Platts - Thursday, August 05, 2004 
http://www.platts.com
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NRC to stop posting plant security findings on Web site

Washington (Platts)--4Aug2004

NRC will no longer post security findings of the reactor oversight process
because the agency doesn't want to identify plants with poor performance,
senior NRC security officials said today. Existing information on security
findings, however, will remain on NRC's Web site. Members of the public had an
opportunity today to comment at the first open meeting held on security issues
in more than two years. Several participants complained that NRC has limited
their input since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and that
communications have been one way. Roy Zimmerman, director of NRC's Office of
Nuclear Security & Incident Response, said the agency would do a better job of
 responding to comments on security matters. He acknowledged that there has
been, and will be, a "tightening" of security information, which he said was
necessary to prevent adversaries from misusing security information.

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Framatome opens new nuclear service center

Washington (Platts)--3Aug2004

Framatome ANP opened its new $12-million pump and motor service center today
in Lynchburg, Va. The service center will increase Framatome's ability to
inspect, repair, and refurbish nuclear plant primary and auxiliary pumps,
motors, and seals, the company said. Framatome, a joint Areva-Siemens
subsidiary, said it has manufactured more than 200 reactor coolant pumps and
motors worldwide and completed more than 50 pump and motor projects in the
U.S. The new service center is part of a $32-million, three-year expansion
plan for its Lynchburg site.

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BE expects lower nuclear output

London (Platts)--2Aug2004

British Energy (BE) faces a third bleak year as it is again forced to cut
output. BE said it has reduced its annual output target by almost 5% because
of its need to further demonstrate boiler integrity at its Hartlepool and
Heysham A advanced gas-cooled reactor stations. This can only be done when the
reactors are shut down. BE said its fleet's output target for the fiscal year
ending March 31, 2005, will now be 61.5 terawatt-hours (TWH) instead of 64.5
TWH. BE said it decided it needed to do further demonstration work after it
had evaluated structural inspections of one of the Hartlepool units and held
"intensive discussions" with regulator Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.
"This work may entail visual inspections of a number of the boilers" at the
two stations, it said July 30 in a stock market announcement. It said it would
further update the situation at the company's annual general meeting Aug. 5.

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Cameco's gross profit from uranium sales up

Washington (Platts)--30Jul2004

Cameco said revenue from its uranium business unit was (Cdn)$215-million in
first half 2004, unchanged from the same period a year ago. However, the
company's gross profit from uranium sales increased to $35-million, compared
to $25-million in the first six months of 2003. Cameco said a 7% increase in
the realized selling price of uranium was offset by lower deliveries. Cameco
said the benefit of improved spot prices (now about $18.50/lb U3O8 compared to
a price of about $11.20/lb on July 30, 2003) "was partially offset by lower
prices on fixed-price contracts, contract price ceilings, and a less favorable
foreign exchange rate."

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