G8
A draft G8 communique on “Global Energy Security”, expected to be approved at a summit in Russia this weekend, highlights a deep split on the issue of nuclear energy among the world’s most powerful economies. The 5,500-word draft statement, given to Reuters by a senior official from one of the Group of Eight nations, was still being revised before the arrival on Saturday of the leaders of the United States, Russia, Japan, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Britain and the European Union in St. Petersburg. Although the United States and Russia would have liked the G8 statement to back the global revival of nuclear energy, Germany and, to a certain extent Italy, oppose this, G8 diplomats said. The draft text clearly highlights this rift.
Reuters 13th July 2006
Putin has created an energy superpower whose voice is again important. And he has placed the issue of energy security at the heart of the summit agenda. Russia is the world’s second biggest oil producer after Saudi Arabia.
Independent 14th July 2006
New nukes
Conservation group WWF has lent its weight to the criticism directed at the Government over the recent Energy Review, calling announcements over an energy gap ‘fantastic spin’, designed to usher in new nuclear energy facilities. The group also called the new generation of nuclear power stations a ‘red herring’ that would divert resources away from renewable development and uptake.
Green Consumer Guide 14th July 2006
The government said today that its energy review had won support for a multi-billion-pound nuclear programme despite scepticism from some power companies. But the growing optimism within Whitehall was shaken by a warning from the biggest nuclear union that it was prepared to take industrial action to save the pension position of its members threatened by privatisation.
Guardian website 13th July 2006
THE RIGHT to object to plans for windfarms and nuclear power stations could be taken away as the government tries to drastically reduce carbon emissions. Whitehall will make the decision that nuclear plants and windfarms are safe and necessary and therefore cannot be challenged in a planning hearing.
West Cumberland Times and Star 14th July 2006
A PETITION of 10,000 signatures calling for the Government to reopen Sellafield as a second generation nuclear plant was presented to the Prime Minister this week. Unions representing Sellafield workers drew up the petition in the wake of the energy review, in which the government has signalled a nuclear future for the country. Peter Kane, spokesman for the GNB at Sellafield, said he understood that Tony Blair had given the union representatives an encouraging hearing.
West Cumberland Times and Star 14th July 2006
WEST Cumbria’s nuclear opportunities head has questioned the feasibility of building a second generation nuclear power plant at Sellafield. Rosie Mathisen, manager of the West Cumbria Nuclear Opportunities group, set up to ensure that the area capitalises on the nuclear industry, said a decision not to rebuild here would give the area a chance to reduce its reliance on the nuclear industry. In a statement released after the Government’s energy review, she said that if a plant was built here, there were local people with the skills to service such a plant. She said: “However, whether West Cumbria is a commercially feasible site is questionable because of connectivity and transmission issues.
West Cumberland Times and Star 14th July 2006
A new generation of nuclear power stations and creating more energy from renewable sources such as wind and waves received Government backing, as well as plans to encourage people to conserve or use less energy. Simple ideas include phasing out ‘standby’ buttons on electrical appliances in future years.
Cumberland News 14th July 2006
CUMBRIA’S Conservative politicians have signed a joint declaration calling on the government to invest in Sellafield and put an end to decommissioning at the west Cumbrian reprocessing plant. The declaration also demands a new generation of nuclear power stations built in west Cumbria to “sustain our economy, support local business and preserve local employment”.
Cumberland News 14th July 2006
Letter from a LibDem Councillor: So the Tories are refusing to oppose the construction of any new nuclear power stations? Once again, David Cameron has shown his commitment to the environment is barely skin deep.
Bath Chronicle 13th July 2006
A nuclear power station and wind farm could be destined for the Maldon district under new Government plans. The area could be a prime location for the power plants which must be built to generate new sources of fuel. As a result, the decommissioning of Bradwell power station and the refused application for a wind farm on the Dengie could both face reversals in the light of an energy review published on Tuesday.
Essex Chronicle 13th July 2006
Dr Kevin Anderson, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research’s energy programme, comments on the DTI Energy Review. “The Energy Review has a highly disproportionate focus on electricity supply as opposed to heat and transport – neglecting the other 82% of UK energy use. It has the traditional over-emphasis on large, centralised and big power supply using conventional engineering thinking. “There is no real action proposed to realise the substantial potential of alternative means of generating low-carbon power, such as micro-generation of electricity at the community-level and the widespread implementation of combined heat and power.”
Environment Times 13th July 2006
Green campaigners say another lengthy battle looms if the Government announces it is willing to allow a new nuclear plant to be built in the North East.
Newcastle Evening Chronicle 13th July 2006
It could be up to seven years before the UK sees approval for its first new nuclear power station. Despite promises to speed up the licence application process, a fast-track system could still be some way off – assuming private sector investment is forthcoming. The news follows rumours that government inspectors were due to visit Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station early next year with a view to granting permission for a second plant.Health and Safety Executive (HSE) proposals for a two-phase pre-licensing approval could cut delays in granting licences if adopted. Phase one would see the approval of reactor designs. The second stage would be based on location and a site and operator-specific assessment before a licence was granted. The process is intended to provide a more transparent, rigorous and robust regulatory approach to the safety of any new nuclear reactors. But an HSE spokesman said phase one could take nearly four years to approve, with phase two taking only a little less time. British Energy said “There is land enough at the site to build a second station at Hartlepool,”
Evening Gazette (Teesside) 13th July 2006
Can this selfish country cope with nuclear power? Imagine what a nuclear industry equivalent of the water companies’ performance would be like.
Independent 14th July 2006
Letter from Bridget Woodman You are right to highlight energy security as a key issue for any energy policy. However, you are mistaken in assuming that nuclear power can make a significant contribution to this, either in the short or longer term. Energy security comes from a number of factors: a secure supply of fuel from a range of sources, adequate output from a diverse portfolio of generating technologies, flexible stations to react to changes in demand, reliable infrastructures to transport energy to users, and the ability to compensate for unforeseen losses in output with other power sources. Nuclear power can play only a limited role. It is only a generator of electricity, rather than a contributor to a wider range of energy needs such as heat production. Its fuel source, uranium, is imported and finite. It is not flexible, but has to operate at more or less full output at all times. It is necessarily large in scale, meaning that there always has to be an equal amount of spare generation available in case the largest nuclear unit, Sizewell B, should fail. Add to this the potential security threats from terrorism, the long-term implications of nuclear waste and the possibility of a serious accident, and in fact nuclear power is not an attractive option for the UK. The Government’s statement is an enormous missed opportunity to develop a more secure, flexible and small-scale energy system offered by the range of renewable technologies and combined heat and power.
Times 14th July 2006
France – Finland
Optimism about the European nuclear energy industry took a knock when French giant Areva warned that first-half operating profit will be lower than a year ago and full-year operating cash flow will be “highly negative”. The nuclear energy group’s predictions came after this week’s revelation that work on Finland’s 3.8 bln eur Olkiluoto 3 reactor, which is the only nuclear power plant under construction in Europe, is a year behind schedule.
Interactive Investor 13th July 2006
Scotland
THE long-term future for Torness Power Station remains uncertain, despite the announcement by Tony Blair that nuclear power should form an important part of energy policy in years to come. Despite Westminster support, Holyrood has the final say on whether any new nuclear power stations will be built on Scottish soil – as planning is a devolved matter. East Lothian MSP John Home Robertson, who supports the principle of a Torness B, said: “The Executive’s position is that they won’t approve any new nuclear power stations until the issue of waste is resolved.” However, he added that there was no “pressing need” for an immediate replacement for the British Energy-owned site on the outskirts of Dunbar, which contributes more than £22m to the local economy.
East Lothian Courier 13th July 2006
Iran
Major powers turned over to the 15-nation U.N. Security Council on Thursday details of energy and economic incentives they offered to Iran if it suspends its nuclear ambitions and stops uranium enrichment. The three-page incentive package, which had not previously been published in full, includes a pledge to “actively support” the building of new light water power reactors in Iran.
Reuters 14th July 2006
British Energy
British Energy, the nuclear power group, risks having to pay out hundreds of millions of pounds in order to keep control of a coal power station following a challenge from its bondholders.
FT 14th July 2006