Companies
NUCLEAR power looks set to be a big part of Gloucester’s future as energy giants prepare to expand their operations. With EDF Energy’s Barnwood base due to take on apprentices and build a new power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Brockworth-based firm Horizon due to build a plant at Oldbury, the county is already thriving with activity in the field. Now Areva, which designs nuclear reactors, has announced it too has established itself in the county as it prepares to build a reactor in the UK. A spokesman said: “We have established a new office in the Gloucester area specifically to provide services for the construction of the EPR nuclear reactor in the UK.
Gloucester Citizen 21st Feb 2011 more >>
Oldbury
Oldbury Unit 2, is getting a six month license extension (through June 2011) so that it can be shut down the same month as Oldbury Unit 1 is scheduled to shut down — unless further license extensions are granted: They are also vying for a 2012 closure “in order to use up spare fuel at the site”.What a LOUSY reason to keep a nuclear power plant operating! Unused nuclear fuel is mathematically about 10 million times safer than so-called “spent” fuel, which is just about the most dangerous and difficult stuff on earth to handle.
MWC News 20th Feb 2011 more >>
Reprocessing
Reprocessing nuclear waste provides little short-term benefit because the process costs too much and uranium supplies remain plentiful, according to a new study of US nuclear waste management options by MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The US doesn’t reprocess nuclear waste, but interest in that option has increased, not least since President Obama has blocked the development of a high level nuclear waste repository at Yucca mountain. A special Commission has been set up to explore options- which the MIT study aims to feed in to.
Environmental Research Web 19th Feb 2011 more >>
Green Bank
Nick Clegg is now the main driving force of the government’s “green investment bank” amid a Whitehall struggle over how precisely the new entity will function.
He brings an increasingly close interest to bear on the project, chairing cross-departmental meetings on a scheme that is intended to provide billions of pounds of funding for low-carbon energy initiatives such as wind farms and nuclear power stations. Some £1bn is already allocated from the Treasury for 2013-2014 and the rest is coming from sales of assets such as its one-third share in Urenco, which enriches uranium for nuclear power stations.
FT 21st Feb 2011 more >>
South Korea
South Korea’s state nuclear research institute reported a small radiation leak during an experiment Sunday, which led to a temporary warning but caused no casualties, an official said.
Reuters 20th Feb 2011 more >>
North Korea
North Korea has started digging tunnels at its nuclear test site in apparent preparation for a third atomic detonation.
Telegraph 21st Feb 2011 more >>
Gas Supplies
Plans for a 2,000-mile pipeline to reduce dependence on imports from Russia have been dealt a blow by BP’s cost assessment.
Guardian 21st Feb 2011 more >>
Carbon Markets
The European Union faces legal and political challenges over its handling of the carbon markets which remain in chaos after a cyber attack forced partial closure of the Emissions Trading Scheme. EU officials are due in a Belgian court on Monday to answer a request to name companies in possession of stolen allowances after a legal challenge by an Italian company affected by the fraud. And on Wednesday the EU’s climate change committee will try to reassure national governments and carbon exchanges that they have the right level of security in place to reassure nervous market users. British energy minister Greg Barker has sent a letter to the EU demanding that standards need to be raised to UK levels to prevent further thefts.
Guardian 21st Feb 2011 more >>
