UK local polls could determine Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s fate


Britain’s Conservative party is expected to suffer losses in local elections this week, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

AFP
01-05-2024 


Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. I

mage: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP


Britain’s ruling Conservative party is expected to suffer heavy losses in crunch local elections this week that are likely to increase pressure on beleaguered Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.


The polls are the last major electoral test before a general election that Sunak’s party, in power since 2010, seems destined to lose to the Labour opposition.

RISHI SUNAK WANTS TO HOLD NATIONWIDE VOTE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR

Sunak has said he wants to hold the nationwide vote in the second half of the year, but bruising defeats in Thursday’s votes could force his hand earlier.

“These elections form a vital examination for the Sunak premiership – road-testing its claim that the plan is working and the degree to which voters still lend that notion any degree of credibility,” political scientist Richard Carr told AFP.

Incumbent governments tend to suffer losses in local contests and the Conservatives are forecast by pollsters to lose about half of the council seats they are defending.

Sunak’s immediate political future is said to rest on whether two high-profile Tory regional mayors get re-elected in the West Midlands and Tees Valley areas of central and northeast England.

Wins for the Conservative mayors, Andy Street and Ben Houchen, would boost hopes among Tory MPs that Sunak can turn around their party’s fortunes in time for the general election.

But speculation is rife in the UK parliament that a bad showing could lead some restive Conservative lawmakers to try to replace Sunak before the nationwide poll.

“If Andy Street and Ben Houchen both lose, any idea that Sunak can carry on is surely done,” said Carr, a politics lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University.

“Whether that means he rolls the dice on a general election or gets toppled remains to be seen.”

Factional infighting has plagued the Tories in recent years, serving up five prime ministers since the 2016 Brexit vote, including three in four months from July to October 2022.

A group of restive Conservative MPs have drawn up a “policy blitz” for a potential successor to Sunak in the event of massive losses this week, British media have reported.
ANOTHER ONE?

Some observers say it would be madness for the Conservatives to topple another leader when Sunak has provided some stability since succeeding Liz Truss in October 2022.

Others say the party’s credibility is already shot so why not try one last desperate throw of the dice to try to stop a predicted Labour landslide.

Some 52 MPs would need to submit letters of no confidence in Sunak to trigger an internal party vote to replace him – a tall ask.

“I still expect Sunak will lead the Conservatives into the general election,” Richard Hayton, a politics professor at Leeds University, told AFP.

“But some MPs may seek to move against him, which will further damage his standing with the general public.”

Sunak, 43, was an internal Tory appointment following Truss’s disastrous 49 days premiership in which her unfunded tax cuts caused market turmoil and sank the pound.

Despite numerous leadership resets under Sunak, the Tories have continued to trail Labour, led by Keir Starmer, by double digits in most opinion polls.

An Ipsos poll earlier this month put Sunak’s satisfaction rating at a joint all-time low of minus 59 percent.

More than 2,500 councillors are standing in England on Thursday, as well as London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Khan who is seeking a record third term in office.

Most of the council seats up for re-election were last contested in 2021, when ex-Tory premier Boris Johnson was popular as he rolled out Covid-19 vaccines.

By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse

Local elections always difficult for incumbents, says Sunak

Sophie Wingate and Christopher McKeon, PA Political Staff
Mon, 29 April 2024

Rishi Sunak has insisted local elections are “always difficult” for incumbents as he braces for potentially disastrous local election results.

Forecasts suggest Thursday’s local elections could see the Conservatives lose up to half of the council seats they are defending, having lost a third of seats last year.

The party leadership has placed much of its hope in mayoral candidates in the West Midlands and Teesside, where incumbents Andy Street and Ben Houchen are seeking re-election, but polls suggest very close contests with their Labour opponents.


Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a PM Connect at DHL London Gateway, Corringham, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex (Frank Augstein/PA)

Asked whether defeat in these contests would be a “catastrophe” for him, the Prime Minister told ITV News: “Local elections are always difficult for incumbent governments, but we’ll be campaigning very hard.

“We’ve got fantastic candidates and, as we said, there’s a very clear contrast in what you get from Conservatives at a local level – keeping your taxes low, keeping crime low, attracting jobs and investment – and the alternative with Labour – taxes going up, local authorities bankrupted, motorists being driven off the road and houses not remotely being built for a next generation.”

