Decisions on future nuclear builds have been pushed back at three potential new sites due to the coronavirus crisis. The planning process for Wylfa Newydd, Sizewell C and Bradwell B have all been delayed by periods ranging from weeks to months. A decision on Horizon Nuclear’s application for a development consent order (DCO) for Wylfa Newydd – the shelved nuclear project in Anglesey, North Wales – has been pushed back by six months by the government, from 31 March to 30 September. This is the second such delay for the decision, the original deadline for which was 23 October last year. While the project was put on hold over funding issues, Horizon, a subsidiary of Hitachi, had been hopeful the project could restart following the decision and the approval of a new funding model. EDF announced it had delayed the submission of an application for a DCO for its £14bn Suffolk station, Sizewell C, for a “few weeks” because of the crisis. The French energy firm had been due to submit it at the end of March. It said the move would also allow more time for people to register as participants for the public examination phase of the process. EDF managing director of nuclear Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson said: ‘‘We are ready to submit the application, but we recognise that many people in Suffolk, including the local authorities, are adjusting to new circumstances created by the coronavirus crisis. We will defer the submission for a few weeks and, once submitted, we will extend the period for registration to make it easier for people to participate.” Meanwhile, the public consultation for Bradwell B in Essex, which began last month, is to be extended by five weeks. The project is introducing new ways for the community to participate in the consultation online and on the phone, as well as allowing people to book 20-minute discussions with nuclear experts to answer questions throughout April. Ground-surveying works are continuing on site at Bradwell B, and the project is awaiting a decision from the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency on its design for the UK HPR1000 – a third-generation pressurised water reactor.
Construction News 2nd April 2020 read more »
Temperatures are rising, the Antarctic is melting, and a million animal and plant species face the risk of extinction, all driven by the climate crisis. To save us from the coming climate catastrophe, we need an energy hero, boasting limitless power and no greenhouse gas emissions (or nearly none). So it’s time, say some analysts, to resuscitate the nuclear energy industry. Doing so could provide carbon-free energy. But any plan to make nuclear power a big part of the energy mix also comes with serious financial risks as well as questions about if there’s enough time to enlist an army of nuclear power plants in the battle against the climate crisis.
Gizmodo 3rd April 2020 read more »