Bulgaria must pay Russia over cancelled nuclear project, says court.
Court orders Bulgaria to pay Russia over cancelled nuclear project: minister http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-bulgaria-russia-arbitration-idUKKCN0Z213A , Jun 16, 2016
An arbitration court has ruled that Bulgarian state energy firm NEK should pay nearly 550 million euros (437.70 million pound) in compensation to Russia‘s Atomstroyexport for a cancelled nuclear power project, Bulgaria’s energy minister said on Thursday.
“NEK received the court’s decision late last night. It is still not handed down officially. In the next days, NEK will approach Atomstroyexport over the decision,” Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova told reporters.
Atomstroyexport had sought more than 1 billion euros at the Paris-based International Court of Arbitration against NEK over the cancellation of the Belene nuclear power plant it had been contracted to build.
NEK teamed up with Atomstroyexport to build two 1,000 megawatt reactors at Belene, on the Danube River at the border with Romania, in 2006.
Sofia abandoned the project in 2012, after it failed to attract investors for the 10 billion euros ($11 billion) scheme and also came under pressure from its Western allies about its energy dependence on Moscow.
Petkova said the court has ruled that NEK should cover the funds the Russian state company had spent to produce equipment for the project, but has rejected claims for additional works and damages from lost profits.
Bulgaria is currently extending the lifespan of its two 1,000 Soviet-made reactors at its Kozloduy nuclear power plant and is looking for an investor to build one more reactor at the same site.
Russia pushing United Arab Emirates to buy nuclear technology
Nuclear power key for UAE energy security, Khaleej Times Sarakshi 
Rai/moscow June 5, 2016 Nuclear power is the best way for the world and the UAE to meet its energy demands, according to top nuclear energy professionals at the recently concluded Rosatom Atomexpo 2016.
Atomexpo is the largest exhibition venue for meetings and negotiations between world leaders in the nuclear power sector. This year’s exhibition and conference focused on new players entering the nuclear energy sector.
Mohamed Shaker, minister of electricity and mineral resources, Egypt; Hassan Mahmoud Hassanein, first deputy minister of electricity and mineral resources, Egypt; Khaled Toukan, chairman of Jordan Atomic Energy Commission; and Hashem Yamani, president of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, Saudi Arabia; featured in day two of the conference at a panel discussion highlighting the future of nuclear power and new players…….
Russia’s Rosatom keenly marketing nuclear power to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos
Russian nuclear agency bullish on Asean outlook ACHARA DEBOON ME THE NATION, Thailand, MOSCOW June 6, 2016 ROSATOM, Russia’s state nuclear-energy agency, is bullish on the outlook of its business in Southeast Asia after the speedy development of a project in Vietnam and a range of agreements with every country in the region except Singapore, the Philippines and Brunei.
“Public acceptance is a key element, and we pay much attention to it,” he said…….
At the expo, a number of agreements with Indonesia were signed, also involving the training of specialists. This followed an agreement on the basic reactor design signed last year.
In the past few years, seven countries including Thailand have signed cooperation agreements with Rosatom. This month, a working group was established with Cambodia’s National Council for Sustainable Development after an agreement on the peaceful uses of atomic energy. Myanmar and Laos also have similar cooperation agreements.
Three Myanmar students are now studying nuclear science in Russia on scholarships……
Finland’s Fennovoima nuclear station dependent on Russia for all the finance
“……the extraordinary problems at Olkiluoto have cast doubts over Finland’s ability to manage such projects, while Fennovoima was hit by a farcical hunt for European investors for Hanhikivi.
Worries about Russian involvement almost brought down the previous Finnish coalition government. The Green party left the administration, accusing its former partners, some of whom are still in power, of pursuing a policy of “Finlandisation” — an extremely loaded term locally meaning the accommodation of Russian views in Finnish policy. …..
The deal is also of huge importance to Rosatom and its international ambitions to play a leading role in any revival of nuclear power outside the former Soviet Union…..” Finland raises its bet on nuclear power, Ft.com 5 June 16
Russia keen to get in on the business of cleaning up Fukushima nuclear mess
Rosatom, Japan discuss decommissioning of Fukushima installations https://rbth.com/news/2016/06/02/rosatom-japan-discuss-decommissioning-of-fukushima-installations_599603
“Our partners are showing ever greater interest in the final stage of the life cycle: decommissioning. We are currently discussing this with the Japanese partners,” Kirienko said.
