India
SOME of the world’s biggest energy companies, including Westinghouse, have secured a slice of India’s mammoth $60bn (£30bn, E44bn) nuclear power plant building programme. Nuclear Power Corporation India Limited (NPCIL) is next month set to unveil a list of four or five coastal sites where reactors will be built. Westinghouse, sold by BNFL to Japan’s Toshiba last year, and US conglomerate General Electric are understood to have been earmarked for two of these sites. France’s Areva, Atomic Energy of Canada and Atomstroiexport, a Russian nuclear group, are also understood to have won work. The final contracts are likely to be signed early next year. France has already agreed to work with India to build nuclear reactors, though the US Congress has yet to give its final approval. All five groups will work with local companies on the project, which will see India leapfrog China to become the world’s biggest nuclear market.
The Business 15th August 2007 more >>
In a rare public outburst, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has dared the Stalinist-led Left Front to substantiate its publicly announced opposition to the recently concluded “123” Nuclear Agreement between India and the United States by withdrawing political support for his United Progressive Alliance (UPA)government.
World Socialist Web 16th August 2007 more >>
Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has defended the prospect of the country selling uranium to India.
BBC 15th August 2007 more >>
Ukraine
Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko has shelved a previously released cabinet decree regarding the creation of a state-owned nuclear body, Russian daily RIA Novosti has reported.
Energy Business Review 15th August 2007 more >>
Nuclear Waste
British Nuclear Group, the main operating arm of state-owned BNFL, is unlikely to have any role in a £500m contract to manage Britain’s low-level atomic waste dump at Drigg in west Cumbria. A consortium of private firms led by America’s Washington Group International has been made preferred bidder to take over the facility from BNG and devise a strategy with any future waste coming from a possible new generation of plants. Washington – with its partners including Serco of Britain and French nuclear plant builder and operator Areva – said they were “delighted” to have beaten off competition from rival consortiums -one containing BNG and the other led by Babcock of the UK – after negotiations with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Guardian 16th August 2007 more >>
UK Nuclear Waste Management Ltd, a consortium led by Washington Group International and including Sweden’s Studsvik AB, AREVA-NC and Serco Insurance, has been selected as preferred bidder to manage the UK Low Level Waste Repository for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Interactive Investor 15th August 2007 more >>
FT 16th August 2007 more >>
Investment
Two US financial institutions have launched products to help investors interested in nuclear energy. Standard and Poor’s has introduced an index of nuclear related companies whilst Van Eck has launched an exchange traded fund of companies involved in the industry.
World Nuclear News 15th August 2007 more >>
Iran
TWO Chinese nationals have been arrested in the region of Arak, a town about 120 miles south-west of the Iranian capital, for taking photographs of military and nuclear installations being built there, Iran said yesterday.
Scotsman 16th August 2007 more >>
British Energy
A sharp fall in output at two of the UK’s oldest power stations has seen profits at British Energy plunge by nearly a quarter. The group, which generates around a fifth of the UK’s electricity, said outages and load restrictions at Hinkley Point B and Hunterston B meant it was missing out on higher electricity prices.
Times 16th August 2007 more >>
Dounreay
A FURTHER radioactive particle (the 96th) has been recovered from Sandside beach, washed up from the nearby Dounreay plant. The fragment of fuel reprocessed at the site was the first to be found since monitoring resumed on Wednesday of last week.
John O Groat Journal 15th August 2007 more >>
