Russia is proposing to build a high-voltage electricity cable from Kaliningrad to Germany across the Baltic Sea to export power produced from a newly to be built nuclear power plant. The cable would be laid alongside the last part of the gas pipeline Nordstream that Gazprom is building together with western partners and that will be used to transport gas direct from Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea. The electricity cable would similarly bypass third countries, in this case Poland. A representative from the German Ministry of Economic Affairs says he does not expect Germany to be willing to acquiesce to the plan. ‘I cannot imagine that the German public will want to import nuclear power (“Atomstrom”) from Russia’, he says.
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Russia proposes “electricity pipeline” to Germany
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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Sarkozy in talks to end Areva impasse
Friday, December 3, 2010Qatar’s prime minister met French president Nicolas Sarkozy this week in an attempt to resolve the stalemate over a capital increase for Areva, the French state-owned nuclear group.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani was in Paris for a stopover to discuss the terms of Qatar’s proposed investment in Areva.
Tuareg Activist Takes on French Nuclear Company
Friday, November 12, 2010For the past 40 years, the French state-owned company Areva has been mining uranium for Europe's nuclear power needs in Niger, one of the poorest countries on Earth. One local activist is taking on the company, claiming that water and dust have been contaminated and workers are dying as a result of its activities.
SE switches on two upgraded nuclear power units
Thursday, November 11, 2010The main electricity producer in Slovakia, Slovenske Elektrarne (SE), which is 66% owned by Italian power giant Enel and 34% owned by the state, has completed its EUR 500 million investment into upgrading two units of the V2 power plant in Jaslovske Bohunice.
UK regulator says reactor designs have unresolved safety issues
Thursday, November 11, 2010The UK nuclear regulator said Wednesday it expects both the Areva EPR and the Westinghouse AP1000 reactors to have unresolved safety issues when the generic design assessment, or GDA, program completes next year. In a quarterly progress report released Wednesday, the NII said it has potential open issues in 10 out of 18 topical areas on the Areva EPR design review and in 16 out of the 18 topical areas on the Westinghouse AP1000 design.
Lithuania pleased at German support for nuclear plant
Tuesday, November 2, 2010Vilnius - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis on Tuesday praised German support for a planned nuclear power station to be built in the Baltic country, describing it as a 'guarantee' to potential investors.
Cernavoda nuclear project stakes decision delayed for 2011
Monday, November 1, 2010The Romanian state will take a decision in 2011 on the make-up of the company set to construct two new nuclear reactors in Romania’s existing site in Cernavoda, Constanta county, Minister of Economy Ion Ariton told The Diplomat
This will further delay the development of the four billion Euro, 1,500 MW power plant development and is likely to contribute to pushing back its commissioning date of 2015 to 2017 at the earliest.
EU to propose burying nuclear waste as safest option
Wednesday, October 27, 2010The European Commission will promote underground storage as the safest option for storing nuclear waste, according to a leaked proposal which has already irked environmentalists.
The draft directive seeks to set up an EU framework for managing used fuel and radioactive waste which is generated by nuclear power plants but also medicine and industry, among others.
German nuclear tax weighs on utilities' credit ratings
Tuesday, October 26, 2010When Germany announced its plan to phase out nuclear power stations last month, shares in the big four German power companies rose. The agreement made with the German government would see Eon, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall pay a nuclear-fuel rods tax of EUR2.3bn until 2016 - but the market had been expecting worse.
But today Moody's has warned that the impact of the tax might yet force a downgrade of the companies' credit ratings.
Utilities to issue warning on carbon price
Tuesday, October 26, 2010Britain’s “big six” energy companies will this week warn Chris Huhne, secretary of state for energy, that the government’s proposed “floor price” for carbon emission permits is not enough of an incentive for them to invest in new nuclear power stations.
Executives from the companies, including Centrica, EDF Energy and Scottish Power, now owned by Iberdrola, are due to make their views clear at a dinner with Mr Huhne on Wednesday.