Rosatom enterprises have fulfilled the order to develop unique technology for treating water at Fukushima for the Japanese partners, he added.
Russia moving in on America as a market for its nuclear fuel
Russian Nuclear Fuel Giant Making A Move In U.S. Markets, Oil Price, 2 June 16, http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russian-Nuclear-Fuel-Giant-Making-A-Move-In-US-Markets.html CHARLES KENNEDY Far from the specific paranoia of the Cold War era, talk now is that Russia’s Rosatom nuclear fuel giant may soon end up supplying 10 percent of U.S. nuclear fuel needs.
In partnership with General Electric Co. (GE), Russian state-owned Rosatom is expanding its nuclear fuel supply to the US, hoping to gain a 10-percent market share—adding to the 20 percent of the US enriched uranium market it already controls.
Last week, Rosatom’s TVEL signed an agreement with U.S. Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, a subsidiary of GE-Hitachi, on cooperation in licensing, marketing and fabrication of fuel for U.S. Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs).
According to Russian news agencies, Russia currently holds 17 percent of the global nuclear power plant fuel market. That means it has covered all of its own supply for 76 reactors, along with the reactors in 14 more countries. By 2019-2020, Rosatom hopes to be supply nuclear fuel to the U.S..
Speaking at the Atomexpo-2016 on Monday, where it signed US$10 billion in deals, Rosatom TVEL Fuel Company vice-president Oleg Grigoryev said: “We expect the share of our deliveries to be more than 10% of the US market for this kind of fuel.”
TVEL’s exports already exceed US$1 billion annually, according to Russia’s Tass news agency. The move to gain this extra nuclear fuel market share still requires approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
According to Bloomberg, Rosatom has been supplying low-enriched uranium to the U.S .since 1987.
Rosatom is apparently not targeted by U.S. sanctions.
In 1992, according to Bloomberg, an anti-dumpling investigation prompted trade controls that affected how much low-enriched uranium Rosatom could supply to the U.S.. From 2002 to 2011, Rosatom had to stop commercial supplies to the U.S. For now, the Russian giant has long-term uranium delivery contracts with Centrus Energy Corp. ,NextEra Energy Resources and Exelon Generation Company LLC.
Russia and China working together to market nuclear reactors to the world
Russia, China Working on Plan on Nuclear Cooperation Development. MOSCOW (Sputnik) 2 June 16 — Russia and China are working on a comprehensive document on the development of the bilateral strategic cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, the protocol of the Russia-China intergovernmental energy cooperation commission said.
Russia, China, marketing nuclear power to – well, just about everybody
Ghana explores nuclear power opportunities Business News , 30 May 2016 Source: Tv3network.com Ghana is among these emerging nuclear energy countries, as the country strives to meet the increasing demand of energy for domestic and industrial use. State-owned nuclear companies in Russia and China have taken the lead in offering nuclear power plants to emerging countries, usually with finance and fuel services.
Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) hosts the annual ATOMEXPO International Forum as a major exhibition and business platform for conducting meetings and negotiations between the worldwide leaders of the nuclear power industry.
The 2016 edition, holding in Moscow from May 30–June 2, provides leaders of nuclear power industry and nuclear power engineering with an opportunity to publically define the place and role of nuclear generation in the 21st century energy balance.
The Forum also promotes international cooperation between the Russian Federation and the countries of Latin America, Pacific Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe in the field of nuclear power, and to discuss Russia’s proposal on developing national energy programs…….
Nuclear energy is growing globally with nearly 10 GW of new nuclear capacity supplying electricity in 2015 – more than double the average capacity connected each year in the previous decade.
Though there are long term prospects for nuclear, experts say the emerging nuclear energy countries are not expected to contribute very much to the expansion of nuclear capacity in the foreseeable future. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Ghana-explores-nuclear-power-opportunities-443245
Russia marketing nuclear fuel to USA !!
