FEBRUARI 25, 2011 | No. 723 PELIGRO NUCLEAR: NEW LAW REMOVES 40 YEAR NPP OPERATING LIFE LIMIT The Spanish government has ratified a law removing a statutory 40-year limit on PELIGRO NUCLEAR: NEW nuclear power plant operating life. The wide-ranging Sustainable Energy Act, LAW REMOVES 40 YEAR NPP known by its Spanish acronym LES (Ley de Economía Sostenible), was approved OPERATING LIFE LIMIT 1 by 323 votes to 19, with one abstention, in the lower house of the Spanish government on 15 February. The amendment on nuclear energy within the LES RUSSIAN “NUCLEAR was approved by 334 votes to 10, with no abstentions. The law had already passed RENAISSANCE” DELAYED through the upper house. AGAIN 2 (723.613) WISE Amsterdam – The aging Cofrentes reactor is in bad shape. SELLAFIELD: STILL THE nuclear energy amendment states that It has an endless list of bugs and DIRTY OLD MAN OF EUROPE – the government will determine nuclear's unresolved security issues. Among the DISCHARGES SET TO share in Spanish generation and also the many weaknesses it has identified, BREACH MARINE POLLUTION lifetimes of existing nuclear plants based Greenpeace has expressed concerns TARGETS 3 on a variety of considerations including about the fire-fighting systems, access to regulatory requirements for nuclear safety the control room, the increasing CHERNOBYL BIRDS HAVE and radiological protection as advised by radioactivity received by maintenance SMALLER BRAINS 4 the Spanish nuclear regulator, plus trends workers, and delays in the analysis of in demand, the development of new events and incidents. CENTRAL EUROPEAN technologies, security of supply, costs of Meanwhile, take a look at the renewable NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE electricity production and greenhouse gas energy sector in Spain. According to a STALLING 5 emissions. study by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving of Energy BATTLE OF THE GRIDS 6 Previous legislation imposed a 40-year released in November last year, the INDIA: STATE REPRESSION IN operating life on Spain's nuclear reactors, number of current direct jobs provided by JAITAPUR 9 which would have seen all of Spain's the renewables industry is more than eight operating reactors facing closure 75,000. Taking into account the official IN BRIEF 11 between 2011 and 2018. However, in renewable growth forecast, Spain can 2009 the Spanish government granted a expect to see a further 128,000 created four-year life extension to the Garona by 2020. On the other hand, the nuclear nuclear power plant, extending its life to sector in 2005 had just 4,124 employees, 42 years and signaling the start of a of which 52.8% were the permanent staff political shift from earlier plans by the at nuclear power plants. Spain is a ruling PSOE (Socialist Party) to leading nation when it comes to the progressively phase out nuclear. production of renewable energy. It is showing we can live in a world without 'Peligro nuclear' nuclear energy. 'Nuclear Danger’ is the message Greenpeace Spain took to the country’s Sources: Greenpeace.org, 16 February Cofrentes nuclear energy plant on 2011 / World Nuclear News, 17 February February 15, as activists scaled one of 2011. the plant’s cooling towers. Greenpeace Contact: Grup de Cientifics i Tecnics per are demanding that Spain’s Nuclear un Futur No Nuclear Security Council refuse to renew the Email: [email protected] plant’s permit to operate - which expires on March 19 – because of the extremely poor levels of security at Cofrentes. The RUSSIAN “NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE” DELAYED AGAIN On February 17, the Russian government decided to delay investment into large-scale program aimed at construction of new nuclear reactors and large hydro plants. Russian deputy prime minister Igor Sechin proposed to re-direct governmental funding to other areas with federal budget deficit. Russian government expect to save around 15 billion rubles (US$500 million; 365 million euro) by delaying new nuclear reactors and hydro plants. No detail was given so far about how it will affect projects of new nuclear plants which are already under construction. (723.6114) WISE Russia - The decision new reactors will be reduced because pro-nuclear internet forum close to a to re-direct government funding, the consequences of economic crisis in group of influential former nuclear corresponds with earlier statements by Russia are big. professionals. Russian Government’ Accounting Office (GAO) which suggested most of the Currently, there are several reactors Another report on the risk of corruption reactors will not be built on time. In under construction in Russia: two light in Rosatom-operations came from March 2010, Russian GAO released water units of the new VVER-1200 “Transparency International – R” and results of its inspection of the Ministry of design at Novovoronezh-2 nuclear Ecodefense in November 2010. The two energy. GAO concluded that 60% of complex, same design at