Technology:
¶ Researchers at Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have what promises to be a cost-effective alternative to standard batteries. Their battery is able to charge quickly and efficiently, and shows no energy loss after 1,000 charges. [R & D Magazine]
¶ Neste Oil Corporation, a refining and marketing company, has opened a pilot plant for producing microbial oil from waste and residues at its site in Porvoo, Finland. [Equities.com]
Japan:
¶ Six municipalities near nuclear plants voiced criticized the Nuclear Regulatory Agency for apparent errors in projections of the potentials for radioactive fallout in the event of meltdowns. [The Japan Times]
… The Nuclear Regulation Authority has acknowledged the error and apologized. A utility had found the errors in the forecast maps. [Asahi Shimbun]
¶ TEPCO has surveyed the operating floor of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1. [The Denki Shimbun]
World:
¶ The French nuclear regulatory agency says the types of regulatory failures that led to the Fukushima Disaster are being repeated in other countries. [Businessweek]
¶ Nuclear plants in Canada are bracing for the storm, as Hurricane Sandy downgrades to a storm. [The Vancouver Observer]
¶ Hitachi has entered into a £700 million deal to complete two nuclear plants in the UK. [Evening Standard]
¶ Poland has already surpassed its planned output for renewable energy capacity for 2012. [CleanTechnica]
¶ The London Array Offshore Wind Farm has started generating electricity. It has a capacity of 630 MW. Located in the Thames Estuary, it will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm. [Offshore Technology International]
¶ Given current rates of growth, renewable power will have a greater capacity than nuclear power in the UK by 2018. [The Guardian]
US:
¶ Oyster Creek declared an alert because of high water levels. A reactor at Indian Point was shut down. One reactor at Salem was shut down. Millstone reduced output to 75%. [Fox11online.com]
¶ Sixteen people have died in the US because of Hurricane Sandy. There is no power for 15,000,000. And it is not over yet. [CNN]
geoharvey 