New Nukes
The construction of new nuclear facilities in the UK is essential to reducing the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, according to foreign secretary William Hague. Mr Hague told members of the Council on Foreign Relations that the nuclear plants will have to “justify themselves economically”, the Associated Press reports. “I really see no alternative to that except excessive dependence on oil and gas, and imported liquefied natural gas,” he is quoted as saying.
Low Carbon Economy 28th Sept 2010 more >>
Lord Hunt tells party conference that coalition ’ambivalence’ to nuclear new build is a concern. Opposition to nuclear power from the Liberal Democrats risks jeopardising billions of pounds of private investment in new power stations, according to Labour’s former energy minister Lord Hunt. Philip Hunt told a Nuclear Industry Association fringe event at the Labour party conference in Manchester that the “ambivalence” of the coalition government to new build was a growing concern to the industry.
Building 28th Sept 2010 more >>
Stakeholders
Don’t you just think it’s great that while us minions are trying to make ends meet and avoid losing our jobs the NDA held it’s 11th National Conference in a five star hotel. The meeting on the 21st September was held at The Lowry Hotel, Salford , Manchester, England. It included overnight stays for at least 150 people……Party Time!! Looks as though this government (which isnt new anymore)needs to get a grip on our hard earned taxpayers money before donating it a pro nuclear quango. Interestingly enough a small group of stakeholders who have concerns about new nuclear trudged their way (those who could afford to) to Westminster yesterday to have a discussion with Senior Civil Servants and Regulators for free….gratis……nada…not a bean in expenses. Excellent value for the taxpayer but a bit lopsided one thinks?
Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Hinkley
EDF has urged people to have their say in the second phase consultation on Hinkley before the consultation ends on 4th October.
Burnham-on-sea.com 28th Sept 2010 more >>
AGRs
Babcock’s NICIE graphite core inspection technology is to be extended to Torness and Heysham 2 in a contract worth £3.1 million. The NICIE system has already been deployed at British Energy AGR Stations, Hartlepool, Heysham 1, Hinkley Point B and Hunterston. NICIE is an acronym for New In-Core Inspection Equipment. The original NICIE is operating during refuelling outages at Hartlepool and Heysham 1 and was first used in the summer of 2005.
The Engineer 28th Sept 2010 more >>
Bradwell
Nuclear power station decommissioning firm Magnox South has awarded Costain a key clean up contract at Bradwell nuclear power station. The framework deal for the delivery of Fuel Element Debris (“FED”) Dissolution is part of the station’s accelerated decommissioning programme.
Construction Enquirer 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Supply Chain
A £1m nuclear project has transformed prospects for the Ellesmere Port engineering services, welding, piping, refit and fabrication company and its inspection sister firm Quality Assurance NDE, which mostly work in the petro-chemical, chemical and food industries.
Liverpool Daily Post 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Nuclear Research/Subsidy
The UK government is to provide £2 million ($3.2 million) to help fund twenty feasibility studies aimed at stimulating innovation and strengthening the supply chain in the area of nuclear research and development (R&D) and its applications.
The funds are to be provided through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), set up by the government to promote and support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation. It is sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
World Nuclear News 28th Sept 2010 more >>
The Manufacturer 28th Sept 2010 more >>
Your Nuclear News 29th Sept 2010 more >>
US
Fluor Corp the largest publicly traded U.S. engineering company, said low natural gas prices resulting from a glut of shale production were holding back the development of U.S. nuclear power. Extensive drilling in shale rock has unlocked a massive amount of U.S. natural gas, weighing down prices despite a bounce in other commodity prices in the past year.
Reuters 28th Sept 2010 more >>
FT 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Germany
A Greenpeace activist projects the slogan “Nuclear power station Grundremmingen: nuclear power harms Germany” onto a cooling tower of the nuclear power station Gundremmingen in southern Germany. Greenpeace activists projected similar slogans onto 12 atomic power reactors in Germany, protesting against the decision of the German cabinet to extend the country’s reliance on nuclear power.
Telegraph 28th Sept 2010 more >>
Germany’s government has given final approval to a plan to extend the life of nuclear reactors, reversing a decision of the previous government. It hopes to pass the measures into law without putting them before the upper house of parliament, where the opposition has a majority.
BBC 28th Sept 2010 more >>
The German government has signalled its ambition to wean one of the worlds largest economies off fossil fuels by pledging to generate enough renewable energy to meet 60 per cent of the countrys energy needs by 2050. Norbert Rttgen, environment minister, said it was the most ambitious energy programme ever seen, not only in Germany. At the heart of the plan seven bills overseen by five ministries, agreed by cabinet on Tuesday lies the extension of the lives of Germanys 17 nuclear power stations, the last of which was meant to close in 12 years.
FT 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Kenya
Kenyan authorities have today announced plans to go nuclear by 2017. Energy Permanent Secretary Patrick Nyoike said provisions have been made to secure an initial US$25 million for the country’s first nuclear project. The official told reporters in the capital Nairobi that nuclear would be a cheaper option towards meeting the East African country’s electricity deficit, estimated at 3000 mega watts.
