E SCRAM'~/$~~; et,-:;Jni Jti~rri.f Is COMMENT produced· bf::monthiY tot .,.. Bliti•~ I Atl~l·Nucle•~··· an~ s,f!. El) ..tO" · movements• •.•..•••.·by•···.···· tb• ~·~ Campaign. to Re si~~ the ~~oml~ INETEEN NINETY-FOUR has become 1993, yet we are still ~enac:e• Vlf.tww• expreuec:t I~ ...UC~ appearing In this •• Journal are not no closer to knowing what form the government's review of nece... rilythoM of SC:RAM; N the. nuclear industry is going to take. However, a worrying indication that it will be far from open came in the Department of Trade and Industry's review of the pit closures.

A vital consideration in trying to decide on how many pits could be saved was to first decide whether or not the UK' s ageing Magnox reactors were worth keeping open. To this end, the government hired British Nuclear Fuels' auditors, Ernst and Young, to review the We welcc>me contflbutlonll of economics of Magnox reactors based on figures supplied by Nuclear articles, news, letters1 graphics and photographs;· which shoUld be sent Electric. After discounting all fixed - and some not so fixed - costs to SCRAM at the ~reas below; they decided that Magnox electricity is so cheap that closing any of the stations would be economic madness. LETIERS SCRAM resel'\fes the· right ·to edit Yet in Ernst and Young's published report, all the significant figures had letters to fit the available space. been deleted under the guise of protecting Nuclear Electric's commercial confidentiality. Without access to the same figures as Emst and Young, it ADVERTISING is impossible for anyone to verify the work. Advertising rates are: FuU page {190 x 265mm) £140 In choosing an 'independent' assessor it would perhaps have been more prudent to opt for a company with no connections to the nuclear industry. Half page (190 x 130rnm) £75 After all, one of Ernst and Young's clients, British Nuclear Fuels, has a Quarter page (90 x 130mrl'l) £40 substantial interest in ensuring the continued operation of the Magnox Inserts can be mailed· out· with the Journal - details on request. reactors. BACK ISSUES Whatever form the review takes, it is simply unacceptable to expect people Back copies of the journal are to trust the conclusions of examinations conducted behind dosed doors. available for most lasues. Copies trorn the previous year cost £1.50 (Inc. p&p) For the nuclear generators Scottish Nuclear (SN) and Nuclear Electric or £7.00 for the set of six. Issues more (NE) the review means privatisation and the sooner the better. Putting than a yNr old are £1.00 (Inc. p&p). forward 'modest plans' the industry no longer sees itself as providing all SUBSCRIPTIONS of the UK's electricity, but is promoting itself as the natural complement For details of subscription· ratee see to fossil fuelled power. It wishes merely to maintain its current level of the form on the back page. generating capacity. However, to maintain that level they will need to order four new power stations in the next few years, at a total cost of over FORTHEBUND £8 billion. Realising that the days when the government handed over The te)tt of Safe. Energy t• now blank cheques are well and truly over, the industry believes that such an available on disk for people who are investment will have to come from the private sector. To make this a registered blind. This. service ls reality the generating companies will have to be privatised. And here's available at a charge of £.3 above the appropriate subscription rate - this the sting: in order to be an attractive proposition to the city both SN and covers thtf cost of the diskS and NE say that all historic liabilities such as decommissioning and waste administration. Further information management would have to be retained in the public sector and paid for available on request. by the taxpayer.

Yes, not only has NE been receiving over £1 billion a year from the Editors: Mike Townsley non-fossil fuel levy in order to meet these costs - which they spent on Graham Stein Sizewell B - but they want us to pay a second (or possibly third) time. SN too has already been given the funds to cover its liabilities: it received Front Cover Illustration: a £1.4 billion tax write-off and is receiving money towards the DavidShaw. deconunissioning of the Hunterston A Magnox reactor.

If the events of the last few months are anything to go by then the public Publl.-!tot,l ~~;~cRAM, 11 Flirt~ ,Street, E(fil)burg~ f:Ht 3LE .. can have little faith in the review process, and can only hope that the industry will be 'hoist by its own petard'. It seems unlikely that the city 'If 031~557 4283 will be willing to invest in an industry with so small a grip on reality. Fax: 031-557 4284 Remember, in the US, where nuclear power stations are paid for by the private sector, no nuclear power stations have been ordered since 1977. ISSN 0140'134of3~~j"

2 Safe EneffJy 94 SAFE ENERGY CONTENTS FEATURES I

8 Radiation and health reviewed In calculating radiation dose rates, the nuclear establishment fails to differentiate between external and internal radiation. Dr Chris Busby of Wales Green Party considers the evidence for an alternative approach given the rise in cancers and other diseases which has coincided with the nuclear age.

11 New leukaemia link A new study on childhood leukaemia, which looked at the areas around the Burghfield and Aldermaston nuclear weapons establishments, was recently published in the British Medical Journal. Pete Roche of Greenpeace compares this study with similar findings in the 1990 Gardner report on Sellafield, and sees plutonium as a possible link.

12 Bright prospects for renewable energy The 1,160 page book Renewable Energy: sources for fuels and electricity has already been dubbed the renewable energy bible. Dr Nigel Mortimer, of the Resources Research Unit at Sheffield Hallam University, reviews the book and the economic prospects for renewables.

14 British Nuclear Heritage Despite the ever increasing quantities of nuclear waste, the UK lacks a sensible management strategy to deal with the problem. If this is to change, the government must alter the present institutional structure of the nuclear industry, argues Simon Roberts, Friends of the Earth's senior energy campaigner.

16 The rise and fall of SAVE Andrew Warren of the Association for the Conservation of Energy looks at the European Community's SAVE energy efficiency programme- a key measure in reducing carbon dioxide emissions- and finds that in practice its strong aims have been seriously watered down.

18 Edinburgh plans CHP The UK has been slow to develop CHP (combined heat and power) which uses the waste heat of electricity generation, but there has been a recent increase in interest. Following an initiative by local councils, a private consortium plans to introduce CHP in Edinburgh, and Gra.ham Stein explains some of the details.

Aprii/May '93 3 also welcomed the decision to bring production should come from a mixture Nuclear review hastened forward the review, saying: "This gives us of sources: SO-SS% coal "mainly an earlier than expected opportunity to domestic"; 1S% gas; 20-2S% nuclear ICHAEL Heseltine's decision to demonstrate the key role that nuclear "which would mean simply replacing the M bring the nuclear review forward generated electricity must play in the UK older Magnox plants at the end of their by a year, to 1993, has been greeted with energy market." Jeffrey said that useful lives"; and 5% renewables early enthusiasm by both Scottish Nuclear Heseltine 's statement also recognises that next century. (SN) and Nuclear Electric (NE). privatisation is the only way of enabling SN has already declared its intention to The announcement made in the white the coal industry to realise its full build a new nuclear power station at paper on coal was just that: "The potential: "Is there a lesson here for the Hunterston. With the station's AOR due to Government will bring forward its review nuclear industry?" come to the end of its working life by 2005, of the prospects for nuclear power and the company believes: "If we are going to work will begin on the review later this Fierce attack maintain our nuclear capacity in Scotland year." No mention has yet been made of However, SN is not entirely impressed we should be starting to plan our next what form the review will take, on how with the performance ofHeseltine et al. The nuclear station in the very near future." any public consultation will be made, on company's chair, James Hann, launched a Hann believes the most likely way a timescale for completion, or anything fierce attack on the government's handling forward is for the company to be else for that matter. of the energy sector, saying: "It is privatised in 1995: "In order to simply The Trade and Industry Select astonishing to think that the last time a white maintain the 20% proportion of UK Committee report on "British energy paper on fuel policy was published in the electricity supply currently accounted for policy and the market for coal" had UK was in 1967, before the discovery of by nuclear power, given the ten-year lead recommended "that the nuclear review be north sea oil. Since then there has been a time for a nuclear station, up to four new brought forward to 1993." However, the fundamental change in the energy market PWR stations would need to be ordered white paper ignores the Committee's and a much greater realisation of the impact over the next five years. reasoning: that "we fmd it difficult to see of energy on the environment. "The scale of the PSBR (Public Sector how decisions can be made on future "That is why we really cannot wait any Borrowing Requirement) suggests that energy policy without considering the longer for a sensible long-term energy providing funding of at least £8 billion future of nuclear power." No matter how strategy." over a ten-year period may not be soon the nuclear review is held it will still Hann believes the pits closure crisis acceptable to the Government and it is come lffter the conclusion of the coal "should never have happened ... But it did, likely that such funding would need to be review, making a mockery of the whole and if it has achieved nothing else, it has raised privately. That implies privatisation process. thrown into sharp perspective the of the industry, which would not be NE's commercial director, Mike difficulties inherent in leaving decisions achievable without the Government Townsend, told a conference held in on energy to a market which is clearly writing off reprocessing, waste London in March that he "would have incapable of serving our long term 11:1anagement and decommissioning liked to see the review happen during national interests." liabilities incurred before the two evidence to the DTI Select Conunittee. It Hann believes that the electricity companies were established." Q would have made sense to do that." Since nuclear power was withdrawn from privatisation, Townsend said, it had "changed beyond recognition". Market share was up 25% and productivity up by 52%. Townsend also backed another of the Select Committee's opinions that NE should cease to receive any income from the non-fossil fuel levy and cease to be responsible for discharging inherited nuclear liabilities: "I believe this is T.be Prosp Conclusions of th ects for Coal entirely right. It would free NE from the shackles of the past." e Govel'llrnen~s Coal «eVi~ar Dr Robin Jeffrey of Scottish Nuclear

of the seven Magnox stations - the DTI British Nuclear Fuels' auditors Bmst and Magnox economics concluded that: "The range of 1.3 to Young to conduct a "Review of Magnox 1.Sp/kWh as the avoidable costs of Avoidable and Unavoidable costs". o "economic justification" exists additional output from the Magnox However, in the published report much of Nfor the early closure of England's stations compares favourably with the the data supplied by NE had been ailing Magnox reactors as part of a plan avoidable costs of generation from removed on the grounds of 'commercial to save coal mines, according to the existing coal ftred stations as given in confidentiality', making truly white paper on coal. evidence to the Review, and with the independent verification of the stated Much of the cost associated with the range of figures quoted by the Trade and costs impossible. Magnox reactors lies in capital Industry Select Committee ... (from Once again, decisions on the futwe of the expenditure, ie the cost of construction 1.84p/kWh at inland stations without nuclear industry have been taken behind and decommissioning, and as these costs FOD [flue-gas desulphurisation] and coal closed doors, under the veil of 'COl1lllleiCial will have to be met regardless of whether priced at £1.33/GJ to 2.S7p/kWh at an confidentiality'. NE is state-owned and in or not the reactors continue operating, the inland station with FOD and coal priced receipt ofa massive publicsubsidy.The fact DTI opted to base their decision on the at £1.51/0J). The avoidable cost of that they operate a monopoly in a protected cost of electricity from the plant after all electricity from the Magnox stations is market makes a mockery of any suggestion ftxed liabilities had been discounted. also substantially below the current pool that the company needs to maintain Applying this logic to figures supplied price for electrcity." 'commercial confidentiality' over any by Nuclear Electric (NE) - the operators In reaching their decision the DTI hired aspect of its operations. a

