THE WORLD'S NUCLEAR NEWS AGENCY

World Nuclear Review - week ending 10th September 2004

Ontario Begins Discussions On Bruce-1 And -2 Restart

The government of the Canadian province of Ontario announced on 8th September that it was "taking decisive action to address Ontario's electricity needs" by beginning discussions with utility Bruce Power to restart the remaining two units at the Bruce A nuclear power plant.

Provincial energy minister Dwight Duncan said: "The potential restart of units one and two at the Bruce facility would result in an additional 1,540 megawatts (MW) of electricity generating capacity, which is enough to power over 1 million homes across Ontario. Restarting these units would also potentially replace over 20% of our current coal capacity and related harmful emissions, which means cleaner air and a better quality of life for Ontarians."

There are eight reactor units at Bruce Power's facility. Bruce A unit four was returned to service after refurbishment in 2003, followed by unit three in 2004. All four Bruce B units are also operational.

The Ontario Ministry of Energy said it has sought proposals in recent weeks for 300MW of "clean, renewable electricity" and for 2,500MW of new electricity generating capacity and/or conservation measures. It also recently announced the refurbishment of Pickering A unit one reactor unit, which will provide an additional 515MW of generating capacity by late 2005.

The Ontario Energy Ministry has now engaged David Santangeli, managing director of Energy Fundamentals Group Inc, to develop and lead a team to advise on the potential for negotiating an agreement with Bruce - and to manage any subsequent negotiation process.

Source: Ontario Ministry of Energy

Full report: NucNet News in Brief No. 28, 9th September

Belgian Minister Calls For Rethink Of Energy Need And Nuclear Phase-Out

New Belgian economy and energy minister Marc Verwilghen has announced a new study into Belgium's energy needs - and said that he wants to reopen the debate on Belgium's existing nuclear phase-out policy.

Mr Verwilghen made the announcements in the Belgian press on 2nd September. The "Le Soir" article "Return to Nuclear?" considers the willingness of Mr Verwilghen, a member of the Liberal Party who became minister this summer, to push for the repeal of a law supporting the gradual phase-out of nuclear energy in Belgium from 2015.

The Liberal-Socialist government of prime minister Guy Verhofstadt campaigned on the phase-out policy in 1999, and the policy became law in 2003, when the Ecolo (Green) Party was also part of the governing Rainbow Coalition. The law calls for the gradual closure of the country's seven reactor units not later than 40 years after they entered commercial service - but also states that an exception might be made on the grounds of security of energy supply in the case of "force majeure".

"Le Soir" quotes Mr Verwilghen saying that if the new study shows nuclear to be the best solution, then it will be necessary to "reopen the file".

Liberal member of parliament (senator) Pierre Lano, in a 3rd September article in "La Libre Belgique", confirms that the government could repeal the existing law. He said: "The principle of necessity could be invoked in the case of the difficulty of honouring the Kyoto Protocol (on reducing greenhouse gas emissions) or of ensuring the country's security of supply."

A "La Libre" editorial argued that the country's nuclear operators, "need firm decisions with long-term perspectives in a sector where very large investments prepare (us) for the years to come".

Belgium's reactor units - four at Doel and three at Tihange - generated 56% of the country's electricity in 2003.

Source: Le Soir / La Libre Belgique / Electrabel

Full report: NucNet News in Brief No. 27, 8th September

Japanese Governor Approves Restart Of Two Kansai Units

The governor of Japan's Fukui Prefecture, Issei Nishikawa, has approved the restart of two of the three nuclear reactor units shut down for checks following last month's steam accident at Kansai Electric Power's Mihama-3.

Mr Nishikawa approved the restart of Takahama-2 and Ohi-4 at a meeting with Kansai president Yosaku Fuji on 3rd September.

Kansai announced plans to halt operations at eight of its 11 units in a staggered manner after the accident to inspect secondary cooling system pipes.

Takahama-2 and Ohi-4 were among the first group of three units shut down. Inspections at the third unit in that group - Mihama-2 - found that two pipe systems would need to be replaced in the near future and it was decided to go ahead and replace them. That procedure is expected to take two weeks.

Pipe thinning and rupture in a non-nuclear section of Mihama-3 led to the leak of high-temperature non-radioactive steam, which caused the deaths of five workers and injured several others.

Source: Japan Atomic Industrial Forum

Full report: NucNet News in Brief No. 27, 8th September

EC Announces Revised Nuclear Package Proposals

The European Commission has announced revised versions of two proposed directives on nuclear installations safety and radwaste management - and called for them to be discussed "without delay" by EU leaders.

