LLAW’s “ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” #504 01/07/2024)
LLAW’s “ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” #504 01/07/2024)
”End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”
(Getty Image of a small nuclear reactor under construction in China) . . .
LLAW’s THOUGHTS & COMMENTS :
The big nuclear news today is from “The Independent” with this story (see full article below in the “All Things Nuclear” category) :
”Nuclear fuel gets £300m boost as ministers say Putin will not hold UK to ransom
UK bids to be first European nation outside Russia to produce crucial uranium needed for the next generation of reactor
The UK is to launch a £300m drive to push Vladimir Putin further out of the global energy market through an investment in hi-tech nuclear fuel.
Ministers will vow to end what they say is Russia’s reign as the only commercial producer of a type of enriched uranium needed for the next generation of reactors.
It comes as the world prepares for the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine next month.
The UK has warned Russia that if casualties continue at their current rate it will have lost over half a million personnel in the conflict by the end of 2024.
The war also triggered a shock in the world’s energy markets leading the government to rethink Britain’s energy security.
Energy secretary Claire Coutinho said ministers would not allow Putin to “hold us to ransom on nuclear fuel”.
“Britain gave the world its first operational nuclear power plant, and now we will be the first nation in Europe outside of Russia to produce advanced nuclear fuel,” she said.
“This will be critical for energy security at home and abroad and builds on Britain’s historic competitive advantages.”
The government says the plans will help build new supplies of affordable and clean domestic power.
It will involve a £300m investment in high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU).
The programme will provide jobs and investment in the northwest of England, as part of plans to deliver a quarter of the UK’s electricity needs through nuclear power by 2050.
Another £10m will be used to develop the skills and sites needed to produce other advanced nuclear fuels in the UK.
Ministers argue the move will help the transition to net zero and will not mean higher prices for consumers.
The UK has agreed with other G7 nuclear partners to reduce global dependence on Russian fuel.”
My thoughts and comments: There are so many holes in this specialized uranium fuel concept that I hesitate to take this story seriously, but the UK must believe they can ‘make it happen’.
First and foremost, Russia already controls well over 80% of the entire world-wide nuclear power plant construction and associated nuclear fuels, including the USA, which ranks a lowly global 4th). This so-called ‘new generation of reactors, which, by the way, remain speculative in their designs including their radiation safety, may never become operational. Russia controls the marketing, availability, and pricing of the HALEU ‘prescription-developed’ fuel for these already controversial more compact power plants. In fact the Kemmerer, Wyoming, TerraPower (founded by Bill Gates) new-generation nuclear power plant, the 1st of its kind, is on a two-year (or perhaps longer) waiting list by Russia’s grip on these specialized fuels, so the experimental plant, like other small modular reactors (SMRs), has been indefinitely idled from even a demonstration mode and, along with the rest of their ilk, may never become operational. This fuel is not manufactured elsewhere, including in the USA. There is a reason for that that the UK seems to be intentionally ignoring.
Russia has its own one-of-a-kind Corporation that goes by the name of Rosatom that not only has virtually cornered the nuclear power market world-wide but also builds and controls all new nuclear weapons of mass destruction for Russia. Rosatom is like the winner of every Monopoly game ever in a version called ‘All Things Nuclear’.
So it is, that Russia, by controlling the market, not only for fuel, but a huge majority of new nuclear plant construction, they control the World Bank market finances, up or down, by their own optional choice, which controls the entire market for all things nuclear. So the UK’s statement about providing low-cost and clean power to consumers is pie-in-the-sky. Also, the term “net zero” tagged to CO2 and other green-house gasses (GHGs) over climate change and global warming is a fancy word for a silly mathematical transition away from fossil fuels.
There are other problems that could possibly never be resolved here that are based on historical and wishful thinking, so I need not elaborate, but I believe Energy secretary Claire Coutinho, who said ministers would not allow Putin to “hold us to ransom on nuclear fuel”. Russia is already doing so in other countries, including the USA.
