New Nukes
Lawyers commissioned by the government have warned that the drive to build nuclear power stations will inevitably provoke an “awkward and time consuming” political row, as well as legal challenges that could delay the process “by a year or more.” The advice from Berwin Leighton Paisner, a leading City law firm, may embarrass ministers and trigger concerns among investors about potential courtinduced delays to the build programme. The report, commissioned by Tim Stone, the government’s nuclear adviser, was written last month. A copy seen by the FT reveals the lawyers believe “it remains to be seen” whether ministers can deliver ambitious plans for a new generation of nuclear reactors “without delay from the courts or electoral upset”.
FT 18th Nov 2008 more >>
Bloomberg 18th Nov 2008 more >>
The government’s attempt to fast-track planning applications through its new bill could have the opposite effect. “The new system is more complicated and could just invite further challenges, slowing everything up”.
Guardian 18th Nov 2008 more >>
We’ve got our hands on a legal document (available here) that “explores the processes of consultation and policy development that are under way in the UK with the purpose of creating a national nuclear policy statement and smoothing the way for the private sector to develop new nuclear power station capacity.” Looks like the government’s plans are open to a number of challenges, on a number of fronts, over a number of years. Interesting reading if you’re into this sort of thing.
Greenpeace 17th Nov 2008 more >>
Britain needs more than one company to build nuclear power stations to meet the government’s long-term carbon emissions targets and provide affordable electricity, UK energy minister Mike O’Brien said on Monday. Speaking at a conference on nuclear energy in London, O’Brien welcomed the plan by France’s EDF to build four nuclear power stations in Britain by 2025 but said more were required to replace Britain’ ageing state-built reactors, all but one of which will close over the next 17 years.
Money AM 17th Nov 2008 more >>
The economic downturn will not affect government plans to create a new generation of nuclear power stations, the energy minister will today confirm. Mike O’Brien is expected to use a speech to Chatham House on Monday to say that nuclear is a good way of tackling rising energy costs and other recessionary pressures.
ePolitix 17th Nov 2008 more >>
The Energy Minister said electricity costs could jump 40% without new reactors. He rejected the idea that renewables could fill the gap.
Telegraph 18th Nov 2008 not on web.
Renewables and nuclear will not solve climate change, they will only defer it. Jeff Chapman, chief executive of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, argues that without the technology the EU emissions targets will not be met
Business Green 17th Nov 2008 more >>
Chief Executive of Eon says: “You have old nuclear plants, old coal, expensive gas, a need to invest in renewables to reach unrealistic targets, and a slow [planning] process. Doesn’t that sound like a problem to you?” he said. “The situation in the energy sector in the UK is more difficult than a number of other countries in Europe, without people fully realising it.”
Sunday Times 16th Nov 2008 more >>
Nuclear Waste
Letter from Jason Nisse: Terry Macalister’s informed article (Storage fears over high-level nuclear waste, November 17) shows how slow the progress has been over the issue of how to dispose of nuclear waste. As a former director of Nirex, the body which developed the plans for the waste repository before it was moved to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, I can tell you that these arguments have been gone through many times, and building a single repository is always the answer. For a start, it is cheaper: building a repository large enough for expected future needs adds about 20% to the overall cost, rather than a doubling of costs (at least) which would be the effect of building two repositories.
Guardian 18th Nov 2008 more >>
British Energy
BE reported a second-quarter loss following reactor halts and said output may rise in 2009. The net loss in the three months through Sept. 28 was 39 million pounds, or 3.8 pence a share, compared with a profit of 64 million pounds, or 6.2 pence, a year earlier, the East Kilbride, Scotland-based company said today in a statement. The electricity producer said Oct. 7 that output from its eight nuclear stations and one coal-fired plant fell 33 percent in the three-month period to 11.3 terawatt-hours. It said Oct. 10 that repairs to two reactors are behind schedule and costs will be higher than expected. The company loses money when its power stations stop unexpectedly. Five of British Energy’s 16 power-station units will return to service before the end of the year, boosting prospects for electricity production in the second half, Chief Executive Officer Bill Coley said in the statement. He described repair work at the Hartlepool and Heysham-1 plants as “challenging.’’
Bloomberg 18th Nov 2008 more >>
British Energy has taken the first step towards applying for government consent for four new nuclear power stations in the UK, Platts has learnt. BE has applied to the UK government for environmental impact scoping opinions on possible Section 36 consent applications for four new nuclear power stations at Dungeness, Sizewell, Hinkley and Bradwell. Sources at British Energy told Platts Monday that the company made applications last Wednesday to the UK Department for Energy and Climate Change and submitted four scoping reports which are now available on BE’s website. The company has already signed transmission agreements with National Grid for new nuclear build at the four sites.
Platts 17th Nov 2008 more >>
EDF hopes to gain the approvals it needs near the turn of the year and will then negotiate its deal to sell 25 per cent of British Energy to Centrica, the owner of British Gas. The structure of the future jointly owned British Energy has not been finalised but it is likely it will still report separate figures for regulatory reasons.
FT 17th Nov 2008 more >>
Sellafield
Ed Miliband, the energy and climate change secretary, is to exempt from the Freedom of Information Act the new US-led private consortia taking over the running of Britain’s biggest nuclear facility at Sellafield next Monday. The move comes on top of a decision by Malcolm Wicks, the former energy minister, to make the taxpayer liable for any accidents at Sellafield, which is in Cumbria, exempting the firm from the national requirement to pay the first £140m of any bill for leaks or radioactive contamination. It comes as the Speaker of the Commons has granted an emergency debate on Wednesday to Paul Flynn, Labour MP for Newport West, who is demanding an explanation of why Wicks broke parliamentary procedures in rushing through the exemption from liabilities for the new consortia.
Guardian 18th Nov 2008 more >>
Chernobyl
The Belarusian government estimates the cost of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to its economy at $235bn over a 30-year period. But no single figure can reliably value the output lost to illness, to stress-related disorders, to the closure of mines and factories, and the loss of more than 200,000 hectares of agricultural land and 1,900 sq kilometres of forestry to commercial use.
FT 18th Nov 2008 more >>
Nuclear Weapons
Letter from Malcolm Savidge: Timothy Garton Ash’s excellent article describes the new impetus towards a world free of nuclear weapons. To support this Nuclear Security Project readers should go to the early day motion database at edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/Default.aspx and see if their MP is among the hundreds who have signed EDM 2053. If not, they can encourage him/her to do so before the parliamentary session closes at the end of this month.
Guardian 18th Nov 2008 more >>
Syria
The director of the UN atomic watchdog, has said a report he is due to present later this week on Syrian nuclear activity will “not be conclusive”.
BBC 17th Nov 2008 more >>
