Hinkley
Insiders are confident the UK’s EDF’s Hinkley Point C programme will go ahead despite a European Commission investigation into state aid. Sources close to the UK’s Hinkley Point C development are insisting a European Commission (EC) state-aid investigation will not affect the project’s chances of success. “This process is normal and we built it into our planning for Hinkley Point C,” said UK Energy Secretary Michael Fallon in January after details of the investigation were made public. “We’ll be using the consultation period to show that this project meets state aid rules, that it will cut carbon in Britain’s energy sector and improve our energy security in a way that’s good value for money.”
Nuclear Energy Insider 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Sellafield
PROTESTERS gathered at the weekend in an attempt to stop the culling of roe deer at Sellafield. People from Seascale, Bowness and Milnthorpe united to fight against a proposed cull by operators of the nuclear plant. Sunday’s protest comes as a result of deer being trapped by a new secondary security fence erected at the west Cumbria plant.
Westmorland Gazette 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Radwaste
TODAY Workington made a stand against higher activity low level nuclear waste arriving in tipper trucks to be dumped in plastic bin bags into Lillyhall landfill. Over 100 people stopped to sign letters to Cumbria County Council ”why should we have it on our door step!” was the cry ! Secretary of State Ed Davey has told campaigners that the landfill site has already been awarded a permit by the Environment Agency (over the heads of local councillors and the public) to take High Volumes of building rubble from decommissioning activities “primarily from Sellafield”. Asbestos laced with tritium will also be arriving from Chapel Cross in Scotland with a “controlled release of radioactivity to ground waters.” This is acceptable to government so long as it does not leak to other European countries: “The proposal was also subject to Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty which requires Member States to provide the Commission with general data so that they may give an opinion on whether the proposal is likely to have an impact on other Member States. The opinion of the Commission in this case was that it would not. The Commission visit ion the site in 2013 and reported that they were content with what they saw.” WE ARE NOT CONTENT WITH WHAT WE SEE which is the dispersal of radioactivity to our environment by all means possible including dumping radioactive wastes into landfill.
Radiation Free Lakeland 20th Feb 2014 read more »
NDA
The Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, Ed Davey, has today announced the appointment of Stephen Henwood CBE for a further three-year term as Chairman of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).
DECC 19th Feb 2014 read more »
PLEX
A major contract to extend the operation of seven UK nuclear power stations including Hartlepool has been awarded, safeguarding 1,000 jobs. Doosan Babcock’s deal with French energy giant EDF is expected to be worth £70 million a year over several years.
The contract covers seven of EDF’s eight nuclear power stations – Dungeness B in Kent, Hunterston B in North Ayrshire, Hinkley Point B in Somerset, Hartlepool, Heysham 1 and 2 in Lancashire and Torness in East Lothian. Under the so-called lifetime enterprise agreement (LEA), Doosan Babcock will support the ongoing operation of the power stations and deliver projects to support life extension.
Hartlepool Mail 19th Feb 2014 read more »
EDF stated that it expects to be able to extend the life of the Dungeness B nuclear power station by ten years to 2028 with a decision expected this year. This follows the life extensions that were granted to Hinkley Point B and Hunterston B at the end of 2012, which will see both plants remain operational until at least 2023. Hartlepool and Heysham 1, which are both currently scheduled to close in 2019, are next in line for life extensions, with a decision expected in 2016. Heysham 2 and Torness have not yet been awarded a life extension, but they are not scheduled to close until at least 2023 but are likely to be given extensions.
Utility Week 19th Feb 2014 read more »
A MAJOR contract to extend the operation of seven UK nuclear stations including Hunterston B in Ayrshire has been awarded, safeguarding 1,000 jobs. Doosan Babcock’s deal with French energy giant EDF is expected to be worth £70 million a year over several years. The contract covers seven of EDF’s eight nuclear power stations – Dungeness B in Kent, Hunterston B in North Ayrshire, Hinkley Point B in Somerset, Hartlepool, Heysham 1 and 2 in Lancashire and Torness in East Lothian. Under the so-called lifetime enterprise agreement (LEA), Doosan Babcock will support the ongoing operation of the power stations and deliver projects to support life extension.
