Climate change is an often heard argument for the once called nuclear "renaissance". However, if one looks closer, there was something fishy about the industry using climate change protection as its most prominent feature... » Read more
More then thirty years of debate, and the controversy remains as polarised as ever. This website (to be fair - whose maintainer is anti-nuclear) collects news about nuclear power in Europe, sorted by nuclear power plant, type of power plant, country etc.
By presenting different (media) angles on current nuclear issues, we hope to be able to cut out some spin, either pro or against, and to allow the reader to make up his or her own mind about today's pro's and con's of nuclear power.
In the menu on the right you can select your country, the nuclear power plant in your neighbourhood, or your favourite company and read latest (most English) news about it.
Latest nuclear news
Finland's Fennovoima says may downsize reactor project
Monday, February 25, 2013HELSINKI, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Finnish nuclear consortium Fennovoima said it was considering scaling back its planned nuclear reactor project in northern Finland after the exit of its top investor German utility E.ON.
It said it would choose Japan's Toshiba if it went ahead with original plans for a large, 1,600-megawatt reactor, dropping Areva who was previously another candidate.
Areva, Toshiba and Russia's Rosatom could be suppliers for a medium-sized reactor, Fennovoima said.
It said it aimed to choose the reactor supplier this year.
Oettinger calls for ministerial meeting on ITER
Monday, February 25, 2013While MEPs continued their debate on the European Commission’s proposal to grant a specific budget under the multiannual financial framework to the ITER nuclear fusion research and engineering project, Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger announced to the member states’ research ministers, meeting in Brussels on 18 February, that he would organise a ministerial meeting of the ITER Council in Cadarache, France, in September this year.
RWE boss warns over nuclear plant subsidies
Wednesday, February 20, 2013RWE npower, one of the big six power suppliers, has warned ministers not to seal a long-term subsidy deal with the nuclear industry behind the backs of consumers and saddle them with "unnecessarily high bills" for the next 40 years.
The warning from Paul Massara, RWE UK's new chief executive, comes as the Guardian can reveal that up to 15 private sector executives with links to the atomic sector have been seconded to government departments or other public sector roles.
EDF confirms it wants 40-year contracts to build nuclear plants
Wednesday, February 20, 2013Electricity firm EDF has confirmed it wants the UK government to sign 40-year contracts to support building new nuclear reactors in Britain – as the national energy regulator warned prices are likely to rise higher than expected.
The French-owned company is in talks with ministers over "contracts for difference" funding, under which the government guarantees generators will be paid a minimum price for electricity from new nuclear plants: if the market price falls lower than this "strike price" then a surcharge will be added to customers' bills; if it rises higher there would be a refund.
Minister cools power plant plans
Wednesday, February 20, 2013Treasury Minister Mikolaj Budzanowski has indicated that plans to fund Poland's first nuclear power plant have been shelved by the government.
In an interview with the Parkiet daily, Budzanowski reflected that “in today's circumstances it is not possible for the government to support the construction of a nuclear power plant.”
Nuclear power: ministers offer reactor deal until 2050
Tuesday, February 19, 2013The government is launching a last-ditch attempt to sign up energy companies to build new nuclear power stations by proposing to sign contracts guaranteeing subsidies for up to 40 years.
The coalition agreement reached between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in 2010 promised that nuclear power stations would be built only if the industry got no public subsidy, but costly overruns for new reactors overseas and the exit of several major utilities from the UK programme, most recently Centrica, have driven ministers and officials to backtrack on that pledge and accept they will have to provide financial support.
EDF to shed assets, cut costs and investment
Thursday, February 14, 2013PARIS, Feb 12 (Reuters) - French utility EDF is expected cut more costs, sell assets and scale back investment as the state-controlled group struggles with a cap on electricity prices and heavy debts.
When EDF reports 2012 earnings on Thursday, analysts predict the world's largest single operator of nuclear plants is likely to embark on a one billion euro cost-cutting plan, on top of 2.5 billion euros ($3.34 billion) of cuts begun in 2011.
EDF aims to strike CfD deal in next three months
Thursday, February 14, 2013EDF is aiming to complete negotiations with the UK government over new nuclear Contracts for Difference (CfDs) by the end of the first quarter of 2013, it confirmed today. The French-owned firm plans to make an investment decision on Hinkley Point C "as soon as possible" after that.
At its annual results presentation, chief executive Henri Proglio said EDF was seeking a 40-year contract for Hinkley Point C. Potential partners had come forward but nothing would be agreed until the contracts were in place and approved by Brussels.
Sellafield to be prosecuted for sending radioactive waste to wrong disposal site
Wednesday, February 13, 2013Sellafield has pleaded guilty to sending several bags of radioactive waste to the wrong facility, according to the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
The nuclear power company admitted sending four bags of mixed general waste to the Lillyhall landfill site in Workington, Cumbria, in April 2010.
The bags, which contained waste such as plastic, tissues and clothing, should have gone to the low level waste repository, at Drigg.
Finland's Olkiluoto 3 reactor seen delayed to 2016
Monday, February 11, 2013Feb 11 (Reuters) - Commercial production at Finnish nuclear reactor Olkiluoto 3 is likely to be delayed until 2016, utility Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) warned on Monday, the latest setback in plans for the country's fifth such plant.
TVO said there had been delays in planning the plant's automation system and that it had not yet received proper schedule updates from consortium Areva-Siemens , which is building the reactor.