31 Jan (NucNet): The EU�s foreign policy chief has reiterated calls for an international nuclear fuel bank to discourage countries from building their own enrichment facilities.

Javier Solana, the EU�s high representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, told members of the European Parliament yesterday: �We need to find ways of reassuring countries that they can get nuclear fuel without developing their own enrichment capacities.�

Mr Solana�s comments came as the European Parliament debated nuclear activities in Iran. Politically, he said Iran had �elements of democracy that are not visible in other Middle East countries�. While this was an imperfect democracy, it was better than nothing, therefore �we should engage with its parliamentarians".

�None of us have a problem with an Iranian civil programme, in fact, we are offering to help? but we need to ensure that their intentions are purely peaceful,� he added.

Mr Solana called for an international enrichment centre to be established when he addressed a conference in Madrid last year. He is among a number of world leaders and top diplomats who have expressed interest in the idea.

The International Atomic Energy Agency�s director-general, Mohamed ElBaradei, has proposed multilateral management and control of the nuclear fuel cycle, with the IAEA acting as facilitator and guarantor of a fuel bank.

� Compiled by John Shepherd


>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)

EU�s Solana Calls For International Enrichment Centre (World Nuclear Review No. 45, 9 November 2007)

Source: NucNet

Editor: editors@worldnuclear.org

31 Jan (NucNet): There are no environmental impacts that would prevent licence renewal for an additional 20 years of operation of the single-unit FitzPatrick nuclear plant, US regulators have said.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) made the decision in its final environmental impact statement, announced on 29 January 2008.

However, the NRC said the licence renewal application was still subject to completion of a safety evaluation report by NRC staff which will be evaluated by the NRC advisory committee on reactor safeguards.

FitzPatrick is an 852-megawatt boiling water reactor in New York state. The current operating licence expires in October 2014 and plant operator Entergy Nuclear Operations, a subsidiary of the Entergy Corporation, submitted an application for renewal of the licence in August 2006.

Entergy Corporation, the second-largest US nuclear power generator, said in November 2007 that it would spin off five nuclear power plants, including FitzPatrick into a new company in a bid to capitalise on what it sees as possible growth in the sector.

� Compiled by John Shepherd

>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)

Entergy Announces Plan To Spin Off Five Nuclear Plants (News in Brief No. 36, 5 November 2007)

Source: NucNet

Editor: editors@worldnuclear.org

31 Jan (NucNet): A combined licence (COL) application for a possible third reactor unit at the North Anna nuclear power plant in the US state of Virginia has been formally accepted for review by regulators.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said on 29 January 2008 that the application, which was submitted in November 2007, is the fourth COL to be accepted for review.

US utility Dominion is seeking approval to build and operate a 1,520 megawatt Economic and Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) at the site, about 40 miles northwest of Richmond.

The NRC granted an early site permit (ESP) to Dominion for the North Anna site on 20 November 2007, deciding that the site is suitable to support an additional reactor. An ESP provides a 20-year option for Dominion to consider nuclear among other potential generation sources.


>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)

Dominion Files COL For Third North Anna Unit (News No. 251, 29 November 2007)

Regulators Accept Partial Application For Calvert Cliffs US EPR (News in Brief No. 11, 28 January 2008)

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Source: NucNet