Leningrad-2 groups analyzed open trade operations new reactors scheduled to come on-line nuclear power plant, one older light by various branches of Rosatom and before 2015 will not be built in time. water reactor VVER-1000 at Kalinin and concluded that the risk of corruption is Russian state nuclear corporation a fastbreeder BN-800 at Beloyarsk. very high because of poor governmental Rosatom did not comment on this, but in Construction of last two units started regulation and the control over the state other statements it said reactors may well over 20 years ago while newer company is very weak. Rosatom publicly come on-line later than planned because units’ construction started just 3 years denied the conclusion in a statement for the economic crisis affected energy ago. the media. But then it invited demand. “Transparency International – R” to a At two more sites in North-West and private closed-door meeting in which In 2008 Russian government approved Central Russia the construction of (according to sources in TI-R) it "General scheme for energy generating reactors may start in 2011 and 2012. At confirmed that some corruption exist on capacities" which included detailed plan the site of Baltic nuclear power plant in lower level and proposed various joint for construction of all types of power the Kaliningrad region, near the border activities. plants during the next two decades. This with Lithuania, preparatory work is going scheme suggested 13GWt of new on since February 2010. It is planned Lack of governmental funds, corruption, reactor capacity will be installed by 2015 that first unit of VVER-1200 design will growing criticism over Rosatom's (equal to 13 VVER-1000 units or 11 be put in operation by 2016. According activities among the Russian public – it VVER-1200 units). Then in 2010 GAO to nuclear industry sources, active is clear that all these reasons will play a admitted only 5,2GWt will be installed by reactor construction may start as soon role in slowing down reactor construction 2015. But this figure is far from reality as Spring 2011. in Russia. It may be hard to predict too, according to Russian anti-nuclear today the exact number of new reactors campaigners. Another site located close to the ancient which will appear across Russia during city of Murom, 300 km east of Moscow, the next decade, but it is clear that a “Russian government is supporting is under controversial development. At new, much more difficult epoch has Rosatom in any way it can. It’s the end of 2010, Russian state nuclear arrived for Rosatom. completely blind when it comes to corporation Rosatom obtained license nuclear industry ignoring democratic allowing preparatory work on-site. That Source and contact: WISE Russia norms in the process of site selection license came only on the condition that and licensing of reactors; also when Rosatom will spend one year to conduct local population is protesting and the site research which will bring better is geologically inappropriate for understanding of the site’ geological construction. But even then, it is unlikely condition. Russian regulatory attempted that Rosatom will install 5,2GWt until to both satisfy Rosatom with permit for 2015 in Russia. They can rather hope nuclear plant construction and for 2-3 new reactors”, said Russian opponents of the project who criticized environmental group Ecodefense in its poorly prepared documentation and site press-statement following decision of selection process. Russian government on February 17. In 2010, reports were published several Vladimir Milov, former deputy minister times about large-scale corruption at the for energy in Russian government and construction site of Novovoronezh-2, presently one of the opposition leaders, which leads to lower safety and may told the 'Nuclear Monitor' that for two possible slow down the project. Reports years, it was clear that the number of were published mostly by 'ProAtom', the 2 NUCLEAR MONITOR 723 SELLAFIELD: STILL THE DIRTY OLD MAN OF EUROPE – DISCHARGES SET TO BREACH MARINE POLLUTION TARGETS A report published February 17 by CORE (Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment) exposes Sellafield’s plans for substantial increases in radioactive discharges to the Irish Sea over the coming decade. (723.6115) CORE - The rate of The Government view, that the UK is ‘on discharge from planned reprocessing This recent reduction however will be course’ to meet its commitments is operations, and subsequent completely reversed by NDA plans that made in its 2009 UK Radioactive concentrations of radioactivity in the include the reprocessing of some 4700 Discharge Strategy report, mirrors marine environment, will breach tons of spent fuel from the UK’s magnox OSPAR’s view that progress is being international commitments and targets reactors in B205 in the next 6 years - made towards meeting its targets of agreed by the UK Government in 1998 requiring a rate more than double that discharge reductions.