British Energy
Tony Woodley, trade unionist, left-wing firebrand and poster boy of anti-capitalism, stood up at this week’s Labour conference in Manchester and suggested that essential industries such as our power utilities be nationalised. Yesterday, the Labour Government did quite the opposite. It agreed to sell its last remaining substantial investment in the energy industry by offloading its stake in British Energy for £4.3bn.
Telegraph 25th Sept 2008 more >>
The UK government on Wednesday used the proposed £12.5bn sale of British Energy to EDF of France as an opportunity to stress its controversial support for a new generation of nuclear power stations. “New nuclear is becoming a reality… Nuclear is clean, secure and affordable; its expansion is crucial for Britain’s long term energy security,” said Gordon Brown, prime minister.
FT 24th Sept 2008 more >>
The green button was pressed on a nuclear revolution yesterday with a £12.5bn takeover of British Energy, the UK’s main atomic power company, by EDF of France. The deal, under which the mainly state-owned company committed itself to build four new power stations, was welcomed by Gordon Brown, who described it as “crucial to the country’s energy security”. However, it brought a wave of protest from anti-nuclear campaigners, rival power companies and consumer groups opposed to the deal on a mixture of environmental and competition grounds.
Guardian 25th Sept 2008 more >>
French government-controlled utility Electricite de France decisively planted its flag in Britain’s nuclear-power industry on Wednesday, agreeing to buy British Energy for a sweetened price of $23.2 billion.
Forbes 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Yorkshire Post 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Channel 4 News 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Edinburgh Evening News 24th Sept 2008 more >>
British Energy Facts.
Telegraph 24th Sept 2008 more >>
EDF Facts 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Critics predicted that the deal would do nothing to tackle climate change and that it was likely to lead to higher prices. Opponents of the takeover fear that EDF would use all of the power generated by these reactors, leaving competitors to buy their energy at higher prices on the wholesale market driving up domestic electricity bills while French customers continued to enjoy cheap power. Nathan Argent, head of Greenpeace’s nuclear campaign, dismissed the Prime Minister’s claims. “This sale will do nothing to tackle climate change or energy security,” he said. “This is about turning the UK into a billboard for the French Government’s nuclear sales programme.” In France itself doubts about the nuclear path have started to creep in after a series of incidents over the past three months: untreated uranium has overflowed into a river, excess radioactive gas has been emitted, combustible material has got caught in a reactor, and EDF workers have been exposed to low-level radiation.
Times 25th Sept 2008 more >>
At least there is no shortage of confidence in energy. EDF’s £12.5bn takeover of British Energy, the nuclear power generator, puts France’s national energy champion in prime position to profit from the UK’s nuclear renaissance. The deal has had its controversies and raises competition concerns. But it is the best way forward if Britain is to revive an industry that was abandoned two decades ago – and diversify away from imported gas for its future energy needs.
FT 25th Sept 2008 more >>
THE French energy giant behind a £12.5bn takeover of the East Kilbride firm running eight of Britain’s nuclear power stations has told the First Minister it remains committed to Scotland, it emerged today.
Daily Record 24th Sept 2008 more >>
NOF ENERGY, the sector group representing Teesside companies in the energy supply chain, said today it was ramping up its presence in the nuclear sector. It coincides with news that the on-off deal between EDF and British Energy, which owns Hartlepool nuclear power station, was confirmed today after the French power giant tabled an improved offer.
Newcastle Evening Gazette 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Gary Smith, National Secretary of the GMB union, which represents thousands of workers in the nuclear industry reacting to the announcement that EDF are to takeover British Energy, said: “At long last, one of the pieces is in place to secure an energy future for Britain.
GMB Press Release 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Plans by Centrica to buy a quarter of British Energy were welcomed by the market yesterday after the latter’s long-awaited £12.5bn takeover by its French rival EDF was agreed.
Independent 25th Sept 2008 more >>
What does a foreign takeover of British Energy mean for industry.
Independent 25th Sept 2008 more >>
Guardian 25th Sept 2008 more >>
The very idea that we should trust the future of nuclear power, one of Britain’s most strategic industries, to an overseas company is extraordinary enough. But what makes the £12.5 billion takeover of nuclear generator British Energy by Electricite de France (EDF) even more outrageous is that the buyer is 85 per cent owned by the French state.
Daily Mail 25th Sept 2008 more >>
New Nukes
THIS year’s Labour Party Conference at Manchester has seen a series of meetings and fringe events dedicated to advocating Britain’s nuclear renaissance.
