Nuclear Power Today articles from January 2006

Nuclear Power Today archives from January 2006

NRC Grants Design Certification to Westinghouse AP1000.
January 3, 2006... Westinghouse Electric Company recently announced that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved design certification for the company's AP1000 standard nuclear plant design. According to Westinghouse, the certification will become...

NRC Staff Proposes Civil Penalty Against PG&E.
January 3, 2006... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced that its staff has proposed a $96,000 civil penalty against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) for violations of NRC requirements related to the storage of spent radioactive fuel and...

IPL Receives NRC Approval for Operating License Transfer.
January 4, 2006... Alliant Energy Corporation recently announced that its subsidiary Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) has received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to transfer the Duane Arnold Energy Center's (DAEC) nuclear operating...

Russian Nuclear Agency Reports Accident at Leningrad Plant.
January 4, 2006... Russian nuclear energy agency Rosenergoatom recently reported that a splash of molten metal at a furnace operated at the production facilities of contract organization Ecomet-S, which are located at the site of the Leningrad Nuclear Power...

CNSC Renews Licenses for General Electric Canada Plants.
January 5, 2006... The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) recently announced its decisions to renew the operating licenses for General Electric Canada Company's two nuclear fuel facilities located in Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario. According to...

DOE Cites WTS for Nuclear Safety Violations.
January 5, 2006... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently notified Washington TRU Solutions (WTS) that it will fine the company $192,500 for violations of the department's nuclear safety requirements. According to DOE, the preliminary notice of violation...

Pakistani Official Reveals Country Discussing N-power With China.
January 6, 2006... The Financial Times recently reported that a senior Pakistani official has informed the newspaper that Pakistan, which commenced construction late last month on a new nuclear power plant in the province of Punjab, is currently in discussions...

Spescom Awarded $500,000 Contract for eB Nuclear.
January 6, 2006... Spescom Software, Inc. recently announced that NuStart Energy Development, LLC, in a cooperative agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE), has selected Spescom eB to support the company's efforts in preparing its license application to the...

Weekly Update.
January 6, 2006... 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE, POLICY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: ENERGY FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND SECURE FUTURE, January 26-27, 2006, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, DC 2ND ANNUAL CLEAN-TECH INVESTOR SUMMIT,...

PG&E Accepts NRC Decision on Humboldt Bay Power Plant.
January 9, 2006... Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) recently announced its acknowledgement of the violations and acceptance of the civil penalty levied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) relating to issues at the Humboldt Bay nuclear power plant...

GE Energy Awarded Contract to Boost Laguna Verde Output.
January 9, 2006... GE Energy recently announced it has been awarded a contract to support the next phase of a Mexico utility's preparations for an extended power uprate (EPU) at the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant in the state of Veracruz. Under the...

NRC Renews Point Beach Plant Operating Licenses.
January 10, 2006... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently renewed the operating licenses for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant's Units 1 and 2 in Two Rivers, WI for an additional 20 years. According to NRC, plant licensee Nuclear Management Company, LLC...

North Korea Commits to Restarting Work on Two GMRs.
January 10, 2006... The China Post reported late last month that officials in North Korea have announced plans to restart construction on two graphite-moderated reactors (GMRs) outside of Pyongyang, following a U.S. decision to stop construction on light-water...

OCAA Says Parties Oppose Federal Funding for Reactors.
January 11, 2006... The Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA) recently released the results of a new federal election questionnaire which reveal that Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP), Bloc Quebecois and Green Party all oppose the use of federal funds to support the...

Swiss Order Former Nuclear Official's Extradition to Russia.
January 11, 2006... BBC News reported late last month that the Swiss Supreme Court has denied the U.S.' request for extradition of former Russian nuclear energy minister Yevgeny Adamov and instead ordered his return to Russia. According to the BBC, Adamov was...

DOE, WA Reach Settlement on Hanford Solid Waste Suit.
January 12, 2006... Department of Energy (DOE) secretary Samuel Bodman recently announced that DOE and the State of Washington have entered into a settlement agreement that will lead to a final order and the dismissal of the challenge to Hanford's Solid Waste...

GSE Systems Awarded Contracts to Upgrade Leningrad Simulator.
January 12, 2006... GSE Systems, Inc. recently announced that Russian nuclear concern Rosenergoatom and Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant have issued a letter of intent and authorization for the company to complete a major upgrade to the Leningrad Unit 1 full scope...

Next Week's Publishing Schedule.
January 13, 2006... EIN will not publish its newsletters on Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We will resume our regular production schedule on Tuesday, January 17. (EIN EDITOR: 1/12)

Iran Begins Removal of IAEA Seals at Enrichment-related Sites.
January 13, 2006... The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed earlier this week that Iran has started to remove IAEA seals on enrichment-related equipment and material in Natanz. According to IAEA, Iran requested on January 7 that the agency...

Enercon to Prepare License Applications for NuStart Plants.
January 13, 2006... Enercon Services, Inc., recently announced it has been awarded a contract by NuStart Energy to prepare combined license applications (COLA) for new nuclear power plants. According to Enercon, one application will be developed for the...

Weekly Update.
January 13, 2006... 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE, POLICY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: ENERGY FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND SECURE FUTURE, January 26-27, 2006, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, DC 2ND ANNUAL CLEAN-TECH INVESTOR SUMMIT,...

Aecon JV Awarded $200-million Nuclear Refurbishment Contract.
January 17, 2006... Aecon Group, Inc. recently announced that a joint venture (JV) in which its industrial division is a 50-percent partner has secured a $204-million contract at Bruce Power's Bruce A nuclear generating station as part of the company's...

NRC Clarifies Electrical Circuit Fire Protection Requirements.
January 17, 2006... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently issued a regulatory issue summary (RIS) to clarify requirements for assuring that nuclear reactors can be safely shut down following a fire. According to NRC, commission regulations require...

