THE WORLD'S NUCLEAR NEWS AGENCY

World Nuclear Review - week ending 16th April 2004

European Agreement Signed On Storage Research Project

Thirteen organisations from nine Western European countries have signed a cooperative agreement with the European Commission on the research and development of the geological storage of high-level radioactive waste (HLW).

Known as the Engineering Studies and Demonstrations of Repository Designs (ESDRED) project, it will seek to demonstrate, with the use of industrial-size prototypes, the technical feasibility of the different activities relating to the construction, operation and closure of a deep geological repository. The five-year programme has a budget of 18 million euros (EUR).

French national radioactive waste management agency Andra is serving as ESDRED project coordinator.

Waste-management participants include ENRESA of Spain, Nagra of Switzerland, Nirex of the UK, Ondraf/Niras of Belgium and Posiva Oy of Finland. Research and development organisations include Aitemin of Spain, CSIC of Spain, DBE Technology of Germany, ESV Euridice EIG of Belgium, GRS of Germany and NRG of the Netherlands.

Serving as a central component of project research is the äspÆ Hard Rock Laboratory near Oskarshamn, Sweden, owned by Swedish nuclear fuel and waste-management company SKB, another project participant.

A special programme involving the training of engineers and the transfer of technologies, especially intended for the new member states of the EU, will be proposed.

Source: ESDRED / SKB

Full report: NucNet News No. 86, 14th April

Decree Confirms Role Of Russia's Atomic Energy Agency

Russian prime minister Mikhail Fradkov has signed the decree confirming the functions of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency, now known as Rosatom, which was formally established last month.

Rosatom, which succeeds the former Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom), will carry out governmental duties and manage state property in areas relating to nuclear energy.

The decree states that the new agency will be responsible for the "development and safe operation of the nuclear power industry, nuclear defence complex, nuclear fuel cycle, atomic science and engineering, and for international cooperation in this area".

Rosatom is subordinate to Russia's Ministry of Industry and Energy in terms of most of its functions, and subordinate to the Ministry of Defence for nuclear defence issues.

Former Minatom minister Alexander Rumyantsev heads Rosatom and four deputies are responsible for key areas of the agency's work. Up to 500 staff will be employed at Rosatom's central office.

Source: Rosenergoatom / Nuclear Society of Russia

Full report: NucNet News No. 88, 15th April

Swedish Liberals Talk Of Nuclear Expansion

Ahead of an expected Swedish government report on energy policy, the country's Liberal Party has reinvigorated the national nuclear debate by suggesting not only that nuclear not be phased out but be allowed to expand to satisfy Sweden's electricity needs.

Liberal vice chairman Jan BjÆrklund heads a 10-member party study group, which spent a year studying the energy issue and which presented its recommendations on 4th April. While the Liberal Party has yet to adopt the group's position as official policy, party chairman Lars Leijonborg has said he agrees with it in principle.

Among the most significant elements of the Liberal study group's proposal is that nuclear represents a key way for Sweden to fulfil its commitments to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol - while securing a reliable source of energy in the process.

The proposal calls for the repeal of the results of a 1980 referendum in Sweden, which were incorporated into a parliamentary decision to phase out the use of nuclear energy by 2010. While that 2010 target has been relaxed over time, subsequent policy decisions have set Sweden up for a 'German-type' policy aimed at a gradual end to the use of nuclear energy.

The Liberal Party would like to see, by contrast, changes to the existing energy bill to allow for the expansion of nuclear energy in Sweden, and for the construction of new reactors, as needed.

Sweden's other political parties have voiced a range of opinions regarding the Liberal Party's position. They have also remained cautiously neutral, however, ahead of the expected delivery of a report, commissioned by the ruling Social Democrats, on the existing nuclear phase-out programme.

The Liberal Party study group argues that, based on market demands, rather than phase out nuclear, Sweden may need to add two or three units over the next 20 years.

Source: Carl-Erik Wikdahl, Energiforum AB / Hans Ehdwall, KSU

Full report: NucNet News No. 84, 8th April

Head Of Ukraine's Nuclear Utility Becomes Minister

Serhiy Tulub has been appointed as Ukraine's fuel and energy minister - a post he previously held from 1999-2000.

Fifty-one year-old Mr Tulub is currently president of Ukraine's state-owned nuclear utility, Energoatom, and he will also continue in that post according to a decree issued by Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma. Mr Tulub succeeds Serhiy Yermilov, who Mr Kuchma dismissed from the fuel and energy ministry over a month ago.

Source: Ukrainian Nuclear Society

Full report: NucNet News No. 89, 15th April

IAEA Convenes Newly Formed International Safety Group

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced the formation of the new International Nuclear Safety Group (INSAG), bringing together experts from 15 countries "to provide authoritative advice and guidance on safety approaches, policies and principles at nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities".

Chairing INSAG is Dr Richard Meserve, president of the Carnegie Institution in Washington and former chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In announcing the group's formation, Dr Meserve said: "The evolution of nuclear safety is increasingly international. This newly formed group of experts will work to identify major safety issues and recommend ways and means to resolve them. We will be serving the IAEA, the nuclear community and the public."

Dr Meserve said INSAG includes experts from regulatory organisations, research and academic institutions and the nuclear industry - from 15 countries as well as the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Serving as secretariat for INSAG is the IAEA, under the office of Ken Brockman, director of the IAEA division of Nuclear Installation Safety.

Mr Brockman told NucNet that INSAG is specifically focused on safety issues concerning commercial nuclear installations v including plants, research reactors and fuel-cycle facilities.

Source: IAEA

Full report: Nucnet News No. 85, 13th April

Nuclear Communications In Focus At Budapest

Nuclear regulators, industry representatives, communicators and media representatives will be among those attending the second in a series of international seminars next month organised by NucNet, in co-operation with the Hungarian Atomic Energy Agency.

The seminar - "Crisis Communications: Tips and Trends" - will focus on the importance of providing timely information and the need for transparency when dealing with nuclear-related issues, and the importance of maintaining regular contacts with communities living near nuclear facilities, local representative bodies and the media.

NucNet's confirmed panel of speakers for the seminar comprises Len Green - director of the UK-based energy sector public relations company Positive Reaction, with experience in nuclear-related communications projects in the UK, Taiwan, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine; Agota Hanti - representing the information and visitor centre of the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary; and Juliette van der Laan-Jenniskens of NRG in the Netherlands - the Dutch energy research organisation that operates the European Commission-owned Petten research reactor.

The seminar will be of interest to all those whose work involves nuclear communications locally, nationally or internationally. A question-and-answer session will follow the speakers' presentations, and participants will also have an opportunity to talk to the speakers individually, 'network' with each other and exchange ideas and nuclear-information material.

The seminar will be held on Thursday 6th May 2004 at the Hilton Hotel, Budapest, starting at 1.30pm and will be preceded by a buffet lunch. A special NucNet country seminar - devoted to NucNet's members and subscribers in Hungary - will take place earlier in the day.

A registration form and further information is available in the 'news feature' section of NucNet's website (www.worldnuclear.org).

Source: NucNet Central Office

Full report: NucNet News No. 77, 1st April

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