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NEWS & MEDIA REPORTS ON HINKLEY C AND
NUCLEAR NEW BUILD
17 Aug 2020: News Roundup: News stories over the last month. |
16 July 2020: Hinkley C for the Chinese Chop?: Letter in the Western Daily Press. More >>> |
10 July 2020: EDF boss suppressed report calling Hinkley Point 'risky': The chief executive won boardroom approval for the project after suppressing an internal review labelling it as risk-laden. More >>> |
8 July 2020: Stop Hinkley Point campaigners call for probe into silo damage and ‘dust cloud’: Members of The Stop Hinkley campaign organisation and other anti-nuclear groups have this week written to the UK’s nuclear regulator over its lack of a response to a recent incident at the Hinkley Point C construction site in which a silo was damaged. More >>> |
30 June 2020: Plan for radioactive mud dump worrying: EDF are proposing to have a large radioactive mud dump on Wales! More >>> |
10 Jun 2020: Hinkley Point C: Dust cloud released as nuclear site silo damaged: A tower at the Hinkley Point C nuclear reactor site has been damaged, releasing a dust cloud in the area. More >>> |
04 Jun 2020: Steam rolling ahead with outdated 'new' nuclear: With lockdown, HPC is allowing long distance travelling for workers and ignoring social distancing. More >>> |
02 Jun 2020: Nuclear is a waste of money and time: While everyone has been dealing with Covid-19 and the huge restrictions that have impacted on most of our lives, the Government has been steam rolling ahead with outdated 'new' nuclear. More >>> |
March 2020: Surely Hinkley C work is not essential?: What part of this Hinkley Point C nuclear building site is so essential that it's putting lives at risk? More >>> |
09 Oct 2019: Hinkley Point C: The problems facing nuclear projects: In 2012 EDF estimated the cost to build Hinkley as £12bn, way above the government's 2008 estimate of £4bn. This grew incrementally to the most recent announcement that costs will now be £21.5bn-£22.5bn. More >>> |
25 Sep 2019: Hinkley nuclear power station costs increase by up to £3 billion: French energy giant EDF said the plant in Somerset will now cost between £21.5 billion and £22.5 billion. More >>> |
29 Nov 2018: New delay in start-up of Finnish EPR: Last month, the plant's supplier - the Areva-Siemens consortium - announced it wanted to update the schedule for completing the unit as commissioning tests were taking longer than planned. More >>> |
21 Nov 2018: Getting customers to pay for new nuclear upfront: EDF is pushing a plan to finance nuclear investment in Britain. But the mechanism has never been tried for a project as technically complicated and lengthy as a nuclear power station. More >>> |
18 Nov 2018: The real cost of nuclear and why it is so expensive: How much does a nuclear plant cost? Take Britain's Hinkley Point in Somerset, currently under construction with a completion date pencilled in for some time in the late 2020s. More >>> |
08 Nov 2018: Toshiba's UK withdrawal puts Cumbria nuclear plant in doubt: Toshiba plans to wind up its UK nuclear business after failing to find a buyer, dealing a potentially fatal blow to plans for a new nuclear power station in Cumbria. More >>> |
17 Aug 2018: Why Is Britain Throwing Limitless Cash At A New Generation of Dirty Nuclear?: This generation of politicians is hopelessly capitulating to the demands of Westminster with no vision for the future of the country whatsoever. More >>> |
08 Aug 2018: What are coastal nuclear power plants doing to address climate threats?: More than half of the British public would install solar panels and home batteries to tackle climate change if there was greater assistance from the government, polling has found. More >>> |
02 Aug 2018: Group warns of threat to Hinkley if sea levels rise: Campaigners against Hinkley C say the nuclear power station could be at risk from rising sea levels caused by global warming. More >>> |
01 Aug 2018: EDF rejects fears that Hinkley C will be vulnerable to rising sea levels: Stop Hinkley has written to the Office for Nuclear Regulation to express concern about recent reports that the area could be heading for a sea-level rise of as much as 6 metres during the lifetime of the Hinkley Point C power station. More >>> |
29 Jul 2018: Beware China's role in UK nuclear industry: Jeffrey Henderson warns against Chinese state-owned firms playing a decisive part in one of our most strategically important industries. More >>> |
13 Jul 2018: MEP hits out at European court ruling over Hinkley C funding: An Austrian appeal against UK Government funding for Hinkley C has been dismissed after a sprawling investigation. More >>> |
16 Mar 2018: UK Regulator Says Improvements Are Needed In Hinkley Point C Supply Chain: The UK’s nuclear regulator has identified five key areas of supply chain management where improvements are needed ahead of acceleration in both construction and manufacturing for the Hinkley Point C EPR project. More >>> |
21 Dec 2017: Hinkley Point: the ‘dreadful deal’ behind the world’s most expensive power plant: Building Britain’s first new nuclear reactor since 1995 will cost twice as much as the 2012 Olympics – and by the time it is finished, nuclear power could be a thing of the past. How could the government strike such a bad deal? More >>> |
20 Dec 2017: Horizon CEO says Hinkley model is a one-off: Duncan Hawthorne, CEO of Horizon Nuclear Power, says a consensus is forming across government and industry that the Hinkley financing model - which involved EDF and its Chinese partner CGN covering the entire cost of construction - will not be repeated, according to his comments to the Financial Times. More >>> |
11 Dec 2017: Nuclear industry in pledge to drive down build costs: The nuclear industry has pledged to deliver a 30% reduction in the cost of new build projects as part of a wide-ranging ‘sector deal’ with the government.. More >>> |
03 Jul 2017: Hinkley Point: EDF adds £1.5bn to nuclear plant cost: French energy supplier EDF has estimated that the cost of completing the new Hinkley Point nuclear plant will be nearly 10% more than expected.. More >>> |
18 May 2017: Conservative election manifesto signals the end of new nuclear power: After years of pro-nuclear bombast from the Conservative Party, its 2017 manifesto hasn't got a single word to say about nuclear power. More >>> |
20 Mar 2017: UN asks UK to suspend work on Hinkley Point: Move likely to embarrass British government as UN agency says lack of talks with Europe means it should refrain from further work. More >>> |
07 Mar 2017: Changes to UK nuclear liability regime: With the return of nuclear new build in the UK, the potential to be liable for nuclear damage will be of vital importance to all parties in the nuclear supply chain as well as investors and funders of new nuclear projects. More >>> |
10 Feb 2017: UK’s nuclear security of supply imperiled: The UK could run out of nuclear fuel following its withdrawal from Euratom. More >>> |
02 Feb 2017: France's EDF power company to slash thousands more jobs: EDF, which is 85 percent state-owned, aims to shed 5,200-7,000 jobs by the end of its four-year restructuring plan. More >>> |
25 Jan 2017: NEWS FROM BRIDGWATER: If situation doesn’t improve, roadworks should be halted says councillor: A LOCAL councillor has said that the well-being of Bridgwater people “needs to come before EDF Energy lorries” on the second day of traffic chaos in the town. More >>> |
24 Jan 2017: Brexit could put Hinkley over budget and behind schedule: EDF made its comments in a submission to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee. More >>> |
21 Nov 2016: Hinkley Point consultants cost government over £20m: The UK government spent about £20m on consultants to help negotiate aspects of the deal to build Hinkley C nuclear power station, the BBC has learnt. More >>> |
17 Oct 2016: Brexit could hurt Hinkley nuclear progress: The project has already overcome legal obstacles, conflict within the EDF board and other issues, but Brexit now threatens the ability of the project’s developers to bring in the skilled personnel it needs to produce the facility. More >>> |
01 Sep 2016: Decentralised energy ‘quicker way to decarbonise’ than Hinkley: Decentralised energy would be a quicker solution to reducing the UK’s carbon emissions than Hinkley Point C, the chair of the Renewable Energy Association has insisted. More >>> |
Aug 2016: Letter to the Bath Chronicle: There was a salutary warning when an eminent geologist revealed that the latest research has discovered an ancient fault-line under the sea which produced an earthquake of magnitude 4 on the Richter scale as recently as ten years ago. More >>> |
11 Aug 2016: May urged to pull plug immediately on Hinkley C over spying allegations: Theresa May is being urged to pull the plug, after new allegations of spying in the US by a consultant working for the Chinese co-investor in the planned nuclear plant. More >>> |
30 Jul 2016: EDF Why the Delay?: Fears over cost and China role. More >>> |
21 Jul 2016: EDF Calls for Final Decision on Building Hinkley Point Reactors: Electricite de France SA has set a board meeting for next week to consider moving forward with a $24 billion project to build two nuclear reactors in the U.K. More >>> |
21 Jul 2016: The EDF headquarters raided by the Financial Markets Authority: The AMF examines the financial information provided by the electric utility market since 2013. The subjects of “major overhaul” and EPR Hinkley Point is a central concern. More >>> |
13 Jul 2016: Stop Hinkley Campaign Gains Vivienne Westwood As Patron: Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE has announced that she will become a patron of Stop Hinkley as a result of EDF Energy’s plans to build two large new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset. More >>> |
05 Jun 2016: EDF to raise funds for Hinkley Point from sale of stake in prized European asset: The debt-laden French state-controlled energy provider needs to sell non-core assets in order to fund the tens of billions of euros of investment that Hinkley Point requires. More >>> |
24 May 2016: EDF says cannot give timing for UK nuclear investment decision: EDF Energy CEO told members of parliament's energy and climate change committee some of the company's trade union members had suggested the project should be delayed by 2-3 years. The final decision would be taken once a consultation by the company's central works council had taken place. More >>> |
13 May 2016: From one disaster to the next - Hinkley C's last days?: Another week, another series of disasters for EDF and it's Hinkley C nuclear power project, with the company's credit rating downgraded partly due to its exposure to the project, and its Chinese partner CGN ruling out a takeover of the site. More >>> |
13 May 2016: Russia's state-owned nuclear group keen to break into UK market: A Russian nuclear group is hoping that the potential meltdown of French plans to build new European pressurised reactors at Hinkley Point could offer an opportunity to break into the British nuclear market. More >>> |
12 May 2016: Hinkley Point costs could rise to £21bn, EDF admits: The cost of the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant could reach almost £21bn, £3bn more than planned, EDF has admitted, as it published a construction timetable suggesting first power could be delayed until 2026. More >>> |
09 May 2016: EDF works council votes for independent study on Hinkley point: EDF's works council said it had voted to order an external study into the French utility's project to build two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
08 May 2016: Hinkley Point: UN says UK failed to consult over risks: UN Economic and Social Council says Britain has not met its obligations to discuss the impact of nuclear accident with neighbouring countries. More >>> |
30 Mar 2016: Hinkley Point: Pressure grows at EDF: A board member at French energy firm EDF has said he will vote against its plan to build a new nuclear reactor at Hinkley Point in the UK. More >>> |
23 Mar 2016: EDF refuses to set timetable for decision on Hinkley Point reactor: EDF Energy has insisted it will take a decision to go ahead with new reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset but was unwilling to say exactly when despite being pressed by exasperated MPs. More >>> |
20 Mar 2016: Row over 'secret' Hinkley Point documents set to reach tribunal: An 18-month battle to discover the true cost to consumers of building the Hinkley C nuclear reactors is to come to a climax in London. More >>> |
11 Mar 2016: EDF says no new Hinkley Point reactors without more French state help: EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy said in a letter to staff the utility will not go ahead with its plan to build two nuclear reactors in Britain unless it gets more financial support from the French state. More >>> |
10 Mar 2016: Rescue plan for Hinkley could be against state aid rules, says MEP: Molly Scott Cato MEP, the Green Party’s economic speaker, has written to the Commission asking it to investigate whether a proposed rescue plan for Hinkley C nuclear power station is in breach of European state aid rules. More >>> |
08 Mar 2016: The mystery of Britain’s love affair with new nuclear: If EDF and the French and British governments do announce next month that construction will proceed, it will be at a massive cost to the British taxpayer. The British government faces serious questions as to why it is persisting. More >>> |
07 Mar 2016: Hinkley Point C nuclear project in crisis as EDF finance director resigns: Proposed £18bn Somerset plant has been pushed by George Osborne but some on French company’s board fear risky spending. More >>> |
01 Mar 2016: Hinkley Point C construction 'should be delayed until 2019': Investment in Hinkley Point C should be held until 2019 so problems with a similar reactor design in France are solved, the CFE-CGC Energy Union said. More >>> |
25 Feb 2016: EdF: Living with its ZOMBIE REACTORS!: You seriously wouldn't want to be a Director of EdF at the moment. More >>> |
24 Feb 2016: If Hinkley Point C doesn’t go ahead, the UK needs a Plan B and fast: The Financial Times concluded a leader column last week with the words "politically painful it may be but the case for halting Hinkley Point". More >>> |
16 Feb 2016: Protests held in day of action against Hinkley: Placard-waving anti-nuclear campaigners occupied the courtyard of EDF's national training centre in Cannington. More >>> |
15 Feb 2016: Anti-Hinkley C campaigners protest outside EDF's Cannington offices: A NUMBER of anti-nuclear campaigners protested outside EDF's Cannington offices this morning () against the proposed Hinkley C nuclear power plant. More >>> |
27 Jan 2016: Safety review delays China’s Areva-designed nuclear reactors: Construction of two Areva-designed nuclear units in China is delayed while tests are conducted on the reactor vessel of a similar project in France, regulators in Beijing said. More >>> |
27 Jan 2016: EDF delays nuclear plant decision: George Osborne’s gamble on a nuclear future for British energy looked increasingly risky last night as the company set to build the first new reactor for a generation postponed its “final investment decision”. More >>> |
25 Jan 2016: Hinkley Point C final investment decision imminent as construction chief says work 'could start in weeks': Speaking exclusively to Construction News, Hinkley Point C 's construction site director Nigel Cann said he was "expecting in the next few weeks" both the final investment decision and, subsequently, the start of preconstruction work. More >>> |
07 Jan 2016: EDF considers selling €3bn stake in UK nuclear business to help fund reactors: Possible buyers would be state-owned Chinese companies, who are already committed partners on the £18bn Somerset project. More >>> |
World Nuclear Industry Status as of 1 January 2016: Mind the China Effect: Whereas the nuclear industry’s situation in the rest of the world continued to deteriorate, developments in China bucked this trend and distort the global picture. More >>> |
28 Dec 2015: Solar Could Produce As Much Electricity As Hinkley C For Much Less Money: Solar energy advocates assemble more evidence that Hinkley C would result in a colossal shock for UK ratepayers compared to alternative sources. More >>> |
