nuclear costs « nuclear-news

Wind energy project to provide more power than 5 nuclear plants could

The transmission line is planned to have enough capacity to carry the energy of five nuclear power plants (6,000 megawatts, which could power almost 2 million homes)–energy that eventually will come from offshore wind farms. These wind farms will be situated in federal waters more than 10 miles from the shore, where the huge towers would barely be visible.

Offshore Wind Farming Gets a Giant Google Boost Discover Magazine, 13 Oct 10, A huge offshore wind energy project took a leap forward today with the announcement that Google and the investment firm Good Energies are backing the mammoth underwater transmission lines that would carry clean electricity up and down the East Coast. The $5 billion dollar project would allow for wind farms to spring up all along the mid-Atlantic continental shelf. Continue reading →

October 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA | antinuclear, climate change, global warming, nuclear costs, reactors, renewable energy, renewables, wind | 1 Comment

No saving prospects for nuclear industry on the cliff edge

chaotic construction fiascos in Finland and Flamanville, France, have caused “trepidation” by the reactor industry as a whole,…..However it plays out, Constellation has dealt a body blow to the nuclear renaissance…..Pro-nuclear members of Congress may gather in December to demand more money and laxer terms for loan guarantees. But the apparent death of Calvert Cliffs has no upside for an industry on the brink.

Reactor “Renaissance” Flies off Another Cliff, By Harvey Wasserman, 12 Oct 10,
Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs nuke project is on the brink of cancellation. It’s potentially one of the most critical atomic failures in decades.

But financial markets love the nuke’s demise. The stock of its American partner—Constellation Energy—has soared with the apparent death of a project widely feared as a huge money-loser. Continue reading →

October 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, EDF, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

France’s EDF takes share loss, with cancellation of USA project

EDF shares fall on nuclear news The Daily Record, , October 11, 2010By Associated Press PARIS — Shares in Electricite de France SA slid Monday after the French state-owned utility’s U.S. partner, Constellation Energy Group, pulled out of a project to build the first of a new generation of nuclear power plants in Maryland.

The announcement dealt a serious setback to EDF’s ambitions to lead a nuclear renaissance in the United States. The company is the world’s largest electric power producer.EDF shares slipped as much as 1.5 percent in early trading and midafternoon were down 1.1 percent at $43.43 on the Paris stock exchange — and were the biggest loser on the benchmark CAC-40 index.
An EDF spokeswoman said the future of the multibillion-dollar Calvert Cliffs 3 plant project is unclear after Baltimore-based Constellation said it would drop out over risks linked to the high cost of a $7.5 billion loan guarantee… » EDF shares fall on nuclear news

October 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | antinuclear, nuclear costs, reactors | Leave a comment

Ratepayers, not shareholders, cop the cost of Georgia’s planned nuclear reactors

[Georgia’s nuclear] project is receiving other assistance that was not available to the Calvert Cliffs project: Construction Work in Progress financing, or CWIP. This is a scheme that allows Southern Company/Georgia Power to begin charging ratepayers for the reactors even before they’re built. Maryland law does not allow CWIP.

Nuclear project cancellation leaves Georgia standing alone, FACING SOUTH, 11 Oct 10, Apparently even billions of dollars in loan guarantees from the federal government are not enough to help the nuclear industry overcome the financial risks of building new reactors……. Continue reading →

October 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, reactors | 2 Comments

Nuclear power’s high costs make nuclear socialism essential

the all-in cost of a 2-gigawatt nuclear plant including financing running around $20 billion to $25 billion — in other words, $10 or more per watt. Financing costs are important to include because plants take years to erect: even a one percent loan on a $8 billion project adds up. As a result, the high price results in nuclear socialism, … because plants will always need state support.

How Much Does Nuclear Cost? $6,000 a Kilowatt or More, Greentech Media, 11 Oct 10, Constellation’s bid to get government backing sheds some light on the high cost of nuclear.

How much is that nuclear reactor in the window? Continue reading →

October 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, business and costs | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

Russia boosting nuclear sales – will take back radioactive wastes

Sergei Kiriyenko, a former prime minister, told reporters there that sales would triple by 2030, to $50 billion annually……Under legislation that might have been more difficult to push through a freer political system, Russia allows the importation of spent nuclear fuel from reactors elsewhere.

Russia Seeks to Build Europe’s Nuclear Plants – NYTimes.com, Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear company, is competing with Westinghouse and Areva of France to build new reactors at the Temelin station in the Czech Republic.By ANDREW E. KRAMER October 11, 2010 MOSCOW — The Russian nuclear industry has profited handsomely from building reactors in developing countries, including India, China and Iran. Now it is testing the prospect of becoming a major supplier to the European Union, too…….. Continue reading →

October 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Russia | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Constellation Energy about to kill nuclear reactor project

Constellation Energy says loan backstop too costly, MontereyHerald.com :By DANIEL WAGNER 10/10/2010 WASHINGTON—Constellation Energy Group Inc. says it won’t tap a government program necessary to build a new nuclear plant in Maryland, in a move likely to kill the project, according to a published report on Sunday.The U.S. Department of Energy’s loan guarantee came with “unworkable” terms and an “unreasonably burdensome” cost, Constellation said Saturday, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal……..The government guarantee was necessary for Constellation to finance the planned Calvert Cliffs 3 plant in Calvert County, Md. Lenders require developers of nuclear sites to obtain the guarantee. The projects are too costly and high-risk to qualify for regular loans…….. Constellation Energy says loan backstop too costly – MontereyHerald.com :

October 11, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, reactor, uranium | Leave a comment

USA: S3322 legislation to promote nuclear industry

Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) called for a “nuclear renaissance” and introduced S. 3322 to establish the United States Nuclear Fuel Management Corporation. …..The legislation has transparent ties to the nuclear industry….are they truly nonpartisan representatives of the public or are they already in the pockets of the nuclear industry?.

