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Propaganda drive in effort to win Poles over to nuclear power

Poland’s PGE Launches Campaign to Rally Support for Nuclear Power, WSJ By Marynia Kruk, 13 Oct 11 WARSAW — Poland’s largest power utility, PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA, Thursday launched a campaign to boost support for nuclear power in the coal-reliant country.

PGE plans to build Poland’s first nuclear power plant by 2020. Public opinion polls this year showed about half of the nation opposes the plan, while only a minority of about one third of respondents supported it, according to an August poll by TNS OBOP.

PGE is hoping to stimulate a dialog with the public in order to bolster support for nuclear power, said Chief Financial Officer Marzena Piszczek. ….

Poland plans to build two nuclear power plants, each with a 3,000-megawatt capacity, as part of a strategy to diversity its energy sources away from coal and an over-reliance on Russian natural gas. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in June there was no need for a referendum on the plan.

Poland’s communist-era government began construction of a nuclear power plant in the 1980s, but the project was deeply unpopular, especially after the 1987 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, and was never completed.

October 14, 2011 Posted by | EUROPE, marketing | Leave a comment

“New Generation” Olkiluoto 3 nuclear plant delayed yet again, as nuke companies squabblee

Olkiluoto 3 nuke plant may be delayed further –TVO Oct 12, 2011

* TVO says Olkiluoto 3 may start in 2014

* Areva says plans fuel load by end 2012

* Both blame each other for delays

HELSINKI/PARIS, Oct 12 (Reuters) – Finnish utility firm Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) blamed supplier Areva for further delays to the construction of its Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant which may further push back operations to 2014.

The 1,600 megawatt plant Olkiluoto 3, Finland’s fifth nuclear reactor, was originally scheduled to start operations in 2009 but delays and soaring costs meant TVO revised its start date to 2013.

TVO said its plant supplier, a consortium originally formed by France’s Areva and Siemens AG (SIEGn.DE), had informed it of delays in building the reactor’s automation system and in installing piping and electrical systems.

TVO and Areva-Siemens disagree over who is responsible for the delays and have taken a dispute over payment to the International Chamber of Commerce. Siemens has withdrawn from the consortium….http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/12/finland-nuclear-idUSL5E7LC0M620111012

October 13, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, Finland | Leave a comment

Questions on the huge costs likely for consumers in effort to fix nuclear plant

the total cost of fixing the plant and buying electricity from someone else that the nuke plant should be generating? About $2.5 billion. Progress Energy’s Florida customers will pay hundreds of millions of dollars of that bill…..

Honey, I broke the nuclear power plant, Tampa Bay.com By Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist , October 11, 2011 If you missed staff writer Ivan Penn’s investigative piece in Sunday’ St. Petersburg Times, you need to go back and read it. Carefully. (You can find it online at this address: http://tinyurl.com/3u96hk2.) It’s about a misguided decision by Progress Energy to try to repair its one and only nuclear power plant in Florida. Continue reading →

October 11, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

AREVA ahead in the scramble to sell off nuclear reactors to India

Areva In ‘Full-Scale’ Talks To Build Nuclear Power Plants In India, WSJ, By Eric Yep MUMBAI (Dow Jones)-–Areva S.A. (ARVCY) is “in the middle of full-scale discussions” to build nuclear power plants in India, said Arthur De Montalembert, chairman of its local unit, despite its U.S. rivals going slow on their Indian plans due to concerns over a nuclear liability law.

Areva’s talks with Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. may give an edge to the French state-controlled nuclear equipment supplier over its U.S. rivals, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Westinghouse Electric Co., whose plans were delayed after the Indian government adopted the law that makes both equipment suppliers and plant operators liable to accident compensation claims.

