Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Portal

GE-Hitachi to miss Turkey bid deadline

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:18:00 GMT

It is the second firm to go public with concerns about Turkey's nuclear plans GE-Hitachi is the second firm which will not meet the Sept 24 deadline for bids for a new nuclear power plant in Turkey. Bloomberg wire service reported Sept 4 that Jack Fuller, GE-Hitachi CEO, said, "We're preparing the proposal. I just don't think it can be completed before Sept 24th." Fuller Read More......(read more)

Idaho nuke kissed by elephant in South Africa

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:02:00 GMT

What are Hans and Mary Lou doing with their free time? Rod Adams has the story at Atomic Insights blog . Now you will know what two top nuclear scientists from Idaho, Hans Gouger and Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar, are really doing on the other side of the world! See the embedded video of the kiss itself on the Atomic Insights blog. A large African herbivore is tamed by sudden appearance of famed nuclear scientist Read More......(read more)

Atomic Friend Kissed by an Elephant While In South Africa

Atomic Insights Blog — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:40:00 GMT

Dr. Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar is one of my favorite nuclear scientists. Her technical specialty is waste handling and recycling, but she is also a great teacher and communicator. When not working abroad, she participates in a very interesting partnership between Idaho State University and Idaho National Laboratory. During Atomic Show #105, I chatted for well over an hour with Mary Lou and her husband Read More......(read more)

Follow-up from Atomic Show 105 - The Promised Elephant Kiss

TPN : Atomic — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:39:14 GMT

While working in South Africa on the PBMR project, Hans and Mary Lou Gougar are taking full advantage of the opportunity to try new experiences and visit new places. During Atomic Show #105, Hans, ever the devoted husband, offered to share a video of Mary Lou being kissed by an elephant. I have her permission [...] Read More......(read more)

Nuclear Suppliers Group Approved the U.S.-India Nuclear Deal

NEI Nuclear Notes — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:45:00 GMT

Dan Yurman has the story : It took the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) nearly three days of protracted negotiations in Vienna to reach agreement. Austria, New Zealand, and Ireland, were the last three countries holding out on approval due to reservations about granting a waiver to India since it has not signed the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty. ... Austria, New Zealand and Ireland lifted their Read More......(read more)

Economist Article on Amory Lovins - Important Point of View from a Establishment Media Outlet

Atomic Insights Blog — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:20:00 GMT

One of the reasons that I write so often about Amory Lovins is that I believe that the man is a danger to the health and prosperity of billions of people. His views, if accepted, would put the world into a precarious position with less access to clean water, healthy food and reliable electrical power. Unfortunately, he has a great PR department that helps him gain access to the halls of the Pentagon Read More......(read more)

Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG) approves sales to India - next step is up to US Congress

Atomic Insights Blog — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:05:00 GMT

Dan Yurman at Idaho Samizdat has a full series of very informative posts about the tension filled effort to get full concurrence from the 45 member Nuclear Supplier's Group - an organization of the countries that export nuclear related goods and services - to allow sales to India, the world's most populous democracy. It is also one of the largest potential markets for new power systems since Read More......(read more)

The Atomic Show #105 - Atomic Show #105 - Some PBMR science and technology from the inside

TPN : Atomic — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:59:32 GMT

Hans and Mary Lou Gougar return to The Atomic Show for an update on their respective PBMR related research projects. (MP3 - 27.0 MB - 01:18:23 M) Listen to Atomic Show #105 Here! Hans and Mary Lou Gougar are two of my favorite nuclear specialists. They are both currently living and working in South Africa [...] Read More......(read more)

Nuclear Suppliers Group approves India deal

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:08:00 GMT

A breakthrough comes in Vienna after three days of tough negotiations The BBC reports the group of nations which regulates the global nuclear trade has approved a US proposal to lift restrictions on selling nuclear technology to India. The controversial deal now needs to be ratified by the US Congress. The approval came after India pledged to keep its nuclear non-proliferation commitments and to uphold Read More......(read more)

The Party (x 2) Is Over

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:45:00 GMT

Now that the Democrats and Republicans have wrapped up their party conventions, let's review, shall we? We heard from Senator McCain and Governor Palin a full endorsement of nuclear energy - it's in in the Republican mix without caveats - McCain even dinged Obama for not being a heartier supporter. (We spotlight the nuclear references in all the speeches a few posts down.) Senators Obama and Read More......(read more)

India reaffirms intentions as NSG ponders

World Nuclear News — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:13:29 GMT

