nuclear technology « nuclear-news

Bill Gates’ pie in the sky idea for prolonging the agony of declining nuclear industry

TerraPower’s Multibillion-Dollar Nuclear Reactor Plan – Venture Capital Dispatch – WSJ, 16 June 2010, By Yuliya ChernovaIf your first product is due on the market in nine years, at a cost of between $3 billion and $4 billion, can you raise venture money now? In the case of TerraPower LLC, the answer is yes. The Bellevue, Wash.-based nuclear technology developer announced this week it raised $35 million in its Series B round from new investor Khosla Ventures and returning backers Charles River Ventures and Bill Gates.
…………. there are still years of engineering and development work ahead for the team………
Besides having to overcome technological and financial challenges, TerraPower would also have to deal with a difficult regulatory framework. In the U.S., the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issues licenses for new nuclear power plant designs; it typically takes years to secure one.

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors | Leave a comment

India’s nuclear liabilty Bill designed to protect Westinghouse and General Electric

“What Westinghouse and General Electric want is that even the limited liability that accrued to the Union Carbide in the case of Bhopal [$470 million as per the settlement approved by the Supreme Court] should not fall on them.”

Bill meant to safeguard U.S. firms, says Karat, The Hindu , 17 June 2010, NEW DELHI: The Manmohan Singh-led government is under pressure from Washington on the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill and the proposed legislation bears the handiwork of the U.S. nuclear industry lobby. Continue reading →

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactors, uranium, Westinghouse | Leave a comment

U.S.- Russia agreement designed to further commercial nuclear power

The Importance of the US-Russia 123 Agreement, ClimateIntel. June 16, 2010 The Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation for Cooperation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (also known as the 123 Agreement) serves not only non-proliferation, but also the commercial interests of both countries…..

The U.S.-Russia agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation would create a legal framework for:

exporting U.S. nuclear technology, material, or equipment;
importing Russian nuclear technology;
jointly developing advanced nuclear technologies;
reprocessing in Russia of U.S.-origin spent nuclear fuel from various U.S. partners (i.e. South Korea, Taiwan)….

The International Nuclear Energy Cooperation (INEC) initiative seeks to “foster the safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable use of nuclear energy

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Saudi Arabia planning to enrich uranium?

Kingdom may enrich uranium for nuclear plants By AMENA BAKR | REUTERS Arab News, Jun 17, 2010 DUBAI: Saudi Arabia may mine and enrich uranium to fuel power plants if it embarks on a civilian nuclear energy program, a consultant preparing a draft nuclear strategy for the Kingdom said on Wednesday….

Saudi Arabia and the United States signed a nuclear cooperation deal in 2008. France said in 2009 it was close to finalizing a civilian nuclear agreement. The Kingdom has also talked to Russia about nuclear cooperation. Any program would likely be similar in value and size to the UAE’s plan, Elkuch said. Kingdom may enrich uranium for nuclear plants – Arab News

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, Saudi Arabia | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, uranium | Leave a comment

U.S. company Halliburton slyly selling nuclear technology to Iran

Halliburton Sells Nuclear Tech to Iran The Sly Oyster, by James Furbush June 15, 2010 · Interesting. Seems like Halliburton has found a way to profit from every conceivable scenario. Can’t even fault them, really, savvy business practices. It’s just unfortunate they’re able to take advantage of the system set up.

So, Halliburton creates offshore entities to circumvent the U.S. ban on doing business in Iran, and part of what passes through this truly ridiculous loophole is nuclear enabling technology. All of the profit ends up in a Cayman Islands shell company so there’s no U.S. tax burden, and when we have to go interdict anuclear armed Iran Halliburton gets paid again supporting our military in the conflict. Halliburton Sells Nuclear Tech to Iran

June 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

China doing a quiet nuclear deal with Pakistan

China on verge of unveiling nuclear deal with Pakistan Pakistan Daily, Pakistan Jun 15, 2010 China is on the verge of unveiling a nuclear deal with Pakistan that will, in effect, be “cocking a snook” at the world as it will be outside the purview of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a noted security expert said.After the exception the NSG accorded to India in 2008 to enable the implementation of its civilian nuclear pact with the US, Pakistan had sought a similar deal from Washington and after having been turned down, “it now appears that China will soon announce its deal with Pakistan to export two nuclear reactors”. China on verge of unveiling nuclear deal with Pakistan | Pakistan Daily

June 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

Obama’s all too cosy circle of pro nuclear advice and money

..Ultimately, Obama remains as mired in nuclear energy as he is in the Gulf oil mess. Let’s hope it doesn’t take a nuclear accident to change his mind.

Obama’s nuclear family. AlterNet, by lindagunter 14 June 2010,
June 14, 2010In case we were hoping that the BP oil disaster would open the Obama administration’s eyes to the equal if not likely greater risks of nuclear energy, we can quickly disillusion ourselves. ….. Continue reading →

June 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, uranium | Leave a comment

Bill Gates promoting untested and unlikely, nuclear technology

Bill Gates-Backed Nuclear Startup TerraPower Piles on Investors , 14 June 2010, Is this really the best Gates can do as far as energy bets goes? This one is still in simulation mode with a best ‘estimate’ they might be able to demonstrate a prototype plant by 2020? Surely there are some more ‘realistic’ energy start-ups Gates could also be ‘pushing’ as well.

