How reassuring to know there is a strong german chancellor who will stand up to the might of E.on and RWE.
She is firmly putting them in their place!
Let us hope the british government will do the same!
LINGEN, Germany (Dow Jones)--German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that the proposed levy on nuclear fuel rods, which utilities have said would eat into their profits, is part of the government's efforts to reduce the public budget deficit.
"We're eyeing the levy to achieve our goal to consolidate the [federal] budget," Merkel told reporters.
"On top of that we have to discuss how the energy utilities will contribute to [the expansion of] renewable energies," she added.
Merkel made the comments after meeting the chief executives of the country's largest utilities, E.ON AG (EOAN.XE) and RWE AG (RWE.XE), at RWE's nuclear reactor Emsland in Lingen, western Germany.
Germany's nuclear reactor operators--E.ON, RWE, EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg AG (EBK.XE) and Vattenfall Europe AG (VTT-XE)--have warned that the government's plan to tax the fuel used in nuclear power plants could make reactors unprofitable and hasten the country's exit from atomic energy generation.
They have also said that the levy would hit their future earnings and might require them to reduce investment plans and sell assets to retain their credit ratings.
Merkel's center-right coalition has said it will raise EUR2.3 billion annually from the fuel-rod tax from 2011 as part of its EUR80 billion austerity measures for the coming years.
So far, it hasn't ruled out imposing a levy in addition to the fuel-rod tax, with the additional funds raised to be spent on renewable energy projects.
In its coalition agreement the government has vowed to postpone the agreed gradual phase-out of nuclear energy production to help achieve its ambitious climate protection goal and keep power prices at an acceptable level.
The government had originally planned to extend the operating lives of nuclear power plants under the condition that they're safe to operate and utilities give up a certain part of the profits they would generate by running the reactors longer. These funds would have been used to help fund the expansion of renewable energy sources, according to the coalition agreement.
-By Martin Rapp, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 69 29 725 503; martin.rapp@dowjones.com
(Andrea Thomas in Berlin and Jan Hromadko in Frankfurt contributed to this article.)
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Professor confirms Merkel is right to chargwe a levy on nuclear
A levy on nuclear producers is right
letter in the Financial Times
Published: August 25 2010 02:06
Last updated: August 25 2010 02:06
From Prof Eric De Keuleneer.
Sir, German chancellor Angela Merkel is wise to tax her nuclear producers (“Merkel stands firm on nuclear tax plan”, August 23) because these correspond very much to the rent seekers that plague the capitalist system, as you regularly denounce. The same applies in Belgium for nuclear producers: their rent comes from the accelerated depreciation they could impose on consumers during the 1980s and the 1990s, nuclear power plants having been built to last at least 40 years, and depreciated in 20 years. The extra costs of this accelerated depreciation were borne by electricity consumers at large, with no risk to the producers, organised in oligopolies with tariffs regulated on a cost-plus basis. This subsidy is not the only one enjoyed by nuclear producers, who enjoy a limitation of damage responsibility to a fraction of the potential costs (yes, like offshore oil producers used to).
As a result, the old, fully amortised nuclear power plants now produce electricity at a total cost of maximum €15-€17 per MWh. Since the market price is today at least about €50 per MWh for medium-term contracts, and the German levy would amount to €15 per MWh, it still leaves a very high profit margin on those power plants. The Belgian government has recently started raising a levy on those power plants, far too small at €5 per MWh, but future government parties want to increase that substantially. Nuclear producers in Belgium are screaming of course, and have also managed to produce protest reactions by “business leaders”, thanks to a combination of threats of apocalypse, selective supplies at privileged conditions, and a vast network of public and private “partners” who share a small part of the rent.
The general interest would certainly be well served if the rent accumulated by the nuclear producers in the past could be brought back to the general economy; in liberalised markets it is best to do that through taxes or a levy, which could serve to finance green electricity instead of charging its cost to consumers, and remunerate taxpayers and citizens at large who overpaid their electricity for years and who are currently providing the damage responsibility insurance at no cost. The German government should thus be ready for more lobbying propaganda, and should not be surprised if bankers, those other famous rent seekers, join the lobbying efforts, maybe as a matter of reciprocity for past lobbying in their favour.
Eric De Keuleneer,
Solvay Brussels School of Economics,
Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
letter in the Financial Times
Published: August 25 2010 02:06
Last updated: August 25 2010 02:06
From Prof Eric De Keuleneer.
Sir, German chancellor Angela Merkel is wise to tax her nuclear producers (“Merkel stands firm on nuclear tax plan”, August 23) because these correspond very much to the rent seekers that plague the capitalist system, as you regularly denounce. The same applies in Belgium for nuclear producers: their rent comes from the accelerated depreciation they could impose on consumers during the 1980s and the 1990s, nuclear power plants having been built to last at least 40 years, and depreciated in 20 years. The extra costs of this accelerated depreciation were borne by electricity consumers at large, with no risk to the producers, organised in oligopolies with tariffs regulated on a cost-plus basis. This subsidy is not the only one enjoyed by nuclear producers, who enjoy a limitation of damage responsibility to a fraction of the potential costs (yes, like offshore oil producers used to).
