Wylfa
Letter Ray Davies: I was flabbergasted to read reports of the wonderful economic benefits that rebuilding Wylfa B would bring to Wales. You wouldn’t think the ex-Prime Minister of Japan had recently visited Anglesey specifically to warn us against the trap of relying on nuclear power. He held meetings throughout Wales, speaking from personal experience of the tragic disaster in Fukushima and begging Wales not to go down the road of renewing Wylfa B. We ignore his words at our peril. The economic arguments are clear. It will take at least £14m of private finance to develop Wylfa B. No-one wants to invest their money into expensive and dangerous nuclear, when renewable energy is the only long-term answer for Wales. There are major investments in renewable energy, such as the £1m pledged for the tidal lagoons in Swansea Bay. The cost of harnessing offshore wind and tidal power has fallen, making them a far more cost effective way to develop Wales’ future energy infrastructure. The nuclear industry loves to trumpet the jobs bonanza of new nuclear, but based on the experience of Finland and elsewhere less than a third of the supposed economic benefits of Wylfa B will come to Wales. Two-thirds will go into the pockets of Japanese and European investors and employers.
Wales Online 13th April 2015 read more »
Plutonium
The International Panel on Fissile Materials has released a new research report, Alternatives to MOX: Direct-disposal Options for Stockpiles of Separated Plutonium, by Frank von Hippel and Gordon MacKerron. The report reviews programs in France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States to dispose of large stocks of separated plutonium in nuclear power reactor mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. Most of these efforts have suffered long delays and large cost increases and all have failed to reduce plutonium stockpiles. This has led some of these countries to consider alternatives. A less costly and more effective approach may be to treat plutonium as a waste to be processed into a stable form and deeply buried. These alternative approaches include disposal with radioactive waste or spent fuel or disposal down a 3-mile (5-kilometer) deep borehole. The report recommends that more than one direct-disposal approach be pursued. It also recommends that the countries that share the problem of plutonium disposal collaborate on exploring direct-disposal options. Finally, it recommends that the quantities of plutonium disposed by the weapon states be verified by the IAEA.
IPFM 13th April 2015 read more »
EPR
The future of the world’s biggest nuclear reactor, under construction at Flamanville in northern France, is now in doubt after a serious flaw was found in its steel pressure vessel. Examination has shown that the steel contains too much carbon, which can weaken the vessel’s structure and breaches safety rules. The Chinese, who have two similar 1,600 megawatt European Pressurised Reactors under construction, have been warned that they too may share the potentially catastrophic problem. Investigations are continuing to check whether the problem can be rectified, but whatever happens it will add more delays and greater costs to the already troubled projects.
Climate News Network 13th April 2015 read more »
The Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) is today concerned to read further serious safety issues with the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) being built at the Flamanville site in France. It calls on the UK nuclear regulator and Areva-EDF to understand these design concerns in reference to plans for Hinkley Point C. NFLA believe these serious issues will significantly delay final construction of EPRs being built in France and China, and almost certainly further delay any commencement of the project to build EPRs at Hinkley Point C.
NFLA 13th April 2015 read more »
In early April, the troubled French nuclear reactor manufacturer Areva announced that there is an “anamoly” in the reactor pressure vessel installed at Electricite de France’s (EdF) Flamanville reactor currently under construction. While the U.S. thankfully appears to have avoided any construction of the Areva EPR reactors–the U.S. EPR flagship reactor at Calvert Cliffs-3 was defeated in NRC licensing hearings and EdF has announced it is giving up on the U.S. market–EPRs remain under construction elsewhere, most notably in France, Finland and China. Areva–the world’s largest reactor manufacturer–is already near bankruptcy; if this “anamoly” is endemic to Areva EPRs it could put the final nail in Areva’s coffin. We appreciate the work of Yves Marignac of WISE-Paris, who prepared the following paper on what the problem is, how extensive it may be and its implications for Flamanville and the rest of the world.
Green World 13th April 2015 read more »
Radwaste
A safer and cheaper method of disposing of nuclear waste by burying it three miles underground is to be tested in America after being developed by British scientists. The scientists claim their research has been ignored by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, which they say is wedded to the idea of dumping the waste only 500m down. A borehole is to be drilled in America in a trial funded by the US Department of Energy. If it is successful the US hopes to dispose of its most radioactive waste – currently stored at Hanford, in Washington state – in a deep borehole. Professor Fergus Gibb, from the University of Sheffield, who will present his research to the American Nuclear Society conference in Charleston, South Carolina, this week said that the DECC had ignored the potential of boreholes: “They say they are keeping an eye on [his proposal]. But they are not doing anything to encourage it.”
