Today's big stories from the nuclear industry:
Three out of four Germans not safe from nuclear power accidents
The figures are based on the foundation’s ‘Nuclear Power Atlas,’ which counts the number of people living within a 150-kilometer (93-mile) radius of each of the 17 nuclear power stations in Germany – putting them in immediate danger in the event of a nuclear accident. Between 5.4 million and 11.8 million people were counted within the various zones, which cover most of the western and southern regions of Germany. The city of Bremen, within 150 kilometers of six nuclear powers stations, is particularly at risk. According to a foundation statement, the numbers are considered conservative, as “in the case of a big accident a lot more people could be affected by the radioactive fallout.” Foundation board member Hans Guenter Schumacher concluded, “It’s not just irresponsible, but inhuman that nuclear power stations continue to be operated in a country as densely populated as Germany when millions of people could be endangered by an accident.”
Pacific Sandpiper powered out of Barrow under tight security
Nuclear bosses, unions and community leaders are hoping the first-ever shipment of highly radioactive waste overseas from Sellafield will eventually lead to new business and more employment security. They also say that the “historic milestone” finally nails claims that Sellafield was becoming the world’s nuclear dustbin and should not be allowed to carry on producing more waste from reprocessing. Relationships with Japan who refused to do any more business with BNFL and Sellafield after the Mox fuel scandal several years are now said to have been healed with much trust and confidence restored. The Pacific Sandpiper powered out of Barrow under tight security – but unlike for the Mox fuel shipments the vessel is not armed. Double hull security barriers and safety features are considered robust enough to protect the “hot” cargo from the potential risk of terrorism attack or hi-jack through territorial waters. The Sandpiper is carrying cannisters of hot waste which have been converted into glass blocks in the Sellafield vitrification plant. The waste is from Japanese spent fuel reprocessed at Sellafield and is finally being sent back under inter-government deals struck in 1976.
French Nuclear Firms Told to Stop Bickering
Prime Minister François Fillon on Wednesday summoned the squabbling chiefs of EDF and Areva to a meeting to calm tensions in the country’s increasingly dysfunctional-looking nuclear power industry. Mr. Fillon called Anne Lauvergeon, chief executive of Areva, the nuclear power plant giant, and Henri Proglio, chief executive of EDF, the world’s biggest operator of nuclear power facilities, to his office at the Hôtel de Matignon to resolve two thorny contractual disputes after days of quarreling in the press. “The prime minister reminded the parties of the state’s role in the nuclear field,” Mr. Fillon’s office said in a statement, and he underlined “the necessity of guaranteeing the competitive production of electricity on French soil.” The state owns 84 percent of EDF and 91 percent of Areva.
EDF to Sell a Third of Nuclear Power to Rivals Under Draft Law
Electricite de France SA, Europe’s biggest generator, would be forced to sell as much as 120 terawatt-hours of power a year to rivals, about one third of its French reactor output, under a draft law to open competition. “The price will reflect the economic conditions” of EDF’s existing nuclear reactors and “all of the costs” of operating them will be calculated by the regulator, according to the document. The draft doesn’t contain estimates of the price at which EDF could sell the power to competitors or what volume will actually be put on the market and says the system will be in place until the end of 2025. The volume will be determined by how competition develops within the French market for power generation, the draft states. The planned law is designed to meet antitrust concerns of the European Commission, which raided EDF offices last year as part of a probe into whether the utility abused its dominant position by raising prices on France’s wholesale power market. State-controlled EDF holds 85 percent of the market by volume even after it was opened to competition almost three years ago.
International Power tests French secret M&A formula
It sounded too good to be true - at least the way GDF-Suez told it. If the French utility had succeeded in pulling off a power generation partnership deal with International Power of the UK without having to shell out any cash, it would have accelerated its goal of getting to 100,000MW of electricity generating capacity two years ahead of schedule. The French group currently has about 70,000MW of capacity and has targeted to increase this to 100,000MW over the next three years through a €30bn three-year investment programme. International Power would have allowed it to get there in one fell swoop. Gerard Mestrallet, the long-serving GDF-Suez boss, was determined not to spend a single sou to acquire International Power generation capacity. Instead, he hoped to repeat his current strategy of clinching partnership and other deals with asset swaps rather than cash. For the moment at least, this has clearly not worked across the Channel.
Kingdom signs cooperation agreement with Spain
Jordan expanded international collaboration in its peaceful nuclear programme on Wednesday by signing a nuclear cooperation agreement (NCA) with Spain. At a signing ceremony yesterday, attended by Spanish Ambassador in Amman Javier Sangro de Liniers and Spanish Secretary of State for Trade Sylvia Iranzo Gutierrez, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Chairman Khaled Toukan hailed the deal as “another milestone on our steady path to nuclear energy”. The agreement will pave the way for Spanish companies to play a major role in the Kingdom’s nuclear programme, Toukan said, noting that Spanish companies may be involved in the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant, slated to be built in Aqaba. panish firms previously competed for tenders for site selection and preconstruction consultancy phases for the country’s first reactor, he noted.
French power co. Areva signs deal for sale of unit
Nuclear and electric power company Areva SA signed an agreement Wednesday with Alstom SA and Schneider Electric SA setting out financial terms for the sale of its power transmission and distribution business, the company said. The bid from Alstom and Schneider, also French companies, valued the power grid unit at about euro4.09 billion ($5.78 billion). A statement from Areva confirmed the price but provided no details on financial terms and conditions. Separate bids from General Electric Co. and Japan's Toshiba Corp. were rejected in November. Areva had acquired the grid unit five years earlier. The deal commits the buyers to maintain all European sites for three years and guarantees similar positions in the same geographical area to European employees.
