June, 2010

The study concludes that, besides its technical complexity, the management issues of a nuclear new build are often underestimated and call for professional management of the venture - By Mark McFadden - Global management consultancy Arthur D. Little has produced a major new study that examines the management and technology issues facing nuclear new build projects and provides a comprehensive...

Enabling a nuclear renaissance in the U.S. is a real passion of mine and has been for quite some time. And our country does need nuclear power. I like to tell people nuclear is a three-fer: it provides the reliable, base-load electricity our country demands; it will help us reach our goal of reducing carbon emissions, and it will strengthen our manufacturing bases and create good paying jobs. The current...

Earlier this month, the DOE agreed to a $3.4 billion guarantee for the expansion of a nuclear facility in Georgia, and the Obama administration recently asked Congress for more funds to help out more plants. Two proposed nuclear plants in Texas are high on the list of potential recipients. - Edited by April Murelio - According to a reoprt in The Texas Tribune, Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Company...

“Regulatory Perspective”, Prepared Remarks for The Honorable Gregory B. Jaczko, ,Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society Salt Lake City, Utah - Source NRC - Good morning. Thank you for the invitation to address the 55th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society (HPS). I have always been impressed by HPS’s commitment...

The talks are exploratory in nature and are aimed at evolving a framework for bilateral civil nuclear cooperation pact that will address Tokyo's non-proliferation concerns and facilitate the transfer of Japanese civil nuclear technology to India, sources said in New Delhi. The two-day talks, are the first formal negotiations between the two countries since the 46-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group...

"This agreement provides Blue Castle with a flexible financing option that allows Blue Castle to raise and deploy capital when necessary and only under optimum conditions. The structure of this capital is very complimentary to our licensing schedule," said Aaron Tilton, CEO of Blue Castle Holdings - By Stephen Heiser - Blue Castle Holdings Inc. (Blue Castle), developer of a planned...

The fuel elements will be reprocessed to recover valuable materials and condition the final waste for return to Italy for disposal - By Stephen Heiser - Four casks of used fuel from the Italian nuclear power plant of Caorso arrived at the Valognes railway terminal serving the AREVA La Hague plant on June 22, 2010 at 11:50 am. The fuel elements will be reprocessed to recover valuable materials...

The Forum was created by the European Commission in 2007. It represents a unique platform for a broad discussion within European Union on all nuclear energy issues. It gathers all relevant stakeholders in the nuclear field: Governments, European Institutions (Commission, European Parliament, European Economic and Social Committee), academics, nuclear industry- electricity consumers and vendors- and...

The joint venture provides power generation products and solutions for coal-fired and gas-fired power plants as well as for the conventional part of nuclear power plants - By Chris Smith - Siemens Energy is to increase its share in Shanghai Electric Power Generation Equipment Co., Ltd. (SEPG) from 33.7 percent to 40 percent. The share increase in the joint venture with Shanghai Electric Group...

Shaw will perform radiological investigations, surveys and remediation work in support of the Navy’s environmental programs, including Base Realignment and Closure. This radiological work supports environmental investigations that focus on possible radioactive contamination; remedial and/or removal actions; remedial design; pilot and treatability studies; and other related activities associated...

Welcoming the signing of the agreement after bilateral talks held here, Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said in a statement that it "reflects the change in international realities and will open new doors for mutually beneficial cooperation in nuclear energy." - Edited by April Murelio - India and Canada have broken new ground historically by signing a landmark civil nuclear...

Cesium chloride sources are used in blood irradiation, bio-medical and industrial research, and calibration of instrumentation and dosimetry. They have received special attention because the cesium chloride powder is highly soluble and dispersible, presenting security concerns that the sources could be used by terrorists in a radiological dispersal device, or “dirty bomb.” - Source NRC...

The group’s backlog at June 30, 2010 is expected to reach more than 43 billion euros, largely due to buoyant installed base business, and has risen by 1 billion euros year-on-year and by 500 million euros since December 31, 2009. - Edited by Mark McFadden - Following the Supervisory Board meeting, AREVA provides the following update on its income outlook for 2010: The group’s backlog...

