2015 October 23 « nuclear-news

Promotion of nuclear industry by IAEA – pushing nuclear education

IAEA to boost nuclear education in Europe and Asia http://www.energylivenews.com/2015/10/19/iaea-to-boost-nuclear-education-in-europe-and-asia/ An agreement has been signed by 12 universities to improve regional co-operation in transferring nuclear knowledge.

It aims to bring together universities from six countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including Azerbaijan, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

It is the fifth regional network launched by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

It aims to collaborate in nuclear education programmes and nuclear industry-oriented training centres.

Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General, said: “This translates into a rising demand for nuclear educational and training programmes to meet a continued necessity for highly qualified nuclear professionals.”

The IAEA recently inspected the safety of a Japanese nuclear plant.

October 23, 2015 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, spinbuster | Leave a comment

Chinese firm seeking to build nuclear in UK has history of errors in construction

Errors revealed at Chinese nuclear firm seeking to invest in UK plants, Guardian, Emma Graham-Harrison, 19 Oct 15 Huge quantity of protective steel was left out of initial construction of China General Nuclear Corp’s first reactor, built close to Hong Kong in 1987. One of the Chinese nuclear power firms pushing for a stake in the UK’s energy industry left out hundreds of critical steel rods when building its first reactor nearHong Kong in 1987 because workers misread the blueprint.

The missing parts were added in a higher layer of the foundation, with extra steel to reinforce them, after the extraordinary mistake was discovered. The plant has now been operating safely for more than two decades.

But the nature and scale of the error raises serious questions about the rigour of Chinese nuclear firms and the country’s oversight regime, experts say.

“[This a prospective] partner who, when they built the first nuclear power station in China, forgot to put in a large percentage of the protective steel,” said Professor Steve Tsang, senior fellow of the China Policy Institute at Nottingham University. “Potentially we are putting ourselves in a very difficult situation.”

China General Nuclear Corp built and runs Daya Bay nuclear plant in Shenzhen. It is one of two Chinese power firms expected to invest in the UK’s Hinkley Point power station and potentially build and operate a future nuclear plant, along with China National Nuclear Corporation and French firm EDF.

Chancellor George Osborne, on a trade mission to China last month, said the government would provide £2bn in initial financing for the much-delayed project, which EDF has struggled to fund. ndustry observers believe the Chinese cash for Hinkley is conditional on allowing Chinese firms to build their own plant at Bradwell in Essex. That project would function as a showcase for Chinese technology.

“I understand what the Chinese want, which is to have a demonstration plant, to show they can build inexpensively, quickly and reliably,” said Theresa Fallon, senior associate at the European Institute of Asian Studies.

“But it’s at a time when energy is relatively inexpensive, and this plant is a bit untried technology. I understand there are rules, but there were rules in Hong Kong too when you had the problems in Daya Bay. You are not building a gazebo, it’s really dangerous, serious stuff.”

News of the problems at one of China’s first commercial nuclear power plants only reached neighbouring Hong Kong weeks after the mistake was discovered on 14 September 1987……

A leading Chinese scientist told the Guardian this year that China’s nuclear power expansion plans are “insane” because the country’s safety controls are notrigorous enough.

“China currently does not have enough experience to make sound judgments on whether there could be accidents,” said 88-year-old He Zuoxiu, who worked on China’s nuclear weapons programme. “The number of reactors and the amount of time they have been operating safely both matter.”……http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/19/steel-rods-missing-at-chinese-nuclear-firm-seeking-to-invest-in-uk-plants

October 23, 2015 Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, safety, UK | Leave a comment

South Korea claims that North Korea is preparing for nuclear test

Seoul says North Korea preparing for nuclear test http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/10/20/seoul-says-north-korea-preparing-for-nuclear-test.html The South Korean spy agency says its assessment is based on the monitoring of activities at North Korea’s main Nyongbyon nuclear complex. By: The Associated Press, Published on Tue Oct 20 2015

SEOUL, KOREA, REPUBLIC OF—South Korea’s spy service believes North Korea is preparing for a fourth nuclear test but not in the immediate future, according to South Korean lawmakers who attended a closed-door meeting with agency officials Tuesday.

The office of lawmaker Lee Cheol Woo said the National Intelligence Service made the assessment after monitoring activities at North Korea’s main Nyongbyon nuclear complex.

Lee and another lawmaker, Shin Kyung-min, said the spy agency didn’t say how it obtained the information. Shin said it also didn’t elaborate on what test preparations meant. The spy agency’s public affairs office said it could not confirm the reported assessment.

Last month, North Korea said it had upgraded and restarted all of its atomic fuel plants, sparking speculation that it might carry out a fourth nuclear test explosion.

The speculation subsided after North Korea did not go ahead with a threat to conduct a banned long-range rocket launch to send what it called a satellite into orbit earlier this month. All of North Korea’s three previous nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013 came after it launched long-range rockets.

A fourth test could put North Korea a step closer to its goal of building a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a long-range missile that could threaten the United States. North Korea says it has already manufactured such a warhead, but many foreign analysts are skeptical of its claim.

October 23, 2015 Posted by Christina Macpherson | North Korea, weapons and war | Leave a comment

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