Nuclear Waste Transport
SELLAFIELD will be moving nuclear flasks containing highly active waste to Barrow today before being shipped out to Japan. This is the fourth and largest such shipment from the UK demonstrating excellent progress in the programme to return foreign-owned waste stored in the UK to its country of origin. Overall it is the sixteenth shipment of its type from Europe to Japan since 1995.
NW Evening Mail 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Plant Life Extensions (PLEX)
EDF’s British subsidiary announced on Thursday it expected to increase the average lifetime of its advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) stations in Britain by eight years.Achieving this goal would mean all eight of its existing nuclear stations in Britain would be operational until at least 2023 with three of its seven AGR stations operating until nearer 2030, the company said in a statement.
Reuters 13th Feb 2014 read more »
EDF Energy expects to be able to extend the life of the Dungeness B nuclear power station by ten years to 2028 with a decision expected during 2014. Based on the expected life extensions, all seven of our AGR stations will be operating in 2023 when the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C is due to be commissioned if a final investment decision is taken in 2014. “The investment we are making in our existing nuclear power stations has resulted in their best performance for eight years. We believe that their operating lives can be safely extended and we expect to be able to announce a 10 year life extension for Dungeness B before the end of 2014. This means existing nuclear can hand over directly to the next generation of nuclear power stations without the need for more fossil fuel generation.”
EDF Energy 13th Feb 2014 read more »
Bradwell
Plans to pour nuclear effluent into an Essex estuary could pollute the region’s famous oysters, a fisherman and wildlife expert have warned. As part of the decommissioning procedure for the nuclear power station at Bradwell-on-Sea, near Maldon, a process known as fuel element dissolution (FED) is set to take place. It involves dissolving metal that was used to hold fuel rods in acid to reduce and capture radioactive material before discharging the liquid by-product into the sea at the Blackwater Estuary. The process is due to start next month but West Mersea oyster fisherman, Richard Haward, who fishes the estuary and owns the well-known fishmongers The Company Shed, fears too little is known about the potential impact the effluent could have on the fragile population of native oysters that inhabit the area. In December, the estuary was designated a Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to protect the oysters, which have been farmed there since Roman times. However, both Magnox, which operates the plant at Bradwell, and the Environment Agency say the liquid discharges will be within safe limits. In a statement, the Environment Agency added; “A similar process for treatments of FED has been carried out at Dungeness A power station in Kent for well over 10 years.” In addition to the operators’ environmental monitoring programme, the Environment Agency carries out its own environmental monitoring in the local area to determine levels of radioactivity in the estuary. These continue to demonstrate that levels in the environment around Bradwell are low and health impacts would be negligible.”
East Anglian Daily Times 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Hinkley
The European Commission has announced that it intends to open a detailed investigation into possible state aid for the Hinkley point nuclear new-build project. It stated in its announcement that it doubts the project suffers from a genuine market failure. It is also quite negative regarding the project’s prospects of being found to constitute ‘services of general economic interest’ (SGEI). So what is the legal headline here? The main point to keep in mind is that a key feature of the European Commission’s investigation will be to decide whether the project represents an SGEI. The expression ‘SGEI’ is not defined by community law but essentially comprises an economic activity that public authorities define as being of particular importance to citizens, and which either would not be supplied or would be supplied under different conditions if there were no public intervention.
The Lawyer 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Dungeness
Part of Dungeness nuclear power station in Kent has been shut down. The Dungeness B reactor 21 was taken offline at 17:20 GMT on Wednesday following a fault on a conventional steam valve, EDF Energy said. “Safety systems operated as they should and we took the conservative decision to bring the unit offline,” the spokeswoman said. Dungeness B has two reactors and the second remained operational.
BBC 13th Feb 2014 read more »
Sellafield
THE cost of decommissioning and reprocessing at Sellafield is soaring to “astonishing” levels. Copeland MP Jamie Reed said: “Everyone who cares about the site and the industry as a whole will watch the next steps of NMP with real interest and I look forward to seeing detailed proposals designed to enable improvement very soon. Business as usual is not an option.”