Mathaba 28th Sept 2010 more >>
Niger
The chairwoman of French state-owned nuclear giant Areva is to visit the firm’s operation in Niger, the company said Monday, after Al-Qaeda militants kidnapped several of her employees there. “Anne Lauvergeon plans to visit Niger soon,” a spokesman said, declining to confirm a report that she would travel on Thursday. The purpose of her visit is to visit Areva employees in the region, the spokesman said. Areva has been criticised for failing to heed warnings of a kidnap threat that an armed group was seeking to abduct foreign workers in the desert area where seven Areva expatriates were kidnapped on September 16.
Greenpeace Nuclear Reaction 28th Sept 2010 more >>
China
Alstom has announced it is to supply equipment and services for six steam turbine-generator packages for three nuclear power plants in China under a contract worth €100 million ($135 million).
Your Nuclear News 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Italy
Stalled plans to relaunch Italys nuclear industry illustrate the sense of stasis. The government is more than seven months late in creating a nuclear safety agency, a crucial step towards identifying sites for nuclear waste and four nuclear power plants to be built by a joint venture of Enel, the domestic utility, and Frances EDF, which announced their plans more than 18 months ago. According to Chicco Testa, managing director of Rothschild in Rome and head of a lobby representing major companies in the nuclear industry, Mr Berlusconi has put such appointments on hold until he resolves the shifting balance of power.
FT 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Nuclear Weapons
A VETERAN US air force chief has told of the “bright glowing object” he and other servicemen spotted hovering in the skies at a Suffolk air base. At a Press conference in Washington last night the servicemen broke their silence describing how they believe UFOs had tampered with nuclear missiles in the US and the UK.
East Anglian Daily Times 28th Sept 2010 more >>
Trident
Shadow defence secretary Bob Ainsworth has had a public spat with his former aide over the replacement of Trident nuclear weapons. Mr Ainsworth accused Eric Joyce of not coming up with “a single idea” when he worked for him at the MoD. Mr Joyce said it was the “cheapest of cheap shots” and accused Mr Ainsworth of being to the right of the Tories.
He demanded an apology from his former boss after the row at a fringe meeting at Labour’s annual conference. The MP, who wants to replace Mr Ainsworth as shadow defence secretary, is calling for a full review of Labour’s foreign and defence policy – including Afghanistan and Trident – something he says was “personally” blocked by Mr Ainsworth and then foreign secretary David Miliband when Labour was in government.
BBC News 28th Sept 2010 more >>
Liam Fox, the defence secretary, has launched a big assault on the Treasury’s attempt to slash his department’s budget, warning that “draconian” cuts to military spending cannot be implemented without “grave consequences” for the Conservative party and the government.
FT 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Telegraph 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Babcock International, the defence contractor, has insisted that military spending cuts were likely to be positive for its business as it maintained the nascent pressure on budgets would lead to further outsourcing. The upbeat outlook from Babcock on Wednesday came after Liam Fox, the defence secretary, warned that “draconian” cuts could not be implemented without “grave” political consequences.
FT 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Renewables
Alex Salmond says he is confident that all of Scotland’s electricity needs will come from renewable power by 2025. The First Minister was speaking ahead of an international conference that began yesterday to debate low-carbon developments and renewable energy projects. Last week, the target to generate electricity from renewable sources was raised to a new high for Scotland, with the government now wanting 80 per cent of electricity consumption to come from renewables such as wind and wave power by 2020, up from the previous 50 per cent target.
Times 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Herald 29th Sept 2010 more >>
WHO pays? And how much? These are questions central to any debate about renewable energy. First Minister Alex Salmond may make impressive gestures, hiking the target for the amount of energy generated from renewable sources such as wind power from 50 per cent to 80 per cent by 2020. Yesterday he went further when he told a low carbon energy conference in Edinburgh of his confidence that Scotland will be generating 100 per cent of its electricity needs from renewable energy within 15 years. However, the truth is that governments can only go as far and as fast as consumers can afford – and it is the voice of paying consumers that is all too little heard. Yesterday Nick Horler, chief executive of ScottishPower, brought the conference back to reality by warning that consumers face a hike in fuel bills of up to 100 a year to pay for the switch. The average customer’s annual dual fuel bill is 1,030, with 19 going towards renewables.
Scotsman 29th Sept 2010 more >>
Elizabeth Gore, deputy director of Energy Action Scotland, the fuel poverty charity, called for a debate on how the development of renewable energy should be financed.
Ms Gore said: “I don’t think the majority of people are aware they are paying anything towards this sector. When they open their bills they focus on how much they have to pay which can be confusing in itself. “But no matter how much you earn you are still paying the same towards the cost of promoting renewable energy. “The concern now is growing that the amount which is being added on or will be added in the future is too much of a burden and those on a low income will be forced to use their heating only once a day or have one hot meal to try to save money. “If the renewables sector was financed through taxation it would take into account how much you earn.”
Scotsman 29th Sept 2010 more >>