As a result, the old, fully amortised nuclear power plants now produce electricity at a total cost of maximum €15-€17 per MWh. Since the market price is today at least about €50 per MWh for medium-term contracts, and the German levy would amount to €15 per MWh, it still leaves a very high profit margin on those power plants. The Belgian government has recently started raising a levy on those power plants, far too small at €5 per MWh, but future government parties want to increase that substantially. Nuclear producers in Belgium are screaming of course, and have also managed to produce protest reactions by “business leaders”, thanks to a combination of threats of apocalypse, selective supplies at privileged conditions, and a vast network of public and private “partners” who share a small part of the rent.
The general interest would certainly be well served if the rent accumulated by the nuclear producers in the past could be brought back to the general economy; in liberalised markets it is best to do that through taxes or a levy, which could serve to finance green electricity instead of charging its cost to consumers, and remunerate taxpayers and citizens at large who overpaid their electricity for years and who are currently providing the damage responsibility insurance at no cost. The German government should thus be ready for more lobbying propaganda, and should not be surprised if bankers, those other famous rent seekers, join the lobbying efforts, maybe as a matter of reciprocity for past lobbying in their favour.
Eric De Keuleneer,
Solvay Brussels School of Economics,
Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Horizon invite to seminar day
Dear Chris Tandy
We as, Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy, a significant stakeholder in the Oldbury area close to the proposed new site at Shepperdine would like to attend the seminar day detailed below.
We would like 2 places.
Please confirm the price and payment terms.
Many thanks
Reg illingworth
Nuclear New Build Forum 2010 is proud to welcome Alan Raymant, Chief Operating Officer, Horizon Nuclear Power, who will speak about how Horizon is preparing to play a significant role in a new era of nuclear generation for the UK.
Please click here to book on to the event
Book now and save £100!
Attendees will also hear from, and debate with all the other key players involved in the UK’s new build programme. Here are a few of the other senior level speakers at this year’s event:
Chris Bakken, Director for Operations, Safety and Licensing, EDF Energy
Kevin Allars, Director for Nuclear New Build GDA, HSE Nuclear Directorate
Alan McGoff, Policy Lead, Nuclear New Build, Environment Agency
Anders Jackson, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Westinghouse
Robert Davies, UK New Build Director, AREVA
Dr Brian Murphy, Research Director, Cogent SSC
Peter Atherton, Managing Director, Head - European Utility Sector Research, Citigroup Global Markets
Robin Grimes, Director of the Imperial Centre for Nuclear Engineering, Imperial College London
In addition to hearing from industry leading figures, delegates will also have numerous chances to network and build long-lasting working relationships. Click here to see the programme in full.
Event details:
Venue: Radisson Blu Portman, London
Date: 25th November 2010
For more information and to register your place, please contact us on:
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7760 8699
Email: conferences@marketforce.eu.com
Website: www.marketforce.eu.com/newbuild
Or you can arrange for us to call you back
Warm regards,
Chris Tandy
Conference Producer, Marketforce
We as, Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy, a significant stakeholder in the Oldbury area close to the proposed new site at Shepperdine would like to attend the seminar day detailed below.
We would like 2 places.
Please confirm the price and payment terms.
Many thanks
Reg illingworth
Nuclear New Build Forum 2010 is proud to welcome Alan Raymant, Chief Operating Officer, Horizon Nuclear Power, who will speak about how Horizon is preparing to play a significant role in a new era of nuclear generation for the UK.
Please click here to book on to the event
Book now and save £100!
Attendees will also hear from, and debate with all the other key players involved in the UK’s new build programme. Here are a few of the other senior level speakers at this year’s event:
Chris Bakken, Director for Operations, Safety and Licensing, EDF Energy
Kevin Allars, Director for Nuclear New Build GDA, HSE Nuclear Directorate
Alan McGoff, Policy Lead, Nuclear New Build, Environment Agency
Anders Jackson, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Westinghouse
Robert Davies, UK New Build Director, AREVA
Dr Brian Murphy, Research Director, Cogent SSC
Peter Atherton, Managing Director, Head - European Utility Sector Research, Citigroup Global Markets
Robin Grimes, Director of the Imperial Centre for Nuclear Engineering, Imperial College London
In addition to hearing from industry leading figures, delegates will also have numerous chances to network and build long-lasting working relationships. Click here to see the programme in full.
