Russia
Russian gas giant Gazprom is planning to branch into the nuclear power industry, according to its chairman. The news is the latest sign of the company’s growing ambitions to become one of the world’s biggest energy groups. It may also cause disquiet among Gazprom’s international investors and customers that the company is increasing its risks.
Telegraph 19th June 2006
Iran
Iran is ready to limit its nuclear program but will not suspend uranium enrichment as a precondition for international talks, the Financial Times reported citing sources. “Around 70 pct of senior people may be prepared, under pressure, to accept an eventual limit on the number of centrifuges (for enriching uranium),” one of two anonymous sources was quoted as saying.
Interactive Investor 19th June 2006
FT 19th June 2006
Article by Noam Chomsky: The US must take three basic steps to defuse this confrontation. The consequences of not doing so could be grim.
Guardian 19th June 2006
New nukes
The private sector could not shoulder the full clean-up costs of new nuclear power plants in Britain, potential investors say, casting doubts on government claims this week that it would not subsidise new reactors. The big problem is no-one knows what the full decommissioning costs will be — Britain is still consulting on both near-term and permanent waste disposal options at current sites, and research has not begun into such costs at new sites, according to engineering firm AMEC.
Reuters 19th June 2006
Letter from David Lowry: We should not think that we could not have a nuclear accident here in Britain Indeed, the British Nuclear Group (BNG), operator of Sellafield on behalf of the nuclear quango, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, seems to think an accident inevitable, if its own internal report on a serious accident at their Thorp nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield is to be believed. Its report stated: “This event has demonstrated that despite high-quality construction, serious faults can occur within Thorp which breach primary containment. Given the history of such events so far, it seems likely that there will remain a significant chance of further plant failures occurring in the future even with the comprehensive implementation of this report.”
Telegraph 19th June 2006
An opinion poll, conducted in association with the FT, highlights a sharp division of opinion over nuclear power. Across five countries, 44 per cent are in favour of building new nuclear power stations, while 43 per cent are opposed. The strongest support comes in Italy, France and the UK, while a majority of Spanish and German respondents oppose the idea.
FT 19th June 2006
Fast Reactors
Prof Chris Rhodes: Despite the reassuringly good record of Dounreay over 20 years, there remain grave fears about the overall safety features of fast breeder reactors.
Telegraph 19th June 2006
British Energy
British Energy, the UK’s biggest power generator, will report their full-year results.
Times 19th June 2006
British Energy, the nuclear power group, which is lining up the sale of its coal-fired power station in Eggborough, East Yorkshire, for about £900 million, will report its full-year results tomorrow. Analysts expect earnings of £845 million. There is no comparable figure for the previous year.
Times 19th June 2006
Korea
Japan’s foreign minister on Sunday stepped up his rhetoric against North Korea, warning that if Pyongyang conducted a missile test Tokyo would immediately appeal to the United Nations Security Council to consider imposing sanctions on the rogue nation.
FT 19th June 2006
