Nuclear powers set for Pakistan showdown
‘A row is looming between Beijing and Washington over China's proposed sale of two nuclear power-generating reactors to Pakistan. This would appear to break the guidelines set by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a gathering of countries who export civil nuclear technology. The NSG's annual meeting is taking place in Christchurch, New Zealand all this week and it provides the first opportunity for other governments to explore what exactly China is proposing. "During recent
weeks Beijing has come under growing pressure," says the veteran nuclear expert Mark Hibbs, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "And what I expect to happen is that the Chinese will make some kind of statement to clarify their intentions." Mr Hibbs does not expect any fireworks yet, not least because there is no agreement within the NSG over how to proceed.'
Japan promotes nuke exports with Monju tour
‘TSURUGA, Fukui Pref. (Kyodo) Delegations from Vietnam and Malaysia, in Fukui Prefecture for a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, were given a tour Sunday of the experimental Monju reactor in Tsuruga as Japan attempts to promote its nuclear technology for export. Monju, a prototype fast-breeder reactor, resumed operations in May after a more than 14-year suspension caused by an accident. "By resuming operations, we would like to show to the world the outcome of our study on (the technology's) practical use at an early date," Japan Atomic Energy Agency chief Toshio Okazaki said. Among the 20 people participating in the excursion to Tsuruga were Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Masayuki Naoshima and Do Huu Hao, Vietnamese deputy minister of industry and trade, according to a METI official.’
PR problems for nuclear power
‘A recent operational abnormality at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant triggered public concern, even though management assured there were no safety implications. Increasing nuclear power use is now the central government's official policy. To meet its emission reduction targets, China Light & Power has to purchase more nuclear power. The difficult part is maintaining public confidence in the safety of nuclear power while achieving environmental objectives. The Daya Bay power plant, located in Guangdong province about 50 kilometers from Hong Kong, was built in 1985 amid a cacophony of objections. Some even chose to emigrate because of the project. Fortunately, the plant has operated since 1993 without incident until recently, when an increase in radioactive levels was reported in the cooling system. While there was no radioactive leak, the fact the incident was first revealed by the media has raised questions about the plant's reporting mechanism, and will create concerns about increasing reliance on nuclear power.’
India eyes stake in Russian uranium field
‘India is evaluating the option of picking up stake in one of the world's largest uranium fields in Russia. The possibility of a minority equity stake in the Elkon field in Russia's Yakutia province, which is estimated to hold 344,000 tonnes of uranium or about 5.3 per cent of the world's recoverable reserves, is being seen as a step towards securing long-term supplies for the country's nuclear capacity, a Government official involved in the exercise said. Russia's state-owned mining firm ARMZ Uranium Holding Company has the licence to the Elkon field, in which a stake was offered in the course of bilateral negotiations during the Russian Prime Minister, Mr Vladimir Putin's, visit to India earlier this year. ARMZ Uranium Holding, which also has licences for uranium fields in Kazakhstan and Mongolia, had earlier said it is looking for a strategic partner to help it develop the Elkon mine.’
American uranium major now has China as investor
‘NEW YORK: A major Hong Kong-based company, partly owned by the Chinese government has quietly purchased a 5.1 per cent stake in the lone US-owned provider of enriched uranium for use in civilian nuclear reactors globally. The Noble Group, that bought the stake in USEC, is the world's second-largest commodities trading and logistics company after Cargill. One of its minority owners is the Chinese government's sovereign wealth fund, the New York Times reported yesterday. Noble said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had purchased the shares on the open market from May 25 to June 2. Noble wants to become USEC's partner in marketing uranium enrichment for reactors in Asia, particularly mainland China, according to Richard Elman, Noble's founder and executive chairman. China could prove to be a ready buyer of USEC's product. It has a major nuclear power plant construction programme underway to help meet its growing energy demands.’
NUMEC cleanup to begin after decades of wrangling
‘The cost to remove radioactive dirt and debris from the nuclear waste dump along Route 66 in Parks has skyrocketed from $76 million to $170 million. The increase adds to a growing tally of expenses related to the production of nuclear fuel at the former Nuclear Material and Equipment Corp. in Apollo and Parks from 1957 to the mid-1980s. Lawsuits for personal injury and contamination, the razing and cleanup of two nuclear fuel plants and government payments to contaminated workers have topped $267 million over the last two decades. The Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh, the federal agency charged by Congress to excavate and remove the radiological materials, revised its cost estimates as officials hammer out the details to start digging up the site next year. "After better studying the site, evaluating other sites and federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission procedures and working with the contractor, the excavation of the materials safely is going to take longer than original estimates and the cost will go up," said Bill Lenart, project manager for the Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh. Instead of a three-year excavation project finishing in 2013, the cleanup could take up to eight years, Lenart said.’
Nuke Facility Raid An Inside Job?
‘Eyewitness Talks To 60 Minutes About Brazen Assault On South African Nuclear Facility. This story was first published on Nov. 28, 2008. It was updated on June 15, 2010. It was a daring break-in at a heavily guarded nuclear plant that holds enough weapons grade uranium to build a dozen atomic bombs. The story was little known until 60 Minutes reported on it a year and a half ago through the eyes of the one man who stopped the plot. What happened at Pelindaba is the kind of thing that keeps presidents and prime ministers awake at night. Pelindaba is nestled in the African bush, not far from the capital of South Africa. It is where the former Apartheid regime secretly built nuclear weapons. In the 1990s, South Africa chose to disarm. The bombs were dismantled, but the highly enriched uranium, known as HEU – the fuel for the bombs - is still there. South Africa assures the world that Pelindaba is a fortress. But on the night of Nov. 7, 2007, it was the scene of the boldest raid ever attempted on a site holding bomb grade uranium.’