Companies

The Atomic Berisha

Friday, June 12, 2009

The Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, has proposed constructing a nuclear power plant in Albania. The Berlusconi government in Italy is the first strategic partner to receive his request for cooperation. Experts and analysts interpret the proposal as a joke; environmentalists again suggest alternative sources.

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RWE will fight for Dutch nuclear stake

Thursday, June 4, 2009

LONDON (Reuters) - German RWE, Europe's fifth-largest utility, will fight to take over Essent's stake in the Netherland's only nuclear power plant, disputing a claim by peer Delta that it should sell it on.

RWE does not have to comply with a demand by Dutch state-owned utility Delta to sell on the 50 percent stake of the Borssele nuclear power plant it is buying as part of its 8.2 billion euro ($11.6 billion) takeover of Essent, RWE finance director Rolf Pohlig said in an interview.

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Vattenfall says German reactor to reopen soon

Monday, June 1, 2009

STOCKHOLM/LONDON (Reuters) - Sweden's Vattenfall is ready to reopen one of its two north German nuclear plants shortly and the second will reopen later this year at the earliest as the operator completes safety-related measures, Chief Executive Lars Josefsson said on Monday.

"Kruemmel is almost ready to go live but of course requires approval while the time schedule for Brunsbuettel is not as firm," he said at the Reuters Energy Summit by video link from Stockholm.

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In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble

Friday, May 29, 2009

OLKILUOTO, 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.

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Nuclear lobby buoyant as Europe warms up to atomic energy

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The revival of atomic energy in Europe and a new nuclear-friendly mood in both the EU Commission and the EU Parliament has given the industry's powerful lobby in Brussels a
shot in the arm.

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Areva and TVO Downplay Renewed Reactor Concerns

Friday, May 8, 2009

Power company TVO denies that Finland's Nuclear and Radiation Safety Authority (STUK) has threatened to stop construction of a nuclear reactor at its plant in Olkiluoto. Nonetheless both TVO and French contractor Areva say they take the criticism seriously.

TVO and Areva admit that plans for an automation safety system have been delayed, but say that STUK has not suggested it would order a stop to construction for this or any other reason.

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EDF bosses probed for spying on Greenpeace

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

PARIS (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.

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‘Madame Non’ in fight to keep Areva post

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Anne Lauvergeon is used to fighting tough battles, but this time the chief executive of Areva, whose combative style has in the past earned her the soubriquet “Madame Non”, is in danger of facing her final round.

The French government is nearing a decision on the future of Areva, its state-owned nuclear champion, and with it the fate of one of France’s most internationally recognised business figures.

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Slash renewables target to protect nuclear, says EDF

Friday, March 13, 2009

The 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%.

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GDF Suez drops Bulgarian nuclear reactor plan

Thursday, February 19, 2009

PARIS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - French utility GDF Suez has decided to pull out of Bulgaria's planned atomic power plant of Belene to focus on its other nuclear projects, a company spokesman said on Wednesday. GDF Suez's Belgian subsidiary Electrabel had been in talks to take part in German utility RWE's 49-percent stake in Bulgaria's 4 billion euro plant.

The Balkan country is building the 2,000 megawatt plant to help it regain its position as a major exporter in Southeast Europe and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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