Hinkley
Britain won EU approval for a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point on Wednesday, allowing the government to commit to 35 years of financial support for Europe’s biggest and most controversial infrastructure project. Formal state aid approval from the European Commission, on the condition of some minimal revisions, came after an deeply divided debate that saw EU Commissioners from at least five countries voice objections to the plan. At least five commissioners raised concerns ahead of the college meeting on Wednesday, including Connie Hedegaard, the climate commissioner, and Janez Potocnik, who holds the environment brief. Austria’s Johannes Hahn, the regional policy commissioner, expressed outright objections to the plan and Vienna is preparing a legal suit against the project. Günther Oettinger, the current energy commissioner from Germany, was pivotal to the scheme winning approval. In line with German policy on nuclear energy, Mr Oettinger expressed reservations, but officials involved in the discussions said they were not pursued in a manner that would have derailed approval for the deal. Crucially for EDF, there has been no change to the “strike price” of the 35-year contract for difference, which guarantees a minimum revenue for low carbon power generators. Campaigners attacked the decision. Andrea Carta, Greenpeace’s EU legal adviser, said: “This is a world record sell-out to the nuclear industry at the expense of taxpayers and the environment. It’s such a distortion of competition rules that the Commission has left itself exposed to legal challenges. This is a bad plan for everyone except EDF.”
FT 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Nick Butler: The obvious losers are the UK’s consumers who are trapped into paying a price for electricity that is double the current wholesale price for 35 years after the plant starts up. The deal will go down in history, alongside the privatisation of the Royal Mail, as an example of the inability of the British government – ministers and civil servants alike – to negotiate complex commercial deals. The phrase “rolled over” will enter the French language and be accompanied always with a Gallic smile. Still, one should recognise talent and so chapeau to the French negotiators. It is not clear, however, whether EDF can be classified as a winner. Although it ably made the argument that nuclear is safe and relatively clean, the French utility has lost public confidence by doubling the price of electricity from that quoted to the last government without properly and publicly explaining its decision. There is also the non-trivial problem of construction. The two European pressurised reactors that are currently being built in Europe – in Finland and at Flamanville in France – are years behind schedule and billions of euros over budget. Can an EPR be built under European regulatory standards? No one knows. I hope there is no clause within the current agreement to suggest that the UK consumer will pick up any part of the additional bills if things go wrong at Hinkley Point. Can Areva, which is in deep trouble, fund its 10 per cent share? And on what terms will the Chinese sign up? Will they, as has been widely reported, insist that they own and operate the next nuclear station to be built in the UK? A clear and precise public statement of the agreement would be very welcome. The nuclear energy industry as a whole is a loser as things stand. With the prices of oil, coal and natural gas falling, nuclear has a limited future if this is the best price point the industry can offer. The deal carries the air of being the last hurrah of an old order within which energy deals were done on the assumption of ever-rising prices.
FT 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The outgoing European Commission has just given the UK’s controversial Hinkley C nuclear project the go-ahead, writes Paul Dorfman – approving a deal that will cost the UK public tens of billions of pounds. But now the deal faces a legal challenge in the European Court of Justice. Given there’s only so much money to go round, if nuclear power is allowed to grab a huge share of the European energy finance pot, that will seriously diminish the funds available to develop the renewable energy revolution.At least we now know that this is indeed a subsidy paid for by public money. The UK Government had contrived a position, by which they argued that the support for Hinkley C would not be a subsidy if it was also available to other low carbon technologies, including of course renewables. But the subsidies the UK is determined to dole out with such largesse to EDF are not available to renewable energy. In particular renewable energy support contracts typically last for 15 or 20 years – compared to the 35-year contract on offer to EDF. A number high-level energy sector people and I are working with a large set of pan-EU and pan-UK energy associations, corporations and small companies who will be significantly – and negatively – affected by this decision. We are convinced that this state aid will distort the UK and pan-EU energy market, and that, in any case, subsidies should not be provided to a mature technology like nuclear power – a point argued by the Commission argued in its original report. We now intend to join Austria and press a legal challenge through the EU Court of Justice. In consultation with our legal team we have identified key criteria that will allow us to challenge the legality of this decision.
Ecologist 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The European Commission has found revised UK plans to subsidise the construction and operation of a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset to be in line with EU state aid rules. During the in-depth investigation the UK has agreed to significantly modify the terms of the project financing. As a result, the state aid provided will remain proportionate to the objective pursued, avoiding any undue distortions of competition in the Single Market. The modifications also reduce UK citizens’ financial contribution to the project.
EC Press Release 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The Stop Hinkley Campaign has expressed its extreme disappointment that the European Commission has today decided to approve subsidies of up to £17.6 billion to EDF Energy to build two new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset. Stop Hinkley Spokesperson Allan Jeffrey said: “This deal is clearly illegal under European law; it will saddle UK consumers with the bill for paying huge subsidies for decades, and yet there are more cost effective and safer ways of providing low carbon electricity or not using the energy in the first place. It is mind boggling how the UK government managed to convince the Commissioners to go along with this crazy plan without even the pretence of a competitive process.”
Stop Hinkley 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The European Commission has for the first time cleared a plan for taxpayers to heavily subsidise the construction of a nuclear power plant in the EU. Two new reactors at Hinkley Point, in the United Kingdom, will receive up to €20 billion in subsidies, making Hinkley one of the most expensive power plants in the world. Reacting to the decision, Greenpeace EU legal adviser Andrea Carta said: “This is a world record sell-out to the nuclear industry at the expense of taxpayers and the environment. It’s such a distortion of competition rules that the Commission has left itself exposed to legal challenges. There is absolutely no legal, moral or environmental justification in turning taxes into guaranteed profits for a nuclear power company whose only legacy will be a pile of radioactive waste. This is a bad plan for everyone except EDF.” The Austrian government has signalled it would challenge the Commission decision at the European Court of Justice
Greenpeace EU Unit 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The first new nuclear power station in a generation has moved an important step closer, as the European Commission announced that it has approved the Hinkley Point C State aid case. The Government and EDF are continuing to work together to finalise the Hinkley project, including the full terms of the Contract for Difference and the financing arrangements for the project, which includes support from the UK Guarantee. “This is an important next step on the road to Britain’s first new nuclear power station in a generation. While there is much work still to do before a final contract can be signed, today’s announcement is a boost to our efforts to ensure Britain has secure, affordable low carbon electricity in the 2020s. After a thorough, detailed and independent analysis of our proposed project with EDF, this decision shows the European Commission agrees that this is a good deal for consumers and enables us now to proceed to the next stage.”
DECC 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Today’s decision by the European Commission to approve the Hinkley Point C State aid case is a significant step in the project and a big vote of confidence for our electricity market reforms. It is also a welcome endorsement of Member States’ rights to determine their own energy mix and in the UK it means a reduction in our emissions by 9 million tonnes of CO2 per year, helping to meet climate targets. For the first time, a nuclear power station will be built in this country without money from the British taxpayer but at a competitive rate for industry. Today’s decision should give confidence to new nuclear investors that the same benefits can be realised at the other four new nuclear sites planned for the UK. We will continue to push for a fair deal for consumers and industry so that we can successfully build and operate five new nuclear power stations that will help us achieve secure, reliable and low-carbon energy by contributing around 40% of our electricity supply, and create outstanding opportunities for the UK economy.
DECC 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The UK’s first new nuclear power station to be built in nearly 20 years is set to go ahead at the Hinkley Point C site following a long-awaited approval from the European Commission over the government’s funding plans for the project. The project could still face legal challenges from EU ministers opposed to supporting mature nuclear technology, but the success of Hinkley in navigating the EU state-aid rules is expected to provide a litmus test for the future of new nuclear investment across Europe.
Utility Week 8th Oct 2014 read more »
BBC 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Molly Scott Cato MEP “In waving through the massively problematic Hinkley C deal, the outgoing Barroso-led EU Commission is giving a cynical boost to nuclear power. There can be no doubt that the generous terms being offered by the UK government to EDF on Hinkley C amounts to illegal state aid under EU rules. It is a scandal that one of the final acts of the Barroso Commission is to turn a blind eye to the illegality of the Hinkley deal as some kind of quid pro quo for Germany’s renewable energy support scheme. The tragic irony is that this deal, and the precedent it creates, is a massive setback for renewable energy in the UK, with small producers unable to compete on these terms.”
European Green 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for the South West, has pledged to continue the fight against a new nuclear power station at Hinkley, following agreement by the out-going Barroso Commission on a controversial financial deal. Today’s decision by the Commission will not be the last word. The European Commission cannot be allowed to clear the path for further exorbitant public spending on this dated and dangerous technology, when we should be promoting a safe and sustainable energy future for Europe. Greens will fully support any legal challenges that may now present themselves.”