A wave of defeats on Thursday could push more Tory MPs into seeking to replace Mr Sunak before the general election.

A group of restive Conservative MPs has already drawn up a “policy blitz” for a potential successor, compounding the Prime Minister’s woes days before the local contests.

The policies include reducing legal migration, cutting the benefits bill, hiking defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) and giving junior doctors a pay rise of up to 12%.

Reports suggested some rebels were seeking to install Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt as his successor, though a source close to the Cabinet minister dismissed claims of her involvement as “total hogwash”.



(PA Graphics)

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, also seen as a potential leadership contender, this weekend called for net migration to be curbed to the tens of thousands.

The manoeuvring came as Mr Sunak repeatedly declined to rule out calling a July general election.

On Monday, he again refused to be drawn into commenting on a potential election date, saying only that it would take place in the second half of the year.

Most Westminster analysts expect this to mean October or November, but a drubbing in the local contests could force the Prime Minister’s hand.

Mr Sunak sought to bolster his premiership last week with a flurry of announcements, including the passing of Rwanda asylum legislation and a pledge to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030.

But Conservative rebels said it was time to put an end to “broken pledges”, and that their 100-day plan, “with the right messenger”, was the only way to avoid an electoral wipeout.

A Tory rebel source said: “The country has had enough of broken pledges and distant plans for change or bans they never asked for.

“It’s a plan for 100 days to show the Government is taking action and cares about what matters to the British people – the NHS, immigration, getting our economy going by getting people back into work quickly and making our country safer and more secure.

“No more tinkering, dithering or managerialism – these are policies that can be introduced in a few months and then go to the country for people to make a decision.

“We’ve got to be clear and bold in our plan, and with the right messenger, to have any chance of winning, otherwise it could be two or three terms of Labour.”

Sunak govt reportedly deports first asylum seeker from UK to Rwanda

UK's decision to deport unnamed individual to the East African country is seen by critics as a desperate stunt by PM Sunak to garner more votes in local election and a decision rooted in racism that also mirrors Britain's colonial past.


UK has passed legislation to send unwanted asylum seekers to the African country, despite international concerns and criticism./ Photo: AP

Britain has deported its first asylum seeker to Rwanda, The Sun Newspaper reported, saying the unnamed migrant was flown out of the country on Monday.

The flight was part of a voluntary scheme — separate from a forced deportation programme that Britain is about to embark on in the next few months, seeking to deter asylum seekers from coming to the UK.

Under the voluntary scheme, the government has said it would pay asylum seekers up to 3,000 pounds [$3,747.60] each to move to Rwanda to help clear the backlog of refugees who have arrived in the country in recent years.

This new agreement is part of UK government policy, where some asylum seekers are offered financial assistance to leave Britain for their home country, but under this plan people will get the money if they agree to live in the East African country.

The UK government has spent two years trying to overcome legal and political opposition to the policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, some 6,400 km away, which it hopes will act as a deterrent.

Parliament finally passed the divisive legislation last week and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he expected the first flights to take off in 10 to 12 weeks.

Critics have slammed the government's cash for humans plan as a "piece of racist legislation" which puts Black and Brown people at risk.

One organisation which works with asylum seekers said on X that they were protesting outside an immigration processing centre in south London to prevent a forced removal from the building. Media reports have said authorities will start collecting people soon for the first deportation flights to Rwanda.

A British government document published on Monday showed that the first asylum seekers to be deported from Britain to Rwanda would come from a group of 5,700 people that Kigali has agreed in principle to take.

But the document suggested the government would only be able to easily detain just over 2,000 of these.



Violative of international law

Under the forced deportation scheme, anyone who has arrived "illegally" after January 1, 2022 is eligible to be deported to Rwanda. More than 50,000 people have arrived since that date, official figures show.


UK's refugee deportation policy has been panned by rights activists as fundamentally flawed because Rwanda doesn't provide a safe haven for refugees.

The criticism emanates not only from the broader treatment of refugees, but also the profound value the UK attributes to the humanity of the individuals who are most likely to be impacted by this policy.

Moreover, the policy is largely considered unfeasible and violative of international law by most experts.