Event details:
Venue: Radisson Blu Portman, London
Date: 25th November 2010
For more information and to register your place, please contact us on:
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7760 8699
Email: conferences@marketforce.eu.com
Website: www.marketforce.eu.com/newbuild
Or you can arrange for us to call you back
Warm regards,
Chris Tandy
Conference Producer, Marketforce
Book now for Westminster Energy,Environment & Transport Forum Keynote Seminar
Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum Keynote Seminar
Nuclear energy
with
Mark Higson
Chief Executive
Office for Nuclear Development
Department of Energy and Climate Change
and
Paul Spence
Director of Strategy and Regulation
EDF Energy
Full list of speakers below
This event is CPD certified
Wednesday, 27th October 2010
Central London
Dear Joss
I am writing to invite you to the above seminar. Please note there is a charge for most delegates, although no one is excluded on the basis of ability to pay (see below).
Seminar
This seminar will assess the continuing debate over the position of nuclear power in the UK 's future energy mix.
Planned sessions focus on the economic, environmental and political challenges that UK policy makers, and energy and utility companies, face in the mobilisation of a sustainable nuclear power strategy for the 21st century.
Including a keynote presentation from the Department of Energy and Climate Change and EDF, planned sessions focus on:
· The UK nuclear power context;
· Continuing concerns: safety, sustainability and waste disposal;
· The challenges for nuclear new build: investment and the planning system; and
· Industry strategy and progress for 21st century nuclear power;
The draft agenda is copied below my signature, and a regularly updated version is available to view online here. The seminar is organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum.
Speakers and Attendees
We are delighted that Mark Higson, Chief Executive, Office for Nuclear Development, Department of Energy and Climate Change and Paul Spence, Director of Strategy and Regulation, EDF Energy have both kindly agreed to deliver keynote addresses at this seminar.
Other confirmed speakers include: Murray Birt, Senior Policy Advisor, Energy, Confederation of British Industry; Munir Hassan, Partner, Energy & Utilities, CMS Cameron McKenna and Steve Hornsby, Partner, Nuclear Industry Leader, IBM Global Business Services UK.
Further senior participants are being approached. If you or a colleague would like to be considered as a speaker at this seminar, please contact us at speakeroffers@westminsterforumprojects.co.uk and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. If you are offering to speak yourself please don’t fill in the booking form, as this will be taken as an order and you will be charged for a place subject to our T&Cs.
Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum seminars present an opportunity to engage with key policymakers and other interested parties, and are CPD certified. Typically attendees at our seminars are a senior and informed group numbering around 140, including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior officials from the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other relevant Departments, as well as energy and environment professionals, representatives of energy organisations, academics, local government, interested and affected citizens’ and interest groups, and representatives of the trade and national press.
Output and About Us
A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out within a week of the event to Ministers and officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other departments affected by the issues, Parliamentarians with a special interest in these areas, and policy makers in other institutions, departments and agencies. It will also be made available more widely. It will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations, speaker biographies, attendee list, an agenda and sponsor information. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, similar to those for Select Committee Uncorrected Evidence, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.
All delegates will receive free PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.
The Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum is strictly impartial and cross-party, and draws on the considerable support it receives from within Parliament and Government, and amongst the wider stakeholder community. The Forum has no policy agenda of its own. Forum events are frequently the platform for major policy statements from senior Ministers, regulators and other officials, opposition speakers and senior opinion formers in industry and interest groups. Events regularly receive prominent coverage in the national and trade press.
Booking arrangements
To book places, please use our online booking form.
Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below.
Please pay in advance by credit card on 01344 864796. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able to make other arrangements.
Options and charges are as follows:
Places at Nuclear energy (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £190 plus VAT (£223.25);
Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £80 plus VAT (£94). Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.
For those who cannot attend:
Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the questions and comments sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 7 days after the event for £95 plus VAT (£111.63);
Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT (£58.75).
If you find the charge for tickets a barrier to attending, please let me know and we will do our best to see you are not excluded. Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).
Nuclear energy
with
Mark Higson
Chief Executive
Office for Nuclear Development
Department of Energy and Climate Change
and
Paul Spence
Director of Strategy and Regulation
EDF Energy
Full list of speakers below
This event is CPD certified
Wednesday, 27th October 2010
Central London
Dear Joss
I am writing to invite you to the above seminar. Please note there is a charge for most delegates, although no one is excluded on the basis of ability to pay (see below).
Seminar
This seminar will assess the continuing debate over the position of nuclear power in the UK 's future energy mix.
Planned sessions focus on the economic, environmental and political challenges that UK policy makers, and energy and utility companies, face in the mobilisation of a sustainable nuclear power strategy for the 21st century.
Including a keynote presentation from the Department of Energy and Climate Change and EDF, planned sessions focus on:
· The UK nuclear power context;
· Continuing concerns: safety, sustainability and waste disposal;
· The challenges for nuclear new build: investment and the planning system; and
· Industry strategy and progress for 21st century nuclear power;
The draft agenda is copied below my signature, and a regularly updated version is available to view online here. The seminar is organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum.
