March, 2008

Canada's Alberta Research Council and the USA's Idaho National Laboratory have agreed to study the energy options for the Canadian province of Alberta, including the potential use of advanced nuclear power in oil sands extraction.

The US Department of Energy has allocated $18.3 million for more detailed studies towards the advanced nuclear fuel reprocessing centres and reactors it envisages at the centre of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.

US-based Westinghouse will supply nuclear fuel to three Russian-designed power reactors in Ukraine. The contract has inspired bitter comment from Russian observers.

[Northern Territory News, 26 March] An Australian Labor Party (ALP) document suggests that residents of Alice Springs would be eating uranium for breakfast if proposed mines go ahead in the area. According to the document, the area is prone to dust storms and an open-cut mine at the Angela and Pamela...

[Nuclear.Ru, 24 March] AtomStroyExport (ASE) and United Company Rusal, the world's largest aluminium and aluminium oxide producer, have established a design company to conduct a feasibility study and site studies for a combined nuclear power and aluminium smelting facility in Russia's far east...

France and the UK have announced greater cooperation on a range of issues, including nuclear power regulation, preventing nuclear terrorism and combating climate change.

St Petersburg-based AtomEnergoProekt has signed a 136 billion rouble ($5.8 billion) state contract for the construction of two new nuclear units at Phase II of the Leningrad nuclear power plant. Anatoly Molchanov, first deputy director general-technical director of AtomEnergoProekt, said that Leningrad...

John Hutton, the UK's business and enterprise minister, said that the construction of new nuclear power plants in the country could be "the most significant opportunity for our energy economy since the exploitation of North Sea oil and gas."

Plans to extend the lives of Belgium's nuclear power plants, a topic much discussed in the run-up to the inauguration of the country's new government, have not been included in the government's platform and are not likely to be revisited until election time comes round again.

Fennovoima announced on 26 March that it has acquired almost 100 hectares of land in the Norrskogen area in Kristinestad on Finland's western coast. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are currently being conducted in Kristinestad, Pyhäjoki, Ruotsinpyhtää and Simo for a potential nuclear power...

Toshiba of Japan will participate in Nuclear Innovation North America LLC, a new company formed by NRG Energy to promote the use of GE-Hitachi's Advanced Boiling Water Reactor in North America.

Tokyo Electric Power Co announced that the start of operation of four new nuclear power reactors would be delayed, while Electric Power Development Co said the start of construction of its Ohma plant had been postponed again.

The Shaw Group announced on 25 March that it had signed a contract with Shandong Electric Power Engineering Consulting Institute (SDEPCI) to provide engineering service support for the turbine island of the Haiyang nuclear power plant to be constructed in Shandong province, China. The value of the contract...

Middle Eastern diplomats have been busy, with new nuclear cooperation agreements signed by Egypt and Russia, Bahrain and the USA, and Algeria and China. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has established its own agency to look into developing nuclear power.

Japan should take the lead in promoting nuclear energy worldwide as part of efforts to combat global climate change, the Atomic Energy Commission recommended in its annual report submitted on 21 March to the government.

[Reuters, 24 March] Turkey has finally launched the tender process for the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant, originally planned for February. According to a statement in the country's Official Gazette the closing date for bids is 24 September, giving would-be builders six...

[Rosatom, 19 March] AtomRedMetZoloto (ARMZ), a subsidiary of Russian state corporation AtomEnergoProm, reported that uranium production by companies it manages totalled 3413 tonnes in 2007. This represents a 7% increase from the 3190 tonnes produced in 2006. Most of the uranium (3307 tonnes) was mined...

The UK government has announced the start of an operator-led prioritization process to select no more than three nuclear reactor designs to proceed to the next stage of Generic Design Assessment (GDA). This is to allow the nuclear regulators to focus their resources on those designs which are most capable...

Building another nuclear power plant in Romania is "extremely necessary", said prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu. The country already has two reactors and has recently selected investors to complete another two.

The opening ceremony of the Polar Nucleus 2008 sporting contest will be held this evening in the town of Poliarnye Zori near Kola nuclear power plant. Two teams from Rosenergoatom will compete in the games: the first consists of the best sportsmen from all of Russia's nuclear power teams, while the...

Areva is planning to double its production rates of uranium, and has signed a partnership with minerals engineering firm Technip.

Japan's Toshiba Corporation and Russia's AtomEnergoProm have signed a general framework agreement under which they will explore collaboration in the civil nuclear power business. It could develop into a strategic partnership.

The UK's nuclear regulators have given their initial approval to all four reactor designs proposed for the country's next generation of nuclear power plants.

The Florida Public Service Commission has approved plans by Florida Power & Light to construct two more nuclear power reactors at its Turkey Point plant in the south of the state.

Eletronuclear, operator of Brazil’s only nuclear power plant, has officially received two new steam generators for Angra unit 1. The plant is currently undergoing preparatory work in readiness for the installation of the new steam generators, due to take place in September.