UK govt will have to fix a consumer price, to get a deal to construct nuclear reactors
a deal is
unlikely to be clinched before the French utility and the U.K.
government agree on a guaranteed price that consumers will pay for
power generated from Hinkley Point
Centrica is likely to withdraw from the construction of new reactors
because it fears that there will be cost overruns and that indirect
subsidies being negotiated with the British government will be
insufficient to justify the investment
EDF and French nuclear-reactor vendor Areva SA AREVA.FR 0.00%
are struggling with rising costs and delays in the construction of
next-generation European pressurized reactors. Costs at Areva’s
project in Finland have more than doubled to €8 billion ($10.5
billion), and the plant is five years behind schedule.
EDF and Chinese Firm Enter Talks to Build U.K. Nuclear Plants, WSJ, 10
Jan 13, By SELINA WILLIAMS in London and GÉRALDINE AMIEL in Paris
Electricité de France SA EDF.FR -1.84% is in talks with state-owned
China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co. on forming a partnership to
build nuclear-power plants in the U.K., people familiar with the
matter said.
The deal could replace EDF’s partnership with British utility Centrica
CNA.LN -0.39% PLC for new plants in Britain and dispel some doubts
about whether the French company has sufficient funds for its nuclear
ambitions in the U.K., the people said…..
A new U.K. partnership with China Guangdong would provide EDF with
much-needed financing as it struggles with difficult market conditions
in France and prepares to unveil a cost-cutting plan that it has said
could threaten the company’s British investments.
A deal would give the Chinese utility, which already collaborates with
EDF on new reactors in China, a foothold in a new market Continue reading
Alcoholism among nuclear submarine staff led to murder
Police alarm at ‘routine’ binge-drinking on nuclear submarine where
murdered shot officer, Telegraph, 9 Jan 13
Police investigating a naval rating who shot dead an officer onboard a
submarine found the 20 pints he consumed beforehand was not unsual and
“significant” numbers of the crew used to get “drunk out of their
minds”. Continue reading
Everybody near Sizewell nuclear site will get anti-radiation pills
Suffolk: Whole town to get anti-radiation pills as part of N-plant
safety plan, EEADT24 By David Green, January 7, 2013 THE entire
population of a Suffolk town will be issued with “standby” supplies of
anti-radiation pills if proposals put out to public consultation today
are approved.
People living and working in Leiston, as well as schools, would also
be given annual calendars setting out the procedures for use in the
event of a major release of radioactivity from the Sizewell nuclear
site. Continue reading
Inadequate emergency plan for UK’s Sizewell nuclear power station
Sizewell nuclear incident plan post Fukushima ‘inadequate’, BBC News,
7 Jan 13, Sizewell C could be built next to the existing A and B
nuclear power stations
Changes to Suffolk’s emergency plan for Sizewell nuclear power station
after the Fukushima disaster in Japan have been called “totally
inadequate”.
Suffolk Resilience Forum, made up of local councils and groups, is
reviewing incident plans for nearby residents.
An inner emergency zone is to be extended from 1.5 miles (2.4km) to
2.3 miles (4km) with an outer precautionary area of 9 miles (15km).
Shut Down Sizewell campaigners said the danger zone should be 18 miles
(30km)……..
Charles Barnett, from the Shut Down Sizewell Campaign, welcomed the
review but called the 1.5 mile (4km) radius of danger “totally
inadequate”.
He said: “The precaution zone should be 18 miles (30km) so that
hundreds of thousands of people would be made aware of the dangers.
“Fukushima has demonstrated that nuclear power stations should be
closed down as the only safe precaution and we are working towards
that….. Consultation and information documents have been circulated
and views are invited from the public up to the closing date of 8
April for publication of a detailed plan in June.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-20937668
Trident nuclear weapons dangerous for English city – but NOT for Scottish?
Angus Robertson, SNP Defence Spokesman, said: “Ironically the UK
government is content to dump Trident nuclear weapons near Scotland’s
biggest city, but is unwilling to station them on the south coast of
England, for safety reasons. That speaks volumes for Westminster’s
attitude to Scotland.
Scottish Independence: MoD says Trident nuclear weapons not safe
enough to be stored at English base
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/scottish-independence-mod-says-trident-nuclear-weapons-not-safe-enough-to-be-stored-at-english-base-1-2721194
by SCOTT McCARTNEY
6 January 2013
THE Ministry of Defence has said that Britain’s Trident nuclear
weapons could not be removed from Scotland to England as they are not
safe enough for Devonport.
• Faslane in Scotland currently home to UK’s nuclear deterrent.
• MoD believes 11,000 people in Plymouth would be at risk from accident.
• Ministry rules out moving weapons out of Scotland.
