JPRS ID: 9662 WORLDWIDE REPORT NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT AND PROLIFERATION

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• Content Type: REPORTS

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JPRS L/9662
14 April 1981
Woridwide Re ort
p
NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT AND PROLIFERATION
(FOUO 6/81)
FBIS FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION ~ERVICE
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JPRS L/9662
14 April 1981
WORLDWIDE REPORT
- NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT AND PROLIFERATION
(FOUO 6/81)
CONTENTS
WORLDWIDE AFFAIRS
USSR Sup~lying Heavy Water, Enriched Uranium to Argentina
(Robert Lindley; FINANCIAL TIMES, 17 Mar 81) 1
ASIA
JEIPAN
Japan Falls to Third Place in Nuclear-Power Generation
~JAPAnT TIMES, 5 M-~r 81) 2
Nuclear Industry in Japan Discussed
(TECHNOCRAT, Jan 81) 3
UtiliCi~s k'ill Promote Uranium Enrich.:~ent ~
~ (TFCHNGCRAT, Jan 81) 5
Chemical irranium Enrichment Dominating Owing to Ion-Fxchange
Resin .Development
~T'FGHNOCRAT, Feb ~1) 6
Plasma Temperature of 12.8 Million Aegrees Attained
~TECHNOCRAT, Jan 81) 8
Heliotron E Tries To Obtain Target Values
~TECHNOCRAT, Feb 81) 9
Behavior Monitor Recor.ds Fuel Failure Procesa
(TECHNOCRAT, Feb 81) 10
- a = [III - ~ - 141 FOUO]
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Briefs
Updat~zd Nuclear Fuels 11
Pu-Mixed Fuels by PNC 11
Safet;y Monitoring Camera 11
~ SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
NIGER
Uranium Expected To Produce Less Income This Year
(Francoise Hubscher; JEUNE AFRIQUE, 18 Feb R1) 12
Data on Uranium Reserves, Prices
(TEUNE l~FFItIQUE, ll3 Feb 81) 15
WEST F.UROPE
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
- Briefs
Nuclear Project F~ugh~t ; 17
~ - b -
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WORLDWIDE AFFAIRS ~
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USSR SUPPLYING HEAVY WATER, ENRICHED URANIUM TO ARGENTINA
~
- LD171319 London FINA.~ICIAI, TTMES in English 17 Mar 81 p 4 .
(Robert Lindley dispatch] ~
[E~cerpt] The U.S.-sponsored embargo on grain shipments, to the Soviet IInion and the ~
controis which the "atomic club" of nations--especially the ti.S.--~aants to impose on
Argentina's ambitious nuclear programme, has sent Argentina shopping in Russia for ato;~ic ~
energy components.
~
Five tons of heavy water purchased from the Soviet Union already are in Argentina, -
and more will be imported frem the same source. argentina is also buying enriched ura- ~
nium from the Russians for its e:cperimental nuclear reactors. ;
In view of Argentina's determination to have seven nuclear power stations installed by ~
the end of the centur~, this overture to the Soviets is probably inevitable. ~'ice-
Admiral Carlos Castr,^ ~fadero, president of the Vational Atomic Energy Commission, recently �
denounced what he called "economic and political interests which are trying by whatever '
means possible to block both Brazil and argentina from achieving independent nuclear
development." ~
Argentina is pledged to ship 22.Sm tons of grain to Russia over the next four years. ;
- COPYRIGHT: The Financial Times Ltd, 1981 ;
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JAPAN
JAPAN FALLS TO THIRD PIACE IN NUCLEAR-POWER GENERATION
Tokyo JAPAN TIMES in English S Ma.r 81 p 2
~Text] Japan has dropped to lhird op0rating [n that coimtry last
piac~~ ainong cotfntries . in the year. _
world in respect to gencrating The Sovlet Union�Is expected
cnPacit'y ot atomlc power to overtake dap~~'i.during thls -
reacWrs, accordlqg~to a survey,, year since it is pr~mottng
uf thc prlvate Japan Atomic atomic power piant :'projects
lndustri:il Forum; ]rtc: un'clc~r Its l lth fivc-yeart plan
Thc s~'n~ey, conducted as ot etxiing in 19A5.
