news & information about the UK nuclear industry
New Nukes
Fallon hails Horizon’s boost to nuclear investment and jobs in the UK. Michael Fallon meets Hitachi and Horizon, who are planning to invest £20 billion in new nuclear plants at Wylfa in Anglesey and Oldbury in Gloucestershire. Speaking ahead of the visit, Michael Fallon said: “Nuclear in the UK is about more than just one project. Three ventures – including the Horizon project I’m visiting – are making serious progress. “Momentum is building, and when companies across the globe …
New Nukes
THE day-to-day operations of eight proposed nuclear power plants in the UK will have no effect on the health of our population, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) said today. But a severe accident would require the population to shelter in their homes for up to two days, food controls to be put in place and the likelihood of increases in cancer rates. The British government plans to build eight plants – five on the coastline of Irish …
Nuclear Subsidy
In a report riddled with pro-nuclear fantasy hopes and statements, the Select Committee of MPs which scrutnises the Department of Energy and Climate Change has called upon the Government to give much better terms to nuclear power than will be offered to renewable energy. This mixture of pro-nuclear fantasy and preference for nuclear over renewables is highlighted when, on the one hand, the Committee calls for new nuclear build to be given no higher strike price than offshore wind, …
Nuclear Transport
Ro-ro Atlantic Cartier had on board more than 20 tons of radioactive material, when vessel suffered major fire in Hamburg port on May 2 13, reported vesseltracker.com. Cargo list of the vessel was made public on May 16. There were nine tons of uranium hexafluoride which is used for the production of fuel rods, also on board were about four tons of ammunition.
Energy Costs
Energy bills are rising so steeply that they could overtake mortgage repayments in parts of Britain in just five years’ time, the chief executive of supplier, First Utility, has claimed. Ian McCaig issued the stark warning as he said energy policies must be reviewed to minimise the impact on bills and said consumers should think about turning down their heating to reduce costs. Critics have said that the Government’s environmental policies on windfarms and energy efficiency schemes, for example, …
New Nukes
The government has insisted it was still optimistic about plans to build a series of nuclear power stations despite expectations that EDF would delay its timetable for a new reactor at Hinkley Point and concerns that China was losing interest in being a co-investor. On Friday, the construction trade paper Building quoted industry sources as saying that EDF did not expect to take a final investment decision on Hinkley in Somerset until September at the earliest. The firm, 80% …
Energy Costs
At 2013 prices, solar PV in mid-latitude countries is now cheaper than new nuclear. Put in the UK context, the proposed EdF power station at Hinkley is now more expensive per unit of electricity generated than solar farms in the south of England. The implications of this need a great deal more consideration than they are getting. We do know what EdF, the owner of the Hinkley site, thinks it needs to pay its capital providers. Press reports, not …
New Nuclear
The rhetoric of ‘new nuclear’ is specifically designed to distinguish Generation III (and 3+) reactors from previous generation reactors, or ‘old nuclear’ for the sake of argument. However, closer examination shows that the roots of nuclear rhetoric in the present day can be traced as far back as 1901. As an industry it is constructed in the collective public mind as inherently futuristic and progressive: the energy of the future- today. The problem with such rhetoric (or its strength, …
Nuclear Subsidy
Britain’s hopes for new nuclear power may at last be cleared by ministers, with a deal set to be struck within two weeks. Crucial talks between EDF, which wants to build two new generators at its Hinkley Point site in Somerset, and Government ministers have dragged on for months, with both sides threatening to walk away. But now sources close to the talks say ‘the mood music has changed’. It is now understood that this is likely to be …
New Nukes
Centrica has ratcheted up fears over Britain’s energy security by warning that its rival EDF will take twice as long as originally planned to build the first of a new generation of nuclear power stations. Sir Roger Carr, Centrica chairman, told its AGM on Monday that since it first considered the project the price had “rocketed hugely”, adding: “Nuclear is not a cheap option.” Sam Laidlaw, chief executive, said: “Not only had the cost increased but also the schedule …