According to reports, the MoD says that Devonport does not have the
safety clearance to house the trident nuclear weapons and there are
currently no plans to chance that, despite the Scottish Government
saying it would remove nuclear weapons from Scotland as soon as
possible in the event of independence. Continue reading
Just what are the UK govt’s plans for relocating nuclear submarines?
Vote yes for a nuclear free England, January 04, 2013 by Rev. Stuart
Campbell In a slightly surprising development reported late this
afternoon by the Guardian, the Ministry of Defence appeared to
suddenly and officially confirm what most supporters of independence
have asserted for some time: that if Scotland becomes independent the
UK will lose its nuclear deterrent, as it has nowhere else to put it. Continue reading
UK’s Hinkley Point nuclear plans could be derailed by France’s probe into EDF
Reports: EDF inquiry could disrupt UK nuclear plans Financial Times suggests investigation could complicate strike price negotiations and unsettle investors
BusinessGreen 03 Jan 2013 The UK’s ambitions for a new fleet of nuclear reactors could be disrupted by a French government probe into state-owned generator EDF, whose UK arm is currently in negotiations to build a £14bn nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset.
The formal inquiry established in the last days of 2012 is billed as an industry-wide investigation, but French media are reporting it is specifically focused on EDF and its relationships with China.
The Financial Times said yesterday that the inquiry casts doubt over the future of EDF chief executive Henri Proglio, who has been unable to replicate the close relationship he enjoyed with former President Nicolas Sarkozy with his successor, François Hollande. , observers are concerned the probe could have a knock-on effect on EDF’s stance towards building a new reactor at Hinkley Point, especially if the French government decides it should not take the risk of subsidising UK energy consumers. Any shift in EDF’s position would further complicate ongoing negotiations with the UK government over the level of subsidy, or strike price, that will be provided to support the Hinkley Point plant.
Last year, it was reported EDF Energy was looking for a payment of between £100 per megawatt hour (MWh) and £140/MWh to go ahead with the plant and that a final investment decision had been delayed from the end of 2012 to April 2013….. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2233578/reports-edf-inquiry-could-disrupt-uk-nuclear-plans
UK stuck with fairly useless nuclear submarines – mainly to save face
The Trident Debate: UK’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent – Analysis By:
IPCS, January 2, 2013 By Debak Das Stuck in a world order where it
represents the lower rung of the club of ‘Nuclear Weapons States’, the
United Kingdom’s (UK) now delayed decision to upgrade its Trident
submarine nuclear missile system raises some important questions.
What does the deterrent mean for the UK and what is the need for it
now? And secondly, what are the implications of the upgradation of
this missile system along with the new £315 million pound deal to work
on the replacement of the Royal Navy’s Vanguard class of submarines.
Why Does The UK Need The Nuclear Deterrent? The Vanguard class of
submarines and the Trident submarine missile systems are a relic of
the Cold War…. Why then the deterrent? The answer to this question
lies in two propositions. First, the nuclear deterrent is a symbol of
the ‘great power’ that Britain once was. Continue reading
Inquest on gun murder aboard UK nuclear submarine
HMS Astute nuclear submarine officer shot tackling gunman BBC News 2
Jan 13, A navy officer was shot in the head as he tried to stop a
junior rating killing others on a nuclear-powered submarine, an
inquest heard.
Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux, 36, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, was shot at
close range on board HMS Astute while docked in Southampton in 2011.
The inquest into his death heard he would have fallen unconscious
immediately and died shortly after.
Able Seaman Ryan Donovan was jailed for at least 25 years for murder.
The navigator yeoman also pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Lt
Cdr Christopher Hodge, 45, who he shot in the stomach, Petty Officer
Christopher Brown, 36, and Chief Petty Officer David McCoy, 37.
Donovan’s attack, on 8 April 2011, was only stopped when the then
leader of Southampton City Council, Royston Smith, and its chief
executive, Alistair Neill, wrestled the weapon from
him…..http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-20893271
UK nuclear lobby desperate to keep the industry alive, therefore needs waste dump quickly
without a positive decision, new nuclear development could be put
at risk.
Ministers are thought to be working on plans to try to ensure the
new-build programme is not derailed. Final investment decisions and
approvals for EDF’s proposed nuclear plant in Somerset are expected
next year.
a “no” vote in Cumbria in January would be likely to
deter a consortium that is at the early stage of planning a new plant
in the county, as it would have to invest hundreds of millions of
pounds before seeking planning permission….
