New Nukes
China is poised to take a multi-billion pound stake in the building of a nuclear power plant in Somerset with French energy giant EDF. Secret talks are understood to have been taking place for weeks between the two, with the Chinese considering a 20 per cent share in the venture. British Gas owner Centrica already has a 20 per cent stake in EDFs nuclear business, which plans to replace the power station at Hinkley Point, Somerset.
This is Money 7th Oct 2012 more >>
If the three consortiums that are planning to develop new reactors cannot even rely on the UK to find a dumping ground for radioactive waste, then there may be no future for the new nuclear programme. The most committed company to the nuclear programme is France’s EDF Energy. What is less certain is the willingness of British Gas’ parent Centrica, the only British company left within the three groups. EDF is known to have drawn up a “plan B” should Centrica pull out, which could happen when the Government finalises a nuclear market rate band later this year. EDF is in talks with two Chinese energy giants about selling them a stake in Hinkley, a move that would spread some of the risk of the project particularly if Centrica does decide to pull out. France’s Areva pulled out of bidding for Horizon at the last minute, fuelling reports that the process was in disarray. However, a source close to that sale insists the consortium would have been the weakest of the three, with Guangdong far more eager to take that stake in Hinkley Point. The two remaining ventures are led by Japanese rivals Hitachi and Toshiba, though there have been questions over the latter’s financing for the bid. Last week there was a seemingly well-sourced report that Iberdrola was planning to pull-out of NuGen, which the Spanish group has since denied. Whitehall mandarins are taking this denial at face value and industry insiders are, in fact, more concerned that Iberdrola’s partner, GDF Suez, might eventually be the one which chooses not to proceed.
Independent 7th Oct 2012 more >>
The Government is considering ways of underwriting risk in the construction of new UK nuclear plants, the energy minister John Hayes has said. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Hayes played down fears over the state of the UKs nuclear ambitions, and suggested that Chinese investors may yet have a role – despite two Chinese corporations failing to bid as expected for the Horizon nuclear venture. there have been concerns over the price EDF may demand and who will bear the risk of cost overruns, with suggestions the government may have to. Mr Hayes said: There are issues around underwriting risk. Its an argument thats been put up many times by people from outside government. Thats something I will certainly look at and I do think theres an argument for considering how you imbue the market with sufficient investor confidence to get to where you want to go.
Telegraph 6th Oct 2012 more >>
A set of negotiations that have the ability to swipe tens of billions out of the public purse and into private coffers. Chinese investors may be about to pick up part of the tab for building some of our new nuclear power stations, but this is not out of the goodness of their hearts. French energy group EDF, in partnership with British Gas owner Centrica, has been embroiled in long negotiations with the Government over what will effectively be a subsidy to help them cover the huge building costs of these new generators. The Government is worried that unless we get these plants built and quickly there is a real chance that the lights will go out. But some of the numbers now being talked about in terms of price guarantees for the energy giants are astronomical. The highly regarded Supporters of Nuclear Energy group has calculated that, after building costs have been paid, the firms will coin a cool £4 billion a year in profits. And these power stations are expected to run for 50 years or so. That is an awful lot of our money likely to find its way into the pockets of EDF and Centrica. Certainly, the Governments negotiating position is not strong. Despite a belief that, should push come to shove, we could throw up a load of gas-fired power stations to cover any gap, there is still a conviction in Whitehall that we will be in severe trouble unless these nuclear plants are built.
This is Money 7th Oct 2012 more >>
Letter: James Meek gives a good deal of space in his piece on electricity privatisation to the governments nuclear energy policy, but says too little about renewable energy (LRB, 13 September). Until about seven years ago, the Labour governments electricity policies were mainly focused on renewable energy sources, but in 2005, Tony Blair announced that nuclear energy was back with a vengeance. The coalition is following in Labours footsteps. The purported reason is the need to reduce carbon emissions, but this rationale does not stand up to scrutiny. For a start, nuclear power is not carbon-free. Meek alludes to this when he says that the reactors are carbon-free once theyre up and running. Uranium mining, uranium milling, fuel enrichment, fuel manufacture, waste treatment and so on are carbon-intensive, however. The best that can be said from various life-cycle analyses is that nuclear energy is relatively low-carbon. More important, Meeks postulated four new nuclear reactors would hardly make a dent in Britains carbon emissions, as shown by the 2006 report on nuclear power by the Sustainable Development Commission. They would perhaps address between 2 and 4 per cent of UK CO2 emissions: contrary to what many people think, electricity generation is simply not a large contributor to our carbon emissions.
London Reviw of Books 11th Oct 2012 more >>
Hinkley
Anti-nuclear campaigners have set up a camp at Hinkley Point in Somerset as a base for a weekend of action.
BBC 6th Oct 2012 more >>
BBC 6th Oct 2012 more >>
ITV News 6th Oct 2012 more >>
ITV News 6th Oct 2012 more >>
ITV News 6th Oct 2012 more >>
Anti-nuclear campaigners from all over Britain are converging on Somerset today for a mass rally to be followed on Monday by a mass trespass at the proposed site of the Hinkley C nuclear power station. Today hundreds of protesters are due to help to wheel symbolic barrels of radioactive waste through the streets of nearby Bridgwater.
Western Daily Press 6th Oct 2012 more >>
Radwaste
A delay in deciding whether Cumbria should remain in the running to house a new nuclear dump may still not be long enough. Allerdale, Copeland and Cumbria County councils this week said that to defer until January a decision about if they should allow detailed studies and investigations about potential locations to take place. The organisation that represents town and parish councils in Cumbria is one of the opponents to the scheme, arguing the prospects of finding a suitable site did not justify the search. Cumbria Association of Local Councils (CALC) has welcomed holding off committing to the next stage of the search as clarity is sought from the Department for Energy and Climate Change on a string of issues.
Carlisle News & Star 6th Oct 2012 more >>
NW Evening Mail 6th Oct 2012 more >>
Finland
Finnish nuclear consortium Fennovoima may choose Japan’s Toshiba reactor over Areva’s for its nuclear plant in northern Finland as Toshiba’s cooling system is better.
Reuters 5th Oct 2012 more >>
Depleted Uranium
Lessons learned from military field manuals on depleted uranium and how to move forward for civilian protection norms.
ICBUW 2nd Oct 2012 more >>
Nuclear Weapons
ALEX Salmond plans to draft a new constitution for an independent Scotland which explicitly bans nuclear weapons from the country. The move is an attempt to reassure those in the SNP who doubt that Trident can be removed from the Clyde for good. If Scots vote Yes in 2014, the nation’s founding constitutional document will include a clause declaring weapons of mass destruction illegal on Scottish soil and in Scottish territorial waters. The ban would give the Scottish Government extra leverage in negotiations with London and the US on Trident, as refusal to remove the submarines and warheads from Faslane and Coulport would be regarded as a breach of sovereignty and provoke international condemnation.
Sunday Herald 7th Oct 2012 more >>
