Nuclear Subsidies
Commenting on the European commission’s investigation into UK plans to subsidise the construction and operation of a new nuclear reactor at the Hinkley nuclear plant, Greenpeace UK chief scientist Dr Doug Parr said: “The Commission’s investigation into the new Hinkley reactor is likely to turn food into ashes in Cameron and Hollande’s mouths at their pub lunch today. The EU executive has blown a hole in their multi-billion-pound nuclear stitch-up by showing it’s a rubbish deal for consumers, will damage the prospects for clean energy technology, and will leave the UK taxpayers to shoulder the burden of risk. By questioning whether the huge subsidies promised to EDF are justified, the commission is casting a shadow over the whole project.
Greenpeace 31st Jan 2014 read more »
The European Commission (EC) has delivered a fiercely sceptical initial take on the UK Government’s deal with French state owned EDF to build the first new nuclear reactor in the UK for a generation, concluding the measures definitely categorise as state aid. In it’s initial analysis – published on the commission website – the EC suggested that the deal may not be proportionate and risked substantially over-compensating EDF. Indeed the commission suggested additional support to EDF (on top of market prices) could wind up between £5bn and £17.6bn (in NPV terms, a variation of £13bn). The measure, moreover, could hardly be argued to contribute to affordability – at least at current prices, when it will instead and most likely contribute to an increase in retail prices.
Greenpeace Energy Desk 31st Jan 2014 read more »
As scheduled, the European Commission has today published details of its Phase 2 investigation into the agreement for Hinkley Point C. This step, and the planned publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, will be followed by a one month consultation. It will allow the UK Government, EDF Energy and others to show that Electricity Market Reform is essential in order to give the UK the secure, low carbon electricity it needs for the future. These aims are in line with European objectives. The contract for Hinkley Point C is the first example of a new kind of agreement to unlock investment in low carbon energy. It is right that the Commission should investigate the far-reaching market reform which makes this and future contracts possible. EDF will co-operate fully with the European Commission and UK Government as the investigation proceeds.
EDF Energy 31st Jan 2014 read more »
This is the letter the EU Commissioner Almunia sent to UK on opening the state aid procedure. 70 pages describe how the British governments intends to proceed. The official public consultation can start any time, most likely around mid February.
European Commission 31st Jan 2014 read more »
U.K. support for Electricite de France SA’s plan to build Britain’s first nuclear plant in a quarter century may distort the market, the European Commission said, in a threat to government plans for an atomic renaissance. The U.K. offered a credit guarantee and so-called contract-for difference at a price of 92.50 pounds a megawatt-hour for 35 years at the Hinkley Point site, double today’s market rate. “The Commission has doubts on the structure of the CfD for nuclear which, by its design, duration and scope, has the potential for distorting competitive conditions,” it said.“The Commission doubts whether the combination of aid measures, and in particular of a CfD with inflation indexation and a credit guarantee, is proportional to the potential benefits.”
Bloomberg 31st Jan 2014 read more »
The deal to build Britain’s first nuclear reactor in a quarter of a century could be illegal, the EU warned yesterday. EDF and the Government have agreed terms of a £16bn development at Hinkley Point in Somerset that would produce 7 per cent of the UK’s power. But the European Commission has questioned the Government’s subsidy payments to EDF, which will last for 35 years. The deal, which will see EDF paid £92.50 per kilowatt hour once the power stations are up and running, could be in breach of EU-wide state aid rules. The Government has also agreed to offer loan guarantees of some of EDF’s debt for the project.
This is Money 31st Jan 2014 read more »
EU rules could scupper new UK nuclear power station.
Channel 4 News 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Britain’s hopes of a nuclear energy renaissance were thrown into fresh doubt on Friday as the European Commission published a damning 70-page critique arguing that a landmark subsidy deal for the first new plant may constitute illegal state aid. EDF’s proposed £16bn plant, at Hinkley Point C in Somerset, could be profitable even without the consumer-funded subsidies that could total £17.6bn, the EC said.
Telegraph 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Britain is potentially wasting up to £17.6bn of taxpayer support on a new nuclear plant that would be profitable without it, according to Europe’s top competition authority. In a scathing 68-page initial assessment published on Friday, the European Commission raises fundamental concerns about the UK contract with French utility EDF, for Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset.
