It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
New West-Burnaby NDP MP submits motion to halt Trans Mountain project
New Westminster-Burnaby MP Peter Julian has submitted motion M-94 calling on the federal government to “immediately stop” construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline project, which terminates in Burnaby.
Jul 8, 2021 9:39 AM By: Chris Campbell This photo shows workers creating a tunnel.Trans Mountain
New Westminster-Burnaby MP Peter Julian has submitted motion M-94 calling on the federal government to “immediately stop” construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline project, which terminates in Burnaby.
"It's crystal clear that the government made a bad decision in buying this pipeline and defending it to the hilt,” said Julian, in a statement. “It's a project that undermines our efforts to reduce GHGs, it's a project that doesn't create sustainable jobs, it puts our environment, our municipalities and our communities at risk. Furthermore, it is clear that this project represents a net financial loss for the government. In other words, no matter what the Liberals say, this project is a money pit that does not reflect our commitment to an energy transition.”
The motion was put forward at the urging of Tim Takaro, a Vancouver-area doctor who occupies a tree in Burnaby on a rotating basis to protest the project, including the cutting of trees.
Trans Mountain recently restarted the process of cutting down more than 1,300 trees and clearing brush in Burnaby along the Brunette River after a stop-work order was issued due to concerns about birds nesting in the area. Trans Mountain has also starting building a tunnel that will run from Burnaby Mountain to the Westridge Marine Terminal on Burrard Inlet.
“The Prime Minister has no credibility when he announced last April that he wanted to further reduce GHGs," said Julian, "while his government continues to support a dirty oil project that jeopardizes Canada’s commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement, makes no economic sense, and displays an alarming lack of respect for Indigenous Peoples’ Title and Rights.
From solar flares to Aurora Borealis: Best shots from the Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awards
The shortlist for 2021’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year has been unveiled by Royal Museums Greenwich. From radiant Lunar Halos in Sweden to California Nebulas, this year’s selection is more dazzling than ever.
The competition, now in its 13th year, is widely considered the leading astrophotography competition on the globe.
Commissioned by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine and with 4500 entries spanning 75 countries, making the shortlist is a prestigious feat.
In February, as Electrek reported, Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas announced the launch of its new offshore wind turbine – the V236-15.0MW. It stole the title from US conglomerate GE’s 14MW Haliade-X to become the world’s largest offshore wind turbine.
And now, German energy company EnBW has pre-selected the massive Vestas turbines for He Dreiht, a 900 megawatt, subsidy-free offshore wind farm in the German North Sea. It would be the first commercial deployment of the Vestas 15MW wind turbines if the pre-selection is upgraded to an unconditional order.
EnBW secured the rights for He Dreiht in Germany’s first offshore wind tender in 2017.
A single V236-15.0 MW is capable of producing 80 GWh per year, depending on site-specific conditions. The rotor diameter is 236 meters (774 feet). One turbine will sweep an area of 470,845 square feet (43,743 square meters) and will have capacity to power 20,000 households.
Turbine installation is due to begin in the second quarter of 2025, with full park commissioning anticipated for the fourth quarter of the same year.
Nova Scotia: 80% renewables by 2030
Nova Scotia premier Iain Rankin announced on Saturday that he wants 80% of Nova Scotia’s energy to come from renewables by 2030. He also announced that a Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued for renewables to supply 10% of the Canadian province’s electricity.
The RFP results are expected to get the province to 70% of renewable electricity, with the remaining 10% of the target to be reached by 2030.
The RFP seeks 350 megawatts of electricity from renewables. It would reduce Nova Scotia’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1 million tonnes each year, create 4,000 jobs mostly in rural areas, and generate more than $550 million in the construction sector.
A press release from the province states that wind is now the cheapest source of electrical energy in Canada.
Photo: Courtesy of Vestas Wind Systems A/S
Nova Scotia reaches tentative agreement with health care unions, avoiding strike
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 NSGEU President Jason MacLean speaks at a news conference in Dartmouth, N.S., on June 18, 2019.
HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia has reached a tentative agreement with the unions representing many of the province’s health care workers, avoiding a potential strike.
In a release, the Health Care Council of Unions says a tenatative agreement was reached with Nova Scotia Health and the IWK late Tuesday.
That tentative agreement will now be brought forward to the almost 7,500 members from the NSGEU, CUPE and Unifor for a ratification vote.
“This agreement includes a wage offer and language improvements that are reasonable and recognize the significant contributions health care workers make each and every day,” said NSGEU President Jason MacLean in a release.
The committee representing the unions is recommending ratification of the agreement, and has suspended the strike vote that started on Monday.
Details of the agreement will not be shared until members have had the opportunity to review and vote on the agreement.
“After five days of conciliation, we believe the deal put on the table late Tuesday afternoon was one that indeed was enough to reverse the decision to ask our membership to contemplate strike action,” added Les Duff, Acting President of Local 8920.
When CTV News spoke to the union leaders on Monday, they said that wages were their number one priority, and that they were asking for annual raises of three per cent for the next four years.
“I’m pleased that the bargaining committee was able to reach a tentative agreement to bring back to these members who have been on the frontline of the pandemic for more than a year now,” added Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Linda MacNeil.
The Health Care Council of Unions bargaining committee is made up of six members from NSGEU, three from CUPE and one from Unifor.
Revolutionising Lebanon’s agriculture sector as food runs out
Lebanon’s farming industry has gone underfunded and underdeveloped for many years, hindered by a lack of modern equipment and inefficient production techniques.
An agricultural worker checks cucumber plants in a newly built greenhouse
Beirut, Lebanon – As time runs out for government subsidies in Lebanon, the troubled country faces an uphill battle to keep its population fed as food prices continue to rise, driven up by an ever-deepening liquidity crisis and a severe dependency on imported foreign goods.
Despite having the highest proportion of arable land in the Arab world with more than 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres), Lebanon’s own agricultural sector has gone underfunded and underdeveloped for many years, hindered by a lack of modern equipment and inefficient production techniques.
Now, with Lebanese farmers unable to even cover their own operating costs and the government paralysed by political deadlock, international NGOs such as Anera have been forced to upscale their aid programmes to fight back against the rapid socioeconomic decline.
“I think that Lebanon is a rich country that has not been developed to its potential, and not just in the agricultural sector,” Samar El Yassir, Anera’s Lebanon country director, told Al Jazeera.
“With the bad governance we have instead of optimising our resources many times we are diminishing [them].
“Our interventions are at a grassroots, community level and not a policy level. There is not a government to influence. We are trying to find ways to build resilience and sustain these communities through these crises.”
Farm workers tend to newly planted fields
[Courtesy: Anera]
Infrastructure non-existent
In happier times, some of Lebanon’s farmers made a tidy profit selling produce to foreign markets. However, this has led to a system of diminishing returns as those markets have become inaccessible.
Saudi Arabia suspended all imports of Lebanese fruit and vegetables back in April after a shipment of pomegranates was found to have been used to smuggle millions of Captagon pills into the kingdom, cutting off an important revenue stream and tainting the image of Lebanese produce internationally.
“Lebanon grows quality produce that sells at high prices in the Gulf region,” said Serene Dardari, Anera’s communication and outreach manager.
“When agricultural exports fetch high prices, Lebanon imports the same products from other neighbouring countries in order to benefit from the price difference and taxations, which is not really a sustainable economic system.
“Infrastructure and technological support is weak or nonexistent,” she continued. “Water supplies are in constant shortage due to a crucial lack of dams, which would otherwise allow for the use of surplus rainwater for irrigation and other functions, despite Lebanon having the highest rainfall levels in the region.”
Anera is working closely with farmers to improve both the quality and quantity of their crops [Courtesy: Anera]
In Lebanon’s coastal Akkar district, one of the country’s most fertile regions, Anera has been providing farmers with tools and technical assistance, as well as high-quality seeds and pesticides, while also helping them to take on additional agricultural workers, many of whom are Syrian migrants
This then allows farmers to expand their farmland and establish new plastic greenhouses and irrigation tubing systems, also provided by Anera.
