Nuclear Topics & Countries

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Does Bulgaria need new NPPs?

A hybrid discussion event on “The green transition in Bulgaria – opportunities, benefits and false solutions. Does Bulgaria need new nuclear power facilities?” was organised in Sofia by Za Zemiata on 29 March from 09:00-17:30 CET Speakers: Find here the recording of the English translation of the event Find here the documentation of the event…

French NPP for the Czech Republic?

One of the key topics of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Prague will be efforts to support French state-owned EDF, which is bidding to build new nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic. But there is the failure to build new nuclear power plants on time and at the agreed price, not only abroad but…

Unlawful decision of the government of the republic of Bulgaria for the construction of a new NPP

Za Zemiata wrote a letter to the Bulgarian Prime Minister concerning the planned newbuild of Kozloduy 7 pointing to violations of the law The Bulgarian NGOs Za Zemiata and Greenpeace call on the government to stop the procedures for the construction of units 7 and 8 at the Kozloduy NPP, not only due to violations…

“Russian Grip on EU Nuclear Power” – updated study

An update of Patricia Lorenz’s study “Russian Grip on EU Nuclear Power” was commissioned by the Viennese Environmental Ombudsman and “Cities for a Nuclear Free Europe” (CNFE). The study analyses the European nuclear sector’s dependency on Russia. In particular, it also analyses possible EU strategies to reduce this dependency. The EU has not come any…

„Small Modular Reactors“ – first EIA in Poland started

The first environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures for the so-called Small Modular Reactors (SMR) in the EU started in Poland in the fall of 2023. As of November 2023, three EIA procedures were ongoing. This procedure covers the construction and operation of up to four SMRs with BWRX-300 technology and a total output of up…

Small Modular Reactors in CZ Republic

Launch of a study: “Perspectives of Small Modular Reactors in the Czech Republic” – Jan 2024: English version also available! The study was presented in October 2023 by the author Stephen Thomas, Emeritus Professor at the University of Greenwich, UK. He has examined seven SMR technologies under development, from which the Czech energy company CEZ…

Dukovany 5: from EIA to construction license

For the first time ever, NPP permitting procedures were open to NGOs beyond the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which is usually the only possibility for public participation. The transboundary EIA for Dukovany 5 took place in 2018 with hearings not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Vienna and Munich. However, the EIA was…

Tricastin-1 got life-time extension license without EIA

On 10.08.2023, the French regulator ASN’s decision on the lifetime extension of Tricastin-1, which had been taken already on 29.06.2023, was announced – and this without a transboundary EIA. This is in violation of the Espoo “Guidance on the applicability of the Convention to the lifetime extension of nuclear power plants”.

Plans for nuclear newbuild and life-time extension in France without adequate participation

In France, the public debate on new reactors has started, namely on two reactors in Penly in Normandy. In cooperation with the NGO RECH (Réaction en Chaîne Humaine) and Nuclear Transparency Watch, we drafted a letter to the responsible French authorities and EC to demand adequate participation in the form of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)…

Conference on Russian nuclear industry sanctions

Urgewald, Friends of the Earth Europe, the energy thinktank DiXi Group (Ukraine) and the geo-economics thinktank Eastern Circles (France) and ENERGOATOM, Ukraine’s nuclear power plant operator, have discussed possible sanctions against ROSATOM, the state-owned nuclear corporation of the Russian Federation. More than one year after Russia has invaded Ukraine, significant sanctions against ROSATOM are still…