, 1'ASt Decem~?er, showed fdat fhe Z'he� JAIF' safd not one new
Uniled St9tes continueil. to; atbfilc� power `plant staM.ed
occupy thc tap spot as to the f. ~rating Jn Japan in 19R0 but
nun~bc~r and output capacjty work for building tour reactors,
afi?micpo~tirrreacfors. includtng the'iVO. ~3 reactor at
the'Toltyo ~iectrfc+'PoNver Co.'s
Ranking second was FrBnC~', No. 2 plant~ In F'uku�htma, was
with a~totai� o[ .22 A-power"' started. .
rnactors ~vith a total ~eneratlri'g't., it said'the' Untt~i :4tates was
capacity of 15.350.d00 kilowatt's, stTll suftering [rom: the
. ,in operation. I.ast year elo~i~,' attereffects ot the 'Three Mile
seven new reactors with ~8n island 8ccidetlt in �197~ and
output capacity of 6,70Q:OU0" added constr~ction ot 1F
ktlowztts started opcrattng Jn reactors. includin .ntne [or
France, which occupied Lhe No. Wh~~?j~'~Grork ```~lr~~ify 'was
6 spot in 19i9. stACted, Was canCeltd last year.
; ,~,r~ , ;~..t 1
It [hu5 replaced Jap~n, whlc'h' ~e JAIF'survey also showc~d
- had been arupyin~ Uie Na 2 ~aL :conet~uction .ot atomic
s~~o~ sie~.~e 19I8. As o[ last t~WCr reactors started showin~
Derrmber, ~ rcactors with a stgns ot~piclting up ag81n lasl
totat output aapacity 'of yearona~lobal�basis. -
16. t'~A.ooO kilowatts were In A total of ZI rcactors wlth a
opcrationinthec~ountry. ca~ac[ty o( sortle 16 million
- kiltiWatts statted operatlon last
The.1:V1'sur.vcy also showed yeaC,,it'said.
that the Sm9~t L~nton had 28 Thln brought_ Che ,numlx~r of
rcactors a�ith an output rnartors In 4peratlon in 2w
_ ca~~~city of 11,t3W,000 k(lowatts.. countrles �in the world to 247
Four new planls with a ca~aciEy witli~. a'~tot~l capaclty ot 146
ot 2.5~10,~0(? kUuwatts starC4d mllllon~kUow~tts.
COPYRIGHT: I'HE JAPAN TIMES 1981
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JAPAN
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY IN JAPAN DISCUSSED
Tokyo TECHNOCRAT in English Vol 14, No 1, Jan 81 p 59
[Text]
Jopan's nuclcar eyuipment industrp has The resufts oj thc pro%ect Jirectly ajject
heen rvoiving main(y tltrnerRl~ technology nc~ constructton scl~eme jor Tsuragu No.2
introduction fiom theUnfted Stares. At pres+ent, reactor whic/~ invofves PCC6', rmproved usels-
liowever, it is capab(r oj buildrnR eight reactors micit?~, rejinemenr oj juels dnd steam generu-
yearJy in tlie million kw runge, with nearly tors, as well as measures jor lowering radio-
1 tl09'a domestrc com~onent.s. Tsuruga unit 2 activitv release.
reactor (PWR 1160mwJ oj tAe Jupan Atomic The percentuge oj domestic productivn oj
Power Company now under sofety inspection nun:ar equipment is 90% or more in most
J'or licensing is a Japen-madc, improved and itrms, oclfieving 99`7o for reactors to date.
standardfzed mode/ adopring a presnessed Some exceptions ore imported: very specia!
concrere contuinment vessel (PCCV~ - Jope- instruments and a manipulator crone.
nese power companies incfuding equipment Tl~e industrv in Japen has been able to
manujacturers are consldered leaders in rhis accompJish the rapld domesric production oJ
erec. Firms doing bus/ness in tpe nuciear nuclear eqt~fpment wrthin ebout two decades
industr}� number over 500, with about 40,000 owing to technologrcu( experlence in such
emplo}~ees and on annuai tora! expenditure techniques as weiding, assem6ling of masstve
oj as much as ~/.4S iri!lion, conjlrming co?nponents, and process contro! techntques
the steudy buildup oj industriaf structure jor thar have long beett accumulated in thermo!/
nuciear power generofion. hydroefectrka! power generonon, ship6utlding,
Ffve BWR enterprtscs consrsting ojTnshiba iron works, heavy electric equipment, heavy
Corporation, Nitachi Lrd., GF. /U.S. J, ASEA- macl~rnerti~, and otlier manujacn~rrng jields.
