Here as promised is Tom Shea’s Notional convention on nuclear power.
Two other nuclear power factoids I heard recently that may interest…
First, the UAE has announced its intention not to acquire enrichment or reprocessing technology as part of its nuclear power programme.
This is significant but the question is: is it a one-off? I suspect it says more about that country’s desire to maintain good relations with the ‘West’ than it does about on-going attempts to prevent the spread of fuel cycle technology.
Second, some of the delays at Finland’s Olkiluoto 3, the EPR that is being built by Siemens and AREVA, have been caused by an inability to pour concrete correctly. Apparently the contractors (AREVA and Siemens) have been letting it fall through too great a height thus compromising its quality. I’ve often heard it said that the French have forgotten how to build reactors in the last 20 years—this is apparently one of the consequences.