Nuclear power plants in Germany are on their way to an extended life, surmounting the huge obstacles in their path. There is a vehement opposition to nuclear power plants in Germany, and most of the population believes that the country should let go of nuclear power plants. The new policy aims at keeping the old plants running to ultimately have greener energy take over the existing system, but it may also pave the way for new nuclear plants.

The government managed to get the plan through by making big promises, like utilizing a huge chunk of nuclear earnings for public use. It was also assured that renewable power would get preference over nuclear power when fed to the distribution grid.

Earnings from these plants can be huge, going to the magnitude of nearly 20 million euros can come from a life extension of 20 years for plants operated by four major energy companies, whose plants produce almost a quarter of German electricity. The policy will give a new lease of life to 17 nuclear power plants, which faced closure in the next decade.

Source: Reuters

Atomic Powered Cellphone

They have actually used this to power a touch screen hand-held video player/cell phone.

Now before you start protesting the use of atomic power (that will be a debate in future multi-part series), I am talking about using the protons (I know it still sounds like an atomic reactor) in the methanol molecule and removing the hydrogen to create power.

What you are left with is water and a little carbon dioxide.

The device is called a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) and uses a Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) to create power.

This is certainly better than grabbing power from a thermopile inside your wood-burning stove.  Yes, that works too, but is not as portable or environmentally friendly.  Even worse would be taking power from the public grid.

In its present form it is a bit bulky, but much less than carrying around one of those original 2-pound Motorola Flip Phones.  Plus, the thought of giving your cell phone a drink would be hard to explain.

“But officer, I was recharging my cell phone with this bottle of alcohol!”  Before long, there would be a law prohibiting your cell phone from drinking while driving.

Here is an idea: why not use this drinking battery at home where no one cares whether you take a nip or two (for the cell phone of course since methanol alcohol is poisonous to us mortals).  Just set it on your table and charge your cell phone instead.

This idea is also good for your eyes: no more of those ugly wall warts hanging from your wall outlets.

What is that?  You say carbon dioxide is not green?  Try this experiment at home:

Take a bottle of soda.  Remember those fizzy bubbles are carbon dioxide.

Connect a hose to the top of the bottle.

Gently shake or vibrate the bottle so the gas is expended from the soda.

Put a big plastic bag over your herb garden and allow the CO2 to build up inside.

You will see growth like no other fertilizer can give you and you will see a lot of green.  Be sure to let in some oxygen once in a while as plants need oxygen as well as carbon dioxide to grow.

After that try pumping CO2 into the soil and see what happens.

Malia Obama's peacenik t-shirt

The T-shirt is an anti-nuclear message with its famous logo from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Now, if that nuclear power was being used for energy purposes and to reduce our global dependence on fossil fuels. All the better. I wonder how that idea would be represented on a T-shirt?

Recently, a deal was struck between the Russia-based Rosatom, the state-owned producer of uranium, and the Canada-based producer Uranium One. Rosatom won a 17% stake in Uranium One as well as a long-term deal for supply in exchange for a half stake in the Karatau mine in Kazakhstan. Uranium One is also reportedly trying to close a 20% (worth $240-million) share sale and supply pact with Japan’s Toshiba Corporation, Tokyo Electric Power Company  and Japan Bank for international Cooperation.

Denison Mines, the uranium miner, recently agreed to sell 20% of itself to Korea Electric Power Corporation.

According to analysts, Russia is striving to expand its influence in the nuclear industry, especially in Asia.

China, which has embarked on very ambitious plans to expand nuclear power, has held talks with major uranium miner Cameco about a potential supply deal.

Australia, on its part, is considering selling uranium from BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam mine to China, on condition that Beijing will not use the uranium for its nuclear weapons program.

It has been estimated that, led by China, India and Russia, over 100 new nuclear reactors will be constructed over the next decade as a part of worldwide efforts to decrease dependence on greenhouse gas-producing energy sources like coal.  The new nuclear reactors are expected to be larger, on average, than the 426 reactors in operation at present.

Russian nuclear suit

Russia says it is likely to sign a pact with Japan on nuclear power plant.

Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Russia, told the Japanese media in Moscow that he expected to sign the agreement during his visit to Japan this week.

The Russia-Japan deal on nuclear power plant would be one of the many agreements that the two countries would be signing during Putin’s visit to Japan.

It may be noted that Japan and Russia are at present in the final stages of discussions over an agreement to promote what has been described as “non-military use of nuclear power” – like for generation of electricity.

Japan’s Kyodo News has reported that the proposed pact between Russia and Japan on nuclear power plant will result in Tokyo entrusting Moscow with uranium enrichment and also allowing Japan to export technology to Russia.

But do we get any guarantees that the new technology is clean, sustainable and cost-effective? Or is this just a new friendship between the world leaders?

[via Yahoo!] Image by welshdan

There are some 10 nuclear reactors in Fukushima prefecture. The mayor of Naraha says the “town’s theme is coexistence with our nuclear plant. If safety can be guaranteed, and if our resident’s approve, we would like to host the site” (final disposal site).

