Platts - Monday, June 05, 2006 http://www.platts.com ------------ International nuclear solutions wins work at Sellafield MOX plant London (Platts)--5Jun2006 International nuclear solutions has won work at Sellafield MOX plant under a three-year framework agreement with British Nuclear Group, which manages Sellafield. The contract covers design and engineering and is expected to be worth 8 million pounds (US$15 million), said the company, which was formed to acquire the nuclear services division of Robotic Technology Systems plc. The deal closed May 30, and International Nuclear Solutions' shares started trading May 31. It is a specialist provider of nuclear engineering and consulting services and its history includes support work for Sellafield's commercial operating facilities such as the Sellafield Mixed-oxide (MOX) Plant and the reprocessing operations. Its revenues as the nuclear services division doubled between 2003 and 2005 and were 24.6 million pounds in 2005, making a net profit in 2005 of 2.3 million pounds. ------------ Court upholds challenge to NRC ruling on reactor storage site Washington (Platts)--2Jun2006 The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Friday ruled partly in favor of two groups who had challenged the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of an onsite spent fuel cask storage facility at Pacific Gas & Electric's Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California. The advocacy groups, San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace and the Santa Lucia chapter of the Sierra Club, joined by one local California citizen, argued that NRC violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to consider the environmental consequences of a potential terrorist attack on the plant in conducting its environmental review. The court rejected NRC's argument that the possibility of terrorist attack is so unlikely that it does not need to consider a "worse-case" analysis in an environmental review and ordered the agency to reconsider its NEPA analysis. But the appeals court denied the groups' claims that NRC violated Atomic Energy Act and Administrative Procedure Act requirements. For similar news, take a trial to Platts Nucleonics Week at http://nucweek.platts.com. ------------ Canada to provide funds for Chalk River cleanup Toronto (Platts)--2Jun2006 The Canadian government today promised (Cdn)$520 million over the next five years to begin a cleanup of radioactive waste and contamination at Atomic Energy of Canada's Chalk River Laboratories. The strategy proposed by the Natural Resources department calls for an action plan that will also address decommissioning of facilities formerly used for research. The announcement was made at Chalk River by Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn. ------------ Constellation and EDF to work together on US EPR Washington (Platts)--1Jun2006 Constellation and Electricite de France said they will work together to develop a US Evolutionary Power Reactor. The two companies announced today that they've signed a memorandum of understanding and will be finalizing a technical assistance agreement expected to include an "exchange of engineers, documentation and assistance services" needed to advance the deployment of Areva's 1,600-MW PWR, the US EPR, in the US. Constellation Energy and Areva last September formed a business venture, UniStar Nuclear, which aims to build and operate a fleet of EPRs under turnkey contracts. UniStar is working with Bechtel Power Corp. as the architect-engineer and constructor; EDF will help to promote the EPR "as the technology of choice for nuclear fleets around the world," Michael Wallace, Constellation Energy executive vice president/UniStar's co-chief executive, said in a statement. The first EPR is under construction at Olkiluoto, Finland and is expected to start operation in 2009, and the second unit, approved last month by EDF, will be built in Flamanville, France. Areva is working to convert the European design to meet US standards and plans to submit to the NRC a design certification application for the EPR next year. ------------ Constellation and EDF to work together on US EPR Washington (Platts)--1Jun2006 Constellation and Electricite de France said they will work together to develop a US Evolutionary Power Reactor. The two companies announced today that they've signed a memorandum of understanding and will be finalizing a technical assistance agreement expected to include an "exchange of engineers, documentation and assistance services" needed to advance the deployment of Areva's 1,600-MW PWR, the US EPR, in the US. Constellation Energy and Areva last September formed a business venture, UniStar Nuclear, which aims to build and operate a fleet of EPRs under turnkey contracts. UniStar is working with Bechtel Power Corp. as the architect-engineer and constructor; EDF will help to promote the EPR "as the technology of choice for nuclear fleets around the world," Michael Wallace, Constellation Energy executive vice president/UniStar's co-chief executive, said in a statement. The first EPR is under construction at Olkiluoto, Finland and is expected to start operation in 2009, and the second unit, approved last month by EDF, will be built in Flamanville, France. Areva is working to convert the European design to meet US standards and plans to submit to the NRC a design certification application for the EPR next year. ------------ Dominon to focus on expanding generation east of Mississippi: CEO Boston (Platts)--1Jun2006 Dominion President and CEO Tom Farrell Thursday said the company is expanding its targeted growth area to include the entire region east of the Mississippi River and is considering the possibility of expanding the capacity of its existing power plants and acquiring coal-fired and nuclear plants from others. Farrell, speaking to the Sanford Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference in New York, said that Dominion already is planning to upgrade its Millstone nuclear plant in Connecticut and is considering expanding the capacity of several coal plants. In addition, Dominion may build entirely new generating capacity at its Manchester Street combined-cycle station in Rhode Island, Possum Point combined-cycle station in northern Virginia, and Kincaid coal station in Illinois, Farrell said. As for possible plant acquisitions, Dominion has identified more than 40 coal-fired plants in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions that might be targets. Most of the plants have capacities of 250 MW or more and have few emission controls, he said. In addition, it identified as 12 "small-system" nuclear plants in the Midwest and Southeast that might benefit from the economies of scale of Dominion ownership and operation, Farrell said. For similar news, take a trial to Platts Electric Power Daily at http://electricpowerdaily.platts.com. ------------