Safe Energy 94 of Pollution and the Nuclear Installations mind that Dr Lewis Moonie [a Labour Thorp under threat Inspectorate (Nil) turned up to investigate front-bencher] and I actually visited this the fust leak. It also occurred at a time site on Thursday and Friday of last week .l S British Nuclear Fuels' (BNFL) whenBNFL was being prosecuted by the and were not informed that these ft.£2.8bn Thermal Oxide normally court-shy Nil. excessive discharges had taken place... Reprocessing Plant continues to lie On 26 February the company was Further evidence that the Government donnant the prospects for its eventual convicted for unauthorised modifications is seriously considering abandoning the commissioning are fading. to a safety interlock at its vitrification plant has come with the news that it has Cunently the subject of top level product storage facility at Sellafield, the commissioned legal scrutineers to scour Whitehall reviews - involving the second such modification uncovered the contracts signed between BNFL and Treasury, the Department of Trade and since the plant opened. BNFL put up no overseas contractors, to evaluate the Industry and the Department of the defence but proffered mitigating fmancial implications of abandonment. Environment (DoE) - the plant is now to circumstances, and was fmed £6,000 and The Office of Fair Trading and the be scrutinised by the White House. In a letter ordered to pay the Nil £10,750 costs. electricity supply industry watchdog to seven leading US congressmen.Prrsident However small-scale BNFL proclaims Offer are also examining contracts with Bill Clinton said he would raise the issue the leaks to be, there is no doubt that its Thorp; they are concerned that the with the British Govmnment following the relationship with the DoE is becoming contract between the state-owned completion of an investigation into the increasingly strained. The DoE is reported companies Nuclear Electric (NE) and growing problem of nuclear proliferation. as being frustrated by the delayed and BNFL is contrary to the public interest. The congressmen had written to Ointon minimal information it is receiving about The two companies are linked through a arguing that "a decision by the UK against leaks. £14 billion •fuel cycle' contract - for commissioning the Thorp plant would be a It took BNFL nearly two weeks to report reprocessing both NE's Magnox and AOR significant contribution to efforts to stem the the iodine discharge and the Nil was not spent fuel - which is not yet finalised proliferation of nuclear weapons... informed about the fust, more serious, leak because the government has refused to Preventing the spread of nuclear for over 24 hours and even then they were underwrite certain risks. The investigation weapons is, according to US Secretary of not told the quantities involved. will be trying to establish whether it would State Warren Christopher, one of the new be cheaper to close NE's Magnox stations administration's top concerns. Angry Jack and avoid the expense of reprocessing. While the DoE is .considering granting Further, BNFL have managed to However, since Magnox reprocessing BNFL a licence to increase the radioactive alienate one of their staunchest accounts for three quarters of the contract discharges from the Sellafield site - to supporters, local labour MP Dr Jack with BNFL, closing the reactors would accommodate the new plant - the Cunningham. Although Cunningham and inevitably lead to Thorp's abandonment. company now appears to be taking things a fellow Labour MP were visiting the into its own hands. plant at the time of the plutonium release, • Meanwhile, BNFL's corporate affairs There were two 'unauthorised' leaks of they were not informed. Cunningham director, Harold Bolter, has resigned fol­ radiation from the plant at the beginning reacted angrily saying there had been a lowing the revelation that repair work to of February. The first led to over ten times "totally unacceptable series of events," Bolter's home carried out by contractors the plant's annual authorised plutonium adding that it is "unacceptable that it took who regularly work for his employers had discharge being released in just one day. the management of British Nuclear Fuels been charged to the company. Let's just The second leak, of iodine-129, occurred longer than one might expect to make this hope it wasn't vastly over budget and on the day officials from HM Inspectorate incident public, especially bearing in massively behind schedule. a

with leukaemia or non-Hodgkin's Kinlen believes the cancers are being Cancer studies lymphoma between 1972 and 1989 near caused by an unknown micro-organism the military nuclear plants at Aldermaston which has been introduced to rural HE link between nuclear activities and Burghfield ("New leukaemia link.. , communities during the massive inflow of T and childhood cancers has been pll). Here too a link was uncovered oil workers from urban communities further highlighted following the between fathers' exposure at work and the which have developed an immunity to the publication of three new reports, while cancers. However, Dr Eve Roman who infection. another report argues that the so-called carried out the study says the records Comparing the rates of leukaemia and leukaemia clusters around nuclear sites covering external exposure do not justify non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with those that are a consequence of workforce the link and suspects exposure to other would have been expected, Kinlen says: migration. hazards "such as chemicals or other "A significant excess was found between Men whose jobs meant that they would radioactive substances which are breathed 1979 and 1983 in a group of rural areas haveinhaledradioactivedusthada2.7times in or swallowed... with the largest proportion of oil workers, greater chance that their child would get The third study concerned a rare eye following closely on large increases in the cancer according to a survey of 15,000 case cancer, five cases of which -a twenty-fold workforce." histories. Dr Tom Soraham of the Oxford excess - have been found in the village of The category of rural areas with a high Survey of Childhood Cancers, who Seascale next to Sellafield According to density of oil workers includes the area undertOOkthestudy,said: "Radiologists and scientists from the Lancaster Moor Hospital surrounding Dounreay. Kinlen believes dentists did not seem to carry any increased and Lancaster University the common his "findings support the infection risk. Those who worked with nuclear feature to all five cases is that the mother hypothesis that population mixing can materials, scientists and nuclear technicians lived in Seascale at some time since increase the incidence of childhood who could have suffered internal Sellafield opened in the 19SOs. leukaemia in rural areas. They also contamination, were at risk. Meanwhile, Dr Leo Kinlen, director of suggest that the recent excesses in the "My own feeling is that alpha emitters the Cancer Research Campaign's Dounreay-Thurso area is due to like plutonium, are going to prove an Epidemiology Unit at Oxford, has population mixing linked to the oil important pathway through fathers to published a report in the British Medical industry... Robert MacLennan, the their unborn children... Journal, highlighting the connection pro-nuclear MP for the Dounreay area, The second study conducted by the between the North Sea oil boom and a welcomed the Kinlen study, arguing that Imperial Cancer Research Fund at near-trebling of childhood cancers in it was "as near a clean bill of health for Oxford, examined S4 children diagnosed some rural areas. Dounreay as you can get... a

Aprl/fMay '93 existing low-level waste (LLW) presently up its act and come beck to the council Dounreay waste problem in open surface storage to be submitted to with a proposal which embraces the the planning authority prior to the new pit concept of above ground dry storage, or ~R the first time since its creation in being started. appeal to the Scottish Secretary, Ian Lang, .I:' 1975, Highland Regional Council However, following a visit to the to overturn the Region's decision. Q has voted down a request from Dounreay existing storage pits on 10 March, where by rejecting a planning application from the councillora saw for themselves a IOn')' the plant for an extension to one of its collection of open pits into which barrels low-level waste pits. of plutonium-contaminated waste had A meeting of the full council on 15 been dwnped - some of the drwns had April voted 26 to 21 to uphold an earlier been lying rusting since 1985 - the decision from its planning committee to application was rejected 12 votes to 10. refuse permission for a 12,000 cubic Dounreay lllaii8JU', RoF Jarnes, who metre extension to Dounreay's waste pit attended the fuD oouncll meeting said: ..We six. The council is now calling for AEA believe we have put forward a cobefeot Technology to draw up a new strategy for strategy in line with OcMmment policy the storage all of nuclear waste above based on the advice of eminmt academics ground, in line with council policy. and exper1S in this field for the disposal of Although the region's planning lLw to engineered sballow pits. director recommended that the application ..We won on the balance of arguments be approved be had attached several at today's meeting but we were let down conditions: full studies to be undertalcen to by the visual impact of the pits ... Clearly assess the radiological impact of the an appeal is open to us." development; no open storage of the waste James also said another option was to drums on the site or adjacent land other than send lLW from Dounreay to Drigg in those properly emplaced within the pit - Cumbria. However, the Dounreay waste the packages are to be grouted in a .. regular is contaminated with plutonium and and recurring 11l811DeZ"; and a plan for the would not be accepted at Drigg. AEA removal. packaging and treatment of all Technology has two choices, either clean

