Hinkley
Doubts have grown over the future of the next generation of nuclear reactors in Britain after the announcement of a nine-year delay in building the first one in Finland. Areva, the French group developing the new-generation European Pressurised Reactor facility at Olkiluoto in Finland, said that it would not be operational until 2018. The announcement sparked fury in Helsinki, which had hoped to be receiving electricity from the reactor in 2009. It may also cause jitters in Downing Street, after the decision to ask Areva to play a central role in Britain’s next nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset. Areva not only designed the units but also is due to deliver the steam supply systems and the instrumentation and control systems. The latter are at the heart of the Finnish delays. The £16 billion plant at Hinkley Point C will be built by EDF Energy, Areva’s Fr ench partner, which had hoped to have it ready for 2021. However, the timetable has already slipped and may fall back further after a European Commission inquiry into state subsidies for the project. French sources insist there is no reason to assume that the Hinkley Point reactors will run into the quicksand that has hit the Finnish operation. They blame the fiasco at Olkiluoto on the breakdown of communications with Teollisuuden Voima, the Finnish electricity group that ordered the reactor. Areva says TVO took four years to approve the reactor’s instrumentation and control system, twice as long as expected. “The principal driver of recent delays to the project has been the reactor instrumentation and control system approval,” Areva said.
Times 2nd Sept 2014 read more »
Hunterston
North Ayrshire Council are holding a special meeting on Thursday to discuss the proposed nuclear waste transfer. Officials will recommend to councillors that they request details of the likely transport movements of the material (mode, frequency) and the associated safety measures from EDF, SEPA and/or the ONR as appropriate, for further consideration. Councillors are expected to seek assurance that the proposals will not lead to a net increase in road transport movements in and out of the Hunterston site, as the level of HGV movements within this area is a source of considerable concern for local residents. If the proposals include additional freight movements by road, then details of the frequency and route of such movements should be requested from EDF, and the views of Transport Scotland sought on any information provided. They are likely to oppose proposals to allow receipt of waste for temporary storage and onward disposal, and that there are concerns regarding perceptions of public safety.
Largs & Millport Weekly News 1st Set 2014 read more »
Electricity Market Reform
How Contracts for Difference (CfDs) will work under Electricity Market Reform.
DECC 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Magnox
Cavendish Fluor Partnership (CFP) has been formally awarded the contract by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to manage 12 UK nuclear sites and their respective decommissioning programs. CFP has now become the new parent body organization (PBO) for site licence companies Magnox Limited and Research Sites Restoration Limited (RSRL). Between them, Magnox Limited and RSRL are responsible for ten Magnox nuclear power plants, as well as the Harwell and Winfrith research centres. The sites are all owned by the NDA, which uses the PBO system to grant private companies the authority necessary to take charge of nuclear decommissioning. Successful contractors earn a fee that is a portion of the overall contract value, depending on performance. CFP is a joint venture between the UK’s Cavendish Nuclear, part of Babcock International, and US-based Fluor Corporation. Under the 14-year contract, it is expected to deliver the 12 sites to an agreed and defined point for each (either interim end state or into care and maintenance). Babcock International said, “Allowing for changes to the bid scope, the total contract value is expected to be around £4.2 billion ($7 billion).” Energy Solutions has filed a legal writ claiming that the NDA failed to follow UK public procurement regulations during the two-year bidding process. However, the NDA maintains that the competition process was carried out in a robust manner in full compliance with all EU and UK regulations and guidelines.
World Nuclear News 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Dundee Courier 2nd Sept 2014 read more »
Money AM 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Process Engineering 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Cockenzie
More than 1,000 people are expected to attend a meeting tonight to add their voices to ongoing concerns over proposals to develop the site of the disused Cockenzie power station in East Lothian. Scottish Enterprise is currently looking at a number of schemes for the area, one of which could see a deep water quay built on 11 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea along with an industrial park servicing green technologies which could see the area become the European hub for the offshore wind industry. However, the meeting is the latest organised by a growing grassroots campaign against the plans which has had to move to bigger premises due to the level of interest and number of people wishing to attend and have their voices heard. Tonight’s meeting will see the launch of a petition against the plans. Organisers the Coastal Regeneration Alliance (CRA) warn that the marine park would dramatically change the coastline and the surrounding area and damage valuable greenbelt and historically important land.
Herald 2nd Sept 2014 read more »
Scotland
BBC news website user Graham Stephen asks: “Would our domestic energy bills be higher, lower or no different in an independent Scotland?”. David Hanley questions: “Is any party brave enough to stand up and say that the key to future prosperity lies in securing the energy sector revenues. Is there an elephant in the room called Nationalisation?”
BBC 1st Sept 2014 read more »
ABWR
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency (EA) have completed initial high level assessment of the Hitachi-GE’s UK-ABWR nuclear power station design. The assessment marks the regulators’ Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process’ first step for the UK’s proposed new nuclear power station designs. The regulators are planning to complete GDA process, subject to Hitachi-GE providing acceptable and timely submissions, of the UK ABWR in December 2017.
Energy Business Review 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Energy Policy
As Fukushima continues to spew out its radioactive poisons, we are witnessing one of the great technological revolutions in human history. Our ability to survive on this planet has never been more endangered by industrial pollution, and yet we now have the means to create a green-powered Earth. On this year’s anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, I had the opportunity to speak about this “best of times/worst of times” reality to a wonderful group of citizen-activists at the Unitarian-Universality Hall in Berkeley, California.
Ecowatch 28th Aug 2014 read more »
The UK’s leading green NGOs will today call on the main political parties to commit to delivering an ambitious new package of environmental policies as part of their manifestos for the 2015 election. The group, which includes Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, Greenpeace, National Trust, RSPB, and WWF, collectively represents over seven million members and will urge political leaders to sign up to seven environmental goals designed to curb climate risks, boost the UK’s economy, and deliver more sustainable and livable communities.
