Merkel supports the proposal to put an end to nuclear power in 2022 (AFP)

ANDECHS, Germany (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that 2022 is "a good time" for the Germany at the end of nuclear energy, supporting a proposal by the Bavarian wing of his party.

She described as "an important contribution" the scenario set out by the Christian Social Union at a meeting in the city of the South of Andechs.

The centre-right Government is to define its strategy in early June and agree to Bill at a meeting of the cabinet on June 7 or 15.

After the earthquake and the tsunami which destroyed the Japanese Fukushima nuclear plant in March, Ms Merkel ordered the closure of seven older reactors of the Germany three months.

She also announced a moratorium for the same period of a previous decision by his Government to extend the life of the 17 reactors of the Germany by an average of 12 years.

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Head of the United Nations launches a study of nuclear accident (AP)

UNITED NATIONS - organization of the United Nations will undertake a study of the system on the consequences of the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear - to Japan, the Secretary General Ban Ki moon, said Friday.

Several organizations will prepare a report dealing with the effects of nuclear safety in areas including the environment, health and food safety. It must be presented at a meeting of high-level nuclear safety and security on 22 September, in the General Assembly in New York.

"Nuclear safety is a global public, serving the interests of all the peoples of the world," said the head of the United Nations.

"Forward, the effects of a disaster of the nuclear - cleaning prevention - should be more fully reflected in the assessment of the way to ensure the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the maximum of security."

A March 11 earthquake triggered a tsunami which eliminated the factory of Fukushima Dai-ichi, causing the worst nuclear crisis of the world since Chernobyl, cooling systems. Fuel rods seem to have melted in large part to three of the plants reactors.

Radiation leak prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents and combating dangerous to hold the reactors is expected to continue in 2012.

Executives of the organizations of the United Nations, including the international agency of Atomic Energy, World Organization of the health, development of the United Nations, food and agricultural organization and World Meteorological Organization participated with prohibition in videoconferencing Friday about the study.

(This version corrects updates with quotes, details.) Corrects style on Dai-ichi in the first paragraph. (Added signature).

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NRC issues new nuclear reactor design (AP)

ATLANTA - Westinghouse Electric Co. should resolve problems with its new design of nuclear reactor before regulators to decide whether the system can be used for the next generation of nuclear power plants, the President of a Federal Commission, said Friday.

The decision has cast uncertainty in the timeline to approve the design of the reactor multicomputer of Westinghouse, a decision which had been scheduled this summer. Nuclear industry has been reeling since deadly earthquakes triggered a nuclear crisis on the Japan.

"The NRC will always place its commitment to the safety of the public and a transparent process, before any other consideration" U.S. nuclear-Chairman Gregory Jaczko Regulatory Commission said Friday.

Federal employees may not authorize any new nuclear power plants that use the design of the reactor until they decide that the problems have been corrected. Westinghouse has contracts for the construction of reactors multicomputer in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. Utility companies in Alabama and North Carolina presented earlier applications to NRC seeking to use the same technology. Four multicomputer reactors are under construction in China.

Westinghouse said it remains confident in its design and will work with the NRC to solve problems, which no society regarded as a security problem not important.

"The multicomputer is a safe, robust design and is worthy to receive the certification of design," Westinghouse said in a statement.

NRC officials have challenged the shield construction, concrete and steel structure designed to protect sensitive parts reactor damage caused by a hurricane, Tornado or even the impact of a plane diverted.

In recent reports, said NRC staff that Westinghouse do take into account not properly combined tensions of an earthquake coupled with forces caused when material changes of temperature.

"We are not saying that is a huge problem, but it is something that he has analyzed,"spokesman NRC Scott Burnell, said Friday."

Regulators also said Westinghouse calculated incorrectly constraints possible on the parts of the plant, including a tank used to hold the emergency cooling water and equipment to protect against radioactive releases in case of fail main cooling systems. The NRC said that it will review the quality assurance program of Westinghouse an inspection of next week.

