An independent expert commissioned by Greenpeace has found the two nuclear reactors currently being built in Finland and France have serious safety flaws in their design. Dr. Helmut Hirsch, Scientific Consultant for Nuclear Safety says the design of AREVA’s much heralded third-generation EPR reactor is ‘contradictory to the foundation of nuclear safety’.

A nuclear reactor’s control systems are supposed to be independent, so that a failure of one system doesn’t compromise the whole reactor. This is not the case with the EPR – its systems are interlinked. ‘In the worst case,’ says Dr Hirsch, ‘this can lead to a minor incident developing into a severe accident.’ This has led to the nuclear regulators in the UK (who are evaluating the EPR design as part of their nuclear ‘renaissance’), France and Finland to jointly express their concern with this design flaw.

This is on top of ongoing serious problems at the construction of the OL3 EPR at Olkiluoto, Finland. Last week it was found that the pipes in the reactor’s essential cooling system (the part of the reactor that prevents a meltdown) have been welded using unacceptable methods without any supervision or written records. The surface of the pipes had been welded to cover up damage which may have weakened the pipes beyond repair.

The number of defects in OL3’s construction is around 3,000. The Finnish nuclear regulator STUK has detected many that were in fact approved by AREVA’s quality control but can we be certain that STUK has found them all? In 2006 STUK admitted that they could not be sure due to the high number of problems.

What we can be certain of however is that the EPR reactor is a dangerous and failed experiment. The safety flaws highlighted by Dr Hirsch reveal that there can be no confidence in the safety of the EPR design. The massive budget and schedule overruns show that a programme of building EPRs across the planet, as AREVA plans, presents a very real threat to the fight against climate change. Neither must we forget the legacy of nuclear accidents.

EPR, like nuclear power as a whole, not only threatens our safety, but takes and wastes the vital money, time and resources that we need to expand renewable energy and energy efficiency programmes if we are serious about saving our climate. The risks are too great. EPR must be abandoned immediately.

Read Dr. Hirsch’s report here. Greenpeace’s EPR factsheet is here.

Peak Uranium? Our nuclear future might be shorter than we thought
‘We’ve all heard of Peak Oil (even if there’s some doubt about whether we’ve heard the truth over when it’s going to actually kick in), but there’s no need to worry –nuclear power will step in to fill the gap, right? Well, not for long, perhaps, at least according to Dr Michael Dittmar and his new analysis of the global nuclear industry…’

The myth of proliferation-resistant technology
‘The spectre of nuclear proliferation must be understood as both a political issue and a technological one. For the intent of would be proliferators needs to be addressed together with the science. Writing in the journal Science in 1968, ecologist Garrett Hardin observed the existence of a category of problems for which there was no technical solution. Focusing on the challenge of feeding a burgeoning global population, Hardin argued, "It is fair to say that most people who anguish over the population problem are trying to find a way to avoid the evils of overpopulation without relinquishing any of the privileges they now enjoy. They think that farming the seas or developing new strains of wheat will solve the problem-technologically. I try to show here that the solution they seek cannot be found." There is nothing wrong per se with technology that makes the diversion of nuclear material harder or more likely to be detected. Yet a failure to appreciate fully the political dimension of non-proliferation risks makes the concept of proliferation resistance at best irrelevant and
at worst counterproductive.’

Smoke rises from Japan nuclear plant
‘TOKYO — Smoke rose on Thursday from the world's largest nuclear power plant in Japan, which was shut down by an earthquake two years ago, but the operator said no-one was injured and there was no radiation leak. The smoke was caused by friction from the brake of a crane in a reactor's turbine room, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said in a statement. "We reported immediately to the fire station and used fire extinguishers and now the smoke has stopped," the statement said. "There were no injuries nor any radiation leak" in the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata prefecture, 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Tokyo, it said. The company said it would thoroughly investigate. Kashiwazaki city was rocked by a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in July 2007. The epicentre was just 16 kilometres from the plant, where a fire started and a small amount of radiation leaked out, leading to the plant's shut-down.’