ATOAf (SwedenJ, and A~ti1N (/ral~~l l~ui~e Tlre sophisrrcated industry represented by
rrccntly propvsed a Jetailed design jvr an nuclear�power plants requrres u sysrem en-
- idea! reactor. TNis is ro be inrruducrd into gineering capabilitp es its essentiai part.
the Koriha nuc/eor generutir~~ plant, Ka.rhiwo- Hox~ever, Jcponese manujacturers are stii!
zaki, N/igota, oj Tokvu E(ect~ic after relluhility behind the overseas j(rms in this regerd, t.e.
tesrs. the crearTon oj new comprehensfve systems.
Thr~ reactor !ms hecn jointli~ developcd hp Since the englneering sector snves much by
thc Ih~c rnnnujacnrrers sincc sigr~rng a technica! avnldrng double investmen ts, it is advtsa6fe
Jevriopment cuntrrret on Juip 2 ycars aR~� to jurther promore efjicie~~t LWR development
jormrng a tcclinulog}~ imprni~emenr rcum. The rlirough injormation exchange, joint research
iicw ti~~r prnvides a b?~ilr�rn coolunr water and development, organization rejorm, and
recrrr.ulotion pump, a finc�rt~ning cuntrof ~od other means.
~lrfvrng mechanism etc., redtrced personneJ The nuclear equipment industry is typically
radiation e.rpo.n~re. and is c�unsidered fur mort knowledge-intens:ve, whlch contributes to
ndvu~+c�rd than existin,q BWRs in uprrarionn! levelling up whole industrtes in Japan, and is
perjormance. Organization uj fhe technica! c posslble export Jeader !n the juture.
rejc~r~n rask jurce ln partrcular wa.r symbofic Current export items are cenrered in such
oj the� progress und conjidence in Japen's components as reactor pressure vesse/s mostly~
!iglrt woter reacror technolu~
The LWR re inement und stundnrdizutio~i ror the Westem rndustriafized nattons, wlth on
f export surr~ annually vj less than �1.4 biilion.
project beguh ln jiscal /97.5 b}~ joinr pu6Gc ~apon's nuclear inJustry is st~re(y cap~ibfe
unJ /~rtvafe sectors lntends tu set up a'Japan� oj wielding excellent producdon techniques,
n~pe LN~R", and is cxpectrn~ the cunceptual but its experience in the arena of nuclea jue!
6lucprint withln thia� jiscu( i~~~~r.
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c~vcfe is pou~, ulong with u seemb~g fuck vj
overu!! engi~reerinp, abilir~~. Tlie Jepartments
cnncen~ed are urged to muke u"quantum
feup" withuut disturbinb rhe presenr rom-
puncnt expnrrafinn.
1r.(piw~ I.nm ~I~etrrc~lY Ndt~t'r.~l Luapet Intome
""'a' ~Y billiOn)
� 75
NNC. J~P~n Nu�1
for a 1985 start-up as the successor tu the pilpt
facility.
COPYRIGHT: 1981 Fuji Marketing Research Co., Ltd.
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JAPAN
CHEMICAL URANIUM ENRICHMENT DOMINATING OWING TO ION-EXCHANGE RESIN DEVELOPMENT
Tokyo T~CHNOCRAT in English Vol 14, No 2, Feb 81 p 59
[Text] Uranium enrichment through chemical exchange process utilizing ion-
exchange resin is drawing attention. The Asahi Chemical Industry has success-
fully developed an ion-exchange resin with high-temperature resistance and
substantially heightened ion-exchange reaction velocity, which proves the
economic feasibility for an enrichment method the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
had labelled unfeasible. Moreover, the process which requires three months to
enrich uranium-235 from 0.72% in natural uranium up to 3% for LWR fuels, can be
designated a"nuclear nonproliferation type uranium enrichment technique." The
reasons: (1) continuous nuclear fission reaction in the system might be trig-
gered by criticality when the enrichment reaches 40%; (2) even if the criticality
risk is overridden, obtaining 90% highly enriched uranium f or military purpose
from 3%EU will need a period of as long as around 8 years. The future of the
technique is quite rosy because of its export potential to developing nations as
well as its domestic implication.
