Nuclear Subsidies
The UK has moved to block Scotland taking part in a European Commission investigation into No 10 plans to subsidise a new nuclear plant in England. A UK minister has warned his opposite number at Holyrood that any representation to Brussels on controversial plans to support a power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset would be viewed as a “hostile act”. In a potentially explosive row, Tory energy minister Michael Fallon is understood to have approached his SNP counterpart Fergus Ewing to “discourage” him from co-operating with European Commission (EC) investigators. Mr Fallon’s move came after the EC signalled that a deal with French firm EDF to build a new plant at Hinkley – designed British officials said to “keep the lights on” – may amount to illegal state aid. The Scottish Government, which opposes nuclear energy, is understood to be concerned about the project, not least because it could pose competition to renewable exports from north of the Border. Alex Salmond has now written to Prime Minister David Cameron accusing Mr Fallon to trying to silence Mr Ewing in a February phone call. In a letter seen by The Herald, the First Minister said: “I am deeply concerned to learn that Mr Fallon made clear the purpose of his call was to discourage any direct representation from the Scottish Government to the EC concerning these issues. “Mr Fallon stated such direct representation would be interpreted by the UK Government as a ‘hostile act’. “I would invite you to explain exactly what the UK Government would do if we choose to express our views to the Commission. At best, this could be interpreted as an inept attempt to stifle legitimate views from the Scottish Government. At worst, it is a direct threat with implied retribution”.
Herald 9th April 2014 read more »
UK Government attempts to freeze Scotland out of a European Commission investigation into the funding of a new nuclear power plant proves it has something to hide, the SNP has said. Westminster had moved to block Scottish Government Ministers from taking part in the EC inquiry into the UK Government’s plans to subsidise an EDF power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset. Deputy convenor of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, Dennis Robertson, condemned the actions of Westminster and contrasted the attitude of the UK Government to that of its Scottish counterparts, pointing out that there is significant support in Scotland for renewable energy investment. “People will be wondering what it is Westminster has to hide on the issue – the attempts to silence Scotland show there must be concern that the EC will find against them,” said Mr Robertson, before adding: “A majority of people in Scotland support investment in renewable energy over nuclear power.” Mr Robertson’s comments follow recent results of a YouGov poll which found almost twice as many Scots favoured large scale wind farms over nuclear projects in their local authority area. In the same survey, 80% of respondents said they would be for a large scale hydro project in their area.
Newsnet 9th April 2014 read more »
Stories of desperate lobbying by Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) Minister Michael Fallon are emerging as he struggles to justify the Hinkley C deal to the European Commission. In recent times Michael Fallon has variously been reported annoying both renewable energy interest groups by asking them to support the application to the EU Commission for state-aid to Hinkley C and annoying the Scottish Government.
Dave Toke’s Blog 9th April 2014 read more »
UK Energy Minister Michael Fallon has tried to block Holyrood ministers from taking part in a European Commission investigation into No 10 plans to subsidise a new nuclear plant in England. Mr Fallon told his opposite number at Holyrood, Fergus Ewing, that any representation to Brussels on plans to support a power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset would be viewed as a “hostile act”. The Scottish Government, which opposes nuclear energy, is understood to be concerned about the Hinkley Point project, not least because it could pose competition to renewable exports from north of the Border. These views are shared by Friends of the Earth. Its director, Richard Dixon, said yesterday: “The UK Government’s obsession with getting new nuclear at any cost is a direct threat to investment in renewables and efficiency. The bottom line is that ¬Scotland is rich in clean, green energy sources, and green electricity will be in demand more and more as the rest of the UK and countries in Europe try to cut climate emissions. “If Europe eventually clears the way UK electricity consumers will be paying around a billion a year for 35 years to subsidise only two reactors in England.