GE Hitachi returning to UK nuclear new build race
‘LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - GE Hitachi is poised to resume efforts to build new nuclear power stations in Britain after putting these plans on hold last year to focus on the U.S. market, a company executive said. Britain wants to build nuclear power stations to replace its ageing fleet of reactors and many of Europe's biggest utilities are lining up to take part. GE Hitachi is in talks with utilities that have bought land to build plants and expects to have one or two of its new design ESBWR reactors in service in Britain by 2025, Daniel Roderick, vice president of GE Hitachi's new plant projects, told Reuters on Thursday. "We believe, even though we stepped out for a little bit, we will come back into the process and be able to get through the process much quicker," he said in an interview. "They (the customers) have the desire to have the plant in operation by 2020 ... So somewhere between 2019 and 2025, we will see one or two units in service in the UK."’

Diplomats enter fray as nuclear bid race concludes
‘The US$40 billion UAE nuclear deal is expected to be concluded by the end of the year. The race to win a US$40 billion contract to build the first nuclear plants in the UAE is reaching its final stages, with one consortium even bringing in diplomatic intervention on their behalf. The South Korean foreign minsister, Yu Myung-hwan, met with UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a regional visit earlier this month, where he promoted the competence of Korean plants, according to the Korea Times newspaper.’

On last stop of Asia tour, Obama targets Iran, North Korea
‘Osan Air Base, Osan, South Korea - There was no doubt it. President Barack Obama got by far the loudest cheers of his six-day East Asian odyssey Thursday in a rousing 15-minute talk before about 1,000 troops. At Osan Air Base here, troops from all services repeatedly interrupted with applause as the president spoke in words that applied immediately to concerns over North Korea's nuclear program. His remarks also had implications for his get-tough policy toward Iran as enunciated hours earlier in Seoul after his summit with South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak. "We've seen indications that for internal political reasons or perhaps because they are stuck in some of their own rhetoric, they are unable to get to 'yes.' As a consequence, we have begun discussion with our international partners" about sanctions, Mr. Obama said. On the final day of a tour that took him to Japan, Singapore, China, and South Korea, Obama could be sure in these friendly surroundings of real agreement on America's role as a military superpower on fronts extending from northeast Asia to the Middle East.’

The nuclear option: too slow, too costly
‘The spruikers for nuclear energy never say die. Climate change has given them a whole new lease of life. No-emission nuclear power should, they say, be part of Australia’s response to climate change. This week ANSTO chief Ziggy Switkowski said we should aim for 50 nuclear plants by 2050. It won’t happen until the ALP fundamentally changes its policy on nuclear power. The Coalition is too scarred by their experience in the last election, when John Howard’s flirtation with the debate led to a Labor scare campaign about nuclear reactors in every backyard. Clearly the nuclear industry is yet to begin recovering from the slump in reactor building worldwide after its peak in the mid-1980s. That poses two problems for any “nuclear renaissance” and its capacity to provide a legitimate, timely response to climate change. Firstly, the global “fleet” of reactors is ageing. Then there’s the second, and more problematic issue: nuclear power plants take an extraordinarily long time to build. It’s not radioactivity or scare campaigns that are the nuclear industry’s biggest problem, it’s the maths. The numbers show that for decades to come, it will offer less and less of a solution to climate change, and it simply takes too long and costs too much to develop.’

Electricity imports hit France's energy autonomy
‘PARIS - News of the imports prompted the environmental group Greenpeace to say that this was further proof that France's policy of producing three quarters of its electricity from nuclear power was a big mistake. France decided after the 1970s oil crises to rapidly expand its nuclear power capacity in order to build up reliable energy supplies, and has long exported power to its neighbours. But ever-rising demand for electricity combined with ageing nuclear reactors have brought that policy under increasing scrutiny. "Selling the idea of energy autonomy was commercial dressing for the nuclear lobby," said an expert on France's nuclear industry, who asked not to be named. Greenpeace said in a statement Tuesday that "nuclear energy is not among the solutions for the climate. "Investing in the nuclear sector diverts important financial resources which, if allotted to the development of renewable energy and energy-saving systems, would enable us to fight efficiently against climate change."’

China helps the powerful in Namibia
‘BEIJING – Like parents everywhere, mothers and fathers in Namibia, an impoverished southern African nation, worry about college costs and opportunities for their children. The Chinese government has stepped forward to help – for a select and powerful few. So far this year, the Beijing government has secretly awarded scholarships to study in China to the offspring of nine top officials, including to the daughter of Namibia’s president, Hifikepunye Pohamba. Two young relatives of Namibia’s former president and national patriarch, Sam Nujoma, also received grants. The disclosure of the scholarships, first revealed by a feisty Namibian newspaper, has unleashed a wave of fury from the nation’s civil society groups and youth organizations. In a country where five in six students end their academic career at high school graduation, many find it unconscionable for well-paid government leaders to accept overseas university scholarships for their children. In July, the ministry renewed a license that gives a subsidiary of a state-owned Chinese company sole rights to search for uranium and other minerals in a prime prospecting area.’

