CND Press Digest: Thursday 11th April 2024

NATO / Europe

• The Guardian: Russia claimed that Ukraine attacked the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant for a third day with a drone but Ukrainian officials denied that Kyiv had anything to do with the attacks. Ukraine has denied it is behind a series of drone attacks on the plant over the past three days, including three on Sunday, which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said had endangered nuclear safety. The recent drone fell on the roof of the training centre, it said. No one was injured.
• The Telegraph: US needs Europe to stand up to Russia and China threat, says NATO deputy. Transatlantic alliance vital says Mircea Geoană amid fears Trump will halt military support to Ukraine if he retakes presidency.
• Associated Press: Ukraine will be outgunned by Russia 10 to 1 in weeks without US help, top Europe general says

Middle East & North Africa

• Washington Post: Nuclear deal in tatters, Iran edges close to weapons capability.Six years after the Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear accord, Tehran is rapidly accumulating enriched uranium, some of it very close to weapons grade. Experts fear that a bomb could be a short dash away.
• Jurist: Israeli nuclear deterrence and war with Iran.

Global Nukes

• The Telegraph: Fallout, Prime Video, review: nuclear annihilation shouldn’t be this much fun.
• The short march to China’s hydrogen bomb. https://thebulletin.org/2024/04/the-short-march-to-chinas-hydrogen-bomb/?link_id=6&can_id=372897…

Nukes in Britain

• Bulletin: By sending nuclear weapons to the United Kingdom, could the United States be fueling nuclear proliferation?

UK Nuclear Energy

• East Anglian Daily Times: Around 100 people gathered in Ipswich for the largest Sizewell C Forum of the year to catch up with the nuclear project’s progress to date. The public event at Trinity Park heard from key members of the Sizewell C team – including joint managing director Julia Pyke and site delivery director Damian Leydon. The site has already passed two major milestones – the start of the construction phase of the new nuclear build, and buying the land on which the power station will be built. Bulk earthworks will start soon, the audience heard.
• BBC: Police have warned drivers of disruption as large objects, including for the new Sizewell C nuclear plant, will be escorted on Suffolk’s roads. Two loads are travelling on Thursday and two more on Sunday. The A12, A14 and some B-roads will be used. The objects include a transformer and a crane, external.

Nuclear Energy

• Renew Economy: The Coalition is making unproven assertions that 100% ‘zero emissions’ electricity can be provided more cheaply and reliably by nuclear than renewable energy. It has even proposed sites for nuclear reactors, including Collie in Western Australia, which currently has three coal fired power stations. This article compares weighted average levelized cost of energy (WALCOE) for nuclear grid scenarios, with those of renewable energy (RE) grid scenarios for Western Australia’s South West Integrated System (SWIS). The modelled scenarios deliver 95% and 100% near zero emissions energy. Much has been written about the impediments to nuclear in Australia, including laws prohibiting it, storage of nuclear waste, costly insurance/ underwriting of plants, 10-15 year lead time, the unavailability of commercial small modular reactors and likely cost overruns, all of which would add to the cost.
• Reuters: The United States and Japan on Wednesday announced a joint partnership to accelerate development and commercialization of nuclear fusion.

CND

• A letter to the Salisbury Journal on weekly Salisbury ‘Ceasefire Now’ peace vigils.

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament