French state-owned nuclear energy group Areva has applied to UK regulators for its EPR nuclear reactor design to be considered for the forthcoming Generic Design Assessment process. The application is accompanied by letters of support from British Energy, EDF, E.ON UK, Iberdrola, RWE npower and Suez, which all consider EPR to be a potential design for new build nuclear in UK, Areva revealed.
Energy Business Review 20th June 2007 http://www.energy-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=13440D0E-AB4A-4479-91ED-9BDED47A9908
World Nuclear News 20th June 2007 http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/newNuclear/Areva_British_Energy_move_for_new_UK_nuclear_200607.shtml
Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of the UK’s EdF Energy has said that the UK could have new nuclear capacity in operation by the end of 2017. Speaking at the Adam Smith Institute Nuclear Energy Forum de Rivaz added that the company was considering the possibility of taking part, most likely with partners, in building four new nuclear units in the UK in the years up to 2025. “I see no reason to believe that with focus and resolve we cannot achieve our goal by 2017,” he added.
Modern Power Systems 20th June 2007 http://www.modernpowersystems.com/story.asp?sectionCode=131&storyCode=2045196
Iberdrola
IGNACIO Galán, the chairman of new ScottishPower owner Iberdrola, said in London last night that the new acquisition would play a key part in the Spanish parent’s expansion globally. Opening the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit, Galán said that with the successful completion of the ScottishPower deal, the group would “continue to expand globally where their presence and opportunities of growth are most significant”.
Scotsman 20th June 2007 http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/business.cfm?id=962882007
Australia
The Howard government will consider a revived proposal to build an Australian nuclear enrichment plant, twenty years after the Hawke Labor government ended a similar program over fears of provoking a regional arms race. A report recently aired on Australian television revealed how the Australian government is revisiting the controversial dream of a nuclear-powered future for the country.
Monsters and Critics 20th June 2007 http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/features/article_1320027.php/Australia_goes_back_to_the_future_over_nuclear_energy
Korea
The top U.S. envoy to disarmament talks with North Korea arrived in the communist country Thursday in the first high-level visit by a U.S. official there in more than 4 years. The surprise trip by nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill followed the resolution this week of a banking dispute that had held up progress toward disarmament for more than a year, and the announcement that U.N. nuclear monitors would visit the communist nation next week.
Guardian website 21st June 2007 http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6725021,00.html
Reuters 21st June 2007 http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?rpc=401&type=worldNews&storyID=2007-06-21T053130Z_01_SEO214603_RTRUKOC_0_UK-KOREA-NORTH.xml
Chronology of previous milestones.
Reuters 21st June 2007 http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?rpc=401&storyId=SP134753
NDA
Legal firm, Burges Salmon, has secured a place on the NDA’s projects panel
Legal Week 21st June 2007 http://legalweek.madgex.com/Articles/1033701/Energy+body+calls+in+Burges+Salmon+on+nuclear+clean-up.html
China
Korean engineering major Doosan Heavy has confirmed that it has signed a letter of intent with Westinghouse to supply steam generators and nuclear reactors as well as nuclear reactor vessel heads for Units 1 and 2 of the first order to have been placed by China for third-generation nuclear reactors. The plants will be located in Sanmen and Haiyang, China.
Modern Power Systems 20th June 2007 http://www.modernpowersystems.com/story.asp?sectionCode=131&storyCode=2045194
France
Work on building the controversial new nuclear power station at Flamanville on the Normandy coast has started. The third reactor, about 30 miles (48km) from the Channel Islands, is due to begin producing power in 2012.
BBC 20th June 2007 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/jersey/6223064.stm
UKAEA
THE chief executive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority has given his backing to a move to relocate the new privatised arm of the agency to Caithness. Norman Harrison says that, assuming UKAEA Ltd wins the new contract to run the Caithness site, he will support its head office being moved to the Far North.
John O’Groat Journal 20th June 2007 http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/2462/Harrison_backs_head_office_relocation.html
Tritium
EPA is considering a substantial increase in its estimates of the risks posed by human exposure to tritium, a controversial byproduct of nuclear power generation, in a move that could prompt nuclear regulatory agencies to tighten their risk-based approaches for regulating radiological releases from nuclear power plants.
Energy Washington Week, Vol. 4, No. 25, 20 June 2007
Renewables
A gold rush of new investment into renewable power over the past 18 months has led the United Nations to conclude that clean energy could provide almost a quarter of the world’s electricity by 2030. More than £35bn was injected into wind and solar power and biofuels in 2006, 43% more than the preceding year. Sustainable energy accounts for only 2% of the world’s total but the UN says 18% of all power plants under construction are in this sector.
Guardian 21st June 2007 http://environment.guardian.co.uk/energy/story/0,,2107846,00.html
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