National Policy Statements
The UK’s nuclear new build programme will effectively kick off next week when the Government’s plans are put before Parliament. The National Policy Statement for Nuclear Power Generation is expected to be voted through on Tuesday, and give the go-ahead to a wave of new nuclear power stations. This will come as a relief to the nuclear industry, worried about delays because of the summer recess. It was believed that this could set back the start date by at least a year. Equally importantly, the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan led to the Government’s commissioning the chief nuclear inspector, Mike Weightman, to conduct a safety review of UK reactors. This has delayed the licensing process, with Mr Weightman’s final report not due until the autumn.
Independent 17th July 2011 more >>
Still time to e-mail your MP here.
No2nuclearpower July 2011 more >>
GDA
Nuclear reactor designs reached a key milestone today with the publication of generic design assessment (GDA) issues by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and Environment Agency. The Office for Nuclear Regulation and Environment Agency have completed their initial assessment of the safety cases for the two proposed new reactor designs and have published all of the issues that still need resolving. For both designs, the regulators are confident that industry can produce credible plans for resolving all of the issues, and, with the exception of those relating to the lessons learnt from Fukushima, they will be published on our website in the next few weeks. The plans relating to Fukushima should be available in the Autumn, after the Chief Inspectors lessons learnt report is published.
New Civil Engineer 14th July 2011 more >>
Electricity Market Reform & NPSs
Caroline Lucas: In Parliament this week, the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), Chris Huhne, presented the coalition governments proposals for Electricity Market Reform (EMR) – billed as the biggest shake-up of the British electricity market since privatisation in 1990. By incentivising low carbon energy and making it easier for smaller energy producers to enter a market currently dominated by the Big Six, EMR could go some way towards decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels, reducing exposure to the volatile energy prices, and facilitating investment in renewables and energy efficiency. However, what has become increasingly clear is that, beneath the overly complex design of the EMR, is a system specifically designed to promote nuclear power. On Monday, the National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure come before Parliament. The NPSs, which outline the locations for new nuclear power stations, look set to play a key role in delivering on the aim of pushing through approval of nuclear facilities, regardless of environmental and other concerns. Rather than this being simply nodded through, I intend to try to push it to a vote and if that happens, we will see if the Liberal Democrats can hold true to their 2010 election manifesto and reject a new generation of nuclear power.
Left Foot Forward 16th July 2011 more >>
After Scottish Power uncorked a record 19% increase to gas last month, the company and its competitors were called in for a ritual flogging. The MPs didnt hold back. Have you anything else ghastly up your sleeve? barked Tim Yeo, the Conservative chairman of the Commons energy and climate change committee. They did. A few weeks later British Gas blamed the soaring price of wholesale gas for its own 18% increase. The hikes provided a timely backdrop for Chris Huhne. The energy secretary last week unveiled his long-awaited energy white paper, a £110 billion plan to replace Britains fossil-fuelled power stations with wind turbines and nuclear reactors. Quiet and clean will replace old and dirty. The system of subsidies he introduced, which companies said would finance the more expensive stations, represented the biggest shake-up of the energy market since privatisation two decades ago. Huhne admitted that wed all have to share the pain. But he was quick to add that it will still be the the cheapest, cleanest way of keeping the lights on. Except it wont be. Mark Powell at KPMG is one of a chorus of industry figures calling for an urgent rethink of the governments plans.The government won the argument on the need to reduce carbon emissions, but the concepts of low carbon and renewable energy have been conflated. You could potentially hit the carbon target with significantly lower renewable resources. A new fleet of cleaner gas-fired power stations, some wind and other low-carbon alternatives would probably do the trick, he said. It certainly wouldnt require the radical overhaul envisaged under the renewables plan. The difference means tens of billions in potential savings. A so-called combine cycle gas turbine station, for example, is a fraction of the price of a nuclear reactor and can be built in a couple of years, rather than nearly a decade. Meanwhile, one of the big six utilities, Npower, has been put up for sale by its indebted parent RWE. Its rival Eon is also wobbling under a mountain of debt. Neither is in the position to fork out billions.