FT 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Plans by EDF Energy to build Britain’s first nuclear reactor for a generation were in disarray last night after Brussels said that the controversial subsidy deal agreed with the Government could amount to illegal state aid. In a withering initial assessment, the European Commission said that consumers would end up paying up to £17.6 billion of “super-normal” subsidies via their energy bills to EDF Energy, which is controlled by the French Government. Its most damning objection was that the subsidies were entirely unnecessary, since nuclear power would become economic by the end of the next decade, according to the Government’s own forecasts.
Times 1st Feb 2014 read more »
Emergency Planning
The numbers and locations of the anti-radiation pills meant to protect tens of thousands of people against cancer after major nuclear accidents are to be kept secret. The Scottish Information Commissioner, Rosemary Agnew, has backed the Scottish government’s refusal to reveal how many potassium iodate pills were stored, and where. Potassium iodate tablets are an established way of preventing people exposed to radiation from contracting thyroid cancers. They prevent radioactive iodine, like that released by the 1986 accident at Chernobyl in the Ukraine, from contaminating the thyroid gland. In a decision to be published next week, Agnew has ruled that Scottish ministers were right to withhold the information on grounds of national security. They had argued that publishing the numbers and locations of the pills would reveal the UK’s capability to respond to a radiological attack by terrorists. The risk of such an attack was “substantial”, ministers said. The information about the pills “would be greatly beneficial to terrorist organisations or foreign powers who would know how to harm Scotland and the UK most effectively”. According to Agnew, ministers argued that the pill stores would become targets for an attack or theft. “It would also indicate where the country was geographically weakest (furthest from the storage locations) and potentially where an attack would be most effective,” she said.
Rob Edwards 30th Jan 2014 read more »
Sellafield
The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria is partially closed after “elevated levels of radioactivity” were detected. Each building was checked after a perimeter alarm was triggered at the north of the site. The company later said it was naturally occurring background radiation and not attributable to any issue or problem with any operation on site.
BBC 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Following the discovery last night (30/31 January) of raised levels of radioactivity by an air sampler located at a northern point on Sellafield’s perimeter fence, site operator Sellafield Ltd issued a number of mixed messages this morning 31stJanuary relating to the discovery and which lead to local, national and international anxieties about the scale and implications of ‘the incident’.Those concerns were enhanced by the draconian step already taken by Sellafield Ltd to order all non-essential staff not to come to work today – an initiative usually employed only to cover major accident, severe weather event or loss of electricity and water supplies to the site. In the event, the company stated later in the day that the elevated readings related to naturally occurring radon gas, and not therefore to any of the site’s commercial plant or storage facilities which were all operating normally. An investigation into the spike of radon – measured at just one of twenty air samplers around the site’s perimeter – has been launched. Whilst such spikes can result from earthquakes and tremors, the British Geological Survey has reported no such event taking place locally in recent days.
CORE 31st Jan 2014 read more »
The Sellafield nuclear site is being operated with a reduced number of staff following the detection overnight of elevated levels of radioactivity. Non-essential staff are being told not to come to work, although this is described as a precautionary measure, and in a statement the site’s operator said there was “no risk to the general public or workforce”. It is unclear how long the plant will operate with reduced staffing but a few hundred workers are understood to be on the site.
Guardian 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Fears of a radioactive leak at the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria on Friday morning were triggered by a rise in the natural background levels of radon gas, investigators have said. Operators of the nuclear reprocessing facility told thousands of non-essential staff to stay at home after a perimeter alarm at the north end of the site measured higher than normal levels of radiation.
Guardian 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Sellafield, the largest nuclear site in Europe, declared an alert on Friday after discovering higher than usual levels of radioactivity, but later called it off, saying naturally occurring radon gas had triggered the alarm.
Reuters 31st Jan 2014 read more »
ITV News 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Whitehaven News 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Sellafield nuclear plant given the all-clear after ‘elevated levels of radioactivity’ detected. Higher than normal levels of radioactivity were due to ‘naturally occurring background radon’
Telegraph 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Yes, you did read it correctly. In their own words, the WCSSG (West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group) is: “An independent body whose role is to provide public scrutiny of the nuclear industry in West Cumbria by providing an active, two-way channel of communication between the site operators, the NDA and local stakeholders”. The Chairman, David Moore and Vice Chair Elaine Woodburn, are paid an annual allowance to cover duties carried out for NDA funded WCSSG. The chairman receives £5,000 per annum and the Vice Chair £2,500 per annum (according to the albeit out of date WCSSG website). So, when reading the statement (BBC Look North website) from David Moore regarding yesterday’s partial shutdown at Sellafield, one could be forgiven for bringing to mind the old adage about not biting the feeding hand. To put it mildly this does not appear to be the healthiest of alliances. Draw your own conclusions.
