December, 2008

US President George Bush has ratified the Additional Protocol (AP) of the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). A letter from the President, which certified that changes in US procedures will be in place within 180 days, was submitted to officials, Congressmen and Senators on 30 December. The AP allows...

An application has been made to build and operate the Eagle Rock uranium enrichment facility that Areva plans for Idaho, USA.

Grid connections have been arranged by RWE for a potential new nuclear plant at Wylfa, on the Welsh island of Anglesey. Some 3600 MWe of nuclear capacity could be added there.

Nuclear energy was an element of discussions between the Presidents of France and Brazil when they met earlier this month. The two countries signed an agreement whereby France would cooperate as Brazil develops nuclear propulsion systems for military submarines. In addition, France's Areva signed...

Work on two new nuclear power reactors was inaugurated on 26 December - just 11 days after a ceremony for the start of work on six others.

The acquisition of British Energy (BE) by Electricité de France (EdF) has been approved by European authorities, but both parties will have to divest power stations, and more land must be sold for new nuclear build. BE's Eggborough coal-fired power plant and EdF's gas-fired Sutton Bridge plant...

Areva has simultaneously announced plans for the manufacture of nuclear fuel with Japan's Mitsubishi as well as reprocessing at home in France.

Japan's Chubu Electric Power Company has decided to build a new power reactor as a more economic option than modifying two older units.

Westinghouse has signed off contracts for two more AP1000 containment vessels. Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) will manufacture the two components, which each measure some 36 metres in diameter and 65 metres in height, for a fee of $150 million. CB&I said design work would begin immediately...

Texas-based Uranium Resources has announced that it has cut annual costs by $2.2 million, in part by cutting jobs and salaries.

It has been confirmed that Areva is to provide 300 tonnes of uranium to India. The material should go a long way to alleviating a shortage that has cut power production.

Following its acquisition by France's Areva for more than $2.5 billion in 2007, South African uranium exploration company UraMin has been renamed as Areva Resources Southern Africa. The renaming of UraMin brings it within its Areva branding. At the time of the purchase, Areva said that it intended...

The Honeymoon mine in South Australia should begin production in 2010, following a fresh commitment from Canada-based Uranium One and an engineering contract with Ausenco. It could reach production rates of 400 tonnes of uranium oxide per year.

The operating licence for Progress Energy's Shearon Harris nuclear power plant in North Carolina has been renewed for a further 20 years by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Progress submitted its licence renewal application in November 2006. The NRC's environmental review for the licence...

The UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) announced that the UK's oldest operating nuclear power station, the two-unit Oldbury plant, which was due to shut down at the end of 2008, will now continue operating for around another two years. It said that unit 2 will continue operating into 2009...

The US Department of Energy has a plan to release a large part of its uranium holdings to the market. Stocks of Russian origin are earmarked for the first cores of new US reactors.

German power giant EOn is set to become Belgium's third biggest power producer under an agreement to swap capacity, including rights to nuclear output, with Electrabel. The deal involves three reactors in each of the nuclear phase-out countries.

Four years of work, three public meetings and several opportunities for public comment have resulted in the approval by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission of new rules enhancing security requirements for US nuclear power plants.

Electricité de France has reached a "definitive investment agreement" with US utility Constellation Energy to acquire half of its nuclear generation and operation business for $4.5 billion, rejecting an offer from MidAmerican of $4.7 billion for the entire company.

Consultation has started on the UK nuclear industry's required legal justification of new build plans. Under EU law it must be shown that nuclear projects are in the public interest.

Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, whose construction is nearing completion by Russia contractors, will become operational no later than March 2010, an Iranian official has said.

A ceremony has marked the official start in constructing a six-reactor nuclear power plant in southern China. The biggest yet approved, it will feature at least 80% domestically-sourced components.

The cleanup of the first fuel pond at Dounreay, the UK's former fast reactor research and development centre, has been completed.

Areva is to supply 300 tonnes of uranium per year to India, according to local media reports. Meanwhile it is to build steam generators at home.

Heavy rain led to a rapid rise in local river levels at France's Tricastin site and caused companies operating there to instigate emergency plans in the early hours of 15 December. Waters from the Gaffière river flooded some buildings owned by the Socatri and BCOT organizations, which handle contaminated...