Dave Toke’s Blog 27th May 2017 It’s now the middle of 2017 and still, after 12 years of trying to build the French European Pressurised Reactor, there is still no model in operation. Even in China, which has, according to some of its domestic critics, let us say a more relaxed attitude to safety requirements compared to western agencies, the EPR at Taishan is still not generating electricity.
It was 16 months ago that the constructors announced that ‘cold start’ tests had been successful and that the whole of the plant (including two sets) would be fully functional this year (2017). Now they say that this will not happen, although one set ‘will’ be running sometime in the second half of this year. But then the plant, which begun construction in 2009, was supposed to be finished in 2013. This failure does present the question of how it is that other nuclear plant built in
China have not been subject to this much delay.
How can we explain this? The obvious reason is that the EPR is a turkey that is widely regarded as bordering on, if not actually, ‘unconstructable’. The difference with other nuclear plant built in China may simply be that the EPR was designed to suit western safety standards.
It’s an easy guess to say what this means for Chinese plans to build nuclear power plant in the UK! In France
construction at the EPR at Flamanville began in 2007 and completion by 2019 seems possible but uncertain. The other EPR at Olkiluoto started in 2005 and is about, so they say. to undergo ‘cold tests’. On the basis of what has happened in Taishan this doesn’t mean that it is about the generate electricity, though. http://realfeed-intariffs.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/more-delays-in-epr-signals-more.html
May 31, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
business and costs, China, France |
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French nuclear regulator delays Flamanville ruling to autumn
ASN again delays ruling on safety of Flamanville reactor
* Postpones ruling to “autumn” from “end of summer”
* Will issue provisional ruling in July, then seek input (Adds new ASN statement)
Reuters, By Geert De Clercq PARIS, May 30 French nuclear regulator ASN said on Tuesday it will “probably” issue a final ruling in the autumn on whether the reactor that utility EDF is building in Flamanville is safe for use, in the latest delay in the process.
The ASN said in 2015 it had discovered excessive carbon concentrations in the cover and bottom of the Flamanville reactor vessel, which can weaken the mechanical resilience of the steel and its ability to resist the spreading of cracks.
Since then, Areva, which designed the EPR reactor, EDF and the ASN have been testing whether weak spots could jeopardise the safety of the reactor.
The regulator’s green light about the reactor vessel is crucial for EDF and Areva, as European Union antitrust authorities have made it a precondition for their approval of EDF’s planned takeover of Areva’s reactor unit.
The ASN has repeatedly postponed deadlines for ruling on the safety of reactor vessel.
And in what will be another delay, an ASN spokesman said in an email that the regulator now expected a “firm position probably in (the) autumn”……
Earlier on Tuesday, the ASN said it expected to receive technical reports about the reactor vessel by the end of next month. It will analyse these and then draft a provisional ruling on Flamanville, which will be made public in early to mid-July. It will then invite feedback on this ruling from the public, civil society, local authorities and the companies involved.
With the Flamanville reactor vessel welded in place in 2013 and covered by thousands of tonnes of concrete since then, taking out the vessel would delay the reactor startup by several years and cost billions of euros.
EDF has repeatedly said it is confident the ASN will find the vessel fit for operation……
The Flamanville reactor is years behind schedule and billions over budget, but EDF CEO Jean-Bernard Levy said this month EDF plans to load fuel in the reactor before end-2018. Construction in Flamanville started in 2007 and the plant was supposed to go online in 2012, but EDF has announced new delays and cost overruns every few years. The company said in 2015 the reactor would cost 10.5 billion euros ($12 billion), up from an initial budget of 3 billion. ($1 = 0.8948 euros) (Editing by Mark Potter/Alexander Smith) http://www.reuters.com/article/edf-flamanville-asn-idUSL8N1IW4N6
May 31, 2017
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France, safety |
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The other Brexit has been forgotten: leaving Europe’s nuclear community is just as fraught with fissile hazard Telegraph 29th May 2017
The other Brexit has been forgotten. This parallel drama faces an equally dramatic cliff-edge in less than two years. It too is fraught with fissile hazard.
We are told almost nothing. The Conservative Party Manifesto does not mention Britain’s exit from European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), which must automatically take place in conjunction with Brexit.
