Platts - Friday, September 12, 2003 http://www.platts.com ------------ Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--11Sep2003 FPL Energy to buy BE's share in AmerGen FPL Energy announced Sept. 11 it has reached an agreement to buy British Energy's (BE) 50% ownership in AmerGen for $276.5-million. AmerGen, a joint venture with PECO Energy (now Exelon), owns Clinton, a 1,077-MW BWR; Three Mile Island-1, a 926-MW PWR; and Oyster Creek, a 670-MW BWR. Under terms of the agreement, an affiliate of FPL Energy will purchase 100% of the outstanding stock in British Energy US Holdings Inc., which owns the AmerGen interest. FPL Energy is the independent power producer subsidiary of FPL Group, which already owns four PWRs in Florida (the 872-MW St. Lucie-1 and the 882-MW unit 2; and Turkey Point-3 and - 4, rated at 760-MW each). In November 2002, FPL Energy completed acquisition of a controlling interest in Seabrook, an 1,194-MW PWR in New Hampshire, for about $800-million. ------------ Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--11Sep2003 Davis-Besse damaged during blackout, officials say Davis-Besse sustained unexpected damage during the Aug 14 blackout that crippled the Midwest, Northeast, and parts of Canada, officials from operator First Energy Nuclear Operating Co told NRC staffers Sep 10 during a meeting near the plant. After the power went out, water pressure dropped to zero. When the two emergency diesel generators automatically restored power and turned the pumps back on, the shock wave of the newly repressurizing water deformed a metal bellows on the one containment air cooler that was isolated from the system pumps by a shut valve. Officials describe the bellows as "a giant corrugated radiator hose made of metal," located between the cooler isolation valve and the pressurizing pumps. They theorize that the closed valve reflected the pressure surge back through the bellows, thereby exceeding design pressure. The bellows were added during the current 19-month shutdown to provide room for the coolers to expand and contract in response to temperature changes. ------------ Stockholm (Nuclear News Flashes)--11Sep2003 Barsebaeck-2 restart at least two weeks away Swedish regulators are not likely to okay restart of Barsebaeck-2 for at least two more weeks, Christer Viktorsson, director of the Office of Reactor Safety at the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) told Platts Sept. 11. The agency filed a criminal complaint last month against Barsebaeck license holder Barsebaeck Kraft AB, alleging that operators at the plant may have violated the country's nuclear law by allowing the reactor to run under unsafe conditions in early January. Regulators also ordered the plant to make a series of safety improvements before restart. The unit had been down for annual maintenance. Viktorsson said SKI's review of Barsebaeck's proposals is still ongoing and that regulatory teams are still at the plant. ------------ Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--10Sep2003 White House wants less R&D funding in energy bills The Bush administration warned there is too much R&D funding authority for new energy technologies in House and Senate energy bills, though it does support provisions that were in a Senate Republican-drafted bill for nuclear energy R&D. Also, the administration is concerned about the "excessive number of and total authorizations for loan programs," which Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said was not in line with White House policy for "risk-sharing, loan terms, and program administration." Abraham provided the administration's views on what should be included in a wide-ranging energy bill in a letter sent Sept. 10 to all members of a House-Senate conference. He said tax incentives for environmental protection and energy conservation included in both versions of the bill far outpace the $8-billion (over a 10-year period) that was included in the president's fiscal 2004 budget. Abraham said the administration supports permanently extending the Price-Anderson Act nuclear liability insurance. ------------ Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--10Sep2003 NPPD moves ahead with plan for Entergy to run Cooper Nebraska Public Power District's (NPPD) recommendation that Entergy be hired to operate Cooper didn't trigger any opposition from the more than 100 people attending a NPPD informational meeting Sept. 9, NPPD said. NPPD President and CEO Bill Fehrman, as well as six members of the district's board of directors, were present to hear public comments on the 10-year, $174-million support services contract that the NPPD board is expected to approve Sept. 12. The work will be carried out by Entergy subsidiary Entergy Nuclear Nebraska (ENN). The NPPD board, Fehrman said, will have approval authority over the selection of the ENN vice president and chief nuclear officer. ENN, which could be at Cooper shortly after the contract is finalized and approved, would receive a fixed fee for work through 2006. After that it would be eligible to receive up to $6-million a year, based on performance, said NPPD spokeswoman Beth Boesch. ------------