Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Portal

Nuclear Suppliers Group approves India deal

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:08:00 GMT

A breakthrough comes in Vienna after three days of tough negotiations The BBC reports the group of nations which regulates the global nuclear trade has approved a US proposal to lift restrictions on selling nuclear technology to India. The controversial deal now needs to be ratified by the US Congress. The approval came after India pledged to keep its nuclear non-proliferation commitments and to uphold Read More......(read more)

The Party (x 2) Is Over

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:45:00 GMT

Now that the Democrats and Republicans have wrapped up their party conventions, let's review, shall we? We heard from Senator McCain and Governor Palin a full endorsement of nuclear energy - it's in in the Republican mix without caveats - McCain even dinged Obama for not being a heartier supporter. (We spotlight the nuclear references in all the speeches a few posts down.) Senators Obama and Read More......(read more)

India reaffirms intentions as NSG ponders

World Nuclear News — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:13:29 GMT

[Times of India, 5 September] As the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) holds its second meeting to find a consensus on new guidelines to allow India to participate in nuclear trade, Indian external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee issued a statement affirming the country's commitment to non-proliferation goals. A favourable outcome is vital to opening the door to India's participation in international nuclear energy-related trade, and to the US-India cooperation deal that started the entire...(read more)

Application for Victoria

World Nuclear News — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:09:08 GMT

A new nuclear power plant could be established with two reactors in Victoria County, Texas, following an application for its construction and operation made yesterday. The entirely new nuclear site would be 20 kilometers south of a town called Victoria in the state of Texas....(read more)

Risk key to new build success, says report

World Nuclear News — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:22:09 GMT

Tackling the associated project risks will be vital if nuclear new build ventures are to be a success, according to a newly released report from an industry working group....(read more)

Where Are We At with the US-India Nuclear Deal?

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:23:00 GMT

In what has seemed like forever since the agreement was first initiated (July 2005), today could be the day that the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement lives or dies. It's up to the Nuclear Suppliers Group to give the thumbs up or thumbs down and Dan Yurman will be following it closely . Stop by his blog every couple of hours to find updates to the status of the deal. Read More......(read more)

India nuclear deal down to the wire

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:01:00 GMT

Latest wire service reports ~ updates throughout the day (1400 GMT) Reuters reports that delegates to the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) taking place in Vienna, Austria, today (9/5) said India's pledges to honor the nuclear nonproliferation treaty do not go far enough. Member countries are worried that India could set off a regional nuclear arms race if it acquires uranium enrichment Read More......(read more)

Chuck Devore on Why California Needs More Nuclear Plants

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:53:00 GMT

Check out the California Assembly Man's editorial at CaliforniaCityNews.org . Read More......(read more)

The Safety of US Nuclear Plants Continues to Improve

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:40:00 GMT

From the NRC : “The latest round of assessments shows that 90 percent of the nation’s commercial nuclear power plants require only the basic level of attention by the agency. This is an improvement from a year ago, when only 72 percent of the plants required this lower level of oversight,” said Fred Brown, Director of the Division of Inspection and Regional Support in the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Read More......(read more)

Westinghouse gets set for UK construction

World Nuclear News — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:47:51 GMT

Three agreements have been signed by US-based reactor company Westinghouse toward new build in the UK. They could see up to 80% of work on British AP1000s carried out by domestic firms....(read more)

Letter from inside the storm center in Jackson MS

Atomic Insights Blog — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:26:00 GMT

As I have mentioned several times here on Atomic Insights, I hold a special place in my heart for people who respond and rebuild electrical power systems after a damaging storm. When I was growing up, I clearly remember my Dad's "storm training" days. Dad was a supervising engineer for Florida Power and Light and completed a 35 year career with the company. One day per month, he was able Read More......(read more)

John McCain on Nuclear Energy

NEI Nuclear Notes — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:27:00 GMT

Here's John McCain on nuclear energy: My fellow Americans, when I'm president, we're going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much. We will attack the problem on every front. We will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we'll drill them now Read More......(read more)

Ion Beams Used to Detect Counterfeit Wines

NEI Nuclear Notes — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:05:00 GMT