“Many of our rivers are polluted and much of the land is not used properly,” explained Yassir. “We are teaching farmers how to do irrigation with water that isn’t polluted and with good practices. The hope is that this will not only improve their incomes, but also the quality of the food they produce.”
Dardari added: “The driving notion behind this is to teach a man how to fish rather than to give him one. By increasing the farmers’ capacities, as well as both the quantity and quality of their yields, we are trying to minimise their dependency on aid.”
With this scheme, the NGO hopes to provide a model for a more productive and profitable agriculture industry. This would allow Anera – as well as other organisations and local communities – to further build upon this for the future with an approach scalable to the resources available. Fears of ‘brain drain’
In order for this development to continue in a meaningful and long-lasting way, a new generation of farmers is required to carry it forward. With so many Lebanese graduates and professionals leaving the country in search of a better life elsewhere, that may prove difficult.
“What concerns me as [both] a Lebanese and a development professional in this country is the ‘brain drain’ across all sectors,” lamented Yassir.
“One of Lebanon’s many resources is its people. [We] have access to good education, so we [need to] utilise these talents.”
A farmer displays freshly picked cucumbers [Courtesy: Anera]
Fortunately, Anera may have found a potential solution to this issue by offering young people a chance to try out farm work for themselves, synergising with their other development initiatives.
“We are investing in training youths in agriculture, placing them with different farmers so they can gain more experience while also helping these farmers,” said Yassir. “We are also helping them set up their own small agricultural practices on their own land.
“Lebanon has fallen and we need youth and communities to build it again,” she added. “Lebanon needs a government that is able to enact the reforms that are currently holding back foreign aid.”
By cultivating interest in the field among the younger generation, the NGO said it will come to appreciate the need for sustainable agriculture and possibilities it can offer as a potential career path.
With fuel subsidies also coming to their end, many in Lebanon are bracing for further dramatic increases in food prices, as farmers require large volumes of fuel to operate their machines and transport their goods to market.
By Jove! Stunning New Images Show Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, Superstorms, and Gargantuan Cyclones
ByASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY (AURA)JULY 11, 2021
Three images of Jupiter show the gas giant in three different types of light — infrared, visible, and ultraviolet. The image on the left was taken in infrared by the Near-InfraRed Imager (NIRI) instrument at Gemini North in Hawaiʻi, the northern member of the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab. The center image was taken in visible light by the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope. The image on the right was taken in ultraviolet light by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3. All of the observations were taken on 11 January 2017. Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/NASA/ESA, M.H. Wong and I. de Pater (UC Berkeley) et al.
Stunning new images of Jupiter from Gemini North and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope showcase the planet at infrared, visible, and ultraviolet wavelengths of light. These views reveal details in atmospheric features such as the Great Red Spot, superstorms, and gargantuan cyclones stretching across the planet’s disk. Three interactive images allow you to compare observations of Jupiter at these different wavelengths and explore the gas giant’s clouds yourself!
Three striking new images of Jupiter show the stately gas giant at three different types of light — infrared, visible, and ultraviolet. The visible and ultraviolet views were captured by the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope, while the infrared image comes from the Near-InfraRed Imager (NIRI) instrument at Gemini North in Hawaiʻi, the northern member of the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab. All of the observations were taken simultaneously (at 15:41 Universal Time) on January 11, 2017.
These three portraits highlight the key advantage of multiwavelength astronomy: viewing planets and other astronomical objects at different wavelengths of light allows scientists to glean otherwise unavailable insights. In the case of Jupiter, the planet has a vastly different appearance in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet observations. The planet’s Great Red Spot — the famous persistent storm system large enough to swallow the Earth whole — is a prominent feature of the visible and ultraviolet images, but it is almost invisible at infrared wavelengths. Jupiter’s counter-rotating bands of clouds, on the contrary, are clearly visible in all three views.
