News Is the World Ready for a New Nuclear Era?

[russ_watters]

"Clean coal" is a buzzword that doesn't reallly mean anything. There is certainly a lot that can be done with existing technology to reduce the emissions of the nastier stuff (and I am all for immediate implimentation), but actually eliminating the CO2 emissions (what is really necessary if we are to believe in anthropogenic global warming) isn't something that is anywhere near a reality. It is still just something people talk about because it sounds nice.

Clean coal is the name attributed to coal chemically washed of minerals and impurities, sometimes gasified, burned and the resulting flue gases treated with steam, with the purpose of almost completely eradicating sulfur dioxide, and reburned so as to make the carbon dioxide in the flue gas economically recoverable. The coal industry uses the term clean coal to describe technologies designed to enhance both the efficiency and the environmental acceptability of coal extraction, preparation and use[1], with no specific quantitative limits on any emissions, particularly carbon dioxide...

There are no coal fired power stations in commercial production which capture all carbon dioxide emissions, so the process is theoretical and experimental and thus a subject of feasibility or pilot studies. It is has been estimated that it will be 2020 to 2025 before any commercial scale clean coal power stations (coal burning power stations with Carbon capture and sequestration) commercially viable and widely adopted.[4].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_coal

I think eventually technology will make coal relatively clean, but we're nowhere near there yet (and the same goes for alternate energy sources like wind and solar), which is why nuclear power is so important. Though we speculate on upgrades and innovations for nuclear plants, nuclear power itself is a "now technology", which is part of the reason it is so important to utilize it immediately.

 

[Astronuc]

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/corporate/170507GE_and_Hitachi_move_closer_to_marriage.shtml?jmid=904404560
18 May 2007

General Electric (GE) of the USA and Hitachi of Japan have signed a 'formation agreement' to proceed with merging their nuclear businesses. Described as a 'global alliance', the combined nuclear player would have great expertise in boiling water reactor (BWR) design construction and maintenance. The companies said that potential areas for investment would include new infrastructure, advanced reactor design and service tehcnology. The agreement is based on a letter of intent the two parties signed in November 2006.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/corporate/160507Japan_Steel_Works_tools_up.shtml?jmid=904404560
17 May 2007

The company with a virtual monopoly on the heavy forgings required for nuclear power plants is doubling investment levels in advance of orders. Japan Steel Works intends to invest 20 billion Yen ($166 million) in both FY2007 and FY2008, up from 10 billion Yen in FY2006. The company has said one of its main targets would be to supply nuclear reactor pressure vessels to the Chinese and American markets.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/regulationSafety/170507-European_utilities_certify_Westinghouse_s_AP1000.shtml?jmid=904404560
17 May 2007

Westinghouse's AP1000, an 1100 MWe pressurized water reactor design, has received formal certification of compliance from the European Utility Requirements (EUR) organization. The design met 99% of the more than 5000 requirements set by EUR. The European Passive Plant (EPP) group, initially formed by Westinghouse and led by European utilities and suppliers, is implementing a program to address the 1% of AP1000 non-compliances. This non-compliance is primarily in the areas of aircraft crash protection, 12- to 24-month operating flexibility, and minor features in the plant layout. The program is expected to be completed in the next 18 months.

Elsewhere -

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070521/wl_nm/nuclear_saudi_gcc_dc_1

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070520/wl_africa_afp/algeriausenergy_070520183936