Hinkley
French utility EDF hopes to sign a commercial agreement with its Chinese partners to build two nuclear reactors in Hinkley Point, Britain in October, but a final investment decision on the project could take a few more weeks or months after that, an industrial source told Reuters. The source, confirming a report in French financial daily Les Echos, said Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned Oct. 20-23 visit to Britain would provide a “window of opportunity” for EDF to finalise commercial agreements with its partners, Chinese utilities CGN and CNNC. “Once that is done, the final investment decision is the logical consequence,” the source said. The source said administrative “formalities” for this decision would take more time. EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy said in July he was optimistic about moving very quickly towards a final investment decision on Hinkley Point after the summer break.
Daily Mail 2nd Oct 2015 read more »
China’s nuclear power industry is gearing up to foray into the UK market, achieving a breakthrough in the country’s overseas initiative in recent years, according to China General Nuclear Power Group in an article in Shanghai’s National Business Daily. The paper reported that China and the UK may sign agreements on the construction of three nuclear power plants, namely Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, and Bradwell B. British media said China’s president, Xi Jinping, may ink the agreement on the Hinkley Point C project, which involves investment of £25 billion (US$38
Want China Times 2nd Oct 2015 read more »
Europe
FORATOM welcomes the intention of the European Commission (EC) to publish an “Illustrative Programme for Nuclear Energy” (PINC) by the end of 2015 as indicated in the Annex of the Energy Union Communication of February 2015. The EC is mandated by the Euratom Treaty to periodically issue a new PINC to indicate targets and programmes for nuclear production and the corresponding investment required. Since the publication of the latest PINC in 2007, the situation for nuclear power has changed considerably both within the EU and globally. The financial crisis, the Fukushima accident and the tensions in Ukraine have all had an impact on the energy sector as a whole as well as on the nuclear sector. Nevertheless, global interest in nuclear power is growing and there are currently more nuclear power plants under construction around the world than there have ever been (67 reactors – source IAEA).
Foratom 2nd Oct 2015 read more »
Japan – Reactor Re-starts
Kyushu Electric Power Co will restart a nuclear reactor in southwestern Japan on Oct 15, making it the second to return to operation after the government introduced stricter safety regulations following the 2011 triple reactor meltdowns at a power plant in Fukushima. Kyushu Electric reported its plan to reactivate the No. 2 reactor at its Sendai complex to the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Friday. The No. 1 unit at the two-reactor plant resumed operation in August, becoming the first reactor to restart under what the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calls “the world’s toughest” safety rules implemented after the Fukushima disaster. The restart ended a nearly two-year hiatus in the country’s nuclear power generation.
Japan Today 3rd Oct 2015 read more »
Japan – Fukushima
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant No. 2 nuclear reactor fuel is missing from the core containment vessel. (Source: Up to 100% of No. 2 Reactor Fuel May Have Melted, NHK World News, Sept. 25, 2015.) Where did it go? Nobody knows. Not only that but the “learning curve” for a nuclear meltdown is as fresh as the event itself because “the world has never seen anything like this,” never.
Counterpunch 30th Sept 2015 read more »
Fukushima police have finally reacted to a criminal complaint filed against TEPCO and 32 of its top officials two years ago over the contamination caused by the 2011 nuclear disaster. They have referred the case to prosecutors.
Russia Today 3rd Oct 2015 read more »
Trident
Former head of the Royal Navy Lord West of Spithead has threatened to quit Labour if the party adopts Jeremy Corbyn’s policy on nuclear disarmament. The former security minister said he would find it “probably impossible” to remain a Labour peer if the party adopted what was “effectively a pacifist policy”.
Press & Journal 3rd Oct 2015 read more »
DEFENCE officials are considering the appointment of an American contractor to run the construction of Britain’s four new nuclear missile submarines. The Ministry of Defence confirmed last week that it was looking to shake up the procurement process for the planned £20bn project, which is highly contentious politically.
Sunday Times 4th Oct 2015 read more »
Fusion
Fusion reactor holy grail moves closer to replacing fossil fuels and nuclear power.
Western Daily Press 3rd Oct 2015 read more »