This infrared view of Jupiter was created from data captured on 11 January 2017 with the Near-InfraRed Imager (NIRI) instrument at Gemini North in Hawaiʻi, the northern member of the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab. It is actually a mosaic of individual frames that were combined to produce a global portrait of the planet. In the image warmer areas appear bright, including four large hot spots that appear in a row just north of the equator. South of the equator, the oval-shaped and cloud-covered Great Red Spot appears dark. Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, M.H. Wong (UC Berkeley) et al., Acknowledgments: M. Zamani
Observing the Great Red Spot at multiple wavelengths yields other surprises — the dark region in the infrared image is larger than the corresponding red oval in the visible image. This discrepancy arises because different structures are revealed by different wavelengths; the infrared observations show areas covered with thick clouds, while the visible and ultraviolet observations show the locations of chromophores — the particles that give the Great Red Spot its distinctive hue by absorbing blue and ultraviolet light.
This visible-light image of Jupiter was created from data captured on 11 January 2017 using the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope. Near the top, a long brown feature called a ‘brown barge’ extends 72,000 kilometers (nearly 45,000 miles) in the east-west direction. The Great Red Spot stands out prominently in the lower left, while the smaller feature nicknamed Red Spot Jr. (known to Jovian scientists as Oval BA) appears to its lower right. Credit: NASA/ESA/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M.H. Wong and I. de Pater (UC Berkeley) et al. Acknowledgments: M. Zamani
The Great Red Spot isn’t the only storm system visible in these images. The region sometimes nicknamed Red Spot Jr. (known to Jovian scientists as Oval BA) appears in both the visible and ultraviolet observations.[1] This storm — to the bottom right of its larger counterpart — formed from the merger of three similar-sized storms in 2000.[2] In the visible-wavelength image, it has a clearly defined red outer rim with a white center. In the infrared, however, Red Spot Jr. is invisible, lost in the larger band of cooler clouds, which appear dark in the infrared view. Like the Great Red Spot, Red Spot Jr. is colored by chromophores that absorb solar radiation at both ultraviolet and blue wavelengths, giving it a red color in visible observations and a dark appearance at ultraviolet wavelengths. Just above Red Spot Jr. in the visible observations, a Jovian superstorm appears as a diagonal white streak extending toward the right side of Jupiter’s disk.
This ultraviolet image of Jupiter was created from data captured on 11 January 2017 using the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope. The Great Red Spot and Red Spot Jr. (also known as Oval BA) absorb ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and therefore appear dark in this view. Credit: NASA/ESA/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M.H. Wong and I. de Pater (UC Berkeley) et al., Acknowledgments: M. Zamani
One atmospheric phenomenon that does feature prominently at infrared wavelengths is a bright streak in the northern hemisphere of Jupiter. This feature — a cyclonic vortex or perhaps a series of vortices — extends 72,000 kilometers (nearly 45,000 miles) in the east-west direction. At visible wavelengths the cyclone appears dark brown, leading to these types of features being called ‘brown barges’ in images from NASA’s Voyager spacecraft. At ultraviolet wavelengths, however, the feature is barely visible underneath a layer of stratospheric haze, which becomes increasingly dark toward the north pole.
Similarly, lined up below the brown barge, four large ‘hot spots’ appear bright in the infrared image but dark in both the visible and ultraviolet views. Astronomers discovered such features when they observed Jupiter in infrared wavelengths for the first time in the 1960s.
As well as providing a beautiful scenic tour of Jupiter, these observations provide insights about the planet’s atmosphere, with each wavelength probing different layers of cloud and haze particles. A team of astronomers used the telescope data to analyze the cloud structure within areas of Jupiter where NASA’s Juno spacecraft detected radio signals coming from lightning activity.
Labels added to this visible-light Hubble Space Telescope image of Jupiter point out several atmospheric features on the planet, including a ‘brown barge’, four hot spots (which appear bright in the infrared image from Gemini North), a superstorm, the Great Red Spot, and Red Spot Jr. (also known as Oval BA). Credit: NASA/ESA/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M.H. Wong and I. de Pater (UC Berkeley) et al.
