New Nukes
Britain’s new generation of nuclear power stations will not be built if the Government persists with a promise to refuse them any taxpayer support, a KPMG report will say this week. The study, commissioned by RWE npower, says it is still uneconomic for utility companies to invest billions of pounds in nuclear power. The Government has offered to impose a minimum price on carbon permits – which would raise the cost of fossil fuel generation and make low-carbon nuclear more attractive. But it has made a promise not to offer any direct subsidies. KPMG’s report will say a carbon “floor price” is not enough for the big utilities to commit large capital investments to the nuclear sector.
Sunday Telegraph 18th July 2010 more >>
Hinkley
A council boss has called for the developers of a nuclear power station which will store radioactive waste on-site to ‘do the decent thing’ and financially compensate the community. If the Hinkley C power station is given planning permission, developers EDF Energy will store nuclear waste on the site near Bridgwater in Somerset. Delays in Government legislation for nuclear developments were announced yesterday, but if the French company’s bid to build a twin reactor replacement wins approval, radioactive waste may be kept in Somerset for more than 100 years. There have been nuclear power stations at Hinkley since 1959, and Kerry Rickards, chief executive of Sedgemoor district council, says EDF Energy should properly compensate the local community.
This is Devon 17th July 2010 more >>
Wylfa
The process of decommissioning Wylfa is a major undertaking and will last over a hundred years from the end of power generation in 2010 to release of the location from its Nuclear Site Licence in 2125. Against a backdrop of the twin concerns over climate change and energy security, as the old generation of nuclear power stations such as the Magnox reactor at Wylfa on Anglesey are decommissioned, a new nuclear build programme is about to start in Britain. While there is much focus on driving forward with ambitious plans for a new Wylfa B on the island, here we look at how the legacy of Wylfa A will be handled.
Anglesey Today 13th July 2010 more >>
Sizewell
FIFTEEN high school students from Leiston and Bungay have jumped at the chance of a two-week work placement at Sizewell B power station to help bring their studies to life.
East Anglian Daily Times 17th July 2010 more >>
Vanunu
There were demands last night for the release from prison of the man known as the Israeli nuclear whistleblower after it emerged he was being held in solitary confinement in the same section of prison as some of Israel’s most notorious criminals.
Scottish Herald 18th July 2010 more >>
Iran
Former Cuban President Fidel Castro meets with the corps of ambassadors to Cuba and issues another warning about impending nuclear war.
Reuters 17th July 2010 more >>
The strange case of Shahram Amiri has puzzled US intelligence chiefs who approved a $5 million payment to him for information about Iran’s illicit nuclear programme. Former US intelligence agents have predicted that Mr Amiri will disappear into prison or even face death, despite the hero’s welcome he was accorded as he was met by his wife and hugged his seven-year-old son.
Telegraph 18th July 2010 more >>
Trident
Defence Secretary Liam Fox is risking his Cabinet job on securing a full replacement for Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent. He has clashed with Chancellor George Osborne, who wants to slash at least 10 per cent from the MoD’s £37billion budget. But Dr Fox has told allies he would rather quit than see cuts in the £20billion plan to replace Trident with four new nuclear submarines, due to start in 2014. One MoD source revealed Dr Fox has vowed that any effort to block a replacement for Trident would not happen “while I’m in charge”.
Daily Mirror 18th July 2010 more >>
Renewables
SCOTLAND’S wind farms have produced only around half the amount of power they were expected to this year, Scotland on Sunday has learned. The government blamed the low generation levels on unusually calm weather, but critics said the figures showed the danger of becoming too dependent on renewable energy. Rosie Vetter, policy manager for onshore wind at Scottish Renewables, said “cherry picking” data over such a short period was “totally meaningless” because trends have to be looked at over a longer time frame. “The most recent annual figures show over a fifth of Scotland’s electricity demand was met from renewables,” she said. “No single energy technology can meet all of our needs, which is why we need a mix of renewables and thermal generation in different locations linked by a strong grid, with enhanced capacity to store electricity so it can be released when it is needed.”
Scotland on Sunday 18th July 2010 more >>