20 Nov 2015: Luxembourg joins Hinkley C nuclear challenge: Luxembourg will join Austria's legal challenge to the UK's support package for the Hinkley C nuclear power station. More >>> |
20 Nov 2015: Boris Johnson attacks 'disgraceful' spending on Hinkley - just a month after David Cameron hailed the 'flagship' deal: Mayor of London said the estimated £18bn cost of Britain’s first nuclear power station in two decades was an 'extraordinary amount of money'. More >>> |
12 Nov 2015: UK Hinkley Point plan puts EDF survival at risk-employee shareholders: EDF's 18 billion pound project to build two nuclear reactors in Hinkley Point, Britain is so expensive and so risky that it puts the survival of the French utility at risk, an association of employee-shareholders said on Thursday. More >>> |
12 Nov 2015: Cannington Court becomes EDF energy training hub: A 12th Century Benedictine nunnery in Somerset has opened as a new training hub for the energy firm, EDF Energy. More >>> |
06 Nov 2015: Call me emotional, but my anti-nuclear arguments are based on evidence: Peak nuclear has passed. There’s no science to support an Australian nuclear industry. More >>> |
05 Nov 2015: LETTER: reply to Cllr David Hall's 'rose tinted views' around Hinkley C: David Hall's view of the recent Government bung to the Chinese, 'Hinkley C is expected to provide at least 25,000 jobs during construction', sidesteps major concerns for people in Somerset. More >>> |
29 Oct 2015: Hinkley Point C will cost customers at least £4.4bn: The UK’s first new nuclear power station for a generation will cost electricity customers at least £4.4bn and the subsidy bill could reach £20bn, the government has revealed. More >>> |
29 Oct 2015: EDF asks for three-year delay to Hinkley-type reactor in France: The construction of a French nuclear reactor of the same type being planned at Hinkley Point could be delayed by a further three years, the French press is reporting. More >>> |
21 Oct 2015: Yangjiang-3 Grid Connection in China: Safety issues with the CPR-1000 design have been raised in recent years, including descriptions of it being obsolete. More >>> |
20 Oct 2015: China to take one-third stake in £24bn Hinkley nuclear power station: Details unveiled of deal signed between state-owned companies from China and France to build world’s most expensive plant on UK soil. More >>> |
19 Oct 2015: Hinkley: doomed to fail?: Is Hinkley Point C the wrong plant, at the wrong price and at the wrong time? More >>> |
19 Oct 2015: Protest camp set up near proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset: Campaigners have set up a protest camp near the site of the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. More >>> |
17 Oct 2015: Stroud MEP Molly Scott Cato: ‘White elephant of Hinkley Point looks shaky on its feet': LAST week I welcomed the Vice President of the French Assembly to Hinkley Point. His decision to visit the site of the proposed new nuclear power station reflects his concerns that UK energy policy is disappearing up a dangerous dark alley. More >>> |
06 Oct 2015: Hinkley C's claimed benefits evaporate under scrutiny: Osbornes 'big arguments' for Hinkley just don't stack up. More >>> |
27 Sep 2015: Hinkley Point: what price avoiding humiliation?: Every sensible investor has avoided this nuclear power plant project. Not George Osborne. More >>> |
13 Sep 2015: Five reasons not to build Hinkley: The endgame for the UK’s new reactor project at Hinkley Point is nearing. A Chinese state visit to the UK in October may be the make-or-break point for the project to get the go-ahead. As that moment approaches, Bloomberg’s New Energy Finance gives five reasons not to build the plant. More >>> |
05 Sep 2015: The notion that nuclear is cheaper somewhere else is a myth: The British attitude to the notion that nuclear power is not cheap after all is a bit like a child who first hears that Father Christmas does not, after all, exist. Disbelief, and in this case a belief that if only Father Christmas is nationalised, then it will still be true. The psychologists call this cognitive dissonance, in other words if a fact is uncomfortable to you, you believe that the fact is wrong. More >>> |
04 Sep 2015: Hinkley C nuclear plant postponed indefinitely: EDF has indefinitely postponed its Hinkley C nuclear plant in Somerset, as a new IEA analysis shows that its power will cost UK energy users three times more than it should. More >>> |
26 Aug 2015: China’s financial turmoil could cause new Hinkley Point C delays: Further delays to the £24.5bn project to build Hinkley Point C have been predicted this week amid the continuing financial turmoil in China. More >>> |
20 Aug 2015: EDF Energy mothballs planned Hinkley C nuclear power site: The UK 's nuclear watchdog has stopped safety inspections at the planned site of the Hinkley C nuclear power station after EDF Energy ordered a stop to all groundwork. More >>> |
18 Aug 2015: Which Countries Will Cover Debts Of Hinkley C Project?: As widespread incredulity spreads about the UK Government’s insistence that the plan to build Hinkley C nuclear power station is still on track, we must wonder which country and which companies will take the hit in the event of the near certain financial catastrophe that will befall the project. More >>> |
10 Jul 2015: Areva aware 'as early as 2006' of serious fault in nuclear reactor destined for UK: French state-owned nuclear giant Areva has been aware for almost a decade of critical anomalies in its new generation EPR plant in Flamanville, the same model sold to Britain. More >>> |
02 Jul 2015: Greenpeace and utilities launch suit against Hinkley nuclear plant: Nine German and Austrian utilities selling renewable energy join with green group to launch legal action against state aid for new nuclear power in UK. More >>> |
01 Jul 2015: China, France further strengthen their nuclear cooperation: A number of agreements were signed yesterday between Chinese and French nuclear energy companies aimed at strengthening their cooperation in the nuclear fuel cycle and power reactors. More >>> |
30 Jun 2015: Government and EDF in talks over liabilities if Austria wins nuclear state aid appeal: Energy giant and Government yet to agree what would happen if Austrian challenge against state aid for Hinkley Point C is successful. More >>> |
21 Jun 2015: Cheap gas and new technology make the Hinkley Point power plant look expensive: David Cameron is about to sign you up to pay for one of the most expensive man-made objects in the world. More >>> |
18 Jun 2015: Civil servants must speak out: 'the time has gone for nuclear power': Despite the PR spin the truth about nuclear power is clear, says Paul Flynn MP. Current projects are plagued with technical failures, cost escalations and long delays. More >>> |
14 Jun 2015: French reactor problems cast doubt on UK nuclear power plant: Problems with a reactor in northern France have triggered deep concern in the British government about the future of the UK 's first new nuclear power station for 20 years at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
27 May 2015: Austria ready to sue over subsidized nuclear plants: Austria will take legal action to block any subsidized nuclear power plants in an effort to discourage use of the technology in Europe and scare off investors, the country's environment minister, Andrae Rupprechter, said in a newspaper interview. More >>> |
11 May 2015: Hinkley Point protest group calls for re-think by new Tory government: Stop Hinkley has called on the new government to raise its ambitions on energy policy. More >>> |
22 Apr 2015: No way nukes! Challenging the mainstream 'concensus' for nuclear power: All the 'main' political parties are backing nuclear power in bold defiance of all the evidence that it's expensive, dangerous and not even low-carbon. Even George Osborne just admitted that Hinkley C is 'unaffordable' - but supports it anyway. More >>> |
20 Apr 2015: Flamanville safety issues could delay Hinkley investment, investors warn: The Flamanville reactor is currently under construction and has already drawn criticism for running over both its schedule and budget, but fresh concerns over a manufacturing element key to the reactor’s safety has provoked fresh concern over EDF’s plans for Hinkley. More >>> |
18 Apr 2015: EDF should 'cuts its losses' as Hinkley plans come under threat: Campaigners are calling on energy investors to “cut their losses” on plans for a new reactor at Hinkley Point after a “very serious” fault was discovered in a similar French scheme. More >>> |
14 Apr 2015: French nuclear problems point to the same at Hinkley Point C: When you look at the problems besetting the French nuclear industry we may be witnessing the demise of civil nuclear power worldwide. More >>> |
06 Apr 2015: David Cameron tells the French: Sort out Hinkley C 'the sooner the better': The Prime Minister gave the French Government a stark message over the stalled £25 billion Hinkley Point C nuclear power station controversy last night by telling them: 'we've done our bit, now you do yours'. More >>> |
05 Apr 2015: Whitehall disarray as nuclear chief culled: THE government executive in charge of attracting investors to Britain's struggling nuclear industry has been replaced by an animal health expert. More >>> |
01 Apr 2015: 400 jobs lost at Hinkley Point C in Somerset as EDF stops work: Up to 400 contractor jobs at the new Hinkley Point C power plant are at risk because finances for the nuclear build are still being worked out. More >>> |
09 Mar 2015: Hinkley Point: the Beginning of the End: Jonathon Porritt always said that the two proposed new reactors at Hinkley Point would never get built. Now he's not just saying it: he's absolutely convinced that they’ll never get built. More >>> |
09 Mar 2015: EDF: 'Nuclear power is risky and unprofitable': Nuclear safety expert Mycle Schneider says pushing atomic energy represents a "financial time bomb with serious risks for nuclear safety." More >>> |
05 Mar 2015: EDF: Areva investment 'not existential' for Hinkley Point: EDF has given its strongest hint yet that ailing reactor-maker Areva may pull out of funding the Hinkley Point new nuclear plant, telling reporters Areva's proposed financial stake was "not existential" for the project. More >>> |
11 Feb 2015: UK threatens to hit back at Austria over Hinkley Point legal challenge: Austrian chancellor seeks meeting with David Cameron after UK warns it will take every opportunity to damage country in spat over nuclear reactor lawsuit. More >>> |
03 Feb 2015: Hinkley challenge launched: A LEGAL challenge against the proposed Hinkley Point nuclear development has a 'pretty high' chance of success, a prominent energy lawyer has warned. More >>> |
28 Jan 2015: Hinkley Point nuclear deal faces fresh delay: The UK's parliamentary watchdog has abandoned plans to scrutinise the Hinkley Point C nuclear project after predicting that a deal over state support would not be struck before May's general election. More >>> |
21 Jan 2015: Austria to launch lawsuit over Hinkley Point C nuclear subsidies: Austrian legal challenge over controversial EU subsidies for Hinkley Point C casts doubt over future of UK 's first planned nuclear reactor in 20 years. More >>> |
21 Jan 2015: EDF's chaotic approach of French EPR reactor safety: Despite the fact that the EPR in Flamanville has been under construction for seven years, French power utility EDF has yet to provide a satisfactory answer to some fundamental questions about nuclear safety. More >>> |
16 Jan 2015: Anger at EDF roads programme as Town Council repeats call for Bridgwater By-Pass: With Bridgwater on the brink of traffic chaos due to a chain of works designed to 'help' the proposed Hinkley Point development, the Labour controlled Bridgwater Town Council has reacted angrily to statements from the EDF spokesman. More >>> |
15 Jan 2015: Hinkley Point nuclear agreement expected in March: French nuclear power developer EDF said it expected to sign a long-awaited investment agreement with its Chinese partners for a new reactor at Hinkley Point by the end of March. More >>> |
30 Nov 2014: 'Unconstructable' Hinkley C could end UK's nuclear dream: Opponents of nuclear power hold up the planned Hinkley C as an examplar of waste and idiocy that could cost the UK over £30 billion in subsidies. More >>> |
30 Nov 2014: IEA Report: Future Of Nuclear Energy Industry "Uncertain": The global nuclear energy industry is facing an increasingly uncertain future according to the International Energy Agency's recent World Energy Outlook 2014. More >>> |
27 Nov 2014: Qatar considering investment in Hinkley Point nuclear plant: Qatar's energy minister has said the gas-rich Persian Gulf sheikhdom would consider investing in the £25bn Hinkley Point nuclear project in Somerset. More >>> |
25 Nov 2014: Hinkley C hovers on the brink - Europe's nuclear giants face meltdown: Doubts are growing that the Hinkley C nuclear power station, the EU's biggest construction project, will get the final go-ahead from the UK government. More >>> |
24 Nov 2014: More question over Britain 's nuclear future: Is Hinkley's future at risk from delays?: Plans for Britain's first new nuclear plant in a generation could be threatened by a financial crisis at the company supplying the reactor, experts have claimed. But the financial crisis isn't the only sticking point the plant could face. More >>> |
20 Nov 2014: Nuclear deal 'at risk of collapse' due to Areva crisis: A deal to build a nuclear reactor at Hinkley Point in Somerset may not go ahead, an expert has claimed. More >>> |
19 Nov 2014: False promise of nuclear power: The need for costly upgrades post-Fukushima and for making the nuclear industry competitive, including by cutting back on generous government subsidies, underscore nuclear power's dimming future. More >>> |
19 Nov 2014: Hinkley Point C nuclear plant's future in doubt as crisis hits shareholder: Questions over new Somerset power station after Areva's nuclear projects in Finland and France run into difficulties. More >>> |
19 Nov 2014: Flamanville EPR: the four curses of a controversial site: The sky darkens even further above the Flamanville 3 site. After the announcement by EDF of a new delay, its commencement is now expected in 2017, ten years after the start of work. And the bill - already overbudget - should slip higher. More >>> |
19 Nov 2014: The Lost Spark of France's Nuclear Sector: All is not well at Areva, the one-stop-shop of Europe 's atomic energy sector.
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12 Nov 2014: New Hinkley Point reactor has serious design flaws: The Government has committed taxpayers and consumers to a very expensive deal with the state owned French company EDF, to build two unproven European Pressurised nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
11 Nov 2014: Europe's nuclear future may hinge on UK 's Hinkley deal: The fate of future nuclear power projects in Europe could hinge on whether government-backed guarantees for Britain 's Hinkley Point C power station survive an expected challenge from Austria in Europe 's highest court. More >>> |
16 Oct 2014: Hinkley Point C subsidy scheme being investigated by National Audit Office: Watchdog checking whether guaranteed prices of £92 per MW/hour for planned nuclear plant represents 'value for money'. More >>> |
03 Oct 2014: Campaigners bid to block EU deal over Hinkley: Stop Hinkley have written to competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia, who is in charge of state aid, urging him to reconsider and claiming that the subsidy deal had been "stitched up without any sort of competitive process". More >>> |
02 Oct 2014: Threat to Hinkley deal from Austria: A WEEK after it emerged that EU commissioners investigating the deal to build Hinkley C were set to approve the deal, Austria 's government says it will challenge the decision. More >>> |
01 Oct 2014: Conflict of interest concerns over EDF's Hinkley nuclear project approval: Experts involved in safety review were receiving company's pensions, documents reveal. More >>> |
01 Oct 2014:
Leaked paper shows Commission could grant unprecedented taxpayer funding for Hinkley nuclear power station: A leaked paper disclosed by German magazine der Spiegel has shown the European Commission is on the verge of approving eye-watering amounts of public funding to build nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point, in the United Kingdom, saddling taxpayers with the financial and environmental cost.
