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Further delay for UK Hinkley nuclear project, as EDF decides to consult unions

text Hinkley cancelledflag-franceFresh setback for Hinkley Point as EDF consults French unions, Telegraph UK   Alan Tovey 22 APRIL 2016  Plans by EDF to build the new Hinkley Point nuclear power station have been further delayed after the French energy company said it would consult with unions before announcing its final investment decision.

After a board meeting on Friday, the company said it had agreed a “significant” recapitalisation that would make it “possible for EDF to proceed with its strategic investment programme – including Hinkley Point C”.

However, the directors added they would go through a formal consultation process with unions over the decision. Although it will not be binding on the board, this statutory process would take 60 days, pushing it close to the June 23 referendum on whether or not Britain will remain in the UK.

Sources close to the French government – which is EDF’s majority shareholder with an 85pc stake – said administrative delays could easily push this consultation past the date of the Brexit vote.

The recapitalisation will see EDF raise €4bn (£3bn) to support its investment plans, with the Paris government planning to sign up for €3bn of the fundraising.

Consulting the unions over the decision presents fresh hurdles to the muchdelayed plan to build the Hinkley Point power station, the first in a fleet of new nuclear power stations for the UK.

Ten years ago, EDF was predicting Hinkley would be supplying power by 2017.

Unions are sceptical about whether EDF can afford the investment – which the French firm is financing two thirds of, with the rest coming from Chinese investors – and have made public their opposition to the scheme.

Some senior staff at EDF are also against the power company’s involvement in such a huge project…….http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/04/24/fresh-setback-for-hinkley-point-as-edf-consults-french-unions/

April 25, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, employment, France, UK | Leave a comment

Employee’s legal threat hangs over EDF’s U.K. Nuclear Project

justiceflag-franceEDF Unions Threaten to Go to Court Over U.K. Nuclear Project, Bloomberg, April 22, 2016

  • Employee representatives ask to be consulted before decision
  • Trade unions say they’ll sue if not consulted in advance
  • Electricite de France SA’s unions are threatening to take the company to court if employees are not consulted in advance on a decision concerning a proposed 18 billion-pound ($25.8 billion) U.K. atomic plant project.

    EDF’s workers committee, which includes representatives from the biggest unions, met near Paris and voted to take legal action should the company fail to consult employees on Hinkley Point, according to a statement Thursday. The project is key to EDF earnings and has prompted disagreements between management and unions, it said.

    “We ask that the workers’ committee is consulted before any decision by management or the board,” the committee said. If that didn’t happen then “the committee would be forced to take legal action to have any decision linked to the Hinkley Point project suspended or annulled.”

     The threat marks the latest attempt by workers to delay a decision, given concerns about EDF’s finances amid falling power prices across Europe. Union FO has already threatened to call for a strike. EAS, an association of EDF employees holding the company’s shares, is asking the stock market regulator to require that the French government, which owns 85 percent of EDF, repurchases shares at the initial public offering price…..http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-21/edf-unions-threaten-to-go-to-court-over-u-k-nuclear-project

April 25, 2016 Posted by | employment, France, Legal | Leave a comment

USA wind energy investment – over $128 Billion

green-collarBy staying on track to supply 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030, wind energy could support 380,000 well-paying jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That number could grow to 600,000 by supplying 35 percent by 2050

More Than $128 Billion Dollars Invested in U.S. Economy by New Wind Power Projects,Wind Systems, 25 Apr 16  Building new wind farms in the U.S. added $13 billion per year on average to the American economy over the past five years, according to information recently released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

“By building new wind farms across the country throughout the past decade, wind companies have invested $128 billion into the U.S. economy,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA. “Over this time, wind has rapidly scaled-up. Now, there is enough wind power installed to reliably produce electricity for more than 19 million American homes. Continuing to invest in world-class wind resources here at home will help keep our lights on, grow state economies, and keep more money in the pockets of homeowners and businesses.”

Wind energy was the number-one source for new electric capacity additions in 2015 with 8,598 MW installed. That number translates to $14.7 billion dollars in wind project investments in one year — a 73-percent increase over the $8.5 billion invested in new projects in 2014 and a more than seven-fold increase over investments by wind in 2013……..

The new investment figures made by wind come shortly after a new accord that was announced by a bipartisan group of 17 governors who made the pledge to accelerate clean energy growth, including wind power, as a way to build “a new energy future.” The accord said that creating this new energy path will result in a “more durable and resilient infrastructure and [will] enable economic growth while protecting the health of our communities and natural resources.”

Wind power costs two-thirds less than it did six years ago because of American innovation and improved domestic manufacturing, with more than 500 factories across 43 states building wind turbine parts and materials, and those savings are being passed on to U.S. consumers. Wind power saved consumers $1 billion over just two days across the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic states during the 2014 Polar Vortex event.

Wind energy in the U.S. produces enough electricity for more than 19 million American homes, and American wind power supports 73,000 well-paying jobs across every state, including nearly 20,000 manufacturing jobs.

By staying on track to supply 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030, wind energy could support 380,000 well-paying jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That number could grow to 600,000 by supplying 35 percent by 2050.  http://www.windsystemsmag.com/article/detail/1167/more-than-128-billion-dollars-invested-in-us-economy-by-new-wind-power-projects

April 25, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, renewable, USA | Leave a comment

French corporation EDF and its zombie nuclear reactors

AREVA EDF crumblingEdF: Living with its ZOMBIE REACTORS!, Jonathon Porritt, 24 Apr 16, 

You seriously wouldn’t want to be a Director of EdF at the moment. The agenda for an average Board Meeting must be seriously gloomy on each and every occasion. Here’s how I imagine the key agenda items for their last meeting on 16th February – helpfullysummarised by EdF’s Company Secretary.

Item 1: Existing EPR construction projects
1.1 Olkiluoto (Finland)
Continuing, horrendous cost overruns, leading to ongoing legal stand-off with Finnish partners. Already delayed by seven years, but (hopefully!) could be finished by 2018.
1.2 Flamanville (France)
Continuing, horrendous cost overruns. Already delayed by nine years, but (hopefully!) could be finished by 2018.
1.3 Taishan (China)
Serious problems with both reactors under construction, but, this being China, everything’s shrouded in secrecy. WARNING: This could be much worse than we currently understand.
1.4 Pressure vessels
Still waiting for final safety assessment from French regulators. WARNING: There could be really serious problems here, despite our best efforts to ‘work with’ the regulator.
1.5 Deadlines/UK Treasury
These deadlines are now CRITICAL – as in EXISTENTIAL.
UK Treasury’s loan guarantees are linked to Flamanville operating successfully. And if it is not working properly by 2020, loan guarantee will be completely withdrawn.

Item 2: New reactors at Hinkley Point, Somerset………

Item 3: Extending the life of our UK reactors……

Item 4: Extending the life of our French reactors…….

Item 5: Energy Transition Law (France)…….

Item 6: Financial position…….

…..The implications of all this for the UK couldn’t possibly be more severe. Initially, HinkleyPoint was meant to be on stream by 2025, generating a whacking great 7% of total electricity supply. Earlier delays meant that this had already slipped to 2030. Now that the start date has slipped again, to 2019, AT THE EARLIEST, that 2030 date looks insanely optimistic…….http://www.jonathonporritt.com/blog/edf-living-its-zombie-reactors

April 25, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, France, UK | Leave a comment

World’s wind energy industry set to nearly double in next five years

A wind farm in Marshalltown, Iowa. Photographer: Timothy Fadek/BloombergGlobal wind capacity to nearly double in next five years: GWEC, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-windpower-idUSKCN0XG1UA Nina Chestney, 19 Apr 16  Global wind energy capacity will nearly double in the next five years, largely led by further market growth in China, but also as a stronger industry emerges in the United States, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said on Tuesday.

In its annual report on the status of the global wind industry, GWEC said cumulative windenergy capacity was 433 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2015, a 17 percent rise from the year before.
That should nearly double to around 792 GW by the end of 2020 as countries develop more renewable energy to comply with emissions cut targets, prices continue to fall and policies to support wind power in the United States stabilize, the wind industry association said in the report.
Wind energy installed in 2015 reached 63 GW, a 22 percent increase from the previous year. China alone installed nearly half of that new capacity – 30.8 GW.

In December last year in Paris, almost 200 countries agreed a landmark deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions from 2020 with the aim of limiting global average temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius.

“The Paris Agreement requires a fully decarbonized power system by 2050 if not before, if we are keeping temperatures below 2 C above pre-industrial levels,” Steve Sawyer, GWEC Secretary General, said in a statement.

New markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America are also emerging which will be sources of growth in the next decade.

Outside of China, the Asian market will be led by India but new markets in Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan and Mongolia are also developing quickly, the report said.

April 22, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, renewable | Leave a comment

Uranium market continues its relentless downward plunge

cliff-money-nuclearUranium market is getting crushed Uranium price falls to lowest since May 2005 as bearishness overwhelms the sector, Mining.com 20 Apr 16   Iron ore is on an insane run, copper’s dug itself out of January’s seven-year trough, tin and zinc are in bull markets, coking coal is heading for triple digits and crude’s holding onto 60% gains since February’s low despite the Doha disaster.

Uranium?

It’s having the worst start to a year in a decade. U3O8 is down more than 25% in 2016 with the UxC broker average price sliding to $25.69 a pound on Friday. That’s the cheapest uranium has been since May 2, 2005.

Haywood Securities in a  research note points out that the spot U3O8 price “saw three years of back-to-back double-digit percentage losses from 2011-13, but none worse than what we’ve seen thus far in 2016, and at no point since Fukushima, did the average weekly spot price dip below $28 a pound.” The long term price, where most uranium business is conducted, is languishing at around $44 a pound.

Uranium was actually the best performing commodity in 2015 by virtue of having declined in value only slightly over the course of the year. So what’s happening?

Vancouver-based Haywood attributes the decline to “a dearth of non-discretionary buying from utilities combined with an over-supplied market which continues to inflate global inventories, partially attributable to the continued shutdown of Japanese reactors and the ramp-up of production at selected uranium mines including Cigar Lake.”

Five years after the Japanese disaster only two of the country’s 50 nuclear reactors are back on line.  In other developed markets nuclear power is also in retreat.

Top user France which relies on its 58 plants for more than three-quarters of its electricity needs, has begun a program to reduce that figure to 50%.   Problems with next-generation plants developed by French state utility EDF and top supplier Areva are well-documented. Germany is phasing out the technology and the last new nuclear power station to enter service in the US was 20 years ago…….

Stockpiles at utilities were estimated at an already elevated 217,ooo tonnes uranium at the end of 2014. That translates into more than three years’ worth of feedstock for the world’s installed nuclear power capacity.

Special arrangements like top producer Kazakhstan’s uranium-sovereign debt deal with China leave little room for non-state players. ….http://www.mining.com/uranium-market-getting-crushed/

April 22, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, Uranium | Leave a comment

France committed to investing in Hinkley nuclear plant, even if it bankrupts EDF

Hinkley-nuclear-power-plantflag-franceFrench ‘committed’ to investing in Hinkley C nuclear plant  Plymouth Herald  April 17, 2016 By Kate Langston The French government is “completely committed” to building the Westcountry’s new nuclear power plant at Hinkley, the country’s ministers have confirmed.

In an interview with the BBC, the French economy minister Emmanuel Macron stressed the £18 billion project is “very important” to the French state, which owns 85% of energy firm EDF.He added that backers still need to finalise some “technical and industrial” aspects of the Hinkley C deal, but should be in a position to sign in a “week or more”.

The assurances from Mr Macron come less than a week after he sparked fresh fears for the Somerset-based development by announcing he had “not yet made a decision” about the investment.

They also follow the publication of a letter from the main union representing EDF workers stating the firm is “on the edge of bankruptcy”, and should not be risking billions of pounds in the UK……..

The original date for the generator to come online has been pushed back from 20203 to 2025, and the estimated cost has soared from £16 billion to between £18 and £24.5 billion…….

Mr Macron told journalists that Hinkley is “important for [France’s] commitment to nuclear energy”. “We back Hinkley Point project, it’s very important for France, it’s very important for the nuclear sector and EDF,” he said.

“Now we have to finalise the work, and especially the technical and industrial work, very closely with EDF, with the British government, to be in a situation to sign in the coming week or more.”

The EDF board was due to meet to make a final decision on its investment in Hinkley in January, but this was postponed and is now expected to take place in May.

But John Sauven, director of environmental pressure group Greenpeace which is opposed to the new plant, has accused Mr Macron of saying one thing to a UK audience “and another to the French”.

“He has made it abundantly clear in French that no decision has been made,” he told the BBC. “The reasons are clear: the costs are rising, the problems are mounting, and the opposition in France is growing.
“The alternatives are looking increasingly attractive no matter which language you speak.”……….http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/French-committed-investing-Hinkley-C-nuclear/story-29126276-detail/story.html

April 18, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, France, politics international, UK | 1 Comment

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) to announce convoluted new public liability insurance policy

insuranceflag-indiaNPCIL to get nuclear liability policy soon: Official, Economic Times By IANS | 17 Apr, 201 CHENNAI: India’s atomic power company, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is confident of getting the public liability insurance policy in 10-15 days time, said a senior official.

Once the policy is received, then the company can go ahead in full steam to start its project in Haryana, said the official, speaking to IANS on the condition of anonymity.

“The negotiations as to the risk coverage conditions with the insurers are over and issues have been sorted out. We are confident of getting the policy in 10-15 days time,” the official said.

He categorically said the policy would be on reinstatement basis – that is the coverage will be reinstated to the original level on payment of same premium after a claimable nuclear accident.

While the official declined to comment on the premium to be paid to get the policy to cover public liability up to Rs.1,500 crore per year, per accident industry sources had earlier told IANS that it will be around Rs.70 crore.

The proposed policy would cover the liability towards public as a consequence of any nuclear accident in the plants covered under the policy and also the right of recourse of NPCIL against equipment suppliers.

The insurance coverage will be for all the NPCIL’s plants – like a floater cover.

When a nuclear accident happens and the Rs.1,500 crore cover is exhausted, then there will not be any insurance cover for subsequent accidents that might occur during that policy year. According to the NPCIL official if such a situation occurs, then the policy coverage will get automatically reinstated to Rs.1,500 crore on payment of premium. ………

Foreign nuclear plant suppliers were reluctant to sell to India, citing the provisions of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLND), 2010 that provides the right of recourse by NPCIL against the vendors under certain circumstances for compensation in case of an accident.

The insurance pool was formed as a risk transfer mode for the suppliers and also NPCIL. ……..http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/npcil-to-get-nuclear-liability-policy-soon-official/articleshow/51867511.cms

April 18, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, India | 1 Comment

As coal mines go bankrupt, tax-payers will be left with the cleanup costs

Flag-USAtext-relevantAfter Bankruptcies, Coal’s Dirty Legacy Lives On, NYT  By TOM SANZILLO and DAVID SCHLISSEL APRIL 14, 2016 THE bankruptcy filing on Wednesday by Peabody Energy, the world’s largest private- sector producer of coal, is the latest in a series of major coal company collapses that threaten to leave behind a costly legacy that will haunt taxpayers and consumers for years.

The abandonment of hundreds of mines over the years led Congress in 1977 to pass a law that requires coal companies to clean up after mining. Left untreated, these sites are more than eyesores: They create long-lingering problems including polluted drinking water.

And the problem is likely to become more pronounced in the wake of these bankruptcies. Mining companies are supposed to buy insurance to cover the cost of cleanups. But Congress has allowed some of the more financially secure coal producers to “self-bond,” promising to pay for cleanups themselves.

coal mine

This arrangement made sense when the industry was healthy and had deeper pockets. But now taxpayers are at risk of having to foot the bill as mining companies either file for bankruptcy or redirect their dwindling dollars elsewhere to stay afloat — including paying obscenely generous compensation packages to executives. A recent congressional estimate puts outstanding cleanup liabilities nationally at $3.6 billion.

Perhaps the most glaring instance of self-bonding gone bad is Peabody Energy. Leading up to its bankruptcy, Peabody had been frantically trying to preserve its $1.47 billion in self-bonding agreements in states where they had been called into question by regulators.Two other major coal companies, Alpha Natural Resources and Arch Coal, recently filed for bankruptcy, leaving hundreds of millions in reclamation guarantees in limbo. A deal between Arch Coal and regulators in Wyoming suggests taxpayers will get stuck with the bulk of the cleanup costs. The company agreed toearmark at most $75 million to cover self-bonded reclamation liabilities of more than $450 million………

The recent bankruptcies of the nation’s leading coal producers are the latest benchmark in the steady decline of the coal industry. The industry’s problems are also hurting consumers, who are being hit by unnecessarily high electric rates approved by regulators to keep open coal-fired power plants that are no longer competitive with cheaper natural gas and renewables. …… electricity companies blinded by history and tradition are sticking with coal and neglecting more sensible and affordable strategies that include natural gas, renewable energy and energy efficiency……http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/14/opinion/after-bankruptcies-coals-dirty-legacy-lives-on.html?_r=0

April 16, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, climate change, USA | Leave a comment

China General Nuclear Power Corp keen to export nuclear, named as conspirator

flag-Chinasecret-dealsU.S. Conspiracy Charges Spotlights China Nuclear Champion http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-15/u-s-conspiracy-charges-put-spotlight-on-china-nuclear-champion   sstapczynski 

  • CGN indicted for conspiracy to illegally make nuclear material
  • Company part of venture to develop China’s Hualong One unit
  • A U.S. indictment on charges against China General Nuclear Power Corp. for conspiracy to illegally produce nuclear material is shining a light on one of the Asian country’s leading atomic energy companies and a key player in its effort to export nuclear technology.

    The state-owned company, part of a venture designing the country’s first homegrown reactor, was named as conspirator in an indictment unsealed by the U.S. government Thursday. The reactor, known as Hualong One, is the centerpiece of China’s efforts to compete globally against more-established nuclear developers including Toshiba Corp.’s Westinghouse Electric Co. and Paris-based Areva SA.

  • “They are the largest nuclear power company, but less known compared with big oil, telecom or Internet names,” said Helen Lau, an analyst at Argonaut Securities (Asia) Ltd. in Hong Kong.
     China is seeking to shift from being a buyer of foreign technology to developing homegrown expertise it can sell globally. CGN and China National Nuclear Corp. last month established a joint venture to export the technology and the country plans tobuild about 30 nuclear units by 2030 in Asia and Europe, CNNC chairman Sun Qin said last month, according to China Daily.

    Related: U.S. Charges Chinese Nuclear Firm, Engineer With Conspiracy

    “We have noted the announcement from the Department of Justice of the U.S. We cannot comment at this stage,” CGN said in an e-mail.

  • Technical Assistance

    The U.S. accused CGN of directing Szuhsiung Ho, a nuclear engineer in the U.S. also known as Allen Ho, to obtain technical assistance from U.S.-based experts related to the development and production of special nuclear material without required authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy. The indictment said the assistance was related to CGN activities including its Small Modular Reactor and advanced fuel assembly program, as well as “verification and validation of nuclear reactor-related computer codes,” according to the indictment.

     CGN and Electricite de France SA signed an accord in October to build three nuclear power stations in the U.K., including the 18 billion pound ($25.5 billion) Hinkley plant in southwest England, in exchange for the opportunity to build a Chinese-developed reactor at a separate site. The company may develop a Hualong One reactor at Bradwell in southern England in the future as part of the agreement signed during President Xi Jinping’s visit to the country in October.
  • AP1000

    CGN signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kenyan government in September to build Hualong One reactors and agreed with Romania in November to build two reactors. CNNC has its own projects in Argentina and Pakistan.

    The CGN indictment isn’t the first time the U.S. accused China of illegal activity in the nuclear industry. The U.S. charged five Chinese military hackers in 2014 of cyber espionage against U.S. corporations, including Westinghouse.

    Between 2010 and 2012, Chinese hackers stole confidential designs and internal communications from Westinghouse’s computer systems while it was engaged in negotiations with an unidentified state-owned company about building four of the American company’s AP1000 reactors, the Justice Department said at the time. The hackers stole internal e-mails in which Westinghouse executives discussed talks with the Chinese company, it said.

    Pipe Specifications

    The attackers also sought to acquire pipe specifications that “would enable a competitor to build a plant similar to the AP1000 without incurring significant research and development costs,” the 2014 indictment said.

  • Westinghouse referred questions about the most recent case to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment Thursday, referring questions to the Justice Department.

    “The notion of stealing U.S. civil nuclear technology is bizarre, given the close technical R&D relationships between China and the U.S.,” Ian Hore-Lacy, senior research analyst at World Nuclear Association, said by e-mail Friday. “Chinese nuclear engineers have been helping to build the AP1000 reactors in the U.S.”

April 16, 2016 Posted by | China, marketing, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

China to set up nuclear reactors in Bulgaria: Bulgaria says no government guarantees

Buy-China-nukes-1Bulgaria Seeks Chinese Investors into Nuclear Power, Novinite.com,  April 15, 2016, Bulgaria is looking for a strategic investor into an expansion of nuclear capacities, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova has told a committee in Parliament…….

She has made clear Sofia will commit itself to a construction project for nuclear units only if no state guarantees are required by the respective company. –

She has explained there is certain interest from China in getting involved in Bulgaria‘s nuclear sector.
http://www.novinite.com/articles/174043/Bulgaria+Seeks+Chinese+Investors+into+Nuclear+Power#sthash.cy7Y2ZJE.dpuf

April 16, 2016 Posted by | China, marketing | Leave a comment

Russia marketing nuclear power stations to Laos: Russia will build and operate them

Russian-BearRussia and Laos plan nuclear cooperation, World Nuclear News, 15 April 2016

A memorandum of cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes has been signed by Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the ministry of energy and mines of Laos……

In August 2015, it was reported that Rosatom and Laos were in negotiations to set up the Southeast Asian country’s first nuclear power plant. The talks concerned Russia building two 1000 MWe nuclear power reactors in Laos on a build-operate-transfer basis. http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Russia-and-Laos-plan-nuclear-cooperation-1504164.html

April 16, 2016 Posted by | ASIA, marketing, Russia | Leave a comment

The Pilgrim nuclear power plant not to close until 2019

Closing date set for Pilgrim nuclear power plant will close May 31, 2019, plant operator Entergy announced. Boston Globe By  and  GLOBE STAFF  APRIL 14, 2016 The company that owns the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station said Thursday that it intends to refuel next year and continue operating the power plant in Plymouth for three more years.

Officials at Entergy Corp. said the plant will close on May 31, 2019. The company had been weighing whether to shutter the plant next year — as critics had hoped it would — before it would be required to start an expensive refueling process.

Pilgrim nuclear plant

The decision means Pilgrim’s 609 employees will continue to work there until the plant closes, but activists say it also means Entergy will continue operating what the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has deemed one of the nation’s least-safe reactors…….

Local activists who have long opposed the plant’s continued operations said they worry that Entergy is more concerned about its finances than public safety.

“The bottom line is that this decision is about Entergy’s pocketbook — not about public safety,” said Mary Lampert, director of Pilgrim Watch, a longtime critic of the plant. “This is an old plant, and Entergy is unwilling to spend the money to fix the problems, and the NRC is allowing them to do that. That means we’re in a heightened period of risk.”

Last October, Pilgrim said it would close no later than June 2019, after supplying power to more than a half-million homes and businesses for four decades. The announcement came a month after the NRC designated Pilgrim one of the nation’s three least-safe reactors.

Company officials have said they decided to close the plant because of the plummeting price of a competing fuel, natural gas, and the reluctance of federal and regional officials to provide financial incentives for nuclear power plants…….https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/04/14/pilgrim-nuclear-power-plant-close-may/FRXGHcfMrk3nSngdYueMML/story.html

April 15, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

Operating licence for Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor applied for by TVO

Finland’s TVO applies for delayed Olkiluoto nuclear plant licence http://uk.reuters.com/article/finland-nuclearpower-idUKL5N17H192  Apr 14, 2016 

Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) has applied for an operating licence for its much-delayed Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor, saying it is on track to start production in late 2018.

“This is a significant milestone. The project is moving from installations to tests,” project manager Jouni Silvennoinen said in a statement on Thursday.

It was originally due to start operation in 2009, and TVO has traded blame for the delay with the plant’s supplier consortium Areva-Siemens , with both demanding billions of euros from each other in an ongoing arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce. (Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl; Editing by Alexander Smith)

April 15, 2016 Posted by | business and costs, Finland | Leave a comment

Jobs boom in USA States with wind power development

green-collarThe job growth in 2015 is primarily attributable to more wind project development and construction, requiring more than 38,000 employees.

Texas leads the nation with over 24,000 wind energy employees.

US wind power jobs hit record, up 20 percent in 2016 ‘Wind rush’ fuels hiring boom, delivers more consumer savings AWEA,  DENVER, April 12, 2016 — American wind power supported a record 88,000 jobs at the start of 2016—an increase of 20 percent in a year—according to the U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report, Year Ending 2015, released today by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Strong job growth coincided with wind ranking number one as America’s leading source of new generating capacity last year, outpacing solar and natural gas.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper joined in the release at a Vestas wind turbine component factory near Denver, saying “In 2015, Colorado ranked fifth in the nation for wind power capacity additions. An investment in the wind power industry and in wind projects generates new jobs, economic development in rural counties and clean air benefits to all Coloradans.”

“Wind power benefits more American families than ever before,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA. “We’re helping young people in rural America find a job close to home. Others are getting a fresh chance to rebuild their careers by landing a job in the booming clean energy sector. With long-term, stable policy in place, and a broader range of customers now buying low-cost wind-generated electricity, our workforce can grow to 380,000 well-paying jobs by 2030.”

Congress passed a long-term extension of the wind energy Production Tax Credit and alternative Investment Tax Credit with bipartisan support late last year. With the extension in place and the recent industry growth, wind energy is on track to meet the Department of Energy’s Wind Vision scenario of supplying 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030.“Made-in-the-USA wind power will help keep our economy competitive and our air clean for generations,” Kiernan said. “Our wind energy will never run out.”……

 State-by-state job, economic benefits rankings
The job growth in 2015 is primarily attributable to more wind project development and construction, requiring more than 38,000 employees. The industry also experienced a stabilization of its manufacturing sector, which now supports over 21,000 well-paying jobs across 43 states, up over 10 percent in a year. And more than 8,800 jobs are held by wind turbine technicians, the fastest growing profession in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (growing more than twice as fast as the next fastest-growing job of occupational therapy assistant).Texas leads the nation with over 24,000 wind energy employees. Wind project construction propelled Oklahoma to second place with more than 7,000 jobs. Rounding out the top five are Iowa and Colorado with over 6,000 jobs, and after moving up 11 spots, Kansas ranks fifth with over 5,000 wind workers. Maine gained the most in the state wind employment rankings, rising 16 spots……….

Each new wind turbine typically avoids over 4,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year, (equal to nearly 900 cars’ worth). U.S. wind energy avoided 132 million metric tons in total CO2 emissions last year, equal to eliminating all electric power sector emissions from Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado.

Wind energy also greatly reduces a variety of health-harming air pollutants, including smog-causing sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which helps reduce asthma attacks and other respiratory issues. That displaced an estimated 176,000 metric tons of SO2 and 106,000 metric tons of NOx in 2015, representing $7.3 billion in avoided health costs last year alone.

The AWEA U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report Year Ending 2015 provides a comprehensive look at the entire U.S. wind energy landscape, offering industry trends, statistics, company rankings and the market picture through 2015. A comprehensive press kit here includes more detailed releases on specific findings, videos, infographics, and up-to-date photos of wind turbines across America……..   http://www.awea.org/MediaCenter/pressrelease.aspx?ItemNumber=8736

April 13, 2016 Posted by | employment, renewable | Leave a comment