Equipment suppliers, which are eyeing India’s multi-billion-dollar nuclear power market, have sought changes in the law. Continue reading →

October 8, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, India | Leave a comment

Britain’s nuclear power plans in doubt, as companies try to get out

Britain’s nuclear future is not so bright as firms look for exit strategy, This Is money, By PETER CAMPBELL, 6th October 2011, The future of Britain’s nuclear power is at risk, with one of the three groups looking to build the next generation of reactors on the brink of splitting up.  Continue reading →

October 8, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, UK | Leave a comment

Florida and Georgia – renewables and energy efficiency cheaper than new nuclear plants

Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy Cheaper and Safer than Building New Nuclear Plants in Florida and Georgia, Report Finds,Union of Concerned Scientists, WASHINGTON (October 6, 2011)—According to a new report, ratepayers in Florida and Georgia would be better served by investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources, rather than building new nuclear reactors in those states. The report, “Big Risks, Better Alternatives,” (PDF) was released today by Synapse Energy Economics, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based consulting and research firm.  Continue reading →

October 7, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

Deputy Director General of World Nuclear Association not optimistic about new uranium mines

with demand lower than was expected before, the price outlook is also down in both the medium and long-term..

It is clear that some of the anticipated new mines, heavily promoted by financial backers, will be ‘out of the money’—in other words, too expensive to develop in the new environment. Future uranium projects are very sensitive at prices in the $50 to $70 per pound level, and many may need more than $70 for viability. 

Uranium – what are the prospects post-Fukushima?, Nuclear Engineering, Steve Kidd  Deputy Director General of the World Nuclear Association, 06 October 2011“………..Falling uranium demand in the short-term is likely to delay some new projects, particularly those in Africa where financial requirements are heavy. But the reaction of producers will largely depend on the continuation of China’s new build programme and its willingness to finance new mines abroad. Continue reading →

October 7, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, Uranium | Leave a comment

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani the paid advertising man for nuclear plant

Aging nuclear power plant near NYC hires Rudy Giuliani to do ad campaign vouching for safety, Washington Post,  October 6, NEW YORK — The operator of an aging nuclear power plant near New York City has hired former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to vouch for its safety in a new ad campaign.

According to a spokesman for Entergy, the ads for the Indian Point plant will begin running next week on cable television and in newspapers.

The operator is seeking to renew its licenses for its two reactors.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for the plant to be shut down due to safety concerns.

Entergy spokesman James Steets tells The New York Times   the campaign is aimed to reassure the public about the plant’s safety. A spokesman for Giuliani’s consulting firm, Giuliani Partners, declined to comment.Giuliani has previously done promotional work for Indian Point. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/aging-nuclear-power-plant-near-nyc-hires-rudy-giuliani-to-do-ad-campaign-vouching-for-safety/2011/10/06/gIQAIyImPL_story.html

October 7, 2011 Posted by | marketing, USA | Leave a comment

Down, down, into the abyss goes the uranium industry

Over the last month, these companies have lost between 25 and 29 percent, and they have lost between 57 and 84 percent so far this year. These significant losses proliferate uranium miners and producers, as can be seen from the Global X Uranium ETF (URA), which tracks the Solactive Uranium Index and is down over 60% so far this year…..

An Abysmal Month For Uranium Producers Extends Their 2011 Pain, Seeking Alpha 4 Oct 11, The uranium industry is not what it used to be, nor are the share values of the uranium producers. This may well go down as the worst year for uranium in the modern era, even though several nuclear power experts continue to claim that uranium use is sensible and safe.

This first quarter of 2011 started off with Japanese nuclear concerns following the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami that hit the nation, and uranium prices entered a tailspin shortly thereafter. In the wake of tsunami, Germany opted to discontinue nuclear power plant development and reveal plans to eventually eliminate nuclear power as an energy source.

It also appears likely that Japan may be hesitant to build more nuclear power plants in the near future. For many years, Japan and Germany have been significant users of nuclear power. This perceived vacuum to demand weakened the price of uranium. It also weakened the shares of those companies that produce and/or provide uranium…..

In the third quarter, which just ended last week, uranium and its producers continued to drop along with the broader market, only mostly to a broader extent as the investment was deemed more and more speculative. Most uranium producers ended the third quarter at their 2011 lows.

Below are the 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 2011-to-date performance rates for several companies that mine and/or provide uranium for energy production: Continue reading →

October 6, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, Uranium | Leave a comment

Rio Tinto, uranium miners, and nuclear colonialism

situation isn’t all rosy for the multinational, which has long faced allegations of widespread environmental destruction and labor and human rights abuses in Africa, Asia and even the U.S.

