urg:::UIC weekly digest
Uranium Information Centre
uic@mpx.com.au
Fri, 7 Jun 2002 12:26:53 +1000
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<div><font color="#000000"> <br>
7 June 2002<br>
<br>
<b>Significant nuclear-related news items in perspective<br>
<br>
<br>
New Czech reactor starts up. </b> </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">The Czech Republic's sixth nuclear power
reactor achieved criticality last week. Temelin-2 is a 921 MWe
VVER-1000 unit with western control systems. Its twin was
connected to the grid in December 2000 but has did not reach full
power until this year due to a series of problems with the generator
system. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><br>
The Czech government has approved a<b> spent fuel strategy</b> which
confirms on-site dry storage with eventual disposal to a deep
geological repository from about 2065. The cost of the program
is funded by a 0.05 crown (US$ 0.13 cent)/kWh levy. A storage
facility is operating at Dukovany, and one is now planned for
Temelin.<br>
NucNet news # 192/02, NuclearFuel 27/5/02.<br>
<br>
<b>Russia plans major radwaste
facilities. </b></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">A dry storage facility for 40,000 tonnes of
spent fuel is to be built at Krasnoyarsk, near the incomplete RT-2
reprocessing plant at Zheleznogorsk in southern Siberia. Nuclear
power utility Rosenergoatom is likely to finance it, and construction
of the US$ 120 million first stage is to begin next year and be ready
for 10,000 t by 2006-07.<br>
<br>
Also Minatom has announced that following public hearings last year it
will proceed with a US$ 80 million repository for intermediate-level
and low-level solid wastes on the large island of Novaya Zemlya,
northeast of Murmansk and Archangel, from which region the wastes will
come. Construction of the repository and associated port will
take 3 years.<br>
TradeTech NMR 31/5/02, NucNet news # 202 & 205/02.<br>
<br>
<b>US nuclear costs down, gas costs markedly
up. </b></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">The latest data on US electricity
production costs (excluding capital) show that nuclear costs have
continued to drop, along with coal-fired power, while the gas-fired
power cost jumped 44% from 1999 to 2000, due to increased gas prices.
In 2000, nuclear plants averaged 1.76 c/kWh (1999: 1.81c), coal-fired
1.79 c/kWh (1.82c) and gas-fired 5.69 c/kWh (3.96c) for fuel,
operation and
maintenance. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">NEI Nuclear Energy Overview 20/5/02.<br>
<br>
<b>Implementation of Kyoto Protocol moves
closer.</b> </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">With Japan following the EU in ratifying
the Kyoto Protocol, it appears that the Protocol may come in to force
this year. Japan brings the total to over 70 countries
ratifying, accounting for about 35% of world greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions. Russia, with 17.5% of world emissions, is likely to
follow, which will bring the total close to the necessary 55% of GHG
emissions. Japan is required to reduce emissions by 6% from the
1990 level by 2010, with nuclear power being a key part of its
strategy to achieve this. Utilities plan 13 new reactors
totalling 17,500 MWe to be commissioned in the next nine years.<br>
<br>
The USA, with 36% of world GHG emissions and which expects those
emissions to increase 43% over 2000-2020, remains opposed to joining
the treaty unless it involves developing countries, and Australia is
not signing on without
USA. <br>
Age & Australian 5/6/02, Atoms in Japan May 2002.<br>
<br>
<br>
<i><b>Briefing/information papers
updated</b></i>:<x-tab> </x-tab></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Uranium & Depleted
U<x-tab> </x-tab></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Plutonium<br>
<br>
<b>World Nuclear Association</b>, 114 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LJ,
UK<br>
<b>Uranium Information Centre,</b> GPO Box 1649N,
Melbourne 3001, Australia<x-tab>
</x-tab><br>
E-mail: wna@world-nuclear.org,
uic@mpx.com.au<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab> </x-tab>ISSN
1326-4907</font><br>
<font color="#000000"></font></div>
<div><font face="" color="#000000">-- <br>
Regards, Ian Hore-Lacy</font></div>
<div><font face="" color="#000000"><br>
General Manager, <br>
Uranium Information Centre, Melbourne<br>
http://www.uic.com.au</font></div>
<div><font face="" color="#000000">Head of Communications,
</font></div>
<div><font face="" color="#000000">World Nuclear Association,
London</font></div>
<div><font face=""
color="#000000">http://www.world-nuclear.org</font></div>
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