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26 Sep 2014: Austria may challenge Hinkley Point C nuclear reactor over EU renewable energy target: Austrians look set to launch a legal challenge to the planned new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset if European Commissioners approve the project. More >>> |
23 Sep 2014: South West Green MEP Molly Scott Cato "shocked and disturbed" EU is set to approve £billions of public funding for Hinkley C: Green MEP for the South West, Molly Scott Cato, has reacted with fury to the news that the EU is set to approve billions of pounds of public funding for Hinkley C. More >>> |
23 Sep 2014: Stop Hinkley Campaign in Somerset stresses no decision has been made yet: Campaigners in Somerset stressed that no decision has yet been made concerning the news that the deal between the UK Government and EDF Energy to subsidise the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station is on the verge of winning approval from competition authorities in Brussels. More >>> |
01 Sep 2014: Campaigners tell EDF Energy business to give up nuclear ambitions for Somerset: Anti-nuclear campaigners have called on EDF Energy to give up its nuclear ambitions for Somerset and elsewhere following a report from a multinational investment bank which says it is time to "join the solar revolution". More >>> |
01 Sep 2014: Finland 's nuclear plant start delayed again: The consortium building Finland 's biggest nuclear reactor, said the start date of the much delayed project will be pushed back to late 2018 - almost a decade later than originally planned. More >>> |
26 Aug 2014: Bombs Ahoy! Why the UK is desperate for nuclear power: On the face of it, the UK government's obsession with nuclear power defies reason. But there is a simple explanation: it's all to maintain the UK 's status as a nuclear WMD state. More >>> |
26 Aug 2014: The Nuclear Industry Today: Declining but not Dying: Every year, the World Nuclear Industry Status Report reminds me why those in the Green movement who think nuclear has a major role to play in securing a low-carbon world are completely, dangerously off their collective trollies. More >>> |
21 Aug 2014: The saga of Hinkley Point C: Europe's key nuclear decision: Will EDF with Chinese backing build a new third-generation nuclear power plant in the U.K., and if so under what conditions? More >>> |
01 Aug 2014: Irish nuclear legal challenge against Hinkley Point fails: Ireland's National Trust, An Taisce, was contesting the legality of granting consent for Hinkley Point C, 150 miles (240km) from the Irish coast. More >>> |
10 Jul 2014: EDF nuclear deal is a bad economic bet: Rising renewables output makes promise to buy Hinkley Point electricity at twice its current price a costly gamble. More >>> |
06 Jul 2014: EDF in line for £800m windfall from subsidy scheme to keep lights on: Energy firm which operates most of UK nuclear power plants could undercut competitors at auction launch capacity market. More >>> |
02 May 2014: We shouldn't warm to nuclear power: Allan Jeffery is the assistant co-ordinator of the Stop Hinkley campaign. Here he outlines why he believes nuclear is not the answer to our energy needs. More >>> |
10 Apr 2014: Protests at Hinkley as Govt probed over energy price: There has been a protest at Hinkley Point in Somerset today. People are angry that the Government has agreed to pay twice the current market price for the electricity the plant will generate. More >>> |
10 Apr 2014: CEZ cancels Temelin expansion tender: Czech utility CEZ has informed the participants in the tender to construct two new reactors at the Temelin nuclear power plant that it has cancelled the procurement process. More >>> |
08 Apr 2014: Hinkley C - a nuclear subsidy too far: As the European Commission considers the £100 billion subsidy package the UK has offered EDF to build and operate Hinkley C nuclear power station, Paul Dorfman explains why the 'deal' is illegal, anti-renewables, and ruinous to energy users and tax payers. More >>> |
07 Apr 2014: Nuclear subsidy deal 'will kill renewables': The battle over the UK 's plan to subsidise nuclear power will decide Europe 's energy mix for the next 50 years, say critics. More >>> |
04 Apr 14: European Commission inquiry to examine if UK State Aid for two new power plants is inline with EU legislation: The European Commission has opened an in-depth inquiry to examine whether UK State Aid for the construction and operation of two new nuclear power plants at Hinkley Point C in Somerset are in line with EU legislation. More >>> |
22 Mar 14: Pressure mounting over £16bn nuclear site for Hinkley Point: The Government's divisive plans for a new £16bn civil nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset have been dealt a double blow by the United Nations and a powerful group of MPs. More >>> |
16 Dec 13: Ineos boss says Hinkley nuclear power too expensive: Power from the new Hinkley C nuclear generator will be too expensive, the boss of one of the UK 's biggest energy consumers has warned. More >>> |
10 Dec 13: Irish ministers raised nuclear concerns: Britain failed to satisfy concerns over the possible dangers from planned nuclear power stations when first raised by the Irish government three years ago, according to letters lodged in a London court case. More >>> |
30 Oct 13: Hinkley Point: nuclear power plant gamble worries economic analysts: Liberum Capital analysts flabbergasted by UK government's deal with EDF on nuclear power station. More >>> |
26 Oct 13: Deaths, chilling safety lapses, lawsuits, huge cost over-runs and delays: Why we can't trust the French with Britain 's nuclear future. More >>> |
26 Oct 13: Behind the nuclear smoke and mirrors: If there is no public subsidy for Hinkley C why are you having to make an application to the Brussels for state aid clearance? More >>> |
26 Oct 13: Nuke it: Britain runs towards nuclear energy as other countries flee. More >>> |
23 Oct 13: Missing the Hinkley point: This week's announcement that EDF will lead a consortium to build Britain 's first new nuclear power station in decades is, in some respects, welcome news. But claims from some quarters that the deal is a boost for the UK 's own nuclear industry are spurious to say the least. More >>> |
23 Oct 13: Sir James Dyson: We lack skills to build Hinkley: Inventor Sir James Dyson has warned the West that the jobs boom from the new Hinkley Point might turn into a whimper, because Britain has a dearth of engineers able to build it. More >>> |
22 Oct 13: Hinkley C The 'Worst Deal of the Century': Huge government subsidies to state-owned French and Chinese companies for a major new nuclear power station are "the worst deal of the century," protested Labour MP Paul Flynn yesterday. More >>> |
22 Oct 13: Nuclear smoke and mirrors: From the amount of media hoopla surrounding yesterday's announcement on Hinkley C you could be forgiven for thinking something monumental had occurred. More >>> |
21 Oct 13: UK gives unprecedented support to £16 billion nuclear deal: Britain signed a deal with France 's EDF to build a 16-billion pound nuclear plant, the first European country to offer state guarantees in order to fund a nuclear project. More >>> |
21 Oct 13: The farce of the Hinkley C nuclear reactor will haunt Britain for decades: We need nuclear power. But the government has plumped for outdated technology at the worst price imaginable. More >>> |
21 Oct 13: UK nuclear power plant contract: £80bn deal or no deal?: Political parties and industry groups welcome low-carbon project as academics and campaigners question cost and waste. More >>> |
16 Sep 13: The Lib Dems are wrong on nuclear power - the arguments don't add up: As Japan and much of the world rows back on nuclear power, why have the Lib Dems made a U-turn to support it? More >>> |
15 Sep 13: Lib Dems vote to accept nuclear power: The Liberal Democrats have voted to accept nuclear power, in a historic reversal of their long-held opposition to atomic energy. Party members backed nuclear power as long as it is not subsidised. More >>> |
10 Jul 13: EDF : Nuclear Talks Between UK and EDF to Last Until End of 2013: Talks between the British government and power giant Electricite de France SA (EDF.FR) over the potential building of new nuclear reactors in the U.K. are expected to last until the end of the year, well past the initial deadline of the end of 2012, several people close to the discussions said. More >>> |
02 Jul 13: New nuclear plant could be running by 2020, Ed Davey insists: EDF Energy has refused to give an up-to-date timetable for building reactors at the site in Somerset , which it originally planned to be producing power before the end of 2017. More >>> |
02 Jul 13: The coming nuclear energy crunch: As the British and American governments signal their renewed commitments to nuclear power, a new scientific study of worldwide uranium production warns of an imminent supply gap that will result in spiralling fuel costs in the next decades. More >>> |
27 Jun 13: Nuclear power gets £10bn financial guarantee boost: Ministers respond to warnings that UK is on brink of power blackouts with support for French generator EDF to build Hinkley Point nuclear power plant. More >>> |
23 Jun 13:
UK 's nuclear clean-up programme to cost billions more than expected:
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority declines to predict final lifetime clean-up cost amid fears total bill could exceed £100bn. More >>> |
14 Jun 13: Sellafield fined £700,000 for sending radioactive waste to landfill: Court also orders nuclear company to pay £72,000 costs for mistake which sent low-level waste to wrong site. More >>> |
17 May 13: Hinkley C nuclear power station challenged by Irish National Trust: Government approval for the proposed new Hinkley C nuclear power station is being challenged in the High Court, by the National Trust for Ireland. More >>> |
17 May 13: EDF delays Hinkley funding 'until at least September': EDF will not make a final investment decision on its £10bn Hinkley nuclear plant project until at least September and is set to cut up to half the staff on the site in Somerset. More >>> |
16 May 13: Greenpeace mounts Hinkley Point legal challenge: The environmental lobby group last week lodged an application for judicial review of the government's decision to grant consent for the project. More >>> |
15 May 13: EDF and UK closing in on nuclear deal: Britain 's hopes for new nuclear power may at last be cleared by ministers, with a deal set to be struck within two weeks. More >>> |
09 May 13: Concerns over UK 's Hinkley nuclear technology could add to delay: The UK 's proposed new 3.2GW Hinkley Point C nuclear plant may meet similar technical difficulties to that of Flamanville and Olkiluoto projects which could lead to the project overrunning even further. More >>> |
01 May 13: An Taisce launches legal challenge to UK nuclear station plan: The Irish heritage group said it had commenced judicial review proceedings in London to challenge the legality of UK secretary of state Ed Davey's decision's to grant permission to build and operate a nuclear station at Hinkley Point, 150 miles from the Irish coast. More >>> |
29 Apr 13: Sizewell: Threat of new delay to nuclear plant proposal:
A NEW round of public consultations over plans for a Sizewell C nuclear power station is likely to be delayed until next year. More >>> |
23 Apr 13: EDF Energy to cut jobs to control cost of building nuclear power station: EDF energy is cutting scores of jobs to control costs at the site of its proposed new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. The company is in the middle of difficult negotiations with ministers over the level of public subsidy the new reactors will receive. More >>> |
14 Mar 13: Nuclear power plans threatened by European commission investigation: Britain 's planned nuclear reactor programme could be delayed for years, and the nation's long-term energy policy thrown into turmoil, as European commission officials launch the first stage of an investigation into the use of taxpayer subsidies to support the development. More >>> |
11 Mar 13: Nuclear reactor operators must be financially liable for disasters: Maximum liability is £140m in the UK , but Fukushima clean-up and compensation costs are running to tens of billions - and the state is footing the bill. More >>> |
19 Feb 13: EDF confirms it wants 40-year contracts to build nuclear plants: Electricity firm EDF has confirmed it wants the UK government to sign 40-year contracts to support building new nuclear reactors in Britain - as the national energy regulator warned prices are likely to rise higher than expected. More >>> |
04 Feb 13: Sellafield management sharply criticised by Commons committee: The reputation of the nuclear industry faces further damage this week with the publication of a highly critical report on the management of the Sellafield plant in Cumbria , days before a court action over the illegal dumping of nuclear waste. More >>> |
23 Dec 12: French cuts could delay new nuclear power plants in Britain: Britain 's multi-billion pound nuclear building programme could face long delays because of cutbacks at EDF Energy's parent company in France. More >>> |
13 Dec 12: New nuclear plant, Hinkley Point C, design unveiled: The design for the first UK nuclear power stations to be built for 25 years has been granted approval. More >>> |
07 Dec 12: Nuclear giant EDF postpones decision on new Hinkley Point reactor: The troubled French nuclear giant EDF has postponed its decision on whether to build a new power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset. More >>> |
23 Nov 12: Four arrests as protesters hold human blockade outside Hinkley Point: A group of protesters campaigning against the expansion of Hinkley Point blockaded access to the power station. More >>> |
07 Nov 12: Britain's nuclear push may stall as risks mount: Britain 's nuclear power generation future may be at risk as the list of potential operators shrinks due to concerns about the high costs of entry. More >>> |
23 Oct 12: Future of UK nuclear power hangs in the balance, says EDF boss: The company says it is waiting for government reassurances before going ahead with a nuclear construction programme. More >>> |
06 Oct 12: Protest against nuclear plans for Somerset: Anti-nuclear campaigners from all over Britain converged on Somerset today for a mass rally in protest against the Hinkley C nuclear power station. More [incl Video] >>> |
06 Oct 12: Anti-nuclear campaigners gather for Hinkley Point protest: Anti-nuclear campaigners from all over Britain are converging on Somerset today for a mass rally to be followed on Monday by a 'mass trespass' at the proposed site of the Hinkley C nuclear power station. More >>> |
06 Oct 12: Hinkley Point: Protesters camp for weekend of action: Anti-nuclear campaigners have set up a camp at Hinkley Point in Somerset as a base for a weekend of action. More >>> |
03 Oct 12: British nuclear plans suffer blow as Chinese investors pull out: The government's nuclear energy plans were in trouble as Chinese investors withdrew interest in two projects and local councils postponed a decision on storing atomic waste. More >>> |
16 Sep 12: Storm surges and rising sea levels threaten nuclear safety: The Government should rethink nuclear policy at Hinkley point. Isn't the growing threat of floods, cancer infant mortality and tsunami in the UK enough to stop the Hinkley power station proposal? More >>> |
11 Sep 12:
Britain 's first new nuclear reactor in a quarter of a century moves closer: The prospect of Britain 's first new nuclear reactor in a quarter of a century moved closer last night after deal-breaking local opposition to the project was dropped. More >>> |
11 Sep 12:
UK nuclear delay may hit energy security - engineers: Any delays to building the UK 's first new nuclear plant since the 1990s could hold up other atomic projects and deepen the country's dependence on potentially insecure fuel imports, a panel of British civil engineers said on Tuesday. More >>> |
24 Jul 12: Hinkley nuclear plant now a year behind schedule: A revised timetable of work submitted to the Planning Inspectorate to support EDF's application for permission to build the plant reveals that onsite construction work is now not due to start until 2014. More >>> |
19 Jul 12: Emails reveal UK government's moves to protect nuclear power from bad news:Government officials worked closely with E.ON and RWE to soften the impact of a major blow to plans for a new nuclear programme. More >>> |
07 Jul 12: Great views (if you ignore the power station): For sale - one Grade II listed former farmhouse with ten and a half acres of land - and Europe's biggest construction site as a neighbour. More >>> |
Jun 12: Hinkley C Construction Has Not Started: Many people are under the impression that construction work has started on the proposed Hinkley "C" nuclear reactors. No construction work has started, and EDF does not yet have permission to do so. More >>> |
09 Jun 12: The changing face of Hinkley Point: The dramatic aerial photo shows the scale of the proposed building project at the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. . More >>> |
22 May 12: Nuclear reactor reprieve puts UK energy plans in doubt: Office for Nuclear Regulation in talks to extend life of aging power stations earmarked for closure. More >>> |
22 May 12: Only renewables - not nuclear - could be too cheap to meter: Germany's long support for wind and solar energy is delivering zero-cost electricity at times. In contrast, the UK's new energy policy seeks to underwrite the rising cost of nuclear. More >>> |
18 May 12: Rising costs argue against new nuclear: The costs of nuclear power are rising in developed countries, where fossil fuel and renewable energy prices are stable or falling, suggesting present proposals for a major programme of new investment are ill-advised. More >>> |
