SOUTH AMERICA « nuclear-news

Brazil ditches nuclear reactor plans, in favour of renewable energy and gas

Brazil shelves plans to build new nuclear plants Google News 10 May (AFP) BRASILIA — Brazil said Wednesday it has shelved plans to build new nuclear power stations in the coming years in the wake of last year’s Fukushima disaster in Japan.

The previous government led by former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had planned to construct between four and eight new nuclear plants through 2030….. “The last plan, which runs through 2020, does not envisage any (new) nuclear power station because there is no need for it. Demand is met with hydro-electrical power and complementary energy sources such as wind, thermal and natural gas,” Energy ministry’s executive secretary, Marcio Zimmermann said in remarks released by the ministry Wednesday. “The 2021 plan, as far as I know, will not consider nuclear power stations either, ” he added, ….

May 10, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Brazil, business and costs | 1 Comment

Solar photovoltaic energy going ahead in Asia and South America

Solar week roundup: China, Latin America pushing ahead with solar, Clean Energy, Chris Meehan, APR 02, 2012 News in the world of solar is increasingly becoming worldwide. As the U.S. imposed preliminary duties on Chinese silicon photovoltaics, the top 10 solar producers are looking to increase the Asian PV market for more sales. At the same time interest in Latin and South America is picking up as costs for solar continue to come down and costs for other energy sources go up.

In the U.S., the news is more mixed with some places embracing solar while others are trying to reduce incentives to support renewables. But even Minnesota could go 100 percent renewable at a small cost. …. South America’s largest country, Brazil, is considering legislation that could grow the amount of solar in the country.

The country is considering a national net-metering program for home and small business owners, to credit PV owners for generation. And it’s considering legislation that would slash taxes on utilities by 80 percent on electricity sourced from distributed solar generation.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) increased financing for solar, renewable projects in Latin America to $736 million in 2011. That’s more than it invested over the decade between 2000 and 2010, when it invested more $663 million in renewable energy projects in Latin American and Caribbean countries. The IDB also plans to invest more than $700 million in such projects in 2012. …. http://www.cleanenergyauthority.com/solar-energy-news/solar-energy-news-week-roundup-040212/

April 4, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | ASIA, renewable, SOUTH AMERICA | Leave a comment

Objection by Argentina to British nuclear submarine in South Atlantic

UK sent nuclear sub near Falklands, says Argentina, BBC News, 10 Feb 12, The UK says the HMS Dauntless is being sent to the South Atlantic as part of routine operations

Argentina’s foreign minister has accused the UK of sending a nuclear-armed submarine to the South Atlantic, after making an
official complaint to the UN over the Falklands dispute. Hector Timerman demanded that the British confirm the location of
nuclear submarines in the region. Continue reading →

February 11, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, SOUTH AMERICA | Leave a comment

Brazil postpones its nuclear power project

Brazil delays nuclear plans after Japan disaster RIO DE JANEIRO (MarketWatch) Feb. 8, 2012, — Brazil’s plans to build four new nuclear power plants have been delayed by about 18 months following last year’s accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, an official of Brazilian state-owned nuclear power company Eletronuclear said Wednesday….

February 9, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Brazil, politics | Leave a comment

Nicaragua’s President urges Israel to foster peace, destroy nuclear weapons

Nicaragua’s Ortega urges Israel to destroy nuclear arms By Dave Graham, MANAGUA | Wed Jan 11, 2012 (Reuters) – Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega on Tuesday urged Israel to destroy its nuclear weapons to foster peace in the Middle East as he hosted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is touring Latin America. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | SOUTH AMERICA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

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

December 1, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Brazil, weapons and war | Leave a comment

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

November 3, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, SOUTH AMERICA | Leave a comment

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

July 19, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Brazil, weapons and war | 1 Comment

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, leading

companies 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 →

February 11, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, SOUTH AMERICA | 1 Comment

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 →

January 29, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, SOUTH AMERICA | 1 Comment

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 →

December 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, SOUTH AMERICA, Wikileaks | Leave a comment

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 →

October 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, SOUTH AMERICA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

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 →

October 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | SOUTH AMERICA, weapons and war | nuclear, nuclear weapons | 9 Comments

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 →

September 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, SOUTH AMERICA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, reactor | 1 Comment

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.

September 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, SOUTH AMERICA | antinuclear, gas, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment