Hinkley
Ireland’s National Trust has been given permission to challenge a decision giving permission for the Hinkley Point nuclear power station. An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, is challenging the legality of the March 2013 decision by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to grant development consent for the EDF project in Somerset – about 150 miles from Ireland. Their case was dismissed last December, but a Court of Appeal judge has now granted them a judicial review, which will be heard by three judges in the Court of Appeal over two days before the end of July, if possible.
Engineering & Technology Magazine 27th March 2014 read more »
First Minister Alex Salmond has called for the Ofgem review of energy markets to examine proposals to revive the UK’s ¬nuclear power regime. The SNP leader said the recent contract for the Hinkley Point station in Somerset had been set at twice the wholesale price for electricity. During First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood yesterday, Mr Salmond said: “The review in competition in the energy markets is welcome, that offers the opportunity to fully examine the market place and I hope and believe the Labour Party will see the sense in extending that ¬review to nuclear power and the contract that has been offered to Hinkley Point.” “For the very obvious reason that if you continue your support for that contract, a contract at double the wholesale price for electricity, there would only be one direction for electricity bills in the future, and that is ¬upwards. Let’s have a review and a competition examination, ¬examining the conduct of the Big Six energy companies.”
Scotsman 28th March 2014 read more »
Westminster’s damaging obsession with nuclear power will add “considerable costs” to consumer energy bills for decades to come – according to a leading energy firm. A report by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has said that the UK Government’s deal for the construction of two reactors at the Hinkley Point nuclear power station will see increased energy bills for the next 35 years. According to the report: “the deal which the UK government has reached with EdF over the construction of two reactors at Hinkley Point, which will add considerable costs to consumer energy bills for 35 years.” The report adds: “One leading analyst, Peter Atherton, described it as “the most expensive conventional power station in the world” and a ‘clear case of socialising risk and privatising profits’.” The new SSE report echoes warnings in a December report led by Dr David Toke from the University of Aberdeen – which also pointed to the increased costs to consumer bills from new nuclear power.
Newsnet Scotland 27th March 2014 read more »
The deal which the UK government has reached with EdF over the construction of two reactors at Hinkley Point, which will add considerable costs to consumer energy bills for 35 years. One leading analyst, Peter Atherton, described it as “the most expensive conventional power station in the world” and a ‘clear case of socialising risk and privatising profits’.
SSE March 2014 read more »
Cumbria
Whitehaven’s proposed multi-million pound campus is a step closer to becoming reality. A feasibility study into the scheme is now fully funded after the nuclear industry announced £250,000 of support. This cash comes from three organisations: Sellafield Ltd, Nuclear Management Partners and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The money will be combined with another grant of the same amount approved by Cumbria County Council last month.
Carlisle News and Star 27th March 2014 read more »
Sizewell
We are pleased to announce that EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Limited (EDF) were granted an amendment to planning permission for the construction and operation of a Dry Fuel Store as an extension to the Sizewell B nuclear generation station on Thursday 20th March 2014. Permission has been granted for the increase to working time which will now see longer hours introduced on Saturdays.This will mean that construction on the DFS can progress more quickly; on time and on budget.
Mondaq 27th March 2014 read more »
DECC
Much talk, thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay’s Chris Martin – who are to separate – of conscious uncoupling. We like the phrase. And it seems appropriate for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, where civil servants are apparently opting to consciously uncouple themselves from their jobs. One expects a deal of churn, and the Osborne headcount axe plays its part, but can those things quite explain the departure of 425 civil servants since January 2012? This includes 10 who played a leading role in developing the flagship Energy Act 2013. We know DECC isn’t the happiest ship – with ministers at each other’s throats, and much past pulling of rank over who should be permanent secretary – but can it be that bad? It’s cold out in the job market. Perhaps the DECC was even chillier.
Guardian 26th March 2014 read more »
Energy Supplies
UK power generation from renewable sources reached a record high of 15% last year, according to the latest government data. The increase in low-carbon power generation helped reduce coal burning in 2013. Gas imports also fell by around 2.5% as gas struggled to compete with coal on price and renewables reduced both coal and gas generation. But overall the data showed the UK is having to import more and more of the fossil fuels it uses – pushing energy imports to a record high.
