Sellafield
PLANS to extend the emergency evacuation zone around the Sellafield site are set to be published next month. It is expected that the Office for Nuclear Regulations (ONR) – which oversees the nuclear industry – will recommend in January an increase in the surrounding evacuation zone in the event of a radiation emergency. The current Detailed Emergency Planning Zones (DEPZ) are 2km for immediate evacuation, and 6km for a secondary. David Moore, chair of the West Cumbria Sites Stakeholders Group, says that it is an “open secret” that the ONR will recommend a 6km zone for all evacuations.
Whitehaven News 11th Dec 2014 read more »
ABWR
I have today laid before the House a draft statutory instrument containing my decision, as Justifying Authority under the Justification of Practices Involving Ionising Radiation Regulations 2004, that the generation of electricity from the nuclear reactor design known as the UK ABWR is Justified. The draft statutory instrument containing the decision is subject to the affirmative resolution procedure and will therefore be the subject of debates in both Houses of Parliament.
DECC 11th Dec 2014 read more »
The Secretary of State’s decision as Justifying Authority on the Regulatory Justification of the UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (UK ABWR).
DECC 11th Dec 2014 read more »
Hinkley
On Thursday 11th December, protesters dressed as Santa Claus and as giant drums of radio-active waste will descend on Hinkley Nuclear Power Station in Somerset in a *RETURN TO SENDER*protest. The aim of their visit will be to return unwanted Christmas presents .. radio-active waste. Protesters will be singing Christmas carols and a parody of the Elvis classic ‘Return to sender’ *The protest takes place between on Thursday 11th December 12.00 and 2.00pm at the main gates of Hinkley Nuclear Power Station in Somerset.
Radiation Free Lakeland 11th Dec 2014 read more »
ONR
ONR has published its new strategy. The strategy provides the Board’s vision and direction for ONR and nuclear regulation for the next 5 years, which is to be: An exemplary regulator that inspires respect, trust and confidence. In his introduction to the new strategy, Nick Baldwin, ONR Chair, explains “We want to be acknowledged as a first class organisation by our peers and stakeholders.”
ONR 8th Dec 2014 read more »
Nuclear Safety
A team of researchers in the US has performed a world-first experiment that will help them work out how uranium dioxide fuel behaves in its molten state – something that generally only occurs at the start of a nuclear meltdown. This is the first time scientists have managed to get an up-close view of what happens to the fuel as it heats up to more than 3,000 degrees Celsius. Their results have been published in Science, and will help researchers improve safety at nuclear power plants.
Richard Dawkins 11th Dec 2014 read more »
Energy Policy
Matthew Bell’s job is to provide the facts and analysis that informs one of the most intense debates in British politics, while attempting to remain above the political and media fray.Yesterday, he got a taster of quite how tricky that balancing act proves to be with the publication of the CCC’s latest update on the impact of climate policies on energy prices and bills. As has become the norm with such reports, various newspapers scoured the paper for the figures and projections that would best support their party line on whether investment in decarbonising the energy network represents good value. Carbon Brief’s Mat Hope put it neatly when he observed via Twitter: “Green measures add to bills: £100 (Guardian), £175 (Times) 25% (Telegraph), save money in long run (Carbon Brief)”.
Business Green 11th Dec 2014 read more »
Utilities
A total of 3.3 million UK electricity customers have changed supplier in the last twelve months since Energy UK started publishing the monthly switching report. The last year has also seen around 1.3 million customers move from Britain’s ‘Big Six’ utilities to a small one. The total number of electricity switches remained consistent with the previous year. However for the same period, the percentage of people moving from a large supplier to a small one doubled from 19% to 41%
Scottish Energy News 12th Dec 2014 read more »
Europe
According to a report by the German broadcasting service ARD, nuclear power plants are included on the preliminary project list of the investment programme for the European economy, which has been proposed by the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. The list of projects proposed for funding includes nuclear power plants. As the news programme ‘Tagesschau’ reported, nine countries are applying for a total of € 100 billion investment subsidies for nuclear power plants.
Sun & Wind Energy 11th Dec 2014 read more »
The UK is bidding for a massive €46 billion loan from the European Investment Bank to finance the construction of three new nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point, Wylfa and Moorside – while Poland is seeking €8bn for huge new coal mines and power plants and €12bn for new nuclear.