Sunday Times 17th July 2011 more >>
Sizewell
Chris Squires, EDF procurement manager, told the audience that it was all systems go for its nuclear new build plans in the UK. They were at the forefront of the sector and would immediately progress their Hinkley Point proposals – with Sizewell C scheduled three years behind it. He said that £20bn was being invested in the two sites, each of which would have two EPR reactors. They would take seven-eight years to build and have a 70-year life followed by decommissioning, all of which would create 100 years of work spanning many generations.
Business Weekly 15th July 2011 more >>
East Anglian Daily Times 15th July 2011 more >>
Scotland
Letter from Fergus Ewing minister for energy, enterprise and tourism: I would like to address some of the points raised in Brian Wilson’s article on renewable energy in Wednesday’s Scotsman. The Scottish Government firmly believes that renewable energy is the right choice for Scotland. The sector brings tremendous opportunities for economic growth and builds on Scotland’s existing skills and strengths in the fields of innovation, energy and engineering. Generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of our demand from renewable energy is achievable and will make Scotland a world leader in clean, green energy. By harnessing just a third of our offshore renewable energy potential, we could meet Scotland’s electricity needs seven times over by 2050. The net value of this amount of energy, in terms of electricity sales, would be 14 billion by 2050. The large-scale development of offshore wind represents the biggest opportunity for sustainable economic growth in Scotland for a generation, potentially supporting up to 28,000 directly related jobs and a further 20,000 indirect jobs and generating up to 7bn for the Scottish economy by 2020. Just as Brian Wilson’s article appeared, the First Minister was unveiling Aquamarine Power’s next-generation Oyster 800 wave-energy device, representing a new surge towards commercially competitive wave power. This illustrates that the benefits of the reindustrialisation of Scotland as a result of the renewables industry are not confined to the Central Belt. This project has helped to sustain 120 jobs, including skilled steel rolling, at the Arnish yard in the Western Isles. Scotland is not working alone on this issue and the UK government has acknowledged that it needs Scottish renewable energy to meet its own targets. This government wants to seize the opportunities offered by renewables and make the most of them to build a Scotland that is at the forefront of international action and is leading the world in establishing targets to tackle climate change.
Scotsman 16th July 2011 more >>
Sellafield
Eleven new prefabricated modules required to create a new Evaporator D facility at Sellafield are in the process of being constructed. They are being made by Interserve for the nuclear sector and form part of the biggest nuclear project underway in the UK. The modules will vary considerably in size. The first two, which have now been transported to Sellafield, are each 10m high, 7.5m wide and almost 10m in length and weigh over 100 tonnes. The largest will be 27m x12.5 m x 7.5 m and will weigh over 500 tonnes. The modules comprise stainless steel and carbon steel structural steel frameworks containing vessels, pipe-work and other process equipment. The are made at a five-acre site at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. At the dock, the modules were loaded onto a barge before sailing 90 miles north to a beach adjacent to the Sellafield site on the Cumbrian coast.
Cumberland News 16th July 2011 more >>
THE latest nuclear industry recruitment drive has prompted more than 6,500 applications for 80 jobs advertised by Sellafield Ltd. The company announced last week that it was looking to recruit around 230 new employees in total as it continues to shape its business for the challenges ahead. Over 150 of those posts are for apprentices, graduates and trainees. The remaining 80 vacancies cover roles such as health physics monitors, control room operatives, change room operatives, process workers, laundry workers and craft employees.
Whitehaven News 15th July 2011 more >>
OF the £49.2 billion the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will spend on its nuclear sites over the next hundred years, more than half will go towards cleaning up Sellafield. The £49 billion is a revised figure. Originally the estimated lifetime spend was to be £45 billion. Most of the extra £4 billion is down to Sellafields rising costs dealing with decommissioning. The NDAs annual report and accounts presented to Parliament on Monday says that £12 billion has been allocated across its various UK sites over the next four years, more than half again to be spent on Sellafield alone. Some £3 billion has to be generated from commercial income.
