Nuclear expert tasked with leading Fukushima decommissioning
Toru Ogawa, a 64-year-old nuclear research expert, has been entrusted with probably the most challenging task facing Japan — leading the decommissioning process at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
This April, Ogawa, a professor at Nagaoka University of Technology in Niigata Prefecture, was installed as the first chief in the Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science, a government-funded research center supporting the decommissioning.
“Our research and development must be flexible based on our analysis of the (March 2011) accident and information collected by robotic probes (in the reactor buildings),” Ogawa said during a recent interview.
The center started out with a workforce of 80 within the Japan Atomic Energy Agency based in Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture, as a research base for decommissioning the plant, which is plagued by increasing amounts of contaminated water.
Looking back on the disaster, which was triggered by the powerful Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, Ogawa said, “The government and the agency should have envisioned the worst-case scenario, in which all multiple layers of defense are destroyed.”
When the plant lost nearly all of its power sources and consequently the ability to cool the reactors and spent fuel pools, units 1, 2 and 3 suffered core meltdowns, while hydrogen explosions damaged the buildings housing reactors 1, 3 and 4.
“We will certainly need technological support from abroad,” Ogawa said.
He added that “we can’t carry out the decommissioning task” unless the center receives support and expertise from the United States, which experienced a meltdown at its Three Mile Island power plant in 1979, and other countries that have disposed of military nuclear waste.
Ogawa said he wants to increase the total workforce at the center to some 150 by inviting around 10 Japanese and foreign experts each year.
The center will be moved closer to Fukushima No. 1 during fiscal 2016, which begins next April 1.
A native of Yokohama, Ogawa studied nuclear engineering at Tohoku University in Sendai.
The focus of his research was on high-temperature gas reactors — the next generation reactor known to have a lower risk of core meltdowns, rather than commercial light-water reactors like the ones at Fukushima No. 1.
In researching what will be needed to complete the decommissioning project, which will take several decades, he is currently assessing the state of the melted fuel in reactors 1, 2 and 3, putting together a puzzle with small scraps of information obtained by robotic probes in the reactor buildings.
Source: Japan Times
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/07/27/national/nuclear-expert-tasked-with-leading-fukushima-decommissioning/#.VbYRmRNViko
Tepco to start removing the largest debris from Reactor 3 pool / Worker “The most dangerous process”
On 7/25/2015, the former Fukushima worker “Happy11311″ posted on Twitter that Tepco is going to start removing the largest debris from SFP 3 (Spent Fuel Pool of Reactor 3) on 2nd August. “Joint communications” published the news followed by other mass media but Tepco has made no official announcement on their website.
Joint communications reported that the debris to be removed weighs 20 t, but “Happy11311″ commented on Twitter that it is the 35 t of fuel handling machine. He added this is one of the most risky processes in decommissioning of Fukushima plant as fuel removal from SFP 4 (Spent Fuel Pool of Reactor 4).
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The latest challenge at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is to remove a 20-ton piece of debris from a pool holding over 500 spent fuel rods.
More than four years after the plant was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami, Fukushima Daiichi’s operator Tokyo Electric Power said it would start work on the critical task this week using a specially designed crane.
“The debris will be pulled out using two cranes, but we had to create a specially designed hook with a unique shape for it to securely hold on to the object,” a Tepco spokesman told Japan Real Time on Monday.
The object is what remains of a fuel handling machine originally located above the surface of the water. The debris is preventing Tepco from removing the spent fuel rods to a safer location. It is the largest object requiring removal inside the power plant’s reactor No. 3, according to the company.
The removal will be conducted at the slowest possible speed to ensure safety. The pool’s water level, as well as any signs of a jump in radiation levels, will be monitored closely with multiple cameras during the procedure. The debris must be lifted so that it won’t swing or cause damage to the spent fuel pool’s gates.
While it is unlikely that any water from the pool will leak even if the object comes into contact with the gate, Tepco said it will be ready to add water in case of a drawdown. Reduced water levels or exposure to air could cause the radioactive fuel rods to heat up.
All other procedures at Fukushima Daiichi will be halted while the debris is being removed, according to the company.
