Nuclear News: Keeping Iran Honest
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Today's big stories from the nuclear industry:
Scott Ritter: Keeping Iran Honest
It was very much a moment of high drama. Barack Obama, fresh from his history-making stint hosting the UN security council, took a break from his duties at the G20 economic summit in Pittsburgh to announce the existence of a secret, undeclared nuclear facility in Iran which was inconsistent with a peaceful nuclear programme, underscoring the president's conclusion that "Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow". Obama, backed by Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy, threatened tough sanctions against Iran if it did not fully comply with its obligations concerning the international monitoring of its nuclear programme, which at the present time is being defined by the US, Britain and France as requiring an immediate suspension of all nuclear-enrichment activity. In March 2007, Iran suspended the implementation of the modified text of Code 3.1 of the Subsidiary Arrangements General Part concerning the early provisions of design information. As such, Iran was reverting back to its legally-binding requirements of the original safeguards agreement, which did not require early declaration of nuclear-capable facilities prior to the introduction of nuclear material. While this action is understandably vexing for the IAEA and those member states who are desirous of full transparency on the part of Iran, one cannot speak in absolute terms about Iran violating its obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. So when Obama announced that "Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow", he is technically and legally wrong.’
Blix warns that tough tactics could benefit Iran's hardliners
’Hans Blix, the former chief UN weapons inspector, last night warned Western leaders they risked strengthening the hand of hardliners in Iran if they rush to "corner" President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the crisis over the country 's nuclear programme. The man who led the hunt for the weapons of mass destruction that Saddam Hussein was accused of hiding before the US-led invasion of 2003, said it was impossible under the current inspection regime to verify the full extent of Iran 's nuclear activity or to rule out the existence of a third, secret uranium enrichment plant. But he said a strategy of threatening and punishing Tehran without a counterbalancing attempt at persuasive dialogue would be counterproductive. "If the approach is going to be about shaming Iran and putting them in a corner and punishing them, I 'm not sure that is wise," Mr Blix told The Independent.’
China official warns on "too fast" nuclear plans
’QINGDAO, China (Reuters) - China may have to put the brakes on the construction of nuclear power plants to ensure the plants are safe, the country's top energy planning official told reporters on Sunday. Zhang Guobao, head of the National Energy Administration, warned of signs of "improper" and "too fast" development of nuclear power in some regions. China had previously set a goal of 40 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2020, which would entail building about two reactors a year. "We'd rather move slower and achieve less than incur potential safety concerns in terms of nuclear energy," Zhang told reporters on the sidelines of the Sino-U.S. Energy Summit.’
France names Proglio new head at power group EDF
’PARIS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The French President will appoint Veolia Chief Executive Henri Proglio as the new head of state-controlled power group EDF, the world's biggest nuclear operator, the Prime Minister's office said on Sunday. "The state supports and recommends in this matter the candidacy of Mr Henri Proglio... to succeed to Mr Pierre Gadonneix as chairman and chief executive of EDF," said a statement from Prime Minister Francois Fillon. "Pending the decision of the company's decision-making bodies, Mr Proglio will be appointed executive chairman by decree of the President (of France)." The statement was issued shortly after an EDF supervisory board meeting adopted a list of six board representatives to be put for vote at a shareholders meeting on Nov. 5 -- among which Proglio, Lafarge Chairman Bruno Lafont, and four new representatives.’
Venezuela says no plans yet on exploring uranium
’PORLAMAR, Venezuela (Reuters) -- Venezuela has yet to develop a plan to explore or exploit its uranium deposits despite comments by a government official saying it was working with Iran to locate them, Venezuela's energy minister told Reuters. On Friday, Mining Minister Rodolfo Sanz said Iran and Venezuela were working together to find uranium, and preliminary tests showed the South American country holds large deposits. The announcement came as US President Barack Obama and the leaders of Britain and France accused Iran of building a secret nuclear plant. But Rafael Ramirez, Venezuela's top energy official, denied President Hugo Chavez is looking to exploit the radioactive material. "No plan has been determined," he said in an interview on the sidelines of a presidential summit of African and South American leaders being hosted by Chavez on Venezuela's Margarita Island.
German Nuclear Plants May Get Reprieve With Merkel Re-Election
’Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Germany’s nuclear-power industry got its wish yesterday, as Chancellor Angela Merkel won re- election and headed toward a coalition with the Free Democrats. Merkel, 53, may now scrap a law that required Germany’s 17 nuclear plants to close by 2021. Her effort was stymied by her junior partner, the past four years, the Social Democrats, who imposed the deadlines in 2002 when they were in power. ‘The new coalition will almost certainly now seek to extend the life-cycle of the younger atomic plants,’ said Claudia Kemfert, an analyst at the Berlin-based DIW economic institute. ‘The nuclear bogey plainly didn’t help the SPD, for it played no role in this election.’ German businesses are concerned about how much it will cost to keep the lights on if the plants are turned off. Nuclear- power stations run by Dusseldorf-based E.ON AG, RWE AG of Essen, Vattenfall AB, which is based in Stockholm, and Karlsruhe-based EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg AG generated 23 percent of Germany’s electricity last year. Seven plants, producing 10 percent of Germany’s power, are scheduled to close by 2014.’
