30 Fairmont Park Lane S
Lethbridge, AB
T1K 7H7
Phone: (403) 328-1804
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Editor
The Lethbridge Herald
P.O. Box 670
Lethbridge, AB, T1J 3Z7
Canada and the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership
Dear Editor,
Bruce Cheadle’s frustrated quest for information on Canada’s role in the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) is interesting political commentary. (Canadian Politics: Canada’s Minority Government Not Talking Nuclear Anymore; Tories avoid the tough questions, 07/10/29, A1) He provides little insight to Canada’s place in nuclear energy development.
The reality is that Canada has been a member of a global nuclear energy partnership for more than half a century. Canada’s development of the unique CANDU system has proceeded in parallel with other reactor systems, and has benefited much from cooperative undertakings with many other countries. A fundamental advantage of the heavy water moderated CANDU system is its efficient use of neutrons. As a result CANDU reactors can generate more energy from a given quantity of uranium than other systems. That alone should be enough to make Canada an important member of any new partnership.
Indeed, a review of the GNEP Technology Development Plan at www.gnep.energy.gov reveals that CANDU is already on the study agenda as a means of extracting more energy from the spent fuel of other reactors.
It so happens that I presented a relevant paper to the Global Environmental & Nuclear Energy Systems Conference in Japan a few years ago. It indicates several ways that Canadian nuclear science and technology can play a role in global energy supply and provides a window into Canada’s rich nuclear heritage. It is available at www.computare.org/publications.htm under the sub-title “November 1996 - Sustainable Development and Nuclear Energy”. Perhaps its time has come.
As a member of the Canadian Nuclear Society and Chair of the Alberta Branch I’d be happy to help readers of the Herald with access to information on nuclear science and technology. I can be contacted at 328-1804.
Yours truly,
Duane Pendergast