Nuclear Power.

[Jim Brady]

The Government have given the go ahead for the UK's first nuclear station in a generation.Frances EDF Energy will lead a consortium,which includes Chinese investers to build the Hinkley Point C plant in Somerset.Once again we rely on foreign money to come here because we are skint,there will be nothing left that is British the way in which things are going.What amuses me is,the cost of building a nuclear plant is £14 Billion which we haven't got and yet we have £50 Billion (some say that this will run up to £70 or £80 Billion) to build a High Speed train which will knock half an hour off the trip from London to Manchester.What is more important keeping the lights on in the UK or saving half an hour on a train journey.I reckon by the time the rail link is built more people will be working from home and far less people commuting.Apart from anything else we will also be in the hands of the French and the Chinese for our electricity,I know its quite a way off but they are already saying the bills will double.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[happy daze john in oz]

Jim, I read that article on the net. The fact is UK does require more power and the best, cleanest and believe it the cheapest is nuclear. France is a leading user of nuclear and know as much if not more about it than many countries, they are I believe about 95% nuclear powered. There are a number here who would like to see nuclear power, but the 'Greens' have lobbied any Labor gov not to do it telling all it is dangerous. Yet for all that they are more than happy for us to export as much uranium as we can dig out of the ground.

[robpage]

For many years the Institute of Electrical Engineers have been calling for additional Nuclear power to give us a sustainable supply . The "Green " lobby are screaming for more windmills , the subsidised cosy of these things is almost 20 pence per unit , the new. Nuclear power in 2023 will be 9.5 pence per unit .As much as I believe in green , the figures only work because of massive subsidy . Like it or not Nuclear is the way forward , Unfortunatly the only no carbon way they makes sense . I expect somewhere in Surbiton the dreadlocked unwashed environment protesters are firing up the Volkswagon Microbus and heading to Somerset

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates,Why do we need nuclear power? we have in wales coal for over 500+ years with new technology {clean burn} from sweden/norway smoke fillters and liquid furnace tech, we would be in the greens' camp for many years with much cheaper power and safe for all and the french nuclear industry could maybe sell they out of date rubbish power stations, to the third world,How much will the clean up cost the U.K in the future £20 bn +!!! sorry but the government have got this very wrong, Who is getting the backhander? The bills will double !!! My plan will make many new jobs in Wales and England all types and the power station would last for years with out any{ serious danger} from terrorist or others the U.K will have its power in the hands of the french/chinese.

[John Pruden]

are we becoming a nation that is a day late and a dollar short? wind farms useless solar panels when the sun shines? now we have to depend on the French and Chinese for the money do they care if we have power or not do they care if they over price power no. we had the very first nuclear power stations and the government are saying we have not got the brains in this country to build them again!!!! as jim posted billions for a high speed train set and people will die of the cold this winter. there are times when the good old days means just that .ministers should be ashamed of themselves for even thinking of this build our own.jp

[robpage]

