VALENCIA, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Spain's nuclear watchdog told plants on Wednesday that renewing their operating permits would depend on how they implemented tighter safety procedures spurred by a rash of unscheduled stoppages.
Among others, the Nuclear Safety Council reviewed safety plans at the 1,000 megawatt Asco I plant, which faces a hefty fine after the regulator asked for government sanctions over the management's handling of a radioactive leak last November.
WARSAW, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Poland needs to build between 1,500 and 2,000 megawatts a year of new power capacity to keep up with growing demand, an adviser to the economy minister said on Wednesday.
The country, which needs to increase capacity quickly to make up for years of abandoning investments and plant renovations, would be interested in building natural-gas fired plants, Joanna Strzelec-Lobodzinska said.
"The estimates show Poland needs to create between 1,500 and 2,000 MW in new capacities to keep up with growing demand and replace outdated technologies," Lobodzinska told reporters.
The government is pinning its hopes on a nuclear renaissance to meet Britain's climate change goals. Planning procedures are being eased and hidden subsidies offered. But the policy is based on a misunderstanding of nuclear power's lousy economics, and will fail
Tom Burke
A statement by the Socialists that nuclear power is not a taboo subject within the party could signal a parliamentary majority in favour of building new nuclear power plants in the Netherlands, reports Wednesday’s Telegraaf.
‘Everything is open to discussion. Nuclear power is not taboo for the SP,’ Socialist party (SP) leader Agnes Kant is quoted by the paper as saying.
Expert accuses US Nuclear Regulatory Commission of shunning safe practice and hushing-up his independent guidance
THE accusation: "They refused to forward my questions to the applicant. They want[ed] me to water things down [and didn't] want me to criticise. I was not allowed to provide independent review." In this case 'they' is the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the 'applicant' is Shaw Areva Mox Services (SAMS), and the disgruntled tce quotee is Daniel Tedder, professor emeritus of chemical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, US.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the official start of construction on the second Bulgarian Belene nuclear power plant is scheduled for September 3. Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev will turn the first sod, according to the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s press centre in the northern city of Pleven, as quoted by Bulgarian-language daily Dnevnik.
Bidders interested in buying the Government's share in the uranium company Urenco have contacted its former chairman about forming a consortium to table an offer for the stake which could be worth up to £4bn.
Neville Chamberlain, who was chairman of Urenco from 2002 to 2005, said: "I have had discussions with various potential bidders." He added: "I would not be surprised if a bid emerged."
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HELSINKI, Sept 1 (Reuters) - France's Areva submitted a claim to the Finnish government on Monday to search for uranium in northern Finland, the company said.
Areva Resources Finland said in a statement the exclusive, 5-year exploration claim was for a 108 sq km (41.7 square miles) parcel of land lying mostly in the municipality of Ranua in Lapland, 750 km north of Helsinki.
A SOUTH Lakeland anti-nuclear campaigner has claimed taxpayers’ money is being used to “soften up” Cumbrians for a new nuclear power station.
Artist Marianne Birkby spoke out after discovering the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has given £34 million from its “socio-economic fund” to organisations such as hospitals and colleges and wildlife, and heritage groups.
Green campaigners have expressed concern that the Government's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is using the same lobbying consultancy as a firm that often bids for major nuclear decommissioning contracts.
The NDA is charged with cleaning up the UK's nuclear waste - and in particular with decommissioning the Sellafield site. It has employed Bell Pottinger Public Affairs (BPPA) since 2005.