Molly Scott Cato 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The European Commission has approved plans for the UK to finance a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset, after the government agreed to tweak support levels in order to deliver a fairer deal to taxpayers. The College of Commissioners today voted 16 to five in favour of the £16bn project, with one abstention and six commissioners absent. The scheme required 15 votes in favour to move forward. The decision could also be open to a legal challenge from Austria, which has banned nuclear power from its energy mix. According to news agency Reuters, Austria’s chancellor and vice-chancellor sent a letter to the Commission President warning that it was preparing to take the Commission to the European Court of Justice if it approved the project. Green groups have also reacted angrily to the decision over safety fears and cast doubt over the fairness of the decision. Greenpeace EU legal adviser Andrea Carta said the Commission had “sold out to the nuclear industry at the expense of taxpayers and the environment”. “It’s such a distortion of competition rules that the Commission has left itself exposed to legal challenges,” she added. “There is absolutely no legal, moral or environmental justification in turning taxes into guaranteed profits for a nuclear power company whose only legacy will be a pile of radioactive waste. This is a bad plan for everyone except EDF.” But Tom Greatrex MP, Labour’s Shadow Energy Minister, welcomed the decision, arguing that nuclear power would be crucial to deliver its pledge to decarbonise the power sector by 2030. “The Commission’s decision emphasises the delivery of value for the consumer, and serves as a reminder to the Government that transparency and accountability are important principles,” he said. “As they and EDF move towards finalising decisions on Hinkley, we will hold the government to account on the assurances they gave while the Energy Act was going through Parliament that new nuclear deals will be subject to thorough scrutiny to ensure value for money.”
Business Green 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Renewable energy insiders and green groups have reacted angrily to the European Commission’s decision to approve UK support for the construction of two new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point, after it emerged costs could climb to £24.5bn. The construction costs, which are far higher than the £16bn estimated by the UK government and developer EDF Energy, would be enough to fund 7GW of new offshore wind farms compared to the 3.3GW that Hinkley will deliver, according to industry estimates.
Business Green 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The European Commission has estimated Hinkley Point C will have construction costs of £24.5bn, significantly more than first thought at £16bn. EDF had originally put the cost at £16bn, of which £14bn was expected for construction and £2bn for development. It is understood the £24.5bn relates to the overall financing pay-back cost, with EDF Energy due to make a statement on the issue later today. Modifications to the financing package offered by UK authorities have been cited as a key reason for the EC to grant state aid approval. The EC said the fee for a UK Guarantee to be provided by Treasury, and first revealed by Construction News, was “significantly raised” reducing the subsidy by more than £1m with an equivalent gain for the Treasury. The Austrian government will launch a legal challenge to the EC decision, it confirmed today. It will bring an action before the European Court of Justice. In a statement, it said that Hinkley Point C set a “bad precedent” as guaranteed feed-in tariffs had been reserved for renewable energy.
Construction News 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The European Commission today gave the go-ahead for the UK government to subsidise the building of two new nuclear reactors. The decision is something of a U-turn for the commission, which outlined a range of objections to the deal late last year. It’s hard to know exactly what went on behind the scenes over the last 10 months, but the commission claims two changes to the Hinkley deal were enough to get it to change its mind. The commission originally said the UK government hadn’t forced EDF to agree to pay enough money back if the Hinkley plant was more profitable than expected. The government agreed to tweak the agreement earlier this month, and seems to have won the commission round. The commission also forced the UK government to raise the fee it will charge EDF in return for guaranteeing the loans the company needs to take out to build the plant. This should cut the subsidy by around £1 billion and cut EDF’s profits by 0.3 per cent, the commission says. while today’s decision means the government and EDF have cleared a significant hurdle, it’s certainly not the final one. Among others, EDF now faces the not-inconsiderable challenge of actually getting the plant built. EDF currently has an agreement only “in principle” from Areva, and a number of Chinese firms. EDF has previously said it couldn’t make a final investment decision until the commission made its state aid announcement and outside investment was confirmed. Bringing the project in on time and budget will also be a challenge. Many new nuclear plants across Europe have taken longer and cost more to build than was originally anticipated. The European Commission today said it thought Hinkley could cost as much as £24 billion to construct, once financing costs and inflation were included. That’s a considerable hike from the UK government’s original £16 billion estimate. So there are still some significant stumbling blocks before a the UK’s new nuclear era can be said to have begun in earnest.
Carbon Brief 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Many Thanks to Everyone who Wrote to the EU commissioners – Thanks to YOU the Vote was lost by only two votes which now gives impetus to future legal challenges and activism against this outrageous decision which completely overturns their original resolve not to agree state aid.
Radiation Free Lakeland 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The NFLA has been in touch with its European partners in the Vienna-based Cities for a Nuclear Free Europe (CNFE), who are similarly deeply disappointed with this decision. CNFE and NFLA welcome the announcement of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the Austrian Government that it will make a legal challenge to the Commission’s decision at the European Court of Justice. A legal challenge is likely to take around a year to be heard. NFLA has written to the Irish Government to urge it to support an Austrian legal challenge. It will be writing to the Irish European Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, querying her position on the Commission‟s decision, given the Irish Government’s long-standing opposition to nuclear power.
NFLA 8th Oct 2014 read more »
EDF believes the project will cost £16bn but the EC claimed construction costs alone by the time the plant is built in 2023 will be more than £24bn with a further possible £10bn of contingency payments. But Austrian chancellor, Werner Faymann, said Hinkley set a “bad precedent” because guaranteed payments had previously been reserved for renewable forms of energy such as wind and solar. He said Austria was opposing the commission decision on economic and environmental grounds, saying nuclear power was not a sustainable form of energy, was a mature technology and was not an option for combating climate change. Nick Butler, a former No 10 energy adviser, said the whole subsidy arrangement was a mistake that would punish consumers and should be investigated by parliament’s public accounts committee. “The deal will go down in history, alongside the privatisation of the Royal Mail, as an example of the inability of the British government – ministers and civil servants alike – to negotiate complex commercial deals,” he wrote in a blog for the FT.com.
Guardian 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Britain is in desperate need of a more rational energy policy. We need plentiful, secure supplies at the cheapest possible cost. There is no doubt that EDF’s proposed nuclear plant at Hinkley Point, which was given a provisional green light by the EU on Wednesday, will help when it comes to security. But it will merely further push up energy prices, hitting consumers and companies that can ill-afford it. It turns out that the plant, to be located in Somerset, will cost at least £24.5bn to build, the EU regulators disclosed as they gave state aid approval. This is a massive figure and is far larger than before, partly because it correctly includes interest costs which had been excluded from previous estimates.
Telegraph 8th Oct 2014 read more »
When EDF Energy and the government announced the project last October, the construction cost was put at £16 billion. It has emerged that fter adding financing costs, such as paying interest on debts and other unspecified expenses, the bill would rise to £24.5 billion. The commission admitted that in a “worst case” scenario, the total cost of what will be Europe’s largest infrastructure project could hit as much as £34 billion, if the project suffered huge cost overruns and delays similar to those its parent company is experiencing in the construction of a new reactor at Flamanville, in France. Austria will launch an 18-month long appeal to the European Court of Justice against the deal, although this will not stop EDF Energy formally signing off on the project at the turn of the year. Preparatory work has begun on the site with construction expected to be finished by 2023. Peter Atherton, the analyst at Liberum Capital who had described the subsidy package at Hinkley Point as “economically insane”, said that he had not changed his position. “I do not take any comfort from this as a consumer,” he said.
Times 9th Oct 2014 read more »
Policy makers and energy executives elsewhere are closely watching Hinkley Point as a test case of whether new nuclear plants can be built in the West given the high costs and the environmental risks. The Hinkley Point project is running years behind schedule, with mounting costs. Centrica, a British utility, walked away last year from its 20 percent share in the project, citing frustration over delays and costs. To share in the costs, EDF has said it wants to bring in two Chinese state-backed companies, the China General Nuclear Corporation and the China National Nuclear Corporation, and, potentially, other investors. Despite the problems, other nuclear providers from around the world are eyeing Britain as a potential market. Toshiba and Hitachi of Japan have been studying British projects, while EDF is also contemplating building another plant on Britain’s east coast at Sizewell. But how many new plants will be built in Britain or other European countries now considering such a move — including Hungary, Lithuania and Poland — remains a big question. A few countries voted against the decision. That includes Austria, which opposes the use of nuclear power and is threatening to go to court to try to block Hinkley Point. “Any other countries in the E.U. that want nuclear power will take heart from this decision,” said Antony Froggatt, a nuclear analyst at Chatham House, a London-based research organization. Mark Johnston, a senior adviser to the European Policy Center, a research organization in Brussels, said the opposition to the Hinkley Point decision by a number of countries, which appeared to include Austria, Denmark, Slovenia and Luxembourg, showed that skepticism about the project had different strands. “Austria is against nuclear power, full stop,” said Mr. Johnston. “But some of the others don’t like the idea that market disciplines are broken to fund nuclear construction, while others may worry that fewer emissions in Britain will just make coal cheaper for other parts of Europe like Poland, and do little to reduce greenhouse gases overall.”
New York Times 8th Oct 2014 read more »
The news means the Government can press ahead with a whole wave of new reactors, such as Oldbury in Gloucestershire and Anglesey in Wales.
Independent 9th Oct 2014 read more »
BBC 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Telegraph 8th Oct 2014 read more »
EDF
EDF Energy has launched its latest panel review and will keep its new roster for three years, replacing its current two-year panel system. Current UK panel firms Baker & McKenzie, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Pinsent Masons and Squire Sanders are all expected to go up for the review with sources saying the new roster was likely to be smaller than the current panel, put in place at the start of 2013.
The Lawyer 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Sizewell
Campaigners for an east Suffolk relief road have called for a “major shake up” to ensure their demands are not left by the wayside.
East Anglian Daily Times 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Wylfa
Concerns have been raised about building pylons across the island for a new nuclear power station but the power provider say undersea cables may not be the best option.
Daily Post 7th Oct 2014 read more »
Hunterston
Claims by British company EDF Energy that cracks inside one of reactor cores at Hunterston B were safe, are “overly reassuring” and the reasons for the cracking and any associated risk remain unknown, one of the world’s leading nuclear safety experts told RIA Novosti on Tuesday. John Large told RIA Novosti, “I disagree with the somewhat overly reassuring opinions of [EDF Energy] and I note that this cracking has to be taken into account with a number of other graphite degradation processes and outcomes, particularly the graphite mass loss via radiolysis.” Large said the issue was not a new one, and said he first studied and reported on the problem in 2006. His conclusions, which were later backed by the nuclear safety regulator, Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), were that the processes leading to the cracking were not fully understood. In the wake of Large’s 2006 report, the ONR noted, “…if there are no historical data to indicate how degradation develops with time there is, I believe, an increased likelihood of increased risk should we agree to continued operation.” “The main area of concern in 2006 was the difficulty in locating cracked bricks,” Large told RIA Novosti. “This is because of the limited time during a servicing outage to access all of the fuel and control rod channels – about 240 in total – that pierce through the core and the fact that the cracking develops on the outer face keyway locality which is not directly accessible from within the channel.” “So whereas only one or two cracks might be actually detected, this presence of these cracks is a clear indication that other cracks have developed and exist but which are beyond detection,” Large added.
RIA Novosti 7th Oct 2014 read more »
Dounreay
An investigation is to take place after a small fire at a nuclear plant. The alarm was raised at about 1.30am yesterday at Dounreay in Caithness. Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) said the fire occurred in the Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) sodium tank farm. The fire was extinguished by Dounreay Fire Brigade and the area confirmed to be safe within 30 minutes. No-one was hurt.
Herald 8th Oct 2014 read more »
BBC 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Waste Transport
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was “closely monitoring” the incident. He said: “Most people, like me, may not be comfortable with the idea of a vessel carrying nuclear waste waiting for a weather window to sail through our waters. “While these vessels are built to cope with extreme weather, if they break down they drift and that is a fact we have to think about here. “It is a serious incident and I think we need to review how we regulate the transportation of nuclear waste in our waters. That is the responsibility of the Office of Nuclear Regulation and I will be speaking to UK ministers about it.” WWF Scotland, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and SNP MSP Rob Gibson have raised concerns about radioactive waste being transported by sea.
BBC 8th Oct 2014 read more »
STV 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP Rob Gibson has called for answers after the ship’s radioactive material sparked the evacuation of the oil platform. The SNP MSP said: “This incident underlines the risks associated with transporting radioactive material by sea and raises a series of questions about how this sequence of events occurred. “Why was the vessel and its dangerous cargo allowed to set sail during hazardous sea conditions and what caused the fire to break out? I will be seeking answers in Parliament on these key questions.