Herald 10th April 2014 read more »
Europe
The European Commission has today announced wide-ranging new state aid rules designed to clarify the extent to which governments can support clean energy projects and wider decarbonisation initiatives. The package of reforms, which could have a major impact of member states’ green economic strategies, establish guidelines that will require governments to transition away from offering state-set subsidies for renewable energy projects and towards market-based support mechanisms. Many of the guidelines appear to be broadly in line with the electricity market reform strategy adopted by the UK government and the industrial compensation package pioneered by Germany. As such, they appear designed to help reduce the cost of decarbonisation by forcing more clean energy projects to compete for support, primarily through auction mechanisms, while ensuring the EU’s relatively high energy costs do not lead to deindustrialisation across the bloc. However, green campaigners said they also pose a potential challenge for the UK’s nuclear plans, as they further underline the Commission’s objection to state-set subsidies for mature technologies – objections that have already been manifested in the EU’s state aid investigation into the proposed subsidy deal between the British government and nuclear developer EDF.
Business Green 9th April 2014 read more »
New rules on state aid adopted today by the European Commission will make it harder for the UK and other governments to subsidise nuclear energy projects like the new reactors at Hinkley Point, said Greenpeace. The UK government wants to grant unprecedented levels of public subsidies and disproportionately favourable conditions for the mainly state-owned French energy giant EDF to build two new nuclear reactors at Hinkley, in the south-west of England. The Commission is currently investigating the UK plan for a possible breach of EU competition rules. UK ministers unsuccessfully lobbied the EU executive until the very last minute to make nuclear energy eligible for aid under the new rules.
Greenpeace UK 9th April 2014 read more »
New rules on state aid adopted today by the European Commission will make it harder for the UK and other governments to subsidise nuclear energy projects like the new reactors at Hinkley Point, said Greenpeace. The UK government wants to grant unprecedented levels of public subsidies and disproportionately favourable conditions for the mainly state-owned French energy giant EDF to build two new nuclear reactors at Hinkley, in the south-west of England. The Commission is currently investigating the UK plan for a possible breach of EU competition rules. UK ministers lobbied the EU executive until the very last minute to make nuclear energy eligible for aid under the new rules.
EU Business 9th April 2014 read more »
Heavy industry won significant concessions at the expense of consumers on Wednesday in new EU guidelines on state energy subsidies that green groups fear will undermine the growth of renewables. Germany has hailed the new rules from Brussels as a victory because the European Commission has reduced the size of a levy that big manufacturers have to pay for the country’s expensive expansion of its renewable power. Joaquín Almunia, the EU’s competition commissioner, said renewable energy projects had now reached a “scale and maturity” that meant they no longer needed such generous help from states. “Support mechanisms have led to significant cost increases for electricity users, both consumers and businesses. They have sheltered renewable producers from risk,” Mr Almunia said.
FT 9th April 2014 read more »
Sellafield
Yesterday at Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Irish Sea Conference, Radiation Free Lakeland handed out over 100 leaflets to delegates. The venue was the beautiful Netherwood Hotel in Grange over Sands. The front door looks out on to Morecambe Bay and Heysham Nuclear plant ( see photo above ). From Heysham spent fuel trundles across the train viaduct to Sellafield to be reprocessed making it even more dangerous. The leaflets handed out yesterday by volunteers and supporters of a Radiation Free Lakeland describe just a few of the impacts of existing and proposed nuclear developments on the Irish Sea. This is to counter the non engagement of Cumbria Wildlife Trust in nuclear impacts (happy to engage in the impact of wind turbines!) The ever charming Sir Martin Holdgate Trustee of CWT came over to speak to us and interestingly told us that he favours above ground storage and monitoring of nuclear waste. We agreed and suggested that the first step to looking after existing nuclear waste must be to STOP PRODUCING ANY MORE. He replied “there is something to be said for that point of view.”
Radiation Free Lakeland 9th April 2014 read more »
Hinkley
Stop Hinkley newsletter April 2014.
