NUCNET NEWS

Electrabel Board Requests EPR Study: Belgian utility Electrabel has announced that its board of directors, during an energy-policy meeting yesterday, requested management “to pursue the necessary contacts and studies that will eventually make it possible to have nuclear capacity of the EPR (European pressurised water reactor) type under the most favourable economic conditions”. No. 187 / News; 29.09.2004.

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IAEA Resolutions Offers Widespread Support For New Technologies: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has given strong support to the development of new reactor and fuel cycle systems by adopting a resolution stressing the need for “international collaboration for the development of innovative nuclear technology”. No. 186 / News; 24.09.2004.

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New US Study Points To ‘Competitive’ Prospects For N-Power: A new US study into the economic competitiveness of nuclear power suggests that projected future costs associated with nuclear electricity generation are comparable with gas and coal-based generation. No. 184 / News; 20.09.2004.

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Royal Society President Says UK Needs ‘More Nuclear Power Stations: The truth is that it will be difficult for Britain to lead the way on climate change in the mid-term future without building new nuclear power stations”, says Lord Robert May of Oxford, president of Britain’s Royal Society, the UK national academy of science, and chief scientific adviser to the UK government in 1995-2000. No. 182 / News; 16.09.2004.

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NRC Approves Design Of Westinghouse AP1000 Reactor: The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) yesterday announced that it had issued a final safety evaluation report and final design approval (FDA) for the Westinghouse AP1000 advanced reactor design – and that the approval is good for five years. No. 179 / News; 14.09.2004.

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Nuclear Debate Sparks Interest At World Energy Congress: Chairing the session “Nuclear Energy: inevitable or Irrelevant?” yesterday at the 19th World Energy Congress in Sydney, Australia, Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) director-general Luis Echávarri said: “This debate on nuclear energy could not be timelier – the coming years will be crucial in determining what contribution nuclear energy will make to the world energy supply and to sustainable development.” No. 177 / News; 09.09.2004.

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EC Announces Revised Nuclear Package Proposals: The European Commission has announced revised versions of two proposed directives on nuclear installations safety and radwaste management – and called for them to be discussed “without delay” by EU leaders. No. 176 / News; 09.09.2004.

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IAEA Reports On 2003 And Updates On ‘Fastest Growth In Asia: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it continued to expand its scope of activities in 2003 – a year that marked the 50th anniversary of US president Dwight D Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” speech – and that Asia continues to be the centre for nuclear expansion and growth prospects. No. 167 / News; 27.08.2004.

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US And France Sign Agreement On R&D And Phenix: US energy secretary Spencer Abraham yesterday signed an agreement with French atomic energy commission (CEA) chairman Alain Bugat to allow cooperation between the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology and the CEA – and to provide the DOE with access to France’s Phenix prototype fast breeder reactor, which the DOE said “has a capability that no longer exists in the US”. No. 166 / News; 25.08.2004.

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Ukraine’s Khmelnitsky-2 Connected to Grid: Ukraine’s new nuclear power unit, Khmelnitsky-2, was connected to the national grid for the first time at approximately noon yesterday – during a ceremony attended by the country’s president, Leonid Kuchma, and fuel and energy minister Serhiy Tulub. No. 159 / News; 09.08.2004.

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Russia Completes Design Work For New Fast Reactor: Russia’s Research Institute for Atomic Reactors (RIAR) in Dimitrovgrad has completed design and preparatory work for a proposed new fast reactor to replace its BOR-60 (BOR – fast experimental reactor) which is nearing the end of its design life. No. 157 / News; 30.07.2004.

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UK Sets Out Future Strategy For Radwaste Management Body: The British government said yesterday that a new state-owned “company limited by guarantee” (CLG) is being set up to hold shares in the UK’s Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Management Executive (Nirex), and oversee its business operations. No. 153 / News; 22.07.2004.

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NRG To Study New Nuclear In The Netherlands: Nuclear Research and consultancy Group (NRG) has announced it will launch a study next month related to the introduction of new nuclear capacity into the Dutch energy market. No. 151 / News; 20.07.2004.

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India To Use Waste Heat From Reactors For Desalination: India is planning to use waste heat from some of its nuclear reactor units for desalination, including a facility to produce 500 cubic metres of desalinated water a day utilising heat from a proposed advanced heavy water reactor (AHWR). No. 149 / News; 16.07.2004.

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Russian President Pledges Support For ‘Development’ of IAEA: President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia was committed to supporting the development of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and that he hoped the agency’s activities would be expanded. No. 144 / News; 01.07.2004.

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France’s EDF Gives Go-Ahead For EPR Reactor Development: The Electricité de France (EDF) board of directors on 22nd June authorised the launch of the process leading to the construction of a demonstration unit of the European pressurised water reactor (EPR) – while related energy legislation continues to make its way through the French parliament. No. 137 / News; 24.06.2004.

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