Privatisation
Nuclear safety would be threatened if private equity buys a key division of BNFL, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has been warned. Fears have been raised as it is expected that the sale of the specialist engineering division will be pushed through quickly. Amicus has written to the DTI’s head of nuclear consultations and liabilities and to the finance director of BNFL to give warning against any sale to private equity of the project services operation. Project services, which employs more than 700 people, looks after the equipment monitoring radiation safety and security for the Sellafield reprocessing centre, the old Magnox nuclear reactors. Mike Parker, the BNFL chief executive, has said that he wants “as quick a sale as we can possibly do” for the engineering division. All of BNFL is being broken up and sold by the DTI.
Times 7th April 2007
China
One of China’s largest coal-fired power plant manufacturers, Shanghai Electric Group Co, is planning to invest yuan 6 billion ($769 million) in two nuclear power equipment bases in the city.
Modern Power Systems 6th April 2007
Companies
Fluor Corp has announced the formation of a dedicated next generation nuclear power business within its power group to address the growing market.
Modern Power Systems 6th April 2007
Dounreay
ALTHOUGH the Dounreay sphere is seen as the symbol of the fast reactor, in reality the function of this instantly recognisable structure is to house and protect the reactor and all its associated facilities. By the spring of 1957, the reactor was almost complete; only the final capping piece, resembling a skullcap, required to be fitted. This was left off so that the reactor vessel and other items could be inserted into the sphere.
John O Groat Journal 6th April 2007
Uranium
A GROWING shortage of uranium is sending the price through the roof. It is expected to soar past $100 per pound in the next few days as the industry scrambles for supplies. Industry experts predict further gains to $120 or even $150. Buying by hedge funds and speculators has come on top of
strong demand from the nuclear power Industry for the 170 new nuclear plants being planned around the world, many in energy-short Asian economies.
The shortage has been worsened by torrential rains at Rio Tinto’s Energy Resources of Australia mine, one of the biggest producers. Demand is running at 2.5 times supply. The price surge will push up global electricity costs only modestly, as uranium is a small part of the total cost of nuclear generation.
Daily Mail 7th April 2007