Cumbria Trust 1st Feb 2014 read more »
Nuclear power is a myth as much as a reality, a shadow in the modern mind. Behold a place where dark deeds are done.
Guardian 31st Jan 2014 read more »
The radiation alert at the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria is a powerful reminder of the physical dangers associated with nuclear power, with the event coming at a critical time for the industry. There has to be action when an alarm detects “elevated levels of radioactivity” on the perimeter fence at the north of a site which is home to the world’s largest civil plutonium stockpile. It now seems that naturally-occurring radon was responsible for triggering the alarms, but the private sector managers were right to keep thousands of non-essential staff at home while they investigated. All eyes are on the managers at Sellafield to prove that the nuclear industry has entered a new era – not one of 100% safety, which no one can guarantee, but one of transparency, openness and efficient safety management.
Guardian 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Dungeness
THE spectre of a nuclear disaster in the Rye area was raised at London’s High Court as protestors challenge plans to expand Lydd Airport. A top lawyer, acting for Lydd Airport Action Group, warned that thousands could die if a plane were to land on Dungeness B. Matthew Horton QC told the judge: “Dungeness A and B were not constructed to withstand the impact of an aircraft above a certain weight.”
Rye and Battle Observer 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Small Reactors
On December 12, 2013, the US Department of Energy awarded $226 million to an Oregon company, NuScale, to design, develop, and prepare for licensing review its first small-scale nuclear reactor. A grant for a similar invention was made in 2012 to Babcock & Wilcox, a company with long experience building reactors for nuclear submarines. A number of companies worldwide are exploring these cutting-edge power generators, and some experts view them as the answer to a host of problems that currently beset the nuclear industry, including the high cost of constructing reactors, the risk of catastrophic accidents, and the potential for bomb-making material to proliferate.
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists 29th Jan 2014 read more »
UK & France
The UK and French governments today issued a joint communique declaring their commitment to developing safe nuclear energy, commercial opportunities and skills. During the Franco-British Summit, hosted by the Prime Minister at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Edward Davey and French Energy Minister Phillipe Martin met to discuss how the two countries can further work together to develop interconnectors, nuclear and renewable energy projects; secure an ambitious and early EU 2030 energy and climate package; and deliver a global climate deal at the Paris hosted UN climate conference in 2015.
DECC 31st Jan 2014 read more »
The French and British governments say nuclear energy will lie at the heart of ensuring the world weans itself off carbon polluting fossil fuels. A statement released after a day of meetings between UK Prime Minister David Cameron and France President Francois Hollande says nuclear power has a “critical role to play in a cost-effective low carbon transition”.
RTCC 31st Jan 2014 read more »
The governments of the UK and France will work together to show that the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant does not violate European rules for state aid, according to a joint communiqué reiterating their shared commitment to nuclear power.
World Nuclear News 31st Jan 2014 read more »
The UK and French Governments have agreed to work together to build new nuclear power stations and maximise opportunities for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the supply chains.
Energy Live News 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Britain and France have agreed to extend nuclear co-operation as David Cameron said the two countries wanted to create the right environment for new nuclear power stations.
East Anglian Daily Times 31st Jan 2014 read more »
French President Francois Hollande confirmed a £16 billion deal enabling EDF Energy and its British partners to build at least two new nuclear reactors. Mr Hollande said this would create “thousands of jobs both in the UK and France.”
ITV 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Japan – Fukushima
A joint lawsuit filed in Tokyo this week offers a glimmer of hope that those responsible for the Fukushima disaster might finally face justice. The 1,415 plaintiffs, including 38 Fukushima residents and 357 people from outside Japan, said the manufacturers – Toshiba, GE and Hitachi – failed to make needed safety improvements to the four decade-old reactors at the Fukushima plant. They are seeking compensation of 100 yen ($1) each, saying their main goal is to raise awareness of the problem. This is something Greenpeace has been demanding for a long time – that the companies that designed, supplied and built the reactors that melted down after the Japan’s 2011 catastrophic earthquake and tsunami be held responsible.
