The THTR Circulars from 2006

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THTR Circular No. 105, March 2006

Nuclear hydrogen from high temperature reactors

Thoben's dreams

The CDU energy minister Christa Thoben spoke up in the energy policy debate with an unexpected bang. Ironically, it favors the billion-dollar bankruptcy project high-temperature reactor (HTR) as a future technology in North Rhine-Westphalia that needs more support.

To a large extent unnoticed by the public, however, research on the HTR line continued, particularly in the Jülich Research Center (North Rhine-Westphalia) with the support of the federal and state governments. Also from 1998 to 2005 under red-green governments. The myth of the supposedly inherently safe reactor continued subliminally, just as the sources of money gushed out of the state purse.

Even if it was impossible to build a new HTR in Germany during this time, the ailing reactor type could be offered to countries such as South Africa, China and Japan through offensive know-how export. The EU, South Korea, the USA and various emerging countries have also been preparing to enter this new fourth generation of nuclear reactors for years and have organized themselves in various networks.

After the change of government in Düsseldorf and Berlin, Thoben seized the opportunity: "In North Rhine-Westphalia we are leaders in the development of fuel cells that require hydrogen to operate. Experts say the production of hydrogen with renewable energies will take another 25 years. About the high-temperature reactor that would be much faster "(WA 07.01.2006/XNUMX/XNUMX). In this process, not only electricity, but also process heat and "environmentally friendly" Hydrogen as fuel for future vehicles, promised her the "experts" from Jülich, to whom she promptly promised "stronger support" (Rheinische Post 06.01.2006/XNUMX/XNUMX).

A simple high-temperature reactor is no longer sufficient as a name for the ambitious goal. Now the miracle thing is called "maximum temperature reactor" or in English: Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). The Financial Times Deutschland explains to us how it should work: "In contrast to the light water reactors that are widespread around the world, the operating temperature of the VHTR when splitting enriched uranium is not around 300, but at least 950 degree Celsius. In this way, for example, the noble gas helium can be heated in a parallel circuit, which first sets turbines in rotation to generate electricity. However, this heat is also sufficient to initiate additional chemical processes for the production of the energy carrier hydrogen "(06.01.2006).

One does not find out anything about the possible dangers of such a reactor operation either from Thoben or in the financial newspaper. This type of reactor has serious disadvantages in hydrogen production:

The nuclear industry is trying to achieve a CO with nuclear hydrogen technology₂-to give a free, positive image and through this Fraudulent labeling To return funding from the field of renewable energies to nuclear power research. How many dozen million euros in covert funding has already been spent in the FRG in recent years is shown in detail on three pages on our homepage.

Everything was so nicely arranged. Hamm's CDU Mayor Hunsteger-Petermann was looking for a prominent speaker for the traditional city reception, ideally of course with the same party book. So it was a good fit that the CDU has been a ruling party in North Rhine-Westphalia for almost a year and that Energy Minister Christa Thoben still had an appointment on March 1st. Such a nice speech about innovations, new developments, blooming landscapes and future technologies would be exactly the right thing for Hamm.

Unfortunately, according to many environmentalists in Hamm, Thoben said exactly the wrong thing a few weeks earlier. She spoke out in favor of longer running times for nuclear power plants and for increased funding of nuclear hydrogen production by high-temperature reactors in North Rhine-Westphalia.

"Exactly such Pleitereactors, like the one here in Hamm-Uentrop that is radiantly disturbing, wants to build it again? It doesn't have all the cups in its cupboard," mumbled a couple of stubborn Westphalians angrily and decided to do something about it.

It just happened that a short time before they had received a letter of congratulations on the 30th birthday of the citizens' initiative for environmental protection in Hamm. Sender: The Federal Association "Christian Democrats Against Nuclear Power" (CDAK) based in Mainz; a place from which some unconventional and surprising initiatives come, especially in February.

Now you have to know that our Mayor Hunsteger-Petermann in Hamm not only pats the rabbit breeders' bunnies in a publicly effective way, but also demonstrates in a hurry together with emancipation activists against (allegedly) anti-gay reggae musicians - in short, he takes everything and presses pretty much everyone to his big heart . That's why he became mayor. But why shouldn't it work differently?

