Hinkley
Investigation work and surveys are to take place to support a planning application for the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. The work at the Somerset site and in the Severn Estuary starts this month. It will involve digging trenches to carry out archaeological and soil investigations to identify locations for essential parts of the facility.
BBC 2nd Sept 2009 more >>
Hinkley Point Reactor B7 came back in service on Saturday. It went offline in May.
South West Business 2nd Sept 2009 more >>
New Nukes
Costain is already actively bidding for work on nuclear new-build contracts as the procurement process for the schemes heats up. The news comes as the firm reported a that its orderbook had risen 25% to a record level of £2.5bn, as it exploited growing opportunities in the energy, water and waste sectors. EDF has already indicated that it will let a £100m preparatory works contract by this autumn and a civils package, estimated to be around £500m, by the end of the year at its two sites at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk.
Contract Journal 2nd Sept 2009 more >>
The expansion of the renewable industry is less controversial than opponents believe. Public backing for windfarms has grown since 2005, with 79% saying they would not object to one being built within 20 miles of their home (up from 69% in 2005). A remarkable 67% say they would even support a windfarm in sight of their house, although that theoretical backing may not be born out in practice. Nuclear power, which has won government support since 2005, is also now less unpopular than before, with 32% saying they would not object to a nuclear power station being built within 20 miles of their home (19% in 2005).
Guardian 1st Sept 2009 more >>
Finland
Escalating a dispute between the companies as to who is to blame for the schedule slippage, Areva said Monday it will not proceed with work on the delayed Olkiluoto nuclear reactor project in Finland until Finnish utility TVO makes unspecified changes to the project.
Climate Progress 1st Sept 2009 more >>
World Nuclear News 1st Sept 2009 more >>
Areva said this week that its project to build the world’s most powerful reactor remained mired in delays and was over-budget by 2.3 billion euros, or about $3.3 billion.
New York Times 2nd Sept 2009 more >>
Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s biggest right-wing party has reiterated its calls on the new government to give up the planned Belene project as it is still undecided whether to scrap or push ahead the construction of the multi-billion nuclear power plant.
Novinite 1st Sept 2009 more >>
Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov has stated that he has come to an agreement with Russia PM Vladimir Putin to be ready with the financial estimates for the Belene NPP by November. “By November, we will make an estimate and will go out and tell people whether it is profitable or not,” Borisov said regarding the Belene nuclear power plant project.
Novinite 2nd Sept 2009 more >>
China
China will parade five new missiles in a show of military prowess on the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule.
Telegraph 3rd Sept 2009 more >>
Pakistan
According to a study in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Pakistan is pushing ahead with a plutonium-based nuclear programme, superior to its previous reliance on uranium technology. Plutonium is easier to weaponise, as smaller quantities of the material are required. Two new plutonium production reactors are under construction, it said.
Telegraph 3rd Sept 2009 more >>
Iran
Western diplomats struggled yesterday to secure an agreement on imposing tougher sanctions on Iran in an attempt to end its nuclear programme.The meeting of the five United Nations permanent Security Council members and Germany was complicated by a last-minute offer of talks from Saeed Jalili, the top nuclear negotiator in Iran.
Times 3rd Sept 2009 more >>
Iran is not going to produce a nuclear weapon any time soon and the threat posed by its atomic programme has been exaggerated. These are the claims of the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei, which come at a time when critics have called for harsh sanctions against Tehran because of the nuclear risk.
Daily Mail 2nd Sept 2009 more >>
FT 2nd Sept 2009 more >>
Disarmament
Is the case for nuclear disarmament gaining ground?
Western Mail 3rd Oct 2009 more >>