commissioned next year. rods which control the temperature at Sizewell safety shock However, in France, where the which the reactors operate and which shut problem of cracking in the pressurised them down in an emergency. The cracks ARTS which are causing serious dome which houses the reactor has been are occurring in the welds at the point Pproblems throughout the world's found in eight out of ten PWRs, where the rods enter the reactor core. stock of pressurised water reactors Elcctticite de France (EdF) has decided Given the enonnous pressme the water iD (PWRs) are to be used in the new to replace the domes at a cost of £30 the reactor is under, it could escape Sizewell B PWR. million each. EdF has also ordered that through the cracks and force the control Nuclear Electric has opted to fit no new reactors be started up until their rods out of the reactor altogether, making extra monitoring equipment and domes have been replaced. it impossible to shut down. scheduled extra safety inspections According to On:enpeace the problem Anthony Frogatt of Oreenpeace rather than replace the parts, which occurs because of the failure of a special International believes: "The meltdown would cause an expensive delay in nickel-based steel alloy, Iconel-600. potential of western reactors has risen starting the station which is due to be Cracks are appearing in the casing of the alarmingly." Q

downblended for use as a commercial R&D cuts really reflect the de-emphasis Clinton's nuclear cuts reactor fuel. This, according to the of nuclear power." proposed budget, would save $1.2 billion O'Leary has also announced that the HOCK waves have been sent over five years. Department of Energy will not restart the Sthrough the US nuclear industry as However, the budget actually increases tritium producing K-reactor at the President Bill Clinton 's proposed the funding available for the fusion Savanah River plant, as had been planned budget and economic plan signifies a reactor programme and includes new for later this year. Instead the reactor will fundamental shift away from nuclear funding for a neutron source reactor to be be placed on ..cold standby" and be technologies towards renewable built at Oak Ridge. Both programmes are readied for decommissioning. energies and energy conservation, for believed to have been included at the David Roasin, president of the American the first time since the dawning of the insistence of Vice-President AI Gore. Nuclear Society has urged the nuclear nuclear age. In a move designed to illustrate the power industry to lawdt a letter writing Funding for advanced reactor reaearch nuclear industry's new status, Energy campaign to Collg!eSS to fight Ointoo over and development (R&D), including the Secretary Hazel O'Learyis restructuring la the destruction of advanced reactor Integral Fast Reacklr, the high-temperature depattment to "mirror the new priorities of research. He said the fact that Clinton gas-cooled reactor and the liquid metal a changed world." Specifically O'Leary has singled out nuclear power during his State reactor will be stopped. The budget would abolished the top nuclear staff position, that of the Union address to Congress ..... sent also eliminate the SP-100 space reactor of Assistant Secretary for Nuclear &ergy. shivers through the nuclear community." programme. According to the Clinton Instead ~will be a downgraded .. office The proposed budget will now be Administratioo this will save some $820 of nuclear energy." placed before Congress. American m.illioo ()vet two years. Ed Davis, President of the American analysts believe that if Congress decides Clinton also plans to shut down one of Nuclear Energy Council, described the to consider the pacbge in its entirety then the two existing uranium enrichment uing of the top nuclear job as an the nuclear cuts are likely to go through; plants, opting instead to import large .. oxymoron, a non-sequitur [that] wUI however, if they decide to take it item by quantities of Russian highly-enriched prove to be myopic in the long run. .. item then the nuclear industry will be in a uranium from nuclear weapons. to be Adding that ..... this and the other nuclear far more favourable position. Q

Safe Energy 94 While the Russian authorities claim that small town of Georgievka, which lies Explosive waste problem the five-reactor site in Siberia had not within the area contaminated by the blast, been operational for over a year, Viktor have been evacuated for 2 months as a PRIL'S explosion at the fonner Mikhailov, Russia's minister for nuclear safety precaution. Radiation doses in the ASoviet plutonium factory, Tomsk, energy, told Greenpeace that the village are believed to have reached 30 was not so much a reminder of the explosion occurred when a tank microsieverts an hour - the international atemobyl disaster but a taste of things containing plutonium and uranium was safety limit for nuclear workers is SO to come, many observers are warning. being filled with nitric acid. According to millisieverts per year. As The Guardilm 's David Fairhall the Natural Defence Council in the US the Despite the heavy damage at the points out: "The former Soviet Union is addition of nitric acid is the fttSt step in plant, said Burton Bennet, head of the Uttered with dilapidated nuclear the reprocessing procedure. IAEA team, plutonium production is installations of every kind - power According to International Atomic continuing "on a reduced scale". This is stations, redundant missile silos, waste Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors the probably because the plant earns storage and reprocessing plants, tank contained 8,773 kilograms of valuable foreign currency, about $20-30 abandoned submarine propulsion reactors uranium and 310 grammes of plutonium. million a year, by reprocessing spent - all of which require the skilled Some 7,000 kilogrammes of uranium fuel and producing enriched uranium attention that shattered industries and were blown out of the tank by the for the State owned French company demoralised armed forces can no longer explosion and "228 grammes of Cogema. While Cogema admits that it deliver. plutonium are not accounted for" says the has a contract with the Russian atomic "Every such installation has the IAEA. ministry, it claims no knowledge of potential for disaster, if not in a While the Kremlin admits that this was where the work is carried out. spectacular explosion like Chemobyl the worst disaster since Chernobyl, According to Nikolao Yegorov, seven years ago and now in Tomsk, then government officials said that Russia's deputy minister for atomic through seeping environmental contamination was minor and there were power, the enrichment is done in contamination." no casualties. However, children from the Tomsk. a

account will grow to around $700 million. Developments (AID) $3 million has been Dash for cash This is far short of the $12 billion which awarded to the Nuclear Regulatory Germany's engineering multinational Commission and £22 million to the FTER almost a year of Siemens believes is required. The initial Department of Energy (DOE). The funds A prevarication the 0-7 group of the funding is also considerably less than the awarded to the DOE will be handled by world's wealthiest nations have fmally £200 million that the EBRD has spent the Brookhaven National Laboratory, agreed an aid package to finance over the last two years on fitting out its which has already announced in nuclear plant safety improvements in swanky new London offices. Commerce and Business IJtJily - the eastern Europe. While the fund's launch has been government's journal of contract offers Meeting in London on 27 January, promoted as "a real success" in getting the - a solicitation for reactor design representatives of the 0-7 nations (US, Japanese and Americans on board, they services to reduce the risk of operating Japan, UK, France, Germany, Canada and have so far not set the amounts they will VVERs and RBMKs in Russia and the Italy) and the European Community (EC) contribute. According to French industry Ukraine. According to one unnamed US endorsed the creation of a special fund minister Dominique Strauss-Khan said official, quoted in the industry magazine which will be administered by the "the Americans and Japanese agreed to Nuckonics Week: "Most activities would European Bank for Reconstruction and put in a small amount of money," but be competitive bids for hardware and Development (EBRD). Klaus Toepfer, stressed that their participation will allow software in the US." German minister for the environment and decisions to be taken collectively to avoid It is this determination that US origin nuclear safety described the agreement as duplication of effort. Both countries aid funds should go to US companies "extremely significant . .. we must favour a bilateral approach to the problem which has delayed the 0-7 initiative, with eliminate this potential for danger and risk of eastern Europe's Soviet nuclear legacy. the US and other western countries being in the heart of Europe". However the Indeed the US aid programme, known more concerned about giving a boost to initial funds, to be provided by France, as the Lisbon Initiative, is already limping their failing nuclear industries than Germany and the EC, will be a mere $78 into action. Of the $25 million set aside tackling the crisis of eastern Europe's million, with the hope that eventually the by the US Agency for International nuclear time-bomb. a

Sea dumping International Atomic Energy Agency cooling water - and 6,000 cubic (IAEA) says other countries have meters of solid waste. admitted to dumping a total of 46PBq Russia has nowhere to put the waste and OT only have Russia and the overboard. former Soviet Union dumped more current facilities are overflowing. Ageing N Although the report reveals the than twice as much radioactive waste vessels and disarmament have brought the into the sea than the rest of the world but shocking extent of Soviet dumping it problem to crisis point. Alexei Yablokov, it is still going on, according to a report also highlights the massive waste Yeltsin 's environmental advisor and chair commissioned by Boris Yeltsin and due management problem faced by Russia. of the commission which drew up the to be presented to the London Dumping At present the country's military fleet report says the immediate priority is to Commission in May. and Murmansk Shipping Company measure how much radiation is being In 1989 the Soviet government together have 225 nuclear powered released from submerged waste. The military has not allowed civilian scientists announced that it "did not dump, dots not submarines, three nuclear powered to examine the disposal sites for 25 years. dump radioactive· waste at sea." battleships and seven icebreakers in the Yablokov believes that this alone will However, the report reveals that some Barents and Kara seas, and the sea of take "several tens of millions of dollars." 15 92PBq (92 X 10 becquerels) of radio­ Japan. They account for 407 reactors, But building facilities for active waste have been dropped into the produce 20,000 cubic meters of liquid decommissioning the fleet will cost Arctic and Pacific Oceans, while the radioactive waste a year - mainly "several billion dollars... a

AprllfMay '93 As the nuclear industry is quick to point out, man-made radiation in the environment is only a small addition to background radiation, but Dr CHRIS BUSBY of Wales Green Party argues that differentiating between extemal and intemal radiation could explain the rise in cancers and other diseases which has coincided with nuclear development. Radiation and health reviewed