Stop Hinkley 9th April 2014 read more »
Hunterston
Letter: Alex Gallagher PROFESSOR Jack Ponton points out that the security of Scottish electricity supplies depends on the existence of two nuclear power stations. One of these, Hunterston B, is located in my council area. Hunterston B will cease generation in 2022/3, after which the renewable-based electricity supply will be very insecure indeed unless more reliable base-load electricity generation is created in the meantime.The council has a policy of supporting new nuclear build and electricity generation at Hunterston. However, the minority SNP group on the council does not back the policy and the SNP at Holyrood has taken the decision in its new National Planning Framework (NPF3) to remove national planning status, and therefore any possibility of new nuclear electricity generation, from the Hunterston peninsula. We are therefore left with the situation that the need for new electricity generation is clear, the site exists and has been in use constantly and safely for 60 years, the necessary skills exist (for the time being), the jobs are desperately needed and the local council supports new nuclear generation. However, because of the opposition of the SNP at Holyrood and in North Ayrshire Council, the most obviously sensible solution to the problem is ruled out for purely ideological and dogmatic reasons and North Ayrshire no longer has any sites of national economic development status. For an area with some the highest unemployment in the UK this is a disaster and, for the security of Scotland’s electricity supply, it is an avoidable risk and an obvious foolishness.
Herald 10th April 2014 read more »
Decommissioning
The bidders who lost out on Britain’s $12 billion (7 billion pounds) contract to decommission nuclear sites have asked the government to explain the result as they decide whether to launch legal action, sources familiar with the matter said.Last month, shares in engineering contractor Babcock jumped 7 percent in one day after the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) awarded it and U.S. group Fluor preferred bidder status for what is one of the largest British government contracts ever put out to tender.
Reuters 9th April 2014 read more »
Times 10th April 2014 read more »
Scotland
Launching the UK Government’s Energy Paper analysing the potential impact of independence on Scotland’s energy, Edward Davey MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, made the positive case for the UK’s single energy market, showing how independence would increase people’s energy bills. Speaking to a conference of energy industry stakeholders in Edinburgh, Edward Davey argued that because the single UK energy market is ten times the size of Scotland’s energy market, Scottish energy bills are lower. He listed a range of reasons, including the way investment in transmission and distribution networks are currently shared across the whole of the UK, to the way the subsidies for energy distribution in remote rural areas like the Scottish Highlands and Islands are currently paid for by all British consumers not just Scottish bill payers.
DECC 9th April 2014 read more »
The Scottish Analysis Paper can be found here.
DECC 9th April 2014 read more »
The Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement can be found here.
DECC 9th April 2014 read more »
Energy ministers have clashed over the impact of Scottish independence on household bills. The UK Government is warning that a Yes vote will add at least £38 a year, possibly as much as £189 more once the cost of supporting renewables projects is included. But the Scottish Government says the prediction is scaremongering based on a skewed look at the industry. UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey set out his view at a conference in Edinburgh timed to coincide with the publication of a Westminster Government analysis paper on the industry after independence. “The UK works better together, and our single energy market shows why,” he said. “As a United Kingdom, we keep energy bills down for all consumers, regardless of where they live, and this works well, especially for people in Scotland. “Without unrestricted access to the integrated GB market, the costs of supporting Scottish energy network investment, small-scale renewables and programmes to support remote consumers would fall on Scottish bill-payers alone. This would add at least £38 to annual household energy bills and around £110,000 to energy costs for a medium-sized manufacturer in 2020.
Herald 9th April 2014 read more »
The energy secretary Ed Davey has rejected Scottish government calls for the UK to continue subsidising Scottish energy projects after independence, warning he would withdraw billions of pounds in investment. Davey accused Alex Salmond’s government of wanting to “have its cake and eat it” by calling for the UK’s single energy market to continue intact and still fund Scottish energy investment while also campaigning to break up the UK via independence. Speaking in Edinburgh, the energy secretary said that following a yes vote Scotland would instead have to fund its wind, wave and tidal projects on its own rather than spread the costs between 30m households and businesses UK-wide. The energy secretary also hit out at warnings this week from Scotland’s energy minister, Fergus Ewing, that the rest of the UK would face black-outs and miss its climate targets without Scottish renewables. That, said Davey, was the “negative politics of fear and bullying”. Davey said that the UK could easily absorb the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK. Although Ewing argues that Scotland exports a quarter of its electricity, Davey said that that meant Scotland supplied less than 5% of the rest of the UK’s energy needs. France and Belgium already supplied more electricity to the UK than Scotland. Both were closer to south-east England and cheaper to supply at the current market price. “Why should we pay over and above the market price for Scottish power?” he said.
