Positive Energy

Monday, December 03, 2007

GNEP, DUPIC, CANADA

Canada is joining the "Global Nuclear Energy Partnership" (GNEP):

Canada to join Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

One of the GNEP partners actually noticed this momentous decision and gave it a favourable nod:

DOE Statement on Canada Joining the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

GNEP originally included: China, France, Japan, Russia, and the United States.

Eleven more countries signed up at the second meeting: Australia, Bulgaria, Ghana, Hungary, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Ukraine. Italy joined in 2007 November.

A number of countries have been attending the meetings while they think about signing up: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Czech, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

You can get the official GNEP details at: GNEP Ministerial Meetings.

Canada's participation could be significant because we can offer a technical alternative that allows the GNEP principles to be practiced now instead of in the distant future. GNEP aims to make nuclear power generation technology widely available without spreading uranium enrichment systems. GNEP also wants to tightly control the disposition of spent fuel. The long term plan is to develop fast reactors and fuel processing plants that address these requirements. But we don't have to wait. We can begin this process today using "Direct Use of used PWR fuel in CANDU reactors" (DUPIC). Countries such as the USA can provide enriched uranium to smaller countries where Light Water Reactors are in use. After the fuel has been used in these smaller countries it can be returned to the selling country. There, instead of being a problem, it could be fissioned in a CANDU reactor. This would make it financially advantageous for the original seller of the fuel. GNEP can begin acting on its statement of principles today. Canada again holds open the door to a peaceful future!

More details about the use of CANDU reactors for this purpose can be seen at:

Better yet, Canada and the USA could begin exercising the GNEP concept immediately, without waiting for the construction of CANDU reactors in the USA. Canada can sell natural uranium to the USA. The USA can enrich it and fission it in their Light Water Reactors. Once it has gone through their system the spent fuel could be returned to Canada where it could be run through our CANDU reactors. That would give Canada free fuel for its electricity generation. This is a huge win-win opportunity for all, since it provides a practical demonstration of the benefits of GNEP.

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