New Nukes
Leaders of the nuclear industry have sought urgent meetings with the new energy secretary, Chris Huhne, amid concern that he will not provide the support needed for their £30bn investment programme in a new generation of reactors. Sam Laidlaw, Centrica’s chief executive, and Paul Golby, head of E.ON UK, have scheduled talks in the coming days with Huhne, who has strongly indicated that his primary focus is renewable power. Ian Marchant, boss of Scottish and Southern Energy, said today he had spoken by phone to Huhne this week when the minister outlined his views on the commercial viability of atomic plants. “He was sceptical on the economics of nuclear but made it clear he would allow people to make their own decisions on this and would not stand in their way if they can do it without subsidies,” said Marchant, whose company is considering a new reactor in Cumbria but is far less committed to nuclear than either Centrica or E.ON. Firms are also concerned that Whitehall cost-cutting could result in the programme to decommission existing reactors, which is funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), being slashed.
Guardian 20th May 2010 more >>
Fresh doubts have surfaced over plans to build a fleet of nuclear power stations in Britain after the Government pledged to scrap a planning agency designed to accelerate construction of new reactors and other big energy projects. Greg Clark, the new Communities Minister, confirmed to The Times that the Infrastructure Planning Commission, created by Labour only seven months ago to streamline Britain’s fragmented planning system, would be disbanded. In the first official comment on the IPC’s future since the formation of the Lib-Con coalition, Mr Clark said that the Government was “committed to abolishing this unaccountable central planning quango”. He indicated that the IPC would be replaced in due course, but declined to say when this would happen or how it would be done.
Times 20th May 2010 more >>
NPT
A month-long conference in New York to shore up the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and prevent the global spread of atomic weapons is faced with possible collapse owing to wrangling over the goal of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. Senior western diplomats are warning that unless agreement can be reached over the next few days on a way forward for Middle East talks, the NPT review conference could grind to a halt without anything to show for it. Failure to achieve any positive outcome would be a serious blow to the credibility of the international community’s efforts to deal with pressing nuclear problems, particularly in regards to Iran.
Guardian 20th May 2010 more >>
The brisk rejection of a last minute compromise on Iran proposed by Brazil and Turkey has snarled broader UN talks on disarmament and non-proliferation.
Guardian Blog 19th May 2010 more >>
Low Level Waste
Augean have appealed against the refusal of planning permission for radioactive waste at the Kings Cliffe landfill site. The appeal documents are now online.
Northamptonshire County Council 17th May 2010 more >>
Hinkley
SEDGEMOOR District Council has warned energy bosses not to ‘ride roughshod’ over Bridgwater on Hinkley Point – as new details of the ground-breaking project emerge. At a meeting of the council’s executive committee today it was revealed that up to 200 lorries-a-day could make their way through Bridgwater and Cannington to a new nuclear build at Hinkley during its construction. EDF Energy is expected to lodge a planning application for the proposed Hinkley ‘C’ with the Infrastructure Planning Commission later this year.
This is the West Country 19th May 2010 more >>
National Grid has said it still favours building electricity pylons across the Somerset countryside, despite opposition. The energy company wants to build the 37-mile network from Hinkley Point to Avonmouth, in north Bristol. A public meeting was held in Bridgwater on Tuesday evening and people opposed to the plans protested outside.
BBC 19th May 2010 more >>
The French energy giant bidding to build a replacement nuclear power plant in Somerset says the Government’s pledge not to subsidise new stations won’t slow it down. However, lobby groups and some industry experts claim the appointment of anti-nuclear Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne as Energy Secretary brings uncertainty to the entire nuclear plant replacement programme. Jim Duffy, Stop Hinkley’s spokesman, also claims the anticipated date for Hinkley C’s planning application to go before the Infrastructure Planning Commission has slipped by four months to December 1. EDF, which has been widely criticised for the quality of its public consultation for the new station and its infrastructure, maintains the application was always due to be lodged during the winter.
