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20 May 2010
| New lease of life for Sellafield MOX plant (SMP) Britain's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has announced agreement with Japanese utilities "on an overall framework for future fabrication of MOX fuel in SMP". NDA had urged the ten Japanese utilities owning about 11 tonnes of reactor-grade plutonium parked in the UK to convert it all into mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at SMP. This was recovered from reprocessing 2600 tonnes of their fuel at Sellafield's THORP plant. The NDA asked the Sellafield owners, Nuclear Management Partners (a consortium of URS Corporation, Amec and Areva), to make improvements to SMP performance as soon as possible so as to begin a new Japanese job soon. Chubu will be the first Japanese customer. Last year NDA reported that the SMP had produced only 8 tonnes of fuel (24 assemblies) in eight years, after costing £637 million to build and £626 million to operate, making it UK's least successful nuclear enterprise. It was built with 120 t/yr design capacity, but then downrated to 40 t/yr. The stored plutonium will make about 130 tonnes of MOX. WNN 13/5/10. Nuclear Power in the United Kingdom India introduces nuclear liability bill After earlier withdrawing it due to political opposition, the Indian government has introduced a bill which will bring the country's nuclear liability provisions into line internationally. It would make operators liable for any nuclear accident, and protect third party suppliers. Operators need to take out insurance up to the liability cap of $110 million, and other provisions are related to the IAEA's Vienna Convention (1997 amendment). Without the legislation, overseas reactor vendors will be unwilling to supply plants for India. WNN 7/5/10. Nuclear Power in India Jordan shortlists reactor designs The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) has drawn up a shortlist of three preferred bidders to supply reactors for the country's first nuclear power plant. The three reactor designs are: Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd's Enhanced Candu-6 pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR); AtomStroyExport's AES-92 model of its VVER-1000; and the new Atmea-1 pressurized water reactor design proposed by a joint venture between Areva and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The next stage of evaluation will be technical, followed by the financing and organization support that the vendor will provide for future operation of the plant. JAEC plans to have a nuclear power plant for electricity and desalination in operation by 2015, the likely site being some 25 km south of Al Aqabah and 12 km east of the Gulf of Aqaba coastline. Discussion of environmental aspects has taken place with Israel and Egypt. The plant will have a closed loop cooling system, with cooling tower. Jordan's Committee for Nuclear Strategy has set out a program for nuclear power to provide 30% of electricity by 2030 or 2040, and to provide for exports. It now imports about 95% of its energy needs. WNN 13/5/10. Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries Other papers updated on the WNA Information Service (see WNA web site): Electricity & cars Country papers: China fuel cycle , Finland, Russia, Ukraine World Nuclear Association, www.world-nuclear.org - UK ISSN 1326-4907 |