General Atomics, TX University Discuss Proposed Nuclear Plant.
January 18, 2006... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that officials from the University of Texas-Permian Basin and General Atomics discussed last week the proposed development of a new $400-million nuclear facility in West Texas. According to AP,...

Lithuania Looks to Extend Operation of Ignalina Unit.
January 18, 2006... BBC News recently reported that Lithuania is looking to postpone the complete shutdown of its Ignalina nuclear facility until the country can better determine an alternative approach to meeting its power needs. According to the BBC,...

NRC Releases Draft Order for Backup Power at Indian Point.
January 19, 2006... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently provided a draft confirmatory order to Entergy Corporation that would require the company to install backup power for the emergency notification system at its Indian Point nuclear power facility...

U.S., India Conclude Civil Nuclear Working Group Meeting.
January 19, 2006... The U.S. and India concluded late last week a four-day workshop on civilian nuclear energy, which was held in an effort to build on the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue initiated by U.S. President George Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh...

NRC Advisory Committee Re-elects Officials.
January 20, 2006... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)'s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) recently announced it has re-elected Graham Wallis as chairman, William Shack as vice-chairman and John Sieber as member-at-large. According to NRC,...

New Survey Reveals British Prefer Renewables to Nuclear.
January 20, 2006... The University of East Anglia (UEA) recently announced the results of a new survey of the British public's attitudes towards future energy options, which reveal that while just over 50 percent said they may be prepared to accept new nuclear...

Weekly Update.
January 20, 2006... 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE, POLICY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: ENERGY FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND SECURE FUTURE, January 26-27, 2006, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, DC 2ND ANNUAL CLEAN-TECH INVESTOR SUMMIT,...

El Paso Electric Addresses Reduced Output at Palo Verde.
January 23, 2006... El Paso Electric (EPE) responded last week to questions regarding the financial impact of recent reports concerning Unit 1 at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station near Wintersburg, AZ. EPE owns a 15.8 percent interest in the three units at...

OCRWM Selects Sandia as Lead Laboratory.
January 23, 2006... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that its Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is designating Sandia National Laboratories as its lead laboratory to integrate repository science work for the Yucca Mountain...

Cook Nuclear Plant Sets Second Consecutive Generation Record.
January 24, 2006... American Electric Power (AEP) recently announced that its Cook Nuclear Plant has set site records for generation and capacity factor in 2005. According to AEP, the 1,036-megawatt Unit 1 and 1,107-megawatt Unit 2 generated 17,471...

IP&L, FPL Energy Move Closer to Completion of DAEC Sale.
January 24, 2006... Alliant Energy Corporation subsidiary Interstate Power and Light Company (IP&L) and FPL Energy, LLC recently announced they have received affirmative regulatory decisions regarding the sale of the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC) near Palo,...

FENOC to Pay $28 Million Related to Davis-Besse Operation.
January 25, 2006... The Department of Justice recently announced that FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) has agreed to pay $28 million in penalties, restitution and community service projects as part of an agreement to defer prosecution of the company....

ALSTOM Contracted to Refurbish Oskarshamn Nuclear Plant.
January 25, 2006... ALSTOM recently announced it has won a 180-million euro (about $221-million) contract to provide steam turbine and generator equipment as part of a project to extend plant life and increase power output at the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in...

Harris Nuclear Plant Site Selected for Possible Expansion.
January 26, 2006... Progress Energy recently announced that its Progress Energy Carolinas subsidiary has selected the Harris Nuclear Plant site near New Hill, NC to evaluate for possible future nuclear generation expansion. Progress Energy also announced that...

British Nuclear Fuels to Sell Westinghouse to Toshiba.
January 26, 2006... British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) recently announced it has selected Toshiba Corporation as the preferred bidder for the sale of Westinghouse Electric Company. According to BNFL, the announcement follows multiple rounds of bidding that...

Oyster Creek to Receive Additional Oversight From NRC.
January 27, 2006... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced that the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township, NJ will receive additional oversight from the commission based on an inspection finding involving the classification of an...

Enercon Selected to Prepare Westinghouse COLA.
January 27, 2006... Enercon Services, Inc. recently announced it has been awarded a contract by Duke Power to prepare a combined construction and operation license application (COLA) for a Westinghouse AP 1000 nuclear plant design at a site to be determined at a...

Weekly Update.
January 27, 2006... 2ND ANNUAL CLEAN-TECH INVESTOR SUMMIT, February 1-2, 2006, The Lodge at Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs, CA CHERNOBYL +20: REMEMBRANCE FOR THE FUTURE -- AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, April 23-25, 2006, House of the Teacher, Kyiv, Ukraine ...

Fluent, Utah State University Partner in DOE NERI Grant.
January 30, 2006... Fluent, Inc. recently announced it is partnering with Utah State University in a Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) grant for the evaluation and improvement of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) turbulence...

Kazakhstan to Process Uranium in Partnership With Japan.
January 30, 2006... The government of Kazahkstan recently announced that Mukhtar Jakishev, head of national nuclear company KazAtomProm, has signed an agreement with Japan's Sumitomo Corporation and Kansai Electric Power Corporation establishing a trilateral joint...

NRC Begins Special Inspection at Quad Cities Nuclear Plant.
January 31, 2006... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) commenced earlier this month a special inspection at the two-unit Quad Cities Nuclear Plant near Cordova, IL, which is operated by Exelon Generation Company. According to NRC, the inspection seeks to...

OCAA Criticizes OPA for Nuclear Power Preference.
January 31, 2006... The Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA) recently released an analysis of the Ontario Power Authority's (OPA) report on the best options for meeting the province's future power needs, arguing that the OPA "has seriously underestimated the costs...