UK Dept of Energy sees big struggle ahead for nuclear power plans
DECC is concerned that EDF could repeat the mistakes seen at Olkiluoto 3 in Finland, where the construction of an EPR has been delayed by four years and is 50 per cent over budget.
UK faces monumental challenge to hit 2018 new build nuclear deadline, Power Gen, 11/18/2010The UK is facing a “monumental challenge” to generate power from the first of a planned fleet of nuclear power stations by 2018, according to the head of new nuclear at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Read more »
Another USA nuclear power plant plan bites the dust
Ameren nuclear plant bill likely dead for this session, STI Today, 18 Nov 10, “………..A bill that would pave the way for a new Ameren nuclear plant has hit a roadblock in the Missouri Senate and is likely dead for the session.One of the Legislative session’s most controversial bills, the Ameren-backed proposal would repeal the state’s prohibition on utility companies charging customers for some costs of an electrical plant before the facility is up and running.But consumer groups and large industrial companies in the state complained that the bill also rewrote utility regulations to the point where Ameren could reap too many rate increases during the process of building a $6 billion plus nuclear plant in Callaway County……..”UPDATE: Ameren nuclear plant bill likely dead for this session
Dr Caldicott’s warnings on nuclear waste deserve attention
Despite her resume, her criticisms are being written off as fear-mongering and it doesn’t look like anyone plans to seek answers to the many questions that have been created by her comments.
Dr. Caldicott’s criticisms deserve more thought northumberlandnews.com, Nov 18, 2010 Bill Tremblay
There’s nothing wrong with listening. It’s a great way to form a balanced opinion. Yet, the warnings from anti-nuclear activist Dr. Helen Caldicott presented through the media over the last week are being locally ignored. Read more »
The halt on German nuclear transports to Russia
Thousands attend unprecedented anti-nuclear protests in Germany: Local action achieves global impact. Bellona, 19 Nov 10, GORBLEN, Germany .……..The deal that the Germans were preparing with the Russians involved the transportation of 951 spent nuclear fuel assemblies burnt in a research reactor in Rossendorf, Eastern Germany, from a temporary storage facility in Ahaus, Western Germany, to the chemical reprocessing plant Mayak in Russia for final disposal.On November 13, the German news agency DPA reported that authorities in Hamburg – namely, city mayor Christoph Ahlhaus – had refused to allow the port to be used as a transit point for the delivery.
“In October, another decision to refuse to participate in the transportation of nuclear waste had come from the authorities in Bremerhaven, also a port. Therefore, for the time being, there is no suitable seaport in Germany that would agree to serve as a transit harbour [for the waste]. The German government says shipping the 18 containers with nuclear waste may be postponed until April 2011,” the DPA report said (rendered here from the Russian translation). ……
America’s nuclear facilities could be attacked by Stuxnet computer worm
The Stuxnet malicious software, which was discovered in June, appears to have been designed professionally
U.S. Nuclear Plants Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks, Analysts Say, Bloomberg, By Jeff Bliss – Nov 18, 2010 U.S. computer systems that run energy, water, nuclear and manufacturing plants are vulnerable to computer worms similar to one that infected an Iranian nuclear power facility, cyber-security analysts told a Senate panel today. Read more »
Despite Republicans’ electoral success, nuclear power industry’s future in USA looking grim
Nationwide, ground has been broken for just four reactors, two twin-unit nuclear plants since the 1970s……both are in locations that are insulated from the market, in Georgia and South Carolina. In both locations, the business risk rests with the ratepayers, not with the shareholders…….
G.O.P. Gains on Capitol Hill May Not Advance Nuclear Power, NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD, November 16, 2010 WASHINGTON THE outspoken supporters of nuclear power are mostly Republicans, and the Republicans are about to take control of the House of Representatives and gain six seats in the Senate. Is this good news for nuclear power? Read more »
UN likely to support international nuclear fuel ‘bank’
some developing states are concerned that a fuel bank might limit their right to sovereign nuclear energy capabilities, even if western diplomats say the proposal makes clear that this would not be the case.
UN expected to approve nuclear fuel bank, The National : Nov 18, 2010 The UN nuclear watchdog is expected to approve a fuel supply plan backed by the UAE next month, which is seen as a way to prevent the spread of weapons technology. Read more »
Stuxnet computer worm was designed to disable nuclear plant
it’s more likely that the target in Iran was a nuclear facility in Natanz…..The new information released by Symantec last week supports this speculation…..
