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In the space of one week British Nuclear Fuel's (BNFL) two
largest clients, who account for 50% of its total reprocessing
business, have suffered catastrophic events, which Greenpeace
believe will cost the UK taxpayer millions of pounds.
BNFL's largest single reprocessing client British Energy has
declared itself on the verge of insolvency and Japan's largest
utility Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has been embroiled in
a scandal around falsification of safety inspections at their
reactors. TEPCO announced an immediate freeze to its plans to use
plutonium produced from the reprocessing of nuclear waste at the
Sellafield site.
British Energy, the nuclear operator responsible for 28% of UK
electricity supply, suspended its shares. In recent weeks the
company has been forced to shut down reactors and disclose
liabilities which overwhelm its ability to make debt repayments.
This has destroyed confidence in the company's ability to continue
operating. In a desperate attempt to survive, British Energy has
sought desperate measures to increase revenue and reduce costs (1).
One of the most significant being urgent negotiations with BNFL to
reduce the reprocessing fees as British Energy is charged between
£250-300 million sterling each year by BNFL for reprocessing at
THORP. Opting for storage rather reprocessing would save the
company between £200-250 million-year.
"It is entirely predictable that British Energy would collapse.
The company warned the UK Government that they had to stop
reprocessing, but the Government deliberately ignored and blocked
them. The conspiracy between BNFL and the Government to keep
Sellafield operating at any costs is one of the contributory
factors to British Energy's collapse. Rather than continuing this
insanity to the cost of the UK taxpayer and the environment,
reprocessing should cease immediately", said Shaun Burnie,
Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaigner on board the Rainbow
Warrior in Dublin.
For more than two years, British Energy executives have sought
to cancel the reprocessing contracts. In submissions to the UK
Government, British Energy has cited the economic nonsense of
reprocessing its nuclear waste. British Energy contracts with BNFL
in total amounts 4,600 tons of spent fuel. If all of this was
reprocessed the utility would have around 40,000 kgs of
plutonium.
To date BNFL has reprocessed 1,500 tons giving the utility
15,000 kgs of plutonium. Not one gram of this plutonium is planned
to be used in any UK reactor.
More bad news for BNFL is that Kashawazaki City Assembly voted
by a majority yesterday, Friday, against the use of plutonium fuel
in a nearby nuclear reactor owned by TEPCO, who are one of BNFL's
largest reprocessing customers. It is a further sign that Japan's
attempts to use plutonium in their reactors is collapsing, along
with the British nuclear industry.
As a potent symbol of BNFL's failed business, the Pacific
Pintail and Pacific Teal, the two armed nuclear freighters carrying
rejected plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) back from Japan to Sellafield,
is expected in the Irish Sea within the next two weeks. The Irish
Government announced on Tuesday that they will deploy Irish naval
vessels and military aircraft to monitor the nuclear ships.
The shipment has met opposition all along its 18,000 miles
route, including 80 Governments. It will be met by the Nuclear Free
Irish Sea Flotilla who supported by the Greenpeace flagship the
Rainbow Warrior, will peacefully protest against the ships.
Notes: (1) Greenpeace UK briefing available at www.greenpeace.org.uk