Rapid growth in renewable energy jobs
Renewable Energy Sector Employs Over 5 Million http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3234 4 June 12, by Energy Matters According to a recent UN report, the number of renewable energy jobs doubled globally between 2007 and 2011 and millions more will be employed in the sector over the next 20 years.
The shift to a greener global economy could see an additional 15 to 60 million additional job over the next two decades according to a study led by the Green Jobs Initiative; a UN International Labour Organization (ILO) project. Continue reading
Wales would do better with renewables, tourism, than with nuclear power
Anti-nuclear group Pawb’s Anglesey job creation plans, BBC New North Wales, 1 June 12, The existing Wylfa plant has permission to operate until 2014
One nuclear reactor to be closed
Talks to find Wylfa B investors
Firms drop new Wylfa nuclear plan
An anti-nuclear group has published plans on how it believes jobs can be created on Anglesey. People Against Wylfa B (Pawb) says the fact companies have pulled out of plans for a new nuclear power station shows the economic case is weak.
It proposes an offshore wind farm and the promotion of tourism instead……
At the time talks were continuing to find investors, after the company which was to build a new nuclear power station on Anglesey pulled out…..
Pawb says up to 3,000 jobs could be created on the island, and Dr Clowes said one plan being backed is a proposal for a massive offshore wind farm between Anglesey and the Isle of Man…..
The solar photovoltaic (using solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity) industry is increasing apace. These are seen as Cinderella-type industries… but they are real jobs, here today,” he added. Tourism could also be developed, he argued. He said the Welsh government had put “all its eggs in one basket” by backing Wylfa B and
saw it as the cure-all.
“Many opportunities have been lost,” he added…. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-18292401
USA’s famous new nuclear reactors – a money pit
Watchdog: New nuclear plant will exceed budget, Online Athens, By RAY HENRY – Associated Press, May 31, 2012 ATLANTA — A state monitor said he believes Southern Co. will exceed its $6.1 billion budget to build a first-of-its-kind nuclear plant, according to a report released Thursday.
The warning from nuclear engineer William Jacobs. Jr. was his bluntest assessment yet on the possibility that Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power will need more money to construct two more nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta. Cost overruns plagued the industry during the last round of nuclear construction years ago. The 2.4 million
customers of Georgia Power ultimately pay for the building costs.
“In my opinion, the Company will need to request an increase in the certified cost and a change in the certified schedule to a later completion date,” said Jacobs, who was hired by the state’s Public Service Commission to monitor construction progress….
.. The report marked a change in tone for Jacobs. When asked in written testimony whether the plant could be built on budget and schedule, he simply answered, “No.” In previous reports, Jacobs had said Southern Co. faced “significant challenges” sticking to its budget….. http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2012-05-31/watchdog-new-nuclear-plant-will-exceed-budget
Vogtle nuclear reactor construction getting later and later
Southern’s Nuclear Reactors May Be Delayed, Monitor Says, Bloomberg, By Julie Johnsson – May 31, 2012 Southern Co. (SO)’s new nuclear reactors face delays that may boost costs beyond the $14 billion budgeted, an independent construction monitor said.
The reactors, due to be completed in 2016 and 2017, are already running seven-and-a-half months late and could be set back further by “additional potential delays recently identified” by Southern’s construction partners, William Jacobs said in testimony filed on the Georgia Public Service (PEG) Commission’s website today.
Jacobs said the latest delays stem from improperly installed rebar and a design issue, the details of which were redacted from his testimony to protect trade secrets .
Southern and the three co-owners of the Vogtle nuclear construction, 26 miles southeast of Augusta, Georgia, “face significant challenges in maintaining the project forecast at or below” the budget approved by Georgia regulators, Jacobs said. “A possible schedule delay as discussed above would impact the financing cost of the project.”….. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-31/southern-s-nuclear-construction-faces-added-delays-monitor-says.html
Australia’s uranium industry not looking good for the future
The uranium price tanked after the Fukushima disaster and so far there is no sign of a bounce.
Uranium flashpoint in the wild West, The Drum, Jim Green, 22 May 12, Interesting times in the uranium sector. The mining companies have had a few wins in the 14 months since the Fukushima disaster, but they’ve had more losses.
Bill Repard, organiser of the Paydirt Uranium Conference held in Adelaide in February, put on a brave face with this claim: The sector’s hiccups in the wake of Fukushima are now over with, the global development of new nuclear power stations continues unabated, and the Australian sector has literally commenced a U-turn in every sense.
Yet for all the hype, uranium accounts for a lousy 0.03 per cent of Australian export revenue and a negligible 0.02 per cent of Australian jobs. The industry’s future depends on the nuclear power ‘renaissance’, but global nuclear power capacity has been stagnant for the past 20 years, and if there is any growth at all in the next 20 years, it will be modest. Continue reading
Even nuclear industry experts know that the business is a dead cat
The nuclear landscape includes aging plants, rising global demand for energy, competition from cheap natural gas and environmental standards likely to be toughened after the Fukushima crisis in Japan.
A long-anticipated U.S. “nuclear renaissance” has run into headwinds – sagging demand for electricity as the economy slumped, investors wary of new plants that will cost $10 billion or more and then the crisis at Fukushima.
Nuclear meeting opens in Charlotte with debt worries, News Observer BY BRUCE HENDERSON , 22 May 12 Continue reading
Uranium mining industry threatened by plan to enrich depleted uranium stockpile
Uranium miners wary of plan to enrich depleted uranium stockpile, By MEAD GRUVER , May 19, 2012 CHEYENNE — The uranium industry and Wyoming’s congresswoman are questioning a determination by Energy Secretary Steven Chu that releasing and enriching up to 9,200 tons of depleted uranium from a federal stockpile won’t roil the uranium market and undermine prices.
The measure endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is intended to keep open a Kentucky uranium enrichment facility and preserve 1,200 jobs.
Three such planned releases of federal uranium inventories could undermine uranium prices and cost jobs in their industry, the group Uranium Producers of America says……
Uranium prices have been averaging around $50 a pound since spiking above $130 in 2007. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. — whose state has more estimated uranium reserves than any other by far, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration — questioned the department’s view of market certainty in the years ahead…… Up to 9,182 metric tons of depleted uranium — a byproduct of uranium enrichment for nuclear reactors — will be processed into the equivalent of 482 metric tons of low enriched uranium. Also the Department of Energy plans to release up to 2,800 metric tons of uranium per year as part of other projects including cleanup at the Paducah enrichment facility and one in Portsmouth, Ohio. http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/uranium-miners-wary-of-plan-to-enrich-depleted-uranium-stockpile/article_ffd65d4e-03d2-5122-af1e-67fdc8249142.html#ixzz1vY7Gpt6f
Japanese industry plans to cope well with a nuclear free summer
Many big companies in the region have said they can manage with power saving steps, and some experts said voluntary steps would probably suffice to shrink the supply-demand gap given growing awareness of energy saving measures.
Japan seeks 15 pct summer power savings in west, May 18, 2012
* Japan avoids mandatory power use limits for summer
* Critics doubt utilities’ shortage forecasts
By Yoko Kubota TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) – Japan urged at least 15 percent power cuts in its urban-industrial west this summer from 2010 levels to cope with shortages after all nuclear reactors shut down, but stopped short of the mandatory cuts seen in the east last year. The government said on Friday that it aimed to avoid rolling blackouts in the region – home to many manufacturers including struggling electronics giants Panasonic Corp and Sharp Corp – although it needed to prepare just in case. Last summer, the government imposed mandatory usage cuts of 15 percent on customers of Fukushima plant operator Tokyo Electric Power and Tohoku Electric in the east of the country. Neither will face numerical targets this summer as they are expected to meet demand by firing up thermal plants. Continue reading
Nuclear industry downturn in China
Chinese nuclear manufacturers are now dealing with overcapacity as the world nuclear industry enters a trough,
China can manufacture 12 nuclear reactors sets annually whereas the industry needs only 40 sets before 2020
Japan leak sent nuclear industry reeling, 2012-05-19, By Liu Yiyu (China Daily) Japan’s nuclear emergency of last year has left a mark on Chinese nuclear manufacturers, which have since seen billions of yuan worth of orders postponed, a senior industry official said. Continue reading
Massive Olympic Dam uranium mine project might mot go ahead
projects such as the massive expansion of the Olympic Dam copper-uranium mine in Australia and the potash development in Canada are far less certain…… Where the money is put will say a lot about their expectations for demand for specific commodities now and into the future.
Knives Are Out, But Will BHP and Rio Cut?, WSJ, By Robb M. Stewart, May 16, 2012, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have signaled that harder times lie ahead for global miners but have given little indication of where the cuts, if any, will come to the billions of dollars worth of mining projects that both have in the pipeline in Australia and globally.
Neither is backtracking on their long held view about China’s long-term demand for iron ore and coal, but it is now clear that not every expansion project is guaranteed to get off the ground in the current environment–and those that do will be phased in over a longer time period… Continue reading
Japan might manage without nuclear power – a boon for gas and renewables investors
There are certain predictions that seem fairly safe if Japan succeeds in weaning itself off nuclear power so quickly. The switch away from nuclear power should be a major boon to natural gas producers around the world.
Certainly the abandonment of nuclear power would be crushing to uranium miners like Cameco; there would be demand for uranium to service existing plants, but the growth story would vanish.
Last and not least, abandoning nuclear power should be a major positive for renewable energy companies.
THE END OF NUCLEAR POWER: A BOON FOR INVESTORS? The Bull.com.au By Investopedia.com | 14.05.2012 Investors interested in the electrical utility sector and related industries, like mining and engineering, ought to pay a little extra
attention to Japan over the next few months.
With the last operating nuclear plant in Japan going offline for maintenance, Japan will be
operating a nuclear power-free electricity grid this summer. Whether the country gets through the summer without incident or interruption, it seems safe to bet that advocates on either side of the nuclear power debate will be paying close attention…..
This summer will be the real test, as the warm muggy climate of much of Japan puts a strain on the power grid. Last year, the nation made it through by implementing usage limits and asking businesses to shift activity to off-peak hours (weekends and evenings) to reduce peak demand. If similar measures manage to succeed this summer, and residents are not subjected to blackouts or excessive limitations, it may be hard to muster the support to restart those nuclear plants. Activists in other countries could likely point to Japan as proof that nuclear power is not essential. Japan Today, Europe Next? Continue reading
In Malawi, Namibia, Niger workers making trouble for uranium mining companies
Conflicts with unions and management may have even larger impacts in the future,
Uranium Miners in Africa Facing Labor Disputes, Business Insider, Resource Investing News | May 16, 2012, Uranium mining companies are operating in difficult environments in many jurisdictions, facing challenges ranging from regulatory compliance,
environmental delays, rising costs, and labor relations. Over the last year, the labor challenges seem to have become more accentuated for African uranium mining companies, with several companies having reporting strikes. Continue reading
Canada’s unreliable and super-expensive nuclear reactors
Pickering nuclear units among the most expensive, least reliable in the world. The Star.com 15 May 12, The economic performance of Ontario Power Generation’s Pickering nuclear stations is among the worst in the world, says a report prepared for the Ontario Energy Board.
Not only is it the most expensive to operate, it lags at the far end of the pack in terms of reliability, with some units shut down almost 40 per cent of the time….. http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1178431–pickering-nuclear-units-among-the-most-expensive-least-reliable-in-the-world?bn=1
Renewables on the rise, as King Coal dethroned
King coal dethroned, CLIMATE SPECTATOR, Peter Newman & Ray Wills, 15 May 2012 “King coal still reigns” was the headline emblazoned across a full page article in The Weekend Australian on the 28-29 April 2012, by environment editor Graham Lloyd. The article’s subtitle was, “The world is in the grip of a fossil fuel boom that shows no sign of fading.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. The latest data on global investment in new power production shows the dramatic decline in fossil fuel investment, and an astonishing increase in renewables investment. Continue reading
Britain’s new nuclear programme in deep trouble
French threat to UK energy: François Hollande could close nuclear plants By Oliver Wright, 16 May 2012 http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/french-threat-to-uk-energy-franois-hollande-could-close-nuclear-plants-16159391.html#ixzz1v5yddT1I
Belfast Telegraph, “……Britain’s nascent new nuclear programme is in trouble, due to a combination of the economic crisis, the disaster in Fukushima and changing political winds.
Yesterday, giving evidence to Parliament, the Energy Minister Charles
Hendry appeared to be unable to guarantee with certainty that any of
the five agreed new nuclear power plants would go ahead…… The
first sign of trouble came in March when the German power companies,
RWE npower and E.ON, announced they were pulling out of their joint
venture to build two of the six planned new nuclear reactors at Wylfa
in North Wales and Oldbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire. ….
it was not practical to go-ahead with a £15bn investment in the UK.
Now doubt has been cast over the commitment of a joint EDF
Energy/Centrica consortium to fulfil its commitment to build two other
nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk.
EDF is state-owned and while President Sarkozy had a warm relationship
with the nuclear sector, his successor, Francois Hollande does not.
During his election campaign, M Hollande pledged to close 24 of
France’s 58 reactors and to reduce reliance on atomic power.
With EDF expected to make a final decision on whether to go ahead with
the UK projects by the end of the year the change of Government could
not have come at a worse time…..
The third nuclear consortium, Nugen, comprises Iberdrola, owner of
Scottish Power, and GDF Suez, the French state-owned gas giant.
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) was part of the consortium, but
pulled out in September, citing huge costs. ….
Tim Yeo, Chairman of the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change
Committee puts it: “Nuclear energy is exposed to what happens around
the world.
“The industrial nuclear accident in Japan, a decision taken in
Germany, the change in Government in France – all these three things
have a direct impact on global investment in nuclear in this country.
However good the intention is, we are exposed in a particular way –
unlike with some other energy sources – to what happens in countries
quite a long way away which are outside our control.”
Mr Hendry confirmed yesterday that the British Government has no
objection to allowing the contracts for new nuclear to pass to nuclear
nations such as China, Russia and Japan to keep the programme alive.
He said: “As long as they can satisfy us on the safety and the
security then we are happy to talk to them.”
The handing over of such sensitive technology to China or Russia is
certain to re-ignite concerns.
1 This Month
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