Nuclear Skills
Britain’s nuclear power ambitions will only be realised if generators, contractors and consultants invest in training to upskill the UK supply chain, a lead contractor said last week. Balfour Beatty chief operating officer Andrew McNaughton said that people working in the nuclear power plants supply chain would need retraining so they can deliver new nuclear facilities.
New Civil Engineer 12th Dec 2008 more >>
BNFL
Nuclear bosses received ‘golden goodbye’ payments of up to £1m after BNFL was dismantled, it has been claimed.
Cumberland News 12th Dec 2008 more >>
Harwell
Former workers at the Harwell reactor in Oxfordshire have gathered at the site to mark a double anniversary. It is 60 years since the reactor was built when it was the first of its size in Europe. It is also 40 years since it closed down.
BBC 12th Dec 2008 more >>
Korea
The latest round of six-party talks aimed at dismantling North Korea’s nuclear-weapons programme fizzled out on December 11th. In what had been billed as the Bush administration’s last chance to achieve a foreign-policy success before leaving office, envoys from the US, the two Koreas, China, Russia and Japan failed to make progress on the key issue of verification. No new talks have been scheduled, so it is probably up to the incoming US administration of Barack Obama to advance the on-again, off-again negotiations that began in 2003.
Economist 12th Dec 2008 more >>
Syria
Syrian analysts are divided over a decision to consider whether to build a nuclear power plant, with some saying it is essential to secure future energy supplies, and others concerned that the project could divert attention from more pressing priorities.
Middle East Online 12th Dec 2008 more >>
US
A published report says the cost of building the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant could be more than the Tennessee Valley Authority spent to build all three of its current nuclear generating stations. The estimate to complete the twin-reactor plant is now between $9.8 billion and $17.5 billion, depending upon what model of reactor is chosen. TVA’s Watts Bar Unit 1 near Spring City, Tenn., was the last nuclear power generator completed by a U.S. utility. It cost nearly $7 billion in 1996.
WRAL 12th Dec 2008 more >>
Climate
European leaders last night announced they were leading the world towards a low-carbon future after sealing an ambitious climate change pact by making generous concessions to the big polluters in European heavy industry.
Guardian 13th Dec 2008 more >>
Green groups accused the European Union of watering down its trail-blazing pledge to tackle climate change last night, after EU leaders made concessions to “dirty” industries in Germany and eastern Europe.
Independent 13th Dec 2008 more >>
The climate change package details how European industries, energy generators, governments, and transport sectors are to effect a “triple 20” deal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 compared with 1990 levels, cutting energy consumption by 20% by the same deadline, and ensuring that 20% of the EU’s energy mix comes from renewables.
Guardian 13th Dec 2008 more >>
European Union leaders urged the world on Friday to follow their example and adopt ambitious climate change targets, rebuffing critics who said their latest plan conceded too much to heavy industrial polluters.
FT 13th Dec 2008 more >>
Bryony Worthington: With politicians crowing while the greens cry foul, what’s the real outcome of Europe’s climate deal? The buying and selling of permits to pollute – the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) – is meant to be the main mechanism by which Europe drives down its greenhouse gas emissions. But yesterday’s pact changes this.
Guardian 13th Dec 2008 more >>
Mr Gore appealed for people to be optimistic about the possibility of concluding a new climate treaty at the UN meeting in Copenhagen a year from now, saying the election of Barack Obama as President would mean that the United States would once more “engage vigorously” with the negotiating process, from which George W Bush withdrew.
Independent 13th Dec 2008 more >>
Telegraph 13th Dec 2008 more >>
