperation agreements with Kenya, Uganda and Zambia to lay the groundwork for an expanded presence in Sub-Saharan Africa beyond its planned bid to build nuclear power plants in South Africa.

Rosatom has voiced confidence in its ability to see off competition from China, France and South Korea in a planned South African tender to build a 9,600 megawatts (MW) nuclear power fleet in the continent’s most industrialised country. It sees scope, however, for more deals across the region, from the building of plants to supplying reactor fuel……

Victor Polikarpov, Rosatom’s regional vice-president for Sub-Saharan Africa, said on Thursday.

“We want South Africa to become our springboard for the rest of Africa. We want to create a nuclear cluster, a group of companies here that can operate with us in Africa.”

President Jacob Zuma’s government was checking the financial and commercial impact of its nuclear ambitions before it issues a tender.

South Africa’s 1,800 MW Koeberg station near Cape Town is the continent’s only commercial nuclear power plant at present, though Rosatom is building a nuclear plant in Egypt that is expected to be completed by 2022.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s nuclear energy corporation Necsa is being encouraged by government to revive nuclear enrichment and conversion facilities to reduce dependence on imported reactor fuels……

Rosatom’s Polikarpov, however, said it might not be viable for South Africa to restart enrichment facilities dismantled before white minority rule ended in 1994.

“Another solution is just to have fuel supplied from Russia. We can guarantee supply of fuel non-stop for the duration of operation of all power plants,” he said.

Nigeria, however, looks a more distant prospect as its economy contracts amid the global plunge in oil prices.

“Given the extremely bad economic situation in Nigeria today, it might take a bit longer. But the government and the new president are still determined to go nuclear,” Polikarpov said.

(Editing by James Macharia and David Goodman) http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKCN0YA1CH

May 21, 2016 Posted by | AFRICA, marketing, Russia | Leave a comment

Russia plans for Africa to be its nuclear colony, starting with south Africa

Russian-Bearflag-S.AfricaHow Russia Is Expanding Its Vast Nuclear Empire Into Africa, AFK Insider By Dana Sanchez   May 19, 2016, Russia’s government-owned nuclear agency Rosatom hopes to use South Africa as a springboard into the rest Africa as it seeks to expand its influence on the continent by building nuclear power plants.

Rosatom plans to sign framework cooperation agreements with Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, adding to those already made with South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana, Reuters reported.

Right now, South Africa may be the best prospect. Nigeria looks less likely as its economy contracts in the global oil price plunge.

“Given the extremely bad economic situation in Nigeria today, it might take a bit longer. But the government and the new president are still determined to go nuclear,” said Viktor Polikarpov, Rosatom’s vice-president of sub-Saharan Africa.

South Africa in 2015 approved a plan to develop up to 600 megawatts of nuclear capacity by 2030 as part of a bigger plan to build 9,600 megawatts of nuclear power at up to nine new nuclear reactors……

Environmental activist group Greenpeace warned the ANC in 2015 to abandon nuclear build plans or face massive resistance, NuclearNews reported.

“The ANC needs to know that if it does go for the nuclear option as part of the (energy) mix, then they are on a collision course with the broader spectrum of the South African civil society,” said Greenpeace Director Kumi Naidoo said on Monday that the ANC should “take nuclear off the table.

Russia has competition to do the nuclear build from China, France and South Korea, Reuters reported. It’s already planning to seek more deals across the region that range from building power plants to supplying reactor fuel.

“What we are targeting is to build South Africa as a nuclear cluster of nuclear industries so that we can use our partners and our partnership for our expansion into Africa,” Polikarpov said in an interview Tuesday in Cape Town.

Rosatom can offer financing options, Polikarpov said, according to Bloomberg. These include a contract with a state-export credit offered to the government of South Africa, a buyer-owner operator agreement, a public-private partnership, or a combination of them…….

The allure of the turnkey nuclear power plant, built, owned and operated by Rosatom, allows governments across the world to embrace such projects. But for Russia they are much more than a major economic export. They are another geopolitical tool, allowing the Kremlin to tie up strategic governments into long-term cooperation. http://afkinsider.com/126032/how-russia-is-expanding-its-vast-nuclear-empire-into-africa/

May 20, 2016 Posted by | AFRICA, marketing, Russia, South Africa | Leave a comment

Egypt goes into $25 billion nuclear debt to Russia

Russian-Bearflag-EgyptEgypt gets $25 billion loan from Russia for nuclear plant http://www.theprovince.com/business/egypt+gets+billion+loan+from+russia+nuclear+plant/11930248/story.html BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MAY 19, 2016 CAIRO – Egypt has announced a $25 billion loan from Russia for the building of a nuclear power plant.

Thursday’s announcement came in a decree by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The Russian loan will cover 85 per cent of the expenses of the plant’s construction.

