September, 2010

Dominion Resources Inc. says if it doesn't build a third nuclear reactor at its North Anna Power Station, it will need to build another power generation source in its place. CEO Thomas F. Farrell II spoke Tuesday at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Power ; Gas Leaders Conference in New York about the potential reactor at the central Virginia plant.

"IBC is pleased to be a part of the provisional patent filings covering these important advances and technological improvements realized over the last two years of work with Purdue and Texas A&M universities," said Jim Malone, IBC's Vice President of Nuclear Fuels. IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. (IBC) announces that Purdue University has filed provisional patents covering IBC-funded...

NRC issues OIG-10-A-20, Audit of NRC's Vendor Inspection Program yesterday. If you are in quality assurance or possibly a business looking to enter the nuclear power industry, this report would provide good information on possible changes (recommendations) in the area of quality assurance on safety related parts. The NRC is looking for feedback.

The Japan Atomic Power Company, Toshiba Corp and a unit of Marubeni Corp have reached an agreement with Kazakhstan to provide data and cost estimates on the possibility of the country building its first nuclear power plant.

According to news reports, French electricity generator EDF is working on two new nuclear reactor designs of its own which could rival those made by Areva, the world's biggest atomic energy company, the Expansion magazine said. In a report to appear Wednesday, Expansion said EDF is "looking at its own series of reactors," power rated at 1,000 and 1,500 Megawatts, which if finalized...

U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, announced today that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has awarded a $329,434 contract to improve Wilberforce University's nuclear education program. The three-year contract will allow Wilberforce University to develop four additional courses and laboratory experience to expand...

According to a Reuters report, Norway is concerned about power availability this winter. Last year spot power prices reached all-time highs in the Nordic countries due to lower-than-usual temperatures and unexpected outages at some of Sweden's nuclear reactors. Terje Riis-Johansen acknowledged that it was a concern that some outages at Swedish reactors occurred unexpectedly or were longer...

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a request by Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) to increase the generating capacity of Surry Power Station Units 1 and 2 by 1.6 percent each. The NRC staff determined that VEPCO could safely increase the reactors' output primarily through more accurate means of measuring feedwater flow. NRC staff also reviewed the company's evaluations...

Wilmington-based GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) announced yesterday it has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with several Michigan companies-Energy Steel & Supply Co., Curtiss-Wright Flow Control and CLYDEUNION Pumps-to begin discussions about supplying components for new nuclear power plant projects in the United States and around the world.

According to news reports, Russia expects that Bulgaria will eventually restart construction on its second nuclear power plant at Belene, Bulgarian. The Belene nuclear power plant project was said to cost four billion euros to construct by the former government, but current political party GERB has claimed that the final cost might escalate to as much as 10 billion euros.

USEC Inc. recently named Glenn Strausser as the new director of engineering, procurement and construction for the American Centrifuge Project. Strausser brings to the project a background in large-scale project and construction management. Strausser's duties will include all aspects of project management related to the construction of the American Centrifuge Plant infrastructure including design...

French multinational conglomerate Alstom has signed a contract worth $135 million with Chinese industrial group Dong Fang Electric Limited (DECL) Monday, according to information published on the former's website. Terms of the agreement stipulate that the French side supply equipment and services for six 1000MW steam turbine-generator packages for three Chinese nuclear power plants in Fujian...

Electricite de France SA and Constellation Energy Group Inc. are in talks to avoid the collapse of their U.S. nuclear venture, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing two people with knowledge of the discussions. The Baltimore-based Constellation is due by December to decide whether or not to exercise a put option to sell non-nuclear plants to EDF for up to $2 billion -- a move that EDF would view...

According to news reports, Ukraine's cabinet approved the Ministry of Fuel and Energy's proposal to construct the nuclear fuel plant at a meeting on 22 September, the country's national news agency Ukrinform reported. TVEL was said to have won the tender as, unlike the other bidder Westinghouse, it had expressed willingness to invest its own money in the construction of the plant. The...

Iran's official news agency said today that a sophisticated computer worm purportedly designed to disrupt power grids and other such industrial facilities had infected computers at the country's first nuclear-power plant but had not caused any serious damage. The Stuxnet worm, which some see as heralding a new era of cyberwarfare, appeared in July and was already known to be widespread in...

Russia will begin construction of two new reactors at the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China next year, the head of the Rosatom state-controlled nuclear corporation said. Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly Atomstroyexport and its Chinese partner, the Jiangsu nuclear power corporation, signed a framework agreement this March on construction of two VVER-1000 reactors...

"South Carolina has long been a leader in the nuclear field and no state would benefit more from a renaissance in nuclear energy than South Carolina," said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. South Carolina's Council on Competitiveness (New Carolina), an organization that works to increase South Carolina's competitiveness by developing industry clusters, has been awarded one of 10 "Innovative...

According to Bloomberg, General Electric Co. Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt said the U.S. needs a national energy policy that puts a long-term price on carbon as China and other nations surge ahead in green technology,. "China is green, green, green, green -- four greens," Immelt said today during a presentation with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman at the Gridwise Global...

Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. announced on Wednesday that it has received final approval for construction of a rail spur at the Perma-Fix Northwest Facility (PFNW) adjacent to the Hanford nuclear site in Richland, Washington. The rail spur is expected to be completed in early 2011 and will facilitate the movement of radioactive wastes directly into the facility, thereby minimizing any health...

The Tennessee Valley Authority declared an Unusual Event at Sequoyah Nuclear Plant at 9:54 p.m. EDT Wednesday evening when a fire involving a transformer in a switchyard at the plant lasted more than 15 minutes before being extinguished. The fire began shortly after 9:30 p.m. and was extinguished about 20 minutes later. At the time of the fire, the transformer was being placed in service following...

According to news reports, India owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd will soon set up a joint venture with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd and Alstom Ltd for supplying nuclear power plants in the country, Heavy Industries secretary Bhawani Singh Meena said on Thursday. All the three companies will have 33.33% equity each in the joint venture, which would get approval from department of atomic...

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced yesterday that Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) continues to make investments in re-building its Protective Force training infrastructure. "Los Alamos National Laboratory has one of the best trained protective forces in the nuclear security enterprise, and the proficiency of the force has been demonstrated numerous times over...

Exelon Nuclear commemorated half a century of the nation's nuclear power industry during a celebratory luncheon today, marking the 50th anniversary of Dresden Unit 1, the nation's first privately-financed, full-scale commercial nuclear power plant. The celebration, held at the Dresden Station Training Building, was attended by public officials, station employees, company executives and several...

"We want people to share what they have learned with each other and especially with those tackling these problems for the first time," said Tero Varjoranta, the IAEA´s Director of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology. Countries embarking on a nuclear program or activity should consider the decommissioning of a nuclear facility and remediation of the environment even before laying...

IAEA Offering Impartial Advice to Countries Interested in Nuclear Power With 65 countries expressing an interest in launching a nuclear power program, the need for an "honest nuclear broker" that provides them with impartial advise is higher than ever. The IAEA can fulfill that role. As the world´s leading international center of nuclear cooperation promoting the safe, secure...