Brazil’s nuclear plans a cash cow for France and a weapons worry
Brazil’s nuclear plans stir up debate, RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 30 
(UPI) — Brazil’s nuclear program, including its ambitious moves to develop a nuclear-powered submarine with French help, is stirring debate that puts focus on the Latin American country’s long-term aims in the field.
Both Brazil and Argentina began developing nuclear capabilities while under military rule. While Argentina has expanded its nuclear power generation capacity Brazil has gone into nuclear fuel processing and hopes to deploy the technology into a nuclear-powered submarine it plans to build with French help.
Agreements for the joint defense production program are in place but, as the implementation nears, questions are being asked about its nuclear component. French President Nicolas Sarkozy spearheaded a marketing drive that secured France much needed cash in a deal that includes the supply and joint construction of four diesel-electric submarines and a fifth nuclear-powered submarine….. Brazil has an advanced nuclear program dating to the 1950s that has drawn support at various stages from France, Germany and the United States. ….
Brazilian analysts who disagree with the nuclear bomb thesis say a program that includes deployment of nuclear power in weapons wouldn’t pass congressional approval or win public endorsement…. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2011/11/30/Brazils-nuclear-plans-stir-up-debate/UPI-27811322687019/#ixzz1fJnQZ2Ij
Mexico abandons plans for new nuclear plants
Mexico Scraps Plans to Build as Many as 10 Nuclear Plants, Bloomberg, By Carlos Manuel Rodriguez – Nov 2, 2011 Mexico, one of three Latin American nations that uses nuclear power, is abandoning plans to build as many as 10 new reactors and will focus on natural gas-fired electricity plants after boosting discoveries of the fuel.
The country, which found evidence of trillions of cubic feet of gas in the past year, is “changing all its decisions, amid the very abundant existence of natural-gas deposits,” Energy Minister Jordy Herrera said yesterday in an interview. Mexico will seek private investment of about $10 billion during five years to expand its natural gas pipeline network, he said……
“This is a very good decision by the Mexican government,” said James Williams, an economist at WTRG Economics, an energy research firm in London, Arkansas. With a power generation project based on gas “you can build multiple plants at a much lower cost and much faster pace than a nuclear facility.”
Nations around the world are also reconsidering plans for increasing their reliance on nuclear power after the March 11 earthquake in Japan that wrecked the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant, causing a loss of cooling, the meltdown of three reactors and the worst atomic disaster since the leak at Chernobyl in 1986….. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-02/mexico-scraps-plans-to-build-as-many-as-10-nuclear-plants-focus-on-gas.html
Nuclear submarines for Brazil
Brazil to build nuclear submarines which will dramatically alter balance of power in South America, By DAILY MAIL REPORTER 17th July 2011, The Brazilian government has started work on a submarine programme which will include the construction of South America’s first nuclear subs.
The move will boost Brazil’s claim to be the strongest force in the region, and strengthen the country’s military assertiveness….http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2015731/Brazil-build-nuclear-submarines-dramatically-alter-balance-power-South-America.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Renewable energy cheapest for drought stricken Chile
"Renewable energies require a greater investment but they have low production costs," said Mabel Weber, an energy analyst with Banchile Investments. "The more prices rise, the more viable alternative energies look."...Energy prices have nearly tripled in five years, leadingcompanies to covet the cost stability offered by wind, solar and geothermal power......
Costly Chile power may jolt renewable energy Feb 10, 2011 By Brad Haynes OVALLE, Chile, Feb 10 (Reuters) – A long drought has dried up hydroelectric power production in Chile, sending electricity costs soaring and making renewable power sources like wind, solar and geothermal more attractive, Continue reading
Chilean public not happy as USA and France push for selling nuclear technology to Chile
international environmental activists, Chilean naturalists and the Chilean public in general upset and displeased that the country keeps heading toward the nuclear power option.
U.S. and Chile Seeking Cooperative Nuclear Energy Deal, Despite Displeasure of Many Chileans, Hispanically Speaking News, January 28, 2011 Continue reading
USA scorns Venezuela’s nuclear energy ambitions
A confidential cable from John Caulfield, the deputy chief of mission, said Washington had little reason to fear Venezuelan plans to exploit uranium with Iranian help and build a reactor with Russian help…….
