British Energy
It’s a wonderfully romantic idea, but will it fly? Centrica says that if its talks with EDF on taking a minority position in British Energy come to nothing, then it might revisit the notion of an alternative all-shares merger with BE. How credible is such a notion?
Independent 5th Aug 2008 more >>
BBC 4th Aug 2008 more >>
Express 4th Aug 2008 more >>
Guardian 5th Aug 2008 more >>
Ultra Electronics, the battlespace IT company, is in talks with British Energy to provide control systems for nuclear power stations. The company’s reactor control systems are being fitted to the Royal Navy’s Vanguard Trident nuclear submarines and will also go into the next generation of Astute subs.
Times 4th Aug 2008 more >>
The Government appeared to pour cold water on Centrica’s revival of its proposed all-paper merger with British Energy yesterday by coming out strongly in favour of the languishing EDF deal. After speculation at the weekend that Centrica was to renew is proposition for a merger after the collapse of the French take-over talks last week, the comp-any said yesterday that it was in discussions with a third party with a view to taking a minority ownership position in British Energy, subject to various conditions – one of which is that the third party successfully acquires the nuclear group.
Independent 5th Aug 2008 more >>
The Takeover Panel has intervened in the row over the future of British Energy, forcing Centrica to issue a statement clarifying its position over a possible £22 billion merger with the nuclear generator. There was also speculation yesterday that Centrica had resumed discussions about an all-share merger with British Energy after talks about a French-backed takeover of the group, in which Centrica had hoped to play a junior role, stalled last week.
Times 5th Aug 2008 more >>
New Nukes
A new report released on Friday by internationally renowned, independent energy specialists P yry finds that, if the UK government is able to achieve its commitments to meet EU renewable energy targets and its own ambitious action plan to reduce demand through energy efficiency, then major new power stations would not be needed to ensure that Britain can meet its electricity requirements up to at least 2020. The report also concludes that a strong drive for energy efficiency and renewable energy can reduce emissions by 37 percent and assist energy security.
Greenpeace UK 4th Aug 2008 more >>
Nuclear Waste
Plans to dispose of radioactive waste at the site of a former opencast pit in Cumbria have met with opposition. Recycling and waste management firm Sita UK wants to buy land at Keekle Head, near Whitehaven, for the disposal of low level radioactive waste.
BBC 4th Aug 2008 more >>
Nuclear Research
The University’s Dalton Nuclear Research Institute has enjoyed a close strategic relationship with Battelle since 2006, when the two organisations signed a collaborative agreement to develop and implement joint research.
Manchester Evening News 5th Aug 2008 more >>
Iran
The world’s big powers have been told to expect a formal response as soon as Tuesday from the Tehran government that sets out an initiative designed to restart negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
FT 5th Aug 2008 more >>
Iran has achieved, yet again, what it wants: paralysis of the international wrangling over its nuclear programme while avoiding outright confrontation with the US or Europe. It may not be able to escape another round of United Nations sanctions before the US presidential elections in November.
Times 5th Aug 2008 more >>
Over the weekend, Iran rebuffed the latest effort by world powers to jumpstart negotiations over its controversial nuclear programme. At a meeting in Geneva last month, they had proposed a “freeze-for-freeze” under which Iran would suspend efforts to install more centrifuges, the so-called P5+1 would halt efforts to enact new international sanctions and the two sides would spend six weeks negotiating over whether to have formal negotiations over Iran’s programme.
Guardian 4th Aug 2008 more >>
Iran will speak to the representative of six world powers on Monday over its disputed nuclear programme, but will press ahead with atomic work despite a demand to halt, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Mirror 4th Aug 2008 more >>
Nuclear Weapons
ALEX Salmond, the First Minister, has been described as an “international flop” after his efforts to create a separate Scottish policy on nuclear weapons fell flat. The attack on Mr Salmond came as the Scottish Government published 20 of the 21 responses it received from the 189 letters sent out to the signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Scotsman 5th August 2008 more >>
Coal
George Monbiot: Last year Al Gore remarked: “I can’t understand why there aren’t rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power plants.” Like hundreds of honorary young people, I am casting my Zimmer frame aside to answer the call. Everything now hinges on stopping coal. Whether we prevent runaway climate change largely depends on whether we keep using the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel. Unless we either leave it – or the carbon dioxide it produces – in the ground, human development will start spiralling backwards. The more coal is burnt, the smaller are our chances of future comfort and prosperity. The industrial revolution has gone into reverse.
Guardian 5th Aug 2008 more >>
