Hinkley
Conservative MP Ian Liddell-Grainger called upon the government to ensure investment for a new build nuclear power at Hinkley Point. In November 2009, the Labour government approved sites for the building of 10 new nuclear power stations, seven of which already host nuclear plants. During a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, the Bridgewater and West Somerset MP emphasised the important economic contribution that Hinkley Point makes to his local area and called for “decisive action” on nuclear power.
ePolitix 14th July 2010 more >>
THE firm behind plans for a third nuclear power station at Hinkley Point wants to hear the views of people in Burnham and Highbridge as it unveils its “preferred proposals”.
This is the West Country 14th July 2010 more >>
Small Reactors
Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy and Bechtel Power have entered into a formal alliance to design, license and deploy the commercially viable Generation III++ small modular nuclear power plant. The alliance, to be called Generation mPower, brings the two companies together in engineering, manufacturing and construction of B&W’s mPower 125MW modular reactor.
Energy Business Review 14th July 2010 more >>
Emergency Planning
Fire crews and hospital staff carried out an exercise in Barnsley yesterday to test the emergency response to a terrorist attack in South Yorkshire. The scenario was that a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) device had exploded in the Meadowhall shopping centre and crowds of people with radiation burns needed to be treated.
Yorkshire Post 14th July 2010 more >>
Poland
The USA and Poland have signed a joint declaration for cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. The signing of the agreement followed a US nuclear trade mission to Warsaw.
World Nuclear News 14th July 2010 more >>
Platts 14th July 2010 more >>
Iran
An Iranian nuclear scientist claimed today that he suffered extreme mental and physical torture at the hands of US interrogators after disappearing last year, adding to Tehran’s allegations he was abducted by American agents. The US said he was a willing defector who changed his mind and decided to board a plane home from Washington.
Wales Online 15th July 2010 more >>
The Iranian nuclear scientist who said he was abducted by U.S. agents was paid more than $5 million (3.3 million pound) by the CIA for information about Iran’s nuclear program, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials.
Yahoo 15th July 2010 more >>
Shahram Amiri, the Iranian nuclear scientist, has described the moment he claims to have been abducted at gunpoint by the CIA while on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Telegraph 15th July 2010 more >>
Dangerous surprises may be in store, for both Israel and the US, emanating from Iran. The depth and breadth of the confrontation with Tehran on numerous fronts – political, commercial, geographical and physical – is growing exponentially. The situation grows less predictable, and thus more volatile, by the day. It would not take much to spark a full-blown crisis, most probably unplanned.
Guardian 15th July 2010 more >>
Italy
Italy is set to name the head of a new nuclear safety agency within days, moving closer to a relaunch of the nuclear power industry abandoned over 20 years ago, the Environment Minister said on Wednesday. Setting up a nuclear safety agency is a key step in Italy’s plans to revive nuclear energy rejected by a public vote in 1987 after the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. But clashing political interests have delayed the new agency, Italian media have said.
STV 14th July 2010 more >>
EnergySolutions Inc. said Wednesday it is abandoning its plans to dispose of nuclear waste from Italy in Utah’s west desert and instead will try to help open a disposal facility in that country. The Salt Lake City-based company had been seeking to import up to 20,000 tons of low-level radioactive waste from Italy’s shuttered nuclear power program. After processing in Tennessee, about 1,600 tons would have been buried in Utah.
Hartford Courant 14th July 2010 more >>
Renewables
Europe is more than halfway to hitting its target of generating 20 per cent of energy from renewable sources by 2020, according to new figures published by Eurostat today. Renewable energy consumption rose 0.6 per cent in the European Union in 2008 to 10.3 per cent, compared with 9.7 per cent in 2007 and 8.8 per cent in 2006, meaning that the EU has passed the halfway point to reaching its 20 per cent target over the next decade. Of the EU’s three biggest economies – Germany, France and Britain – France boasted the highest share at 11 per cent of gross final energy consumption generated by renewable energy sources, followed by Germany’s 8.9 per cent and the UK’s 2.2 per cent.
Business Green 14th July 2010 more >>
Spain has opened the world’s largest solar power station, meaning that it overtakes the US as the biggest solar generator in the world. The nation’s total solar power production is now equivalent to the output of a nuclear power station. The new La Florida solar plant takes Spain’s solar output to 432MW, which compares with the US output of 422MW. The plant, at Alvarado, Badajoz, in the west of the country, is a parabolic trough. With this method of collecting solar energy, sunlight is reflected off a parabolic mirror on to a fluid-filled tube. The heated liquid is then used to heat steam to run the turbines. The mirror rotates during the day to follow the sun’s movement. The solar farm covers 550,000 square metres (the size of around 77 football pitches) and produces 50MW of power.
Guardian 13th July 2010 more >>
He was once the world’s most ruthless and notorious oil baron. But now JR Ewing has turned his back on black gold to spend his retirement selling eco-friendly solar panels.
Guardian 15th July 2010 more >>
Test Veterans
BRITISH ex-servicemen have reacted angrily to news that ministers paid out £20 million to Australia to settle compensation claims arising from UK nuclear bomb tests – while continuing to deny them payouts for illnesses they say were caused by the same blasts. Documents obtained by the Derby Telegraph show that, in 1993, the Foreign Office agreed to hand over £20 million “in full and final settlement” of all claims which “any person” might have due to the actions of the UK in relation to the 1950s’ tests in Australia.
Derby Telegraph 14th July 2010 more >>
Nuclear Weapons
Nuclear campaigners have branded the government’s proposed “value-for-money” review of the multibillion-pound renewal of Trident as nonsense. Defence Secretary Liam Fox announced on Wednesday at a conference in London’s Chatham House that the government could scale back Britain’s fleet of Trident nuclear submarines from four to three. But he added it would only be done if Britain could maintain its deterrence at sea and that a decision will not be made until 2014-15.
Morning Star 14th July 2010 more >>
Depleted Uranium
Chris Busby, Malak Hamdan Entesar Ariabi have released their epidemiological study on the health problems the people of Fallujah are suffering from – entitled “Genetic damage and health in Fallujah Iraq worse than Hiroshima”.
Countercurrents 11th July 2010 more >>
Climate
Europes current focus on recovery from recession must not distract us from the question of what kind of economy we want to build. Unless we set our countries on a path to a sustainable low-carbon future, we will face continued uncertainty and significant costs from energy price volatility and a destabilising climate. This is why we today set out our belief that the European Union should raise its emissions target. A reduction of 30 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 would represent a real incentive for innovation and action in the international context. It would be a genuine attempt to restrict the rise in global temperatures to 2C the key climate danger threshold stiffening the resolve of those already proposing ambitious action and encouraging those waiting in the wings. It would also make good business sense. The writers are UK climate change secretary, German federal environment minister and French environment minister
FT 15th July 2010 more >>
