New nukes
British Energy may launch a new nuclear power station unit by 2018 if the utility is able to secure the necessary permits in the next five years, Chief Executive Bill Coley said. The top British power maker is at the heart of the government’s plans to expand nuclear power, as it seeks to reduce its reliance on imported energy and lower carbon emissions.
Reuters 23rd May 2008 more >>
E.ON is reportedly mulling the use of its existing oil-fired power station at the Isle of Grain near the town of Sheerness, in Kent, and the coal-fired facility at Kingsnorth, near Ashford, Kent, as sites for the development of the new nuclear power plants.
Energy Business Review 23rd May 2008 more >>
Datamonitor 23rd May 2008 more >>
European Nuclear Energy Forum
Greenpeace lit up central Prague for the past two evenings with giant projected slogans reminding the public, media and energy decision makers about the risks of nuclear power versus the benefits of clean energy. We illuminated Prague; we were also putting a spotlight on delegates at the second European Nuclear Energy Forum.
Greenpeace International 23rd May 2008 more >>
Nuclear Companies have called for standardised certification procedures for new reactors across Europe.
EU Business 23rd May 2008 more >>
Interactive Investor 23rd May 2008 more >>
Speech to the Forum by Barroso.
E-Gov Monitor 23rd May 2008 more >>
British Energy
Suez, the French utility, on Friday ruled itself out of the bidding for British Energy to concentrate on its merger with rival Gaz de France. Suez had not been considered a serious candidate to lead a bid for the UK nuclear power generator, but had been seen as a potential partner.
FT 23rd May 2008 more >>
Guardian website 23rd May 2008 more >>
Independent 24th May 2008 more >>
Times 24th May 2008 more >>
If EDF wins control of British Energy, other utilities would lobby the government to force the sale of development rights for around half of the sites for new reactors.
City AM 23rd May 2008 more >>
Suez learned to its cost this week that the art of double speak does not travel across the Channel, after the UK’s Takeover Panel twice forced the
French power and water group to clarify its intentions towards British Energy. Over the last week, Suez has issued a series of ambiguous and apparently contradictory statements over its role in the sale of Britain’s nuclear power operator. According to people inside the company, this was a misguided but deliberate attempt on the part of Suez to keep its options open, though it never had any intention of bidding. It seems the French group’s strategy has been to give the impression that it was interested in British Energy but that its ongoing merger with state-controlled Gaz de France made any offer difficult.
FT 24th May 2008 more >>
French industrial group Suez confirmed today it was no longer involved in talks over a possible bid for UK nuclear power provider British Energy. The withdrawal, which Suez blamed on the need to focus on its merger with Gaz de France, came as reports linked a new name to the £10 billion auction. Scottish & Southern Energy is reportedly in talks with German power giant RWE about a joint bid for Livingston-based British Energy.
Herald 24th May 2008 more >>
SCOTTISH & Southern Energy, the Perth-based utility which wants to take part in the programme to build the next generation of nuclear plants in the UK, was last night refusing to comment on claims it was in talks over a joint bid for British Energy. It was suggested yesterday that SSE, which reports its full year results next week, was engaged in talks with the German utility RWE. SSE was said to be presenting itself as a British solution to the government’s dilemma over the sale of the nation’s nuclear generating capacity.
Scotsman 24th May 2008 more >>
Bradwell
The one blot on this landscape, the nearby nuclear power station, has been shut down and is unlikely to be replaced – which means that an ugly row of pylons will go too.
Times 23rd May 2008 more >>
Dounreay
DISCIPLINARY action has been taken following claims that two Dounreay police officers were found asleep on duty. A spokesman from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) this week confirmed that an investigation into recent allegations concerning two personnel had taken place and “appropriate disciplinary action” had been taken. He added: “The CNC would stress that the incident took place outside the Dounreay site, and the investigation confirmed that at no time was the security of the site compromised.” A spokesman had earlier confirmed that police at Dounreay have a jurisdiction covering an area of around five kilometres of the nuclear site.
John O Groat Journal 23rd May 2008 more >>
Letter from Chairman in response to the accusations made by Geoffrey Minter of Sandside Estate claiming that the Dounreay Stakeholder Group (DSG) is merely a pro-Dounreay lobby.
John O Groat Journal 23rd May 2008 more >>
Sellafield
Unions met Sellafield bosses for several hours, last Thursday, but the meeting ended without any amendment to the company’s offer of a two per cent rise on basic bay. Sellafield Ltd has also offered a further two per cent which would be be made through efficiency savings but, so far, this has been rejected.
Whitehaven News 21st May 2008 more >>
Drigg
THE Low-Level Waste Repository Limited has announced that Hanson Quarry Products Europe Limited is the preferred bidder in the competition for the construction of Vault 9 at the Low Level Waste Repository . An invitation to tender following EU procurement procedures was issued in September 2007 and submissions received last November. The preferred bidder has offered to source a vast majority of the construction materials from within Cumbria and will maximise the use of local labour and subcontractors where possible.
Whitehaven News 21st May 2008 more >>
Plutonium Shipment
Under a commercial agreement between AREVA and Sellafield Limited, plutonium to be used in MOX fuel fabrication is being shipped between the Sellafield plant in Great Britain and the Melox plant in southern France. Today, the plutonium was delivered to the La Hague plant to be repackaged in canisters capable of being handled by the equipment at the Melox plant, where it will subsequently be shipped. Sellafield Limited contracted with Melox to fabricate MOX fuel for its utility customers.
Areva Press Release 21st May 2008 (not on the website yet – but the earlier one from 19th May is: more >>
THE first of a number of shipments of Sellafield plutonium sailed from the Port of Workington last weekend on board the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s ship Atlantic Osprey. The secretive night shipment, already delayed by two months because its original departure date was leaked in advance to the press, was accompanied by what one local resident described as ‘over the top, wall-to-wall security’ which sealed off the docks. Cumbrians Opposed to Radioactive Environment’s Martin Forwood said: “In its powder form this plutonium is prime terrorist material. Its shipment to France is highly irresponsible at this time of heightened terrorist activity around the world and its transport endangers all communities along the sea route.
Whitehaven News 21st May 2008 more >>
Scotland
Des Browne, Secretary of State for Scotland: History offers an important lesson on powering Scotland. Renewables have a place in energy policy but real diversity is required to invest in the future, writes DES BROWNE, While new nuclear build is rightly one of the options for part of this future mix, our energy policy is also about ensuring a diversity of sources for the future. Clean coal and renewable technologies have an important part to play.
Scotsman 24th May 2008 more >>
Slovakia
Slovakia has asked Brussels to allow it to delay the closure of Bohunice which is due at the end of this year.
EU Business 23rd May 2008 more >>
China
Chinese and Russian officials have signed a £500 million deal to have Russia build a nuclear fuel plant in China.
Channel 4 News 23rd May 2008 more >>
Disarmament,
Do we need to worry about nuclear weapons any more? After the end of the Cold War, the world stepped back from the brink of mutually-assured annihilation and nuclear stockpiles were halved. But nukes haven’t gone away. In fact, they are undergoing something of a renaissance. India, Pakistan and North Korea have all recently joined the nuclear club. The US, Russia, Britain, China and France are spending billions on ‘modernizing’ their nuclear arsenals. So why are disarmament campaigners so upbeat? The NI discovers a window of opportunity for banning the bomb – but can we seize the moment before the shutters slam down, perhaps for good?
New Internationalist June 2008 more >>
