New Nukes
Britain’s nuclear energy industry received a boost yesterday when David Cameron pledged that a Conservative government would raise a carbon tax on coal and gas-fired power stations. Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF Energy, the French state-controlled utility that wants to build four new reactors in Britain, welcomed the plans as underpinning investment. “We have said for several years [that this] is a vital practical step towards decarbonising the UK economy in an affordable way and ensuring security of energy supplies.
Times 20th Mar 2010 more >>
The Conservative Energy Policy, unveiled by David Cameron on Friday, sets out a 12-point plan to mobilise investment in Britain’s energy supplies that could provide a significant boost to wide areas of the economy. The points included requiring electricity companies and gas companies to guarantee supplies and to invest in back-ups; support for nuclear power; creating a floor price for carbon; speeding up the planning process for infrastructure products and creating a Green Investment Bank. Energy analysts have criticised Tory plans to effect the biggest shake-up of Britain’s energy policy in a generation as “verging on the impossible”.
Telegraph 20th Mar 2010 more >>
Conservatives will take action to promote nuclear and renewable power, through streamlined planning, a floor price for carbon and improved infrastructure.
Article 6: Consistent with our view that all energy supplies must be sustainable without permanent public subsidy, we agree with the nuclear industry that taxpayer and consumer subsidies should not and will not be provided – in particular there must be no public underwriting of construction cost overruns.
Conservatives 19th Mar 2010 more >>
There’s also fast-tracking new nuclear power stations. Yes, the nuclear power stations that used to be the party’s “last resort.”
Telegraph Blog 19th Mar 2010 more >>
There must be no public underwriting of construction cost overruns on nuclear projects, the Tories have said today.
Construction News 19th Mar 2010 more >>
The U.K. could adopt measures including a carbon floor price and feed-in tariffs to promote nuclear and renewable energy under a plan outlined today by the country’s main opposition party.
Bloomberg 19th Mar 2010 more >>
The government will next week signal a move towards the introduction of a “low-carbon obligation” that would force British Gas and other suppliers of energy to buy a percentage of their power from nuclear and clean coal plants. The radical measure – an extension of the renewable obligation that is funding wind farms – will appear in a document to be published alongside the budget next Wednesday. The idea of a low-carbon obligation has been championed by Paul Golby, the chief executive of E.ON UK, which wants to build new nuclear power stations but says they will not run commercially without a change to the market.
Guardian 19th Mar 2010 more >>
Supply Chain
The boss of an energy firm bidding to build the country’s next generation of nuclear power stations has vowed to buy British as it builds a supply chain. Westinghouse UK chief executive Mike Tynan said its decision to sign up Sheffield Forgemasters to manufacture major parts for the AP1000 reactors it is seeking to build around the country would be the first of a number of deals.
Lancashire Evening Post 19th Mar 2010 more >>
King’s Cliffe
A company refused permission to dump rubble from decommissioned nuclear power stations at a landfill site in Northamptonshire is to appeal. Augean Plc applied to dump low-level radiation at a hazardous waste landfill site in King’s Cliffe but the plan was turned down by the county council. Augean, which operates the East Northants Resource Management Facility landfill, said it would now appeal. The council expressed concerns over the transportation of the waste. Augean said it has begun the appeal process against the Development Control Committee’s decision.
BBC 17th March 2010 more >>
We like the name Augean. It’s loaded with meaning. It comes from Greek mythology, specifically the fifth task of Hercules. The hero was ordered to clean the 30 years’ worth of animal dung from the stables of King Augeas (the legendary Augean Stables) in a single day. So you can see why a hazardous waste company would choose the name. Theirs is a heroic mission, cleaning out modern day Augean Stables. It’s a lovely spin on a famous story. The part of the original myth where Hercules dumps the Augean filth on a community against its wishes must have been lost in the mists of time.
Greenpeace Nuclear Reaction 18th March 2010 more >>
Wylfa
ANTI-nuclear demon-strators will protest against the proposal to build a Wylfa B on Anglesey. People Against Wylfa B (PAWB) will demonstrate at the Menai Suspension Bridge between 8am and 9am on March 31.