The flaming Philippika of the committed Christian Democrats against godless nuclear power soon arrived in Hamm, was reproduced and brought to the attention of the more than 400 visitors to the city reception; the whole thing garnished with a beautiful nuclear waste barrel, large banners and posters: "Have you forgotten Chernobyl, Ms. Thoben?" and "One bankruptcy reactor is enough!" In Radio lip wave the warning words of the critical Christian Democrats were heard and im WDR about 25 demonstrators can be seen in the program "Lokalzeit Dortmund". The delegations invited from Hamm's twin cities Bradford (Britain), Oranienburg and Afyon (Turkey) also got a good impression of the protest culture in Hamm.

Minister Thoben stopped briefly on the driveway to the venue to receive the memorable Christian Democratic leaflet with the following title: "'Moose' test for economic energy competence". Certainly a tough nut to crack for economist Thoben in view of party and energy policy blinkers. Tutoring in Mainz would be a real investment in the future.

Incidentally, the demonstrating "Westphalians" went home pretty self-confidently in Hamm, because they now know that if necessary they can still be as strong as they were before. It was not for nothing that the reactor was shut down in 1989.

(This article was already published in the WA on March 08.03.2006, XNUMX with a photo of the campaign as a letter to the editor!) 

Horst Blume

It is certainly not a bad sign when a citizens' initiative foregoes the nostalgic ceremony on its 30th birthday and instead carries out a highly regarded protest action on a highly topical issue at the Hammer City Reception with the Minister of Atomic Energy. There really is no better way to "celebrate".

But we cannot completely ignore the anniversary. Of the WDR aired a six-minute broadcast on February 18 about the history of the BI, its activities and the failed THTR. Against the background of the latest Thoben statements, this is a highly appropriate and up-to-date report. To celebrate the day, we didn’t miss the Fiddle Michel-Song from 1976 "In Uentrop and Schmehausen" to listen to and put on our homepage with a little story (History). You can also listen to a longer interview with Horst Blume about the THTR, which was broadcast on free radios from Freiburg to Hamburg: http://www.podster.de/ (Contribution No. 519).

An article in "Neues Deutschland" had to be corrected by letter to the editor on February 20.02.2006, XNUMX, which contained incorrect and trivializing information in some passages on the military usability of the THTR in South Africa.

In addition to the broadcasts and reports on the Thoben campaign mentioned in the above article, there were reports in the TAZ-NRW, Junge Welt, WA and in the high-circulation Hammer "Wochenblatt". Previously, in two letters to the editor in the "Westphalian gazette"criticized Ms. Thoben's nuclear aspirations.

In the "Grassroots Revolution"(No. 307), the newspaper that is closely connected with the history of our BI from the beginning, was a friendly appreciation of the BI work and a report on the NRW conference the anti-nuclear initiatives, at which not only a lecture was given about the current HTR situation, but a special working group dealt with this topic and, of course, an extra sheet of the THTR circular was distributed.

Thanks to THoben, the THTR is on everyone's lips again. All? Not in the April issue of the social democratic members' magazine "Forward", which deals with nuclear hydrogen production on two pages. A considerable part could easily have been" inspired "by our homepage, which has been working on this topic for a long time. However, in the"Forward"Extremely careful not to name the absolutely associated THTR in this context. Because under the red-green coalitions in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and in the federal government, very substantial funds were made available for the combination of nuclear hydrogen and HTR. Dear SPD: Please more Forward go with the honesty and how about a little more self-criticism ??

Horst Blume

According to Jacques Chirac, France wants to develop a new fourth generation reactor. The commissioning of a prototype should take place in 2020.

The FAZ reported on January 06.01.2006th, XNUMX: "France will present a strategy paper for European energy policy at the next meeting of European heads of state and government of the American Department of Energy, ten countries, including France, are currently working on further developing nuclear energy.

France is focusing on High temperature reactors as well as reactors that work with fast neutrons (breeder technology) and are cooled with either gas or sodium. 'It will be one of these guys,' said the spokesman for the French Atomic Energy Agency (CEA). The French energy industry welcomed Chirac's move. In 2020, he announced a deadline for the development of a prototype for the first time. The project is also open to international partners, stressed Chirac. 'This is going exactly in the direction for which we are preparing,' said the President of the French power plant manufacturer AREVA, Anne Lauvergeon. (...)