Critics of the policy also note that it appears to be a desperate attempt by Rishi Sunak's Conservative government — to facilitate the repatriation of an asylum seeker in the UK — seemingly to garner electoral support for the ruling party in a local election.

 

GEH launches supplier group to support SMR deployment

30 April 2024

BWXT Canada Ltd is the first company to join GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's group of qualified supply chain companies to advance the global deployment of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR).

GEH Chief Procurement Officer Darion Jeralds, Jay Wileman, John MacQuarrie, and GEH Nuclear Supply Chain Leader Kimberly Perry mark the occasion as BWXT joins the qualified supplier group (Image: GE Vernova)

GEH, the nuclear business of GE Vernova, said it is setting up the supplier group to help ensure a reliable, cost effective and innovative process for the manufacture and commercialisation of the 300 MWe boiling water reactor design. Suppliers who meet pre-defined criteria, customer requirements and demonstrate a willingness to invest in BWRX-300 supply chain capabilities are eligible for selection to the group.

The first company to join the group is BWXT Canada Ltd, which has already been contracted for engineering of the BWRX-300 reactor pressure vessel for Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) Darlington New Nuclear Project. BWXT recently announced an investment of CAD80 million (USD59 million) in its nuclear equipment manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Ontario.

"Supplier collaboration is expected to help build capacity and support cost reduction, project schedule goals and scalability as we deploy the BWRX-300 globally," GEH President and CEO Jay Wileman said. "We applaud BWXT Canada for standing firmly behind the BWRX-300 by making commitments and investing in its facilities and supply chain to be best positioned to compete for projects, further bolstering Ontario's nuclear supply chain."

President of BWXT Commercial Operations John MacQuarrie said the anticipated global demand for nuclear power was a significant factor in the company's decision to expand the manufacturing facility where large and heavy nuclear components are designed and made. "Our plans to increase the site's manufacturing capacity by 50% for large components and to invest in advanced manufacturing equipment over the next few years will further position our business to help deliver the BWRX-300 and other reactor technologies for our customers around the world," he added.

OPG, GEH, AtkinsRéalis and Aecon Construction Group last year signed a contract to build the first BWRX-300 at OPG's Darlington site, with the aim of completing construction of the unit by late 2028 and supplying power to the grid in 2029. Three further BWRX-300s are envisaged at Darlington.

The reactor, which leverages existing nuclear fuel and the design and licensing basis of the ESBWR boiling water reactor, is undergoing the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation's the Generic Design Acceptance process, for which it has received GBP33.6 million (USD42.7 million) of support under the UK government's Future Nuclear Enabling Fund. The Polish government has also announced decisions-in-principle supporting the construction of 24 BWRX-300 units at six sites.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Forging work begins for Paks II project reactor vessel

30 April 2024

The mayor of Paks in Hungary was among those present in Russia to see the start of forging of blanks for the reactor vessel of the first unit at the Paks II nuclear power plant, which Rosatom is building. 

The final reactor vessel could have a 100-year lifespan (Image: Strana Rosatom)

The mayor, Peter Szabo, and the CEO of Paks II, Gergely Jakli, saw the start of production at the AEM-Spetsstal plant in St Petersburg.

Jakli said: "We are working to ensure that the new power units of the Paks NPP can be connected to the grid by the early 2030s. Work for this is being carried out in parallel both at the construction site in Paks and several thousand kilometres from Hungary ... it is important for us that after the start of casting we can now see up close the initial stages of manufacturing the shells of the reactor vessel."

(Image: Strana Rosatom)

Vitaly Polyanin, vice-president of Atomstroyexport JSC and director of the Paks II construction project, said that at the Paks II site work continues to strengthen the soil prior to the development of the pit. "By the end of 2024 we plan to reach first concrete ... in parallel with this, a lot of work is being done to manufacture the main equipment for the future nuclear power plant - a melt localisation device has already been produced, today the production of blanks for the reactor vessel of power unit 5 has begun, and ahead are blanks for steam generators, pressure compensators, safety system tanks and other products of the primary circuit of the nuclear power plant. nuclear power plant islands. The manufacture of equipment for the primary circuit of the nuclear island is planned in 2028 and 2029, and by then the main construction work will have already been completed."

The Paks II project was launched in early 2014 by an intergovernmental agreement between Hungary and Russia for two VVER-1200 reactors to be supplied by Rosatom, with the contract supported by a Russian state loan to finance the majority of the project. The construction licence application was submitted in July 2020 to construct Paks II alongside the existing Paks plant, 100 kilometres southwest of Budapest on the banks of the Danube river. The construction licence was issued in August 2022 and a construction timetable agreed last year which set out plans to connect the new units to the grid at the beginning of the 2030s.

The Paks II development company said the work was a key part of aiming for that 2030 target, adding: "The rings that make up the reactor vessel and the bottom of the vessel, are formed under about 12,000 tonnes of pressure during forging. The final mass of this piece of equipment is around 330 tonnes, its height is more than 11 metres, its diameter is 4.5 metres and its maximum wall thickness is 285 millimetres."

It added: "The VVER-1200 reactor vessel will not only be tested by the continuous neutron flux, but will also have to withstand temperatures of 300 degrees Celsius and pressures of 162 bar for a guaranteed 60 years. Thanks to its advanced composition and production technology, the reactor vessel might last up to 100 years."

The existing four units at Paks are VVER-440 reactors that started up between 1982 and 1987 and they produce about half of the country's electricity. Their design lifetime was for 30 years but that was extended in 2005 by 20 years to between 2032 and 2037. In December 2022, the Hungarian Parliament approved a proposal to further extend their lifespan, which means the plant could keep operating into the 2050s.

Thailand considers deployment of Seaborg power barge

30 April 2024

Thai innovative and sustainable power company Global Power Synergy Public Company Limited (GPSC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Denmark's Seaborg Technologies ApS to explore the potential deployment of the compact molten salt reactor (CMSR) Power Barge in Thailand.

The signing of the MoU between GPSC and Seaborg (Image: GPSC)

The MoU was signed at Denmark's embassy in Bangkok on 24 April by GPSC President and CEO Worawat Pitayasiri and Seaborg CEO Klaus Nyengaard.

Under the MoU, GPSC - a subsidiary of Thai state-owned oil and gas company PTT Group - and Seaborg will assess how the CMSR Power Barge could be utilised in Thailand to support the country's transition to net-zero. They will use the assessment to scope an initial project where the commercial deployment of the CMSR Power Barge is feasible and commercially viable.

The study - expected to take about four years to complete - is intended to explore the use of the carbon-free electricity generated from Seaborg´s Power Barge to feed directly into the grid, as well as explore the potential use of the steam generated during operations.

Once the project has matured to investment-ready, both parties intend to attract foreign direct investments to realise the project. Based on the results of the studies, further collaboration, such as the development and deployment of a CMSR Power Barge with a capacity of between 200 MWe and 800 MWe, will be considered.

"GPSC is taking a leading role in exploring nuclear SMR technology in Thailand, and we are very excited to work with them," Nyengaard said. "Our expertise in nuclear will support GPSC development to strictly comply with the international requirements and both parties could exchange best practices for the joint feasibility.  On top, we see new nuclear as a great addition to the Thai energy mix in transforming the future of energy in Thailand, setting a great example for newcomer countries to nuclear."

Seaborg's design is for modular CMSR power barges equipped with between two and eight 100 MWe CMSRs, with an operational life of 24 years. Instead of having solid fuel rods that need constant cooling, the CMSR's fuel is mixed in a liquid salt that acts as a coolant, which means that it will simply shut down and solidify in case of emergency. However, the low-enriched fluoride fuel salt is not yet commercially available, so Seaborg recently announced the initial power barges will be fuelled with low-enriched uranium (LEU).

In September last year, Indonesian power company Pertamina NRE signed an MoU with Seaborg to investigate the deployment of Seaborg's CMSR Power Barge in Indonesia.

The timeline for Seaborg, which was founded in 2014, is for commercial prototypes of its CMSR to be built in 2026 with commercial production of Power Barges beginning from 2028.

Fuel production agreement

On 6 March, Kepco Nuclear Fuel (KNF), GS Engineering & Construction and Seaborg signed an agreement for the feasibility study of CMSR nuclear fuel production development. This agreement follows the MoU for CMSR Nuclear Fuel Production between KNF, Seaborg and GS E&C, which was signed last June.