16 May 12: Hinkley Point C plant 'could cost Bridgwater economy £47m': Traffic congestion caused by the building of a new nuclear power station in Somerset could cost the Bridgwater economy £47m, it has been claimed. More >>> |
14 May 12: Hinkley nuclear power station delay deals blow to government hopes: Half of the big six energy firms have already abandoned their nuclear plans as too costly, but Hinkley is backed by the most pro-nuclear of them, EDF, which is 83% owned by the French state. More >>> |
08 May 12: UK nuclear build requires taxpayer rescue: Britain's aim to expand its fleet of nuclear plants by 2025 will take place only if the taxpayer absorbs the burden of spiralling construction costs, allowing private companies to invest in the sector, a senior analyst said. More >>> |
21 Apr 12: Plans to expand Hinkley Point 'in jeopardy' amid financial concerns: Plans to expand Hinkley Point nuclear power station have been thrown into doubt, according to a report in the Financial Times. More >>> |
03 Apr 12: EDF Sticks to UK Nuclear Projects as RWE, EON Quit Vent: Electricite de France SA, the world's biggest operator of atomic plants, remains committed to developing nuclear reactors in the UK, even after Germany 's two biggest utilities abandoned projects in the country. More >>> |
02 Apr 12: Nuclear industry dreams dashed by current economic reality: It was the financing model and rates of return that prompted German nuclear giants RWC and E.ON to pull out of UK energy plans . More >>> |
22 Mar 12: Hinkley: talking is over, now the talking begins: More than 200 people gathered in a vast echoing hall designed to stage pop concerts and car boot sales yesterday for the start of the biggest planning investigation in the West for a generation. More >>> |
20 Mar 12: Hinkley Point construction traffic will cause 'chaos' on Somerset roads: The Mayor of Bridgwater is predicting construction traffic for the proposed new Hinkley C nuclear power station will cause "chaos" on the roads and says already 100 extra lorries a day are going past his home. More >>> |
20 Mar 12: Sedgemoor council to spend £300k on Hinkley nuclear plans: Sedgemoor district councillors voted to spend nearly £300,000 of council money to scrutinise the Hinkley Point C plans. More >>> |
14 Mar 12: Third nuclear power station at Heysham plans on ice: French company EDF Energy has cancelled an agreement with the National Grid to set up any new connection to the grid from Heysham. More >>> |
13 Mar 12: EDF transport plans branded 'inadequate': SEDGEMOOR District Council bosses have labelled energy giant EDF Energy's transport plans for the Bridgwater area 'wholly inadequate'. More >>> |
07 Mar 12: UK nuclear sites at risk of flooding, report shows: As many as 12 of Britain 's 19 civil nuclear sites are at risk of flooding and coastal erosion because of climate change, according to an unpublished government analysis obtained by the Guardian. More >>> |
20 Feb 12: EDF bids to evict protesters from Hinkley Point: Power giant EDF has begun court action to remove protesters who have set up camp on land earmarked for the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. They served papers on activists occupying farmland on Saturday. More >>> |
17 Feb 12: Activists occupying new nuclear site accuse EDF of 'ignoring democracy': Environmental activists have occupied the site of what is planned to be Britain's first new nuclear power station since 1995 , and on Friday accused EDF of "ignoring democracy" and starting work on the £10bn project without permission to build the station. More >>> |
15 Feb 12: Campaigners say no to nuclear new build at Hinkley Point: Campaign group South-West Against Nuclear want to stop the government's plans for a 'nuclear renaissance' beginning in Hinkley Point in Somerset. More >>> |
02 Feb 12: Weakness of infrastructure at Hinkley C a concern for Taunton Deane Borough Council: Concerns over the weakness of infrastructure exposed by the planned new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point have been officially lodged by Taunton Deane Borough Council. More >>> |
02 Feb 12: Ministers 'misled MPs over need for nuclear power stations': Ministers misled parliament over the need to build a new fleet of nuclear power stations, distorting evidence and presenting to MPs a false summary of the analysis they had commissioned. More >>> |
20 Jan 12: UK 'subsidising nuclear power unlawfully': Green energy campaigners are attempting to block new nuclear power stations in the UK by complaining to the European Commission that government plans contravene EU competition regulations. More >>> |
19 Jan 12: Anti-nuclear campaigners plan legal challenge to new British power stations: A group of politicians and environmentalists are trying to block the building of new nuclear power stations in Britain by submitting a formal complaint to the European commission. More >>> |
07 Dec 11: Hinkley Point nuclear protesters take fight to Prime Minister David Cameron: Campaigners yesterday stepped up their battle against a new nuclear power station in Somerset by handing a major petition to 10 Downing Street . More >>> |
05 Dec 11: UK government shared intelligence with nuclear industry, documents show: The British government has been quietly exchanging intelligence on key policies with multinational companies in an effort to protect and promote their plans for new nuclear power stations, according to internal documents seen by the Guardian. More >>> |
25 Nov 11: Nuclear power gets little public support worldwide: In countries with nuclear programmes, people are significantly more opposed than they were in 2005, with only the UK and US bucking the trend. More >>> |
21 Nov 11: Councils express concern over Hinkley transport proposals: WEST Somerset, Sedgemoor and Somerset County Council have said they are concerned about a lack of 'detailed information' surrounding transport proposals for EDF Energy's planned new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
16 Nov 11: Burnham councillors express fears over Hinkley sea discharge plans: Town councillors in Burnham-on-Sea have this week expressed concern over plans for liquid effluent to be discharged into the Bristol Channel from the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. More >>> |
15 Nov 11: Somerset councils approve EDF's Hinkley consultation: Three councils in Somerset have said EDF Energy has carried out an adequate consultation over its planned new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
14 Nov 11: £50m deal as wind turbine land goes to nuclear plant: Lady Elizabeth Gass, who is the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, is reported by the Sunday Times to have become a beneficiary of Britain's dash for nuclear power with the sale of 230 acres of Quantock Hills land to energy company EDF. More >>> |
13 Nov 11: Ofgem study 'undermines' case for nuclear: Plans being considered by the industry regulator could undermine the prospect of new UK nuclear power plants. The cost of feeding the north of Scotland's renewable energy into the national power grid could fall by 80% under the proposals. More >>> |
10 Nov 11: EDF fined €1.5m for spying on Greenpeace: EDFs head of nuclear production security in 2006, Pascal Durieux, was given a three-year sentence with two years suspended, and a €10,000 fine for commissioning the spying. More >>> |
28 Oct 11: EDF Delays Construction Of 4 Nuclear Reactors In UK: French power company Electricite de France SA decided to delay the construction of four planned nuclear reactors in the U.K., a company spokeswoman said. More >>> |
27 Oct 11: No firm date set for new UK nuclear plant: EDF Energy will not set a firm date for completion of its first new nuclear power plant in Britain until it makes its final investment decision at the end of next year, the chief executive said. More >>> |
16 Oct 11: Nuclear bombshell hits E.ON energy project: E.ON could pull out of developing nuclear power stations in Britain - following the example of RWE, its partner in the project. More >>> |
12 Oct 11: 145,000 page Hinkley Point planning application attacked by MP: Burnham-On-Sea's MP has this week quizzed the Secretary of State for Energy on how residents are supposed to be able to consider EDF's Hinkley Point planning application when it amounts to a massive 145000 pages. During a debate in the House of Commons Tessa Munt said that it is 95,000 pages long with 50,000 pages of supporting documents. More >>> |
03 Oct 11: Activists hail nuclear plant protest: Protesters who blockaded a nuclear power station today have said their actions were a "phenomenal success" in shedding light on opposition to new nuclear reactors. More >>> |
03 Oct 11: Fully energised about nuclear safety: Nuclear regulators have insisted that scores of changes are made to the reactor designs that could be built in the UK. More >>> |
03 Oct 11: Protesters blockade nuclear power station: Members of several anti-nuclear groups who are part of the Stop New Nuclear alliance say they are barring access to Hinkley Point power station in Somerset in protest against EDF Energy's plans to renew the site with two new reactors. More >>> |
03 Oct 11: Questions over funding for nuclear expansion: Many countries are committed to backing more nuclear power, but observers claim that utilities will only be able to pay for plants if, controversially, governments guarantee their incomes. More >>> |
02 Oct 11: Hinkley power station proposals 'poses a threat to one million people in South Wales': WELSH campaigners protested in Somerset yesterday against EDF Energy's plans to build two new nuclear reactors - arguing they pose a threat to more than one million people in South Wales. More >>> |
24 Sep 11: EDF hits back over Hinkley Point complaint: Stop Hinkley accused EDF of failing to remove spoil contaminated with asbestos left over from the construction of the original Hinkley site. More >>> |
21 Sep 11: Judicial review into Hinkley power plant worker homes plan: A judge has granted a judicial review into plans to build accommodation for workers at the proposed new nuclear power station at Hinkley in Somerset. More >>> |
19 Sep 11: Siemens to quit nuclear industry: German industrial and engineering conglomerate Siemens is to withdraw entirely from the nuclear industry. More >>> |
15 Sep 11: EDF under fire over 'rule break': Anti-nuclear campaign group Stop Hinkley this week accused the energy firm of breaching planning conditions and claimed the "rule break" did not bode well for the future development of the site. More >>> |
09 Sep 11: Stop New Nuclear group plans protests against Hinkley expansion: Campaigners opposed to the UK government's nuclear expansion programme are planning a series of events at Hinkley power station near Burnham-on-Sea. From September 11th the Stop New Nuclear group will be holding a series of events to highlight what they claim are the dangers of nuclear power - and to demand safer alternatives. More >>> |
06 Sep 11: Burnham and Highbridge councillors raise fresh Hinkley fears: Town councillors have this week raised fresh concerns about the impact that the multi-billion pound expansion of Hinkley Point will have on Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge. More >>> |
31 Aug 11: French nuclear watchdog identifies gaps and weaknesses in Hinkley's model: Concerns by the French nuclear safety watchdog over the energy giant EDF's new nuclear power plant in France has fuelled opposition to the firm's plans in Somerset. More >>> |
24 Aug 11: Environmentalists step up fight against Hinkley Point power station: ENVIRONMENTALISTS have stepped up their fight against a planned nuclear power station 15 miles from the South Wales coast. Campaigners say the development, at Hinkley Point on the north Somerset coast, could impact on Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and other parts of the region. More >>> |
22 Aug 11: Diggers roll in as nuclear finds its feet in Somerset: Europe's biggest civil engineering project is beginning to growl, grind and grunt - even though full planning permission has yet to be granted for two proposed pressurised water reactors at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
02 Aug 11: Hinkley Point C comes a step closer: Campaigners against the new power station said EDF had "jumped the gun" as it has yet to apply for planning permission for the whole project, and stood in protest outside West Somerset Council's offices in Williton. More >>> |
01 Aug 11: Hinkley C - Somerset's nuclear money pit?: Uncosted, unapproved, and unwanted: why Britain's new nuclear plant may never get built. More >>> |
25 Jul 11: City presses Centrica to cancel plans for building nuclear power plants: Centrica is being urged by the City to withdraw from a £4bn commitment to build new nuclear power stations in partnership with Electricité de France amid soaring costs and delays at a prototype reactor at Flamanville in France. More >>> |
22 Jul 11: Nuclear power's real chain reaction - spiralling costs: The new delays and bumper cost overruns of EDF's new reactor in France make it very hard to believe that nuclear power can fulfil the promises its supporters make. More >>> |
21 Jul 11: EDF nuclear unit design delays new builds in UK, France: EDF Energy announced that its European pressurised reactor at Flamanville will not be on line until 2016 - four years later than planned - raising fears that the French energy giant has fallen behind schedule on its two UK new builds. More >>> |
20 Jul 11: Local landowner creates hitch for EDF nuclear plan: The nuclear industry and the Government have been braced for a legal challenge to derail their plans to build new reactors for years. Executives fear an anti-nuclear group such as Greenpeace could tie the controversial programme up in legal knots. But The Times can reveal that the first legal spanner in the works has emerged instead from the most unlikely of sources - a cellophane manufacturer in Somerset. More >>> |
12 Jul 11: IPC faces first judicial review: The JR that has been launched is about the prospective application to build a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset. More >>> |
28 Jun 11: New Hinkley C transport consultation launched: EDF Energy is considering building one of its Bridgwater park-and-ride facilities for Hinkley Point C on the site of the current Somerfield depot. More >>> |
24 Jun 11: Anger over new Hinkley Point nuclear scheme: ENVIRONMENTALISTS have hit out at plans to build a new nuclear power station less than 15 miles off the South Wales coast amid concerns the region is "due" a tsunami. More >>> |
23 Jun 11: Government confirms eight nuclear power sites: Energy secretary Chris Huhne confirmed today that the Government wants to press ahead with new nuclear power stations at eight sites. More >>> |
23 Jun 11: Ministers to name new nuclear power sites: Ministers will today announce that they will push ahead with plans to build about eight nuclear power stations despite the Fukushima meltdown in Japan earlier this year. More >>> |
01 Jun 11: Nuclear Phaseout Could Spell Disaster for German Energy Giants: Germany's four biggest utility companies face an uncertain future. Profits could tumble this year by as much as 30 percent and the companies are also becoming increasingly vulnerable to takeovers. More >>> |
31 May 11: How many will follow Germany's anti-nuclear lead?: Angela Merkel's decision to abandon nuclear power could encourage the Lib Dems to speak out. More >>> |
25 May 11: Nuclear subsidy already in place: Subsidies are already happening with the ongoing nuclear decommissioning of nuclear power stations. More >>> |
18 May 11: Nuclear inspector accused of complacency after reactors get all-clear: An enormous row broke out on Wednesday after the chief nuclear safety inspector gave Britain's reactor fleet the all-clear and made modest "recommendations" to be incorporated in the planned new plant design. Critics immediately accused Mike Weightman of rushing to judgment and "complacency" in his interim report on the lessons to be learned from the Fukushima atomic crisis. More >>> |
11 May 11: Researchers calculate enormous liability costs for nuclear power plants: For the first time researchers in the financial sector have analysed how expensive a (third-party) liability insurance would be for a nuclear power plant. The result: it would be a matter of umpteen billion euros – and at the end of the day, ordinary people would foot the bill. More >>> |
21 Apr 11: BBC Radio 4 The Report: examining safety at Hinkley. In the wake of Fukushima, Andy Denwood investigated the recent record of Britain's nuclear safety agency: is the inspectorate - relaunched this month - up to the job? Interviews with John Large, Joan Girling at Sizewell, Jim Duffy and Stop Hinkley campaigners. Listen to the programme here. |
05 Apr 11: Fukushima reviews to cause 3-month delay in UK nuclear program: There will be a minimum three-month delay in new reactor construction in the UK as a result of plans for nuclear safety reviews in the wake of the nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric's Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan, UK officials said Tuesday. More >>> |
| 04 Apr 11: Loophole in energy bill could see UK taxpayers funding nuclear bailouts: Obscure clause would make government liable for unexpected costs, despite assurances that the industry will not receive public subsidies. More >>> |
01 Apr 11: French Nuclear Safety Authority cannot rule out moratorium on Flamanville reactor: The reactor has cost over €5 billion to build and has run into delays and cost over-runs. Mr. Lacoste said the reactor, whose engineering works were led by the French electricity giant EDF, was "very compromised." More >>> |
30 Mar 11: EDF warned to improve reactor maintenance: France's nuclear safety authority has warned EDF , the country's monopoly operator of atomic power plants, that it needs to improve the maintenance of its reactors. More >>> |