Supporters say the design of Westinghouse will be a major improvement in security, because it relies on gravity, not electricity, to perform the backup of the cooling systems. During a crisis, a large reservoir at the top of the building of the free water shield. The water would fall on and let it cool a steel containing the Interior equipment of the reactor, including one that contains the radioactive fuel housing.

The crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi to the Japan plant began after 11 March earthquake and the tsunami have eliminated the backup generators needed to power its cooling systems.

Federal regulators had previously questioned the solidity of the building of the shield. Although earlier this year, Jaczko said that these issues had been convinced, a prominent engineer in the dissenting Agency.

Rep. American Ed Markey, D-mass.., welcomed the decision of the NRC to look more closely at the design of the reactor. Criticism of nuclear energy has called for a moratorium on the issuance of permits until regulators can fully investigate the accident at the Japan.

"We must ensure that nuclear power plants in this country can withstand a catastrophic impact and respects the absolute highest standards for safety and security," Markey said in a statement.

During this time, the NRC said late Friday that recent inspections of 104 U.S. commercial nuclear reactors show that all are able to cope with power loss or damage to large areas of a reactor site after extreme events such as natural disaster or a terrorist attack.

The report summarizes the inspections carried out in response to the nuclear crisis to the Japan. The NRC concluded that all nuclear power plants can efficiently cool the reactor core and he spent the pools of fuel following events such as an earthquake, fire or flood.

65 Years of operation of nuclear plants, 12 had questions during inspections with one or more of the conditions of security after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the NRC said. Many of the differences involved the training of the employees of the plant. Three of the 12 plants have solved problems and other sites are actively working to resolve the problems identified during the inspection, the NRC said.

"Our resident inspectors did a good job of identifying the problems thus help plants to identify areas for improvement," said Jaczko.

Problems included emergency pumps which had disappeared or have not worked, and the equipment that has been stored in areas that could be vulnerable to earthquakes or floods, said Eliot Brenner, a spokesman for the NRC.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this story. Ray Henry is available at http://www.twitter.com/rhenryAP.

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Man near nuclear power plant is not a threat: the police (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - a man acting erratically near a nuclear power plant in Virginia was arrested by police Friday and has proved to be carrying a black box of wet sand harmless, chained to his neck, said authorities.

His actions caused concern when he was spotted drifting in the James River for at least five hours on a boat inflatable of 9 feet with a small black box, chained to his neck, according to spokesman John Bull. Virginia Marine Police

"He was disoriented, inconsistent in most cases." Sometimes it would be lucid and be useful. "That was a not last very long," said Bull.

"There is no link for this terrorism." He did y no threat to the Surry nuclear power, Bull said in a telephone interview.

The boat was towed to shore and the man taken into custody without incident.

The man has been the object of a mental evaluation, Bull said.

(Reported by Wendell Marsh.) (Editing by Jerry Norton and Greg McCune)

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TEPCO head quits after the loss of 15 billion dollars on the crisis nuclear (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Co. reported a net loss of 15 billion dollars Friday to take account of the nuclear disaster, Fukushima, marking the biggest loss at the Japan by a non-financial and this company that has prompted the company to warn that its future is uncertain.

Many criticized the President, Masataka Shimizu, 66, has resigned to take responsibility for the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986, en route to an insider, Management Director Toshio Nishizawa, 60.

Engineers are struggling to plug leaks of radiation and make the plant northeast of Tokyo under control more than two months after an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 and deadly tsunami that devastated the coast of the Japan and tipped the economy into recession.

The disaster resulted in a decline of more than 80% in shares of Tokyo Electric and forced the company to seek aid as he struck compensation liabilities that some analysts say could top 100 billion.

Before speaking, Shimizu bowed to a press conference packed at the headquarters of the company in the capital. Nishizawa, who worked in the utility since 1975, was to his left.

"We believe, sorry for the victims of the earthquake of Earth and the tsunami". In "the same time we want to sincerely sorry for our nuclear reactors at Fukushima causing so much anxiety, worry, and disorder in society, the outgoing President said."

For the fiscal year ended March 31, the company, known as Tepco, posted a net loss of 1.25 billion yen (15 billion dollars) after taking into account for 1 billion yen of reactors at the complex Fukushima scrap and write off the coast of the tax asset.

