Carbon Price
The failure of the United Nations summit in Copenhagen to produce a firm agreement on climate change has jeopardised plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations in Britain. Leading energy industry figures said that the meeting’s failure to help to establish a strong international price for carbon dioxide emissions had undermined the economic rationale for developing the new plants, which emit little carbon but are very expensive to build. Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF Energy, the French-owned company that has proposed building four new reactors in Britain, said that there was an “urgent” need for the Government to intervene in support of nuclear investment. It wants a floor price to be set on the carbon credits that companies need to buy to burn fossil fuels.
Times 23rd Dec 2009 more >>
Generators are warning the Government must intervene soon or the nuclear power and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology the UK needs will not get built. New nuclear facilities are eye-wateringly expensive – as much as five times the cost of gas plants and taking twice as long to build. CCS is so new and untried that there are not even any easy comparisons. In both cases, the business case is difficult to make and the commercially sensible decision is to throw up gas plants instead. Carbon trading was supposed to be the answer. As the EU ETS progresses, setting electricity producers ever-lower carbon emissions caps, the cost gap between clean and dirty generation should be narrowed. But Copenhagen has floored hopes of a global market that would push up the price, passing the buck back to the UK Government. Paul Golby, the chief executive of E.ON UK, said: “We cannot simply leave things as they are. We need changes to the market that mean it makes sense to build and operate lower carbon forms of generation.”
Independent 22nd Dec 2009 more >>
Bristol
Anti-nuclear campaigners have welcomed a move by a Liberal Democrat councillor to commit the city to oppose the building of new atomic power stations near Bristol. Cllr Mark Wright has put forward a motion for the full council meeting on January 19 calling on any consultation for the new plants at Hinkley Point and Oldbury to include people within Bristol.
Bristol 24/7 22nd Dec 2009 more >>
Hinkley
David Heathcoat-Amory has backed a new campaign against the Hinkley pylons
Burnham-on-sea 22nd Dec 2009 more >>
Top environmentalist Professor Tom Burke CBE is giving a boost to Stop Hinkley’s campaign to oppose Hinkley C by speaking at a public meeting together with Greenpeace’s Ben Ayliffe. Later Jonathon Porritt will also speak in Taunton on 6th January 2010
Brisol Indymedia 22nd Dec 2009 more >>
Europe
The Council of the European Union adopted today a mandate authorising the Commission to negotiate a partnership agreement for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy between the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the Russian Federation. Russia is one of the main global suppliers of nuclear materials and equipment. It is also a key supplier of nuclear fuel and related nuclear fuel cycle services to nuclear power plant operators in the EU.
Europa 22nd Dec 2009 more >>
Disarmament
Next year will be crucial for global nuclear non-proliferation efforts and all eyes will be on the United States and Russia to see if the two top atomic powers can reach a deal to reduce their arsenals.
Reuters 23rd Dec 2009 more >>
Russia and the United States plan unprecedented cuts to their Cold War arsenals of nuclear weapons under a new arms reduction deal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
Reuters 23rd Dec 2009 more >>
Energy Efficiency
The Government is failing to make progress on 75pc of changes needed to “green” Britain’s industry, with a particularly poor record on energy efficiency for businesses, according to the CBI.
Telegraph 23rd Dec 2009 more >>
