EMR
On Tuesday 22 May the government will publish their draft Energy Bill setting out how they seek to reform the electricity market. This Bill is supposed to respond to three main challenges: Bringing down energy bills; Bringing down carbon emissions from power generation; Securing UK power supplies. John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said: This is a looming energy omnishambles. The Energy Bill could be a huge opportunity to get energy bills and carbon emissions under control, and to bring security to our power supplies. But Ministers seem hell–‐bent on scuppering all of these aims by encouraging a big increase in our dependence on burning expensive gas to generate electricity.
Greenpeace Briefing 21st May 2012 more >>
A dash for gas, a major fillip for nuclear power and blows to renewable energy these are widely expected to be the contents of the government’s much-anticipated draft energy bill, the main contents of which will be outlined by ministers in the afternoon. The nuclear industry is expected to be one of the big winners, with a set of policies designed to favour low-carbon power which will, controversially, include atomic energy as well as renewable sources such as wind and solar. But renewable companies are concerned that they will lose out, because the current system of subsidies will be replaced with a complex new system of support that could favour big companies over their smaller rivals.
Guardian 22nd May 2012 more >>
Bloomberg 22nd May 2012 more >>
The UKs main nuclear operator, EDF, is believed to be considering putting Britains ageing reactors through another 10-year safety test in co-operation with the Office of Nuclear Regulation. The plans were revealed on the eve of the Governments proposals to overhaul the energy industry. A decision to keep the plants running will appear at odds with the Coalitions drive towards new expensive nuclear plants to meet short and medium term energy demands. The proposed Contracts for Difference (CFD), which will be unveiled today and guarantee investors a price for power generated by new nuclear or renewable means, have been described as a disguise for new nuclear power subsidies. Hinkley B in Somerset and Hunterston B in Ayrshire, which were due to close in 2016, would be the first that could undergo a periodic safety review to remain open.
Telegraph 22nd May 2012 more >>
Germany’s long support for wind and solar energy is delivering zero-cost electricity at times. In contrast, the UK’s new energy policy seeks to underwrite the rising cost of nuclear. The UK government publishes its draft energy bill on Tuesday, acknowledged by all but ministers themselves as primarily an arcane way of getting new nuclear power stations built. In the UK, where the nuclear industry is so embedded in government it supplies staff free-of-charge to work within the energy ministry. Perhaps it’s no wonder that even when half of the UK’s big six energy companies bale out of nuclear on cost grounds, ministers plough on regardless. I am in Germany with half a dozen of the UK’s most senior energy policy academics. When I mention the guarantee repeatedly given by the coalition government that new nuclear plants in the UK will get “no public subsidy”, the only response are roars of incredulous laughter. Energy bill payers, who fund all the energy schemes, are unlikely to be similarly amused.
Guardian 22nd May 2012 more >>
The government is to unveil the biggest shake-up of the industry since privatisation in a draft energy bill, intended to secure £110bn of investment in power generation. Charles Hendry, Energy Minister, told The Daily Telegraph: People shouldnt think this will bring about a drop in prices when we have £110bn of investment needed to keep the lights on in this country. Theres a cost, but doing it this way were delivering that investment at the lowest cost to consumers. Amid claims from analysts that annual household bills could rise by as much as £200 to finance the reforms, ministers will argue the proposals will in fact keep bills down. They are expected to claim that bills will be 4pc lower over the next 20 years than they would be without the policies. Yet many in the industry have poured scorn on the idea that the proposed reforms offer the cheapest route to securing investment. Keith MacLean, head of policy at SSE, criticised the proposed ‘contracts for difference (CfD), which will guarantee investors a price for power generated by new nuclear or renewable plants. The proposed CfD is a complex construct, designed to mask what is effectively a subsidy for new nuclear power, which could derail investment in renewables. It could also have damaging impacts on the energy retail market and lead to higher-than-necessary increases in customer bills, he said, calling on ministers to listen to the widespread industry concerns.
Telegraph 21st May 2012 more >>
New Nukes
The boss of French nuclear giant EDFs UK arm, Vincent de Rivaz, has said the UK is demonstrating consistency and continuity in its nuclear policy. And he also stressed that EDF is committed to building new plants in the UK following the withdrawal of RWE and E.ON from the Horizon nuclear programme.
Power Engineering 21st May 2012 more >>
Radwaste
Results of an opinion poll that could decide the future of the UK’s highly radioactive nuclear waste are to be revealed on Tuesday. Councils in West Cumbria commissioned Mori to ask people if they want to engage in formal talks towards hosting an underground waste store. If they say “no”, the country will have no solution to the waste issue. A “yes” vote is likely to result in years of discussions that could bring compensation to local communities. The poll results will be released at a meeting in Whitehaven on Tuesday morning.
BBC 22nd May 2012 more >>
Horizon
An arm of the Chinese government is in pole position to be awarded the contract to build and run Britains next generation of nuclear power stations. Other bidders in the running include a Japanese firm that supplied some of the reactors at Fukushima, and a Russian state-owned outfit with links to the Chernobyl disaster. The Coalition is prepared to back controversial foreign investment on the basis that urgent action is needed to replace Britains ageing nuclear reactors, which supply about 16 per cent of the countrys energy needs.
