nuclear-news

Solar Power Vs “Clean Coal” In Australia by Energy Matters 29 Jan 09 “………………. A gross feed in tariff, such as the spectacularly successful program implemented by Germany, pays a premium rate to householders and business for all electricity generated by a grid connected solar power system.

The cost of a properly implemented gross feed in tariff also becomes increasingly attractive when compared to “clean coal”, more accurately known as low emissions coal or “New Generation Coal“. This form of coal sourced power utilises controversial technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to reduce emissions.
According to a transcript of an interview with Dr.Chris Spero on the Australian Coal Association’s NewGenCoal web site, “the expectation is that the cost increase for clean coal technology will be in the order of 50 to 75% of current power generation costs”.

Low emissions coal also requires more energy, meaning more coal mining and additional environmental havoc.

UK’s Hartlepool 1 nuclear reactor shuts again  Jan 27, 2009

LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) – British Energy’s  Hartlepool 1 nuclear power reactor stopped again on Tuesday just two days after restarting from a 14-month repair outage, according to data from National Grid.

British Energy was not able to immediately comment on why the 605-megawatt reactor in northeast England, which was closed from October 2007 until Sunday for boiler repairs, had shut again. (Reporting by Daniel Fineren, editing by Anthony Barker)

US to have ‘vigorous’ Iran talks BBC News
26 Jan 09 The new US envoy to the United Nations says Barack Obama’s administration will make Iran’s nuclear plans a diplomatic priority and pursue direct talks.

Susan Rice told reporters she looked forward to “vigorous diplomacy that includes direct diplomacy with Iran”.

Under George W Bush, there were no direct US nuclear talks with Iran.

The UN has urged Tehran to halt uranium enrichment, amid fears it could be used for military purposes. Iran says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.

In the run-up to his inauguration last week, Mr Obama promised a “new approach” in the dispute.

Last month he called for “tough but direct diplomacy”, offering Iran economic incentives to end its nuclear programme or face tougher sanctions.

Floods, erosion or earthquake risk will not be a bar to nuclear power sites Telegraph.co.uk By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent
 28 Jan 2009 Risk of flood, coastal erosion, environmental damage or even earthquake will not be an automatic bar to the siting of a new nuclear power station, the Government has said…………………………

Last week, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority announced it would put forward four potential sites, at Sellafield in Cumbria, Wylfa in Anglesey, Oldbury in Gloucestershire and Bradwell in Essex.

Revised criteria unveiled at the launch of the two month process to award the contracts saw a lifting of an outright ban on siting new nuclear power stations in areas susceptible to earthquakes…………………………….

Robin Webster, of Friends of the Earth, said: “We urgently need to end our addiction to fossil fuels, but trying to breathe new life into the failed nuclear experiment is not the answer.

“Nuclear power is extremely expensive and leaves a deadly legacy of radioactive waste that remains highly dangerous for tens of thousands of years – and building new reactors would divert precious resources from developing safe, clean renewable power.”

Wind energy can now power 7 million homes Baltimore Business Journal – by Tierney Plumb 28 Jan 09 

Last year the U.S. wind energy industry installed a record 8,358 megawatts of new generating capacity that can serve more than 2 million homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

The Washington, D.C.-based trade association of America’s wind industry has more than 1,800 member companies……………………………..

Wind energy generating capacity in the U.S. now totals 25,170 megawatts, which can power the equivalent of close to 7 million homes.

The top five states, in terms of wind power generating capacity, are Texas, Iowa, California, Minnesota and Washington.

The wind industry has about 85,000 workers, or 35,000 more than a year ago. Many of the 8,000 construction jobs within the industry are at risk if financing for new wind projects is not met, said the association.

“The hope is that provisions such as those included in the House stimulus bill to restore the effectiveness of the tax incentives for renewable energy will quickly become law and provide the capital needed to continue to build projects,” said Bode, in a statement.

Nuke safety issues at uranium storehouseBy Frank Munger (Contact)Originally published 10:34 a.m., January 27, 2009Updated 10:56 a.m., January 27, 2009

A federal review board has found deficiencies in the nuclear safety evaluations for Y-12’s new storehouse for bomb-grade uranium, noting that failure to meet requirements could “potentially compromise the requisite safety margin for fissionable material operations.”

The problem involves the evaluations and supporting documents that were done to demonstrate nuclear criticality safety for $549 million storage center, known officially as the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility.

For more details, see Frank Munger’s blog Atomic City Underground.

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Nuclear plant ‘quake ban’ lifted BBC News 28 Jan 09 An outright ban on locating new nuclear power stations in areas of the UK which are susceptible to earthquakes has been lifted by the government………………The areas of highest risk are thought to be along the west of England, Scotland and Wales……………………Concerns over flood risk and the impact of power stations on “environmentally-protected” status areas also do not automatically rule out an area, but planners will have to show how damage could be eliminated or minimised…………………..Most current UK nuclear power stations will cease operating within the next 20 years, prompting fears of an “energy gap” amid uncertainty about levels of future gas and oil supplies.

Chalk River tight-lipped about heavy water leak Spill at Chalk River Nuclear Labs happened Dec. 5: Reports Ottawa CitizenJanuary 27, 2009

OTTAWA — Nearly two months after a radioactive spill at the Chalk River Nuclear Labs, the plant’s owners and the federal office that regulates nuclear safety are keeping a tight lid on information about what caused the spill and how bad it was.

Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. has not responded to phone calls Tuesday about the Dec. 5 leak.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, (CNSC) the nuclear regulator, responded to inquiries by sending out one brief printed report, but officials have not yet returned calls to explain it or discuss any environmental risk.

Australia urged to take greater role in renewable energy ABC Rural News  27/01/2009 Australia is being urged to take a more active role in a new international renewable energy agency, IRENA, that’s meeting for the first time today.Chairman of the International Renewable Energy Alliance, Peter Rae, says the Australian Government only has observer status at this week’s IRENA founding conference in Bonn.He says Australia is missing an opportunity to develop renewable energy policies, and set an example on sustainable living.”The Federal Government certainly could take a much more active role,” he says.”I just think we need to upgrade what we’re doing and look at it as being part of a world scene and take a leadership role in relationship to the development of renewable energy.”

Uranium miner expands its workforce ABC Rural News 27/01/2009

Mining company, Uranium One, has started the recruitment process for its Honeymoon project, and will expand its workforce by about 120 people by the end of the year.

A $104 million joint investment deal with Japanese company Mitsui, announced last week, means Uranium One can start hiring for its initial construction phase.

The mine, 75 kilometres west of Broken Hill, begins production in 2010……………………..

Meanwhile, an anti-nuclear campaigner claims the joint venture with Uranium One could be putting Mitsui’s reputation at risk.

Australian Conservation Foundation Nuclear Free campaigner, David Noonan, says the on-site leaching techniques to be used at Honeymoon are environmentally unsound, and could put Mitsui in poor standing.

“They may be unaware of the very substantial reputational damage that they could suffer, as a major Japanese trading company, by becoming involved in acid in-situ leaching in Australia and the proposed discharge of mine waste to groundwater in the remote outback, without any required rehabilitation of their mining impacts on our environment.”