Income figures were released after the close of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and represent an important milestone in the history of 60 years of the company.

Japan first Minister Naoto Kan and other lawmakers castigated Tepco for his handling of the disaster. At one point, Kan would have required company executives to tell him: "What the hell is password?"

Shimizu made public appearances in the two weeks that followed the disaster March 11, evoking criticism that TEPCO was missing as he fought to control the plant.

Shortly after, he was hospitalized with dizziness as the action of the Tepco prices plummeted and the company is diving near collapse.

THE UNCERTAINTY AND RISK

Nishizawa resumed at a time when even the company admits there is significant uncertainty whether she can continue as a permanent concern.

In addition to compensation claims and damage of tsunami quake, TEPCO expects other costs to include the 700 billion yen this year of the company to buy more gas and coal to replace the lost nuclear capacity.

Since the crisis, Tepco has been supported by banks who provides emergency loans. The Government has promised to help Tepco handle offset claims by thousands of homes and businesses forced to evacuate autour Fukushima plant due to radiation risks, although the issue is settled far.

"I feel a great weight of the responsibility to assume the post when we are in an unprecedented crisis, has never known in the history of the company," said Nishizawa.

"But I decided to take because I believe that it is my mission to challenge head-on this difficult situation."

Five years of the TEPCO credit default swaps has reached a record of 762 later basis points Thursday, either the equivalent of $762,000 to ensure $ 10 million of debt against default.

Gaps have tripled since the Chief Yukio Edano Government spokesman last week has suggested banks waive part of the Tepco debt, raising concerns, that the Government cannot support the society. Economy Minister Kaoru Yosano said banks should not be held responsible.

"There are conflicting comments from the Government today," said Takashi Hiroki, Chief Strategist at Monex Inc..

TEPCO, however, is the sole provider of power in Tokyo and some surrounding areas which represent 40% of the economy of the Japan, if the Government will be under pressure to keep the head of the company, analysts say.

Disaster Daiichi Fukushima represents less than 5 000 megawatts (MW) of overall production of the Tepco of 65,000 MW capacity.

"You can recapitalise as well the thing that is for the moment," said Ben Wedmore, MF Global FXA Securities Equity Research Director. "I think that at the end of June, the debt ratio would that there must be a plan to recapitalize". Otherwise the debt would be junk level, and banks would be unable to lend. ?

Parliament, discussed the plan to help the utility handle compensation. Kan is struggling with low support ratings and a feisty opposition which has the power to block legislation.

The compensation scheme would be funded with the money of taxpayers and the contributions of other operators of nuclear power, but it imposes no limit on the obligations of the Tepco of compensation, a factor likely to impede its finances for years and weigh on its credit rating.

"Even if a review of their organizational structure is important, that the more pressure is how the Government will structure their compensation plan", said Hiroki Shibata, an analyst at Standard & Poor ratings. "I see no immediate impact of the change of Presidents."

COMPENSATION

1.25 Billion yen loss revealed Friday than the deficit of 812 billion yen booked by utility greatest phone of Japan, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, in the year to March 31, 2002 and the loss of 795 billion yen by the industrial conglomerate Hitachi Ltd.two years ago.

Only banks have had the biggest losses, with Mizuho Financial Group holds the record with a deficit of 2.4 billion yen eight years.

Face of so much uncertainty, Tepco did not offer orientation of revenues for the current year to March 2012.

TEPCO does not an estimate of the probable cost of compensation for all victims. Analysts forecast ranged from about 25 billion dollars up to $ 130 billion, if the crisis in the nuclear complex drags.

On Tuesday, TEPCO said it aims to complete the initial steps to limit the release of more radiation from the plant and to shut down its three reactors unstable in January 2012.

To raise funds, TEPCO said that it planned to sell the assets of 600 billion yen.

The largest gem in its asset portfolio is a set of 7.9% of KDDI, a telecommunications company which owns mobile telephone network for the No. 2 of the Japan. The issue is a value of 201 billion yen based on the Thursday closing price.

Other holdings stocks in companies not directly involved in its production company equivalent to a little more. TEPCO values of all the stocks in its books to 310 billion yen.

