A European approach to nuclear power, safety and security (Europeans finally waking up?)

www.europa.eu ^ | 01/10/2007 | European Commission

[WesternCulture]

The EU disposes of 154 nuclear reactors altogether. The US has 104, Japan 55 ones. This more or less goes hand in hand with the respective populations (in neither case a number of reactors very far from one for every 3 million inhabitants).

Is 154 reactors enough for 496,000,000 Europeans?

More and more EU citizens are beginning to think it's NOT. The biggest non-EU European country, Russia apparently want more nuclear power too. Russia are presently more than DOUBLING their number of reactors, going from 29 to 59 ones. This is being accomplished with giant loans from the EU.

The Western World and our friends, like Japan, ought to build more nuclear reactors. Why?:

- It'll boast our economies - It'll decrease our dependency on Arab oil - Whether we believe man-made global warming is a hoax or not, nuclear power really is more attractive than fossile energy sources in case it actually is NOT

The European Comission memo, not a groundbreaking one, but an evidence that there is hope for European sanity:

"A European approach to nuclear power, safety and security

MEMO/07/10

Brussels, 10 January 2007

A European approach to nuclear power, safety and security It is for each member state to decide whether to use nuclear power. Nuclear power can have an important role to play in the European Union's energy mix: but it is important to continue to address issues surrounding safety and security. In recognition of this, the European Commission has proposed the establishment of an EU High Level Group of national nuclear regulators in order to further develop a common understanding and European rules in the field of nuclear safety and security. According to Article 40 of the Euratom Treaty, the European Commission must publish an illustrative nuclear programme on a regular basis. To that effect the Commission presented a Communication reviewing the investments in nuclear energy for the past ten years, describing the economics of nuclear power generation, its impacts on the energy mix as well as its conditions for social acceptance.

It is for each Member State to decide whether or not to rely on nuclear power for the generation of electricity. Decisions to expand nuclear energy were recently taken in Finland and in France. Other EU countries, including the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Romania have re-launched a debate on their nuclear energy policy. With 152 reactors spread over the EU 27, nuclear power contributes 30% of Europe’s electricity today - however, if the planned phase-out policy within some EU Member States continues, this share will be significantly reduced. To meet the expected energy demand and to reduce European dependency on imports, decisions could be made on new investments or on the life extension of some plants.

Reinforcing nuclear power generation could also represent one option for reducing CO2 emissions and play a major role in addressing global climate change. Nuclear power is essentially carbon emissions-free and forms part of the Commission's carbon reduction scenario including the objective of reducing CO2 emissions. This could also feature as an important consideration when discussing future emissions trading schemes.

The most crucial factor affecting the prospect of growth of nuclear power is its underlying economics as a nuclear plant involves an up front investment ranging from €2 to €3 billion. Nuclear energy generation incurs higher construction costs in comparison to fossil fuels, yet operating costs are significantly lower following the initial investments. Furthermore, nuclear power generation is largely immune to changes in the cost of raw material supplies, as a modest amount of uranium, which comes largely from stable regions of the world, can keep a reactor running for decades. Therefore, in most industrialised countries new nuclear power plants offer an economic way to generate base-load electricity.

The nuclear industry has made considerable investments since 1997. The EU recognises the importance of maintaining a technological lead in the field of nuclear power and supports the further development of the most advanced framework for nuclear energy, including non-proliferation, waste management and decommissioning. Since the establishment of the Euratom Treaty, nuclear safety and the radiological protection of the public have been one of the main concerns of the European Community and are issues that have gained further importance in view of the past and the present enlargement.

At EU level, the role should be to develop further the most advanced framework for nuclear energy in those Member States that choose nuclear power, in conformity with the highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation as required by the Euratom Treaty. This should include nuclear waste management and decommissioning."

[kinoxi]

There aren't many viable alternatives if they want to comply with the arbitrary Kyoto emission guidelines other than nuclear. There is a good deal of dispute over disposal of the waste here in the US. What are they doing with all of their by-products in the EU's plan?

[gonzo]

"...What are they doing with all of their by-products in the EU's plan?..."

The French used to bake the waste into a ceramic lump, and dump it in the deep oceans for a few thousand years. Sounds workable.

We make nifty ammo out of some of our waste. Good stuff, too. ........... FRegards

[wodinoneeye]

Interim until something like this becomes common:

http://www.science.edu/TechoftheYear/TechoftheYear.htm

[WesternCulture]

"There aren't many viable alternatives if they want to comply with the arbitrary Kyoto emission guidelines other than nuclear"

- Cheers to that!

What are they doing with all of their by-products in the EU's plan?

- Each EU member states have their own way of dealing with it. For instance, in my home country, Sweden (we have 10 reactors by the way - but need more as we have so much of extremely energy intensive industry), we have used the method of deep geological repository a lot.

