EU Commission abandons plans to sanction Russia’s nuclear industry.
EU Commission scratches Russia nuclear sanctions plans
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had urged the EU to sanction Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear energy company.
The European Commission has abandoned plans to sanction Russia’s nuclear sector or its representatives in its next sanctions package, three diplomats told POLITICO on Thursday.
The EU executive initially told EU countries that it would try to draw up sanctions targeting Russia’s civil nuclear sector. And, ahead of a meeting of EU leaders last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the bloc at least to issue sanctions against Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom.
But that plan has failed, the three diplomats said, pointing to the latest sanctions drafts.
The EU’s sanctions packages are divided into multiple parts: New rules that target specific sectors, such as aviation or military, and lists that impose visa restrictions and asset freezes on individuals and companies — but none include the nuclear sector, according to drafts seen by POLITICO and EU diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity……………
France has also expressed prudence, with a French economy ministry official telling reporters earlier this week that “many nuclear power plants use fuel of Russian energy.”…………………
EDF’s historic $13.5 billion loss in 2022 – as France became an importer of electricity
Electricite de France SA reported a historic loss for 2022 after repairs
choked its nuclear output, but the utility predicted a significant rebound
in earnings this year as production recovers. The state-controlled
generator swung to a net loss, excluding non-recurring items, of €12.7
billion ($13.5 billion) last year after a profit of €4.7 billion in 2021,
according to a statement on Friday.
The company’s woes exacerbated the
region’s energy crisis by turning France — traditionally a powerhouse
producer — into a net importer of electricity. President Emmanuel
Macron’s government, which is trying to regain full ownership of the
nuclear giant to reassure creditors, wants new Chief Executive Officer Luc
Remont to restore production and prepare the company to start building new
reactors in France and the UK.
Bloomberg 17th Feb 2023
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/edf-reports-record-loss-after-nuclear-output-choked-by-repairs-1.1885186
Zelensky is literally selling Ukraine to US corporations on Wall Street.
Ukraine’s Western-backed leader Volodymyr Zelensky opened the New York Stock Exchange telling Wall Street his country is “open” for foreign corporations to exploit it with $400 billion in state selloffs.
ByBen Norton, 2022-09-09
Ukraine’s Western-backed leader Volodymyr Zelensky virtually opened the New York Stock Exchange on the morning of September 6, symbolically ringing the bell via video stream.
Zelensky announced that his country is “open for business” – that is to say, that foreign corporations are free to come and exploit its plentiful resources and low-paid labor.
In a speech launching the neoliberal selloff program Advantage Ukraine, Zelensky offered Wall Street “a chance for you to invest now in projects worth of hundreds of billions of dollars.”
The financial news service Business Wire published a press release from the Ukrainian government in which Zelensky boasted:
The $400+ [billion] in investment options featured on AdvantageUkraine.com span public private partnerships, privatization and private ventures. A USAID-supported project team of investment bankers and researchers appointed by Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy will work with businesses interested in investing.
………………………….. The press release cited executives of US corporate giants Google, Alphabet, and Microsoft, who salivated over the economic possibilities offered by Ukraine.
Reuters noted that the Ukrainian government hired British public relations firm WPP to run the marketing operation for Advantage Ukraine.
Zelensky coordinated his New York Stock Exchange publicity stunt with an editorial in the Wall Street Journal imploring US capitalists to “Invest in the Future of Ukraine.”
“I committed my administration to creating a favorable environment for investment that would make Ukraine the greatest growth opportunity in Europe since the end of World War II,” Zelensky wrote.
Multipolarista previously reported on a meeting by Western governments and corporations in Switzerland in July in which they planned harsh neoliberal economic policies to impose on Ukraine.
The Western participants published documents calling to cut labor laws, “open markets,” drop tariffs, deregulate industries, and “sell state-owned enterprises to private investors.”
