ABWR
The UK Government is seeking to ‘Justify’ the Hitachi ABWR reactor type for new nuclear build at Wylfa and Oldbury. But as Mark Hackett reveals, the design is a dismal failure in Japan, costs more than alternatives, and brings serious health hazards.
Ecologist 4th April 2014 read more »
Sellafield
SWILLING around murky ponds in the oldest part of Sellafield, a nuclear research and reprocessing centre in Cumbria, is a soupy, radioactive sludge. For years boffins working on Britain’s first military and civil nuclear programmes abandoned spent fuel and other nastiness into the pools and tanks, which now grow decrepit. Though perhaps not the “slow-motion Chernobyl” which some environmental campaigners make out, the site is subject to one of the most complex nuclear clean-ups in the world. Sellafield is the trickiest of several challenges facing the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), a government body that manages the contractors who swab out Britain’s defunct facilities. Their projects swallow up about two-thirds of the budget of the Department of Energy and Climate Change; Sellafield alone costs £1.7 billion ($2.8 billion) a year, almost as much as the roughly £2 billion spent subsidising renewable energy in 2013. On March 31st NDA awarded a £7 billion contract to decommission 12 more of Britain’s oldest reactor sites over 14 years to a consortium including Babcock, a British engineering firm, and Fluor, an American one.
Economist 5th April 2014 read more »
Energy Supplies
The Crimea crisis has prompted the EU to speed up its energy strategy rethink. But the bloc is divided. Bulgaria, Finland, and Slovakia are almost 100 percent dependent on Russian gas. But reliance is high in the EU overall. The EU currently receives roughly 40 percent of its gas from Russia, as well as 20 percent of its oil. Even France, Italy, and Germany also import between 20 and 40 percent of their gas from Russia. The South Stream pipeline was supposed to prevent EU member states from feeling the consequences in the case of gas wars between Russia and the transit country Ukraine. In winter 2009, Russia’s Gazprom stopped the flow to its neighboring country, taking a heavy toll on, amongst others, Bulgaria. Once completed, South Stream would cement Moscow’s position as the EU’s dominant gas supplier, however. The EU had started planning its own ‘Nabucco’ pipeline, which would have transported gas from Central Asia to the EU, avoiding Russia. But the project is considered to be a failure. Now talks about South Stream have also stopped, and the Crimea crisis has prompted the EU to rethink its reliance on Russian energy altogether. Apart from Britain, there’s little – if any – political support for shale gas extraction in other EU countries. The practice is banned in France and regulated out of existence in Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands. And while Britain is relying on new nuclear power plants to help reduce the country’s CO2 emissions, the German government decided to phase out nuclear power after the Fukushima accident in 2011. Thomas Becker of the European Wind Energy Association said now would be the time for the EU to re-boost investment in renewable energy. “It’s right in front of us. The gold is lying there in front of us. All you have to do is bend down and pick it up.”
DW 3rd April 2014 read more »
Politics
In this week’s big political debate over Europe between deputy prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg MP, and the leader of the UK independence Party (UKIP), Nigel Farage MEP, commentators have treated it like a political beauty context, exploring the runes and feeling the mood music. But what about the content? Asked about one of the big political issues of the week, energy prices and security, Farage said he favoured getting on with fracking like the United States and building new nuclear power plants, and opposed what he called useless wind power. The fault in this argument is the shale gas revolution in America has peaked, and costs are rising rapidly to extract remaining reserves. On 27 February the authoritative Bloomberg business news service reported independent shale gas producers “will spend $1.50 drilling this year for every dollar they get back.” Farage claimed to want to support jobs in Britain, but in supporting new nuclear, he is actually supporting jobs in Socialist France! And the export of billions in profits to French State-owned EDF: an odd way to support British jobs by freeing up the private markets for energy.
David Lowry 4th April 2014 read more »
The Conservative party is planning to pledge in its manifesto for next year’s general election that it will introduce a moratorium on future onshore windfarms from 2020 on the grounds that they have now become “self-defeating”. In an attempt to show that David Cameron is not abandoning the green agenda, the Tories will also pledge in their 2015 manifesto to press ahead with an intensification of offshore windfarms. The manifesto will also focus on greater use of solar power, a point highlighted when the government unveiled plans this week to encourage England’s 22,000 schools to install solar panels and other measures to improve energy efficiency. The decision to refocus the emphasis on offshore wind – and to abandon support for future onshore windfarms – follows an intense debate among senior Tories and between the coalition partners over the future of Britain’s renewable energy resources.
