nuclear-news

Europe’s nuclear plant owners face big obstacles

Pressure rising on Europe’s nuclear plant owners Reuters Apr 3, 2011

Some reactors likely to fail stress test – EU’s Oettinger

* EU plans crackdown on low insurance costs – magazine

* Germany can do without nuclear power before 2020 -Greens

By Christiaan Hetzner BERLIN, April 3 (Reuters) – Some of Europe’s 143 nuclear reactors are likely to fail a test simulating terrorist attacks, an EU Commissioner said, and others will likely see insurance bills soar as politicians try to tighten regulations.

Following the nuclear crisis in Japan, caused by an earthquake and tsunami last month, the European Union is planning to carry out tests by the year end to assess whether its reactors could survive severe conditions. [ID:nLDE72O1QQ]

The tests would simulate terrorist attacks either via cyberspace or an airplane crash and would focus on the reliability of reactor cooling systems, European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger told German magazine Der Spiegel.

“If it was inconceivable that certain nuclear power plants would be taken off line, then we wouldn’t need to even bother with the stress test,” he was quoted as saying, disputing speculation the move was merely designed to play well to voters.

Nuclear power is extremely lucrative for utilities, which can earn as much as 1 million euros a day per reactor.

Any shutdowns would likely affect France, where state-owned utility EDF (EDF.PA: Quote) operates 58 reactors. These include two at Fessenheim, its oldest nuclear power plant right on the border to Germany and very close to Switzerland. [ID:nLDE72C0KE]

Following the catastrophe in Japan, the German government hastily postponed its decision to extend the life spans of the country’s 17 reactors and took the seven oldest off-line pending a three-month safety check, prompting a lawsuit by utility RWE (RWEG…..
Pressure rising on Europe’s nuclear plant owners | Metals & Mining | Reuters

April 4, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, EUROPE