Nuclear Sites
The auction of NDA land which could be used for building new reactors is still going strong into its third week. Vattenfall and Energy Solutions are thought to be amongst the bidders.
Contract Journal 1st Apr 2009 more >>
The Sellafield site has been nominated for new nuclear build.
Place North West 1st Apr 2009 more >>
Nuclear Skills
THE government has been warned that an engineering skills shortage could hit plans to build new nuclear power plants. A report by MPs has claimed a gap in the civil service could impact on a new generation of atomic stations – in which west Cumbria is bidding to be a part – over the next decade. The cross-party Universities, Innovation and Skills Committee has now said a “master roadmap” should be produced to give a clear and detailed plan for building new plants.
NW Evening Mail 1st Apr 2009 more >>
NLFAB
The line-up of the board of the Government’s watchdog to oversee the decommissioning and waste disposal funding arrangements is completed today. The Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board (NLFAB) will scrutinise the financing plans for the decommissioning and cleanup of nuclear waste from new nuclear power stations. This is in line with the Government’s commitment that the taxpayer will not have to shoulder any costs for clean-up.
eGov Monitor 1st Apr 2009 more >>
EDF
A senior executive of the French state energy giant EDF, which now owns the main UK nuclear power operator British Energy, has been charged on suspicion of spying on the environmental group Greenpeace. The case has sparked outrage among anti-nuclear campaigners in France whose secret services were behind the bombing of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior 24 years ago.
Guardian 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
Finland
A nuclear reactor being built in Finland to the same design expected to be used in Britain is running three years behind schedule. Its developers, Areva, the French nuclear energy group, and Siemens, of Germany, had hoped it would start generating electricity yesterday. It is vastly over budget, beset by design delays, water-logged concrete and faulty pipes.
Times 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
Proliferation
When leaders of the G20 nations gather in London this week, their attention will undoubtedly be focused on the current financial crisis. But it cannot be their exclusive focus: the crisis itself is a grim reminder that imminent global threats are best dealt with before the event, not after. And nothing poses a greater threat for creating further crises than nuclear weapons, either in existing stockpiles or through their acquisition by an increasing number of states or by terrorists. Over the past decade the whole fabric of the nuclear non-proliferation regime has begun to unravel notably through the failure to implement ways to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, such as through a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The situation is now dire. These challenges will only grow more acute if, as expected, nuclear power is revived around the world as a way to mitigate climate change.
Nature 1st Apr 2009 more >>
Disarmament
President Barack Obama hailed a breakthrough in America’s relationship with Russia on Wednesday when the two countries agreed to cut their nuclear arsenals.
Telegraph 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
Scotsman 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
Independent 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
Times 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
Times 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
Guardian 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
New Scientist 1st Apr 2009 more >>
BBC 1st Apr 2009 more >>
Guardian 1st Apr 2009 more >>
Iran
Robert Gates, US defence secretary, has said it is unlikely that Israel will this year launch an attack on Iran to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s new prime minister, this week warned as he was sworn in that the greatest danger to Israel was Iran’s attempt to develop nuclear weapons. But in an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Gates said the US and Israel had enough time to persuade Tehran to abandon what is widely perceived to be a nuclear weapons programme.
FT 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
A nuclear-armed Iran will also be top of the agenda when Israel’s new Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, meets Barack Obama in Washington next month.
Times 1st Apr 2009 more >>
North Korea
North Korea already has the capacity to launch a nuclear missile strike against Seoul and Tokyo, even before the long-range rocket test that it is promising in the next few days, an international think-tank has reported.
Times 1st Apr 2009 more >>
Carbon Capture
Carbon dioxide captured from the chimneys of power stations could be safely buried underground for thousands of years without the risk of the greenhouse gas seeping into the atmosphere, a study has found. The findings will lend weight to the idea of carbon capture and sequestration (CSS) – when carbon dioxide is trapped and then buried – which is being seriously touted as a viable way of reducing man-made emissions of carbon dioxide while still continuing to burn fossil fuels such as oil and coal in power stations.
Independent 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
Scotsman 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
Solar Power
BP is to axe 620 jobs from its solar power business more than a quarter of that workforce in a move it said was part of the long-term strategy to “reduce the cost of solar power to that of conventional electricity.” Two cell manufacture and module assembly plants near Madrid, will be shut with the loss of 480 posts while module assembly will also be phased out at its Frederick facility in Maryland, US, with a further 140 redundancies. BP blamed the cutbacks on the credit crunch and lower-cost competition saying its global manufacturing capacity would still increase during this year and next via a series of strategic alliances with other companies.
Guardian 2nd Apr 2009 more >>