Ecologists 11th Dec 2014 read more »
US
The big nuclear news in the omnibus federal budget bill currently before Congress is that the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project receives no new funding for 2015–much to the chagrin of some in the nuclear industry and its Washington backers. Small victories do matter, and that is indeed a victory. Although given the makeup of the incoming Congress, the next budget could well include a ton of taxpayer dollars directed once again at that failed endeavor. Congress has never been too concerned with the concept of “good money after bad.” A closer look at the energy budget reveals a case of misplaced priorities all around.
Green World 11th Dec 2014 read more »
The US Department of Energy (DoE) has formally issued a solicitation for federal loan guarantees worth up to $12.5 billion to support advanced nuclear energy projects. According to DoE, the Advanced Nuclear Energy Projects Solicitation would provide loan guarantees to support the construction of “innovative nuclear energy and front-end nuclear projects in the US that reduce, avoid, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions.” Although open to any project that meets the eligibility requirements, DoE has identified advanced nuclear reactors, small modular reactors (SMRs), uprates and upgrades at existing facilities, and front-end nuclear projects as key technology areas of interest. SMRs are identified as being nominally less than 300 MWe in size.
World Nuclear News 11th Dec 2014 read more »
Energy Business Review 11th Dec 2014 read more »
India
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended a day of talks today by announcing a number of agreements in energy and defence. The once close relationship between Moscow and New Delhi was revived by the Russian leader’s ambitious plan to help India build at least 12 new nuclear reactors.
Morning Star 11th Dec 2014 read more »
IB Times 11th Dec 2014 read more »
Canada
Two sites in Bruce County, Ontario have ‘strong potential’ to meet the site selection requirements for a Canadian nuclear waste repository while thee others has been ruled out. Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) announced in December that it has completed the first phase of preliminary assessment for three communities in Bruce County, Ontario that had expressed interest in learning about Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel. The municipality of South Bruce and the township of Huron-Kinloss were both assessed as having strong potential to meet site selection requirements and have been identified for further study, NWMO said. The municipality of Brockton was not selected to be the focus of more detailed study.
Modern Power Systems 11th Dec 2014 read more »
Iran
Several states pledged on Thursday to back a U.N. nuclear agency request for 4.6 million euros (3.63 million pounds) as soon as possible to pay for its monitoring of an extended, interim nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
Reuters 11th Dec 2014 read more »
Nuclear Weapons
David Lowry: I submitted this text, along with a much longer detailed country-by–country profile of the uranium producer-country uranium legacies, to the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Human Weapons, held on 8-9 December 2014, Hofburg Palace Vienna, Austria.
David Lowry 12th Dec 2014 read more »
Renewables – wind
A National College of Wind Energy dedicated to developing the skilled workforce required by the burgeoning industry has today been announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable. The National College, to be based in the Humber area, is envisaged as a ‘hub’ for skills, training, and education initiatives, primarily focusing on meeting the demands of the growing offshore wind sector for professional engineers, technicians, and many other roles.
Business Green 11th Dec 2014 read more »
Renewables – solar
New figures published by German solar lobby group BSW indicate that prices of solar power storage units are dropping considerably, and sales are picking up. Nonetheless, the market remains quite small.
Renew Economy 12th Dec 2014 read more »
Green Deal
Just a day after re-opening its popular Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) the government has been forced to close applications to a £24m pot allocated for solid wall insulation, following a rush of applications. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) yesterday launched a second phase of the GDHIF, offering households up to £5,600 for certain energy savings measures. Of the £30m budget, £24m was earmarked for solid-wall insulation projects and the remaining £6m for households installing selected energy efficiency upgrades, such as double glazing, boilers, cavity wall and floor insulation. BusinessGreen enquired this morning about the uptake of the scheme and was told by a spokeswoman that Decc was unable to release an update. But hours later Decc issued a statement, confirming that all £24m worth of solid wall insulation vouchers have now been allocated.
Guardian 11th Dec 2014 read more »
It’s called the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund. For householders, it’s a Government sweetener designed to encourage people to make their homes more efficient. A £5,600 sum is available to householders who take up the deal, which can be used on insulating a property, as well as new fixtures such as a boiler, storage heating or heatproofing windows and doors. And while just £6m remains of the latest release of free Government cash, further funds are expected to become available in February. Claim a share of the £540m sum earmarked until 2016 using this video – which covers these four key questions in 90 seconds.
Telegraph 11th Dec 2014 read more »
Fuel Poverty
Councils across Scotland have been allocated a share of £60 million to make homes warmer and cheaper to heat. The announcement came 48 hours after the Scottish Government’s own statistics department published official figures showing that a record of 940,000 households – nearly 40% – in Scotland live in fuel-poverty.
Scottish Energy News 12th Dec 2014 read more »