The signing of the fuel production agreement (Image: Seaborg)

The new agreement will facilitate a joint feasibility study, enabling all parties to determine the project's scope and timeline for establishing fuel salt production in accordance with their respective roles and collaborative endeavours.

"KNF possesses unique technology, enabling us to access future-growth technologies and pave the way for market expansion into Europe," said KNF President & CEO Choi Ik-Soo. "Moving forward, we are committed to advancing nuclear fuel technology through ongoing research and development, while expanding our presence in international markets. Our ultimate goal is to establish ourselves as a prominent global player in the nuclear fuel industry, fostering future growth and innovation."

KHNP and EDF submit updated bids for four new Czech units

30 April 2024

ČEZ and its Elektrárna Dukovany II subsidiary have received binding bids from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and France's EDF for the construction of four new nuclear units in the Czech Republic.

Four VVER-440 units are currently in operation at the Dukovany site (Image: CEZ)

The French and South Korean bidders, plus Westinghouse, had submitted binding bids in October for a fifth unit at the Dukovany nuclear power plant and non-binding offers for up to three more units - a sixth at Dukovany and two at the Temelin nuclear power plant. But in February the Czech government announced it was changing the tender to be binding offers for four new units, with Westinghouse not included because it "did not meet the necessary conditions".

Prime Minister Petr Fiala explained at the time that the decision to have binding offers for all four units was the result of the original tender suggesting that contracting for four units, rather than having separate processes, could have a 25% benefit in terms of costs.

Elektrárna Dukovany II (EDU II) will now assess the two offers - using a system based on International Atomic Energy Agency recommendations - from an economic, commercial and technical point of view and submit an evaluation report to the Czech government's trade and industry ministry. The aim is to finalise contracts ready for signing by 31 March 2025. The target date for start of trial operation of the first new unit is 2036, with commercial operation in 2038.

EDF is proposing its EPR1200 reactor, KHNP is proposing its APR1000 - both companies have stressed their agreements with Czech suppliers to localise work if selected.

EDF said its Updated Initial Bid Supplement "covers the supply of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning activities ... the offer also covers the design and implementation activities for nuclear fuel and delivery of fuel assemblies for this programme".

Its proposal would also see Framatome, GE Steam Power and Bouygues Travaux Publics involved in the project which would have "a tailor-made Czech localisation process, enhancing economic value and skills development for the Czech Republic", with nearly 300 Czech companies identified already.

Luc Rémont, Chairman and CEO of EDF Group said: "By opting for a fleet approach with our European technology (EPR 1200), ČEZ and EDU II will secure a European partner committed to delivering the best technology with the best long-term benefits for the Czech industry and economy. The technological and industrial alignment between Paris and Prague that we propose holds the potential to reshape Europe’s new nuclear industry for generations to come."

KHNP CEO Jooho Whang delivered the company's binding offer, saying: "With successful projects in Korea and the United Arab Emirates, KHNP has proven that it builds on time, with quality and at the agreed price. We believe that KHNP is the best option for the Czech Republic in terms of timely completion of the first reactor by 2036 and energy security."

KHNP said the APR1000 reactor had already received European certification and said it had been designed "specifically for export to European countries and has been localised to meet European conditions and comply with requirements based on the latest International Atomic Energy Agency and Western European Nuclear Regulators Association standards".

It said that cooperation with Czech companies was a long-term priority, with more than 200 potential Czech suppliers identified and 50 memorandums of understanding signed, adding "KHNP is the only bidder counting on a Czech company for the delivery of the turbine, which is one of the most important and largest components in the nuclear power plant".

Also on Tuesday, the European Commission announced it had approved, under EU state-aid rules, the Czech government's support of the construction of the new nuclear. The Commission had opened its investigation in June 2022 and said that the proposals had been modified to take account of concerns during the process and the Commission "concluded that the aid is appropriate to achieve the objectives pursued, as well as proportionate as it is limited to the minimum necessary, while the competition distortions caused by the measure are minimised".

The Czech Republic currently gets about one-third of its electricity from the four VVER-440 units at Dukovany, which began operating between 1985 and 1987, and the two VVER-1000 units in operation at Temelín, which came into operation in 2000 and 2002. As well as the plans for the four new units, the country also has developing plans for small modular reactors.