[Times of India, 5 September] As the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) holds its second meeting to find a consensus on new guidelines to allow India to participate in nuclear trade, Indian external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee issued a statement affirming the country's commitment to non-proliferation goals. A favourable outcome is vital to opening the door to India's participation in international nuclear energy-related trade, and to the US-India cooperation deal that started the entire...(read more)

Application for Victoria

World Nuclear News — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:09:08 GMT

A new nuclear power plant could be established with two reactors in Victoria County, Texas, following an application for its construction and operation made yesterday. The entirely new nuclear site would be 20 kilometers south of a town called Victoria in the state of Texas....(read more)

Risk key to new build success, says report

World Nuclear News — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:22:09 GMT

Tackling the associated project risks will be vital if nuclear new build ventures are to be a success, according to a newly released report from an industry working group....(read more)

Where Are We At with the US-India Nuclear Deal?

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:23:00 GMT

In what has seemed like forever since the agreement was first initiated (July 2005), today could be the day that the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement lives or dies. It's up to the Nuclear Suppliers Group to give the thumbs up or thumbs down and Dan Yurman will be following it closely . Stop by his blog every couple of hours to find updates to the status of the deal. Read More......(read more)

India nuclear deal down to the wire

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:01:00 GMT

Latest wire service reports ~ updates throughout the day (1400 GMT) Reuters reports that delegates to the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) taking place in Vienna, Austria, today (9/5) said India's pledges to honor the nuclear nonproliferation treaty do not go far enough. Member countries are worried that India could set off a regional nuclear arms race if it acquires uranium enrichment Read More......(read more)

Chuck Devore on Why California Needs More Nuclear Plants

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:53:00 GMT

Check out the California Assembly Man's editorial at CaliforniaCityNews.org . Read More......(read more)

The Safety of US Nuclear Plants Continues to Improve

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:40:00 GMT

From the NRC : “The latest round of assessments shows that 90 percent of the nation’s commercial nuclear power plants require only the basic level of attention by the agency. This is an improvement from a year ago, when only 72 percent of the plants required this lower level of oversight,” said Fred Brown, Director of the Division of Inspection and Regional Support in the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Read More......(read more)

Westinghouse gets set for UK construction

World Nuclear News — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:47:51 GMT

Three agreements have been signed by US-based reactor company Westinghouse toward new build in the UK. They could see up to 80% of work on British AP1000s carried out by domestic firms....(read more)

Letter from inside the storm center in Jackson MS

Atomic Insights Blog — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:26:00 GMT

As I have mentioned several times here on Atomic Insights, I hold a special place in my heart for people who respond and rebuild electrical power systems after a damaging storm. When I was growing up, I clearly remember my Dad's "storm training" days. Dad was a supervising engineer for Florida Power and Light and completed a 35 year career with the company. One day per month, he was able Read More......(read more)

John McCain on Nuclear Energy

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:27:00 GMT

Here's John McCain on nuclear energy: My fellow Americans, when I'm president, we're going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much. We will attack the problem on every front. We will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we'll drill them now Read More......(read more)

Ion Beams Used to Detect Counterfeit Wines

NEI Nuclear Notes — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:05:00 GMT

New nuclear technology keeps getting more and more interesting : Nuclear scientists in France have unveiled a 21st century tool for unmasking counterfeit vintage wines, by zapping them with ion beams from a particle accelerator . The beams, which are directed at the glass, not the wine, can distinguish how old the bottles are and where they might originate. "The chemical composition of glass used Read More......(read more)

Niger Uranium buys stake in Henkries deposit

World Nuclear News — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:34:48 GMT

Niger Uranium has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire 74% of Namakwa Uranium, owner of the Henkries uranium project in South Africa. A government agency will continue to hold the rest....(read more)

Stop talking, start building

World Nuclear News — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:21:56 GMT

The time is right for a major change in world attitudes to energy - and the world cannot afford to wait before embarking on building the hundreds of new nuclear reactors that will play a vital part in a secure and clean energy future....(read more)

New South African enrichment process

World Nuclear News — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:16:28 GMT

A new isotope enrichment process with eventual application to uranium has been announced by a South African company. It represents a revival of an historic project, never thought to be commercially viable....(read more)

Sara Palin on Nuclear Energy

NEI Nuclear Notes — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:56:00 GMT

It's in the mix. From her speech last night: Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative sources. And second only to pipeline-laying - and that makes sense given Palin's background. We'll take it. Picture Read More......(read more)