Daily Post 19th Mar 2010 more >>
Sizewell & Bradwell
NUCLEAR power has been put at the forefront of the Conservative Party’s energy policy, making it almost inevitable that new plants will be built at Sizewell and Bradwell before the end of the decade. And the Tories yesterday joined Labour in not only backing a second generation of nuclear stations, but also in sweeping away planning inquiries which can hold up the granting of permission for years.
Ipswich Evening Star 20th Mar 2010 more >>
Sellafield
VT Group continues its push into nuclear, winning a £10M, 3-year contract to monitor the Sellafield site and ensure it meets its environmental targets.
New Civil Engineer 16th March 2010 more >>
The UK has begun to weigh up its options with respect to reprocessing or directly disposing of used nuclear fuel as its main reprocessing plant ages. In a discussion document the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) noted its responsibility to manage all the used fuel from the indigenous Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) fleet as well as some foreign light-water reactor fuel and a small amount of legacy fuel from early research. At the same time, the primary tool to reprocess these materials, the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (Thorp) is drawing near to its predicted closure in 2011.
World Nuclear News 18th March 2010 more >>
The international nuclear watchdog is to carry out a security inspection at the Sellafield reprocessing plant as part of a worldwide drive to stop the spread of fissile materials, Gordon Brown announced today. The prime minister said Britain is also launching a “centre of nuclear excellence” where the UK could “lead global efforts to secure the safe global expansion of civil nuclear power”. Brown described 2010 as a “make or break year” for international co-operation on a number of policy fronts – from the economy, to security and climate change – in a speech to the Foreign Press Association in London earlier today.
Guardian 20th Mar 2010 more >>
BBC 19th Mar 2010 more >>
Herald 20th Mar 2010 more >>
The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has today described Sellafield as a “centre of nuclear excellence” and showed how the UK “could lead global efforts to secure the safe global expansion of civil nuclear power”.
Sellafield Sites 19th Mar 2010 more >>
Nuclear Spin
The Nuclear Energy Institute spent $460,000 lobbying in the fourth quarter, focusing on legislation that promotes nuclear power as a way to reduce global warming, promote energy independence and make the transition to a more clean energy economy. That’s about $90,000 less than was spent in the third quarter and $40,000 less than what was spent in the year-ago period.
Business Week 19th Mar 2010 more >>
Dungeness
Opposing Dungeness C and Lydd Airport, the Lib Dems are accused of stifling development at a time when the area is crying out for jobs. While Lib Dem claims that their initiatives will provide jobs are unproven, could they be playing a masterful long game, accepting crushing defeat this year in the hope of making headway in the long run and rising from the fallout of both issues?
From under the stone 18th Mar 2010 more >>
Hinkley
HINKLEY C is not needed, a meeting of anti-nuclear campaigners was told this week. Environmentalist Jonathon Porritt told a meeting of Stop Hinkley campaigners in Taunton: “It would be totally wrong to impose on future generations a problem for which we have no solution. “We don’t know how to deal with nuclear waste.”
This is West Country 19th Mar 2010 more >>
Disarmament
Responding to Gordon Brown’s speech on nuclear weapons, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament expressed its regret the opportunity to set out a positive agenda ahead of two key international nuclear conferences had been missed. CND described it as “a disappointing rowing back from the momentum that previous policy shifts had started to build” with no further announcements on cuts to warheads, submarines or on policies surrounding the potential use of nuclear weapons. Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said “Gordon Brown’s speech is a real disappointment.
CND 19th Mar 2010 more >>
Iran
Moscow confirmed on Thursday that Iran’s new Russian-built nuclear power plant will begin operating this summer, despite US pressure to delay the startup. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is in Russia on an official trip, urged the Kremlin not to start up the plant until Tehran proves to Washington’s satisfaction that it’s not developing atomic weapons.
Morning Star 19th Mar 2010 more >>
Sweden
The Swedish parliament has decided to consider two separate nuclear energy-related bills introduced last month by the government as a single bill, the Stockholm News reported. The first bill would allow the construction of new reactors to replace Sweden’s ten existing units, while the second would quadruple the financial liability of nuclear power reactor owners in the event of an accident, from SKr3 billion ($412 million) per incident to SKr12 billion ($1.65 billion).
World Nuclear News 19th Mar 2010 more >>