Sources:
https://twitter. com/Happy11311/status/624896752231952384
https://twitter. com/Happy11311/status/625636958941810689
https://twitter. com/Happy11311/status/625638084642668552
Crucial emergency test begins at Sendai nuclear plant ahead of upcoming restart on August 10, 2015
An emergency drill to contain a severe accident like the Fukushima nuclear disaster started at the Sendai nuclear power plant on July 27, a final hurdle the operator must clear before a planned restart next month.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority, the nation’s nuclear watchdog, inspected the site to see if plant workers followed Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s revamped procedures for responding to a crisis. The steps were approved by the NRA in May.
The No. 1 reactor of the plant in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, is expected to be the nation’s first to go back online under the new regulations set by the NRA for nuclear power plants after the 2011 Fukushima accident.
Kyushu Electric plans to restart the reactor as early as Aug. 10.
On the first day of the four-day drill, the exercise began at 10 a.m. under a scenario that the plant lost the ability to cool its No. 1 reactor due to the loss of power, just like the 2011 accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co.
The scenario also envisages that the nuclear fuel rods begin melting 19 minutes after the water level in the reactor began dropping.
During the drill, Kyushu Electric employees are expected to confirm steps to prevent a rupture of the reactor’s containment vessel to avert the release of a huge amount of radioactive materials into the atmosphere.
At the central control room, utility employees worked to secure power from large-scale, mobile power generators via remote control.
The backup devices were installed on the plant’s premises in line with the new regulations.
The employees also simulated the operation of equipment that lowers the concentration of hydrogen in the containment vessel to reduce the possibility of a hydrogen explosion.
As part of efforts to bolster its ability to deal with a serious accident, Kyushu Electric increased the number of night staff on duty at the plant to 52 from 12 prior to the Fukushima disaster.
Source: Asahi Shimbun
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201507270069
JAPC Applies for Permission to Bury Tokai-1 Waste on Plant Premises
The Japan Atomic Power Co. (JAPC), under the terms of a local nuclear safety agreement, submitted a plan to Ibaraki Prefecture and Tokai Village to bury extremely low-level radioactive waste (Level III or L3) generated by the current decommissioning of its Tokai-1 Nuclear Power Plant (GCR, 166 MWe), located in the village. At the same time, JAPC also filed an application with the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) for approval to bury the waste.
The waste burial is to take place on the premises of the nuclear power plant, which is the country’s first commercial reactor to be decommissioned. This is also the first time in Japan that a commercial NPP operator has submitted an application for an L3 burial plan connected with a reactor’s decommissioning.
The plan calls for the creation of a trench on the Tokai-1 premises that will be 100m long, 80m wide and 4m deep. The L3 waste will be first put in flexible container (flecon) bags and then buried in the trench, where it will remain under control for three to five decades as it becomes less radioactive. The trench will be capable of accommodating about 26,400 cubic meters of waste, with the total amount of waste to be buried expected to be some 16,000 tons. After considering the plan, which includes both management methods and safety measures, both the prefecture and village will decide whether to give their consent, and the NRA will also determine whether to approve it or not. Once the NRA does give it the green light, JAPC will begin work on constructing the trench, targeting FY18 (April 2018 to March 2019) for the onset of operation.
Source: Japan Atomic Industry Forum
http://www.jaif.or.jp/en/japc-applies-for-permission-to-bury-tokai-1-waste-on-plant-premises/
No idea what to do with the radioactive trash, but Japan still plans to make more of it
While moves are being made to restart nuclear reactors in Japan, the weaknesses in nuclear power that have led to nuclear plants being likened to “apartments without toilets,” remain unsolved.
Despite moves to restart reactors, Japan lacks nuclear waste disposal site http://mainichi.jp/english/english/perspectives/news/20150708p2a00m0na018000c.html
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference on July 7 that the government would restart nuclear reactors that met new safety standards established by the nation’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA).
The same day, Kyushu Electric Power Co. began loading fuel into a reactor at its Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture. The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan released a statement saying, “This is one important step. Preparation for reactivation is progressing step by step.” Within the electric power industry, hopes are spreading that if one reactor is restarted, then the screening of other reactors will move ahead more smoothly.
Later this month, the government will formally adopt a proposal stating that nuclear power account for 20-22 percent of Japan’s energy mix by fiscal 2030. Based on this, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made an international declaration that Japan will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent from 2013 levels.
It is evident that the long-term idling of nuclear reactors has strained electric power companies financially, and both power companies and the government are aligned in seeking to restart these reactors, but the process is not all smooth sailing.