Business Green 1st Sept 2014 read more »
The UK’s green NGO community has today published a manifesto wish list on behalf of its seven million members. The green coalition – which takes in campaign groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, as well as think tanks like Green Alliance and conservation bodies such as National Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England – may not agree on everything, but they have managed to settle on an impressively wide-ranging set of policy recommendations. But do these policies have any chance of making it into next year’s election manifestos, and, more importantly, will any of them then be turned into government policy post 2015.
Business Green 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Finland
Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 will start operations in 2018, 13 years after work began on the first-of-a-kind EPR, the Areva-Siemens consortium building the plant has informed client Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO).
World Nuclear News 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Ukraine
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is vulnerable to ‘direct bombardment’ in Ukraine if caught in the conflict, a Greenpeace nuclear energy expert told a German newspaper, claiming that its nuclear reactors are not protected from armor-piercing weapons. Greenpeace nuclear expert Tobias Münchmeyer revealed his concerns over the six-reactor Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant in eastern Ukraine to Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. He said the plant was insufficiently protected against a direct bombardment and that 1.2-meter thick reinforced concrete shells surrounding each reactor are strong enough to withstand only a small aircraft crash.
RT 31st Aug 2014 read more »
Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he had “good discussions” Monday with EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and Tehran was committed to an accord over its contested nuclear programme. Iran wants progress on the issue, Zarif was cited as saying by the Belga state news agency after a meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders.
EU Business 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Iran held talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Sunday about its investigation into suspicions that Tehran has conducted atomic bomb research, and is still committed to implementing agreed transparency measures, official media reported on Monday.
Reuters 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Japan – Fukushima
The governor of disaster-struck Fukushima agreed Monday to accept the temporary storage of nuclear waste from the Japanese accident, paving the way for an end to a years-long standoff. Yuhei Sato has been cajoled and lavished with the promises of subsidies if he accepts a central government plan to build a depot on land near the battered Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Japan Today 2nd Sept 2014 read more »
Test Veterans
A campaign is underway to get the UK Government to fund a £25m charitable trust to help nuclear test veterans and their families. Thousands of servicemen were exposed to radiation during weapon tests in the 1950s and many say it’s affected their own health as well as their families. The Government argues this has yet to be proved.
ITV 2nd Sept 2014 read more »
Renewables
RenewableUK says new data shows that August was an exceptional month for wind energy, with new records set and generation levels exceeding both nuclear and coal, according to official National Grid statistics. On five separate occasions, wind overtook coal-fired plants for generation over a single day, the first time this has ever happened. Wind exceeded coal on the 3rd, 9th, 11th, 12th and 17th August. This strong performance continued towards the end of the month when onshore and offshore wind generated more than the nuclear fleet on the 29th August (5,805MW from wind compared to 5,379MW for nuclear).
Renewable UK 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Energy Efficiency
New EU rules on vacuum cleaners will not harm people with dust allergies as your correspondent (Letters, 25 August) suggests. The new rules – supported by most manufacturers and agreed by national governments – will not mean vacuum cleaners picking up less dust or extended vacuuming time. And they include tough standards to reduce dust escaping from the back. The whole point is that better “eco-design” for domestic appliances can reduce energy consumption without damaging performance. That is good for the economy, the environment, energy bills and reducing dependence on energy imported from Russia and the Middle East.
Guardian 1st Sept 2014 read more »
The EU “vacuum cleaner ban” coming into force today will help make “an important contribution to reducing emissions”, according to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). The government advisers said in a blog post today that far from threatening the cleanliness of the Great British carpet the move to outlaw the highest wattage of vacuum cleaners will save six million tonnes of CO2 by the end of the decade.
Business Green 1st Sept 2014 read more »
The Liberal Democrats have pledged to reward people who improve the energy efficiency of their homes with a 10-year council tax discount under pre-manifesto plans. Households could save at least £100 a year by permanently cutting their energy bills in a bid to help with the cost of living while simultaneously meeting Britain’s climate change targets. Energy Secretary Ed Davey said his was the only party offering both lower energy and council tax bills, adding: “A 10-year council tax cut will make action to end your home’s energy waste a no-brainer.
Herald 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Following the announcement today of the 5 new laws for a greener Britain that will be included in the Liberal Democrat manifesto, Neil Marshall, Chief Executive of the National Insulation Association (NIA) commented: “We welcome and are encouraged by the proposals to introduce new regulations to address energy efficiency, including a new heating and energy efficiency bill and a national programme to raise energy efficiency standards for all British households. This is very much in line with the recommendations from industry in its report ‘A housing stock fit for the future’ launched on 24th June 2014.” He added: “We still have over 7 million homes that have inadequate Loft Insulation, over 5 million that require Cavity Wall Insulation (CWI) and almost 8 million homes that need Solid Wall Insulation (SWI). We therefore need to be strengthening our energy efficiency programmes and accelerating the pace of delivery. We require a long term structured plan to achieve this and transform the nation’s housing stock and we look forward to working with all political parties in bringing this about.”
National Insulation Association 1st Sept 2014 read more »
A ban on unabated coal plants and decade-long council tax cuts for energy efficient homes are among the green pledges on which the Liberal Democrats will fight next year’s election. The two policies are among five green laws Ed Davey, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said the party will demand in any future coalition negotiations, which also include a nature bill, a zero-waste bill, and green transport bill.
Business Green 1st Sept 2014 read more »
Climate
The United Nations is warning of floods, storms and searing heat from Arizona to Zambia within four decades, as part of a series of imagined weather forecasts released on Monday for a campaign publicising a UN climate summit.
Guardian 1st Sept 2014 read more »