Lastly: We all should keep in mind that 2050 is two and a half decades into an unknown future . . . ~llaw
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:
There are 5 categories (plus a bonus category at the end for news about the Yellowstone caldera and others that also play an important role in humanity’s lives) as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 linked most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (Especially with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual appearing order:
All Things Nuclear
Nuclear Power
Nuclear War
Nuclear Power Emergencies
Nuclear War Threats
Yellowstone Caldera
(There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)
Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (per above). There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available at the end of this Post. If a category heading does not appear, it means there was no news reported from this category today.
(A reminder, just in case: When linked, the access to the media story will be underlined. If there is no link to a media story of interest you can still copy and paste the headline and lead line into your browser to find the article you are seeking. Hopefully this will never happen.)
TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (01/07/2024):
All Things Nuclear
NEW
TBD | Tesla's Cybertruck Problem | What Next | Daily News and Analysis - YouTube
YouTube
A Grim Warning To ALL Renters: It's No Longer A Choice. Ken McElroy New 40K ... MacroVoices #409 Mark Nelson: All Things Nuclear Energy. Macro Voices ...
South Korea says the North has again fired artillery shells near their sea border | NPR Illinois
NPR Illinois
All Things Considered. Next Up: 8:00 PM Planet Money - How I Built This ... He ordered the military to use all available means — including nuclear ...
"An agreement with the Palestinians is inevitable because they will acquire nuclear w | Ctech
CTech
Conversely, there have been ongoing discussions about Israel's nuclear weapons for years. ... When you look at data, you see all the time that wars ...
Nuclear Power
NEWS
As nuclear debate nears, French minister sees potential for 14 new reactors | Reuters
Reuters
France requires more than the six new nuclear plants currently planned and possibly needs to build more than 14 new plants, its energy minister ...
U.S. rushes to revive nuclear weapons industry as global tensions mount - Nikkei Asia
Nikkei Asia
Now, this remnant of the Cold War is coming back to life. The U.S. House Budget Committee last June approved the Department of Energy's draft budget ...
Nuclear fuel gets £300m boost as ministers say Putin will not hold UK to ransom
The Independent
UK bids to be first European nation outside Russia to produce crucial uranium needed for the next generation of reactor.
Nuclear War
NEWS
U.S. rushes to revive nuclear weapons industry as global tensions mount - Nikkei Asia
Nikkei Asia
... nuclear security. The U.S. possesses more than 5,000 nuclear warheads, but many of them were manufactured during the Cold War. Plutonium pits ...
"An agreement with the Palestinians is inevitable because they will acquire nuclear w | Ctech
CTech
... War and the World Wars. In 1945, the French deeply hated the Germans ... nuclear attack. But it's like the person who falls from the 95th floor ...
Nuclear fuel gets £300m boost as ministers say Putin will not hold UK to ransom
The Independent
The war also triggered a shock in the world's energy markets leading the ... putinUkraineRussiaWarNuclear PowerMinistry of DefenceClaire Coutinho ...
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEW
Japan earthquake causes nuclear power station oil leak - Yahoo News UK
Yahoo News UK
A nuclear power station in Japan has ... France 24 Videos. Emergency workers in Japan contend with damaged roads after deadly New Year's Day quake.
Disaster-prone areas blind to emergency alerts, Japan quake reveals
Korea JoongAng Daily
The Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang. [KOREA HYDRO & NUCLEAR CORP.] Others point out that nuclear power plants in the country ...
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
The Resurgence of Nuclear Threats: A Global Security Nightmare
BNN Breaking
However, the overall number of nuclear weapons, although decreased since the Cold War's peak, remains a potent threat to global security. A ...
North Korea to threaten world with 'supersized' nukes after sparring with South Korea
Daily Express
Related articles. Kim Jong-un issues chilling nuclear war threat as he vows to step up tests ... Xi Jinping's empty threats exposed as Chinese missiles ...
Kim's powerful sister denies N. Korea fired rounds near border - Space War News
Space War News
At Pyongyang's year-end policy meetings, Kim threatened a nuclear attack on the South and called for a build-up of his country's military arsenal ...