Guardian 9th April 2014 read more »
Scottish consumers will face higher energy bills if they vote for independence, the UK government has forecast, adding that the rest of Britain does not need Scotland as an electricity supplier. Average annual Scottish household energy bills could rise by up to £189 if Scotland votes to leave the UK in September’s referendum, according to the forecast, adding fuel to a fiery debate on the implications of independence for consumers and the power sector. This is contested by some analysts. One group of energy experts recently concluded that the UK’s embrace of expensive new nuclear power plants and Scotland’s abundance of relatively cheap onshore wind meant independence could make it cheaper to meet Edinburgh’s renewables targets.
FT 9th April 2014 read more »
Times 10th April 2014 read more »
Energy Costs
The independent energy supplier had pledged to pass on the savings after what it said was a 9.5 per cent drop in wholesale gas prices. The annual bill of £998 is based on a dual fuel, medium user paying by direct debit. This compares to the UK average dual fuel energy bill of £1,264 per household per year. The price drop is on Ovo’s 12 month fixed Better and Greener energy plans.
Utility Week 9th April 2014 read more »
Supply Chain
Last week I was delighted to welcome Mike Tynan, chief executive officer of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC), to Nabarro for an event at which he set out his thoughts about UK manufacturing. His message was clear and important. The nuclear renaissance is gathering pace. With the nuclear reactor development at Hinkley Point in Somerset forecast to cost around £20bn, there’s a superb opportunity for growth in the UK manufacturing sector.
Lawyer 9th April 2014 read more »
Ukraine
The Co-Chairman of the international group “Ecozashchita!”(Ecoprotection) Vladimir Slivyak during his exclusive interview states that so far there are not threats for Ukrainian nuclear power plants, but in case of active military actions in East Ukraine the situation may change. Exclusive interview.
European Dialogue 2nd April 2014 read more »
Czech Republic
A tender for the $10-15 billion expansion of the Czech Republic’s Temelin nuclear power plant should be wound down and replaced with a new contest with more bidders, President Milos Zeman said on Wednesday.The plan to build two reactors at the site has been undermined by falling power prices and the government’s unwillingness to provide price guarantees to Temelin’s owner, CEZ, which is majority-owned by the state. Most Czech political parties back nuclear power in general, but the centre-left cabinet on Wednesday officially rejected providing any guarantees for Temelin due to their potential impact on taxpayers, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said, dealing another blow to the ongoing tender. CEZ’s interest in the project has been cooling due to rising costs and falling energy prices, which it says make the plan no longer viable without government support.
Reuters 9th April 2014 read more »
Iran
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday he had authorised nuclear talks with world powers including arch-foe the United States just to prove Iran’s peaceful intentions, but Tehran would not be bullied and would not stop atomic research. He added in remarks to nuclear scientists that Iran should continue the discussions to end a dispute over nuclear work the West fears is aimed at developing a bomb, but Iran’s negotiators should not cede any gains made by its nuclear programme.
IB Times 10th April 2014 read more »
BBC 9th April 2014 read more »
Negotiators from Tehran and six world powers struggle to narrow ”significant gaps,” blocking the way to a long-term nuclear deal.
Reuters 9th April 2014 read more »
Iran and six world powers are in “50 to 60% agreement” on the shape of a nuclear deal meant to crimp any potential Iranian attempt to build nuclear arms in exchange for an end to crippling economic sanctions, the country’s foreign minister said.
Belfast Telegraph 9th April 2014 read more »
North Korea
North Korea’s main nuclear site could be facing a radiation leak following water supply woes, experts have warned. A constant water supply from a nearby river is essential to cool the secret state’s old reactor – which can rather worryingly produce fissile material for nuclear bombs – and would be needed for the safe operation of another reactor under construction at the same complex. But recent commercial satellite imagery showed the recently restarted reactor may have been temporarily shut down or operated at a lower power level for repairs after flooding caused the river to change course.
