Sizewell
THE public are being invited to comment on the way Sizewell B stores its spent radioactive fuel. For the last 14 years the nuclear power station has stored its spent waste in containers in a pond filled with water, but by 2015 this will have reached its full capacity. It is therefore looking at four alternatives, which are open to public consultation. These include a second wet store like the one used at the moment, a dry store underground, a dry cask store which would be above ground or reprocessing when the fuel is processed to be used again.
East Anglian Daily Times 2nd May 2009 more >>
Russia
Environmentalists fear pollution risk as firms try to exploit ocean’s untapped oil and gas reserves. Russia is planning a fleet of floating and submersible nuclear power stations to exploit Arctic oil and gas reserves, causing widespread alarm among environmentalists.
Observer 3rd May 2009 more >>
Submarines
FIRE crews were called to the BAE Systems Astute nuclear-powered submarine in Barrow yesterday (Saturday) after a report of a small fire.
NW Evening Mail 3rd May 2009 more >>
Renewables
GREEN energy trade body Scottish Renewables is searching for a chief executive after current boss Jason Ormiston was poached to join Swedish energy firm Vattenfall. Ormiston, chief executive since October 2007, will leave at the end of June to take up his new post as communications manager of Vattenfall’s wind business in the UK.
Scotland on Sunday 3rd May 2009 more >>
Measures which included an extra 525m for offshore wind projects were regarded among the Budget’s few highlights. But Miliband’s bubble was burst on Tuesday morning, when an announcement issued from Aarhus on the east coast of Denmark reached his desk. Danish wind energy giant Vestas was about to deal a hefty blow to his vision of building thousands of jobs and new businesses around the “low carbon” economy. Vestas chief executive Ditlev Engel revealed the company was axing 625 jobs in Britain and planned to close its manufacturing plant on the Isle of Wight.
Scotland on Sunday 3rd May 2009 more >>
Trident
David Cameron last night warned a future Tory Government could not guarantee the future of Britain’s nuclear deterrent. The Tory leader said all spending commitments would be examined in the battle to bring public finances under control
Daily Mail 1st May 2009 more >>
Letters: Deploying an air-launched cruise missile system for Britain’s deterrent lacks strategic credibility. And from David Lowry: Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE plc) at Aldermaston – which researches new designs and builds nuclear warheads – is “planning to recruit [around] 110 scientists, 160 engineers and 180 technicians over the next five years”.
Guardian 2nd May 2009 more >>
