Nuclear Future Volume 9 issue 1
UK companies welcome Energy Bill
The Energy Bill, formally introduced to parliament by UK energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey, has been drawn up after two years of preparation. The reforms to the design of the UK electricity market set out in the bill are intended to kick-start a renaissance in the construction of a low-carbon energy infrastructure and manufacturing supply chains. The contents of the bill are of particular interest to those companies
working towards building new nuclear power plants in the UK, not least because of the introduction of contracts for difference (CfD), which stabilise revenues for investors in low-carbon generation such as renewables, nuclear and CCS-equipped plant, helping them to secure the upfront investment needed for low-carbon generation construction projects. Returns for generators are stabilised at a fixed level known as a strike price. EDF Energy chief executive Vincent de Rivaz described the
publication of the bill as a “defining moment”. The company said the key measures it had been looking to see in the bill, including a robust legal framework for CfDs, had been met. Alan Raymant, COO of Horizon Nuclear Power, also welcomed the
publication of the bill and the accompanying CfD framework, which he described as critical in allowing developers to progress projects. The Energy Bill is expected to receive royal assent in 2013, subject
to its passage through parliament, meaning that the market reforms should be fully up and running in 2014.
UCLan Nuclear Education Network
The provision of skilled people to support the UK’s nuclear programmes is recognised as being one of the main challenges facing the nuclear industry and its supply chain. At UCLan we are playing our part in meeting this challenge through our new Foundation Degree in Nuclear Engineering.
Foundation Degree Programme At UCLan, with the aid of the Working Higher project and NSAN, we have developed our new Foundation Degree in Nuclear Engineering to meet the requirements of the nuclear industry in the areas of “Power Generation”, “Decommissioning” and UCLan has the third part of the programme “Nuclear Project Management and Controls” under development. Graduates from all three streams of the programme will be able to progress to a BEng (Hons) in Nuclear Engineering, a 2-year part-time “Top-up” degree currently being developed for September 2013.
Our Partner Community One key advantage of the foundation programme lies in its community of Partner Colleges who deliver the course on a regional basis. Partner Colleges currently include Bridgwater College, Sussex Coast College Hastings, ColegMenai, Lakes College and Blackpool & The Fylde College. West Suffolk College are about to join the Partnership and discussions with other Colleges and training organisations are taking place. This Partnership provides a unique opportunity for the nuclear industry.
Letter to the editor Dear sir,
I am not at all sure that the takeover of the Horizon sites by Hitachi is entirely welcome news. At best it would delay the start of construction by at least a further two years while a detailed examination and assessment of the ABWR design was carried out to ensure it meets the UK Generic Design Assessment criteria; even if this was successful it is doubtful that the UK public could be persuaded to accept BWRs after seeing those at Fukushima blowing open their containment buildings one after the other with hydrogen explosions. The best outcome would be if Hitachi could be persuaded to
seek a license for one of the two already approved PWR designs, which they could then build on the Horizon sites (Oldbury and Wylfa). However I fear their main object is to use acceptance of the ABWR in the UK to encourage further sales in the USA and Europe. The UK might have to repurchase the sites for future use but that would, in effect, hand over taxpayers’ money to the original Horizon owners in exchange for their doing nothing, so I would rather see Hitachi having to bear the loss.
Sam Hosegood C.Eng.
F.I.Mech.E.
M.I.Chem.E.
M.I.Nucl.E
• If you’d like to comment on any issues, please email
technicaleditor@nuclearinst.com
08 UK news
For more information: For more about UCLan Nuclear,
seewww.uclan.ac.uk/nuclear
Our Nuclear Education Network To complement our undergraduate partnership, we are developing our Nuclear Education Network to offer CPD and other courses across the country, including modules for the Certificate of Nuclear Professionalism (developed with NSAN), Engineering Substantiation in Nuclear Safety Cases (developed with Atkins) and Nuclear Criticality (developed with the University of New Mexico and Sellafield Limited).
Our Staff
The nuclear academic team at UCLan comprises staff with many years industrial, regulatory, research and teaching experience. Our Partner Colleges enhance this capability, providing excellent teaching and learning environments. In 2010, Sussex Coast College Hastings completed an impressive new Engineering and Construction building, which hosts a nuclear accident centre. At Bridgwater College the nuclear courses are delivered in a new £8m Energy Skills Centre.
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