March, 2009

Flowserve Receives Additional Valve Orders for Two Westinghouse AP1000 Nuclear Power Plants in China - By Linton Levy - Flowserve Corporation, a leading provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, today confirmed it had earlier received two significant orders from Westinghouse Electric Company for AP1000 nuclear power projects in China. Flowserve announced...

Aftermarkets Hold Potential for the North American Seals Market, Finds Frost and Sullivan - By Jack Bryar - Despite the mature nature of the North American seals market, aging process plants and ongoing revamping of process equipment are two factors that have strengthened the growth of the seals markets in North America. The presence of original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and engineering procurement...

China to double nuclear power installed capacity to 75 mln kw by 2020 - By April Murelio - China will adjust its long and middle-term nuclear power development plan for 2005-2020, doubling the installed capacity to more than 75 million kilowatts from 40 million kilowatts, according to Cao Shudong, an official of the National Energy Administration. After the adjustment, the installed capacity...

Governor adds nuclear power option to thre West Virginia energy portfolio - Edited by Mark McFadden - According to a report in the REGISTER-HERALD REPORTER, Nuclear power is back on the table as part of Gov. Joe Manchin’s energy portfolio. Prior to exiting a recent meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, members made sure the bill contained nuclear power and natural gas. “Our...

Yucca Mountain High-Level Nuclear Waste Hearings In Las Vegas March 31 - April 2 To Be Webstreamed On The Internet - By Christopher Smith - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) oral arguments in the Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste proceeding will be Webstreamed over the Internet March 31 – April 2. Three separate boards will conduct...

France seals African uranium deals while president travels Africa - By April Murelio - Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has returned home after a two-day trip to Central and West Africa during which he signed uranium-mining deals. With renewed global interest in nuclear power, France is eager to secure and develop its supply of uranium. Areva, France's state-controlled nuclear-energy company...

L&T Receives Rs. 345 Cr. Order for Critical Equipment for Nuclear Project - By Linton Levy - Larsen & Toubro, India’s largest manufacturer of equipment for the nuclear power sector, announced that it has won the prestigious first order for design, manufacture and supply of 4 Nos. steam generators for 700 MWe Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) from the Nuclear Power Corporation...

Shaw Opens New Office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - By April Murelio - The Shaw Group Inc. today announced it has opened an office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to support its increasing activity throughout the Middle East. Shaw has operated an ASME certified pipe fabrication facility in Bahrain since 1994. The largest single fabricator of complex industrial piping systems in...

Company contends that it is the Only Publicly Traded Company Proposing a Free Market Advanced Nuclear Generating Company for U.S . - By Stephen Heiser - In a press release this morning, Alternate Energy Holdings, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: AEHI): The Idaho Energy Complex, an advanced nuclear plant, announced that it was the only proposed pure nuclear generating company in the U.S. and possibly in the...

Toshiba Said to to buy more than 50 percent of Nuclear Fuel Industries - Edited by April Murelio - Bloomberg reported this morning that Toshiba Corp., Japan’s largest supplier of reactors, plans to buy a controlling stake in a nuclear fuel supplier to help compete with global rivals for new atomic power plants. Toshiba wants to own a stake in Nuclear Fuel Industries partly because of...

WANO indicators show nuclear plants have have cemented their role as the nation's most reliable electricity source - By Mark McFadden - The nation's nuclear power plants last year operated at the high efficiency levels that have cemented their role as the nation's most reliable electricity source, and they did so while plant employees demonstrated a continued commitment to safety...

NPCIL is installing two units of 700 MWe rating - By Jack Bryar - For the first time in India, NPCIL is installing two units of 700 MWe rating at KAPP, the highest rating developed indigenously, based on pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR). KAPS-1 went critical on 3 September 1992 and began commercial electricity production a few months later on 6 May 1993. KAPS-2 went critical on 8 January...

Utility opted out of the the ESBWR design last November; Hitachi will be prime contractor - By Stephen Heiser - Exelon the nation's largest operator of nuclear plants, has selected an alternate design from GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy for a proposed Texas nuclear plant. While Hitachi will be the prime contractor on the project, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy will be the key subcontractor on the construction...

