INTERVIEW-Germany's nuclear exit a mistake-Vattenfall

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@EARTHLINK.NET>]

Index:



INTERVIEW-Germany's nuclear exit a mistake-Vattenfall

Chernobyl workers may threaten more Ukrainian lives

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INTERVIEW-Germany's nuclear exit a mistake-Vattenfall



FRANKFURT, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Germany's move to ditch nuclear energy 

clashes with its commitment to cut greenhouse gases emissions and the 

need for a balance of energy sources, the head of Vattenfall Europe 

AG said.



The utility, part of the Swedish Vattenfall AB group, is the first 

German nuclear operator to be hit by loss of capacity later this year 

under the 1999 deal, which was aimed at eliminating perceived safety 

risks from ageing plants.



"Giving up nuclear power is a mistake as it is affordable, reliable 

and environmentally friendly and its risks can be contained, 

especially with new plant technology," said Klaus Rauscher, chairman 

of the newly formed northeast German company.



"How will Germany fill the energy supply gap arising from the loss of 

nuclear if coal is sidelined in order to comply with climate 

protection targets?," he told Reuters in an interview.



Vattenfall under the deal will have to close the 672 megawatt 

northern German nuclear plant at Stade, which it jointly owns with 

E.ON, in the autumn of 2003.



Vattenfall's total share in the four nuclear German plants it jointly 

operates with E.ON amounts to 1,600 MW.



Nuclear power, accounting for a third of German power generation of 

550 terawatt hours (TWh) and saving 160 million tonnes of carbon 

dioxide emissions a year, is to be given up entirely by the early 

2020s.



At the same time, Germany is pressing on with political targets to 

drastically cut greenhouse gases emissions, which largely rules out 

the promotion of "dirty" coal technology.



Its voluntary commitments to cut toxic emissions up to 2012 already 

exceed those laid down in gobal climate agreements.



CONFLICTING TARGETS



Rauscher said both the environmental and anti-nuclear targets could 

not be reconciled with the need to sustain power output.



"German hydro resources are already being fully exploited, solar 

power is heavily subsidised and low in efficiency, and wind power 

supply volatile, requiring thermal power as a back-up, which defeats 

the object," he said.



"Gas-fired generation is not the answer, because if demand jumped 

quickly, or if related oil prices exploded due to international 

tension, it could become unaffordable, he added.



Vattenfall was formed last year from four utilities led by Hamburg's 

HEW in a nuclear and coal-to-electricity and retail asset merger.



Political pressure played a role in the brokering of the merger deal 

as it was expected to help secure 20,000 jobs in eastern German coal 

mining.



Out of Vattenfall Europe's annual power generation of 80 TWh, some 60 

TWh are derived from brown coal, heavily criticised as a major 

pollutant.



Next to nuclear, coal makes up 52 percent of Germany's annual power 

production of roughly 550 terawatt hours (TWh), gas nine percent, and 

renewables and minor sources the rest.



Rauscher said new research into CO2-free coal plant and CO2 storage 

technologies might bring good results in 10 years time.



"Outside Germany, there's a renaissance of nuclear...Sweden, the 

U.S., France, all look at this in a less emotional and prejudiced 

way," he said.

------------------



Chernobyl workers may threaten more Ukrainian lives



KIEV, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Workers trying to clean up the area around 

Chernobyl, site of the world's worst civil nuclear disaster, could be 

spreading contamination by taking radioactive metals into "clean 

areas," Ukraine's prosecutor general said on Friday.



Former-Soviet Ukraine wants to get rid of radioactive waste from the 

area, but lacks the funds to provide enough proper disposal sites -- 

a situation which the prosecutor general believes threatens the 

health of millions of Ukrainians.



"Under the guise of improving the area...the workers have taken 315 

tonnes of copper, nickel and steel pipes contaminated with 

radioactivity into clean areas," Svyatoslav Pyskun said in a 

statement.



"The prosecutor's office has found concrete examples of abuse of 

Ukrainian laws, of workers ignoring the rules and of laziness in 

their ranks."



He called on the government to discipline the workers, who were also 

not taking enough care of buried waste, which could be leaking 

tainted water into agricultural land believed to be free of 

radiation.



"The prosecutor general has ordered the cabinet to take measures to 

ensure that these violations are not repeated and also remind the 

workers of their responsibilities," the statement said.



The government was not immediately available for comment.



Chernobyl's reactor number four exploded and spewed clouds of 

radioactivity over much of Europe in April 1986, leaving swathes of 

Ukraine contaminated with radioactivity which has been blamed for 

thousands of cancer-linked deaths.



Some officials have warned that children harmed by radioactive food 

form a new generation of Chernobyl victims who could pass the 

accident's tragic legacy on to the next.





-------------------------------------------------

Sandy Perle

Director, Technical

ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service

ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue

Costa Mesa, CA 92626



Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100  Extension 2306

Fax:(714) 668-3149



E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net

E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com



Personal Website: http://sandy-travels.com/

ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com/



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