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GDF Suez group gets contract for international nuclear work

PARIS, Oct. 29 (UPI) — A consortium for French and German energy companies announced Tuesday it received a $730 million contract to research nuclear fusion energy. “To take part in the largest international research project in nuclear fusion energy is a source of great pride,” Guy Lacroix, the chief executive in charge of energy services at French energy company GDF Suez , said in a statement. GDF Suez leads a consortium that includes Germany’s M+W Group. The six-year contract is for the so-called Fusion for Energy program, an entity in charge of the European Union’s activities at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in France. The contract calls for design, construction and maintenance of air conditioning, electrical and mechanical installations for 13 buildings at the complex. GDF Suez said in a statement work should begin at the complex in France starting in September. Construction should take about five years, with […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Stung by scandal, South Korea weighs up cost of curbing nuclear power

SEOUL (Reuters) – It started with a few bogus safety certificates for cables shutting a handful of South Korean nuclear reactors. Now, the scandal has snowballed, with 100 people indicted and Seoul under pressure to rethink its reliance on nuclear power. A shift away from nuclear, which generates a third of South Korea’s electricity, could cost tens of billions of dollars a year by boosting imports of liquefied natural gas, oil or coal. Although helping calm safety concerns, it would also push the government into a politically sensitive debate over whether state utilities could pass on sharply higher power bills to households and companies. Gas, which makes up half of South Korea’s energy bill while accounting for only a fifth of its power, would likely be the main substitute for nuclear, as it is considered cleaner than coal and plants can be built more easily near cities. "If the […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Tech Talk – ten years is a long time to wait for power

Today the British Government are announcing the construction of the first new nuclear-powered electricity generating station in 20-years. The new plant, which will replace plants that will close will go up at Hinkley Point, and will be constructed by a French firm, with significant Chinese investment, and with a promised subsidy from the Government. It won’t, however, start producing electricity until 2023, and even then only if everything goes well. Euan Mearns has been pointing out some of the problems that the country faces as it closes existing power stations in order to meet environmental directives from the EU. The long-term supply of power at an affordable price is being increasingly challenged as the margin between demand and available supply shrinks. The leader of the Labor Party is promising that prices will be fixed by edict, an action that is unlikely to encourage investment at a time when it […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

Tech Talk – ten years is a long time to wait for power

Today the British Government are announcing the construction of the first new nuclear-powered electricity generating station in 20-years. The new plant, which will replace plants that will close will go up at Hinkley Point, and will be constructed by a French firm, with significant Chinese investment, and with a promised subsidy from the Government. It won’t, however, start producing electricity until 2023, and even then only if everything goes well. Euan Mearns has been pointing out some of the problems that the country faces as it closes existing power stations in order to meet environmental directives from the EU. The long-term supply of power at an affordable price is being increasingly challenged as the margin between demand and available supply shrinks. The leader of the Labor Party is promising that prices will be fixed by edict, an action that is unlikely to encourage investment at a time when it […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Japan nuke agency urges drastic steps at Fukushima

AP Photo TOKYO (AP) — In their first meeting since Japan created a new, more independent nuclear agency 13 months ago, the top regulator on Monday urged the head of the utility that runs the crippled Fukushima plant to take “drastic steps” to mitigate a spate of mishaps at the complex. Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka summoned Tokyo Electric Power Co. President Naomi Hirose to his office to express concerns about growing problems at the plant, including human errors that have led to a series of leaks of contaminated water used to cool the damaged reactors. Human error is mostly to blame for the recent mishaps, as workers deal with a string of crises. Tanaka said earlier this month the repeated “silly mistakes” are a sign of declining morale and sense of responsibility. TEPCO acknowledged a systemic problem in a recent report: Workers under tight deadlines tend to […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple