Nuclear power in Europe

Individual payments of up to £1m have been handed out from the public purse as a "golden goodbye" to directors at the loss-making nuclear holding group BNFL, according to the latest set of accounts.

David Bonser, executive director for human resources and a key figure in the development of BNFL's troubled Thorp reprocessing plant, received £1,046,350 compensation for ending his employment last month. That was on top of an annual salary and bonuses worth £577,112 for the 12 months to March 31, 2008.

Essen/ Sofia. The German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel turns its attention to the scandal in Germany surrounding the participation of RWE in the construction of NPP Belene.

Jurgen Grosmann, the President and CEO of RWE, has received an unusual letter of protest from Bulgarian MPs, which showed the negative effect from the construction of the nuclear power plant on the tourism and agriculture in the region.

Germany has adopted a seemingly contradictory set of policies in its effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase energy security. While it has greatly emphasized renewable energy, the government remains committed to a phase-out of nuclear power and to the construction of new gas pipelines from Russia.

No 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."