Scotsman 19th Feb 2014 read more »
BBC 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Western Daily Press 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Northern Echo 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Decommissioning
The Doosan Keltbray Consortium has received an award from the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for its outstanding collaborative working skills. The award for ‘Best Supply Chain Collaboration Led by a Large Company’ was made in recognition of the project to deliver the deplanting of four boiler houses at Bradwell Nuclear Power Station in Essex. Judged by a panel of senior nuclear and engineering professionals chaired by the NDA’s head of Supply Chain Optimisation, the award recognises excellence in NDA suppliers who work collaboratively to achieve a common goal. It was awarded to representatives from the Doosan Keltbray Consortium, made up of Doosan Babcock and Keltbray, working with Deborah Services and Magnox.
Nuclear Energy Insider 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Submarine Dismantling
Radioactive power plant fittings from the Royal Navy’s decommissioned nuclear subs could find their way to Cheshire West and Chester. Capenhurst Nuclear Services (CNS) has welcomed an MoD announcement it has been provisionally shortlisted to be involved in work connected with the dismantling of 27 nuclear subs once they have left naval service and have been defuelled. These include 11 subs currently stored afloat at Devonport, Plymouth, the largest naval base in western Europe and seven at Rosyth in Scotland as well as nine subs that are still in service.
Chester Chronicle 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Electricity Market
Energy market regulator Ofgem wants to reform how the UK’s electrical grid operates as more renewable energy gets added to the system. But energy companies disagree over the best way to do it. The UK plans to get 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. That means encouraging energy companies to build a lot more renewable energy capacity, such as solar and windfarms. Since the changes are expected to make renewable energy generation cheaper, it’s likely to be companies with large wind, solar, and hydro portfolios that most vocally support Ofgem’s plans. In contrast, companies without many renewable energy projects are likely to push Ofgem to preserve the status quo, as they are concerned their competitors could get a commercial advantage from the change. Ofgem was originally due to make a decision on how it would change transmission charges last December, but it’s delayed the decision until March after the energy companies raised their concerns at the last minute. As the decision date approaches, energy companies will be increasingly keen to get their voices heard. Amid the noise, it’s worth noting who stands to win and lose from the change – and that means keeping in mind where in the UK companies’ assets lie.
Carbon Brief 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Maf Smith: We still need government to think carefully about making sure these last few parts fall into their proper place, so that at last everyone has the full picture and a clear understanding of all the key elements. Last week, an important EMR consultation on allocation closed. It asked how government should allocate funding to deployed and less deployed renewable energy technologies, and proposed a rapid shift into auction processes for onshore wind and solar, while establishing a pot for less deployed technologies. Those interested in onshore wind have been spooked by the sudden move up the gears, and worried at the way that announcements from DECC and Europe are shifting the goalposts for projects already in development.
Business Green 19th Feb 2014 read more »
ScottishPower has accused the Energy Secretary of jeopardising investment in new power stations after he urged the industry regulator to get tough. Announcing an 11 per cent fall in pre-tax profits last year, Keith Anderson, the chief executive, said that the industry would “slow down” investment as a result of such “surprising” interventions by a politician. His warnings come ten days after Ed Davey wrote to Ofgem, which is close to publishing the findings of its new competition assessment, recommending that energy companies that overcharge customers should be broken up. Mr Anderson said: “We were surprised at the letter’s timing and contents. The UK needs to speed up investment in thermal generation. If you increase political and regulatory risk, all companies do is slow down investment.”