Times 14th April 2015 read more »
Politics
The Labour Party has confirmed its plans to overhaul the energy sector with the launch of its manifesto today. Opposition leader Ed Miliband has launched his party’s general election promises, which feature the reforms to the energy market he announced in his party conference speech in 2013. These will prevent any price rises being implemented by the suppliers over a 20 month period; creating a new energy regulator with the power to force suppliers to pass on falling wholesale costs; and the reintroduce the energy pool.
Utility Week 13th April 2015 read more »
Labour leader Ed Miliband vowed to ‘make Britain a world leader in low carbon technologies’ at launch of Labour’s election manifesto in Manchester, dubbing tackling climate change ‘an economic necessity’. And he pledged to give additional borrowing powers to the Edinburgh-based UK Green Investment Bank to help boost Britain’s renewable energy sector in a refreshed commitment to a ‘green economy’ if they win the coming election. Miliband said:
Scottish Energy News 14th April 2015 read more »
Starting today, Carbon Brief’s climate and energy tracker will be updated through the week as the manifestos come in, allowing party policies to be compared side by side.
Carbon Brief 13th April 2015 read more »
Labour Manifesto declares tackling climate change ‘an economic necessity’. Manifesto cements support for decarbonisation target and overhaul of energy efficiency policies, as Ed Miliband promises rail fare freeze
Business Green 13th April 2015 read more »
Labour manifesto 2015: Green policies at a glance. BusinessGreen runs down the key environment and energy policies from today’s Labour manifesto. Energy efficiency: Plans to deliver a million interest free loans for energy home improvements in the next Parliament have been confirmed. Meanwhile, privately rented properties will have to meet a “decency” standard that could see a further three million homes retrofitted. The government would also work with local authorities on a street-by-street energy savings upgrade of 200,000 low income homes.
Business Green 13th April 2015 read more »
Radhealth
Today, despite the 2,053 nuclear weapons tested around the world during the Cold War, the more than 430 nuclear power plants currently operating in 31 countries, and the skyrocketing use of radiation in medicine—annually, there are 20 million nuclear-medicine procedures in the United States alone—scientists are still uncertain about those risks. The estimated total levels of radiation that reached Ailuk were ultimately determined to be less than 10 roentgens. By today’s safety standards, such levels would be less than what is referred to as “low dose,” which is anything below 100 millisieverts (mSv), the metric measure now used, or roughly equal to 10 roentgens.
Foreign Policy 26th March 2015 read more »
Nuclear Architecture
It is no surprise that we want nuclear architecture to be anonymous. But it wasn’t always this way. In 1954, three decades before Chernobyl, the Soviets built the world’s first nuclear power station at Obninsk, just 100km from Moscow. Nikita Khrushchev, who had taken over as Communist party leader after Stalin’s death, was convinced that nuclear power (along with the conquest of space) would be the final phase of the transformation of the Soviet Union into the world’s leading industrial force.
FT 10th April 2015 read more »
Japan – Fukushima
A Japanese court on Tuesday issued an injunction to prevent the restart of two reactors citing safety concerns, in a blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to return to atomic energy four years after the Fukushima crisis. It is the second court ruling in less than a year against reactors operated by Kansai Electric Power, the country’s most nuclear reliant utility before Fukushima. Local residents had sought an injunction against the No. 3 and 4 reactors at Takahama, arguing that restart plans underestimate earthquake risks, fail to meet tougher safety standards and lack credible evacuation measures.
Reuters 14th April 2015 read more »
IB Times 14th April 2015 read more »
JAPAN’S pro-nuclear lobby pledged yesterday that 2015 will be the year the country’s shut-down nuclear reactors are restarted. Despite public opposition following the Fukushima disaster, industry officials and their supporters claim the country needs atomic power to play its part in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure a stable electricity supply.
Morning Star 14th April 2015 read more »
Food produced around the Fukushima nuclear disaster site could be making its way on to British shelves because of loopholes in safety rules, The Independent can reveal. Products contaminated by radiation, including tea, noodles and chocolate bars, have already been exported from Japan under the cover of false labelling by fraudsters.
Independent 13th April 2015 read more »
Inside Fukushima’s ground zero: First robot sent inside melted reactor at tsunami-hit plant dies after just three hours – but not before sending back chilling pictures
Daily Mail 14th April 2015 read more »
Reuters 14th April 2015 read more »
LBC 14th April 2015 read more »
Computer World 13th April 2015 read more »
China
The US has barred Intel from supplying thousands of computer chips that would have been used in a supercomputer in China due to fears about how the machines would be used. Intel had applied to the US government for an export licence on the hardware last August, but this has now been refused. The official concern is that the equipment was destined for the 33 petaflop Tianhe-2 computer, which is housed at China’s National University of Defence Technology, and is used in the pursuit of nuclear research.
V3 13th April 2015 read more »
Trident
DOCKYARD jobs would not be lost if Trident was scrapped with skilled engineers able to move into the renewable sector, the Green Party told Plymouth yesterday. One of the key defence policies from the party is to get rid of Britain’s nuclear deterrent – four submarines which carry nuclear missiles. Deputy leader Amelia Womack, who is currently touring the South West, said a push to reinvest in renewable energy and marine science would ensure skilled engineering jobs, currently put to use refitting and refueling the submarines, would remain in the city.
Plymouth Herald 14th April 2015 read more »
It seems to be typical of the triumph of spin over substance in this election campaign so far. The debate over whether or not E Miliband planted the meat cleaver into D Miliband’s back seemed to receive much more coverage than whether or not we should pay billions of pounds for Trident.
Channel 4 News 13th April 2015 read more »
Some 34 anti-nuclear activists have been arrested at Faslane naval base in Scotland, according to organizers, as hundreds of protesters blockaded the home of Britain’s nuclear weapons system.
Russia Today 13th April 2015 read more »
The Scrap Trident Coalition says it has blocked all entrances to the base, which is home to the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system, and estimates it will take several hours to clear the entrance to the south gate. A group of protesters have covered themselves in red paint to form a red line to symbolise their “total rejection of the UK’s weapons of mass slaughter”. Scrap Trident spokesman Brian Larkin said: “The scene here is a joyful one, with singing and dancing and the brilliant samba beat from Rhythms of Resistance. The blockade has been a tremendous success.” Protesters gathered outside every gate to the base from 7am in an attempt to stop workers from entering, with the blockade due to last until 3pm. Organisers estimate there are up to 150 demonstrators outside the north gate, with 250 across all the gates.
Herald 13th April 2015 read more »
Renewables – solar
Can ‘solar cloth’ revolutionise the commercial rooftop market? Solar Cloth Company reckons there is a vast market for commercial rooftop arrays, after government changes planning rules.
Business Green 13th April 2015 read more »
Renewables – Heat Pumps
The Glasgow-based manufacturer responsible for the invention of the world’s largest zero-carbon 90ᵒC district Neatpump heat pump has been shortlisted for a new Scottish green-technology award – with the chance of winning £20,000. Star Renewable Energy – part of the eponymous Thornliebank-based refrigeration group – will compete against 25 finalists for the top prize on 4 June 2015 at the Glasgow Technology Innovation Centre. Star Renewable Energy’s Neatpump technology is an industrial heat pump that uses water from rivers, lakes, reservoirs and the sea to generate heating and cooling while balancing the grid.
Scottish Energy News 14th April 2015 read more »
Renewables – Small Wind
Glasgow-based Urban Wind is one of the UK’s leading wind turbine businesses offering bespoke wind turbine finance models, including land lease, outright purchase, and joint ventures. McCullagh said: “If you look at some of the water utilities for example – they see the areas they need to tackle, they see where the problem is, but they’ve got no cash to do it. And they’re also lightly resourced too as they don’t have in house people that can say ‘I’m your renewable expert’. “Although that’s growing a little bit now – in terms of positioning of renewable guys at senior level within some organisations – they still struggle.”
Scottish Energy News 14th April 2015 read more »
Climate
Poor countries are feeling “the boot of climate change on their neck”, the president of the World Bank has said, as he called for a carbon tax and the immediate scrapping of subsidies for fossil fuels to hold back global warming. Jim Yong Kim said awareness of the impact of extreme weather events that have been linked to rising temperatures was more marked in developing nations than in rich western countries, and backed for the adoption of a five-point plan to deliver low-carbon growth.
Guardian 13th April 2015 read more »
