Platts - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 http://www.platts.com ------------ EC plans to cut emissions by 20% by 2020, 30% in future agreement London (Platts)--10Jan2007 The European Commission on Wednesday said it wants a future international agreement to fight climate change, under which industrialized countries cut greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 30% below 1990 levels by 2020. The EC plans to take the lead by cutting EU GHG emissions autonomously by at least 20% by 2020, and by 30% as part of a "satisfactory global agreement." The proposals come under the EC's Climate Change Package, part of its Strategic Energy Review unveiled on Wednesday. "Climate change is among the gravest environmental, social and economic challenges facing mankind, and it is already happening. Urgent action is needed to limit climate change to a manageable level and prevent serious physical and economic damage," the EC warned. "In the longer term, greater emissions reductions will be necessary and developing countries will also have to be part of the global effort: worldwide emissions will need to be cut by up to half of their 1990 levels by 2050," it said. ------------ Greenpeace rubbishes Merkel's Russian oil-German nuclear link Freiburg (Platts)--10Jan2007 Environmental group Greenpeace Wednesday hung a banner across the cooling tower of a German nuclear power plant that mocks Chancellor Angela Merkel's reaction to the Russia oil supply dispute. The group's message--"oil=car, nuclear power=electricity, Frau Merkel"--is its response to Merkel's comment that Germany's planned exit from nuclear power might have to be reviewed in connection with the stoppage of oil supplies from Russia. "How stupid does the government think its people are?" said Thomas Breuer, Greenpeace energy expert. "Every child in Germany knows that oil is processed to become gasoline and is pumped into car tanks. The lack of oil supplies could not even be solved with new nuclear units. Luckily, there are no nuclear cars." The green lobby group said almost 100% of radioactive uranium had to be imported, and if Germany were to scrap its nuclear withdrawal plan this would cement that dependence. "A real independence of energy supply can only be reached in Germany if renewables are massively expanded and energy is saved," said the group. ------------ NDA asks contractors BNG and UKAEA to cut final-quarter spending London (Platts)--10Jan2007 NDA asked contractors BNG and UKAEA to cut final-quarter spending by a total of 63 million pounds (US$122 million) to cover a shortfall in the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's cleanup budget for fiscal year 2006/07, which ends March 31, 2007. The reason was not UK government underfunding, an NDA spokesman told Platts January 9. He said that, of the just over two billion pounds cleanup money planned to be spent during FY-06/07, roughly half was supplied by a government grant and the rest was provided by ongoing commercial operations at the various sites being decommissioned. "There are issues around some of our commercial operations and not having quite as much income" from them as expected, he said. NDA had therefore requested the British Nuclear Group contractual organizations running the Sellafield reprocessing complex and the magnox reactor sites, and contractor UK Atomic Energy Authority, which operates Dounreay and other nuclear research sites, "to reduce their planned expenditure in the final quarter of the year by a total of approximately 63 million pounds" between them, he said. ------------ Monticello and Point Beach posted record production in 2006 New York (Platts)--9Jan2007 Monticello and Point Beach posted record production in 2006, according to a January 9 press release by operator Nuclear Management Company. Monticello operated at a capability factor of 99.85% and produced a record 5,278,693 megawatt-hours, surpassing the record of 5.03 million MWh set in 2004, NMC said. Monticello also set a plant record for continuous days of operation, at 627 days on December 31. Point Beach produced a record 8,560,409 MWh, surpassing the record of 8.1 million MWh set in 2003, NMC said. Unit 1 operated at a capability factor of 99.70%, and unit two at 90.67%, including a refueling following a breaker-to-breaker run of 461 days. Nuclear Management Co. operates the 613-MW Monticello BWR for Xcel, and the two Point Beach 530-MW PWRs for Wisconsin Energy Corp. ------------ US and Japan agree to develop plan for GNEP collaboration Washington (Platts)--9Jan2007 The US and Japan agreed to jointly develop an action plan to establish the framework for collaboration on such nuclear energy programs as the US DOE's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership and the construction of new reactors. US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and Japanese Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry Akira Amari unveiled the agreement January 9 at a press conference. Amari