In an interview with Multipolarista, economist Michael Hudson compared the new emergency anti-labor laws imposed by the Ukrainian government to the brutal neoliberal policies implemented by Chile’s far-right Pinochet dictatorship after a CIA-backed coup in 1973.
“It’s jaw dropping,” Hudson said of Zelensky’s Wall Street Journal op-ed. “It’s like a parody of what a socialist would have written about how the class war would be put in into action by a fascist government.”
“So of course he was welcomed on the stock exchange for abolishing labor’s rights,” Hudson added. “You could not have a more black-and-white example” of class war………………………………… https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/09/09/zelensky-selling-ukraine-wall-street/
Pro nuclear film
CAN nuclear energy be the answer to the climate crisis? That is the belief
of the subjects at the centre of Irish filmmaker Frankie Fenton’s
provocative new film who assert that it is one of the cleanest and safest
technologies in the world. Thirteen years in the making, Fenton’s
observational documentary which he was director of photography as well as
writing, directing and producing, follows a small group of pro-nuclear
activists as they try to persuade law makers and the public of the virtues
of atomic energy using scientific evidence.
Although on the whole they seem to make a compelling argument (bananas notwithstanding) their assertions are not challenged during the film. Nuclear energy isn’t recognised for its own massive carbon footprint in terms of the huge costs of building new reactors and the toxic waste they produce, as well as the mining of the uranium and thorium needed to fuel them.
Morning Star 16th Feb 2023
Sizewell B nuclear station switched off fo 66 days for maintenance work
Sizewell B nuclear power station has been switched off for 66 days for
refuelling and maintenance work. Last year, EDF unveiled plans to extend
the operational life of the Sizewell B power station by at least 20 years.
The energy company has made an £80 million investment in the power plant,
part of which is the station’s 18th refuelling and maintenance outage. It
is expected that engineers will complete more than 10,000 routine
maintenance and inspection tasks and replace a third of the fuel during the
66-day outage.
Energy Live News 16th Feb 2023
EDF posts record net loss after nuclear fleet hit by repairs
French energy company EDF has reported a significant downturn in its 2022 results after repairs choked its nuclear power output and government measures tightened, but it saw UK profits soar due to high electricity prices.
Annabel Cossins-Smith 17 Feb 23, https://www.power-technology.com/news/edf-posts-record-losses-after-nuclear-troubles/
rench energy giant EDF on Friday posted a record loss for 2022 after necessary repairs to its nuclear power reactors saw a serious decline in electricity output.
A company spokesperson said in a press release that in November last year just 30 of 56 reactors were operational but that this number has now risen to 43. It cited stress corrosion on 16 of its reactors as a key reason for its output decline, stating that 10 of these have been or are currently being treated.
The state-controlled gas and electricity supplier saw a net loss, excluding non-recurring items, of $13.5bn (€12.7bn) last year, a significant decline from its profits of $5bn (€4.7bn) in 2021. Its raw earnings (EBITDA) stood at -$5.3bn (-€5bn), compared with a positive EBITDA of $19bn (€18bn) in 2021.
“The target for 2023 is to improve operational performance,” EDF CEO Luc Rémont said on a call, Bloomberg reports. “The aim is to achieve an EBITDA that will be significantly higher than in 2021.”
The company also posted a net financial debt of $68.6bn (€64.5bn), up 50% from 2021. An EDF statement cited issues with cash flow from operations, hybrid bonds and a $3.7bn (€3.5bn) capital increase as reasons behind this.
However, EDF’s UK profits soared, largely due to electricity price rises in the country. This took its underlying profits to $1.4bn (£1.2bn), up from a loss of $25m (£21m) in 2021.
The company has said that its losses in France in particular come in part due to government price caps. The French government set these to protect consumers from soaring energy prices, shortly before taking majority control of the company last year.
“The French government’s exceptional regulatory measures to limit the increase in sales prices to consumers in 2022 had an adverse estimated effect of -€8.2 billion (-$8.7bn) in EBITDA”, a company press release stated. It added that “before these measures, EBITDA benefited from market price rises passed on to customers for an estimated amount of €8.7 billion ($9.2bn)”.
EDF began legal proceedings against the French government in August last year, claiming $8.8bn (€8.3bn) in damages after the company was forced to sell more of its power to rivals at prices below market rates as a way to counter its monopoly position in France.
The government is also continuing efforts to nationalise the company. Power stations operated by EDF provide almost 70% of France’s electricity, mainly through its nuclear fleet.
Operational life of Finland’s nuclear reactors extended till 2050, and wastes to be stored onsite till 2090
The government has extended the permits for the Loviisa nuclear plant until
2050. The plant’s reactors had been scheduled to shut down in 2027 and
2030. Fortum, which operates the two reactors, also received permission to
store low and intermediate nuclear waste on the site until the end of 2090.
YLE 16th Feb 2023
France’s nuclear output plummeted in 2022
France’s nuclear output plummeted by 22.6% year on year in 2022, down 81.7
TWh to 279 TW, EDF said on Friday, citing lower nuclear fleet availability
amid inspections and reactor repairs.
Last November, EDF cut its full-year
French nuclear output estimate to 275-285 TWh, down from 280-300 TWh
previously, due to 10-year maintenance schedules and strikes, as well as
extended outages at four nuclear reactors. The French utility’s nuclear
generation slumped to a 33-year low in 2022 as the country became a net
power importer for the first time since 2001, according to data previously
released from TSO RTE.
EDF posted an operating loss of EUR 19.36bn for 2022
due to the record low nuclear output and government caps on energy bills,
it said this morning.
Montel 17th Feb 2023
https://www.montelnews.com/news/1444244/frances-nuclear-output-plunges-23-in-2022–edf
Scotland’s Minister Matheson reassures the Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) that no small nuclear power station will be permitted near Grangemouth refinery.
The Scottish Nuclear Free Local Authorities have been reassured by a recent
reply from Scottish Government Net Zero Minister Michael Matheson that
Small Modular Reactors are not under consideration at the Grangemouth
refinery complex.
Following media speculation that INEOS was contemplating
co-locating an SMR next to its colossal refinery to power operations, the
Convenor of the Scottish NFLA, Councillor Paul Leinster, wrote to the
minister expressing grave concerns that the combination of a nuclear power
station next to the chemical refinery represents ‘a disaster
waiting-to-happen’.
Covering an area of 1,700 acres and with 2,000 staff,
INEOS’s own website describes Grangemouth as a ‘world-scale
petrochemicals plant’ which produces about 7 million tonnes of fuels, much
of which is used in Scotland, and 1.4 million tonnes of other products per
year. These products are synthetic ethanol, ethylene, propylene,
polyethylene and polypropylene used in the food packaging, construction,
automotive and pharmaceutical industries.
In his letter, Cllr Leinster
described an accident involving an SMR and the INEOS refinery as ‘a
monumental calumny for Scotland against which any Hollywood disaster movie
would pale by comparison’. To the NFLA, ‘it would be madness to partner a
nuclear power plant with Scotland’s biggest explosive chemical factory’.
In his response, dated 12 January, Michael Matheson was quick to reassure the
NFLA that Scottish Ministers ‘remain committed’ to their ‘long-standing
government policy to withhold support for any new nuclear power stations to
be built in Scotland’ and that officials have been advised by INEOS that
‘Small Modular Reactors do not currently form part of their net zero road
map for Grangemouth’.
NFLA 17th Feb 2023
Rolls Royce’s “small” nuclear reactor will occupy 5.3 acres.
The UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities have today received a reply
from Rolls-Royce as to just how big their proposed ‘Small’ Modular
Reactor will be.
During last year’s World Cup, the NFLA’s then Chair,
Councillor David Blackburn, wrote to Tom Samson, Chief Executive Officer at
Rolls-Royce, to point out the general state of confusion amongst nuclear
activists, pro- and anti-, alike, with media reports claiming that an SMR
would occupy a surface area amounting to between ‘one and a half and ten
football pitches’ and asking for clarification.
