Nuclear energy roundup October 5, 2008

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1. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on October 1st, 2008 introduced legislation that would pave the way for thorium nuclear-fuel reactors in the United States.

The Thorium Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008 would establish offices at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy to regulate domestic thorium nuclear power generation and oversee possible demonstrations of thorium nuclear fuel assemblies.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $250,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2009 through 2013.

2. India and France have signed a nuclear cooperation deal and the US-India nuclear deal is finally complete as well.

Reports such as one in Indian daily Business Line that indicated up to six Areva EPR units could be built at the new Jaitapur site in Maharashtra – giving some 9600 MWe and more than doubling Indian nuclear capacity – illustrate the potential benefits of nuclear trade to both nations.

The US Chamber of Commerce said with India’s 34-year nuclear isolation now history, a potential 150 billion dollars of new investments were expected in terms of new nuclear generating capacity by 2030.

3. Russian engineers announced plans on building high-temperature nuclear reactor with gas cooling in our country by 2020. Temperatures about 1000 degrees Centigrade allow using heat in other field of economy, such as hydrogen synthesis, fertilizer production, and metallurgical industry.

The High Temperature Nuclear REactor Conference just completed on October 1st.

4. The Nine Mile Point Combined Operating License (COL) nuclear plant application is the 25th to be submitted to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

5. The US Department of Energy (DoE) has 14 nuclear power projects to consider in its loan guarantee program. Their combined aggregate value of $188 billion is ten times what the DoE has allocated.

6. Electricite de France SA agreed to buy British Energy Group Plc for 12.4 billion pounds ($23 billion) to gain access to U.K. nuclear plants and sites for new reactors. The takeover, after more than four months of talks, would give EDF control of eight British nuclear plants.