The UK has a famous satire and investigative journalism magazine called Private Eye.
In the current edition, it has the following to say about the construction of the EPR reactors at Olkiluoto in Finland and Flamanville in France:
Navigate:
Categories:
Monthly archives:
Feed / Bookmark
September 5, 2008
September 3, 2008
Olkiluoto 3 and Flamanville in Private Eye
Animated Areva
Take a look at this rather amazing animated advertisement from everyone’s favourite nuclear incompetent, Areva:
Beautiful, isn’t it? Everything’s so green. Nuclear power stations aren’t grey, foreboding monsters. Oh no, they’re cool science-fiction constructions that you can build in a meadow with no ill effects on the environment. It’s Funky Town, y’all! Won’t you take me to Funky Town?
Did you notice the cute little wind farm next to the reactor? Nuclear is as safe, cheap and clean as wind you know! Why else put them together in an industry propaganda film? There obviously wasn’t time to include tiny little animated local people being told not to fish in the river.
And who knew nuclear power could help people in Shanghai bars to fall in love? Another miraculous side effect of fission. Truly, nuclear is all things to all men and women.
Nuclear energy news for September 5 2008
Some other stories from the nuclear industry you may have missed:
icLiverpool: French fuel prices 'subsidised by us'
‘A MERSEY MP yesterday accused a French-owned energy firm of stinging British families with sky-high prices rises - to keep bills down on the other side of the Channel. Birkenhead MP Frank Field launched a furious attack on EDF Energy after it hiked gas tariffs in Britain by 22% and electricity charges by 17%. In sharp contrast, price rises in France have been strictly capped at just 5% - something that is possible because EDF is state-owned.’
Helsingin Sanomat: Government promises to secure sufficient electricity for industry
‘The government hopes to make sure in its new energy and climate strategy that Finnish industry will get the electricity it needs. Helsingin Sanomat has learned that a ministerial working group estimates that the need for electricity in 2020 will be about 103 terawatt hours (TWh). After that year, demand for electricity is expected to decline slowly. The estimate means that in addition to the fifth Finnish nuclear reactor currently being built in Olkiluoto, only one more such installation would be built in Finland.’
Reuters: Bush likely to scrap nuclear deal with Russia
‘The United States is likely to scrap a civilian nuclear pact with Russia soon as punishment for its war against Georgia last month, a U.S. official said on Thursday. While the U.S. government has announced plans to give U.S. ally Georgia over $1 billion in reconstruction aid, it has yet to hit Moscow with any concrete sanctions for the military incursion deep into Georgian territory last month. But the Bush administration is preparing to scuttle the civilian nuclear deal, which was intended to lift Cold War restrictions on trade and open up the U.S. nuclear market and Russia's uranium fields to companies from both countries.’
Express India: If N-deal against India's interest, we'll walk out: Kakodkar
‘Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar appeared to suggest that India would walk out of the nuclear deal with the US if it goes against its interest. "If it is going to cause harm to our health, what should we do? You don't eat something just because it is served to you," he told a TV channel.’
Don’t rat on your nuclear friends
Finland’s nuclear safety watchdog; STUK had to face a tough decision last week. Greenpeace had published evidence that basic construction standards had been violated in the welding of the reactor building of the European Pressurized Reactor prototype in Olkiluoto. STUK had first categorically denied the claims but then had to give up and conduct a special inspection at the site.
The inspection showed that work had been started before required tests and paperwork were done, revealed inadequate use of welding guidelines, unveiled examples of employees being coerced not to speak to inspectors about safety problems and insufficient knowledge of how to report the problems, lack of competent welding oversight and a serious language problem, just as we had told.
You would think that a watchdog would be proud to announce they have detected and started to address all these problems. STUK, however, reacted more like a nuclear industry PR agency, choosing not to mention any of these problems before being asked and even then dodging the issues. They went on complaining that their 3-day inspection was far too time-consuming and costly, setting the companies back by EUR100.000, according to the head of STUK.
I cannot say I feel bad for forcing them to do their job, if only for three days.
By the way; on the very same day of STUK’s press conference; Areva released its half-year results. The presentation included long quotes from the STUK including the love letter from STUK to Areva.
(This a guest post by Lauri Myllyvirta, nuclear campaigner based in Finland for Greenpeace Nordic. You can find out more about Olkiluoto 3 at olkiluoto.info.)
Nuclear energy news for September 4 2008
WIBA: Florida Governor Doyle got money from nuclear power company, then softened his stance
A new study has found executives of a Florida utility gave Gov. Jim Doyle almost $24,000 weeks before Doyle softened his stance against nuclear power. Florida Power & Light Co. owns the Point Beach nuclear power plant near Two Rivers.
Telegraph: Why the Government's nuclear energy policy will fail
The Government is committed to a new generation of nuclear power stations to fill Britain's energy gap. But Tom Burke says the new nuclear policy is fundamentally flawed and is based on a misunderstanding of nuclear power's economics.
World Nuclear News: Most German businesses support nuclear extension
A survey conducted by the German association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) indicates that almost 80% of businesses are in favour of extending the operating lives of country's nuclear power plants beyond current phase-out dates.
The online survey of more than 1150 businesses (46% in the industrial and construction sector; 21% traders; and 33% in the services sector) was conducted in mid July to gauge the opinion of companies on the country's climate and environmental protection measures.
