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CARIBBEAN PETROLEUM UPDATE is a monthly Bulletin which highlights petroleum issues affecting or relevant to the Caribbean, international developments that may affect the region’s way of life and movements in oil prices and retail prices for fuel regionally.
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CARIBBEAN PETROLEUM UPDATE is a monthly Bulletin which highlights petroleum issues affecting or relevant to the Carib-
bean, international developments that may affect the region’s way of life and movements in oil prices and retail prices for fuel regionally.
CONTACT US
Caribbean Energy Information System Scientific Research Council
Hope Gardens, Kingston 6, Jamaica 1-876-927-1779 (Telephone)
1-876-977-1840 (Fax) [email protected]
www.ceis-caribenergy.org continued on page 2/
Rising sea levels and the attendant loss of coastal liveli-
hoods; warmer global temperatures and the associated increase in
diseases, such as dengue; as well as more extreme weather events,
such as droughts, hurricanes and in recent time tsunamis - demand
a low-carbon future for the Caribbean. These realities coupled with
our dependence on imported oil, depleting world oil reserves,
speculations on demand and supplies (resulting in fluctuating oil
prices) have brought to bear the search for alternative energy
sources not just to deal with climate change issues, but to address
issues regarding the region’s energy security. Although there is an
abundance of renewable energy resources such as wind and solar
and to some extent hydro, one controversial alternative energy
source being considered by some Caribbean nations is Nuclear En-
ergy.
What is Nuclear Energy?
Nuclear energy was first developed in the 1940s, during World War
II when research was focused on producing bombs by splitting
the atoms of either uranium or plutonium. This type of nuclear en-
ergy is called nuclear fission. This is regarded as almost an infinite
Source: http://web.mit.edu/pebble-bed
Source: https://netfiles.uiuc.edu
Figure II. Single reactor unit arrangement of the Pebble Bed Modular Design PBMR design using the gas turbine or Bray-ton Thermodynamic cycle.
Safer Design of Nuclear ReactorSafer Design of Nuclear Reactor Figure1. Modular Pebble Bed Nuclear ReactorFigure1. Modular Pebble Bed Nuclear Reactor
What is a Pebble Bed Reactor?
360,000 pebbles in core
About 3,000 pebbles
handled in FHS every day
About 350 pebbles
discarded daily
One pebble discharged
every 30 seconds
Average pebble cycles
through core 15 times fuel-handling most inten-sive part of plant.
Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS)
July 2011
page 2 Call: 1-876-927-1779 | Caribbean Petroleum Update : July 2011
C A R I B B E A N E N E R G Y I N F O R M A T I O N S Y S T E M ( C E I S )
A Nuclear TSUNAMI – Future for the Caribbean
continued from page 1/
renewable energy resource, reaching a temperature of up to 18
million degrees. The splitting of one atom creates a chain
reaction which produces a lot of heat, which can be used in a
nuclear power station to convert water to steam that, in turn,
drives a turbine which produces electricity. Containing such a
temperature on earth is a challenging task that so far has not
been mastered.
The first commercial nuclear power plant began operation in the
1950s primarily for electricity generation and to date there are
approximately 440 commercial nuclear reactors operating in 30
countries, 250 research reactors in over 56 countries worldwide
and approximately180 reactors powering 140 ships and subma-
rines. See Commercial Nuclear Reactors Worldwide Table (page 3).
History of Nuclear in the Caribbean
The idea of nuclear energy use in the Caribbean came to the
forefront of the minds of Caribbean nations as early as in 1976
when Cuba signed an agreement with the former Soviet Union
for the construction of two 440 megawatts nuclear reactors. The
expectation was that the reactors would be able to satisfy
approximately 30% of Cuba’s electricity demand thereby
reducing Cuba’s dependence on oil. Construction of the first
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reactor began in 1983 in the south central province of Cienfuegos,
near Juragua. However, with the dismantling of the Soviet Union
and with pressures from the United States government which had
concerns about the safety of the reactors (due to model & design)
work was halted on the project. With no fuel provided to start the
plants and lack of funding, the entire program was scrapped by
Fidel Castro in the mid nineteen nineties.
Currently, the only operational nuclear reactor in the Caribbean
can be found in Jamaica at the International Centre for Environ-
mental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS) located at the UWI - Mona
Campus. ICENS operates a small nuclear research reactor
(Canadian-made SLOWPOKE 2), with a maximum operating flux
of 1 x 10 neutrons cm-2 s-1 (20kw). The flux is remarkably stable.
