Regarding your report "Russia, U.S. may sign agreement on civilian nuclear power in 2007" (2006-12-27), it is surprising to read that anyone should be considering building new nuclear power plants in Russia when there is a simple mature technology available that can deliver huge amounts of clean energy without any of the headaches of nuclear power. I refer to 'concentrating solar power' (CSP), the technique of concentrating sunlight using mirrors to create heat, and then using the heat to raise steam and drive turbines and generators, just like a conventional power station. It is possible to store solar heat in melted salt or other substance so that electricity generation may continue through the night or on cloudy days. This technology has been generating electricity successfully in California since 1985 and half a million Californians currently get their electricity from this source. CSP plants are now being planned or built in many parts of the world.

CSP works best in hot deserts and, of course, there are not many of those in Russia! But it is feasible and economic to transmit solar electricity over very long distances using highly-efficient 'HVDC' transmission lines. With transmission losses at about 3% per 1000 km, it is entirely possible to transmit solar electricity to Moscow from hot deserts in the Middle East. In the recent 'TRANS-CSP' report commissioned by the German government, it is estimated that CSP electricity, imported from North Africa and the Middle East, could become one of the cheapest sources of electricity in Europe, including the cost of transmission. A large-scale HVDC transmission grid has also been proposed by Airtricity as a means of optimising the use of wind power throughout Europe.

Further information about CSP may be found at www.trec-uk.org.uk and www.trecers.net. Copies of the TRANS-CSP report may be downloaded from www.trec-uk.org.uk/reports.htm. The many problems associated with nuclear power are summarised at www.mng.org.uk/green_house/no_nukes.htm.

Sincerely,

Dr Gerry Wolff

BA (Cantab), PhD (Wales), CEng, MBCS (CITP)

Coordinator of TREC-UK. Gerry@mng.org.uk, +44 (0)1248 712962, www.trec-uk.org.uk, 18 Penlon, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5LR, UK.