The scientific story behind these striking images is told in full in a new NOIRLab Stories blog post. As well as discovering the science behind these images, we invite you to inspect observations of Jupiter at home! Three interactive images let you compare observations of Jupiter at different wavelengths and peer beneath the gas giant’s clouds:
“The Gemini North observations were made possible by the telescope’s location within the Maunakea Science Reserve, adjacent to the summit of Maunakea,” acknowledges the observation team’s leader, Mike Wong of the University of California, Berkeley. “We are grateful for the privilege of observing Ka‘awela (Jupiter) from a place that is unique in both its astronomical quality and its cultural significance.”
While it appears red in Hubble’s visible-light image of Jupiter taken in January 2017, Red Spot Jr. does not always appear red. It was white when it first formed but turned red several years later. It has changed color since then and once again appears white.
The three storms that merged to form Red Spot Jr. in 2000 were similar in size to each other and similar in size to Red Spot Jr. Interestingly, Red Spot Jr. did not become much larger than any of the three individual storms after they merged.
References
“High-resolution UV/Optical/IR Imaging of Jupiter in 2016–2019” by Michael H. Wong, Amy A. Simon, Joshua W. Tollefson, Imke de Pater, Megan N. Barnett, Andrew I. Hsu, Andrew W. Stephens, Glenn S. Orton, Scott W. Fleming, Charles Goullaud, William Januszewski, Anthony Roman, Gordon L. Bjoraker, Sushil K. Atreya, Alberto Adriani and Leigh N. Fletcher, 1 April 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4365/ab775f
“First ALMA Millimeter-wavelength Maps of Jupiter, with a Multiwavelength Study of Convection” by Imke de Pater, R. J. Sault, Chris Moeckel, Arielle Moullet, Michael H. Wong, Charles Goullaud, David DeBoer, Bryan J. Butler, Gordon Bjoraker, Máté Ádámkovics, Richard Cosentino, Padraig T. Donnelly, Leigh N. Fletcher, Yasumasa Kasaba, Glenn S. Orton, John H. Rogers, James A. Sinclair and Eric Villard, 9 September 2019, The Astronomical Journal. DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/ab3643
More information
NSF’s NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory), the US center for ground-based optical-infrared astronomy, operates the international Gemini Observatory (a facility of NSF, NRC–Canada, ANID–Chile, MCTIC–Brazil, MINCyT–Argentina, and KASI–Republic of Korea), Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), and Vera C. Rubin Observatory (in cooperation with DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory). It is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. The astronomical community is honored to have the opportunity to conduct astronomical research on Iolkam Du’ag (Kitt Peak) in Arizona, on Maunakea in Hawaiʻi, and on Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachón in Chile. We recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence that these sites have to the Tohono O’odham Nation, to the Native Hawaiian community, and to the local communities in Chile, respectively.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by AURA.
Dutch study finds commercial support for nuclear new build
08 July 2021
Market participants - such as contractors, operators and suppliers - would invest in the construction of new nuclear generating capacity in the Netherlands provided the government contributes to the cost and there is public support, a report by consultancy firm KPMG indicates. In response to the study, demissionary Minister for Economic Affairs Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius has requested a study into the possibility of including nuclear power in the country's plans for meeting energy and climate goals.
(Image: KPMG)
A motion was adopted in the House of Representatives on 17 September 2020 in response to a motion by Klaas Dijkhoff - former leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy - who asked the cabinet to investigate the conditions under which market parties are prepared to invest in nuclear power plants in the Netherlands, what public support is required for this, and in which regions there would be interest in hosting a nuclear power plant. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy subsequently asked KPMG to conduct a market consultation on nuclear energy in the Netherlands.
KPGM began work on the study on 8 February this year. It interviewed 41 national and international market participants, including contractors, core technology suppliers, operators, decommissioning specialists and financiers. Interviews were also conducted with 14 Dutch regions. Publicly-available information sources were also consulted.
