| While a growing number of countries have
| |
| | energy for electrical generation. The
|
| announced their civilian nuclear energy
| |
| | World Nuclear Association highlights the
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| ambitions over the past twelve months, no
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| | BN-350 fast reactor in Kazakhstan, which
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| other country is likely to have more of a
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| | has produced 135 MWe of electricity and
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| psychological impact on the nuclear
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| | 80,000 cubic meters per day of potable
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| energy picture than Saudi Arabia. We
| |
| | water for nearly 30 years. In Japan, ten
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| believe the Kingdom's natural gas and
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| | desalination facilities are linked to
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| water problems will lead them to nuclear,
| |
| | pressurized water reactors producing
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| sooner rather than later, probably as
| |
| | electricity. The International Atomic
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| early as this year.
| |
| | Energy Agency is working closely with
|
| After our interview with Kevin Bambrough,
| |
| | about 20 countries to implement dual-use
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| which resulted in the widely read
| |
| | nuclear reactors, which would also
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| article, 'Explosion in Nuclear Energy
| |
| | desalinate water.
|
| Demand Coming," we began more deeply
| |
| | According to the World Nuclear
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| researching Bambrough's conclusion. He
| |
| | Association's website, "Small and medium
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| believes the overwhelming growth in
| |
| | sized nuclear reactors are suitable for
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| nuclear energy will continue to drive the
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| | desalination, often with cogeneration of
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| uranium bull market much higher than is
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| | electricity using low-pressure steam from
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| suspected. He believes the uranium
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| | the turbine and hot sea water feed from
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| renaissance has gone beyond the envelope
| |
| | the final cooling system. The main
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| of just a mining inventory shortage. We
| |
| | opportunities for nuclear plants have
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| researched this further during the course
| |
| | been identified as the 80-100,000 m3/day
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| of our investigation into uranium and
| |
| | and 200-500,000 m3/day ranges."
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| geopolitics. We were surprised by what we
| |
| | There are numerous examples of nuclear
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| discovered, and continue to be stunned by
| |
| | desalination being considered. In 1977,
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| how accurate Mr. Bambrough's forecast is
| |
| | Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility was to
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| likely to play out. We included the
| |
| | also have a 200,000 cubic meter/day MSF
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| special sub-section, which follows, in
| |
| | desalination plant. Construction delays,
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| our soon-to-be-published, A Practical
| |
| | and the subsequent Islamic revolution,
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| Investor's Guide to Uranium Stocks. Below
| |
| | prevented this from occurring. Perhaps
|
| is a sneak preview.
| |
| | when Iran commences its civilian nuclear
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| An April 2006 UPI news item confirmed
| |
| | program, the desalination plant will be
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| what many have long believed. It won't be
| |
| | revived. China is reviewing the
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| long before Saudi Arabia launches a
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| | feasibility of a nuclear seawater
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| nuclear project. Kuwaiti researcher
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| | desalination plant in the Yantai area.
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| Abdullah al-Nufaisi told seminar
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| | Russia has advanced a nuclear
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| attendees in Qatar that Saudi Arabia is
| |
| | desalination project with barge-mounted
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| preparing a nuclear program. He said the
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| | marine reactors using Canadian
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| government was being urged to launch a
| |
| | reverse-osmosis technology. India has
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| nuclear project by Saudi scientists, but
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| | begun operating a nuclear desalination
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| had not yet received the blessing by the
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| | demonstration plant at the Madras Atomic
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| royal family. Social, not energy, issues
| |
| | Power Station in southeast India. Another
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| could help the Saudi royals embark on a
| |
| | one may soon follow in the southern
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| large-scale nuclear program.
| |
| | Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which
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| Of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's 24
| |
| | perpetually suffers from water shortages.
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| million subjects, more than 40 percent
| |
| | Pakistan continues its efforts to set up
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| are under 18 years of age. While still
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| | a demonstration desalination plant. South
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| manageable, the country's infrastructure
| |
| | Korea has developed a small nuclear
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| is not prepared to deal with its
| |
| | reactor design for cogeneration of
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| explosive population growth. The two
| |
| | electricity and water. It may first be
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| biggest problems facing Saudi Arabia are
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| | tested on Madura Island in Indonesia.
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| potential water and electricity
| |
| | Argentina has also developed a small
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| shortages. True, its super oilfields may
| |
| | nuclear reactor design for electricity
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| also have peaked in production and might
| |
| | cogeneration or solely for desalination.
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| move into tertiary recovery, but that is
| |
| | The Saudis have investigated dual use for
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| unknown. An Islamic revolution, similar
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| | nearly thirty years. Since 1978, Saudi
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| to what Iran suffered in the 1970s is
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| | scientists have studied nuclear
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| probably foremost in the King's mind.
| |
| | desalination plants in Kazakhstan and
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| Civil unrest might come about should his
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| | Japan. Both studies positively assessed
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| subjects suffer from insufficient
| |
| | the feasibility of bringing the first
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| electricity and inadequate water
| |
| | dual-use nuclear reactor in Saudi Arabia.
