Sellafield
The UK’s first commercial nuclear reprocessing facility celebrated its 50th birthday yesterday. The Magnox Reprocessing plant at Sellafield reprocesses spent fuel from nuclear power stations and recycles it to make fresh fuel. More than 52,000 tonnes of fuel have been reprocessed in the facility since operations began in 1964, according to operator Sellafield Ltd, which currently employs more than 400 people.
Energy Live News 17th July 2014 read more »
Politics
Paul King, chief executive at UKGBC, said: “This is one of the most important briefs in government and Amber Rudd can’t simply run out the clock to the election. “There are some vitally important [pieces of policy] that need action in this parliament, not least the promised mandatory energy performance standards for some of the UK’s most inefficient buildings.” He also welcomed Hancock to Decc, but added that Barker’s departure would leave a “big hole in government”. Maria McCaffery, chief executive of Renewable UK, agreed with King that she is eager for work on energy policy to continue, and said it will be beneficial that Hancock will be attending cabinet meetings.
Utility Week 16th July 2014 read more »
Green issues were increasingly a dividing line in culture war at the heart of US politics. With David Cameron’s reshuffle of his ministerial posts, fears are growing among moderate politicians in Westminster that a similar attempt to draw a line between left and right on environmental issues is taking place here. “That is what Lynton Crosby would like to see,” one senior Tory told the Guardian, referring to the prime minister’s electoral adviser from Australia, where green politics are if anything even more polarised than in the US. “But whether the higher-ups in the party will agree is another matter.” Several prominent green Tories have been forced out of their jobs in recent months. This year Tim Yeo, former Conservative minister and a scourge of government climate policies, was deselected by his constituency party. So too was Ann McIntosh, chair of the committee on environment and rural affairs. Laura Sandys, another thoughtful green voice, stepped down, to the dismay of campaigners. Green businesses are increasingly worried. Paul King, chief executive of the Green Building Council, said: “It’s deeply worrying. We’ve seen [green Tories] falling, and the new MPs are not showing much willingness on these issues. But the public are not anti-green.”
Guardian 16th July 2014 read more »
Green businesses and campaigners have today expressed disquiet at the apparent downgrading of the government’s climate change minister role, warning this week’s wide-ranging reshuffle could further dilute the Conservative Party’s commitment to tackling climate risks. Amber Rudd was yesterday appointed as parliamentary undersecretary of state for climate change, with responsibility for a host of environmental issues, including energy efficiency, national and international climate change talks, the Green Investment Bank, the Renewable Heat Incentive, and the UK’s carbon budgets. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) website confirms her remit is nearly identical to that of former climate change minister Greg Barker. But she will not take on his job title as minister of state for climate change and, in echoes of the controversy surrounding Baroness Stowell’s appointment as the new Leader of the House of Lords, Rudd can presumably expect to be on a salary that is about £10,000 lower than her male predecessor.
Business Green 16th July 2014 read more »
Europe
Whatever your perspective, you should be concerned right now about the Commission’s activity in shaping European energy policy; because there is a growing case that it is being conducted without the objectivity that characterises any credible civil service. Take the most recent episode involving energy efficiency. Sparked by events in the Ukraine and threats to European energy security, the Commission has been re-thinking the need for an energy efficiency target in the proposed new 2030 climate package. A decision is expected next Wednesday 23 July. Yet a recent leak from discussions revealed the options being considered by key players in the Commission (25 and 27%) were at the very bottom of the range modelled in its own impact assessment (25 – 40%). A 25% target is close to business as usual, and wouldn’t require any new energy efficiency measures. Earlier this year, the Commission refused to model options above 45% for a new 2030 greenhouse gas target, despite civil society’s analysis that a 55% was the minimum level needed to reach the Commission’s own decarbonisation goals.
Energy Desk 15th July 2014 read more »
The new European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker would like to set a minimum target to curb energy use by 30 per cent by 2030 and boost the use of renewable energy, he told MEPs yesterday. Speaking to the European Parliament immediately after his election, Juncker confirmed that climate change would remain a key priority during his tenure, adding that he was in favour of setting an ambitious binding energy efficiency target for beyond 2020.
Business Green 16th July 2014 read more »
Waste Transport
A plan to ship spent nuclear fuel from Germany to the Savannah River Site near Aiken deserves close scrutiny, and if the transfer does not meet the requirements for such shipments, South Carolina should work actively to turn it away. At issue is whether the nuclear waste is the product of nuclear energy research or whether it was used in the for-profit production of nuclear energy. If it is the latter, German law would prohibit the waste from being sent here, according to a report in The Greenville News. In addition, the spent fuel at SRS is supposed to be from research reactors. There might be less negative reaction to this proposed shipment if the federal government were not dragging its feet on Yucca Mountain. Congress has approved a national nuclear waste repository. A mechanism was created to fund it. Studies have shown it to be a safe and effective way to store waste. Considering all of those factors, the fight to open Yucca Mountain should be continuing. And until progress is made on that front, it is difficult to envision accepting large amounts of foreign nuclear waste to what has become one of the nation’s long-term nuclear waste dumps.
