New Nukes
Rosatom is said to be eyeing a stake in Horizon, the nuclear joint venture put up for sale last month by RWE and E.ON. The move would be controversial, despite Russia’s insistence that it has overhauled its nuclear technologies since the Chernobyl disaster. Sergey Novikov, Rosatom’s Director of Communications, told The Daily Telegraph: “The British market is potentially attractive for Rosatom. Rosatom can give all guarantees that the construction of a NPP [nuclear power plant] in the UK will meet absolutely all international safety requirements and International Atomic Energy Agency standards.” Rosatom reportedly hired KPMG to examine possible purchases, while UK PR firms are said to be competing for a contract to improve Rosatom’s international image. Rosatom is expanding overseas and has projects in India, Bulgaria, Iran and China.
Telegraph 9th April 2012 more >>
Government may be forced to up its investment in renewable power sources and take a fresh look at energy policy in the light of recent news regarding the proposed new generation of nuclear power plants.
Green Building Press 9th Apr 2012 more >>
Sizewell
ENERGY giant EDF is urging caution over speculation that the Suffolk coastal area will receive a multi-million pound boost as compensation for preparatory work if plans for a new nuclear power station go ahead. The company has agreed a £30million package with the local authority at Hinkley Point, in Somerset, where the first of the UKs new nuclear power stations is to be built. The money is to be spent on local housing, leisure facilities, transport and wildlife initiatives. It is aimed at compensating residents for the disruption caused during work to prepare the nuclear site for power station construction. It is hoped the Suffolk coastal area would also be in line for a sizeable figure should Sizewell C be given the green light. But an EDF spokesman said yesterday: It would be wrong and inaccurate to simply take information from the Hinkley Point C planning process, such as the mitigation provision, and draw direct parallels across to what may happen at Sizewell. The two are separate projects in different environments and require distinct solutions.
East Anglian Daily Times 9th April 2012 more >>
Wylfa
The business community in North Wales remains shell-shocked at the decision by the German energy companies RWE npower and E-ON to pull out of plans to build an £8 billion new nuclear reactor at Wylfa B in Anglesey. Another positive development from this story is that both the Welsh Government and the UK Government have now co-operated closely to try and deal with this issue.After recent wranglings between Cardiff Bay and Westminster, they have come together to save a project that could create thousands of jobs within an economic blackspot.
Business 4 Wales 2nd Apr 2012 more >>
Old Reactors
EDF Energy, the UK’s biggest atomic power producer, resumed output from two nuclear plants, bringing 1,200 megawatts of potential generation capacity back on to the grid, it said. EDF said its 600-MW Sizewell B1 reactor returned to service several days ahead of schedule on Sunday after shutting down on March 2. The company’s 620-MW Hartlepool 1 reactor resumed outputting power on Tuesday following a manual shutdown at the beginning of the month, it added.
Reuters 10th April 2012 more >>
Japan
Fukushima Update 3rd – 5th April.
Greenpeace 6th April 2012 more >>
Japan’s government will announce soon its contingency plans for dealing with nuclear accidents to ease public concerns about restarting reactors closed since the Fukushima radiation crisis last year, Trade Minister Yukio Edano said on Tuesday. Contingency plans for Kansai Electric Power Co’s two reactors, which are at the most advanced stage in the government’s safety checks before restarting, would be announced in a few days, said Edano.
Reuters 10th April 2012 more >>
North Korea
The United States urged North Korea on Monday not conduct a nuclear test or launch a satellite and called on China to exert its influence over its neighbor to try to ward off such “provocative actions.”
Reuters 10th April 2012 more >>
Newly released satellite images shows North Korea is digging a tunnel in what appears to be preparation for a third nuclear test, according to South Korean intelligence officials. The excavation at North Koreas north-east Punggye-ri site, where nuclear tests were conducted in 2006 and 2009, is in its final stages, according to a report by intelligence officials published yesterday.
Scotsman 10th April 2012 more >>
Independent 10th April 2012 more >>
Daily Mail 9th April 2012 more >>
Guardian 9th April 2012 more >>
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Independent 9th Apr 2012 more >>
Jordan
Jordan is facing an uphill battle to build its first nuclear reactor to supply badly needed electric power amid serious concern over environmental hazards and financial risks the cash-strapped kingdom would have to endure. Lacking the oil and gas reserves of its neighbors, Jordan has been reliant on imports to provide powers for its homes and vehicles. Chaos in the Egypts Sinai peninsula over the past year virtually cut of natural gas imports because the pipeline has been sabotaged 14 ties in succession, most recently this week when a blast cut the line near Al-Arish. Nuclear power could help full the gap, but the nuclear disaster at Japans Fukushima Daiichi plant last year has cast fresh doubt over safety and viability of such projects at a time when environmentalists are pushing for clean sources of energy. Aware of the growing opposition to the multi-billion dollar project, the government in Amman has appointed a public relations team to persuade the public of its importance to the countrys energy independence. The Jordan Nuclear Commission said recently government is preparing to announce it has chosen the French nuclear power contractor AREVA to build the countrys first reactor.
Media Line 9th Apr 2012 more >>
Iran
Iran has no interest in reviving a failed nuclear fuel swap deal with Western powers, but might scale back production of higher-grade enriched uranium once it has the material it needs, the head of the country’s atomic energy organisation said.
Herald 10th April 2012 more >>
Iran’s nuclear chief has signalled that the country could offer a compromise in talks on its atomic energy programme this week. Atomic Energy Organisation head Fereidoun Abbasi said Iran could pledge to stop producing its most highly enriched uranium while retaining some ability to make nuclear fuel. The proposal outlined late on Sunday seeks to directly address one of the main issues in this Friday’s talks between Iran and the five permanent UN security council members plus Germany.
Morning Star 9th April 2012 more >>
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Iran would not agree to world powers imposing pre-conditions ahead of the resumption of nuclear talks later this week.
ITV 9th April 2012 more >>
China
China has launched a new 650-megawatt (MW) reactor at the Qinshan nuclear plant in the eastern province of Zhejiang, the project’s operator said on Monday, as part of a push to increase the share of nuclear energy in the country’s power mix. Nuclear power amounts to 12.528 gigawatts or around 1.1 percent of China’s installed power capacity, but projects under construction are expected to raise the total to more than 41 GW by 2015.
Reuters 9th April 2012 more >>
Energy Efficiency
The Tory chairman of the Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee questioned today whether Government proposals to compel people to fit energy-saving insulation in homes will be effective.
Telegraph 10th April 2012 more >>
Renewables
The River Caldew has provided a source of energy for industry in the small parish of Dalston, five miles south of Carlisle, for centuries. The Romans established a corn mill on the river and the first cotton mill was built in 1782 at Mill Ellers. The same spot is set to play a part in the latest industrial revolution the reintroduction of small scale, renewable energy production back to local communities.
Telegraph 9th April 2012 more >>
