CND Press Roundup Monday 7th June 2022

War in Ukraine

• Ukraine’s nuclear agency Energoatom has signed a deal with US nuclear firm Westinghouse, to increase an order for AP1000 reactors from five to nine. Westinghouse will also supply nuclear fuel and related components to Ukraine, following Kiev’s decision earlier this year to stop using fuel supplied from Russia.

• The International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded its second visit to the Chernobyl nuclear plant – where it has carried out security and safety checks at the defunct facility and its surrounding Exclusion Zone. The watchdog is also looking to gain access to the Zaporizhzhia site, which is still under occupation by Russian troops.

• A new Sky Original documentary on the Chernobyl disaster will be released on June 22. Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes uses never seen before footage that “gives a rare glimpse into the lives of residents of the nearby town Pripyat, most of whom were evacuated to never return. It shows the desperate work of thousands of Soviet miners, officials, and technicians that worked to stop the disaster from becoming a global catastrophe, all whilst attempting to cover up the incident from the world’s watchful eyes.”

Trident

• Tory MP for Barrow and Furness Simon Fell writes in The North West Evening Mail – calling for the retired nuclear submarine, HMS Dreadnought, to be brought from Rosyth after decommissioning, and put on display in Barrow, where it was built. “Many people have put it to me over the last few months that Barrow should have a lasting monument to its boat-building heritage in town. I can’t say that I disagree. So I’ve recently spoken to the Defence Secretary and also the Chief Executive of the Submarine Delivery Agency about liberating HMS Dreadnought from Rosyth and floating her back to her home in Barrow,” Fell said.

Nuclear Energy

• Richard Milne writes in The Financial Times on Finland’s abandoned Fennovoima nuclear plant project – which was to be built with Russian technology and money. It covers a saga where Finland – a country who prided itself on how it handles relations with Russia – is now on the cusp of joining NATO.

Global Abolition / TPNW

• CND congratulates our Vice-President Canon Paul Oestreicher for his recent inclusion in the Jubilee Birthday Honours list, receiving an OBE for his services to “Peace, Human Rights and Reconciliation.” Church Times also covers the award.

• The latest issue of Peace News has two features on prohibiting nuclear weapons with the paper’s editorial calling for a Ban Nuclear Threats Campaign. SCND’s Janet Fenton instead argues that legislation that bans the threat of nuclear weapons already exists in the TPNW.

Nuclear Korea

• North Korea is expanding key facilities at its Yongbyon nuclear testing site, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said. Speaking at a quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors on Monday, Rafael Grossi said “a roof has been installed on the annex to the reported Centrifuge Enrichment Facility, so the annex is now externally complete.” He added that work at the site was still ongoing and that “ongoing indications [are] consistent with the operation of the 5MW(e) reactor.” Grossi also said that the Nuclear Test Site at Punggye-ri showed signs of activity which could be preparation work for a nuclear test.

Iran Nuclear Deal

• Grossi also told the IAEA’s board that Iran is only weeks away from having a “significant quantity of enriched uranium” but that “does not mean having a bomb.” The news comes amid fears that hopes of reviving the 2015 nuclear are fading and concerns from the IAEA that Iran hasn’t been forthcoming with information about three undeclared sites associated with its nuclear programme.