“Have a French nuclear industry that works. That means that we have to rethink the whole industry.”
Henri Proglio, the incoming boss of EDF

“For a nuclear power station to be built at Kirksanton, the Haverigg windfarm would have to be demolished.”
Jill Perry, Green Party candidate for Copeland, UK

Read on…

New Greenpeace Chief Calls for Sustainable, Nuclear-Free Power Supply
‘Kumi Naidoo was appointed executive director of the environmental campaign group Greenpeace International this month after two decades leading civil society groups in Africa and internationally. Mr. Naidoo, 44, who is from South Africa, takes over the role at a time when environmentalism increasingly enjoys mainstream status, although the agenda of groups like Greenpeace remains at odds with those of many governments in critical areas like nuclear power and biotechnology. Mr. Naidoo, who is based in Amsterdam, answered questions on energy and climate policy in an e-mail exchange with Green Inc. ‘Nuclear power is a dangerous distraction to real solutions.’

Who Will Dare to Invest in Nuclear Power?
‘Will there be a nuclear power renaissance in the United States, as a host of rosy-glassed prognosticators have predicted? Not as long as it remains such an abysmal investment opportunity, Matthew Wald writes in Technology Review’s November-December issue. Wald, a New York Times reporter, contends that nuclear has come a long way in reliability and efficiency but still carries some serious financial baggage. “As the possibility of an accident that panics or injures the neighbors has diminished,” he writes, “the likelihood has grown that even a properly functioning new reactor will be unable to pay for itself.” Wald cites three factors, all in flux, that make nuclear a huge financial risk. One is the sheer cost of building a new reactor, $4,000 per kilowatt of capacity using optimistic math, which is more than coal ($3,000) and far more than natural gas ($800). Another is the future competitive landscape in energy, and thus the price of electricity. And finally, no one is certain of the future price of fossil fuels, especially natural gas, which could change the whole equation. The upshot is that prospective builders want government help in the form of federal loan guarantees - help that is not currently forthcoming.’

New study: Nuclear power slow starter in race to reduce pollution
‘Nuclear power is a slow starter in the race to reduce pollution, according to a new report by Environment Illinois. "When it comes to global warming, time and money are of the essence and nuclear power will fail America on both accounts,” said Brian Granahan, Staff Attorney and Clean Energy Advocate with Environment Illinois. “With government dollars more precious than ever, nuclear power is a foolish investment that will set us back in the race against global warming.” Some key findings of the report include: - To avoid the most catastrophic impacts of global warming, America must cut power plant emissions roughly in half over the next 10 years. - Nuclear power is too slow to contribute to this effort. No new reactors are now under construction in the United States. Building a single reactor could take 10 years or longer. As a result, it is quite possible that nuclear power could deliver no progress in the critical next decade, despite spending billions on reactor construction. - Even if the nuclear industry somehow managed to build 100 new nuclear reactors by 2030, nuclear power could reduce total U.S. emissions of global warming pollution over the next 20 years by only 12 percent -- far too little, too late.’

EdF to help Polish utility go nuclear
‘Poland's largest power utility, Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Electricité de France (EdF) which could see the two companies cooperating in the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant. The MoU provides for feasibility studies to be jointly conducted on the development of Areva EPR reactors in Poland and on the construction of the first EPR unit in Poland by 2020. PGE and EdF also agreed to discuss the possibility of industrial partnerships in the construction of EPR units in Poland. State-owned PGE said that the MoU with EdF contains no exclusivity clause between the two companies in the development of nuclear energy in Poland. The company said the MoU was signed following preliminary discussions between PGE and potential investment partners with experience in constructing and operating nuclear power plants.;

UK Nukes - The case against
THE Government has just announced that 10 sites around the UK can be
fast-tracked through the planning system for nuclear new build. Three of
them are along the Cumbrian coast, two of them on greenfield sites. This is
bad news for the fight against climate change. Even with changes in the
planning system it will still take far too long to deliver a new nuclear
power station. Promised building timescales slip badly. At Olkiuoto,
Finland, the plant promised to be built in four years will now take at least
twice that. There can be no new nuclear power stations operating in the UK
before 2015, and probably much later than that. Because carbon dioxide stays
in the atmosphere for about 100 years, cutting emissions quickly is
important. Delay means that much deeper cuts will have to be made later.