Under the Nuclear Reactor Regulation Law, the life of nuclear reactors is set at 40 years in principle. To extend this period, reactors must pass stringent NRA guidelines before this 40-year mark is reached. In fiscal 2030, there will be just 22 reactors in Japan that have been operating less than 40 years. To have nuclear power account for 20-22 percent of the nation’s energy mix, around 35 reactors would need to be in operation, according to Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa. This would mean the life of a dozen or so reactors would need to be extended.
And yet the problem of nuclear waste remains. About 17,000 tons of spent fuel sits in Japan, and the pools for spent fuel at the nation’s nuclear power plants are nearly full. In the case of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant, which Kyushu Electric Power Co. is hoping to get back online together with the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, the pools for spent fuel would be full after just three years of operation. Finding a place to store this fuel is an urgent task.
The government has positioned the “nuclear fuel cycle,” under which spent nuclear fuel is reprocessed, allowing uranium and plutonium to be reused as nuclear fuel, as a central part of the nation’s energy policy. However, the Rokkasho Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Facility in Aomori Prefecture has been plagued with problems, with the schedule for its completion being delayed 21 times. Moreover, the fast-breeder reactor Monju, which uses plutonium, has hardly operated at all over the past 20 years, effectively leaving the cycle broken.
Furthermore, there is currently no prospect of settling on a final disposal site for the highly radioactive waste that is produced after reprocessing. In May this year, the government switched to a policy of naming scientifically “promising” disposal sites, preparing the way to reactivate nuclear reactors.
From the same month, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has held explanations for workers of local government bodies across Japan, but about 30 percent of these bodies have not attended. One in Tokushima Prefecture argued that attending would give local residents the impression that it has accepted disposal site plans.
The explanations have been held behind closed doors, sparking criticism at a ministry meeting of experts that it appears things are being done in secret.
While moves are being made to restart nuclear reactors in Japan, the weaknesses in nuclear power that have led to nuclear plants being likened to “apartments without toilets,” remain unsolved.
Every single hour Fukushima’s stricken reactors discharge 960,000Bq Cs-134/137 to the air
Still 960,000Bq Cs-134/137 and 2,336,000,000Bq noble gas discharged from reactors to the air every single hour http://fukushima-diary.com/2015/06/still-960000bq-of-cs-134137-and-2336000000bq-of-noble-gas-discharged-from-reactors-to-the-air-every-single-hour/ On 5/25/2015, Tepco reported still 960,000 Bq / hour of Cesium-134 and 137 is assumed to be discharged from Reactor 1 -4 to the air this April.
This is 2.7 times much as their provisional figure published in the end of April.
Tepco states the difference is caused by the change of calculation method. It strongly suggests the entire historical discharged volume of Cs-134/137 has been underestimated since 311 however they did not disclose the recalculated discharged volume before April of 2014.
Comparing to May of 2014, the discharged volume of Cs-134/137 increased to 180% this April. Tepco however states this is lower than 10% of the set point of “discharge control”, and they haven’t made any explanation on this increase.
Especially in Reactor 3, the discharged volume increased 78 times much as May. 2014. Also, 95,000 Bq / hour of Cs-134/137 is discharged from Reactor 4 building though it does not contain nuclear fuel.
Regarding noble gas (such as Kr-85), PCV (Primary Containment Vessel) gas control system detected 2,336,000,000 Bq of gas discharged from Reactor 1-3 every hour this April. Tepco states noble gas passes by as radioactive cloud to cause only external exposure so the exposure dose caused by the discharged noble gas should be significantly small.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/nu/fukushima-np/f1/smp/2015/images/additional_amount_150525-j.pdf
http://www.tepco.co.jp/life/custom/faq/images/d150430_08-j.pdf
Immmorality of nuclear weapons, power – former International Court of Justice President Mohammed Bedjaoui
Former ICJ head says Japan is world’s conscience against nuclear weapons, power http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201507260018 July , 26, 2015 By ROY K. AKAGAWA/ AJW Staff Writer HIROSHIMA–Due to their bearing witness to the destruction of the atomic bomb and a nuclear disaster, Japan and its people are “the keepers and shepherds of Planet Earth.”
That was the key conclusion of the keynote address by former International Court of Justice President Mohammed Bedjaoui on July 25 at the International Symposium for Peace 2015 titled “The Road to Nuclear Abolition” held at the International Conference Center Hiroshima.
