Hinkley
The Kier/Bam Nuttall joint venture expects to start phase two of site preparation at Hinkley Point C in June, Kier’s group finance director has told Construction News. EDF Energy appointed Kier and Bam Nuttall for site preparation works worth in excess of £100m in March 2011, with the contracts signed in February 2012. The main construction work on the UK’s first new nuclear project in a generation was originally due to commence in the summer of 2012, but was delayed due to negotiations between EDF and the Department of Energy and Climate Change over a strike price. Speaking to Construction News after Kier posted its interim management statement for the period from 31 December 2013 to 15 May 2015, Haydn Mursell said: “We should start on site [at Hinkley Point C] in a material way in June.” An EDF spokeswoman said the works starting next month will be phase two of the site preparation and include the “reversible” construction of roundabouts, temporary construction roads and drainage works, she added.
Construction News 27th May 2014 read more »
Radwaste
A new housing estate in Derbyshire could disturb a nuclear waste dump, nearby residents have claimed. For decades Rolls-Royce legally dumped low-level waste at Hilts Quarry in Crich, before in was shut down in 2002. Now Gladman Developments has submitted plans to Amber Valley Borough Council for 113 homes on adjacent land. Residents said they feared sewers and other services could disturb the site, but Gladman insisted studies had shown there should be no problems. The Hilts Quarry became the scene of intense protests before it was closed.
BBC 28th May 2014 read more »
Energy Policy
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has today reiterated that an increase in onshore wind capacity during the 2020s is likely to represent the most cost-effective means for the UK to meet its carbon targets, after The Times reported that the organisation’s chair, Lord Deben, thought the UK had “enough wind turbines”. In an interview with the paper, the Tory peer said that the UK had sufficient onshore wind farms in the pipeline to meet the UK’s binding renewable energy targets for 2020. But he appeared to raise questions about the extent to which new onshore wind farms will be built through the 2020s.
Business Green 28th May 2014 read more »
There’s no sign of the highly politicised controversy over onshore wind policy subsiding. Today’s front page of The Times features an interview with Lord Deben, the current Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change. In it is a fantastic example of what happens when you ask a set of questions on a difficult subject. The result is a set of answers which can then be crafted by the paper into a headline which doesn’t exactly reflect what the interviewee said. The difficult subject in question is onshore wind. Asked about how much onshore wind we need by 2020, Deben backed the government position that there is enough now in the system to help us meet our 2020 renewable energy targets.
Business Green 28th May 2014 read more »
RenewableUK has said that if the UK is to meet its legally-binding target of generating 15% of all energy from renewable sources by 2020, more onshore wind may be needed to make up for a possible shortfall in other parts of the energy mix. The warning follows comments by the Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, Lord Deben, in The Times, in which he stated: “I’m happy that we have already got enough onshore wind to 2020 to meet that part of the portfolio”.RenewableUK points out that not all the onshore wind projects which have been approved will actually get built – about 10% will drop away for financial and other reasons between now and 2020. This means the UK could lose more than 450 megawatts of onshore wind capacity – enough to power nearly a quarter of a million British homes. So the pipeline of approvals will need to be extended to make up for this.
RenewableUK 28th May 2014 read more »
Wind power is the most popular source of energy in the UK, according to an exclusive survey of attitudes towards the energy market carried out on behalf of the Guardian. A study of more than 2,000 people across incomes and political allegiances found that windfarms would be the most welcomed form of power source, as plans are made to develop new energy capacity in the UK. Almost half of respondents (48%) said an onshore windfarm would receive positive reception if it was developed within five miles of their home.
Guardian 28th May 2014 read more »
The government’s renewable energy roadmap suggests the UK will need around 13 gigawatts of onshore wind in 2020 to meet its commitment. Its latest data suggests there’s a total of 16.1 gigawatts of onshore wind in operation and in the pipeline. The data shows there’s currently seven gigawatts of onshore wind online (the dark blue chunk), and 12.5 gigawatts under or awaiting construction and in the planning process (light blue). That’s a total of 19.5 gigawatts. The government assumes around 3.4 gigawatts of that won’t get built (the green chunk) as some projects will fail to secure financing or hit other complications. Still, as Lord Deben suggests, 16 gigawatts would be more than enough to meet the government’s 2020 target. The CCC’s modelling suggests the cheapest way for the UK to keep its legally binding emissions reductions pledge is to ramp up onshore wind power, from 15 gigawatts in 2020 to around 25 gigawatts in 2030. That’s slightly more than the government originally aimed for, but a gigawatt less than it’s anticipating coming online. If you assume wind turbines aren’t going to be any more efficient by 2030, that would require installing 15,700 turbines by 2030 – about 10,000 more, or about triple the 4,400 turbines installed today. As the CCC acknowledges, that’s just a recommendation that the government may choose to not take. In a written response, it told Carbon Brief, “beyond 2020, there is a choice about how to decarbonise the power system”.