N 19 February, as part of the other countries, the nuclear/military The time is overdue for an evaluation Green Party Radiation establishment continues to minimise any of the health effects of novel pollutant O Campaign, nGreen Dragon", perception of the seriousness of radiation isotopes produced by nuclear fission. the Plaid Cymru/Green MP for effects on health and to keep its self­ The last ten years has seen increasing Ceredigion in Wales, Cynog Dafis, selected organisations, the International awareness that such effects are possible, tabled the following question in the Commission on Radiological Protection occur and are increasing. Commons: (ICRP), the UN Scientific Committee on "Why is it, in the age of information the Effects of Atomic Radiation The evidence technology, that the cancer incidence (UNSCEAR) and their satellites lilce the statistics, produced each year from UK.'s National Radiological Protection Health in developed countries has 1971 by the Office of Population Board (NRPB) in control of the arguments improved immensely in the last Census and Surveys (OPCS), has and the statutory dose limits. hundred years. Indices of this increased its lag between data year improvement, like normallifespan and and publication from three years (for These limits show only the agreement infant mortality show general advance publication years 1983, 84 and 85) to reached over how far the ill health of throughout the period. But following seven years in 1993 and that, therefore, populations can be balanced against their the Second World War, rates of change the most recent published data relates own needs and plans: a black comedy became subject to some odd effects. to 1986, the year of Chemobyl, and cost benefit analysis. Whose cost? Whose Figure 1 shows these effects for the US furthermore, in View of the increasing benefit? This control of the conventional population. The bumps in the curves, public disqutet over possible linkS wisdom came about when the which showed slowing down of between radioactive and other pathological secrecy associated with the improvement, and in some cases, actual pollution and the increase in adult age cold war spilled into scientific research. deterioration in certain mortality specific and childhood cancer which is Nothing could be allowed to suggesfthat classes, followed the injection into the occurring, is the Government nuclear weapons development might be world environment of fallout from intending to ensure that more up to having lethal side effects. And its success atmospheric nuclear testing. date figures are made available as a has been immense. The anti nuclear matter of urgency?" battleground has moved from radiation The relationship between fallout levels biology to the Chernobyl accident (which peaked in 1962 to 64) and The problem scenario and the economic cost argument. human mortality and morbidity was Yet even with a guarantee of no accidents first pointed out by Emest Stemglass Of all the dangers facing humanity, it has been calculated that 99.9% perfect but he was ridiculed by the nuclear perhaps the most insidious and containment of Caesium-137 produced establishment, who argued that the frightening is the damage done to by 100 nuclear power stations throughout doses involved were too small. It now human genes by induced mutations: for their 25 year lifetime would still seems that Sternglass had made a the human race is defined by its genetic contaminate the world environment with crucial observation, marking the structure, and alteration of this is the the equivalent of four Chernobyl beginning of a general slide in the most pervasive direct attack on it that accidents. quality of health which continues today. can be imagined. The largest single mutagen is ionising radiation, and the study of its biological effects is arguably 1,300 70 one of the most important areas of TOTAL human research undertaken. AGE-ADJUSTED 1,200 MORTALITY eo Ionising radiation is now known to 1,100 cause genetic damage under all INFANT conditions of irradiation and for the MORTALITY 50 smallest dose which can occur. There is 1,000 I no safe or threshold dose. But most t :1 alarming, is the emerging evidence that, too 40 l in the case of radiation safety, instead I - of following normal scientific research -l too l procedures in order to establish the 30 biological effects of radiation and 700 I determine valid safety levels, ttle I 1! ATMOSPHERIC situation is that a research monopoly J TESTING 20 I has been set up and given statutory 800 authority. Research funding goes to selected laboratories whose members 500 10 largely control the scientific peer review 0 0 literature through the referee system. In 1130 1NO 11150 1HO 1970 tno this way, and through the various Official Secrets Acts both here and in Figure 1. Totlil and Infant mortality trends since 1930, USA

8 Safe Energy N 1he Jast twenty years have seen increases in age-standardised cancer, leukaemia, f. 0·6 ·-----·--·--·····------·------···· cardiovascular disease (known to be mutation related) and immune system conditions such as AIDS. There is an t epidemic of cot death, a condition ~ 0·5 recently shown to be due to inhibition of foetal development. One in ten babies 5000 born are of low birth weight, and only I major technological advances keep I 0·4 many of them alive. Sperm counts have ! i been falling. Intra uterine scanning and genetic testing followed by therapeutic t abortion is all that is checking increases I in congenital malformation rate. Figure 2 shows the crude death rate from ~ leukaemia by year since 1945. I 0 CD 1here is no doubt that the Government U150 1980 is aware of the problem. Cancer incidence statistics are now seven years Figure 2. Death rate from leukaemia and nuclear power output, England and Wales out of date. They have begun a £6 million study into childhood cancer to the accepted dose response These mechanisms may be extremely discover the cause and to "reassure". relationship, and secondly, the natural effective, but it is important to recognise The study will investigate chemical background radiation (NBR) argument. that the lifespan of mammals correlates mutagens, electromagnetic fields and well with species resistance to radiation ionising radiation. Recent work in radiation and cell and with each species' repair biology relating to cellular repair mechanism efficiency. Both lifespan, Following the work of Stemglass and mechanisms now suggests how these and the onset of cancer can be modelled since the environmental contamination two arguments are invalid and how as an opposition between genetic from Chemobyl, increasing numbers of errors have become incorporated into damage and genetic repair. We live as independent reports, bypassing the the assessment of radiation dose. long as we can keep repairing. scientific literature as books, have Although these repair mechanisms can questioned the nuclear establishment's Dose measurement errors cope with single attacks, they are not safety assurances. Rosalie Bertell, John designed for a second attack occurring Gofman, Jay Gould and Abram Goldman Pollutant doses are, of course, partly within the repair process itself. This have assembled evidence linking received from the chronic internal decay exceedingly improbable event, the '2nd low-level radioactive pollution with ill of ingested isotopes; the dose limits and Event', is the origin of an error in the health. Many examples of correlation understanding are based on external conventional way of assessing radiation now exist; indeed, the case of the irradiation in a single acute burst If there dose as acute energy transfer. Sellafield leukaemia victims and their is no equivalence, then such a comparison fight with British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) is meaningless. The Japanese A-bomb The 2nd-event for compensation shows how far these survivor study has been questioned on suspicions have become common tender. grounds of dosimetry and masking Incorporation of genetic damage into But it is again clear that there is no point effects. More recently, it has been cells may be divided into three general in looking to the Radiation Biologists and suggested that the study could not phases which follow one another in Health Physicists to save anybody. distinguish between irradiated and sequence: misincorporation, repair and Sellafield was highlighted, not by the control groups on the basis of intemally fixation. Each is capable of further medical epidemiologists in the public ingested isotopes. By the time the study subdivision. Any sequence of events health system, or the NRPB, but by began, 12 years after the bomb, both which involves the initiation of these Yorkshire 1V. And the first response from irradiated and control groups would processes and subsequent attack at a the establishment was to setup an inquiry have had substantially the same level of critical point in the sequence has a priori which exonerated radiation. internal contamination, and if there were higher probability of introducing any qualitative difference between the mutation. For example, it is now well Many now askifitis possible that all these chronic doses from this and from external known that <:ells can be interrupted mutation-related illnesses are being acute irradiation, the study woul~ be during their normal lifespan by a caused by low-level radiation from invalid and its findings meaningless. sub-lethal pulse of radiation and in radioisotopic pollution by novel isotopes SomeSome evidence exists that supports this. consequence Sl;lffer a forced repair which didn't exist before 1945. Is this not Elevated cancer risk amongst the replication sequence known as G2 central to the anti-nuclear debate? irradiated survivors in Hiroshima, 12 arrest. The cell stops what it is doing on years after the bomb, was found to be receipt of a receptor signal telling it that Epidemiological findings which support either 400% or none at all depending on damage has occurred and sets itself up this range from the Alice Stewart whether the control group was chosen to repair that damage. This process childhood cancer study through from Hiroshima or from nearby Miyagi, takes about ten hours and is followed Stemglass to the latest findings by Gould where weather patterns and mountains by forced rearrangement of nuclear and Goldman and to the Sellafield and resulted in smaller fallout doses. 1he US structure and then cell division. Dounreay leukaemia 'clusters'. But all 'none at all' study has formed the basis of attempts to implicate low-level radiation the present safety case. 1he existence of a critical period within in morbidity and mortality sooner or later the repair sequence is confirmed by run on to one of two rocks. Recent research has shown that work with cell cultures which have been radiation damage to cells is bypassed by given single and split doses of X-rays. 1hey are the Japanese A-bomb lifetime repair mechanisms which clearly have Splitting the dose causes a higher yield study, which is largely responsible for evolved to cope with damage from NBR. of cancerous transformation at low

Aprii/Afay '93 9 highly contaminated owing to higher rainfall, the presence of the radioactive waste lake at Trawsfynydd and the Sellafield-polluted Irish Sea. According to a leaked CEGB report, the lake contains 25GBq of Sr-90 and 109GBq of assorted plutonium isotopes. Plutonium, another bone-seeking substance, has vety teeently been shown by scientists working at Harwell for the Medical Research Council to have "infinite biological effectiveness" for the introduction of genetic damage. The waste in the cooling lake at Trawsfynydd exceeds the statutory defining level for low-level waste by a factor of ten and in quantity is greater than all the low and intermediate-level waste being disposed of by Nirex.