The Asahi Chemical Industry, given government subsidies, is already proceeding
- with a plan to construct a model facility separative work unit (SWU) with an
annual capacity o� 2 tons, comprising 4 enrichment columns in Hyuga City,
Miyazaki Prefecture, in order to acquire experimental economi.c e;;aluation data
by fiscal ].985. The company which has been conducting R&D since 1972 has suc-
ceeded in developing a high-power ion-exchange resin. The newly developed
system provides a column packed with an ion-exchange resin in which an adsorp-
tion band having uranyl ions is placed with an oxidizing agent such as iron
(trivalent) under it. When a liquid reductant is introduced from the top,
uranyl ions in the adsorption band reduce to uranous ions. Then the latter
_ ions pass through tlie adsorption band without sticking to the ion-exchange
- resin, and are oxidized again by an oxidant to uranyl ions, staying at the front
_ of the adsorption band. Thus in the column, ions in the uranium solution repeat
oxidation, adsorption, reduction and removal, lowering the band with a constant
length t~ the bottom of the column. This oxidation-reduction process qields
enriched uranium at the rear er?d and depleted uranium at the front of the column.
The A~ahi Chemical Industry, utilizing the technique, has achieved 1% enrichment
from 0.72% after about 20 days' operation of a small-scale test equipment con-
sisting of four 2cm dia., 2m long enrichment columns set up in its factory site.
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~
_
' ppw uranlum
~
O
9 C
% r
0 ~ ,
7
R uetant $
Resr ~nd �
,
~ ~ Enrlchinp ~ . t
. dir~ction of Unnium ~
ursnium�235 ~dforptlon
b~nd ~
� Enrichinp ~ ~ ~
- ulrecNon oi '
uranlum�238~, . ,
~~~i . i
Fronc
� ;.,Oxtdi~i�;
� : .
~
3
a
c i
J ~ Dapleted urenium
Fig. L Schematic Diagram of Enrichment _
Column _
COPYRIGHT: 1981 Fuji Marketing Research Co., Ltd. ' `
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JAPAN
PLASMA TEMPERATURE OF 12.8 MILLION DEGREES ATTAINED
Tokyo TECHNOCRAT in ~nglish Vol 14, No 1, Jan 81 p 58
[Text)
The lapan-U.S. joint study ,roup un a romplc~.
TUI~A~fAI: rype nuclear Cuxion m:~ctor has In ECRH, a radio wave with tlic x:w~nc
conducted an experiment ot clectron cyclutton frequency us the revolution of the electrons
resonance heating (ECRIII and suc~wedtd in movin_ in the magnetic tield is injected into
raising a plasma clectrun temperaturc to the plasma. The wave energy is absurbed in
IZ,S00.000 degrees. 1'he group lias been con- electrons ~ccording to the principle ol' reso-
vinced of the el'fcctiveness o( this heatin_ nance absorption, and is utilized to hcat
tor improvin~ plasma conl'inement properties. electrons. The Japan-U.S. reseatcli teum this -
The achievement is the world's-highest - more timc has installed GA's 28GHz, ?OOkIV high-
than 3 million degrees o~cr the temperature frequency osrillator in lI~T-2 and a net I IOk\V
obtained last year~:nd b>~ the Oak Ridge high-treque~~cy powcr was applied to JI~Z'-2
National Laboratory, and this is retlected in plasma heated to 6.~ million ~egrecs of clec-
the General Atomics's Doublet til Ptoject; the tron temperaturc by the first stagc hc~ting.
