As the world’s richest and most innovative economy and second largest source of carbon emissions, the United States should be leading a grand global innovation challenge encompassing the entire range of low-carbon options, including nuclear, argues Richard Lester, Japan Steel Industry Professor and Head of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. According to Lester, climate policy “is about … [Read more...]
Fennovoima’s Finnish majority ownership confirmed
Fennovoima’s owner Voimaosakeyhtiö SF has in its general meeting, held today on 28th February, made the final decision to participate in Fennovoima nuclear power plant construction. Voimaosakeyhtiö SF commits to own more than half of the power plant. Voimaosakeyhtiö SF aims at increasing the ownership share of Finnish companies in Fennovoima from the now confirmed 50.2 per cent to as close as possible to 66 per cent. Negotiations with … [Read more...]
Fennovoima’s Environmental Impact Assessment Report completed
Fennovoima Ltd has today on February 13th, submitted its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy (coordinating authority) in Finland. The report contains an assessment of the environmental impacts of the 1200 MW nuclear power plant at Pyhäjoki site. Fennovoima and Rusatom Overseas signed a plant supply contract of a pressurized water reactor AES-2006 in December 2013. The EIA report has been … [Read more...]
Interview IEA Director Maria van der Hoeven: “Expansion of gas use no panacea for climate change”
Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that unconventional gas can be produced in an environmentally acceptable way, but warns that an expansion of gas alone “is no panacea for climate change”. In an interview with James Stafford, editor of Oilprice.com, Van der Hoeven discusses a wide range of important energy issues, ranging from the role of gas, renewables and nuclear power to the necessity … [Read more...]
India’s quest for energy: nuclear power & other greener options
India has been among the world's fastest growing economies for the past two decades. The country continues to lead not only in growth but also in energy demand growth. India wants to meet its growing energy demands first of all through expanding its nuclear sector and secondly by the development of other “greener” options. Ritwik Mukherjee, editor of the Indian energy journal Energy Ensemble, discusses the challenges faced by India and the … [Read more...]
EU delivers scathing verdict on UK for state aid to new Hinkley C nuclear reactors
The European Commission (EC) has delivered what can only be called a scathing initial verdict on the UK Government’s deal with French state owned EDF to build the first new nuclear reactors in the UK for a generation, according to a blog post from Greenpeace UK. The Commission announced on 18 December that it would investigate the proposed deal. It has now published a 70-page initial analysis on its website, which suggests that, as Greenpeace … [Read more...]
The French disconnection – How to reduce the nuclear share in France’s energy mix
In a paper written for the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, David Buchan takes stock of the debate that has been going on in France on the future of nuclear power. He concludes that it makes sense for France to prolong the lives of its existing reactors, but that replacing them at some point in the future will be a huge challenge. He argues that the country will not be able to do this in the same way and the same timeframe that it built … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Top 5 EU Energy Priorities – All you need to know for 2014
Hughes Belin, leading energy journalist at viEUws.eu, takes a pick at the top 5 energy issues that will be discussed by the EU institutions under the Greek Presidency during the first half of 2014. The main issue on the agenda will be the 2030 energy and climate framework, the package will be published on the 22nd of January. A debate on energy state aid will take place under the lead of competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia during … [Read more...]
German supreme court: nuclear shutdown unlawful
The forced closure of RWE's Biblis nuclear power plant after the Fukushima accident was unlawful, the German Supreme Administrative Court has ruled. The utility is now likely to sue for considerable damages. This is reported by World Nuclear News, the online news medium of the World Nuclear Association. According to World Nuclear News,on 14 January the State of Hesse “was told it acted illegally by enforcing the decisions on the Biblis … [Read more...]
Rosatom signs contract to build nuclear plant for Fennovoima in Finland
Interview with Chairman Pekka Ottavainen: “It was a very simple choice”. The Finnish company Fennovoima has signed a contract with Rosatom to build a 1200 MW greenfield nuclear power plant, Hanhikivi I, in Pyhäjoki in northern Finland. It is the first time in the post-Soviet era that the Russian company will be building a new nuclear power station in the EU. The plant will cost roughly €6 billion and will deliver electricity at “no more than … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Brussels launches state aid probe into Cameron’s nuclear project
Hughes Belin, leading energy journalist at viEUws.eu, looks into the merits of the Commission’s decision to open a state aid probe into the new nuclear power project at Hinkley Point C in the United Kingdom. The European Commission is currently carrying out and in-depth investigation of the business model of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project. Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia has doubts with regard to the compatibility of the UK … [Read more...]
UK electricity market: financiers are holding the government over a barrel
The UK Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) published new “strike prices” for renewable energy on 4 December, claiming these will lead to additional investment of £40 billion in renewable electricity generation up to 2020. But according to Michael Knowles, Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the support scheme is too generous for suppliers and DECC should do much more to drive costs of renewables down. … [Read more...]
The UK energy confusion: good policies, shame about the politics
To outside observers, UK energy policy must seem to be hopelessly confused and the energy sector in a mess. Actually, the problem is not so much the policies, writes Stephen Tindale, associate fellow at the Centre for European Reform. They make a lot of sense and may lead the country to a secure and low-carbon energy future. The problem is the politics – populist proposals create confusion and may undo the good work that is being done. Earlier … [Read more...]
Give Iran a chance to be tested
The interim-deal with Iran should be given a fair chance, argues Friedbert Pflüger, Director of the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS). The world economy would benefit if Iranian oil and gas exports could be restored. The climate would benefit if the massive flaring of gas in Iran and the prevailing energy inefficiency could be reduced and renewable energy investments stimulated. … [Read more...]
Interview Ambassador Wu: “An energy revolution is very much needed”
In a speech in Groningen at the Energy Convention 2013, Wu Jianmin, Executive Vice-Chairman of the influential China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, a government-aligned think tank in Beijing, declared that China “very much needs an energy revolution”. China “depends too much on coal”, said Wu. But in an interview with Energy Post he added we should not expect miracles. “We can't get rid of the coal yet.” … [Read more...]
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