Chernobyl
The upcoming 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster is a brutal reminder of the dangers of nuclear power, proliferation and terrorism, former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev said on Tuesday. “The true scope of the tragedy still remains beyond comprehension and is a shocking reminder of the reality of the nuclear threat,” Gorbachev said in an essay published by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a watchdog organisation on nuclear security.
Nuclear Power Daily 1st March 2011 more >>
New Nukes
The International Energy Agency has stated that the World must invest $26 trillion (£16.7 trillion) over the next two-decades to avert a global energy shock. Much of this investment, due to the requirement for cleaner ‘green’ energy, will be directed at nuclear power. Many new stations will be built and the infrastructure of these, and existing nuclear installations will come under pressure to perform as never before. This, in turn, will mean unprecedented levels of support from companies that supply specialist products and services to the industry.
Process & Control Technology 1st March 2011 more >>
Sizewell
If energy giant EDF is given the go-ahead to build a new nuclear power station at Sizewell, it will be asked to contribute to local transport schemes – and local residents want to push the case for a bypass. EDF has said it will listen to the views of local people on the matter.
East Anglian Daily Times 28th Feb 2011 more >>
Hinkley
THE Bridgwater area will get £100million as compensation for Hinkley C – but our local council says it is still NOT enough. EDF Energy, the firm behind the proposed third Hinkley nuclear station, revealed last week that it would spend £80million on major infrastructure works like the proposed Cannington bypass, and long-term accommodation, and another £20million on schemes suggested by the community – 20 times what it previously offered.
This is the West Country 1st March 2011 more >>
Waste Storage
WGWD has published a final version 2.1 of the Report on Waste and Spent Fuel Storage Safety Reference Levels. The previous version of this report (V 2.0) was published in May 2010 together with a call for stakeholder comments. All comments received until end of September have been taken into close considerartion by WGWD during the Nov. 2010 meeting resulting after a very few editorial clarifications, in this final version 2.1.
WENRA 22nd Feb 2011 more >>
Uranium
For African countries, the revenue derived from the uranium mining operations of multinational corporations is – despite the high price of uranium – minimal, uncertain and volatile. The financial agreements that these countries make with the uranium producers regarding their share in the profits are the primary reason for this state of affairs. These contracts are often the result of negotiations that take place behind closed doors. This report analyses the financial aspects of uranium mining in the main African uranium producing countries – Namibia, Niger, Malawi and South Africa – and examines the activities of the four largest multinational uranium mining companies in Africa: the French AREVA group, the English-Australian Rio Tinto, the Australian Paladin Energy and the South-Africa-based AngloGold Ashanti.
Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations March 2011 more >>
Planning
Today, the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) has been accepting applications for energy and transport projects for exactly a year. Time to take stock, methinks. Since 1 March 2010, applications for the following types of project in England and in most cases Wales as well, have had to be made to the IPC.
Bircham Dyson Bell 1st March 2011 more >>
Nuclear Safety
NUCLEAR safety is a subject that affects everybody living on Cumbria’s Energy Coast. Now Barrow and District Association of Engineers has linked up with the Nuclear Institute to present an illustrated talk in Barrow. The talk, “The fundamentals of nuclear safety” will be given by one of the world’s leading authorities. Laurence Williams is the professor of Nuclear Safety at the John Tyndall Institute for Nuclear Research at the University of Central Lancashire.
NW Evening Mail 1st March 2011 more >>
Nuclear Cars
Okay so we’ve heard reports that a new form of uranium could potentially lead to portable nuclear power plants and ultimately one that could fit in your car and run it on down the road. How scary is that? Scientists from the Los Alamos National Laboratory have created a molecule called uranium nitride which they say is cheaper and much safer (I sure hope they’re right) then plain old uranium. This new molecule could extract more energy from the usual fossil fuels, making our cars more fuel efficient. This is because uranium nitride has an easier time pulling the hydrogen off carbon atoms and the energy that is usually lost in that process, is now retained and has the capability of giving us all more miles to the gallon.
Coolest Gadgets 1st March 2011 more >>
Aldermaston
ENGINEER Redhall has won a potential £20m contract with the Atomic Weapons Establishment to manufacture a series of 10-tonne doors at the site where Britain’s nuclear warheads are made.
Yorkshire Post 1st March 2011 more >>
Companies
US power firm PPL is buying German utility E.ON’s power networks for £3.5bn n cash to create one of the largest electricity distributors in Britain. PPL, which beat a rival bid from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing according to people familiar with the matter, would also assume £500m of debt.
Guardian 2nd March 2011 more >>
Telegraph 2nd March 2011 more >>
Germany
Five German states controlled by the Social Democrats have filed a legal complaint with the constitutional court against extending the lifespan of nuclear plants. The decision was made by Angela Merkel’s centre-right coalition.
Utility Week 1st March 2011 more >>
Chile
A training deal with France is among the first concrete steps Chile has taken to prepare for decisions on introducing nuclear power through the 2020s. Recent weeks have seen much progress in the South American nation’s plans to prepare itself to seriously consider the use of nuclear energy.
World Nuclear News 1st March 2011 more >>
Climate
Is Time’s Eben Harrell serious in his EcoCentric post, “Why Nukes are the Most Urgent Environmental Threat”
Climate Progress 28th Feb 2011 more >>