There is no outline of how the UK will seek to replace this arrangement, or what the emergency plan might be if we crash out of the system with no treaty access to nuclear fuel, services, and research.In such circumstances, Britain will cease to come under the international safeguards regime that makes nuclear business possible. It will struggle to acquire the isotopes used in medical radiation.
In a political sense this sounds implausible. In strict legal terms the UK will have the status of a pariah state under nuclear sanctions until the technicalities are sorted out.
If Britain has not locked in an alternative treaty structure or transition accord by March 2019, it will be cut adrift from the global
nuclear industry. Nobody will be allowed to deal with us. The House Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee muddied the waters in a report earlier this month by suggesting that Downing Street is needlessly pulling out for ideological reasons, in order to escape the jurisdiction of the European Court (ECJ).
It cited testimony from Manchester University professor Grace Burke – an expert on nuclear materials – stating that leaving Euratom is “ill-informed, irresponsible and unnecessary”. The report said the Government had “failed to consider the potentially disastrous ramifications of its Brexit objectives for the nuclear industry. Ministers must act as urgently as possible. The repercussions of failing to do so are huge.”
This is a misunderstanding, typical of all discussions over Brexit. The European Commission’s legal services have concluded that Britain must leave Euratom under the Article 50 process.
Leaked Brexit documents from Brussels state that the EU will wash its hands of all responsibility for the radioactive waste imported from Germany and other EU states that is stored at Sellafield on Euratom’s behalf. This makes our problem yet bigger. The fissile material has a radioactive half-life of tens of thousands of years. It is treated as a liability on Government books. ……
….The Government announced an “ambitious” £250m competition in 2015 to identify the SMR reactors offering best value, but the scheme has stalled. “Every deadline has been missed,” said Dr Scott.
May 31, 2017
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First Minister ‘100% committed to new Wylfa nuclear plant’ Carwyn Jones made comments despite Labour’s Shadow Chancellor promising to ‘bring an end’ to nuclear power and weapons if Labour win Daily Post BY GARETH WYN-WILLIAMS, 30 May 17, The First Minister has reiterated his “100%” backing for a new nuclear plant
on Anglesey, a stance shared will all but one of the candidates hoping to become the island’s next MP.
This comes despite a recent vow from Labour’s Shadow Chancellor to “bring an end” to nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the first 100 days of a Labour government…..
This backing is shared with three other of the island’s five parliamentary candidates, with only the Liberal Democrat candidate Dr Sarah Jackson saying she’d prefer to explore more renewable energy options…….
Liberal Democrat, Dr Sarah Jackson, would prefer further research into renewable sources.
“I recognise the potential benefits of Wylfa Newydd to the island’s economy, but my preference would be to look at investment into renewable sources of energy. Instead of investing in technology that is becoming obsolete, it is far better for Ynys Môn to invest in the future.
“There are now exciting and innovative alternatives. Let’s invest in a cleaner, greener future.”http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/first-minister-100-committed-new-13097549
May 31, 2017
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La Manche Libre 26th May 2017, two associations filed an appeal to the Council of State for excess of power in the file of the EPR Flamanville (Manche). On Thursday, March 23, 2017, the State had authorized the construction site of the Flamanville EPR for three years more than the initial period of 10 years.
A decision today challenged by two associations, the Crilan (Committee for Reflection, Information and Anti-Nuclear Struggle) and Our Affair to All. On Tuesday, May 23, 2017, they appealed to the Conseil d’Etat for an abuse of power. The application relies on two points of the law of 13 June 2006 on transparency and security in nuclear matters: The fact that the law imposes a time limit for such a project and that it has not been respected. “There are no regulations that allow the state to change the duration of a decree,” advocates the lawyer of Caen Gervais Doutressoulle.
According to him, a new decree should have been taken, but this would have led to a new public consultation. The law also states that, in the event of a “significant” or”substantial” change, the authorization decree then lapses. A new text is needed. The recourse lists nine sets of modifications in relation to the project presented initially. He cites, for example, the composition of the tank, whose fate is expected to be known this summer, the cost spent from 2.8 billion euros to more than 10 billion euros, or the choice of fuel.
The Council of State must now determine when it will consider this appeal. “If he has an important file, it is this one”, judge Gervais Doutressoulle who considers the reasonable time between three and six months. In early 2016, a similar appeal was filed. It has not yet been examined. http://www.lamanchelibre.fr/amp-328703-manche-il-deposent-un-recours-devant-le-conseil-d-etat-contre-l-epr-de-flamanville.html
May 29, 2017
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France, Legal |
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STV 24th May 2017 British armed forces are guarding 12 sites in Scotland following the increased terrorism threat, the First Minister has announced. The deployment comes as part of the first phase of Operation Temperer, which is
being rolled out across the country by the UK Government.
The operation was called after the independent Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre raised the nation’s threat level to “critical”, meaning a terror attack can be expected imminently. Soldiers have replaced armed officers from the
Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) police force and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary across the UK. The three civil nuclear sites now under guard from members of the armed forces are Dounreay, Hunterston and Torness.
https://stv.tv/news/politics/1389463-army-guarding-scottish-sites-after-manchester-bombing/
May 27, 2017
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Decommissioning continues as normal at Dounreay under heightened response rate, John O’Groat Journal, 26 May 17, DOUNREAY said decommissioning work is continuing as normal as the UK terror threat level has been raised to critical.
Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Tuesday night the threat level was raised from severe to critical, the highest possible level after the Manchester Arena bombing on Monday night.
Critical level means an attack is expected imminently in the UK.
A spokeswoman at Dounreay has announced the site is operating at a heightened response rate but work continues as normal.
She said: “Security at Dounreay and other sites owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is kept under continuous review.
“The site is continuing to operate at a “heightened” response state and decommissioning work is continuing as normal….http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/Decommissioning-continues-as-normal-at-Dounreay-under-heightened-response-rate-24052017.htm
May 27, 2017
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Solar power reaches a record high as it surges past nuclear and coal http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/05/26/solar-power-reaches-record-high-surges-past-nuclear-coal/ Jillian Ambrose 26 MAY 2017 The bank holiday heatwave has started with a new record for solar power generation which blazed to a quarter of the electricity mix on Friday afternoon.
The nation’s solar panels scorched the previous record set last month by generating 8.7GW of power, more than nuclear and coal power combined.
Solar power was the second most used generating technology behind gas-fired power and made up around 25pc of the UK’s electricity, its highest ever share of the market on a working week day.The UK now has just over 12GW of solar power in place, the same production capacity as eight new-generation nuclear reactors.
Paul Barwell, the chief executive of the solar trade association, said: “This is a colossal achievement in just 5 years, and sends a very positive message to the UK that solar has a strong place in the decarbonisation of the UK energy sector.”
The boom in solar panels in recent years, fuelled by subsidies, has far exceeded expectations. The panels feed the power they produce directly into homes or the local electricity grid, cutting demand on the national system to what is expected to be a record low this year.
National Grid said the renewable generation boom poses
a challenge to its role balancing supply and demand on the national transmission network second by second.
Duncan Burt, who is responsible for National Grid’s control room said the ability to forecast weather patterns is becoming more significant.“We have an expert team of forecasters who monitor a range of data, to forecast just how much electricity will be needed over a set period,” he said.
“We have planned for these changes to the energy landscape and have the tools available to ensure we can balance supply and demand. It really is the beginning of a new era, which we are prepared for and excited to play our part,” he said.The Government closed off funding for solar projects through its Renewables Obligation scheme in April 2015, allowing a modest grace period for some developers to roll out new sites until April last year. This helped the boom to continue ahead of last summer, but new projects are expected to hit a lull for the next year or two.
Jamie Stewart, a senior power expert at market data provider Icis, said the ebb will give way to a renewed surge in new solar projects because plummeting costs mean it will no longer need Government handouts.
“When this grid parity is reached, the UK can expect to see a lot more solar power put in place up and down the country,” he said.
Abid Kazim, managing director of NextEnergy Capital, said on Thursday at an industry event that he plans to invest in subsidy free solar because the cost of the technology is “collapsing”.
“In energy price terms, solar is low-cost and mostly produces cheap electricity during peak demand hours from 07:00-19:00. This means at peak times it keeps down wholesale power prices, which make up around 45pc of a household bill,” Mr Stewart said.
May 27, 2017
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The French experiment – and the shift from nuclear to renewables, REneweconomy, By Craig Morris on 26 May 2017 Energy Transition
France’s new President Emmanuel Macron has appointed his cabinet – to great acclaim. The direction of the country’s energy transition remains unclear, however. ……..
