The UN nuclear agency have approved a resolution that ends a decade-long probe of allegations that Iran worked on atomic weapons. The probe had to be formally closed as part of an Iran-six nation deal restricting Iran’s current nuclear programmes which could be used to make such weapons, in exchange for sanctions relief for Tehran.
Questions will probably be left unanswered when International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors conclude their assessment of Iran’s past nuclear activities next week.
An agreement has been signed between Egypt and Russia for its to build a nuclear plant in the African country. Russia will also extend a loan to Egypt to cover the cost of the construction.
EDF Energy said cracks have been discovered in bricks which make up the core of one of two nuclear reactors at the Hunterston power station in Scotland. The discovery was made at the site during planned maintenance in one of the reactors at its base in Ayrshire. The company has since said there will not be any safety implications as a result on the reactor.
At last, one sensible decision from energy secretary Amber Rudd. I am among those who welcome the shutting down of all UK coal-fired plant by 2025, unless retrofitted with CCS. That seems clear and unequivocal. Since no-one is prepared to invest in heavy-duty clean-up technologies, the operators of the remaining coal-fired plant effectively wrote the death warrant themselves. On Tuesday evening, there was a fascinating documentary on the box about UK power generation. Basically the focus was Ferrybridge in Yorkshire, which is operated by Scottish & Southern Energy and clearly on its last legs.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd is to signal the end of polluting coal-fired power stations in the UK - but will say it is “imperative” new gas plants are built.
Amec Foster Wheeler has been awarded a lifetime enterprise agreement from EDF Energy Generation to provide technical support and expertise for the lifetime of their current UK reactor fleet. The agreement will cover all interfaces of work with a focus on EDF Energy’s reactor systems, reactor technology and plant performance to the end of the operating life of its existing fleet of advanced gas-cooler reactors.
The US Government has reiterated its support for the UK’s nuclear arsenal amid Labour’s growing support for its abolition. The UK Government is preparing to replace its nuclear submarine fleet, based at Faslane on the Clyde, with new vessels to be jointly developed with the US Government to carry the US- manufactured Trident D5 missile. The Scottish Parliament voted overwhelmingly to call for the renewal of Trident to be scrapped on Tuesday, following Scottish Labour’s decision to reverse its historic pro-nuclear stance.
A watchdog group has sued a California coastal agency as it looks to overturn its decision to allow 1,632 tonnes of radioactive waste from a close nuclear power plant to be buried in containers not far from a beach. Citizen Oversight has asked a San Diego Superior Court to reverse an October ruling by the California Coastal Commission that Southern California Edison could bury uranium fuel rod assemblies in steel casks on the property of the San Onofore Nuclear Generating Station. The facility had closed in 2012 after unexpected equipment failures.
Entergy Corporation will close a nuclear power plant in New York which employs more than 600 workers within the next year. The company said its decision to close the James A Fitzpatrick plant in Scriba was based on the “continued deteriorating” economics of the facility. Entergy said the key drives behind the move include significantly reduced plant revenues due to lower gas prices.
Russia's Energy Minister has offered gas supplies to Iran as part of a swap agreement with the Middle Eastern country. The politician said the Kremlin-controlled gas producer Gazprom was also considering other possible deals. The country has been looking to boost its efforts to foster political and economic ties with Tehran.
The National Security Council has not “fully considered” the impact of Chinese involvement in the building of new nuclear power stations in the UK, a former shadow defence secretary has said.
Britain could have six times the power- generation capacity for the same money by investing in wind turbines instead of the 24.5 billion-pound ($37.9 billion) Hinkley Point nuclear reactor. That’s the conclusion of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a London-based researcher that estimates the cost of power from renewables in the U.K. are rivaling fossil fuels even without subsidy. Wind easily beats the more expensive nuclear plant that Electricite de France SA is building with the support of investment from China. The findings highlights the trade-offs Prime Minister David Cameron weighed in his decision to support EDF’s bid to build the first new reactors in the UK in more than two decades. In backing nuclear and maneuvering to draw Chinese funds in a deal due on Wednesday, Cameron prioritized reliability of supply and the impact on rural landscapes over cost.
An engineers association has broadly welcomed today's confirmation that the new Hinkley Point nuclear power plant would proceed with investment from China, but urged investment in the whole nuclear life-cycle.
Japan is said to have acknowledged the first possible casualty from radiation at the Fukushima nuclear plant. The worker was diagnosed with cancer after the crisis broke out four years ago forcing more than 160,000 people from their homes after the meltdown at the plant following an earthquake and tsunami. The incident was the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years previously.
Campaigners have set up a protest camp near the site of the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. They have established a camp on a roundabout at the gates of the development in west Somerset as the president of China, Xi Jinping, arrives for a four-day state visit to the UK.
British spies are expected to scrutinise computer systems at new nuclear plants built by Chinese firms to address national security fears. Listening post GCHQ will be responsible for ensuring the country’s energy network is not made vulnerable to cyber attacks, according to The Times. The safeguard emerged as President Xi Jinping arrives for a four-day state visit hailed by David Cameron as a symbol of a “golden era” in relations with Beijing.
EDF said its hopes to announce a deal with Chinese investors to build a nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in the coming days. The French company’s chief executive Jean Bernard Levy said it was in the final negotiations with its Chinese partners. However he said he did not want to anticipate what would happen later this week as China’s President Xi Jingping to Britain.
Russian nuclear organisation Rosatom is in final talks toward a contract to build four reactors in Egypt as it pushes to expand across the Middle East, one of the world’s most attractive markets for atomic power
Amec Foster Wheeler has been selected to lead a new project to set up a high-temperature facility (HTF) for nuclear industry research.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer plans to lead a trade delegation to Iran next year if the country stays committed to a nuclear deal with other world powers. According to the Financial Times, the move would be made after six world powers agreed earlier this year to lift sanctions in return for the Islamic Republic accepting long-term curbs on a nuclear programme.
An Aberdeen firm best known for its photographic work on offshore installations and at crime scenes is to carry out a technical survey as part of the decommissioning of the Dounreay nuclear plant in Caithness. Return To Scene (R2S) will use its visual asset management (VAM) system to produce images of part of the complex, which will in turn be used in support of dismantling and restoration work at the site. The R2S team is already on location and project delivery is anticipated by mid-October.
Amec Foster Wheeler hosted a hands-on nuclear industry intern programme for engineering students from the United Arab Emirates.
Energy giant EDF has announced a delay in building a new nuclear reactor in northern France, but said it will have no impact on its planned new power station in the UK. The European pressurised reactor (EPR) nuclear plant at Flamanville in Normandy will not be up and running until 2018, a year later than previously announced. Two more EPRs are under construction in China and EDF plans to build two at Hinkley Point, Somerset.
Iran’s supreme leader says world powers must lift international sanctions and not merely suspend them as part of a landmark nuclear agreement. Speaking to a group of clerics, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “there will be no deal” if the sanctions are not lifted. His remarks were read by a state TV anchorman.