News March 2020

European Council raises hopes of green stimulus package. The economic fallout of the Covid-19 outbreak is yet to be determined but as legislators scramble to establish fiscal support for the EU it is becoming clear the suits in Brussels are not prepared to scrap their hard-won Green Deal plan. Quite the opposite, in fact.

PV Magazine 30th March 2020 read more »

Japan has laid out its plans to tackle greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris agreement in the run-up to UN climate talks this year, becoming the first large economy to do so. But its proposals were criticised by campaigners as grossly inadequate, amid fears the Covid-19 crisis could prompt countries to try to water down their climate commitments. The UK, which will host the talks, hopes every country will produce renewed targets on curbing emissions and achieving net zero carbon by 2050. The country’s target of a 26% reduction in emissions by 2030, based on 2013 levels, is rated as “highly insufficient” by the Climate Action Tracker analysis, meaning that if all targets were at this level, temperature rises would exceed 3C.

Guardian 30th March 2020 read more »

Independent 30th March 2020 read more »

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the “nuclear village” hoped the Olympics would normalize Japan’s radiological aftermath. But the Fukushima effect has meant zero nuclear exports, leading the government to shore up the nuclear industry at home at the expense of renewables. Estimates for the Fukushima disaster range from nearly $200 billion to over $600 billion. Estimates for the costs imposed by the Chernobyl accident amount to nearly $700 billion. In 2013, France’s nuclear safety institute estimated that a similar accident in France could end up costing $580 billion. In Japan, just the cost of bringing old nuclear power plants into compliance with post-Fukushima safety regulations has been estimated at $44.2 billion. Even in the absence of accidents and additional safety features, nuclear power is already very expensive. For the United States, the Wall Street firm Lazard estimates an average cost of $155 per megawatt hour of nuclear electricity, more than thrice the corresponding estimates of around $40 per megawatt hour each for wind and solar energy. The latter costs have declined by around 70 to 90 percent in the last 10 years. In the face of the high costs of nuclear power—economic, environmental, and public health—and overwhelming public opposition, it is puzzling that the Japanese government would persist in trying to restart nuclear power plants.

Beyond Nuclear 29th March 2020 read more »

Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has released a report on two potential methods for disposing of treated water currently being stored on the site of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The report considers the discharge of the water into the sea and via vapour release.

World Nuclear News 30th March 2020 read more »

EDF has extended the shutdowns of five nuclear reactors (5.3 GW) and pushed back those of five additional units (5.4 GW) against the background of the coronavirus epidemic in France, according to transparency data published Monday. The electrician plans to restart Gravelines 5 (910 MW), Cattenom 1 (1,300 MW) and Chinon 3 (905 MW) Tuesday at 3:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. respectively, one day later than previously announced. Cattenom 3 (1,300 MW) will be reconnected to the power grid on Thursday, three days later than planned, and Bugey 5 (880 MW) on April 25, five days behind the previous schedule.

Montel News 30th March 2020 read more »

It was no surprise really, when the first to line up with outstretched palms as Congress debated and formulated its now passed $2 trillion coronavirus-prompted emergency relief bill, were nuclear corporations. The sinking nuclear power industry spotted an economic lifeline and couldn’t wait to make a grab for it. The Nuclear Energy Institute, the lobbying arm of the nuclear power industry, rushed off a letter to congressional leaders asking for a 30% tax credit and waivers for existing regulatory fees. One of NEI’s apparently needy recipients is the financial fiasco known as Vogtle 3 and 4, the new nuclear power plant construction project in Georgia, which is already more than five years behind schedule and is projected to cost $28 billion, double the original predicted price.

Beyond Nuclear 29th March 2020 read more »

The containment vessel top head for Georgia Power’s Vogtle unit 4 has been lifted into place, marking the completion of all major lifts inside the containment vessels for Vogtle 3 and 4. The project to build two AP1000 reactors at the site near Waynesboro, Georgia is now about 84% complete.

World Nuclear News 30th March 2020 read more »

OPG completes Unit 2 refurbishment at 3.5GW Darlington nuclear station.

NS Energy 30th March 2020 read more »