“Japan becomes the only country in the world to have been the victim of both military and civilian nuclear energy, having experienced the crazy danger of the atom, both in its military applications, destruction of life and its beneficial civilian use, which has now turned into a nightmare with the serious incidents of Fukushima,” he said.
He was referring to not only the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, but also the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011, triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
Bedjaoui was the president of the ICJ in 1996 when it issued an advisory opinion that marked an important turning point in the international movement to ban nuclear weapons.
Other participants took part in a panel discussion in which they presented their views on what the atomic bombings mean today. The event was sponsored by the Hiroshima municipal government, the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation and The Asahi Shimbun. Masako Ikegami, a professor of decision science at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, said the passing of 70 years since the atomic bombings was sufficient time to consider the weapons in a new light.
“In humanitarian terms, nuclear weapons are unacceptable, and discussions have to move toward acknowledging their use as a crime against humanity,” she said.
Max McCoy, a university professor and writer from the United States, visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1986 as part of a project to bring U.S. journalists to Japan.
Showing the photos he took at that time and recalling the interviews he had with hibakusha, McCoy talked about the importance of passing on the experiences of those who survived the atomic bombing.
“We need to remember the testimony of the hibakusha and to know the truth of what (the atomic bombings) were like,” McCoy said.
The symposium began with guest speaker Dai Tamesue talking about what would be needed to maintain peace.
“I believe a major problem arises when an atmosphere develops in society which makes it difficult to speak up in a different way from the vast majority,” Tamesue, a retired athlete, said.
He was asked to speak because he is a third-generation hibakusha. Tamesue, who was the first Japanese track athlete to win a medal at the world track and field championships, was born and raised in Hiroshima. His grandmother was in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city.
Climate change danger hangs over China’s coastal cities (and their nukes!)
Climate change threatens China’s booming coastal cities, says expert, Guardian, Peng Yining , 25 July 15
With an ageing society and more people living by the coast, China faces a challenge coping with climate change, reports China Daily A recent study led by Georgina Mace, ecosystem professor at University College London, indicated that governments across the world have failed to grasp the risk that population booms in coastal cities pose as climate change continues to cause rises in sea levels and extreme weather events. Mace is director of the UCL Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research.
Mace says population growth in coastal areas can lead to big increases in exposure to extreme weather. The biggest direct effect of projected climate change is heat waves. The number of people dying from extreme heat could increase twelvefold by the end of this century, as a result of global warming combined with increasing numbers living in affected areas.
“People are increasingly living in the wrong places, and the demographic shift in China is enormous. China has a lot of old people who are vulnerable to extreme weather,” says Mace………
The commission also released a report in July indicating that by 2030, China will have 230 million rural residentswho have relocated to urban areas and the urbanisation rate will reach 70%.
Increased urbanisation will also exacerbate the effects of climate change, particularly among elderly citizens who are more vulnerable to extreme weather, Mace said recently at the release of the latest climate change report commissioned by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The report, drawn up by experts from UK, the United States, China and India, demonstrated risks triggered by climate change, including extreme weather and social instability, and also stressed the potential impact on coastal areas caused by rising sea levels
“The reason we chose to work with China is very much because of the population factor. The eastern coastal region is highly populated, and the sea level is rising. That could be a big challenge,” says David King, the UK foreign secretary’s special representative for climate change, who led the project……… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/25/climate-change-threatens-chinas-booming-coastal-cities-says-expert
Reconstruction plans drawn up for no-go municipalities near Fukushima plant
On Saturday a panel at the Reconstruction Agency produced a final draft of proposals to help 12 municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture recover from the March 2011 nuclear accident.
The proposals include improving medical services to help the evacuees being forced to return home, developing new industries to create jobs, and beefing up administrative services by getting municipalities to cooperate with each other more closely. The draft declares a goal of completing reconstruction plans by 2020. The municipalities are all located close to the Fukushima nuclear plant, the site of the disaster.
The central government says they will work to secure funding. The central government has also pledged to lift evacuation orders for the 12 municipalities, by March 2017, although areas with “persistently high radiation levels” are excluded from the target.
Source: Japan Times
20 μSv/h still detected in Fukushima city
FULL VIDEO (courtesy of 福島日報ダイジェスト)
It went over scale of the ordinary dosimeter tested by Ministry of the Environment.