| 25 Mar 11: Chris Huhne faces legal challenge over nuclear link to cancer in children: The government has ordered an expansion of the UK's nuclear programme without properly factoring in evidence that nuclear power stations cause an increase in cancer cases in children living nearby, according to a legal challenge in the high court. More >>> |
| 25 Mar 11: Councils raise concerns over Hinkley Point nuclear plans:Two local authorities have outlined a number of concerns over EDF Energy's proposals for a new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
| 22 Mar 11: Call to scrap Hinkley C: Anti-Nuclear protesters descended on Bridgwater to call for Hinkley Point C to be scrapped following the Japan crisis. More >>> |
| 19 Mar 11: Chris Huhne: Nuclear power may become less attractive option for UK: Britain may back away from the use of nuclear energy because of safety fears and a potential rise in costs after the Fukushima disaster, says Chris Huhne, the energy secretary. More >>> |
| 14 Mar 11: Nuclear power: Energy solution or evil curse?: Explosions and meltdown fears at Japan's damaged nuclear plants have renewed debate about the safety of atomic energy and cast doubts over its future as a clean energy source. More >>> |
| 11 Mar 11: Halt work for safety's sake: Some weeks ago Professor Busby found that EdF documents showed ten tonnes of enriched uranium peppered over the proposed site for Hinkley C. He said this could be harmful to workers and residents if the ground is disturbed for construction work. More >>> |
| 07 Mar 11: EDF nuclear reactor carries 'Chernobyl-size' explosion risk: French anti-nuclear campaigners claim a new power plant being built in Normandy carries an accident risk of "Chernobyl proportions". Sortir du Nucléaire, a protest network, says leaked confidential documents show that tests on the third-generation pressurised water reactor present a potentially catastrophic scenario. More >>> |
| 18 Feb 11: It's not too late for an ombudsman: Residents of Burton, Shurton and Wick, the hamlets that will be most severely affected by the construction of Hinkley Point C power station, are fighting very hard to limit the damage that it will cause to our way of life. More >>> |
| 18 Feb 11: Hinkley C: This is what we want, Councils' new wishlist: WILLITON should get funding for a public swimming pool, new leisure facilities and a link road as part of EDF Energy's plans to offset the impact of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
| 05 Feb 11: Disturbing news from Hinkley Point: We are disturbed to discover that the energy company EDF is already proposing to start major preparation work at Hinkley Point in Somerset even before it has permission to build a new nuclear power station. More >>> |
| 23 Jan 11: Nuclear firms to face £1bn accident clean-up costs: Nuclear operators will have to pay the first £1bn towards the cost of any accident in the UK- seven times more than the current cap on their liabilities - the government will propose tomorrow. More >>> |
| 21 Jan 11: EDF faces legal threat over 'the bigger picture': EDF Energy could face a legal challenge for not addressing the combined impact of all its various applications for the Hinkley Point site. More >>> |
| 21 Jan 11: A spokesman for EDF said the "serious and quite incredible allegations" not only had the potential to cause public anxiety but were untrue. More >>> |
| 14 Jan 11: Developer rejects claims of enriched uranium on Somerset nuclear power plant site: A claim that enriched uranium is present on the site proposed for a new nuclear power station in Somerset has been dismissed as "unfounded and irresponsible" by the developer. The Environment Agency also questioned the claim by independent research group Green Audit, which said it reached the conclusion by analysed data in developer EDF Energy's own Environmental Impact Statement. More >>> |
| 22 Nov 10: EDF to start 10 bn Euro project a year before permission: EDF is preparing to start major works on a €10 billion nuclear power station project early next year - well over 12 months before it is expected to receive formal approval to build a reactor on the site. More >>> |
| 21 Nov 10: Power giant says new reactor is vital for Britain's electricity needs: Here in this picturesque corner of west Somerset the French nuclear juggernaut has arrived. "That barn dates back to 1840 - that will be dismantled," says Andrew Painter, a contractor for EDF, the Paris-based energy giant that bought the site last year. More >>> |
| 20 Nov 10: How to make people 'love' nuclear power: A poll on whether a new nuclear power station should be built at Hinkley Point provides a masterclass in manipulation. More >>> |
| 19 Oct 10: New nuclear stations for the West as barrage plan binned: Two new nuclear power stations will be built in the West - but the massive Severn Barrage project has been shelved, Chris Huhne confirmed yesterday. The Energy Secretary has dropped plans for new reactors at three current plants but paved the way for development at another eight around the country. More >>> |
| 19 Oct 10: New nuclear stations move closer at Hinkley Point: Two new nuclear power stations will be built at Hinkley Point, energy secretary Chris Huhne has confirmed this week. More >>> |
| 19 Oct 10: Government says West power-plant sites are suitable: Both of the West's potential new nuclear power stations - Hinkley Point in Somerset and Oldbury in South Gloucestershire - are suitable, the Government said yesterday. Its formal response to public consultation on the sites said there were a number of areas that would have to be considered if there is a formal application for development consent at Hinkley. More >>> |
| 18 Oct 10: Government scraps Severn barrage plans: THE Government today scrapped multi-billion pound plans for a huge tidal barrage between Brean Down and Wales and poured its support instead into new nuclear reactors such as Hinkley C. Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy, said the Severn Estuary barrage would cost £30billion and there was no "strategic case" for publicly funding it. More >>> |
| 24 Aug 10: Nuclear reactors: safe and cost-effective? Fears are growing about the safety of nuclear technology destined for a reactor in France. At Flamanville, a new third generation reactor is supposed to be activated in 2012, but tests have been deemed unsatisfactory by France's nuclear safety authority. More >> |
| 19 Aug 10: Bid made to start clearing Hinkley site: THE clearance of wood and grassland at the site of the proposed new Hinkley C nuclear power station could start as early as this autumn. EDF Energy's decision to apply to West Somerset Council and the Marine Management Organisation to begin site preparation work before the new build is approved has angered campaigners. A final decision on the build may still be years away. More >>> |
| 18 Aug 10: Campaigners' anger as energy firm applies to start work at Hinkley: It might be years before it gets approval for the next generation of nuclear power stations in Somerset, but EDF is already poised to begin bulldozing barns and removing ancient hedges at the proposed Hinkley C site. Campaigners opposed to the French energy giant's plans have claimed the move is "immoral". More >>> |
| 17 Aug 10: EDF Could Start Work On Power Station Early: Campaigners against the new Hinkley C nuclear power plant in Somerset have raised concerns over plans to start preparing the proposed site before planning permission is granted. More >>> |
| 30 Jul 10: EDF only offering ‘a few sops’ says council leader: WEST Somerset could get just £2 million from the £10 billion proposed Hinkley C development, district councillors were warned on Wednesday. Council leader Cllr Tim Taylor said the authority’s negotiations with developer EDF Energy have been “intensive and focussed” as the authority fights to secure more than “a few sops” from the power giant. More >>> |
| 28 Jul 10: Who will pay for nukes?: An article in the June Gazette noted suggestions that the appointment of an 'antinuclear' Energy Secretary in Chris Huhne lowered the chances of more nukes, but this appeared to be contradicted by subsequent statements from Conservation Minister Chris Hendry on June 16. More >> |
| 22 Jul 10: Helping locals understand nuclear plans: THE key areas to be affected by the proposed building of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point are being offered extra support. Community support meetings to help communities interpret and discuss EDF's now revised proposals will be organised in July and August by Sedgemoor District Council and West Somerset Council. More >>> |
| 17 Jul 10: New reactors 'held up' by policy recall: Anti-nuclear campaigners claimed yesterday the chances of new nuclear reactors operating in the West by 2018 have been hit by a planning delay. Hinkley Point in Somerset in Somerset has been earmarked for the first wave of new reactors, while Oldbury is being considered for a later project. Energy Minister Charles Hendry has revealed the National Policy Statements will pave the way for a new generation of nuclear power will not be presented to Parliament until next spring. More >>> |
| 14 Jul 10: Decisions on nuclear stations in 3 months: The length of time to make a decision on approving new nuclear power stations could be cut down to just three months. Energy Minister Charles Hendry promised the coalition Government's changes to the planning system will not mean plans for new reactors will suffer long delays. More >>> |
| 17 Jun 10: Huhne has to tread with care: One quirk of the coalition Government is that the man in charge of delivering Britain's first new nuclear power stations in a generation has spent his career campaigning against them. Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne knows he must tread carefully as Energy and Climate Secretary as the nuclear issue could put the coalition under considerable strain. More >>> |
| 17 Jun 10: Minister signals future is nuclear: The new Government believes nuclear power will play a "key role" in the future - signalling that the building of new reactors in the West is almost a certainty. The new Energy Minister declared yesterday that nuclear would feature in the coalition's plans for providing Britain's energy - as long as there is no cost to the taxpayer. More >>> |
| 02 Jun 10: Areva Faces EU Antitrust Probe Over Siemens Nuclear Venture: Areva SA, the world's biggest reactor builder, faces a European Union antitrust probe into contractual clauses concluded with Siemens AG in a nuclear-reactor joint venture. More >>> |
| 02 Jun 10: EU Probes Siemens, Areva Nuclear JV Clause: The European Commission launched a probe to investigate whether a deal by German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG and France's Areva SA on the conditions for ending a nuclear power joint venture violates competition rules. The commission "has opened proceedings to assess whether non-compete clauses... in the field of civil nuclear technology may be in violation of EU antitrust rules." More >>> |
| 30 May 10: Longest FOI battle ends in defeat over cancer data: Scotland's first, longest and most disputed Freedom of Information case has ended up keeping vital cancer statistics secret. After two investigations, numbers that might shed light on the links between children's blood cancer and radioactive pollution have been kept under wraps. The Scottish Green Party, which made the original request, is frustrated and annoyed. The Scottish Health Service, which fought to keep the information confidential, sounds relieved. More >>> |
| 19 May 10: Sedgemoor send strong message to EDF over Hinkley: SEDGEMOOR District Council has warned energy bosses not to 'ride roughshod' over Bridgwater on Hinkley Point - as new details of the ground-breaking project emerge. More >>> |
| 19 May 10: French energy giant - We will go it alone on Hinkley C: The French energy giant bidding to build a replacement nuclear power plant in Somerset says the Government's pledge not to subsidise new stations won't slow it down. However, lobby groups and some industry experts claim the appointment of anti-nuclear Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne as Energy Secretary brings uncertainty to the entire nuclear plant replacement programme. More >>> |
| 10 May 10: Council turn down EDF plans for digging up Hinkley: Campaigners fighting plans for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point say it's a mini 'David and Goliath' victory. The French energy giant EDF, which is planning to build the new Hinkley Point C, have had a planning application to dig some trenches turned down. More >>> |
| 10 May 10: Nuclear plans 'on target' despite trench dig refusal: Plans to build a new nuclear power station on the West Country coast will not be derailed by council officials rejecting plans to carry out preparation work on the site, the developer has said. More >>> |
| 08 May 10: EDF trenches proposal rejected by council: Set to be operational by 2018, Hinkley Point is one of ten sites earmarked for a huge expansion of nuclear power across the UK. EDF Energy wanted to dig 20 trenches close to the village of Shurton, near Bridgwater, Somerset, to ascertain the nature and depth of the soil above rock in the area. More >>> |
| 13 Apr 10: UK faces court action over planning law: Move by Europe 's new environment commissioner could hit push for new nuclear reactors. Europe's new environment commissioner is threatening to take Britain to court over its allegedly undemocratic system for challenging planning decisions. More >>> |
| 18 Mar 10: Why nuclear plans are 'totally wrong': New power station will leave an unacceptable legacy, says environmentalist. Jonathon Porritt voiced his views to a packed meeting of local anti-nuclear campaigners who are opposing the Somerset scheme. More >>> |
| 15 Mar 10: Inquiry call for nuclear power plan: A campaign group dedicated to ending nuclear power generation in Somerset is supporting calls from the Liberal Democrats and a group of academics for a public inquiry into the justification of new nuclear power. More >>> |
| 11 Mar 10: Academics demand independent inquiry into new nuclear reactors: Pressure on the government to organise an independent inquiry into a new generation of nuclear power stations will intensify today with a call for action from a group of 90 high-ranking academics, politicians and technical experts. The huge lobby says the "climategate" email scandal have shaken public trust in the scientific governance of environmental risk, making a wider assessment of nuclear power more important than ever. More >>> |
| 22 Feb 10: Protesters blockade Sizewell: FIVE anti-nuclear power protesters blocked the entrance to Sizewell power station today. Representatives from the People Power not Nuclear Power Coalition wearing arm tubes locked themselves on to concrete just under the barrier at the main entrance. More >>> |
| 06 Feb 10: Silent protest over nuclear plans: More than 200 people opposed to plans for a new nuclear power station near Bristol have staged a silent protest by taping gaffer tape over their mouths. The former Oldbury Nuclear Power Station is one of 10 possible sites for a new station chosen by the government. More>>> |
| 04 Feb 10: Oldbury nuclear station plan exhibition opens: Plans for a new nuclear power station in south Gloucestershire have gone on display. The site of the former Oldbury Nuclear Power station is one of 10 places identified as potential sites for new stations by the government. More >>> |
| 02 Feb 10: Pylon protesters give a show of people power: They may only be small in size, but the people two of Somerset's tiniest villages showed they are no pushovers when it comes to protecting their picturesque home. Around 200 people marched at the weekend. More >>> |
| 29 Jan 10: UK Government nuclear consultation 'farcical', say locals: Local residents say they have been 'insulted' rather than 'consulted' over Government plans for new nuclear power stations Local campaign groups have given a damning verdict on Government engagement with local communities over its plans for new nuclear power stations and have called for a new round of consultations to take place. More >>> |
| 28 Jan 10: Parliament protester is arrested: A Stop Hinkley campaigner was arrested in Parliament after disrupting a committee by launching a protest in the middle of the session. More >>> |
| 20 Jan 10: The risks of nuclear energy are not exaggerated: Most scientists in this field agree that there is danger even in small doses of radiation. More >>> |
| Jan 10: Nuclear Hazards: Letters to the Editor, Chew Valey Gazette. More >>> |
| 20 Jan 10: Campaigners target EDF: Anti-nuclear campaigners descended on the Bridgwater offices of EDF, the firm behind plans for two new reactors at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
| 16 Jan 10: Silent protest over Hinkley illustrates fear of being stifled: With mouths symbolically gagged, demonstrators opposing a new fast-track planning process for the proposed new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point showed how they believe public involvement will be stifled. More >>> |
| 16 Jan 10: Anti-nuclear protesters stage demo at energy offices: Protestors have staged a demonstration outside a power company's offices to highlight their concerns over a lack of community voice on plans for a new power station. More >>> |
| 07 Jan 10: A key nuclear question that government shrugs off as a waste of time: The British government is now firmly committed to helping the private sector build several new nuclear power stations. It has issued a 'Draft National Policy Statement for Nuclear Power Generation' and given precise instructions to the new Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) on the issues it should consider when examining prospects for named potential sites. More >>> |
