Nuclear Power Plants and International Politics

International Herald Tribune, February 10, 1975.

The ultimate long-term solution seems to be fusion power. See: William C. Gough , "The Promise of Fusion Power." The Futurist, Vol. VII, No. 5 (October 1973).

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Nuclear Proliferation Problems (The MIT Press, 1974), p. 21.

" World Energy Requirements and Resources in the Year 2000," UN Report, Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, Vol. I (New York, Vienna, UN and IAEA, 1971), pp. 303-323.

SIPRI, op. cit. p. 23 and p. 64.

Nuclear reactors built, being built or planned in the U.S. as of December 31, 1973, USAEC; revisions are published June 30 and December 31 every year. U.S.S.R.'s programme calls for 30,000,000 Kw atomic power plants to be built during 1972-84, see R. Belousov , Heavy Industry (Novosti Press, Moscow, 1972), pp. 60-61.

Commission, op. cit. pp. 1-4. Accordingly the Community aims for 1985 at 200 GWe (Gigawatt electricity; IGW=109 watts or about the output of a single large nuclear power plant) and for 2000 at 400 GWe.

See Nuclear Power Engineering, September 1974, p. 14. Indeed, the article claims that the cost of nuclear power plants to U.S. utilities, announced between 1969-72 will average between 50 per cent.-100 per cent. above their projected U.S. $370-$475/Kw. The American utilities postponed in 1974 the construction of 65 plants for lack of capital. The annual cost increase of U.S. $75-$100 per Kw. added between U.S. $22 and $30 billion per year to the capital cost of the U.S. nuclear power programme.

Commission, op. cit. p. 10. The exact target set in 1985 is 17 per cent. 10. Private communication from AECL dated 19th Feb. 1975. (BWR= Boiling water reactor (usually water cooled and moderated); HTGR=High-temperature gas cooled reactor.)

M. Benedict in Electric Power from Nuclear Fission in The Energy Crisis, 1972, eds. R. S. Lewis and B. I. Spinrad. Quoted in SIPRI op. cit p. 41. The need to utilise uranium to a maximum extent is one of the major justifications for fast breeder reactor development, which uses about 70 per cent. of uranium's energy.

See AAEC 22nd Annual Report (1974 ), p. 10.

Ibid. p. 10.

The EEC Commission report 1974 interestingly indicated, that perhaps for 5-10 years " uranium supply to the Community will be dominated by its dependence on a variety of foreign sources. The Community will look to Canada, South Africa, Australia, Community Associated States and developing countries for its supplies. Market security will necessitate a diversity of these supplies but the Community will be competing for these world-wide resources. The U.S.A. will soon become a net importer and could purchase up to 30 per cent. of its needs from foreign sources in the 1980s. Japan's nuclear programme, representing a third of that of the Communities' programme is also competing for its needs from world wide sources." p. 13.

Ibid. p. 6.

AAEC, op. cit. p. 38.

Commission, op. cit. p. 16.

Ibid.

Ibid. p. 17.

Ibid. p. 20.

The National Symposium On Energy , Proceedings March 19-21, 1974, ed. Itamar Perath (Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Jerusalem, September 1974).

Thomas O'Toole , International Herald Tribune, March 8-9, 1975.

Ibid. Estimates based on T. O'Toole's figures.

Ibid. March 10, 1975.

SIPRI, op. cit. pp. 70-88.

Ibid. pp. 89-98.

Commission, op. cit. pp. 23-24.

The Times, January 16, 1975.

Commission, op. cit. table on p. 3.

Commission, op. cit. p. 16.

A. McKnight in Atomic Safeguards (UN Institute for Training and Research, New York, 1971), p. xiv. Allan McKnight was the first Inspector-General of the IAEA.

Ibid. p. xiv.

For a more detailed review of the three arguments see ibid. pp, 23-26.

Full text, ibid, pp. 259-276.