Sellafield
Ministers have whittled down the contenders for a £1 billion-a-year contract to clean up the Sellafield nuclear site to two, with a decision expected to be announced next Friday, The Times understands. The favourites, from a shortlist of four, are understood to be CH2M Hill – the US engineering and construction services company that was hired to clean up New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and SBB Nuclear – a consortium that includes Babcock & Wilcox, Serco, and Bechtel, the privately-owned US engineering consultancy. Senior industry sources believe that the SBB Nuclear consortium is well ahead on price, but that the Government favours CH2M Hill primarily because it is a single company with clear lines of responsibility.
Times 7th July 2008 more >>
Proliferation
Letter from David Lowry: The Foreign Secretary, David Milliband, writes in his letter that, if all states “live up to both the letter and the spirit of the obligations” under the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) “the vision can become a reality”. I agree. But what is the United Kingdom’s record of living up to its own NPT obligations, to which it signed up 40 years ago this month, after protracted negotiations at the UN? Article VI of the NPT requires all signatories to “pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date”.
Times 7th July 2008 more >>
Renewables
Plans for a massive expansion of renewable energy in the UK have been criticised by the government’s former chief scientific adviser. Sir David King said a high proportion of renewable energy on the grid would give rise to problems.
FT 7th July 2008 more >>
France
France’s two biggest energy groups, EDF and GDF Suez, are vying to build the country’s latest nuclear power plant, casting fresh doubt on their participation in Britain’s planned nuclear renaissance. Last week President Nicolas Sarkozy gave the go-ahead for a second new-generation European pressurised reactor (EPR) on an existing site. It will be France’s 60th nuclear power plant. State-owned EDF said immediately it was ready to take part in the project in view of the increased demand for electricity and constraints imposed by global warming, and said it owned several potential sites for the new reactor. GDF Suez indicated its interest but said it would decide by early 2009 at the latest. Analysts said it is certain to go ahead given its plans to extend its nuclear presence from Belgium to France.
Guardian 7th July 2008 more >>
Iran
Iran’s senior security negotiator will this month meet Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, amid continuing hopes in western capitals that Tehran will soon begin formal -negotiations over its nuclear programme. As they pored over Iran’s response, delivered on Friday, to an international package of incentives offered to the regime if it were to suspend uranium enrichment, senior western diplomats said that Tehran’s answer was confusing.
FT 7th July 2008 more >>
Iran has resumed work on constructing highly sophisticated equipment that nuclear experts say is primarily used for building atomic weapons, according to the latest intelligence reports received by Western diplomats.
Telegraph 7th July 2008 more >>
North Korea
George Bush warned North Korea yesterday that it had yet to fully address international concerns over its nuclear weapons programme, just over a week after the regime handed over a detailed declaration of its nuclear activities.
Guardian 7th July 2008 more >>
India
Manmohan Singh, India’s Prime Minister, heads to the G8 summit in Japan today having apparently salvaged a historic nuclear deal with the United States after a vintage bout of Indian political brinksmanship. In a meeting on the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday, Mr Singh is expected to tell President Bush that the deal they agreed in 2005, allowing India to buy U.S. nuclear technology and fuel, is finally back on track. Mr Singh’s breakthrough not only reduces the threat of a government collapse and early elections in India: it also offers President Bush the possibility of a rare foreign policy victory in his last weeks in office.
Times 7th July 2008 more >>
India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata party sought the government’s dissolution as fraught discussions continue within the fragile ruling coalition about a nuclear energy pact with the US.
FT 7th July 2008 more >>
G8
US President George W. Bush said he was prepared to be “constructive” in discussions on climate change yesterday, although he insisted that any agreement depended on the participation of China and India. Group of Eight leaders, who today begin a three-day summit in Toyako, northern Japan, are seeking to advance from last year’s commitment at Heiligendamm when they pledged to “consider seriously” halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Some G8 leaders would like the statement upgraded to “agree to halve emissions”, though the US has been reluctant to commit.
FT 7th July 2008 more >>
