Small Modular Reactors
Ministers announce £250m funding for nuclear research and development including competition to develop small modular reactor. The UK could build one of the world’s first small modular nuclear reactors in the 2020s, after ministers announced support for the technology through a £250m research package. A competition to identify the “best value small modular reactor design for the UK” will be launched in the new year, which will “pave the way towards building one of the world’s first small modular reactors in the UK in the 2020s”, the Treasury said. Developers say small reactors would be much cheaper and quicker to build than conventional nuclear power plants, with components manufactured in factories and then assembled on site. The small reactors would have a lower capacity than conventional nuclear plants, such as the proposed Hinkley Point plant in Somerset, but would also be more flexible in their generation. Westinghouse, one of the companies developing the technology, has already sought Government support for a 225-megawatt design which it says could rapidly increase or decrease power output to help balance out fluctuations in renewable power. The small nuclear reactor competition will form part of a pledge to invest “at least £250m over the next 5 years in an ambitious nuclear research and development programme”. The Treasury hopes this will “revive the UK’s nuclear expertise and position the UK as a global leader in innovative nuclear technologies”.
Telegraph 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Fiona Reilly, head of nuclear energy at PwC, commented on energy infrastructure investment plans outlined in today’s Autumn Statement, saying: “The Chancellor’s commitment to ‘doubling our spending on energy research with a major commitment to small modular nuclear reactors’ is welcome news to the nuclear industry and an important development for the country’s energy mix. “The commitment to invest in small modular reactors is also of great significance to the UK’s engineering and manufacturing industries which, it is envisaged, will be significantly involved in the development of these technologies. Small modular reactors will provide greater flexibility for the nuclear industry to play its role in both the climate change debate and a safe clean supply of energy.”
PWC 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Daily Business Report 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Nukes and Climate
In the light of the urgency of climate change nuclear power is often presented as a solution to tackle climate change. Several organizations (Climate Action Network France, France Nature Environnement, Friends of the Earth France, Greenpeace, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Réseau Sortir du Nucléaire, Wise Amsterdam) commissioned an analysis of the role of nuclear energy as a solution for climate change. Beside the specific risks linked to the use of nuclear energy, there are also questions concerning its effectiveness in reducing CO2 emissions, its competitiveness compared to renewable energies and systemic obstacles regarding the matching of electricity demand and supply. The main messages of the study: Risks:Reinforcing the use of nuclear energy would inevitably increase nuclear proliferation, the risk of a major accident and the accumulation of radwaste, which are intrinsic to this option and have grown with it. Efficiency: Nuclear energy only accounts for “avoiding” a few percents of worldwide emissions and its role, limited to the restricted area of electricity related emissions, decreases as more efficient options develop. Consistency: Nuclear new build displaces faster and cheaper options that are available to reduce emissions; existing reactors also act as a barrier to the Urgent implementation of those better options.
RAC-F 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Energy Policy
The UK should cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 61% below 1990 levels during its fifth carbon budget period from 2028 to 2032, says the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). The committee’s statutory advice to the UK government says new policies will be needed to meet this budget. However, further cuts to climate policies by the Conservative government in yesterday’s spending review add to a growing gap between forecast emissions and future targets. Sepi Golzari-Munro, the UK programme head for climate policy thinktank E3G said in a statement: The chancellor is…slashing renewables and energy efficiency investment, and eliminating CCS [carbon capture and storage] funding, making it almost impossible to meet our carbon budgets. Carbon Brief picks out the key details from the CCC’s fifth carbon budget advice and reviews the latest government policy announcements.
Carbon Brief 26th Nov 2015 read more »
In a move that will astonish many the Treasury have decided to count payments to existing fossil and nuclear power stations for providing capacity as ‘environmental’ levies’. Real environmental spending will fall as result and be replaced by payments for polluting power stations. This ‘levy’ money is collected as a levy on consumer energy bills. See the Table below complete with newly added budget line ‘capacity market’. Given that the ‘levy control framework’ (LCF) is capped by the Treasury, and given that the cost of capacity provision will inexorably rise, funding for renewables and energy efficiency will increasingly be crowded out by subsidies to fossil fuel power stations and nuclear power. Meanwhile spending on energy conservation has been slashed in this statement, and support for solar power and onshore wind cut to next to nothing in policy statements made earlier in the year.
Dave Toke’s Blog 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Amber Rudd’s re-set speech exposed her total failure to assemble a coherent energy strategy, writes Oliver Tickell. It reveals the increasingly certain failure to meet EU renewable energy targets, proposes a new tax on wind and solar generation, and leaves the country facing the real prospect of lights going out in the next decade. The one hard policy? To maximise oil and gas recovery. What she presented here was no ‘energy policy’. It was a rag bag of missed opportunities, worn out ideas, wishful thinking, disconnected themes and downright bad news – like the prospect of a new tax on wind and solar – that only increase the chances of the ‘lights going out’. Even her headline announcement of ‘an end to coal’ was – while a clever way to confuse environmentalists – not all it seems. Coal power stations still have ten years to run under her proposals. And they would almost all have to close down within that time anyway in order to comply with EU pollution regulations.