NW Evening Mail 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Capenhurst
A firm where staff have more than 1,000 years experience in the nuclear industry between them had no lost-time accidents during 2013. The announcement came from Capenhurst Nuclear Services (CNS) which has just completed its first full year of operations. The company began operations in 2012 following a long term contract with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Chester Chronicle 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Scotland
Letter Fergus Ewing: In response to The Scotsman article by Peter Jones, “Renewables nirvana could be hot air”(Perspective, 11 February), I would point out that Scotland already provides over a third of the UK’s renewable electricity generation. And with the regulator Ofgem warning of a tightening gap between electricity generation and supply, the rest of the UK will continue to rely on Scotland’s enormous renewable energy resources to ensure security of supply and “keep the lights on”. Energy experts such as Professor Euan Phimister of the University of Aberdeen and analyst David Hunter of Schneider Electric have confirmed this point, with Prof Phimister saying that “it’s likely that rUK electricity demand for Scottish electricity overall will remain ¬significant. Yes, the UK can access power from the continent via interconnectors, but their capacity is limited and availability is not guaranteed. Afte r all, and as the former chief executive of Ofgem, Alistair Buchanan, has noted, our continental neighbours also have an issue with lack of supply. Indeed, given the operation of the interconnectors is underpinned by market forces, in a situation of electricity shortages driving up wholesale prices on the continent, the interconnectors could be exporting and not importing power. Furthermore, Scotland has nothing to fear from greater inter-connection – we have a competitive advantage as a net exporter and as a country with a significant proportion of the European Union’s energy resources. That is why we are delighted that work is already under way to significantly increase the transfer capacity from Scotland to the rest of the GB network over the coming years and we support increased inter-connection with our neighbours and across the EU. Labour’s Caroline Flint happily ignores these points when threatening to end the cross-subsidy arrangements behind the curre nt GB energy market – despite admitting in BBC interviews that what is important is keeping the lights on. After all, the current GB energy market doesn’t help support Scottish renewable electricity generation out of the goodness of David Cameron’s heart, but because it helps consumers keep the lights on and the bills down. Recently published research – known as the DREUD report – which was conducted by academics representing universities in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales has highlighted how it is the UK coalition government’s nuclear power plans which risk increasing energy bills. Happily, the latest stats show that Scotland is on track to meet its interim target of meeting 50 per cent of electricity consumption from renewables by 2015 – benefiting consumers across these islands.
Scotsman 13th Feb 2014 read more »
Europe
Some of Britain’s flagship renewable energy projects have been thrown into doubt over EU concerns that the subsidies that support them might be a waste of taxpayer money. To the alarm of some of the UK’s biggest energy companies, ministers are struggling to deliver schemes to foster investment in low-carbon power generation after underestimating EU rules against anti-competitive state subsidies. Hitches in securing European Commission state aid approval threaten to delay the rollout of the first batch of “contracts for difference”, or CFDs, a form of subsidy providing long-term, stable prices for renewable and nuclear projects. It is the centrepiece of the coalition’s energy bill, passed late last year. According to people involved in the informal talks, concern in Brussels has focused on an early form of CFD that the government wants to award to nine projects in April. These interim arrangements were created to ensure the nine ventures can go ahead quickly without having to wait for the official CFD rollout later in the year. Among those that have been promised such a contract are power generator Drax, which has embarked on a £700m programme to switch from coal to wood pellets. Others include Danish utility Dong Energy, which is hoping to receive them for its Burbo Bank, Hornsea and Walney offshore wind farms.
FT 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Fusion
US researchers have achieved a world first in an ambitious experiment that aims to recreate the conditions at the heart of the sun and pave the way for nuclear fusion reactors. The scientists generated more energy from fusion reactions than they put into the nuclear fuel, in a small but crucial step along the road to harnessing fusion power. The ultimate goal – to produce more energy than the whole experiment consumes – remains a long way off, but the feat has nonetheless raised hopes that after decades of setbacks, firm progress is finally being made.
Guardian 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Independent 13th Feb 2014 read more »
FT 12th Feb 2013 read more »
Descrier 13th Feb 2014 read more »
Engineering & Technology 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Uranium
Nearly three years after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, the tremors continue to reverberate through the uranium industry. Last week Paladin Energy mothballed its Kayelekera mine in Malawi, which has been responsible for about 2 per cent of global supply. The low price for “yellowcake” – semi-processed uranium ore – was “unsustainable”, the Australian group said, and numerous other uranium mines were losing money. Then Cameco, the world’s third-largest producer of the radioactive metal, followed with more bad news. The Canadian company is scaling back its target of increasing production more than 50 per cent by 2018, citing oversupply and uncertainty in the industry.
FT 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Iran
Iran has issued a remarkably upbeat assessment of the prospects for finally resolving the long-running dispute with western countries over its nuclear programme, in advance of of crucial negotiations due to resume in Vienna next week.
Guardian 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Iran only began producing its own enriched uranium because of restrictions from the west. At last, though, the long saga is close to a happy ending.
Guardian 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Japan
Japan’s nuclear regulator has criticised the operator of the stricken Fukushima plant for incorrectly measuring radiation levels in contaminated groundwater at the site.Almost three years since the reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi station, Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) still lacks basic understanding of measuring and handling radiation, Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) Chairman Shunichi Tanaka said on Wednesday. The utility has been widely criticised for an inept response to the March 2011 disaster.
Reuters 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Nuclear Weapons
More than 50 universities have received funding from the UK’s national laboratory for nuclear weapons since 2010, according to a new study.
Times Higher Education Supplement 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Fuel Poverty
British homeowners are putting their health on the line by keeping the heating off even when they feel cold rather than pay soaring energy bills, according to a new survey out on Thursday. Almost 65% of 1,800 adults questioned last week in a nationwide poll said they would not turn the gas or electricity on or up when feeling chilly, with the figure rising to 76% for those aged 16 to 24. Almost half those surveyed said they were worried that elderly relatives were too cold in their homes at this time of year, and there are fears that 9,000 people could be left at risk of hypothermia.
Guardian 12th Feb 2014 read more »
Climate
Britain’s climate change policy is under threat from a “diabolical cocktail” of nimbyism, denial of science and fear of Europe from politicians on the right, the energy secretary will say on Thursday. Amid growing warnings about a potential link between global warming and extreme UK weather, Ed Davey will raise concerns that the politicial consensus about the need to tackle climate change is in danger of breaking down as some in the Conservative and Ukip parties try to discredit the science. He will say that the actions of climate deniers are “undermining public trust in the scientific evidence for climate change” and that “we can see around us today the possible consequences of a world in which extreme weather events are much more likely”. In his speech at the IPPR thinktank on Thursday, Davey will criticise those who seize on “any anomaly in the climate data to attempt to discredit the whole”.
Guardian 13th Feb 2014 read more »
Fossil Fuels
The lights will go out across Scotland in the next cold snap unless people accept fracking as part of the solution to the nation’s energy needs, a leading expert and government adviser has warned. Paul Younger, Professor of Energy Engineering at the University of Glasgow, said the mild winter had probably saved people north and south of the Border from “1970s-style” blackouts. Professor Younger, who founded a company pioneering a method similar to fracking for extracting gas from the seabed, will use his inaugural lecture next week as Rankine Chair of Engineering at the university to criticise “naive dichotomies and irrational hostilities” in the energy debate. He said: “We are lucky that this winter has been really mild, otherwise we would have probably seen blackouts. We will not be so lucky in subsequent winters. The UK is in trouble too but Scotland has the extra problem of having turned its back on nuclear, which I think is a mistake. Scotland needs to dash for gas [because] even if the government here changed its mind, nuclear takes ten years to build [so] in Scotland the only thing that could come to the rescue in time is gas.
Times 13th Feb 2014 read more »
The founder of shale gas firm Cuadrilla is planning a venture to frack in the Irish Sea, the BBC has learned. Dr Chris Cornelius believes there are large volumes of offshore shale gas that could be extracted. If successful, it would be the first such project in the world. Dr Cornelius’ new firm Nebula Resources was awarded three licences in the Irish Sea last month by the Department for Energy and Climate Change and hopes to begin exploration soon. “Certainly offshore shale gas is a new concept, and there’s no reason with the UK’s history of offshore development that we can’t develop these resources offshore,” he told the BBC.
BBC 13th Feb 2014 read more »
