Radwaste
Campaigners against West Cumbria ‘volunteering’ to host a nuclear dump say it would be disastrous for the National Park’s image and tourist industry. Today they released the final report on a survey of more than 500 visitors in Keswick, which found that 89% of people thought a dump would have an impact on the image of the National Park, and all of these thought it would be negative.
West Cumbria & North Lakes FoE 12th Dec 2012 more »
Workington MP Sir Tony Cunningham was at Buckingham Palace yesterday to be invested with his knighthood. Sir Tony attended the palace alongside other honours recipients, including Eden Project founder Tim Smit. Prince Charles spoke to him during the investiture. Sir Tony said: “He said something which we already know. He said, ‘You represent one of the most beautiful parts of the world’.
Times and Star 14th Dec 2012 more »
Letter Marianne Birkby: Last weeks letter from the Sellafield Workers Campaign claims that Radiation Free Lakeland “are not opposed to a geological dump”. We are opposed to a geological dump. We are opposed not just in Cumbria but anywhere. Yes we agree with the findings of Nirex and Professors Smythe and Haszeldine that Cumbria’s geology is too complex but we part company with the professors and Nirex in pointing the finger elsewhere in the country. We agree with the findings of the Rock Solid? scientific review written by Dr Helen Wallace which concludes that the science of geological ‘disposal’ is not adequate to guarantee safety and may never be.
Radiation Free Lakeland 14th Dec 2012 more »
The Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely Partnership has just won two awards for its outstanding contribution to New.Speak The title of the Partnership (Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely) is in itself blatant New.Speak Other key examples of MRWS new.speak are: *Democratic Process *Volunteer *Willing Community all saying one thing in the guise of its opposite.
101 uses for nuclear power 14th December 2012 more »
Hinkley
Energy firm EdF has deferred making its final investment decision on its proposed new power station at Hinkley Point C until early 2013, the firm confirmed today.
New Civil Engineer 14th Dec 2012 more »
GDA
ONR issued a ‘Design Acceptance Confirmation’, whilst the Environment Agency issued a ‘Statement of Design Acceptability’ that approved the construction of the EPR subject to “additional site-specific consents and approvals”. Energy law specialist Chris White of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said that the development was to be welcomed. “This is a major step forward for EDF and a significant milestone in the Government’s plans to bring-on £110 billion of inward investment to construct 16 gigawatts (GW) of new nuclear generation to help the UK get to its low-carbon future by 2030,” White said. “This is great news for the UK economy and should herald a step-change in the UK supply chain, enabling a whole generation of contractors and suppliers to up-skill and revitalise the country’s engineering base.”
Out Law 14th Dec 2012 more »
EDF, which employs 1,600 at its Barnwood centre, was yesterday given the go-ahead for the design of a new generation of nuclear reactors. The success of the joint application with AREVA, which also has a base in Gloucester, is a step forward for the group’s proposed new nuclear station at Hinkley Point, Somerset.The knock-on effect for Gloucestershire and the South West could be huge with hundreds of new jobs set to be created. The reactor assessment process involved the Office for Nuclear Regulation, which has a base in Cheltenham and is recruiting to meet the increased demand.
Gloucester Citizen 14th Dec 2012 more »
Supply Chain
ENGINEERING company Bendalls has signed an agreement that could lead to tens of millions of pounds of work on nuclear new build. The business, based at Kingstown, Carlisle, was among 25 UK companies to sign ‘memoranda of understanding’ this week with the French nuclear-engineering firm Areva.
Cumberland News 14th Dec 2012 more »
AREVA has signed memoranda of understanding with 25 UK companies to supply components and services for a new generation of European pressurised water reactors (EPRs) in the country. The 25 companies are among 50 identified by Areva as being able to meet the requirements of the nuclear building programme and cover a wide variety of products such as valves, pumps, electronics, piping, and refrigeration units. EdF Energy was recently granted a new nuclear site licence for Hinkley Point in Somerset by the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), and plans to build two EPRs at the site. Areva says that the MoUs relate to this project.
Chemical Engineer 14th Dec 2012 more »
Scotland
There is a serious danger that EDF and any other interested parties will lose interest in new build at Hunterson and Scotland will miss out on jobs and carbon free electricity says GMB. GMB reacted to the announcement by EDF that the operation of the Hunterston Nuclear power station site will be extended to 2023. The site employs 700 people and was due to be decommissioned in 2016. Jim Moohan Senior Organiser in Scotland said, “The news of the extension to the life of Hunterston nuclear power station is welcome but misses the point. We need a balanced energy policy with a guarantee of all forms of power include nuclear. The Scottish government’s exclusion of nuclear as part of the energy mix is ridiculous, dangerous and short-sighted and must be changed. The Scottish Parliament must understand the need to protect the energy supply.
IB Times 14th Dec 2012 more »
Japan
Fukushima nuclear crisis update 11th to 13th Dec.
Greenpeace 14th Dec 2012 more »
After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan announced ambitions to phase out the use of nuclear generation. But faced with bulging energy imports and high prices, official enthusiasm for the plan has waned.
Risk.net 14th Dec 2012 more »
Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant operator Tepco admitted today that its poor safety culture and collusion with Japanese regulators were to blame for the disaster that followed the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The firm said it fully accepted the findings of a parliamentary inquiry. Tepco’s reform chief Takefumi Anegawa said the report spelled out its “lack of a safety culture and our bad habits.” He admitted that the meltdowns and explosions at the plant were preventable and the result of “collusion” with regulators.
Morning Star 14th Dec 2012 more »
Independent 14th Dec 2012 more »
Reuters 14th Dec 2012 more »
Guardian 14th Dec 2012 more »
Lithuania
European Union funding for the decommissioning of Lithuania’s Soviet-era nuclear reactor has been frozen to raise pressure to wrap up talks on the operation, a top official said Friday amid growing irritation over delays.
EU Business 14th Dec 2012 more »
Iran
New round of Iran nuclear talks ‘imminent’. US appears to believe sanctions may be enough to make Iran curb uranium enrichment without the need for major new concessions.
Guardian 15th Dec 2012 more »
The United Nations nuclear agency expects to reach a deal with Iran next month enabling it to investigate whether the Islamic state has carried out atomic bomb research, the chief U.N. inspector said after returning from Tehran on Friday.
Trust 14th Dec 2012 more »
Microgeneration
This week’s Micro Power News: solar power becoming cheaper; LED lighting finance; first phase of Leicester district heating scheme completed; Norwich City Hall solarised; and more.
Microgen Scotland.org.uk 14th Dec 2012 more »
Climate
An attempt by climate sceptics to hijack the latest UN report on global warming by selectively leaking claims that it is caused by sunspots rather than man-made emissions of carbon dioxide has backfired. Climate scientists pointed out that Mr Rawls has selectively quoted from the draft report and has ignored other parts of the document stating that solar activity and cosmic rays cannot explain the increase in global temperatures seen over the past half century, as sceptics have repeatedly claimed.
Independent 14th Dec 2012 more »
Gas
Pressure is mounting on the company leading Britain’s shale gas rush after it emerged that senior executives did not know that its fracking had triggered earth tremors near Blackpool. Environmental campaigners said the revelation showed that Cuadrilla Resources could not be trusted to expand drilling across Britain and MPs said that it raised further questions about the company’s safety record.
Times 15th Dec 2012 more »