This is Somerset 19th May 2010 more >>
Wylfa
CONCERNS have been raised about the future of Wylfa B in light of the new coalition government forming. One of the first compromises of the new Cameron Clegg government is how to proceed with the new generation of power stations Labour had committed to.
Holynead & Anglesey Mail 19th May 2010 more >>
Asked about the future of one of the region’s other major employers, Wylfa, which Labour has warned is in doubt because of a lack of political will from the Lib Con coalition, she refused to make any cast iron guarantees. The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) which would have allowed a decision to be made within a year instead of seven is set to be scrapped under both Lib Dem and Tory plans. But the Secretary of State insisted workers should not be nervous, adding: “My message is my political will is a strong as ever.
Daily Post 19th May 2010 more >>
Bradwell
East of England business leaders have rammed the feet of the new coalition government firmly into the flames by urging commitment to a no-nonsense blueprint for economic growth. The plan includes Investment in the security of the energy supply by supporting a diverse mix of energy generation technologies from renewables onshore and offshore, nuclear, clean coal and maximising the exploration, production and storage of southern North Sea gas. Together we can ensure that the Energy Coast, from the Wash to the Thames continues to develop with a range of renewable energy sources encompassing for example, wind, biomethane and nuclear. Nuclear power in the East of England is worth in excess of £5bn over the coming years, with decommissioning of existing facilities and new power stations to be built at Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex.
Business Weekly 19th May 2010 more >>
AGRs
To overcome the problems with the original rotary pumps used for CO2 pumping at its Heysham and Torness nuclear power stations, British Energy, part of EDF Energy, is currently installing four purpose-designed triplex positive displacement pumpsets at each site. The equipment was supplied by Cat Pumps, which partnered with Star Refrigeration on the contract.
The Engineer 13th May 2010 more >>
Cumbria
NUCLEAR reactors are still on the cards for at least one of Copeland’s three earmarked locations despite the change in parliamentary power. No definite dates have yet been set by the new Tory/Lib Dem government to say exactly where new stations are built. It could be a wait of another two or three months but the Department of Energy and Climate Change hopes the decision will come sooner rather than later.
Whitehaven News 19th May 2010 more >>
Sellafield
EMPLOYEES earning up to £65,000 and over are among those who will be affected by redundancies at Sellafield. A 90-day consultation programme is now under way as Sellafield Ltd looks to make up to 800 job cuts across the board. Redundancies are likely to take effect once consultations have ended. Documents leaked to The Whitehaven News this week show the areas in which the company plans to shed the jobs. They range from shopfloor to supervisory, managerial and professional grades. The company hopes the cuts can be made through voluntary redundancy and natural wastage.
Whitehaven News 19th May 2010 more >>
A CLAIM for £12 million has been made against Sellafield’s operators by the nuclear site’s two industrial unions.Th e GMB and Unite allege management used “blackmail and bribery” tactics to coerce workers into settling a pay dispute. If the unions win, they promise to share the claimed £11million among 5,000 industrial members.
Whitehaven News 19th May 2010 more >>
SELLAFIELD’s new warning sirens will go “live” next week. The aim is to make it easier for public and workers to tell the difference between separate types of incidents. There will be two different sounds – one warning of an incident confined to the site (hazardous conditions) and another which could affect the community if radioactivity escapes outside.
Whitehaven News 19th May 2010 more >>
Dounreay
Engineering group Amec has re-emerged as a front runner to take over the running of the Dounreay nuclear site after switching consortia. The international project management company has joined forces with Energy Solutions of the US in a venture called Caithness Solutions in a bid to land the contract to manage the decommissioning of the site on the north coast. Amec had originally been part of the Pentland Alliance consortium with UKAEA and CH2M Hill, but pulled out earlier this year following the takeover by Babcock International of UKAEA, the former UK Atomic Energy Authority, which Amec itself had hoped to acquire.
