Radhealth
Ex-workers of Albion plateau, France’s Soviet-era nuclear land missile base, have launched legal proceedings to receive compensation for diseases they say are linked to radiation exposure. A group of soldiers tasked with guarding the Albion military base in the Drome-Vaucluse area of southern France are fighting to have their mystery illnesses recognised, claiming protective measures were so lax that some even touched the plutonium-filled warheads with their bare hands. Dozens of soldiers have since been struck down by rare forms of cancer or bone diseases, according to Le Parisien newspaper. While the army denies any were exposed to harmful doses of radiation, some former base workers have launched lawsuits to have their conditions recognised, it emerged on Monday.
Telegraph 21st April 2014 read more »
Energy Supplies
Europe should confront Russia’s monopolistic position with a single European body charged with buying its gas. Once this has been achieved, Europe should undertake the lengthier task of breaking up the Russian gas monopoly and restoring free market competition. True, this will require Europe’s governments to take a unified position. But such feats of co-ordination have been achieved before. The EU is creating a banking union, a Europe-wide underpinning for its financial institutions. The bloc’s 28 members jointly buy uranium for their nuclear power plants through the EU’s atomic energy agency, Euratom. They should take the same approach with Russia’s gas.
FT 21st April 2014 read more »
Britain will call on the G7 to stop Russia using its control of global energy supplies to hold the world to ransom at a summit next month, the Energy Secretary has claimed. Energy ministers from leading nations hope to reduce the influence President Putin holds over the West by reducing their reliance on gas from Russia, The Times reported. Speaking ahead of next month’s meeting Ed Davey said there had been several occasions on which Russia had used its control of energy to behave “in quite an aggressive manner”. A quarter of Europe’s gas is sourced from Russia, and half of that passes through Ukraine, where Russia continues to provoke fears of a civil war.
Telegraph 22nd April 2014 read more »
Britain is to lead an international effort to stop Russia from using its vast natural energy supplies to hold the world to ransom. As President Putin continues to stoke fears of civil war in Ukraine, energy ministers are preparing to weaken his power by reducing reliance on Russian gas. Speaking before a summit for G7 countries next month, Ed Davey, the energy secretary, warned that Mr Putin had the west in a stranglehold. Europe gets a quarter of its gas from Russia and half of that passes through Ukraine. Gazprom, Russia’s gas giant, said this month that the price of Ukraine’s gas could rise by 44 per cent. Long-term improvements to energy security would be required to protect Britain even if Russia backed down over Ukraine because Mr Putin might seek to abuse his influence again, Mr Davey said. “It is a real opportunity to show Russia we mean business by improving our energy security and resilience. We have got to look at everything, from more diversified supplies of gas, whether it’s from the US, from shale, or helping other countries who are demanding a lot of gas now but who needn’t. Maybe Japan will turn on some of its reactors.”
Times 22nd April 2014 read more »
Chernobyl
A newly published study has uncovered alarming indications of biological loss and ecological collapse in the area around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor that exploded in Ukraine on April 26, 1986. Nuclear boosters have long claimed that the superficial appearance of teeming wildlife in the approximately 1,000 square mile Chernobyl exclusion zone indicates an Eden-like outcome. But the study observed a frightening halt to organic decay and the disappearance of important microbes that indicate the steady advance of a potential “silent spring.” “The illusion that the absence of humanity can only benefit wildlife is trumped when humanity has inflicted man-made poisons on a fragile ecosystem whose inhabitants are now biologically compromised by radiation exposures that will continue indefinitely,” observed Linda Gunter, international specialist at Beyond Nuclear, of the study’s findings.
Common Dreams 21st April 2014 read more »
Rosatom
The Ukraine crisis, the prospect of tougher western sanctions on Moscow and the suspension of civilian nuclear cooperation with the US could soon make it tougher for Moscow’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom to close deals and further the Kremlin’s energy diplomacy. Whatever else Russia may have accomplished with its bullying of Ukraine, it has left Europe thoroughly frightened of Moscow’s ability to lord its energy dominance over the continent. Except, oddly enough, when it comes to nuclear power — and Russia’s plans to build reactors across Europe are proceeding with nary a hiccup.
Gulf News 21st April 2014 read more »
Czech Republic
Areva has withdrawn a court appeal against its elimination from the tender for expansion of the Temelin nuclear power plant in Czech Republic. The decision was made following an announcement made by the Czech utility, CEZ, to cancel the tender process which the group was unfairly excluded from in 2012, Areva said. Areva central and eastern Europe vice-president and director Jean-André Barbosa said, “Although the initial tender process for the Temelin nuclear power plant has been cancelled, the energy needs of the Czech Republic remain the same. “By withdrawing this appeal, we would like for our relationships with local partners to have new start.”
Energy Business Review 21st April 2014 read more »
China
China is quickening its approvals for nuclear energy and will launch projects in coastal areas to ensure energy security and economic growth, according to the State Energy Commission. In a statement released on Sunday, the commission said it discussed strategic problems in the development of the energy resources industry as well as some major projects. The launch of new projects will resume at the proper time and will adopt the highest international safety standards, according to the commission, which met on Friday.
China Daily 21st April 2014 read more »
China may sign as early as next year the first of several contracts for eight new nuclear reactors from Westinghouse Electric Co, as the government presses ahead with the world’s biggest civilian nuclear power expansion since the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.