Guardian 4th April 2014 read more »
As we report, the plan seems to be for the Conservative manifesto to impose some sort of cap on onshore windfarms. Yes, there will be triangulating words about expending (vastly expensive) offshore capacity, and yes – too – a few committed Tory greens are still plugging away on substantive details, as Greg Barker’s solar strategy demonstrated yesterday. But the wider sense is of the early concern with the climate evaporating into overheated air. The 2010 Tory manifesto vowed to “increase the proportion of tax revenues accounted for by environmental taxes”, but after holding down petrol prices for years, the chancellor used the budget to cut the levy on long-haul flights and freeze carbon price rises which the coalition had previously precommitted to.
Guardian 4th April 2014 read more »
Caroline Lucas was standing for parliament the last time we met, and this time round she’s standing trial. As far as I can establish, she’s the first sitting MP to be prosecuted over a matter of principle since a Labour member refused to pay the poll tax 25 years ago – and she hasn’t even been in the Commons for a full term yet. But her reason for risking arrest is exactly the same as the reason she ran for election: she is frightened that we’re heading for environmental Armageddon. It’s not exactly a reason to be cheerful – and we meet in her Brighton constituency this week just as air pollution began swaddling the country, only hours after the latest IPCC report warned that climate change is already wreaking havoc on the planet, causing heatwaves and floods. But if she was relentlessly cheerful last time round, this time she’s practically Pollyannaish.
Guardian 4th April 2014 read more »
The scheme – called the Big Field Wind Farm – has divided the community. There have been fractious public meetings, rows in the local shop (plus one reported assault) and lifelong friends have fallen out. Insults, allegations of dirty tricks and wild conspiracy theories are flying around. The Big Field Wind Farm is the sort of scheme that will be the subject of fierce political debate in the months to come. “I think clamping down on developments like this will be a vote-winner for the Tories and for Ukip,” said May. “I certainly wouldn’t think of voting Lib Dem if they are for these things.” The plans for the Big Field Wind Farm, which would be sited in a large bowl of farmland between five villages a few miles from the coast of north Cornwall, are likely to reach councillors in Truro in June. Good Energy says the windfarm would provide power for about 13,500 homes and argues there will be a range of benefits for the local community. It is pledging to use local people where possible to build and operate the farm and to offer cheaper power to people living nearby. It will provide a £60,000-a-year community fund and build a learning centre to teach children about green energy.
Guardian 4th April 2014 read more »
Europe
A communal response (with 108 signatories) from a very large set of key UK and pan-EU energypolicy and civil society stakeholders, includes cross-party UK Members of Parliamentserving on UK energy and environment Parliamentary Committees, high-level UKand pan-EU energy industry practitioners and experts, a very broad range of independent UK academics and consultants, and an element of UK and pan-EU Members of the European Parliament.
UCL 4th April 2014 read more »
We conclude that proposed UK government State Aid for new nuclear is incompatible with EC Legislation, does not represent a genuine ‘Service of General Economic Interest’, will distort the European energy market, is neither transparent nor proportionate, will not make a timely contribution to UK security of supply or decarbonisation, and will not contribute to affordability, price stability and least-cost for the UK energy consumer.
UCL Energy Institute 4th April 2014 read more »
Prof. Catherine Mitchell, along with nine other European economists have written an open letter to Commissioner Günther Oettinger and Joaquín Almunia on the risks of market premuims. The currently negotiated EU State aid guidelines require that member states provide aid to renewable energy solely in the form of a premium to the market price. Such market premiums risk however the efficiency of short-term, and the effectiveness of forward contracting, markets and increase the costs of financing for renewable projects. They advantage incumbents, create barriers to new entrants, and raise the cost of meeting the renewable targets. They fail DG COMP’s stated intention that aid for renewables should be at least cost to society. If the EU wants to achieve the policy objectives of advancing the EU energy market, reducing costs to consumers, and delivering the EU energy security, renewable and climate targets, it should also allow for the option of using easier to manage feed-in systems.
IGov 4th April 2014 read more »
Scotland – Trident
ALEX SALMOND pledged nuclear weapons would not be allowed to remain in an independent Scotland in return for keeping the pound. The First Minister stuck to his guns on Trident as the pro-UK campaign struggled to contain its first real crisis in the independence debate. An unnamed UK Government minister had caused chaos for Better Together by privately admitting a deal could be struck between an independent Scotland and the UK on currency.
Scotland Now 4th April 2014 read more »
Nuclear Convoy
Former Renfrewshire Council leader Brian Lawson has warned of catastrophic consequences if a nuclear missile convoy is allowed to keep travelling on the M8. The SNP man is concerned about the convoys travelling over the Erskine Bridge and through Renfrewshire on their way to naval bases. The 19-vehicle convoys each carry up to six nuclear warheads, which are individually seven times as destructive as the A bomb that destroyed the entire city of Hiroshima in 1946.
