World Nuclear News

[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 process. According to reports, Japan and China are in favour of the proposal worded by the USA, with Austria expected to agree to the deal following persuasion, and Switzerland also likely to drop its opposition. New Zealand is reportedly the final barrier to

India's waiver. The 45-member group is not expected to hold a third meeting on the issue, so an outcome is clearly expected this time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Britiain's Sheffield Forgemasters has won a contract to produce nuclear-grade steel pumps casings for Westinghouse AP1000 reactors. The company is considering adding a press that would allow it to make reactor pressure vessels.

The Netherlands needs its own energy resources including nuclear to enable it to end its dependency on external suppliers, according to Foreign Affairs minister Maxime Verhagen.

A survey conducted by the German association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce indicates that almost 80% of businesses are in favour of extending the operating lives of country's nuclear power plants.

South Africa's National Nuclear Regulator has given the go-ahead for the start of production of graphite feedstock for the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor demonstration unit. The graphite will shape and hold the unit's reactor core within the pressure vessel.

Traxys Group has been granted exclusive marketing rights over uranium production from the Ezulwini mine and Mine Waste Solutions (MWS) tailings re-treatment operation, First Uranium has announced. The agreement with Traxys, a global metals, minerals and energy marketing company, excludes any uranium from the two South African operations that might in future be sold to fulfil domestic requirements. According to First Uranium president and CEO Gordon Miller, Traxys will enter into market-related transactions for short-term delivery at or near uranium spot prices while production at the South African operations ramps up, and then work on long-term contracts with utilities to build a portfolio of sales contracts. First Uranium says it is also maintaining regular contact with South Africa’s Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), national power utility Eskom and the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) to keep abreast of domestic uranium requirements. Yellowcake production is expected to begin at Ezulwini in October 2008 and at MWS in early 2009.

Excavations for the nuclear island of Sanmen 1 are complete, China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation told World Nuclear News. The works were accepted by regulators some 69 days ahead of schedule.

Areva is anticipating orders and revenue to increase sharply over the remainder of 2008, although it has had to make an additional provision on the contract to build Finland's Olkiluoto 3 because of cost overruns.

The Hanford B Reactor in Washington State - the world's first industrial-scale nuclear reactor - has been designated as a US National Historic Landmark. Meanwhile, the former Fernald uranium production site in Ohio has become a nature reserve.