In a statement issued on 9th September, EC vice-president responsible for energy and transport, Loyola de Palacio, said the revisions to directives that were proposed last year confirmed the EC's intention to introduce binding legislation throughout the EU on these issues.

The trade association for the nuclear energy industry in Europe, Foratom, said this summer that the revisions were expected. However, Foratom said on 9th September: "We cannot comment on the details of the proposals until we and our members have had the chance to examine them fully."

"Nuclear must be allowed to continue to play an important role in helping the EU to meet its economic and environmental targets. This marks the start of another process that we hope will conclude with the position of nuclear in Europe being strengthened and not weakened," Foratom added.

The EC said that it still supports EU-wide "harmonisation of the existing rules and principles and the establishment of a common system for the evaluation of nuclear safety in each member state". On the management of radioactive waste, the EC said it "maintains the obligation for each member state to draw up a final waste management programme with deadlines and the need to boost research and development in this field".

The 24-page document comprising the EC's detailed proposals is currently available in pdf format on NucNet's website (www.worldnuclear.org). Click on the "News Feature" icon, then click on the pdf icon at the end of the article.

Source: EC / Foratom

Full report: NucNet News No. 176, 9th September

Nuclear Debate Sparks Interest At World Energy Congress

Chairing the session "Nuclear Energy: Inevitable or Irrelevant?" on 8th September at the 19th World Energy Congress in Sydney, Australia, Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) director-general Luis EchÀvarri said:

"This debate on nuclear energy could not be timelier - the coming years will be crucial in determining what contribution nuclear energy will make to the world energy supply and to sustainable development."

The session included presentations by Ami Rastas, executive vice-president of Finnish utility TVO, on Finland's new nuclear development, and by Hans-Holger Rogner of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on nuclear power and sustainable development.

Mr EchÀvarri told NucNet afterward that the congress, held every three years and sponsored by the World Energy Council, has helped raise the profile of nuclear energy. He said: "The keynote speakers reflected on the importance of nuclear energy for the future - that it should not be discriminated against but taken on its merits."

Mr EchÀvarri said that, moreover, "This Sydney conference is a turning point in the reconsideration of nuclear for the future. Many countries that have been silent about nuclear in recent years are now more emphatic regarding the need for nuclear in the future."

Mr EchÀvarri credited two existing but increasingly important factors for the renewed interest in nuclear as an energy option. He said they include the issue of security of supply - in terms of both resource availability and prices - and that fact that many countries are also concerned with climate change - with regard to either the Kyoto Protocol or domestic legislation.

The NEA, an agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) whose membership comprises 28 of the 30 OECD member countries, does not count China and several other nuclear-energy producing countries among its members. Mr EchÀvarri said that, nevertheless, the NEA has been fostering special relationships with such states.

Congress presentations and abstracts are available through the WEC website (www.worldenergy.org) - though registration may be required by contacting the WEC (info@worldenergy.org).

Source: NEA

Full report: NucNet News No. 177, 9th September

EC Refers UK Sellafield Concerns To European Court Of Justice

The European Commission (EC) announced on 3rd September the unprecedented decision to refer to the European Court of Justice a matter of the accounting of nuclear materials stored in one of the installations at British Nuclear Fuels' (BNFL) Sellafield site in the UK.

The EC said it has found "inadequate the United Kingdom's response to its directive of 30th March, 2004, concerning the Sellafield site, in which it asks the UK authorities to present an action plan to ensure proper accounting of the nuclear materials stored in one of the installations on the site as well as physical access to the facilities concerned".

By 1st June, 2004, the EC said the UK was to present a complete plan for guaranteeing that all nuclear materials stored in the B30 process spent nuclear fuel pool would be properly accounted for by state-owned operator BNFL.

The EC said: "In accounting terms, it is impossible to determine accurately the quantities of material stored, and on-the-spot inspections cannot take place because of the high level of radiation and poor visibility in the part of the facility concerned."

EC spokesman Amador Sanchez Rico told NucNet that the EC must now prepare to submit its case to the court. He said: "This is the first time an EU member state has been brought to the Court of Justice under Euratom safeguard terms, so there is no precedent."

A spokesman for the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) told NucNet that the EC decision would be studied further before any response would be made - and that, regarding the legal nature of the matter, that response "will be made to the EC and, if necessary, in court".

The DTI spokesman added that the matter does not involve safety or environmental concerns - but rather regulations to satisfy the accounting of nuclear materials. He said, "there is no suggestion that materials have been diverted from their intended use" at Sellafield, that Euratom inspectors have never been barred access to the site and that the UK respects EC and Euratom safeguards.

Source: EC / BNFL / DTI

Full report: NucNet News No. 173, 6th September

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