New nuclear technology keeps getting more and more interesting : Nuclear scientists in France have unveiled a 21st century tool for unmasking counterfeit vintage wines, by zapping them with ion beams from a particle accelerator . The beams, which are directed at the glass, not the wine, can distinguish how old the bottles are and where they might originate. "The chemical composition of glass used Read More......(read more)

Niger Uranium buys stake in Henkries deposit

World Nuclear News — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:34:48 GMT

Niger Uranium has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire 74% of Namakwa Uranium, owner of the Henkries uranium project in South Africa. A government agency will continue to hold the rest....(read more)

Stop talking, start building

World Nuclear News — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:21:56 GMT

The time is right for a major change in world attitudes to energy - and the world cannot afford to wait before embarking on building the hundreds of new nuclear reactors that will play a vital part in a secure and clean energy future....(read more)

New South African enrichment process

World Nuclear News — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:16:28 GMT

A new isotope enrichment process with eventual application to uranium has been announced by a South African company. It represents a revival of an historic project, never thought to be commercially viable....(read more)

Sara Palin on Nuclear Energy

NEI Nuclear Notes — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:56:00 GMT

It's in the mix. From her speech last night: Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative sources. And second only to pipeline-laying - and that makes sense given Palin's background. We'll take it. Picture Read More......(read more)

Forging Constraint Rapidly Disappearing

Atomic Insights Blog — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:44:00 GMT

One of the more frequently mentioned constraints on new nuclear power plant construction is the production of large steel components like reactor pressure vessels. Until recently, there was only one place outside of Russia - Japan Steel Works - with the capability to produce the 500 ton forgings required to allow the manufacture of a reactor pressure vessel without welding pieces together. I think Read More......(read more)

Smoking gun part 13 - Energy Reorganization Act of 1974

Atomic Insights Blog — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:46:00 GMT

Many observers of the nuclear industry will point to the disestablishment of the Atomic Energy Commission as one of the major turning points in the development of nuclear power as growing alternative energy source. For nearly 30 years from 1946-1974, the AEC was a focused agency responsible for all aspects of nuclear power research, development and regulation. After the Energy Reorganization Act of Read More......(read more)

India nuclear deal hits the rocks

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:54:00 GMT

Rep, Howard Berman releases a secret letter to Congress Check Siddharth Varadarajan's blog for late breaking developments and reports direct from Vienna. The Washington Post reports that the U.S. will not sell sensitive nuclear technologies to India and would immediately terminate all trade involving nuclear technologies if New Delhi conducted a nuclear test. Apparently, the State Department Read More......(read more)

Forgemasters to pump up capabilities?

World Nuclear News — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:50:51 GMT

Britiain's Sheffield Forgemasters has won a contract to produce nuclear-grade steel pumps casings for Westinghouse AP1000 reactors. The company is considering adding a press that would allow it to make reactor pressure vessels....(read more)

Exelon Nuclear to be on TLC and WE

NEI Nuclear Notes — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:50:00 GMT

If any of you watch The Learning Channel or Women's Entertainment, " an educational segment about Exelon Nuclear will air... during the show "Designing Spaces: Think Green." The program, which will air Friday and Saturday, aims to highlight the benefits of clean nuclear energy and the Exelon 2020 Low Carbon Roadmap." Show times are: Friday, Sept. 5 - WE Network - 7:30 pm Central Read More......(read more)

Netherlands needs nuclear, says minister

World Nuclear News — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:27:05 GMT

The Netherlands needs its own energy resources including nuclear to enable it to end its dependency on external suppliers, according to Foreign Affairs minister Maxime Verhagen....(read more)

Most German businesses support nuclear extension

World Nuclear News — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:50:33 GMT

A survey conducted by the German association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce indicates that almost 80% of businesses are in favour of extending the operating lives of country's nuclear power plants....(read more)

Has the fossil fuel industry worked to slow nuclear power development?

Atomic Insights Blog — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:41:00 GMT

After pointing to the clear thinking on the natural progression of energy technology provided on Chicago Boyz , I have continued to participate in an interesting conversation thread tied to Shannon Love's post titled Fantasy Energy . Shannon's position is that the only real opposition to nuclear power developments has been the technology fearing leftists who vocally oppose nuclear power and Read More......(read more)