It starts: Emirates first two nuke plants applies for licenses, to go online by '17
Anyone who thought that an Iranian nuclear capability would not set off an arms race in the Middle East needs to be concerned about this: The United Arab Emirates has submitted its first two applications for operating licenses for nuclear power plants, with
four such power plants expected to go online by 2020.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Federal Authority for Nuclear
Regulation (FANR) will now examine the submission. ENEC is aiming to
receive the operating licence for Barakah unit 1 in 2016, in time for
the plant to become operational in 2017, with the licence for Barakah
2 expected to be received the same year. The company is seeking a
licence to operate both units for 60 years, in line with the expected
operating life of the Korean-designed APR1400 units.
ENEC CEO Mohammad Al Hammadi said the on-time submission of the OLA
was a crucial milestone towards the 2017 start-up of the UAE's first
nuclear power plant. "The submission is the culmination of many years of
work by ENEC and Kepco. It is proof of the organization's successful
transformation into a world-class nuclear operating company," he said.
ENEC has already applied to FANR for two separate licences covering
the import, receipt and possession of radioactive and nuclear materials,
which it anticipates receiving well ahead of its first fuel load for
Barakah 1 in 2016.
Barakah will ultimately comprise four APR-1400 reactors built by the
KEPCO-led consortium. Unit 1, under construction since 2012, is now over
69% complete and on schedule for its 2017 start-up. Units 2, 3 and 4
are scheduled to follow on at 12-month intervals, with units 2 and 3
under construction. Work has yet to begin on the fourth unit, which is
expected to start up in 2020.
The Emirates has the fourth largest (fifth if you include OPEC as a country)
proven oil reserve in the world. Now, obviously these plants are intended for civilian purposes (the United States actually is
helping the UAE to build the plants), but Iran claims the same thing about their nuclear power plants, and one has to wonder whether the United Arab Emirates would be seeking a nuclear energy capability were it not facing Iran, which will soon have one. And like Iran, the UAE is not exactly a democracy.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Iranian nuclear threat, nuclear power plant, nuclear proliferation, United Arab Emirates
Yeah, right....
Egypt is looking to
relaunch its nuclear program... but only to generate clean energy.... Right....
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who is visiting China, said that Egypt is looking into the possibility of re-launching its nuclear program in an effort to generate clean energy.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Egypt, nuclear power plant
Another Islamist maniac on his way to the Bomb?
In what may yet be the start of another Islamist maniac gaining access to nuclear weapons,
Turkey opened its first particle accelerator outside of Ankara on Wednesday (Hat Tip:
Joshua I).
“This facility will serve as the hub of nuclear technology as we are preparing to generate nuclear energy,” Prime Ministyer Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during the facility’s opening ceremony.
Research on nuclear physics, electronics and even space studies will be carried out in the facility, according to Erdoğan. Turkey is committed to build two nuclear plants by 2023, in a move to lessen its dependence on carbon fuels and generate cheaper electricity, he said. “In 10 years, the consumption of electricity will be doubled. Unfortunately, parallel to the increase of our energy consumption, energy prices are rising. That’s why we prefer nuclear plants.”
...
In further remarks, Erdoğan criticized the international community for singling out Iran on nuclear issues. “We raise this issue [to] almost all international platforms. We urge them to take the necessary safety measures. But those who have nuclear facilities, who see nuclear as a right to them, do not hesitate in criticizing Iran,” he said, recalling Armenia’s very old nuclear plant, located only from 16 kilometers from the Turkish border, which posed a danger to its immediate neighborhood.
According to Erdoğan, every country has the right to have nuclear energy facilities. “You have to be fair. You will overlook the insecure plants in Armenia, Israel’s nuclear activities but you will spark crisis over Iran. This is not fair.”
What could go wrong?
Labels: nuclear power plant, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish obsession with Israel
Where are all the environmentalists on Iran's nuclear program?
With Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant on the verge of meltdown (see picture), one has to wonder why all the environmentalists are silent in the face of
Iran's plans to build nuclear power plants.
It is just a shame that so many on the left who profess true environmental concern remain so silent about Iran’s construction of nuclear power stations. Iran, after all, is one giant earthquake zone. Because of the prevailing winds, should an earthquake in Bushehr destroy the reactor, Qatar and Abu Dhabi are toast. Not to worry, however. The Russians helped with design and construction, so perhaps that’s grounds for the Greens’ extra confidence?
It's the Red-Green alliance striking again? What could go wrong?
Labels: earthquake, Iran, Japan, nuclear power plant
Israel to build nuclear power plant?
Hmmm....
According to the report, Israel is not capable of carrying out such a project on its own — and therefore it would have to purchase a reactor as an “off-the-shelf product” from one of the prominent manufacturers in the market, such as the French company AREVA or the American company Westinghouse.
The Infrastructure Ministry and Israel Electric Corporation are already preparing to build a nuclear power plant: The Israel Atomic Energy Commission is currently conducting, together with the Infrastructure Ministry, a joint feasibility study for building nuclear reactors for producing electricity in Israel. The results of the study are due to be published at the start of 2011, and will address all the aspects related to nuclear power plants: Safety, economic profitability, new technologies in the field and geopolitical aspects.
Besides the option of building the plant as an ex-territorial entity, the possibility has arisen of building a nuclear power plant in the Indian format — in other words, without signing the NPT. India is not a signatory of the NPT, and has conducted a public nuclear test, but it enables international supervision of its civilian nuclear facilities. The Israel Atomic Energy Commission has announced that it would enable supervision of such a power plant by international agencies, and the prime minister discussed such a possibility with US President Barack Obama.
...
Yitzhak Gurvitz of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission added that “we shouldn’t be frightened of nuclear energy.” He said that one of the problems is fiscal: “We’re talking about billions of dollars to build reactors that will generate a few thousand megawatts of electricity.” The Infrastructure Ministry is now trying to solve an additional problem that Gurvitz pointed to — the fact that Israel isn’t a signatory to the NPT.
Dr. Ilan Yaar of the Negev Nuclear Research Center in Dimona suggested at the conference that Israel buy a off-the-shelf reactor “that has already been approved and is, therefore, safe.” He said that that the current problem is political, but can be solved through through an ex-territorial zone or a joint Israeli-Jordanian reactor. “The condition for both these solutions is serious progress towards a peace agreement,” said Yaar.
Another problem discussed is the unwillingness of countries to sell Israel off-the-shelf reactors. Professor Dubi offered a solution: “Israel should publish a tender, oriented towards the Russians and Chinese, for purchase of the knowledge necessary to plan and build a nuclear reactor. The the Americans will run after us — because the Russian and Chinese reactors are less safe.”
I know. Why not just build an island in the Mediterranean? Didn't Shimon Peres want to do that once upon a time? Heh.
Labels: Israel, nuclear power plant, Nuclear Proliferation Treaty
