Hinkley
Austria has for a long time opposed nuclear energy and has no nuclear plants itself. More specifically however, the concerns from Austria are that the granting of £92.50 per megawatt hour over the 35-year life of the Hinkley plant which is double the current price of electricity paid through consumer bills, is a market distortion that will, as Paul Dorfman argues, “[mess] with the European internal energy market” as well as messing state aid rules. Hinkley C is the key fault line in the European Energy Union more broadly. Late last year the European Commission granted the subsidy scheme for the proposed Hinkley C European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR), however since then, things have become even more complicated at Hinkley point. What is once again clear is the central contradiction in the politics of pro-nuclear advocacy: the simultaneous enthusiasm held by the UK political consensus in terms of a near-religious devotion to ‘liberalised markets’ and a hatred of state intervention, alongside a desire to construct new nuclear power which has never been built in a liberalised energy market before. As pointed out in a recent report by Energy Fair, quoting a Citigroup analysis: “Three of the risks [of nuclear power] faced by developers: Construction, Power Price, and Operational are so large and variable that individually they could each bring even the largest utility company to its knees financially. This makes new nuclear a unique investment proposition for utility companies.” As Steve Thomas writes, the key question that needs to be asked is this: “Competitive energy markets and nuclear power: Can we have both, do we want either?” It does seem that if you want nuclear then you must also want state-led government intervention. Perhaps you also need the state to intervene in other ways such as silencing nuclear “chaps and Chappesses’ (whatever they are) as well as threatening sovereign nations who launch legitimate legal challenges due to concerns about the distortion of the European Energy Market in which they are a part.
Sussex Energy Group 17th Feb 2015 read more »
The construction timetable for Hinkley Point C’s nuclear power plant is facing more uncertainty after developer EDF Energy admitted a final investment decision could still be months away.
Construction News 13th Feb 2015 read more »
Moorside
We are delighted to announce that Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds in the USA will be speaking in Keswick on the 11th March. The talk is just one of the many events worldwide marking the fourth anniversary of the ongoing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. “WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT MOORSIDE“ 11th March at The Skiddaw Hotel 7.30 – 9.30pm As well as speaking on the Moorside plan for three AP1000 reactors, Arnie Gundersen will inform us about the current situation regarding the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. There will be an opportunity for Q & A in what promises to be a very interesting and informative evening. We are delighted that Dr Ian Fairlie will also be speaking. Dr Ian Fairlie is an independent consultant on radioactivity in the environment. Dr Fairlie will inform us on health impacts.
Radiation Free Lakeland 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Plans for a new nuclear power station at Sellafield could be delayed “for years”, a report from anti-nuclear campaigners claims. The NuGen consortium is due to make a decision in 2018 on whether to push ahead with three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at Moorside, Sellafield. The first would go on stream in 2024 and all three, with a combined 3.4GW capacity, by 2026. But the report All Spin and No Substance, produced by Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment (Core), argues that this timetable is unachievable. It says that issues surrounding geology and a National Grid connection remain unresolved and that Westinghouse’s attempts at building AP1000 reactors in China and the USA have been beset by delays. Core spokesman Martin Forwood said: “There is no realistic chance of NuGen’s timetable being met.
Cumberland News 17th Feb 2015 read more »
AP1000
U.S. power companies struggling with the escalating costs of building nuclear plants are closely watching similar efforts in China, where officials are expecting delays. Two plants under construction in Sanmen and Haiyang, China, are the first-ever built using Westinghouse Electric Co.’s AP1000 reactor design. Utility companies in Georgia and South Carolina are building two similar plants in the United States using a very similar design. Since the project in China is father along, U.S. executives and safety regulators watch it closely. Officials at China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Corp. blame the delays on the late delivery of equipment from the United States. Westinghouse Electric Co. and project manufacturers are working to redesign a coolant pump for the plant. Chinese officials are building a fleet of nuclear plants as they aim to produce a fifth of their country’s electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. “Because it is the first of this kind in the world, it is normal to have some delay,” said Guo Hongbo, director of the firm’s general office. He was vague on how long the delays may last. “It is not a problem whether the delay is one year or two years. The technological breakthrough will be utterly valuable to the development of … world nuclear power.”
Penn Energy 16th Feb 2015 read more »
Nuclear Safety
Following the discovery of thousands of additional cracks in critical components of two Belgian nuclear reactors, Greenpeace today called for immediate checks of nuclear power plants worldwide. The cracks were found in the steel nuclear reactor pressure vessels in nuclear reactors Doel 3 and Tihange 2. The vessels contain the highly radioactive nuclear fuel core. Failure of this component can cause a catastrophic nuclear accident. On February 13th , two leading material scientists announced that the pervasive and unexpected cracking could be related to corrosion from normal operation, with potential implications for reactors worldwide. In a reaction to this, the Director General of the Belgian nuclear regulator, The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC), stated that, “This may be a global problem for the entire nuclear industry. The solution is to implement worldwide, accurate inspections of all 430 nuclear power plants.”
Greenpeace 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Thousands of cracks have been discovered in the pressure vessels of both reactors. This component is required to be integrally sound, with no risk of failure, due to the potentially catastrophic nuclear disaster resulting from the failure of a pressure vessel. As reactors age, the steel of the reactor pressure vessel is damaged – or embrittled – by radiation. According to the scientists, hydrogen from the water in the pressure vessel – which cools the nuclear fuel core – may be corroding the steel by injecting hydrogen atoms into the steel of the vessel itself, where it can accumulate and build up pressure, resulting in the steel blistering – effectively breaking up the pressure vessel from within.
Greenpeace 17th Feb 2015 read more »
The Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) share today similar concerns as Greenpeace International over the safety of aging nuclear power plants across the world. In a Greenpeace International media release, they highlight the discovery of thousands of additional cracks found in critical components of two Belgian nuclear reactors – Doel 3 and Tihange 2. The cracks were found in the steel nuclear reactor pressure vessels in nuclear reactors Doel 3 and Tihange 2. The vessels contain the highly radioactive nuclear fuel core. Failure of this component can cause a catastrophic nuclear accident. It was suggested by two independent material scientists that these cracks could be related to corrosion from normal operations, and this has implications for nuclear power stations around the world. It is important to note the public comment of the Director General of the Belgian nuclear regulator, the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC), to their comments. He said: “This may be a global problem for the entire nuclear industry. The solution is to implement worldwide, accurate inspections of all 430 nuclear power plants.”
NFLA 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Wylfa
Naoto Kan, who resigned after the Fukushima meltdown in 2011, is coming to the island to protest against Wylfa Newydd. The prime minister of Japan at the time of its worst nuclear disaster is to visit Anglesey to campaign against the new atomic plant to be built on the island. Naoto Kan resigned after the Fukushima meltdown in 2011, which was caused by a tsunami that hit Japan’s Pacific coast. He has since became a staunch anti-nuclear campaigner and is due to arrive in Anglesey next week to urge the community to turn its back on the plans for the new power plant at Wylfa. But council chiefs say the nuclear plans for Anglesey drawn up by Hitachi and Horizon will bring up to 1,000 much-needed permanent jobs to the island and that there have been assurances about the safety of the plant.
Daily Post 17th Feb 2015 read more »
PLANS to offer nuclear engineering training to Anglesey students have been backed by a £5 million government investment. The proposed new £10 million Engineering Centre at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Llangefni college campus has received Welsh Government support to ensure people from the island have the skills needed to take on high-skilled jobs at the Wylfa Newydd power plant.
North Wales Chronicle 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Sellafield
Further to the (allegedly leaked) images in the national media, regarding the condition of some of the storage facilities at Sellafield, CT director Colin Wales wrote to the NDA. He submitted a “freedom of information” enquiry regarding the current situation with the storage ponds and included the following: We would seek detailed information on the ponds, specifically an independent structural engineers report as to the integrity of these facilities; What policies and processes currently exist to mitigate any of the risks which have been identified by any responsible executive body e.g. ONR, NDA, other governmental executive bodies, Sellafield Sites Ltd and NMP, together with any concerns expressed by any independent accredited institution e.g. Institute of Civil Engineers? If you don’t have time to study the whole document we have posted the important highlights here: Pages 15-23 of the report, feature the following photographs which you will surely agree are most helpful…(The pages are blank).
Cumbria Trust 18th Feb 2015 read more »
Radwaste – Submarines
The UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) wants a “remote” location to store at least 27 nuclear reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) from nuclear submarines, pending a permanent repository, which most likely will never be built. Deadline for comment is February 20th. Thus, it is temporary, which risks becoming permanent. The worst part would appear to be the actual dismantlement at Rosyth, near Edinburgh and Dunfermline, Scotland, where radioactive waste will be legally emitted into the air and water. So, why did MOD insist, in 2012, that the site should be remote and why, as well, do they insist on the dangers of the nuclear reactor pressure vessels (RPV), if they are dropped or damaged?
Mining Awareness 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Politics
Flint said the UK is “on the verge of a new, great industrial revolution” echoing the expansion of the railways in the nineteenth century, road building in the twentieth, and the internet during the past 15 years. She insisted that new, green industries will create jobs and growth for Britain as the world looks to tackle climate change and eliminate emissions from the economy. “Across energy generation, energy efficiency, housing, infrastructure and transport, the right framework and direction will increase the chance of British firms succeeding and British workers gaining new opportunities,” Flint said. “Government cannot create these jobs. Businesses must. But government is critical to set the policy to support the sectors, and types of businesses to underpin our future success as a country. Our ambition for Britain is not just an assembly point for products built elsewhere, but a hub for manufacturing and innovation – with the turbines, engines and reactors that will power our country, stamped ‘Made in Britain’.”