Daily Mail 21st May 2012 more >>
Hinkley
EDF Energy has presented Bridgwater College with £2million this week, to help students and local people gain new skills, training and jobs for Hinkley Point C. The money is part of a funding package agreed with Sedgemoor District Council, West Somerset Council and Somerset County Council, to allow EDF Energy to begin site preparation work at Hinkley C.
This is the West Country 21st May 2012 more >>
Oldbury
OLDBURY Power Station may have shut down but new director Mike Heaton still has enough work to last him a lifetimeliterally. With the defuelling phase due to start in July, the decommissioning stage with care and maintenance planned for 2027 and final closure expected between 2097 and 2103, Mr Heaton has a lot on his plate.
Gloucestershire Gazette 21st May 2012 more >>
PLEX
Britain’s ageing nuclear reactors, which were due to close in the next decade, are set to be kept open under a plan approved by the industry’s regulator. In a move that could have far-reaching implications for the government’s energy policy, the Office for Nuclear Regulation has told the Guardian it is working with the country’s dominant nuclear operator, the French-owned company EDF, to extend the life of its eight nuclear power stations in the UK, and that it is “content for the plants to continue to operate”, as long as they pass regular safety tests. The Department of Energy and Climate Change said on Monday: “Extending the lifetime of old nuclear plants will only give us a few more years of power. We will be shifting a problem to another day. New nuclear is where the future lies for long-term energy security. This is why it is so important we begin the transition on market reform today.”
Guardian 22nd May 2012 more >>
The firm, which runs eight nuclear power stations in the UK, is working with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) regarding the “the extension of the operational lifetime of their existing fleet of nuclear power reactors”, the ONR said. Whether reactors continue to operate is a commercial decision for the companies which run them, but they have to meet the safety standards set by the ONR. The cost of meeting these standards can rise as the infrastructure gets older. The ONR said it is usual for safety to be reviewed every 10 years.
Telegraph 22nd May 2012 more >>
Independent 22nd May 2012 more >>
Times 21st May 2012 more >>
Shropshire Star 22nd May 2012 more >>
Small Reactors
Three small modular reactor (SMR) designs will be competing for US government funding to support their licensing and construction in the US by 2022. SMR developers from Westinghouse, NuScale Power and Babcock & Wilcox were all expected to file applications by the May 21 deadline for funding from the Department of Energy. Department of Energy (DOE) SMR investment funds will be awarded to SMR projects that have the most potential and promise to be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and achieve commercial operation by 2022. The cost-share agreements will span a five-year period and, subject to Congressional appropriations, provide a total investment of approximately $900 million, with at least 50 percent provided by private industry.
i-Nuclear 21st May 2012 more >>
Iran
A new report by Oxford Research Group (ORG) analyses how the deadlock over Irans controversial nuclear programme could be overcome. It identifies the key principles for reaching a deal in the nuclear talks, involving the Director of the IAEA, on Monday 21 May, and in the crucial negotiations on Wednesday 23 May in Baghdad between Iran and the six E3+3 states (US, UK, China, Russia, France and Germany).
Oxford Research Group 21st May 2012 more >>
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog held talks in Tehran yesterday after voicing optimism about a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Independent 22nd May 2012 more >>
Telegraph 21st May 2012 more >>
US
Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said on Monday that he would resign, following a year of intense criticism over his abrasive management style.
Reuters 21st May 2012 more >>
i-Nuclear 21st May 2012 more >>
Guardian 21st May 2012 more >>
Japan
The total direct costs of the Fukushima Daiichi catastrophe for TEPCO, including compensation and clean up, are estimated at over $100bn. Many Japanese, however, experience in their daily lives that the damages are considerably higher because most of their claims and losses go uncompensated and most of their suffering goes unrecognised.
Greenpeace 21st May 2012 more >>
Trident
The replacement of the Trident nuclear deterrent based at Faslane on the Clyde is expected to come a step closer today when ministers announce the signing of multi-million-pound contracts to design new submarines.
Scotsman 22nd May 2012 more >>
Huffington Post 21st May 2012 more >>
BBC 22nd May 2012 more >>
Letter: Your editorial (Nuclear question, May 19) lays the appropriate ground rules for the debate on the future of Britains deterrent: first, Britain must not scrap its nuclear arsenal, and most importantly, it should only do so in multilateral negotiation with other powers. Second, it must stick to a sea-launched deterrent. But the issue of the Moscow criterion is a bit of a red herring.
FT 22nd May 2012 more >>
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will this week announce that £350 million is to be spent on design contracts for a new generation of nuclear-armed submarines. The announcement comes six months before the Liberal Democrat-led ‘Trident Alternatives Review’ is due to report, and ahead of a parliamentary decision in 2016 on whether or not to replace Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons system. Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament said: “This is an insult to the Lib Dems. The Trident Alternatives Review is a result of the Coalition agreement, allowing them to put forward alternatives to like-for-like replacement of Trident. Now when they come to report on their findings at the end of the year they will do so with design contracts already placed. “This is either blatant double dealing by the Tories or the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand’s doing. Neither option inspires confidence in the government.
Ekklesia 21st May 2012 more >>
CND 21st May 2012 more >>