A Total Of Four Westinghouse AP1000 Units Are Now Under Construction In China - By Linton Levy - Westinghouse Electric Company, its consortium team member The Shaw Group Inc., China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC), and Shandong Nuclear Power Company Ltd are pleased to announce the successful completion of the first pour of basemat structural concrete for the nuclear island...

ALL AMOUNTS ARE STATED IN CDN $ (UNLESS NOTED)/CNNC, currently China's largest nuclear generator, operates seven reactors with 5,100 megawatts (MW) capacity and has 10 reactors under construction totalling 9,100 MW capacity. By 2020, CNNC expects to be one of the world's leading nuclear power companies. - By April Murelio - Cameco has announced that it has signed an agreement with China...

The NRC’s confirmatory action letter is designed to address issues that contributed to the March 12 discovery of cracks and leakage in multiple Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) nozzles. The CRDM nozzles guide the control rods into the reactor core to shut down the reactor. - Source NRC - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission today sent a Confirmatory Action Letter to FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating...

The one-year extension allows the Contract Competition Source Evaluation Board to complete the competitive process leading to award of a follow-on contract for the combined management of the Y-12 National Security Complex and the Pantex Plant, with an option for the phase-in of Tritium Operations performed at the Savannah River Site. - By Mark McFadden - The National Nuclear Security Administration...

ALL AMOUNTS ARE STATED IN CDN $ (UNLESS NOTED)/CGNPC, China's largest clean-energy enterprise, with the largest number of nuclear power plants under construction in the world, needs uranium to fuel its four existing reactors and others currently under construction - By April Murelio - Cameco has announced that it is pursuing long-term co-operation opportunities with China Guangdong Nuclear...

NuCrane – a joint venture between Westinghouse Electric Company subsidiary PaR Nuclear, Inc. of Shoreview, Minn., and Hutchinson Manufacturing, Inc., (HMI) of Hutchinson, Minn. – was formed in September 2009 to manufacture large cranes primarily for the U.S. market. This new production capacity complements PaR Nuclear's provision of fuel-handling equipment and outage-critical cranes...

ANS Report Shows Fleet Operates at More Than 90 Percent of Capacity - By Linton Levy - Nuclear energy continues to be the most reliable energy source in the United States with Entergy’s nuclear fleet leading the way, according to a report released by the American Nuclear Society. In the report released in May 2010, the median rating capacity factor for Entergy’s 11 nuclear plants...

Alstom opens in Chattanooga, USA, a state-of-the art turbine manufacturing facility to address the North American power generation market - By Stephen Heiser - On 24 June 2010, Alstom inaugurated a new production facility for steam turbines, gas turbines, large turbo-generators and related equipment for the North American fossil fuel and nuclear power generation market. It will also retrofit...

KNNEC was formed in 2009 by an Amiri Decree to explore Kuwait’s options in the deployment of peaceful nuclear energy for electricity generation and water desalinization to meet the country’s rising demands - By Stephen Heiser - The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on nuclear safeguards and other nonproliferation...

Overwhelming Support Expected Based on Prior Unanimous Commissioner's Vote - By Linton Levy - Alternate Energy Holdings, Inc. (AEHI) has entered the final stage of gaining local approval to build a nuclear power plant after officially filing a rezone application. "This is the final step at this level and a major milestone for AEHI because we've gotten to this point in a relatively...

Dresser Masoneilan will provide the four nuclear power plants with Variable Resistance Trim (VRT) control valves, offering high controllability, extended valve life and maximum cavitation protection. The alternating plate segments in the VRT control valve provide smooth throttling control and seamless continuity in flow control - By April Murelio - Dresser Masoneilan has announced that it has...

Company's Proprietary All-Metal Fuel Assembly to Significantly Advance Expansion and Increase Competitiveness of Nuclear Power Versus Fossil Energy Sources for Carbon Free Electricity Generation - By Stephen Heiser - Lightbridge Corporation, a leading developer of non-proliferative nuclear fuel technology and provider of comprehensive advisory services for civil nuclear energy programs, has...