Business Green 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Scotland
Scotland is facing having to import power from England to keep the lights on, Vince Cable has suggested as a leading expert attacked the SNP’s “anti-everything” energy policy. The Business Secretary said the mooted closure of the Longannet power station in Fife within three years would not jeopardise the country’s electricity supply because it could import energy from south of the Border. He said Scotland has been a net exporter of power to England for many years but there is now the prospect of this flow being reversed until renewable technology advances enough to plug the gap. But Professor Paul Younger, one of the country’s most eminent energy experts, warned Longannet’s closure would leave Scotland in “serious, serious trouble” because the National Grid may not have the capacity to import the required amounts of electricity. Prof Younger, Rankine Chair of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, said that Scotland would become “absolutely dependent” on England for power thanks to the SNP’s populist energy policies failing to provide a “baseline” supply. He said the Scottish Government is running out of time to commission a gas-fired replacement for Longannet, having already ruled out replacing two ageing nuclear stations that are due to shut by 2023.
Telegraph 17th Feb 2015 read more »
The UK government’s Business Secretary Vince Cable has said there is no threat to the security of Scotland’s electricity supply. His comments came after BBC Scotland’s disclosure that the huge coal-fired power station at Longannet in Fife was facing a renewed threat to its future. Mr Cable said energy could be imported from England. Scotland’s Energy Minister Fergus Ewing told BBC Radio Scotland that Longannet was necessary to “meet demand”. Scottish Power, which operates the plant, warned last year that the cost of connecting to the grid meant the power station may close earlier than planned. It is understood talks between Scottish Power and National Grid have stalled.
BBC 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Scotsman 18th Feb 2015 read more »
Herald 18th Feb 2015 read more »
Letter Scientific Alliance: In typical SNP style, Fergus Ewing diverts attention from reality by blaming Westminster and grid transmission costs for the potential closure of the Longannet power station, conveniently failing to admit the primary cause of the threat to Longannet is his own government’s energy policy, which focuses on the reduction of carbon emissions through extensive and ever increasing use of renewables, primarily wind. Wind turbines do not, by their existence and operation, reduce carbon emissions but rather potentially do this by displacing fossil-fuel generation. Since wind generation is given priority access to the grid, fossil-fuelled generators such as Longannet are constrained, particularly since there are very limited means of consuming any excess electricity the wind turbines generate.
Scotsman 18th Feb 2015 read more »
Letter Malcolm Spaven: The Scottish Government has taken the position for some time that Longannet will close in 2020. There is a very good reason for that date. ScottishPower has chosen not to invest in the technology that would be required to enable Longannet to meet European Union sulphur dioxide emissions limits from 2016. They could be allowed to be part of a transitional phase, but that would be unlikely to take them beyond 2019 unless hundreds of millions of pounds are spent on further mitigation technology. Add to that the carbon tax, which will be costing Longannet up to £150 million a year from now till 2020, and grid access charges start to look wholly irrelevant. There is cross-party consensus that coal-fired power stations will be phased out. Rather than finding spurious reasons for blaming the UK government for Long¬annet’s closure, Mr Ewing should be explaining what his government is doing to facilitate an orderly decline for Longannet and finding alternative employment for the workers and communities that currently depend on it.
Scotsman 18th Feb 2015 read more »
Germany
Critics of renewable energy have mocked the Energiewende, claiming that it has led to an increase in coal power and related CO2 emissions in Germany. But Conrad Kunze and Paul Lehmann of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ show that this is a myth. German coal generation and CO2 emissions rose not because of but in spite of the Energiewende. They would have been even higher if Germany had not phased out its nuclear power and embarked on its remarkable renewable energy path. “There is no dark side to the Energiewende”.
Energy Post 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Finland – Radwaste
On 12 th February 2015 World Nuclear News reported that Finland’s radiation and nuclear safety authority (STUK) had given final approval to Posiva’s application to construct a final repository and waste encapsulation plant.Johan Swahn, Director of the NGO Office for Nuclear Waste (MKG) says: “It is unfortunate that the Finnish regulator STUK went ahead with this decision. The proper action for them would have been to wait for a decision on the safety case of the parallel Swedish license application from the Swedish regulator SSM.”
Nuclear Waste Advisory Associates 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Taiwan
Taiwan has unveiled a plan to process nuclear waste overseas for the first time as it runs out of storage space at its power plants, sparking criticism from environmental groups. The state-run Taiwan Power Co. on Tuesday began soliciting bids from overseas reprocessing companies for 1,200 used fuel rods from the island’s first and second nuclear plants.