The new venture will now go head-to-head with Pentland Alliance to win the contract.
Herald 20th May 2010
ttp://www.heraldscotland.com:80/business/corporate-sme/amec-heads-list-of-dounreay-suitors-after-consortia-switch-1.1029079
Companies
The £4 billion sale of EDF’s British electricity distribution business is being hampered by concerns about the network’s poor reliability, the chief executive of Scottish and Southern Energy claimed yesterday. Ian Marchant said that SSE, Britain’s second-largest energy supplier, was one of three remaining bidders for the business, which was put up for sale last year by EDF, the French state-controlled energy group. However, he said that the due diligence process had uncovered evidence of the poor state of the network, which includes 100,000 miles of cable across eastern England, London and the South East. He said: “The early signs are that the operational challenges are bigger than we thought. Their supply reliability statistics have deteriorated. They are less integrated than we thought they would be.”
Times 20th May 2010 more >>
Ian Marchant said he is looking forward to dealing with the new coalition Government despite the installation of Chris Huhne of the anti-nuclear power Liberal Democrats as Energy Secretary. Marchant, who has already had a phone conversation with Huhne, has formed an alliance with ScottishPower owner Iberdrola to build new nuclear power plants. But he said: By the time I am ready to make any investment decision, Government policy will be sorted. I have no problem with Government taking some time to get its position squared. Frankly I would be amazed if nuclear construction started before 2012. Frances EDF and Scottish Gas owner Centrica, which jointly own nuclear operator British Energy, also want to be involved in building new nuclear power plants. German utilities RWE and E.ON have joined forces to target the market. Marchant said: We get the feeling with four or five of these other companies that they regard nuclear as essential. I am saying I will do nuclear if it makes sense. If it doesnt I wont.
Herald 20th May 2010 more >>
Renewables
Britain could become the “Saudi Arabia of the renewables world” on the back of North Sea wind and wave resources, according to a study carried out by government and industry. The review by independent consultants for the Offshore Valuation Group estimates that by 2050 the UK could generate the equivalent in electricity to the 1bn barrels of oil and gas being produced annually offshore.
Guardian 20th May 2010 more >>
Independent 20th May 2010 more >>
THE windfall in Scotland’s grasp from offshore renewable energy has been unveiled for the first time in a major new report that reveals it could power the country seven times over within four decades. The study shows that even harnessing a third of Scotland’s offshore resources by 2050 would see 68 gigawatts of renewables installed around the coast. Taking the form of more than 20,000 wind, wave and tidal devices, this would equate to more than 18 times the current amount of installed renewables in Scotland enough to power the country more than seven times over.
Scotsman 20th May 2010 more >>
Herald 20th May 2010 more >>
TWENTY-FIVE new sites have been earmarked by the Scottish Government for the development of offshore wind farms. Stretching all around the coast of Scotland, the sites would cover up to 12,000 square miles of sea. They have been identified as possible sites where huge wind farms can be built after 2020. Already, ten sites in Scottish territorial waters have been allocated to renewable energy companies for development within the next decade.
Scotsman 20th May 2010 more >>
A new generation of prototype wave power machine has been unveiled by the first minister. Alex Salmond said the generator represented “another significant step” in Scotland’s journey to become the green energy powerhouse of Europe. It is 180m long, weighs 1,500 tonnes and can produce 750kW of electricity. Manufactured in Leith, the Vagr Atferd generator will now be transported to Orkney, where it will tested for three years to prepare it for commercial use. The Vagr Atferd was produced by the Leith-based firm Pelamis Wave Power (PWP) for the German energy giant E.On. The device’s development and construction was part funded by the UK government Carbon Trust’s marine renewables proving fund and is E.On’s first wave powered generator in the UK Vagr Atferd, which is derived from the Norse for wave power. WWF Scotland said report published last year, The Power Of Scotland Renewed, suggested that by 2030 renewable energy could meet between 60% and 143% of Scotland’s annual electricity demand.
