Vietnam urges SE Asia to consider nuclear power use
'DALAT Vietnam, July 22 (Reuters) - Vietnam called on Southeast Asian countries on Thursday to consider using nuclear power for peaceful purposes as Asia faces rising energy needs to fuel economic growth. The countries should "promote cooperation on planning and energy policy to ensure security of energy supply and demand, extraction and conversion, transport and distribution of oil and gas", Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said in the opening speech to a meeting of ASEAN energy ministers. He urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to "consider the possibility of cooperation in using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as a source of alternative low-carbon and sustainable energy". The call followed a proposal by Russia to help Southeast Asian countries build nuclear power plants and develop its use. Several countries in the 10-member ASEAN such as Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia have plans to build or are moving forward with building nuclear power plants to tackle electricity shortages.'
South Korea Seeks Accord With U.S. by 2012 to Reprocess Spent Nuclear Fuel
'South Korea aims to reach an accord with the U.S. by 2012 that could allow the Asian nation to recycle spent nuclear fuel for "peaceful" use to produce electricity, Minister of Knowledge Economy Choi Kyung Hwan said. The two countries are discussing revising an agreement expiring in 2014 that bans South Korea from recycling uranium, which can also be used to make atomic weapons. South Korea, which plans to build more reactors to increase the share of nuclear power generation from about 40 percent, is running out of space to store the spent fuel. "I hope that we can get recycling spent fuel as part of the agreement," Choi, whose ministry oversees energy and industrial policies, said yesterday in an interview in Washington where he is attending a meeting of energy officials. The current agreement was signed in 1956 and revised in 1974, the Munhwa Ilbo newspaper reported April 14. Washington is concerned that allowing South Korea to process the fuel for re- use may discourage North Korea from giving up its weapons program, the New York Times reported July 14.'
MoU on nuclear power co-operation between Vietnam and China signed
'Vietnam's Atomic Energy Institute and China's Guangdong Nuclear Power Group signed in Hanoi on July 21 a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in nuclear power. The signing of the MoU is in line with a cooperative agreement between Vietnam and China on the application of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, which was signed in December 2000. Under the MoU, the Guangdong Nuclear Power Group will assist Vietnam to transfer the latest scientific and technological advances and also train technicians for the nuclear power industry. At present, China has one of the fastest-growing nuclear power industries in the world. Over the past few years, dozens of nuclear power stations have been built and put into operation in China, meeting the country's demand for power for socio-economic development. In Vietnam, nuclear power is considered one of the best ways of addressing the demand for power.'
Aquino may use nuke power; Napocor men now training
'MANILA, Philippines-A small group of Filipinos has begun training in preparation for the possible use of nuclear energy as the Aquino administration begins discussing measures to deal with an impending power crisis, the head of National Power Corp. (Napocor) said Wednesday. "We are doing all the preparations already," Froilan A. Tampinco, president of the state-run Napocor, told reporters. "We are sending people to be trained, though not massive, just for the purposes of being able to be in a position to come out with a good plan. We have to take into considerations the lessons learned from the previous experience we've had. And we don't want a repeat of that." Tampinco stressed that Malacañang had not given formal directions but the various options of using nuclear power had already been discussed. He said Napocor would "go ahead" with the nuclear project once the Palace had laid down the policy. Tampinco said several decisions had to be made: Operating the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), or abandoning the $2-billion facility altogether and constructing a new one. "It's possible we build (a new nuclear power plant) now but the possibility of it being operational within this administration is not certain," said Tampinco, who explained that it takes a number of years to put up a nuclear facility.'
Australia - Traditional owners to fight nuke dump in court
'A lawyer representing traditional owners of Muckaty Station says he will argue in court that the Federal Government has no right to select the area as the site of a nuclear waste dump. Some traditional owners of Muckaty Station, north of Tennant Creek, say they were not properly consulted about plans to construct the waste facility. Lawyer George Newhouse says he will be seeking a declaration against the Government's decision when the case is heard in the Federal Court on Monday. "The nomination of Muckaty as a proposed site is void," he said. "It is void because proper process wasn't followed and the traditional owners for that site were not consulted.'