France’s far-right Marine Le Pen has pro nuclear, anti-renewables policy for the coming election.
Le Pen’s climate programme: pro-nuclear and pro-hydrogen, but anti-wind
By Nelly Moussu | EURACTIV France | translated by Daniel Eck, 27 Jan 22,
Three months before the French presidential election, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National presented its ‘economically viable’ climate policy project, which aims to be pro-nuclear and pro-hydrogen, but anti-wind. EURACTIV France reports.
Le Pen’s spokesperson, MEP Nicolas Bay, presented Le Pen’s climate and energy programme on Tuesday (25 January), insisting on the idea of “a model that is authentically ecological but economically viable”………….
Building six EPR reactors
On nuclear power, Le Pen plans to build six new European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) and increase the life span of existing plants. EPR is a third-generation pressurised water reactor design…………. https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/le-pens-climate-programme-pro-nuclear-and-pro-hydrogen-but-anti-wind/
Sizewell C nuclear project- subsidised construction, subsidised power generation, subsidised waste management, subsidised company.
Commenting on the Business and Energy Secretary announcing £100 million
to support the continued development of the Sizewell C nuclear plant,
Greenpeace UK’s policy director Dr Doug Parr said: “This cash injection
is a tacit admission by the government that nuclear is not commercially
viable, but they are so fixated on getting 20th-century nuclear technology
delivered they’ll just keep throwing taxpayers’ money at it. Including all
the other subsidy sources,
Sizewell C will now have subsidised development,
subsidised construction, subsidised power production and subsidised waste
management, for a project by a subsidised company. The economics of this
project are all over the place, with UK taxpayers left to pick up the tab.
Instead of pursuing outdated, costly technologies, it’s time the
government got a grip on the clean technology race going on globally and
went for 100% renewables power as fast as possible.”
Greenpeace 27th Jan 2022 https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/press-centre/
Full scale war in Ukraine? With its 15 nuclear reactors – no more Ukraine, no more Europe
Ukraine diplomat sees little chance of war ‘in country with 15 nuclear reactors’ https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/ukraine-diplomat-sees-little-chance-of-war-in-country-with-15-nuclear-reactors/
EURACTIV.com with Reuters, 26 Jan 22, Ukraine is committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to the current tension with Russia, its ambassador to Japan, Sergiy Korsunsky, said on Wednesday (26 January), adding that he saw little chance of all-out war, although there might be smaller conflicts.
nuclear reactors would bring about a devastating regional impact on Europe.
“I believe that full-scale war is very, very, very difficult to expect, but we may see more localised conflict,” Korsunsky told a news conference in the Japanese capital Tokyo.
If war is going to happen, that will be the first ever in the history of mankind, war against a country which has on its territory 15 nuclear reactors, which has 30,000 km of gas and oil pipelines, full with gas and oil,” said Korsunsky.
“If all these infrastructure is destroyed, there is no more Ukraine. But this is just one consequence. There is no more central Europe and probably western Europe would be affected, too.”
An accident at the Chernobyl reactor, located in what is now Ukraine, spewed tonnes of nuclear waste into the atmosphere in 1986, spreading radioactivity across swathes of the continent and causing a spike in cancers in the more immediate region.
Russia’s Ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, said on Wednesday that Russia did not plan to invade Ukraine.
We don’t intend to invade at all,” Pavlovsky told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.
“Our troops on the border…These troops are not a threat, they are a warning. A warning to Ukraine’s rulers not to attempt any reckless military adventure,” he said.
As to the sanctions, I think that by now everybody should understand that it is not the language which should be used when talking to Russia. The sanctions just don’t work.”
Nuclear not competitive’ and too late for energy transition: Enel Green Power CEO.
Nuclear not competitive’ and too late for energy transition: Enel Green Power CEO, Italian renewables giant ‘obviously’ won’t invest in nuclear due to long construction times and high costs, Salvatore Bernabei says https://www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/nuclear-not-competitive-and-too-late-for-energy-transition-enel-green-power-ceo/2-1-1155407 By Bernd Radowitz 26 Jan 22,
Enel Green Power has no intention to invest in nuclear power despite the European Commission’s plan to label the technology as sustainable, the Italian renewables supermajor’s chief executive Salvatore Bernabei said.
Construction times of conventional nuclear power plants are far too long in relation to the need to get the energy transition done within the next 20 to 30 years, the CEO explained.