Reuters 21st April 2014 read more »
Germany
There are increasingly reports that the Energiewende is hurting German industry. Yet, such concerns come at a time when the German economy has never looked better. Craig Morris explains.
Energy Transition 17th April 2014 read more »
Iran
President Hassan Rouhani’s government confirmed rumors on Monday it had reshuffled the leadership of Iran’s atomic agency to sideline nuclear experts opposed to talks on its atomic program with the West.Rouhani and his negotiators have been under intense pressure from Islamic hardliners opposed to the talks with the United States and five other powers seeking greater transparency in the program in return for an end to sanctions against Iran.
Reuters 21st April 2014 read more »
Canada
A good deal of sunlight shines on the remote First Nations community of Fort Chipewyan. On Thursday, the sub-arctic Canadian settlement’s sun rose at 5:50 a.m., shining until it set at around 9 at night. The community’s population of 1,100 could meet its energy needs entirely with sunlight if it wanted, a recent study showed. At present, though, solar and other types of renewable power are far from Fort Chip’s collective mind. Nearly every home there is saddled with large, grey, 168-gallon tanks of diesel fuel. The recreation center is branded with a large Syncrude logo. The children’s playground is named after Suncor. The school has a Shell sign. The nation is peppered with constant reminders of its dependence on the oil industry — the same industry that has polluted their land to the point where Fort Chipewyan’s people can no longer hunt, fish, or swim to their leisure — the same industry that residents believe has caused cancer and sickness rates to skyrocket in the last 30 years.
Climate Progress 21st April 2014 read more »
Japan
The Japanese Economics Ministry has released figures on the state of play on renewable energy in Japan under the new feed-in tariff. Some of it is good news. Thanks to this Tweet by Hiro Matsubara for the link. The Japanese feed-in tariff system expects people to get a recognition before actually building capacity. That means there are two numbers to report. One is the amount of capacity that has received a recognition. The other one is the number of projects that actually have started delivering electricity. The former number is substantially larger than the latter. The Ministry reports a total of 33.2 GW of installations that have received recognition. Most of that comes from solar, which is at about 31 GW in all. And most of that is from large-scale installations over 10 kW (28.7 GW), with projects over one MW contributing 16 GW.
Lenz Blog 19th April 2014 read more »
Japan’s nuclear regulator and experts are questioning the safety of plans to build frozen walls to deal with the buildup of radioactive wastewater at the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The government and plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company plan to create walls of frozen soil to prevent groundwater from flowing beneath the reactor buildings. 400 tons of groundwater is flowing beneath the facilities from nearby mountains every day. The government and TEPCO want to start construction in June. But they need permission from the Nuclear Regulation Authority, or NRA. The NRA invited experts to a meeting last Friday to assess the planned ice walls. NRA Commissioner Toyoshi Fuketa expressed concern about the risk of the ground sinking. Experts raised questions about the effects of a power blackout on the frozen walls.
NHK 21st April 2014 read more »
In Tokyo, officials worry that Mr Obama and Washington’s national security establishment are wavering over America’s treaty-enshrined guarantee to defend Japan, which feels menaced by a more muscular China. Will pacifist Japan go nuclear? If there is one question that illustrates how rapidly Asia’s security environment is changing – and how nervous the change makes people – it is this one. Several developments have renewed debate over the weapons: the emergence of new regional threats, in the form of a more assertive China and a bomb-chasing North Korea; questions over US commitment to defending Japan; and the Fukushima nuclear accident, which forced a broader discussion of nuclear policy.
FT 21st April 2014 read more »
North Korea
Activity has increased at North Korea’s nuclear test site, South Korea says, ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama to the region. The military was “currently detecting a lot of activity in and around the Punggye-ri nuclear test site”, a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said.
BBC 22nd April 2014 read more »
Guardian 22nd April 2014 read more »
IB Times 21st April 2014 read more »
Renewables – solar
Jeremy Rifkin recently published a book called The Zero Marginal Cost Society. He has identified one transformative trend others have clearly not paid enough attention to: the exponential price decline in solar power! Research by Ramaz Naam, who published an article in Scientific American in 2011 on this topic. In a recent blog Mr. Naam states “the price decline in solar cost per watt has, if anything, accelerated since then!”
Forbes 21st April 2014 read more »
Energy Efficiency
Homebuyers will get a £4,000 stamp duty rebate if they install insulation and other energy-saving measures. The government hopes the incentive will help to rescue the Green Deal, its energy efficiency scheme, which has attracted only a fraction of the predicted number of householders. The Department of Energy and Climate Change will announce details of the scheme in the next few weeks after securing Treasury funding for rebates for 60,000 homes a year for the next three years. The scheme would be worth at least £1,000 per home, and up to £4,000 for those requiring expensive measures, such as solid-wall insulation, the department said.
Times 22nd April 2014 read more »
Britain’s six big energy companies have been urged to hand back at least £245 million to consumers after it emerged that they will spend less than expected on a household insulation scheme. Based on an analysis of official statistics, the Association for the Conservation of Energy claims that energy companies will carry out fewer insulation jobs this year under the Energy Companies Obligation. The association said that the savings the companies would make from the slimmed-down ECO scheme, which is funded by levies on consumers’ energy bills, will amount to at least £44.90 per customer, nearly £10 more than the government planned.
Times 22nd April 2014 read more »