A citizen’s group on the look out for hotspots finds over 20 uSv/h spikes in a park, frequented by children and joggers, in Watari, Fukushima shi, by the Abukuma riverbed. 5 years into the crisis, hotspots can be found aplenty.
Putting aside the many hotspots as seen in the following video, the average measurement across the park remains 0.5 uSv/h. That does not deter the nearby High School to send off students for a little run … in areas close to 1 uSv/h.
As the brave residents recorded a nearby hotspot of more than 20 uSv/h, a mother could be seen in the same vicinity, playing in the grass with her small child.
Sources:
５年目のホットスポット 福島市で２０マイクロ超え
Fukushima Diary
http://fukushima-diary.com/2015/07/video-20-%CE%BCsvh-still-detected-in-fukushima-city/
Sendai nuclear plant to restart as early as Aug.10
The operator of the Sendai nuclear power plant in southern Japan submitted an application on Friday to the country’s regulator to get final approval for putting one of its reactors online.
Kyushu Electric Power Company is hoping to turn on the reactor as early as August 10th.
The utility has completed the assembly of the reactor core after loading nearly 160 fuel rod assemblies into the plant’s No.1 reactor in early July.
It has also finished checking a water level gauge system for the containment vessel and confirmed that it is working normally.
Kyushu Electric Power will also conduct a drill starting from Monday to train for a possible severe accident. The exercise is mandated by the government’s new regulations to be performed before a reactor is restarted.
If no problems are found, the No. 1 reactor will go online as early as August 10th.
Last year the plant cleared the government’s new regulations introduced after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. It was the first nuclear facility in Japan to do so
Source NHK
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150725_15.html
CEO of Toshiba took loyalty to the company too far – resigns over doctored accounts
CEO of Japan’s Toshiba resigns over doctored books By YURI KAGEYAMA Jul. 21, 2015 TOKYO (AP) — Toshiba’s CEO and eight other executives resigned Tuesday to take responsibility for doctored books that inflated profits at the Japanese technology manufacturer by 152 billion yen ($1.2 billion) over several years.
Toshiba Corp. acknowledged a systematic cover-up, which began in 2008. Various parts of the Japanese company’s sprawling business including computer chips and personal computers were struggling financially, but top managers set unrealistic earnings targets under the banner of “challenge,” and subordinates faked results.
On top of its struggles in electronics, Tokyo-based Toshiba’s prospects in nuclear power, one of its core businesses, were shaken after the 2011 Fukushima disaster set off public fears about reactor safety, making new nuclear plants unlikely in Japan. All 48 of the nation’s working reactors are now offline.
Bowing deeply before flashing cameras at a news conference, CEO Hisao Tanaka kept his head lowered for nearly half a minute in a gesture meant to convey deep shame and contrition. Tanaka’s predecessors, Norio Sasaki, now a vice chairman, and Atsutoshi Nishida, an adviser, also gave up their posts along with six other executives……….
The scandal highlights how Japan is still struggling to improve corporate governance despite recent steps to increase independent oversight of companies……….http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ca7df49d7b09428cace05165d8e41249/ceo-japans-toshiba-resign-over-doctored-books
How Toshiba cooked the nuclear books
Toshiba cooked books to tune of ¥160 billion after nuclear disaster decimated profit targets: panel http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/07/19/business/corporate-business/toshiba-cooked-books-to-tune-of-%C2%A5160-billion-after-nuclear-disaster-decimated-profit-targets-panel/#.VbFdnaSqpHx The total amount of operating profits Toshiba Corp. booked through inappropriate accounting in the five years through March 2014 is believed to have reached around ¥160 billion, sources have said.
The third-party panel investigating the electronic giant’s accounting scandal discovered that the padded amount is more than three times the ¥50 billion initially uncovered via Toshiba’s internal probe, but less than the rumored ¥200 billion.
The panel has confirmed that Toshiba President Hisao Tanaka and his direct predecessor, Norio Sasaki, now Toshiba vice chairman, effectively allowed losses to be carried over, as the company set ambitious profit targets for its mainstay businesses, including the infrastructure construction, semiconductor and personal computer divisions, the sources said Saturday.
The panel believes Toshiba cooked its books partly because of clouded prospects for its nuclear power business after the March 2011 disasters sparked a triple meltdown crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 atomic plant.
The nuclear crisis eventually forced all of the nation’s 48 commercial reactors offline.
Toshiba had hoped to foster the nuclear power business into a key profit driver.
