Nuclear Sites
At least two more potential reactor sites will become available in the near future to utilities looking to build in the UK. The disposal of a 250-hectare (618-acre) government-owned site at Sellafield will begin “within weeks,” Nuclear Decommissioning Authority spokesman Bill Hamilton said May 5. And EDF Energy spokesman Kaa Holmes said May 5 that the utility would make an announcement soon on the process for disposing of surplus land at its existing reactor sites at Heysham or Dungeness.
Platts 5th May 2009 more >>
The race to construct a new generation of nuclear power plants in the UK is shaping up with the completion of an auction of suitable sites for new build.
Modern Power Systems 5th May 2009 more >>
Nuclear Waste
The expansion of nuclear programmes also underlines the need to find solutions for long-term waste storage.Local municipalities will play a key part in the process, and engaging public opinion is key to securing backing for the envisaged solutions – and sites. For the past 30 years, SKB, which is funded by the operators of Sweden’s 10 current reactors, has developed a method to store the spent fuel in cannisters that are 5 metres high, have a diameter of 1 metre, and weigh some 20-25 tons. Pending final approval from the Swedish government, regulatory and environment authorities, the cannisters would be stored at a depth of 500 metres in granite bedrock at a planned final repository.
Earth Times 5th May 2009 more >>
Europe
Decommissioning of experimental nuclear reactors dating from 1959 at Ispra in northern Italy is costing more and taking longer than expected according to a report by the European Commission that is to be presented to the European Parliament Thursday.
Platts 16th Apr 2009 more >>
Finland
The Finnish Nuclear and Radiation Safety Authority STUK says that the construction of the reactor in Olkiluoto has not proceeded according to official requirements. STUK has demanded that the builder of the installation, the French company Areva correct faults with the automation that guides the plant. A current affairs programme on YLE TV 2, the authority acquired a letter in which STUK warns Areva that the building site could be shut down if the automation is not fixed and approved. According to STUK, the design of the automation does not meet the basic principles required for nuclear safety, and on this basis STUK does not see any possibilities to approve the automation for installation at Olkiluoto. “Areva NP SAS was to have designed very important systems for safety, but unfortunately, the attitude or lack of professional knowledge of certain individuals who represented the organisation in question at meetings of experts prevent progress in solving the concerns”, states a letter addressed to the director-general of Areva.
YLE 6th May 2009 more >>
Virtual Finland 6th May 2009 more >>
France
Total became the first major oil company to invest in the new wave of nuclear power projects with an agreement to buy a quarter of the share of GDF-Suez in a nuclear plant to be built at Penly in France. GDF-Suez was today granted a third of the Penly project by Francois Fillon, the French prime minister while Electricite de France half of the venture. The Franco-Belgian utility has promised to cede a quarter of its stake to its partner Total. The oil company last year announced its intention to move into the nuclear power arena, setting itself on a divergent course from its rivals, ExxonMobil, BP and Royal Dutch Shell which have chosen not to take part in the nuclear revival. Shell invested in the nuclear sector during its heyday in the 1970s but pulled out in 1980 after suffering a heavy loss.
Times 5th May 2009 more >>
Turkey
An assessment of a tender to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant will be submitted to the energy ministry next week, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Wednesday.
Yahoo 6th May 2009 more >>
Israel
An Israeli official on Wednesday criticised a U.S. call to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as hard to understand, citing the pact’s failure to prevent countries from obtaining atomic arms. “It is therefore hard to understand why there should be such an insistence on a treaty that has proven its inefficiency.”
Reuters 6th May 2009 more >>
Japan
Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) may begin a trial run of the No. 7 reactor at its quake-hit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s biggest, as soon as Friday, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.
Interactive Investor 6th May 2009 more >>
Energy Business Review 5th May 2009 more >>
Slovenia
Slovenia has restarted its Krsko nuclear plant on May 4, 2009 after a month of regular maintenance work, and nearly a year after an incident which triggered a Europe-wide alert. The plant’s equipment is in a good state and no particular problem was found, officials said.
Energy Business Review 4th May 2009 more >>
Climate
STEPS have been taken to beef up Scotland’s proposed climate change laws after critics said a draft bill did not set early enough targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The initial target was to be a 50 per cent drop in emissions by 2030. However, the Scottish Government has now taken the advice of a recent report from the parliament’s climate change committee to strengthen the bill. There will be a new target to cut emissions by 34 per cent by 2020, and this will be amended to 42 per cent as soon as the European Union agrees to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2020.
Scotsman 6th May 2009 more >>