Egypt, which will cover the other 15 per cent, is to repay the loan over a 22-year period, starting in 2029, with a 3 per cent annual interest rate.

Egypt and Russia agreed in February 2015 to build the plant together and signed a memorandum of understanding on the project. But the relations between the two nations were badly impacted after the horrific Russian passenger plane crash in Sinai last October, when all 224 people on board were killed.

Egypt’s economy has plummeted amid a slump in the tourism sector.

May 20, 2016 Posted by | Egypt, marketing, Russia | Leave a comment

Russia joins the throng desperate to sell nuclear radioactive trash to Britain

Russian-Bearflag-UKRussia’s state-owned nuclear group keen to break into UK market Rosatom understood to be hoping to revive plans to build reactors in Britain if EDF proposals for Hinkley Point C fail, Guardian, , 14 May 16,  A Russian nuclear group is hoping that the potential meltdown of French plans to build new European pressurised reactors at Hinkley Point could offer an opportunity to break into the British nuclear market.

Deeper concerns about the future of the Somerset scheme were raised by the French energy minister, Ségolène Royal, who warned of the “colossal” cost, which EDF admitted could be £18bn or even £21bn.

Recent talks have been held between state-owned Russian nuclear group Rosatom and the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) despite the chilly political relations between London and Moscow over Ukraine, Moscow sources claimed.

These discussions centred on whether Russia could help Britain with removal of uranium from old reactors – but Rosatom is understood to have a wider agenda of trying to resuscitate earlier plans to build its own reactors in Britain.

“There is still an appetite to enter the UK market,” said a senior Russian nuclear industry source who claimed Rosatom’s London-based representatives still maintained contacts with the Department ofEnergy and Climate Change…….

The Russians accept that sanctions and other political considerations make it difficult for such a plan to progress, but they point out that Rosatom still supplies uranium to UK and US nuclear plants.

The NuDA confirmed that it had held a series of talks with Rosatom. “We have met with them. We are a recognised global authority and we meet with a lot of organisations,” said a spokesman……..

China wants to use Britain as a showcase for its Hualong technology and agreed to take a third share in EDF’s Hinkley scheme in return for being allowed to proceed with Chinese-owned technology at Bradwell……..

Those worries were given extra weight with Royal’s comments in an interview with the Financial Times in which she said: “I am wondering if we should go ahead with the project. The sums involved are colossal.”

And they added to fears about the future of the Somerset project earlier this week when the company’s management was pilloried by shareholders at its annual general meeting and credit agency Moody’s downgraded EDF debt.

John Sauven, Greenpeace’s executive director, said the downgrading was just “a long line of massive red flag warnings” the UK government had received over the Hinkley nuclear project. He added: “Hinkley power station must not become ‘too big to fail’ because of politicians’ egos that are too big to back down.” http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/13/russias-state-owned-nuclear-group-keen-to-break-into-uk-market

May 14, 2016 Posted by | marketing, Russia, UK | Leave a comment

USA’s missile defense site in Romania provokes Russian anger

missile-envyU.S. activates Romanian missile defense site, angering Russia, Reuters DEVESELU, ROMANIA | BY ROBIN EMMOTT , 12 May 15, The United States switched on an $800 million missile shield in Romania on Thursday that it sees as vital to defend itself and Europe from so-called rogue states but the Kremlin says is aimed at blunting its own nuclear arsenal.

To the music of military bands at the remote Deveselu air base, senior U.S. and NATO officials declared operational the ballistic missile defense site, which is capable of shooting down rockets from countries such as Iran that Washington says could one day reach major European cities……..

When complete, the defensive umbrella will stretch from Greenland to the Azores. On Friday, the United States will break ground on a final site in Poland due to be ready by late 2018, completing the defense line first proposed almost a decade ago.

The full shield also includes ships and radars across Europe. It will be handed over to NATO in July, with command and control run from a U.S. air base in Germany.

Russia is incensed at such of show of force by its Cold War rival in formerly communist-ruled eastern Europe. Moscow says the U.S.-led alliance is trying to encircle it close to the strategically important Black Sea, home to a Russian naval fleet and where NATO is also considering increasing patrols……

Joe Cirincione, an American nuclear expert who is president of Ploughshares Fund, a global security organization, told reporters in Geneva that the shield should be scrapped.

“It was designed to protect Europe from a missile from, well, the only country we were afraid of was Iran. The system was designed to protect against an Iranian nuclear missile. There is not going to be an Iranian nuclear missile for at least 20 years. There is no reason to continue with that program.”…..

Douglas Lute, the United States’ envoy to NATO, said NATO would press ahead with NATO’s biggest modernization since the Cold War. “We are deploying at sea, on the ground and in the air across the eastern flanks of the alliance … to deter any aggressor,” Lute said.