Thailand's EGAT signs agreement with China Guangdong Nuclear Power
‘The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has signed an agreement with a Chinese developer of nuclear power technology, paving the way for the country's first atomic power plant, says governor Sombat Sarntijaree. EGAT signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chinese state-owned China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPC) and CLP Holding Co, under which they agreed to a knowledge and information exchange on nuclear power technology over the next three years. CGNPC has developed its own nuclear-power technology over the past decade including the CPR-1000 pressurized water reactor. France's Areva co-developed the Chinese technology, said Mr Sombat. EGAT has not decided whether it will use the Chinese technology, he told the Bangkok Post. EGAT is tasked with building two nuclear power generators, with a total capacity of 2000 MW, under the current national power development plan. The power plants should come online between 2020 and 2021.’

Nuclear fuel won't go abroad, Iranian says
‘Reporting from Tripoli, Libya - Iran's foreign minister vowed Wednesday that his nation wouldn't allow any of its enriched uranium supply out of the country, the most definitive statement so far on an international proposal to exchange the bulk of Iran's nuclear material for fuel rods fitted for a Tehran medical reactor. Manouchehr Mottaki told the semiofficial Iranian Students News Agency that the Islamic Republic does not trust Russia and France -- which under the plan would further refine and mold the low-enriched uranium -- to follow through on the deal. Iran would prefer to exchange its uranium for the fuel rods within its own borders. "We will definitely not send our [low]-enriched uranium out of the country," he said in the comments published by the agency. "That means a simultaneous fuel swap inside Iran could be possible." The latest comments were seen as either a dismissal of a U.S.- and United Nations-backed proposal to ease international tensions over Iran's nuclear program by lowering Tehran's supply below the threshold required to make a bomb, or an attempt by Iran to haggle over the deal.’

The Happy Ranger carrying both steam generators - for AREVA's disaster-prone OL3 EPR nuclear reactor at Olkiluoto in Finland - and eight Greenpeace activists arrived at their destination this afternoon. After the formalities of Finnish immigration, our heroes are now enjoying well deserved baths, hot dinners and celebrations.

A press conference will be held in Helsinki on Friday and we'll bring you all the details from there. This isn't the end of the story so stay tuned.

(A full briefing on Areva's OL3, its many safety issues and negative impact on Finnish climate policy is available here. One of the activists on board, Lauri Myllyvirta, blogged the experience here. There are photos and video, and more photos.)

Nuclear power: less effective than energy efficiency and renewable energy?
‘If the U.S. wants to help stop global warming, nuclear power is not the way to go, according to a new report released today. The Environment California Research & Policy Center concluded that launching a nuclear power industry nearly from the ground up is too slow and expensive a process. Energy efficiency standards and renewable energy options are better solutions, researchers said. Currently, no new nuclear reactors are under construction in the country, and no U.S. power company has ordered a nuclear plant since 1978. Meanwhile, building a reactor would probably take around a decade - 2016 at the earliest, the study suggested. Without an existing infrastructure, manufacturing reactor parts with the dearth of trained personnel would be difficult. But even if the nuclear industry managed to build 100 reactors by 2030, the total power produced would reduce total U.S. emissions only 12% over the next 20 years, which Environment California deemed “far too little, too late.”’

France, Czech seal uranium enrichment deal
‘PARIS, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- France's nuclear energy company Areva announced Tuesday that it signed a 15-year contract with the Czech state-owned power utility CEZ to provide uranium enrichment service for Czech nuclear power plant. Czech state-owned power utility CEZ and Areva signed the contract for two reactor units at the Temelin nuclear power plant, Paris-based Areva said in a statement. The company's press office told Xinhua the value of the signed contract is confidential information but confirmed Areva has submitted a tender qualification documents for some Temelin project on Oct. 30. According to early reports at the beginning of November, Areva and other two Russian companies are running for the bids to build up five nuclear reactors at Temelin site for CEZ. The final bid, which may worth near 28 billion U.S. dollars, is expected at end of 2010 with a decision in late 2011.’

