Areva/Finland
Areva yesterday ended a difficult week with news of a further delay to its first third-generation nuclear power plant, under construction in Finland, that is likely to push up the cost of the mega-reactor and could jeopardise the French nuclear group’s negotiation for a major contract in China.
FT 11th August 2007 more >>
YLE News 10th August 2007 more >>
Interactive Investor 10th August 2007 more >>
Designers of Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor knew as far back as 2001 that it must be able to withstand an airplane attack. That’s what the Finnish public was promised when the construction license was issued. Yet today, the company announced further delays in construction due to problems with reinforcing the reactor building to withstand an airplane crash.
Greenpeace International Press Release 10th August 2007 more >>
China
Behind a door disguised as the entrance to a post office, beneath ten metres of earth, lies the command headquarters of China’s first nuclear weapons research programme. From the chairs, pencils and air filter machines it seems that the generals left only yesterday, but nowadays the only visitors are curious tourists.
Times 11th August 2007 more >>
South Asia
Nuclear armed neighbours celebrate 60 years of independence.
Times 11th August 2007 more >>
Germany
The management of Gundremmingen nuclear power plant, which is 75 pct owned by RWE AG and 25 pct by E.ON AG, said block C will be shut today for a few days because of a possible fault in the fuel elements. The management said monitoring had shown changes to readings in the reactor water, though safety limits have not been breached. The supervisory authorities have been informed about the matter.
Interactive Investor 10th August 2007 more >>
Russia
A pet crocodile fell 12 stories and survived in the Russian town of Sarov, the birthplace of Russian nuclear weapons.
World Nuclear News 10th August 2007 more >>
Dounreay
RADIATION surveyors this week were able to resume scanning Sandside beach for signs of pollution from the nearby Dounreay plant. It follows the end of a four-month impasse during which they were banned from taking their specialist tracked vehicles on to the beauty spot. Up until then, more than 90 fragments of spent reactor fuel reprocessed at the plant had been detected and removed from the four-mile stretch of coastline.
John O’ Groat Journal 10th August 2007 more >>
DOUNREAY officials yesterday defended the £1.7 million cost of returning a batch of radioactive waste which was exported from the site to Peru nine years ago. The 2.9 tonne load of thorium nitrate arrived on Wednesday after a marathon sea-and-road trip.
John O’ Groat Journal 10th August 2007 more >>
Energy Security
Gazprom, the Kremlin-backed Russian gas group, is negotiating a deal under which it could take a stake in up to five British gas-fired power stations, it emerged yesterday. The move would be Gazprom’s biggest step in the UK market so far and would fuel fears about the security of future energy supplies.
Times 10th August 2007 more >>