Ecologist 18th Nov 2015 read more »
In today’s Autumn Statement Chancellor George Osborne unveiled a range of policy reforms that will impact green businesses, from the announcement of a replacement for the ECO energy efficiency scheme to an end to tax breaks for energy generation start-ups. The Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) – an energy efficiency scheme that requires energy providers to roll out energy efficiency measures in UK households – is due to end in March 2017. George Osborne today announced a new replacement for the scheme will be introduced from April 2017, to run for five years with an annual budget of £640m. The as-yet unnamed replacement will be cheaper to run than ECO, according to Osborne, saving households £30 per year from 2017. It will improve the efficiency of about 200,000 homes per year, saving those homes about £300 off their energy bills, the Treasury said. However, green groups quickly pointed out the £640m a year budget marked a reduction on the £800m a year currently spent on efficiency upgrades through ECO. One industry source told BusinessGreen the government ambition on energy efficiency had become “derisory”. The budget for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is set to increase to £1.15bn per year by 2020/2021. However, the planned increase is now £690m less for that year than the previous forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
Business Green 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Business Green 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Jeremy Corbyn and David Cameron have clashed over the government’s environment and climate change policy ahead of the Autumn Spending Review, with the Labour leader accusing the Prime Minister of failing to live up to his promise to lead the “greenest government ever”. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Corbyn challenged the Prime Minister over recent reports the UK is no longer on track to meet its legally binding target to source 20 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020.
Business Green 25th Nov 2015 read more »
There will be further cuts to government schemes designed to encourage low-carbon energy and greater efficiency, the chancellor said on Wednesday. George Osborne announced that the charge suppliers must levy on customers to help pay for efficiency measures, such as insulation, will be reduced. He said the move would lower customer bills, saving an average of £30 a year for 24m households. But it is also the latest sign that he is prioritising affordability over attempts to cut emissions. Labour argued it would end up hurting those who benefited from the energy saving measures the scheme paid for.
FT 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Household energy bills will cost £30 less than expected from 2017 after funding for home insulation schemes was slashed in the Autumn Statement. Families currently pay a levy of about £36 a year on their bills to fund a scheme called the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). Suppliers use the cash to install efficiency measures in the homes of many poor and vulnerable customers, to help cut their bills and reduce carbon emissions. The cost of the scheme had been forecast to rise to £55 a year by 2020, but the Chancellor announced that it would instead be replaced in 2017 by “a new cheaper domestic energy efficiency supplier obligation”, cutting the cost by £32 a year. About 20 0,000 homes a year will be upgraded under the new scheme, roughly half the number that has been helped each year under ECO. Recipients of the efficiency measures are estimated to save £300 a year on their bills. Labour condemned the funding cut, which was announced hours after figures confirmed excess winter deaths have hit at a 15-year-high.
Telegraph 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Energy Supplies
Don’t fear a power crisis, writes Gina Hanrahan (WWF Scotland). Unless you’ve been living under a stone for the last few weeks, you’ll have probably seen the annual spate of media headlines warning that the lights are set to go out this winter. But it’s clear that the “Blackout Britain” headlines we’ve become so familiar with are out of step with reality. Despite the fact that newspapers have carried over 500 such stories in the last decade, a recent report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit found that there is a near perfect record when it comes to making sure there’s enough electricity generated to keep our lights on. In reality, the power cuts we do experience from time to time are almost universally down to faults on the distribution networks. Of course, there is no room for complacency, particularly as the margin this winter and next between supply and demand has tightened, a s aging, uneconomic and polluting plants, including Longannet in Fife, close ahead of the launch of the UK capacity market in 2018. These closures are part of a trend cemented by the recent commitment by the UK government to phase out coal within a decade. Although the margin is tighter than recent years, it’s still over 5 per cent once National Grid’s tools for managing security of supply are counted. While this is lower than recent winters, it’s still well above margins a decade ago and our lights did not go out.
Scotsman 26th Nov 2015 read more »
Uranium
Australia has finalized its nuclear cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates and will now supply uranium for use in the Middle Eastern country’s developing nuclear power program. The announcement today, by the office of Australia’s minister for foreign affairs, Julie Bishop, followed news last week that the Australia-India nuclear cooperation agreement had also been completed.