The UK has 16 reactors generating about 18% of its electricity and all but one of these will be retired by 2023.That is why we need more , to replace what is coming Off Line .The country has full fuel cycle facilities including major reprocessing plants.The UK has implemented a very thorough assessment process for new reactor designs and their siting.The first of some 19 GWe of new-generation plants are expected to be on line about 2018. The government aims to have 16 GWe of new nuclear capacity on line by 2030.In the late 1990s, nuclear power plants contributed around 25% of total annual electricity generation in the UK, but this has gradually declined as old plants have been shut down and ageing-related problems affect plant availability.In 2012, 363 billion kWh (TWh) of electricity was produced in UK. This comprised 70 TWh (19%) nuclear, 100 TWh (27.5%) from gas, 144 TWh (40%) from coal, 19.4 TWh from wind, 8 TWh hydro and 17 TWh from biofuels and wastes. Coal’s share of generation is at its highest level since 1996, with gas’s share at its lowest since 1996.Net electricity imports from France – mostly nuclear – in 2012 were 12 billion kWh. There is a high-voltage DC connection with France with 2000 MW capacity, and a 1400 MWe link over 700 km with Norway is planned. Per capita UK electricity consumption was 5070 kWh in 2011.In 2009, half of British gas was supplied from imports (compared with 32% in 2007), and this is expected to increase to at least 75% by 2015, as domestic reserves are depleted. This has major implications for electricity generation, with the amount expected to be from gas to almost double from the 170 billion kWh in 2008.
UK generating capacity (2011) is 94 GWe, comprising 30 GWe gas, 23 GWe coal, 11 GWe nuclear, 5.2 GWe wind (21.7% load factor in 2010), 4.2 GWe hydro including pumped storage. Peak demand in 2011 was 57 GWe.
The history and development of the UK nuclear industry is covered in Appendix 1 to this paper, Nuclear Development in the United Kingdom. Currently, there are 16 operating reactors in the UK totalling 10 GWe capacity. The last operating Magnox reactor – Wylfa 1 – is due to shut down when its fuel runs out, in September 2014, or December 2015 if fuel is transferred from unit 2 as now proposed. This will leave seven twin-unit AGR stations and one PWR, all owned and operated by Electricite de France (EdF) subsidiary EdF Energy.

If we look at the Labour government of 1997-2010 and nuclear policy.Over the three parliamentary terms from 1997 to 2010 that the Labour party was in office, the government went from opposing new nuclear power plants to being in favour of them. The February 2003 energy white paper, Our energy future – creating a low carbon economy, stated that the government had no current plans to expand the use of nuclear power. According to this white paper, the "current economics" of nuclear power "make new nuclear build an unattractive option and there are important issues of nuclear waste to be resolved." The government therefore did not propose to support new nuclear build, although it added: "But we will keep the option open." The white paper went on to promise that, before any decision to proceed with new nuclear build was made, "there will need to be the fullest public consultation and the publication of a further white paper setting out our proposals." Alongside the rejection of new nuclear build and without any hint of irony, the white paper set out the government's "ambition" to cut greenhouse gases by around 60% by 2050 (compared with 1990 levels).
By 2006, government policy on nuclear had completely changed, with the report of its energy policy review stating: "We have concluded that new nuclear power stations would make a significant contribution to meeting our energy policy goals."2 However, this conclusion was successfully challenged in the High Court by Greenpeace on the basis that the promise made in the 2003 white paper for "the fullest public consultation" had not been kept. In his decision of February 2007, Mr. Justice Sullivan concluded: "There was a breach of the claimant's legitimate expectation to fullest public consultation; that the consultation process was procedurally unfair; and that therefore the decision in the Energy Review that nuclear new build 'has a role to play...' was unlawful."
Following the High Court decision, in May 2007 the government's Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) published a new white paper, titled Meeting the Energy Challenge in which the government stated its "preliminary view that it is in the public interest to give the private sector the option of investing in new nuclear power stations." Alongside the white paper, a new consultation on the future of nuclear power, as well as parallel technical consultations on a justification process and siting, was launched. This extensive consultation process led to the 10 January 2008 publication of Meeting the Energy Challenge – A White Paper on Nuclear Power, the foreword (by Prime Minister Gordon Brown) of which stated: "The electricity industry should, from now on be allowed to build and operate new nuclear power stations." In stark contrast to the 2003 energy white paper, the foreword also acknowledged: "Nuclear power can and will make a real contribution to meeting our commitments to limit damaging climate change."
The target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions was increased to 80% by 2050 (compared with 1990 levels) and made legally binding in the Climate Change Act 2008, which entered into force in November 2008.7 The Act also provides for a reduction of 34% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
The legally binding targets for emissions reductions set out in the Climate Change Act have put nuclear at the centre of national energy strategy. In July 2009, the government set out its policy on nuclear power in a document titled The Road to 2010: Addressing the nuclear question in the twenty first century. It states that nuclear power is "an essential part of any global solution to the related and serious challenges of climate change and energy security." Furthermore, the document continues: "Nuclear energy is therefore vital to the challenges of sustaining global growth, and tackling poverty."

But Louis in answer to your Question , coal is a non renewable resource and produces Greenhouse gases , we cannot alter either of those facts , we have let ourselves be kidded by Greenpeace and a variety of other loonies , from the great unwashed that we can live on windmill and solar power , which is so heavily subsidised that using that alone would treble your electricity bill . Coal when burned gives off Carbons Dioxide , it is made from Carbon , when you burn it it makes copious amounts of CO2 . Blair/Brown signed up to Legally binding agreements as outlined above in the boring bit , we have to reduce or be penalised , so Coal was written out of the long term equation . The Greens are fighting Nuclear , which in the long term will cut bills , are fighting fracking which will cut gas bills , oh ! please beware the Greens , I don't know where they get their ideas , but they are from Cloud Cuckoo land in some of them , We are reducing our emissions , whilst the USA , China and India are all increasing theirs . We are eh World MUG

[Jim Brady]

Just reading due to the wholesale price of electricity been halved in the last four years in Germany many power stations are closing down as they are not profitable to run.This is due to over capacity in the electricity market.Due to the accidents in Chernobyl and Japan Germany is moving away from nuclear power they are hoping to be free of nuclear by 2022.Nine nuclear stations are still on line and 27 that were built in the 60s 70s have been decommissioned.Rob may give us a better outlook on this subject.
Regards.
Jim.B.
Rob,I was writing this at the same time as you.

[cappy]

this country is a faded star we have no money because we cant compete in the manufacturing world any more ....everything is made elsewhere......we have not the money to build the power stations hence others having to finance us .....who do you know who makes anything ...still the big governments give billions away .......charity should begin at home ,,,,,,,,close doors to foriegners and look after our own ....if its not to late already

[robpage]

Straight off Wikipedia
Energy in Germany describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Germany. The energy policy of Germany is part of the politics of Germany.
Electricity sector in Germany is the main article of electricity in Germany.
In 2002, Germany was Europe's largest consumer of electricity; electricity consumption that year totaled 512.9 billion kilowatt-hours.
The German economy is large and developed, ranking fifth in the world by GDP (PPP). Because of this, Germany ranked sixth in global energy consumption between 2004 and 2007.[1]
Germany uses predominantly fossil fuels as an energy source, followed by nuclear power, biomass (wood and biofuels), wind, hydro and solar. Germany intends to eliminate current use of nuclear power by 2022. Many plants have already been closed prematurely. It is presumed that fossil fuels, wind power, solar power, biofuels, energy imports from France and energy conservation will be enough to replace the existing capacity from nuclear power.
Germany has 6 of Europe's 10 biggest polluting plants.[2][3] Germany produces more carbon dioxide to produce the same amount of energy than France, Canada, Japan or Korea. The most important concept in Germany's energy policies and politics is "Energiewende", meaning the phasing out of nuclear power, and a step-by-step replacement of fossil fuels by renewables. It can be translated as "energy turnaround" or "energy transformation". Due to the costs of this "Energiewende" Germany now has Europe's highest energy costs. Costs have risen over the last 5 years even for industrial consumers who are exempted from the costs of the renewable energy subsidy that consumers pay. In 2013, energy was 4 times cheaper in the United States than in Europe, and 6 times cheaper than in Germany

Composition_of_electricity_prices.jpg

The German industrial price is HEAVILY subsidised so we are 14th Cheapest in Europe

[Jim Brady]

Tax payers will underwrite the Hinkley Point nuclear generator to the tune of upto £1billion a year-with no guarantee of lower power bills.Energy Secretary Ed Davy tried to explain why taxpayers were subsidising the cost of Hinkley Point.The Government has agreed a "strike price" the amount it will pay for the energy from the plant -of £92.50 per megawatt hour,which is double the current cost for electricity. This price will be linked to inflation and will remain in place for 35 years.An Energy expert said "it is essentially a subsidy of between £800million to £1 billion a year that the UK tax payer and energy consumers will be putting into the pockets of Chinese and French corporations."
Regards.
Jim.B.