NucNet: Global Nuclear News

The nuclear communications network

March 2008

February 2008

January 2008

December 2007

February 2008

Norway Pledges USD 5 Million For International Fuel Bank Initiative

29 Feb (NucNet): Norway has pledged financial and political support for an International Atomic Energy Agency-administered international uranium fuel bank initiative borne out of a 2006 proposal by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).

US Regulator Accepts Duke Energy COL Application

28 Feb (NucNet): Duke Energy’s combined licence (COL) application for the proposed two-unit William States Lee III nuclear power plant has been accepted by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and docketed for the next stage of review.

Application Submitted For Potential New Unit Near US Grand Gulf Plant

28 Feb (NucNet): A combined licence (COL) application has been submitted to US regulators for the potential construction of a new reactor unit next to the Grand Gulf nuclear power plant in Mississippi.

US Turkey Point Units Shut Down Safely During Grid Disturbance

27 Feb (NucNet): The two-unit Turkey Point nuclear power plant in south Florida shut down safely yesterday following a disturbance in offsite power that led to an electricity outage throughout much of the state.

‘ Evolutionary Power Reactor’ Design Accepted For Review By NRC

26 Feb (NucNet): US nuclear regulators said today that they had accepted for review an application to certify Areva’s 1,600-megawatt US Evolutionary Power Reactor (US EPR) design.

Regulator Says Yucca Mountain Licensing Faces ‘Inadequate Funding’

26 Feb (NucNet): Chief US nuclear regulator Dale Klein has called for “clarification” from Congress over how best to proceed with the licensing procedure of the country’s planned Yucca Mountain geological repository in the face of inadequate funding.

UK Joins Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

26 Feb (NucNet): The UK is joining the US-led Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), it was confirmed today.

UK University To Open GBP 25 Million Nuclear Training Centre

25 Feb (NucNet): The University of Manchester in England has announced plans to establish a 25-million-pound (GBP) (49 million US dollars, 33 million euro) Centre for Nuclear Energy Technology (C-NET).

Decision In Principle On New UK N-Plant Expected As Early As 2009

22 Feb (NucNet): The UK government said today it expects a decision in principle by an operator to proceed with building a new nuclear power plant – and ask the government for a fixed unit price for waste disposal in a geological disposal facility – could come as early as mid-2009.

Australian Regulator Calls For More Information Before OPAL’s Restart

22 Feb (NucNet): The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), has asked for further information and clarification about an application to modify the reactor fuel design and to restart operation of the country’s OPAL research reactor.

‘Careful Planning’ Driving New Nuclear Projects In US, Analysts Told

22 Feb (NucNet): Construction of new nuclear plants in the US will increase slowly over the next decade as project sponsors “exercise caution to effectively manage business risks”, nuclear energy industry leaders told Wall Street financial analysts in New York yesterday.

US Report Proposes Replacement Of Caesium-137 In Medical Equipment

21 Feb (NucNet): The US government should promote the replacement of radioactive caesium chloride radiation sources used in some medical and research equipment, according to a new report by the country’s National Academies’ National Research Council.

German Multilateral Enrichment Centre Plan To Be Presented At IAEA

19 Feb (NucNet): A German proposal for an international enrichment centre to be built that would ensure fuel supplies for countries operating nuclear power plants will be outlined at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, later today.

Philippines Is ‘Building Human Resources’ For Nuclear

15 Feb (NucNet): The president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said today the government was building a “new set of human resources” so a decision could be made about whether or not the country should build nuclear units.

MHI Wins Steam Turbine Generator Order For Haiyang Units

15 Feb (NucNet): Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan has received an order from Shandong Nuclear Power of China for two packages of a 1,200-megawatt steam turbine generator.

Next Stage Of Novovoronezh Construction Under Way

15 Feb (NucNet): Russia’s Atomenergoproject engineering company has started the next stage of construction of the second phase of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant.

Environmental Report Submitted For Possible Fourth Olkiluoto Unit

14 Feb (NucNet): The environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the possible construction of a fourth unit at Finland’s Olkiluoto nuclear power plant was submitted today to the country’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

Global Nuclear Emergency Response Network Goes Operational

7 Feb (NucNet): An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-based international nuclear emergency response network has become operational after receiving its first pledges of assistance from four member states.

Uranium Business Drives 120% Earnings Increase For Cameco

6 Feb (NucNet): Cameco Corporation today reported adjusted 2007 net earnings of 603 million Canadian dollars (CAD) (601 million US dollars, 410 million euro), 120 percent higher than in 2006 due to improved results in the uranium business.

Regulators Seek Budget Increase For Growing US Nuclear Activity

5 Feb (NucNet): Proposals to boost spending on nuclear regulatory activities in the US to help deal with increasing interest in new-build have been announced by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Westinghouse Submits Proposals For 20,000 MW Of Nuclear In South Africa

4 Feb (NucNet): Westinghouse Electric Company has submitted proposals to provide three 1,100-megawatt (MW) electric AP1000 nuclear units to South Africa beginning in 2016, as well as up to 20,000 MW of nuclear power generation in total by 2025.

'No Significant Damage' To Safety Equipment At Kashiwazaki Kariwa

4 Feb (NucNet): A follow-up mission by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan has concluded there was no significant damage to safety equipment from a strong earthquake last year.