The reactor was installed in March 1983 with a lifetime core
having an expected lifespan of approximately 50 years. This reac-
tor has been used mainly for Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA)
in environmental, health, agriculture and geo-chemistry research.
The reactor at UWI-Mona is a negative temperature coefficient
reactor which means that it has a built in or inherent safety feature
which shuts down the reactor if the operating temperature exceeds
80oF. The system generates no waste and it is expected that at the
end of its lifespan the core will be removed and transported back
to the manufacturer either for cleaning and reuse of the fuel waste.
Realities of Nuclear Energy - What it has done and what it can do.
Nuclear power does not lead to acid rain nor does it produce
greenhouse gases that cause climate change. The controlled use of
nuclear energy has made everyday contributions to mankind's
benefit; without it, there would be no early detection and treat-
ments for cancer, microsurgical successes, microwaving of food,
cellular phones, DVDs, nanofibers, etc.
With the Caribbean facing the serious dilemma of high energy
costs, low productivity and more, many believe that a Nuclear
Tsunami can shift our energy, Foreign Direct Investment - FDI
and prosperity paradigm. Picture this scenario, new careers, our
scientists interned to power firms in the US, Japan or China; heavy
metals industry; low electricity costs resulting in the ramping up of
exports and breaking into the large supply chain of components
and spare parts for cars, reduction in carbon emissions allowing us
to apply for carbon credits, the fear of increasing oil prices
diminishing, etc. The transformative force of nuclear energy unlike
oil, could be a gateway to know-how, new industries, jobs and a
success paradigm for the Caribbean.
On the other hand the nuclear power remains one of the most
controversial of human inventions. Among other things, there are
prevailing concerns over how to dispose of the waste, which
remains dangerously radioactive (gives off harmful radiation or
particles) for thousands of years, posing a deadly threat to human
health. Remaining in the minds of many is the Chernobyl nuclear
disaster of 1986 and in recent times (March 2011) the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan which was triggered by a
continued on page 3/
Caribbean Petroleum Update : July 2011 | Call: 1-876-927-1779 page 3
C A R I B B E A N E N E R G Y I N F O R M A T I O N S Y S T E M ( C E I S )
A Nuclear TSUNAMI – Future for the Caribbean
continued from page 2/
9.0 magnitude earthquake. The other side to the scenario high-
lighted earlier would be a catastrophic disaster similar to Chernobyl
or Fukushima occurring in one of the Caribbean countries thereby
wiping out the livelihood and lives of the Caribbean people.
Conclusion and Reality Check
In conclusion, the reality is that the Caribbean is blessed with a
myriad of natural resources which includes renewable resources
that are highly untapped. These resources if fully exploited can
reap significant benefits. That said, we must not rule out the
possibility of nuclear energy forming part of the region’s energy
mix and being a viable option for the Caribbean. However, this will
not happen in the short-term and this will not be easy. It, will take
the finest scientific minds in our community to tackle the various
implications: where, how long and how much are all questions that
need to be resolved. In addition, although current research findings
are indicating that nuclear energy is a safe and sufficient energy
source that should be used more, the Caribbean does not have the
necessary physical, technical, regulatory and legislative frame-
works/infrastructures in place to deal with this technology.
Such infrastructures if we start now, may not be in place until
the next 10 - 15 years. By then, we would possibly have had more
information about the current prototypes that uses newer/safer
technologies and are being commissioned in countries such as
Europe and the United States. Possibly by then, the cost of the
technology would have decreased and issues concerning safety
would have been addressed.
Finally, we must ensure that the correct mix of energy resources are
identified to create a sustainable and secure energy future for the
Caribbean.
