France’s state controlled nuclear power giant EDF says its net profit rose 3.5 percent in the first half as a result of a cold winter and high electricity prices. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News
Tag Archives: EDF
Greenpeace activists break into French nuclear plant
Several dozen Greenpeace campaigners snuck into a nuclear plant in southern France at dawn on Monday, in the latest such break-in by the environmental group.
The activists managed to enter the grounds of the Tricastin plant, some 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Marseille, at around 5:00 am (0300 GMT), Greenpeace and police said.
They hung yellow banners reading “Tricastin: a nuclear accident” and “Francois Hollande: president of a catastrophe?” in reference to the French leader, according to Isabelle Philippe, a spokeswoman for the environmental anti-nuclear group.
“Greenpeace wants to point out all the security weaknesses in the production of nuclear energy,” she said. “Tricastin is one of the most dangerous plants and one of five that should be closed quickly.”
Nearly four hours after the initial break-in police had arrested 21 of the activists, including French, Italian, Romanian and Spanish nationals, according to the interior ministry.
Another dozen still inside the plant had been “located,” said ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet.
Police said that arresting the activists was taking some time as some of them had chained themselves to structures inside the plant.
The activists “were not able to access the plant’s sensitive areas,” like command rooms, Brandet said.
“It’s a media stunt that poses no security danger,” he said.
He insisted that the environmentalists, who divided into three groups upon entering the plant, “were immediately detected” and that around 50 gendarmes were deployed to arrest the remaining trespassers.
The EDF energy giant that runs France’s atomic power plants had also said that the activists did not manage to reach any sensitive areas within the site.
France’s interior and energy ministers called for an investigation into the incident.
Greenpeace has staged several break-ins at French nuclear plants in recent years in an effort to highlight what they say are dangers of atomic power and to expose security problems at the power stations.
In May 2012, an activist with the group flew into the grounds of the Bugey plant in southeastern France using a hang glider in a stunt aimed at revealing alleged security flaws. He flew over the plant, threw a smoke bomb and landed inside before being arrested.
In December 2011, nine activists snuck into the Nogent-sur-Seine plant 95 kilometres southeast of Paris. Most were quickly arrested, but two managed to evade capture for nearly two hours.
France is heavily reliant on nuclear power, with its 58 nuclear reactors producing some 75 percent of the nation’s electricity.
The Tricastin plant went online in 1980 and last year produced 24 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, which is the equivalent of consumption of around 3.5 million people, according to EDF.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News
GSE Systems' 21st Century Simulation Technology Gets Medieval on Training
By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
GSE Systems’ 21 st Century Simulation Technology Gets Medieval on Training
900-year-old English court will be transformed into world-class energy industry training facility featuring 3D interactive learning tools
SYKESVILLE, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– GSE Systems, Inc. (NYSE MKT: GVP) will provide its state-of-the-art simulation tools to EDF Energy for its flagship training facility being built in a 900-year-old medieval monastery in southwest England. GSE Systems will supply Activ3Di™ visualization technology for maintenance training, GPWR generic nuclear simulators, VPanel™ glass-top simulators and other cutting-edge simulation technologies for training energy industry workers.
A £15-million renovation (approximately US $22.3 million) of Cannington Court in Somerset by EDF Energy, one of the UK‘s largest energy companies, will convert the historic buildings and grounds into the central hub for EDF‘s network of training facilities across the UK. The campus will also include on-site housing for up to 50 people at a time. The facility is slated to open in early 2014.
GSE’s Activ3Di interactive visualization tools provide trainees with immersive 3D virtual training environments for field operations and maintenance. The company’s real-time nuclear simulators generate industry-leading accuracy and responsiveness for operator training. The result is a more realistic experience for trainees. When used in a multiple-format learning scenario, this type of training is shown to be the fastest way to competency.
“This collaboration utilizes the respective skills and experience from both sides which are complementary. We will combine the world-class training technology from GSE Systems in support of EDF Energy’s visionary leadership and industry knowledge to deliver an unparalleled learning experience that is unique in content and method of engagement,” said Graham Wren, European SVP and Managing Director of GSE Systems UK.
Located about 110 miles west of London, Cannington Court is owned by Bridgewater College. The buildings date back to the 12th century, at which time they were connected to a Benedictine nunnery. The project will include some new construction and repairs to the medieval barn, lodge, dairy and walled gardens.
For more on the Cannington Court project, visit http://careers.edfenergy.com/campus/cannington-court.
For more information on Activ3Di click on www.gses.com/products/visualization-tools.
About GSE Systems, Inc.
GSE Systems, Inc. is a world leader in real-time high-fidelity simulation, providing a wide range of simulation, training and engineering solutions to the energy and process industries. Its comprehensive and modular …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
Centrica ends plan to build UK nuclear plants
Centrica PLC, the owner of British Gas, is pulling out of plans to build four new nuclear power reactors in Britain, citing uncertainty over the overall cost of the project.
Centrica said in a statement Monday that pre-development costs were approaching a cap of 1 billion pounds, ($1.6 billion) and that a detailed assessment convinced the company not to proceed with the project.
The move comes four years after Centrica struck a 2.3 billion pound deal with Electricite de France SA (EDF) to take a stake in EDF‘s nuclear business in Britain.
Centrica said its 20 percent interest in the eight existing nuclear power stations in Britain is unaffected by Monday’s decision.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News
Tank! Tank! Tank! Review
Tank! Tank! Tank! is Earth Defense Force with tanks. TTT – as Tank! Tank! Tank! shall hereby be known in this review– is simple to understand: you shoot stuff with tanks. It’s generally fun with friends in short spurts, but spend some serious time with it and the weaknesses begin to appear. Clunky controls, a frustrating randomized weapon system, and endless repetition in gameplay and progression all prevent TTT from achieving any real level of long-lasting recommendable goodness.
TTT doesn’t have much in the way of story, other than its goofy premise that’s playfully fun – it’s basically every Japanese monster and mech disaster movie rolled into one. Not nearly as fleshed out as something like EDF or even Starship Troopers, it’s still interesting to see what creature(s) you’ll be fighting next.
Source: IGN Video Games
Earth Defense Force 2025 Coming in 2013
Earth Defense Force 2017 developer Sandlot is returning to its goofy sci-fi shooter series with Earth Defense Force 2025, a four-player cooperative action game set for release next year on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
If you’re unfamiliar with the franchise, this is another chance to get on board with what is arguably the most absurd, exaggerated action of the generation.
EDF2025 retains the series’ staples, of course: shooting robots with rockets and destroying cities when you miss your mark amid the chaos of an alien invasion. This sequel promises more weapons than ever and the return of gigantic spiders and ants. Basically, it’s an Earth Defense Force sequel.
Sandlot’s flawed first EDF title on Xbox 360 was a big enough cult success to warrant bringing sequels to the West. Developer Vicious Cycle took over the series briefly with Insect Armageddon, which earned a respectable 7.5/10.