19 January 2012

New Nukes

No Need for Nuclear has produced a revolutionary new report which exposes how Parliament’s decisions in favour of new nuclear power have been made based on false evidence. It is called “A Corruption of Governance?” and has received support from a cross-party group of MPs. The report will be officially launched in Parliament on Tuesday 31st January 2012. The launch will be held in Committee Room 16, between 12 and 2pm. We urge all MPs to attend, and we urge our supporters to pressure your local MP to attend. The report has been published by our friends at The Association for the Conservation of Energy, and Unlock Democracy. The Executive Summary of the report can be found here, but the full report will not be available until the day of the launch.

No Need for Nuclear 18th Jan 2012 more >>

Dounreay

A Nuclear Decommissioning Authority chief is to give a presentation to councillors on its plans to move nuclear fuel from Scotland to England. The NDA has sought approval for its scheme to transport breeder material from Dounreay in Caithness to Sellafield for reprocessing. The first of about 50 movements could start this summer. Dr Adrian Simper, head of strategy at the NDA, will address Highland councillors in Inverness later.

BBC 19th Jan 2012 more >>

Wylfa

A PROTEST to support a farming family who are refusing to sell land for the Wylfa B development will be held by Welsh language and anti-nuclear campaigners. Richard Jones, who farms at Caerdegog Uchaf, Llanfechell, has spoken out against plans by the nuclear giants to buy his land for the power plant, that would bring thousands of jobs to the recession-hit island. Horizon Nuclear Power may resort to Compulsory Purchase Orders to buy the land, but say this is the last resort and hope to reach a deal. Now campaigners will unite in Llangefni with a protest to defend the farmer and his family.

Bangor & Anglesey Mail 18th Jan 2012 more >>

Sellafield (New Reactors)

NuGeneration has applied for an electricity generation licence for a new nuclear power station planned for Cumbria. The company, a joint venture between ScottishPower owner Iberdrola and GDF Suez, aims to build a new nuclear power station on land near Sellafield acquired from that site’s owners, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The project won approval from local planning authorities in November last year to begin site characterisation works.

Utility Week 18th Jan 2012 more >>

Sizewell

SIZEWELL B nuclear station is now back on full power after planned maintenance.

Evening Star 18th Jan 2012 more >>

Hinkley

Companies are gearing up to join the supply chain for the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power development by registering on a suppliers portal website.

Engineering Capacity 18th Jan 2012

Dungeness

Plans to truck thousands of tonnes of shingle from Dungeness beach for sea defences elsewhere will devastate the local community. That is according to residents opposing plans by EDF Energy and the Environment Agency to used it to protect the power station and the eroding east Sussex coast. Last night, more than 100 people attended a public meeting in Lydd to voice their concerns. It is estimated more than 72 lorries a day will carry the shingle six months a year under the scheme being considered by Kent County Council. Locals fear the large number of lorries and diggers that would pass their homes could turn away visitors.

Kent Online 18th Jan 2012 more >>

Radwaste

A group of people concerned about the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) process has today (Jan 19th) launched a new campaign with a website and a lecture from a prominent geologist. The group is called Save Our Lake District, Dont Dump Cumbria! It consists of people concerned not only about the environment, but about the future of Cumbria and the Lake District. The lecture will be on the geology of W Cumbria, given by Professor David Smythe at Cockermouth School Eco-Centre on Feb 2nd at 7 30 pm.

Save Our Lake District 18th Jan 2012 more >>

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to stop low level nuclear waste being dumped at Kings Cliffe have lost their Court of Appeal battle. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles granted planning permission for disposal of the waste at the landfill site operated by Augean and it started taking deliveries in December. Village resident Louise Bowen-West, of Wastewatchers, failed to block the proposals in the High Court and today her bid to persuade appeal judges to rule the High Court made the wrong decision also failed.

Evening Telegraph 18th Jan 2012 more >>

Dalgety Bay

Gordon Brown has repeated his demand for a face-to-face meeting with Defence Secretary Philip Hammond to discuss radiation poisoning. The former Prime Minister wants to discuss contamination in his constituency. He first asked for the meeting last November, but has so far been left disappointed. In a written Parliamentary question to the Ministry of Defence, Mr Brown asked Mr Hammond when he expects his meeting with the Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath to discuss radiation contamination at Dalgety Bay to take place. Junior defence minister Andrew Robathan failed to offer a date on Mr Hammonds behalf but said he would answer shortly.

Scotsman 19th Jan 2012 more >>

Egypt

Radioactive material has been stolen from a nuclear power station on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast that was the site of violent protests last week, state-run al-Ahram newspaper reported on Thursday.