WikiLeaks cables dismiss Hugo Chávez’s nuclear ambitions guardian.co.uk Rory Carroll in Caracas guardian.co.uk, 9 December 2010 Leaked dispatches describe Venezuelan government as too shambolic and broke to exploit uranium or build reactors Continue reading
Columbian rebels seek nuclear materials to make a ‘dirty’ bomb
emails found on the computers proved that since 2005 the Farc had been trying to buy nuclear material in Ukraine.
Colombia tries to stop rebels from getting nuclear arms, BBC News, 20 October 2010 Colombian police have created the first counter-nuclear arms unit in the region dealing with leftist rebels. The new Centre for Nuclear Security will try to prevent members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) from obtaining nuclear material to make a “dirty bomb”. Continue reading
Venezuela about to bring nuclear weapons to Southern hemisphere
there is compelling evidence that Venezuela’s government and banks, with the help of the Ahmadinejad government and Iranian shell companies, are providing Iran with uranium mined in southeastern Venezuela
Venezuela Is Going Nuclear, and We Should Be Worried, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Rizwan Ladha, 8 Oct 10, You may know that the entire world, south of the equator, is one huge nuclear weapon free zone (NWFZ). Continue reading
Hurricane forces shutdown of Mexican nuclear plant
Nuclear Shutdown The storm also forced Mexico to suspend operations at its Laguna Verde nuclear power plant in eastern Veracruz State, according to the national electricity commission.
Hurricane Karl Nears Mexican Coast, Closes Oil Wells – Bloomberg, By Brian K. Sullivan – Sep 18, 2010, “………Karl was the strongest storm ever to form in the Gulf of Mexico’s Bay of Campeche, Continue reading
Mexico finding that gas is cheaper than nuclear power
Mexico Delays Decision on New Nuclear Plants as Gas Price Falls, By Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) — Mexico, one of three Latin American nations that use nuclear power, is delaying by as much as two years a decision on building nuclear plants as lower natural-gas prices reduce the attraction of the alternative energy source…
…A final decision on whether to build new nuclear plants and the quantity will be based on cost-effective “technical” factors, including the outlook for gas prices, Kessel said……In the U.S., lower gas prices, combined with less demand for electricity because of the weak economy, has slowed investments in renewable-energy projects and may prevent expansion of nuclear energy, NextEra Energy Inc. Chief Executive Officer Lewis Hay said in a June 23 interview.
Financial problems stall new nuclear projects in Brazil
“These nuclear projects take a long time to get off the drawing board and generate a lot of controversy, so they’ll likely be last in line to receive financing,”
Brazil’s Plans For Nuclear Energy May Face Financing Problem, WSJ.com By Paulo Winterstein, Dow Jones Newswires; AUGUST 16, 2010SAO PAULO, Brazil –Brazil’s plan to build at least five nuclear power plants over the next two decades may run into a financing problem as federal budget constraints limit spending by government-controlled utility Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6.BR, EBR). Continue reading
Brazil enriching uranium, and potential for nuclear weapons
Brazil continues to have a program to produce enriched uranium for power plants, and opened its first uranium enrichment plant in 2006.
The Folly of Brazil’s Exceptionalism, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Daniel Wagner: 9 Aug 2010, “……..Brazil first embarked on a nuclear program in the 1930s and pursued a covert nuclear weapons program until the 1970s. It retains the ability to create nuclear weapons but agreed not to do so under the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement, and as a signatory to the 1994 Treaty of Tlatelolco, which bans nuclear weapons in Latin America. Continue reading
Earthquake danger for transporting Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU)
Mexico sending its highly enriched uranium to USA
Mexico agrees to give up highly enriched uranium Los Angeles Times April 13, 2010 The nations of North America said they will work to eliminate highly enriched uranium from Mexico’s research reactors, an effort to protect against the proliferation of nuclear materials, the White House announced on Tuesday.The agreement was announced on the second
“The conversion of the reactor’s use of highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium fuel will enable the elimination of all the remaining highly enriched uranium from Mexico. Mexico agrees to give up highly enriched uranium | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times
First shipment to USA of highly dangerous Highly Enriched Uranium
Chile gives its last weapons-grade uranium to US By MICHAEL WARREN and MEG KINNARD (AP) – Google News Hostimg 12 April”.…..”It” is highly enriched uranium 235, HEU for short. It’s the material that most worries anti-terrorism experts. Just 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of it in a nuclear bomb could devastate an entire city, in the same way the United States destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Continue reading
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