Back by popular demand, confusion and generalized centrifugal discussions around all things energy, I feel compelled update DKers about the latest development in nuclear energy.
As proven time and again he "Nuclear Renaissance" is anything but dead. Maybe walking through quicksand, a rip tide, molasses, but it's still going. Despite rumors of it's demise, the nuclear development in energy is proceeding along. Yes, various countries are discussing 'phasing out nuclear'. Mostly European. Mostly...most haven't done anything about it but stated it as a "goal". These are goals on movable goal-posts. Even the French have picked up this discussion. No one believes that France can phase out nuclear despite the small group of religious cultists organized around "Noun Nuclear" or some such group. The WANT more gas fired power plants! (Anyone read "Gasprom" hand in this besides me?).
So whats the good news?
Plenty...
Thanks to our always turned on and ready to bite the ass of anyone promoting fossil fuel, the DK's own NNadir noted that Bangladesh has had progress toward it's goal of building at least one nuclear reactor.
OK, we go to Bangladesh, then...
So, from World Nuclear News we get this from here:
Russia is to build Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant under an intergovernmental cooperation agreement signed today in Dhaka.
The agreement was signed by Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, and Yafesh Osman, Bangladesh's minister of state for science, information and communication technologies. The signing ceremony was attended by dignitaries including Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Under the agreement, Russia will construct two 1000 MWe reactors at Rooppur, in Pabna district, about 200 km from the capital, Dhaka. It specifies that Rosatom's AtomStroyExport division will act as the contractor, while the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission will be the customer.
Ah...one "plant", two reactors. Bangladesh weighed the options and decided, with generous financial help from the Russians, to go with nuclear. They obviously did this so they wouldn't be tied into imports of gas from neighboring Burma. That would be a problem even though they are allowing a pipeline to built through their nation to India. Again, no doubt they will also burn NG as well but the more nuclear, the less gas. So that's good.
But remember the refrain from anti-nuclear DKers here: "nuclear is dead".
Moving in...
Vietnam...
From Dan Yurman's Idaho Samizdat:
Vietnam will build up to eight new rectors with vendors from Russia and Japan to produce electricity to create high value aluminum products from the huge bauxite mines in the central highlands and to attract more high tech manufacturing like the $1 billion Intel chip plant that was completed last year.
The presidents of Vietnam and South Korea have signed a joint statement acknowledging plans to cooperate in the construction of a nuclear power plant in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese government announced in February 2006 that a 2000 MWe nuclear power plant should be on line by 2020. Since 2008, plans have called for two reactors totalling 2000 MWe at Phuoc Dinh in the southern Ninh Thuan province. Two further reactors are planned at a second Ninh Thuan site, Vinh Hai. Ultimately a total of eight reactors are envisaged at the two Ninh Thuan sites, coming on line between 2020 and 2029, and two reactors are also proposed for third site in central Vietnam.
Contacts I had with Vietnamese energy contracting during a VERY brief spell of consulting for them on site locations for thermal plants said the "8" is preliminary. It all depends on training, setting up their regulatory regime (the UAE has hit some hurdles here), parts, supplies and economic growth. This means that if things work out well and the energy provided from the nukes spurs economic growth then that number could rise. Depends. However...
Evidently, the Vietnamese gov't hasn't been following the DK's anti-nuclear group here. I will write them and let them know they can't build any reactors as the industry is dead or dying and they should stop as soon as possible and be happy to be the world largest rice exporter. I know that will convince them.
Those Wacky Czechs!
The Czechs want to build at least three new reactors at Temelin. They want to build more as well in other parts of their country. CEZ is reorganizing to setup the needed administration to sell electricity to Germany as the Germans, again are committing national suicide (first Hitler, now the nuclear phase out) . The Czechs want in on what is expected to be a booming energy export business to Germany. Everybody wants a piece of that action. I don't blame them (the Poles are not re-interested in nuclear for the exact same reason) but if the economy in Germany tanks because in part of their phase out the market for Czech power will drop and they will have to find new buyers else ware.
America...
What is happening here? I don't know. I don't much care anymore. It's sort of like...the water is rising and I have to stop kvetching about it and find dry land. But stuff is happening.
The Florida the Public Service Commission (PSC) unanimously approved on Oct 25 a request by Progress Energy to continue collecting money to build two new nuclear reactors at its Levy County site on the state's west coast. AP1000s. The first built in the US (many are being built in China). Yipteedo! There some more progress here but it's boring so I'll stop now and move on.
UK
Nothing seems to be stopping the UK from it's plan to build 12 to 19 new nuclear plants to replace their poorly designed, hugely expensive, impossible to decommission Magnox nuclear reactors. If there was ever a case for a country completely screwing up their nuclear program, this is it. Thank the gods however that they are going to, likely, build a mix of EPRs and AP1000s. The anti-nuclear movement in the UK is, oddly, very weak. Thank the gods for that too.
Till next time...