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Nuclear regulators acknowledge fault below Tsuruga reactor is active

Kyodo News InternationalMay 22, 2013 02:16
The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday accepted an assessment that a reactor at the Tsuruga plant in western Japan is sitting above an active fault, making it increasingly difficult for the facility to resume operation. "We have received a report from a panel of experts that said there is an active fault...I think there is a need to accept the conclusion sincerely," NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka told a meeting attended by other commissioners to discuss the panel's conclusion.

Japan, India to resume talks on nuclear cooperation pact

Kyodo News InternationalMay 20, 2013 10:46
Japan and India are set to agree on the restart of talks on bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy development during a summit meeting of the two countries' leaders scheduled for later this month, Japanese government sources said Monday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters earlier in the day, "We have judged it sensible to negotiate an accord with India on nuclear cooperation."

US completes transfer of coolant salt to Czech Republic to develop new nuclear reactors

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 10:46
PRAGUE - The United States says it has completed a transfer of 75 kilograms (165 pounds) of salt coolant material to the Czech Republic as part of co-operation between the two countries in developing new nuclear reactors. The U.S. Embassy in Prague says the fluoride salt comes from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and will be used for experiments at the Czech Nuclear Research Institute in Rez near Prague.

Belgium to re-start two reactors halted since 2012

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 08:30
Electrabel, part of the giant French group GDF-Suez, said Friday it will restart two nuclear reactors closed down in 2012 after micro-cracks were found in them, sparking fears about their safety in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima disaster. Belgium's nuclear safety authority, AFCN, "authorises the restarting of the Doel 3 and Tihange 2 reactors," Electrabel said in a statement. "Electrabel will now make preparations to restart them," it added.

Correction: Nuclear Plant Shutdown-NC story

The Canadian PressMay 16, 2013 14:01
RALEIGH, N.C. - In a story May 16 about a shutdown at the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the reactor vessel contains superheated steam. The vessel covers the nuclear core, which produces heat. The heat is converted to steam later in the process to produce electricity. A corrected version of the story is below: NC nuclear plant shut down after crack discovered NC nuclear plant shut down after crack discovered; officials say no safety threat By EMERY P. DALESIO AP Business Writer

Hashimoto clarifies remarks on "comfort women" after flak

Kyodo News InternationalMay 7, 2013 12:30
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto on Wednesday sought to clarify his remarks on a system to recruit women into sexual servitude for Japan's soldiers during World War II, saying he personally does not condone the scheme. Two days after he made controversial remarks that the so-called comfort women were "necessary to maintain discipline" in the Japanese military, Hashimoto told reporters he simply stated a fact that people at the time had that kind of view.

S. Korea jails nuclear workers over bribe scandal

Agence France-PresseMay 3, 2013 03:30
South Korea on Friday jailed six nuclear power engineers and suppliers linked to a major corruption scandal that stoked public concern over safety standards. Two engineers with state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) were handed prison terms ranging from 14 months to two years for taking bribes from suppliers who used forged safety certificates. Four suppliers were given jail sentences ranging from eight to 14 months by the court in the southern city of Gwangju. Three other defendants -- one engineer and two suppliers -- received suspended sentences.

Solar-powered plane to make first cross-US flight

Agence France-PresseMay 2, 2013 17:45
An innovative solar-powered aircraft is set to launch Friday from California on a flight across the United States, the first of its kind aiming to showcase what is possible without fossil fuels. The experimental Solar Impulse plane -- with the wingspan of a Boeing 747 but the weight of a small car -- bears 12,000 solar cells. By day, the cells power the plane's electric motors while also charging batteries, so the plane, unlike other solar aircraft, can keep flying all night.

Japanese-French led group to build Turkish nuclear plant

Agence France-PresseMay 2, 2013 06:30
A Japanese-French consortium has won a $22 billion dollar contract to build a nuclear power plant on Turkey's Black Sea coast, a senior energy ministry official said on Thursday. "An inter-governmental agreement is expected to be signed between the prime ministers of both countries on Friday," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Costs hit $550M at San Onofre nuke plant, where reactors might be retired if restart is nixed

The Canadian PressApril 30, 2013 20:00
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Costs tied to the long-running shutdown of California's San Onofre nuclear power plant have soared to $553 million, while the majority owner raised the possibility Tuesday of retiring the plant if it can't get one reactor running later this year. The twin-domed plant between San Diego and Los Angeles has not produced electricity since January 2012, when a tiny radiation leak led to the discovery of unusual damage to hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water.
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