Europe

Czech Nuclear Expansion Deemed Hopeless Without State Aid

Thursday, December 5, 2013

The Czech Republic’s ambition to secure its future energy independence with a $15 billion nuclear expansion will be thwarted unless the state guarantees a price for the power, the country’s largest electricity producer said.

“We won’t build without state guarantees,” Pavel Cyrani, chief of strategy at Prague-based CEZ AS, said in an interview in the city. “It’s simply impossible.”

CEZ, like other power producers in Europe, has seen profit margins squeezed after economic stagnation cut demand, dragging down prices. The utility has delayed choosing a supplier of two new reactors for its Temelin plant pending assurances from the government that the project will make money. The state, CEZ’s main shareholder, is counting on the expansion to counter a loss in capacity as ageing plants are retired over the next 15 years.

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Security fears over 'Orwellian' Chinese nuclear deal

Sunday, December 1, 2013

It was hailed by UK Chancellor George Osborne as a "new dawn" - but serious questions remain about the security implications of Britain's nuclear energy deal with China.

The UK government has refused to say whether China's planned investment in the British nuclear industry was approved by the National Security Council - the body that assess the risks from foreign investment in critical national infrastructure projects.

Chancellor George Osborne announced during his trip to China in October that Chinese state owned companies CGN and CNNC would be allowed to take a 40% stake in the company planning to build the Hinkley C nuclear power station in Somerset.

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Revealed: David Cameron's radical plan to burn up UKs mountain of plutonium

Friday, November 29, 2013

A radical plan to dispose of Britain's huge store of civil plutonium - the biggest in the world - by "burning" it in a new type of fast reactor is now officially one of three "credible options" being considered by the Government, The Independent understands.

However, further delays have hit attempts to make a final decision on what to do with the growing plutonium stockpile which has been a recurring headache for successive governments over the past three decades.

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More partners pull out of Fennovoima nuclear project

Friday, November 15, 2013

The consortium of Finnish power companies backing a planned nuclear power plant in Pyhäjoki, western Finland is shrinking. Some 15 members of the Fennovoima public power consortium announced Thursday that they were pulling out of the project, leaving 45 partners still on board.

Thursday’s development saw 15 members of the Voimaosakeyhtiö SF announce their withdrawal from the planned nuclear power project in Ostrobothnia, western Finland. Voimaosakeyhtiö is a power consortium comprising 67 companies who jointly own Fennovoima.

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Minister rules out construction of nuclear plant

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

JAGODINA -- Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection Zorana Mihajlović says that the construction of a nuclear power plant in Serbia is out of question.

Mihajlović dismissed the possibility of building a nuclear power plant in Serbia not only for environmental reasons but also because the construction would be extremely expensive.

In addition to this, Serbia lacks experts in this field, and the issue of radioactive waste would also come to the forefront, Mihajlović said in a TV panel discussion held Thursday evening in Jagodina.

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EDF may extend nuclear plant depreciation - paper

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Nov 12 (Reuters) - French state-controlled utility EDF will consider extending the depreciation period for its nuclear plants, its chief executive told a newspaper, potentially freeing up cash for the country's promised shift towards greener energy.

Sources close to the matter told Reuters in September that France could help finance a drive for more renewable energy by extending the depreciation period of EDF's nuclear plants, which would boost EDF's profit and the dividends it pays the government.

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Plan to sell Urenco runs into Dutch objections

Sunday, November 10, 2013

The UK Government’s plans to raise £3bn from the sale of uranium enrichment group Urenco may have hit a stumbling block after it emerged that the Dutch government is understood to have raised concerns about the sale of its stake.

The Dutch and UK governments each own a third of Urenco, one of the world’s biggest uranium enrichment companies, while Germany’s top two utilities, RWE and E.ON, own the rest.

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UK storm causes two Dungeness nuclear reactors to close

Monday, November 4, 2013

(Reuters) - The storm that swept across southern Britain on Monday morning caused nuclear power outages at the Dungeness B21 and B22 units, operator EDF Energy said.

EDF Energy said on its website that both units, which have a capacity of 550 megawatts (MW) each, came off at 0744 GMT on Monday, adding that unit availability was expected to be zero for the next seven days.

"The shutdown was weather-related. The plant reacted as it should and shut down safely," an EDF Energy spokeswoman said.

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Hinkley gamble worries economic analysts

Thursday, October 31, 2013

The government's agreement to underwrite the Hinkley Point nuclear power station could turn out to be economically insane and hugely costly to consumers, City analysts have warned.

Analysts at Liberum Capital said the government's deal with France's EDF will make Hinkley Point the most expensive power station in the world with the longest construction period in the world.

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Finance deal agreed for Polish nuclear plant

Friday, October 25, 2013

Poland’s nuclear power ambitions have moved a step forward after four state companies agreed to team up to finance a 3,000-megawatt unit.

State utility PGE, which is coordinating the project, will sell three 10% stakes to utilities Tauron and Enea and to copper and silver producer KGHM. The total cost of the project is likely to be almost €10bn, according to government estimates.

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