Now Dan Gould, Head of Communications at Rolls-Royce SMR, has provided a final score – 5.3 acres –
an area ‘incorporating the entirety of the SMR unit’.
NFLA 16th Feb 2023
Russia’s Grip on Nuclear-Power Trade Is Only Getting Stronger.
New data shows exports in the strategic industry jumped more than 20% last year, as
long-term projects boost Russian influence. Russia’s nuclear exports have
surged since the invasion of Ukraine, boosting the Kremlin’s revenue and
cementing its influence over a new generation of global buyers, as the US
and its allies shy away from sanctioning the industry. Exclusive trade data
compiled by the UK’s Royal United Services Institute show that Russian
nuclear fuel and technology sales abroad rose more than 20% in 2022.
Bloomberg 14th Feb 2023
“No regrets” as UK government portrays nuclear power as “clean” and “green”
Nuclear power to get ‘green’ status as Britain races EU to hit net
zero. Move is part of a bid to unlock billions of pounds of funding for
more power stations. Nuclear power projects such as Sizewell C in Suffolk
will be granted so-called “green” status under plans by Jeremy Hunt to
unlock billions of pounds in funding for the industry. The Chancellor is
expected to announce the change within weeks as part of a broader shake-up
of the UK’s financial rules on green energy.
It would see nuclear power
projects classed as “green” or “sustainable” investments, clearing
the way for more institutional investors and environment-focused funds to
back them. There are also hopes that the Treasury could fund new power
plants with money raised through the Government’s green gilts and green
savings bonds. Generating nuclear power does not produce carbon dioxide, [ if you ignore the total nuclear fuel chain] so the sector is seen as a key plank of Britain’s plans to reach net zero
emissions by 2050.
A recent review by former energy minister and Tory MP
Chris Skidmore said that supporting the construction of more nuclear
reactors was a “no regrets” option. However, the sector has faced
difficulties portraying itself as environmentally friendly in the past
because of concerns about nuclear waste, water usage, and the remote but
catastrophic risk of nuclear accidents. Top fund managers such as Legal &
General and Aviva have previously expressed caution about the green
credentials of nuclear, with Aviva chairman George Culmer last year saying
there was an “ongoing debate”.
Telegraph 14th Feb 2023
Scotland’s campaign groups call on government to reject plans for nuclear power at new Green Freeports.
NORTH campaigners have called on the Scottish Government to reject plans
to build nuclear plants at the country’s two new Green Freeports.
John O’Groat Journal 14th Feb 2023
THE convener of Scotland’s nuclear-free local authorities (NFLAs) has
written to Net Zero Minister Michael Matheson asking him to reject nuclear
power at Scotland’s two new green freeports.
The National 15th Feb 2023
Leak: France wins recognition for nuclear in EU’s green hydrogen rules
By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer | EURACTIV.com. Feb 12, 2023
The European Commission has tabled long-awaited rules defining the circumstances under which hydrogen can be labelled as coming from “renewable” energy sources. Last minute, Paris also won recognition for low-carbon hydrogen produced from nuclear electricity.
……. the European Commission has been working on a set of rules to ensure green hydrogen uses only “additional” sources of renewable electricity.
After more than a year of delay due to intense lobbying from Paris and Berlin, the EU executive finally adopted those rules on Friday evening (10 February), according to documents obtained by EURACTIV.
……….. France scored a major victory.
For months, French politicians have lobbied Brussels to hammer the point that green hydrogen should also come from low-carbon nuclear electricity, not just renewables.
………………………… “this goes in the direction of pro-nuclear countries as well as those hostile to imports,” confirms Mikaa Mered, a lecturer on hydrogen markets, diplomacy and geopolitics at Sciences Po in Paris………………………………………….
