Torness
A Torness reactor is still offline. The unplanned outage in unit 2 is said to have been a routine issue – ingress of seaweed following a storm – and the firm is using the down time to carry out maintenance. It was unable to confirm when it would be back on line. Unit 1 is also off load for its planned statutory outage.
Utility Week 1st Oct 2010 more >>
Sizewell
The estimated cost of clearing the Sizewell A nuclear power station site on the east coast is now a massive £927m, according to new figures. Taxpayers will pick up most of the bill because the twin reactor plant, as well as 20 other reactors around the country, are state-owned – some by the Ministry of Defence for the production of weapons-grade plutonium.
Eastern Daily Press 4th Oct 2010 more >>
Scotland
Letter: Most of the time it is as well to be tactful and diplomatic, but there are also times when it is perhaps kinder to be brutally frank. Such were my thoughts when reading the half-baked drivel written by Councillor Euan McLeod of Nuclear Free Local Authorities Scotland. One only has to consider NFLA’s plan for Scotland to provide 26GW of wind power electricity by 2020 to realise that its ideas have lost all contact with the realities of normal life for us poor mortals down here at ground level. At times electricity demand in Scotland falls to about 3GW and is only about 30GW for the whole of mainland Britain. I suggest the NFLA “recycles” its “Detailed Energy Policy Briefing”
Scotsman 4th Oct 2010 more >>
Letter: No reference is made to the fact that Denmark depends on up to 1GW of electrical power being imported from Norway’s hydro electric plants during periods of low wind. Denmark has in addition to wind power, a mix of power plants, some 50 per cent coal, 18 per cent gas and 13 per cent nuclear, yet some believe that Scotland can be 100 per cent renewable. The simple fact is that when the wind speed is low, Scotland will have to import most of its electrical power should we pursue the goal of 100 per cent renewable generation.
Scotsman 4th Oct 2010 more >>
Iran
Iran has arrested a number of “nuclear spies” as it tries to fight off a sophisticated cyber-attack, its intelligence minister has said.
Telegraph 4th Oct 2010 more >>
Local Energy Revolution
Plans to fit power generating solar panels to council-owned properties in Birmingham will be pushed forward this week after the council agreed a “green new deal” scheme covering 10,000 homes. In the biggest proposal for retrofitting houses through an energy efficiency upgrade yet seen in the UK, the council agreed a £100m proposal last week designed to create jobs and meet the city’s ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions.
Guardian 4th Oct 2010 more >>
Renewables
Letter: The Scotsman was correct to highlight the increase in our energy bills because of the large subsidies paid to developers. Every on-shore wind turbine receives £250,000 to £375,000 a year. Every one off-shore gets £375,000 to £560,000 every year. Ms Hogan talks of “thousands of highly-paid and highly-skilled jobs”. Where exactly are these? The recent off-shore Thanet wind farm is owned by a Swedish company Vattenfall and the turbines were built by Vesta in Denmark.
Scotsman 4th Oct 2010 more >>
