Electric Light and Power: Japan Power companies likely to postpone MOX fuel use
’Jun. 4--TOKYO -- Power companies began a major review of a planned program to use plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel to power existing nuclear power plants, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. The plan to recycle nuclear fuel has been at the heart of the country's nuclear power policy. However, the power companies were forced to review the plan, which was to be launched at 16 to 18 power plants across the nation by fiscal 2010, because they have failed to win approval of the plan from the local governments in areas where the power plants are located. The plan, known as the "pluthermal program," is to produce plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel by mixing plutonium obtained from used nuclear fuel with uranium and use the MOX fuel at existing nuclear reactors as fuel for power generation.’

The Nuclear N-Former: Garoña recommendation delayed
’A recommendation from the Spanish nuclear safety regulator on the renewal of the Garoña plant's operating licence is expected to come late on 5 June. That is the deadline for the Nuclear Safety Council (Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear, CSN) to recommend whether Garoña would be safe to continue operating for another ten years, but the body has said it will still be conducting meetings to discuss the matter that morning. After the CSN makes its recommendation to the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, the government will have until 5 July to either grant a new licence or effectively order the plant to close.’

The Nuclear N-Former: Canada's nuclear waste storage facility could be built in N.B.
‘New Brunswick's geology may make it suitable as a storage facility for all of Canada's used uranium, according to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. The organization is visiting several New Brunswick cities this week as it seeks public opinion on choosing a Canadian site for storing spent uranium from the country's nuclear reactors. Jo-Ann Facella, the director of social research for the nuclear waste organization, said new research is showing that a nuclear storage site could be located outside of a mountainous area, such as the Canadian shield.’

World Nuclear News: Approval for expanded Olkiluoto repository
’Finland's nuclear waste management company Posiva should be allowed to expand its planned used nuclear fuel disposal facility, the country's radiation and nuclear safety authority has ruled. Posiva is jointly owned by Finnish nuclear generators TVO and Fortum, and is responsible for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel from Finland's currently operating plants. It applied for a decision-in-principle from the country's government to allow it to expand its planned final repository for used fuel to accommodate that arising from the as-yet unbuilt Olkiluoto 4 nuclear power plant in April 2008. The expansion would increase the capacity of the repository by about a third from the initial plans.’

World Nuclear News: Response to Kazakh investigation
’The nuclear industry has appealed to Kazakhstan to "uphold the sanctity" of uranium contracts amid an investigation of the country's national nuclear company. Letters this week from the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and the US Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) to Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev both expressed concern after the arrest of Moukhtar Dzhakishev, the head of KazAtomProm, as well as four other senior executives. The WNA called for a "just resolution" that "upholds the sanctity of contracts fairly and properly made" and facilitates continued cooperation between Kazakhstan and the global nuclear industry. Both bodies urged Nazarbayev to avoid any disruption to plans for uranium supply or mine development.’

Reuters: RWE will fight for Dutch nuclear stake
’LONDON (Reuters) - German RWE, Europe's fifth-largest utility, will fight to take over Essent's stake in the Netherland's only nuclear power plant, disputing a claim by peer Delta that it should sell it on. RWE does not have to comply with a demand by Dutch state-owned utility Delta to sell on the 50 percent stake of the Borssele nuclear power plant it is buying as part of its 8.2 billion euro ($11.6 billion) takeover of Essent, RWE finance director Rolf Pohlig said in an interview. "We are not in discussions to give up Essent's stake in Borssele, we want to keep it, it's part of Essent and we are making an offer for Essent as a whole," Pohlig told Reuters.’

Forbes: Armenia signs contract to build nuclear plant
’YEREVAN, Armenia -- Armenia has signed the first contract for the building of an atomic energy plant to replace its aging Soviet-era plant. Energy Minister Armen Movsisian says international engineering firm Worley Parsons won the $460 million contract to manage the project. He said Thursday the project's overall cost is estimated at $4.5 billion. It is scheduled to be completed by 2017 at the site of the existing Medzamor plant, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) west of the capital, Yerevan.’

AHN: Total sees UAE nuclear project awarded in H2
’PARIS, June 4 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates will likely award a contract for the construction of two nuclear reactors in the second half of 2009, a senior executive at French oil major Total said on Thursday. Total, which is jointly bidding with GDF Suez for the project, is hopeful it can win the multi-billion dollar project, Jean-Jacques Mosconi, head of strategy and planning at Total, told the Reuters Energy Summit. He also said nuclear reactor maker Areva would provide engineering works, while French power group EDF would supply technical assistance, but added they would have no stakes in the project.’