France’s EPR nuclear reactors are not safe

Interview with Giuseppe Onufrio, Director of Greenpeace Italia. 22 Nov 09 Giuseppe Onufrio: “In Finland and in France they are busy building these new power stations known as Epr, which are a French design. In this regard, a few months ago we discovered that these power stations have never been approved due to the fact that their emergency systems do not meet the minimum nuclear safety requirements, Continue reading →

November 23, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, safety | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radioactive | Leave a comment

USA would be wise not to follow France’s nuclear path

French Nuclear Energy Policy – a cake the US may do well not to consume too much of Treehugger, by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11.22.09 “………………. US politicians now cite the French energy policy example with excitement; claiming that nation’s high reliance on nuclear power is exemplary. Continue reading →

November 23, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, France | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Ship board anti-nuclear protest

Greenpeace boards reactor equipment ship( Google News AFP) – 17 Nov 09 COPENHAGEN — Six Greenpeace activists Monday boarded a ship carrying French-made steam turbines bound for a new nuclear power station in Finland, Continue reading →

November 18, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Finland, politics | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

The myth of France’s ‘nuclear solution’ to climate change

French Nuclear Madness won’t save the climate Baltic Sea, 7th Space International 16 Nov 09 — Today six activists from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise boarded the cargo ship Happy Ranger in the Fehmarn Belt between Denmark and Germany. The activists are carrying banners reading “Nuclear Madness, made in France”. Continue reading →

November 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Finland, spinbuster | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Safety, cost, wastes, – nuclear industry fast losing credibility

The reactor relapse takes 3 hits to the head
by Harvey Wasserman November 12, 2009

The much-hyped “Renaissance” of atomic power has taken three devastating hits with potentially fatal consequences.

The usually supine Nuclear Regulatory Commission has told Toshiba’s Westinghouse Corporation that its “standardized” AP-1000 design might not withstand hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes. Continue reading →

November 13, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radioactive, wastes | Leave a comment

Will UK taxpayers have to subsidise French nuclear company EDF?

The hidden costs of nuclear power (UK) Left Foot Forward Joss Garman, November 12th 2009 Analysis by Left Foot Forward suggests that EdF will have to pay £50 billion to build four new nuclear reactors prompting speculation that the Government will have to back down on its refusal to subsidise the industry. Continue reading →

November 13, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, UK | antinuclear, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Nuclear Power- a (French) Socialist Solution

Nuclear Socialism, YGLESIAS 7 November 09 the American right’s strangely passionate love affair with nuclear power and the impact it’s having on the climate debate in congress. What I find especially odd about it is that it’s so at odds with American conservatives’ ardor for the free market. Continue reading →

November 7, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radiation, radioactive, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Nuclear power- no good in heat, no good in cold?

France’s not-so-nuclear winter Greenpeace 4 Nov 09

You may remember that back in July this year, the summer weather put a third of France’s nuclear reactors out of action. It was just too darn hot to keep the reactors safely cooled and France was forced to import electricity from the UK.

So, we can expect things to improve now the colder winter weather is on the way? Er, not so much… Continue reading →

November 4, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, business and costs, climate change, France | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Nuclear plant problems threaten France’s winter electricity

Winter power cuts could be imposed The Connexion November 03, 2009 HOUSEHOLDS in France could be hit by a series of power cuts this winter as the electricity network tries to cope with a shortage of supply. Continue reading →

November 4, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Crisis of confidence in French nuclear industry

France tries to calm nuclear reactor fears FT.com By Peggy Hollinger in Paris November 4 2009 France was trying to avert a crisis of confidence yesterday over its new-generation EPR nuclear reactor after regulators in three countries raised questions over control and safety systems. Continue reading →

November 4, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, France, safety | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Safety problems cause AREVA’s shares to fall

Areva shares fall over nuclear safety concerns New reactor design criticised by French politicians By Nina Sovich

PARIS, Nov 3 (Reuters) – A new generation of French nuclear power reactors came under attack Continue reading →

November 4, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Olkiluoto III nuclear plant delayed indefinitely

Date of completion for Olkiluoto III nuclear plant still anybody’s guess HELSINGIN SANOMAT 20 Oct 09
– “……….yet another delay in the construction of the third nuclear facility in the Olkiluoto site.
This latest announcement moves once again the completion date for the Olkiluoto III project to the unforeseen future. Continue reading →

October 20, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, business and costs, Finland | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, radioactive | Leave a comment

Nuclear lobby looking to “modernising” old reactors, as AREVA’s new ones failing

SPIEGEL ONLINE By Dinah Deckstein, Frank Dohmen and Cordula Meyer Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan. 16 Oct 09

Modernization instead of new construction. Is the new strategy to launch a renaissance through the back door? At first, the chaos surrounding the Olkiluoto reactor reveals that the industry is by no means ready to build new power plants cheaply and safely in the Western world. Utilities, with their massive financial risks, can no longer support such mammoth projects — unless the government steps in. Continue reading →

October 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, business and costs | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Work stops with safety fears at French nuclear plant

Watchdog suspends work at French plutonium plant

PARIS, Oct 15 (Reuters) – The French nuclear safety watchdog ASN has suspended work dismantling a plutonium technology plant over worker safety fears, after almost three times as much plutonium was found at the site than expected. Continue reading →

October 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, safety | antinuclear, France, nuclear, radioactive | Leave a comment

“New generation” nuclear renaissance is just not happening

Problems Plague Launch of ‘Safer’ Next-Generation Reactors

SPIEGEL ONLINE By Dinah Deckstein, Frank Dohmen and Cordula Meyer Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan. 15 Oct 09

The executives of electric utilities worldwide are dreaming of a renaissance in nuclear power. But problems with a new, state-of-the-art reactor in Finland suggest that this is unlikely to happen. The industry’s alternative strategy is to modernize older plants to drastically extend reactor lifetimes. Continue reading →

October 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Finland | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin | Leave a comment