Telegraph 19th Jan 2012 more >>

Japan

Goshi Hosono, state minister in charge of the nuclear disaster, will ask electric power companies to stop storing spent fuel rods inside their reactor buildings, a setup that compounded the crisis at the Fukushima plant. Japanese law requires that spent fuel rods be stored at the Rokkasho reprocessing plant; however, construction on the plant, which has been delayed 18 times, is still not complete. Currently, the rods are stored within reactor buildings, an arrangement that has raised concerns about safety in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. Hosono suggested building separate units to store the fuel rods, as well as placing them dry cask containers. Some government sources contend that Hosonos plan is an effort to persuade local communities that restarting reactors is safe.

Asahi 16th Jan 2012 more >>

Fairewinds analyzes cancer rates for young children near Fukushima using the National Academy of Science’s BEIR VII Report (BEIR = Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation). Based on BEIR VII, Fairewinds determines that at least one in every 100 young girls will develop cancer for every year they are exposed to 20 millisieverts [1 millisievert = 1 mSv = 0.001 Sv = 0.001 sieverts] of radiation. The 20-millisievert/ year figure is what the Japanese government is currently calculating as the legal limit of radiological exposure to allow habitation of contaminated areas near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Fairwinds 18th Jan 2012 more >>

Japan will allow nuclear reactors to operate for up to 60 years in revised regulations on power plant operators. The government said it aims to introduce the 60-year limit a year from now as part of a revision of laws regulating nuclear plant operators. Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said details were still under consideration but the lifespan of a reactor would in principle be 40 years, as suggested by Environment and Nuclear Accident Prevention Minister Goshi Hosono earlier this month. The government will allow plant operators to apply for one extension of up to 20 years for each reactor, in line with US standards.

Engineering & Technology 18th Jan 2012 more >>

Iran

A high-level IAEA delegation visiting Iran January 29-31 aims to verify if Tehran’s nuclear programme has a military dimension, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said in an interview to be published Thursday.

AFP 18th Jan 2012 more >>

The Russian foreign minister has warned that a Western military strike against Iran would be “a catastrophe”. Sergei Lavrov said an attack would lead to “large flows” of refugees from Iran and would “fan the flames” of sectarian tension in the Middle East.

BBC 18th Jan 2012 more >>

France

In a report certain to cause fear and loathing in the global nuclear industry, an eminent French research institute published a study in the International Journal of Cancer, which notes increased rates of leukemia in children living close to French nuclear power plants (NPPs.)

Oil Price 19th Jan 2012 more >>

Switzerland

Switzerland’s plans to abandon nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima accident are not yet set in stone – and depend on the results of debates, consultations and a referendum.

Utility Week 18th Jan 2012 more >>

Europe

Chris Huhne’s support for higher 30% emissions cut target gets boost as European Commission analysis concludes it would actually save money over a smaller cut. Moving to a tougher Europe-wide target on greenhouse gas emissions would present the UK with little problem, contrary to what some business lobbyists and thinktanks have been alleging, according to a new analysis of the goals seen by the Guardian. The report concludes that if the EU were to set higher emissions-cutting goals now, by increasing its current target of a 20% cut by 2020 to a 25% or a 30% cut, it would save money in the medium and long term. The saving in fuel costs alone from a 25% cut would be 20bn a year. The findings will boost the case of Chris Huhne, the energy secretary, who has become increasingly isolated within the coalition government in his vocal support for the tougher 30% target.

Guardian 18th Dec 2012 more >>

Renewables

The government has pulled the rug from under the Feed-in Tariff scheme just as thousands of lower-income families were set to benefit from sun-powered savings on their bills. Councils like Brighton and Hove and housing associations like Aster in Hampshire have shelved plans with some having spent over a year raising the necessary funds. A 2,000 panel scheme in the riot-hit Pembury Estate in Hackney has been pulled when it could have helped low-income families save up to £150 on their fuel bills every year. There are plenty more examples nationwide. The coalition must now come up with an action plan to breathe new life into the feed-in tariff scheme, which was introduced by Labour, following a Friends of the Earth-led campaign. It must urgently get the solar industry back on a stable footing, and reassure businesses of its support for renewable power.

Left Foot Forward 18th Jan 2012 more >>

The government has confirmed the current feed-in tariff rate for solar installations with less than 4kW capacity will not fall below the proposed 21p per kWh for all systems completed between the December 12 last year and March 31 this year.

Business Green 18th Feb 2012 more >>

SCOTTISH Water is planning to use hydro power to generate its own electricity and cut its bills. The utility firm will use the water in supply pipes to generate electricity and protect water plants from power failures, in a £20 million investment. The company said the work will reduce its massive electricity bill which is one of the largest in the country, accounting for around 1 per cent of Scotlands total energy consumption. It will reduce the power costs for water treatment by 10 per cent.