CND Press Digest: Thursday 9th March 2023

War In Ukraine/NATO

• The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was back using diesel generators on Thursday after the latest wave of Russian airstrikes disconnected it from the Ukrainian power grid.

AI and Nuclear Weapons

• The FT with a column on the need to negotiate on the use of AI in nuclear weapons. It notes: In a little-noticed announcement, the US state department recently made a small but promising foray in this direction. In February in The Hague, Bonnie Jenkins, the department’s under secretary for arms control, put forward 12 non-legally binding norms to govern military uses of AI. They include an exhortation that humans should always control any launch of nuclear weapons, and that the Geneva Conventions should apply. She emphasised that “we have an obligation to create strong norms of responsible behaviour concerning military uses of AI.”

British Military / Trident 

• The government’s long-awaited Integrated Review refresh will be published on Monday, according to Sky News. It will come just two days before the budget announcement.
• The government’s 2022 report on the progress of the Dreadnought submarine programme and other related programmes has been published.
• That’s as a former MP for Furness expressed his concerns that the Dreadnought programme was falling behind schedule - and questioned the government over the ‘increasing strain’ being placed on the current generation of Vanguard-class subs.

AUKUS

• Earlier fears expressed by The Times – that Britain would be the big loser in the AUKUS pact – have been assuaged. The paper is now reporting that both the US and UK will supply Australia with nuclear-powered subs. Washington will provide up to five Virginia-class subs as an interim solution, while British designers will work on a new a submarine-class using US technology as part of a long-term acquisition. Read more in the Reuters exclusive. 

UK Nuclear Energy

• CounterPunch looks at the soaring costs of building Hinkley Point C and argues how new nuclear plants are nothing but money pits.
• Cumbria Crack on the latest developments on the siting of an offshore nuclear dump. Nuclear Waste Services has begun a study to assess the suitability of siting the dump in Copeland.

Nuclear Energy

• Al Jazeera with an opinion on how the nuclear lobby scuppered the EU’s anti-greenwashing efforts.
• EDF has why the future of nuclear power lies in its expansion outside of Europe and North America.