Deal close for Indian reactor imports

26 January 2015

India and America are close to a deal that would resolve liability issues and enable the long-awaited import of US-built reactors. Other nations, too, stand to benefit from India's plan to import up to 26 large nuclear reactors. 

Meetings between US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have seen a re-affirmation of the nations' friendship as well as agreements on energy, climate change and other global issues. The pair made a joint address yesterday to laud their forthcoming trade in nuclear power plants.

In a joint statement, Modi and Obama said: "Noting that the Contact Group... has met three times in December and January, the Leaders welcomed the understandings reached on the issues of civil nuclear liability and administrative arrangements for civil nuclear cooperation, and looked forward to US-built nuclear reactors contributing to India's energy security at the earliest."

Two GE-Hitachi ESBWR units and two Westinghouse AP1000 units are planned for India as part of a new-build program intended to see its nuclear power reach 14,600 MWe of generating capacity by 2020 and supply 25% of electricity by 2050.

Energoatom signs amendment to Holtec contract

26 January 2015

Energoatom and Holtec International have signed an amendment to their contract to build a central used fuel storage facility at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the supply of used nuclear dry cask storage systems.

Kazakhstan mulls construction of two nuclear plants

26 January 2015

Kazakh energy minister Vladimir Shkolnik said today the government is considering construction of two nuclear power plants in the country.

Canadian waste management on track

23 January 2015

As Canada issues its latest report on national radioactive waste management initiatives, the country's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has identified four more communities for further study as potential hosts for a long-term radioactive waste repository.

Swiss plants to be retrofitted for better hydrogen control

26 January 2015

All five of Switzerland's commercially operational nuclear power reactors are to be retrofitted to increase hydrogen control capabilities, according to new requirements set by the country's nuclear regulator ENSI.

Hinkley Point B goes offline for 'major' maintenance program

23 January 2015

One of the nuclear reactors at the UK's Hinkley Point B power plant will be taken out of service later today for a maintenance program worth £40 million ($60 million).

Amano wants development recognition

23 January 2015

Amano in Kuala Lumpur, Jan 2015 (C.Brady-IAEA) 79x48The IAEA's mandate could easily be changed to 'Atoms for Peace and Development', said its leader Yukiya Amano in Malaysia. He wants the organisation to be a "unique stakeholder" in global development.

ONR's new role comes at crucial time for UK industry

December saw a key milestone for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) with the publication of its first strategy as a statutory public corporation, writes Nick Baldwin, the ONR Chair.

Nuclear regulation in the UK has a long history, with the UK regulator taking several previous forms as part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and building a well-deserved reputation as a world-class regulator. However, the government's ambition to make the UK a world leader in the safe, efficient use of nuclear energy created new pressures and expectations. The UK needed a regulator that could be more responsive to the demands of the new build agenda, the existing operational nuclear fleet, and the decommissioning of legacy nuclear facilities.

Read more...

The public information mission of World Nuclear News is supported and made possible by the members of the World Nuclear Association.