Year
2010
Abstract
This presentation will elaborate on the nuclear transport challenge facing a growing flow of nuclear transports to fuel the Renaissance and the associated communication issues. In a first part we will describe the condition to set up the Renaissance of nuclear energy in the world. As the first Renaissance in the XVIth century started with the figures of Leonardo da Vinci and Laurent of Medicis, the nuclear one’s has to be fuelled by Innovation and Money. The question is: what will be the part of transports in the success of this new development and what are the prerequisites in term of communication to gain the global acceptance for these developments? Nuclear transport is the most visible part of the nuclear fuel cycle. As for others means of energy transports, nuclear ones are not very popular: they don’t bring any advantages stable nuclear plants can offer: jobs, money, local equipments with the associated consequences: quite good image, large neighbouring relationship, and easier opponents containment. As transports are using the public domain, a strong communication is welcome to develop common awareness. The problem is that all the different stakeholders involved in transports have not the same agenda: some are supportive, some are neutral others are opponents and their positions could move easily under external pressures, rumours and misunderstandings. So far the question is: why speak? We would better live unnoticed. But we are in communication and open world. We have to be part of the communication flow addressing the possible accidents, fighting rumours and misinformation. We have to realize we are linked to all others dangerous goods transports, and concerned by what could happen to them. Finally the development of denials and delays should not be ignored. The front end transport is mostly exposed. The nuclear development in the world will foster a large flow of nuclear materials from the mines to the power plant. The front end is characterized by: - a natural dispersion of the uranium mines in few countries in the world unfortunately far from the enrichment facilities which means long and numerous transports of heavy tonnages. - A concentration of enrichment facilities in few countries for financial and non proliferation reasons which leads once again to a flow of UF 6 transports - And finally due to the enlargement of the world nuclear fleet, a huge stream of fuels to be loaded in the power plants. And more over the large amount of material needs to use commercial shippers and/or airlines and could face Denials and Delays. The presentation will address all the communication challenges including evolution of the messages to be delivered and how to address the denials and delays challenges.