Proven technology preferred
The consultation found most of the potentially involved companies emphasised the importance of choosing a proven reactor technology that meets applicable safety requirements. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are seen as an interesting option, but these are not yet commercially available. An SMR based on a generation III+ reactor design is expected to take about 10 years to licence and build, but a proven design will only become available in 2027-2035 at the earliest, the study found.
The market participants said Generation IV reactors have potential benefits in terms of safety and/or waste, but are not expected to be commercialised until after 2040, as a result of which they will come to market too late to achieve the 2050 climate target. Market parties therefore indicated broadly that the Netherlands should opt for a Generation III+ reactor now and in due course for a Generation IV reactor once the technology has been proven.
The study found that market participants consider stable government policy with regards to nuclear energy a pre-condition for nuclear new build. They said the substantial financing size, substantial risks and lead time mean government involvement seems inevitable. This could be by providing guarantees to financing risks.
KPMG found that provincial authorities in the province of Zeeland - where the country's only operating nuclear power plant, Borssele, is located - were in favour of another plant being built. In addition, the province of Noord-Brabant said the construction of a plant there would be negotiable under certain conditions.
Furthermore, there was wide support for the Borssele plant, whose 485 MWe (net) pressurised water reactor is currently scheduled to shut down in 2033, to be kept online longer as it is economically profitable and nuclear knowledge would be preserved. However, it still needs to be investigated what investments will be required for this.
Further studies
In response to KPMG's report, Minister for Economic Affairs Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius yesterday wrote to the House of Representatives saying she has requested a study examining how nuclear energy can play a role alongside other sustainable energy sources, such as solar and wind, for the period 2030 to 2050 and beyond.
She said she is also exploring how the country's Nuclear Energy Act can be amended to keep the Borssele plant in operation for longer. This is at the request of the House of Representatives, following a motion by Agnes Mulder and Mark Harbers.
"We do not have the luxury of excluding a sustainable energy source," Yesilgöz-Zegerius said. "The Netherlands wants to emit less CO2 and generate more sustainable energy. To achieve our climate goals, we will have to pull out all the stops, including nuclear energy if it is profitable and safe. That is why I also want to look at how we can maintain and strengthen the nuclear knowledge we have in the Netherlands. We must keep all options open."
Nuclear power currently has a small role in the Dutch electricity supply, with the Borssele plant - which began operating in 1973 - providing about 3% of total generation.
Last year, EPZ - operator of the Borssele nuclear power plant - called for an extension to its operation beyond 2033 and/or the construction of two new large reactors at the site in order to help the Netherlands meet its energy and climate goals.
The KPGM report (in Dutch) can be downloaded here.
Researched and written by World Nuclear News
Agreement on IAEA monitoring of Fukushima water release
09 July 2021
The scope of technical assistance the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will provide in monitoring and reviewing the planned discharge of treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site has been agreed. The Terms of Reference defining the objective of the IAEA's assistance, how it will be implemented and its organisational arrangements were signed yesterday by the agency and the Japanese government.
Tanks of treated water at the Fukushima Daiichi site (Image: Tepco)
The document was signed by IAEA Deputy Director General Lydie Evrard, who heads the agency's Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, and Ambassador Takeshi Hikihara, Japan's permanent representative to the international organisations in Vienna.
At the Fukushima Daiichi site, contaminated water is treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which removes most of the radioactive contamination, with the exception of tritium. This treated water is currently stored in tanks on-site. The total tank storage capacity amounts to about 1.37 million cubic metres and all the tanks are expected to be full around the summer of 2022.
In April, the Japanese government announced its formal decision that the treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi site will be discharged into the sea. The basic policy calls for the ALPS-treated water to be discharged "on the condition that full compliance with the laws and regulations is observed, and measures to minimise adverse impacts on reputation are thoroughly implemented".
After its announcement, the Japanese government requested assistance from the IAEA to review the country's plans and activities against international safety standards and also to support and be present during environmental monitoring operations there. The IAEA has said Japan's chosen disposal method is both technically feasible and in line with international practice.
