World Nuclear News: Sixth US enrichment contract for Tenex
’Russia's Techsnabexport (Tenex) has signed a long-term contract for the supply of enriched uranium to Constellation Energy, marking the sixth such contract that Tenex has signed with US utilities in the past two months. The contract with Tenex is for the direct supply of enriched uranium to Constellation between 2015 and 2025. The companies vaguely stated that the enriched uranium would cover "a portion" of Constellation's nuclear fuel requirements over that period, and would be supplied from "one or more" of the four centrifuge enrichment plants in Russia. More than 60% of Constellation's generating output is from nuclear power plants - its nuclear generation division operates five reactors at three sites (Nine Mile Point and R E Ginna in New York; and Calvert Cliffs in Maryland). Tenex has already signed contracts with Exelon and Fuelco LLC - a partnership established in 2003 by AmerenUE, Luminant and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) for the procurement of nuclear fuel products and services.’

Whitehaven News: Mox 'under scrutiny'
’THE future of Sellafield's controversial under-achieving Mox plant which support around 1,000 jobs on the site is still on the line. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority says in its annual report out this week that "on a less positive note the performance of the Sellafield mixed oxide plant (SMP) remains under close scrutiny by the NDA Board. "The NDA is in the process of examining options for the future of the plant in conjunction with Sellafield Ltd," reports acting chief executive Richard Waite. Against a target of eight Mox fuel assemblies, only two had been produced. Both the Thorp and Magnox reprocessing plants also failed to meet targets.’

Nuclear N-Former: Malaysia to use nuclear power by 2025
’Malaysia was set to use alternative energy from nuclear power by 2025 as it was a cheaper source of power in the long run, according to a local newspaper on Wednesday. The New Straits Times quoted Malaysian Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Fadillah Yusof as saying that initial costs of building nuclear plants may be one billion U.S. dollars to 3 billion U.S. dollars for a 1,000 megawatt capacity, twice the amount for building a coal-fired plant in the country. Malaysia currently generates electricity mainly from coal, oil, gas and hydro. Fadillah said that nuclear energy was a cheaper and environmental-friendly source of power with no pollutant produced in the long run. He said that the nuclear power would produce hydrogen that can be used and it would only produce waste after 20 years of usage.’

Guardian: US ready to upgrade defences of Gulf allies if Iran builds nuclear arms
’Hillary Clinton today outlined how the US may go about containing a nuclear-armed Iran by extending a "defence umbrella" to US allies in the region. The US secretary of state, speaking on the way to a security summit in Thailand, later said she was not suggesting a new policy. But her comments marked the first time a senior US official has publicly contemplated the option of containment in the event of Iran's succeeding in building a nuclear weapon. Until today such an option was a taboo subject among US government officials and their British counterparts, who have insisted Iran would be ultimately stopped from constructing a warhead. "We want Iran to calculate what I think is a fair assessment: that if the United States extends a defence umbrella over the region, if we do even more to develop the military capacity of those [allies] in the Gulf, it is unlikely that Iran will be any stronger or safer because they won't be able to intimidate and dominate as they apparently believe they can once they have a nuclear weapon."’

Mineweb: Bannerman chief sees Namibia as catching Australia in the uranium stakes
’The opening day of Vertical Events' Australian Uranium conference in the Western Australian port city of Fremantle was told today that mined and in situ uranium in the modern mining story of Namibia would now total about 1.2 billion lbs of U308. Bannerman Resources Ltd (ASX: BNM) has an 80% stake in the Etango project east of Swakopmund and south west of Rio Tinto's Rossing uranium mine. Jubber was born in Namibia and held a management role at the Rossing uranium mine there, later moving to New Zealand to run gold miner OceanaGold Corporation and then Australian base and precious metals miner Perilya Ltd before taking over as manager of Bannerman eight months ago.’

The Age: Wong pours cold water on nuclear power
’Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has poured cold water on suggestions Australia could move towards nuclear power. The government's own nuclear body, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), says it's time to give "active consideration" to nuclear power, which it says is safe, reliable and would become more cost-effective. Mining giant Rio Tinto has talked up nuclear power and called on the government to make a decision about it by 2020. But Senator Wong said on Thursday the electorate was not keen to move towards the nuclear energy sector. "Australians have made it pretty clear, their views on nuclear power domestically," she told ABC Radio.’

Solve Climate: Navajo Nation Approves First Tribal 'Green Jobs' Legislation
’While economists bemoan the rising U.S. unemployment rate, nearing 10 percent, there's a part of the country that has long struggled with unemployment many times higher - the Navajo Nation. The unemployment rate across the sprawling region is 44 percent right now. But on Tuesday, its leaders approved groundbreaking legislation that they hope will bring change for their people. The Navajo Nation became the first Native American tribe to pass green jobs legislation intended to grow thousands of jobs in ways that follow the Navajo traditions of respecting the Earth. The Navajo Nation Council voted to establish a Navajo Green Economy Commission that will draw on federal, state and foundation funding to pay for green initiatives ranging from farmers' markets to small-scale energy projects.’