Chapelcross
They have been one of the hallmarks of the Dumfriesshire horizon for more than 50 years, but yesterday the four cooling towers of Chapelcross nuclear power station were demolished in under 10 seconds.
Guardian 21st May 2007
BBC 20th May 2007
Scotland
The issue of nuclear power could create a political clash between MPs and MSPs this week. Most of the Scottish Parliament is opposed to nuclear power, according to a survey by environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth Scotland. However, the UK government is expected to promote new nuclear stations in a white paper at Westminster.
BBC 21st May 2007
First Minister Alex Salmond has placed Holyrood on a collision course with Westminster and Gordon Brown by insisting there was “no chance” of new nuclear power stations being built in Scotland. Mr Brown has given his backing to a new wave of nuclear plants by 2020 and the details will be contained in a white paper being published by the government on Wednesday.
Herald 21st May 2007
Scottish ministers will have the final say on whether to build more nuclear power plants in Scotland, the Secretary of State for Industry has said.
BBC 11th July 2006
New nukes
Gordon Brown is to risk a backlash from environment campaigners and the Labour Left by endorsing a blueprint for a new generation of nuclear power stations. The programme, coupled with a big expansion in renewable energy, will be spelt out in the Government’s White Paper on energy to be published on Wednesday.
Telegraph 21st May 2007
ON WEDNESDAY, Alistair Darling will publish the government’s latest white paper on how to fill the black hole in Britain’s energy production. The “latest”, because the energy consultation document published only last year was the subject of a court ruling in February.
Scotsman 21st May 2007
BRITISH Energy has admitted that Scotland is now the “least attractive” part of the UK to build new nuclear power stations. After Hunterston B is decommissioned in 2011, Torness will be Scotland’s only operating nuclear power station. The East Lothian plant will reach the end of its planned life in 2023. Officials at British Energy said the high costs of transmitting Scottish electricity on the national grid to densely populated cities south of the Border, and the SNP’s commitment not to build any new plants, are being taken into consideration.
Scotsman 21st May 2007
Gordon Brown will back the plans for building new nuclear power plants which will be set out in the energy white paper published this week, although the soon to be Prime Minister believes there needs to be proper consultation.
Channel 4 News 20th May 2007
Nuclear power should be “part of the mix” of Britain’s energy supplies in the future, Alistair Darling has said. An energy White Paper will be published on Wednesday – Tony Blair has already said he supports replacing Britain’s ageing nuclear power stations. The Observer newspaper reported that his successor Gordon Brown will also support the plans this week.
BBC 20th May 2007
Letter from Andrew Warren: When, on Wednesday, the Government publishes its White Paper on energy, we are to expect, its spin doctors tell us, endorsement of a new generation of nuclear fission power stations. This may well cause considerable concern to existing members of the Cabinet. The present Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, as Trade Secretary in 2003, introduced the last energy White Paper with the words: “It would have been foolish to announce that we would embark on a new generation of nuclear power stations. Because that would have guaranteed that we would not make the necessary investment in both energy efficiency and renewables. That is why we are not going to build a new generation of nuclear power stations.” Labour’s shadow Energy Secretary, during electricity privatisation in 1989, told the Commons: “What is unbelievably depressing about the Government’s response is that they see in the evidence about greenhouse gases, not an opportunity to promote environmental concern, but a chance to make the case for nuclear power.” He added that “it should first be ascertained whether it will not be more cost-effective – quite apart from environmental considerations – to put money into energy conservation and less into new build”. The shadow Secretary in question was Tony Blair.
Telegraph 21st May 2007
France
France’s minister of state, ecology and sustainable development Alain Juppe gave support to the continued development of EPR (European pressurised water reactor) nuclear reactors at the weekend, saying ‘France must equip itself with third generation nuclear power plants, while at the same working on the fourth generation.’
Forbes 20th May 2007
Renewables
The “enormous potential” of the proposed Severn Barrage – the largest project of its kind in the world – will be hailed in the Government’s energy proposals on Wednesday. In a significant change to Labour’s environmental policy, ministers want the barrage to be built to harness the tide to deliver green electricity – even though it risks devastating surrounding wildlife habitats.
Telegraph 21st May 2007
Iran
Iran urged Arab countries on Sunday to support its nuclear program but received a cool reception at the World Economic Forum, particularly from U.S. allies worried about Iran’s growing regional influence. Iranian officials said separately that the nuclear program was moving ahead as scheduled and that the country would not suspend uranium enrichment despite the threat of a third set of U.N. sanctions.
Guardian website 21st May 2007
Carbon trading
As many as 5,000 businesses and public-sector bodies would be forced to buy greenhouse gas permits under plans for a mandatory carbon-trading scheme to be proposed this week by ministers. A white paper, which is to be published on Wednesday and which will take forward Tony Blair’s plans for new nuclear power stations, is expected to commit the government to a world-leading emissions trading scheme going far beyond a European Union-wide system and plans by US states.
FT 21st May 2007
Planning
Ministers will on Monday unveil a wide-ranging overhaul of the planning system that aims to knock years off the time taken to build infrastructure projects such as wind farms, power stations and train lines. A long-awaited planning white paper is to back proposals for an independent panel of experts to take responsibility for decisions on individual projects. The government wants to end long delays in developments such as Heathrow’s terminal five, which took seven years and 37 applications to win planning permission.
FT 21st May 2007
