New Nukes
Vincent de Rivaz: Your leader column claims that the “nuclear renaissance” does not make sense on financial grounds. However, there is a growing collation of support among the public, politicians of the main parties, industry, scientists and regulators, who recognise nuclear is needed as part of the answer to keep the lights on and tackle climate change. It is simply wrong to assert that “huge cost overruns” and “massive government bailouts” are inevitable. Claims that nuclear has been subsidised in the past, so must be in the future, fail to recognise that the world has moved on. Britain faces a serious power shortage if it does not invest massively. At the same time we need to reform the energy market to produce energy which is secure and affordable, and low carbon.
Guardian 27th Oct 2009 more >>
Construction group Carillion has signed a partnership agreement with French firm Eiffage that will see the two companies work together on various nuclear engineering jobs in the UK. The companies will join forces to build new pressurised water reactors to replace the existing fleet
Career Engineer 26th Oct 2009 more >>
Construction News 26th Oct 2009 more >>
Building 27th Oct 2009 more >>
Accusations that UK Ministers have been ‘cavalier’ and ‘cherry-picked’ advice to bolster the case for new nuclear power stations while ignoring the unsolved problem of how to deal with radioactive waste from existing plants have been highlighted by the SNP. SNP Westminster Energy spokesperson, Mike Weir MP, said the accusations by former senior government advisers, Gordon MacKerron, previously chair of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, and Peter Wilkinson, exposed the UK Government’s flawed nuclear plans.
SNP Press Release 26th Oct 2009 more >>
Regulatory work continues on licensing reactors for new build in the UK, while companies prepare for partnerships and call for targets. The latest report from the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process is on schedule for completion in June 2011. At that time, it is hoped that both Areva’s EPR and Westinghouse’s AP1000 will gain GDA approval for build and preliminary work could start towards that goal. However, progress depends on good cooperation between the HSE and the reactor vendors.
World Nuclear News 26th Oct 2009 more >>
Wylfa
In Wales, discussions continue over the future of the Wylfa plant on Anglesey and whether it should be the site for a new reactor. The debate intensified this weekend with the Wylfa facility used as the platform for the latest round of policy announcements in the Welsh Labour leadership race.
Wales Home 26th Oct 2009 more >>
Energy Costs
Plans put forward by the Green Fiscal Commission (GFC), a Government-supported think tank, would see the tax on gas and electricity rise every year. By 2020, the new levy would amount to 80 per cent of the cost of the average gas bill and 30 per cent of the average electricity bill. The tax forms part of a £150 billion package of proposed measures, including a tripling of fuel duty over the next decade and a tax of up to £3,300 on new cars. The GFC says that the scheme is essential to shifting Britain onto a lower carbon lifestyle and meeting international targets on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Telegraph 27th Oct 2009 more >>
Iran
Iran is considering whether to accept a U.N. deal for it to send potential nuclear fuel abroad for processing, the first official indication that Tehran could respond positively to the outline agreement. The remark by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was the most positive yet from a senior Iranian official and hinted at a shift in backroom debate between hardliners and moderates in the faction-ridden Iranian leadership on whether to accept the deal.
Herald 27th Oct 2009 more >>
Telegraph 27th Oct 2009 more >>
Romania
Environmental group Greenpeace won a court case in Romania on Monday that could force the authorities there to make public a list of potential locations for the construction of a nuclear plant. The economy ministry must “communicate the requested information to the claimant,” a ruling published on the Bucharest court’s website said.
AFP 26th Oct 2009 more >>
Israel
LEADER Muammar Gaddafi today said that the Palestinians should be allowed to have nuclear weapons if the world does not act to disarm Israel of its arsenal.
Glasgow Evening Times 26th Oct 2009 more >>
Nuclear Weapons
Empress Michiko of Japan has called for “a world free of nuclear weapons” and praised President Obama’s moves towards nuclear disarmament.
Telegraph 26th Oct 2009 more >>
Scottish Efficiency
Cutting climate change pollution from Scottish homes could create or secure 10,000 jobs, a study has suggested. The Association for the Conservation of Energy also found that meeting Scottish government targets would provide a £4bn boost for the economy. Ministers want to reduce pollution from Scottish homes by 42% by 2020. The report says that would require 1.5m energy efficient boilers, 1.8m solar panels, 2.2m draft proofing strips and 1.5m insulation packages. The combined cost of such measures would be about £13.4bn in addition to current investment plans, it estimated. But this would boost the economy by £4bn and create or safeguard 10,200 jobs over the 10 years to 2020.
BBC 27th Oct 2009 more >>
Coal
Fossil fuel protesters occupied Didcot power station early yesterday morning, forcing it to switch electricity generation from coal power to gas as a safety precaution. The protesters, who range in age from 19-50 and belong to no named group, said they planned to occupy the Oxfordshire station for up to a week and could escalate their action by occupying the inside of one of the flues.
Guardian 27th Oct 2009 more >>
Climate
Lord Stern, author of the 2006 Stern Review on the cost of tackling global warming, predicts that eating meat could in the future become as socially unacceptable as drink driving. Livestock farming has come under fire in recent years from environmental campaigners because methane from cattle and pigs is a significant source of greenhouse gases.
Telegraph 27th Oct 2009 more >>
Times 27th Oct 2009 more >>