"The signing of the Terms of Reference marks an important step as the document sets out the broad framework for how the IAEA will support Japan when it implements its plan to gradually release the treated water in a safe and transparent way," the IAEA said. "The agency's involvement before, during and after the water disposal will provide confidence - in Japan and beyond - that it takes place in line with the international safety standards which aim to protect people and the environment."
The IAEA said the signing of the document allows it to plan and implement a detailed programme of activities including review missions, in line with relevant IAEA safety standards and guidance. The first mission is expected to travel to Japan later this year.
Under the agreed terms, the IAEA will examine key safety elements of Japan's discharge plan, including: the radiological characterisation of the water to be discharged; safety related aspects of the water discharge process; the environmental monitoring associated with the discharge; the assessment of the radiological environmental impact related to ensuring the protection of people and environment; and, regulatory control including authorisation, inspection and review and assessment.
An IAEA Task Force will implement the assistance to Japan, which will include advice by a group of internationally recognised experts from Member States, including members from the region, under the authority of the IAEA Secretariat.
Japan intends to start releasing the treated water in about two years' time, and the entire operation could last for decades.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, said it will "continue to move forward with suitable handling of ALPS-treated water based on the advice, etc. received during this review".
"The IAEA will play a vital role in monitoring and reviewing Japan's implementation of its plan," said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. "As the eyes of the international community, IAEA experts will be able to verify that the water discharge is conducted safely. This is of paramount importance to reassure people in Japan and elsewhere in the world, especially in neighbouring countries, that the water poses no threat to them."
Researched and written by World Nuclear News
MEPs call on EC to recognise nuclear as sustainable
09 July 2021
Nearly 100 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have called on the European Commission "to follow the science" and include nuclear under the EU's Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. According to a letter sent to Commissioners and published by European nuclear trade body Foratom, the MEPs urge them "to choose the path that their scientific experts have now advised them to take", namely to include nuclear power in the EU's Taxonomy on Sustainable Finance.
Swedish MEP Sara Skyttedal is one of the signatories to the letter (Image: Twitter)
"The EU has just 30 years to decarbonise its economy in a sustainable way," said Yves Desbazeille, Foratom director general. "Member States who wish to invest in low-carbon nuclear should not be prevented from doing so just because others are politically opposed to nuclear," he added.
In the letter, MEPs draw attention to the fact that the scientific assessment of nuclear concludes that "the existing legal framework provides adequate protection in terms of public health and the environment", which Foratom says means nuclear complies with the requirements of the Taxonomy. It therefore asks the Commission "to take this scientific work seriously and not to discriminate against nuclear".
The full text of the letter is:
"We, the undersigned members of the European parliament, acknowledge the hard work that the Commission has put into completing the first delegated act of the Taxonomy Regulation. The European Union has committed itself to becoming climate neutral by the middle of the century. This requires great efforts from the Member States as well as the EU as a whole. No effort can be spared in this important work, neither from the EU nor from the Member States. The taxonomy regulation has the potential to be a decisive tool in this regard.
"We cannot afford to ignore any energy sources that have the prerequisites to make a positive contribution on the path towards climate neutrality. That nuclear power is such a kind of energy source is, to us, obvious. Therefore, those member states that for this reason choose to invest and wish to mobilize private capital towards nuclear installations should not be met with resistance, but encouragement, from the EU. We are very pleased to see three different expert reports from the Commission that points in a similar conclusion. Not the least the Commissions Joint Research Centre (JRC) report “Technical assessment of nuclear energy with respect to the ‘do no significant harm’ criteria of Regulation (EU) 2020/852”, published this March. Last week the results of two scientific boards - Article 31 report and the SCHEER report - were published by the Commission. Reports that mostly confirms the findings in the JRC report, that the existing legal framework provides adequate protection in terms of public health and the environment.
"We welcome the findings of the JRC and the two scientific boards, which specific environmental aspects where assessed scientifically by a committee with expertise in environmental science, nuclear safety and safe nuclear waste disposal. This means that the scientific review acknowledges key elements of the “do no significant harm” principle. If we, and the EU as a whole, are serious about facing the climate crisis with powerful tools, then we cannot reasonably discriminate against any fossil-free technology with as much potential as nuclear power objectively has.
"There are obvious political wills from Member states without nuclear power, or with nuclear power currently being phased out, to persuade the European Commission to ignore scientific conclusions and actively oppose nuclear power. We urge the Commission to be brave enough to disregard these calls and to choose the path that their scientific experts have now advised them to take, namely to include nuclear power in the taxonomy.
"The taxonomy regulation should be guided by the desire to achieve climate neutrality and by the principle of “do no significant harm”. In the past, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has pointed out nuclear power as a key in the fight against climate change. The European Commission's expert body has now reached similar conclusions. It is our hope that the European Commission is courageous enough to create EU regulations that do not actively generate disadvantages for investments in nuclear power, or any other fossil free technology."
One of the MEPs who signed the letter, Sweden's Sara Skyttedal, posted the letter on Twitter, urging the Commission "not to create EU regulations that actively generate disadvantages for investments in nuclear power. Europe needs more, not less, nuclear energy".
Researched and written by World Nuclear News
US-led initiative aims to lower advanced nuclear construction costs
08 July 2021
The US Department of Energy (DOE) is teaming up with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and providing USD5.8 million in funding for a project to demonstrate how three construction technologies from other industries can be applied to advanced reactor designs, to improve the economics of bringing advanced reactors to market. The Advanced Construction Technology (ACT) Initiative aims to reduce cost overruns and schedule slippages.
(Image: NRIC)
The three technologies have been used successfully in other industries but have not yet been tested within the context of nuclear energy, the DOE said. Together, they could reduce the cost of new nuclear builds by more than 10%. They are:
Vertical shaft construction, a best practice from the tunnelling industry that could reduce construction schedules by more than a year;
'Steel Bricks', modular steel-concrete composite structures, much like high-tech LEGO pieces, which could significantly reduce on-site labour requirements;
Advanced monitoring, coupled with digital twin technology, which can create a digital replica of the nuclear power plant structure.
"Construction costs and schedule overruns have plagued new nuclear builds for decades," said Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Kathryn Huff. "By leveraging advanced construction technologies, we can drive down costs and speed the pace of advanced nuclear deployment."
GEH's portfolio includes the BWRX-300 small modular reactor, currently under review by nuclear regulators in both Canada and the USA. "We know this funding will significantly benefit the commercialisation of SMRs and pave the way for other advanced reactors," the company's executive vice president, Jon Ball, said.
The GEH-led project team includes Black & Veatch, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Purdue University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the Tennessee Valley Authority, in addition to the UK's Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), of which EPRI is a member, and two UK companies, Caunton Engineering and Modular Walling Systems Limited. Modular Walling Systems is the developer of the Steel Bricks technology, which GEH earlier this year said it intends to use in the construction of the BWRX-300.
"In the nuclear industry, we don't have to invent everything ourselves. Being prudent about leveraging tech from other industries will accelerate advanced nuclear deployment," EPRI's Chief Nuclear Officer Rita Baranwal tweeted.
"The assurance of construction integrity is a vital consideration for advanced nuclear reactors, and we are seeing more reactor designs using below-ground construction to provide additional protection from natural or man-made hazards," Li Li, head of the Nuclear AMRC's controls & instrumentation group, said. "By applying sensor-based structural health monitoring and real-time condition monitoring techniques, we will help bring the digital replica alive to optimise the cost of construction, operation and maintenance, and to improve the safety of advanced reactors over decades of low-carbon power generation."
The work will be funded and managed through DOE's National Reactor Innovation Center and is to be carried out in two phases. The initial phase will focus on technology development and preparation for a small-scale demonstration, and pending the successful completion of the first phase and future appropriated funds, a second phase will carry out the demonstration within three years of the initial award.
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Swedish MEP Sara Skyttedal is one of the signatories to the letter (Image: Twitter).jpg?ext=.jpg)
(Image: NRIC)