Japan-U.S. joint research. In addition, discus- Tnis bousteJ the plasma temperature upto 12.8
sion has been initiated lo equip the critical miliiun degrees. I~urthermore, the eroup re- -
plasma tcst facilih� (1T�601 wliirh Jal'an vcaled Ihat thc olrrtrun t~mpcraturr incrcau: -
~1tum?c I:ncr~:y Kesearcli (n~iitut~ is nuw suppres~s tli~ plaxm:? instability due to the
wnstructine witl~ GCRH. 5pecifiwlly, this driftin~ line oi magnctic force etc. and improves
rrsult has ~ttracted attenliun bec~use ot' tl~e the confinement properties. These experimental
expect~tiun th:U it will be able to ~loublr thc results arc to be introduced into the Doublrt
plasma test facility (JT~O) which the Japan Project in which tlic hi~h�Frcquency powrr
on temperuture or the magneti~: ficld strcngth. will be upgrad~d tu 60GHz and 2;~11V for the
This r~o~;~ies hope o( simplifying the cxpcriments, in a cuuple of ycars.
structu?e uf the TOKA~tAK typr t;iciliry
- pteviuusly f'i~rccd to be hcavily equtppcd and
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JAPAN
HELIOTRON E TRIES TO OBTAIN TARGET VALUES
~
Tokyo TECHNOCRAT in English Vol 14, No 2, Feb 81 p 58
[Text]
The Plasma Physics Laboratory of Kyoto �'the power indusUy has decided on a basic
Univcrsity has started an eapcrirnent to realize poliry to take the initi~tive in oommercializa-
aimed values by means of a uniquely developed tion of anrichment business using a centrifuge
nuclcar fusinn test facilit~�, "Heliotran E" proass. Nine utilities plus 'fhe ]epan Atomic
Thc dcvice completed c~,rly last year has Power Company wlll immediately organize
succecJed lasl Seplember in confining tiiFh the Preparatory Office fot Utanium Entichment
_ tcmperature plasma of up to l 2 miUion degrees. Busineu (provisionSl name), in an effort to
The caperiment this time intends to attain perform the detailed study on the construction
threc major proposed objectives of electron of lapan'a fitst sueh oommercial plant. In the
temperature, plasma density, and plasma ~~~fustinge, about a third of demand for
containment time. The reseazch group of the enriched uranium is ptojected to rely on
center seems confident of success, based on domestic production. The heavy electric
the series of tests executed so far. Moreover, industry, plant engineering, banking and others
followed by this experiment, a neutrat beam' are to found, hopefully within next fiscal
~ injector (NBl) is to be used in the additional year, a new firm, "Japan Uranium Enrichment
heating test beginning around nextspring. . Co:' (tentadve name), the host organ for
- He~'otron E which resembles 'fOKAMAKs construction and operation. Powec companies
now undet study by lhe )apan Atomic Energy have made long-term conlracts with U.S. DOE
Research Institute and other organs, is an equivalent to 51 miUion kWe, as well as with
experimental nuclear fusion facility with a Eurodif amounting to 10,000 ton SWU. This `
magnetic confinement system. The equipment means the industry has already procured a sum
ic different ftom the TUKAMAK type in equal to 60 miUion kW to be necessary by
providing a helical coil w.ound along a doughnut the early 1990s.
vacuum vessel to contain plasma. 'Che vacuum 'Che above-mentioned preparatory office,
- vcsscl has a diameter of 4.4m and weighs ptobing the futute total enrichment supply
about 50 tons, providing the world's largest and demand, wip consider an enrichment _
fusion test facility to datr. Current gosls aze undertaking coupled with a centrifuge produc-
to materialize an N~ctron tcmperature of 10 tion setup.
million degrees, plasma density of 100 trillion
particles/cmj, and energy confinement time of
10 milliscconds, ulmost complete conditions
to initiate a thermonuclear reaction.
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JAPAN
.
BEHAVIOR MONITOR F~CORDS FUEL FAILURE PROCESS
Tokyo TECHNOCRAT in ~nglish Vol 14, No 2, Feb 81 p 59
[Text] The Japan Atomic ~nergy Research Institute (JAERI) has succeeded for the
first time in the world in recording directly by a high-speed camera, the fuel
~ collapsing process in an experiment of reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) for
light water reactors. The feat was achieve3 through the development of a fuel
transients monitor equipped with lights and a periscope in the capsule concaining
the camera together with a test fuel, all placed in the Nuclear Safety Research
Reactor (NSRR) under intense radiation in limited space. In addition to the -
current recording of temperatures and pressures etc., this enables direct
observati~n of the transient fuel's behavior, and is expected to be greatly
helpful for determining RIA control values as well as establishing a more accu-
rate and more comprehensive calculation model. -
Photography was conducted with a color film for 13 seconds at a rate of 285 frames/
second. The steps such as fuel heating, film boiling, melting clad, deformation,
cooling fuel, and bubble release from a tubing failure, were clearly surveyed.