Greenville Online 16th July 2014 read more »
Energy Security
Crucial investment in the energy sector is at risk because of “careless comments and populist proposals” by politicians of all parties, the Confederation of British Industry warns on Thursday. The business group says that “short-term thinking is distorting the debate on our energy future”, highlighting Labour’s energy price freeze pledge and Conservative promises to cap onshore wind farm deployment as interventions that have damaged investor confidence. The warning comes as CBI polling reveals that more than half of businesses believe that the UK’s ability to keep the lights on has deteriorated since the Coalition government came to power. A survey of 550 business leaders founds that 57pc “think the UK’s energy security is worse than it was five years ago”.
Telegraph 17th July 2014 read more »
SMRs
A Newcastle company is aiming to develop the world’s first lower-cost, factory-assembled, nuclear power plant. By the time the UK’s first new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point becomes operational in 10 years’ time Penultimate Power UK hopes its own generation of nuclear reactors will be producing electricity in the North East. Technology entrepreneur Candida Whitmill joined force with Newcastle-based Ian Fells, a world renowned energy expert, to launch Penultimate Power UK last year with the aim of making the North East the global centre of the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) nuclear industry. Their aim is to tap into the expertise of the 150 or so North East firms already involved in the nuclear supply chain.
The Journal 16th July 2014 read more »
Japan
The decision of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) to approve the draft assessment for the two Sendai nuclear reactors in Kyushu is a clear and dangerous signal that Japan’s nuclear village – industry, regulators and government – is deliberately and cynically ignoring the lessons of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The approval of the assessment is the first step in restarting the Sendai reactors. The two Sendai reactors have been shutdown since 2011. These are old reactors – 29 and 30 years respectively. Nuclear reactors, no matter what age, are inherently at risk of an accident, but the older the plant the greater the risk. A car designed four decades ago and operating for 30 years in no way can meet safety standards of the present day. Fukushima has shown again that nuclear reactors have the potential to devastate a region and its people. The citizens of Japan know that the Sendai reactors are not safe to operate. When the NRA announced it was putting the reactors at the top of the list for review, 6000 people demonstrated in Kagoshima near the plant. According to an opinion poll by Greenpeace Japan, less than 10% of the people living within a 30km radius of the Sendai nuclear power plant think they can evacuate without being exposed to radiation if a severe nuclear accident were to occur.
Greenpeace 16th July 2014 read more »
A nuclear plant in southern Japan cleared an initial safety hurdle on Wednesday that could make it the first nuclear facility to restart under new safety regulations designed after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
New York Times 16th July 2014 read more »
Engineering & Technology 16th July 2014 read more »
Japan’s nuclear regulator said on Wednesday that its assessment of Kansai Electric Power’s Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture is moving along smoothly and is nearly complete on most issues. On Wednesday, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) gave preliminary approval to Kyushu Electric Power’s Sendai plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, accepting upgraded design and safety features, clearing a key hurdle to become the first nuclear facility to restart under stricter standards adopted after the Fukushima crisis. The Takahama plant has also applied to restart, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government moves to restore nuclear reactors to operation and reduce Japan’s use of expensive fossil fuels.
Japan Today 17th July 2014 read more »
Poland
Leeds project management firm WYG plc,has announced that it has been appointed as a key partner in a consortium, led by AMEC plc, for the development of Poland’s first nuclear power plant over the next 10 years.
Bdaily 17th July 2014 read more »
Iran
President Barack Obama gave the strongest indication yet on Wednesday that he will push for an extension to the Iran nuclear talks which are expected to meet their six-month deadline on Sunday without a resolution.
FT 17th July 2014 read more »
Guardian 17th July 2014 read more »
Iran is believed to have started operating a long-delayed uranium conversion plant which it needs to fulfil an interim nuclear agreement reached with six world powers last year before it expires on Sunday, diplomatic sources said. Because of the conversion plant’s delay, the low-grade uranium stockpile has grown to nearly 8.5 tonnes in May from 7.6 tonnes in February, according to IAEA reports. Experts say Iran would be able to convert a large amount in a relatively short time once the facility required for this is up and running.
Reuters 16th July 2014 read more »
Canada
Is dilution really the solution to pollution — especially when it’s nuclear waste that can stay radioactive for 100,000 years? A four-member expert group told a federal joint review panel it is. The panel is examining an Ontario Power Generation proposal to bury low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste from the Darlington, Pickering and Bruce nuclear plants in limestone at the Bruce site in Kincardine, beside Lake Huron. According to the Toronto Star, the experts reported that 1,000 cubic metres of contaminated water could leak from the site, although it’s “highly improbable.” But even if it did leak, they argued, the amount is small compared to Lake Huron’s water volume and the quantity of rain that falls into it.