Speakers and Attendees
We are delighted that Mark Higson, Chief Executive, Office for Nuclear Development, Department of Energy and Climate Change and Paul Spence, Director of Strategy and Regulation, EDF Energy have both kindly agreed to deliver keynote addresses at this seminar.
Other confirmed speakers include: Murray Birt, Senior Policy Advisor, Energy, Confederation of British Industry; Munir Hassan, Partner, Energy & Utilities, CMS Cameron McKenna and Steve Hornsby, Partner, Nuclear Industry Leader, IBM Global Business Services UK.
Further senior participants are being approached. If you or a colleague would like to be considered as a speaker at this seminar, please contact us at speakeroffers@westminsterforumprojects.co.uk and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. If you are offering to speak yourself please don’t fill in the booking form, as this will be taken as an order and you will be charged for a place subject to our T&Cs.
Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum seminars present an opportunity to engage with key policymakers and other interested parties, and are CPD certified. Typically attendees at our seminars are a senior and informed group numbering around 140, including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior officials from the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other relevant Departments, as well as energy and environment professionals, representatives of energy organisations, academics, local government, interested and affected citizens’ and interest groups, and representatives of the trade and national press.
Output and About Us
A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out within a week of the event to Ministers and officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other departments affected by the issues, Parliamentarians with a special interest in these areas, and policy makers in other institutions, departments and agencies. It will also be made available more widely. It will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations, speaker biographies, attendee list, an agenda and sponsor information. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, similar to those for Select Committee Uncorrected Evidence, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.
All delegates will receive free PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.
The Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum is strictly impartial and cross-party, and draws on the considerable support it receives from within Parliament and Government, and amongst the wider stakeholder community. The Forum has no policy agenda of its own. Forum events are frequently the platform for major policy statements from senior Ministers, regulators and other officials, opposition speakers and senior opinion formers in industry and interest groups. Events regularly receive prominent coverage in the national and trade press.
Booking arrangements
To book places, please use our online booking form.
Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below.
Please pay in advance by credit card on 01344 864796. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able to make other arrangements.
Options and charges are as follows:
Places at Nuclear energy (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £190 plus VAT (£223.25);
Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £80 plus VAT (£94). Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.
For those who cannot attend:
Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the questions and comments sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 7 days after the event for £95 plus VAT (£111.63);
Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT (£58.75).
If you find the charge for tickets a barrier to attending, please let me know and we will do our best to see you are not excluded. Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).
HSE thinks approvals for new reacrors will slip past June 2011.
Having been to the Olkiluoto site my only request to HSE is that, if and when, the reactors get the go ahead that we donot get the farsical situations that is happening in Finland and also now in Flammanville.
I know, STUK, the regulator from Finland ,is very professional but have massive problems with Areva and their management.
Safety regulator tells nuclear reactor makers to redouble efforts
It is increasingly unlikely that the UK's first nuclear reactors will get full regulatory approval by mid-2011, according to the Health and Safety Executive.
By Rowena Mason
Published: 6:30AM BST 26 Aug 2010
Areva's reactor is further ahead with the process than Westinghouse's reactor, but there are outstanding problems with both companies' designs
Areva, the French atomic specialist, and Westinghouse, its Japanese rival, had been hoping to gain full permission for their designs by next June, after a lengthy and meticulous assessment process.
However, the HSE warned yesterday that there was still a huge amount of work to be done before this point, suggesting that the timetable for building UK reactors could slip.
Proprietary traders should welcome tougher FSA testsAreva's reactor - intended for the first EDF stations at Hinkley Point in Somerset - is further ahead with the process than Westinghouse's reactor, but there are outstanding problems with both companies' designs and each has been slow at submitting crucial data.
"We are signalling that some ... work may be required by [Areva and Westinghouse] beyond June 2011, when we plan to complete our assessment of the reactor design safety cases.
"We are flagging up these issues, so that the requesting parties can either redouble their efforts to address them, or begin the process of developing credible resolution plans."
The HSE said it was still possible for both designs to be accepted for use in the UK but flagged up "not insignificant technical issues". It is still hoping to complete the assessment and issue partial approval in June 2011, giving each company a rigid timetable for fixing further problems.
A spokesman for Areva and EDF said the partners were "encouraged" that the regulator had given approval to more technical parts of its design and not identified "any showstoppers".
Areva received a warning last year about possible problems with its reactor over concerns that its operational systems had not been adequately separated from its safety systems.
A few months later, the HSE issued an alert about Westinghouse's nuclear reactor designs, raising concerns about the robustness of its concrete reinforcements.
Britain is planning to build 10 new nuclear power stations over the next few decades, the first of which is meant to be up and running by 2018.
I know, STUK, the regulator from Finland ,is very professional but have massive problems with Areva and their management.
Safety regulator tells nuclear reactor makers to redouble efforts
It is increasingly unlikely that the UK's first nuclear reactors will get full regulatory approval by mid-2011, according to the Health and Safety Executive.
