February, 2011

Westinghouse unveiled a new small modular reactor design Thursday, introducing the latest addition the the company's lineup the same week the Obama administration proposed $67 million be spent on licensing and technical support for SMRs. With their potential to reduce construction costs and built times, SMRs lately have attracted the attention of lawmakers and utilities alike. All primary...

"PFNW's close proximity to the Columbia Generating Station, expertise, licensed facilities, and personnel will provide Energy Northwest with the confidence that its condenser replacement project and outage are supported in a safe and reliable manner” said Dr. Louis F. Centofanti, Perma-Fix Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. has been awarded...

The replacement of steam generators at the Waterford 3 nuclear power plant in southeastern Louisiana has been moved to the fall 2012 refueling outage. According to documents filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Entergy Louisiana is resolving a manufacturing problem with the replacement generators.

Stephen Byrne, SCE&G's executive vice president of generation and chief operating officer, provided a construction update of units 2 & 3 at yesterday's Nuclear Energy Institute's annual briefing for the financial community. He said the company has spent $1.4 billion to date on the two-reactor expansion of the V.C. Summer nuclear power plant, and that its original cost projections...

Hotelc launches new type of nuclear power plant Holtec International has announced that the proof-of-principle studies on Holtec's 140 MWe (Min.) modular reactor that began a year ago have been successfully completed. The new reactor is named HI-SMUR 140, derived from Holtec Inherently Safe Modular Underground Reactor. As the above words in HI-SMUR's name indicate, its core is located completely...

Areva Group will spin off its uranium mining unit in a deal between Areva and Electricite de France (EDF) brokered by France’s nuclear policy council. The French government owns 80 percent of EDF and about 90 percent of Areva. In an effort to smooth over disputes between the two companies, the council also announced on Monday they will work together with GDF Suez to develop a new reactor.

The NRC is seeking comments on a proposed rule that would amend Westinghouse’s certified AP1000 reactor design for use in the United States. The design certification process provides for early public participation and resolution of safety issues for proposed reactor designs. NRC certification, in the form of a final rule, means the design meets the agency’s applicable safety requirements...

"This collaborative nuclear fuels R&D work with Purdue and TEES is developing technology that could positively affect both the nuclear industry and consumers of alternative energy," said Anthony Dutton, President and CEO of IBC Advanced Alloys. IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. (IBC) has successfully completed the current phase of its beryllium oxide nuclear fuels research and development...

With an estimated $10B of projects on the horizon, the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley finds itself at the epicenter of a rebirth of nuclear power research and construction. "Companies are expanding their presence here, others are establishing one," said Jesse Smith, director of technology for the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley regional economic development group. Smith...

James Miller, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Nuclear Operating Co., provided an update at yesterdays Nuclear Energy Institute's annual briefing for the financial community. Plant Vogtle expansion project is proceeding with 1,500 new employees working at the site. The company anticipates that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will approve its application for a construction and operating...

Imagine a world where everyone lives up to their potential and creates an environment that satisfies all of their material wants. What would such a world look like? Although the specifics are fuzzy, it is certain that this world of the future would run on an environmentally friendly power source, like nuclear, which would provide inexpensive energy to propel the machines of commerce. And there are...

GE Hitachi has discovered unexpected cracking and material distortion in some of the companies' control-rod blades, according to a report made public Wednesday by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. GE Hitachi reported to NRC that the problems could present a safety hazard, and the design life of the companies' Marathon Blades may be reduced. Malfunction of control rods can limit operators'...

The NRC recently notified licensees that chlorides – usually from the air at nuclear plants near the ocean, worker sweat or adhesives – have caused cracking on stainless steel piping in pressurized-water reactors. Last week’s notice doesn’t require action on the part of plant operators, but it suggests they watch for similar problems. According to the notice, workers...

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has concluded that there are no significant environmental impacts that would preclude licensing the proposed Eagle Rock Uranium Enrichment Facility in Bonneville County, Idaho.

Dominion expects to reap efficiencies in steam generator maintenance and other services under this new alliance agreement with AREVA,” said David Heacock, Dominion Chief Nuclear Officer. AREVA has signed an alliance agreement with Dominion Resources to provide standard and specialized services to all four Dominion nuclear power plants. This alliance covers steam generator services, specialty...

IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Global Nuclear Fuel America to study ways to make reactor fuel more efficient using beryllium oxide. The announcement follows two years of fuel research sponsored by IBC in an existing partnership with Texas A & M and Purdue Universities. Last fall, Purdue filed provisional patents related to the project, with IBC...

The Shaw Group’s CEO, J.M. Bernhard Jr., delivered the keynote address at the Feb. 8, 2011, Construction Users Roundtable winter membership meeting in Baton Rouge, La. Attended by construction industry leaders, the meeting focused on the industry’s key issues, including safety, workforce development, international construction and future opportunities. Mr. Bernhard’s keynote...

The Nuclear Energy Institute's annual briefing for the financial community was held yesterday, in New York. NEI President and CEO Marvin Fertel's presentation, "Discipline Pays Dividends," described 2010 nuclear industry performance and trends; an assessment of progress toward new nuclear plant construction; and the changes in the politics of nuclear energy in Washington over the...

Last week Areva and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries submitted their new ATMEA1 reactor design to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for a pre-project design review. According to a company release issued Tuesday, the ATMEA1 is being considered for a project near the Point Lepreau nuclear plant in New Brunswick. Areva, New Brunswick Power and the province of New Brunswick signed a letter of intent...

Nuclear security and IT managers take note: The University of Maryland has announced experts from academia, industry and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will lead a workshop on nuclear plant cybersecurity this spring. The workshop May 4th and 5th in College Park, Md., will focus on initiatives to protect commercial nuclear power plants from cyber-based threats. It will address regulatory...

On Friday, Canadian regulators began soliciting public comment on a Cameco Corp. plan to expand operations at its Key Lake facility in northern Saskatchewan. The proposal would expand storage at the Dielmann Tailings Management Facility and also increase the site’s throughput, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Association stated in a release.

One of the most notable elements of the Obama administration's 2012 budget proposal for the Department of Energy is what it leaves out: Funding to continue work on a nuclear waste storage facility in Nevada's Yucca Mountain. This year's proposal continues efforts first evident in the 2009 budget to end the nine-year project conceived to fix America's high-level waste storage problem...

General Electric (GE) has announced the successful closing of its $3 billion acquisition of Dresser, Inc., a global energy infrastructure technology and service provider, from funds managed by Riverstone Holdings LLC and First Reserve Corporation, Dresser management and its other stockholders. Dresser, based in Addison, Texas, has 6,300 employees worldwide and delivers compression, flow technology...

Progress Energy CEO Bill Johnson said new nuclear plant construction in the United State is not a matter of "if" but of "when" and "how" during a speech Wednesday at the Platts Nuclear Energy Conference outside Washington D.C. He went on to say that "today there’s an even more compelling case that greater use of nuclear power is a vital part of a balanced energy...

"Today marks an unfortunate milestone for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as the timeline for the reactor renewal process has now doubled without explanation, eclipsing 60 months with no end in sight for the Pilgrim and Vermont Yankee plants," said Congressman Upton Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission...