I was listening with half my mind (or less) to NPR mid-week when I heard Ira Glass use the enrichment-means-bombs (but only in Iran) meme. I was distracted by the process of getting my piece on risk published in the Portland Press Herald, where it appeared in the Thursday print edition. The PPH passed on a piece on Iran and enrichment however, at least for the time being.
I've been writing about Iran's enrichment program without reference to its market, other than to point out the existence of the older military/commercial enrichment programs in the US, Europe, Russia and China. But the existence of competition, the beneficiaries should the current regime attack the nuclear facilities in Iran, does not explain the market, or why the market might prefer a stable southern energy-producing source for the nuclear component of its imported fuels.
China generates 7,000 MW of electrical power at 9 reactors. The plan of record is to build 32 more 1,000 MW reactors over the next 20 years to a target of 36,000 MW.
India generates 3,000 MW of electrical power at 14 reactors. The plan of record is 10,000 MW by 2012, and 20,000 MW by 2020
Of the 27 reactors under construction, 16 are located in India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China. Of the 31 reactors that are not yet being constructed, 22 are located South and East Asia.