Russian Federation

Russia ex-nuclear energy minister found guilty of theft

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

MOSCOW, February 19 (Itar-Tass) - The Zamoskvoretsky court of Moscow recognized ex-nuclear energy minister Yevgeny Adamov guilty of stealing over 30 million dollars.

The court considered proved his guilt of fraud and abuse of office.

“The court has ascertained that defendant Adamov has committed fraud by stealing a major amount of property abusing his office, which entailed substantial damage to the interests of the state,” the judge said on Tuesday.

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Russia plans bid to build nuclear plant in Armenia

Thursday, February 7, 2008

YEREVAN, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday it will bid in a tender to build a nuclear power station in Armenia to replace an ageing Chernobyl-style plant that has provoked safety concerns.

Armenia, which imports most of its energy, has said it will close down its Soviet-built Metzamor nuclear reactor, which supplies up 40 percent of the country's power, only when it can add new generating capacity. The government said last year it would hold a tender to build a new 1,000 megawatt reactor at the site near Yerevan, which could be ready by 2016.

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Russia Moving Ahead With Plant Closings

Saturday, February 2, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two of Russia's plutonium-producing reactors may be closed six months ahead of schedule this summer, a major milestone in U.S. nuclear nonproliferation efforts, a senior Energy Department official said Friday.

The official said Sergey Kiriyenko, the director of Russia's nuclear agency, Rosatom, told Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman during a 40-minute meeting Friday that shutting down the two reactors in the Siberian town of Seversk so soon was "realistic."

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Ecologists Warn of Dangers to City of Nuclear Waste Cargo

Friday, January 25, 2008

By Galina Stolyarova, the St. Petersburg Times

As 2,000 tons of radioactive cargo arrived at St. Petersburg’s port from Germany on Thursday, environmental groups took to the streets to inform city residents about the growing imports of nuclear materials and the dangers the trade imposes.

The MV Schouwenbank cargo ship, carrying containers with a total of 2,000 tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride, came from the Gronau uranium enrichment facility that belongs to Urenco Deutschland. The radioactive load on board the ship is due to be sent by rail to the town of Novouralsk in Siberia for reprocessing and storage.

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New energy in nuclear power supply battle

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

By Joshua Boak, Tribune staff reporter, January 6, 2008

Firms jostle to be 1st in line for scarce reactor components - The latest nuclear race involves something other than warheads.

American utilities are moving forward on the next generation of nuclear reactors -- even before they receive government approval to build them.

They know only one company in the world that forges specialized steel containers for a reactor's core. Japan Steel Works already has a three-year backlog, and buyers include Chicago-based Exelon Corp.

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Russia offers Bulgaria 3.8 billion Euros loan for new builds

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

London (Platts)--21Jan2008

Russia is offering to loan Bulgaria 3.8 billion Euros (US$5.5 billion) for construction of two 1,000-MW-class reactors at Belene, a spokeswoman for Atomstroyexport, or ASE, said January 18.

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Russia foils atomic smugglers

Friday, January 4, 2008

By Will Stewart in Moscow
Last Updated: 2:24am GMT 04/01/2008

Russia has admitted that customs officials thwarted more than 120 attempts to smuggle "highly radioactive" material out of the country last year.

The disclosure is likely to fuel concern about how many illegal exports were not halted. It will also lead to new fears that Moscow has failed to stop material becoming available on the black market that could be used by terrorists to make radioactive "dirty" bombs.

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Russian atomic power chief hails new plant in China

Monday, December 17, 2007

MOSCOW (Thomson Financial) - Russia and China will inaugurate an atomic power station in Jiangsu province on December 20, as Moscow steps up construction of such stations worldwide, a top Russian official has said.

The head of Russian atomic power station contractor Atomstroiexport, Sergei Shmatko, told journalists Russia was shaking off the stigma attached to its nuclear industry after the Soviet-era Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 and was in talks with European and Asian countries.

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US, Russia take steps to open American market to Russian uranium imports

Friday, December 7, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) The United States tentatively has agreed to allow limited imports of uranium from Russia, suspending an antidumping investigation that has been in place for decades, according to a filing by the Commerce Department.

The imports, beginning in 2011, would be limited by yearly quotas.

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Nulear power for Shtokman?

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

08:50 - 03 December 2007
Norwegian environmental group Bellona fears that Gazprom will use nuclear power to provide electricity to the huge Shtokman gas-field project.

The NGO has sought action by Norway's foreign ministry to prevent Gazprom taking the nuclear route.

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