UK new build progress
’The latest report from the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process is on schedule for completion in June 2011. At that time, it is hoped that both Areva's EPR and Westinghouse's AP1000 will gain GDA approval for build and preliminary work could start towards that goal. However, progress depends on good cooperation between the HSE and the reactor vendors. The number of assessment areas that seem to present technical difficulty has been reduced, but a few still remain. For EPR there is an issue concerning instrumentation and control, which the HSE has said will require design changes and not just further safety reports. For AP1000, the HSE needs more information to show that non-nuclear structures will be built to high enough standards as well as more information to help it understand the relative risk contribution from human factors. For both reactors, analysis of resistance to aircraft impact has been delayed by security precautions.’

Cameco tackles Cigar Lake flooding again
’Cameco has resumed pumping out water from its partially-flooded Cigar Lake uranium mine in Saskatchewan, Canada, but says that it may take up to a year to fully dewater and secure the mine. In October 2006, a rockfall in the underground production area of the mine led to flooding. Mine operator Cameco expected that closing bulkhead doors would contain the water inflow and protect mine shaft No.1, the future processing area, pumps, a refuge station and a heat exchanger for ore freezing. Unfortunately one of the doors did not seal properly, allowing water to enter the processing area while worker attempts to fully seal the door were unsuccessful.’

Iran considers UN deal on uranium
’Iran said on Monday it could ship out some of its low-enriched uranium to be upgraded abroad or buy the fuel directly, as a UN team ended its inspection of a newly revealed atomic plant. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran was mulling the UN-brokered deal which envisages sending Tehran's low-enriched uranium (LEU) abroad to be converted into nuclear fuel, and would announce a decision within days.’

EU offers Bulgaria more money to shut down old nuclear reactor
’The European Commission on Tuesday offered Bulgaria an additional 300 million euros (450 million dollars) to help it close down its Soviet-era Kozloduy nuclear power plant. The offer, which adds to the 550 million euros that the European Union has already given Bulgaria to decommission the plant, will cover costs incurred over the next three years. The sum must now be approved by the European Parliament and by the bloc's member states.’

Vattenfall to Install Transformers at Kruemmel in ‘Early’ 2010
’Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Vattenfall AB, the Nordic region’s biggest utility, plans to install two new transformers at its halted Kruemmel nuclear plant in Germany in ‘early’ 2010, it said today in a third-quarter earnings report. It’s not possible to say when the plant and Brunsbuettel, the company’s other German nuclear reactor, will start, Chief Executive Officer Lars Josefsson said.’