New nukes
Michael Meacher: With French and German companies lining up to build new nuclear power stations in Britain, the die now seems cast for nuclear. Or is it? A constant and increasing supply of natural uranium to meet the rising demand for electricity will be required, while intensifying the already unresolved problem of what to do with vast accumulations of radioactive waste. There can be no reliable evidence on the economics of nuclear power until the new designs of the Westinghouse AP1000 and European EPR water reactors have been fully tested over many years in service. Contrary to claims by the industry, unresolved questions of cost and the looming shortage of uranium are the biggest challenges to the nuclear revival.
Guardian 7th May 2008 more >>
The Government has vastly underestimated the cost of building a new generation of nuclear power plants, according to the head of the world’s largest power company. Wulf Bernotat, chairman and chief executive of E.ON, the German energy giant that owns Powergen, has told The Times that the cost per plant could be as high as €6 billion (£4.8 billion) – nearly double the Government’s latest £2.8 billion estimate. His figures indicate that the cost of replacing Britain’s ten nuclear power stations could reach £48 billion, excluding the cost of decommissioning ageing reactors or dealing with nuclear waste. “We are talking easily about €5 billion to €6 billion [each],” Dr Bernotat said.
Times 5th May 2008 more >>
The Tory policy is: “To enable nuclear capacity to be built, we need to sort out the planning system, put a price on carbon, ensure there is clarity on waste and decommissioning, and maintain a long-term climate for investment. Crucially, there must be a guarantee that there will be no government subsidies – nuclear should not be allowed to detract from an unrelenting effort to improve industrial and domestic energy efficiency, and encourage renewable technologies, microgeneration, decentralised energy and feed-in tariffs.” But what if nuclear or renewable power aren’t viable without those government subsidies?
Independent 7th May 2008 more >>
Amory Lovins et al: Nuclear power, we’re told, is a vibrant industry that’s dramatically reviving because it’s proven, necessary, competitive, reliable, safe, secure, widely used, increasingly popular, and carbon-free—a perfect replacement for carbon-spewing coal power. New nuclear plants thus sound vital for climate protection, energy security, and powering a growing economy. There’s a catch, though: the private capitalmarket isn’t investing in new nuclear plants, and without financing, capitalist utilities aren’t buying. The few purchases, nearly all in Asia, are all made by central planners with a draw on the public purse. In the United States, even government subsidies approaching or exceeding new nuclear power’s total cost have failed to entice Wall Street.
Rocky Mountain Institute May 2008 more >>
RMI Spring Newsletter May 2008 more >>
British Energy
The board of France’s EDF, which runs the country’s nuclear power industry, is expected to meet today to finalise a possible takeover offer for British Energy ahead of Friday’s deadline. According to several sources, there is unlikely “at this stage” to be a role for Centrica, the UK power company which is keen to be part of a bid consortium for BE. EDF is seen as the front-runner to buy BE, which runs eight UK nuclear reactors, because of its expertise and financial firepower. It is understood that today’s board meeting will focus on a possible bid of £9bn-£10bn for BE, including the Government’s 35pc stake.
Telegraph 7th May 2008 more >>
Iberdrola, the Bilbao-based owner of ScottishPower, is putting the final touches on a bid for British Energy, power industry sources said last night. The Spanish utility, France’s EDF, German-based RWE and Centrica, the owner of British Gas and Scottish Gas, are expected to be among companies that will submit offers for British Energy by a deadline on Friday. It is understood that Centrica is trying to pair up with one of the bidders, possibly EDF or the other big German energy group, E.ON, which tried and failed to buy ScottishPower. British Energy, state-controlled Electricité de France, RWE and Centrica declined to comment on possible bids. A spokesman for Iberdrola said: “We are studying this but still have not taken a decision. We will decide over the coming week.” The Spanish financial newspaper Expansion said Iberdrola was preparing a bid for British Energy, citing sources sources close to the company.
Herald 7th May 2008 more >>
Senior Centrica executives are holding last-minute talks with European power giants amid mounting concern that it could be left out of bids for British Energy, the company that runs the UK’s nuclear industry.
Independent 7th May 2008 more >>
CoRWM
Appointments to the reconstituted Committee on Radioactive Waste Management: Dr Rebecca Lunn and Professor Andrew Sloan, with skills and experience in hydrogeology and underground engineering.
DEFRA Press Release 1st May 2008 more >>
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the underground repository (with secure interim storage beforehand) . . . it’s the return of Corwm. More reconstituted than a chicken nugget and with new members to burn, the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management is back in business and busy sorting out its workload for the next few years. Gasp as it “reviews the interim storage of radioactive waste and the storage of spent fuel, plutonium and uranium” – er, not very good perhaps, as the Royal Society has pointed out twice. And swoon as it reports on “progress on geological disposal” – not much, actually. Still, all those meetings should help the government deal with the awkward waste questions that will arise as it pushes through its new nuclear power stations. Or will they? As Corwm has tried repeatedly to point out, its work applies to existing radioactive rubbish only. “Should a new-build programme be introduced,” Corwm insists, “it would require a quite separate process to test and validate proposals for the management of wastes arising.” Good luck with that one, folks.
Guardian 7th May 2008 more >>
Scotland
Does SNP hostilty to nuclear power, combined with its rejection of two important wind farms, amount to further policy incoherence? Questions worth asking, but it will take more than that to deflate Salmond.
Guardian 7th May 2008 more >>
Companies
A PAINT and construction company has secured work to decontaminate some of Britain’s ageing nuclear power plants as part of a strategy to diversify into a market worth billions of pounds. Gateshead-based Pyeroy is currently on site at nuclear plants in Dunbar and Suffolk and says it is now positioning itself to bid for substantial additional work in a market worth £2.4bn a year for the next 35 years.
Newcastle Journal 6th May 2008 more >>
Italian Waste
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has wisely waded into the fray, and from all indications, dealt a knock-out blow to EnergySolutions’ plan to import low-level radioactive waste from Italy’s nuclear power industry. Huntsman said he will instruct his representative on the board of the
Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-level Radioactive Waste, state Department of Environmental Quality Deputy Director Bill Sinclair, to vote against the plan on May 8. And Sinclair says he will comply with the governor’s request.
Salt Lake Tribune Editorial 25th April 2008 more >>
China
China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Co said it will build a zirconium plant in Tangshan in northern China’s Hebei province. The project, involving a total investment of 700 mln yuan, will be located in the Nanpu Economic Development Zone, the company said. The plant will use technology from Westinghouse Electric of the US to produce 2,000 tons of zirconium annually, it said.
Interactive Investor 7th May 2008 more >>
North Korea
A US state department specialist on Korean affairs is planning to travel to North Korea to discuss an impasse in six-nation nuclear disarmament negotiations.
Guardian website 6th May 2008 more >>
Russia
Russia and the US have signed a key agreement on civilian nuclear power that formally allows nuclear trade between US and Russian companies. It will also allow them to widen technological co-operation in areas such as storing nuclear materials.
BBC 6th May 2008 more >>
AFX 6th May 2008 more >>
Nuclear Weapons
Mikhail Gorbachev has accused the United States of mounting an imperialist conspiracy against Russia that could push the world into a new Cold War.
Telegraph 7th May 2008 more >>
