Hinkley
The Planning Act regime for authorising nationally significant infrastructure projects was switched on for applications on 1 March 2010. It’s been something of a slow start, but as of yesterday the number of projects for which applications have been made has reached 50, with the application for the 60km long Hinkley Point C electricity connection arriving at the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol. It’s a big one, too, with over 60 boxes of documents and 2000 A1 plans. Time for a bit of analysis.
Bircham, Dyson & Bell 29th May 2014 read more »
Plans to cable the proposed nuclear power at Hinkley Point, Somerset, to the National Grid at Avonmouth, near Bristol, have been submitted. The grid connection will see 30 miles of overhead wires carried on pylons and a five-mile section under the Mendips. Those opposed to the pylons have called for more of the route to be buried. From Thursday the Planning Inspectorate has 28 days to decide whether the application will go forward to a panel of inspectors. If the plans are accepted for examination then the documents will become public.
BBC 28th May 2014 read more »
Dungeness
UK prompt baseload power prices edged lower Wednesday as the supply system is expected to be boosted by the return of the 610 MW Dungeness B nuclear power unit, while respective NBP gas prices also shed value, according to market sources. Baseload power for Thursday delivery was last heard before the Platts 11:00 am London close 60 pence lower on the day at GBP38.90/MWh, while peak was last heard unchanged at GBP42.35/MWh. One market source said that although Unit 22 at Dungeness attempted to restart last Friday and was unsuccessful, the restart is rescheduled for Wednesday, although there are some expectations it may not return to maximum capacity until later this week.
Platts 28th May 2014 read more »
Radwaste
Residents from Crich in North Derbyshire say they are worried a planned new housing development could disturb radioactive waste in a quarry. Developers want to build 113 new homes on land near Hilts Quarry where Rolls Royce used to dump low-level nuclear material. Campaigners fear construction work could disturb the waste and cause contamination.
ITV 29th May 2014 read more »
Scotland
Scotland is arguably one of the greenest countries in Europe. It produces 40 per cent of Scottish electricity demand from renewable sources, and models suggest this could rise to 67 per cent by 2018. That’s closing in on the government’s goal of producing enough green power to supply the equivalent of all of Scottish demand by 2020. Some fear that independence means this goal will be too expensive for Scotland because offshore wind is expensive. “It’s silly to say it’s going to be expensive,” says David Toke of the University of Aberdeen, “when in fact it can be done pretty cheaply onshore.” Toke and his colleagues published estimates last year suggesting that independence would ruin Scotland’s chances of hitting its green goal. But later that year the team made a U-turn: they now say that it will be cheaper for Scotland to pursue its 2020 target as an independent nation.
New Scientist 28th May 2014 read more »
Cumbria
Britain’s Energy Coast Supplement: Nuclear Power will generate 21,000 jobs.
Whitehaven News 29th May 2014 read more »
Sellafield
Beacon staff have worked with Sellafield Ltd to create an interactive learning experience for visitors that takes them from the area’s founding years through to the present day and beyond. Pat Graham, director of services for Copeland Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the community. We are proud to document the story of industry in the area and Sellafield has become such a major part it’s only right to include it.” The museum on Whitehaven harbour has revamped its third floor looking at history through the ages starting from the Romans to the growth of the Georgian port town and the boom of industry. The second floor focuses on the Sellafield site. Rory O’Neill, director of stakeholder relations at Sellafield Ltd, said: “This is such a happy coincidence we have been able to work with The Beacon.
Whitehaven News 29th May 2014 read more »
Energy Security
The EU’s new energy security strategy does little to address its “addiction” to fossil fuel imports, according to green groups who have blasted the Commission’s latest proposals as “a timid attempt at rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic”. Yesterday’s new strategy from the European Commission covers a wide range of measures to diversify energy supplies, introduce a common external energy policy, increase indigenous energy production, and reduce consumption from buildings and transport. But while environmental campaigners welcomed moves to curb energy use and bolster domestic renewable energy supplies, they also criticised the strategy for focusing to a large extent on plans to develop new gas pipelines and shale gas reserves.
Business Green 29th May 2014 read more »
Electricity Demand
Managers at the National Grid are trying to assess what extra power might be needed to cope with a surge in electricity demand as kettles are brewed and lights turned on during England’s opening and late-night game against Italy. These “TV pick-ups” can be highly significant: the Grid estimated an extra 2,800 megawatts of power – the equivalent of more than 1m kettles – were needed during the England v West Germany World Cup semi-final in July 1990.
