December 19, 1977
Letter, Klaus Barthelt, Chairman of the Board of KWU, to Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, 'Nuclear Power Plants Iran 5, 6, 7, and 8; Fuel Waste Disposal'
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Klaus Barthelt[1]
Chairman of the Board of the Deutsche Kraftwerksunion[2] [KWU]
Hammerbacherstr. 12-14
8520 Erlangen
Telefon 09131/182700
19 December 1977
To the
Federal Chancellor of the
Federal Republic of Germany
Mr. Helmut Schmidt
Adenauer-Allee 141
5300 Bonn 12
Nuclear Power Plants Iran 5, 6, 7, and 8; Fuel Waste Disposal
Dear Mr. Federal Chancellor,
As you know, on 10 November 1977 we have signed an agreement with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), where the AEOI states its intent to have us build - after the currently nuclear power plants Iran 1 and Iran 2 under construction - four additional nuclear power plants Iran 5, 6, 7, and 8. After the fulfillment of certain conditions, this statement of intent is supposed to turn within one year into a binding order. If those conditions are not met, AEOI can withdraw from its statement of intent or there will be no change to a binding order.
One of these conditions is an agreement to be signed within 6 months between the Federal Government and the AEOI. Within the framework of the cooperation agreement signed on 4 July 1976 between the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology and the AEOI, it is supposed to contain sensible regulations for the waste disposal of used fuel elements from the nuclear power plants under construction from our side. Although the cooperation does not exclude this possibility, one can assume that the AEOI is adapting to the fact that currently it cannot expect to receive a commitment from the Federal Republic of Germany regarding the availability of reprocessing technology. In light of this fact, however, it is understandable that the AEOI, given its large nuclear energy program being mostly provided by the Federal Republic of Germany, is expecting to receive at least an assurance concerning the availability of reprocessing and waste conditioning services. Regarding the content of an according agreement, negotiations would have to be held with the AEOI as soon as possible within the framework of the existing [1976] bilateral cooperation agreement. Here one can operate from the understanding that the AEOI does not want to get rid of the radioactive waste resulting from the reprocessing of fuel elements. Instead it is interested to receive reprocessing and waste conditioning services in such a way that the highly radioactive waste resulting from reprocessing can be returned to the AEOI for final disposal after its glazing. This does correspond in principle to the reprocessing services, which the German energy supply companies are currently able to receive from France.
France is also willing to provide according services vis-a-vis the AEOI pertaining to the two nuclear power plants Iran 3 and 4 to be constructed by France. We do not want to hide our opinion that we cannot view the AEOI request as inappropriate, both in light of its large nuclear power plants program agreed with the Federal Republic of Germany and of the clear concept of the Federal Republic regarding the disposal issue, namely to highlight the necessity for the reprocessing of used fuel elements. This is the case even more so, as the AEOI seems, in spite of its request, to respect that a provision of reprocessing technology from the side of the Federal Republic of Germany is currently not possible.
Given the fact, that the export of nuclear power plants Iran 5, 6, 7, and 8 is securing for the Federal Republic of Germany an employment level of about 300,000 man-years, we are considering it as urgently warranted to reach an agreement over the disposal issue with the AEOI within the coming months. It is the precondition for the implementation of the order over the 4 nuclear power plants. Here it is noteworthy that the fulfillment of a respective commitment is not subject to time pressure. Due the introduction of compact bearing in the fuel element pools of nuclear power plants, and if necessary also through the establishment of temporary storage facilities, the actual fulfillment can be delayed until the 1990s. The change from normal to compact bearing in the fuel element pools of nuclear power plants Iran 1 and 2 has been already ordered from us by AEOI under the condition that such will also be approved in the Federal Republic of Germany. One can expect that an according change will also be occurring with regard to nuclear power plants Iran 5, 6, 7, 8 after the existence of German reference cases.
Finally, it also has to be taken into consideration that the Federal Republic of Germany has already secured within the framework of its bilateral agreement with Iran a certain say concerning the reprocessing of the fuel elements covered by this agreement, namely for instance by naming a reprocessing country. Such a reprocessing country could of course primarily be the Federal Republic of Germany itself.
Dear Mr. Federal Chancellor: In light of the export of nuclear power plants Iran 5, 6, 7, and 8 and the resulting employment for many industrial companies in our country, as well as for maintaining the competitiveness in export business for instance in comparison to the French nuclear energy, I am asking you for your support in achieving an agreement pertaining to the availability of reprocessing and waste conditioning services for the Iranian nuclear power plants to be exported from the Federal Republic of Germany. I am fully aware that the commitment requested by AEOI is not this easy, but I can imagine that with mutual efforts phrasing language can be found that will take into consideration the conditions and interests of both countries.
I have taken the liberty to send one copy of this letter each to Misters Federal Ministers of Foreign Affairs, for Research and Technology, of the Interior, and of Economic Affairs.
Yours faithfully,
Your always humble
[signed K. Barthelt]
Barthelt discusses the different West German nuclear projects in Iran.
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