tHO 1170 If external and internal radiation are not equivalent, and if internal irradiation Figure 3. Sr-90 & infant mortality from congenital heart & circulatory system defects. hazards depend upon both biochemical Heavy line: Infant mortality In England and Wales from congenital heart and circulatory system defects; affinity and fractionation in time of Full line: Sr-90 precipitation In UK; Dotted line: Sr-90 In milk in the UK sequential doses, the famous radiation dose pie chart which compares natural doses than the same dose given in one 1969 showed that small amounts of radiation with man-made medical and burst, if the gap between doses is Sr-90 given to mother rats, caused heart nuclear power pollution and so forth critically within the repair time. It development defects in their offspring. needs major readjustment. Continued use seems that cells can deal with one hit, This, therefore, was the likely cause of of the NBR as a baseline for hazard or the but not two hits separated by five to ten infant deaths in the Luning study. Later use of A-bomb acute studies to define hours. For external irradiation in the Russian work confirmed the Sr-90 -dose response relationships, whether low dose range, the probability of this infant mortality effects in wild mice, and linear or quadratic or extrapolated, double hit sequence is vanishingly low. although otheP studies. confinned the however, is clearly unsafe and must be enhanced genetic hazard from Sr-90, after urgently reconsidered. If we have shown But there do exist certain novel 1980, despite there being no resolution of theoretical reas<)M, based on known cell radioisotopes, called '2nd event emitters', these anomalies, interest disappeared. cycle behaviour, why certain isotopes which have specific biochemical affinity should have enhanced hazard; and if we for genes, and which have sequential If Sr-90 was causing infant mortality in have looked at these predictions, firstly in decay pathways. Strontium-90 (Sr-90), a rodents it would support Sternglass' animal studies and then in human component of fallout and nuclear findings for humans. The isotope was a populations and found confinnation then indusny pollution is such a substance. Its major component of fallout and its all the presently accepted dosimetry for atoms bind to chromosomes. They decay concentration in milk increased by a internal isotopes is suspect. twice sequentially, firstly setting up the factor of ten then decreased again cell mechanism to repair the damage and between 1955 and 1975. On the basis of The campaign then attacldng this process at some critical theratheartdevelopmentfindingsamore point. Calculation shows that the specific investigation would look at infant The Wales Green Party campaign is based probability of this sequence from internal mortality from congenital heart defects. on a booklet,* commissioned by the Sr-90 is over a million times greater than When this is done there turns out to be Wales Green Party and financed, in part, that from the same dose externally an excellent correlation (Correlation by the Wales Anti-Nuclear Alliance. The delivered. Such an enhancement of effect Coefficient +0.8, Standard Error 0.13) and booklet reviews the evidence for links upsets any attempt to use energy transfer this is illustrated by Figure 3. between illness, death and low-level as a measure of radiation dose and to treat nuclear pollution and has been sent to all radiation as the same whether it be The only attempt to counter Stemglass councils, MP's and opinion formers as a external or internal. was Nishiwaki et al who claimed no counterweight to the nuclear indusny correlation between fallout and infant propaganda. The campaign calls for an This prediction that Sr-90 has enhanced mortality in Japan. On close inspection, independent (of the nuclear establish­ potential for genetic damage is supported their argument was that doses were too ment) investigation and for more recent by animal studies. In 1962, Luning et al small to be able to explain the effects. cancer incidence data to be made compared Sr-90 with Caesium-137 They did not question the existence of an available. It asks for a moratorium on (Cs-137) by injecting the same small dose effect; this is strangely like the Sella.field nuclear power and reprocessing until the into male mice before mating them, leukaemia defence. "The theory cannot results of the inquiry are known; and within the hour, to untreated females. explain it - it cannot exist." finally, it demands the immediate fencing Many Sr-90 embryos died, but not those and exclusion of the public from of the singly decaying Cs-137, whereas We have recently been looking at another Trawsfynydd lake, the most radioactive the opposite effect was expected possible echo from fallout. Bone cancer lake in Europe. a theoretically. These effects continued into has an age reJated incidence peaking in embryo offspring of matings of surviving the age group 15 to 20. Sr-90 is stored in • "Low-level !adiation from the nuclear Sr-90 infants. Another study from the 60s the bone and causes the disease. A indusb:y: the biolOfJkal consequences• by investigated Sr-90 effects on rat bone comparison of incidence in Wales with Chris Busby.23pp;C(incp&p)fromGreen marrow, and showed the occurrence of England shows a significant and Audit (Wales), Ivy House, Mallwyd, pathological changes at levels of dose anomalous increase, peaking in 1984, 20 Machynlleth, Powys SY20 9HJ. down to one two-hundredth of natural years after the fallout. Wales had much A fully ft!fe.nmced veraion oE this utide Is background. A Russian investigation in higher fallout and has remained more available from SCilAM ('15p inc p&p).

10 Safe Energy 94 Controversy continues over high incidences of leukaemia around nuclear sites, with the nuclear industry denying responsibility. PETE ROCHE of Greenpeace considers a new study around the Aldennaston and Burghfield nuclear weapons establishments which has similar findings to the 1990 Gardner report on Sellafield. New leukaemia link new study carried out by a team gamma radiation exposure of over 100mSv The Atomic Energy Research Establishment led by: lli Eve Roman and pub­ to the fathers. The extemal doses recorded at Harwell carried out some monitoring for A lished in the British Medical at Aldermaston are less than SmSv - COMARE. Levels were generally found to Journal* has found a similar association although Ministry of Defence (MoD) record be low. However, only 12 samples were between the risk of childhood leukaemia keeping leaves something to be desired. taken within O.Skm ol each site and one and emplo~ent in the nuclear industry distant point (5km) from each site. "This to that found by Professor Gardner in The MoD argues that these doses are too additional information on environmental 1990 (SCRAM 76) at Sellafield. It sug­ low to cause any effect. They are also keen monitoring data ... is not sufficient to enable gests that occupational exposure to to highlight Roman's conclusion that dose estimates to be calculated, nor can it be radiation prior to conception increases "because the numbers are small ... the used to verily NRPB (National Radiological the risk of a subsequent child results could be due to chance". Protection Board) models. Further, more developing leukaemia by 9 times. detailed sampling programmes around the However, Professor Nick Day, a well sites would be needed to address [these] In March 1987 Roman et al published a known radiation epidemiologist, believes questions." detailed study of childhood leukaemia. The that"chance seems an unlikely explanation'' study concluded that there was a and that "it is very likely that fathers in the COMARE, therefore, used figures statistically significant excess of leukaemia nuclear industry who were being exposed supplied by the MoD on discharges to the am~npt children aged 0-4 during the to one type [of radiation) which was being environment by Aldermaston and period 1972-85 within a 10km radius of recorded by the badge would also be Burghfield to estimate doses to the Aldermaston and Burghfield. exposed to radiation of other types such as population. It conclude that the neutrons or ingested radionuclides." discharges"are so low that the magnitude The Committee on Medical Aspects of of this uncertainty would have to be Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) After COMARE's investigations around particularly large to make any appre­ examined Roman's first study, confirming Sellafield and Dounreay, it concluded that ciable difference in the estimated dose". the excess of childhood leukaemia. It also the evidence of a raised incidence of looked at data from the National Registry of leukaemia at both sites "tended to support However, during the Sellafield Childhood Childhood Tumours maintained by Ox­ the hypothesis that some feature of these Leukaemia Court Cases currently under­ ford's Childhood Cancer Research Group two nuclear plants leads to an increased way it has emerged that estimated pluto­ and discovered a statistically significant risk of leukaemia in young people living nium discharges from Sellafield have in increase for other childhood cancers in the in the vicinity." some cases been four times higher than age group 0-14 over the period 1971-82. previously thought. The discharge data Beyond Gardner for Aldermaston will, similarly, have been However, when it looked at the author­ underestimated. It could be re-calculated ised and accidental discharges from the Roman also comments that there are a large using the correction factors calculated for two plants it concluded that they were too number of leukaemia& in the Aldennaston Sellafield. low to account for the increase in cancers and Burghfield area not explained by the - but could not "exclude completely the Gardner theory. In other words the number Professor Stephen Jones of BNFL told the existence of some hitherto unknown and of children with leukaemia whose fathers Court that "Measurements of radioactivity unexpected route by which some work at Aldermaston "was insufficient to in the environment are the most satisfactory individuals could be exposed to increased account for the increased rates of leukaemia starting point from which to make estimates levels of radiation." COMARE recom­ in the area". Roman's first study found 29 of radiation exposure to the public". mended that "such speculative pathways, children with leukaemia in the Q-4 age including those of radiation workers, group between 1972 and 1985, whereas only It is therefore urgent that an extensive should be explored". 14.4 would have been expected. The new radiation monitoring programme is car­ study doesn't give the number of expected ried out and should include monitoring However, Gardner's results at Sellafield cases in the 1972-1989 period, but out of 54 within the boundary fences. (No informa­ implied that there must be a second children with leukaemia and non­ tion on environmental monitoring inside causative effect (possibly environmental Hodgkin's lymphoma, at most4 had fathers the Aldermaston and Burghfield sites is radiation). The children who contracted exposed to radiation at work. currently made public). leukaemia, and whose fathers worked at Sellafield, tended to live at Seascale on the There could, therefore, be several factors It is clear that working at Aldermaston or shore front. at work. The Sellafield data suggests that Burghfield does not explain the entire children who become genetically pre­ excess of cancers- there must be another The new Roman report studied 54 disposed to contracting cancer when their factor at work. The one factor that children aged 0-4 years with leukaemia fathers have been exposed to radiation at Aldermaston, Burghfield, Dounreay and or Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed work still require an environmental radi­ Sellafield have in common is plutonium. during 1972-89 in the area around ation dose before contracting leukaemia. Aldermaston and Burghfield. Whilst further studies are important to COMARE's investigations at Aldermas­ determine the. role played by plutoniuin, Roman et al conclude that "The results of ton and Burghfteld did not use environ­ it should be declared 'guilty until proven this study SUggel!t that the children of mental monitoring to estimate doses to the innocent'. The production and use of fathers who had been monitored for population, unlike its investigations at plutonium should cease immediately. It is exposure to external penetrating ionising Sellafteld and Dounreay, because: "The time to start cleaning up the legacy of radiation in the nuclear indusby may be at extent of environmental monitoring Britain's love affair with the Bomb. Q an increased risk of developing leukaemia." around Aldermaston and Burghfield has varied over the years ... no environmental • "Case-control study of leukaemia and non­ The highest relative risk (an increase of monitoring was carried out by the Atomic Hodgkin's lymphoma among children apd between seven and eight-fold) discovered Weapons Research Establishment 0-4 yeus in West Berkshire and North Hamp­ by Gardner was associated with external between 1960 and 1978." shire health clistricts." BMJ 6 March 1993.

Aprii/May '93 11 Taken as a whole, renewable energy is a very large subject and it takes a big book to cover all the aspects of all the technologies encompassed by this subject: so it is not surprising that 11Renewable Energy: sources for fuels and electricity" is a big book. Dr NIGEL MORTIMER of the Resources Research Unit at Sheffield Hallam University assesses this 1,160 page renewable-energy Bible. Bright prospects for renewable energy

THIN Renewable Energy, developed by the Response Strategies energy consumers. Hence, it could he technical, resource, Working Group of the include the possibly flawed assumption W economic and environ• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate that future needs will be much as those mental factors for almost all the most Change. Here the growth in energy of the present, only distributed fairly promising renewable energy demand is moderated by energy amongst all the world's population technologies are examined, by efficiency gains, providing an eight-fold instead of just amongst our rather individual expert authors, in increase in world economic output by privileged selves. Obviously, all extremely impressive detail. 2050. Over this period, a 123% increase scenarios must include some basic in primary energy consumption is assumptions but, when these are The technologies considered include forecast while carbon dioxide emissions formulated, it is instructive to examine hydro, wind, solar-thermal electric, fall from present levels by 26%. The how the future looked to those as far solar photovoltaics, tidal, wave, ocean reason for this is, principally, that a back in time as the projected period of thermal, geothermal, biomass solid renewable-intensive strategy is adopted the scenario under consideration. This fuels, biogas, liquid fuels from biomass to meet growing energy demands in an scenario projects almost 60 years into and solar hydrogen. Unfortunately, the environmentally-acceptable and the future and yet it is hard to believe list is not quite complete because sustainable manner. For the that our forebears in 1930 could have passive and active solar heating seems convenience of analysis, energy imagined the nature of the world that to have been excluded from proper supplies are separated into electricity we currently inhabit. For example, one coverage. However, as the potential and direct fuels, which include solid popular and prominent visionary, H. G. contributions of renewable energy and gaseous heating fuels, and liquid Wells speculated in The shape of things technologies are set within the context transport fuels. By 2050, it is envisaged to come, which was published in 1933, of a comprehensive assessment of that renewables could provide 60% of .. that our present most pressing concern future energy supply and demand, it world electricity generation, compared would be transport; but air not motor may be that solar heating is regarded as with 21% at present, and 42% of direct transport! This demonstrates the an implicit aspect of the significant fuel, in comparison with their current problems facing all forecasters and energy efficiency improvements contribution of only 2%. scenario-builders; the future is neither incorporated in the adopted scenario. embodied wishful thinking nor a simple Obviously, major changes in patterns of extrapolation of the past or present. Energy scenarios energy supply and demand are implied by this scenario. Some of these changes Scenario building As an extensive catalogue of renewable might be regarded as questionable. For energy technologies, this would be example, a substantial shift from direct Of course, present day forecasters have considered to be a very useful work of fuels to electricity is assumed by the computers which extend the number of reference. However, Renewable Energy middle of the next century. At the calculations performed, adding detail goes beyond this by including an moment, electricity accounts for about but not necessarily accuracy. Because of interlinking introductory chapter on the 20% of primary energy consumption past failures, forecasting has become potential role of renewable energy but, by 2050, it is assumed to equal unfashionable and has been replaced by sources in world energy supply up to almost half the total. Additionally, over the more cautious art of scenario the year 2050. The book was the same period, the use of natural gas building. Used correctly, this involves commissioned by the United Nations for electricity generation is envisaged to formulating a desired possible outcome Solar Energy Group for Environment jump by over 600% whilst general fossil and, most importantly, determining the and Development in 1990 as an input to fuel consumption declines. The lower conditions which will bring about this the UN Conference on Environment environmental impact of natural gas is outcome. This is partly the approach and Development in Rio in 1992. The the important consideration behind this adopted in Renewable Energy. underlying rationale of the work is that assumption, but it remains to be seen Considerable attention is given to the attaining sustainable development whether adequate low-cost reserves in policies, strategies and developments requires "new policies or programs, as suitable locations will be available to essential to a renewable-intensive appropriate, to increase the support the wasteful use of such a strategy. In particular, thinking on contribution of environmentally safe convenient fuel in electricity-only environmental economics (though not and sound and cost effective energy generation. referred to as such) is used as a means syst-ems, particularly new and of redressing the balance away from renewable ones, through less polluting There may also be a more fundamental environmentally-damaging sourees of and more efficient energy production, unease about the illustrative energy energy, implicitly, favouring most transmission, distribution and use." scenario adopted by the authors. renewable energy sourees. Thankfully, Although the nuclear lobby has Although not a forecast of what will Renewable Energy goes further than attempted to steal a place in this new happen, a scenario approach must just evoking environmental economics energy scene, it is the renewable incorporate some assumptions about as a theory which will magically technologies which are rightly cast as what life will be like in the future. This transform the prospects for renewable the stars. energy scenario must do this and, in energy technologies. Instead, in an keeping with so many others, seems to agenda for action, a preliminary look is Their contribution is established by concentrate on energy demands rather taken into how environmental referring to an energy scenario than the services actually required by economics might be applied in practice,

12 Safe Energy 94 through taxation, the removal of than articles of faith unless based on a Although Renewable Energy tends to subsidies, etc, to internalise the costs of thorough analysis of the factors which concentrate on electricity-generating the environmental damage caused by govern costs. In the case of wind p<>wer, renewable energy technologies, the conventional energy sources. Whilst expected lower costs arise from production of liquid transport fuels, such ideas need to be developed further, reductions in the capital, operating and specifically methanol, from biomass is a this is an essential step in translating maintenance costs, and increased very important component of the academic theory into workable action. electrical output. Reduced capital costs renewable-intensive strategy. Indeed it is are expected to be achieved because of the assumed that methanol would provide Economics use of lighter weight materials and almost half the world's liquid fuel improved designs which result in lower supplies by 2050. This is one area of the Although these and other policy manufacturing costs. Reduced operating book where the use of different authors measures are important, the most and maintenance costs derive from the for different aspects of renewable energy fundamental factor which will probably virtual elimination of replacement parts technologies does cause problems. Given determine whether the due to better component design and this approach, it is not possible to achieve renewable-intensive strategy becomes production techniques. Higher electrical a wholly comprehensive assessment of reality is the comparative conventional output is expected from improved this technological option and it suffers by costs of renewable energy technologies. aerofoil designs and the adoption of being less convincing. Biomass In essence, these technologies are more variable speed systems. One factor that production and conversion to useful fuels likely to be used if they are demonstrably fundamentally reduces capital costs per are tackled by separate authors and it is cheaper than competing sources of unit output is the assumption of not easy to form an overview of the energy. This essential consideration is economies of scale with larger machines, economic prospects of biomass-derived dealt with quite extensively in Renewable although it should be noted that cost liquid fuels. Energy, as may be illustrated by modelling work for the Energy examining the specific economic Technology Support Unit does not This problem is compounded by the fact prospects for wind power, solar appear to support this expectation. that it would probably be necessary to photovoltaic& and the production of write another book of the same length methanol liquid fuel from biomass. These Solar photovoltaic& are devices which just to cover the different sources of technologies are selected here because convert sunlight directly into electricity. biomass which could be used in the they are probably the most important Although initially very expensive future. These problems apart, it seems individual renewable energy devices for generating electricity in that methanol from biomass is regarded technologies included in the remote locations and special as cheaper than its main competitors in renewable-intensive strategy. circumstances, a three-fold reduction in the 21st century. However, these photovoltaic module costs has been competitors are methanol from coal or Both wind power and solar observed between 1976 and 1990. A natural gas which are more expensive photovoltaics are regarded as further eight-fold fall in module costs, than current supplies of petroleum. The intermittent renewables which, along resulting in an 85% fall in unit costs for inherent assumption, on which this with other sources, are projected to electricity, is envisaged by 2010 for economic comparison is based, is that supply 30% of world electricity polycrystalline thin-film photovoltaics "the production of petroleum is generation by 2050. A 62% reduction in which are considered by some to be the expected to decline in most regions the unit cost of electricity produced by most promising form of this technology. outside the Middle East in the decade wind power in California between 1985 The factors which are expected to cause ahead ... " In other words, cheap and 1990 is used to demonstrate the this unit cost reduction are an increase in petroleum may not be available as a improving prospects for this technology electricity conversion efficiency from 10% major transport fuel in the next century. and a further fall of 60% is expected by to 15% due to the use of new materials, Some oil economists may question this 2020. However, such expectations, just and economies of scale in module rather fundamental assumption. as those of the early advocates of manufacturing which arise from a nuclear power, can amount to no more growing market for photovoltaics. Essential reading In this review, it has only been possible to convey an impression of the wealth of useful information available in Renewable Energy. The book has its limitations and, undoubtedly, its fair share of minor errors. Some aspects are open to question and debate. However, its potential use as a catalogue and major work of reference on renewable energy technologies cannot be overstated. However, it is more than this. It is a statement of intent for the prospects of renewable sources of energy as a major component in global sustainable development. It provides a vision to guide our aspirations and, as such, should be part of the eSsential reading of anyone 1985 2025 2050 concerned about our energy future. If you cannot buy it, borrow it! a '*ar • ~~.Renewable Energy: sources for fuels .Coal .Oil 0Gas 11 Biomass Q PVIWind H2 and electricity" edited by Thomas B. Johansson, Henry Kelly, Amulya K. N. Reddy and Robert H. Williams. Earthscan Electricity generation for the renewables-intensive energy scenario Publications, £30 paperback.