| 07 Jan 10: Blair's nuclear dream faces financial meltdown: Energy secretary Ed Miliband announced the location of possible sites for ten new nuclear power stations in Britain. This represented another step in the process instigated by Tony Blair in May 2006 when he told the CBI that 'nuclear power was back on the agenda with a vengeance'. More >>> |
| 31 Dec 09: Britain's nuclear plans spell danger: The British Government's announcement that it intends to build ten new nuclear power-stations is not good news for us in Waterford. County Councillor Joe Conway pointed out that one of the proposed sites was a mere seventy miles away. So concerned is Councillor Conway about the situation that he took the issue of new nuclear stations to the heart of British government in the week before Christmas. More >>> |
| 31 Dec 09: Hinkley workers 'will swamp village': ENERGY giant EDF's proposals to base hundreds of construction workers, a park and ride and freight store Cannington village will swamp and "traumatise" the community, an action group has warned. About 400 people have joined the Save Cannington Action Group, and they devised their own proposals. More >>> |
| 30 Dec 09: New group opposes Hinkley Point nuclear plans: A pressure group has been formed to lobby for changes to plans to build a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset. Save Cannington Action Group said it was concerned about the impact the plant's construction would have on the village, which is seven miles away. More >>> |
| 30 Dec 09: MP backs village pylon campaign: BURNHAM MP David Heathcoat-Amory has thrown his backing behind a new campaign opposed to plans for a corridor of pylons in the area. The Pylon Moor Pressure group has been set up by villagers living near one of the two proposed routes for the pylons, which would link the new Hinkley Point development to the electricity transmission system in Avonmouth. More >>> |
| 23 Dec 09: Bristol City Council leaders to debate new power station plans: Bristol council leaders could oppose the building of new nuclear reactors in South Gloucestershire and Somerset. Cabinet member Dr John Wright said the proposed atomic plant next to the existing Oldbury nuclear site, near Thornbury, was only eight miles from the Bristol boundary yet no public consultation was taking place in the city. More >>> |
| 23 Dec 09: Copenhagen's failure may leave plans for new nuclear power stations high and dry: Leading energy industry figures said that the meeting's failure to help to establish a strong international price for carbon dioxide emissions had undermined the economic rationale for developing the new plants, which emit little carbon but are very expensive to build. More >>> |
| 22 Dec 09: Call for city to oppose new nuclear power plants: Anti-nuclear campaigners have welcomed a move by a Liberal Democrat councillor to commit the city to oppose the building of new atomic power stations near Bristol. Cllr Mark Wright has put forward a motion for the full council meeting on January 19 calling on any consultation for the new plants at Hinkley Point and Oldbury to include people within Bristol. More >>> |
| 22 Dec 09: Burnham-on-Sea MP backs launch of new pylons campaign group: David Heathcot-Amory attended a meeting at Mark Primary School where dozens of local residents of all ages attended to further promote the campaign against the National Grid plans for a power line. More >>> |
| 21 Dec 09: Bristol City Council could oppose the building of new nuclear reactors at nearby Oldbury and Hinkley Point: A motion has been submitted for debate by Liberal Democrat councillor Dr Mark Wright (Cabot ward) that notes the many problems that nuclear power presents and that none of the public consultations on the new reactors have come to Bristol even though Oldbury is just 8 miles from the city boundary. More >>> |
| 21 Dec 09: Cannington villagers' uproar over Hinkley plans: CAMPAIGNERS in Cannington are calling on EDF Energy to scrap its infrastructure plans for the new power plant at Hinkley Point before their village is "destroyed". More >>> |
| 15 Dec 09: West reactor protest taken to Copenhagen: A west anti-nuclear campaigner has delivered a petition against reactor plans to the Climate Change confere3nce in Copenhagen . At the same time, the Environment Agency is stressing the important role the public has to play in assessing designs for the regions two proposed new nuclear stations. More >>> |
11 Dec 09: New village action group to fight EDF: VILLAGERS in Cannington have added their voice to growing concerns about proposals for off-site developments to support a third nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. Williton residents and those living in Shurton and Burton have already spoken out, fearing their lives will be blighted by the proposed Hinkley C and the infrastructure needed to support the construction workers that will go with it. More >>> |
11 Dec 09: Opposition mounts to nuclear power station plans in Oldbury: OPPOSITION to a new nuclear power station near Oldbury is growing. People living near land earmarked for the development have launched their own campaign against government proposals to build another power station on the banks of the River Severn. More >>> |
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04 Dec 09: Concern over reactor with unlucky history: Safety watchdogs have raised concerns over a number of key design aspects of the twin reactor proposed for the Hinkley C development. More >>> |
04 Dec 09: Power station neighbours fear for their future: COMMUNITIES destined to be living under the shadow of the proposed Hinkley C nuclear power station are demanding compensation for the blight it will put on their lives and properties. More >>> |
03 Dec 09: Safety concerns on reactor plans: Plans to build two new reactors at Hinkley Point were dealt a blow this week after experts raised a raft of safety concerns. More >>> |
28 Nov 09: North Somerset residents turn out in force to tell power chiefs their pylon fears: Hundreds of people packed a public meeting to grill National Grid bosses about plans to erect a new 400,000 volt power line through the North Somerset countryside. Around 700 people attended last night's meeting in Nailsea, organised by the Save Our Valley campaign group, with dozens having to be turned away at the door. More >>> |
| 28 Nov 09: Hinkley Point C reactor safety concerns dismissed: Claims the nuclear reactor of the new Hinkley Point C power plant will be of an unsafe design have been dismissed. Nuclear inspectors raised safety queries in their initial assessment of the European Pressured Water Reactor (EPR) planned for the site. More >>> |
| 27 Nov 09: Designs for new UK nuclear reactors are unsafe, claims watchdog: Britain's main safety regulator threw the government's energy plans into chaos tonight by damning the nuclear industry's leading designs for new plants. The Health and Safety Executive said it could not recommend plans for new reactors because of wide-ranging concerns about their safety. More >>> |
| 27 Nov 09: Nuclear reactors contain safety flaws, watchdog reveals: In the race to provide energy for the nation's future, two multinational companies have led the way with designs for reactors that promised clean, green electricity with unprecedented safety. But detailed reviews by the Health and Safety Executive highlight a series of shortcomings in security and safety systems in both reactors that must be fixed or redesigned before the power plants can be approved for construction. More >>> |
| 26 Nov 09: Opposition grows to nuclear power station plans at Oldbury: Another round of public exhibitions on plans for the new site, which could have up to four huge cooling towers measuring between 70 and 200 metres high, was launched on Saturday and residents and local councillors turned out to see what the nuclear station might look like. More >>> |
| 25 Nov 09: New UK nuclear stations unlikely to be on time: A Newsnight investigation suggests that UK government plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations to fill the energy gap by 2020 are wildly optimistic. The British nuclear regulator has told Newsnight that he would not hesitate to halt construction if problems emerged and that no British nuclear power station had ever been built on time. More >>> |
| 21 Nov 09: Nuclear plant could have four 200m cooling towers: Up to three nuclear reactors and as many as four cooling towers as high as 200 metres could be built for a new atomic power station next to the Severn estuary. More >>> |
| 19 Nov 09: Bristolians "Should Have Say" On Nuclear Plans: A Lib Dem councillor demands ministers consult Bristolians over plans to build two nuclear power stations near the city. More >>> |
| 16 Nov 09: The hidden carbon cost of nuclear: Twenty years ago a Secretary of State for Energy was being harangued across the floor of the House. The charge was that the minister had been misleading, his schemes were madcap, his policy was a shambles and in tatters. Twenty years on, the current Secretary of State was earlier this week enduring the ritual after announcing no fewer than six national policy statements for the future of UK energy. More >>> |
| 13 Nov 09: Differing views on Hinkley Point C: A new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point has far-reaching consequences for residents in Somerset. Protest groups are fearful of the risks like leaks and radiation levels from the proposed repository and reactors. More >>> |
| 11 Nov 09: Protest grows over nuclear plant cooling towers: A power firm that wants to build a new nuclear station near Bristol is set to face opposition if it plans to put massive cooling towers in the Severn estuary. The structures could reach 200 metres (656ft), three times the height of the reactors at the existing atomic plant at Oldbury-on-Severn. More >>> |
| 11 Nov 09: Hinkley plans welcomed by Burnham's MP: THOUSANDS of school-leavers in the Burnham area could get new job opportunities after plans for another Hinkley Point nuclear power station took a massive leap forward this week. However, Stop Hinkley campaigners say the fast-track planning system used by the government for major projects such as Hinkley could leave local people out of the decision-making process. More >>> |
| 11 Nov 09: This was published in the leading Swedish newspaper in Finland: Relating to construction of the Finnish Olkiluoto 3 1600MWe nuclear power plant: "The pipes that form the cooling system around the reactor have been partially welded without any supervision. TVO and Areva are right now investigating how much of the work must be redone and what the consequences are." More >>> |
| Nov 09: SH complaint over local nuke plan: A new Government quango, the Infrastructure Planning Commission has declared Hinkley C as one of its first tranche of planning projects. But campaigners are unhappy with a deliberately speeded-up process which they claim does not allow fair scrutiny by cross-examination, as occurred at the 1988-89 Hinkley C inquiry. More >>> |
| 11 Nov 09: Go-ahead given to expansion of Hinkley Point power station: The government has this week approved ten sites in the UK for new nuclear power stations - including Hinkley Point, near Burnham-On-Sea. More >> |
| 10 Nov 09: New nuclear power station for Somerset a step closer: Supporters last night welcomed moves to build a new nuclear power station in Somerset , saying it will bring billions to the region. But anti-nuclear campaigners vowed to fight the plans for a new generation of reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Oldbury in South Gloucestershire. More >>> |
| 10 Nov 09: New nuclear era for Hinkley Point: ENERGY Secretary Ed Miliband last night cleared the way for a new nuclear power station on the Somerset coast. Hinkley Point was one of 10 sites earmarked for a huge expansion of nuclear power, a move which comes despite massive planned increases in renewable energy. More >>> |
| 10 Nov 09: New Hinkley Point power station gets Government backing: HINKLEY Point has been approved as one of ten sites in England and Wales where new nuclear power stations can be built. The announcement was made in parliament yesterday, and should pave the way for EDF to submit a formal planning application next summer to build two new reactors at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
| 10 Nov 09: Would you live in the shadow of a nuclear power station?: A new nuclear power station in Hinkley, Somerset , is a step closer to becoming reality and could be operational within nine years. More>>>> |
| 08 Nov 09: Britain's nuclear strategy threatens destruction of Kalahari: Namibian environmentalists warn expansion of uranium mining could devastate spectacular natural landscape More >>> |
| 28 Oct 09: Nailsea campaign to fight new 400,000 volt electricity line: Residents have launched a campaign to fight controversial plans to put a new 400,000 volt electricity line through the countryside around Nailsea. Scores of people packed a special meeting this week to discuss plans by National Grid to create a new overhead line from Bridgwater to Avonmouth to bring electricity from the proposed new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point on to its transmission network. More >>> |
| 26 Oct 09: Fury at nuclear fast-track plans: A government decision to fast-track planning permissions for nuclear reactors, including the proposed two new reactors at Hinkley Point, has left opponents fuming. And in a separate development, campaigners have accused French energy giant EDF of trying to induce councils into unlawful agreements to keep vital information secret. More >>> |
| 15 Oct 09: Problems Plague Launch of 'Safer' Next-Generation Reactors: Inexperienced Subcontractors. Very few of the hundreds of subcontractors have any experience in reactor technology. More >>> |
| 15 Oct 09: Government will need to finance nuclear power: A leading energy policy professor claimed companies that wanted to build a new generation of nuclear power stations would need help from the Government if the plants were to be provided. Despite assurances from ministers that they could be built without subsidy, Professor Stephen Thomas predicted that would not be the case when the time came for decisions to be made. More >>> |
| 02 Oct 09: New UK nuclear build?: Events over the last few days have dented the prospects for UK new nuclear-build. More >>> |
| 01 Oct 09: Councils have pivotal role: Today marks the launch of the Infrastructure Planning Commission, which is arguably one of the most important quangos in the country, with the power to shape the UK 's economic future. Case study: Somerset CC is working with EDF Energy on an IPC application for a new power station at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
| 22 Sep 09: EDF in debt: EDF, the heavily indebted French power group, is close to agreeing a big asset swap with E.ON, its German rival, but it played down reports yesterday that it was also considering the sale of a 20 per cent stake in British Energy, the UK 's nuclear generator. More >>> |
| 19 Sep 09: New 400,000 volt power line plan for Somerset: A new 400,000 volt power line could soon stretch 37 miles across Somerset to connect the new reactor at Hinkley Point nuclear power to the National Grid. The idea is to connect 'Hinkley C' to the electricity substation called Seabank in Avonmouth, Bristol , 37 miles north of the nuclear station. More >>> |
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14 Sep 09: The medical and economic costs of nuclear power: "Telling states to build new nuclear plants to combat global warming is like telling a patient to smoke to lose weight." A recent study sponsored by the German government examined children who lived near 16 of the country's commercial nuclear power plants. The results revealed a strongly increased risk of all childhood cancers, particularly leukaemia, the closer the proximity of the children's residence to the reactor. More >>>> |
| 27 Aug 09: Nuclear decline set to continue, says report: Nuclear will continue to decline according to a new report. At this point there is no obvious sign that the international nuclear industry could turn the decline into a promising future, it says. More >>> |
| 24 Jul 09: Hinkley deal defended: WEST Somerset Council chiefs have defended plans to ask energy giant EDF to cover some of the costs likely to be incurred by the authority when proposals are submitted for a third nuclear station at Hinkley Point. Anti-nuclear campaigners claimed the tie-up could be seen as a "bribe", although councillors were swift to point out the council would have no say on the planning application itself. More >>> |
| 22 Jul 09: War of words over Hinkley cash deal: ANTI-NUCLEAR campaigners claim a proposed financial deal between local councils and the firm behind plans for a new power station at Hinkley Point would be a 'conflict of interest'. Somerset County Council, Sedgemoor District Council and West Somerset Council last week announced they are considering asking EDF Energy to fund the planning process for two new reactors at Hinkley under a Planning Performance Agreement. More >>> |
| 22 Jul 09: EDF to foot bill for nuclear plan: French energy giant EDF, which wants to build two new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point, looks likely to pay Somerset councils a fee for their part in the planning process, saving taxpayers thousands of pounds. The three Somerset councils, which will have to advise on the local impact if a planning application is put forward and deal with complex preparatory work before an application is made, are having to ask the company to pay because the Government is refusing to reimburse them for the extra expertise they will need. More >>> |