Energy Desk 27th March 2014 read more »
Britain has become a net importer of petroleum products such as diesel for the first time since 1984 amid the closure of refineries and a sharp drop in crude production from the North Sea, the latest Government figures show.
Telegraph 27th March 2014 read more »
Energy Costs
Ed Miliband will propose fresh controls over energy prices, brushing aside angry claims by the big six companies that his call for a freeze on bills has prompted a wide-ranging competition inquiry that will chill investment for two years and possibly lead to the lights going out. The Labour leader will reject suggestions that the coalition has shot his fox by engineering a referral of the distrusted industry to competition authorities, and he plans to keep up the pressure by calling a Commons vote next week demanding an immediate price freeze for business and domestic customers. In a speech on friday he will also try to broaden popular support for the 20-month price freeze announced at the Labour conference by saying it is a business-friendly measure that could save small businesses over £5,500 a year. “The profiteering of the big six has been at the expense of hardworking business people,” he will say.
Guardian 27th March 2014 read more »
The energy watchdog’s call for a full investigation into the industry is a victory for consumer power over the big six suppliers, Ofgem itself and, to a lesser extent, politicians. It will cause some uncertainty for investors looking at much-needed new power plants over the next two years but it is ultimately better for them than the current situation, which is inherently unstable and unsustainable.
Guardian 27th March 2014 read more »
As is frequent in the energy debate, the issues of cost and keeping the lights generate all the heat, but the crucial third horn of the trilemma the UK finds itself on – cutting carbon emissions – is largely overlooked.Affordability and security are clearly vital, but also much discussed, so I’m going to consider what the launch of competition enquiry into the UK’s dominant big six energy companies means for low carbon energy. Tackling the hopelessly conflicted big six is, I think, good news for those wishing to see a clean, sustainable energy system fit for the 21st century. First, let me dismiss the idea that cutting the carbon from energy generation is an optional extra. Climate change is right here, right now: global warming doubled the risk of severe floods in England as far back as 2000. Second, it’s the law: the UK is legally committed to cutting its emissions. So why will the competition enquiry help deliver the renewable energy and energy efficiency we need? Because it can loosen the stranglehold the big six have on the UK’s energy system, both on the ground and politically.
Guardian 27th March 2014 read more »
In graphs: Electricity and gas prices in Europe and the US.
Telegraph 27th March 2014 read more »
Ofgem has announced that the ‘Big Six’ energy companies may be making excess profits, and Energy Secretary Ed Davey agrees a probe is needed. The energy regulator has called for a full Competition and Markets Authority investigation that could lead to the break-up of the energy giants. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Davey said: “It’s not a quick fix but is the right way to restore people’s trust that the energy market is working for their benefit.”
Telegraph 27th March 2014 read more »
Until now, energy companies had batted away calls for a full-scale competition investigation by warning that the disruption it would cause would put Britain’s lights out. Yesterday, Ofgem decided to take its chances, referring the industry to the Competition and Markets Authority amid claims that consumers were paying too much for their energy. The investigation will take at least 18 months to complete and could result in the break-up of the big energy companies.
Times 28th March 2014 read more »
Nuclear Security
A congressionally mandated panel says a key Energy Department agency has “failed” in its mission to effectively oversee U.S. nuclear-arms operations. Drastic reforms are crucial to address “systemic” management shortcomings at the National Nuclear Security Administration, according to preliminary findings unveiled on Wednesday by the co-chairs of the Advisory Panel on the Governance of the Nuclear Security Enterprise. “The unmistakable conclusion of our fact-finding is that, as implemented, the ‘NNSA experiment’ involving creation of a semiautonomous organization has failed,” according to Norm Augustine, who headed the bipartisan group with retired Adm. Richard Mies.