BBC 19th May 2010 more >>
Scotsman 19th May 2010 more >>
Herald 19th May 2010 more >>
Gareth Williams – head of policy at the Scottish Council for Development and Industry – says Scotland must not miss this chance to lead the world
Scotsman 19th May 2010 more >>
TEN marine renewable projects with the potential to power almost a third of Scotland’s homes were granted leases in the Pentland Firth earlier this year. Managed by the Crown Estate, which controls the sea bed, the leasing scheme paved the way for the embryonic marine energy sector to take off in Scotland. Companies competed for the leases, which could result in up to 1,000 wave and tidal energy devices being installed. It attracted interest from global utilities firms that will invest an estimated 4 billion attempting to bring the 1.2-gigawatt schemes to fruition. If successful, the power of the sea in the Pentland Firth between Caithness and Orkney could provide electricity for 750,000 of Scotland’s 2.3 million homes by 2020. A fierce two-year competition for the leases at tracted applications from 20 companies worldwide for what was the first area of sea around the UK to be opened up for marine renewables. The seven winners ranged from global utility giants including Eon, Scottish & Southern Energy and ScottishPower to small Scottish renewables firms such as Pelamis and Aquamarine Power.
Scotsman 19th May 2010 more >>
THE Co-operative Bank is setting up a dedicated Scotland team as it prepares to lend up to 200 million this year to back renewables projects north of the Border. The company said the decision to establish a separate team reflected the strong demand it was seeing for funding for smaller-scale renewables projects. A team of five will be split between the bank’s Edinburgh and Glasgow corporate business centres and headed by Chris Rodgers, senior manager for its renewable energy team. The Co-operative Bank has been one of the most active lenders to the renewables sector in recent years. In 2007, it ring-fenced 400m specifically to fund renewable energy and carbon-reduction projects.
Scotsman 19th May 2010 more >>
Cornwall’s reputation for sun, sand and surf could soon be challenged by silicon if a proposed 40m network of solar farms gets the go ahead. Next week, public consultation will begin for a 15-acre “energy farm” on a green-field site at St Kew, three miles east of Wadebridge, the market town which acts as the gateway to north Cornwall’s popular tourist heartlands. A local farmer has raised 4.5m of private investment to construct the first of what could be 10 similar sites across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which, if all built, would triple the UK’s current solar generating capacity.
Guardian 19th May 2010 more >>
Business Green 19th May 2010 more >>
Test Veterans
THE new Defence Minister responsible for the welfare of soldiers has promised to take a second look at whether veterans of Britain’s nuclear tests should get compensation. Former soldiers – including those from Derbyshire – say they have suffered years of health problems after they were stationed at nuclear test sites in the Pacific and Australia during the 1950s.
Derby Telegraph 20th May 2010 more >>
Bulgaria
Serbia is weighing whether to accept Bulgaria’s request to help Sofia build a nuclear power plant which was put on hold due to a lack of funding, Serbia’s energy minister said on Wednesday. Bulgaria last year delayed plans for a 2,000 megawatt nuclear plant in Belene after German shareholder RWE pulled out. Sofia’s new centre-right government has said it wants a new partner for the project.
Interactive Investor 19th May 2010 more >>
Korea
Japan said on Thursday that it would be difficult to resume multilateral talks on reining in North Korea’s nuclear programme after South Korea accused the reclusive state of sinking one of its navy ships.
Yahoo 20th May 2010 more >>
An official investigation has concluded that a North Korean torpedo was responsible for the sinking of the Cheonan, a South Korean warship, prompting condemnation of the Pyongyang regime by America, Britain and the United Nations.