Arms Control: Revised U.S. Proposal for India-Specific Exemption from Nuclear Suppliers Group Is Inadequate and Irresponsible
Today, the Arms Control Association (ACA) obtained a copy of the revised U.S. proposal to exempt India from existing nuclear trade restrictions maintained by the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The proposed rule change would allow India to acquire nuclear technology and material previously off limits to it because of India's misuse of past nuclear imports designated for peaceful purposes to conduct a nuclear explosion in 1974 and refusal to allow full-scope international safeguards on its nuclear complex.
Reuters: Lack of power and water cap Namibian uranium output
A shortage of energy and water will cap future uranium mine expansion in Namibia, but the country hopes to ease the bottlenecks through desalination and a new coal-fired power plant, an industry body said on Wednesday.
Freep: North Korea accused of nuclear moves
South Korea said Wednesday that North Korea has started work to restore its nuclear facilities after the communist country suspended operations to disable them last week.
News 24: South Africa - Nuclear contamination feared
Representatives from Namaqualand communities living near the Vaalputs national nuclear waste facility in the Northern Cape told Parliament's minerals and energy portfolio committee on Tuesday they feared their water supply was being radioactively contaminated. "We appeal urgently to Parliament to test the water in our area. There is one community at Kamassies who complain that their water has already been contaminated," community leader Tony Coetzee told MPs.
Increasing Nuclear Waste; Increasing Problems
Dangerous accidents, poor economics, deadly waste, and hazards of proliferation – four issues that even the nuclear industry indicated as obstacles for a nuclear boom. Its strategy is now to claim all four have been technically solved, and only irrational public concerns remain that need to be addressed.
Fortunately, we are not blind. We can see quite clearly on the EPR failures in Finland and France how successfully the industry improved its safety and economics. But also on the issue of nuclear waste, three important news make it crystal clear that it has not been solved, on the contrary getting worse despite decades of desperate research and billions spent.
Every year, additional ten thousand tons of spent fuel is generated on our planet. It contains a deadly mix of isotopes, including one percent of plutonium-239 with half-life of 24,000 years. It is deadly for its radioactivity, toxicity and risk of military use. This one percent of plutonium translates into hundred tons every year - enough for many thousands crude nuclear weapons, and it will remain around for dozens thousands years. There is no guaranteed way to keep it isolated from biosphere and humans in such a time scale.
What industry and politicians suggest as a fix are “temporary storages”, that can hold this waste for anything between 50 and 150 years. The only thing it guarantees is that people who made money on it and who allowed it to be done will not be here to handle the consequences when the full bill arrives..
Plus, there is quite a lot of talk about final repositories. Now lets have a look at three pieces of news of this summer showing the real face of these final repositories:
Nuclear energy news for September 3 2008
Some other stories from the nuclear industry you may have missed:
AFP: Russia will complete Iran nuclear plant
‘The Russian company building Iran's first nuclear power plant has renewed a commitment to complete the project, the official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Russia, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is building the plant at Bushehr on the Gulf coast of Iran despite a long-running standoff over Tehran's controversial nuclear drive.’
Chattanooga Times Free Press: Tennessee Valley Authority cuts contract for nuclear security
‘The Tennessee Valley Authority announced today that it will end its contract with a private security firm that has provided guards at TVA nuclear plants since 1997.’
World Nuclear News: Sanmen excavation completed early
‘Excavations for the nuclear island of Sanmen 1 are complete, China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNTPC) told World Nuclear News. The quality of the pit was passed by the National Nuclear Safety Agency, some 67 days ahead of schedule SNTPC said, marking the official end of excavation. Excavation started about one month early too, according to Xinhua reports from the time.’
World Nuclear News: Graphite production for PBMR set to start
‘South Africa's National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has given the go-ahead for the start of production of graphite feedstock for the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) demonstration unit.’
Bernama: Japan, China, Korea To Set Up Nuclear Accident Hotline
‘Japan, China and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have agreed to set up an inter-governmental hotline for alerts on disasters or accidents at the three countries' nuclear-related facilities, local media reported.’
Guardian: Environment: Solar plant yields water and crops from the desert
‘Vast greenhouses that use sea water for crop cultivation could be combined with solar power plants to provide food, fresh water and clean energy in deserts, under an ambitious proposal from a team of architects and engineers.’
Renewable Energy World: The Elephant Under the Rug: Denial and Failed Energy Projects
‘At the World Renewable Energy Conference in Glasgow I recently witnessed the strange phenomenon of group denial first hand. After a paper about hydrogen-fueled cars, some embarrassing questions were asked about the practicalities of storing and delivering hydrogen to the cars. The questions were dismissed and the questioners meekly backed down. I wanted to jump in and set them straight but keenly felt the group pressure to not ruin the party. I couldn't do it!’
Bloomberg: Germany May Sue Atomic Waste Site Operators Over Negligence
‘Germany may sue the operators of an experimental atomic waste site for negligence after a report showed that safety regulations were flouted for decades.’
Fox 44 News: Nuclear plant owner accused of consumer fraud
‘The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is being targeted in a consumer fraud complaint with the state that says the plant's owners have been engaging in deceptive advertising.’
 |  |