Hutton
The Cabinet Minister behind a £12.5billion nuclear power deal with French-owned energy giant EDF is set to take a highly-paid job with the firm. John Hutton’s proposed move comes just a year after the former Business Secretary gave the go-ahead for the firm to buy many of Britain’s existing and future nuclear power plants.
Mail on Sunday 13th Sept 2009 more >>
Companies
The Russians have unveiled bold ambitions to break into the British nuclear market in a move which could revive nervousness about the Kremlin’s use of energy as a political weapon. State-owned Atomenergoprom has already signed a joint venture with Toshiba, whose Westinghouse subsidiary manages the UK’s main nuclear fuel manufacturing plant at Springfields in Lancashire. It is in talks about a similar arrangement with Siemens, which wants to become a significant supplier to a new generation of reactors in this country.
Observer 13th Sept 2009 more >>
Sellafield
The German newspaper “Die Welt” reports that the planned shipping of MOX fuel from Sellafield to Grohnde NPP will not be transported within the next 2 months.
Welt online 11th Sept 2009 more >>
Submarines
An 11-year investigation into how to safely dismantle 15 decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines has been thrown into turmoil after two of the environmental experts brought in as advisers were sacked. Deep disagreements have split the 25-member advisory group, with eight consultants now considering resignation, the Observer understands. Since 1998, the Ministry of Defence has been looking for ways of dismantling the submarines and storing their radioactive waste on land. Ministers set up the Interim Storage of Laid Up Submarines (Isolus) programme to look into what plans would be acceptable to the public. Jane Hunt and Bill Thompson, of Lancaster University’s Centre for the Study of Environmental Change, ran two consultations for Isolus in 2001 and in 2003. But, according to Hunt, the MoD did not understand the need for close public scrutiny of radioactive waste management. She also claimed officials dismissed worries about the health effects of low-level radiation from dismantling reactors.
Observer 13th Sept 2009 more >>
Iran
IRAN is not ruling out talks about its nuclear programme with world powers but conditions for that have to be right, the country’s top diplomat said yesterday. In a statement that appeared to soften Tehran’s position, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said he welcomed talks with the United States and its partners, adding that “should conditions be ripe, there is a possibility of talks about the nuclear issue”.
Scotland on Sunday 13th Sept 2009 more >>
Korea
THE US is hoping to re-open talks with North Korea over its nuclear program. The US state department have announced they are trying to bring the reclusive communist state back to the negotiating table.
Times 12th Sept 2009 more >>
The US State Department has said that it is willing to hold direct talks with North Korea, if it will help persuade them to return to the six-party talks aimed at dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
Telegraph 12th Sept 2009 more >>