Telegraph 20th May 2010 more >>
Times 20th May 2010 more >>
Guardian 20th May 2010 more >>
Iran
Letter from Norman Dombey: The original Tehran research reactor, supplied by the US in the 1950s under the Atoms for Peace programme, did use highly enriched uranium fuel, but in line with international policy, these reactors now burn 20%-enriched uranium. Under the deal, Russia and France would supply the fuel enriched to 20%, while Iran would transfer 1,200kg of its low-enriched stockpile to Turkey. Uranium enriched to 20% is neither highly enriched uranium, nor can weapons be made from it. Uranium intended for weapons requires enrichment levels of around 85% or higher.
Guardian 20th May 2010 more >>
The furious row between the Obama administration and the leaders of Brazil and Turkey over how best to handle Iran’s nuclear ambitions, following this week’s controversial “uranium swap” deal in Tehran, reflects a more fundamental and widening disagreement over how the world should be run in the 21st century.
Guardian 20th May 2010 more >>
I don’t care how much the Iranian regime rants about the iniquity of another round of UN sanctions – the new deal Tehran has agreed with Turkey and Brazil is not going to save it from further economic isolation.
Telegraph Blog 19th May 2010 more >>
Iran voiced exasperation Wednesday at US-led international rejection of a hard-won nuclear fuel deal, saying major powers would be “discrediting” themselves if they pressed for fresh UN sanctions.
Middle East Online 19th May 2010 more >>
On Monday, Iran signed a deal with Brazil and Turkey, under which a large part of Iran’s stocks of enriched uranium would be shipped to Turkey in exchange for new fuel for a Tehran research reactor.
BBC 18th May 2010 more >>
China
China’s new third-generation nuclear reactor, known as the ACP600, will be completed by 2013 and the first unit is likely to be built in the island province of Hainan or Gansu in the remote northwest, the country’s biggest nuclear developer said on Wednesday. Third-generation reactors — larger, sturdier and more fuel efficient than their predecessors — are a crucial element of China’s ambitious nuclear expansion plans, with the designs of the U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric forming the standard for China’s own “localised” brand following a technology transfer agreement reached in 2007. There are six foreign-designed third-generation reactors under construction — including the world’s first Westinghouse AP1000 unit in Sanmen, Zhejiang province, scheduled to go into operation in 2013, along with two Areva European Pressurised Reactors being built in the southeast.
Interactive Investor 19th May 2010 more >>
Disarmament
An advisory group and a network of international labs is needed to lay the groundwork for multilateral disarmament and forge links between nations, say Martin Rees, Ben Koppelman and Neil Davison.
Nature 19th May 2010 more >>
The president of the Royal Society, Sir Martin Rees, wants the UN to set up the laboratories to verify that countries are keeping their promises on nuclear disarmament.
Guardian 20th May 2010 more >>
Trident
It is our last line of defence in the event of nuclear war. But Trident also costs billions. Will the coalition government dare to scrap it? A knot of campaigners conduct a peace vigil, draping rainbow CND flags over Royal Navy signs and unveiling their latest work of art: “Cameron-Clegg. Trident value for money? How many deaths to the pound?” the poster, painted in black acrylic, reads. That morning, the hurriedly drafted coalition agreement between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats promised a commitment to maintaining Britain’s nuclear deterrent while scrutinising Trident “to ensure value for money”. “I don’t care if it costs a fiver. It’s immoral,” says protester Barbara Dowling. “How can you value a weapon when once it is used its purpose has failed?” adds Jane Tallents. She and her partner, Brian Larkin, painted the Clegg-Cameron banner.
Guardian 20th May 2010 more >>
The coalition government could make big savings on Britain’s nuclear weapons system without compromising the credibility of the deterrent, according to a study from an independent security thinktank. Ending the current “continuous-at-sea deterrence” practice – which ensures one nuclear missile submarine is always on patrol – could extend the life of the four Trident boats well beyond 2024, it says. It could also mean the existing fleet need not be replaced by as many submarines.
Guardian 20th May 2010 more >>