Aptii/May '93 13 The government and the nuclear industry have failed to develop responsible management strategies for the UK's growing legacy of nuclear waste. This failure derives from the current institutional structure of the nuclear industry which, argues Friends of the Earth's senior energy campaigner SIMON ROBERTS, the government must alter if effective policies are to emerge. British Nuclear Heritage

HE management of the UK Reactor (FBR); and that reprocessing The nuclear industry denies this, nuclear power programme's was the most attractive spent fuel claiming to have 'technical solutions'. T. economic and environmental management option available. Such claims underestimate the problem legacy is in a deep crisis. A crisis of hydrogeological site data which are dominated by five increasingly The UK's FBR programme has been inconsistent with Nirex' s theories and serious problems: abandoned, after nearly four decades conspicuous technical problems dealing and more than £4 billion. Similar with gas generation within an • the economic, environmental and waste failures are being experienced with FBR underground repository. (2) management justifications offered by development in other countries. British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) for the The nuclear industry also believes the reprocessing have been discredited, and In terms of spent fuel management, public is misinformed, misreading the environmental and health impacts reprocessing operations increase the genuine and rational public distrust and of the Sellafield facility are a cause for volume of nuclear waste (compared concern for ignorance. As long as Nirex increasing concern; with the spent fuel input) by more than is owned by the industry and the lOO-fold and produce waste forms industry openly identifies a need to • UK Nirex Ltd, the body to which the which are more difficult to handle and 'solve' the waste problem in order to nuclear industry has delegated the task more unpredictable in their behaviour. secure an expansive future, the public of establishing a'disposal' route for low Nearly 60 per cent of nuclear waste has every reason to suspect that Nirex and intermediate-level nuclear waste arisings in the UK over the next 40 years is acting in the industry's interest rather (LLW and ILW), has failed to do so, in will be produced at Sellafield if than in the interests of environmental spite of ten years' sustained effort; reprocessing is allowed to continue. protection and long-term public safety. • credible long-term strategies have yet Scottish Nuclear Ltd, in common with Magnox to be formulated for decommissioning nuclear utilities in other countries, has any of the UK's nuclear power stations turned towards spent fuel storage as its Of the seven remammg Magnox or for the long-term management of favoured management option instead of stations in operation in the UK, only the high-level nuclear waste arising reprocessing. Environmental groups Wylfa has been operating for less than from reprocessing; have long recognised the use of such its 25 year design life. The observed facilities as the 'least worst' option for long-term effects of irradiation on • all but one of the seven operating spent fuel management. welding in the Magnox reactor pressure Magnox stations are beyond their vessel has given rise to serious safety 25-year design life, producing vast Yet, BNFL still claims that the new concerns, and has led to the suspension quantities of nuclear waste, and Thorp plant will be economically viable. of operation at the apparently worst distorting the post-privatisation However, BNFL's calculations ignore affected, Trawsfynydd. market in electricity supply-the latter the increasing risks of losing income is also true for several of the AGRs, due to the cancellation of foreign In addition, the avoidable costs of notably Dungeness Band Hartlepool; contracts, underestimate the likely cost continued operation are higher than the of meeting tougher future radiological costs of substitute power sources. The ethe UK's plutonium stockpile now protection standards, and are wildly continued operation of the Magnox stands at about 30 tonnes and, if the optimistic in 'guesstimating' the stations is thus distorting the electricity Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant decommissioning costs. Moreover, the market, causing higher electricity (fhorp) is allowed to open, will be 65 issue of what radioactive waste prices.<3l tonnes by 2005. associated with reprocessing foreign fuel should be returned to the country Their continued operation will cilso result That there are problems is not in of origin remains unresolved. in continued prolific nuclear waste question,Ol what is in question is production. Lord Marshall of Goring, whether the Government and the Nirex former chairman of the Central Electricity nuclear industry have a coherent Generating Board, has said that Magnox strategy to address these problems. In spite of 10 years of effort, Nirex has stations produce "a remarkable amount 4 Clearly, they have not. Indeed, the failed to develop acceptable proposals of nuclear waste per unit of electricity."< ) current institutional structure of the for the management of low and Adding that the British Magnox nuclear industry exacerbates these intermediate-level waste. Moreover, programme "has probably produced problems rather than addresses them. Nirex has developed a distinct and more radioactive waste than all the rest worrying tendency, particularly in of the world put together."

14 Safe Energy 94 Magnox stations to 30 years will As outlined above, there is reason to The new body would be independent of generate 14,000 m3 of ILW, for which no believe that this conflict of interest has the nuclear industry, as the 1976 Flowers disposal route exists. There will also be already shaped Nirex's operations and report recommended.<6l It must be given significant production of waste at plans. Indeed, the waste management free rein to start from scratch on nuclear Sellafield from reprocessing the strategy developed to date by Nirex waste management strategies, with a additional spent fuel. appears to be shaped more by a desire comprehensive approach encompassing to win public approval than by all aspects of nuclear waste. This would According to nuclear industry estimates scientific analysis of empirical data. include: high-level waste and plutonium of waste management costs, this could The same can be said of NE's latest management; strategies to minimise increase the bill for managing the lega~ decommissioning proposals. waste arisings; examination of the of nuclear waste in the UK by £560m. < l rationale for reprocessing; the decommis­ The nuclear industry's continued sioning of old reactors, submarines and Decommissioning commitment to reprocessing and its other irradiated civil and military absurd presentation of this as the 'best equipment. 'British Nuclear Heritage plc' Understanding of the problems connected management option' appears designed to would appear to be a suitable moniker. to decommissioning. nuclear stations is defend the nuclear status quo rather than currently in its infancy. Given the establish the optimal waste management The new body must start from the timescales involved and the fact that no strategy. Ukewise, with the continued assumption that public consensus is a commercial scale nuclear reactor has ever operation of the Magnox stations which necessary precondition of success and can been fully decommissioned this is hardly will significantly (and expensively) only be built on involvement and surprising. Decommissioning strategies increase nuclear waste arisings. consultation rather than diktat, exclusion proposed to date reflect this uncertainty and secrecy. It also requires the official and ignorance, though they completely This conspicuous and consistent choice acceptance that finding an accepted fail to acknowledge it. The nuclear by the nuclear industry in favour of its strategy for managing waste does not, in industry's decommissioning strategy has own interests, rather than those of the itself, justify further production of waste. gone full circle in the last decade. environment and the public, exposes the inadequacy of the current That means building up slowly on the Rather than clear sites and, as originally arrangement. Unless the responsibility basis of open public debate and promised, return them to 'green-field' for planning the management of nuclear discussion of the criteria for measuring status, Nuclear Electric (NE) now wants waste is separated from the the success of waste management to leave the reactor core on site under waste-producing activities this choice strategies. This should be followed by concrete and a landscaped mound of will continue to be made. an examination, in public, of all options earth. No safety case has been published against those criteria,. for this strategy and most justifications Change can happen only by government­ for it are couched in terms of financial driven reform within the nuclear In this way, the UK may find a method savings. However, it should be noted industry itself. The recommendations of dealing with its nuclear legacy which that the nuclear industry's own experts below should achieve the necessary is built on a foundation of public told the Sizewell B lnquiry that such a outcome by creating a new body of understanding, trust and a sense of plan would be 'unacceptable'.(5l waste handling and decommissioning responsibility to future generations. expertise that would itself no longer be Without this, the management of Uke other decommissioning strategies, contributing to the nuclear legacy. nuclear waste in the UK will continue this latest plan fails to recognise that to be a litany of confrontation and decommissioning is essentially a nuclear Recommendations for reform suspicion and, above all, failure. a waste management problem - how to isolate the highly radioactive reactor body The following measures are proposed Notes and References from the environment for the long for institutional and policy reform: (1) Briefing material on these problems is timescales necessary. NE is presenting its available on request from Friends of the Earth 'solution' without acknowledging either • Stop BNFL opening Thorp and phase Energy and Nuclear Campaign on 0714900224. the nature of the problem or the limited out the reprocessing of Magnox fuel extent of knowledge about the long-term (stopping the 'production' of nuclear (2) For further discussion of this issues, see S containment properties of concrete and waste at Sellafield, in effect removing it Roberts, Or P Green and R Western (1992) "The earth. from the 'nuclear industry'). Public Requirement to Demonstrate Safety: Where Nirex keeps going wrong and why" paper to IBC Conference Radioactive Waste Institutional inertia • Establish Sellafield as a centre for Management and Decommissioning, excellence in nuclear waste Cambridge, July 1992. Available from Friends Nuclear waste management policy and management and decommissioning. of the Earth Energy and Nuclear Campaign. decommissioning strategy in the UK are, in essence, in the hands of the nuclear • Disband Nirex and give its (3) For more detail see "Energy for a Future: industry. While the government may lay responsibilities for waste management, Friends of the Earth's evidence to the down broad principles and objectives, the and the responsibilities of NE and SNL Government's Review of Energy Policy," FoE, industry is itself in the driving seat. for decommissioning strategy, to a November 1992. sections 4.1.3 and 4.4.2. newly constituted body which runs (4) Lord Marshall (1990) "Memorandum However, the industry appears to be Sellafield under the auspices of the submitted by Lord Marshall of Goring on convinced that its failure to Department of Environment. evidence by MrGordon Mackerron", in House demonstrate 'safe disposal' of nuclear of Commons Energy CommiHee (1990), The waste is behind negative public opinion • Shut down the Magnox stations by the Costs of Nuclear Power, Fourth Report, on nuclear power. There is, therefore, a endof1993. Session 1989-90, Vol 11, p 165. clear conflict of interest between: the optimal nuclear waste management • Institute a major programme of public (5) Sizewell B Public Inquiry, Transcript of strategy in terms of public safety and consultation to establish criteria to Proceedings, Day X73, 12 October1984, page 18F. environmental protection; and the guide the development of a coherent (6) Nuclear Power and the Environment, Royal industry's dsire to present a 'solution' UI< decommissioning and waste Commission on Environmental Pollution, to its waste problem. management strategy. Sixth Report, HMSO, London, 1976.

