THE WORLD'S NUCLEAR NEWS AGENCY

World Nuclear Review - week ending 2nd April 2004

First Criticality For Japan's Hamaoka-5

Japan's Hamaoka-5 nuclear reactor unit achieved first criticality on 23rd March, and is set to be connected to the grid as scheduled next month.

Construction of the Chubu Electric Power unit, situated in Shizuoka prefecture, started just four years ago and fuel loading began in February of this year.

Hamaoka-5 is Japan's third advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) unit with a net installed generating capacity of 1325 megawatts (MW) and it is scheduled to enter commercial operation in January 2005.

Meanwhile, Hamaoka-1 - a 540-MW boiling water reactor unit (BWR) - remains shut down for a periodic inspection and repair work. Chubu Electric had originally hoped that work would be completed by the end of this month. However, the company announced in January that it would take "considerable time to inspect and evaluate cracks identified in the shroud support ring and to undertake a technological assessment of age-related degradation in the reactor".

Source: Japan Atomic Industrial Forum / Chubu Electric Power

Full report: NucNet News No. 75, 31st March

Swedish N-Plant Proposes Uprates For Two Units

Sweden's Ringhals nuclear power plant has asked regulators for permission to increase the generating capacity of two of the plant's units.

The Swedish nuclear power inspectorate, SKI, has been asked to approve an uprate of 380 megawatts (MW) at Ringhals-3 and an uprate of 40 MW at Ringhals-1. The current generating capacities at the plants are 920 MW and 830 MW respectively.

After considering the applications, SKI is expected to present its recommendations to the Swedish government. Sweden's environment ministry will consider those recommendations and make proposals for a final decision to be taken by the government.

Source: Hans Ehdwall, KSU / Ringhals

Full report: NucNet News No. 74, 30th March

Loan Approved For Cernavoda-2 As Romania Plans Milestone Year

A 223.5 million-euro (EUR) loan has been approved for the completion of unit two of Romania's Cernavoda nuclear power plant and for safety upgrade measures.

The European Commission (EC) approved the loan 30th March on behalf of Euratom. The EC said the loan concerned the implementation of "some safety measures during the completion of the unit to ensure an internationally acceptable level of safety".

The third-generation unit is of Canadian (Candu 6) design and is situated near Romania's border with Bulgaria. The project has already started through contracts concluded with a Canadian/European consortium, and commissioning tests are expected to start in the second half of this year.

Meanwhile, a year of nuclear achievements in 2003 has been reported by Romania, and the country's key goals for the current year include completion of Cernavoda-2. On 2nd December last year, Romania marked seven years since the start of commercial operations of unit one at Cernavoda - which throughout that period has been responsible for an average 10% of total domestic electricity generation. Earlier in 2003, Cernavoda-1 was granted an extended operating licence valid until April 2005.

Separately, a 'first step' evaluation of a study into constructing a third reactor unit at Cernavoda has recommended that a financial adviser now evaluate the feasibility of the proposed project (see Business News No. 64, 5th November 2003).

Source: EC / Nuclearelectrica / Romanian Nuclear Energy Association

Full report: NucNet News No. 76, 31st March

EDF Reports Increased Income From 'Excellent Energy Mix'

French utility ElectricitÈ de France (EDF) has reported an increase in net income in 2003 to 857 million euros (EUR), boosted by a sharp increase in operational performance and including extraordinary costs of more than EUR 1 billion.

Other highlights of the recently released EDF annual report include a 7.4% increase in sales to EUR 44.9 billion.

Nuclear accounted for 85.6% of state-owned EDF's overall generation in 2003, hydro-power accounted for 9.3% and fossil-fired generation was 5.1%. EDF generated a total of 490.9 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2003 (compared to 486.4 TWh in 2002). The company said that 94.9% of its electricity in 2003 was produced by nuclear and hydro plants, confirming EDF's "excellent energy mix".

EDF also improved the availability rate of France's 58 commercial nuclear reactors during 2003 to 82.7%, an increase of 0.7 percentage points; despite the demands created by last summer's heat wave and drought.

Europe accounted for 96% of EDF's total sales. Sales in France were EUR 28.4 billion as "a result of the business holding up well in the face of stronger competition". In the rest of Europe, EDF sales rose 29.9% to EUR 12.3 billion. EDF added that electricity volumes sold in 2003 in France were up 2% over 2002 at 407.7 TWh.

Source: EDF

Full report: NucNet Business News No. 16, 31st March

Excavation Contract Signed For Finland's Onkalo Research Facility

Posiva Oy signed a contract 25th March concerning the first phase of excavation work for the 50 million-euro Onkalo underground research facility on the island of Olkiluoto, off the south-west coast of Finland.

Posiva communications manager Timo Sepp told NucNet that the contract concerns the first of two phases in the excavation process of the construction of the rock-characterisation facility. Phase 1 excavation work will begin this summer, last for four years and be completed by 2008. A new agreement will subsequently be signed for Phase 2 of the excavation work.

Source: Posiva Oy

Full report: NucNet News No. 73, 26th March

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