By Rowena Mason
Published: 6:30AM BST 26 Aug 2010
Areva's reactor is further ahead with the process than Westinghouse's reactor, but there are outstanding problems with both companies' designs
Areva, the French atomic specialist, and Westinghouse, its Japanese rival, had been hoping to gain full permission for their designs by next June, after a lengthy and meticulous assessment process.
However, the HSE warned yesterday that there was still a huge amount of work to be done before this point, suggesting that the timetable for building UK reactors could slip.
Proprietary traders should welcome tougher FSA testsAreva's reactor - intended for the first EDF stations at Hinkley Point in Somerset - is further ahead with the process than Westinghouse's reactor, but there are outstanding problems with both companies' designs and each has been slow at submitting crucial data.
"We are signalling that some ... work may be required by [Areva and Westinghouse] beyond June 2011, when we plan to complete our assessment of the reactor design safety cases.
"We are flagging up these issues, so that the requesting parties can either redouble their efforts to address them, or begin the process of developing credible resolution plans."
The HSE said it was still possible for both designs to be accepted for use in the UK but flagged up "not insignificant technical issues". It is still hoping to complete the assessment and issue partial approval in June 2011, giving each company a rigid timetable for fixing further problems.
A spokesman for Areva and EDF said the partners were "encouraged" that the regulator had given approval to more technical parts of its design and not identified "any showstoppers".
Areva received a warning last year about possible problems with its reactor over concerns that its operational systems had not been adequately separated from its safety systems.
A few months later, the HSE issued an alert about Westinghouse's nuclear reactor designs, raising concerns about the robustness of its concrete reinforcements.
Britain is planning to build 10 new nuclear power stations over the next few decades, the first of which is meant to be up and running by 2018.
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Energy security.?...You must be joking!!!!
Please read this article from Der Speigel and realise that the German power companies are threatening their own government because they do not want to help the rest of society in Germany by paying small additional taxes on nuclear energy to keep the existing power plants open.
This is truely shocking and we will be asking our politicans to look at the role of Eon and RWE in the British economy.
They are being tantamount to highway robbers in Germany!
Merkel Tries to Regain Upper Hand in Energy Debate
By Katharina Peters
Before the financial crisis, Angela Merkel liked to present herself as the "climate chancellor," pushing for CO2 cuts and posing with glaciers. Now, with nuclear energy dominating the energy debate in Germany, Merkel has sought to turn back the clock.
The sky hung low and gray over Krempin, a small town in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern -- not exactly ideal weather for a photo op. Nevertheless, Chancellor Angela Merkel posed gamely for the cameras as someone handed her a sunflower. At least the wind was blowing -- she was here, after all, to visit a wind park.
Then the sky cleared, and the sun even started shining. Merkel's photo-op was saved.
Krempin was the first stop on Merkel's four-day "energy tour" of Germany. The chancellor wanted to find out for herself "where we are strong and what still needs to be done," in the words of her government spokesman. The tour, which will take in wind farms, hydroelectric facilities and nuclear power plants, is being sold as something of an educational field trip.
Tiresome Debate
Behind all the nice-sounding spin lies a transparent political motivation. The chancellor wants to show that energy is once again a top priority for her. And she wants to distance herself from the tiresome debate about nuclear energy in Berlin, which is currently dominating the newspapers with all its tricky technical details about extending the lifespan of nuclear power plants and imposing a fuel-rod tax. The pictures of a beaming chancellor in front of wind turbines are just the thing to distract attention from the negative headlines.
The wind farm in Krempin, the first stop on the tour, was perfect for Merkel's purposes. Local residents are involved with the facility, which has been dubbed a "citizens' wind farm." The plant produces electricity for the local community of Carinerland as part of its efforts to become self-sufficient and is seen as a model project.
The locals had erected a white marquee tent. Children presented the chancellor with small plastic windmills. The Green Party may have criticized the event as a "show," but it was a show that fulfilled its purpose. The German government considers wind power to be the most important renewable resource for the future. By 2050, half of Germany's electricity will be generated from wind power, according to government plans.
Dusting Off Her Former Image
It's no coincidence that Wednesday also saw the publication of the new issue of Greenpeace Magazin, which contains an article by the chancellor praising the work of the environmental organization. "We are united by our common concern with preserving the natural environment, particularly in the fight against climate change," Merkel wrote in the magazine, which is widely read in Germany.
With the new initiative, Merkel is dusting off her former image as the "climate chancellor." Three years ago, Merkel surprised Germany and the world with her ambitious goals for battling climate change. She urged the European Union to take action and spoke of an "important crossroads," saying that "economics and ecology can be reconciled." She persuaded then-US President George W. Bush to at least make some small concessions and posed for photographs in front of Greenland's glaciers, wearing a red outdoor jacket.
But then the financial and economic crises came along, and the supposed visionary changed her tune. Suddenly, no decisions could be taken on climate change that would "threaten German jobs or investments," as Merkel put it in 2008. Since then, she has refrained from presenting any more bold plans for saving the climate.
New Energy Strategy to Be Unveiled
Even worse, the issue of nuclear power has been dominating the public debate on energy for the last few months. After Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen (CDU) announced in February that the operating lives of nuclear power stations should not be extended by more than eight years, a heated debate was sparked within the coalition government, especially within Merkel's own party, the center-right Christian Democratic Union.
A 2002 law passed by the government of then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder mandates that all of Germany's nuclear reactors should be shut down by the beginning of the next decade, but Merkel's party has long been interested in extending the lifespans of reactors. Germany's leading power companies insist that nuclear power is a vital part of the country's energy mix and warn that the country could face shortages if all nuclear reactors are shut down over the coming years.
The government is due to present its new energy strategy at the end of September, and Merkel is determined to regain the initiative before that deadline. Her spokesperson explained that nuclear power will only be one part of the energy mix to be unveiled in the new strategy -- the focus will be much more on the expansion of renewable energy. That approach is also laid down in the coalition agreement that Merkel's conservatives signed with the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) after last September's general election. It is the message that Merkel wanted to send with her photo-op amid the windmills of northern Germany.
Germans tend to be suspicious of nuclear energy, and the majority opposes keeping nuclear reactors in operation for longer than is planned. A recent poll revealed that 48 percent of people do not want any extension of reactor lifespans, while just 29 percent support an extension of a maximum of 10 years. A massive 77 percent oppose keeping the reactors running for an additional 15 years or longer.
Not So Photogenic
It's a debate that Merkel will not be able to avoid, no matter how many skillfully stage-managed visits to wind farms, hydroelectric plants, environmentally friendly heating plants and energy-efficient houses she makes during her energy tour.
After all, she will also be visiting a nuclear power plant in Lower Saxony next week. The pictures from that event will be less pretty -- it's doubtful that local children will be presenting the chancellor with models of miniature nuclear power plants. Merkel's talks there are also likely to be less pleasant. She will be meeting the bosses of the energy giants E.on and RWE, the same companies that recently threatened to immediately shut down their nuclear plants should the government go ahead with its plans to introduce a "fuel-rod tax" on reactors. The chancellor responded at the time by calling the move an unhelpful "threatening gesture."
It is not clear, however, when the German government is going to decide on the fuel-rod tax, which would bring in a predicted €2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) in annual revenues. The controversial tax was originally part of a draft law for the government's austerity package, which the cabinet is supposed to approve on Sept. 1.
Environment Minister Röttgen announced on Wednesday, however, that the decision would be delayed by several weeks. But the Finance Ministry immediately contradicted him, saying they would continue to assume that the fuel-rod tax will be approved at the beginning of September.
In any case, there is still plenty of time left to discuss energy. Unfortunately for Merkel, it will be nuclear power that continues to dominate the debate.
This is truely shocking and we will be asking our politicans to look at the role of Eon and RWE in the British economy.
They are being tantamount to highway robbers in Germany!
Merkel Tries to Regain Upper Hand in Energy Debate
By Katharina Peters
Before the financial crisis, Angela Merkel liked to present herself as the "climate chancellor," pushing for CO2 cuts and posing with glaciers. Now, with nuclear energy dominating the energy debate in Germany, Merkel has sought to turn back the clock.
The sky hung low and gray over Krempin, a small town in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern -- not exactly ideal weather for a photo op. Nevertheless, Chancellor Angela Merkel posed gamely for the cameras as someone handed her a sunflower. At least the wind was blowing -- she was here, after all, to visit a wind park.
Then the sky cleared, and the sun even started shining. Merkel's photo-op was saved.
Krempin was the first stop on Merkel's four-day "energy tour" of Germany. The chancellor wanted to find out for herself "where we are strong and what still needs to be done," in the words of her government spokesman. The tour, which will take in wind farms, hydroelectric facilities and nuclear power plants, is being sold as something of an educational field trip.
Tiresome Debate
Behind all the nice-sounding spin lies a transparent political motivation. The chancellor wants to show that energy is once again a top priority for her. And she wants to distance herself from the tiresome debate about nuclear energy in Berlin, which is currently dominating the newspapers with all its tricky technical details about extending the lifespan of nuclear power plants and imposing a fuel-rod tax. The pictures of a beaming chancellor in front of wind turbines are just the thing to distract attention from the negative headlines.
The wind farm in Krempin, the first stop on the tour, was perfect for Merkel's purposes. Local residents are involved with the facility, which has been dubbed a "citizens' wind farm." The plant produces electricity for the local community of Carinerland as part of its efforts to become self-sufficient and is seen as a model project.
The locals had erected a white marquee tent. Children presented the chancellor with small plastic windmills. The Green Party may have criticized the event as a "show," but it was a show that fulfilled its purpose. The German government considers wind power to be the most important renewable resource for the future. By 2050, half of Germany's electricity will be generated from wind power, according to government plans.
Dusting Off Her Former Image
It's no coincidence that Wednesday also saw the publication of the new issue of Greenpeace Magazin, which contains an article by the chancellor praising the work of the environmental organization. "We are united by our common concern with preserving the natural environment, particularly in the fight against climate change," Merkel wrote in the magazine, which is widely read in Germany.
With the new initiative, Merkel is dusting off her former image as the "climate chancellor." Three years ago, Merkel surprised Germany and the world with her ambitious goals for battling climate change. She urged the European Union to take action and spoke of an "important crossroads," saying that "economics and ecology can be reconciled." She persuaded then-US President George W. Bush to at least make some small concessions and posed for photographs in front of Greenland's glaciers, wearing a red outdoor jacket.
But then the financial and economic crises came along, and the supposed visionary changed her tune. Suddenly, no decisions could be taken on climate change that would "threaten German jobs or investments," as Merkel put it in 2008. Since then, she has refrained from presenting any more bold plans for saving the climate.
New Energy Strategy to Be Unveiled
Even worse, the issue of nuclear power has been dominating the public debate on energy for the last few months. After Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen (CDU) announced in February that the operating lives of nuclear power stations should not be extended by more than eight years, a heated debate was sparked within the coalition government, especially within Merkel's own party, the center-right Christian Democratic Union.
A 2002 law passed by the government of then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder mandates that all of Germany's nuclear reactors should be shut down by the beginning of the next decade, but Merkel's party has long been interested in extending the lifespans of reactors. Germany's leading power companies insist that nuclear power is a vital part of the country's energy mix and warn that the country could face shortages if all nuclear reactors are shut down over the coming years.
The government is due to present its new energy strategy at the end of September, and Merkel is determined to regain the initiative before that deadline. Her spokesperson explained that nuclear power will only be one part of the energy mix to be unveiled in the new strategy -- the focus will be much more on the expansion of renewable energy. That approach is also laid down in the coalition agreement that Merkel's conservatives signed with the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) after last September's general election. It is the message that Merkel wanted to send with her photo-op amid the windmills of northern Germany.
Germans tend to be suspicious of nuclear energy, and the majority opposes keeping nuclear reactors in operation for longer than is planned. A recent poll revealed that 48 percent of people do not want any extension of reactor lifespans, while just 29 percent support an extension of a maximum of 10 years. A massive 77 percent oppose keeping the reactors running for an additional 15 years or longer.
Not So Photogenic
It's a debate that Merkel will not be able to avoid, no matter how many skillfully stage-managed visits to wind farms, hydroelectric plants, environmentally friendly heating plants and energy-efficient houses she makes during her energy tour.
After all, she will also be visiting a nuclear power plant in Lower Saxony next week. The pictures from that event will be less pretty -- it's doubtful that local children will be presenting the chancellor with models of miniature nuclear power plants. Merkel's talks there are also likely to be less pleasant. She will be meeting the bosses of the energy giants E.on and RWE, the same companies that recently threatened to immediately shut down their nuclear plants should the government go ahead with its plans to introduce a "fuel-rod tax" on reactors. The chancellor responded at the time by calling the move an unhelpful "threatening gesture."
It is not clear, however, when the German government is going to decide on the fuel-rod tax, which would bring in a predicted €2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) in annual revenues. The controversial tax was originally part of a draft law for the government's austerity package, which the cabinet is supposed to approve on Sept. 1.
Environment Minister Röttgen announced on Wednesday, however, that the decision would be delayed by several weeks. But the Finance Ministry immediately contradicted him, saying they would continue to assume that the fuel-rod tax will be approved at the beginning of September.
In any case, there is still plenty of time left to discuss energy. Unfortunately for Merkel, it will be nuclear power that continues to dominate the debate.
Friday, 20 August 2010
The Hinkley communities point the way ...............
EDF plans for a £4bn nuclear power plant are facing their second and final round of public scrutiny
Somerset really got the power to
derail the plans of EDF, the world’s
largest nuclear power generator?
Local opposition groups have
already had some success in
causing
EDF to make changes to
its plans (see box below).
The Save Cannington Action
Group has successfully petitioned
against a temporary workers
camp being built in Cannington
village, seven miles from Hinkley.
The last nuclear power station to
be built in the UK, Sizewell B,
spent six years stuck in the planning
system with only 30 days
addressing local issues.
EDF Energy is now already in its
second 12-week public consultation
for its plans to build a new
£4 billion nuclear power plant at
Hinkley Point in Somerset.
October deadline
The deadline for responses to the
latest consultation is 4 October,
which will also be the final deadline
for the public to express their
concerns prior to EDF lodging a
planning application for the new
power plant, which is expected to
happen in December.
The thrust of the government’s
ideas for the future of the planning
system is rooted in localism,
with decisions to be taken by
local planning authorities and
communities.