Foreign control of metals and other natural resources in African and other developing countries is increasingly seen as a new form of colonialism, wherein locals work for relatively low wages and often in grueling, repressive conditions for companies that take most of the profit from the resources and labor out of the country.

Namibian Uranium Miners vs. Rio Tinto, IN THESE TIMES, BY KARI LYDERSEN, OCT 3, 2011  Namibian union uranium miners on strike against international mining giant Rio Tinto alleged in late September that a week into the strike, the company was violating mutually agreed upon conditions of the strike by hiring nonunion workers at its Rossing uranium mine.
Rio Tinto says it is not hiring nonunion workers and is demanding written proof from the Namibian Miners Union.

Miners have demanded payments of $2,557 (USD) each to end the strike over union allegations of unfair bonus payments and other grievances. Rio Tinto has asked the country’s labor court to rule that the union’s complaints are not grounds for a strike. Continue reading →

October 4, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, indigenous issues, Namibia, Uranium | 1 Comment

USA nuclear companies up against India’s Nuclear Liability Law

India-U.S. Nuclear Growth May See More Delays, WSJ, By ERIC YEP MUMBAI – U.S.-based companies hoping to cash in on India’s plans to increase its number of nuclear reactors could face more delays despite the government’s efforts to bring the country’s liability rules for nuclear accidents in line with global norms.

U.S. companies had expected big contracts to flow from India’s nuclear expansion after a New Delhi-Washington agreement in 2005 and a subsequent waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group on the transfer of nuclear technology to India.

But last year India’s parliament passed a liability law making both equipment suppliers and reactor operators liable to accident compensation claims, stalling the entry of companies like GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Westinghouse Electric Co. Continue reading →

October 4, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, India, USA | Leave a comment

Double digit share price falls for uranium mining companies

Shares of Denison Mines and Uranium Resources Face Strong Downward Pressure, MarketWatch, NEW YORK, NY, Sep 30, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –– Uranium stocks have struggled this month as prices for the radioactive material have plunged. According to the latest quarterly report by Resource Capital Research, uranium prices are down 27 per cent over the past three months and 23 per cent over the past year….

Uranium explorers that suffered double-digit share price percentage falls in the past one to three months include Cameco, Denison Mines, Uranium One and Paladin….
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/shares-of-denison-mines-and-uranium-resources-face-strong-downward-pressure-2011-09-30?reflink=MW_news_stmp

October 3, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, Uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry winding down, just look at Flamanville

It has to be acknowledged that, irrespective of Fukushima, new nuclear build was never going to be plain sailing from a technical or financial standpoint.

Just ask EDF, the French state-controlled utility which is currently building the first new nuclear plant in that country for 15 years …

Bailing out on nuclear, The Engineer, [UK] 30 September 2011 | By Andrew Czyzewski “………according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) six developing countries interested in developing a civil nuclear programme have notified it that they have abandoned their plans….

It’s not only politicians and their subjects getting nervous though. Continue reading →

October 1, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, France | Leave a comment

Taiwan moves to increase the liability of nuclear operators

the draft proposes that operators be responsible for natural disaster damage. The draft also raises the time in which an injured individual can seek compensation from nuclear power plant operators to 10 years from the current three years. 
Nuclear damage caused by natural disasters could be compensated, Taiwan News, Taipei, Sept. 29 (CNA) Operators of nuclear facilities could be required to provide compensation for emergencies caused by major natural disasters, according to a draft revision approved by the Executive Yuan on Thursday. Continue reading →

September 30, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, Taiwan | Leave a comment

Time for rigourous scrutiny of nuclear loan guarantee program

The nuclear industry successfully pushed to put reimbursement for private investors ahead of taxpayers in the event of a bankruptcy or liquidation….

“We should subject the nuclear loan-guarantee program to the same level of rigorous scrutiny as we are now insisting the solar loan-guarantee program undergo,” 

Markey Calls for Scrutiny of Nuclear-Power Loan Guarantees, Bloomberg By Brian Wingfield – Sep 23, 2011 Congress should examine whether the U.S. nuclear industry pressed lawmakers and the Energy Department to alter loan-guarantee requirements for reactors, Representative Edward Markey said. Continue reading →

September 24, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

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