Japan Times 18th Feb 2015 read more »
Australia
Is South Australia’s plan to set up a royal commission into the potential for nuclear power a local or national story.
World Nuclear News 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Japan – radwaste
The government said Tuesday it will consider pursuing a final storage site for nuclear waste that can be opened in the event that policies change or better techniques become available to deal with it. Officials aim to include the plan in a revised basic policy on the final disposal of highly radioactive waste. The government is currently considering the vexed question of what to do with waste in the long-term, as some of it may need management for tens of thousands of years. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration wants to fire up nuclear reactors again following the hiatus caused by the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns, but public opinion remains opposed. Critics accuse the government of pushing a return to nuclear without answering the question of where the waste will go.
Japan Times 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Trident
A new report has recommended bringing nuclear warheads back to west Suffolk’s airbases and restoring aerial bombing capability rather than re-investing in Trident.
Ipswich Star 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Renewables – offshore wind
The largest renewable energy project ever to receive planning consent was given the green light today, as the government granted approval to the giant Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and B wind project off the coast of Yorkshire and Humberside. Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said the two wind farms, which combined will provide 2.4GW of capacity from up to 400 wind turbines, has “the potential to support hundreds of green jobs and power up to two million homes”. The project still needs to secure a support contract through the government’s contract for difference subsidy regime and would require a final investment decision from the Forewind development consortium, which brings together RWE, SSE, Statkraft and Statoil. However, should the project proceed it will become the largest offshore wind farm in the world and will be the second biggest power generation facility in the UK, behind the Drax thermal power plant in North Yorkshire.
Business Green 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Edie 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Guardian 17th Feb 2015 read more »
FT 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Renewables – solar
British food security is not being harmed by the spread of solar panels in the countryside as claimed by the UK’s environment secretary, documents from her own department reveal. Liz Truss told farmers last October that they would no longer receive agricultural subsidies for land that had solar power on, saying the “ugly” panels were “a blight on the countryside and villages” and were pushing production of meat and produce overseas.
Guardian 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Community Energy
The Government’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) has announced a new £60m investment to fund up to 30 community-scale renewable projects across the UK. The new finance, announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable on Tuesday, will be the largest single source of equity funding available for UK community-scale projects. Money will go towards towards run-of-river hydro-power, onshore wind on brownfield sites and biogas projects including anaerobic digestion and landfill gas.
Edie 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Hydro is not just a major part of Scotland’s past – with the ongoing support of government it can be a big part of our future, too. As chairman of the Green Investment Bank I am delighted to announce today £60 million of new funding for smaller-scale renewable power schemes, with a big focus on hydro. This first venture will be an £8.5m run-of-river hydro project near Crianlarich. It is being developed with Albion Community Power and Perth-based Green Highland Renewables and will generate 8GWh of electricity per year, enough to power 1,900 homes. We expect to back many more of these projects across the Highlands. Significantly, one of our co-investors is Strathclyde Pension Fund. This is the first time a pension fund has co-invested in a GIB project, and it is clear that the financial mainstream increasingly sees renewable energy projects as a sound investment. This is a vote of confidence in hydro as a part of our future energy mix. Thank goodness for all that rain, eh? Lord Smith of Kelvin is chairman of the Green Investment Bank.
Herald 18th Feb 2015 read more »
Energy Efficiency
In recent weeks came the final confirmation of another policy designed to help improve efficiency in the private rental sector. Originally provisioned in the 2011 Energy Act, a Government response to consultation sets out that from 2018, all private rental sector properties have to have a minimum standard of EPC rating E. This was coupled with a ruling that from 2016, landlords will be unable to refuse reasonable requests from tenants for the improvement of properties they are renting up to grade E. Both of these measures carry the caveat that they must be achievable (although not necessarily achieved) by means of The Green Deal, i.e. at no cost to the landlord. Regulation on private landlords is a definite step in the right direction, but much must be added to the policy if we want that step to turn into a journey.
IGov 17th Feb 2015 read more »
This paper maps the broad range of different policies which currently exist in the UK to support demand reduction or improve energy efficiency. The paper is not intended to be exhaustive in its detail of each policy, but give a broad overview of the policy landscape. It is designed to provide a comprehensive map of all major policy areas aimed at reducing consumption or improving efficiency across the economy.
IGov 17th Feb 2015 read more »
Fossil Fuels
Fracking will not prove to be a big new source of energy in Britain and any future shale gas production will be of “no great significance”, BP has claimed. Despite huge shale oil and gas deposits around the world, the shale energy boom will remain confined to the United States, where conditions are most favourable, the oil company believes. However, while America’s shale gas production will keep growing strongly, its new strength in oil production, which has triggered a global glut in crude and a collapse in prices, will tail off after 2020.
Times 18th Feb 2015 read more »
