New nukes
Labour MPs vowed last night to make nuclear energy an issue in the forthcoming leadership election after the Cabinet gave the go-ahead for a new generation of nuclear power stations. The cabinet committee overseeing the issue approved the inclusion of nuclear power in the energy White Paper to be published this month. The review under Malcolm Wicks, the Energy minister, is also expected to recommend streamlining the planning system to enable the power stations to be built on existing sites more quickly.
Independent 27th June 2006
Tony Blair may have acted precipitately in endorsing new nuclear power by ignoring the “joker in the pack” possibility that the life of the existing stations could be extended, the energy regulator has suggested. Critics of nuclear power have questioned the speed at which Mr Blair is driving the review. They argue that deferring a decision on nuclear power would allow future developments in technology – in particular for renewable sources of energy – to be considered before committing to new plants. Alistair Buchanan, chief executive of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, has now given such critics more ammunition. The government’s analysis “has not been broad enough and it has not been forward looking enough to come to a sensible view, looking at the range of scenarios as to what is likely to happen in the next 10 to 20 years”, he told the Commons trade and industry select committee earlier this month.
FT 27th June 2006
Letter on the problems with nuclear power.
Scotsman 27th June 2006
Scotland
Scottish Labour leaders are becoming increasingly confident that no new nuclear power stations will have to be built north of the border. A UK energy review is expected to say that Britain needs new nuclear plants. But First Minister Jack McConnell is understood to be working on an energy strategy which would avoid the need for any to be constructed in Scotland. Instead, there would be a large rise in the generation of renewable energy such as offshore wind and marine.
BBC 27th June 2006
Decommissioning
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, the government-owned nuclear decommissioning company, has struck a deal with South Korea’s nuclear monopoly to work together on clean-up contracts round the world. Although it is likely that UKAEA and Amec, its private sector partner, will in the short term be concentrating on contracts in South Korea, in time the deal could allow Korea Power Engineering Company to participate in the potentially lucrative UK nuclear market.
FT 27th June 2006
Dounreay
Dounreay’s operators are inviting outside interest in taking over administrative buildings on the nuclear site which will otherwise be demolished.
Aberdeen Press & Journal 27th June 2006
North Korea
During President George W. Bush’s administration, North Korea has gone from having enough plutonium for one or two nuclear weapons to having enough for as many as 13, a study released on Monday said.
Reuters 27th June 2006
Iran
Iran said Monday that it would only use its vast oil resources as a weapon of last resort in the international dispute over its nuclear programme.
Middle East Online 26th June 2006
Nuclear weapons
Sir Jonathon Porritt has accused the Labour Party of stifling debate on nuclear weapons. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions, the former chairman of Friends of the Earth said it was “absolutely astonishing” that chancellor Gordon Brown said he would spend £25 billion updating weapons system Trident.
Gloucestershire Echo 26th June 2006
FOUR of the five candidates in Thursday’s Blaenau Gwent parliamentary by-election would vote against spending £25bn on a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons. Labour candidate Owen Smith, the favourite to replace the late Independent MP and AM Peter Law said, “If there were a vote in the House of Commons tomorrow to replace Trident, I would vote against it.
Western Mail 26th June 2006
Letter from Nicola Butler: If the Government is really committed to a proper debate on whether to replace the UK’s aging nuclear weapon system, Trident, it should publish a consultative Green Paper setting out costs and opportunity costs for all the options, including the option of non-replacement.
Independent 27th June 2006