Russia, Slovakia sign long-term nuclear power deal
‘Russia and Slovakia have signed a deal on long-term cooperation in nuclear power engineering, Russia's state nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly AtomStroyExport said on Tuesday. AtomStroyExport participated today in the second meeting of the Russian-Slovak working group on nuclear power engineering, part of an inter-governmental commission on bilateral economic, scientific and technical cooperation. The commission noted the successful development of Russian-Slovak cooperation in nuclear power engineering, ensuring the safe operation of Slovakia's nuclear power plants. Slovakia voiced support for the participation of Russian companies in modernizing Slovakia's reactors, AtomStroyExport said in a statement.’

DOE's Non-Performance on Nuclear Fuel Storage Costs Billions
‘As the U.S. electric industry is contemplating building new nuclear power plants for the first time in decades, the industry continues to be faced with uncertainty regarding the ultimate long-term disposal solution for the nation's spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Since 1982, when Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, nuclear power plant owners and operators have been funding the development and construction of a national SNF storage facility that may never materialize-that funding amounting to $30 billion to date. Under the terms of the 1982 legislation, nuclear utilities entered into mandatory contracts with the Department of Energy (DOE) under which the utilities pay the federal government one mill (one tenth of a cent) for every kilowatt hour of nuclear-generated electricity sold to their customers. In return, the government assumed responsibility for the development, construction, and maintenance of a facility that would be ready to accept the nation's SNF beginning no later than January 31, 1998.’

U.S., China Agree That North Korea Nuclear Talks Must Resume
‘U.S. President Barack Obama said today that he and Chinese President Hu Jintao were in agreement on the need for North Korea to return to stalled six-nation talks "as soon as possible," USA Today reported (see GSN, Oct. 16). The two leaders addressed nuclear disarmament and other issues during meetings yesterday and today in Beijing. "Both of us said that we will remain committed to dialogue and consultations in resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. And such approach serves the common interests of China, the United States, and other parties concerned," Hu said during a press conference with Obama. "The two sides will work with other parties concerned to continue the denuclearization process of the Korean Peninsula and six-party talks process in a bid to uphold the peace and stability in Northeast Asia."’

Nuclear Plant Crack
‘WASHINGTON (CN) - Progress Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting to discuss a half-inch gap in the concrete containment vessel at the Crystal River 3 Nuclear Power Plant, in Florida. The plant is on Florida's west coast, about 80 miles north of Tampa. Progress Energy, which operates the plant, requested the meeting to give the NRC a status report on the company's efforts to evaluate the possible causes and extent of the recently discovered gap. The meeting will be held on Nov. 20 at the NRC's headquarters, and the public may observe and ask questions at the end. The nuclear facility is the third plant built as part of the 4,700 acre Crystal River Energy Complex which contains a single pressurized water reactor and four fossil fuel power plants.’

French nuclear giant AREVA is upset by the six Greenpeace activists who boarded the transport ship Happy Ranger in the Fehmarn Belt strait between Denmark and Germany. The ship is taking massive steam generators to the construction site of AREVA’s beleaguered OL3 EPR nuclear reactor in Olkiluoto, Finland.

The company says it is ‘saddened that Greenpeace refuses to engage in a calmer debate on energy issues’. Just how this ‘calmer debate’ is supposed to take place in the eyes of AREVA remains unclear. AREVA studiously ignore the issues raised on this blog, for example, although we know AREVA people are avid readers. And a visit to the facility where these large EPR components have been produced will not advance us in the debate on how nuclear energy undermines climate protection or how the choice for nuclear power has shut the door for renewable energies in Finland. A calmer debate? Greenpeace is ready when you are, AREVA.

©Greenpeace/Mueller

The company certainly wasn’t interested in calm debate at the European Commission’s European Nuclear Energy Forum (Enef) this year. Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Sortir du Nucléaire - the only groups invited into the industry-dominated body - walked out accusing Enef of ‘stifling critical voices’, ‘ignoring their concerns and riding roughshod over alternative scientific evidence’. If the likes of AREVA are so sure of themselves and their reactors you have to wonder why they have to resort to such cover-up and cowardice.

On top of that, AREVA spokesperson Jacques-Emmanuel Saulnier seems to think some kind of ‘association’ is ‘opening up’ between AREVA and Greenpeace just because a Greenpeace team visited the AREVA uranium mines in Niger last week. As if inviting people to the hellish nightmare of what AREVA has done in Niger would endear the company to anyone.