Times 20th Feb 2014 read more »
FT 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Scottish Power owner Iberdrola has unveiled plans to invest almost £3.3 billion in the UK as it looks to offset headwinds both here and in its domestic business in Spain. The company, which has been drawn into the bitter political debate over energy prices, said the money will be spent on upgrading power networks and developing renewable energy sources. It also plans to spend billions in Latin America and the US, while Spain will only get 15 per cent of the total 9.6 billion euros being spent. Like its rivals, Scottish Power has been criticised for the tariffs it charges customers and recently watered down plans to raise energy bills in the UK by an inflation-busting 8.6 per cent, following industrywide talks with Ministers. Despite the controversy, it added 100,000 customers last year, taking its total to 5.79 million across England, Scotland and Wales. The company claimed that more needed to be done across the EU to simplify energy policy.
Independent 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Scotsman 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Energy Supply
Cheap US coal has made gas-fired electricity uneconomic and accelerated a capacity shortfall in the UK. There is an eerie silence at Keadby power station. The gas-fired plant in the English Midlands was mothballed last year after months of losses. Overnight, Britain lost 750 megawatts of generating capacity – enough to power a million homes. Andrew Barlow, the site manager who has worked at Keadby since 1996, patrols empty corridors and cavernous, echoing turbine halls. The only sound is the hum of dehumidifiers keeping the pipes dry. “We’d all rather it was running,” he says. “People take a pride in the place. They want to see it coming back.” The mothballing of Keadby is sad for the dozens of staff who have had to be redeployed. It is part of a far larger problem for the UK as a whole. The plant has been shut down just as Britain braces for a sharp reduction in its power capacity as ageing coal -fired plants and nuclear reactors are decommissioned. Some are even warning the UK could be facing its first wave of blackouts in 40 years.
FT 19th Feb 2014 read more »
SCOTTISHPOWER chief Keith Anderson has demanded the Government move quickly to provide pricing certainty for power companies seeking to build new gas-fired plants. ScottishPower has plans for gas-fired plants at its former coal plant at Cockenzie in East Lothian, Damn Head Creek in Kent and Avonmouth near Bristol. Mr Anderson, ScottishPower’s chief corporate officer, also said the current regime was excessively skewed towards plants in south-east England.
Herald 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Supply Chain
Sheffield Forgemasters has passed a final audit towards American Society of Mechanical Engineers Nuclear Partials (ASME NPT) status, which will enable it to fabricate safety critical cast components within nuclear power stations. The company, which already holds ASME accreditation for the manufacture of components for civil nuclear power, has said that the additional status will enable it to take advantage of growing market opportunities.
Institution of Mechanical Engineers 19th Feb 2014 read more »
The Manufacturer 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Nuclear Testing
There’s a lot riding on the shoulders of Ed Daykin and his team when it comes to certifying that the nation’s nuclear warheads are safe, secure and reliable. But Daykin, an experimental physicist for National Security Technologies LLC — the prime contractor at the Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nevada field office — isn’t too worried about the high-tech task. That’s because his team of scientists “stands on the shoulders of giants” who accomplished the task year after year at the former Nevada Test Site, now the Nevada National Security Site. Ensuring nuclear bombs work as designed once involved full-scale detonations, starting with with the first atmospheric test, Trinity, at Alamogordo, N.M., in 1945, to demonstrate the Fat Man nuclear weapon used in World War II. Nuclear tests that produced explosive yields, some large enough to sway buildings 65 miles away in Las Vegas, were conducted below-ground at the test site from 1963 to 1992.
Las Vegas Review Journal 18th Feb 2014 read more »
Nuclear Weapons
AN 84-year-old nun has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for breaking into a US nuclear weapons complex and defacing a bunker holding bomb-grade uranium, a demonstration that exposed serious security flaws. Two other activists who broke into the facility with Megan Rice were sentenced to more than five years in prison, in part because they had much longer criminal histories of mostly non-violent civil disobedience.
Herald 20th Feb 2014 read more »
The Nayarit conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons demonstrated beyond doubt that preventing nuclear catastrophe is the responsibility and right of all. As Austria picks up the baton, the challenge will be to move forward in a process that is open to all and blockable by none.