Scottish Energy News 9th Oct 2014 read more »
Contentious plans by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to ship some 26 tonnes of‘ exotic’ nuclear materials (irradiated and unirradiated plutonium and highly enriched uranium fuels) from Dounreay to Sellafield have moved a major step closer following recent sea and port trials in Scottish waters undertaken by the NDA’s ship Oceanic Pintail which is based at Barrow-in-Furness.
CORE 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Calls have been made for a safety review after a blaze on a cargo ship carrying radioactive waste forced the evacuation of a North Sea oil platform. The Danish ship, MV Parida, suffered a fire in one of its funnels on Tuesday evening and the crew shut down the engines as they tried to carry out repairs. It began drifting in the Moray Firth towards the Beatrice oil platform, operated by Ithaca Energy, which was shut down and evacuated as a precaution. Richard Lochhead said “Presently, the Scottish Government does not have control over the transportation of radioactive waste or what happens with ships in incidents like this that occur in Scottish waters – all we can currently do is monitor the situation. I will be raising this issue with Baroness Verma to ask expressly that the relevant powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.” The Parida was transporting Belgian waste back to Belgium after collecting it from Dounreay nuclear plant in Caithness where it had been reprocessed. Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) said it is the lowest form of waste and had been cemented in six 500 litre drums. Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland, said: ”T his incident highlights the problems of dealing with the hazardous and expensive radioactive mess that the nuclear industry always leaves in its wake. ”Given all the severe weather warnings, questions need asked as to why a vessel carrying radioactive material was at sea at all.”
Daily Mail 9th Oct 2014 read more »
CAMPAIGNERS have called for a halt to all plans to transport nuclear products by sea following a fire on board a Danish ship which then drifted towards an oil rig causing it to be evacuated. The MV Parida, which had left Scrabster harbour, Caithness, in poor weather conditions, was carrying nuclear waste from Dounreay when a fire broke out in one of its funnels. The threat of the ship being swept on to the Beatrice production platform off the Caithness coast in the early hours of Tuesday morning was deemed serious enough for the evacuation of all the rig’s 52 personnel. The vessel was carrying two flasks each holding three 500-litre drums of intermediate level waste which had were being taken from Dounreay to Antwerp, Belgium. Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland said the incident was a clear warning not to transport the more dangerous Dounreay “exotics” (nuclear fuels) to Sellafield in Cumbria by sea, as is currently being considered. He said: “This latest incident highlights the problems of dealing with the hazardous and expensive radioactive mess that the nuclear industry always leaves in its wake. Given all the severe weather warnings, questions need asked as to why a vessel carrying radioactive material was at sea at all. This should act as a wake-up call to the bosses at Dounreay.” He said any plans to ship the ‘exotics’ to Cumbria by sea must be sent back to the drawing board. Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL), who are conducting the decommissioning of the Dounreay site, confirmed that another vessel, The Oceanic Pintail, was in the Pentland Firth last week undergoing trials to see if sea transport is a viable option for taking “exotics” to Sellafield. These contain unirradiated highly-enriched uranium; unirradiated plutonium and irradiated fuels.
Herald 9th Oct 2014 read more »
Rob Gibson, the Highland MSP, said: “Why was this vessel allowed to sail from Scrabster in dangerous sea conditions? How seaworthy is the ship for sailing in such conditions?” Highlands Against Nuclear Transport (HANT) said the incident was a warning about transporting radioactive cargoes by sea. Campaigners want to stop a proposed trial involving shipping other nuclear waste from Dounreay to Sellafield, in Cumbria. They have said there are serious risks in navigating rough seas around Cape Wrath and the Minch, especially after the withdrawal of a coastguard rescue tug at Stornoway. Tor Justad, the chairman of HANT and a former merchant navy officer, said: “This incident highlights the need to stop these shipments. The waste should be stored at Dounreay and should not be moved by sea or rail. It would also [create] jobs at Dounreay.” Angus Campbell, the leader of the Western Isles Council, said the Parida incident highlighted the need for a second coastguard tug in the Minch. “A ship in similar circumstances on the west coast would be reliant on the Northern Isles-based ETV [emergency towing vessel] which would take a considerable amount of time to get to an incident in these waters.”
