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AREVA spruiking its nuclear wares pre elections in Canada

the French nuclear company has been courting New Brunswick with the idea of a second reactor at Point Lepreau, along with solar and tidal power alternatives.

(Canada) Areva deal smacks of politics: PCs, Greens, CBC News, 7 July 2010, The Liberal government’s planned announcement with France’s Areva on Thursday regarding a possible second nuclear reactor is being derided by New Brunswick’s opposition political parties. Continue reading

July 9, 2010 Posted by | general | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Point Lepreau nuclear reactor costing $millions daily

“I mean, you look at Lepreau right now, it’s gushing a million bucks a day [in extra fuel costs due to the delay] and more probably   – and they’re talking about a second nuclear reactor.”

(Canada) No new reactors: Greens, 7 July 2010, “…………The Green leader said the provincial government shouldn’t be entertaining new nuclear energy talks when the Point Lepreau reactor is so far behind schedule. Continue reading

July 9, 2010 Posted by | general | , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA taxpayers fund AREVA and other foreign nuclear companies

Groups: Foreign Companies, Workers Are Big Early Winners Under Federal Loan Guarantees For Nuclear Reactors Taxpayer-Backed Nuclear Loan Guarantees Make July 4th “Energy Non-Independence Day”; 2 of 3 Leading Loan Guarantees Candidates Have Major Foreign Ownership, Large Reactor Component Construction Jobs Are Overseas.WASHINGTON, July 1  USNewswire/ — The notion that taxpayer-backed loan guarantees for more nuclear power means energy independence in the United States is a hoax that could cost unwary U.S. taxpayers tens of billions of dollars while richly benefiting profitable foreign corporations and non-U.S. workers, according to a new report from the nonprofit Nuclear Information & Resource Service (NIRS). Continue reading

July 2, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AREVA new nuclear plant an expensive pipe-dream

Province doesn’t need another reactor, telegraphjournal.com , DAVID BEAUDIN, New Brunswick, Canada, 29 June 2010, “……..the provincial government is actively negotiating with Areva to construct Lepreau II.Considering the financial, technical and power generating debacle resulting from the attempted refurbishment of the Lepreau nuclear plant, one sincerely hoped that the government would, at least be “once bitten, twice shy.” New Brunswick has no need for the power to be produced by a second nuclear plant. It’s for export, part of the political “energy hub” pipedream. Continue reading

July 1, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, Canada | , , , , , , | 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 | France, spinbuster | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear resuscitation is struggling in France, Finland, England

Generation III nuclear reactors: late again, Greenpeace International, by jmckeati – June 25, 2010T he continuing and farcical story of the state of the art European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) being built by AREVA at Olkiluoto in Finland. The many, many diverse delays incompetence in the project have led to it being (at the time of writing) four years behind schedule and 2.3 billion euros over-budget. Continue reading

June 26, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AREVA supplying parts to attempt to re-start damaged nuclear reactor

FirstEnergy to place lid on Davis-Besse nuclear power plant cleveland.com, June 21, 2010, “………Davis-Besse has been shut down since Feb. 28 for extensive work to repair cracks in the lid that sprouted unexpectedly in critical components. Such cracks can allow radioactive coolant into the reactor’s containment building — or worse.

Federal rules require an immediate shutdown if leaks are detected.The cracks are similar to fissures that opened up in the late 1990s in parts of Davis-Besse’s original lid and led to a pineapple-sized corrosion hole in that lid before it was discovered in 2004 Continue reading

June 22, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In light of new tax, Europe’s nuclear industry faces uncertain future

other countries could adopt similar measures on all utilities, or on target nuclear….the new move will bring uncertainty in the European nuclear sector,

Huge nuclear tax on the cards in Germany, World Nuclear News, By Rumyana Vakarelska, 15 June 2010 The German Ministry of Finance has envisaged an additional €2.3 billion ($2.8 billion) per year ‘windfall tax’ on nuclear operators as part of the 2011 Federal Budget and its financial plan up to 2014………..According to the German Finance Ministry the charge “will be necessary, as part of an overall energy concept, to prolong the operational life of nuclear power plants.” At a time when Germany is looking for tens of billions of euros in budget savings, the ministry said that the money will be used to meet nuclear decommissioning and final repository costs…… Continue reading

June 17, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, Germany | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Niger radio station, critical of AREVA uranium company, re-opens

….who announced in January 2008 a campaign against uranium mining, including by French state-controlled nuclear company Areva, in the north..

