Nuclear News 30/01/2008

Cost of nuclear decommissioning rises to 73 billion pounds: report
AFP

The cost of decommissioning ageing nuclear plants has soared by 12 billion pounds to 73 billion over the past few years, a report said Wednesday.
The National Audit Office warned that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority faced "significant challenges" in it work of shutting down obsolete reactors since the cost of even imminent work has risen manifold.
The authority estimated in 2007 that the cost of decommissioning its 19 sites over a 100-year period was 61 billion pounds, with a further 12 billion to run operating sites to the end of their commercial life, a figure 18 percent higher than the 2005 estimate.

Bushehr nuclear power plant to be run late September
ISNA, IRAN

Bushehr power plant will be run in late September, Iran's nuclear energy production chief said.
93% of the power plant has been constructed so far, Ahmad Fayaz bakhsh said.
This power plant with the capacity of 1000 mega watts, is located in south of Iran.
Iran received total 82 tones of initial nuclear fuel required for Bushehr nuclear power plant in 8 batches.
The head of Iran's atomic energy organization Gholam Reza Aghazadeh had called Russia's nuclear fuel delivery to Iran a considerably important measure.
Iran took delivery of the first nuclear fuel consignment in December 17 of 2007 and the last one in January 28 of 2008.

‘India ready to export nuclear reactors’
The Hindu

The country is prepared to export commercially viable civilian nuclear reactors to other developing nations across the globe if it is allowed to do so by the Indian government and also by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, Anil Kakodkar has said.
Speaking to reporters at Koodankulam on Wednesday after witnessing the movement of gigantic caissons (seawater intake pipes made of concrete) into the sea for about 1.20 km at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project site, Dr. Kakodkar said the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), which had mastered the design, fabrication and erection of a range of commercially viable nuclear reactors, could share its expertise with others if it was allowed.

Koodankulam plant to begin generating power in March
SifyNews

Ahead of Russian Prime Minister Victor Zubkov's visit to India February 12, Anil Kakodkar, chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission, on Wednesday said that the Russian-aided Koodankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu would begin power generation in March.
The project is getting delayed because Russia has to take into account Nuclear Supplier Group's concerns, officials said here.

St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Removed from Service
PR-Inside.com

Operators at Florida Power & Light Company's St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant took Unit 2 offline today at 5:31 a.m. to investigate and repair a problem with one of the unit's four reactor coolant pumps. Reactor coolant pumps are large pieces of equipment that circulate water through the reactor coolant system. Operators responded conservatively
to the indication of the minor problem by shutting down the unit to investigate the problem and make repairs.

Wales: Safety fears if Wylfa power station is kept open after 2010
icWales.co.uk

Wales’ only remaining nuclear power station could now stay open until 2016, angering campaigners who say the ageing reactor will become a safety liability.
Wylfa, on Anglesey, is due to close in March 2010, but the Nuclear Decommission Authority (NDA) are involved in a feasibility study looking at keeping the plant open beyond this date.
Also the NDA says that when the twin Magnox reactor eventually does close it’s a more likely location for a new power station than some sites in England’s south.