Bill Gates-Backed Nuclear Startup TerraPower Piles on Investors

June 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Inspection of mysterious shutdown of nuclear plant

Reactor shutdown prompts inspection at Surry nuclear plant. The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg Virgini, June 12, 2010 SURRY — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched a Special Inspection Team to the Surry nuclear power plant. The team is reviewing a June 8 trip that prompted a shutdown of the reactor.According to the NRC, a Unit 1 electrical bus failed while plant employees were performing maintenance. That loss of power to some components caused the Unit 1 reactor to automatically shut down. There were several complications associated with that shutdown, including loss of power to some components, loss of some instrumentation and control room indications, and a small fire in a cabinet in the control room.

The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg Virginia > News > Reactor shutdown prompts inspection at Surry nuclear plant

June 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactor | Leave a comment

USA’s problem with Jordan’s nuclear power plans

Jordan’s Nuclear Ambitions Pose Quandary for the U.S. WSJ.com – By JAY SOLOMON SAWAQA, Jordan—The Kingdom of Jordan is in a sprint to become the Arab world’s next nuclear power. And America wants to help it succeed. U.S. and Jordanian officials are negotiating a nuclear-cooperation agreement that would allow American firms to export nuclear components and know-how to the Mideast country, America’s closest Arab ally in the volatile region…. it’s a partnership that puts the Obama administration in a bind: It is trying to make good on its pledge to promote greater civilian use of atomic energy, without angering Israel and risking a Mideast arms race. Continue reading →

June 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | MIDDLE EAST, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, reactors | Leave a comment

Inida’s nukes planned for populated areas, despite poor radiation safeguards

Radiating error, THE WEEK, Mayapuri incident exposes chinks in the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s armour. By Payal Saxena, June 12 India plans to have 20,000MW of nuclear energy by 2020 and triple that by 2032—an ambition that would translate into 31 nuclear reactors in all. Most plants are planned in areas with high population density, Continue reading →

June 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, safety | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

Russia financing Ukraine, Kiev planning new nuclear power

Russia lends Ukraine $2bn: what does it want in return? | FT.com, June 11, 2010 by Roman Olearchyk Now that the west seems to fear to tread very far into Ukraine, Russia is more than happy to step into the breach…it seems that the Russian bank has agreed to shore up the public finances for six months. The short-term benefits to Kiev are obvious: but the long-term implications of the dramatic increase in Russian influence that has followed president Viktor Yanukovich’s election have yet to become clear……….Kiev also hopes soon to ink a $4-5bn loan from Russia to finance new nuclear power blocs.

Russia lends Ukraine $2bn: what does it want in return? | beyondbrics | FT.com

June 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, Ukraine | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Confidence in nuclear power safety falling, after oil safety failure

this story is especially pertinent now, as the nation reexamines its energy policy in the wake of the calamitous BP Gulf spill.

Nuclear Reactor Eaten by Leaky Acid, Again : TreeHugger, 9 June 2010, Back in 2002, an Ohio nuclear power plant developed a leak that allowed highly pressurized cooling water containing boric acid to seep out. That acid ate away a football-sized hole into the 6-inch steel lid to the nuclear reactor, leaving the reactor’s integrity at grave risk. The cause of the narrowly averted disaster was thought to have been fixed, but the New York Times reports that signs of even more leakage have been showing up again — Continue reading →

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom involved in Iran, France, Australia

Rosatom Agrees to First Asset Sale to Foreign Investor, The Moscow Times, 09 June 2010By Anatoly Medetsky “…..Kiriyenko (pictured) announced that Russia and Iran would jointly run Iran’s first nuclear power plant that Rosatom plans to launch in August. Iran agreed to establish a joint venture with Rosatom to operate the plant because the country doesn’t have enough experience in maintaining such facilities, he said.In other news, Rosatom signed an agreement with the French Atomic Energy Commission to expand cooperation on reprocessing, decommissioning and isotopes technology.

In what could further extend Rosatom’s international reach, the State Duma is scheduled to ratify an accord between Russia and Australia on peaceful nuclear cooperation on Wednesday. Continue reading →

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Russia | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, enriched, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, reactors, recycling, reprocessing, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear waste casks, pools, piles, are ticking time bombs

(USA) Ticking time bombs: what should we do with nuclear waste?, SmartPlanet, By Andrew Nusca | Jun 8, 2010 “……..the WSJ report outlines some scary figures:

More than 800 filled casks await a final destination, holding 14,000 metric tons of waste.
Another 49,000 metric tons is being held in spent-fuel pools, waiting to be placed in vessels.
A further 2,000 metric tons of nuclear reactor waste is created every year.

The problem is that the next wave of nuclear reactors are already on the drawing board.

June 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation | Leave a comment