The appointment that has drawn the most attention seems to be the new Minister of Ecology and Solidarity – the new name for the old Ministry of Energy and the Environment headed by Ségolène Royal. The new focus indicates that social issues will be a priority when decisions about the energy transition are made.
The man who will direct the new ministry is Nicolas Hulot, who made a name for himself decades ago with a TV series on the environment …….
It will be interesting to see what “solidarity” means in the energy transition. For instance, concerning the closing of Fessenheim, France’s oldest nuclear plant, Hulot is quoted: “We cannot impose a transition by force. The transition has to be done in an acceptable manner.” This approach is similar to the way Germany is handling its coal phaseout: slowly in order not to detrimentally impact coal communities…..
It thus seems likely that an approach will be taken to pursue an energy transition towards renewables and away from nuclear, but possibly not at the speed that Hollande’s law specified. The slowdown would then be justified with solidarity. If so, this approach seems logical. As I have been saying for years, France has put most of its eggs in the nuclear basket and can hardly afford to shut very many reactors.
It’s not just communities with reactors that will be affected by a nuclear phaseout. Rather, last November EDF – the utility than runs all French reactors – bought up the effectively bankrupt Areva, the firm that built them. Both companies are largely state-owned. In January, the EU approved France’s plans to inject a whopping 4.5 billion euros in Areva to keep it afloat.
Whatever compromises he is forced to make, Hulot will easily bring more expertise to the table than the French have become accustomed to….. http://reneweconomy.com.au/french-experiment-shift-nuclear-renewables-75521/
May 27, 2017
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Sobotka and Fico: Czechs and Slovaks committed to nuclear energy, By Adéla Denková | EURACTIV.cz, May 26, 2017, The Czech Republic and Slovakia see nuclear power as key to their future energy mix. But new reactors needed in both states, however, face financing problems due to the low price of electricity.
Slovakia will always strive for the further development of nuclear energy, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in Prague at the plenary meeting of European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) on Tuesday (23 May).
“Our government will never abandon this policy and will always fight for the right to choose the way for the production of energy in the future,” he stressed.
His Czech counterpart, Bohuslav Sobotka, also said nuclear energy is the right option for the energy mix of his country and that “there is no other way”………
One new nuclear reactor is planned for the power plant in Dukovany, where the current reactors will be shut down by 2037. Sobotka said that documentation for an environmental impact assessment is being prepared, and the final statement could be published next year.
The current reactors powering both Czech nuclear plants – the aforementioned Dukovany and Temelín – are examples of Russian VVER technology, but the premier said that all available technologies are being compared when it comes to the planned construction.
In Slovakia, 55% of the electricity is produced by nuclear plants, which means that globally it is one of the countries with the highest share of nuclear in its energy mix.
Two new reactors are being finalised at the plant in Mochovce, and one new reactor is planned for construction in Jaslovské Bohunice.
According to Slovak Minister of Energy Peter Žiga, the project is technically prepared, but current economic conditions are not favourable. “We are waiting for better times, when the prices of electricity at the wholesale market will be a bit higher,” he said.
Nuclear energy struggles with the economy all over Europe, Martin Sedlák, the director of Czech Alliance for energy self-sufficiency said in a debate organized by EURACTIV Czech Republic and its media partner, Aktuálně.cz.
“The assumption of nuclear renaissance connected with the reactors of III+ generation has not materialized. Nuclear companies promised that the investment costs of nuclear reactors will fall rapidly. But if we look to Finland, France or the US, we can see that the construction becomes complicated. This has also consequences for new projects like Hinkley Point C in the United Kingdom which requires high subsidies,” Sedlák said.
The model for financing the new reactor in Dukovany, worth around €4 billion, is still unclear, and Prime Minister Sobotka has said in the past that there is no will to offer any kind of price guarantees……https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/sobotka-and-fico-czechs-and-slovaks-committed-to-nuclear-energy/
May 27, 2017
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EUROPE, politics |
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Philippines, Russia forge nuclear cooperation deal, ABS-CBN News, May 26 2017 MANILA – The Philippines and Russia have agreed to develop cooperation on nuclear energy under an agreement signed in Moscow, Russia’s state nuclear agency said Friday.