Commercial Nuclear Reactors
Worldwide
NUCLEAR
ELECTRICITY
GENERATION
2010
REACTORS
OPERABLE
1 Aug 2011
COUNTRY
billion
kWh % e No. MWe net
Argentina 6.7 5.9 2 935
Armenia 2.3 39.4 1 376
Belgium 45.7 51.2 7 5943
Brazil 13.9 3.1 2 1901
Bulgaria 14.2 33.1 2 1906
Canada 85.5 15.1 18 12679
China 71.0 1.8 14 11271
Czech Republic 26.4 33.2 6 3722
Finland 21.9 28.4 4 2741
France 410.1 74.1 58 63130
Germany 133.0 28.4 17 20339
Hungary 14.7 42.1 4 1880
India 20.5 2.9 20 4385
Japan 280.3 29.2 51 44642
Korea RO (South) 141.9 32.2 21 18785
Mexico 5.6 3.6 2 1600
Netherlands 3.75 3.4 1 485
Pakistan 2.6 2.6 3 725
Romania 10.7 19.5 2 1310
Russia 159.4 17.1 32 23084
Slovakia 13.5 51.8 4 1816
Slovenia 5.4 37.3 1 696
South Africa 12.9 5.2 2 1800
Spain 59.3 20.1 8 7448
Sweden 55.7 38.1 10 9399
Switzerland 25.3 38.0 5 3252
Taiwan 39.9 19.3 6 4927
Ukraine 83.95 48.1 15 13168
United Kingdom 56.9 15.7 18 10745
USA 807.1 19.6 104 101421
WORLD 2630 13.8 440 376,511
Source: http://www.world-nuclear.org
page 4 Call: 1-876-927-1779 | Caribbean Petroleum Update : July 2011
C A R I B B E A N E N E R G Y I N F O R M A T I O N S Y S T E M ( C E I S )
REGULAR UNLEADED GASOLINE AVERAGE PRICES AT THE PUMP
January - July 2011 With crude oil prices remaining above US$100/BBL during July, retail prices for refined petroleum products remained
relatively high in comparison to prices seen at the beginning of the year when crude oil prices were approximately
US$90/BBL. Of the sixteen countries reviewed at the end of July, retail prices for regular unleaded gasoline in four
Caribbean countries had shown increases when compared to the previous month while eight countries showed slight
declines and the other four remaining relatively stable.
NOTE:
*US Gallon = 3.785 L
*Imperial Gallon = 4.546 L
*As at November 1, 2009
MTBE was phased out from
all gasoline blends in
Jamaica and replaced with
10% Ethanol.
CHART 1
See prices for other products at See prices for other products at See prices for other products at www.ceiswww.ceiswww.ceis---caribenergy.orgcaribenergy.orgcaribenergy.org ...
Table 2: Regular Unleaded Gasoline Average Retail Price (US$/Litre)
2011
COUNTRIES JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AVG
ANTIGUA/ BARBUDA 1.00 1.00 1.07 1.15 1.25 1.33 1.30 1.16
BAHAMAS [91 OCT] 1.24 1.25 1.30 1.46 1.47 1.47 1.45 1.38
BARBADOS 1.47 1.48 1.49 1.59 1.59 1.59 1.59 1.54
BELIZE [87 OCT] 1.33 1.34 1.48 1.50 1.54 1.51 1.49 1.46
B.V.I [87 OCT] 1.12 1.13 1.20 1.26 1.26 1.27 1.25 1.21
DOMINICA 1.01 1.05 1.06 1.11 1.21 1.24 1.22 1.13
GRENADA (95 OCT) 1.05 1.06 1.17 1.23 1.29 1.32 1.29 1.20
GUYANA 0.99 0.99 1.06 1.08 1.08 1.12 1.15 1.07
JAMAICA 87 Octane[E10] 1.17 1.18 1.25 1.28 1.29 1.29 1.31 1.25
MONTSERRAT 1.13 1.14 1.18 1.27 1.38 1.42 1.35 1.27
ST. KITTS/ NEVIS 1.04 1.07 1.20 1.13 1.14 1.23 1.27 1.15
ST. LUCIA 1.14 1.14 1.16 1.22 1.27 1.28 1.28 1.21
ST. VINCENT/GRENADINES 0.99 0.98 1.00 1.06 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.05
SURINAME [95 OCT] 1.21 1.32 1.34 1.47 1.55 1.51 1.48 1.41
TRINIDAD/ TOBAGO [92 OCT] 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42
TURKS/ CAICOS 1.36 1.36 1.42 1.42 1.45 1.55 1.61 1.45
Caribbean Petroleum Update : July 2011 | Call: 1-876-927-1779 page 5
C A R I B B E A N E N E R G Y I N F O R M A T I O N S Y S T E M ( C E I S )
International oil prices over the period May to June
2011, remained above the US$100/BBL mark with the
highest price seen in the first week of May (US$117).
The highest weekly price seen in July for the product
was US$114.59/BBL - reflected at the end of the 5th
week. This price was approximately 15% below the
price seen at the end of the same period during the
record oil price year of 2008. The average monthly
prices seen for each month (May, Jun & Jul) were all
reflecting approximately US$111/BBL. With prices
remaining above the US$100 mark, productivity in the
Caribbean is on the decline as the already fragile
economies are faced with high energy cost and the
harsh ongoing impact of the global recession.
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US$/B
BL
US$/B
BL