Guardian 30th May 2014 read more »
Utilities
Calling all masochists. Three excellent vacancies offering virtually guaranteed public vilification. Ability to run an energy company also desirable. No doubt Rick Haythornthwaite, Centrica chairman, will be phrasing his search for a new management team a little more delicately, but candidates can hardly be under any illusion about the vitriol that awaits them. Take the experience of Chris Weston, the British Gas boss who on Thursday announced he was quitting after less than a year in the role for a distinctly lower-profile job heading Aggreko. As an ex-Army man, Mr Weston is presumably built of tough stuff. But, having a national newspaper speculate “how many old folk will have to die this winter” to pay for his bonus, is surely not a career highlight he will have shown his four children.
Telegraph 29th May2014 read more »
For a company that is squarely in the firing line of politicians and consumers, a huge void in the boardroom could not come at a worse time. British Gas is in need of leadership. Centrica confirmed yesterday that Chris Weston, managing director of its international downstream business, which includes British Gas, was leaving to lead Aggreko, the FTSE 100-listed provider of temporary power.
Times 30th May 2014 read more »
Europe
Eurosceptic parties like the UK Independence Party have made gains across Europe, election results show, winning the largest share in the UK, France and several other member states. These parties are generally opposed to environmental rules and regulations, preferring a focus on jobs, growth and immigration. So it’s no surprise to see speculation that this will damage the EU’s climate agenda. More unexpected is the idea that the rise of the eurosceptics will be good for climate policy. We take a look at the main arguments.
Carbon Brief 29th May 2014 read more »
Japan
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has a habit of trying to promote policy changes through political appointments. His administration seems to have employed this political ploy to achieve its goals in the area of nuclear safety inspections. This is the only possible way to put proposed replacements for two outgoing commissioners of the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) into perspective. Of the four commissioners working under NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka, Kunihiko Shimazaki and Kenzo Oshima will retire in September when their terms expire.The government should not be allowed to make the nuclear watchdog toothless by nominating experts who are convenient to it and the industry.
Asahi Shimbun 29th May 2014 read more »
Water sampled from a well at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has been found to contain levels of radioactive tritium that exceeds the limit for dumping it into the Pacific, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said. The discovery was the first report of over the limit tritium in groundwater at the wells since Tepco began discharging water into the ocean last week. In samples taken from one of the 12 wells on Monday, 1,700 becquerels per liter of tritium was detected, exceeding the maximum limit of 1,500 becquerels, the utility said on Tuesday.
Japan Times 28th May 2014 read more »
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstanis planning to sign an agreement with Russia for the construction of a nuclear power plant in northeastern town of Kurchatov, Kazakhstan.Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying that, “There is a memorandum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, and [Sergey] Kiriyenko [CEO of the Rosatom state corporation] will go there [to Astana to sign the document],” he told journalists.
Energy Business Review 29th May 2014 read more »
Infrastructure Journal 29th May 2014 read more »
Germany
German utilities organization BDEW has published its data for Q1 2014, showing that power from hard coal was down by 17.4 percent, while power from lignite was down by 4.8 percent. The biggest loser, however, continues to be natural gas, which was down by 19.7 percent.The figures confirm Fraunhofer ISE’s data provided based on preliminary figures last month – and forecast in January. In addition to the downturn in power from fossil fuels, nuclear power was down by 4.6 percent – almost exactly the same level as lignite, a clear indication that those two power sources are roughly equally inflexible.
Renewables International 25th May 2014 read more »
US – Climate Policy
Next Monday President Obama will unveil a new regulation that would aim to cut carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations by up to 20 per cent, the New York Times reports. It will be the boldest move yet in his efforts to force America to take climate change action, despite opposition from the US Congress. In a speech this week, Obama denounced those that “deny” climate change. He said: “American influence is always stronger when we lead by example. We cannot exempt ourselves from the rules that apply to everyone else… cooperation must energize the global effort to combat climate change.” Next Monday’s proposal stems from Obama’s Climate Action Plan, published last summer. This aims to back up a pledge to take US emissions 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020 and to cut them 42 per cent by 2030.