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| supplies. One need only look at the
| |
| | Since the mid 1980s, scientists and
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| widespread electricity shortages Syria
| |
| | researchers at the Saudi's Nuclear
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| experienced in the 1980s and early 1990s.
| |
| | Engineering Department at King Abdulaziz
|
| As reported in the October 14, 2004 issue
| |
| | University, the College of Engineering at
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| of Arab Oil and Gas, the Saudis lag well
| |
| | the University of Riyadh, the Chemical
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| behind Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the
| |
| | Engineering Department of King Saud
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| United Arab Emirates in per capita energy
| |
| | University, and the Atomic Energy
|
| consumption. The rate of natural gas
| |
| | Research Institute have researched and
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| consumption, which produces Saudi's
| |
| | evaluated nuclear desalination. Saudi
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| electricity, increased less than Egypt
| |
| | scientists presented their paper,
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| and Syria. Total energy consumption
| |
| | entitled, 'Role of Nuclear Desalination
|
| dropped by 3.5 percent in 1999 and 2000.
| |
| | in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,' at the
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| The internationally heralded "Gas
| |
| | First International Conference on Nuclear
|
| Initiative" of 1998 was the Kingdom's
| |
| | Desalination in Morocco in October 2002.
|
| attempt to lure major western oil
| |
| | The country possesses a tandetron
|
| companies back into the country to help
| |
| | accelerator and a cyclotron capable of
|
| develop its natural gas reserves. After
| |
| | isotope production for medical purposes.
|
| major oil companies spent $100 million in
| |
| | Saudi's nuclear scientists have been
|
| due diligence to evaluate the Saudi
| |
| | involved with many countries to help
|
| natural gas reserves, the initiative
| |
| | their country develop a bonafide nuclear
|
| quietly dropped off the world's radar
| |
| | energy program. In late March 2006, a
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| screen. A Shell Oil executive, whose
| |
| | German magazine reported Saudi Arabia has
|
| company is exploring for gas in the
| |
| | been secretly working on a nuclear
|
| country's Empty Quarter, told Bloomberg
| |
| | program with help from Pakistani
|
| Daily Energy News that this was a
| |
| | scientists. Ironically, many believe
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| high-risk venture with a low probability
| |
| | Saudi Arabia helped finance Pakistan's
|
| of finding sizeable reserves. In Matthew
| |
| | nuclear program. Because Saudi scientists
|
| Simmons' Twilight of the Desert, he
| |
| | lack the proven experience of the entire
|
| repeated what he was told by an anonymous
| |
| | nuclear fuel cycle, Pakistan's expertise,
|
| senior oil executive, "The reservoirs are
| |
| | over the past decade, could help
|
| crummy."
| |
| | accelerate the Kingdom's pursuit of a
|
| The Saudis need water and electricity to
| |
| | civilian nuclear program.
|
| match their population growth. Nuclear
| |
| | While lacking proven uranium deposits,
|
| energy is likely to be the solution to
| |
| | the country's Tabuk region has low-grade
|
| both those problems. Continued dependence
| |
| | amounts of uranium and thorium. However,
|
| upon natural gas may prove a fatal
| |
| | Saudi Arabia has significant phosphate
|
| economic and social error for the royal
| |
| | deposits, which some believe could be
|
| family. Our research forecasts the Saudis
| |
| | exploited. The country's two largest
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| should announce a large-scale civilian
| |
| | deposits reportedly measure about 750
|
| nuclear energy program in the near
| |
| | million metric tons, averaging between 19
|
| future.
| |
| | and 21 percent P2O5. Mined by the Saudi
|
| Let's discuss the water problem first. In
| |
| | Arabian Mining Company and the Saudi
|
| a 2002 story reported in the Oil & Gas
| |
| | Basic Industrial Corporation, fertilizer
|
| Journal, Saudi Arabia's 30 desalination
| |
| | plants at the Al Jubail Industrial City
|
| plants produce about 21 percent of the
| |
| | produce about 4.5 metric tons of P2O5
|
| world's total desalinated water
| |
| | annually. While extraction of uranium
|
| production. Nearly 70 percent of the
| |
| | from phosphates can be an expensive
|
| local water drunk in cities comes from
| |
| | proposition, the phosphates could provide
|
| desalinated sea water. As the population
| |
| | a ready supply of uranium for the
|
| grows, Saudi Arabia may spend another $40
| |
| | country's nuclear desalination plants.
|
| billion to build more desalination
| |
| | Then, it would be a matter of uranium
|
| plants.
| |
| | enrichment, of which both the Russians
|
| Half of the world's desalination plants
| |
| | and the French would be scrambling to
|
| are in the Middle East. Most are powered
| |
| | provide the Kingdom.
|
| by fossil fuels, especially natural gas.
| |
| | While the Saudi program many not directly
|
| Converting sea water to potable water is
| |
| | impact world uranium prices, the
|
| energy intensive. The commonly used
| |
| | Kingdom's decision to advance its nuclear
|
| desalination method of multi-stage flash
| |
| | program, beyond the research and medical
|
| (MSF) distillation with steam requires
| |
| | stage, would signal the entire world that
|
| heat at 70 to 130 degrees centigrade and
| |
| | nuclear energy programs will be a primary
|
| consumes up to 200 kilowatt hours of
| |
| | growth sector for the next fifty to one
|
| electricity for every cubic meter of
| |
| | hundred years. Should the Saudis also
|
| water (about 264 gallons). MSF is the
| |
| | commence desalination projects using
|
| most popular technology, but some are
| |
| | dual-use nuclear reactors, this could
|
| turning to reverse osmosis (RO). RO
| |
| | change the entire landscape of the water
|
| consumes about 6 kilowatt hours of
| |
| | situation for the Middle East as well as
|
| electricity for every cubic meter of
| |
| | Africa. And it would most likely spark a
|
| water.
| |
| | significant stampede of the Kingdom's
|
| Desalination is very expensive. The cost
| |
| | neighbors into the global nuclear
|
| to generate this electricity through
| |
| | renaissance.
|
| natural gas explains why Saudi Arabia
| |
| | ****************************************
|
| spends about $4 billion in operating and
| |
| | *****
|
| annual maintenance costs.
| |
| | James Finch contributes to and other
|
| There are numerous precedents in
| |
| | publications.
|
| combining water desalination with nuclear
| |
| |
|
