Nuclear News 18/01/2008

New delivery of Russian nuclear fuel to Iran: official
AFP

Russia Friday delivered a third consignment of fuel for Iran's Bushehr nuclear power station, the official news agency IRNA reported.
"The third load of fuel arrived Friday morning at the Bushehr site" in the south of the country, IRNA quoted the Organization for Production and Development of Nuclear Energy as saying in a statement.
Like the first two consignments, the third weighed 11 tonnes. The five loads to come "will be delivered to Iran under the foreseen calendar," the statement added.
Russia is to deliver a total of some 82 tonnes of nuclear fuel in eight consignments over a two-month period. The first and second loads were delivered on December 17 and 28.

China urges Iran, Europe to resume nuclear talks
AFP

China has urged Iran to resume negotiations with the international community in a fresh attempt to end their long-running standoff over its nuclear programme, state press reported Friday.
Beijing's call came with Washington's second top diplomat and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator both in China to lobby for support ahead of a key meeting next week on possible sanctions against the Islamic regime.
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Saeed Jalili, who is regarded as more hardline than his predecessor whom he replaced in October, and who is a close ally of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Safeguards agreement key to U.S.-India nuclear deal
China View

The outcome of talks on an agreement with the UN nuclear watchdog on nuclear safeguards for India will be key to advancing the India-U.S. civilian nuclear cooperation deal, analysts said.
Experts from India and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been meeting behind closed doors in Vienna on the pact for the IAEA to monitor India's civilian nuclear reactors, a prerequisite to move forward on the India-U.S. nuclear deal. The deal, signed in March 2006 during a visit to India by U.S. President George W. Bush, would give India access to U.S. nuclear fuel and equipment in exchange for New Delhi's agreement to separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities.

World Nuclear Capacity Growth Accelerated Last Year, Group Says
Bloomberg

Global nuclear power generating capacity in 2007 rose six times the rate of the previous year, while the number of planned and proposed units also increased, the Australian Uranium Association said.
Four new reactors were connected to grids last year, while none were taken out of service, giving a net increase to world capacity of the equivalent of 2,922 megawatts, the industry group said today in an e-mailed newsletter. A further 250 megawatts were added in upgrades, taking capacity to 372.1 gigawatts, it said.