“If you think about the current technology and the current timing of development and construction of nuclear plants, it is much bigger than 10 years (from the moment) you take the initial investment decision,” Bernabei said at a press briefing.
You have the permitting, then you have the construction,” he said, adding that all projects currently being built have exceeded their planned construction time, and their completion takes “two to three times more than initially expected.”
“They are (also) out of budget. So, saying that nuclear could help in the transition with the current technology – I leave you to (make) the conclusion.”
His comments came after the EU Commission had proposed to include nuclear power and fossil gas under certain circumstances in its taxonomy that labels energy projects as sustainable and thus facilitates financing. The taxonomy proposal enjoys the backing by France, Finland and several Eastern European EU states that want to build or expand atomic power, but the inclusion of nuclear has been strongly opposed by Germany, Austria, Spain and Luxembourg.
Despite its stated wish to build new nuclear reactors and revamp existing ones to extend their operational life, France has suffered severe setbacks during the construction of the Flamanville 3 reactor, one of the few nuclear plants being built in Europe. The country this winter also had to switch off a series of atomic power stations, forcing it to import large volumes of electricity from neighbouring countries.
French state-owned utility EDF earlier this month has said the plant of the novel European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) type at Flamanville will cost another €300m more than forecast and fuel loading is being pushed back by up to six month, the Reuters news agency had reported. The 1.65GW reactor according to French media will then have cost French taxpayers a record €19.1bn ($21.5bn) instead of the €3.4bn originally budgeted, and have taken 15 years to build, ten years longer than originally planned.
Similar construction time and cost overruns have been experienced in Finland, where operator Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) has recently started to commission the Olkiluoto 3 reactor, also an EPR reactor.
Germany’s government last weekend issued a statement rejecting the inclusion of nuclear power into the EU’s taxonomy.
“It is risky and expensive. New reactor concepts such as mini-reactors also entail similar problems and cannot be classified as sustainable,” economics and climate minister Robert Habeck and environment minister Steffi Lemke said in a joint reaction.
It is clear to everyone that the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of nuclear is much bigger than €100 per megawatt hour, Bernabei agreed.
Small nuclear reactors (SMRs), which by some investors such as Bill Gates are touted to be a quick solution helping the energy transition, and supposedly are safer, may not be such a quick fix either, the EGP CEO pointed out.
“Then you talk of the next generation (of nuclear power). But in the next generation, you have this word ‘next’, (which) has to be defined yet. We are speaking about something that could be ready in 2040 – perhaps,” Bernabei said.
The first SMR reactor is slated to be built in China by 2026, “and they are the first mover,” the CEO added.
“So, whatever the taxonomy would say, the question will be ‘is there anyone available to invest in a technology that would need more than 10 years to become a reality? And perhaps when it becomes reality, the market has completely changed its dynamic with a cost that today is not competitive.”
“As Enel we don’t intend to invest in nuclear obviously.”
Italy after a referendum following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster had switched off nuclear power in the by 1990, but the far right Lega party of Matteo Salvini lobbies for it renaissance.
“Ireland must take firm stance against greenwashing of EU Taxonomy” – Member of European Parliament
“Ireland must take firm stance against greenwashing of EU Taxonomy” –
Chris MacManus MEP. “The inclusion of gas and nuclear energy in the
Sustainable Finance Taxonomy would amount to greenwashing and must be
firmly opposed by the Irish government and MEPs,” said Chris MacManus,
MEP for the Midlands Northwest. “There is a very narrow political window
in which to reject this greenwashing attempt, and Ireland needs to be clear
and vocal in its opposition to the Commission’s proposal.”
Sinn Fein 25th Jan 2022
Europe must get serious about energy conservation
Europe must get serious about renovating homes to ease energy crisis. Over
40% of EU gas Import Is used to heat buildings, and one-third of European
homes use gas to heat. Reducing energy demand and accelerating the use of
renewable energy through more insulated homes will help put Europe’s
energy dependence on a new foundation.
Brussels has already promised a “wave of innovation” as part of the EU Green Deal. Now is the time for
member states to start this in earnest. Shortly before the end of last
year, the European Commission proposed a new law to renovate the most
energy-hungry buildings prior to yet another EU summit discussing the
energy price crisis.
Approximately €18 trillion is available, including
€670 billion from the Recovery Fund, one-third of which is allocated to
climate change measures. Research Showing that people want to live in
energy-efficient homes, they expect the government to accelerate the
transition to more environmentally friendly buildings. We need to align
this political will and the desires of the people with the vision of
reliable financing of the warm and affordable homes we want to live in and
the laws and policies to make it happen.
