U.K. Nuclear Update

The nuclear debate in the U.K. has produced some interesting clips I'd like to share with you.

First, our friends at Potential Energy are examining Hormesis for the first time. For those who haven't heard it before, the industry position in the U.S. on Hormesis is pretty simple: It's an interesting theory and ought to be investigated further. In the meantime, it isn't the basis for any industry radiation protection standards.

Ruth Lea, a director of the Centre for Policy Studies in the U.K. is cheering the conclusions the U.K. Energy Review came to about new nuclear build.

A professor at the University of Southampton is questioning the origin of opposition to expanded nuclear build.

The U.K. Polling Report has discovered the gender gap in support for nuclear power.

A long-time anti-nuclear group is claiming a recent surge in membership in the wake of the latest U.K. Energy Review, but the report is short on specifics.

And finally, Fiona O'Malley, energy spokesman for Ireland's Progressive Democrats, is chiding many of her fellow countrymen for their reflexive anti-nuclear position in regards to the long-term energy plans of the U.K.:

I disagree with the responses of ministers Dermot Ahern and Dick Roche to the British government'’s decision on nuclear power.

Whether they choose to admit it or not, Ireland does derive benefits from the British nuclear industry. Every day, we import electricity from Britain through the interconnector, which carries electricity from Scotland.

There is no doubt that some of this electricity is generated by nuclear power, and that Ireland is dependent on that energy. If our European neighbours stopped producing energy from nuclear power, there would be an even greater demand on the limited world oil and gas supplies.

Given Ireland'’s location at the end of the supply chain, as well as our small size, we would not be much of a priority for suppliers. There is a certain hypocrisy in criticising another country for planning to build new nuclear power stations, while turning a blind eye to the fact that we ourselves import nuclear-generated energy.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, United Kingdom, Ireland

Comments

Activists' Claims Distort Facts about Advanced Reactor Design

Below is from our rapid response team . Yesterday, regional anti-nuclear organizations asked federal nuclear energy regulators to launch an investigation into what it claims are “newly identified flaws” in Westinghouse’s advanced reactor design, the AP1000. During a teleconference releasing a report on the subject, participants urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend license reviews of proposed AP1000 reactors. In its news release, even the groups making these allegations provide conflicting information on its findings. In one instance, the groups cite “dozens of corrosion holes” at reactor vessels and in another says that eight holes have been documented. In all cases, there is another containment mechanism that would provide a barrier to radiation release. Below, we examine why these claims are unwarranted and why the AP1000 design certification process should continue as designated by the NRC. Myth: In the AP1000 reactor design, the gap between the shield bu...

What Happens During a Refueling Outage?

You may have noticed over the past few weeks that a number of nuclear plants are shut down for refueling outages or are resuming operations after just returning from one. This type of routine outage usually occurs in the spring or fall when electricity demand is low so that nuclear reactors can replace about one-third of the spent fuel rods with new fuel and conduct other routine maintenance and repairs at the plant. To get a better sense of how refueling works at a nuclear energy facility, I spoke with Marcus Nichol, NEI’s senior project manager for used fuel storage and transportation, and asked him to explain the basics. Why does a nuclear plant need to replace one-third of its fuel? Nichol: The main purpose of a refueling outage is to replace older fuel that is depleted—meaning it can no longer efficiently produce energy from nuclear fission reactions—with new fuel. This “used fuel” has typically been used in the reactor for four-and-a-half to six years before it is pe...

How Much Land Does Nuclear, Wind and Solar Really Need?

Not too long ago, we reviewed a report that looked at nuclear energy (and other energy sources) as biodiversity agents. This had to do, in part, with the amount of land a facility needs to function. Nuclear energy and fossil fuel plants use relatively little, wind farms and solar arrays quite a lot of land . Based on an objective and transparent analysis of our sustainable energy choices, we have come to the evidence-based conclusion that nuclear energy is a good option for biodiversity conservation (and society in general) and that other alternatives to fossil fuels should be subjected to the same cost–benefit analyses (in terms of biodiversity and climate outcomes, as well as sociopolitical imperatives) before accepting or dismissing them. Writer Barry Brook, who collected 75 scientists to endorse his paper, is interested in land use as it impacts flora and fauna. Biodiversity concerns do not get as much play as they might – and, when they do, it annoys many when land is withdraw...

NEI Nuclear Notes

Search This Blog