At a cost of billions of dollars, the missile defense umbrella relies on radars to detect a ballistic missile launch into space. Sensors then measure the rocket’s trajectory and destroy it in space before it re-enters the earth’s atmosphere. The interceptors can be fired from ships or ground sites.

The Romanian shield, which is modeled on the United States’ so-called Aegis ships, was first assembled in New Jersey and then transferred to the Deveselu base in containers…….http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nato-shield-idUSKCN0Y30JX

May 13, 2016 Posted by | EUROPE, Russia, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Russia’s new more powerful nuclear missiles

missile-envyflag_RussiaRussia Developing New Nuclear Missiles Capable of Penetrating US Defenses
Russia wants to modernize 70 percent of its intercontinental ballistic missile arsenal by 2018, The Diplomat, By Franz-Stefan Gady May 11, 2016 Russia is developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) specifically designed to penetrate U.S. missile defense systems, Russian Commander of Strategic Missile Forces Colonel-General Sergei Karakayev told Russian state-owned news agency TASS on Tuesday.

“This is conditioned by the fact that the United States is not stopping after what it has achieved and continues improving its missile defense system, including the deployment of its elements in Europe. That is why special attention in the development of new missile complexes is paid to the issue of overcoming the missile shield,” Karakayev said.

As I reported previously, Russia announced in January that it would conduct a total of 16 ICBM test launches in 2016 with 14 dedicated to testing new missiles and warheads (See: “Russia to Launch 16 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles in 2016”). The Strategic Missile Forces are also holding more than 100 command and staff, tactical and special exercises throughout the year.

According to Karakayev, the Russian military is introducing new types of warheads with a difficult to predict flight path in order to overcome U.S. missile defenses. “This is achieved both through the ICBM’s shorter acceleration phase and new types of warheads with a hard-to-predict flight trajectory and new means of overcoming the missile shield,” he said.

Russia has been testing a new hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), the YU-71, a warhead capable of accelerating to up to ten times the speed of sound descending from the atmosphere on an erratic flight path without following a predictable ballistic trajectory. (The YU-71 performs evasive maneuvers making it very difficult for conventional missile defense systems to intercept.)

By 2021, the Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) plan to have an equal number of stationary and mobile ICBM systems. “Considering the ratios of stationary and mobile groupings of the Strategic Missile Forces, it can be noted that at the turn of 2021, the quantitative indicators of these groupings will come to equal each other. However, the capabilities of the stationary grouping will continue to be higher due to the availability of heavy missiles,” Karakayev noted…….

As I noted in a previous piece (“Russia to Add 40 New ICBMs: Should the West Be Worried?”):

Russia is in the middle of modernizing its strategic and nonstrategic nuclear warheads. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Moscow has currently 4,500 nuclear warheads, of which roughly 1,780 strategic warheads are deployed on missiles and at bomber bases. An additional 700 strategic warheads are kept in storage along with approximately 2,000 nonstrategic warheads. “Russia deploys an estimated 311 ICBMs that can carry approximately 1,050 warheads,” the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists further notes.

The SMF’s most powerful future weapon will be the RS-28 Sarmat, Russia’s newest super heavy liquid-propelled ICBM, currently under development with first test-launches scheduled for later in the year. “The development of the Sarmat silo-based missile system with a heavy missile is nearing completion,” Karakayev said.

“The performance of the stationary grouping of the heavy ICBM (of the Voyevoda or Sarmat class) will four times surpass that of the stationary grouping of the light-class ICBM (Topol-M, Yars) by all the RVSN grouping tactical effectiveness parameters,” he added. The Sarmat purportedly can carry ten heavy or 15 lighter warheads and is expected to become operational by 2020.

A YU-71 HGV warhead mounted on a Sarmat ICBM could be one of the deadliest nuclear weapons fielded since the end of the Cold War. Sputnik News bombastically claims that the Sarmat ICBM can wipe out an area the size of Texas or France, while “its higher speed performance will enable it to speed past every missile defense system in existence.” http://thediplomat.com/2016/05/russia-developing-new-nuclear-missiles-capable-of-penetrating-us-defenses/

May 11, 2016 Posted by | Russia, weapons and war | Leave a comment

USA Defence Secretary accuses Russia of sabre-rattling

US accuses Russia of nuclear sabre-rattling, amid Nato tensions US Defence Secretary Ash Carter has accused Russia of “nuclear sabre-rattling” and of being intent on eroding international order.BBC News, 3 May 16 

He said he regretted strained relations with Moscow but said the US had to “prioritise deterrence” on Nato’s eastern flank.

US-Russian ties have been strained by the Ukraine crisis and recent military encounters in the Baltic Sea.

