U.S. Loans to Boost Nuclear Industry Seen Soon

The Obama administration is poised to announce loan guarantees to help kick-start the country's nuclear power industry, which hasn't built a new plant in more than three decades. Congress authorized $18.5 billion for nuclear loan guarantees in 2005, hoping to revive development of the carbon-free source of energy. Investments in nuclear power has dried up on soaring costs following the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island. But earlier this year, the U.S. Energy Department signaled it was keen to aid the industry and narrowed the list of those likely to receive loan guarantees to four: Southern Co, Constellation Energy, NRG Energy and SCANA Corp. "When DOE issues their first loan guarantee, that's going to send an important signal to private-sector financing, and Wall Street in particular," said John Keeley, a spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute. "We are on track to announce the first loan guarantee soon," said Stephanie Mueller, a department spokeswoman.

China has most nuclear projects

China has the largest number of nuclear powered projects under construction in the world, officials from the National Energy Administration said. Zhang Guobao, director of the administration, said during a meeting of energy Sunday that there are eight new nuclear power stations under construction with designed capacity of 31.4 million kilowatts. He said the eight projects accounts for more than 30 percent of nuclear power generating units under construction across the globe, Jinan Daily reported Monday. Once all the eight power units go into operation in 2020, they will have the capacity of the output of the Three Gorges Dam project in 2008.

Korea - Self-sufficiency in Nuke Technology Sought by 2012

The Korean government will take follow-up steps in the wake of securing a deal worth 40 billion U.S. dollars to build and run four nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates. The Knowledge Economy Ministry in Seoul said yesterday, "To successfully build the UAE nuclear power plants and prepare the full-fledged export of Korean nuclear technology, we will devise follow-up measures including technological independence, acquisition and cultivation of professionals in nuclear reactor technology, and preparation of a plan on assisting the export of nuclear reactors. They will be announced next month." The government plans to develop technologies that have yet to be fully developed domestically, including the design of nuclear reactor code, and secure independence in the field by 2012. Demand for nuclear reactor specialists is expected to surge in the coming years, so public programs will be improved for cultivation of scientists and engineers, including nuclear engineering departments at universities.

KEPCO Bidding for $20 Billion Nuclear Plant Deal With Turkey

The government is pushing for a major nuclear plant construction deal with Turkey, following its landmark $40 billion nuclear technology export deal concluded Sunday with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) official said Monday. "KEPCO is in talks with Turkey for the construction of up to four light-water type power reactors, the same type scheduled to be built in the UAE," said the official, asking for anonymity. Each reactor is expected to cost $5 billion. He said the Turkish government is expected to open bidding for the project early next year. Market analysts say the UAE deal will help convince Turkey and other countries to consider importing nuclear power reactors from South Korea, the world's No.6 nuclear power holder in terms of generating capacity.

Armenia Approves New Nuclear Plant Over Green Objections

Armenia has cleared the way for a new nuclear power plant, despite green groups' objections that its location could put the country's capital at risk. Earlier in December, the government approved the creation of Atomstroyexport, a joint Russian-Armenian company that will own the station. "Today we are taking a political decision, we are giving our agreement to the creation of a joint venture with our Russian partners," said Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan on December 3. Armenia plans to finish the new generating unit by 2016, and it will replace the Metsamor plant, which produces 40 percent of the country's power but is nearing the end of its life. Without the nuclear plant, Armenia would be largely dependent on gas imported from Russia or Iran. "The new nuclear power station will become a security zone for Armenia in the energy system.

Pakistani nuke scientist alleges assisting N.Korea

North Korea has allegedly established a plant to produce gas for uranium enrichment, The Washington Post reported late Sunday, citing the founder of Pakistan's nuclear program. Abdul Qadeer Khan, widely lauded as the "Father of the Pakistani Bomb," disclosed in his formerly secret account that North Korea may have been involved in a small-scale uranium enrichment scheme by 2002 with "maybe 3,000 or even more" centrifuges to tap an alternative approach of making nuclear bombs in addition to its plutonium-based project, the report said. Pakistan assisted North Korea in providing critical machinery, drawings and techni-cal advice for at least six years. The pilot plant, according to Khan, illustrates the exceptionally close ties between the two countries' scientists for nearly a decade, the report added.

Japan's 2nd 'pluthermal' nuclear power generation to begin in Ehime

Japan's second "pluthermal" power generation using plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel will begin at the Ikata power plant in Ehime Prefecture in February, Shikoku Electric Power Co. said Friday. The operation key to Japan's nuclear energy policy will begin Feb. 24 at Ikata's 890,000-kilowatt No. 3 reactor following the first case at the Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture, which began in November. Pluthermal power generation is seen as a pillar of Japan's nuclear fuel recycling initiative but has commenced around 10 years behind schedule. The MOX fuel will be loaded in early February during the reactor's routine checkup that starts Jan. 7, and the reactor will return to full operation at the end of March, according to the utility firm. The fuel, reprocessed in France, arrived at Ikata in May, and passed tests by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency in July.