Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), announced by United States Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman on February 6, 2006, is a plan to form an international partnership to reprocess spent nuclear fuel in a way that renders the plutonium in it usable for nuclear fuel but not for nuclear weapons.

The plan is part of the Advanced Energy Initiative announced by President Bush in his 2006 State of the Union address.

The Department of Energy said:

The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership has four main goals. First, reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels and encourage economic growth. Second, recycle nuclear fuel using new proliferation-resistant technologies to recover more energy and reduce waste. Third, encourage prosperity growth and clean development around the world. And fourth, utilize the latest technologies to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation worldwide.

Through GNEP, the United States will work with other nations possessing advanced nuclear technologies to develop new proliferation-resistant recycling technologies in order to produce more energy, reduce waste and minimize proliferation concerns. Additionally, [the] partner nations will develop a fuel services program to provide nuclear fuel to developing nations allowing them to enjoy the benefits of abundant sources of clean, safe nuclear energy in a cost effective manner in exchange for their commitment to forgo enrichment and reprocessing activities, also alleviating proliferation concerns.

In 2007 a large number of U.S. nuclear arms control organizations sent a joint letter to Congress requesting that GNEP funding be terminated on the grounds that it undermined U.S. nuclear proliferation policy, would cost over $100 billion, and did not solve the nuclear waste problem.[1]

In 2008 Congress allocated less than half of the requested funds, supporting GNEP research but not technology demonstration projects. The Congressional Budget Office assessing that reprocessing spent nuclear fuel would cost considerably more than disposal in a long-term repository.[2]

Contents

[edit] Developments over Time

On February 16, 2006 the U.S., France and Japan signed an "arrangement" to research and develop sodium-cooled fast reactors in support of the GNEP.[3]

On September 16, 2007, 11 more countries signed into GNEP by signing the GNEP Statement of Principles.[4] These countries were:

  • Australia
  • Bulgaria
  • Ghana
  • Hungary
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Lithuania
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Slovenia
  • Ukraine

Since then, five additional countries have joined:

  • Canada
  • Italy
  • Republic of Korea
  • Senegal
  • United Kingdom[5][6]

Argentina, Brazil, Germany, India, and South Africa are noncommittal about joining GNEP.[2] South African Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica stated that "Exporting uranium only to get it back refined, instead of enriching it in South Africa, would be 'in conflict with our national policy.'"[7]

[edit] Criticism

Some states do not approve of the GNEP philosophy that partitions the world between a few fuel-cycle states and a larger number of receiver states, reflecting the distinctions in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty‎. They are concerned that their nuclear fuel assurance could in the future be subject to external political pressure. They also believe it creates an unfortunate incentive on states to quickly develop enrichment or reprocessing technology now, to position themselves to become one of the future fuel-cycle states.[8]

Another criticism is that GNEP seeks to deploy proliferation-prone reprocessing technology for commercial reasons, and to bypass the continued delays with the Yucca Mountain waste repository project, while erroneously claiming to enhance global nuclear security.[9]

[edit] See also

Energy Portal

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Letter to Senators Byron L. Dorgan and Pete V. Domenici (Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Senate Appropriations Committee), October 31, 2007, <http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_security/Community-letter-GNEP-Congress_Final.pdf>. Retrieved on 19 April 2008 
  2. ^ a b Richard Weitz (March 2008), Global Nuclear Energy Partnership: Progress, Problems, and Prospects, WMD Insights, <http://www.wmdinsights.com/I23/I23_G2_GlobalNuclearEnergy.htm>. Retrieved on 1 April 2008 
  3. ^ Generation IV International Forum Signs Agreement to Collaborate on Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors, U.S. Department of Energy, February 17, 2006, <http://www.energy.gov/news/3218.htm>. Retrieved on 23 April 2008 
  4. ^ GNEP Statement of Principles, U.S. Department of Energy, September 16, 2007, <http://www.gnep.energy.gov/pdfs/GNEP_SOP.pdf>. Retrieved on 23 April 2008 
  5. ^ Membership of GNEP has tripled, World Nuclear News, 17 September 2007, <http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/nuclearPolicies/Membership_of_GNEP_has_tripled_170907.shtml>. Retrieved on 19 April 2008 
  6. ^ Global Nuclear Energy Partnership Triples in Size to 16 Members, U.S. Department of Energy, September 16, 2007, <http://www.energy.gov/print/5497.htm>. Retrieved on 23 April 2008 
  7. ^ SAfrica out of GNEP to keep right to enrich uranium: minister, AFP, September 18, 2007, <http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iVN6X3NLfzljt66R_ThfRyFl6R2Q>. Retrieved on 25 October 2007 
  8. ^ Harold D. Bengelsdorf (December 2006), Proposals to Strengthen the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime, Office of Science & Technology, <http://www.ostina.org/content/view/1677/644/>. Retrieved on 25 October 2007 
  9. ^ Evolving international pacts for tomorrow, Nuclear Engineering International, 14 September 2007, <http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sectioncode=147&storyCode=2047064>. Retrieved on 25 October 2007 
v • d • e
Emerging nuclear power markets
Partnerships
Specialized plant designs
Languages