Lufeng 5 inner dome hoisted into place

30 April 2024

The inner containment dome has been installed at unit 5 of the Lufeng nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province. It is the first of two HPR1000 (Hualong One) under construction at the site, where four CAP1000s are also planned.

The dome is hoisted into place (Image: CGN)

The steel dome - measuring 45 metres in diameter and almost 14 metres in height, and weighing about 238 tonnes - was raised using 1600-tonne crawler crane and placed on top of the walls of the double containment structure. An outer dome will subsequently be installed over the inner one.

The dome is located on top of the nuclear island. Its main function is to ensure the integrity and leak tightness of the reactor building, and it plays a key role in the containment of radioactive substances.

The hoisting process for the inner dome, which began at 8.08am on 29 April, was completed in 1 hour and 8 minutes, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced.

The dome atop of the containment building (Image: CGN)

CGN said the milestone "marks the full transition of another Hualong One nuclear power unit from the civil construction stage to the equipment installation stage".

The construction of Hualong One reactors as units 5 and 6 at the Lufeng plant was approved by the State Council in April 2022.

First concrete for unit 5 was poured on 8 September 2022, with that for unit 6 following on 26 August last year. Units 5 and 6 are expected to be connected to the grid in 2028 and 2029, respectively.

The proposed construction of four 1250 MWe CAP1000 reactors (units 1-4) at the Lufeng site was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission in September 2014. However, their construction has yet to receive State Council approval. The CAP1000 design is the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000.

According to CGN, once all six units are in operation, the Lufeng plant will generate about 52 TWh, which will reduce standard coal consumption by almost 16 million tonnes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 42 million tonnes.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Italy sees role for nuclear in hitting climate goals, says minister

29 April 2024

Italian Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said he hopes there can be a discussion based on science about the renewed role of nuclear, specifically small modular reactors, in the country's future.

(Image: Screengrab from Atlantic Council TV/Youtube)

Pichetto was speaking at an Atlantic Council event on The role of nuclear in the energy transition, on Sunday, ahead of the G7 ministerial meeting taking place in Italy at which he is heading the energy ministers' talks.

He said that Italy currently gets one-third of its energy from renewables and two-thirds from fossil fuels, and it had the aim of reversing those proportions by 2030. But he also said that "we must consider the use of nuclear in the short and medium term" because its contribution would help meet the 2050 net-zero target.

The minister said he was specifically talking about small modular reactors (SMRs) and referenced the research and development funding the government had put into both their development and into nuclear fusion. He also noted the countries which, at COP28, had backed the goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity.

Pichetto, who spoke in Italian with a translator summarising his words in English, said that as well as the environmental benefits of new nuclear power, it would also help "to shield" Italy from the impact of geopolitical events. It was also confirmed that Italy is taking part in the European industrial alliance to develop SMRs. The minister added that he hoped Italy could have a "constructive and scientific discussion and not an ideological one" on the nuclear energy subject.

Italy operated a total of four nuclear power plants starting in the early 1960s but decided to phase out nuclear power in a referendum that followed the 1986 Chernobyl accident. It closed its last two operating plants, Caorso and Trino Vercellese, in 1990.

In late March 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Italian government approved a moratorium of at least one year on construction of nuclear power plants in the country, which had been looking to restart its long-abandoned nuclear programme.

The public mood has changed since then, and in May 2023, the Italian Parliament approved a motion to urge the government to consider incorporating nuclear power into the country's energy mix. In September, the first meeting was held of the National Platform for a Sustainable Nuclear, set up by the government to define a time frame for the possible resumption of nuclear energy in Italy and identify opportunities for the country's industrial chain already operating in the sector.

There are a variety of emerging plans for nuclear energy in Italy, including Edison last October announcing its ambition to construct two nuclear power plants based on EDF's SMR technology between 2030 and 2040 "if the conditions are created for its return to Italy".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Nuclear's role in reaching climate targets recognised by G7

30 April 2024

The Group of Seven (G7) nations have committed to support the use of nuclear energy in those countries that opt to use it, a communique released at the end of the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Turin, Italy, says.

