Platts - Friday, February 18, 2005 http://www.platts.com ------------ Sweden remains committed to phase out nuclear: Minister Sahlin London (Platts)--18Feb2005 The Swedish government remains committed to phasing out nuclear power but the process will take at least twenty years, minister for sustainability, with responsibility for energy policy, Mona Sahlin told employees at the Ringhals nuclear plant on Wednesday. Sahlin spoke at the invitation of a union umbrella group representing plant workers. She called uranium "a finite resource, which means that nuclear is not sustainable." Sahlin said that by developing renewable energy sources and promoting energy conservation, Sweden can phase out nuclear power. This story was originally published in Platts European Power Alert http://www.europeanpoweralert.platts.com ------------ Olkiluoto-3 construction license approved Stockholm (Platts)--17Feb2005 The Finnish government today approved a construction license for Olkiluoto-3. Management at Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO), which will operate the 1,600-MW EPR, said the government's decision means TVO and supplier Framatome ANP can keep to the tight timetable for building the unit. TVO added that the new reactor will help Finland meet its Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gas emission reduction commitment. The unit is scheduled to go on line in May 2009. ------------ Duke Power to prepare a COL application for new plant Washington (Platts)--16Feb2005 Duke Power plans to prepare a combined construction permit-operating license (COL) application for a new nuclear plant, a company official said today. The company has decided not to pursue an early site permit and will instead seek site approval in its COL application, said Duke Power Chief Nuclear Officer Henry "Brew" Barron. He told a Platts nuclear energy conference today in Washington, D.C. that Duke Power believes a nuclear plant to be the best option for new baseload generation. Duke needs the power by around 2015. It plans to make a selection on the reactor technology and plant site by year-end, Barron said. The company is looking at sites within the Duke Power service territory, he said. ------------