In its Happy Ranger press release AREVA also uses a rather strange and inappropriate metaphor…

To quote a well-known saying, "Our house is burning and we are looking the other way". If we apply this metaphor, then Greenpeace's attempts to stand in the way of nuclear power is like preventing a trusted fire service from getting to the blaze.

AREVA is comparing nuclear reactors to a ‘fire service’ fighting against the ‘burning’ that is climate change. Now, we don’t know about you, but if our house was burning we’d want the fire service at the scene immediately. We wouldn’t want the fire service being massively delayed and taking years to arrive like AREVA's nuclear reactors are. By the time the AREVA fire truck arrives the house could be in ruins. And just imagine the highly toxic and radioactive extinguishing chemicals that AREVA uses when trying to put out this fire. Even if they managed to save the house, it would be uninhabitable for thousands and thousands of years.

And don’t get us started on ‘trusted’.

(Get the latest news on the Greenpeace activists’ progress on Greenpeace Finland’s Twitter feed and Nuclear Reaction’s Twitter feed. One of the activists on board, Lauri Myllyvirta, is blogging here. There are photos and video, and more photos.)

India puts nuclear plants on alert
‘NEW DELHI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - India has put its nuclear power plants under alert and tightened security around them after intelligence about possible attacks, a report said on Monday. The step comes after a man arrested in the United States on charges of plotting attacks in India was found to have travelled to Indian states that have nuclear installations. The Press Trust of India quoted unnamed sources in the home ministry as saying that state governments had been asked to step up security around their nuclear plants as a "precautionary measure".’

Nuclear Plant Built for Iran Is Delayed, Russia Says
‘MOSCOW - Russia added a new note of discord to its relations with Iran on Monday, announcing that a Russian-built nuclear power plant in Iran would not come online at the end of the year as planned. Russia’s energy minister said that politics had played no role in delaying the startup of the plant, a focal point in a broader dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. And although Iran’s senior leadership offered no immediate response, hard-line members of its Parliament excoriated the delay, calling Russia “dishonest.” “If we wait another 200 years, the Russians will not complete the plant,” said Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash, a member of Parliament, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency. “It is naïve to believe that the Russians are cooperating with us.” The startup of the plant, at Bushehr, in southern Iran, has been plagued by delays since Russia took over work on the facility in the mid-1990s, with Russian officials often appearing to use the project as leverage in negotiations with Iran’s leaders.’

Vattenfall denies outgoing CEO Josefsson "pawned the company" through German nuclear deal
‘16 November 2009 - Swedish utility Vattenfall has denied that outgoing CEO Lars G. Josefsson "pawned the company" through a nuclear insurance deal with Vattenfall's German subsidiary. The Swedish television channel TV4 claimed that Vattenfall's CEO Lars G. Josefsson has "pawned the whole company" by signing a nuclear insurance policy for Vattenfall's German subsidiary on 17 March 2008. Conditions for operating nuclear power differ between Sweden and Germany, since legislation for nuclear power responsibility in the two countries is different. In Sweden, nuclear power operators are financially liable up to a certain level. In Germany, the operator has unlimited responsibility for costs that may emanate from an accident. But just as in all other business, companies take out insurance policies. In Germany, Vattenfall took out joint insurance with other German nuclear power operators worth SEK 23bn ($3.4bn).’

The reactor relapse takes 3 hits to the head
‘The much-hyped “Renaissance” of atomic power has taken three devastating hits with potentially fatal consequences. The usually supine Nuclear Regulatory Commission has told Toshiba’s Westinghouse Corporation that its “standardized” AP-1000 design might not withstand hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes. Regulators in France, Finland and the UK have raised safety concerns about AREVA’s flagship EPR reactor. The front group for France’s national nuclear power industry, AREVA’s vanguard project in Finland is at least three years behind schedule and at least $3 billion over budget. And the Obama administration indicates it will end efforts to license the proposed radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. After more than 50 years of trying, the nuclear industry has not a single prospective central dump site.’