World Nuclear News 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Hungary
Batting away a double-barrelled blast from the EU, Hungary insists it will plough on with the Russian-funded expansion of the Paks nuclear plant. However, that hardly looks a realistic solution. Budapest potentially faces huge fines and long project delays should it try to simply ignore Brussels, and will likely launch a hunt for loopholes to smuggle the project through, suggest analysts. Close to two years after Hungary tore up an international tender in January 2014 to hand Russia the contract to expand Hungary’s only nuclear power plant, the EU pounced in mid-November to hit the deal with a sharp one-two. The European Commission has launched an infringement procedure on public procurement grounds, while a probe over alleged state aid will look at Hungary’s €2.5bn share of the project’s funding. Moscow will provide the other €10bn it will cost to plug in two new 1,200 megawatt reactors. In typically confrontational fashion, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reacted with scorn, and pledged the project will go ahead. A bevy of other officials in Budapest have made similar statements.
Intelli News 25th Nov 2015 read more »
US – Plutonium
The wholesale disposal of surplus weapons plutonium at WIPP adversely impact the design basis of WIPP and open the entire design to hostile intervention, it could also introduce a new accident scenario consisting of a criticality event occurring in the future that would significantly increase the environmental impact and threaten the continued operation of WIPP.
Nuclear Townhall 16th Nov 2015 read more »
France
Early this year, France’s state energy and environment agency was set to publish a study that found the country could realistically abandon nuclear reactors and rely completely on renewable power in decades to come. But the presentation was scrapped under political pressure, with Energy Minister Segolene Royal later saying the agency needed to be “coherent” with government targets. The episode illustrated the tensions surrounding energy policy in a country steeped in nuclear power since the 1970s and which relies on it for three-quarters of its electricity – more than any other nation. Any suggestion of abandoning the atom is unthinkable for many in France, where scientists played a key role in discovering radioactivity, atomic energy is broadly accepted by all major political parties except the greens and the nuclear industry employs 220,000 people. Ahead of the U.N. climate change conference in Paris next week, the French position exposes the lack of any consistent European policy on how best to switch from polluting fossil fuels to cleaner energy and reduce carbon emissions.
Reuters 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Slovakia
China and Slovakia will cooperate on developing the nuclear fuel cycle supply chain under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed yesterday between the two countries.
World Nuclear News 25th Nov 2015 read more »
South Africa
With South Africa’s nuclear energy programme edging closer to reality, leading businesses in its supply chain will meet next week to explore ways of benefiting from the R1trn industry. While Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom is seen as the frontrunner to lead the 9 600 megawatt nuclear energy build programme from 2023 to 2030, there will be countless opportunities for other businesses.
All Africa 23rd Nov 2015 read more »
Trident
The UK’s former defense secretary Des Browne has issued a stark warning that the country’s nuclear weapons could be vulnerable to cyberattacks. The Trident program is already a highly-divisive subject, and Browne is seeking assurance from the Prime Minister that it is secured against attacks from hostile states such as China and Russia.
IT Portal 25th Nov 2015 read more »
A POLITICIAN in the North of Ireland has offered the services of Irish loughs and ports to store Britain’s nuclear missiles if they are removed from Scotland. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Jeffrey Donaldson made the comments during a House of Commons debate yesterday in which a Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) politician said most Scottish MPs want the Trident missiles out of Scotland. “With support for the Union in Northern Ireland growing ever stronger, may I help to assuage the concerns of the Right Honourable Member for Moray by saying that we have lots of loughs and lots of ports, and that if the government ever need a new home for Trident, Ulster is there,” Mr Donaldson said.
Irish Post 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Renewables – Tidal
Scotland’s tidal energy will be great for Britain as the sector stands on the edge of a new industrial revolution. That was the forecast from Tim Cornelius, Chief Executive of Atlantis Resources. after he won the ‘Most Influential Professional in the Tidal Sector’ award at the International Tidal Summit in London yesterday. Cornelius beat off competition from Mark Shorrock, Chief Executive, Tidal Lagoon Power, and Fiona Buckley, Chair of TP Ocean/ ENGIE, to scoop the award. “In terms of manufacturing – one could argue that Britain lost wind – and it lost nuclear. “But it can own tidal. And – Scotland is to tidal what Silicon Valley is to tech.
Scottish Energy News 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Renewable Heat
“Going green should not cost the earth” proclaimed George Osborne in his Autumn Statement as the Chancellor confirmed plans to reform the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and slash budgets for DECC and DEFRA. In a wide-ranging, one-hour speech dedicated to “putting Britain’s security first”, Osborne today (25 November) set out the state of the UK economy and spending plans for the next four years. He began by confirming sharp departmental cuts, as part of the Government’s programme to deliver a budget surplus by 2020. The RHI scheme, which provides financial incentives suppliers of renewable heat, will see its funding rise to £1.15bn in 2021, “to ensure that the UK continues to make progress towards its climate goals.” However, this actually means that spending on the RHI scheme will be around £690m lower than what was originally forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). And the UK still needs 20TWh more renewable heat by 2020, to meet the Government’s 12% target. Responding to the announcement, Renewable Energy Association (REA) chief executive Nina Skorupska said: “Our members recognised the need to make savings and presented to Treasury and DECC how we could optimise the RHI budget. A £700m cut is large, but we look forward to working with the government on reforming this crucial area.”