Carbon Brief 29th May 2014 read more »
President Barack Obama will unveil a plan on Monday that will cut carbon pollution from power plants and promote cap-and-trade, undertaking the most significant action on climate change in American history. The proposed regulations Obama will launch at the White House on Monday could cut carbon pollution by as much as 25% from about 1,600 power plants in operation today, according to those claiming familiarity with the plan. Power plants are the country’s single biggest source of carbon pollution – responsible for up to 40% of the country’s emissions. The rules, which were drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency and are under review by the White House, are expected to do more than Obama, or any other president, has done so far to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions responsible for climate change.
Guardian 29th May 2014 read more »
FT 28th May 2014 read more »
Carbon pollution Q&A: why Obama’s proposal could make climate history. EPA-drafted regulations could cut carbon emissions responsible for climate change. Here’s everything you need to know.
Guardian 29th May 2014 read more »
Submarines
HMS Artful, the UK’s third £1 billion Astute Class nuclear submarine, was lowered into the water at Barrow-in-Furness on 17 May. The Ministry of defence said that “moving the nuclear-powered attack submarine out of the BAE Systems construction hall and into the water was a huge milestone in the Astute submarine programme”.
Machinery Market 29th May 2014 read more »
Nuclear Weapons
One of the things the SNP like to talk about at length is their commitment to ridding Scotland of nuclear weapons. The anti-nuclear stance is one of the few pieces of political radicalism, along with free education, to have remained in the SNP manifesto pack. It is then all the more surprising that the same government is happy to award contracts to an outsourcing company actively engaged in the maintenance of the United Kingdom’s nuclear arsenal. Serco, accurately described as ‘the biggest company you’ve never heard of’ are one of the largest outsourcers in the world, running public contracts in myriad areas from transport to weapons technology, data management and prisons. The new Caledonian Sleeper franchise also sees an injection of £100m of public money toward new trains, to be owned by a private rolling stock leasing company.
Better Nation 29th May 2014 read more »
Renewables – Wind
The trade association representing the wind industry, RenewableUK, has welcomed new research published by the Eskdalemuir Working Group (EWG) which unlocks the potential to install more than a gigawatt of onshore wind energy in Scotland in the years ahead – enough to power more than half a million British homes. The EWG, which includes representatives from Governments and industry, commissioned a study on the safeguarding approach being used by the Ministry of Defence at the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array in Dumfries and Galloway, which monitors compliance on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The recently-completed research confirms that there is scope to allow further wind farm consents nearer the array than previously permitted. A more accurate way of calculating any vibrations from wind turbines in areas near the seismological monitoring station has been devised, and new data has been validated by the MoD. This would allow the MoD to withdraw objections to some of the wind energy projects proposed within 50km of the array, with a 15km exclusion zone set to be approved by the Scottish Government, following consultation.
Renewable UK 29th May 2014 read more »
Energy Efficiency
More than 7,000 of Britain’s biggest businesses will be required to monitor their energy use under new plans due to be confirmed by the government next month that could deliver savings of nearly £2bn. With large manufacturers increasingly concerned about soaring energy prices, the new Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) will demand that energy audits are undertaken by Britain’s largest businesses, starting from 2015.
Business Green 29th May 2014 read more »
Fossil Fuels
There are between 15 and 24 billion barrels of recoverable oil and gas left under the North Sea. About 42bn barrels have been extracted since production began there in 1967. Because prices have risen, 24bn barrels could be worth £1.5 trillion – more than the value of all the oil and gas extracted so far. “That gives us one of the best financial safety nets of any country in the world,” the Scottish government says. According to WWF Scotland, burning 24bn barrels of oil and gas could put more then 10bn tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – more than 120 times Scotland’s current annual emissions. “The science is clear,” says the environmental group’s director, Lang Banks. “The planet certainly can’t afford to allow all the oil left in the North Sea to be burned.”
New Scientist 29th May 2014 read more »
Cuadrilla, the UK’s fracking pioneer, has submitted its planning application for a new site in Lancashire, where the company wants to drill four new exploratory wells. The application to drill at Preston New Road will be considered by Lancashire county council, with a decision likely within 16 weeks, and is likely to spark further protests of the kind that were seen last summer at its oil-drilling site in Balcombe, Sussex. If granted, the application would allow Cuadrilla to drill, hydraulically fracture and test the gas flow from up to four wells. An environmental impact assessment has already been carried out, and should be available to the public within two weeks when the council has validated the documents. A formal consultation process in which local people can make their views known will then follow.
Guardian 29th May 2014 read more »
