Energydesk 28th May 2017 On the very day Theresa May triggered Article 50, her government quietly issued another bold statement to Brussels. Documents obtained by Energydesk reveal UK government attempts to significantly weaken draft EU climate and energy rules, even as Brexit is underway.
Key renewable energy and energy efficiency targets proposed by the European Commission should be reduced, made non-binding, or even scrapped altogether, the UK said, despite the fact that they would not take effect until after the UK had left the EU.
“This smells of obstructionism,” Jonathan Gaventa, director of environmental think-tank E3G, told Energydesk. “The UK is pissing off countries it needs as allies.” The news comes as the future of the Paris climate agreement hangs in the balance, with the United States refusing to commit to the deal at the G7 meeting.
http://energydesk.greenpeace.org/2017/05/28/brexit-uk-eu-climate-change-energy-efficiency/
Guardian 28th May 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/28/uk-presses-europe-to-dilute-flagship-energy-efficiency-law
May 31, 2017
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climate change, UK |
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FoE 28th May 2017 Election manifestos: the scores are in: There are lots of issues close to our hearts at this election. It’s clear that the next 5 years are going to be crucial for protecting the environment. Overall when we totted up the scores (from 0 to 3) for each policy the Greens came out top, followed quite closely (almost neck and neck) by Lib Dems and Labour, with the
Conservatives some way behind. https://www.foe.co.uk/general-election/election-manifestos-scores-are
May 31, 2017
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politics, UK |
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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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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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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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Britain’s on the brink of a small-scale nuclear reactor revolution, The Register, 24 May 2017 , Marcus Gibson Sure, there are hurdles, but no £18bn hole on the other side like Hinkley Point ……. a cheaper and smaller alternative is emerging if activity from British entrepreneurs and academics is anything to judge by – the small “modular” nuclear reactor, or SMR…….
No nuclear industry programme has yet produced a series of reactors along factory production lines, but a large order for SMRs could change all that.
Tony Roulstone, course director at Cambridge Nuclear Energy Centre, believes a production line operation could fulfil the promise of continuous improvements, of more efficient designs over the years, and the real prize of being manufactured in the UK…….
Dr Jenifer Baxter, lead author of the report, said: “Pushing ahead on the demonstration and commercialisation of SMRs would be a key way for the UK to once again become a world leader in the sector.”
This view was backed by a House of Lords committee that criticised the government’s “failure to deliver on a multimillion-pound competition to develop mini atomic power stations,” which it said “hurt the nuclear sector and risks international companies walking away from the UK.”
SMRs also ensure that the British government can avoid a repetition of the growing fiasco over the cost of Hinkley Point. An expert in engineering capacity and financing energy plants, who spoke to The Reg on condition of anonymity, said Hinkley Point “could cost the UK as much as £81bn if maximum financing costs are included”……
And yet SMRs face daunting development costs, and mind-boggling technical uncertainties. Like all nuclear sites they inevitably involve high costs, the problems of expensive decommissioning, the risk of accidents and waste disposal.
Sceptics include former government adviser professor Gordon MacKerron, who has described SMRs as “a classic case of supply-push technology development – no potential user of SMRs, mostly electric utilities, has expressed any serious interest in them.”…….https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/24/mini_nuclear_reactors_for_british_power/
May 26, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
spinbuster, UK |
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Edie 23rd May 2017 Unilever has revealed that all of its UK manufacturing sites are 100% powered by electricity generated from certified renewable sources. The global consumer goods firm became the dedicated beneficiary of energy sourced from a Scottish Highlands-based wind farm in April.
The 23 turbines located in Lochluichart deliver 165GWh – 87% of the farms total output – of renewable electricity to 15 UK Unilever sites. The excess 24GWh of power generated at the farm are also sold-off under a retail tariff to local communities.
The new deal builds on Unilever’s previous agreement with Eneco in the Netherlands, which has seen a North Sea windfarm generate energy for Unilever since the New Year. Both deals mean Unilever’s UK business now sources 100% of its electricity from certified renewable sources. Across its entire global business, Unilever generates 63% of its
grid energy from renewable sources. https://www.edie.net/news/10/Unilever-goes-100–renewable-across-all-UK-sites/
May 26, 2017
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IB Times 22nd May 2017 In the wake of the “WannaCry” cyberattack which resulted in widespread disruption of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), attention has now turned to other forms of infrastructure.