Niger radio in rebel area back on air after 2 years , Google hosted news 15 June 2010, NIAMEY — The main private radio station in uranium-rich northern Niger was on air again on Monday after being closed two years earlier by the deposed president following broadcasts linked to the Tuareg rebellion. Continue reading

June 15, 2010 Posted by | media, Niger | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dirty deals between Areva and Siemens nuclear power companies?

EU probes Siemens, Areva nuclear deal,  KansasCity.com, 2 June 2010, The Associated Press European Union regulators said Wednesday that they are investigating nuclear power non-compete deals between France’s Areva SA and Germany’s Siemens AG after Areva took over their joint venture. Continue reading

June 3, 2010 Posted by | EUROPE, secrets,lies and civil liberties | , , , , , , , , | 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 | France, wastes | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AREVA’s uranium enrichment plant a danger to Idaho’s groundwater

Areva uranium enrichment plant in Idaho would threaten aquifer, Beyond Nuclear, 28 May 2010, The $2 billion in federal loan guarantees just awarded to Areva by the U.S. Department of Energy for a new uranium enrichment plant in Idaho, will produce depleted uranium (half-life of 4.5 billion years) and will threaten the Snake River Aquifer, say leaders of the Snake River Alliance.

Areva plans to build a new uranium enrichment plant “on the upstream end of the Snake River Aquifer a few miles east of the Idaho National Laboratory,” stated the Alliance in a press release. “INL’s nuclear activities have already contaminated the aquifer and have left substantial radioactive waste behind. Addressing these environmental challenges has already cost billions of taxpayer dollars and will continue for decades”. Continue reading

May 29, 2010 Posted by | USA, water | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One Australian Aboriginal thwarts AREVA’s uranium mining plans

”Jeffrey Lee has put country and culture ahead of personal profit and his vision means this magnificent place will be protected for all people and all time,”

Owner wants uranium-rich land to be added to Kakadu, Sydney Morning Herald, LINDSAY MURDOCH IN KAKADUMay 29, 2010 The world heritage-listed Kakadu National Park will be expanded to include thousands of hectares of ecologically sensitive land that contains uranium worth billions of dollars. In a generous act, the Aboriginal traditional owner, Jeffrey Lee, has offered the land to the federal government so that it can become part of Kakadu, where he works as a ranger. Continue reading

May 29, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, indigenous issues | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

U.S. Senator enthuses over $2 billion loan to France’s nuclear giant AREVA

Senator Voinovich Encourages DOE on Nuclear Loan Guarantess, Nuclear Power Industry News, 25 May 2010, “………The $2 billion loan guarantee has been awarded to AREVA’s Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility near Idaho Falls, Idaho, ………….Sen. Voinovich, along with Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), recently led a bipartisan congressional letter to President Obama requesting that the White House join them in hosting a nuclear energy summit to bring together key leaders, stakeholders and innovators to discuss and plan for America’s nuclear energy future. Senator Voinovich Encourages DOE on Nuclear Loan Guarantess – Nuclear Power Industry News

May 25, 2010 Posted by | general | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

U.S. nuclear power loan guarantee goes to French company AREVA

DOE Picks Areva for Nuclear Facility – WSJ.co By CASSANDRA SWEET 21 May 2010, Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article.The U.S. Department of Energy said Thursday that it has approved a $2 billion loan guarantee for French nuclear power developer, AREVA.

“…..The loan guarantee is part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to stimulate the development of a U.S. supply base for producing enriched uranium.

A condition of the loan guarantee is that Areva obtain a combined construction and operating license for the Idaho facility from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The French state owns directly and indirectly around 93% of Areva…..the decision to award Areva a guarantee drew criticism from Ohio, where USEC has a partly-constructed enrichment facility. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R.,Ohio) said the DOE’s decision contradicts a promise by President Obama “to support the American company applicant and build a facility in Ohio.” Ms. Schmidt estimated that the Ohio plant would create 4,000 jobs. DOE Taps Areva to Build Enrichment Plant – WSJ.com

May 22, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment