Canada’s Greens call on federal government to abandon nuclear and invest in renewables
Small nuclear reactor plan by Rolls Royce consortium – not likely to be economically feasible
Rolls-Royce vows to create 6,000 UK jobs with nuclear power station plans, Engineering firm is part of consortium pushing for government backing, Jasper Jolly, Wed 11 Nov 2020
‘……….However,it faces opposition on the grounds of safety, security and cost.
The consortium this week signed agreements with the US company Exelon Generation and the Czech power company CEZ to consider the reactors.
Small nuclear reactors were first developed in the 1950s to use in nuclear-powered submarines. Since then Rolls-Royce has designed reactors for seven classes of submarine and two separate land-based prototype reactors.
However, to be cost-effective for civilian use the power generated by the reactors has to compete with renewable sources such as wind and solar power. The costs of installing renewables have fallen dramatically in the last decade and they do not pose the same safety concerns.
The Financial Times last month reported that the government was backing the plans to commit between £1.5bn and £2bn, and that it would form part of Boris Johnson’s 10-point plan for the environment. However, the second wave of coronavirus has caused the delay of the Treasury’s multiyear spending review. …..
a 2017 study by the consortium partner Atkins found that the electricity produced from the small reactors would be a third more expensive than traditional plants……. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/11/rolls-royce-vows-to-create-6000-uk-jobs-with-nuclear-power-station-plans
UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds condemns the Sizewell nuclear project
The Government looks set to fail in its first major domestic test over its declared commitment to the environment ahead of an upcoming speech by the Prime Minister.
A recent PR charm offensive by the energy company EDF extolling the green credentials of its proposals to build the Sizewell C nuclear reactor seems to be swaying government opinion, despite the fact that the project may irreversibly damage one of the UK’s most important and well protected wildlife sites. It is rumoured that the Prime Minister will announce the importance of future nuclear energy development in his upcoming 10-point speech on the environment.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ’s Chief Executive, Beccy Speight, said: “The Government has committed to protect 30% of the UK’s land by 2030 to boost biodiversity, so allowing the destruction of one of the most nature rich places we already have in the UK would be a crazy decision. The Prime Minister must not let EDF pull the wool over his eyes regarding what a damaging project this would be.
“If EDF were to be given permission to build a brand-new twin nuclear reactor slap bang on the border of a globally important wildlife haven, then we believe that contrary to the ambition set out by this Government, nowhere in the UK is sacred anymore. The Government has stated that we are in an ecological emergency as well as a climate emergency and it simply cannot afford to waste taxpayer’s money destroying flagship reserves which mean so much to wildlife and people.”
The RSPB has waited for over a decade for EDF Energy to show them evidence that RSPB Minsmere won’t be irrevocably damaged if the energy giant builds the UK’s latest white elephant: Sizewell C. That evidence has never materialised and EDF continue to try and paint the development as environmentally friendly despite evidence to the contrary.
Home to a whopping 6000 species, Minsmere is widely acknowledged as one of Europe’s most important wildlife sites and has legal protection at both the national and international level. Protected animals that call the Suffolk coast home like otters, water voles, marsh harriers, bats and many more could all fall victim to this huge infrastructure project and legally protected land, Sizewell Marshes SSSI, could be built directly on. The concerns extend to marine life too with proposals suggesting waters off the local beaches could warm and that toxic chemicals could be pumped into the sea along with worrying numbers of dead fish.
Beccy Speight continued: “We could be witnessing the horrors of HS2 all over again, wasting tax payers’ money on destroying irreplaceable homes for nature. If Sizewell C was to be built, it should come as no surprise to us all that we would once again be witnessing chainsaws and diggers decimating precious habitats which are not only important to wildlife, but to people’s health and wellbeing too. For this to happen as we attempt to recover from a pandemic caused by a zoonotic disease only adds to the bitter irony of the situation. We urge the Government to think again.”
Harris and Biden – what are their views on nuclear power?
The Democrats don’t say much about nuclear power, -but the Party seems to be well in favour of it.
During the campaign,The Washington Post questioned Democrat presidential candidates on their views on nuclear power.
At that time 10 Democratic contenders said ”No new plants”Australian government’s plan for nuclear waste dump on farming land bombs in the Senate
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation torpedoes Kimba nuclear waste dump in SA, Claire Bickers, Federal Politics Reporter, The Advertiser, November 11, 2020
Pauline Hanson will torpedo the Federal Government’s bid to build a radioactive waste dump in regional South Australia.
The One Nation leader, who aims to win a seat in SA at the next federal election, has confirmed she will not back legislation to build the nuclear waste storage site at Napandee farm, near Kimba.
Without One Nation’s two crucial votes – and Labor, the Greens, and independent senator Rex Patrick not backing the Bill – the government does not have enough votes for it to pass parliament without changes.
Senator Hanson told The Advertiser she had serious concerns about the process to select Napandee, the level of community support, the waste site being built on farming land, and the facility storing intermediate radioactive waste above ground.
“I want to make the right decision, not for the interim, I want to make the right decision for future generations,” Senator Hanson said.
“I’m not going to be badgered or pushed into this.
“It’s about looking after the people of SA, but also the whole of Australia.”
Senator Hanson said One Nation wanted to win a seat in SA at the next election, and she hoped South Australians would take into account her strong stance on the waste site.
One Nation adviser Jennifer Game, who ran as the party’s SA Senate candidate at the 2019 election, has been leading research and consultation on the Kimba site.
“I think the government has rushed the decision to have it there,” Senator Hanson said.
Almost 62 per cent of 734 Kimba residents supported the facility in a postal vote in 2019 but Senator Hanson said locals had indicated to the party that closer to half of the town did not support the facility.
The region’s native title holders, the Barngarla people, were also not given a say in the official vote.
Senator Hanson was concerned other locations that may be suitable were not investigated, such as an old mining site in Leonora, in Western Australia, which may be able to store the waste underground.
“We don’t know what the future is going to hold, we don’t know if war is going to touch our shores,” she said.
“Do we really want a facility that is above ground that could be problems further down the track, if anything happens?”…https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/pauline-hansons-one-nation-torpedoes-kimba-nuclear-waste-dump-in-sa/news-story/9043c46fa44ecd8a1b4e46be111745f3
Suffolk County Council raised over 50 concerns about the Sizewell nuclear project, but UK govt going ahead anyway?
Anglian Daily Times 10th Nov 2020, The Government has vowed to ensure it considers whether Sizewell C mitigation measures are stringent enough, after a Suffolk MP called for adequate scrutiny of the plans. Sources have indicated that the Government is close to giving the go ahead for the £20 billion scheme on the Suffolk coast, prompting Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dr Dan Poulter to call on the Secretary of State for Business, Alok Sharma, to ensure developers EDF will be “held to account and will properly engage with theconsultation to implement the changes needed to improve road and rail infrastructure”.
Raising the issue in Parliament on Tuesday morning, Dr Poulter said that while the development would bring benefits such as de-carbonisation and thousands of new jobs, it was “not a case of Sizewell C being built at any cost”. He said: “Many people in Suffolk have concerns about the failure of EDF to properly engage with the consultation process. “There are still over 50 outstanding concerns raised by Suffolk County Council.”
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/government-sizewell-c-scrutiny-pledge-1-6924184
Campaign group project images on side of Government building. Stop Sizewell C, who are against the development of a nuclear plant in Suffolk, have projected two images on the side of a Government building.
Hunterston nuclear reactor allowed to restart, despite increasing cracks in the graphite core.
No to Nuclear Power, November 2020, On 27th August, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) announced it was giving EDF permission to restart Reactor 3 at Hunterston B for a limited period – generating up to a total of 16.425 Terawatt days, approximately six months’ operation. (1) Then on 24 September ONR gave EDF permission for Reactor 4 to return to service for a similar limited period. By the end of September both reactors were operating. (2)The ONR report also contains some interesting remarks on EDF assessments. It says for example that the company’s estimates of the likelihood of fragments of debris broken off graphite blocks “migrating to safety significant locations” are “inherently subjective”. It also suggests that EDF’s safety case methodology is “approaching its limit of viability”. The ONR report also contains some interesting remarks on EDF assessments. It says for example that the company’s estimates of the likelihood of fragments of debris broken off graphite blocks “migrating to safety significant locations” are “inherently subjective”. It also suggests that EDF’s safety case methodology is “approaching its limit of viability”.
.U.S. nuclear security administrator resigns – lost the confidence of Donald Trump?
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Nuclear security administrator resigns from post, https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nuclear-security-administrator-resigns-from-post-2180746/ By Gary Martin Las Vegas Review-Journal
November 10, 2020 – WASHINGTON — Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, who headed the National Nuclear Security Administration that oversees national security sites in Nevada and New Mexico, has resigned from her position, according to the Department of Energy.
Gordon-Hagerty resigned as administrator on Friday, according to a NNSA statement. Dr. William Bookless, the NNSA principal deputy administrator, was appointed acting administrator of the semi-autonomous agency that maintains and measures the effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. The NNSA oversees the Nevada National Security Site, located 65 miles north of Las Vegas on 1,370 square miles. The site, which conducts subcritical nuclear weapons testing, employees about 2,400 workers. Los Alamos National Laboratory also is under the agency. The resignation of Gordon-Hagerty followed a clash with Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, who apparently said President Donald Trump has lost confidence in her, according to Bloomberg. The White House declined to comment. But Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., said “the chaos of the Trump administration extends even to the agency responsible for safeguarding our nuclear weapons.” I will keep a close watch on the activities at NNSA during this transitional period while we eagerly await the inauguration of President-elect (Joe) Biden,” Titus said. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said she was disappointed to learn of Gordon-Hagerty’s resignation. “It is imperative that any future Administrator uphold NNSA’s mission to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of our nation’s nuclear stockpile, the continued security and efficiency of the Nevada National Security Site and the agreement the State of Nevada reached with the Department of Energy to begin removing the weapons grade plutonium currently being stored at NNSS next year,” Cortez Masto said. The termination of Gordon-Hagerty also brought a rebuke of Brouillette from Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who questioned the timing of the move. Inhofe also praised the abilities of Gordon-Hagerty, who was confirmed by the Senate for the position in 2018. She was the first woman to serve in the position, according to a NNSA news release announcing her resignation. |
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Russia shuts down West Russian nuclear reactor
Russia retires Leningrad 2 RBMK, 10 November 2020
The Leningrad 2 nuclear power unit in in Sosnovy Bor in Western Russia was shut down permanently today. The RBMK, which has been in operation for 45 years, is to be replaced by Leningrad II-2, a VVER-1200, which on 6 November received regulatory approval to start pilot operation…… https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Russia-retires-Leningrad-2-RBMK
Nuclear lobby gets its tentacles into education in India
By India Education Diary Bureau Admin -November 11, 2020, Noida: Shiv Nadar School, Noida, (a not-for-profit initiative of the Shiv Nadar Foundation in K12 education) organized the first-of-its-kind Energy Boot Camp as part of its STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) program to bring awareness about clean energy, climate change and sustainability.The Boot Camp was organized virtually in association with the Indian Youth Nuclear Society (IYNS), from November 6 to 8, 2020 and witnessed participation from around 2000 students (Grade 6 to 12)…….. https://indiaeducationdiary.in/shiv-nadar-school-hosts-virtual-boot-camp-on-nuclear-energy-climate-change-and-sustainability/
Financial problems, proliferation concerns put the brakes on nuclear development in the Middle East
Middle East nuclear ambitions stymied by financial constraints, enrichment fears, S and P Global , AuthorDania Saadi, EditorKshitiz Goliya-11 Nov 20,
Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey want to follow suit
But Saudi Arabia and Jordan want uranium enrichment
Dubai — While the UAE started its first nuclear reactor this year, other countries in the Middle East are stuck in their plans as they grapple with financial constraints, uranium enrichment aspirations, and Western fears amid Iran’s controversial nuclear ambitions.
he UAE, so far, is the only regional country to have agreed to the so-called “gold standard” in its nuclear cooperation agreement with the US, foregoing any plans to enrich uranium, which is the West’s main cause of concern.
The UAE’s peaceful program includes four 1.4 GW nuclear reactors, the first of which started in August, to meet up to 25% of the country’s electricity needs.
“The question of deployment of sensitive nuclear technologies has been a hot button issue in the Middle East for years, beginning in 1970s when Israel clandestinely produced nuclear weapons and the rest of the countries in the region had to respond to that development,” said Mark Hibbs, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s nuclear policy program.
“Nuclear transparency issues in the Middle East are not confined to just to one or two or three countries but are the concern of virtually all states in a region where suspicion is widespread and where international cooperation and confidence building are limited.”
Saudi nuclear plans
In Saudi Arabia, earlier scenarios to develop 17.6 GW of nuclear power by 2032 have been scaled back to building a mix of 1.2-1.6 GW and small modular reactors without any set timeline.
However, the West has concerns about the Saudi program because of its stated intentions to mine and enrich its uranium deposits.
In a March 2018 interview with CBS, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said, “Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.”
Such statements have unnerved Western countries, including some US lawmakers, who have urged the US Administration to persuade Saudi Arabia to agree to the “gold standard” and foreswear enriching uranium.
Resource-barren Jordan
Turkey, which has a so-called 123 nuclear cooperation agreement with the US just like the UAE, is building its first nuclear plant Akkuyu, which will consist of four 1.2 GW reactors being supplied by Rosatom, with work on the first unit set to start in 2023………
esource-barren Jordan needs financial help to achieve its ambition to produce nuclear energy to help halt its reliance on energy imports. Jordan, which in 2015 signed with Rosatom a $10 billion deal to build a 2 GW nuclear power plant, has since scrapped this plan and is looking at small modular reactors.
Financial constraints
Jordan also wants to mine and enrich its own uranium deposits, which is another sticking point with the US in reaching a 123 agreement.
“Finances is likely to pose the biggest obstacle to fulfilling these [nuclear] dreams because nuclear energy is such a costly venture,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, associate fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“If you look at it in terms of energy efficiency, nuclear energy is not the most efficient way of developing electricity. Solar energy probably offers better efficiency in the long-run, while in the short-run because of the depressed price of oil, countries are finding it more economic to just import oil.”
However, the elephant in the room that may thwart the region’s nuclear ambitions is Iran, which started in 1959 with a small US nuclear reactor but ended up entangled in a major standoff with the West in the 2000s……
Besides Iran, another cause for concern is the potential attack on nuclear facilities.
“Modern nuclear power plants are designed to be secure against most kinds of threats but they can’t be perfectly secure against threats such as an airplane directly attacking the plant…or in the case of an attack like the Israeli attack on Iraq’s Osirak reactor [in 1981],” Fitzpatrick said. https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/videos/market-movers-europe/110920-utilities-renewables-libya-oil-lockdown-lng-uniper-germany
Dismantling of Trawsfynydd nuclear power plant held back due to coronavirus outbreak
 Covid outbreak at former Trawsfynydd nuclear power plant, BBC 11 Nov 20,
Work has been scaled back on the site of former nuclear power station following an outbreak of Covid. Magnox said a “small number” of employees tested positive at the Trawsfynydd site in Gwynedd, where they are working to remove nuclear reactors and towers. Those affected and others found through track and trace are self-isolating. It said some key work will continue on site but other staff can work from home. ………. T https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-54904337rawsfynydd was shut down in 1991 after operating for a quarter of a century.
The twin reactors will become the first in the UK to be fully decommissioned. Over 20 years the remaining reactor buildings will be demolished, while a new low-level radioactive waste store is built on the site to hold the material. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-54904337 |
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China’s ambition to build Bradwell nuclear plant in Essex will likely fail on national security grounds.
Guardian 11th Nov 2020 , China’s ambition to build a nuclear plant in Essex will likely
fail on national security grounds. The new national security and investment bill, aiming to give the government sweeping powers to block foreign takeovers and investments, will inevitably be viewed through the lens of China and new nuclear power plants in UK.“progressive entry” into UK nuclear to China General Nuclear, the state-backed firm that owns a 33% stake in Hinkley Point C in Somerset and has ambitions to build its own plant in Bradwell in Essex. That entry ticket will surely have to be cancelled.
Consortium wants to take over Wylfa nuclear power project
New Civil Engineer 11th Nov 2020, A consortium led by Bechtel is reportedly in talks with the government
about acquiring the Wylfa Newydd site on Anglesey earmarked for nuclear
development. Plans for a £20bn nuclear plant were recently scrapped by
developer Horizon after 18 months of talks with government about a funding
mechanism eventually fizzled out. The site is however still safeguarded and
the project could theoretically be restarted by a third party. Led by the
Bechtel, the consortium includes Southern Company, an electricity utility,
and Westinghouse, a nuclear engineering company.
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/bechtel-led-consortium-in-talks-about-wylfa-site-11-11-2020/
City AM 10th Nov 2020, A group of US companies has reportedly approached the government about
taking over the development of a nuclear power plant at Wylfa in north
Wales. Engineering giant Bechtel will lead the consortium, and will be
joined by utility firm Southern and nuclear engineers Westinghouse.
https://www.cityam.com/us-consortium-mulls-taking-on-abandoned-wylfa-nuclear-project/
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