Sellafield Site
A consortium of Iberdrola SA (IBE.MC), GDF Suez (GSZ.FR) and Scottish and Southern Energy PLC (SSE.LN) has filed an expression of interest in buying land suitable for new nuclear power plants adjacent to the nuclear site at Sellafield in Cumbria, northwest England, an Iberdrola spokesman said Tuesday.
Wall St Journal 22nd Sept 2009 more >>
Oldbury
Geotechnical contractor Hydrock began preliminary work at Oldbury, Gloucestershire, on behalf of energy giant E.on. Oldbury is one of 11 sites proposed by the government to host new nuclear power stations. Drilling for 22 boreholes between 40m and 80m in depth began on 3 August. Hydrock director Dr Adam Fisher said: “We have been working in the new nuclear build programme for the past 18 months and it forms a major part of our growth strategy. This is a complex and critical piece of work.”
Calco Power Presidium 22nd Sept 2009 more >>
New Nukes
Nuclear engineering jobs are set to be created at Rolls-Royce after the company signed a deal with EDF Energy to work together on the construction of four new nuclear power plants. Rolls-Royce will provide engineering and technical support for the £14 billion projects, as well as managing the supply chain.
Career Engineer 22nd Sept 2009 more >>
Jobs
Investment in renewables and energy efficiency would create seven times more green jobs over the next ten years than would be lost in the coal and nuclear sectors in Europe, according to a report launched today by Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council ( EREC ), and backed by trade unions.
Media Newswire 22nd Sept 2009 more >>
Greenpeace Report 14th Sept 2009 more >>
Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrat energy policy has been criticised as “totally wrong” by a senior MP. Phil Willis said “our party policy is totally wrong on this issue” and “dishonest”. He said nuclear power was a more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel. Citing the range of infrastructure problems, he said it is “farcical to think we can deal with our pledges by putting more wind turbines in the North Sea”. Martin Horwood, Lib Dem environment and climate change spokesman, accepted there is “a challenge” in meeting UK energy demand. But he said the party has been “resolutely against” nuclear power and called for that position to remain.
ePolitix 22nd Sept 2009 more >>
Lembit Opik MP telling delegates that 12 months of intense research has persuaded him of the necessity of embracing nuclear power. “I am not too keen on nuclear power, but I am keen to keep the lights on.” The Lib Dem Lothario’s real U-turn there is the bit about the lights.
Guardian 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Party backs amendment promising Lib Dem councils will commit themselves to reduce carbon emissions by 10% by next year.
Guardian 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Trident
Prime Minister Gordon Brown signaled that Britain would be prepared to reduce by a quarter the number of submarines that carry nuclear weapons if he can persuade other countries to cut their programs.
Guardian 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Telegraph 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Times 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Independent 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Bloomberg 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Yahoo 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Sky 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
BBC 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Loughborough Echo 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Newcastle Journal 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Herald 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Liverpool Daily Post 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Scotsman 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Germany
Polls show combined support for a pro-nuclear alliance between the Christian Democratic Union bloc and Free Democratic Party has dipped below 50 percent. It reached 52 percent in July. Merkel’s CDU has “no plan B” on energy in the event of a rerun of the coalition with the Social Democrats, said Joachim Pfeiffer, the party’s spokesman on energy issues. “We’ll be stumped, frankly,” Pfeiffer said in an interview. “We need an energy mix with nuclear power. Without it we have a problem.” Not so, say the Social Democrats. By 2020, renewable energy will provide at least 30 percent of electricity needs — up from 15 percent now — and a new generation of coal- and gas-fired plants will plug the gap as nuclear energy shuts down, according to Social Democratic Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel.
Bloomberg 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Merkel is on the defensive over nuclear power.
FT 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Iran
Iran says it has built a new generation of centrifuges for enriching uranium, and is testing them. The head of Iran’s nuclear agency made the announcement but did not say when they would be ready to go into production at the Natanz atomic plant.
BBC 22nd Sept 2009 more >>
Middle East Online 22nd Sept 2009 more >>
Coal
The government’s claim to be a world leader in developing clean coal technology has been dented after officials warned privately that public spending constraints could force them to cut the £10bn programme. The Guardian has learned that Ed Miliband’s energy and climate change department is under pressure from the Treasury to scale back its ambitions for new carbon capture and storage (CCS) coal plants.
Guardian 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
Climate
The world’s airlines unveiled plans to halve emissions by 2050 yesterday, to fend off calls for new taxes on flying and criticism that they are failing to act quickly enough in the fight against climate change. Vicky Wyatt, aviation campaigner at Greenpeace, called Mr Walsh’s remarks “complete greenwash”. She said that the majority of cuts would be achieved through a carbon-trading regime rather than a real reduction in the industry’s emissions. Ms Wyatt described the announcement as “little more than an elaborate conjuring trick designed to make the public think that BA is serious about climate change while it carries on with business as usual. The focus must be on reducing demand for flights,” she said.
Times 23rd Sept 2009 more >>
