New Nukes
Sweden’s biggest energy company is eyeing a possible multibillion-pound investment in Britain’s nuclear power industry. Vattenfall, Europe’s fifth-largest electricity utility, is considering acquiring a stake in EDF’s project to construct four new reactors in the UK at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk. EDF, the nuclear power company that is 82 per cent owned by the French Government, is keen to sell part of its stake in the project to help to cut its 36.8 billion (£34.4 billion) debt pile, amassed during an acquisition spree last year.
Times 15th Oct 2009 more >>
Nuclear Regulation
Nuclear safety experts today concluded a 10-day mission to peer-review the UK Nuclear Regulator: Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Nuclear Directorate (ND). At the request of the UK Government, the International Atomic Energy Agency assembled a team of ten high-level regulatory experts from eight nations to conduct the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission.
ISRIA 13th Oct 2009 more >>
Hinkley
The oil-platform like structure off the coast of Burnham-on-sea is carrying out drilling work. The work is being undertaken by a contractor on behalf of Hinkley Point’s owner, EDF, ahead of possible expansion work.
Burnham-on-sea.com 13th Oct 2009 more >>
Cumbria
THE enthronement of the new Bishop of Carlisle, the Right Rev James Newcome, at the city’s cathedral on Saturday attracted a protest from anti-nuclear activists. Members of Radiation-Free Lakeland were angry about his support for nuclear power in Cumbria. His previous remarks, declaring nuclear as a green option for the future, upset both local and national environmental groups.
Carlisle News and Star 14th Oct 2009 more >>
Whitehaven News 14th Oct 2009 more >>
Companies
German utility E.ON AG is targeting investment in solar power in Spain and nuclear power in Italy, Chief Executive-elect Johannes Teyssen said on Wednesday.
Reuters 14th Oct 2009 more >>
US-based Westinghouse had only been in the hands of nationalised British Nuclear Fuels Limited for seven years, it was hardly an emotional parting. Aris Candris, the spry chief executive of the Pennsylvanian company, is certainly not complaining. Speaking to the Mail from his brand new, £125m headquarters half an hour’s drive outside Pittsburgh, he says the removal of the heavy hand of state ownership has been liberating for the manufacturer and its 14,000 employees. A private company like Toshiba, which owns 67pc of his firm, understands that you need to take ‘ commercial risk’ to succeed, he explains. That is something HM Treasury would never make allowance for, despite its present appetite for speculation in banking shares. With countries including the US, Britain, China, and Italy embarking on ambitious nuclear new-build programmes, Candris forecasts growth rates of 20 per cent at Westinghouse, which generates annual revenues of £2.5bn. A lifelong nuclear engineer, he sounds almost religious about an industry that is emerging from years of stagnation.
Daily Mail 15th Oct 2009 more >>
Low Level Waste
A STEADY flow of people visited Distington Community Centre on Monday to take a look at controversial plans to transform a former opencast mine into a low-level radioactive waste dump. It was the first in a series of public meetings into plans for a low-level waste repository to be built at the Keekle Head site, which is less than one mile from Pica and five miles from Whitehaven.
Whitehaven News 14th Oct 2009 more >>
Intermediate Level Waste
Shipments of compacted metallic waste resulting from the reprocessing of used nuclear fuel have been sent by rail from France back to Switzerland and the Netherlands for final disposal. The metal came from the zirconium-iron-pewter alloy tubes that formed the structure of nuclear fuel assemblies. During reprocessing, the rods are sheared into 35-mm lengths and dissolved in nitric acid so that powdered uranium, plutonium and other fission products can be chemically extracted and recycled. The shards of metal are removed from the acid, before being rinsed, packed and compacted along with certain other technological waste. Ultimately the metal leftovers end up in metal canisters similar to those that hold vitrified high-level radioactive waste.
World Nuclear News 14th Oct 2009 more >>
Australia
Little wonder Australians are reconsidering the nuclear option for electricity production. The recent wave of euphoric predictions of a global nuclear renaissance from industry promoters has created high community expectations. But on closer scrutiny, nuclear power’s real potential is disappointing. Despite over half a century of intensive subsidisation and promotion, it produces less than 15 per cent of the world’s electricity. This may seem hard to believe, given the fervour with which its promoters have been singing its praises of late, but the numbers speak for themselves.
The Age 15th Oct 2009 more >>
Jordan
A feasibility study is underway towards building a nuclear power plant near Aqaba, Jordan.
World Nuclear News 14th Oct 2009 more >>
Iran
Despite an encouraging beginning to negotiations under Barack Obama, Iran will not relinquish its nuclear ambitions easily.
Guardian 15th Oct 2009 more >>
Coal
Scottishpower said yesterday it is confident that the Governments competition for the development of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) unit is on track. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has reassured the company of the status of the competition, aimed at having a commercial scale CCS system up and running in Britain by 2014, ScottishPower, a unit of Spains Iberdrola, said. Scottish Powers consortium, including Shell UK and National Grid, is competing against groups led by E.ON as well as another, led by Germanys RWE npower.
Herald 14th Oct 2009 more >>
Climate
Greenpeace manifesto – 12 policies to save the climate.
Greenpeace 11th Oct 2009 more >>