One security expert has warned Britain’s nuclear weapons are at risk of being targeted. The UK nuclear deterrent, known as Trident, consists of four Vanguard-class submarines which can carry up to 16 ballistic missiles, each armed with up to eight warheads. Most of its computers, however, reportedly run on a legacy variant of the under-supported Windows XP operating system. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/are-britains-nuclear-weapons-systems-vulnerable-mass-cyberattacks-1622811
May 24, 2017
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Coal AND Nuclear … A Honeycomb of Lies in West Cumbria, Coal Action UK March 28, 2017 Is Cumbria Being Frogmarched into Nuclear AND Coal? The plan to reopen the Whitehaven coal mine under the Irish Sea has been rumbling along for a few years with no raised eyebrows. Why are alarm bells not ringing out loud and clear? This nasty plan will go before Cumbria County Council in May (date tbc).
This article has been republished from Radiation Free Lakeland, Love the Land, by Marianne Birkby with her permission.)
Most Gaseous, Dangerous Pit in the Kingdom
These are strange, confusing days. There is all round praise being heaped on the plans to reopen Whitehaven coal mine on Cumbria’s West Coast, the most gaseous, dangerous pit in the Kingdom. In 1815, Sir Humphrey Davy’s invention of the miner’s safety lamp was first tested in Whitehaven Coking Coal Mine because of its reputation for “firedamp” (methane) and fatal explosions. By 1816 the Davey lamp was in full use in collieries around Great Britain. A letter of gratitude was written by Whitehaven Miners to Sir Humphrey Davy in 1816…. many of the miners signing the letter later lost their lives in the mine.
Honeycomb
The West Coast of Cumbria below both ground and sea is a labyrinthine honeycomb of mines. Not only coking coal but iron ore and many other minerals. This vast honeycomb of mines stretches to Sellafield. One of the earliest records of coal mining in West Cumberland dates to 1560, the last pit, the Haig, closed in 1986. There are old mine maps but these are far, far from complete. Understandably so, given the length of time that this area has been extensively mined. Many of the miners are still there in the dangerous honeycomb. Entombed in the same collapsed and sea inundated mine pits that the West Cumbria Mining Company wants to reopen.
Infamous Copeland By Election
In the recent infamous Copeland by election the candidates without exception declared themselves to be “big fans” of reopening the West Cumbria Coal Mine. They did this in true Alice in Wonderland style, expressing concerns about climate change while praising the plan to reopen the coal mine. For many years UK citizens have been subjected to a constant bombardment of disingenuous propaganda: ‘nuclear power is the answer to climate change and coal is far worse than nuclear for the climate’. The purpose of this propaganda being that we should welcome nuclear with open arms, while shunning coal. . George Monbiot has consistently and aggressively set the pace: “Nuclear scare stories are a gift to the truly lethal coal industry.” Monbiot’s constant mantra in the last several years is that those who oppose nuclear power are uninformed, bigoted idiots. Now it appears that the idiots in Cumbria are being groomed to welcome both coal AND nuclear…….http://coalaction.org.uk/2017/03/coal-and-nuclear-a-honeycomb-of-lies-in-west-cumbria-guest-blog/
May 24, 2017
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Telegraph 21st May 2017, The sound made by 100 tonnes of steel and carbon fibre rotating 400 feet overhead is surprisingly understated. Each whoosh of the 260 foot blades spans an area the size of the London Eye and generates enough electricity to power the average British home for 24 hours.
There are 32 of these 8MW turbines in the second phase of Dong Energy’s Burbo Bank wind farm spinning off the Merseyside coast. They are the most powerful ever, dotting an area the size of almost 6,000 football pitches within the Irish Sea, each one a beacon of Britain’s global dominance in the booming offshore wind industry.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/05/21/britains-wind-turbines-catch-breeze-rising-industry/
Jersey Evening Post 22nd May 2017, A FLOATING offshore wind farm that would cost £108 million to install is currently the frontrunner in work to develop renewable energy in Guernsey. A preliminary feasibility study was released this week and now more equipment will be installed at Mont Cuet, in the north of Guernsey, to help move the project forward.
The study by Xodus Group concluded that a 30MW offshore wind project could be viable. It shortlisted three preferred sites for five turbines. One option is 5km off Guernsey’s north coast and another is 15km away, west of Schole Bank, between Guernsey and Alderney. The third – the only floating option – is 25km north-west of the island. The offshore floating option is the most costly, but is seen as preferable because of the visual impact of the other two which have estimated capital costs of £68.23m and £80.98m respectively. http://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2017/05/22/guernsey-considers-floating-offshore-wind-farm/
May 24, 2017
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nuclear-news 