FT 25th Jan 2022
https://www.ft.com/content/a0dab19e-1b76-49fa-90aa-4973c7ba7341
Russia’s nuclear powered container ship is sailing into thick ice.
Russia’s nuclear powered container ship is sailing into thick ice, Barents Observer By
Atle Staalesen, 26 Jan 22,
The “Sevmorput” joins a convoy of vessels that will break its way across the Northern Sea Route. The 260 meter long nuclear-powered vessel early this week sailed thought the Bering Strait and into the Chukchi Sea. A thick layer of sea-ice covers the remote waters that mark the eastern end of the Northern Sea Route.
It is a rough voyage, even for a ship that is designed for sailing in up to a meter thick ice. After this winter’s early freeze, there is now a solid layer of fast ice along Russia’s Arctic coasts, and the waters of the East Siberian, Laptev and Kara Seas have up to 2 meter thick sea-ice……….
The Sevmorput is escorted by nuclear-powered icebreaker Yamal. In the convoy is also heavy loads carrier Audax, as well as conventional icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn.
Both the Sevmorput and Audax have Murmansk as their destination.
Also nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika might ultimately join the convoy. The new Russian icebreaker in late January completed its escort of cargo ship Lev Yashin, and will soon turn back to the Chukchi Sea.
Consequently, there might in only few days be three nuclear-powered vessels at the same time in the east Arctic waters……………..
Increased mutations in animals affected by Chernobyl radiation
New insights into the effects of radiation from Chernobyl
by University of Stirling Phys Org. 26 Jan 22, Researchers at the University of Stirling have found that animals in lakes closest to the Chernobyl nuclear reactor have more genetic mutations than those from further away, giving new insight into the effect of radiation on wild species.
DNA analysis of freshwater crustaceans, called Daphnia, revealed greater genetic diversity in lake populations that experienced the highest radiation dose rates following the accident in 1986. Radiation is the primary cause of these genetic mutations, according to Dr. Stuart Auld, who led the research.
Dr. Auld, of Stirling’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, said: “Chernobyl is a natural experiment in evolution, because the rate of genetic mutation is higher, and all evolutionary change is fuelled by mutations.
“Normally you have to wait for generations to see the effect of the environment on mutations, and most mutant animals are pretty damaged so don’t live long. By sequencing non-coding DNA—bits of genetic code that don’t actually affect the form or function of the organism—we were able to uncover these mutations………..
The paper, “Radiation-mediated supply of genetic variation outweighs the effects of selection and drift in Chernobyl Daphnia populations,” is published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology. https://phys.org/news/2022-01-insights-effects-chernobyl.html
Local MP has vision for a non-nuclear future for Hunterston
LOCAL MP Patricia Gibson has spoken of her vision for a non-nuclear future
for Hunterston. The Westminster politician has thrown her weight behind a
call to develop a green energy plan for the site. She said: “The closure of
Hunterston B is the end of an era for North Ayrshire, regardless of
anyone’s views on nuclear power. “Jobs have been lost, with many more to
follow over the next eight years as the plant defuels and is then
decommissioned. “A plan to transition to new green energy generation at
this prime location must now be taken forward with a renewed sense of
urgency.
Largs & Millport News 24th Jan 2022
Striking workers reduced France’s nuclear power generation by 2.2gigawatts (GW)
Striking workers reduced France’s nuclear power generation by 2.2
gigawatts (GW) and hydropower by a further 1.3 GW, data from power utility
EDF (EDF.PA) showed early on Wednesday. EDF workers began protests on
Sunday over a government plan to increase the amount of cheap energy EDF
must sell to rivals at under-market prices, and to call for higher pay and
pensions.
Reuters 26th Jan 2022
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/french-power-output-reduced-by-ongoing-strike-2022-01-26/
Debate flares in Amiens over the attempt to include nuclear in the ”green taxonomy”
Hours before the window for lodging objections closes, EU environment and energy ministers meeting in France Friday differed sharply on a European Commission provision that would classify nuclear and natural gas energy as “sustainable”. The controversy pits countries led by France — where nuclear generates a world-leading 70 percent of electricity — against Germany, Austria and others in the 27-nation bloc. Debate over the Commission’s so-called “taxonomy” is not on the agenda of the informal, three-day talks in Amiens, but flared nonetheless. In late December the European Commission unveiled a classification labelling investment in nuclear gas-based energy as sustainable, in order to favour sectors that reduce the greenhouse gas emissions driving global warming. Fin24 22nd Jan 2022 https://www.news24.com/fin24/economy/eu-nations-quarrel-over-whether-nuclear-gas-are-green-20220122 |
Germany’s dramatic departure from the nuclear industry. Other European States follow.