Daily Record 4th April 2014 read more »
Japan – Fukushima
Three years ago, Fairewinds was one of the first organizations to talk about “hot particles” that are scattered all over Japan and North America’s west coast. Hot particles are dangerous and difficult to detect. In this video Mr. Kaltofen discusses the hottest hot particle he has ever found, and it was discovered more than 300 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi site. If Fairewinds Energy Education was a Japanese website, the State Secrets Law would likely prevent us from issuing this video. Arnie Gundersen provides a brief introduction and summary to the video.
Fairwinds 3rd April 2014 read more »
Iran
A new Brookings Institution paper, “Preventing a Nuclear-Armed Iran,” has rightly attracted considerable attention. The author, Robert Einhorn, has a distinguished record and was Special Adviser for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control at the State Department from 2009 to 2013. His recommendations must be seen as authoritative. The paper addresses the issues that are at the center of the ongoing negotiations in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 (the US, Britain, France, China, and Russia plus Germany). Einhorn recommends key requirements for an acceptable agreement with Iran — requirements designed to prevent Iran from having a rapid breakout capability and to deter a future Iranian decision to build nuclear weapons.
Lobe Log 4th April 2014 read more »
North Korea
North Korea said on Friday that the world would have to “wait and see” when asked for details of “a new form” of nuclear test it threatened to carry out after the United Nations Security Council condemned Pyongyang’s recent ballistic missile launch.
Telegraph 5th April 2014 read more »
Nuclear Weapons
A retired general chosen to explore flaws in US nuclear forces signed off one year ago on a study describing the nuclear air force as “thoroughly professional” and “disciplined” and performing effectively – an assessment service leaders interpreted as an encouraging thumbs-up. The overall judgment conveyed in the April 2013 report by a Pentagon advisory group headed by retired general Larry Welch, a former air force chief of staff, appears to contradict the picture that has emerged since then of a nuclear missile corps suffering from breakdowns in discipline, morale, training and leadership.
Guardian 4th April 2014 read more »
Renewables – marine energy
The marine energy sector in Scotland has been granted £6 million of funding to further develop new wave and tidal energy prototypes. Scottish Enterprise, a non-departmental investment agency of the Scottish Government, will award the money under the third round of the WATERS fund, in collaboration with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The first two rounds of WATERS saw six marine energy developers benefit from £14.8 million of funding. The third round of the scheme aims to promote research and development activities and reduce the cost of developing wave and tidal technologies.
Utility Week 3rd April 2014 read more »
Herald 4th April 2014 read more »
Click Green 4th April 2014 read more »
Renewables
Geoffrey Lean: Not so long ago, energy policy was a quiet, frankly boring, backwater in the Whitehall jungle, neglected despite its importance. Now, perhaps appropriately, it generates some of the most heated exchanges of all. And so it was again this week when a row over wind power blew apart the Coalition partners for the umpteenth time.
Telegraph 4th April 2014 read more »
Renewables – solar
The government’s new solar strategy will ensure producing their own energy becomes the “natural default” for companies across the UK, Greg Barker has today predicted. The Energy and Climate Change Minister today announced a series of measures aimed at boosting the uptake of solar systems on commercial rooftops, as the government works towards meeting its non-binding goal of seeing 20GW of solar energy capacity deployed in the UK by the end of the decade.
Business Green 4th April 2014 read more »
Solar farms must not spread unrestricted across the British countryside and become as controversial as onshore wind turbines, a minister warned on Friday. Instead, solar panels will be rolled out on millions of homes, businesses, schools and government buildings, said energy and climate change minister Greg Barker. Barker, one the greenest Conservative ministers, launched the government’s first solar power strategy at the end of a week in which senior Tory sources revealed their plans to heavily curb or even dismantle windfarms after the next election.
Guardian 4th April 2014 read more »
Microgeneration
Micro Power News – includes links to the Governments new solar strategy.
Microgen Scotland 4th April 2014 read more »
Energy Efficiency
The government has been urged by more than 30 organisation to set a minimum energy efficiency standard for privately rented homes. In a statement, the organisations – including the Energy Saving Trust, the Association for the Conservation of Energy, and the UK Green Building Council (UK GBC) – called on the government to introduce the standard “without delay”, giving landlords as much time as possible to improve their properties. In the Energy Act, the government legislated for a minimum standard to be set by April 2018 at the latest, and the organisations are urging the government to set this standard sooner. Green MP Caroline Lucas said there needs to be “a robust and enforceable minimum standard”, which should be set at the energy performance certificate band E.
Utility Week 3rd April 2014 read more »
Fossil Fuels
A leading fracking firm is to start drilling on the former site of a huge explosive factory, in a decision described as “beyond comprehension” by the local MP. Dart Energy, which is expected to begin drilling this weekend, says the site is “absolutely” safe. But opponents say there is a risk of unexploded bombs and that safety tests have not yet been completed. The revelations add to concerns about the regulation of “unconventional” gas exploration in the UK, which has seen deformed wells go unreported, planning rules breached and trespassing.
Guardian 4th April 2014 read more »