Carbon Brief 28th May 2014 read more »
Supply Chain
Sheffield Forgemasters International celebrated a landmark moment this week with nuclear power plant designer Westinghouse UK as it became one of a handful of British companies to be certified to fabricate safety critical cast and forged components within nuclear power stations. Sheffield Forgemasters has now received its certification which has been waiting for since February when it passed the final audit towards American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Nuclear Partials (NPT) status.
Manufacturer 29th May 2014 read more »
Italy’s Ansaldo Nucleare is to acquire Woverhampton-based Nuclear Engineering Services (NES) in a deal valued at around €36m. Ansaldo Nucleare, a subsidiary of Ansaldo Energia (AEN), specialises in nuclear component design and engineering services for clients in new power plant construction, decommissioning and waste management sectors.
Engineer 28th May 2014 read more »
Birmingham Post 27th May 2014 read more »
Small Reactors
Modular nuclear reactors could fuel heat networks as well as generating electricity, if research proposed by the Energy Technologies Institute is successful. The ETI is seeking partners for a project to identify the technology needed to support small-scale thermal and nuclear plants. As well as generating electricity, such plants may in future energise heat networks and help to balance the system, the ETI said. There are a number of small nuclear reactor designs on the market but no utilities are committed to using the technology on a commercial scale, according to project manager Mike Middleton. “That is probably to do with the economics.”
Utility Week 28th May 2014 read more »
Europe
The European Commission reacts on the current geopolitical environment and the EU´s import dependence: It advocates a new European Energy Security Strategy. Diversifying external energy supplies, upgrading energy infrastructure, completing the EU internal energy market and saving energy are among its main points. The strategy also highlights the need to coordinate national energy policy decisions and the importance of speaking with one voice when negotiating with external partners. It builds on the progress already achieved since the gas crisis in 2009. The proposals of the Commission, including actions to ensure uninterrupted supplies this winter, will be discussed by EU Heads of State or Government at the European Council on 26-27 June.
European Commission 28th May 2014 read more »
Europe will need to tap more diverse sources of gas and develop more supplies of controversial shale gas within the continent, amid concerns over the Ukraine crisis, according to a new energy security strategy unveiled by the European commission on Wednesday. But green campaigners pointed to a change from earlier proposals for the strategy in favour of more emphasis on gas at the expense of green fuels and reducing demand. They slammed the published strategy for promoting fossil fuels too heavily and failing to give a key role to energy efficiency and renewables.
Guardian 28th May 2014 read more »
Last week we took a sneak peak at a leaked draft of the EU’s energy security strategy. Today, the final version is out. There have been some interesting changes of emphasis. The draft was criticised for being too weak on boosting energy efficiency and on cutting demand for fossil fuel imports. The draft did talk about moving to a low carbon economy and referred to the need for consistency with the EU climate and energy policy to 2030. But that reference has been beefed up in the final version, with added emphasis on cutting fossil fuel demand. The energy security strategy has grown in stature and is now deemed to be an “integral part” of the 2030 plans. The EU energy security strategy doesn’t look like it’ll take a rifle to that Russian bear just yet. But with a tweak to address vulnerability here and a spotlight on energy dependence there it may just help the EU avoid a mauling – and drive an ambitious EU 2030 climate and energy deal too.
Carbon Brief 28th May 2014 read more »
Uranium
News that the French nuclear company Areva has finally signed a new operating contract with the Niger government for its northern uranium mines has received a cautious welcome from transparency campaigners. Negotiations over the renewal of the deal had been stalled for more than six months after Areva initially said the application of the terms of a new 2006 mining code – which demanded a royalty increase from 5% to between 12% and 15% – would make its operations in the town of Arlit unprofitable. A communique published by the government on Monday said the contract had been signed within the framework of the 2006 code but gave few details. A Reuters report suggested the company had agreed to give up a number of tax breaks and to increase royalties to “as high as 12% depending on profitability”.
Guardian 28th May 2014 read more »
Japan
Japan’s pro-nuclear government is to change some top officials at its nuclear regulator, officials said on Wednesday, in what critics charge is an attempt to remove opponents to the restarting of the country’s reactors. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration has told lawmakers it wants to replace two out of five commissioners at the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) when their term in office expires.
Japan Today 29th May 2014 read more »
Nuclear Weapons
Letter: Readers may be shocked to know that nuclear weapons research is happening in our city. A report published earlier this year by NIS and MEDACT revealed the Atomic Weapons Establishment hands out more than £8 million a year of taxpayers’ money in research funding. Most goes into five of the UK’s leading universities with Bristol University receiving £1.3 million between 2010 and 2012.