Clues Suggest Stuxnet Virus Was Built for Subtle Nuclear Sabotage , Wired.com, By Kim Zetter November 15, 2010 New and important evidence found in the sophisticated “Stuxnet” malware targeting industrial control systems provides strong hints that the code was designed to sabotage nuclear plants, Read more »
French nuclear firm stuck, unable to sell nuclear reactors in USA
EDF Puts U.S. Nuclear Expansion Plans on Hold, BloombergBy Tara Patel – Nov 16, 2010 Electricite de France the biggest operator of nuclear reactors, put on hold a plan to develop atomic plants in the U.S…. EDF is reviewing its business in the U.S. and supply contracts for developing a reactor, Thomas Piquemal, chief financial officer, said today on a conference call. “When we have a better visibility on the regulatory environment and price evolution, we will be in a better position to see whether we go ahead with U.S. projects.”
EDF agreed last month to pay about $249 million partly to buy out Constellation Energy Group Inc. from a venture to develop EPR reactors in the U.S., including one in Maryland. Slumping power prices has cut the value of three U.S. atomic plants that the two utilities own together and forecasts of sustained low prices prompted Constellation to withdraw from talks on a government loan guarantee for the Maryland reactor…..
American firms keen to make big money out of selling nukes to India
GE scouting for acquisitions in India | Reuters, By Devidutta Tripathy and Anurag Kotoky NEW DELHI | Mon Nov 15, 2010 GE, which set up India’s first hydropower plant in 1902, is keen to tap a $150 billion atomic market Read more »
India joins nuclear cartels, but controlled by USA
India’s admission to the four cartels—Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Australia Group and Wassenaar Arrangement—is expected to be a lengthy process, dependent on building consensus and the “evolution” of new “membership criteria”. More importantly, these cartels are aimed at controlling technologies, not sharing them.
Controlling technology flows – Views - livemint.com,Brahma Chellane, 15 Nov 10, “….The Obama administration actually has initiated a broader export-control review with the aim of spurring US economic growth through stepped-up technology exports to all emerging economies, not just to India. Read more »
Possibility of terrorists launching a nuclear missile?
…..protocols have not changed since the end of the Cold War. America still keeps its missiles on launch-ready alert. In this posture, the bias is on ensuring that the missiles can be fired, rather than on making sure they are not launched accidentally. That’s a dangerous posture as we now live in an era of terrorism and cyber warfare.
Could Terrorists Launch America’s Nuclear Missiles? - TIME, Bruce Blair , 12 Nov 10, The Air Force calls the situation “Launch Facilities Down.” On Oct. 23, a Wyoming-based squadron of 50 nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) — enough firepower to kill some 20 million people — lost computer communications with their human controllers for 45 minutes. Read more »
Australia’s hypocritical and unsafe uranium deal with Russia
“Australia cannot hope to be a leader on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament while spreading nuclear risks by trying to become the world’s largest uranium supplier,”
Activists Blast Russian-Australian Uranium Deal, NTI: Global Security Newswire , Nov. 12, 2010 * Activists have sharply criticized a new Russian-Australian uranium export agreement, partly over concerns that nuclear material sent to Russia under the deal could be diverted for weapons production, the Australian Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Nov. 11). Read more »
Obama pleases his corporate nuclear backers, but safety troubles won’t go away
The problems all occurred within days of President Obama’s post-election press conference in which he promoted restarting the U.S. nuclear power industry. His remarks came after heavy spending by the nuclear power industry during the recent election cycle .
As Obama pushes nuclear industry’s expansion, its safety troubles mount, FACING SOUTH, By Sue Sturgis on November 8, 2010, Two nuclear power plants owned by New Orleans-based Entergy were forced to shut down over the weekend following serious operating problems, including a radioactive leak at one plant in Vermont. Read more »
Hanford’s super hot radioactive waste needs a robot for cleanup
The Tank C-107 holds 247,000 gallons of radioactive and chemical sludge
Robotic arm to clean out Hanford waste tank, Seattle Times Newspaper, 9 Nov 10, Workers at the Hanford nuclear reservation are cutting a bigger hole in a high-level radioactive waste tank so a robotic arm can be inserted for cleanup work Read more »
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