JAERI, the tool inventor, is using a swimming-pool annular core constantly pulsed
dual-purpose reactor to simulate runaway outputs during LWR reactivity induced -
accidents with pulsed outputs, and is performing tests to explain the fuel
behavior in RIA by rapidly heating the capsuled test fuel inserted in the main
c~xperimental hole of the core.
The equipment consists of a stainless steel capsule (total length: 1,200mm;
I.D. 120mm) incorporating the test fuel with a 3 kW lamp and periscope employing
a non-browning glass which connects to a high-speed camera held 2.5m over them,
a11 of which is housed in an air-tight pressure case with radiation shielding
designed to protect the instruments from radioactive substances.
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JAPAN
BRIEFS
UPDATED NUCLEAR FUELS--Power companies adopting BWKs such as Tokyo Electric and
Chubu Electric as well as their fuel manufacturer, the Japan Nuclear Fuel (JNF)
Co., are accelerating the joint development of a highly-effective, new type
nuclear fuel that will enable a load follow operation. The firms plan to
actually irradiate the test Cuel in the Swedish reactors--Halden, Oskarshamn
nuclear power plant and others, in an attempt to prove its performance within
fiscal 1982 for ~ractical use in the next fiscal year a~t the earliest. The goal
of the updated fuel is that by furnishing helium-mixed pellets and by copper-
_ coating the interior etc., the fuel assemblies will be less vulnerable to thermal
stresses during reactor start-up and shut-down, thereby facilitating load follow-
type power generation. [Text] [Tokyo TECHNOCRAT in English Vol 14, No 2, Feb 81
P 58l
PU-MIXED FUELS BY PNC--The Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation
(PNC) has fabricated plutonium-mixed nuclear fuels from plutonium extracted at
the reprocessing plant (Tokai Village), which are to be used for PNC's advanced
thermal reactor "Fugen" with an output of 165MWe. Plutonium has been produced for
- the first time in Japan and the achievement is regarded as an initial step to
realization of a nuclear fuel cycle involving this element. Spent nuclear fuels
~ from each power station at home were treated at the Takai reprocessing plant where
extracted plutonium nitrate solution was heated and denitrated by microwave to
form plutonium powder ready for nuclear fuels. The Takai plant began operation
- in October 1974, and has reprocessed more than 70 tons of spent fuels recovering
plutonium of about 400 kilograms total. [Text] [Tokyo TECHNOCRAT in English
Vol 14, No 2, Feb 81 p 58]
SAFETY MONITORING CAMERA--Japan Marine Science and Technology Center has success-
_ fully developed a camera system to investigate the integrity of drums containing
low level radioactive waste, as they descend after being thrown into the sea.
Japan is working on a project in which low level wastes discharged from nuclear
power plants and other facilities are packed and cemented in drums for ocean
dumping. The new camera unit, as part of inspecting the safety of this sea
dumping scheme, is under study as entrusted by the Science and Technology Agency.
The focal interest of the research is to follow and record with a camera, a drum
from the point of dumping in the ocean all the way to the sea bed 4,000-6,OOOm
under water. The system installs the camera over the wire suspending the drum,
with glass balls to previde buoyancy, and a transmitter buoy, attached over the
whole equipment. [TextJ [Tokyo TECHNOCRAT in English Vol 14, No 2, Feb 81 p 58]
- CSO: 5100
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NIGER
URANIUM EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LESS INCOME THIS YEAR
Paris JEUNE AFRIQUE in French 18 Feb 81 pp 44, 45
[Article by Francoise Hubsc:~er: "No Gift in the Prices"]
[Text] The year is beginning badly for Niger. Its uranium, which puts it in
fifth place among noncommunist world producers, is causing it some anxiety. Not
only is it stirring the lust of Libya's Colonel Qadhdhafi, a neighbor made only
more worrisome by his recent victory in Chad, but it will also not bring in as
much as was anticipated in the budget.