Bristol Post 28th May 2014 read more »
Off-Grid
Tucked away down a farm track in Somerset, a small group of people are putting their hearts and souls into a project that they hope will act as a catalyst for an era of low-cost, off-grid rural living. At the moment, however, all they have is a field, a barn, and a fat sheaf of planning application forms. The dream – drawn out in detail in the documents – is of an entire off-grid community. Those already exist, of course. But the Plotgate off-gridders hope that they will be the first group to establish an off-grid community with full pre-granted planning permission.
Guardian 28th May 2014 read more »
Renewables – solar
A campaign to provide clean, safe lighting in one of Africa’s poorest countries has been launched. Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group, an organisation set up in 2009 in response to the Scottish Government’s climate change targets, has launched an awareness and fundraising drive, with £200,000 of Scottish Government funding in support of climate justice. The group has brought together Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) and SolarAid, a team which will act as project partners and help deliver “Scotland Lights up Malawi”.
Herald 29th May 2014 read more »
Renewable Heat
Businesses across the country are being offered ‘greater choice than ever before’ on how to sustainably meet their heating requirements as long-awaited improvements to the world’s first Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme come into force today. The non-domestic RHI pays firms for every unit (kWh) of useful heat produced using eligible renewable technologies. Changes to the scheme are the result of close co-operation between industry and Government, and have been welcomed by the Renewable Energy Association (REA) and affiliated trade bodies.
Edie 28th May 2014 read more »
Renewables – Tidal
ALAN Sangster makes several excellent points on the subject of international co-operation to help combat the problem of intermittency when discussing renewable energy production. his listing of the various forms of renewables and in his analysis he fails to mention that the one source that has been singularly ignored by successive governments is tidal barrage or lagoon schemes. No country in the world is better suited to investing in such renewable technology. It uses proven turbine technology, for it is nothing more than a hydro electric power station but set within tidal waters. The station has in any one day four periods of generation and these periods are entirely predictable by the tide tables for the location. What’s more there is a 12-hour difference between Cornwall and Caithness. What is lacking is Government taking an overall strategic view of electricity generation in this country but sitting back and letting the generation companies go for the easy short-term solutions, none of which is going to provide us with a dependable sustainable and carbon friendly electricity supply for centuries to come.
Herald 29th May 2014 read more »
Energy Efficiency
In my college dormitory, there was a large, bright poster in the basement laundry room. The poster encouraged us to always use the “cold” setting on the washing machine in order to save energy. It probably cited an EPA figure that 90% of energy used in laundry goes toward heating water. As an environmental science major, I dutifully used the cold cycle already, but I remember noticing that most of my classmates did not. Behavior programs (like the laundry information campaign from my college years) are being run all over the country in apartment buildings, co-ops, and condominiums. In our new white paper, Saving Energy with Neighborly Behavior: Energy Efficiency for Multifamily Renters and Homebuyers, we found that affordable housing providers are running many of these programs. We give an overview of the kinds of behavior-change initiatives that housing providers are engaging in right now. There’s a wide range of programs out there. Some of them are relatively simple information campaigns, comparable to those cold-water laundry posters. Other programs are much more complex; stacking elements like competitions and challenges, “green teams” of tenants who can influence their peers, and giveaways of LED light bulbs or smart power strips. Many of these programs don’t collect data on how much energy tenants save as a result of their efforts, so we can’t definitively say that more complex programs yield better results compared to information campaigns. However, over the course of our research, the program managers we interviewed reported that programs with elements like green teams or contests tend to have higher participation rates in their experience.
ACEEE 27th May 2014 read more »
The European Commission is drawing up plans to set a binding energy efficiency target for 2030, in a bid to bolster energy security amid the escalating crisis between Russia and Ukraine. BusinessGreen has learned that the Energy Commissioner is reviewing the current Energy Efficiency Directive and is considering scenarios for binding targets to reduce energy use by between 30 and 35 per cent as part of the 2030 energy and climate package.
Business Green 28th May 2014 read more »
It’s just common sense, isn’t it? Making your home more energy efficient will save money. A decent boiler, windows that don’t leak heat and snug loft insulation make a home more comfortable through the winter months and generate handsome savings through lower energy bills. But it isn’t so straightforward. Homeowners are sceptical, and with some justification. Some improvements, such as solid-wall insulation, take years to pay for themselves. For those with money to spend, a holiday to Dubai is more appealing than double glazing. In 2013, the Government introduced a finance scheme to tackle this inertia. The Green Deal offers loans to pay for energy efficiency measures that are paid back over 10 to 25 years, with repayments added to electricity bills. The repayments will always be less than the energy savings, so a household’s monthly costs should not increase. But consumer interest in the Green Deal has been disappointing. According to figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change released earlier this month, just 1pc of households assessed for the Green Deal have signed up.
Telegraph 29th May 2014 read more »