France gets more than three quarters of its electricity from nuclear energy. It is produced in 58 French reactors, most of which were built to run for 40 years. According to AREVA, 40 reactors will have reached or exceeded this age limit by 2020. (...) The state railway SNCF and the regional transport company RATP should not use a drop of oil in twenty years, announced Chirac. "- A clear indication of the planned use of hydrogen technology by HTRs.

Detailed information on "AREVA in Germany and France" can be found in THTR circular no. 96

When Chancellor Merkel will travel to China on May 22nd, in the old German tradition, with a group of business representatives, she will also open the doors to German industry and help to win new orders. A comparatively smaller area in this huge country will play a special role here because it has had close ties with Germany for a long time.

An old story ...

It is the place where beer has been brewed according to the German purity law for over 100 years, where Wilhelm II was in charge in the imperial colonial base until 1914 and much later Bayer, Rheinmetall, Degussa - and where in the next year old German technology that had long been believed to be dead The sinking emerges in order to conquer the world again: It is no coincidence that the Thorium High-Temperature Reactor (THTR) is being built here on the Shandong Peninsula.

China had suffered many military defeats since the mid-19th century. In the years that followed, major European powers, Japan and Russia demanded port rights, concessions, zones of influence and war compensation. China as a self-service shop of the financial empires became interesting for Germany. As early as 1860, a Prussian expedition explored the area of ​​Kiautschou Bay on the Shandong peninsula, which in the following years led to the conclusion of various trade agreements. In 1890 Christian mission stations were placed under "protection" and the race for mining and railway concessions began.

In 1898 the German Empire required a 99-year contract for a lease area in China Kiautschou Bay on. The newly created city here Tsingtao, later Qingdao called, was converted into a German "protected area" a few weeks later. The territory within a radius of 50 kilometers is declared a "neutral" zone of influence. During the construction of the railway line from Qingdao to the provincial capital Jinan, the German company Carbwitz & Co secured a 15-kilometer-wide corridor to the right and left of the railway line to exploit coal mines.

The consequence of countless contracts signed under duress and pressure was the semi-colonial enslavement of large additional areas of China. The murder of two German missionaries and the German ambassador Baron von Ketteler had to serve for more than 40 bloody punitive expeditions of the German Empire in northern China in the wake of the "Boxer uprising". Incidentally, the brigade commander Lothar von Trotha not only took part in the suppression of the Boxer rebellion, but also four years later in the genocide of the Herero and Nana in German South Africa. (At the end of the 70s and beginning of the 80s the uranium for the German THTR was mined here ...).

Wilhelm II called in his notorious "Hun speech " on 27.07.1900/XNUMX/XNUMX to ruthlessness: "If you come before the enemy, he will be beaten, pardon not given; prisoners not taken. Whoever falls into your hands is in your hands. Like the Huns under their king Etzel a thousand years ago Having made a name for himself that still makes it appear powerful in the tradition, the name Germany may become known in China in such a way that a Chinese never again dares to look at a German, for example. "

After the extensive subjugation of China by the new European colonial rulers, the business interests of German companies could be pursued more intensively and more and more discriminatory concession agreements were concluded. In 1914, German corporations owned 16% of the bonds in China. The administration of Qingdao was subject to the Imperial Navy Office. At the beginning of World War I, the third sea battalion stationed there (1 men) was reinforced by 1400 more soldiers. After weeks of fighting against Japanese and English troops, the German troops surrendered on November 3400th, 07.11.1914. Qingdao was occupied by Japan.

The current development

And today? China and Germany are now trying to please the corporations to invest. Certainly, the past has left certain "shadows". But wherever business beckons, even Chinese scientists redefine a colonial terror regime into a "model colony" with a university, German architecture and a hundred-year brewing tradition; the "modernization" of the Germans at that time was praised and diligently "differentiated": "On the other hand, there are aspects such as the construction of railroad lines and the resulting stimulation of the region's economy and the development of Qingdao into a modern city, the establishment of a modern administration and one modern education system not to be denied. (...) Do we even have to mourn the end of the colonial age? " Jing Dexiang wrote in 1998 in the Tsingtau exhibition catalog of the German Historical Museum.