However most of its investments is locked in its infrastructure of production and transmission, with 60 per cent of 13 billion yen active on its balance sheet, explained by the Central nuclear and other capital assets.

Shares of Tepco closed up to 2.5 percent Yen 376, compared to a 0.1% fall in the Nikkei 225 benchmark index.

(Other reports by James Topham, written by Tim Kelly;) (Editing by Chris Gallagher and Neil Fullick)

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German nuclear power plants more off the coast of the grid (AP)

BERLIN - over three quarters of the Germany nuclear power plants was off line Saturday because of maintenance or of cases commissioned by the Government after the disaster of Japan Fukushima nuclear plant, said public service companies.

Only four of 17 nuclear plants of the country were online after energy production that RWE AG has taken at its plant in Emsland off the coast of the grid on Saturday.

Environmentalists accused utilities of closures of simultaneous maintenance staged threatening blackouts to put pressure on the Government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, who seems determined following the disaster of Fukushima Dai-ichi gradually nuclear in the 10 to 15 years. A decision on this policy is expected in June.

"We are afraid that the utilities could step intentionally a power outage to influence people in the debate on energy gradually nuclear," said Jochen Ausgestrahlt anti-nuclear group stay.

A spokesman for RWE dismissed the allegation, however, saying to the German press DAPD Emsland maintenance agency, it had been planned before the disaster at the same Japan.

Experts, said the situation was potentially worrying, because electricity significantly more low intake could change the overall tension of the grid and in the worst case lead to power outages.

"The situation will be probably manageable," the head of the German Agency DENA of electricity grid, Matthias Kurth, was quoted saying in the newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Saturday. "The situation would be worse if we had too much sun at this time"-a reference to the growing amount of electricity generated by solar panels across the country.

To compensate, the Germany is likely to import more electricity to its neighbors, mainly France and the Czech Republic, which rely heavily on nuclear energy.

Germany, more great economy of Europe, is the only one among the world leaders of industrialized countries in its determination to ditch nuclear power and replace it with renewable energy. Nuclear power generates approximately 23% of the electricity of the Germany - on the same level as in the United States - but with the judgments is now contributing the least energy as renewable energy, which normally provide 17% of the power of the Germany.

After the earthquake on March 11 and crippled tsunami factory Fukushima at the Japan, Government Merkel decided to close seven reactors built before 1980 until thorough security checks. Other plants have been taken off the coast of the grid in the past weeks for regular maintenance.

Two reactors are planned to go back online at the end of next week, which should facilitate the domestic electricity supply tight.

Nuclear energy was very unpopular in Germany since the radioactivity of the disaster of Chernobyl 1986 a derived across the country.

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Nuclear power plant in Hamaoka of closed Japan (AFP)

Of TOKYO (AFP) - Japan ageing of the Hamaoka nuclear plant located near a tectonic fault southwest of Tokyo, completed the closure of all its reactors Saturday to prevent any accident due to a natural disaster.

Reactor of the plant number five stopped power generation and has been closed to 1: 00 pm GMT (0400), said the spokesman for Chubu Electric Power Co. Hiroaki Oobayashi.

"The decision was confirmed after we have inserted all 205 control bars in the reactor", he added.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan had previously called for its closure, eight weeks after a massive earthquake and tsunami damaged the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Daiichi northeast of Tokyo, triggering the worst Atomic crisis of the world in 25 years.

The plant in Hamaoka, located 200 kilometres (125 miles) southwest of Tokyo, has five units of reactor, but only two have been running recently - numbers four and five. Number four reactor was suspended Friday.

Reactors one and two, built in the 1970s, were arrested in 2009, and three are under maintenance.

Seismologists have warned that a major earthquake is overdue in the Tokai area southwest of Tokyo where the Hamaoka plant long.

Hamaoka represents about 12 per cent of the production of Chubu Electric, which serves a large part of the industrial heart of the Japan, including many of Toyota Motor factories.

Kan said that the plant would remain closed while a higher sea wall was built and other measures are taken to prevent a major earthquake and tsunami. The local media, said the suspension was to last approximately two years.

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