urg:::UIC weekly digest
Uranium Information Centre
uic@mpx.com.au
Thu, 27 Jun 2002 15:45:56 +0100
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<div><font color="#000000"> <br>
28 June 2002<br>
<br>
<b>Significant nuclear-related news items in perspective<br>
<br>
European Commission flags nuclear energy as major
factor. </b></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">The EC, in its summary of debate on the
green paper on security of EU energy supply, has pointed to nuclear
energy as a key issue, though it "depends on finding a clear,
sustainable and unequivocal answer to ...safety standards and [aspects
of] radioactive wastes." Certainly "the nuclear option
remains open". </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">EC 26/6/02.<br>
<br>
<b>Swiss parliament reaffirms nuclear
policy</b>. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">In debate on a bill to update the country's
nuclear law, Switzerland's lower house of parliament has rejected
moves to limit the operating lifetimes of the country's nuclear power
plants, and has also opposed government proposals to phase out
reprocessing of spent fuel. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">NucNet news # 219/02.</font><br>
<font color="#000000"></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><b>Commitment to new US enrichment
capacity.</b> </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">USEC Inc has signed an agreement with the
US Dept of Energy involving long-term commitment for provision of
enrichment capacity in the USA. The DOE commits to work with
USEC in developing advanced centrifuge technology, which had
previously languished because of lack of government support (beyond
the US$ 3 billion already sunk into it over two decades). For
its part, USEC commits to deploying a small "advanced uranium
enrichment plant" by 2011, and operating its old Paducah
diffusion plant until then. USEC expects to double its spending
on advanced technology projects in 2003, including development of the
SILEX laser enrichment process which it has described as the next
generation technology beyond centrifuges, and which is expected to be
ready for deployment by 2010. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Meanwhile a consortium led by Urenco has
been making plans to build a large centrifuge plant in the USA, using
well-proven European technology. It expects to announce its site
in the next six weeks and the first cascade is expected to be
operational in 2006.<br>
<br>
The DOE agreement is tied to renewal of the Russian HEU deal whereby
USEC takes the low-enriched uranium derived from Russian high-enriched
uranium through to 2013, this currently representing some 5.5 million
SWU (enrichment units), compared with the agreed minimum level for
Paducah of 3.5 million SWU per year and US sales of 10-11 million SWU
per year. The centrifuge capacity commitment is for only about 1
million SWU/yr, enough for military purposes (fuel for some 90 small
reactors in US Navy submarines and carriers). The US-Australian
agreement covering SILEX technology does not allow military use of the
product. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">USEC 18/6/02, Silex 20/6/02 & 2001
Annual report.<br>
<br>
<b>US partnerships in reactor site approvals.</b> </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">The US Dept of Energy has announced three
partnerships - with Exelon, Entergy and Dominion Resources, - to share
the cost of submitting formal applications to the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission for early site approvals for new reactors, at Clinton,
Grand Gulf and North Anna
respectively. </font></div
>
<div><font color="#000000">NucNet news # 222/02.</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><b>Oldest UK reactors to close
early</b>. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">BNFL has announced that it will close the
four Calder Hall reactors (total 194 MWe) next year, and the four
Chaplecross units (total 192 MWe) by March 2005, some three years
earlier than planned. The Magnox units, dating from 1956-60, are
too small and too old to be
economic. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">BNFL 21/6/02.<br>
<br>
<b>Third Australian Senate uranium inquiry</b>. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">A new inquiry is to be held on the
regulatory, monitoring and reporting regimes at the Ranger, Jabiluka,
Beverley and Honeymoon uranium operations, with particular reference
to the role of the Commonwealth. It is to report in
December. </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Advertisement 26/6/02.</font><br>
</div>
<div><font color="#000000"><i><b>Briefing/info papers
updated</b></i>:<x-tab> </x-tab> </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Advanced
reactors<x-tab>
</x-tab> </font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Nuclear powered ships<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>
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