Generation IV 'fast breeder' reactors have long been promoted by nuclear enthusiasts, writes Jim Green, editor of Nuclear Monitor, but Japan's decision in September to abandon the Monju fast reactor is another nail in the coffin for this failed technology. According to Green, fast reactors arenât becoming mainstream, despite the claims of nuclear lobbyists. … [Read more...]
Payment day for nuclear addiction in France
French year ahead power prices have risen sharply over the last few weeks amid worries over the reliability of EDFâs nuclear output in the coming winter. The situation in France demonstrates that nuclear power is neither as cheap nor as reliable as its proponents claim, writes Benedict de Meulemeester, Managing Director of Brussels-based E&C Consultants. According to De Meulemeester, the French market model, based on centralized power … [Read more...]
The Energiewende is running up against its limits
German transmission system operator Tennet recently announced an 80% increase in its transmission fees because of the high construction costs of new power lines to accommodate renewable energy. A study of the DĂŒsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics found that by 2025 costs of the Energiewende could exceed âŹ25,000 for an average four-person household. Jeffrey Michel concludes that the Energiewende is running up against its limits â but may … [Read more...]
The collective effort behind Finlandâs new nuclear power plant
Five years after announcing that it had chosen PyhĂ€joki, in northern Finland, as the site for a new Russian-designed 1200 MW nuclear reactor, Finnish company Fennovoima is within sight of a 2018 construction start date. No, this is not the notorious Olkiluoto-3 EPR being builty by Arevaâ this is Hanhikivi 1, to be built by Rosatom. Journalist Eric Marx travelled to Finland to find out why Fennovoima is succeeding where other new nuclear projects … [Read more...]
Interview Jean-Bernard LĂ©vy, CEO EDF: âOur future lies in combination nuclear and renewablesâ
EDF, one of the largest electricity producers in the world, has embarked on a â2030â strategy focused on renewable energy and customer solutions in addition to its large nuclear business. According to CEO Jean-Bernard LĂ©vy, "EDFâs future lies in a generation mix that combines nuclear and renewable energies.â LĂ©vy says EDF will tackle the problems with its EPR nuclear reactor design by introducing a "New Model" Â EPR that will be cheaper. He also … [Read more...]
The “new realities for energy”: peak demand, stranded assets
"The world is undergoing a Grand Transition driven by a combination of factors including the fast-paced development of new technologies, an unstoppable digital revolution, global environmental challenges and changing growth and demographic patterns", according to a statement from the World Energy Council, a UN-accredited global energy network with over 3,000 member organisations in over 90 countries. According to the World Energy Council, the … [Read more...]
World Energy Scenarios show: Strong government policies needed to limit climate change
The world will find it difficult to meet the 2°C target set in the Paris Agreement unless it goes down a path of strong enforcement by national governments of international agreements to curb greenhouse gas emissions. That's one of the key conclusions of the World Energy Scenarios 2016 report from the World Energy Council, which looks at how global trends will shape the energy industry over the next 45 years. The report was launched today at the … [Read more...]
Hinkley C must be the first of many new nuclear plants
The debate around Hinkley Point C has mainly focused on the price EDF will get for electricity generated, but this is not out of line with what may be expected given the urgent need for more sustainable power, writes Simon Hogg, Executive Director of Durham Energy Institute. What is more important, according to Hogg, is that Hinkley C should be followed by the construction of more and different new nuclear power stations, as part of an overall UK … [Read more...]
Hinkley Point C explained â UKâs attachment to nuclear submarines drives bias towards nuclear power
Why is the UK government so committed to building new nuclear power stations, despite the high costs and many attractive alternatives? Research published by the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex shows that it is the Governmentâs attachment to nuclear submarines which is an important factor in the pro-nuclear bias in UK energy policy. … [Read more...]
The new EON, the new Johannes Teyssen: âThe future is state-led renewables, stop dreaming of perfect Energy Union and Emission Trading Systemâ
In one of his first in-depth interviews since the restructuring of EON, CEO Johannes Teyssen sets out a completely new vision of where he sees European energy markets and policies going. The future according to Teyssen is: distribution much more than transmission; state-led renewables auctions and capacity markets, not wholesale energy-only markets; carbon taxes or floor prices, not carbon trading or emission trading; higher energy efficiency … [Read more...]
The economic and moral bankruptcy of UK energy policy
With its choice for Hinkley Point C - a ÂŁ100 billion boondoggle â its enthusiastic support for expensive and environmentally harmful fracking, and its relentless attack on renewable energy, the UK governmentâs energy policy is both morally and economically bankrupt, write Peter Strachan, Professor of Energy Policy at the Robert Gordon University, and Alex Russell, Professor and Chair of the Oil Industry Finance Committee. Westminster must … [Read more...]
South Africaâs rapid energy transition derails its giant nuclear and coal projects
South Africa shows how quick an energy transition can be. In four years, the countryâs renewable energy program has mushroomed, while the building of coal power stations and the planning of a $50-$100 billion nuclear power project have come to a grinding halt. Recent events, however, have raised some uncertainty for renewables, writes South African based science writer Leonie Joubert. Article courtesy of the Energy Transition blog. … [Read more...]
Energy policies of the U.S. presidential candidates
âThere is still much that needs to be investigated in the field of âclimate changeââ, says one. âWhen it comes to climate change, the science is crystal clearâ, says the other. âSave the coal industryâ, says one. âQuickly move to make a bridge from coal to natural gas to clean energy,â states the other. Allan Hoffman, author of the blog Thougts of a Lapsed Physicist, investigates the positions of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on climate and … [Read more...]
UK government approves Hinkley Point C
The UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced this morning that the government goes ahead with the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project. This is a very important decision for the nuclear energy sector in Europe, especially EDF, and energy policy in general. … [Read more...]
IEA sees âmajor shiftâ â but not major enough
âA major shift in investment towards low-carbon sources of power generation is underwayâ, according to a first-ever detailed analysis of investment across the global energy system from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Yet, in non-OECD countries, âinvestment in conventional generation remains strongâ, with over 75 GW of coal-fired power plants starting operation in 2015 in âdeveloping Asiaâ â âas much as all renewable capacity additions in … [Read more...]
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