Huffington Post 16th July 2014 read more »
Thorium
Plans for a thorium nuclear reactor have been finished meaning the world’s first should be built by 2016. Unlike current nuclear power stations, that use uranium, the thorium plant won’t use a material that can be weaponised. It would also mean there is much less danger from a meltdown. Thorium is also more abundant than uranium so it will be cheaper and easier to supply. The safer material means it can be supplied at a lower cost with far fewer security needs. Security measures are actually the most expensive part about building current nuclear power stations. Thorium reactors, on the other hand, don’t require special containment buildings and can even be set up in normal structures. The proposed thorium reactor is made to run by itself without any need for intervention. It will only need to be checked by a person once every four months. The plan is to build a 300MW reactor by 2016, which should have a runtime life of 100 years. India’s Thorium Energy Program, which is behind the system, aims to expand from the prototype so that 30 per cent of India’s energy comes from Thorium reactors by 2050.
Pocket Lint 16th July 2014 read more »
Renewables – Jobs
The so-called “green jobs” boom in renewable energy has not lived up to the hype. As government policy flip-flops in favour of one form of energy to another – one minute offshore wind, the next minute, fracking – investors are losing faith. In March, SSE, the big energy company, announced a freeze to its bills until 2016, at the expense of 500 jobs and its involvement with several offshore wind parks. In the past year too, the second phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the London Array, was scrapped; energy group RWE ditched its Atlantic Array and Scottish Power Renewables dropped plans for an Argyll Array. Global investment in clean energy fell 12 per cent in 2013 according to Bloomberg. So are we watching the nails go in the coffin of an unaffordable technology? And has the green jobs bubble burst along with it?
FT 16th July 2014 read more »
Renewables – offshore wind
Eon’s 700MW Rampion offshore wind farm received the go-ahead from government on Wednesday morning, according to a statement. The offshore windfarm is planned off the Sussex coast and is expected to support over 750 jobs and bring over £2 billion of investment into the UK’s economy, according to a government statement.
Utility Week 16th July 2014 read more »
Renewables – Tidal
A planned fleet of tidal lagoon power plants could contribute £27 billion to the UK economy over the investment period 2015-2027, according to a new report. The Centre for Economics and Business Research investigated the plans of Tidal Lagoon Power’s to develop a fleet of six lagoon power plants, and found that the investment offers one of the best returns, in terms of GDP, when compared to other energy investments. For Tidal Lagoon Power’s planned Swansea Bay project the aggregate UK content for the project is estimated at 71 per cent, with almost 50% of total content being sourced in Wales itself. In addition the operation of the lagoons will result in 6,400 jobs, the report said.
Utility Week 16th July 2014 read more »
RenewableUK has today commented on new research on tidal lagoon technology. The research shows that if six tidal lagoons were constructed around the coasts the sector could supply as much as 8% of the UK’s electricity needs and during peak of construction employ nearly 71,000 people. The paper, authored by Centre for Economics and Business Research, and commissioned by Tidal Lagoon Power, finds that the operations of the lagoon and the electricity they produce will contribute GBP £3.1 billion a year to the UK economy. The report also highlights the potential for lagoons to help protect vulnerable communities from floods.
Renewable UK 16th July 2014 read more »
The UK could earn up to £27bn by 2027 and secure up to eight per cent of its power supply from renewable sources, by building a new fleet of tidal lagoons, a new industry-backed report will claim today. The study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), which was funded by Tidal Lagoon Power, predicts the technology could sustain an annual average of 36,000 jobs directly and indirectly throughout the UK during the construction phases of the projects.
Business Green 16th July 2014 read more »
Renewables – wind
Wind turbines may catch on fire ten times more often than is publicly reported, putting nearby properties at risk and casting doubt on their green credentials, researchers have warned. The renewable energy industry keeps no record of the number of turbine fires, meaning the true extent of the problem is unknown, a study backed by Imperial College London finds on Thursday.
Telegraph 17th July 2014 read more »
Local Energy
Cities should invest in green energy production to compete with the main UK energy suppliers, a centre-left think tank has recommended. UK cities and local authorities could reap the benefits of renewable energy subsidies, a report by IPPR suggested. Regulators are currently probing whether the “big six” UK energy suppliers prevent effective competition in the UK energy market.
BBC 17th July 2014 read more »
Herald 17th July 2014 read more »
This report explores the options and the potential for cities to engage in the energy supply market and raise finance for investment in low-carbon energy infrastructure – particularly in local energy generation. There are opportunities for Britain’s cities in the energy sector that could aid efforts to create a cleaner, smarter and more affordable energy system, provide an alternative to the big utilities, and boost local economies in the process. Many of these opportunities can be delivered under existing local authority powers, and are just waiting to be realised. However, there is more that the national government can do to help unlock the full potential of cities. This report considers what cities can do in two areas: engaging in the energy supply market, and raising finance for investment in low-carbon energy infrastructure – particularly local energy generation. This would both unlock the potential of local low-carbon generation, and help bring an end to the overcharging of low-income consumers by energy companies.
IPPR 17th July 2014 read more »
Fossil Fuels
Have reports of coal’s demise been greatly exaggerated? It depends which part of the world you look at. Global coal use has grown significantly over the last decade, with global demand increasing 60 per cent between 1990 and 2011, according to research body the International Energy Agency (IEA). With some countries implementing climate policies to limit the use of polluting fuels, some commentators are predicting coal’s imminent demise.
Carbon Brief 16th July 2014 read more »