National Journal 27th March 2014 read more »
RUSI was cited as part of a multinational statement, supported by 35 nations, highlighting initiatives to raise awareness on nuclear information security issues. In collaboration with King’s College London and the UK and Dutch Governments, RUSI’s UK Project on Nuclear Issues (UK PONI) hosted an expert workshop to showcase and stimulate debate on nuclear information security. Participants comprised a mix of high-level political representatives (including the Dutch sherpa for the Nuclear Security Summit) and nuclear security experts from industry and academia.
RUSI 27th March 2014 read more »
The world is becoming a safer place. During the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS 2014) in The Hague, 58 world leaders made concrete agreements to prevent terrorists getting their hands on nuclear material that could be used to make a nuclear weapon. This will further reduce the threat of a nuclear attack.
NSS2014 25th March 2014 read more »
Sellafield
Petter Stordalen, a Norwegian hotel owner and investor, is unusual even for an anti-capitalist billionaire. Not only has he made many public pronouncements, particularly on environmental matters, but he has also taken part in protests. In 2002, he joined a group of Norwegian activists to protest against the UK’s Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant.
FT 27th March 2014 read more »
China
Arvea has signed a series of agreements with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to continue the Franco-Chinese strategic partnership in civil nuclear energy. The two companies signed an agreement related to the pursuit of the used fuel treatment and recycling facility project, the subject of a letter of intention signed in April 2013. Industrial negotiations for the project, such as technical discussions to define the distribution of tasks and responsibilities are being finalized in line with the initial schedule, and are scheduled to soon advance to the commercial phase.
Energy Business Review 27th March 2014 read more »
Finland
Finnish retailer Kesko on Thursday said it would drop out of the Fennovoima consortium and its planned 4-6 billion euro nuclear reactor, citing increased risks in the project.Following Kesko’s exit, Fennovoima’s Finnish ownership could drop below the required 50 percent of shares, complicating the project.Russia’s state-owned Rosatom, which is due to supply the reactor, has taken a 34-percent stake in the project, and Fennovoima’s Finnish owners, including 43 companies, have been looking for new Finnish investors.
Reuters 27th March 2014 read more »
Japan – Fukushima
UN Special Rapporteur Anand Grover, who visited Fukushima in 2012, spoke in Tokyo this month about the continued lack of appropriate health research surrounding Fukushima and related health issues.
Akiomatsumura 27th March 2014 read more »
Iran
Israeli President Shimon Peres flies to Vienna on Sunday for talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency head, the pan-European security watchdog OSCE and Austrian leaders, his office said. Peres and Yukiya Amano, director general of the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, will discuss its “role as the professional body leading the effort to put the brakes on Iran’s nuclear programme,” his office said in a statement Thursday. The meeting in Vienna, where the IAEA is based, comes after the latest round of negotiations between Iran and world powers earlier this month aimed at curtailing Tehran’s nuclear activities.
Middle East Online 27th March 2014 read more »
Nuclear Weapons
The US Air Force has sacked nine mid-level nuclear commanders and will discipline dozens more in a test cheating scandal, officials have said. Nearly one in five of the Air Force’s nuclear missile officers have been implicated in a ring of cheating on monthly proficiency tests.
BBC 27th March 2014 read more »
Guardian 27th March 2014 read more »
Even a very small regional nuclear war would have catastrophic effects on our planet, researchers have warned. A small nuclear war would wipe out the ozone layer for a decade, could trigger global cooling and cause droughts for at least 10 years, a LiveScience report says.
IB Times 27th March 2014 read more »
Renewables
Stormy weather pushed the UK’s renewable electricity generation to to record levels at the end of 2013, according to official statistics. However, fossil fuels still made up the largest proportion of the UK’s energy mix.
Carbon Brief 27th March 2014 read more »
Britain is the third lowest producer of renewable energy in the EU, and is far below its sustainable energy targets for 2020, a recent study has shown. The report, published by the European Commission’s statistical body ‘Eurostat’, indicates that the UK generates the third least renewable energy within EU28 – the block of 28 European states committed to hitting green energy targets by 2020.
Independent 27th March 2014 read more »
Renewables – solar
SolarAid chairman Jeremy Leggett writes about the three days he spent with the SunnyMoney team in Kenya and Zambia.