The meeting of the G7 ministers (Image: G7 Italia)

"Those countries that opt to use nuclear energy or support its use recognise its potential as a clean/zero-emissions energy source that can reduce dependence on fossil fuels to address the climate crises and improve global energy security," the document states.

"These countries recognise nuclear energy as a source of baseload power, providing grid stability and flexibility, and optimising use of grid capacity, while countries that do not use nuclear energy or do not support its use prefer other options to achieve the same goals, taking into account their assessment of associated risks and costs of nuclear energy."

The ministers noted the declaration issued by 25 countries during the COP28 climate conference in Dubai in December last year, setting a goal to triple global nuclear generating capacity by 2050. The communique said the ministers "recognise that, for countries that opt to use it, nuclear energy will play a role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, supporting the transition to net-zero and ensuring energy security, while other countries choose other energy sources to achieve these goals".

The ministers also said that new reactor designs - including advanced and small modular reactors - "could bring in the future additional benefits such as improved safety and sustainability, reduced cost of production, reduced project risk, waste management improvement, better social acceptance, opportunities for industry by providing at the same time energy, high temperature heat, hydrogen".

They committed to support multilateral efforts to strengthen the resilience of nuclear supply chains and to continue the cooperation for building a robust nuclear supply chain in the framework of G7 and of the Nuclear Energy Working Group established in Sapporo.

The ministers noted that G7 leaders remain committed to reducing reliance on civil nuclear-related goods from Russia and the ongoing efforts by countries that operate Russian-designed reactors to make progress in securing alternative nuclear fuel contracts and to reduce dependencies related to spare parts, components and services.

They also said they would promote research and development initiatives on innovative nuclear power technologies "for those countries that opt to use nuclear energy or support its use".

The communique added that the G7 will "promote the responsible deployment of nuclear energy technologies including for advanced and small modular reactors, including microreactors, and work collectively to share national best practices, including for responsible waste management, enable greater access to project financing tools, support sectorial collaboration, designing licensing procedures and strengthening coordination on development of commercial projects among interested G7 members and third markets".

The ministers said: "We underscore the importance for all countries and their respective people of upholding the highest standards of safety, security, and safeguards and non-proliferation, particularly as more countries adopt nuclear power as part of their energy mix."

Speaking at a joint press conference following the ministerial meeting, which he presided over, Italy's Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said: "When it comes to nuclear energy ... our seven countries indicated in the communique that we will proceed together in order to promote further research and ensure that the conditions are in place to promote the use of nuclear energy, which is a clean form of energy."

He added, without naming Germany: "This is something that is not binding. Obviously, we are aware that in the G7 there is a country that currently does not want to pursue the development of nuclear energy."

The ministers' statement came following a call by the nuclear industry for G7 governments to embrace nuclear deployment as a strategic priority, by maximising use of existing nuclear power plants and setting clear plans for further deployment that would fulfil the targets they set at COP28, to triple global nuclear capacity.

The statement was signed by the heads of Associazione Italiana Nucleare, Canadian Nuclear Association, Groupement des Industriels Français de l'Energie Nucléaire (Gifen), Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Nuclear Energy Institute, Nuclear Industry Association, Nucleareurope and World Nuclear Association.

The G7 is an informal forum that brings together Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the USA. The European Union also participates in the group and is represented at the summits by the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.

Nuclear industry calls for continued G7 support

29 April 2024

Representatives of the nuclear industry have issued a statement calling for Group of Seven (G7) governments to embrace nuclear deployment as a strategic priority, by maximising use of existing nuclear power plants and setting clear plans for further deployment that would fulfil the targets they set at COP28, to triple global nuclear capacity.

The industry statement is presented to Italy's Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin (Image: WNA)

The statement was signed by the heads of Associazione Italiana Nucleare, Canadian Nuclear Association, Groupement des Industriels Français de l'Energie Nucléaire (Gifen), Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Nuclear Energy Institute, Nuclear Industry Association, Nucleareurope and World Nuclear Association.

It was presented to Italy's Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, at an event held alongside the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Turin, Italy. Fratin is President of the G7 for Climate, Energy and Environment.

The associations said they are committed to "ensuring safe and secure operation of nuclear facilities to provide always-on, affordable, clean low-carbon electricity and heat; to complement renewables in the pursuit of achieving net-zero in electricity generation; to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, such as heavy industry, and to provide high-quality long-term jobs that drive economic growth."

They noted that nuclear energy's role to support climate change mitigation was "unanimously agreed" in COP28's Global Stocktake, and 25 countries demonstrated greater ambition, setting a goal to triple nuclear capacity globally by 2050 in a declaration during COP.

In March, at the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, more than 30 countries, including six of the G7, re-emphasised that nuclear energy has a key role to play to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure energy security and industrial competitiveness.

"We applaud the recognition and support expressed for nuclear energy as a strategic global asset at the G7 meeting in Sapporo in 2023, and the actions that have been taken since," they added.

"We urge G7 governments to set out clear plans for nuclear energy deployment that would fulfil the targets they set at COP28 and to demonstrate their commitment to nuclear energy, giving clear signals to markets and investors," the industry statement says. "We therefore encourage governments to help maximise the use of existing nuclear power plants, including by extending the operating period of reactors and restarting those that have shutdown, where feasible."

The industry calls for G7 governments to accelerate the deployment of new nuclear facilities based on proven designs, and accelerate the development, demonstration, and deployment of new nuclear technologies, including new large reactors as well as small modular reactors and advanced modular reactors, to achieve net-zero in electricity generation, and help decarbonise non-grid, hard-to-abate sectors, such as heat supply for heavy industry, hydrogen production and the manufacturing of synthetic fuels.

The associations said G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers must take decisive action by: establishing optimum conditions through consistent and coherent long-term policies that enable the extension of the operating life of existing reactors and facilitate fleet deployment of nuclear technologies; providing clarity to investors on the funding and investment recovery mechanisms available for nuclear projects; ensuring ready access to national and international climate finance mechanisms for nuclear development; ensuring that multilateral financial institutions include nuclear energy in their investment portfolios; clearly and unambiguously labelling nuclear energy and the associated fuel cycle as a sustainable investment; and promoting development of the supply chain commensurate with expansion targets and continue investment in nuclear research.

"Nuclear energy holds immense promise for the world, and the G7 should embrace nuclear deployment as a strategic priority in the years to come," the statement ends.

The G7 is an informal forum that brings together Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the USA. The European Union also participates in the group and is represented at the summits by the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.

The G7 Ministerial Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment is being held in Turin on 28-30 April and "aims to identify coherent, complementary and interconnected actions to address the ongoing climate, energy and environmental crisis, with a special focus on the most vulnerable areas and populations".

Speaking from the event, World Nuclear Association Director General Dr Sama Bilbao y León, praised the Italian government's "recognition of nuclear’s role to support climate change mitigation and deep decarbonisation of the entire economy. As an industry we also recognise the role of Italian companies, and indeed of companies from all G7 countries, supporting an acceleration in nuclear development and deployment globally".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

G7 Pledge to Exit Coal by 2035 Could Include Exceptions for Germany and Japan

By Charles Kennedy - Apr 30, 2024

The G7 group of the world’s most industrialized nations is set to announce later on Tuesday a pledge to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2035 but could include some leeway to Germany and Japan, Reuters reports, citing diplomatic sources.

The energy, climate, and environment ministers of the G7 nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States – are meeting between Sunday and Tuesday at a palace near Turin to discuss ways to address climate change. Phasing out coal-fired electricity is top of the agenda, and a tentative agreement has been reportedly reached. The ministers agreed on Monday on phasing out coal-fired electricity between 2030 and 2035, and are expected to announce it officially later on Tuesday, Reuters’s sources said.

However, Germany and Japan could be given more time to shut down coal-fired power generation by including in the final communique wording that G7 countries could pick a date to exit coal that is consistent with keeping a limit of 1.5 C global temperature rise within reach, according to Reuters’s sources.

Germany aims for coal phase-out by 2030, but its official end date is 2038. Japan, for its part, hasn’t set any end date for exiting coal-fired electricity.

A potential common target to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2035 in G7 nations would mark the first major achievement in the reduction of fossil fuels since the COP28 summit in Dubai at the end of last year.

During the annual climate summit, and after much debate, the countries issued a final declaration with a compromise text referencing for the first time a call to all parties to transition away from fossil fuels.

One of the “global efforts” is “Transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science,” the text reads.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com