Under the memorandum of cooperation, the two nations will pursue the “development of the nuclear infrastructure” in the Philippines, including personnel training and securing public acceptance of nuclear power, Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corp said in a statement……Duterte has approved a study on the feasibility of nuclear power to augment the country’s electricity supply.
The Philippines has a nuclear power plant in Bataan, which has never been used.http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/26/17/philippines-russia-forge-nuclear-cooperation-deal
May 27, 2017
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Russia, Philippines forge Defense Cooperation Agreement, UPDATE PH, May 26, 2017 Caleb Velasquez The defense cooperation will expand exchanges in terms of training, seminars and best practices between the two countries, with the end to develop relations in the field of military education, including military medicine, military history, sports, and culture as well as experiences in consultation, observer participation in military training exercises, and military port calls…..
Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines and the State Atomic Energy Corporation, otherwise known as ROSATOM on Cooperation on the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes was also forged. https://www.update.ph/2017/05/russia-philippines-forge-defense-cooperation-agreement/17735
May 27, 2017
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Corbyn declines to back Trident but says he ‘respects’ Labour’s commitment to nuclear deterrent, CHRIS BAYNES , 26 May 17,
Britain’s nuclear weapons will form part of the defence review Labour has promised if it wins power in the June 8 General Election, Jeremy Corbyn has said.The Labour leader declined seven times in a BBC interview with Andrew Neil to say he personally supported the renewal of the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent, replying only that it was party policy.
In the half-hour grilling, Mr Corbyn also defended a speech earlier on Friday in which he linked Britain’s involvement in military engagements in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria with terrorism in the UK.
And promised to be a “committed” member of Nato as prime minister and said he would not talk to the Islamic State terror group.
Mr Corbyn last year voted against the renewal of Trident, despite Labour’s official policy to maintain the weapon system.
Asked repeatedly whether he supported keeping the nuclear deterrent, he said: “I voted against the renewal. Everybody knows that because I wanted to go in a different direction. That is the decision that’s been taken; I respect that decision going ahead.”We’re going ahead with the programme which has been agreed by Parliament and voted on by the Labour Party.”……http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/corbyn-declines-back-trident-respects-labours-commitment-nuclear-deterrent-a3550191.html
May 27, 2017
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Utility Week 26th May 2017, Renewable energy could produce three quarters of the UK’s electricity by 2030 without compromising reliability, Friends of the Earth has claimed. In a report published today (26 May), entitled Switching on; how renewables will power the UK, the environmental group predicts that with falling energy costs and advances in storage technology, renewables could provide 75 per cent of the country’s power by that date.
The report predicts 65 per cent of the UK’s power will come from intermittent sources by 2030, and a further 10 per cent will come from less variable sources, like tidal, hydro and geothermal. And as it points out, the UK has gone from 7 per cent renewable electricity to 25 per cent in six years, without causing blackouts. http://utilityweek.co.uk/news/Friends-of-the-Earth-aims-for-75-per-cent-renewables-by-2030/1303782
May 27, 2017
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Military replaces nuclear police at Sizewell in Operation Temperer response to Manchester terrorist bombing East Anglian Daily Times , 24 May 2017
Armed soldiers are at Sizewell nuclear power stations in Suffolk as part of the security response to Monday’s terrorist bombing in Manchester. The military presence is part of the Government’s Operation Temperer providing up to 3,800 troops to support police in their security operations, following the attack at Manchester Arena, which left 22 people dead.
A spokesman for EDF Energy, which operates Sizewell, moved to reassure people that the threat level was unchanged on site, where there is always an armed presence. The soldiers are replacing armed officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), who had been redeployed as part of Operation Temperer.
The CNC said it had provided a number authorised firearms officers to support colleagues in Home Office forces.
“Our civil nuclear sites remain fully protected and the CNC will continue to carry out their core role of protecting nuclear sites and materials, while also being part of the strategic reserve supporting communities across the country,” a spokesman added.
Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Tuesday the terrorism threat was “critical” – the highest alert level – meaning an attack may be imminent. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said 984 military personnel were being deployed in support of the police……http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/armed-soldiers-at-sizewell-as-part-of-operation-temperer-response-to-manchester-terrorist-bombing-1-5033142
May 26, 2017
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safety, UK |
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