Will The Russians Become Fuel Supplier To U.S. Nuclear Power Plants? http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2016/05/31/will-the-russians-become-fuel-supplier-to-u-s-nuclear-power-plants/#413acf8f2638 Kenneth Rapoza , 31 May 16,
It’s not unprecedented. While the U.S. does not currently use Russian technology at any of its nuclear power stations, a deal between Global Nuclear Fuel Americas and TVEL would be the first to make it happen. Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas is a GE-led joint venture that includes its main nuclear power plant partner Hitachi and rival Toshiba, which owns Westinghouse.
Under the agreement proposed May 24, GE partners and TVEL will “work together toward the licensing, marketing and fabrication of fuel” for U.S. pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Global Nuclear Fuel and TVEL would create a strategic alliance with the purpose of introducing the Russian fuel rods into the U.S. market.
“We believe strongly in the TVEL technology,” said Jonathan Allen, a spokesman for GE Hitachi.
TVEL’s latest nuclear fuel assembly technology is for use in Westinghouse-designed reactors. There are currently 35 of these reactors operating in the U.S., but none of them are allowed to use TVEL’s technology because it has not yet been approved U.S. nuclear industry regulators. The assembly rod, known as the TVS-K design, has been used for many years in Rusatom’s VVER-1000 nuclear power plants at 78 nuclear power reactors in 15 countries, most of them in the former Soviet bloc.
“This (deal gives) additional diversification of fuel supplies to U.S. reactors,” said Oleg Grigoryev, Vice President of Commerce and International Cooperation at TVEL.
Russia’s entrance into the U.S. market comes at a time when its partner in the deal, Toshiba, is also trying to capture some of TVEL’s market share in Finland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Washington has actually lent support to Westinghouse in sales pitches to governments looking to move out of Russia’s energy orbit. A move to bring Russian technology to the U.S. could also be seen as a fig leaf to Moscow, which has been locked in an energy security battle for Europe over the last year.
Opening the U.S. market to Russian tech would be the same as the traditional Russian markets, including Ukraine, opening up to Westinghouse.
Fuel assembly rods are essentially the batteries of nuclear power plants. They hold the uranium that goes into the reactor that generates electricity. Westinghouse is TVEL’s biggest competitor. But Chinese developers, working close with Westinghouse and Toshiba in China in a tech sharing deal, are also moving up market and could become rival suppliers at some point in the future.
TVEL has a roughly 17% global market share of fuel assemblies, with Westinghouse and Areva competing for first place with close to 30%.
Russia flogging nuclear to Africa
More African countries interested in nuclear energy: Russia, SABC News,31 May 2016 Amina Accram, Moscow “…….8th annual ATOM EXPO and conference currently underway in Moscow Russia…….. The Nigerian government aims to electrify at least eighty percent of its population by the year 2035. It is now investing in nuclear energy to meet this target. …General Director Atomic Energy Commission in Nigeria Frannklin Osaisai says Nigeria is seeking to diversify its economy by increasing agriculture output. It will use nuclear technology to advance this. …….
Russia flogging nuclear to Nigeria
Rosatom to prepare agreement on nuclear power plant project in Nigeria http://tass.ru/en/economy/879335 May 31, MOSCOW, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom will prepare an agreement on construction of a nuclear power plant in Nigeria, first deputy head of Russian state owned nuclear corporation Rosatom Kirill Komarov said at the Atomexpo 2016 forum.
“We established a joint coordination committee. We have already held the first meeting of the committee and plan to hold a second meeting this summer,” he said, adding that he hopes the sides will prepare an agreement on the development of the project, he said.
According to him, this document will determine further steps on implementation of the project on construction of nuclear power plants in Nigeria.
Russia flogging nukes to Bolivia
Agreement on Bolivia’s nuclear research center may be signed at SPIEF MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. An agreement on construction of a nuclear research center in Bolivia may be signed at the Petersburg International Economic Forum due to be held in June 2016, Kirill Komarov, the first deputy CEO of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said on Tuesday.
“We are set for very serious work. Soon, we plan to sign an agreement on the project implementation, to sign an agreement on the site examination,” he said. “It is not ruled out that some of our documents will be signed in a span of two weeks, at the Petersburg Economic Forum.”…….
Russia and Bolivia signed intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in the area of peaceful use of nuclear energy and on cooperation in the construction of a nuclear research and technology center on March 6…….http://tass.ru/en/economy/879346
Russia halts nuclear waste disposal from Ukraine
https://www.rt.com/business/344821-russia-halts-nuclear-waste-disposal/ 30 May, 2016 Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom has stopped removing spent nuclear fuel from Ukraine because bills have been unpaid, said nuclear decommissioning executive Oleg Kryukov. There are problems related to Ukraine’s payments,” he said, adding that the first shipment of nuclear waste for disposal has been postponed.