Indeed, the price of a metal kilo of uranium sold to the foreign companies that
participate in exploiting Niger's mine s was fixed for 1981 a~ 20,000 CFAF (com-
- pared to 24,500 CFAF in 1980) and overall prdduction was fixed at 4,350 tons,
whereas it should have reached 4,500 tons. "It's a political price, if anything,
advantageous for Niamey," insist the French partners who carry out more than half
of Niger's uranium each year. They insist that the world price has tumbled 35
percent in a year and that it is curr ently close to 16,000 CFAF a kilo.
A Distorted Picture
But on Niger's side, they are counting every p~enny. The lost business will ex-
- ceed 10 billion CFAF. For a country that remains, according to the World Bank,
one of the 30 poorest in the world and for a country whose uranium alone guaran-
tees between 70 and 80 percent of its exports, the amount is considerable. It
represents one-third of the government 's revenues assigned to capital expendi-
ture in 1981. In addition, the so-called "world" price that is serving as a
ref erence in the negotiations is the " spot" price. It anly gives a distorted
picture of the real evolution of the uranium market, dominated largely by termi-
nal contracts between producers and consumers. Thus, it is California's "spot"
prices, published by NUEXCO (the Nuclear Exchange Corporation) that underwent
this 35 percent fall in 1980 following the five-year delay in America's electro-
nuclear program.
~ Resumption of Demand
However, during the same period, French projects were carried out within several
months of the anticipated schedule. And while the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency
feels that in 1980 the world's uranium requirements (30,000 tons) w~re luwer than
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the maximum productive capacity (50,000 tons), it is anticipating a noticeable
increase in demand for the next 20 years: at leasC 60,000 tons in 1990 and
100,000 tons in 2000; and at the most 88,000 tons in 1990 and 200,000 tons :tn
. 20b0.
The accession to the presidency of the United States of the pronuclear ~ai~3idate
Reagan can only accelerate the resumption of d~mand, and the OECD does not deny
that, as early as 1985, Americans could be forced to import uranium even though
they are the biggest producers in the West.
This doubtless partially explains why France is insisting on participating in
new mines in Niger and Canada, while limiting uranium production in France, or
why the Australians, until now not very eager to exploit their enormous reserves
(second in the West), feel it advisable to increase their production, despite a
strong national antinuclear swing. They say that they are ready to deliver
uranium again, for the first time since 1972, to Japan, one of Niger's clients.
A Strategic Metal
Everyone knows very well that, in this area, the supply cannot adapt itsel� quick-
ly to a sudden increase in demand. Uranium deposits, on the whole, are much
smaller than those of other important minerals. Any sizable increase, therefore,
requires opening new mines. But it takes from 3 to 5 years to start a new unit
once a feasibility study is completed, and 15 years if the site has not been suf-
ficiently prospected. Another reason is that although uranium, as opposed to
oil, is distributed widely throughout the world, preventing the formation of an
organization of producers like OPEC, it is nonetheless a strategic metal, sub3ect
more than others to political decisions and embargo risks.
In this context, a momentary price decrease only favors stockpiling.
Money Quick
At least from those who have the necessary resources, i.e., the industrialized
countries. Although a price increase is foreseeable in the near future, the
French, Japanese, Germans, and Italians are not getting such a bad bargain in buy-
ing Niger uranium at 20,000 CFAF a metal kilo.
Hawever, Niger does not have time to waiL until better days. It has to pay its
oil bill (the price of Arabian Light increased almost twice as fast as that of
uranium between 1971 and 1980). It needs new money and quickly to furnish itself
with the resources to raise a gross national product that is not much over 220
dollars a person, to equip itsel.f with indispensable infrastructures, to achieve
food self-sufficiency, and to provide education for its children.
Of course, Niger could set aside for itself a part of the uranium and try to sell
it at a price higher than that granted to the foreign companies that are its min-
ing partners. But to whom? According to the minister of mines Mounkeila Arouna,
- it is out of the question.this year to ask Libya, which in 1980 bought 500 tons
of Niger uranium at the stiff price of 29,500 CFAF a kilo. Nor is Nigeria ready
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to take over yet even though it is tackling a civili.an nuclea~r program and is
participatin.g in mining the small Niger deposit of Tech3li (opening forecast for
1985--1986 at best). Perhaps to some buyers in a hurry like Iraq or Pakistan?
Ybu can bet that Niger will have some difficulty finding a client quickly for Che
800 tons that ~t has set aside for itself this year.