Whitehaven News 24th Sept 2008 more >>
RWE, Europe’s fifth-largest utility, said on Wednesday it still remains interested in building new nuclear power stations in Britain.
Reuters 24th Sept 2008 more >>
EDF will build at least four super-size reactors. The Daily Mail has learned that it will cost £15billion to connect the new generation of nuclear power stations to the National Grid. This will involve building substations and replacing the cables running along pylon networks crossing some of the most beautiful parts of rural Britain. The cost of these new connections and constructing the nuclear power plants will be passed on to UK families through higher bills. However, future profits from the purchase will go across the Channel to France.
Daily Mail 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Evening Standard 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Nuclear Waste
COPELAND MP Jamie Reed has suggested a referendum over Copeland’s willingness to house the UK’s nuclear waste repository. Mr Reed told this week’s Labour Party Conference, in Manchester: “Nobody should assume a deep-storage repository for nuclear waste will be housed in Copeland.” Copeland MP Jamie Reed said his community “may or may not” want to house the waste and if they did not want it he would not be putting the area forward.
Whitehaven News 24th Sept 2008 more >>
NII
Many are worried that the government appears to have been “economical with the actualit ” about its efforts to recruit a sufficient number of nuclear inspectors. Dai Davies MP asked a number of questions over the summer of Malcolm Wicks, the energy minister, and was told it is making progress in recruiting staff following recruitment campaigns begun late last year and in April. Not a problem, the minister said. But no one has told Alistair Darling, because just a fortnight ago he informed the TUC that, despite his reluctance to pay more to public-sector workers, he may well have to throw cash at nuclear inspectors because too few people are applying.
Guardian 25th Sept 2008 more >>
Radhealth
New evidence of childhood leukaemia near nuclear power station, by Dr Ian Fairlie.
Medicine Conflict and Survival Vol 24, No.3 July – Sept 2008 more >>
NDA
The future is nuclear – Gordon said so. But still so many of us are wary. The challenge is, how do we get the people with us? How do we win hearts and minds? There is one model very much at work in Cumbria – home to Sellafield and the potential site for a nuclear waste facility – where the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority seems to be spending taxpayers’ money on “social” projects as if Christmas has come early. The authority has admitted to campaigners that £34m has been given to hospitals, colleges, wildlife and heritage groups. The local council has a staffer sponsored by the NDA, as does the trading initiative, Made in Cumbria. Money has been diverted to the University of Cumbria, a lifeboat appeal, footpaths, a harbour wall scheme and even to Citizens Advice – hard to scoff at £79,000. All perfectly legal. Some of it is admirable. But there are siren voices using phrases such as “slush fund”, “softening up”, and “buying off the opposition”. These things were ever prone to misinterpretation. We’ll never reach our nuclear destination if we listen to the cynics.
Guardian 11th Sept 2008 more >>
Turkey
Turkey suffered a setback in its efforts to reduce a costly dependence on energy imports on Wednesday, receiving just one bid in a tender to build the country’s first nuclear power plant. The 4,000-megawatt plant near Mersin on the Mediterranean coast is intended to be the first of three, aimed at averting power shortages and lessening reliance on natural gas imports from Russia and Iran.
FT 25th Sept 2008 more >>
Korea
North Korea has triggered a new crisis over its nuclear ambitions by expelling UN inspectors and pledging to resume plutonium reprocessing – a precursor to producing atomic weapons.
Guardian 25th Sept 2008 more >>
Independent 24th Sept 2008 more >>
BBC 24th Sept 2008 more >>
UAE
Bids have been submitted on schedule for the contract to manage the UAE’s nuclear power programme. However, it is unclear how many companies bid for the consultancy work when the bids were submitted on 7 September. The prospective bidders were Bechtel, CH2M Hill, Fluor with Sargent & Lundy, all of the US, UK-based PB Power, and Australia’s WorleyParsons. The contract is due to be awarded by the end of 2008.
Construction News 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Vanunu
An Israeli court on Tuesday halved a six-month sentence against nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, who spent 18 years in jail for divulging Israeli nuclear secrets.
Middle East Online 24th Sept 2008 more >>
Renewables
Wave technology invented in Scotland is powering Portuguese homes and making money for Portuguese suppliers, because our government has consistently neglected the renewables industry here in the UK.
Guardian 25th Sept 2008 more >>