Greenpeace 31st Jan 2014 read more »
IB Times 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Japan – Renewables
The Japanese province of Fukushima has pledged to switch to 100% renewable energy by 2040, turning its 2011 nuclear disaster into an opportunity to tackle climate change. The mayor of the region, which has a population of about two million people, hopes that community energy schemes will wean the region off fossil fuels completely in just over 25 years’ time.
RTCC 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Poland
DONALD TUSK, the prime minister, and his cabinet finally adopted the Polish nuclear power programme on January 28th, giving the green light to construction of the country’s first nuclear-power plant. A state-owned energy company, PGE, is managing the project, which will cost an estimated 40-60 billion zloty ($13-19 billion). Two energy firms, Enea Group and Tauron, and KGHM, the country’s copper producing Goliath, have been cited as possible partners.
Economist 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Nuclear Proliferation
If there are 50 nuclear states there are 1225 different possible conflicts – so we have to be over 1000 times more lucky. If you think that a nuclear war between India and Pakistan would not significantly affect us then it is time to think again. Studies have shown that even a small scale conflict could result in 2 billion deaths.
Peter Lux 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Renewables – offshore wind
Denmark’s Dong Energy is selling half its stake in the world’s biggest operating offshore wind farm, the UK’s London Array, to a Canadian pension fund manager for £644m. The deal came amid growing public outcry in Denmark over the purchase of a 19 per cent stake in state-owned Dong by funds controlled by Goldman Sachs. The Danish utility, which owns nearly 25 per cent of the UK’s offshore wind generating capacity, said it had been working on the deal well before the Goldman controversy erupted, as part of its strategy to sell off stakes in the farms it builds.
FT 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Renewables – solar
The Solar House, a £1m five-bedroom property in Leicestershire, where heat from the sun is stored underground for use in winter. Harnessing the sun to warm our homes is nothing new. As Socrates declared, during a wood-fuel shortage in fifth-century BC Greece, “the southern side of a house should be built higher to catch the rays of the winter sun, and the northern side lower to prevent cold winds finding ingress”. With fuel bills rising, many scientists say it is blazingly obvious where we should be looking for our energy needs – the sun. “The solar energy hitting the earth is an average 1.366Kw per sq metre, roughly equivalent to a three-bar electric heater over every sq metre of the earth’s surface,” says astronomer Dr John Mason of the British Astronomical Association. The problem is that most of that energy hits the earth in summer. In winter, when we need power for heating, we have less su nshine and shorter days. So far, in the UK at least, zero-carbon buildings – a standard to which it is proposed all new UK homes should be built from 2016 – have been designed with a mix of renewable energies, such as solar, plus wind or biomass (plant and animal waste material). But last autumn what is claimed to be Britain’s first year-round, solar-powered house was completed. It was certainly about time. Switzerland, not renowned for a surfeit of sunshine, has had solar-powered homes for at least two decades.
FT 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Renewable supplies
Three of the top five providers in a recent Which? customer service survey – Good Energy, Ecotricity and Ovo Energy – are “green” providers. This means most of their tariffs source 100pc renewable energy that is naturally replenished when used, such as wind and solar power. Good Energy, Ecotricity and Ovo Energy insist that all of their energy or electricity is 100pc renewable. But how can we be sure that companies are as green as they claim to be?
Telegraph 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Microgeneration
This week’s Micro Power News including: Staffordshire community share offer to solarise 25 schools; Calderdale Council sets up Community Energy Company;Islay Energy Community Benefit Society has raised £200k towards a turbine.
Microgen Scotland 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Fossil Fuels
Lord Browne, the chairman of Cuadrilla, has said it will take at least five years and up to 40 fracking wells to discover whether the UK has a viable shale gas industry.
Telegraph 31st Jan 2014 read more »
Guardian 31st Jan 2014 read more »
A prominent yachtswoman and a flamboyant left-wing minister have joined forces to reignite an explosive debate over France’s ban on fracking. Their interventions have split the Cabinet and set alarm bells ringing in rural France, where opposition to shale gas exploration is fierce. Critics argue that the technique will deface and pollute many stunning landscapes; proponents say that a flagging economy can ill afford to spurn the 3.8 trillion cubic metres of shale gas reserves France is thought to possess.
Times 1st Feb 2014 read more »
