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Publish date: May 13, 2005
News
The British Energy was privatised during Margaret Thatcher, but in 2002, it was nearly bankrupt. Then the UK Government gave interest free loan to keep the company afloat. Therefore, today the UK government refuses to allocate the financing for the construction of the new nuclear plants. From 2012 to 2020 the UK will close down eight plants built in the 60s. The nuclear energy can drop from current 23.7% to 4% if no new nuclear plants are put in operation, the Expert magazine reported.
Just a few years ago the UK government was negative towards the nuclear plant construction to substitute the retired reactors, but due to the high oil prices and depleting oil resources in the UK zone in the Northern Sea, nuclear energy is becoming popular again in the Great Britain.
However, due to the high cost of the nuclear plants construction the British Energy and the banks would like to make reforms in the UK energy sector. According to the plans, the energy sector will be divided into three parts: nuclear power plants (30-35% of all electricity generation), coal and gas plants (45%), alternative energy (20%). The competition would be allowed inside the segments, but not between them. This could guarantee longterm economical effectiveness of the nuclear and alternative energy, the Expert magazine reports.
Recent attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant "mark the beginning of a new and gravely dangerous front of the war," the UN atomic agency's director general said last week.
After years of inaction, Germany is working on its Carbon Management Strategy to resolve how CCS can play a role in climate action in industry. At the end of February, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action published first key points and a proposal to amend the law Kohlenstoffdioxid Speicherungsgesetz (KSpG). Bellona Deutschland, who was actively involved in the previous stakeholder dialogue submitted a statement in the association hearing.
In the midst of a global discussion on whether natural gas should be used as a transitional fuel and whether emissions from its extraction, production, transport and use are significantly less than those from other fossil fuels, Russia has developed ambitious plans to increase its own production of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the Arctic – a region with 75% of proven gas reserves in Russia – to raise its share in the international gas trade.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our main focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution risks and climate change.