Carbon cost of nuclear power

The Guardian, Thursday 14 May 2009

Your account of the part buyout of British Energy assets (Centrica to buy 20% stake ion British Energy from EDF," 11 May) asserts that nuclear power is "carbon free". It is not, and this sloppy statement demonstrates the democratic dangers of the nuclear industry repeating this falsehood to gain support for its planned UK expansion, as unquestioning journalists repeat it as if it is fact.
Greenhouse gas emissions are produced from uranium mining, milling, enrichment and nuclear fuel fabrication, all prior to fuel irradiation, and spent fuel management, radioactive waste storage and/or disposal, post irradiation, and ultimately reactor decommissioning.
In 1999 the Department of Trade & Industry published a study that calculated that for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity generated, nuclear produces 4g of CO2, while wind produces 8g, and hydro-power 8-9g.
Additionally, nowhere in the 3,352-word statement issued by Centrica to explain its intended purchase of a 20% share in British Energy (BE) does it explain whether this shareholding will include the gas company taking a pro-rata 20% share in BE's plutonium stockpile, of at least 15,000kg.
In a written parliamentary answer on 30 October last year to independent MP Dai Davies, energy minister Mike O'Brien revealed: "British Energy owns a relatively small quantity of plutonium that has arisen from reprocessing ... British Energy treats the plutonium as a zero-value asset, and records a liability of £4.8m (discounted) in its accounts relating to the management of the plutonium."
Do Centrica share holders know this?Dr David LowryContributing author, Nuclear or Not?