How reasonable of them, no sarcasm intended.

A city willing to do their duty to reap the benefits of nuclear power as well as put itself forward for final disposal.

It will be the first time for a city with a nuclear power plant to host a final nuclear waste disposal facility. Imagine how much can be cut in transportation costs, eh?

Kudos to Naraha.

I can see Greenpeace now – wishing and hoping …la la la.

Source

Images by world-nuclear.org

France will send its recycled nuclear fuel to Japan. That’s good news.

The bad news is that environmentalists say it is the biggest ever plutonium shipment and one that increases the chance of nuclear proliferation. Is there ever a chance to make environmentalists happy and do the right thing?

“We confirm the preparation of a shipment to Japan of MOX fuel,” said a spokesman for nuclear group Areva.

MOX, or mixed oxide, is a blend of plutonium and reprocessed uranium that Japan wants use … it’s first try.

Greenpeace (anybody surprised?) says that transporting MOX was “unsafe, insecure and unnecessary.”

This is the first MOX transport to Japan for eight years. This will be the largest shipment of plutonium in history – the MOX fuel elements contain a total of 1.8 tonnes of plutonium.
That’s enough to make 225 nuclear weapons,” it said.

Areva says the production of MOX is safe and it helps reduce the levels of nuclear waste. MOX has been in use in various countries across the world for more than thirty years. But Greenpeace argues: “The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes that MOX can be used to make nuclear bombs.”

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency said “if a malevolent person managed to separate the plutonium from the uranium, which is a difficult process, this plutonium … would be capable of making a nuclear bomb. No-one has done this,” but, “One cannot exclude the possibility that an organization would try, and that is why these convoys are protected.”

Does anybody know anything that Greenpeace is NOT against!?

Jordan is one of the driest countries on the planet and is so woefully short on energy resources that the nation imports 95% of all its energy needs. The tiny Arab state is now looking in a new direction as it signed a deal with China which allows it to develop nuclear power using its vast Uranium reserves.

The country’s 1.2 billion tons of phosphate reserves are estimated to contain 130,000 tons of uranium and the government intends to start mining the radioactive ore to fuel its first nuclear plant that will go online by 2015. By 2030, Jordan wishes to produce 30% of its energy needs from nuclear power.

With rich Uranium deposits and right technical help from China (wonder how right that is), Jordan will also use the power for a desalination process that will bring the much needed drinking water. While this is indeed a positive step forward, one hopes that Jordan uses its nuclear know-how judiciously.

I wonder if they considered a solar plant in Jordan. That would be much cleaner!

Image courtesy of Christopher Chan

The Environment Ministry reported Japan’s emissions hit a record high of carbon dioxide, 8.7% more than what Japan spewed in 1990. The 1997 Kyoto treaty calls for Japan to reduce its emissions to 6% BELOW the 1990 level. Japan is going the wrong way.

Emissions grew 2.3% since last year, largely in part to the closing of Japan’s largest nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture because of an earthquake in the region. Consequently, Japan has had to rely on electrical output from thermal power plants, which are heavy CO2 dischargers. Japanese households have produced 8.4% more greenhouse gases than last year. The unusually hot summer led to increased use of air conditioners.

In the next five years they needs to cut its emissions by 13.5% to meet its commitment and Japan’s best bet is either to plant more trees or increase the capacity utilization ratio of its nuclear power plant, up from 60.7%. A ratio 84.2% (1998), and Japan would have coughed up 5% less greenhouse gas in 2007.

The economy, however, is slowing. As production falls, so too will emissions. Japan needs to cut 50 million metric tons, per year. The steel industry lowered its emissions last year to 1% below its 1990 level despite an 8% increase in crude steel output. The chemical sector is 7% higher than its 1990 figure.

Japan is not going to make it. So, now what?

Source: Nikkei (sub req)
Image courtesy of hubbbadyabutters

1. be factory-sealed
2. contain no weapons-grade material
3. have no moving parts
4. be nearly impossible to steal
5. be encased in concrete and buried underground.

The technology is licensed to Hyperion, a New Mexico-based company which will start working on the first firm orders within five years. Hyperion says, “Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world for a community with 10,000 households, that is a very affordable $2,500 per home.”

The first 100 firm orders have come from the oil and electricity industries for which they will set up three factories to produce 4,000 plants between 2013 and 2023. The first confirmed order is from TES, a Czech infrastructure company specializing in water plants and power plants. ‘

The reactors, only a few meters in diameter, will be delivered by truck and buried underground. They need refueling every 7 to 10 years. The 50-year-old design has proved safe even for students to use. No countries are expected to object to plants on their territory.

“You could never have a Chernobyl-type event – there are no moving parts.” Never! Wrong word.

Meanwhile, Toshiba has been testing 200KW reactors measuring roughly six metres by two meters to fuel smaller numbers of homes for longer or that could power a single building for up to 40 years.

Source: Guardian (Image courtesy of philippe leroyer)