Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

Via a press statement issued earlier this morning, the Office of Atomic Energy (OAE), the principal agency responsible for the construction and maintenance of the nation’s future nuclear powerplants, announced that it had signed an agreement with the Kregon Platueau Authority on the construction of the nation’s first nuclear powerplant in centuries. Although the OAE was conceptualised a mere 50 years ago, the agency has made little progress towards the construction of nuclear power plants throughout the country. At the time of its creation, it was anticipated that the agency would have, by 5550, constructed some 10 nuclear power plants, with plans for the construction of more advanced units being contingent on the success of this target. Director of the OAE Dr Alden Cunningham stated that in the years following its creation, the OAE (formerly the FAEC - Federal Atomic Energy Commission) had spent much of its “energy” and effort in securing agreements for uranium deposits. As Lodamun lacks significant uranium reserves, the sustainability and viability of nuclear power in the nation are largely contingent on a stable supply (be it processed or raw). Following an intense round of negotiations involving the Harrington Company, the OAE secured long-term supply agreements with Aldegar, Malivia, and Saridan, nations with major uranium reserves. 

At the time, Merchant-General Charlotte Farr underscored the importance of Lodamun maintaining a diversity of import streams, saying, “We must ensure that the supply of uranium to Lodamun is uninterrupted or at the very least capable of continuing even if we were to see a decrease in supply from one of our partners.” The OAE statement noted that negotiations between the two entities had been ongoing for the better half of a decade, as it became clear to the OAE that its initial plan for wholesale ownership and management of future nuclear power plants would be largely unfeasible. Here it noted that it ultimately lacked the capacity to manage and operate future sites independently, and thus concluded that it was essential to involve the Civil Projects Administration. Lodamun’s foray into nuclear energy began as a result of concerns held by the Government related to the nation’s dependence on imported natural gas within its domestic energy mix. At the time, imported natural gas accounted for around 70-80% of electricity production, with the vast majority of said resources originating from nations including Trigunia, Kalistan/Lourenne, Dorvik, Aldegar, Hutori and Kafuristan.
 
The OAE noted that the proposed Stonecord Nuclear Power Plant is to feature three pressurized water reactors, each producing some 1,117 MW of power. The design had been developed by the OAE-RD (the research and development section of the OAE) with assistance from technical experts from Kalistan. With it being clear that construction of the power plant will begin soon, some environmentalists have lamented the lack of a comprehensive policy on the waste generated from future power plants. The Director of the Anti-Nuclear Trust, Dr Riley Gibson, stated that nuclear energy remained one of the more dangerous forms of power generation owing to the potential for disaster associated with its general operations as well as the storage/disposal of waste. “The lack of a comprehensive strategy to even address how do we tackle the radioactive waste which will undoubtedly be produced from this plant and the other to be constructed ultimately points to the nature of nuclear energy itself: uncertain and largely left up luck.” 

Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Matthew Burns stated that an agreement had been negotiated between the OAE and Federal Repositories of St. Christopher. Federal Repositories is the special agency established under the Neilson Administration to manage the storage of strategic assets ranging from the nation’s crude oil and natural gas stockpile to important minerals essential for certain aspects of the national economy including REM for semiconductors and uranium for energy. Part of the agreement between the OAE and FR-SC was that the latter would be responsible for the storage of nuclear waste. According to Secretary Burns, FR-SC would store nuclear waste in a purpose-built facility within the Kregon Plateau within relative distance to the plant itself, noting that concerns related to the transportation of nuclear waste throughout the country had been identified by the OAE as a cause for concern. “Federal Repositories has and will continue to provide these services to the OAE as long as there is an understanding between the two entities. The Department of Energy and Natural Resources will continue to monitor both the plant’s construction as well as future plans by the OAE and the regional utilities, especially as it pertains to nuclear energy in Lodamun.