The actual texts, seen by EURACTIV, have yet to be officially published in the EU’s register of delegated acts. However, last-minute changes are not expected.
> The main document, called a “delegated act” in EU jargon, is available below and can also be downloaded here. Two other documents are also available: a “delegated regulation” (here) and an annex (here). https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/leak-france-wins-recognition-for-nuclear-in-eus-green-hydrogen-rules/
Signs of madness? —in the rarefied air of the British Parliament, Westinghouse spouts nuclear lies, without being challenged
Rarified (hot) air in halls of power is filled with propaganda
Fortunately, the gallery was under a mandatory code of silence, for it was hard not to emit a gasp of incredulity when the Westinghouse executive announced that his company had been “smashing production records” around the world.
Westinghouse has indeed broken some things: the law, and the bank for starters. But production records? He also mentioned that nuclear was “clean, reliable, dependable power” the very things it is not.
Signs of madness? — Beyond Nuclear International
Decisions on nuclear future are guided by myths
By Linda Pentz Gunter 12 Feb 23
Last month I rushed through the august halls of the British parliament in Westminster, on my way to a briefing on small modular reactors for Members of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee.
Running late though I was, it was tempting to slow down and take in all the historic portraits and portals as I hurried down flagstoned hallways, through heavy oak doors and finally into the richly carpeted committee room. But the albeit fleeting impression all of this left was of a world completely isolated from the reality of the daily struggles most of us endure. The rarified air was almost suffocating.
This became even more apparent as, unwillingly gagged, I listened to testimony from executives representing Westinghouse, Bechtel and Rolls Royce. One unsubstantiated sound bite after another tumbled from the mouths of these corporate executives, all serving their rich agenda of vested interests (read shareholders and profits).
But the questions they faced, at least from the Conservative nuclear cheerleaders present, were mainly mild softballs. Give us the soundbite, they urged. What do we need to tell the government to do to make all this happen?
Even Labour MP, Beth Winter, while challenging them on the obvious detriments of small modular, or any, reactors — time and cost — given, as she pointed out, climate change is very much here now, politely did not expose their utter hypocrisy. It was, after all, not a room in which arguing was on the agenda.
The Rolls Royce response was to trot out the “we need to do everything” mantra, which is what nuclear companies have to say in order for their technology to stand any chance at all. In reality, it is clear that choosing nuclear cancels out renewables. Meanwhile, Rolls Royce has pocketed — and presumably invested — £250 million (around $302 million US) with which it has done precisely nothing. But that’s the government’s fault, the company says. We just need to get in a room and get things done.
Fortunately, the gallery was under a mandatory code of silence, for it was hard not to emit a gasp of incredulity when the Westinghouse executive announced that his company had been “smashing production records” around the world.
Westinghouse has indeed broken some things: the law, and the bank for starters. But production records? He also mentioned that nuclear was “clean, reliable, dependable power” the very things it is not.
All of this was both a reminder of, and an eye-opener to, exactly the kind of false propaganda our elected officials are continuously exposed to, and swallow whole-heartedly. This is who they listen to: the corporate elite, in the United States bearing gifts as well, often in the form of generous campaign contributions. The politicians bought literally and figuratively by the major corporations, including nuclear power companies, dwell in an echo chamber filled with hot air. It’s not reality.
What was happening in that room in Westminster was also utterly pointless. Sitting there listening to 90 minutes of valuable time squandered in the stubborn pursuit of learning something more about a completely futile technology that has zero applicability to the climate or the immediate jobs crisis, it struck me that this was yet another symptom of humanity’s general malaise.
Or is it something worse than that? Being hell bent on wasting time and money talking about something entirely irrelevant no matter what the empirical evidence that should dismiss the continued use of nuclear power out of hand, must surely be a sign of some kind of madness?…………………………………….more https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2023/02/12/signs-of-madness/
1 This Month
of the week– Nuclear Reactor Information Task Force
14 May – online event From Bombs to Data Centres: the Face of Nuclear Colonialism
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
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