[War] Romania-Aqualung, the prelude

Tue Aug 26 01:00:02 EDT 2008

"Aqualung, the prelude"

18 August through 24 August 2014

While the gathering symposium wasn't the first of it's kind in the
country, the new impetus to it most certainly was.

The word regarding it had been sent hours before President Danesti
gave her 'stand out' speech, and as much as the numbers crunched that
contributed to the decision, this was going to be the balls to the
wall hashing out discussion.

Unlike previous gatherings, instead of only scientists, this time
engineers and technicians were invited.

Once everyone was seated, the Minister of Sciences addressed them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as much as Madame President has proven not to
mince words, I shall follow her vein to an extent.  We have long known
that with the mismanagement and corruption that was rife during
Ceaucescu we would have a long road to go before we were on the same
level as the average global nation much less standing with the
superpowers.  Since Iliescu, we have been working hard to travel that
road with only modernisation as the primary goal.  Granted, our
progress has had hurdles, but we have made strides.  From the figures
reported by the Minister of Finance, as of this year, we are equal to
Italy in our Gross Domestic Product.  While we are uncertain for how
long that will last due to the reactions of the world, at this time,
our country calls to us for our part to prove that greatness is not
limited to the superpowers of the world.

While the matters of finance are being handled by others more
knowledgeable in those fields, one of their concerns is one that has
solutions within ours.", he said then paused as he rifled through
papers.

The crowd's attention was focussed on the minister, some already
having a good idea what he was going to mention next.

"It has long been apparent to any industrial nation that reliance upon
combustibles for energy that those reserves will run out, and the
usage of such contributes to the concerns of pollution that affects
all areas of our lives.  At the current cost of oil coupled with
dependence upon it, it is a primary of where the spending goes.  While
we do have to give some credit to Ceaucescu for the creation of the
Cernavoda nuclear plant and the touch of providence that it is of
CANDU design and not RBMK...", he continued before the chuckles of
many engineers made him pause.

Once they were able to muffle themselves, the minister continued.

"As we do have a better quality plant, than most in the region that
has yet to be brought to full compliment, it is in our interests to
ensure Cernavoda is active to it's full five reactors.  Currently with
three active and functioning at 90% capacity and unit 4 to be
completed next year, the plant will be providing 40% of our electrical
needs.  With unit five active, while that will greatly reduce our
needs on oil imports, we clearly need to do more.

We currently have the wind farms at Eolica Baia, Eolica Beidaud,
Eolica Casimcea, Eolica Cogealac, Mărişelu, Eolica Mihai Viteazu,
Eolica Sarichioi, Eolica Sǎcele, Sinus Holding,  and Tomis Team
Dobrogea.  We have the hydro facilities at Bicaz-Stejaru, Brădişor,
Iron Gate I, Iron Gate II, Lotru-Ciunget, Mărişelu, Nehoiaşu, Oaşa,
Râul Mare, Retezat, Remeţi, Ruieni, Şugag, Tarniţa, Lăpuşteşti,
Tismana, and Vidraru.  While these cleaner running facilities have
helped us get more into accord with the Kyoto Protocols, it is Madame
President's hope that we can drastically reduce our dependence on oil
while reducing the related emissions to the greatest low possible so
as to show by example to all the powers of the world that this can be
done and we have been able to do it without any dependence upon the
institutions created for the superpowers of the world by themselves."

The crowd began to applaud and once it died down, the minister resumed.

"While the focussing upon the reduction of oil dependence is a
priority, we are not going to abandon our great strides in
telecommunication, industrial robotics, informational technology or
biotechnology.  To slack in these areas will be the same as stepping
backwards.  It is to us, that this mantle falls."

Again, the crowd applauded but the low mutters of voices began and the
question and answer session began as well as carried on throughout the
week.

With Cernavoda at full capacity, and the current amount of twenty one
power plants devoted to combustibles, the shift would be time
consuming as well as obviously expensive.  Fusion power while perfect
for the task, was still too new and still not cost effective.  Wind
power while clean, was dependant on the still precarious reliability
of air currents.  And with the forgone conclusion of ANDA's not going
through with the additional plants, Cernavoda would be the only one in
the country.

Only thing left was hydropower.

With the current dams in place, only other location for a sizeable one
was the Danube but that simply wasn't a consideration.  The venerable
river was too important in it's current state to the region.  Tidal
power while intriguing, seemed more feasible if there was a greater
body of water such as an ocean on the border.  Wave power currently
was looking quite promising if the statistics from Portugal were
correct.  Factoring in the economic zone nearly in the middle of the
Black Sea, there was goodly space to make a rather huge wave farm,
though the costs would be terrific.

There was another option though, one that as much as it wasn't wanted
to be considered, still had to be discussed.

Nuclear and Fusion were clearly top choices, the latter simply not
cost effective especially in light of the current situation, but a
variant of smaller plant was currently in existance and with the right
price, commercially available.  The Russian floating nuclear stations.

Granted the steam turbine the boats used was terribly inefficient but
that could be taken care of with some well done refitting.  Private
companies did sell the equipment if it couldn't be manufactured, and
the power lines required for them coupled with the distance they'd be
run would have a cost in the billions.  There was also what the
Russian government would do to 'discourage' any transactions between
the private companies involved.  While they were speaking aloud about
goodwill and making peace, this was still the nation that crushed many
in the region with the slaughter of intellectuals and gross repression
to the point some of the neighbouring countries were still trying to
recover.  That was something that wouldn't be easily forgotten for
generations.

So much still boiled down to funds and time, and there was not enough
of either even in the best of circumstances.  As much as the finance
side of things said they had ideas, it was hard to predict where
they'd go.

At the conclusion of the symposium, everyone's figurative plate was full.

------------------------------------------------

Actions:

1) Begin work on getting the Cernavoda plant to full functioning of 5
reactors going
2) Begin deep analysis on the potential direction of establishing a
wave farm in the Black Sea
3) Discuss further the potential of the Russian floaters vs the
potential difficulties mentioned in post
4) Come up with a better name for the project

Reference links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Romania (While figures are
listed for the real world, I'm using them for the state of the economy
up to the stepping apart for a basis)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cernavod%C4%83_Nuclear_Power_Plant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_floating_nuclear_power_station

-- 
--I know there are no lifeguards in the gene pool, but damn, there
ought to be at least a few sharks in the water.