But has the local population in
Meanwhile the Stop Hinkley
action group told Construction
News it is exploring possible legal
action to block the plans to build
the new nuclear plant and is currently
in talks with barristers.
“It is a bit like trying to stop a
juggernaut,” says Stop Hinkley coordinator
Jim Duffy.
“It is all pretty technical stuff.
We are talking to barristers at the
moment about what we can do to
stop it, but the average Joe doesn’t
stand a chance really.”
Anti-nuclear focus
Mr Duffy stressed his group are
not a nimby organisation but an
anti-nuclear group, and therefore
would be open to some other
forms of power generation in the
area.
Local MP for Bridgwater and
West Somerset Iain Liddell-
Grainger is not opposed to the
plans in principle, but says compensation
would be needed for
putting a “new power station
slap-bang in the middle of
England’s countryside”.
The government has already
stressed it will provide no subsidy
for new nuclear power development
in the UK, leaving it up to
energy companies to fund, build,
operate and decommission the
plants themselves.
EDF claims to have carried out
one of the most extensive and
wide-ranging nuclear power station
consultations in the UK.
True representation
It is at great pains to stress that
this is a very real consultation and
the application will pass through
the Infrastructure Planning
Commission and an inquiry process
before being determined.
So how does the localism
agenda fit with the Hinkley Point
scheme? The Green Paper Open
Source Planning says localism is
about democratic and local control
of the planning system, and
that is the core principle.
Nick
Whitten
Nuclear
Hinkley Point’s existing nuclear plant
EDF has made a number of changes
to its plans to build two new reactors
at Hinkley Point since its initial
12-week public consultation between
November 2009 and January 2010.
The key changes, which will be
detailed in EDF Energy’s ‘Preferred
Proposals’ published on 9 July, are:
n The southern limit of the main
construction activity has been moved
further north, in response to requests
from residents.
n Early woodland planting will also
take place to the south of the new
construction fence and a landscaping
bund (area of raised ground) will
screen the on-site accommodation
campus.
n Accommodation campuses for
workers are no longer planned for
surrounding villages and are now
concentrated in Bridgwater and on
the Hinkley Point C Development Site.
n Freight logistics facilities are
focused on sites near junctions 23
and 24 of the M5 and at Combwich
Wharf.
n The western route has been
selected for the Cannington bypass.
n No accommodation campus is
planned at Cannington.
n There will not be a freight logistics
facility at Cannington.
n The size of the park and ride facility
at Cannington has been reduced and
this will now be a temporary facility
used during the construction phase
and removed afterwards.
n No accommodation campus is
planned at Williton following
feedback from local residents.
n The size of the park and ride facility
at Williton has been reduced and this
will now be a temporary facility used
during the construction phase and
removed afterwards.
n Off-site accommodation campuses
will be located on two brownfield
sites in Bridgwater.
n The park and ride facility at
junction 24 of the M5 has been
expanded.
n Freight logistics facilities will now
be located only at junctions 23 and 24
of the M5 and Combwich Wharf.
Views can be given at the public
exhibition events and will be fed into
the consultation. More information:
However, there is no plan to
make infrastructure proposals, in
effect, local matters.
In fact, the IPC is being
recreated
in a new guise within
the Planning Inspectorate, with
decisions being taken at national
level, first in terms of the planning
policy framework against
which the particular applications
for infrastructure are judged, and
second by determining applications
for these schemes at a
national level through the secretary
of state.
Planning and real estate specialist
at law firm Beachcroft Nick
Knapman argues localism is
always going to be at odds with
the most contentious applications
where the weight of local feeling
will be strongly for or against a
development.
He says: “One cannot help but
feel that, if true localism were
Anticipated construction activity,
subject to relevant approvals
2010
Enabling works on site
2011
Preliminary works on site
2012
Start of main construction
2014-16
Peak construction activity
2018
First nuclear reactor operational
2019-20
Second nuclear reactor operational.
Removal of temporary structures with
land restoration beginning
“It would seem it Timeline
is going to be a
case of localism
for all but major
infrastructure
projects”
Nick knap man , bea chcroft
applied, then this decision would
be taken by local councillors who
would decide the planning merits
of the case along local lines,
being influenced by the weight of
local opinion for or against the
development.
“Localism, the coalition says,
starts in grass-root decisions
about how an area is developed
through its development plan
against which planning applications
are judged.
“At that stage, local residents
will influence planning policy to
determine the future planning of
their area.
“However, with Hinkley Point,
the decision-making is being
taken away from local residents,
since planning policy is set out in
national planning guidance and
policy against which decisions are
taken.
“So is it would seem it is going
to be a case of localism for all but
major infrastructure projects.”
n The overall Hinkley Point
construction programme is
expected to take up to 10 years.
n The construction process should
boost the South-west economy by
more than £500 million, providing
jobs for up to 5,000 construction
workers.
n The new power station will also
create 900 permanent jobs during
its 60-year operation, injecting a
further £40m a year into the local
economy.
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