British Energy
British Energy reported a 12 per cent drop in underlying profits for the three months to July 1 because of shutdowns at two power stations. The fall in output was largely caused by the shutdowns at the Hinkley Point B and Hunterston B power stations announced in October 2006 after cracks were found in boiler tubes. The two stations are operating at 60 per cent of capacity, and are planned to be returned to 70 per cent operation over the coming year.
FT 16th August 2007 more >>
British Energy, the nuclear electricity generator, disappointed investors yesterday, warning that it was raising output more slowly than hoped at two power stations that were shut down last year because of safety concerns.
FT 17th August 2007 more >>
BRITISH Energy shares suffered again after production fell and it revealed two of its nuclear plants may never again reach full capacity.
Scotsman 17th August 2007 more >>
Edinburgh Evening News 16th August 2007 more >>
Reuters 16th August 2007 more >>
Guardian website 16th August 2007 more >>
The breakdown of two key nuclear power stations run by British Energy has led to a 12% slump in underlying group profits to £253m for the first quarter.
Guardian 17th August 2007 more >>
British Energy is considering whether it can build more nuclear power stations on its land after a recent government Energy White Paper supported more UK reactors.
Citywire 16th August 2007 more >>
British Energy today revealed it has been inundated with offers to join it in building new nuclear power stations – just as latest figures reveal the decaying state of the country’s nuclear fleet, with poor production levels sending profits tumbling.
Evening Standard 16th August 2007 more >>
Daily Express 17th August 2007 (not on web)
British Energy dropped its biggest hint yet that two new nuclear power stations could be built in the south of England near its existing sites. BE said it would appoint partners next March.
Daily Mail 17th August 2007 (not on web)
British Energy is set to form two partnerships by the end of the year to build new nuclear power stations in the UK. Bill Coley, British Energy’s chief executive, said there had been “a great deal of interest” from companies wanting to form a consortium to build the new nuclear power stations.
Telegraph 17th August 2007 more >>
British Energy is a company in the right place at the right time. It hardly deserves such a favoured strategic position; yesterday’s disappointing news about its two oldest power stations was the latest in a series of problems that have driven the share price down 43 per cent in the past year. However, it is its good fortune to have two assets that are in limited supply and heated demand: sites on which to build new nuclear power stations and people to run them.
FT 17th August 2007 more >>
Nuclear Waste
A HIGH-POWERED group led by the Whitehaven rugby league sponsors Washington International is set to take over the running of the low level nuclear waste repository at Drigg. The consortium is named by the NDA as the preferred bidder in the competition to manage and operate the site which not only takes all Sellafield’s low level waste material but slightly radioactive items from hospitals and universities.
Whitehaven News 16th August 2007 more >>
Calder Hall
CALDER Hall is to be put in “mothballs” for seven years and workers redeployed because of Sellafield’s money problems. It is estimated that the decision by Sellafield Ltd to delay decommissioning will save £35 million a year, but some 180 permanent Calder operators and agency staff will have to be found work on other parts of the cash-strapped site. The site owners, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, said yesterday: “The Government has provided increased levels of funding to the NDA for this financial year, the majority of which has gone to Sellafield with some funds redirected from other NDA sites.
Whitehaven News 16th August 2007 more >>
THORP
After being closed for almost three years the NDA now expects THORP to get final consent to re-start in the next few weeks. But as THORP nears the green light a cloud hangs over the MoX Plant – the NDA says its performance is still poor.
Whitehaven News 16th August 2007 more >>
India
Communist allies of India’s ruling government are holding meetings to discuss their opposition to a landmark nuclear deal with the US.
BBC 17th August 2007 more >>
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has defended his controversial decision to sell uranium to India.
BBC 17th August 2007 more >>
The Indian parliament has been thrown into turmoil over a reported US statement that the nuclear deal would be ended if India tested another bomb.
BBC 16th August 2007 more >>
Australia and India have agreed to negotiate a uranium trade pact to fuel burgeoning Indian demand for power, Prime Minister John Howard announced Thursday.
Guardian website 17th August 2007 more >>
Iran
Iran has stalled and teased and played the European Union three of Britain, France and Germany as an expert fisherman might handle the big one. For more than 18 years Iran violated its safeguards agreement with the Inter national Atomic Energy Agency, in effect violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty, by conducting clandestine enrichment research and experiments without declaring them to inspectors.
FT 17th August 2007 more >>
US
Florida Power and Light is considering adding up to 3400MWe of nuclear capacity by 2020
World Nuclear News 16th August 2007 more >>
Lithuania
The €3.5bn multinational project to replace the Chernobyl-style Ignalina nuclear power station is in serious trouble because of a dispute between Poland and Lithuania over their respective stakes in the plant.
FT 17th August 2007 more >>
