Moorside
Powerful decision-makers are being urged to think of the greater good so all of Cumbria can cash in on its biggest investment in history. And they have been urged to do everything possible to ensure the county is given the best possible chance to secure major opportunities. Hundreds of major economic players have been hearing about the prospects for the nuclear industry at a conference in Carlisle.
Whitehaven News 23rd Sept 2016 read more »
Japan
The government has decided to carry out a fundamental review of the fate of the Monju prototype fast-breeder nuclear reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, operated by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), with an eye to eventually decommissioning the troubled reactor. The government will make a final decision on the matter by the end of this year after consulting with concerned local governments. Over 1 trillion yen in taxpayers’ money has been invested in Monju. However, operations at the reactor have almost completely been suspended for more than 20 years because of a series of accidents and other problems. Hundreds of billions of yen would reportedly be needed to restart Monju. Still, there are no prospects that the operation of the reactor would produce any results. It is only natural, therefore, that the government intends to decommission the reactor. At the same time, the government’s responsibility for repeatedly delaying a decision on the fate of the trouble-plagued reactor should be seriously called into question. The government has promoted the nuclear fuel cycle project, in which plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel is mixed with uranium to produce mixed oxide fuel, or MOX fuel, to be used at nuclear reactors, as part of national policy. A fast-breeder reactor, which produces more plutonium than that consumed, is the core facility of the nuclear fuel cycle project along with a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant.
Mainichi 23rd Sept 2016 read more »
Nuclear Convoys
A CATALOGUE of accidents involving the transportation of nuclear weapons in Britain was revealed by investigators yesterday. Nuclear weapons are moved by road from development facilities in Berkshire to naval bases in Scotland. The International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons says there were eight accidents involving nuclear weapons convoys between 1960 and 1991 and 180 safety-related incidents between 2000 and 2016. The report says: “The convoy has crashed, broken down and got lost. Its brakes have failed, it has leaked fuel and suffered a range of other mechanical failures. “Bad luck, poor weather, human error and computer software glitches have all been to blame.” The report was welcomed by the Nuclear Free Local Authorities group, with chair Ernie Galsworthy saying: “The report accurately and cogently summarises the real risks for local authorities, fire services and public health bodies who may have to directly deal with the consequences of a major accident involving such a convoy.”
Morning Star 23rd Sept 2016 read more »
Nuclear Weapons
DISTURBING new images from the moments after the Nagasaki nuclear bombing that brought World War Two to an end have been released.
Express 23rd Sept 2016 read more »
Renewables – tidal
WORK on installing turbines to power what is intended to become the world’s largest tidal stream venture in the Pentland Firth has started. Contractors are scheduled to put in place the first turbine supports and ballast blocks over four days at the site of the MeyGen development, between Stroma and the Caithness mainland. Atlantis Resources, the company behind the project, have hired Belgian geotechnical and offshore solutions company GeoSea to do the work. Local firm JGC Engineering and Technical Services have constructed the 24 ballast blocks, which each weigh 200 tonnes, to support each of the turbines underwater. The blocks will be taken from Scrabster to the development site in the Inner Sound by the supply vessel Olympic Orion with the Green Quest also involved in the operation.
John O Groat Journal 22nd Sept 2016 read more »
Renewables – offshore wind
WORK to transform historic buildings in Wick’s waterfront into a support base for a cluster of 84 giant wind turbines due to go up off the east Caithness coast is scheduled to start in January. Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) is ready to submit a planning application for the renovation of two buildings at Harbour Quay which is to base its £10 million venture. Details of its involvement in the £2.6 billion wind farm were revealed at a public exhibition in Wick. BOWL originally planned to put up a new building on the Telford jetty to serve as its operations and maintenance base.
John O Groat Journal 20th Sept 2016 read more »
Microgeneration
Micro Power News: Leeds City Council launches White Rose Energy; Oxfordshire Community Solar launches largest community rooftop solar scheme and other news.
Microgen Scotland 23rd Sept 2016 read more »
Energy Efficiency
A passive house is designed to be extremely energy-efficient so that it doesn’t take a lot of power to heat or cool. To be designated as a passive house, a building must embody a set of specific best practices that seal it from outside temperatures while maintaining a stable inside temperature and high air quality.
Tree Hugger 23rd Sept 2016 read more »
The 2016 UK Passivhaus Conference and Expo will be held on Tuesday 25 October 2016 at the Business Design Centre, London N1 0QH The Conference will focus on successful delivery of Passivhaus at scale, including case studies of leading Passivhaus projects from the UK and Europe. These case studies will be followed by detailed seminars and masterclasses in the afternoon, exploring lessons about how to successfully deliver Passivhaus projects, from early design decisions through to construction, handover and occupation. 10% early bird discount ends on September 25th.
UK Passivhaus Conference (accessed) 24th Sept 2016 read more »
Smart Meters
New questions have emerged over an £11 billion project to install smart energy meters in every British home, after experts warned that hackers could use the devices to shut down the nation’s electricity supplies. Just a day after business leaders branded the project a waste of money, a report on the meters from MPs on the Commons science and technology committee pointed to serious cybersecurity concerns. About 3.6 million of the meters, which measure household electricity and gas consumption in real time, have already been installed. A further 50 million are due to be in place before the end of 2020.
Times 24th Sept 2016 read more »
Energy Storage
In order to help remote communities in Asia-Pacific to produce cleaner and cheaper energy, Engie has developed a new power solution. Combining solar energy with hydrogen energy storage, the solution is capable of delivering electricity 24/7 without emitting CO2, at a competitive price. Engie is ready to overhaul the electricity industry with a new solution: hydrogen energy storage for solar power. This and other hydrogen solutions have been discussed at the September 19th roundtable in Paris.
Energy Business Review 20th Sept 2016 read more »
Fossil Fuels
The Dutch parliament has voted for a 55% cut in CO2 emissions by 2030, which would require the closure of all the country’s coal-fired power plants. The unexpected vote on Thursday night by 77 to 72 would bring the Netherlands clearly into line with the Paris climate agreement, with some of the most ambitious climate policies in Europe. It is not binding on the government, but the Liberal and Labour parties say they will now push for speedy implementation of the motion. Five Dutch coal-fired power stations were closed last year but the country still has another five plants in operation. Three of these came online in 2015, and have been blamed for a 5% rise in the country’s emissions last year.
Guardian 23rd Sept 2016 read more »
