‘Sudan is planning to
build a nuclear reactor and its first nuclear
power plant for peaceful electricity purposes
by 2020, the state news agency SUNA said.
Sudan's economy has suffered under United
States sanctions since 1997 and from decades
of warfare, but it has managed to
hike oil production to 470,000 barrels per
day, boosting growth. It has also built
dams along the Blue and White Niles, which
merge in Sudan, to generate power. But large
swathes of the country remain without regular
electricity. SUNA quoted Mohamed Ahmed Hassan
el-Tayeb, director-general of the Sudanese
Atomic Energy Agency, as saying the government
had begun to plan in early 2010 to develop
nuclear energy. "The Ministry of Electricity
and Dams has already started preparing for
the project to produce power from nuclear
energy in cooperation with the International
Atomic Energy Agency and is expected to
build the first nuclear power plant in the
year 2020 ," SUNA said a report on
Saturday. Tayeb said an IAEA delegation
would visit Sudan to discuss the project
this week. Sudan has been an IAEA member
since 1958 and can develop nuclear energy
with IAEA assistance. Sudan has close economic
and political ties with Iran, which is locked
in a dispute with the United States and
some of its allies over its nuclear program.’
Reuters: Merkel defends
nuclear tax in scrap with industry
‘BERLIN, Aug 22 (Reuters) - German Chancellor
Angela Merkel on Sunday stood by her plan
to levy a tax on nuclear power providers,
pitting her coalition against industry in
a turbulent return to government business
after the summer lull. The nuclear tax is
one of a number of contentious issues facing
Merkel, who has failed to capitalise on
the strong recovery in Europe's largest
economy to drum up support for her reforms,
including budget cuts and an overhaul of
the military. Merkel said she was open to
a suspension of Germany's compulsory military
service, a topic of heated debate within
her coalition which has become notorious
for its bickering. Merkel hopes the nuclear
tax will raise 2.3 billion euros a year
as part of a 80 billion euro austerity drive
that she is determined to press ahead with,
keen to set an example of fiscal discipline
for other euro zone countries to follow.
"We have proposed a tax," Merkel
told ZDF television in her first major interview
since returning from her summer break. "So
long as there is no other proposal on the
table, the tax remains."’
Hindustan Times: Nuclear Liability Bill:
More trouble likely
‘Among the 18 amendments the Indian government
has moved in the Civil Nuclear Liability
Bill is a clause providing for a future
situation in which the government covers
the liability for a private nuclear operator.
As is international norm, this would be
compensation in case of a nuclear accident,
irrespective of who is to blame. The private
operator would remain liable for fault-based
civil damages. At present, as per the provisions
of the Atomic Energy Act no private players
can operate nuclear plants in the country.
This act will have to be amended before
private players can operate a reactor. However,
a future scenario in which such a change
has been made in the Atomic Energy Act,
and there are private players in the field,
is envisaged in the amendment sought to
Clause 7 (1) of the existing nuclear liability
bill. The proposed amendment says: “Provided
that the central government may, by notification,
assume full liability for a nuclear installation
not operated by it if it is of the opinion
that it is necessary in public interest.”
This means that the government — looking
into the future — agrees to handle compensation
for victims of a nuclear accident even if
the operator is someone other than the government.
The amendment has been sought despite the
standing committee which examined the original
bill having recommended to the government
to make the “position clear that there will
be no private operator of nuclear installations.”
There is already a growing disquiet among
opposition parties over the amendment suggested
to Clause 17 in the Bill, which dilutes
the liability of the supplier of nuclear
technology.’
Times of India: Russians
eager to quit Haripur
‘NEW DELHI: In what may result in yet another
setback for West Bengal owing to protests
by Trinamool Congress and Maoists, Russia
wants the central government to shift the
location of the proposed nuclear power plant
at Haripur in East Midnapore district. Government
sources confirmed that Russia's state-owned
nuclear power equipment and service giant
Rosatom has asked the Department of Atomic
Energy (DAE) to seriously consider allotting
it another site. The coastal region of Haripur
had been allotted to Rosatom last year because
of its low population density and after
the state government showed interest in
hosting a nuclear power plant. However,
with Trinamool Congress and the Maoists
vying with each other to tap unrest among
the local fishermen community, many in the
state believe the situation is another Nandigram
in the making. The proposed plant at Haripur
had acquired all necessary environmental
clearances in January. It was said to have
potential for six reactor units. It had
been earmarked initially for two 1,000-MW
power plants. Construction work was to commence
this year. The DAE's site selection committee
is closely looking at the developing situation,
said an Indian official. The Russians are
said to be concerned over the manner in
which the resistance, which was initially
just about the risk of a nuclear plant leading
to an increase in water temperature, has
become political.’
The Japan Times: Fukushima
reactor receives MOX
‘FUKUSHIMA (Kyodo) Tokyo Electric Power
Co. on Saturday loaded a nuclear reactor
in Fukushima Prefecture with MOX, a controversial
fuel made with reprocessed plutonium and
uranium oxides, as it prepares to become
the leading power utility's first facility
to go pluthermal. The No. 3 reactor at Tepco's
Fukushima No. 1 plant will be the nation's
third pluthermal facility, but only the
first to be refurbished since the plant
was built 34 years ago. Tokyo Electric plans
to activate the reactor on Sept. 18 and
let it start generating electricity on Sept.
23.’
UPI: Egypt to build
first nuke power plant
‘CAIRO, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak is preparing to announce plans
to construct the country's first nuclear
power plant, an official said. An unnamed
source told the Egyptian newspaper Al Masry-al-Youm
Mubarak is likely to name Dabaa as the site
for the country's first nuclear power plant
Monday. The area located northeast of Cairo
has one of the best Mediterranean beaches
and a decision to build the nuclear energy
plant there has been criticized by local
businessmen, the newspaper said. Earlier
this month, Electricity and Energy Minister
Hassan Younes said plans were under way
to start an international bidding process
to build the plant.’
Asahi: Can Japan sell
nuclear power to the Middle East?
‘The government led by the Democratic Party
of Japan has targeted the overseas sale
of nuclear power as one of its primary growth
strategies. It will create a corporation
combining the resources of both public and
private sectors in pursuit of this goal.
Japan is a major proponent of nuclear energy,
on a par with the United States, France,
Russia and South Korea. Competition among
these countries to win tenders for nuclear
power plant construction has developed into
a fierce battle for supremacy involving
their political leaders. One of the largest
arenas for this competition is the Middle
East. In this region, how should Japan approach
the sale of nuclear power plants to a region
in which political instability and proliferation
are major causes of concern?’
Nuclear Street: AREVA
/ Northrop Grumman Large Nuclear Components
Manufacturing Facility - Delayed According
to the Daily Press, AREVA Newport News says
it is delaying the start of its large nuclear
components manufacturing facility until
2013. Officials with the joint venture between
Northrop Grumman and AREVA say a slower-than-expected
process of federal government approval of
new nuclear power plants is delaying the
operation. The companies broke ground in
July 2009 on the facility. The plant near
the Northrop Grumman shipyard was scheduled
to be operational by 2012.