Nuclear sector pushes for green light on waste dump. Telegraph By
Emily Gosden 30 Dec 2012
Britain’s nuclear industry has warned that a “no” vote by local
councils on crucial plans to assess sites for a major radioactive
waste dump would be “an injustice to future generations”. Continue reading
Nuclear firm AREVA hedging its bets- making wind turbines now
Areva plans 750 jobs with Scottish wind turbine factory, Telegraph,
By Emily Gosden 19 Nov 2012 French energy company Areva has
unveiled plans for a wind turbine factory in Scotland that could
create up to 750 jobs.
The plant at the Firth of Forth would manufacture turbines for use off
the coast of the UK, each generating 5 megawatts of electricity, which
could supply 6,000 homes a year.
The move was hailed as “brilliant news for Scotland” by Prime Minister
David Cameron, who added: “Growth of the renewable energy sector isn’t
just good for our environment, it’s good for our economy too.”…..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/9689022/Areva-plans-750-jobs-with-Scottish-wind-turbine-factory.html
Renewable energy is increasingly powering UK’s electricity grid
UK RENEWABLE ENERGY POWERS FORWARD Waste 
Management World, LONDON, Dec. 27 — The Department of Energy and Climate Change issued the following press release: Renewable energy is powering forward in the UK, according to the 2012 update to the Renewable Energy Roadmap published today by Energy Secretary Edward Davey.
Significant progress has been made on the rollout of renewable energy across the United Kingdom from July 2011 to July 2012, including:
* A 27 percent increase in overall renewable electricity generated;
* A 40 percent increase over the same period in renewable electricity capacity. Now over 10 percent of all electricity generated is coming from renewables;
* A 60 percent increase of offshore wind capacity to 2.5 gigawatts, and;
* A five-fold increase in solar PV capacity. Continue reading
3000 km away, and nearly 30 years later Chernobyl’s radiation is a BIT better
While other areas of Europe, such as Scandinavia, continue to record substantial levels of radioactivity in stock animal populations, the UK has provided happy evidence that the impact of Chernobyl radiation is diminishing.
British Sheep vs. Chernobyl Radiation 18 December 2012 by Stephanie Swift, http://www.scilogs.com/mmmbitesizescience/british-sheep-and-chernobyl-radiation/
The explosion of reactor number four of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 is widely regarded as the worst radiation disaster in human history. The radioactive fallout spread from Northern Ukraine throughout Northern Europe, dispersing large quantities of radioactive elements, including two caesium isotopes, Cs-134 and Cs-137. Continue reading
Plutonium now called “material” as it travels from Scotland to Wales
Breeder is classed as material and not as fuel or waste, by NDA.
Nuclear material moved by train from Scotland to England , BBC News, 17 December 2012 The first of 90 rail shipments of nuclear material from Dounreay in Caithness to Sellafield in Cumbria was made overnight.
The journey was understood to have been made under armed escort. Forty-four tonnes of breeder material in total will be transported by train to Sellafield for reprocessing. Continue reading
World’s largest offshore wind farm fully operational by Spring 2013
Construction complete at world’s largest offshore wind farm REM, 14 December 2012 The 175th and final turbine has been installed at the London Array offshore wind farm marking the end of major construction activities, Dong Energy announced.
Turbine installation began in January 2012 and has been completed by MPI Discovery, A2SEA’s Sea Worker and Sea Jack. Now that all the turbines are in place and the majority now connected and supplying power to the national grid, the wind farm is on track to
be fully operational in Spring 2013.
DONG Energy, which holds a 50 percent stake in the project, said the wind farm has been generating energy since October 2012 when the first turbine began producing power. Continue reading
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
-
Archives
- May 2026 (116)
- April 2026 (356)
- March 2026 (251)
- February 2026 (268)
- January 2026 (308)
- December 2025 (358)
- November 2025 (359)
- October 2025 (376)
- September 2025 (257)
- August 2025 (319)
- July 2025 (230)
- June 2025 (348)
-
Categories
- 1
- 1 NUCLEAR ISSUES
- business and costs
- climate change
- culture and arts
- ENERGY
- environment
- health
- history
- indigenous issues
- Legal
- marketing of nuclear
- media
- opposition to nuclear
- PERSONAL STORIES
- politics
- politics international
- Religion and ethics
- safety
- secrets,lies and civil liberties
- spinbuster
- technology
- Uranium
- wastes
- weapons and war
- Women
- 2 WORLD
- ACTION
- AFRICA
- Atrocities
- AUSTRALIA
- Christina's notes
- Christina's themes
- culture and arts
- Events
- Fuk 2022
- Fuk 2023
- Fukushima 2017
- Fukushima 2018
- fukushima 2019
- Fukushima 2020
- Fukushima 2021
- general
- global warming
- Humour (God we need it)
- Nuclear
- RARE EARTHS
- Reference
- resources – print
- Resources -audiovicual
- Weekly Newsletter
- World
- World Nuclear
- YouTube
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
nuclear-news 