Irish bishops 'totally' oppose development of Sellafield
‘IRELAND'S CATHOLIC bishops are "totally opposed" to the redevelopment of the Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria, west England, and would also oppose any plans to build a nuclear reactor in Ireland, the Archbishop of Cashel Most Rev Dermot Clifford said yesterday. He was speaking in the context of this week's announcement by the British government that it had identified 10 sites for the next generation of nuclear power plants in the UK, including at Sellafield. The archbishop said that while the matter had not yet been discussed by the Irish Bishops Conference, "95 per cent of the bishops are against nuclear reactors". He spoke of the threat of Sellafield to people in west England and on the east coast of Ireland, as evidenced in 1957 when fallout from the then-named Windscale covered substantial areas in both countries. Rather than nuclear power the emphasis should be on developing alternative energies such as wind, wave and solar power, he said. He was speaking at Dublin's St Francis of Assisi primary school in Belmayne, Balgriffin, where he launched The Cry of the Earth, a pastoral reflection by the Irish Bishops on climate change.’

US signals backing for IAEA proposal on Turkish role in Iran uranium deal
‘The United States has said it backs a recent proposal by the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog that Iran ship its enriched uranium to a third country, after Turkish officials said the proposal, in which Turkey may play a role, was discussed with Iranian leaders on the sidelines of a meeting of Muslim nations in Istanbul on Monday. Mohamed ElBaradei, the director-general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said he proposed Turkey as a third-country destination after Iran failed to agree to a Western plan that its enriched uranium be sent to Russia for further enrichment to reactor-grade fuel. Tehran has yet to give a full, official reply to the proposal, which was drafted three weeks ago after consultations with Iran, France, Russia and the US. The plan requires Tehran to send 1.2 tons (1,100 kilograms) -- around 70 percent of its stockpile -- of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Russia in one batch by the end of the year for further enrichment, a move that would ease international concerns that the material could be processed for a bomb. After further enrichment in Russia, France would then convert the uranium into fuel rods that would be returned to Iran for use in a reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes. Fuel rods cannot be further enriched into weapons-grade material.’

Turkey's nuclear plans spiked by lawsuit
‘The Agence France-Presse wire service reports that a Turkish court has blocked a 2008 contract award for a new nuclear power plant won by a Russian company. The Union of Turkish Engineers' and Architects' Chambers, or TMMOB, said in a statement it filed the lawsuit because it claimed the government violated the terms of its own RFP by awarding the contract to a single bidder. Other bidders dropped out of the process and did not submit contract proposals after the government dismissed their appeals for more time to resolve issues related to revenue, indemnification, and protection of intellectual property. It is the latest in a series of setbacks that have thrown the tender into turmoil. A consortium led by Atomstroyexport, the Russian state nuclear export agency was the only bidder in the tender to build and operate the plant. Mehmet Soganci, chairman of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects, which brought the case against the tender, said, "The Council of State has decided to suspend three articles in the tender process." Soganci is no stranger to making his views heard and impacting government policy. He is a featured speaker on environmental and social issues at forums involving Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.’

Putin backs Siemens, Rosatom nuclear pact
‘MOSCOW, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged German conglomerate Siemens AG to forge a "strategic" partnership with state nuclear firm Rosatom during talks on Monday, a union that could lead to a powerful alliance. "It's important that special relations appear between your company and Rosatom," Putin said during a meeting with Siemens chief executive Peter Loescher. "In essence, it's a strategic partnership." Putin first said in January that Siemens and Rosatom, both major players on world nuclear markets, had pledged to look at closer cooperation. A source within Rosatom told Interfax news agency last month the venture could be created this year, a move that could irk French firm Areva, which had earlier agreed to work with Siemens on a nuclear reactor project.’

Why GE's Bid for Areva T&D May Be Toast (French Toast)
‘Yesterday we told you about General Electric's bid for Areva T&D, the transmission and distribution division of Paris-based Areva SA, the world largest builder of nuclear reactors. GE was one of three companies submitting bids; the other two were Toshiba Corp. in Japan and a French consortium that includes Alstom and Schneider Electric. The T&D division is strong overseas in transformers and substation equipment, but failed badly a few years back when it tried to capture share in the U.S. The real star of the division is the Redmond, WA-based software business, which has a leading share in control room software, including energy management systems (EMS), distribution management systems (DMS) and market software for bulk electricity sales. If GE can bring in that part of the business for a reasonable price, it will fill an important gap in GE's product line. At the same time, GE's sales force (and brand) could certainly help sell more transformers in the U.S. But GE may never get the chance to create those synergies, no matter how much it bids. Consider these two tidbits: • Areva SA is 91% owned by the French government • Chauvinism (defined by WikiPedia as "bellicose patriotism and a blind belief in national superiority") was named after Nicolas Chauvin, a soldier who served under Napoleon Bonaparte’

EDF plans to launch UK grid sale in December -sources
‘AMSTERDAM/LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - French utility EDF (EDF.PA) has set an indicative timetable in its sale of Britain's biggest electricity distribution network as industry and financial parties begin to form consortia, sources said. EDF has sent a teaser out to potential bidders for its three distributor network operators (DNOs) whose regulated asset value (RAV) now stands close to 4 billion pounds ($6.7 billion), several sources familiar with the process said. The company has privately communicated a draft timeline that calls for the sale to be launched in early December, after British regulator Ofgem determines the allowed returns of the DNOs, three of the sources said.’