11 May 2010

Nuclear Research

IMPERIAL College London and Rolls Royce have opened a new nuclear technology centre at Imperial’s South Kensington campus. The Rolls Royce Nuclear University Technology Centre is based at Imperial’s mechanical engineering department, but will involve academics from all the engineering disciplines, including chemical engineering, materials science and earth science and engineering. Research at the centre will look at a range of areas in both submarines and civil nuclear power, including improving fuel performance and developing better nuclear core monitoring systems.

The Chemical Engineer 10th May 2010 more >>

Hinkley

Campaigners fighting plans for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point say it’s a mini ‘David and Goliath’ victory. But are they reading too much into it? The French energy giant EDF, which is planning to build the new Hinkley Point C, have had a planning application to dig some trenches turned down. They’re digging temporary trenches in lots of spots around Hinkley Point to see what lies underground before they plan exactly where to build. They wanted to dig 20 of them on the edge of the village of Shurton - but West Somerset District Council said no. Stop Hinkley campaigner Jim Duffy said: “I think EDF may have sound reasons for doing this but I think what they are finding is that they are rubbing up the public in the wrong way.

BBC 10th May 2010 more >>

Finland

On a wooded island more than a hundred miles northwest of Helsinki, in the town of Eurajoki, Finnish engineers are digging a tunnel. When it is done 10 years from now, it will corkscrew three miles in and 1,600 feet down into crystalline gneiss bedrock that has been the foundation of Finland for 1.8 billion years. And there, in a darkness that is still being created, the used fuel rods from Finland’s nuclear reactors full of radioactive elements from the periodic table as dreamed up by Lord Voldemort, spitting neutrons and gamma rays are to be sealed away forever, or at least 100,000 years.

New York Times 10th May 2010 more >>

Israel

An Israeli scientist is calling for his country to end a decades-long silence over its reported nuclear weapons capability and open its nuclear reactor to inspection.

Yahoo 11th May 2010 more >>

Russia

US President Barack Obama has revived a civilian nuclear energy pact with Moscow, which was shelved in the wake of Russia’s 2008 conflict with Georgia. Mr Obama resubmitted the pact to Congress, saying US-Russian co-operation over Iran justified the move. The agreement would allow the transfer of technology and equipment, including reactors. Mr Obama has vowed to “reset” relations with Moscow, which became strained under his predecessor George W Bush.

BBC 10th May 2010 more >>

Telegraph 11th May 2010 more >>

Iran

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton is seeking direct talks with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, a spokesman said Monday, as the prospect of fresh UN sanctions nears. Ashton, who held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Brussels Monday, is asking Ankara to contact the Iranian authorities and try to organise talks on behalf of the six world powers involved in efforts to persuade Tehran to give up its nuclear programme.

EU Business 10th May 2010 more >>

Iran will be able to deploy a missile capable of carrying a one-tonne nuclear warhead within two years, according to a report from a leading security think tank.

Telegraph 11th May 2010 more >>

Iran is focused on improving a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles but needs at least four more years to be able to target London and more than a decade to threaten the East Coast of the United States, a leading think-tank said yesterday. The analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) came after Tehran said that it had test-fired for the first time a series of short-range Fajr (Dawn) missiles in the Gulf.

Times 11th May 2010 more >>

Germany

A transfer of generating rights should ensure the survival of the Biblis A nuclear power plant into the next regime. As owner of Biblis A, RWE has acted to protect it from closure before new limits are decided by transferring around 4.8 TWh of generating rights from a shut-down reactor owned by EOn. RWE has announced purchasing the rights, which EOn had left over after the extra-early 2003 shutdown of Stade. Both companies confirmed the move, keeping the value secret.

World Nuclear News 10th May 2010 more >>

E.ON AG and RWE AG, Germany’s largest utilities, may not get to run their nuclear plants past scheduled shutdown dates after Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party lost control of parliament’s upper house in a state election.

Bloomberg 10th May 2010 more >>

Spain

Less than a year ago, Spain ordered the aging Garona nuclear plant to close rather than renew a 10-year operating permit, in line with a 2008 electoral pledge to replace nuclear power with its successful renewable energy sector. Permits for another three of Spain’s eight nuclear plants expire in June and July 2010, and the government is legally entitled to let them close, too. However it may allow the Alamaraz I, Almaraz II and Vandellos II plants to run for another 10 years.

Reuters 10th May 2010 more >>

US

Nuclear Innovation North America (NINA), a nuclear development company jointly owned by NRG Energy and Toshiba, has signed an agreement with The Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), to partner in the two new nuclear units at the South Texas Project (STP). TEPCO will invest $155m, through its US-based subsidiary, for a 10% share of NINA Investments Holdings’ interest in the STP expansion, STP units 3&4, once a conditional commitment for US Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantee is secured for the project.

Energy Business Review 10th May 2010 more >>