Times 9th Oct 2014 read more »
Scotsman 9th Oct 2014 read more »
Politics
The renewable energy industry has praised Ed Davey’s proposals to decarbonise the UK energy sector and tackle climate change. The Energy and Climate Change Secretary delivered a passionate speech to the Liberal Democrat party conference, outlining a widely trailed pledge to ban coal-fired power stations after 2025, trumpeting an extra £100m the government has announced to further energy efficiency, and promising to oppose a Conservative-led ban on onshore wind power.
Business Green 7th Oct 2014 read more »
‘It’s not green crap to us,’ says Liberal Democrat leader, referring to comments made by Tory leader about levies on energy bills. The heart of the LibDem green offer to voters at the general election is its five “green laws”. Nick Clegg, addressing his party conference summarised them like this: “Laws that will commit British governments to reducing carbon from our electricity sector. Create new, legal targets for clean air and water. Give everyone access to green space. Massively boost energy efficiency and renewable energy. Prioritise the shift to green cars. Bring an end to dirty coal.” As Clegg also said, rather more pithily: “It’s not green crap to us.” Energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey told delegates: “The five green laws are the most radical green offer ever made by a political party.”
Guardian 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Germany
Germany’s energy market is a “disaster” and one of its two biggest power companies is “more or less dead”, the head of the French energy group, EDF, said on Wednesday. Germany as a whole was a huge country which was doing very well, especially in the auto sector, said Henri Proglio, EDF’s chairman and chief executive. “But when it comes to energy they are in a disaster,” he told reporters in London. “The two major companies, Eon and RWE are under huge pressure. One is more or less dead, the other is in a very difficult situation.”
FT 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Telegraph 8th Oct 2014 read more »
India
Three Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel guarding the atomic power plant at Kalpakkam near Chennai were killed and two others were injured when one of their colleagues opened fire on them on Wednesday morning. Police said the incident happened inside the barracks where the security personnel were taking rest early in the morning. The reason for the attack was not known, police said.
Times of India 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Renewables – wind
The Communities secretary Eric Pickles is “preventing Britain getting the green power revolution it needs”, according to the energy secretary. Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow, Ed Davey said he had to “battle” with the Conservative communities secretary in relation to onshore wind projects. Davey said that by calling in every onshore wind planning application “Mr Pickles is in danger of bringing the planning system into disrepute, of abusing ministerial power.”
Utility Week 7th Oct 2014 read more »
Renewables – geothermal
The renewable energy investment climate may well be tough out there, but few industries can claim to have had as bad a time as the geothermal sector, which despite huge potential has struggled to warm up. Studies have shown that geothermal power could meet one-fifth of the UK’s electricity demand and more than 100GW of heat, which amounts to nearly half of our current energy use. But the industry has been hit by subsidy and funding cuts during the past four years, making many projects simply unviable. The 55MW United Downs project in Cornwall was shelved after the government cut subsidy support for the sector and then directly pulled a multi-million pound grant last year. Now, in a change of tack, it is focusing on much smaller wells and is hoping to install a series of around 10 small projects that could pump renewable heat to swimming pools or apartment blocks. With each project costing around £1.5m, compared to the £50m required for United Downs, Geothermal Engineering is hoping to pay for the investment using crowdfunding.
Business Green 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Community Energy
A recent change to EU state aid guidance is threatening to create “big problems” for corporate renewables projects, community green energy developments, and mid-sized solar and biomass installations, campaigners warn. Friends of the Earth has filed a formal request to the European Commission calling for an urgent review of EU state aid guidance that came into force earlier this summer, warning that the proposed reforms could undermine competition in the renewable energy market and deal a blow to the fast-expanding community energy market.
Business Green 8th Oct 2014 read more »
A programme funding solar panels on school roofs is encouraging further engagement in renewable energy, research suggests. A study by NESTA on campaign group 10:10’s Solar Schools initiative finds that 35 per cent of people who donated said they would be more likely to get involved with other community projects as a result.
Business Green 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Solar Schools 3 year report card.
Solar Schools 8th Oct 2014 read more »
Fossil Fuels
Glasgow University has become the first academic institution in Europe to commit to stop investing its money in the fossil fuel industry. Over a 10-year period, it will now move about £18m in investments to other sectors.
Independent 8th Oct 2014 read more »
BBC 9th Oct 2014 read more »
Guardian 8th Oct 2014 read more »