| 19 Jul 09: Councils' Hinkley Point nuclear deal sparks public input worries: A deal between several local councils and a nuclear energy firm to process plans for two new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point has this week led to fears that it will by-pass the democratic process. Nuclear campaigners have said there is a "clear conflict of interest" over energy giant EDF's offer to pay Sedgemoor District Council for its planning costs for the development of two reactors at Hinkley Point. More >>> |
| 17 Jul 09: Nuclear deal sparks public input worries: A deal between councils and a nuclear energy firm to process plans for a new reactor at Hinkley Point has led to fears that it bypasses the democratic process. A planning performance agreement will go to councillors to sign off shortly, before government consultation on a nuclear national policy statement. More >>> |
| 01 Jul 09: UK regulator raises French nuclear concerns: French plans to lead a nuclear power renaissance in Britain have been dealt a major blow after regulators warned of serious reservations about the safety of the reactor technology earmarked for use. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate has written to EDF and Areva, the French companies that want to build four reactors in the UK, to express their concerns about the technology. More >>> |
| 25 Jun 09: Complaint over nuclear training site: A Somerset district has been reported to the Audit Commission by environmental campaigners for donating a site to train nuclear engineers. More >>> |
| 16 Jun 09: Stop Hinkley anger at nuclear academy gifts: An anti-nuclear campaign group has complained to the public spending watchdog about deals involved in the creation of a nuclear training academy at a Westcountry college. More >>> |
| 05 Jun 09: 'They are making a gift of land owned by the public to nuclear industry': Row over council plan to build energy skills centre to train nuclear workers. More >>> |
| 29 May 09: Council defends land handover: SEDGEMOOR District Council has defended its decision to donate a chunk of public land by Bridgwater College for a new nuclear training centre. During a private part of a council meeting, councillors agreed to give the college the land so it can press ahead with its new energy skills centre. Anti-nuclear group Stop Hinkley claimed the land was worth around £100,000 and hit out at the decision to pass it on. More >>> |
| 25 May 09: EDF calls for support for nuclear industry: New nuclear power stations will not be built in Britain unless the government provides financial support for the industry, the head of the country's biggest nuclear generator has warned. The chief executive of the UK subsidiary of EDF told the Financial Times that a "level playing field" had to be created that would allow the nuclear industry to compete with other low-emission electricity sources such as wind power. More >>> |
| 17 May 09: Government pressed to hold inquiry into construction of nuclear stations: The government is under growing pressure to hold a public inquiry into building new nuclear stations amid claims that the current system of "justification" is fatally flawed and that public confidence in ministers is at an all-time low. A group of leading academics has joined green pressure groups in demanding greater transparency. More >>> |
| 10 May 09: Safety threat to planned nuclear power stations: Britain's plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations have been thrown into jeopardy by startling official safety fears. The nuclear regulatory body in Finland, where the first of the reactors is being built, has taken the extraordinary step of threatening to halt its construction because it has not been satisfied that key safety systems will work. More >>> |
| May 09: Hinkley nuke nomination opposed: Stop Hinkley is calling on members of the public to oppose last week's nomination of Hinkley Point as a site for two giant nuclear reactors to the built. More >>> |
| 29 Apr 09: German giants win bid to build nuclear reactors: Britain's push to build a new generation of nuclear power stations took another step forward today after E.ON and RWE, two of Europe's largest utilities, won an auction for two sites earmarked for the construction of new reactors. E.ON and RWE succesfully outbid rival companies in an auction for the two pieces of land at Oldbury in Gloucestershire and Wylfa on Anglesey. More >>> |
| 25 Apr 09: '100 years of work', MP claims: WEST Somerset residents could be in line for 100 years of guaranteed employment. That is the view of West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger following last week's announcement that Hinkley Point has been chosen as a potential site for new nuclear build. But anti-nuclear groups this week condemned the plans. More >>> |
| 21 Apr 09: New nuclear plants could prove costly in many ways: Once more, members of the public are being conned into a spurious "consultation" exercise on the siting of new nuclear power stations at sites that already support nuclear power plants, including Hinkley B and Oldbury, and being given a contemptible month in which to express their views. More >>> |
| 16 Apr 09: Next-generation plans for Hinkley Point: A CONTROVERSIAL site on the Westcountry coast has been included on a Government list of potential locations for next-generation nuclear power stations. Anti-nuclear campaigners yesterday accused ministers of "brushing aside" health, environmental and economic concerns as it initially endorsed energy group EDF's proposal for a plant near Bridgwater in Somerset. More >>> |
| 16 Apr 09: Nuclear not the answer: It is neither surprising nor worthy of criticism that a number of trade unions should unite in support of government proposals for new nuclear power stations. But recourse to nuclear power is not just a matter for those with a direct stake in jobs or for the private corporations that can expect a profits bonanza from this nuclear expansion. It concerns us all. More >>> |
| 15 Apr 09: Row breaks out over nuclear site shortlist: Government plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations have provoked anger from green activists but raised hopes of new jobs and a boost to local economies. Ministers stepped up efforts to find suitable sites in England and Wales by publishing a list of 11 potential areas on Wednesday. More >>> |
| 15 Apr 09: Nuclear plant bid faces criticism: Friends of the Earth has condemned government plans for a possible new nuclear station at Oldbury in South Gloucestershire. More >>> |
| 15 Apr 09: Oldbury on new nuclear shortlist: Oldbury has been named on a list of potential sites for new nuclear power stations unveiled by the Government. The sites have been nominated by companies interested in building the stations and have been initially approved by the Government. More >>> |
| 15 Apr 09: Group's gloom at Hinkley C plan: An anti-nuclear pressure group has spoken of its fears at the government's announcement that it would go ahead with the building of Hinkley C. On Wednesday it was announced that plans for the Somerset-based facility would go ahead, along with 10 others around Britain. Jim Duffy of the Stop Hinkley group told BBC News that the area had a potentially dangerous risk of flooding. More >>> |
| 15 Apr 09: Nuclear power plant construction site options unveiled: The government today published a list of potential sites for a new generation of nuclear power plants as it faced warnings that it was not doing enough to prevent a serious energy shortage in six years' time. More >>> |
| 08 Feb 09: New nuclear plants will produce far more radiation: Industry documents reveal modern reactors more dangerous in an accident than the ones they replace. The revelations - based on information buried deep in documents produced by the nuclear industry itself - calls into doubt repeated assertions that the new European Pressurised Reactors will be safer than the old atomic power stations they replace. More >>> |
| 06 Feb 09: Local project input raises cash conflict: The government must issue interim guidance on funding community involvement in major infrastructure, the RTPI demanded this week. It was responding to the revelation that Sedgemoor District Council asked EDF and British Energy for £750,000 in investigate proposals for a reactor at Hinkley point in Somerset. More >>> |
| 06 Feb 09: DCLG pushes nuclear need: The cost of meeting carbon reduction targets without nuclear power stations could be as much as £11 billion, it has emerged. More >>> |
| 23 Jan 09: West braced for nuclear future: Three reactors could be built in the West in a new wave of nuclear power stations with Oldbury to be nominated for a plant. The South Gloucestershire site would join Hinkley in Somerset, where two reactors are being planned - although anti-nuclear campaigners yesterday vowed to fight the plans. More >>> |
20 Jan 09: Sedgemoor Council's 'unethical' request for £750,000 from nuclear firm: A council secretly asked nuclear energy firms for a £750,000 handout as they prepare to submit plans for a controversial new power plant in Somerset. Sedgemoor District Council has been branded "unethical" after it asked energy giants to help it cover the costs of taking a "lead role" in dealing with plans to build a new reactor at Hinkley Point. Details of a letter from one of the authority's corporate directors to British Energy and EDF have been release. More >>> |
20 Jan 09: Anger over nuclear money appeal: A request from a council for cash from nuclear firms bidding to build a new power station in Hinkley, Somerset has angered protesters. Campaigners claimed the move shows a "conflict of interest". Sedgemoor District Council has written to EDF and British Energy asking for £750,000 to help pay for the planning work to consider the application. More >>> |
04 Dec 08: New nuclear energy plant makes no sense: ANTI-NUCLEAR groups have voiced their fears after energy giant EON said it could build a £4 billion nuclear power station on the banks of the River Severn. West Gloucestershire Green Party spokesman and Lydney town councillor, James Greenwood, said: "We are not very happy about it. We feel that going nuclear is the wrong approach when we can't afford to clean up the sites we've already got." More >>> |
27 Nov 08: Potential nuclear reactor sites go up for sale: A series of sites in England and Wales that could be used to build nuclear power stations were put up for sale yesterday. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the organisation given the job of decommissioning and cleaning up Britian's civil nuclear sites, is selling land at Bradwell in Essex, Oldbury in Gloucester and Wylfa in Anglesey, close to existing Magnox reactors. More >>> |
24 Oct 08: N-plants will cause years of misery on the West's roads: The A39 is a narrow, busy commuter road connecting Minehead and Bridgwater and all the village and town communities in between. As a regular commuter along this road, I fear that if EDF get planning permission to build two of the largest nuclear power stations in Europe at Hinkley Point, there will be seven years of traffic congestion and chaos. More >>> |
02 Oct 08: Hinkley Point public meeting in Burnham replaced with exhibition: A public meeting in Burnham-On-Sea to give residents the chance to quiz power bosses about controversial plans to extend Hinkley Point nuclear power station has been cancelled and replaced with a day-long exhibition instead. More >>> |
01 Oct 08: Nuclear plant concern for residents: MORE than half of people living close to nuclear plants, such as Hinkley in Somerset, still have concerns over threats to security and health, a report has revealed. Researchers from Cardiff University and the University of East Anglia said almost two-fifths (38 per cent) of local residents accepted their nearby power station "reluctantly", but 16 per cent were opposed outright to it. More >>> |
26 Sep 08: There will be jobs - but who will get them?: Welcome to reactor-land - the Westcountry's forgotten corner - the nuclear zone the world prefers to remain unseen, somewhere out at the lonesome end of God's earth. More >>> |
25 Sep 08: Firms urged to build new nuclear reactors in Bristol area: Three new nuclear reactors could be built near Bristol in the next 10 years. The Government is keen for private companies to expand Britain 's nuclear capacity and is inviting power firms to come forward with proposals. More >>> |
24 Sep 08: Somerset awaits nuclear reactor decision: In a picture-postcard landscape of farms and villages at the foot of the Quantock hills, Hinkley Point on the north Somerset coast is an unlikely setting for a revolution in British energy policy. But it is here that the first new nuclear power station in Britain for more than two decades is likely to be built, following the £12.4bn ($23bn) takeover of British Energy by EDF. More >>> |
17 Sep 08: Nuclear fallout: E.ON, the German energy company that owns Kingsnorth power station, was keeping its head down after the Greenpeace verdict, but it's leaked out that it is now planning to build a nuclear reactor on the banks of the river Severn at Oldbury. More >>> |
11 Sep 08: E.ON to build £4bn British nuclear power station: E.ON, the German energy group, is drawing up plans to build a £4 billion nuclear power station beside the River Severn in Gloucestershire. The company has applied to National Grid for a connection that would allow it to build a 1,600 mega-watt nuclear station at Oldbury-on-Severn by April 2020. More >> |
15 Aug 08: PROTESTERS' FEARS OVER SURVEILLANCE: Nuclear power protest group Stop Hinkley says it is not a 'terrorist' organisation and should be allowed to protest in peace. Campaigners fear that an increase in the number of armed 'nuclear police' will restrict their protests against developments at the Hinkley Point power station. More >>> |
24 Jul 08: British Energy close to sale deal: French energy firm EDF and British Gas owner Centrica are set to announce that they have bought UK nuclear firm British Energy, the BBC has learned. EDF and Centrica will probably announce they are paying more than £12bn for the company. British Energy, which owns eight UK nuclear power stations, has been on the auction block for months. More >>> |
12 Jul 08: HINKLEY SET FOR NUCLEAR EXPANSION: British Energy has confirmed it wants to build two new nuclear plants "as soon as possible" and has earmarked land next to Hinkley Point, in Somerset. More >>> |
11 Jul 08: Site earmarked for nuclear plants: The company which runs the nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset says that it wants to build two new plants. British Energy has earmarked land, next to the existing power station, and wants to build two new reactors there. More >>> |
12 Jun 08: Row erupts over nuclear waste plans: The Government has faced anger from anti-nuclear campaigners after offering to pay communities to provide burial sites for waste, and making clear that it will press ahead with plans to build new nuclear power stations. More >>> |
11 Jun 08: Immigrant rules to be relaxed for nuclear workers: The UK Government is to relax immigration rules in order to fill jobs in the nuclear power industry. The Home Office claimed that adding the jobs to the so-called "national shortage list" would help the country get the "right skills". It will mean some 27 employment categories can be filled by workers from anywhere in the world. More >>> |
10 Jun 08: 2,000 jobs: A NEW nuclear power station at Hinkley Point could bring up to 2,000 jobs to the area during construction. The Government is currently carrying out a strategic siting process for nuclear power stations, and if, as expected, EDF is given the go-ahead to build at Hinkley, Bridgwater can look forward to a massive jobs boom. More >>> |
09 Jun 08: LAND SECURED FOR NEW NUCLEAR REACTOR: The first of a new wave of controversial nuclear reactors could be built in the West Country, after the world's largest nuclear energy provider bought land for the purpose. EdF Energy says it is too early to comment on whether a plot near the existing nuclear power station could host the first of the next generation of reactors in the UK . But, as one of only two sites the company has purchased so far, there is a chance that it could be up and running by 2017. More >>> |
07 Jun 08: NUCLEAR REACTOR PLANS BRING MIXED REACTIONS: The growing reality of a new nuclear power station in Somerset has sparked a mixed reaction, with supporters and detractors of a possible "Hinkley C" speaking out. More>>> |
06 Jun 08: HINKLEY'S NEW POWER PLANT: Energy giant EDF has announced plans to build a new nuclear power station in Somerset within the next 10 years, which would create thousands of jobs. EDF confirmed it has already begun the process of building a third nuclear power station alongside the existing facility. More>>> |
05 Jun 08: NUCLEAR PLANT WORK COULD START IN 2012: Work on a new nuclear power station next to Hinkley Point could begin as early as 2012. Two representatives of French energy giants EDF this week talked exclusively to the Bridgwater Times about its plans for the site. More>>> |
29 May 08: Response to Hinkley B Director: Nigel Cann's zeal for nuclear expansion at Hinkley Point is not surprising given his role as Director of Hinkley 'B' but there are other sides to the argument. More>>> |
28 May 08: Nuclear costs 'to rise by billions: Campaign groups have warned that the cost of decommissioning nuclear power stations was "spiralling out of control" after an official admission that an estimate of £73 billion was set to rise. This figure, published in January, was an increase of £12 billion on the previous estimate made in 2003, but a senior official at the NDA said he believed the cost would continue to escalate. More>>> |