Edie 25th Nov 2015 read more »
The Solar Trade Association has given a lukewarm welcome to the UK government commitment to renew the Renewable Heat Initiative. The RHI will provide £1.15bn of funding in 2020/21 and will also be reformed with a focus on value for money, saving around £700 million. However, the British solar thermal market has suffered since 2011, due to years of delay in introducing the Renewable Heat Incentive and insufficient levels of support. The market has collapsed from 30,000 solar thermal installations in 2010 to just 6,000 so far this year.
Scottish Energy News 26th Nov 2015 read more »
The REA hopes that the funding made available particularly in the Renewable Heat Inventive (RHI), a key policy that supports the renewable heat sector, will be open to a wide range of renewable technologies including biomass, biogas, and district heating.
Scottish Energy News 26th Nov 2015 read more »
Local Energy – London
Labour’s Mayoral candidate for London Sadiq Khan has pledged to run London on 100% green energy by 2050, after throwing his support behind an ambitious new plan set out by the Institute for Public Policy Research. Khan was speaking at launch of the 100% London campaign, hosted by the Royal Institute of British Architects, which is running alongside the new plan from the IPPR. The Institute is calling on all mayoral candidates to follow and implement nine new strategies that would see London operate entirely on clean energy within the next 35 years.
Edie 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Energy Efficiency
On the same day that official figures reveal that last winter’s Excess Winter Deaths were at their highest level for 15 years, ACE has described as ‘scandalous’ the Chancellor’s announcement of a 42% cut in the help available to households living in dangerously cold homes. They have also expressed disappointment that, despite allocating £100 billion for infrastructure projects, Mr Osborne has chosen to spend not one penny of this pot to make the UK housing stock more energy efficient.
ACE 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Housing built in the UK today and in the next few years may have to be expensively retrofitted with energy-saving technology within the next two decades, according to the government’s climate advisers. The warning from the Committee on Climate Change came as it launched its five-year review to parliament on Thursday, setting out a new “carbon budget” for the UK that would require an emissions cut of 57% by 2032. The so-called fifth carbon budget would require substantial new investment in renewable energy and other low-carbon power, and new projects such as carbon capture and storage plants. It would also require substantial investments in home energy efficiency improvements, and measures to help households install their own renewable energy, such as solar panels or heat pumps.
Guardian 26th Nov 2015 read more »
Transport
The city of Bristol could soon be home to a fleet of a 130 ‘poo-powered’ buses after a successful pilot project earlier this year. The Bio-Bus is capable of travelling up to 300km at a time on biomethane, generated through the treatment of sewage and food waste. Engineers believe it could provide a sustainable way of fuelling public transport – producing fewer emissions than diesel-powered vehicles and helping improve air quality in towns and cities. As well as not using fossil fuels, Bio-Buses emit 97% less dangerous particulate emissions, 80-90% fewer nitrogen oxides and up to 30% less CO2.
Edie 25th Nov 2015 read more »
CCS
The Department of Energy & Climate Change has axed a £1bn fund to commercialise carbon capture & storage (CCS) in the UK. The announcement was made by posting a regulatory announcement to the London stock exchange. The statement read: “Today, following the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, HM Government confirms that the £1 billion ring-fenced capital budget for the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Competition is no longer available. “This decision means that the CCS Competition cannot proceed on its current basis. We will engage closely with the bidders on the implications of this decision for them.” The £1bn fund was intended to be allocated via a competition to support the development and deployment of CCS projects in the UK.
Edie 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Business Green 25th Nov 2015 read more »
BBC 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Independent 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Guardian 25th Nov 2015 read more »
FT 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Telegraph 25th Nov 2015 read more »
Herald 26th Nov 2015 read more »
Times 26th Nov 2015 read more »
After Chancellor George Osborne completed his financial spending statement today in the Westminster parliament, the UK Government announced that that its £1 billion ring-fenced capital budget for the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Competition is no longer available. This immediately resulted in N. Sea oil giant Shell and its Perth-based SSE partner jettisoning their flagship carbon capture project at Peterhead. Condemning this decision, Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said; “The UK Government’s decision to scrap its £1 billion Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) programme is a disgrace.
Scottish Energy News 25th Nov 2015 read more »