30 years since TMI and there still isn't much going on, go figure - By Randy Brich - Facts, Not Fear Saturday is the 30th anniversary of the worst commercial nuclear power plant accident in the United States and the antinuclear activists are not about to let anyone forget it. Activists like Harvey Wasserman continue to claim that the accident at Three Mile Island killed people http...

NRG Energy, Inc. Calls upon Exelon to Withdraw Its Proposal to Expand the NRG Board; Proposal Creates Unnecessary Risks for NRG Stockholders - By Jack Bryar - NRG Energy, Inc.’s Board of Directors and management team, in a letter sent earlier today to Exelon, called on Exelon to withdraw its proposal to expand the NRG Board. In its preliminary proxy materials filed on March 17, 2009, Exelon...

Exelon Response Letter to NRG Regarding Nominations to NRG Board - Edited by Mark McFadden - Exelon Corporation yesterday sent the following letter in response to NRG’s letter requesting that Exelon withdraw its proposals to expand the size of the NRG Board of Directors. --------------------------------- March 26, 2009 Mr. Howard Cosgrove, Chairman of the Board Mr. David Crane, President...

Project earns strong support from nuclear community - By Mark McFadden - USEC today announced that it has customer commitments to purchase more than half of the planned, initial sales of the American Centrifuge Plant. The commitments, valued at $3.3 billion, are from 10 customers including leading utilities in the United States, Europe and Asia. The commitments represent both accepted offers...

Report provides a thorough review of nuclear power generation in Alberta - Edited by Stephen Heiser - AREVA Canada Inc. congratulates the Nuclear Power Expert Panel on today’s release of the panel’s report to the Government of Alberta. The report provides a thorough review of nuclear power generation in Alberta as a contribution to the discussion and understanding of the industry...

Northrop Grumman Awarded a Subcontract for Work for the Savannah River Site's Defense Waste Processing Facility - By Stephen Heiser - Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a subcontract by Washington Savannah River Company for work for the Defense Waste Processing Facility, located at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, S.C. Newport News Industrial...

Support for Nuclear Energy Remains Near Historically High Level, New Survey Finds - Edited by Stephen Heiser - Seventy percent of Americans favor nuclear energy, with the number of Americans voicing strong support exceeding those strongly opposed by a margin of more than two to one, according to a nationwide survey conducted in mid-March. The telephone survey of 1,000 U.S. adults also showed...

Two men are battling for the position Japanese ambassador Yukiya Amano, 61, and Abdul Samad Minty, 69, of South Africa - By April Murelio - The UN atomic watchdog convenes today for a special two-day meeting to choose who will replace Mohamed El Baradei as its chief when he steps down in November. Two men are battling for the position Japanese ambassador Yukiya Amano, 61, and Abdul Samad Minty...

Resin to replace carbon steel in its buried essential service water (ESW) pipe system - By Linton Levy - The Dow Chemical Company today announced that AmerenUE's Callaway Nuclear Power Plant located near Fulton, Missouri has chosen DOW CONTINUUM DGDA-2492 BK Bimodal Polyethylene Resin to replace carbon steel in its buried essential service water (ESW) pipe system. The Dow resin was specified...

Thorium Power Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2008 Financial Results and Provides Business Update Achieves Full Year 2008 Adjusted Net Income of $3.7 million - By Linton Levy - Thorium Power, Ltd. (OTCBB:THPW), the leading developer of non-proliferative nuclear fuel technology and provider of comprehensive advisory services for emerging nuclear programs, today announced financial results...

Nuclear Research Reactor Fuel Management Meeting in Vienna Focuses on Non-Proliferation - By Jack Bryar - This week 230 experts from over 30 nations gathered in Vienna, Austria to discuss the most critical issues facing research reactor fuel management. Operators of the world´s 250 working research reactors are discussing the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) as well as conversion of research...

2,500 contractors speed Installation of four steam generators - By Christopher Smith - Operators at PGE's Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant completed the installation of four replacement steam generators and restarted the reactor one week ahead of schedule ( Pictures ).The plant’s Unit 1 reactor was restarted at about 11:45 a.m. yesterday. Restart was originally scheduled for the end...