Saud: No Barriers to Nuke Cooperation With Russia
Raid Qusti, Arab NewsRIYADH, 15 February 2007 — Saudi Arabia said yesterday there were “no barriers†to atomic energy cooperation with Russia, following a visit made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Saudi Arabia discussed this matter with the Secretariat General of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) during the Russian president’s visit,†said Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal at a press conference held here yesterday.
“The (Al-Jaber) GCC Summit held in Riyadh had mentioned that GCC countries would develop this (nuclear) energy in line with certain protocols,†he added.
He said that GCC countries would not develop nuclear weapons.
“Russia is a country with nuclear energy experience and cooperating with it in this field is similar to cooperation in other areas,†he added.
The foreign minister also confirmed that the Kingdom discussed potential arms deals with Russian officials.
“It depends on what arms the Kingdom needs from Russia and what Russia can provide,†he said, without elaborating.
This summary of the Saudi Foreign Minister’s weekly press conference leads off with the issue of most concern to many Americans and others in the West. There’s great concern that we are on the brink of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Even Pr. Saud’s flat assertion that neither Saudi Arabia nor any other of the Gulf States are interested in atomic weapons, many will choose to disbelieve it.
The piece also touches on Saudi-Iranian relations, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. Worth reading to get the official Saudi perspective on these issues.
[UPDATE 02/16/07: As an example of the way some people will twist things into whatever shape suits them best is this from the hardline Israeli-oriented Debka File---DEBKAfile Exclusive: Saudis to purchase nuclear option, advanced missiles and spy satellites off the shelf from Pakistan and Russia]
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February:15:2007 - 13:55
Regarding “Saud: No Barriers to Nuke Cooperation With Russia” (2007-02-15), there is absolutely no need for nuclear power in anywhere the Middle East (or Europe or North Africa or the USA) because there is a simple mature technology available that can deliver huge amounts of clean energy without any of the headaches of nuclear power.
I refer to ‘concentrating solar power’ (CSP), the technique of concentrating sunlight using mirrors to create heat, and then using the heat to raise steam and drive turbines and generators, just like a conventional power station. It is possible to store solar heat in melted salts so that electricity generation may continue through the night or on cloudy days. This technology has been generating electricity successfully in California since 1985 and half a million Californians currently get their electricity from this source. CSP plants are now being planned or built in many parts of the world.
CSP works best in hot deserts and, of course, these are not always nearby! But it is feasible and economic to transmit solar electricity over very long distances using highly-efficient ‘HVDC’ transmission lines. With transmission losses at about 3% per 1000 km, solar electricity may, for example, be transmitted from North Africa to London with only about 10% loss of power. A large-scale HVDC transmission grid has also been proposed by the wind energy company Airtricity as a means of optimising the use of wind power throughout Europe. A recent report from the American Solar Energy Society says that CSP plants in the south western states of the US “could provide nearly 7,000 GW of capacity, or ***about seven times the current total US electric capacity***” (emphasis added).
CSP offers substantial benefits to people in North Africa and the Middle East, including desalination of sea water using waste heat from electricity generation – a major benefit in arid regions. In addition, the shaded areas under the solar mirrors can be used for many purposes including horticulture using desalinated sea water. And of course, there would be plentiful supplies of inexpensive, pollution-free electricity and earnings from the export of that electricity to countries with less sunshine.
In the ‘TRANS-CSP’ report commissioned by the German government, it is estimated that CSP electricity, imported from North Africa and the Middle East, could become one of the cheapest sources of electricity in Europe, including the cost of transmission. That report shows in great detail how Europe can meet all its needs for electricity, make deep cuts in CO2 emissions, and phase out nuclear power at the same time.
Further information about CSP may be found at http://www.trec-uk.org.uk and http://www.trecers.net . Copies of the TRANS-CSP report may be downloaded from http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/reports.htm . The many problems associated with nuclear power are summarised at http://www.mng.org.uk/green_house/no_nukes.htm .
February:15:2007 - 14:55
The existence of an alternative doesn’t mean that it meets all the requirements the GCC is looking for. It’s up to those nations to decide what is best for themselves.
Please refrain from unsolicited advertising of your company on this site. I don’t mind you’re providing a link, but your comment is actually an ad.