Russia has accused Nato of threatening its national security……http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36197856

May 4, 2016 Posted by | politics international, Russia, USA | Leave a comment

Russian nuclear submarine fires CRUISE MISSILE in Arctic

Russian nuclear sub fires CRUISE MISSILE in chilling footage of Arctic military drill, Mirror, BY JONATHAN SHARMAN, 30 APR 16 The 120-metre Severodvinsk submarine can be seen sinking slowly below the surface before its Kalibr missile erupts from the wave… [INCL  VIDEO]…..

The Russian military said the cruise missile struck its target, in the Arkhangelsk region, “with high accuracy”.

A statement added: “A strike group of the flotilla has conducted firing drills using naval practice targets and hit them successfully.”

The Kalibr missile, which can carry nuclear or conventional payloads, travels at speeds up to Mach 2.9 – the same as a space shuttle during launch. The land-attack weapon has a range of up to 1,500 miles……..http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/russian-nuclear-sub-fires-cruise-7866647

April 30, 2016 Posted by | ARCTIC, Russia, weapons and war | Leave a comment

New kinds of nuclear dangers, with China’s plan for floating reactors

Fukushima at sea? China wants a fleet of floating nuclear power plants, CNN, By Tony Roulstone, 29 Apr 16

  • China has ambitious plans to build a fleet of 20 floating nuclear reactors
  • Russia is already building a floating nuclear power plant
  • But storms, waves, maintenance all pose safety concerns<

    CNN)China is planning to build nuclear reactors that will take to the sea to provide power in remote locations, possibly including the controversial man-made islands in the contested waters of the South China Sea.

    These small power plants will be built in Chinese shipyards, mounted on large sea-going barges, towed to a remote place where power is needed and connected to the local power grid, or perhaps oil rig…….
    The plans have raised eyebrows and many are asking: Why are they being planned? Will they be safe? Will they be economic?
This idea is not new.
In 1966, the U.S. mounted a submarine nuclear power plant on the Liberty ship, Sturgis, to power the Panama Canal Zone from 1968 to 1975.
Now Russia is building floating nuclear plants with reactors taken from their nuclear powered icebreaker program……

Seven floating nuclear power plants are planned by Russia. The first, the Akademik Lomonosov, should be completed this year at the high cost of $740m, according to World Nuclear News.

It is destined for the Far East port of Pevek, in the Chukotka Republic of Kamchatka…..
 There are many  questions as to whether these reactors will be safe on the seas.
They will be exposed to the vagaries and the uncertainties known by seafarers and to extreme storms and waves — sinking of the barge is a possibility.
Also, it could be harder to protect seaborne reactors — opposed to their land-based counterparts — from external threats such as the loss of off-site power or a terrorist attack.
Maintenance, key to safe operation, will be much more difficult in remote locations. These are new and different hazards from those considered for land-based reactors.
The crucial issues of flooding for nuclear reactors and the loss of power required for cooling were highlighted by the accident at Fukushima.
While the Chinese regulators may use the same safety standards as elsewhere in the world, their process is not sufficiently transparent for outsiders to be clear whether, or not, these novel floating nuclear power plants can be made as safe as modern land-based reactors. http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/28/opinions/china-floating-nuclear-reactors/

April 30, 2016 Posted by | China, Russia, safety | Leave a comment

French and Russian nuclear utilities to work together, on decommissiong, and more

money-in-wastes-2French and Russian nuclear utilities extend collaboration, World Nuclear News, 26 April 2016

French utility EDF has signed an agreement to extend its cooperation with Rosenergoatom, the operator of Russia’s civil nuclear power plants. The companies will cooperate in reactor operations, decommissioning and waste management…..

Through the agreement, EDF and Rosenergoatom intend to develop cooperation in areas such as the maintenance, modernization and operating period extension of nuclear power plants, as well as decommissioning and radioactive waste management http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-French-and-Russian-nuclear-utilities-extend-collaboration-2604164.html

April 27, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, France, Russia | Leave a comment

Nuclear safety is beyond politics. Ukraine and Russia must c o-operate on this

‘Nuclear safety is no-politics zone’: Chernobyl plant head urges Russia-Ukraine cooperation RT.com  23 Apr, 2016 The head of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has urged Russia and Ukraine to start rebuilding relations by restoring cooperation in tackling the aftermath of the worst nuclear disaster in history, which marks its 30th anniversary this year.

CHERNOBYL: FALLOUT 30 (SPECIAL PROJECT) 

Chernobyl NPP CEO Igor Gramotkin shared his thoughts on the plant’s future in an interview with the Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli published on Friday.

“Russia and Ukraine are going through difficult times, but we must now figure out how to build the relationship in the future, and why not start restoring it by jointly looking for solutions to a common problem, namely, eliminating the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe,” Gramotkin said.

He stressed that “nuclear radiation safety is an area that is beyond politics.”……https://www.rt.com/news/340741-chernobyl-nuclear-disaster-cooperation/

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April 27, 2016 Posted by | politics international, Russia, Ukraine | Leave a comment