Nuclear Subsidy
Lord Mandelson, the former business secretary, todayclaimed the government had misled parliament after it claimed there had been no Treasury support for an 80m loan to Sheffield Forgemasters. He was speaking alongside the shadow business secretary, Pat McFadden, after the two men had spent more than an hour looking at papers in the business department relating to the planned Forgemasters loan. The loan was cancelled by the government in what is seen as a blow to a strategic UK industry.
Guardian 27th July 2010 more >>
LABOUR’S former business ministers yesterday urged the government to reconsider the withdrawal of an £80 million loan to a company to make parts for the nuclear industry after warning that the work could go to Japan or Korea. Former business secretary Lord Mandelson and Labour’s spokesman Pat McFadden spent an hour at the Business Department in London examining papers related to the Sheffield Forgemasters loan.
Scotsman 27th July 2010 more >>
Supply Chain
Frazer-Nash has been awarded a five-year framework contract and three work packages by Horizon Nuclear Power, the company aiming to develop and operate around 6,000MW of new nuclear power stations in Britain by 2025.
The Engineer 26th July 2010 more >>
EPR
Anti-nuclear activists are seeking to halt construction of France’s latest-generation nuclear power plant at Flamanville, on the Normandy coast, arguing that changes introduced to solve problems with the reactor’s fuel pellet cladding have invalidated the plant’s original building permit.
New York Times 26th July 2010 more >>
Areva still needs to convince the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that some aspects of the digital instrumentation and control systems for its EPR reactor design meet the regulator’s requirements.
World Nuclear News 26th July 2010 more >>
New Nukes
The anti-nuclear “dogma” of the Liberal Democrats is endangering a renaissance in atomic power which would create hundreds of jobs in Lancashire, a Labour leadership hopeful has claimed. Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband warned that the coalition government is sending “mixed signals” to the investors whose billions are needed to bankroll the construction of ten new nuclear power plants, including one in Heysham.
He voiced his concerns after the government revealed that a long-awaited National Policy Statement (NPS), which will pave the way for a new generation of nuclear power, will not be presented to Parliament until next spring – a delay of six months.
Lancashire Evening Post 26th July 2010 more >>
Quangos
Ministers have denied abandoning their green ambitions, despite abolishing nearly 40 environment and agriculture quangos. Most controversially, Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, is scrapping the Sustainable Development Commission, which advises the government on money-saving green initiatives. The Commission on Environmental Pollution, which has advised ministers for 40 years on issues ranging from nuclear power and chemicals in food, is also being abolished.
Independent 27th July 2010 more >>
Wylfa
HOLYHEAD has been through the wringer in recent years and the recession has hit the place hard. Last year, the town suffered a hammer blow with the closure of Anglesey Aluminium with 400 job losses and, earlier in the year, the shedding of around 300 jobs at Eaton Electric. Now townspeople must collectively keep their fingers crossed that Wylfa nuclear power station is rapidly replaced by a Wylfa B.
Daily Post 26th July 2010 more >>
Iran
Iran said today it was ready to return to talks on a nuclear fuel swap, a surprise that came shortly after the EU agreed tougher sanctions, including a block on oil and gas investment.
Guardian 27th July 2010 more >>
EU foreign ministers have today approved tighter sanctions on Iran’s economy in a bid to block its controversial nuclear programme.
Daily Mail 26th July 2010 more >>
Romania
The Romanian government will reduce its stake in EnergoNuclear, a joint venture to build two new units at the 1,400MW Cernavoda nuclear plant.
The Romanian government holds a 51pc stake in the project, with Czech utility Cez, France’s GDF Suez, Italy’s Enel, Spain’s Iberdrola, Germany’s RWE and steel company Arcelor Mittal also holding stakes.
Argus Media 26th July 2010 more >>
Trident
The costs of replacing the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system continue to fall under the spotlight as controversy grows over how the new coalition government will fund its pledge to replace Trident.
Nuclear Information Service July/August Newsletter 2010 more >>
Energy Efficiency
When the Empire State Building was opened on 1 May 1931, having been designed in two weeks and built in an astonishing 15 months, it instantly became a symbol of human fortitude in the face of the Great Depression. Now its current owners are attempting to reinvent it for the modern era by turning it into a green building symbolising human ingenuity in the face of inertia. Its owners today unveiled new, environmentally friendly plans for the art deco building that stands on Manhattan’s 34th Street and Fifth Avenue. By the end of this year, most of the work will have been completed in a $13m (8.4m) investment designed to improve its energy efficiency, with the larger aim of providing a model that could spread across America and around the world.
Guardian 27th July 2010 more >>