Understanding?
If they want to stick to the goals of their five-year development plan (1979-1983),
which was ~ difficult and sensible compromise between the most urgent needs and
the available resources; they need to research new foreign financial resources to
add to the 58 billion CFAF already expected in 1981. Their external debt will
find itself weighed down.
They will probably meet with understanding from their traditional partners. But
does the North-South dialog mean that industrial countries should lend the Third
World with interest an amount equal to the business the latter have lost by bet-
ting on the rules of the world market in raw materials?
COPYRIGHT: Jeune Afrique GRUPJIA 1981
9064
CSO: 5100
~ 14
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I
1
- ~ NIGER !
s
I
I
~
E
~
~
f-
, ~ ~ l
,
I
i
~
I
DATA ON URANIUM RESERVES, PRICES j
_ ,
Paris JEUNE AFRIQUE in French 18 Feb 81 p 45 I
I
[Article: "This Is Not Eldorado"] I-
- [Text) Considering only exploitable uranium of less than $80 a metal kilo, Niger ~
- has the fifth largest reserves in the noncommunist world (160,000 tons) after the ;
United States (531,000 tons), Australia (290,000 tons), South Afr3ca (247,000 ~
tons), and Canada (215,000 tons) and ahead of Namibia (117,000 tons). If the an- !
nual production maintains the 5,000-ton rate (the level forecast in 1983), the ,
most profitable deposits will be used up in approximately 30 years. I
~
- Therefore, the Niger government has 30 years to succeed in pulling out of under- ;
development a country of 5.5 million tnhabitants deeply entrenched in the con-
fines of the Sahara. It also is making an effort to extract the greatest possi- i
ble profit from its strategic wealth, which it could not raise from the sub- ;
stratum without the help of foreign firms that are first and foremost French.
Through its National Of�ice of Metal Resources (ONAREM), Niger controls 33 per- ~
i
cent of the capital of the Air Region Mining Company (SOMAIR) and 31 percent of ;
the Akouta Mining Company (COMINAK). Thus, it receives approximately one-third !
uf the dividends. But the main portion of the revenue from uranium comes from !
the tax on the gains, to which is added a tax on the dividends, a mining royalty, i_
custom taxes, as well as all the profits from the sale of a modest part of the ,
mineral (800 tons in 1981) reserved for ONAREM. In all, Niger retrieves approxi- ~
mately 70 percent of the income uranium generates, providing a good third of its
budget .
This result, certainly satisfactory, is not without other facets: the need for ~
raw materials (e.g. sulfur, magnesium, hydrocarbons) and the equipment to operate j
the mi.nes contributed in large part to the doubling of imports between 1974 and
1978 and to an enduring trade balance deficit (27 billion CFAF in 1978). But ~
above all, because the oceans are so far away (the mines are located 2,000 km ;
from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean), the cost of transportation heavily i
encumbers the import bill. It noticeably raises the cost of a kilo of uranium. j
For example, the price of a ton of sulfur delivered to the port of Cotonou (Benin)
at 24,720 CFAF costs ].20,000 CFAF on arrival at SOMAIR's factory in Arlit. f
While waiting for the hypothetical extension of the Beninese railroad, the "urani- ~
um highway" Cotonou-Parakou, is being fixed. (The operation is profitable only ;
i
i
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if it transports twice as much merchandise as currently.) The asphalting and
widening of the Arlit-Agadez-Tahoua portion is being finished. In addition, the
_ thermal power station of SONICHAR [expansion unknown], set up on Anou Araren's
_ coal deposit, has just gone into service. It is intended to supply uranium minea
first, and will make notable hydrocarbon savings possible.
COPYRIGHT: Jeune Afrique GRUPJIA 1981
9064
CSO: 5100
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
BRIEFS
NUCLEAR PROJECT FOUGHT--An open battle is raging against plans of the CERN [European
Council on Nuclear Research] to tunnel under the Jura and Gex area countryside to
make a 30-kilometer circumference electron [experimental] ring. It is being called
"a new Concorde" by the defense committee, which considers the cost (900 million
Swiss francs) and the time needed to complete the work to have been greatly under-
estimated. [Text) [Paris LA LETTRE DE L'EXPANSION in French 2 Mar 81 p 6]
CSO: 5100 END
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