New nukes
The world’s nuclear power stations are all situated either on the coast, or on rivers or lakes. It takes a great deal of water to cool the white heat of this technology. But are we not being warned of climate change sea level rises and floods? What kind of fools will we look if we end up with an underwater entente diabolique?
Western Mail 1st April 2008 more >>
British Business Secretary John Hutton has said that expanding Britain’s nuclear power industry could have benefits for both national security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Hutton told a conference of trade unionists that nuclear energy could gain 100,000 jobs and £20 billion for the UK economy, and said that if Britain is “serious” about its climate change responsibilities, significantly more of its energy should be coming from nuclear power.
Climate Change Corp 31st March 2008 more >>
The United Kingdom government on Monday invited nuclear power companies to put forward new designs for a justification decision for the new fleet of nuclear reactors to be built in the United Kingdom. The Justification Process is part of European Union regulation that requires the assessment of each design before it can be used in the United Kingdom. ‘The Justification Decision is the first major regulatory stage for new nuclear reactors, and an important step towards the construction of new nuclear power stations in the UK,’ said business secretary John Hutton in a statement. The process is expected to take about 18 months to complete and will run in parallel with a separate Generic Design Assessment which is underway looking at the benefits of four specific designs for the United Kingdom.
Forbes 31st March 2008 more >>
Reuters 31st March 2008 more >>
Builder & Engineer 31st March 2008 more >>
The CBI says we need to see early action taken by the government to provide the ‘clear route map’ which Hutton talks of, and the leadership required to build global investor confidence in Britain’s nuclear energy market.
Process and Control Today 31st March 2008 more >>
Dungeness
RYE area residents will have their first chance to learn details of a potential new nuclear power station at Dungeness at a meeting on Wednesday April 16. British Energy, owner and operator of Dungeness B nuclear power station, is holding the meeting to talk about the potential for new nuclear build at Dungeness. The meeting is being held at the Lydd War Memorial Institute, Station Road, Lydd TN29 9EB on Wednesday April 16 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm.
Rye and Battle Observer 31st March 2008 more >>
NDA
URS Corporation today announced that an international consortium led by the Company’s Washington Division (formerly Washington Group International) has reached agreement with the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to operate the United Kingdom’s national low-level-nuclear-waste repository in West Cumbria in northern England. The consortium – UK Nuclear Waste Management Ltd. – comprises URS’ Washington Division, Studsvik UK, AREVA and Serco Assurance and brings together a unique capability to achieve the NDA’s low-level-waste-management objectives.
Fox Business 31st March 2008 more >>
Interactive Investor 31st March 2008 more >>
BBC 31st March 2008 more >>
Forbes 31st March 2008 more >>
GNN 31st March 2008 more >>
US
Two utility groups, including units of Southern Co and SCANA Corp, said they filed applications on Monday for separate licenses to build and operate new nuclear reactors in Georgia and South Carolina to meet growing demand for electricity.
Reuters 1st April 2008 more >>
Finland
German engineering group Siemens expects a “not insignificant” financial impact from delays in completing a nuclear power plant in Finland, a German daily reported on Monday.
Reuters 31st March 2008 more >>
Forbes 31st March 2008 more >>
Forbes 31st March 2008 more >>
Ukraine
Westinghouse Electric Co. on Monday announced a five-year deal to supply fuel to three Ukrainian nuclear reactors. The contract will begin in 2011. Under the deal, Westinghouse will supply Ukraine with one-quarter of its annual nuclear fuel needs, said Aris Candris, the company’s senior vice president of nuclear fuel. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
AFX 31st March 2008 more >>
Technology
The University of Florida thinks it can tackle problems with secondary cooling systems overheating by turning to diamond – one of the best heat conductors known to science. Their idea is to add diamond nanoparticles to the water of the secondary cooling system to dramatically improve its ability to transfer heat.
New Scientist 31st March 2008 more >>
Nuclear Police
Malcolm Wicks, Minister of State for Energy, today confirmed the reappointment of Dame Elizabeth Neville as a member of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, for a further four years.
GNN 31st March 2008 more >>
Proliferation
Joschka Fischer: The essential defect of the NPT is now visible in the nuclear dispute between Iran and the United Nations Security Council: the treaty permits the development of all nuclear components indispensable for military use – particularly uranium enrichment – so long as there is no outright nuclear weapons program. This means that in emerging nuclear countries only one single political decision is required to “weaponise” a nuclear program. This kind of “security” is not sufficient.
Guardian 31st March 2008 more >>
Korea
North Korea yesterday threatened to launch a nuclear attack on South Korea. The South is angry its neighbour tested nuclear missiles on Friday, wants the trials stopped and said it could attack the North.
Daily Mirror 31st March 2008 more >>
Microgeneration
The government announced a shake-up of its controversial grant system for renewable energy technologies yesterday but was sharply criticised by green campaigners who said it does not go far enough.
Guardian 1st April 2008 more >>
Coal
Energy group E.ON yesterday asked the government to hold back granting planning permission for the company’s controversial £1.5bn Kingsnorth power plant, which would be Britain’s first coal-fired power station for 20 years. E.ON said the Kent project should not be approved until the government had finished consultation this year on regulating carbon capture and storage.
Guardian 1st April 2008 more >>