Kryukov affirmed the agency plans to continue disposing of nuclear waste already in Russia for processing.
“We have a contract with Ukraine on storing spent nuclear fuel and its recycling. We are going to continue with the contract, although the Ukrainian side plans to build its own warehouse for spent fuel without recycling,” he said on the sidelines of the Atomexpo-2016 forum.
Under the agreement signed between two countries in 1993, Russia supplies reactor fuel to Ukraine and takes spent fuel rods for storage and reprocessing.
A year ago, Ukraine said it planned to invest $25 million in a centralized spent nuclear fuel storage facility at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
Kiev is currently trying to attract Western investors to kick-start the project.
USA using Westinghouse nuclear reactors and fuel to compete with Russia for European dominance
The U.S. is going after Russian nukes in Europe. And they’re counting on just one company to do it. Oddly enough, it’s Japanese.
If you thought the energy security issue the U.S. has been selling to Europe was only about American liquefied natural gas, look closer. It’s also about Russian nuclear energy behind the old Iron Curtain.
Energy security in Eastern Europe is a thermo-nuclear reactor war that mainly pits Westinghouse Electric (WEC) against Russian Rosatom. It’s a drawn-out and extremely costly energy game the U.S. is trying desperately to win. State Department chief Hillary Clinton even “lobbied” for Westinghouse in Prague in 2012.
It’s not a secret.
Westinghouse Chief Executive Danny Roderick says Clinton’s showing made a big impression on the Czechs. “I was proud that she was in the trenches with me,” he reportedly said.
The unstated goal: lessen Russian control of the nuclear power market in Eastern Europe, even if that does not translate into an immediate market share for Westinghouse. Historically, for some of those countries Rosatom and its fuel assembly maker TVEL are the only game in town. Continue reading
USA NOT receptive to Russia’s proposal for joint strikes on Syrian rebels
Russia urges joint strikes on Syria rebels but U.S. reacts coolly, Reuters, 20 May 16 Russia has proposed to the U.S.-led coalition that they stage joint air strikes on Syrian rebels, including militant Islamist group Nusra Front, who are not observing a ceasefire, but the United States responded coolly on Friday.
Such action would begin as of May 25 and be coordinated with the Syrian government, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told a Defence Ministry meeting broadcast on state television, adding Moscow reserved the right to stage strikes unilaterally.
He said joint air strikes should also target convoys carrying weapons and ammunition crossing into Syria from Turkey.
“We believe the adoption of these measures will allow a transition to a peaceful process to be achieved in the entire territory of Syria,” he said. “Of course, these measures have been coordinated with the leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic.”……
Washington has consistently refused to join forces with Russia in Syria ever since Moscow launched its campaign of air strikes in September last year, accusing it of acting solely to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The United States has called on Assad to step down.
Communication between the U.S. and Russian militaries on Syria has been limited to contacts aimed at avoiding an accidental clash as they carry out rival bombing campaigns and small numbers of U.S. forces operate on the ground.
Western officials suggested that the proposal, which the Pentagon said had not been formally presented to the U.S. Defense Department, was an attempt by President Vladimir Putin to raise Russia’s profile on the international stage.
“There is no agreement to conduct joint air strikes with the Russians in Syria,” said U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby. He added that the United States believed that Assad’s government was responsible for most of the violations of the fitful ceasefire that began on Feb. 27.
“We look to Russia to end such (government) violations, which includes strikes that have hit civilians and civilian facilities,” he said.
While Russia supports the Assad government, the United States and its allies support rebels trying to overthrow him in a civil war that has burned for more than five years and killed at least 250,000 people.
However, both sides oppose the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which was not included in a ceasefire deal which has failed to prevent widespread violence. A U.S. military strike killed Nusra Front’s leader, Abu Firas al-Suri, in April.
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the U.S. aim remains for Russia to persuade Assad to abide by the cessation of hostilities in Syria, saying it was not the first time Russia had made such a proposal…….http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-russia-usa-syria-idUSKCN0YB1HB
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