Whitehaven News 14th July 2011 more >>
A WEST Cumbrian delegation was in London on Wednesday to tackle government ministers over whats best for the area. MPs Jamie Reed and Tony Cunningham headed up the team which had talks with energy secretary Chris Huhne and other ministers. Continuing uncertainty over the future of the West Cumberland Hospital and what will be needed to support nuclear new-build were high on the lobbying list.
Whitehaven News 14th July 2011 more >>
ON top of announcing 230 permanent new jobs on the Sellafield site, managers hope that another big nuclear clean-up deal will boost local employment. Three separate waste retrieval contracts totalling £160 million have been awarded to Sir Robert McAlpine, Bechtel Babcock Nuclear Services and Clarke Chapman Group. It means the decommissioning of one of Sellafields oldest plants is taking a giant step forward. This is the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo (PFCS) which forms a key part of the sites accelerated decommissioning programme, safeguarding hundreds of local jobs throughout the supply chain. It is almost 60 years old contains over 4,000 cubic metres of historic radioactive waste.
Whitehaven News 14th July 2011 more >>
A STATE-of-the-art audio-visual presentation of the Sellafield Stories oral history project, being launched today, will soon be visiting local villages, schools and towns. The project has been made possible by a £261,000 BNFL legacy grant, and aims to provide future generations with a unique snapshot of the formative years of the nuclear industry when West Cumbria hosted the worlds first commercial nuclear power station and reprocessing plant.
Whitehaven News 14th July 2011 more >>
Wylfa
Experts have warned there might not be enough homes on Anglesey if the Wylfa B nuclear power station goes ahead. There is a claim that politicians might be “mesmerised” by the promise of jobs without preparing for the full impact.
BBC 17th July 2011 more >>
Japan
Japan’s development of the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor may be halted in the wake of the ongoing nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, science minister Yoshiaki Takaki suggested Friday. Takaki told a news conference that future development of the reactor “isone issue” to be determined when the government reviews Japan’s stance on nuclear power. “It’s not as simple as whether to scrap or continue but recognizing that “a conclusion will be drawn” after debating the country’s overall energy policy,” he said.
Mainichi 15th July 2011 more >>
Japan’s second-biggest retailer said on Sunday it had sold beef from cattle that ate nuclear-contaminated feed, the latest in a series of health scares from radiation leaking from a quake-crippled nuclear power plant. Cases of contaminated vegetables, tea, milk, seafood and water have already stoked anxiety after the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986, despite assurances from officials that the levels are not dangerous.
Reuters 17th July 2011 more >>
A NUCLEAR reactor in western Japan is to be temporarily shutdown due to “technical glitches”, it was revealed yesterday. Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Company said it planned to manually shut down the No.1 reactor at its Ohi power plant in western Japan, but that no radiation leaks had occurred.
Scotland on Sunday 17th July 2011 more >>
Renewables
G24 Innovations, a solar power firm based in Wales has developed organic dyes that generate electric currents when exposed to light. Critically, they generate enough power, even when indoors and in low-light, to drive some electronic gadgets.
Sunday Times 17th July 2011 more >>
A FORMER residential property developer is on the cusp of pulling off his largest renewable energy deal to date as he moves towards having £175 million-worth of wind power sites in the planning system. Hamilton-based Mark Wilson, who bought and sold land for housing developments but moved into alternative energy following the collapse of the property market, is working with developers to erect single wind turbines on ten sites in the Central Belt in a £15m deal. Wilson – who is working with developers north and south of the Border, including Glasgow-based civil engineering firm RJ McLeod – uses “medium-sized” wind turbines that generate 500 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power more than 100 homes. The renewable energy division of his Intelligent Land Investments firm is set to turn over up to £10m this year, rising to a possible £15m next year. Omagh-born Wilson said: “The Scottish Government’s feed-in tariff has revolutionised how much farmers and other landowners can make through wind power. “They could get up to £30,000 a year, guaranteed for the next 20 years.
Scotland on Sunday 17th July 2011 more >>
