Nuclear News: Canada Reactor design puts safety of nuclear plants into question

Nuclear: Mickey Mouse energy solution Today's big stories from the nuclear industry:

Globe and Mail: Canada Reactor design puts safety of nuclear plants into question
’Canadian nuclear safety regulators say they have underestimated the seriousness of a design feature at the country's electricity-producing reactors that would cause them to experience dangerous power pulses during a major accident. If reactors are not shut down quickly, their ability to keep radioactivity from escaping would be put to the test, according to an internal commission document. The document says Canada's seven nuclear stations, which all use Candu technology, have a feature known as "positive reactivity feedback," in which their atomic chain reactions automatically speed up if the water pumped into the reactors to cool them leaks, one of the worst accidents possible at a nuclear station. If reactors aren't immediately shut down during this type of incident, positive reactivity leads to a quick snowballing in the pace of nuclear reactions, which in turn could cause potentially damaging overheating. The document was obtained by the anti-nuclear environmental group Greenpeace through a federal Access to Information Act request. Positive reactivity is "the Achilles heel of Candu," said spokesman Shawn-Patrick Stensil, who contended it amounts to a design flaw that puts the safety of the reactors into question.’

Washington Post: Uranium gives NKorea second way to make bombs
’SEOUL, South Korea -- After repudiating negotiations on dismantling its plutonium-based nuclear program, North Korea admitted this month to having an even more worrying way to make bombs. Following nearly seven years of adamant denials, North Korea announced it can enrich uranium - a simpler method of building nuclear weapons than reprocessing plutonium. Uranium can be enriched in relatively inconspicuous factories that can better evade spy-satellite detection, and uranium bombs may work without test explosions. The admission - made in a threatening response to a June 12 U.N. Security Council resolution punishing Pyongyang for an underground plutonium bomb test last month - poses a new challenge to the U.S., China, South Korea, Russia and Japan as they seek to stem the reclusive country's atomic ambitions. Natural uranium, on the other hand, is readily available. North Korea has said it has an estimated 26 million tons of natural uranium deposits, of which about four million tons can be economically extracted. The Washington-based Federation of American Scientists also said an estimated 4 million tons is high-quality uranium ore.’

Southern Africa Direct: Uranium rich Namibia draws global interest
’Lucrative uranium deposits in Namibia's deserts, which could make the Southern African country a top producer of the radioactive element, are drawing increasing foreign interest. Although Russia has shown interest in Namibia's uranium resources since 2007, "nothing has happened" since then, said Robin Sherbourne, group economist for South Africa's Nedbank in Windhoek, Namibia. "We'll see what happens this time." Uranium exploration projects are spreading across Namibia, which aims to benefit from renewed global interest in nuclear power with its large uranium deposits, currently only mined at two locations in the country. The main mine, Rossing, 65km inland from the seaside town of Swakopmund, runs 5km long and 350m deep. It's thought to be the world's fifth largest primary uranium mine and its reserves are estimated to last until 2020, if production continues at the current below-capacity levels.’

Reuters: Niger to hold referendum despite court ruling
’NIAMEY, June 28 (Reuters) - Niger will hold a referendum on whether President Mamadou Tandja can extend his rule on Aug. 4 despite a decision by the country's highest court that it would be illegal, the government said on Sunday. Tandja's plan to hold onto power has brought protests by unions and drawn criticism from foreign donors and regional political bodies, which call them a step backwards for the uranium-producing West African country.The landlocked former French colony of 15 million people, which stretches to the heart of the Sahara desert, hopes to become the world's second biggest producer of uranium. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. The president says he needs the time to introduce a fully presidential system of government that will give the president more power and end current blockages in governance. He also says people want him to complete large infrastructure projects, including a hydro-electric dam, an oil refinery and French energy giant Areva's Imouraren uranium mine.’