Post-Saddam Iraq demands right to nuclear power
‘Vilified as a nuclear bomb-seeking threat to world peace before the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraq now wants access to civilian nuclear power for its economic and energy needs. Science and Technology Minister Raed Fahmi, in an interview with AFP, called for the international community to lift the Saddam-era UN resolutions which still stand in its path. "Our nuclear strategy is for civilian application of atomic energy and we believe we have the right and that certain obstacles contained in Resolution 707 should be lifted," he said. "We have a clear and transparent political strategy in close coordination with international bodies, and Iraq has the right to certain of its capacities," the minister said. But Fahmi stressed no political decision had yet been taken to build a nuclear power plant.’

Chinese fund enters race for EDF network
‘A Chineses infrastructure company controlled by billionaire investor Li Ka-shing is considering bidding for EDF’s £4bn of UK electricity distribution networks. Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) on Monday expressed an interest in the networks, which may be put up for sale next month. CKI, which already owns Northern Gas Networks in the UK, joins Scottish & Southern Energy and Canadian pension funds among those considering whether to make a bid. The Chinese company said earlier this year that it was looking to spend a war-chest of cash in countries including the UK and US. On Monday, it increased its stake in the Northern Gas Networks from 75pc to 88pc. It already owns gas, water and road assets in Australia, Canada and the UK, plus a 39pc stake in Hongkong Electric, the territory’s second-biggest power supplier. EDF, the power company majority owned by the French state, said in early October that it was “considering its options” for the business that serves 8m homes in London, the South-East and East of England.’

The Happy Ranger is expected to arrive in Finland tomorrow afternoon.

(Get the latest news on the Greenpeace activists’ progress on Greenpeace Finland’s Twitter feed and Nuclear Reaction’s Twitter feed. One of the activists on board, Lauri Myllyvirta, is blogging here. Here are photos and video, and more photos.)

Read Lauri's latest blog post from from the deck of the Happy Ranger...

Find out more here.

A few days ago the cargo ship The Happy Ranger left France carrying steam generators intended for the nuclear European Pressurised Reactor under construction in Olkiluoto, Finland. As the ship made its way from France to Finland, activists from the Arctic Sunrise boarded the cargo ship and are currently occupying the cranes on deck.

Read on...

The activists have not been removed and intend to stay on board all the way to Finland.

Photos of the action can be seen here and here. The Greenpeace press release is here.

The EPR reactor could be coming to your country. It's worth finding out why that might be a bad idea. You can find out more about this ill-fated reactor on Greepeace's factsheet and read its disastrous history recorded here on Nuclear Reaction.

Update: Greenpeace Finland nuclear campaigner Lauri Myllyvirta is blogging from the deck of the Happy Ranger.

Who said speaking out against nuclear power couldn’t be fun? Last week Greenpeace Mediterranean asked the Turkish public, “are you ready to live with nuclear?” by holding a highly visual performance from Abarjazz Avandgard Music Group in Istanbul. It was the first of many activities to come in the following months. Abarjazz Avendgard is a professional drumming group, that came to help us launch our campaign “I lovve nuclear” with an objective to knock out any chance of bringing nuclear power to Turkey in the future. The group played on barrels marked to look like radioactive waste, while wearing gas masks, and activists asked the government to end all nuclear plans present and future. It received a very positive response.

The Turkish government has spent decades entertaining the idea, and working to bring nuclear power here. So far, they have managed to go through the lengthy and expensive tendering process four times, and have failed all four times. Although, most recently, they accepted the one and only bid, from Russian company, Atomstroyexport, and against the tender’s own regulations, they accepted it. Greenpeace, and other local NGOs brought a legal case against such actions, and three days ago, the High Court restricted the conditions of the tender so significantly that it basically brought it to an end.

Even still, as good as this does sound, history has shown us that we cannot call this a full victory yet, but just another failed tender. In spite of repeated failures, calculated proof that nuclear power is incredibly expensive, and the examples of severe danger, such as Chernobyl, the Turkish government has not taken the nuclear option off the table. In fact, they still have another tender process on the agenda for 2010.

We intend to crush the beast while it’s down. From now until the anniversary of Chernobyl on April 26th next year, we will be pull together one million ‘radioactivists’ through our website ilovvenuclear.org. The campaign will be supported by several offline activities and tremendous outreach on the main social networking sites, and will promote the reality that nuclear power is expensive, dangerous and not the right solution for Turkey. One million voices cannot be ignored!

(This is a guest post by Stephanie Hillman, Programme Director for Greenpeace Mediterranean. More information is available in Turkish here. You can follow the ‘I lovve nuclear’ campaign on Twitter here and sign up to the Facebook group here.)