Business Green 27th March 2014 read more »
Residents of Balcombe, the Sussex village which last summer became the centre of anti-fracking protests, have formed a new co-operative that aims to harness the power of the sun for electricity. The new REPOWER Balcombe co-operative initially aims to raise £300,000 in a community share offering for six solar arrays on roofs in and around the village that will supply 7.5 per cent of the village’s power demand.
Business Green 27th March 2014 read more »
Renewables – Wind
Renewable electricity generation increased to a record 14.8 per cent of overall production last year as capacity grew by a quarter to 19.4GW, government statistics reveal. This year-on-year rise of three and a half percentage points, driven by increased wind energy coming on to the system saw green generators produce a total of 52.8 terawatt hours of electricity in 2013.
Business Green 27th March 2014 read more »
Wind energy companies have urged the government to “take notice” of their concerns over policy in the wake of SSE’s decision to scale back a number of offshore wind farms. Trade body RenewableUK warned that unless the government does more to “provide greater confidence for investors in its long-term support for Britain’s offshore wind industry”, few projects will follow the £310m wind turbine factory announced by Siemens and Associated British Ports this week.
Business Green 27th March 2014 read more »
Renewables – offshore wind
A DECISION by SSE to limit its commitment to offshore wind energy projects round Scotland’s coast has sparked concern over future development in the sector. The company said it was shelving its proposal to develop a 690MW offshore wind farm off the coast of Islay, saying that while it would continue to work with stakeholders, it “will not be investing further in the project in the foreseeable future”. It will continue to support the development of its SeaGreen project for two wind farm areas in the Firth of Forth until it secures government consents for their construction. SSE will also seek to reduce its 75% stake in the 750 MW Beatrice project off the coast of Caithness, which got the green light last week, to no more than 50%. Spanish oil and gas firm Repsol owns the remaining 25%.
Herald 27th March 2014 read more »
Renewables vs Fracking
Donna Hume: David Cameron has, once more, jumped in to give credence to the spurious claims of the fracking brigade that they provide a one stop-shop answer to this country’s many woes. This time, we are being told that shale gas is the answer to reducing our dependence on Russian gas, in the wake of the ongoing instability in the Ukraine. The fracking brigade will of course jump at any chance to go all wild-west about the supposed potential of ripping up Britain’s countryside. But their friends in government should think twice about jumping on the bandwagon after previously repeating their claims that shale gas would create tens of thousands of jobs and slash energy bills have both been shown to be on very shaky ground. Even the EU’s most optimistic ‘shale boom’ scenario for shale gas still has Europe dependent on imports for almost two-thirds of its gas in 2040. To get there you’d need to overturn France’s ban on fracking, and Germany’s near ban – the two EU states with a lot of the gas reserves. In Britain, despite some crazily hyped up figures and a lot of continuing uncertainty about extractable shale gas reserves, it seems that we might have a decade or so of gas under our soil, and that it would take at least a decade or so to get to it. So, rather a while away to meet our current energy needs, and rather a lot of investment in assets that may need to be packed up again a short while later.If Europe is serious about improving its energy security, never mind its climate change goals, then it should be opting clearly for green energy over shale. And those trying to use the destabilisation of Ukraine to wage war on green policies would do well to remember that renewables are the best answer to energy- as well as climate- security.
Business Green 27th March 2013 read more »
Fuel Poverty
People struggling with energy bills in England are handed only around a tenth as much Government help as their Scottish and Welsh neighbours. That shocking regional divide is unveiled in a new fuel poverty report published today. The report suggests that people are more likely to be in fuel poverty if they live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, but they are much more likely to receive support than those who are fuel-poor in England. Norman Kerr, director, Energy Action Scotland said: “Despite policies and targets derived in Westminster impacting on the whole of the UK, there is currently no joined up approach to tackling fuel poverty across the nations.” The report also criticises the government for taxing energy users but not using the revenue to help them. It points out that consumers are contributing billions of pounds to the Treasury through carbon taxes, VAT, and VAT applied on top of levies on electricity bills. The revenue could be used to bring all UK housing up to the standard of a new home built today, it suggests.
Independent 28th March 2014 read more »