In addition, Toshiba has also found it difficult to achieve its profit goals due to surges in labor and material costs following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The panel, led by lawyer Koichi Ueda, a former chief prosecutor at the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office, will report its findings to Toshiba on Monday.
In its report, the panel is expected to propose that Toshiba appoint lawyers and certified public accountants as outside board members in order to prevent similar accounting irregularities from happening again.
The firm is scheduled to announce the outline of the panel report Monday evening. Tanaka is expected to hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon to explain the wrongdoing and announce his resignation.
In addition to the ¥160 billion in padded profits, Toshiba is likely to be forced to book impairment losses of tens of billions of yen in its semiconductor and other businesses, sources said. Overall, Toshiba’s operating profits are expected to be revised down by some ¥200 billion, the sources added.
As Areva Goes Belly Up, Modi’s French Nuclear Plans May Start Unravelling
Why is India bent on joining the sinking French nuclear ship?, DiaNuke.org, Vaiju Naravane | The Wire, 24 July 15 The ink had yet to dry on two separate agreements signed by France’s Areva with Larsen & Toubro and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited for the French-designed 1650 MWe EPR reactor in Jaitapur, Maharashtra, when the French nuclear giant went into meltdown.
The agreements were signed with great fanfare during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France on 10th April 2015 despite the fact that question marks on Areva’s future as a viable nuclear player had been piling up thick and fast.
In May, mere weeks after Modi’s visit, Areva announced colossal losses amounting to 4.8 billion euros (well above its capital base) and in June the French government, which owns 87% of the company, announced that Areva would be broken up, with its nuclear power arm, Areva NP, (including engineering, construction and design) being sold to another French energy giant, EDF. The French state has an 84.5% stake in EDF.
Politically driven
Why then did India persist in signing MoUs with a sinking ship? Surely Indian decision-makers were not unaware of Areva’s problems? And why is India insisting on buying nuclear technology that may be quietly buried in the near future, technology that has trebled in cost while providing no proof of performance, cost or economics of operation so far? What will be the fate of the agreements signed between Areva and L&T and Areva and NPCIL? Will they be automatically transferred to EDF and if so at what price?
Could India not have waited for clarity over Areva’s future instead of rushing into signing agreements with a company on the verge of dismemberment? Or is it that the MoUs were hurriedly pushed through so that Modi would have a big ticket announcement to make during his first European tour?……..
The hurry to enter into these agreements is baffling since it is unclear what the long-term future of the expensive flagship EPR will be once EDF takes full charge of Areva. Energy experts say the EPR’s design issues and costs dragged down Areva and EDF is unlikely to want a similar fate for itself………. http://www.dianuke.org/why-is-india-bent-on-joining-the-sinking-french-nuclear-ship/
Russia to supply credit to sell untested nuclear reactors to Bangladesh
Rosatom eager to sign three more accords with BAEC http://www.observerbd.com/2015/07/22/100629.php#sthash.jdS4D1ks.USjrUblf.dpuf Shahnaj Begum, 22 July, 2015, The Russian state-owned nuclear power agency, Rosatom, is eager to sign three separate deals with Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) before signing the general contract to install the country’s first nuclear power plant at Rooppur on the north-west part of the country.
According to the official one deal will be signed to arrange the fuel to run the plant and another one for the “back end” for taking away the waste of the plant, and another one is for the operational purpose (maintenance), he added.
Bangladesh formed three separate teams to discuss the issue.
“We are yet to know about the technology, but we want to procure a reactor which will have SSE (safe shut acceleration) and capacity to handle minimum peak ground acceleration value of 0.38g (which means it would be all right against earthquake of 9 on the Richter scale),” a BAEC official said.
This is a follow-up to another visit by a high-powered technical committee to Russia last month.
This visit is necessary for selecting the right thing for Bangladesh and ensure a block allocation from the Russian Federation to implement the dream project, first of its kind in the country,” Yeafesh Osman said.
Moscow financed the technical study of the RNPP. Under the deal Bangladesh would borrow an amount of $569 million with an interest rate of not less than 5 per cent from Russia.
The government is going to build two nuclear plants with the capacity of 1,000 MW each at Rooppur with the latest ‘third generation’ technology from Russia where five-layer security measures would be installed, according to officials.
1 This Month
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14 May – online event From Bombs to Data Centres: the Face of Nuclear Colonialism
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