The method of deep geological repository and the one of spent nuclear fuel shipping cask are the two most widely used concepts in the EU today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_geological_repository

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spent_nuclear_fuel_shipping_cask

Even if it, basically, is up to each and every member state
to decide for themselves in these matters, there are a lot of EU guidelines, EU expert groups, general multilateral agreements and so on. Read more here:

http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/publications/radioactive_waste_en.htm

Greetings from Europe!

[WesternCulture]

That's fascinating.

More info on Dr Robert W Bussard:

http://www.rexresearch.com/bussard/bussard.htm

Fusion power is the future of mankind. The more competent r&d the merrier.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_Power

http://www.ofes.fusion.doe.gov/

http://www.efda.org/

http://www.fusion.org.uk/

[gonzo]

Whoops - maybe it's not a good idea:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1766332/posts

Note to self: Read ALL the headlines first!

....................FRegards

[WesternCulture]

So, sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.

If some kind of technology for handling nuclear waste proves unnecessary hazardous, will use alternative ones or invent such technology.

Let people like Greenpeace lobby and campaign all they want. Fewer and fewer people are listening to these fools.

It's all true;

Nuclear power involves risks, some people wearing colorful pajamas at Guantánamo Bay detainment camp could be innocent and "Meat Means Murder".

So what. The world is run by the ones who resolutely safeguard and promote true civilization.

The future's so bright I gotta wear shades.

[WesternCulture]

Regarding "The future's...

The lyrics below was perhaps written by someone rather skeptical to nuclear power, all the same, they are okay by my standards:

- The future's so bright I gotta wear shades -

I love my classes
I got a crazy teacher, he wears dark glasses
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

I've got a job waiting for my graduation
Fifty thou a year -- buys a lot of beer
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

Well I'm heavenly blessed and worldly wise
I'm a peeping-tom techie with x-ray eyes
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

I study nuclear science
I love my classes
I got a crazy teacher, he wears dark glasses
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades
I gotta wear shades, I gotta wear shades


I study nuclear science
I love my classes
I got a crazy teacher, he wears dark glasses
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

I've got a job waiting for my graduation
Fifty thou a year -- buys a lot of beer
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

Well I'm heavenly blessed and worldly wise
I'm a peeping-tom techie with x-ray eyes
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

I study nuclear science
I love my classes
I got a crazy teacher, he wears dark glasses
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades
I gotta wear shades, I gotta wear shades

[RusIvan]

The biggest non-EU European country, Russia apparently want more nuclear power too. Russia are presently more than DOUBLING their number of reactors, going from 29 to 59 ones. This is being accomplished with giant loans from the EU. ==

It is true fact. Someone may ask here WHY Russia need that if she possesses the amply of oil and gas? Just same reason as Iran. Oil and gas should be sold for high back to EU but same time the population may be supplied by the cheap nuclier energy.

[WesternCulture]

That's a correct conclusion.

Russia needs nuclear power, among other things for the purpose of being able to TRADE a lot of their oil production.

Russia is dependent on several other nations, especially the European ones, the US and Japan. Basically because of the lingering effects of the Soviet fiasco.

Russia/Soviet had the opportunity of developing a progressive, capitalistic society after 1917. Instead, they turned to Leninism and isolated themselves from the rest of the world. During the cold war, they started to spend a far too large percentage of their GDP on the arms race. Sometimes there are beneficial spin off effects from military r&d and investment in general, but such effects are more likely to take place in a highly developed free market economy. It all ended up in Russia

Today, though, Russia is on the right track.

In say, 20 years, Russia might become a leading "innovation economy", which is the most profitable kind of economy the world knows of today, spare being a tax heaven economy like Luxembourg or a complete oil/gas exporting economy like Qatar. Countries like the US, The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany are very rich because they have several branches of their economy that "can do what no one else can do" - or at least what "few others can do", whether we're talking cars, heavy machinery, IT, advanced arms manufacturing, designed furniture or chemical industry.

If Russia is at the threshold of real progress, things are looking much worse for Iran. They have oil, yes, but lack many of the vast amounts of natural resources Russia is in possession of, the ruling elite lacks the belief in progress as well as the free exchange of ideas and they also lack connections, credibility and manoeuvrability in the field of international diplomacy.

Let's hope the Iranian people one day will enforce democracy on their own soil. Many of them hate the mullahs. I can see why.

Even in a country like Iran, civilization has friends.

[WesternCulture]

Correction:

"It all ended up in Russia" is of course an incomplete sentence.

It should have followed "..continuing to be a backward, underdeveloped country in the area of private consumption and industrial productivity end efficiency (even tho the sheer SCALES of industrial production weren't small".

Cheers to Russia and every one else from Sweden!