The following news has been widely reported but the global and long-term implications for Nuclear Power have yet to be discussed. The importance of this, and similar news stories about Russia, France & Japan signing cooperation deals with various countries, serves to expedite and expand the global nuclear build out.
What's increasingly happening is that the BIG 4 (China, Russia, Japan and France) are helping fund nuclear projects in countries that are poor or slow in adopting nuclear power, (for whatever reason). Which countries might that be? Countries with large populations that don't yet have nuclear programs.
This trend is likely to continue as it's a win-win-win situation. End-user countries get technical assistance, financial aid, etc. The BIG 4 make $$$ and enjoy an increase in global prestige. The Multi-National companies from the BIG 4 benefit greatly as well.
The BIG 4 can be involved from beginning to end, Plant design, construction, funding, URANIUM procurement and supply, enrichment, waste disposal/recycling and even Plant decommissioning. That's why these deals are worth in the tens of billions. Bottom line for uranium demand is that more reactors will get built and faster, than otherwise would be the case.
Oct 17 (Reuters) - Chinese companies will be allowed to take stakes in British nuclear projects, British finance minister George Osborne said on Thursday, as Britain pushes ahead with an ambitious target to expand nuclear energy.
In a statement during a visit to China, Osborne said the two countries had signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear cooperation that also includes roles for British companies in China's nuclear programme.
"While any initial Chinese stake in a nuclear power project is likely to be a minority stake, over time stakes in subsequent new power stations could be majority stakes," the statement said.
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