Bill Gates, Toshiba in early talks on nuclear reactor

Finnish opposition to nuclear energy grows: poll
Helsinki (AFP) March 23, 2010 - Opposition to nuclear energy has grown in Finland, but more than half of the Nordic country's people are still in favour of building more nuclear generation capacity, a poll showed Tuesday. Fifty-three percent of Finns, polled by Suomen Gallup for daily Helsingin Sanomat, said they supported the building of a sixth nuclear power plant in Finland, while 43 percent said they were against it. The figures indicate a shift in attitudes, as four years ago 62 percent were in favour of building more nuclear power plants and 33 percent were against it. Women in the poll of 1,000 Finns opposed increasing nuclear capacity more strongly than men, with 57 percent of women against and 38 percent in favour. The respective figures for men were 28 percent against and 67 percent in favour of more nuclear energy.

Finland is currently building its fifth nuclear reactor in a project plagued by delays and cost over-runs, which have created conflict between the companies involved -- Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima (TVO), France's Areva and Germany's Siemens. The reactor was initially scheduled to go online last year, but TVO has said the start date could be delayed beyond June 2012. In coming weeks, Finland's government is also due to give its response to the applications of three utility groups -- Fortum, TVO and Fennovoima -- to build further nuclear reactors. The decision will need to be approved by parliament. In the poll, 30 percent of respondents said that if Finland were to increase its nuclear power generating capacity, a permit should be given to all three applicants. Twenty-seven percent said no further permits should be granted, 26 percent would give the green light to just one applicant and six percent would grant two permits.

by Staff Writers
Tokyo (AFP) March 23, 2010
A company backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Toshiba are in early talks to jointly develop a small nuclear reactor, the Japanese electronics giant said Tuesday.

The Nikkei business daily earlier reported that the two sides would team up to develop a compact next-generation reactor that can operate for up to 100 years without refueling to provide emission-free energy.

The daily said the joint development would focus on the Traveling-Wave Reactor (TWR), which consumes depleted uranium as fuel. Current light-water reactors require refueling every few years.

"Toshiba has entered into preliminary talks with TerraPower," said Toshiba spokesman Keisuke Ohmori. "We are looking into the possibility of working together."

Gates is the principal owner of TerraPower, an expert team based in the US state of Washington that is investigating ways to improve emission-free energy supplies using small nuclear reactors.

Unlike the current reactors at mega power plants, the smaller types could be introduced by cities or states or in developing countries more easily.

Ohmori said Gates, together with other TerraPower executives, had visited a Toshiba laboratory for nuclear power research near Tokyo last year.

"TerraPower is developing a small nuclear reactor and Toshiba is developing a different kind of small reactor. They were interested in Toshiba's technology and aiming at practical realisation" of small reactors, he said.

Ohmori said the two sides had just begun to "exchange information" but stressed that "nothing concrete has been decided on development or investment."

Gates is expected to use his personal wealth to back the development of TWRs and his investment could reach several billion dollars, the Nikkei said.

The news boosted Toshiba's share price by around four percent Tuesday.

The Nikkei said TerraPower had decided to join hands with Toshiba as it lacks the know-how to manufacture nuclear power equipment.

Toshiba, which owns US nuclear plant maker Westinghouse, has developed a design for an ultracompact reactor that can operate continuously for 30 years.

The company is preparing to apply for US approval to start constructing the first such reactor as early as 2014 and put it into practical use by the end of the decade, Ohmori said.

Bulgarian reactor resumes operations after short circuit
Sofia (AFP) March 23, 2010 - A 1,000-megawatt reactor at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant resumed operations Tuesday after shutting down this weekend following a short circuit.

The reactor was restarted at 6:28 am (04H28 GMT) and was operating at 70-percent capacity by noon, the plant said in a statement.

The other 1,000-megawatt reactor in Kozloduy continued operating at full capacity, it added.

A short circuit in the turbogenerator's control and management system, which is in the radiation-free secondary circuit of the bloc, had caused the reactor's automatic shutdown on Sunday, without causing a radiation leak.

Only two reactors remain in operation at Kozloduy, Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant, after four outdated smaller units were closed in order for the country to join the EU in 2007.

To make up for the lost capacity, Bulgaria plans to build a second 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant at Belene, east of Kozloduy on the Danube, and possibly add new reactors at Kozloduy itself.

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Short circuit shuts nuclear reactor at Bulgarian plant
Sofia (AFP) March 22, 2010
A 1,000-megawatt reactor at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant was shut down late Sunday due to a short circuit but no radiation leak was detected, the plant said Monday. According to a press statement, the reactor was taken off the electricity grid at 11:03 pm (2103GMT) on Sunday following a short circuit in the turbogenerator's control and management system, which is in the radiation ... read more

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