nuclear costs « nuclear-news

EDF takeover in France’s nuclear empire?

it has ambitions to dominate the global market, building its latest-generation EPR reactor around the world and introducing it next-generation reactor ATMEA.

French Govt: EDF, Areva In Strategic Nuclear Partnership – WSJ.com-By A.H. Mooradian and Geraldine Amiel, Dow Jones Newswires;PARIS 27 July 2010, –The French government Tuesday announced a far-reaching alliance between State-controlled utility giant Electricite de France (EDF.FR) and State nuclear engineering group Areva SA (CEI.FR), Continue reading →

July 28, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, reactors | Leave a comment

Safety problems add to costs, overruns, in AREVA’s new nuclear plants

Areva, the state-controlled French nuclear engineering company, is already battling construction delays and cost overruns at both Flamanville and Olkiluoto, in Finland, where it is building the first of its EPR plants.

Safety Fears Raised at French Reactor, NYTimes.com, By PATRICIA BRETT July 26, 2010, PARIS — Anti-nuclear activists are seeking to halt construction of France’s latest-generation nuclear power plant at Flamanville, on the Normandy coast, arguing that changes introduced to solve problems with the reactor’s fuel pellet cladding have invalidated the plant’s original building permit. Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, reactor, uranium | 1 Comment

American nuclear companies nervously awaiting Indian Parliament over Civil Liability Bill

The bill triggered a storm when it was first presented to lawmakers in May, with the opposition arguing it will shield American technology suppliers from compensation claims.

GE, Westinghouse Await Nuclear Bill as Singh Set to Face Stormy Parliament, Bloomberg, By Bibhudatta Pradhan – Jul 26, 2010, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh faces an opposition buoyed by support for a recent nationwide strike when parliament meets today, promising a rough ride for legislation such as a bill to enable the entry of U.S. nuclear power companies……….. Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, reactor, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear power future in Germany very much in doubt

According to a law passed in 2002 by the then-ruling SPD and the Green coalition, all of Germany’s nuclear power plants are to go off line by 2022……

Opposition party pledges to fight nuclear power extension | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 26.07.2010 Richard Connor , German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition has been put on notice that it will face a fight over any change to the law on nuclear energy without approval from the country’s upper house of parliament. Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

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

Why not adopt safer, non radiation, airport scanners?

Given that the two types of machines are both deemed effective by the T.S.A., why doesn’t the agency just abandon backscatters and use the millimeter wave machines, which don’t pose radiation issues?

Radiation Questions Over a Body Scanner – NYTimes.com. By JOE SHARKEY July 26, 2010“………travelers also do not fully trust the security agency’s assurances that the new machines are safe, that they can’t be defeated by a terrorist and that personal privacy will be protected — at least, to the extent the agency has claimed. Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Uranium processing costs soar

there are still “significant” issues hindering DOE from bringing projects to completion on time and within budget.

More questions about cost of UPF, Frank Munger’s Atomic City Underground | knoxnews.com, 26 July 2010, Todd Jacobson of Nuclear Weapons & Materials Monitor is reporting that the Government Accountability Office is raising concerns that the cost of the Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12 may reach or even exceed the top end of current estimates ($1.4 billion to $3.5 billion). Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Uranium, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, uranium | Leave a comment

Poland’s nuclear company’s volley of nuclear spin

State-controlled Polska Grupa Energety (PGE) is attempting to build public support for nuclear power.

PGE Sponsors Women’s Volleyball Team to Promote Polish Nuclear Power Plans; Bloomberg, By Nathaniel Espino – Jul 27, 2010 A Polish women’s volleyball team will change its name to Atom after receiving sponsorship from Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA, the country’s largest utility, which plans to build the country’s first nuclear power station. Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, spinbuster | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

New Brunswick – more delays on nuclear power plant

N.B. government asks feds to comment on nuclear delay – CTV News. The Canadian Press Jul. 26, 2010 FREDERICTON — New Brunswick’s energy minister says there are rumours of further delays in the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Canada | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, uranium | Leave a comment

USA – some good nuclear news

No “Emergency” funding for nuclear industry, Beyond Nuclear, 24 July 2010, First, the Senate last night rejected the House-passed emergency supplemental funding bill by a 51-46 vote.* This is the bill that included $9 Billion in “emergency” loans for new nuclear reactor construction. The House will almost certainly have to accept the Senate version; those loans are now history.

Second, the Senate has given up on passing a climate bill before the November elections. That’s obviously mixed news: we support a strong climate bill. But we weren’t going to get a strong climate bill anyway; what we were going to get was a Christmas-in-July gift to the nuclear power industry. The wealthy nuclear corporations were all ready to unwrap their presents. Not this time.

July 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, reactors | 1 Comment

USA – some not so good nuclear news

USA 10 $Billion to nuclear loans, Beyond Nuclear 24 July 2010, Earlier this week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an energy funding bill for next year that includes $10 Billion in nuclear loans (along with $7+ billion for fossil fuels and about $3 billion for renewables). Those are clearly some misplaced priorities–and $10 billion for new reactors is $10 Billion too much, but it is less than half of the $25 Billion passed by the House Appropriations Committee.

Unfortunately, the Committee also approved two pro-nuclear bills: S. 2052, which would authorize the Department of Energy to spend $50 million/year through 2015 to reduce the cost of new reactors (although it’s hard to see how that kind of money can accomplish that goal, utilities already have plenty of incentive to reduce costs) and S. 2812, which would encourage the development of “small, modular reactors” and seek their design certification by the NRC by 2018 (although it is highly unlikely these could ever prove economical–see Amory Lovins’ factsheet here).

July 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

South Korea wants to recycle nuclear “spent” fuel

Washington is concerned that allowing the country to process the fuel for reuse may discourage North Korea from giving up its weapons programme,

South Korea seeks US accord to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, Industrial Fuels and Power, July 23rd, 2010 Continue reading →

July 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Korea | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons, plutonium, reactors, recycling, reprocessing, uranium | Leave a comment

Video: UK’s use of depleted uranium weapons in Iraq

VIDEO
Reports emerge the UK used depleted uranium weapons in Iraq – RT Top Stories RT Top Stories, 24 July, 2010, 00:41Reports have emerged that the UK used depleted uranium weapons during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. A UK defense official has reportedly admitted using highly controversial ammunition. Continue reading →

July 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | depleted uranium, Resources -audiovicual, UK, Uranium | cancer, depleted, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

Indian govt urged to drop Nuclear Liability Bill

the “bill does not protect the interests of the Indian people nor assure their lives and safety”……The party has decided to mobilise public opinion against the entry of foreign direct investment (FDI)

Drop nuclear liability bill, CPI-M tells government, Politics News, 23 July 2010, Continue reading →

July 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics | antinuclear, nuclear costs | Leave a comment

Uranium spill shuts US highway

U.S. Highway 412 at Bouse Junction east to State Highway 58 at Ringwood has been shut down for containment purposes. They initially reported that the chemical spilled was uranium

Uranium Accident Prompts Road Closure , Evacuations Reported Near Fairview KOCO Oklahoma City, July 22, 2010 An accident involving a vehicle carrying cesium has forced the closure of a road in Major County, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. According to a news release from the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, U.S. Highway 412 at Bouse Junction east to State Highway 58 at Ringwood has been shut down for containment purposes. They initially reported that the chemical spilled was uranium.Fairview police said there have been evacuations about 1,000 feet around the area. It has not been determined whether anything is leaking.Authorities at the scene are waiting for officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to arrive from Tulsa.Chemical Accident Prompts Road Closure – Oklahoma City News Story – KOCO Oklahoma City

July 23, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment