New Nukes
The third in a series of briefings from the four former FoE Diretors is now available, This one is about the nuclear industry.
Jonathon Porritt 17th April 2012 more >>
The government’s plans for a new fleet of reactors have received another blow after the boss of GDF Suez signalled that the French engineering giant would want to see more government support before moving forward with plans for a new nuclear plant in Cumbria.
Business Green 17th April 2012 more >>
Nuclear Subsidy
The Greens have hit out at a reported initiative to ‘reclassify’ nuclear power at EU level with a view to allowing direct state aid for the industry. According to reports, a joint initiative has been tabled by France, the UK, Poland and the Czech Republic. The four member states have reportedly put forward the proposals in the context of the ongoing debate among member states on the EU’s energy roadmap for 2050. The Greens, though, have criticised the move and called on EU government to reject the proposals. Commenting on the reports, Greens/EFA joint leader Rebecca Harms said, “This latest move to give a boost nuclear power by the nuclear industry’s last remaining cheerleaders is a desperate attempt to prop up a flagging technology.” Speaking in Strasbourg at the start of this week’s parliamentary plenary, the German deputy added, “Proposals to reclassify nuclear to facilitate state aid or to replace EU renewable energy targets with a low carbon target should be rebuffed by all other EU governments.
The Parliament 17th April 2012 more >>
Hinkley
Stop Hinkley Newsletter: Over 300 people packed the Sedgemoor Auction Centre near Bridgwater on Wednesday 21 March for the preliminary meeting on EDFs application to construct the Hinkley C nuclear reactors. Many expressed their opposition to the plan because of its dangers, risks and long term legacy of radioactive waste, even though these subjects are expressly excluded from consideration by the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) in charge of the process.
Stop Hinkley April 2012 more >>
EPR
Areva said April 17 it has delivered two steam generators and the pressuriser for the first Chinese EPR, Taishan 1, and that it has reduced the manufacturing time for the heavy components by 40%. The optimized manufacturing and delivery in accordance with the customers desired schedule of the heavy components for the Taishan 1 nuclear steam supply system [NSSS] demonstrates Arevas capacity to mass produce equipment for the third generation of EPR reactors, Claude Jaouen, senior executive vice president for Arevas reactors & services activities, said in a statement. Areva said the components arrived in China at the beginning of April. This delivery of heavy components for the primary reactor coolant system marks an important step forward in the construction of the first EPR reactor in China, the company said.
i-Nuclear 17th April 2012 more >>
AP1000
The conclusion of qualification testing of the reactor coolant pump (RCP) for the Westinghouse AP1000 including 50 service cycles and more than 500 total operating hours clears the way for installation of the RCPs at Sanmen Unit 1 in China, the first AP1000 reactor to be built in the world, Westinghouse said April 16. The shipment of the first two hermetically sealed, canned RCPs for Sanmen 1 is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2012, Westinghouse said.
i-Nuclear 17th April 2012 more >>
Companies
Another British energy company is set to fall into foreign hands after International Power agreed to a sweetened £6.4 billion takeover offer from the worlds largest utility. GDF Suez, which already owns 70 per cent of the company, lifted its bid for the remainder of the business from 390p to 418p per share, prompting International Power to accept the offer, after it had rebuffed an initial approach this month. International Power owns or part-owns dozens of power plants around the world, including 11 in Britain. GDF Suez is part of a consortium considering building two nuclear reactors on the Sellafield site in Cumbria. The Government will be hoping that the consortium presses ahead with an investment after the German groups E.ON and RWE scrapped plans to build up to six reactors in Britain last month. But Mr Mestrallet cautioned that Britains deregulated energy market makes such big investments unattractive. Today its very difficult to invest in nuclear without having clear visibility, he said.
The Times 17th April 2012 more >>
Nuclear Training
An initiative by some of Europes biggest nuclear energy firms to create an academy to train and educate future industry leaders appears to be foundering just two years after its optimistic launch in January 2010. The European Nuclear Energy Leadership Academy (Enela) was created when the nuclear renaissance appeared to be taking off to train young graduates and high potential employees with different backgrounds to become leaders or to prepare them to take broader responsibilities in European nuclear energy corporations and institutions. It evolved out of the European Commission-sponsored European Nuclear Energy Forum and had EC support. But i-NUCLEAR has learned that Enelas director, Jean-Claude Gauthier, a senior vice president of Areva NP, has resigned from his post, along with several other managers. One of the key programs of the academy, the Enela Management Programme, a business and technical masters degree that was to be provided in cooperation with the Technical University of Munich, has been officially postponed, according to a statement on the Enela website. Sources told i-NUCLEAR that the program has effectively been cancelled.
i-Nuclear 18th April 2012 more >>
Libya
President Nicolas Sarkozy denied on Tuesday an allegation by the former head of French nuclear group Areva that he had sought to sell a nuclear reactor to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi until mid-2010. “There was never any question of selling a reactor to Mr. Gaddafi,” Sarkozy told France Inter radio, a week after Anne Lauvergeon, Areva’s chief executive until 2011, made the claim in an interview on the website of L’Express last Tuesday.
Reuters 17th April 2012 more >>
Japan
Fukushima Update 13th to 16th April.
Greenpeace 17th April 2012 more >>
North Korea
North Korea on Tuesday dismissed a rebuke by the U.N. Security Council of its failed long-range rocket launch and said it was no longer bound by an agreement with the United States for a moratorium on missile and nuclear tests and arms inspection.
Reuters 17th April 2012 more >>
A bristling North Korea on Wednesday said it was ready to retaliate in the face of international condemnation over its failed rocket launch, increasing the likelihood the hermit state will push ahead with a third nuclear test.
Reuters 18th April 2012 more >>
India
Less than a week after North Korea’s failed rocket launch, India may be on the verge of test-firing a nuclear-capable missile that has the ability to reach all parts of Asia and even parts of Eastern Europe, according to reports. The 50-ton, 20-meter Agni V rocket also known as the China Killer in Indian media — boasts a range of more than 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles).
IB Times 17th April 2012 more >>
BBC 18th April 2012 more >>
Iran
Israel’s defence minister said on Tuesday that Israeli military action against Iran remains an option even while nuclear negotiations are under way, and voiced strong doubts whether the talks would succeed.
Reuters 17th April 2012 more >>
Green Deal
Green businesses have vowed to fight for a fair review of government plans to introduce a mandatory element to the Green Deal energy efficiency scheme, following reports the Prime Minister is to put an end to a “consequential improvement” policy that would require some households to take steps to improve their energy efficiency. According to an unnamed source quoted in the Guardian today, David Cameron will block proposed rules, which would force households to make energy efficiency improvements at no upfront cost through the Green Deal scheme when undertaking significant renovations to their home.
Business Green 17th April 2012 more >>
Homeowners in Conservative-run Uttlesford must enact basic energy-efficiency measures if they want to build extensions the same idea David Cameron just scrapped.
Guardian 18th April 2012 more >>
Fracking
Ministers have been advised to allow the controversial practice of fracking for shale gas to be extended in Britain, despite it causing two earthquakes and the emergence of serious doubts over the safety of the wells that have already been drilled.
Guardian 17th April 2012 more >>
Independent 17th April 2012 more >>
Britain may have enough offshore shale gas to catapult it into the top ranks of global producers, energy experts now believe, and while production costs are still very high, technology should eventually make reserves commercially viable.
Telegraph 17th April 2012 more >>
Campaigners reacted angrily on Tuesday to the recommendation by government advisers that “fracking” for shale gas can resume in the UK, despite reassurances that the controversial technique is safe. In a report published today, experts said fracking could resume with stronger controls after it was halted last year following two earthquakes near Blackpool after the drilling of two sites in Lancashire by Cuadrilla Resources. The “fracking” process, hydraulic fracturing, involves a well being drilled hundreds of metres deep and pumped full of water, sand and chemicals in order to release methane gas. But green groups and local anti-fracking groups angrily denounced the report. Former Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said this morning that it cast “grave doubt” on the government’s commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. A study by Cornell University last year predicted its impact on climate change would be worse than coal.
Guardian 17th April 2012 more >>
Earthquakes may not be a problem, according to government-commissioned experts, but fracking is not set to rock the UK’s energy scene as violently as it has in the US. The deeper question is whether gas driven from shattered underground strata will rock the UK’s energy scene as violently as it has in the US. There gas prices have plummeted, in direct contrast to the huge hikes seen in UK home energy bills. The short answer is no. The report fails to put to bed all concerns over seismic safety. But more importantly the crowded island we inhabit is very different to the wide open spaces of America, even if the gas fracker’s heroic guesses on how much gas may be under our feet turn out to be correct.
Guardian 17th April 2012 more >>
Letter Dr Robin Russell-Jones: The problem with shale gas is that fracking results in atmospheric releases of methane twice that encountered with conventional gas. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a global-warming potential seven times greater than carbon dioxide over a 20-year time frame. For shale gas to be environmentally friendlier than other fossil fuels, it is necessary to keep methane emissions from fracking below 2 per cent. Current operations release about 10 per cent and in the US the fossil fuel industry is strenuously resisting methane control legislation. It appears that they have the key politicians on their side.
Independent 18th April 2012 more >>
