THE WORLD'S NUCLEAR NEWS AGENCY

World Nuclear Review - week ending 15th October 2004

Ukraine's Rovno-4 Connected To Grid

New unit four of Ukraine's Rovno nuclear power plant was connected to the grid for the first time on 10th October.

Following its initial connection, Rovno-4 remained connected to the grid until last night - when the activation of its steam generator protection system stopped the unit. Its reconnection to grid is scheduled for 16th October

The start of pre-operational physical tests at Rovno-4 was approved in August - and first criticality followed.

Source: Nuclear Society of Russia / Energoatom / Various

Full report: NucNet News in Brief No. 41, 13th October

Russia's Leningrad-1 Restarted

Unit one of Russia's Leningrad nuclear power plant - stopped in December 2003 when its 30-year design operational lifetime came to an end - was restarted on 8th October at minimum controlled power.

Leningrad-1's restart became possible following a comprehensive modernisation process, which took place over several years. Russian utility Rosenergoatom said: "Complex equipment maintenance was performed at the unit, along with the installation of the newest in safety systems."

Following inspections, Russia's Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision has approved continued operation of Leningrad-1. Currently, the reactor circuit is being heated up, after which the necessary tests and calculations will be performed and further power increases will begin in order to connect the unit to the grid.

Source: Rosenergoatom / Nuclear Society of Russia

Full report: NucNet News in Brief No. 40, 12th October

Italy's ENEL Approved As 'Preferred Investor' In Slovak Electricity

The Slovak cabinet on 6th October approved Italian power utility ENEL's bid to buy a 66% stake in Slovak Electricity, plc (SE) - as part of the privatisation process of Slovakia's state-owned utility - and said negotiations with the Slovak Economy Ministry would begin.

The announcement followed the naming of ENEL last month as the "preferred strategic investor" by the Economy Ministry's privatisation-advisory committee - and an ENEL bid for the stake of 33.7 billion Slovak crowns (840 million euros).

Source: Slovak Nuclear Society

Full report: NucNet News in Brief No. 40, 12th October

Westinghouse Wins USD 100 Million Diablo Canyon Contract

Westinghouse Electric Company confirmed on 7th October that it has won a contract valued in excess of 100 million US dollars (USD) for eight replacement steam generators at operator Pacific Gas & Electric's (PG&E's) Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, in the US state of California.

Under the terms of the contract, Westinghouse will supply a technically advanced version of its model 54F steam generator, which will be manufactured by Spain's Equipos Nucleares (ENSA) - at the company's plant in Maliaßo near Santander, Spain. The contract extends through September 2008.

ENSA announced last month that it had been awarded the manufacturing contract by Westinghouse. The first set of steam generators will be delivered in autumn 2007 followed by the second set in the autumn of 2008.

Source: Westinghouse

Full report: NucNet Business News No. 48, 11th October

Nigeria Starts Operation Of Its First Research Reactor

Nigeria has started operating its first research reactor - at the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT) at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, in the northern part of the country.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) helped the Energy Commission of Nigeria to procure the 30-kilowatt Miniature Neutron Source Reactor from China. Nigeria and the Chinese suppliers are negotiating details of the eventual return of spent fuel to China, Energy Commission director-general Professor Ibrahim Umar told NucNet.

Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo - in a message delivered to the 30th September dedication ceremony - said that the completion of the Nigerian Nuclear Research Reactor-1 (NIRR-1) attests to Nigeria's desire to pursue development in science and technology at the highest level. Shamsudeen Elegbu, director-general of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), which regulates NIRR-1, was also present at the ceremony.

CERT will use NIRR-1 to train nuclear scientists and engineers, as well as for a variety of research applications - including neutron-activation analysis of soil, geochemical mapping, mineral analysis, forensic investigation, industrial quality-control and medical applications.

Source: NucNet correspondent Thecla Fabian / Energy Commission of Nigeria / IAEA

Full report: NucNet News No. 192, 12th October

Examining ICRP's Draft 2005 Fundamental Recommendations

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) advisory body is currently holding a consultation period on the draft of its 2005 "Fundamental Recommendations". They are to replace the Fundamental Recommendations dating from 1990 and known as "ICRP Publication 60", but continue to provide "an appropriate standard of protection for man without unduly limiting the beneficial actions giving rise to radiation exposure".

NucNet (NN), to better understand the basis for the new Fundamental Recommendations as well as their implications, interviewed the scientific secretary of the ICRP, Dr Jack Valentin (JV) - and began by asking about the major differences between the 1990 Recommendations and the draft 2005 Recommendations.

JV: We wish to emphasise that we are clarifying and elaborating the points not entirely clear in 1990. Thus, the draft 2005 Recommendations constitutes a natural development of the earlier Recommendations, not a break. We are taking the opportunity to simplify, while maintaining the principles (of the 1990 Recommendations) outlined in "Publication 60" (of the "Annals of the ICRP" journal), which are now the core of the International Basic Safety Standards. We are stressing source-related control, which is what is needed in practice by regulators and operators.

Source: ICRP

Full report: NucNet Feature No. 6, 6th October

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