France « nuclear-news

Control rods, cladding, MOX fuel – unsafety of AREVA’s new nuclear reactors

EDF engineers had concluded by 2007 that the entire core of the reactor should be reconfigured.

Safety Fears Raised at French Reactor, NYTimes.com, By PATRICIA BRETT July 26, 2010 “……….among the leaked documents, one dated February 2007 — just before the construction of the Flamanville plant was approved — reported that technical studies by EDF had shown that the EPR’s original core design had failed to meet safety criteria for a control rod ejection accident at high power Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, technology | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

France admits to Tritium health risks from nuclear facilities

Tritium – Government nuclear authority admits tritium health risks could be underestimated, Beyond Nuclear, 24 July 2010, – The risks of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, could be underestimated because it could bind to DNA, recognizes the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) in a recent white paper. In light of this possibility, the ASN wants new investigation into hereditary effects from tritium exposure, better monitoring and more restriction of tritium releases from nuclear facilities. Reported in Le Monde.

Beyond Nuclear – Tritium – Government nuclear authority admits tritium health risks could be underestimated

July 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, health | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium | 1 Comment

AREVA’s Olkiluoto nuclear reactor a total financial disater

“It’s a total disaster for Areva,” Schneider says. Areva will have to sell another 12 reactors to cover the cost overruns thus far or else French taxpayers will,”

Nuclear Energy Steals Billions from Other Technologies « Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist, w2w0 July 2010, “…..The other reason is the French.France gets about 77 percent of its power from 58 reactors and is often cited as the model for other countries. “France is a special case. The entire industry is 85 percent owned by the government,” says Mycle Schneider, a Paris-based energy and nuclear policy analyst.

The industry gets direct and indirect subsidies, government loans and loan guarantees “on practically anything they want”, Schneider told IPS. Continue reading →

July 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | 3 Comments

AREVA’s financial problems with new nuclear reactors

Finnish delays headache for French nuclear firm PARIS (AFP) 28 June 2010, – Standard & Poor’s said on Monday it had lowered its rating on French nuclear group Areva by two notches because of delays to the construction of a reactor in Finland.The agency downgraded Areva to BBB+/A-2 from A/A-1, citing the company’s announcement of an additional provision of 400 million euros (493 million dollars) for the Finnish European Pressurised Reactor project…… Continue reading →

July 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | AREVA, AUSTRALIA, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear company AREVA venturing into renewables

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

(Can we trust AREVA to really promote renewable energy? – Christina Macpherson)

Areva’s strength is nuclear power–it is the world’s biggest nuclear company–but it is venturing into other carbon-free generation technologies.

Solar Thermal or Solar Photovoltaic? Areva Says ‘Both!’ – Forbes.com, 26 June 2010, Anne Lauvergeon, chief executive of the French nuclear giant Areva, hinted last week during a meeting in Forbes offices that Areva is developing a hybrid solar power plant concept that combines a solar thermal system with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. Continue reading →

June 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, spinbuster | antinuclear, AREVA, climate change, France, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, reactors, renewable energy, solar, wind | Leave a comment

French govt’s nuclear veterans’ cancer compensation inadequate

Veterans unhappy with French government’s compensation for nuclear tests, Google hosted news, By The Associated Press (CP) 29 June 2010, ARCUEIL, France — Veterans and workers who fell ill after France’s nuclear tests in Algeria and the South Pacific have said the government’s measures to compensate victims did not go far enough…..victims’ associations said Monday the government has ruled out compensating many people who should qualify. Continue reading →

June 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, weapons and war | antinuclear, cancer, France, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear company AREVA’s waste dumping in Russia

Less than 10% of the uranium mass shipped from France to Russia over the past four years “came back”….Considering the fact that the total amount of spent fuel reprocessed in France is about 38,000 tons, a significant share has gone elsewhere. It is clear now that most of it ended up in Russia

End of reprocessed uranium exports to Russia? Fissile material, By Mycle Schneider on May 29, AREVA’s controversial shipments of uranium wastes from France to Russia could be terminated as early as July 2010, according to media reports and a press release by the French chapter of the environmental group Greenpeace. Continue reading →

May 31, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, wastes | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Dangerous radiation scanning for illegal immigrants banned

French ban X-ray scans for illegal immigrants as radiation makes them ‘too dangerous’, Mail Online, By Jack Doyle and Lee Sorrell 14th May 2010

British officials searching for illegal immigrants in trucks have been told to stop using an expensive new X-ray scanner because of radiation fears. The machine was unveiled last month as part of a £15million investment in UK border controls in Calais.