19 May 08: N-POWER PLANT FUTURE IN DOUBT?: The Westcountry's nuclear power station is still operating well below capacity because of cracked pipes. It emerged in December 2006 that Hinkley Point B in Somerset needed urgent repairs to boiler pipes. Confirmation that the faults will continue to drastically impinge on the output of the station until the plant is expected to close in 2016 could have implications for the promised future expansion of nuclear energy in the region, warn campaigners. More>>> |
15 May 08: KEPT IN DARK ABOUT POWER STATION SAFETY: As a local resident, I have always been assured that a meltdown accident could never happen at Hinkley Point because of the built-in safety systems in the British AGR reactors. I am therefore dismayed to hear that the important last resort safety system is missing at Hinkley Point B power station. More>>> |
15 May 08: ENERGY GIANT TAKES RIGHTS TO WIND FARM: A French energy company has drastically reduced the chances of wind turbines being built at West Hinkley and is instead expected to build more nuclear reactors. EDF Energy has purchased the rights to the proposed windfarm at West Hinkley from Your Energy, with the aim of developing a new nuclear site nearby, expected to have one or two 1,600MW nuclear reactors. More>>> |
14 May 08: CAMPAIGNERS CONDEMN HINKLEY LAND SALE: Environmental campaigners condemned the sale of a proposed wind farm site to a French company planning to build a nuclear power plant on the plot. The site at West Hinkley, Somerset , has been bought by Electricite de France (EDF), one of the world's largest nuclear power generators. More>>> |
14 May 08: EDF BUYS HINKLEY SITE: Environmental campaigners condemned the sale of a proposed windfarm site to a French company planning to build a nuclear reactor on the plot. The site at West Hinkley, in Somerset , has been bought by Electricite de France, one of the world's largest nuclear power generators. More>>> |
10 May 08: EDF IN HINKLEY LAND DEAL: Europe's biggest power company has confirmed it is buying land around Somerset 's Hinkley Point nuclear site so it will be best-placed to build a new generation of power stations. More> |
10 May 08: ANGER AT NUKE PLANS: A Japanese-US consortium is bidding to construct a £2.8 billion Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactor at Oldbury, a village near the mouth of the River Severn in South Gloucestershire, as well as a site in Essex. More>>> |
10 May 08: FRENCH PLANNING A NUCLEAR INVASION?: French power giant EDF has been quietly buying land around Hinkley Point with the aim of building Europe's biggest nuclear power plant in Somerset. The move is being seen as key part of the race to win control of Britain's nuclear power industry and would put EDF ahead of the pack to build two reactors in Somerset. The company is the favourite to take control of British Energy. More>>> |
09 May 08: EDF snaps up 'nuclear' land: EDF, Europe's biggest power company, has been quietly buying land around nuclear sites in England and Wales. The stealthy purchases in Somerset and Anglesey could make it possible for EDF to build up to three power stations. But they are likely to raise concerns among local residents and green campaigners about the possible expansion of the nuclear sites. More>>>> |
01 May 08: American-Japanese consortium considers Oldbury site: A NEW generation nuclear power station could be built at Oldbury to replace the current Magnox reactor. The American and Japanese consortium of Toshiba-Westinghouse is bidding to construct two nuclear power plants in Britain. Energy Solutions, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, is developing plans for the Oldbury site with the consortium which will supply the nuclear technology. More>>>>> |
01 May 08: New nuclear reactor could be built in Oldbury: OLDBURY could be the site for a new £2.8billion nuclear reactor. America-based Energy Solutions has teamed up with Japanese company Toshiba-Westinghouse to table a bid to construct and operate the power station. More>>>>> |
29 Apr 08: FEARS OVER NEW REACTOR FOR NUCLEAR PLANT: Campaigners are furious to learn of plans for an unproven nuclear reactor. If given the go-ahead, the proposals would mean a Westinghouse AP1000 model is used at the Oldbury site, South Gloucestershire , which is home to a corroded reactor. More>>>>> |
12 Apr 08: Nuclear super-fuel too hot to handle: The energy we can get from uranium is set to rocket, but safety fears and waste disposal problems loom. IT SEEMS like a no-brainer. Make uranium burn stronger, hotter and longer in nuclear reactors, and you'll need less fuel, and there'll be less waste to deal with when it has been exhausted. More>>>>> |
11 Apr 08: Negative reaction to nuclear power plan: A NEW generation of nuclear power stations would be more dangerous and carry greater financial risks than their predecessors in Britain, according to a report published today. Spent fuel produced by the Government's preferred kind of pressurised water reactors would have higher levels of radiation and could not be buried in a single deep underground repository. More>>>>> |
19 Mar 08: FEAR OF POWER STATIONS GOING TO FOREIGN OWNER: Nuclear power stations including Hinkley Point could fall under foreign ownership after British Energy admitted it was looking at plans which could lead to it selling off some reactors. The firm has confirmed it is looking for a partner company to buy into it or to take it over completely. More>>>>> |
Mar 08: NUCLEAR PLANS INVITED BY GOVT: Sites of decommissioned reactors put up for grabs for new nuclear plants before consultation is over. A new nuclear reactor in the West looked even more certain yesterday as developers were invited to submit plans at existing sites. More>>> |
14 Feb 08: Against The Grain: It's hard to see why nuclear is the favoured route': Dr Paul Dorfman is Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust Research Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at Warwick University . He argues that government policy on nuclear power is wrong. More>>>>> |
16 Jan 08: Power failure: What Britain should learn from Finland 's nuclear saga: It was hailed as the template for all future reactors - but then they tried to build it. Olkiluoto 3 was meant to be the power plant for the 21st century. It would remain safe even in the case of a core meltdown and its steel shell would withstand an aeroplane crashing straight into it. But was not long before Olkiluoto 3 was hit by a slew of safety concerns, building blunders, spiralling costs and chronic delays. More>>>>> |
09 Jan 08: CABINET GIVES FULL SUPPORT FOR NEW ATOMIC ERA: The Cabinet yesterday rubber-stamped plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations, with one almost certain to be built in the West. The move came two days before an official announcement was due to be made and was revealed by the Prime Minster's official spokesman. More>>>>> |
07 Jan 08: Consumers may foot nuclear bill: Consumers may face higher electricity bills to cover the future decommissioning costs of a new generation of nuclear power stations to be announced this week, the Guardian has learned. Ministers have met several electricity firms known to be interested in building up to 10 new stations and they are understood to have demanded long term commitments to guarantee their investments - expected to be about £10bn a station. More>>>>> |
07 Jan 08: D-DAY FOR HINKLEY: Nuclear protesters in the West are gearing up for a battle with the Government as D-Day looms over a plan to launch a new age of atomic energy that would see a new power plant at Hinkley Point. Ministers are expected to formally back proposals for a renewed nuclear campaign in Britain tomorrow, with Somerset 's Hinkley Point playing a major part in the programme. More>>>>> |
| 05 Jan 08: SCIENTISTS WILL TEST NUCLEAR PLAN IN COURT: A group of leading scientists yesterday warned the Government's plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations will end up in court. The independent group published an 87-page document criticising Labour's approach to the controversial issue, ahead of a major announcement on Tuesday. More>> |
| 04 Jan 08: Scientists take on Brown over nuclear plans: A group of scientists and academics condemn as undemocratic and possibly illegal the government's plans to force through a new generation of nuclear power stations. They warn that questions about the risks from radiation, disposal of nuclear waste and vulnerability to a terrorist attack have not been addressed. More>>>>> |
| 31 Dec 07: NUCLEAR REACTOR SET TO BE APPROVED: Ministers are expected to back plans for a nuclear reactor to be built in Somerset , despite a fresh legal challenge from environmentalists. Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise John Hutton is predicted to confirm the decision to the House of Commons on January 7, following a five- month public consultation. More>>>>> |
| 01 Dec 07: THIRD REACTOR PLAN IS MET WITH ANGER: The prospect of a third nuclear power station at Hinkley Point has been met with anger by anti-nuclear campaigners. In readiness for a Government decision on the future of nuclear power early next year, British Energy this week named four possible sites for rectors. But campaigners against nuclear power reacted angrily to the likelihood of Hinkley C becoming a reality. More>>>>> |
| 28 Nov 07: New power station for Hinkley?: SIGNS another nuclear plant could be powering its way to Hinkley Point were revealed this week - and slammed by protest groups within hours. On November 27 British Energy announced news of how it was continuing preparation of potential sites before the Government's expected decision on the future of nuclear energy in 2008. But protest group Stop Hinkley reacted with horror to the possibility a new station could be coming to Somerset. More>>>>> |
| 28 Nov 07: FURY AT HINKLEY'S NUCLEAR FUTURE: Protest groups have condemned British Energy's announcement that Hinkley Point power station in Somerset is one of four favoured sites for a new nuclear reactor. Stop Hinkley and Parents Concerned About Hinkley restated their opposition to the plant near Bridgwater when the energy giant's preferred options were announced yesterday. Stop Hinkley co-ordinator Jim Duffy said it would be "dreadful" for the local communities and the environment if it was allowed to go ahead. More>>>>> |
| 27 Nov 07: British Energy continues preparation of potential sites for replacement nuclear: Government is expected to decide on the future of nuclear power early in 2008. If the decision is positive, a strategic assessment of siting is expected in 2008. In the meantime, British Energy has commissioned a range of geological, environmental impact, marine, transmission system and other studies for its sites. More>>>>> |
| 25 Oct 07: NUCLEAR POWER STATION PLANS IN JEOPARDY: Plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations have been hit by a series of obstacles, according to leaked reports. The Government has signalled its backing for new reactors - almost certain to include one at Hinkley Point i. But the documents said the proposals may have to be put on hold because of a shortage of experts to carry out design assessments. More>>>>> |
| 22 Oct 07: NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL MEETING: Campaigners are hosting a meeting near Hinkley Point nuclear site about the long-term disposal of the UK 's nuclear waste stockpile. The Government has backed the idea of a single deep depository to contain the country's high level nuclear waste. Next year CoRWM, is expected to write to local authorities across the country asking if a community will volunteer to house the atomic store. More >>>>> |
04 Oct 07: Stop Hinkley pack a punch: Campaign's prominent show in Energy Review. Supporters of the local campaign group Stop Hinkley were the third most significant group after Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace in a national consultation, it was announced this week. More >>>>> |
24 May 07: MP to keep an eye on Hinkley: A NEW Government White Paper announced this week could have implications for Hinkley Point nuclear power station, according to West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger. His comments come after the Government announced that planning regulations that have held up the building of major infrastructure projects are to be simplified, in a move that could pave the way for a new generation of nuclear power stations |
| 20 Feb 07: Hinkley in doubt? THE likelihood of a new power station being built at Hinkley Point has changed course this week, after a High Court judge slammed the Government's push for nuclear power. Co-ordinator of Somerset anti-nuclear group, Stop Hinkley welcomed news of the High Court's decision. He said: "This knocks back any credibility the nuclear project ever had. |
| 16 Feb 07: BLAIR'S NUCLEAR BID IN MELTDOWN The Government's push for new nuclear power stations in the UK is today in turmoil after a judge ruled its handling of the matter was unlawful. Mr Justice Sullivan yesterday said consultation was seriously flawed before Ministers announced support for atomic energy last July. |
| 16 Feb 07 : IMPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR PLANT RULING Comment in the Western Daily Press: A High Court ruling declaring the Government's nuclear power policy as unlawful is a major embarrassment for Ministers. Lack of public consultation led to Mr Justice Sullivan labelling it as unfair and misleading. |
| 17 Jul 06: G-8 leaders back nuclear power In an otherwise upbeat joint statement -- which delegates privately suggested was out of synch with reality -- the leaders acknowledged differences over the question of nuclear power. |
| 07 Jul 06: WE WON'T ACCEPT A FAST-TRACK HINKLEY Anti-nuclear campaigners have condemned high-level moves to make it easier for new atomic plants to be built in the West. The Government's long-awaited energy review is due next week and is expected to say new nuclear power stations are the answer to future energy needs. |
| 26 May 06: Chew Valley Gazette, Letters Page: Tony Blair's move last week to bring on a new generation of nuclear power stations is a dreadful mistake for the environment and the worst con imaginable. |
| 22 May 06: YOU CAN'T SHUT US OUT OF NUCLEAR POWER DEBATE. Anti-nuclear campaigners yesterday spoke of their fears that the Government may back suggestions to "fast track" plans for new nuclear plants. |
| 22 May 06: NO CHOICE OVER NUCLEAR? A New wave of nuclear plants could be rushed through the planning system without proper debate, activists have warned. |
| 18 May 06: Hinkley fears rise. Comments by Prime Minister Tony Blair this week in favour of nuclear power made a new atomic power station at Hinkley Point more likely, anti nuclear campaigners fear. |
| 17 Apr 06: WE CAN'T RELY ON NUCLEAR POWER TO STOP ALL THE LIGHTS GOING OUT. Campaigners in the West have demanded Ministers ditch plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations after MPs warned of widespread electricity blackouts. |
| 23 Mar 06: Burnham told nuclear no answer to climate change. A BURNHAM meeting has been told that nuclear power would do little to help climate change during a discussion on the possibility of more power stations being commissioned in the country. Parents Concerned About Hinkley, Families for Clean Energy and Stop Hinkley organised the gathering. |
| 17 Jan 06: 'Bomb me' invitation to terrorists claim Hinkley C opponents. Stop Hinkley has warned that building another nuclear power station in West Somerset is "like putting up a sign saying to terrorists 'bomb me'." |
| 16 Jan 06: GREENS FEAR TERROR ATTACK ON NUCLEAR SITE. Gloucester Green Party claims a shocking new report confirms fears that nuclear power stations are and will be terrorist targets. A Gloucester Green Party spokesperson said the sites at Berkeley and Oldbury could be at risk. |
| 11 Jan 06: Clean-up bill shock for Hinkley campaigners. ANTI-NUCLEAR campaigners have urged the government to rethink plans for a new Hinkley Point C after it was revealed the cost of cleaning up the old Hinkley Point A could total more than £1.1billion. |
| 03 Dec 05: "Britain, like Ontario, must soon decide whether to invest billions in more atomic energy" Jim Duffy, a local resident who for almost two decades has campaigned against nuclear power, strikes a weary note when considering the tough campaign ahead. His worst fear is a third nuclear power station on what is now a vacant field. The spot is a candidate if the government backs the building of new nuclear stations. |
| 25 Nov 05: "PROTESTERS GET READY TO BLOCK REACTOR BID" Protesters are drawing up plans to stop a third station being built at Hinkley Point. Stop Hinkley members will be meeting to discuss tactics which could include a leaflet campaign in the area to gain support. |
| 23 Nov 05: "FIGHT TO STOP NEW NUCLEAR STATION" In a foretaste of the looming battle over the future of nuclear power, campaigners opposed to the Hinkley Point power station said they would exploit every possible avenue to prevent the construction of a third nuclear reactor at the site. |
| 22 Nov 05: "BATTLE LINES DRAWN OVER NUCLEAR POWER" The Government will face fierce opposition to a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. It was reported that Mr Blair has been urged to give the go-ahead to a new civil nuclear programme. Stop Hinkley is convinced the public will fight any plans. |
| 15 Nov 05: "Nuclear the answer to the energy crisis? No thanks!" Letter from a Stop Hinkley member to Wells Journal in response to an article 'Self Sufficient in Energy'.The article was based on a survey carried out by Electricite de France, a totally nuclear utility which has already gained a toehold in this country and is obviously thirsting for more. |
| 13 Oct 05: "Third nuclear power station at Hinkley?" Hinkley Point C could be coming ever closer to reality following reports Prime Minister Tony Blair has privately disclosed he is in favour of more nuclear reactors. |
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