Open Democracy 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Europe
A proposal to limit the state aid that EU governments can offer their energy sectors would do “massive harm” to industry and needs to be “thoroughly revised,” according to a position paper signed by Germany, and several other countries. The policy document, which EurActiv has seen, is a ‘living paper’ that was submitted to the European Commission two weeks ago, and may be updated soon. Its strong language reflects alarm in some European capitals that the proposed guidelines could barricade planned transitions by states such as Germany and the UK towards renewable and nuclear energy-based systems, respectively.
Euractiv 14th Feb 2014 read more »
Japan
Around 100 tonnes of highly radioactive water have leaked from a storage tank at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, operator Tokyo Electric (Tepco) says. The toxic water may have overflowed after a valve was left open by mistake, Tepco said. However the water was unlikely to have reached the ocean, the operator added. The plant, which was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, has faced multiple problems including leaks and power cuts since the disaster. The latest leak is the most serious since August, when the plant leaked 300 tonnes of water, prompting Japan’s nuclear agency to raise the incident’s alert level.
BBC 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Telegraph 20th Feb 2014 read more »
IB Times 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Mainichi 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Japan will fast-track the restart of some nuclear reactors, the regulator said on Wednesday, potentially breaking a logjam that has kept the country without nuclear power in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Making a priority list for a few nuclear plants will move them forward in an approval process that has become bogged down in laborious safety checks and paperwork. It remains unclear when any of Japan’s 48 reactors could come back on-line, but fast-tracking the process is good news for the nuclear industry, which had been hoping to begin the restarts by the middle of this year.
Reuters 19th Feb 2014 read more »
US
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz is set to announce on Wednesday that he will finish a $6.5 billion loan guarantee this week and another soon for $1.8 billion to help three Georgia electric companies build the first new nuclear reactors in the United States in three decades.
But the announcements are coming far later than anticipated and may effectively end a program that Congress established in 2005 to jump-start a new generation of nuclear plants. At one point, the program was expected to support more than $50 billion in loans for nuclear projects.
New York Times 18th Feb 2014 read more »
Power generators are warning that several other reactors are under threat after the shutdown of four nuclear plants in the past 18 months More US nuclear power plants are at risk of closure because they are no longer economic, industry leaders have warned, jeopardising the administration’s hopes that the reactors can help support energy security and limit greenhouse gas emissions. Exelon and Entergy are among the US power generators facing pressures to close some of their nuclear plants, as a result of lower electricity prices, competition from cheap gas, and sometimes political opposition. On Wednesday Ernest Moniz, energy secretary, said the government would offer $6.5bn in loan guarantees to support the construction by a consortium led by Southern Company of two new reactors at Vogtle in Georgia, scheduled to start up in 2017-18. Over the next five years, however, it is possible that more nuclear capacity will be shut down in the US than started up. The country has a patchwork of regulatory systems, with competitive retail electricity markets in 20 states, and it is in those states that nuclear power is under pressure.
FT 19th Feb 2014 read more »
While existing US nuclear plants may face an increasingly uncertain future, the new reactors being built by a consortium led by Southern Company in Georgia are at least making reasonably good progress, so far. The Vogtle 3 and 4 reactors, using Westinghouse AP1000 designs, are the most-watched project in the US nuclear industry. If they can be delivered acceptably close to their planned schedule and budget, they will encourage other companies – in regulated power markets where they can have some assurance of their returns – to press ahead with their own projects.
FT 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Iran
A senior Iranian negotiator said Thursday that Tehran has agreed on a framework for talks with world powers aimed at reaching a comprehensive nuclear accord, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Middle East Online 20th Feb 2014 read more »
BBC 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Rwanda
Rwanda is set to become the first country in east Africa with a utility-scale solar plant after a $24m deal was signed to build the scheme outside Kigali, the capital. The 8.5 megawatt solar photovoltaic project is the brainchild of American-Israeli green entrepreneur Yosef Abramowitz, a pioneer of Israel’s solar industry. It is expected to boost Rwanda’s electricity supply by 8 per cent once it starts operating this year.