Huffington Post 9th April 2014 read more »
Nuclear Weapons
The US has announced plans to place 50 nuclear missiles in storage as part of a controversial arms treaty with Russia. The Pentagon said it would be keeping its current force of 450 land-based missiles, but has agreed to remove 50 of them from launch silos – although it added these silos would be maintained so they could return to active use in future. The removal is part of a plan to bring the US into compliance with an 2011 arms control treaty with Russia known as New START – which has the subject of intense debate between U.S. politicians and weapons experts when plans were announced ahead of the 2010 mid-term elections.
Daily Mail 9th April 2014 read more »
Renewable Heat
Households can get paid for supplying their own heat from renewable systems, after government launched its long-awaited domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) on Wednesday. Biomass boilers, heat pumps and solar thermal panels are covered by the scheme, which aims to do for renewable heat what the feed-in tariff did for renewable power. The 3 million UK homes not connected to the gas grid are considered most likely to benefit. On-grid households are also eligible.
Utility Week 9th April 2014 read more »
The government has today launched its long-awaited domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), in a bid to stimulate investment in new green technologies such as biomass boilers, solar thermal panels, and heat pumps. Climate Change Minister Greg Barker unveiled the much-anticipated scheme this morning, completing the rollout of the RHI, following the launch of similar incentives for commercial and public sector properties in November 2012.
Business Green 9th April 2014 read more »
Today has seen the long-awaited launch of the domestic element of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, which will now offer households the opportunity to secure quarterly payments based on how much renewable heat they generate. There has been plenty of grumbling about the lengthy gestation for the scheme, while concerns remain about how effective the initiative will prove at ferreting out any rogue traders who seek to take advantage of increased demand for renewable heat systems. Others have highlighted the relatively high cost of carbon savings delivered by renewable heat systems compared to alternative technologies. But despite these reservations the scheme represents a significant boost to the green economy and could deliver a major breakthrough for the emerging green home market.
Business Green 9th April 2014 read more »
The government announced the renewable heat incentive for householders today. For Tony and Rhoda Graham, who have lived for 30 years in their 5 bedroom home which doubles as a bed and breakfast, in an idyllic location in Windermere, it is long overdue. Several years ago, while cycling through Europe, the couple came across eco-friendly biomass boilers, but couldn’t find them in the UK. Eventually the government announced its intention to launch the scheme, which prompted them to make the switch from oil exactly a year ago, for Tony’s 70th birthday.
Guardian 9th April 2014 read more »
Renewables – Wind
A Conservative party plan to limit the number of onshore windfarms would drive up household energy bills, according to the UK’s most eminent engineers. Replacing a single banned onshore turbine with offshore wind power, which is more expensive, would cost £300,000 a year more in subsidies, with the extra cost being added to bills, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) said. The engineers also said a cap on turbines would make it harder to meet the UK’s legally binding targets for renewable energy and cutting carbon emissions. The intervention of the academy could undermine Tory plans to woo anti-windfarm campaigners at the general election and adds to criticism that David Cameron’s energy policies are increasing bills. The new RAE report concludes that the UK energy system can easily accommodate a doubling of today’s level of wind power, while acknowledging this would have an impact on local communities. It says the government should be “engaging honestly with stakeholders, setting out clearly both the impacts and the benefits”.
Guardian 10th April 2014 read more »
Energy Efficiency
Europe has reached a crossroads at which energy saving investments can either be scaled up with market drivers that carry multiple benefits, or risk being sabotaged by a dearth of funding, an official report says. “We are at a tipping point, with energy efficiency investing having the clear potential to emerge into the mainstream as a key driver of EU competitiveness, economic value, innovation and employment across Europe,” says the new study by the Energy Efficiency Financial Institutions Group (EEFIG). But the paper also notes “insufficient public and private investment” in the sector at present, and warns that “if this trend continues, then EU Member States are at risk of missing their 2020 and longer-term energy efficiency targets.”
Euractiv 8th April 2014 read more »