But now France’s nuclear regulator has warned it can only be used to look for illegal goods. Using it to find people is banned in case the radiation damages their health, …French ban X-ray scans for illegal immigrants as radiation makes them ‘too dangerous’ | Mail Online

May 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, health | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

France pretty desperate to sell nuclear technology overseas

France needs to win international contracts, given that there will be little growth at home

French report hopes to heal nuclear division By Peggy Hollinger, FT.com : May 9 2010 “…..And, just maybe, it will help to end the years of public bickering and rivalry that have divided France’s nuclear champions – Areva, EDF, 36 per cent state-owned GDF-Suez and the Atomic Energy Commission – and which threaten to damage the industry’s international competitiveness………..The report is expected to call for greater government involvement in identifying the markets it wants its nuclear companies to target……….The organisation will aim to ensure France’s political interests are served by its state-owned companies, and to provide the political and commercial resources to identify new markets and give French technology a head start……..France needs to win international contracts, given that there will be little growth at home

FT.com / Industrials – French report hopes to heal nuclear division

May 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, nuclear costs, nuclear technology | Leave a comment

France’s Feed-In Tariff – 50% Renewables by 2015

Revised Feed-in Tariff in France: To Drive Sustainable Renewable Market Development, WORLD WIDE POSTS, 13 April 2010 GlobalData Renewable energy sources offer viable options to address the energy security concerns of a country. France has been making consistent efforts to increase the presence of renewables in the country’s energy basket. France has set a target of a 21% share of renewable energy in the electricity consumption of energy by 2010 and 50% by 2015. Continue reading →

April 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, renewable | antinuclear, energy efficiency, France, renewable energy, solar, water, wind | Leave a comment

France’s nuclear reactors – cost cutting risks safety

Revelations from an EDF insider : EPR reactor prone to major nuclear accident risk!, The French Network for Nuclear Phase-out (Réseau “Sortir du nucléaire”) 6 March 2010, reveals confidential documents disclosed by an anonymous insider from EDF (Electricité de France, the main French power utility). These documents show that the design of the EPR presents a serious risk of a major nuclear accident – a risk deliberately taken by EDF to increase its profitability. Because it is potentially vulnerable to a situation which could have uncontrollable consequences, the EPR reactor is extremely dangerous.

http://www.sortirdunucleaire.org/index.php?menu=actualites&sousmenu=dossiers&soussousmenu=EPRrevelations&page=2

March 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, safety | antinuclear, EDF, France, radiation, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

France’s foreign policy: SELL NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

France seeks to pull nuclear champions into line | TopNews Arab Emirates, by Akilah Amiri , 03/18/2010 , The government has been proposing a high level authority or committee for enhancing nuclear program and tapping rising opportunities across the World. The committee will be directly under the Prime Minister and will report to the President.

President Nicolas Sarkozy has been always called for tapping export opportunities available in the World given to France’s expertise in the nuclear energy sector. The country has started to incorporate nuclear energy sector as a leading element in the French foreign policy. However, the country has been experiencing high competition from the rivals due to involvement of some degree of diplomatic pressure by respective governments.The government is concerned over Areva’s failure to get key contract in Abu Dhabi last year. Critics have now started to raise questions on the authority given to the state run firm.

France seeks to pull nuclear champions into line | TopNews Arab Emirates

March 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, politics | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Sarkozy pushing unsafe nuclear industry to Italy

The safe French nuclear is a Government joke. Try and put the words France “nuclear accidents” into Google. You get about 28,000 results. Nuclear accidents in France are no longer news.

Beppe Grillo’s Blog: Nuclear dwarves, 17 March 2010, “…….If the nuclear “picciotto” {rank and file mafioso} in Italy is Berlusconi, its instigator is Sarkozy. The greatest pusher of nuclear power stations in the world. And thus it is with joy that I read the news of the electoral collapse of the “Transalpine Carlànano”. One dwarf attracts another…. Sarkozy could lose in the whole of France at the second round…. Continue reading →

March 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, safety | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Depressing outlook for uranium sales: AREVA cuts back production

Waiting for Uranium Prices to Rise, By Melissa Pistilli Uranium Investing News, 15 March.2010, AREVA May Cut Production Depressing uranium prices have forced French uranium miner AREVA to plan a review of its projects, which may lead to a 20 per cent cut in its 2012 output target.

Last September, the company pegged its 2012 production number at 12,000 tonnes of U308, but now says uranium prices are too low to make production costs economical. Continue reading →

March 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear, nuclear costs, uranium | Leave a comment

France’s Sarkozy keen to sell nuclear reactors, but just to help poor countries!

+jordanFrench President Sarkozy Says Nuclear Power Key To Economic Growth, Clean Environment, Examiner.com March 9, Examiner, Michael Zey “…In his speech Sarkozy reiterated France’s support for the continued development of nuclear energy throughout the world. However, Sarkozy made an even more important pronouncement: aggressive development of technologies such as nuclear power is key to lifting the developing nations out of poverty and increasing the net wealth of the planet…..Of course, the French president’s own candidate for best new nuclear plant design is the one France’s own Areva has developed. Areva has designed the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), a third-generation reactor design that France considers the most advanced in the world.