called the agreement "highly significant." Bodman said he expected the plan, which is to be completed by April, will include technical efforts by Japanese scientists and engineers on such GNEP-related issues as spent fuel reprocessing and recycling, and fast reactor designs. A joint statement issued at the press conference added the plan also will cover collaboration on "policies and programs that support the construction of new nuclear power plants; and ... regulatory and nonproliferation-related exchanges." ------------ STUK, Russian officials sign agreement on radiological research London (Platts)--9Jan2007 STUK and Russian officials signed an agreement on radiological research and nuclear safety in northwest Russia on January 5, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, or STUK, said that day. The agreement includes monitoring of radiation in the region as well as research into nuclear safety and safe disposal of nuclear waste. STUK will work with the Murmansk Marine Biology Institute and the Russian Academy of Sciences on the projects. ------------ Rio Tinto withdraws Sweetwater mill, Uranium One says Washington (Platts)--8Jan2007 Rio Tinto Energy America Inc. has withdrawn the Sweetwater uranium mill in Wyoming and related properties from a sale to sxr Uranium One Inc. in order to re-evaluate whether it should keep and develop these properties, according to a statement Uranium One issued January 8. Tornonto-based Uranium One said Rio Tinto's decision was "prompted by significant and unexpected changes in the world-wide market for uranium since the July 7, 2006 exclusivity agreement between the parties." It added that "Rio Tinto has agreed that, if it subsequently decides to re-offer these assets for sale in the next two years, it will invite Uranium One to re-submit a bid." Rio Tinto initially offered its Sweetwater assets for sale in a competitive bidding process, which began in 2005, that resulted in Uranium One being selected as the preferred bidder. ------------ Europe decommissions seven nuclear reactors by end-2006: Forum Freiburg (Platts)--8Jan2007 Seven nuclear reactors were decommissioned in Europe at the end of 2006, German nuclear opposition group, Forum, said Monday. Among its tasks, Forum opposes a nuclear waste site in Bavaria and promotes energy saving, energy efficiency and renewables. Bulgaria saw reactors three and four of the Kosloduj nuclear reactor shut down, Slovakia's first Bohunice reactor and the UK's Dungeness A1 and Dungeness A2 as well as Sizewell A1 and Sizewell A2 were shut down for good. The decommissioned units have a total net generation capacity of 2,094 MW. This reduced the number of operating nuclear power plants to 435 from 442. Forum said that even though countries like China and India were building many nuclear units at present, the total number of nuclear units under construction had for the past 40 years never been as low as in 2006. It added that some of the decommissioned units had been so unsafe that the European community had demanded their closure and spent much tax income on their withdrawal. Three nuclear units are scheduled for decommissioning in Germany during the current legislative period--Biblis-A (operated by RWE), Brunsbuttel (operated by Vattenfall Europe) and Neckarwestheim-1 (operated by ENBW). While RWE and ENBW have applied for life extensions for their units by way of capacity transfer, Vattenfall Europe is still debating such a move. A decision by environment minister Sigmar Gabriel is outstanding. Germany plans to phase out all its reactors by 2020, under the nuclear decommissioning law agreed between government and industry in 2001. Critics have slammed the applications for capacity transfers, which they say reveal a cynical belief that a change of government after the next federal election may herald a return to support for nuclear power. ------------ NRC Commissioner McGaffigan announces plans to leave agency Washington (Platts)--5Jan2007 Commissioner Edward McGaffigan says he plans to step down from the NRC as soon as a replacement is confirmed. McGaffigan, who began serving an unprecedented third term at the agency in October, is undergoing treatment for an advanced stage of melanoma. He told President George W. Bush in a January 4 letter that he wanted to provide the administration with enough time to search for a successor so the candidate for his Democratic seat could be paired with a Republican nominee for Commissioner Jeffrey Merrifield's seat. Merrifield is departing from the NRC when his second term expires June 30. McGaffigan, 59, says he believes the agency functions best when all five commissioner seats are filled. In a separate letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, McGaffigan said he hoped the White House and Senate would not allow the commission to drop from five to three members. He told Reid his illness had progressed since its reappearance in July and that he did not believe he could defeat it. ------------