On the last day of 2021, as final preparations were being made for the New
Year’s Eve firework display in central Berlin, outside the German capital
another era was drawing to a close. It was the beginning of the end of
Germany’s decades-long dalliance with nuclear power.
On December 31, Germany shut down three of its six remaining nuclear plants. By the end of
2022, the other three will be shut as well. Two decades after an agreement
to eliminate nuclear power became law, the country’s phaseout has been
dramatic. In 2002, Germany relied on nuclear power for nearly 30 percent of
its electricity. Within a year, that percentage will be zero.
Germany isn’t the only European nation reevaluating its relationship with nuclear
energy. Its neighbor Belgium currently sources nearly 40 percent of its
electricity from nuclear power but has committed to closing down its seven
remaining reactors by 2025.
To the south, Switzerland has already shut down
one of its five remaining nuclear power plants, the first stage in what
will eventually be a total phaseout. Switzerland’s phaseout was decided
in a 2017 referendum, when the majority of the public endorsed an energy
strategy that subsidized renewables and banned new nuclear power plants.
The Swiss referendum was driven by environmental concerns raised in the
wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster, when three reactors melted after a
tsunami overwhelmed the power plant. That disaster, and concerns about the
disposal of nuclear waste, also hastened Germany’s nuclear shutdown.
Shortly afterward, then-chancellor Angela Merkel—who had previously said
she didn’t agree with shutting down nuclear plants early—announced that
Germany would no longer extend the operating life of existing plants.
Ars Technica 23rd Jan 2022
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/01/europe-is-in-the-middle-of-a-messy-nuclear-showdown/
Tight timetable for the Rolls Royce-led conglomeration to ever get their small nuclear reactors built
The reactors themselves will be installed at existing nuclear sites in
Britain. Rolls-Royce has not yet committed to any sites but Wylfa and
Trawsfynydd in north Wales are believed to be under consideration.
The company and its partners, which include Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and
France’s wealthy Perrodo family, expect to decide on where to locate the
factory this year and to start construction soon after.
They face a tight timetable if they are to stay on track to meet their ambition to complete
the first 470MW plant by the early 2030s. Alongside the site selection, the
companies are putting their SMR design through the UK’s rigorous nuclear
regulatory regime, a process that is expected to take up to four years.
Irish Times 23rd Jan 2022
Swedish government to decide on construction of nuclear waste dump.
 |
Why does nobody ever suggest stopping making radioactive trash?
Swedish government to decide construction of spent nuclear fuel repository https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/swedish-government-to-decide-construction-of-spent-nuclear-fuel-repository/
By Charles Szumski | EURACTIV.com 24 Jan 22, The government this week will announce its decision regarding the construction in the northern Uppland region of a repository for nuclear fuel that has been removed after being used in a nuclear reactor.
Environment Minister Annika Strandhäl promised on 20 January that the government would announce its decision this week. Spent nuclear fuel has been a hot topic discussed by Swedish scientists and politicians for the last 35 years.
Anti-radiation pills handed out in case of nuclear emergency at BAE Systems
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Anti-radiation pills handed out in Barrow in case of nuclear emergency at BAE Systems
The Mail. BY Eleanor Ovens @EOvensNews, 24 Jan 22, Reporter NEARLY 13,000 anti-radiation pills have been handed out in Barrow in case of the ‘unlikely event’ of a nuclear emergency.Records reveal that childcare facilities and care homes situated near BAE Systems have received iodine tablets should submarine reactors go into meltdown…….
According to Declassified UK, BAE expects people 400 metres downwind of a submarine would need to take iodine in the ‘first few hours’ of a ‘radiation emergency’……
A spokesman for Cumbria County Council told The Mail BAE Systems have a contract with UKHSA (previously Public Health England) and NHS England to distribute iodine tablets to business and residents in the area around the BAE Systems site in Barrow…………. https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/19865424.anti-radiation-pills-handed-barrow-case-nuclear-emergency-bae-systems/
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