18 - 24 February 2009
| NUCLEAR POLICIES: |
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| 24 February 2009 |
| French and Italian companies will have integral roles in each other's nuclear future, after agreements signed today in Rome. EdF and Enel will study the possibility of four new reactors in Italy, and Enel will take a stake in EdF's forthcoming Penly 3. |
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| 23 February 2009 |
| Leading figures in Britain's environmental movement today announced policy u-turns and called for the 'embrace' of nuclear power. They include the former head of Greenpeace UK and a Green Party activist. |
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| 20 February 2009 |
| Construction of Iran's heavy water reactor is progressing, while authorities in the country will not allow the IAEA access to the facility. |
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| 18 February 2009 |
| A report jointly produced by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) details how nuclear energy research, development, demonstration and deployment can help reduce US carbon emissions and bolster energy security. |
| REGULATION & SAFETY: |
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| 23 February 2009 |
| The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has completed phase one of a pre-project design review of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd's (AECL's) Advanced Candu Reactor (ACR-1000). |
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| 20 February 2009 |
| The incomplete Bellefonte nuclear power plant in Alabama, USA has been officially 'terminated' so that it can later become 'deferred' in a unique regulatory maneuver. |
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| 19 February 2009 |
| Reactor designers must address the effects of a large aircraft impact, but resistance to such an attack remains 'beyond-design-basis' under regulations. |
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| 19 February 2009 |
| Robotic snakes and worms are helping operators inspect pipework and carry out repairs in confined and inaccessible areas of their nuclear plants and sites. |
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| 18 February 2009 |
| A leaky sump at the Bradwell nuclear power plant in the UK will cost operator Magnox South some £250,000 in fines, while court costs take the total penalty to £400,000 ($567,000). |
| CORPORATE: |
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| 24 February 2009 |
| Vietnam will receive help in developing a nuclear energy sector from China Guangdong Nuclear Power Company (CGNPC). |
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| 24 February 2009 |
| Two replacement steam generators have been delivered for the second unit of Southern California Edison's San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. |
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| 23 February 2009 |
| A new world record for continuous operation of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) has been set. Calvert Cliffs 2 operated without interruption for 693 days. |
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| 23 February 2009 |
| British Energy (BE) has restarted the third of the four Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) that have been out of service for boiler closure unit (BCU) repairs. The final AGR is expected to restart soon. |
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| 18 February 2009 |
| Areva of France and Japan's Mitsubishi have signed agreements to establish a joint venture company in the nuclear fuel fabrication business. The new company, to be formed by restructuring the existing Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel (MNF) company, should be operational by 1 April. |
| EXPLORATION & NUCLEAR FUEL: |
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| 24 February 2009 |
| The Jordanian government has signed a memorandum of understanding covering exploration and mining of uranium and other ores with British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto. "It's an area where there is potential for uranium exploration, that's why we are interested in it," the company told World Nuclear News. |
| INDUSTRY TALK: |
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| 20 February 2009 |
| While production from Areva's McClean Lake uranium mine recovered strongly after the lows of 2006-7, Cameco reported reduced production from both its McArthur River and Rabbit Lake mines, reducing the country's total to its lowest since 1999. |
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| 18 February 2009 |
| Jordan and Canada signed a cooperation agreement on 17 February covering the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The signing of the agreement follows the signing in July 2008 of a memorandum of understanding between the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) and SNC-Lavalin and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL). |