The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future: Doing Important Work or Already Irrelevant?, DC Bureau, 08 October 2010, by Hannah Karns President Barrack Obama established the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (BRC) by presidential memorandum on January 20, 2010 to review and recommend solutions to a problem that has plagued the nuclear weapons and power industry for generations: how to safely dispose of radioactive waste. Continue reading →

October 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Yucca nuclear waste project dead in the water

Yucca project review halted NRC chief tables viability study of nuclear waste site, ReviewJournal.com, By STEVE TETREAULTSTEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREA, 7 Oct 10,

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission tossed water on the embers of the Yucca Mountain project this week, directing agency scientists to halt a formal review of the nuclear waste site. Continue reading →

October 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Greenpeace dumps nuclear waste problem on European Parliament

The nuclear sector has no idea what to do with this waste, let alone the far more dangerous and long-lived waste that also continues to pile up. As the vast majority comes from the power sector, the only logical step is to phase out nuclear power.

Greenpeace takes radioactive waste to the European Parliament, International Media-Newswire.com, by Jack Hunter, 8 Oct 2010, – Greenpeace delivered radioactive waste to the door of the European Parliament today to remind MEPs in their last plenary session before considering a new nuclear waste law that there is no solution to nuclear waste. Continue reading →

October 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radioactive | Leave a comment

Coalition Against Nuclear Energy speaks out in South Africa

“The solution to South Africa’s energy crisis is decentralised power, where regions are able to establish their own renew- able-energy plants that are suitable to their terrain and conditions. This will not only create local jobs, but will also allow excess power to be fed into the grid.”

Concerns about a nuclear powered South Africa, Engineering News, By: Tracy Hancock 8th October 2010 “………local umbrella group Coalition Against Nuclear Energy (Cane) believes that there are many unanswered questions pertaining to the use of nuclear energy as an answer to South Africa’s electricity crisis. Continue reading →

October 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | opposition to nuclear, South Africa | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, reactors, renewable energy, renewables | Leave a comment

Canadian advertising regulator rules against “emission free” nuclear power

Finally, someone in authority has caught up with the nuclear industry and its propaganda. The Advertising Standards Canada, the organisation which regulates the Canadian advertising industry, ruled earlier this year that claims of nuclear power being ‘emission free’ made in adverts by the Power Workers’ Union ‘were inaccurate, unsupported, and misleading’. The Union was told to remove its ads.

‘Emission free’ nuclear power is more greenwash Greenpeace International, 7 Oct 10, We’ve discussed before on Nuclear Reactio the nuclear industry’s attempts to greenwash nuclear power by rebranding it ‘clean’. It’s a description of this most contaminating of energy sources that nuclear boosters are pushing more and more in the debate about the future of nuclear power. Another term we’re starting to see more and more of is ‘emission free’, as in ‘nuclear power is an emission free energy source’. ……. Even institutions like the BBC have bought the industry spin. Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

Tennessee Valley Authority wants delay in new nuclear licenses review

TVA asks for delay to US NRC review of new nuclear unit licenses, Washington (Platts)–6 Oct2010 The Tennessee Valley Authority has asked the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to defer its review of the federal utility’s applications to build and operate two new Westinghouse-designed nuclear reactors at the Bellefonte site in Alabama. TVA, in a letter made public Wednesday, asked NRC to temporarily suspend the combined construction permit-operating license (COL) review for the two units, with the exception of some elements already under way…….TVA cited the expectation that its board will vote in the spring on whether to complete Bellefonte-1, an unfinished nuclear unit of an older design at the site… Platts: RSS Feed Detailed News

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, reactors | Leave a comment

Safety and costs – the top concerns about keeping aging nuclear reactors

two questions — safety and economics — lie at the heart of the research agenda now under way on plant aging…..the environment inside nuclear plants is like nothing else, subjecting reactor components to intense heat, stress, vibration and neutron bombardment that could potentially cause hidden weaknesses in reactors, pipes, joints, wiring and other components…if one were to have a seismic event — an earthquake — would the structures withstand the forces?”.

Experts Weigh Extending the Lives of Nuclear Power Plants to 80 Years- NC WARN , September 22nd, 2010 By PETER BEHR of ClimateWire Next year, when two nuclear reactors near Syracuse, N.Y., are shut down for normal refueling operations, technicians will enter their cavernous containment structures looking for signs of aging in the thick steel walls surrounding shrouds of concrete. Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors | Leave a comment

Increased nuclear program in Pakistan

Pakistan steps up nuclear construction, Google hosted news, By Shaun Tandon (AFP) – 6 Oct 10, WASHINGTON — Pakistan appears to have stepped up construction of a new atomic reactor that could help the country produce easier-to-deliver nuclear weapons, a US research institute said. Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is one of the most sensitive topics for the United States as it tries to improve relations with its frontline partner in the campaign against Islamic extremism.The Institute for Science and International Security, a private US group which is critical of nuclear weapons, said Tuesday it observed progress at Pakistan’s tightly guarded Khushab site which is key to plutonium production……….Pakistan, which experts estimate now has up to 100 nuclear weapons, has been adamant that its nuclear weapons are in safe hands and President Barack Obama has publicly concurred.

But the United States hinted at its frustration on Tuesday at the United Nations, where Pakistan has blocked a resumption of negotiations for an agenda in global nuclear disarmament talks. AFP: Pakistan steps up nuclear construction

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Pakistan, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, reactor | Leave a comment