FT 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Renewables – offshore wind
The consortium behind the London Array offshore wind farm has today confirmed that plans to expand the project have been abandoned following a review of the sites environmental impact. Originally, the consortium had planned to expand on the 630MW already installed in Phase 1, increasing its capacity to 1000MW in Phase 2. However, the decision to scrap the expansion plans followed a review of the site, which established that “the technical challenges and the environmental uncertainties surrounding the site” would make the project unfeasible.
Edie 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Business Green 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Guardian 19th Feb 2014 read more »
FT 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Times 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Maximising the economic benefit from offshore wind is a key priority for Government, reveals a new report today. The Offshore Wind Programme Board (OWPB) annual report explains how the board is pursuing a comprehensive programme of real action to drive down costs and maximise benefits to the UK economy – tackling issues from skills to innovation, from financing to contracting.
DECC 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Renewables – onshore wind
Air radar defences in Scotland are being upgraded to prevent wind turbines being confused with aircraft and missiles. The radars that currently make up Britain’s early warning system find it hard to distinguish between turbine blades, which are about the same size as a passenger jet wing, and aircraft. As a result, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has objected to many wind farms on the ground of national security.
Times 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Now technology that allows air traffic controllers to distinguish between turbines and aircraft may open up areas to onshore development. The technology will first be installed at an MoD site in Buchan, Aberdeenshire, which is home to Scotland’s east coast surveillance capability and in Benbecula, the west coast base for the UK’s missile testing programme. Work on installing the American TPS-77 system is due to be completed by the middle of next year.
Times 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Renewables – Geothermal
Scotland has enough geothermal energy to provide “desperately needed” clean, green heat for almost the entire country, according to a study. Engineers at Glasgow University have calculated that there is roughly twice the amount of untapped thermal energy in hot rocks deep underground as there is in abandoned mine workings nearer the surface. Separate Scottish government research recently forecast that hot water in flooded mines could be pumped out to supply up to a third of the nation’s heat needs. The latest Glasgow research reworked academic assessments done after the 1970s Middle East oil crisis and found that geothermal resources were significantly underestimated because studies then had failed to account for the impact of past climate and current topography on the amount of natural heat within the earth.
Times 20th Feb 2014 read more »
Green Deal
The Government has announced changes to the Green Deal scheme which will see the amount of money consumers get back increase on some installed efficiency measures. Changes to the Government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme will mean that payments to householders who install double glazing, solid wall insulation and ‘room in roof’ insulation, such as loft insulation, will significantly increase. For solid wall insulation, the cash-back amount has been increased from £650 to a potential £4000. ‘Room in roof’ insulation pay-back will increase from £220 to £1000, while double glazing will rise from £320 to £650.
Edie 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Business Green 19th Feb 2014 read more »
Fossil Fuels
The evidence is mounting that natural gas has no net climate benefit in any timescale that matters to humanity. In the real world, natural gas is not a “bridge” fuel to a carbon-free economy for two key reasons. First, natural gas is mostly methane, (CH4), a super-potent greenhouse gas, which traps 86 times as much heat as CO2 over a 20-year period. So even small leaks in the natural gas production and delivery system can have a large climate impact — enough to gut the entire benefit of switching from coal-fired power to gas. Second, natural gas doesn’t just displace coal — it also displaces carbon-free sources of power such as renewable energy, nuclear power, and energy efficiency. A recent analysis finds that effect has been large enough recently to wipe out almost the entire climate benefit from increasing natural gas use in the utility sector if the leakage rate is only 1.2 percent (comparable to the EPA’s now discredited new lowball estimate).
Climate Progress 19th Feb 2014 read more »
