Europe
Continental Europe’s dominant power companies face a UK-style breakup under an ambitious new EU energy strategy put forward by the European commission yesterday to promote a low-carbon economy and cut prices for consumers. The commission proposed full “ownership unbundling” for power groups – a legally enforced handover of their electricity and gas transmission networks to other investors – in a bid to encourage new rivals, promote renewable energy and reduce Europe’s growing dependence on foreign fuel imports.
Guardian 11th Jan 2007
The European commission yesterday stepped up the EU’s campaign to lead the fight against climate change by warning that global warming was so catastrophic that it could trigger regional conflicts, poverty, famine and migration. Campaigners criticised the commission for setting a “paltry” renewable energy target of 20% and for covertly reopening the door for nuclear power. But they welcomed the binding minimum target of 10% for biofuels in passenger vehicles by 2020.
Guardian 11th Jan 2007
Daily Mirror 11th Jan 2007
FT 11th Jan 2007
The Energy Policy for Europe drawn up by the European Commission is an extraordinary document: dreamily ambitious where it should be cautious; timid where it should have been bold; and evasive in confronting countries’ reluctance to allow competition. Despite competitive costs for nuclear power, the Commission is coy about recommending it, saying that each country must make its own decision. But its own analysis makes clear that Europe will face a more expensive future, and one more damaging to climate change, if Germany and Britain do not replace old nuclear plants.
Times 11th Jan 2007
The proposed EU energy policy leaves the decision to expand nuclear power to individual states, but Mr Barroso seemed to emphasise his personal support for it. He described nuclear power as “one of the cheapest sources of low-carbon energy” with stable costs, and said that any country reducing nuclear power must make up for it by increasing other low-carbon processes.
Times 11th Jan 2007
Germany and France have dug in against plans to dismantle continental Europe’s massive energy monopolies after the launch of controversial measures to shake-up gas and oil supplies and curb global warming. Berlin and Paris made it clear yesterday that they would oppose a European Commission proposal that poses the biggest-ever challenge to the grip of giant firms such as Électricité de France, or Germany’s E.On.
Independent 11th Jan 2007
Countries with a freeze or ban on nuclear power are under pressure to reconsider as a result of European Union’s strategy for tackling climate change and improving its energy security has announced.
Telegraph 11th Jan 2007
The EU Commission documents are available as provisional versions:
* Energy parts (including nuclear)
* Climate parts
* Competition & internal market parts
* plus all press releases & background memos
Energy Security
Dominic Lawson: Go nuclear – or gamble national security on the benevolence of Russia’s President. For European energy to rely on Russian gas is like giving a known blackmailer your bank details.
Independent 12th Jan 2007
Nuclear Waste
Storing high-level nuclear waste without any leakage over thousands of years may be harder than experts have thought, research published in Nature today shows. Ian Farnan of Cambridge University, UK, and his co-workers have found that the radiation emitted from such waste could transform one candidate storage material into less durable glass after just 1,400 years — much more quickly than thought.
Nature 10th Jan 2007
New Scientist 10th Jan 2007
Rob Edwards 10th Jan 2007
New nukes
Nuclear power’s share of global power supply is likely to shrink over the next few decades as political indecision and public opposition stunt its growth.Even optimists do not see a big expansion in nuclear power’s share of electricity production over the next few decades, despite governments warming to it as fears over climate change and security of energy supply intensify. The IAEA expects nuclear power to produce 12-13 percent of global electricity by 2030, down from the current 16 percent, while the International Energy Agency forecasts 10-14 percent. But Rogner said that long construction times, planning obstacles, a lack of trained nuclear engineers and lingering public fear all hindered the progress of nuclear energy.
Reuters 9th Jan 2007
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) with the other principal nuclear regulators has published new guidance on the arrangements that have been developed to assess generic designs for any new nuclear power stations that may potentially be built in the UK. The coordinated guidance can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/reactors/index.htm
The guidance provides advice on the processes needed to be followed and information that will be required by the regulators – HSE, the Environment Agency (EA), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS) – during the generic design assessment process.
Society of Procurement Officers 11th Jan 2007
Iran
American forces stormed Iranian government offices in northern Iraq, hours after President George Bush issued a warning to Tehran that was described as a “declaration of war”. The soldiers detained six people, including diplomats, according to the Iranians, and seized documents and computers in the pre-dawn raid which was condemned by Iran. A leading UK-based Iran specialist, Ali Ansari, said the incident was an “extreme provocation”. Dr Ansari said that Mr Bush’s speech on future Iraq strategy amounted to “a declaration of war” on Iran.
Independent 12th Jan 2007
