Industry promised subsidy if market price fails to encourage new plants
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Families face nuclear tax on power bills
Monday, October 19, 2009
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Problems Plague Launch of 'Safer' Next-Generation Reactors
Thursday, October 15, 2009The 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.
The managers at Finnish electric utility TVO expressed one last wish before ordering what would be the world's largest nuclear power plant from Siemens and the French nuclear power conglomerate Areva. They wanted the reactor to be painted oxblood red and white, the traditional colors of the picturesque summer homes on Finland's western coast.
Nuclear reactor 3 stops after fire at EDF's Paluel
Monday, September 28, 2009PARIS, Sept 25 (Reuters) - EDF has turned off the 1,300-megawatt Paluel power reactor 3 after fire broke out in the machine room in the non-nuclear part of the plant, it said on Friday.
The fire was put out and there were no casualties, it said.
Safety alert at Dungeness B nuclear power station
Wednesday, July 8, 2009A safety incident at Dungeness B nuclear power station forced the suspension of operations in a section of a plant, it has been disclosed.
In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble
Friday, May 29, 2009OLKILUOTO, Finland — As the Obama administration tries to steer America toward cleaner sources of energy, it would do well to consider the cautionary tale of this new-generation nuclear reactor site.
The massive power plant under construction on muddy terrain on this Finnish island was supposed to be the showpiece of a nuclear renaissance. The most powerful reactor ever built, its modular design was supposed to make it faster and cheaper to build. And it was supposed to be safer, too.
EDF bosses probed for spying on Greenpeace
Wednesday, April 1, 2009PARIS (AFP) — Two senior executives at French state energy giant Electricite de France (EDF) have been charged on suspicion of spying on Greenpeace, a judicial official said Tuesday.
EDF security chiefs Pierre Francois and Pierre Durieux are charged with conspiring to hack into computer systems including at the environmental group, the official said, confirming a report on the Mediapart website.
Slash renewables target to protect nuclear, says EDF
Friday, March 13, 2009The development of new nuclear plant could be prevented if the government allows too much windpower to be built, energy giants EDF and Eon have claimed.
EDF – the world’s largest nuclear operator with 58 plants – is calling on the government to lower its proposed renewable electricity target from 35% of supply in 2020 to just 20%.
Report: No serious safety events found at EDF reactors in 2007
Wednesday, December 10, 2008No serious safety event occurred within Electricite de France's, or EDF's, reactor fleet in 2007, the Institute of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, or IRSN, said in a report made public December 9.
The report analyzed the operation of EDF's 58 PWRs last year and said there was "continuation of, if not an increase in, unanticipated events and operational difficulties caused essentially by human factor, organizational aspects and certain weakness in operating discipline."
Normandy Dairy Towns Challenge EDF on Nuclear Reactor
Wednesday, December 10, 2008Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) -- The lush green hills overlooking the dairy farms of Le Chefresne in Normandy have become a battleground in France’s efforts to boost power production.
In a corner of France known for Camembert cheese and apples, state-controlled Electricite de France SA plans to build 200 foot-tall steel pylons with high-voltage cables to carry electricity from a nuclear plant. The proposal would add to the 400,000 volts that pylons already carry from two existing reactors.
EDF hopeful of extending duration of its reactors
Monday, December 8, 2008EDF is hoping to secure a multi-billion euro windfall by extending the lifecycle of its nuclear power stations. This could prove crucial to maintaining its top grade credit rating as it invests billlions in acquisitions and plant renewal.
The energy group this week set out in detail the costs and expected gains from the planned investment in its 58 nuclear power stations that could enable it to run reactors for up to 60 years, against the current lifecycle of 40 years.