In the past few years, both countries have approached each other at a rapid pace in the interests of both sides, thus building on old traditions. Helmut Kohl visited Qingdao during his trip to China in 1995 and initiated new collaborations.

Nuclear cooperation between China and Germany

So it is not really surprising that the HTR line developed in Germany is starting over here. A consortium made up of Huaneng, Tsinghua and China Nuclear Engineering and Construction (CNEC) has decided to build a 195 MW THTR near Weihai on the north coast of the Shandong peninsula. Huaneng, one of China's largest power producers, will receive 50% of the joint venture. CNEC will take over 35% and Tsinghua 5%. The remaining 10% should be open to further investors. Construction will start in 2007, and the THTR should be ready in 2010.

This more recent development also has an immediate history. Engineers from the Essen Association of Large Power Plants (VGB) traveled to China as early as 1976 and invited them to Germany. On January 19.01.1978, 80, China's deputy energy minister, Chan Pin, visited the THTR in Hamm / Westphalia, which was then under construction. In the 1989s there were intensive contacts between the Jülich nuclear research center, where the THTR was developed, and Tsinghua University in Beijing. Even after the massacre on "Tiananmen Square" in Beijing in XNUMX, German and Chinese scientists worked on three studies for an HTR to be built in China.

The nuclear physicist Wang Dazong did his doctorate at RWTH Aachen University, which is cooperating with Jülich, and wrote his doctoral thesis on small HTRs. He went back to China, made a career, and became president of Beijing's Tsinghua University. China bought the decommissioned facilities from Hanau for the production of the HTR fuel elements - the scandal did not materialize at the time - and acquired the know-how that was still lacking. In 1995, the Chinese began building a 10 MW experimental reactor on the military-security site of Beijing University. In the year 2000 the reactor became critical for the first time. Lively conference activity accompanies the trial operation. German scientists and association representatives are of course always there.

In March 2005, China signed a cooperation agreement with South Africa, which also wants to start building a THTR with German help in 2007, for the exchange of technical data and for nuclear development and marketing.

In the meantime, Shandong has been declared an "ecological province" by the Chinese State Council. From January 11 to 13, 2006, the second German-Chinese environmental forum took place in Qingdao. In addition to the German Secretary of State for the Environment Matthias Maching, Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel also traveled. More than two hundred participants from business and politics took part. The German research centers continued their well-known work in this context. "Technology cooperation", "energy efficiency" and "joint efforts to promote the sustainable use of resources" read the text of the "Qingdao Initiative" on the aim of the event. Since the production of nuclear hydrogen has meanwhile been redefined as an environmentally friendly form of energy, the above-mentioned topic and the subject of the conference do not rule out efforts to promote nuclear energy. Because, based on the old red-green language regulation, this is already an important "security research". " 

Horst Blume

More information about the HTR in China in the THTR Circulars No. 88 and No. 98.

India has limited uranium deposits, but very large sources of thorium that can be used for high-temperature thorium reactors. A small 1996 KW experimental reactor has been in operation near Madras since 30, the Thorium uses as fuel. The Indian nuclear industry is pursuing its "Thorium Plan" in order not to be too dependent on imported uranium in the future. In February 2006 it became known that a step-by-step concept for the expansion of the HTR line was being developed (VDI nachrichten, 10.02.2006/21.02.2006/5). At the same time, the French Prime Minister Chirac signed a declaration that provides for a bilateral cooperation agreement in the nuclear field (Neues Deutschland, XNUMX/XNUMX/XNUMX). The French energy companies, which cooperate closely with the state, are currently the main driving force behind the development of Generation IV reactor systems. The spectacular nuclear cooperation with the USA, also in the military sector, opens up two approaches to HTR technology for this country. India currently covers around XNUMX percent of its electricity consumption with eight nuclear power plants.

Dates:

Saturday, January 22.04.2006th, XNUMX: Kick-off demo in Gronau (Old Town Hall Tower / Bahnhofstrasse) at 11.30 a.m. Then by bike or car to Almelo. There at 16 p.m. rally against uranium enrichment plant (UAA).

Saturday, 29.04.2006/XNUMX/XNUMX: demonstration in Ahaus at 12 noon from the train station. Info: www.bi-ahaus.de

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