Aprii/Afay '93 15 With energy efficiency having a crucial role to play in meeting international carbon dioxide abatement targets, Andrew Warren, the director of the Association for the Conservation of Energy, believes that European Community measures are failing to deliver energy savings. The rise and fall of SAVE

ElWEEN 1974-84, across the paper produced on May 13th 1987, certification, heat generator European Community, en­ entitled: "Towards a Continuing standards, and heat metering on the B ergy efficiency improved by Policy for Energy Efficiency in the basis of actual consumption; and an average of 20%. This meant pro­ European Community" (COM87223). closing in the second half of 1992 with ducing more wealth for the same - From this was developed the new motor vehicle performance or even less - amounts of fuel con­ programme entitled SAVE. Nobody requirements and minimum sumed. It reduced the number of should doubt the considerable standards for a range of domestic new power stations, gas and oil expectations made for this appliances not previously covered. fields. Over the same period, how­ programme. ever, Japan improved by 34%. Subsequently, on various occasions, a For instance, in a proposal for a variety of different members of the Now a further 20% savings target­ Council decision issued by the Parliament asked the Commission set by the Community for 1985-1995- Commission on May 12th 1989, in about the progress - or rather lack of is being allowed to slip. Investments paragraph 15 it is stated quite it - of many of these promised legal in improving energy performance specifically that "a realistic target for actions. have declined - in some countries SAVE would be to maintain energy dramatically. Between 1985-1990 a consumption in 2010 at the 1988 Meanwhile time moved on. On 16 meagre 7% overall improvement was level". October 1991, the Commission achieved. The European Commission formally adopted its key strategy has noted: "If current trends in the At the Council meetings on 31 May paper for the community to limit c~ consumption and efficient use of and 1 October 1990, the Council of emissions and improve energy energy continue, there is little hope of Ministers expressed favourable efficiency. In practice, versions of this the Community achieving its 1995 opinions about the SAVE programme, paper had been widely circulated for objective of improving by 20% the and called for it to be formally adopted much of the previous six months. efficiency of final demand. Failure to as soon as the opinions of the achieve this will have serious European Parliament had been According to Annex 6 of this consequences for energy supply. received. document, the total additional savings European Competitiveness ... and the from SAVE would be 15% of the environment." Building measures 526.4mtoe (million tonnes of oil equivalent) required for the reduction The SAVE programme (Specific On 13 November 1990, a "proposal for in C02. However, as a footnote, it was Actions for Vigorous Energy a Council decision concerning the added that "it has to be noted that the Efficiency) was the attempt by the promotion of energy efficiency in the impact of some SAVE measures are Commission to reverse this trend. Community'' (COM90/365 final) was already included in gains from the sent to the President of the Council. market and other policies". In 1990, the European Community This document set out in considerable emitted 2,738 million tonnes of carbon detail all the proposed directives In paragraph 14 of this key document, dioxide (C~). When stabilisation by under the SAVE programme. They fell it stated quite specifically that"a set of 2000 was originally agreed in October under three different headings: regulatory measures will need to be 1990, the anticipated business-as­ Technical measures; financial and developed ... many of these are usual increase was 11%. taxation measures; and measures covered to some extent by relating to user behaviour. Under Commission proposals like the SAVE Simultaneously, East Germany joined technical measures, particular programme, but will need to be the Community. Incorporating it, and concentration was placed upon the strengthened". acknowledging 4% growth in c~ building sector, which uses over 40% emissions in the old Community of final energy consumption - an Within these sectoral measures, there during 1991 alone, the EC now irony bearing in mind the subsequent were due to be sections on power estimates an increase of 14% in c~ subsidiarity arguments dredged up to generation including a promise for a levels by 2000 (based upon 2.4% GDP kill off SAVE. new proposal on least cost planning; growth). Because of its acknowledged industry; transport; and inefficiency, the EC now assumes that In Annex 1 of that document, which household/ commercial. On all of East Germany's c~ emissions will was criticised by the Parliament for these further regulatory measures decrease substantially (by 20 million having insufficient finance and were promised. tonnes over the decade), thus bringing ambition, a chronology of legal the anticipated EC growth back to actions and standards was included. The final statement of the original 12%. This detailed very clearly some 13 SAVE programme was prepared different areas which were to be under the Council decision However, SAVE's original conception covered in each half year, beginning in 91/565/EEC and was placed in the dates back further. It goes back to a the second half of 1990 with building official journal on 30 January 1992

16 Safe Energy 94 (92/C23/04). This provided a short description of the SAVE programme, as originally proposed by the Commission in its document (COM90/365) to which I referred earlier, which was amended by the European Parliament at its session in July1991. The clock ticked on. Early in 1992, the Rio summit was looming. The Commission wanted to have a substantial presence at the conference, to demonstrate that it was leading the field. The "carbon strategy" announced the previous year had inevitably focused on the novelty of the proposed new carbon/energy tax. This was to be the Big fdea the EC would take to Rio. To its proponents the Tax had become a kind of macho-symbol for the true environmental believer. Other parts of which will apparently be "primarily prosecute under Article 169 for lack of the Commission were less convinced. achieved" by this paltry proposal. But activity. But how are they to argue that But in a massive bargaining session in nowhere does it specify what Member there has been non-compliance if there Chefs de Cabinets meetings in late States will do in detail. The actual have been no targets set and no dates. April and early May, a deal was standards, even the timing are left up struck. The Tax would be endorsed­ to them. This is truly a test case for with the familiar caveats of 'subsidiarity', to see whether Member ''conditionality" and "opt-outs". But Let us take two examples, for both of States are genuinely delivering their as a quid pro quo, the relating which I have in my possession the part of the bargain. The auguries are programmes SAVE and its sister for original drafts which the Commission not good. Back in 1990, every Member renewable energy, ALTENER- were had prepared. They bear no State said that they would provide the effectively emasculated, under the resemblance whatsoever to what is Commission with details of their C~ convenient guise of subsidiarity. now being placed upon the table. Take abatement plans. At subsequent third party financing: to satisfy Article Council meetings, it has been agreed Horse trading 4, Member States are merely asked to over and over again that all Member take the necessary measures to States should try to do so. But even In practice, this was far more an "favour third party financing for now, not every Member State has yet example of good old-fashioned power investment". What are those provided details of even their politics horse trading. Which did the necessary measures? Will they be aspirations, let alone their detailed environment part of the Commission satisfied merely by issuing a few plans. want most - a series of detailed, leaflets? Certainly, there is nothing technical, almost mundane initiatives, binding whatsoever within this How can we know how the which individually might seem Article regarding specific actions. Community is doing, in working pedestrian, or a Big Idea? No matter Then take energy certification in towards its agreed carbon targets, if that on their own figures SAVE could buildings: Member States are merely we do not know how its component contribute every bit as much as the Tax asked to take appropriate measures parts are faring? The long-promised could (3% each, of the savings target). ''in order to progressively'' bring such monitoring mechanism is desperately It was duly sold down the river. The certification into effect. By when? No needed. concept of a super SAVE programme, firm time-table is suggested. championed only months before, was Energy Conservation is the cheapest, conveniently forgotten. Under Article 189 of the Treaty, it swiftest, most effective means of states quite specifically that "a achieving targets. Such a statement So now what do we have? Instead of directive shall be binding as to results has become almost a mantra for a series of binding directives, the to be achieved upon each Member everyone examining this issue. It is Parliament now has before it a paltry State to which it is addressed". I agreed that to achieve our objectives document. I gather now even the submit that the Parliament's legal we need a regular 2.5~ per annum legality of this is being challenged by services should consider: is this a improvement in energy efficiency. At the Council, who say the Article Directive? Or is it just a the moment, we appear to be going should be the portmantean Recommendation? There are no target backwards - in many elaces we are unanimity Article 235, not 130 S as results specified, certainly no actually becoming more inefficient by proposed. quantifiable ones. It is a completely the year. And yet the potential is so ill-defined document. great, as the original SAVE But claims are still being made that programme set out so lucidly: "a SAVE will save 3~ of emissions and After two years, Member States are realistic target for SAVE would be to that it will cut 61 million tonnes (rather supposed to report upon progress. In maintain energy consumption in 2010 than 77.8 million tonnes as before) - theory, the Commission could then at the 1988level". 0

Aprll/lflly '93 17 There is increased interest in combined heat and power development throughout the UK as a result of the structural changes brought about at privatisation of the electricity supply industry. GRAHAM STEIN looks at plans to bring CHP to Edinburgh. Edinburgh plans CHP

DINBURGH looks set to was chosen by the government as a lead distribution mains to all customers, develop combined heat and city ("CHP", SCRAM 48), would have though smaller consumers may initially Epower (CHP) eight years after brought waste heat to large areas of the be supplied via ScottshPower's supply. Scotland's capital was made one of the city from Cockenzie coal-fired power UK' s three CHP 'lead cities'. station ten miles from Edinburgh The CHP/DH system is projected to ("Edinburgh heat plans"I SCRAM 61). provide savings of at least ten per cent With a lack of support from government However, insufficient government compared to present or any alternative or .the electricity industry, the UK has support and difficulties over funding led methods of heating; and five per cent been slow to utilise the waste heat of to the proposals being quietly dropped. on electricity. electricity generation. Converting fossil or nuclear fuel to electricity has a thennal Citigen's phased approach minimises David Somervell, Energy Manager at efficiency of only around 35%; by using financial risk with each stage intended Edinburgh University, has welcomed the waste heat for district heating (OH), to be financially free-standing. It is the opportunity of the university to be overall efficiency can be raised to 80%. hoped that this initially less ambitious involved in the scheme saying: "This project will succeed where the previous project will realise a ten-year long Under the old order, electricity industry plan failed. dream to supply cleaner, greener heat wisdom dictated that generation should and power to Edinburgh." be in large stations away from centres of Boilerhouse population. The expense and heat loss As well as the reduced emissions through involved in piping waste heat over long At the heart of phase one of the scheme increased efficiency, the Edinburgh distances restricted CHP development. is a boilerhouse at Edinburgh Royal project will have similar exhaust gas Infirmary. One of the four existing steam treatment to Otigen's development in the Changes in the industry made at generators will be replaced with two CHP Oty of London which will, the company privatisation have improved the engines, fired by gas or low sulphur oil, says, have the most advanced system prospects for CHP and several schemes producing electricity and heat currently available, including provision are under development. for the removal of nitrogen oxides, The generating capacity of this first phase sulphur dioxide, hydrocarbons and The Edinburgh project, backed by the will be 13MW of electricity and 13MW of carbon monoxide. District Council and Lothian Regional heat. This will contribute 75% of total heat Council, will be developed by Otigen demand, with annual sales estimated at The recent modest upsurge in interest -ajoint venture between British Gas and 79 million kWh of electricity and 103 in CHP is to be welcomed, but the UK Utilicom of France. Qtigen is already million kWh of heat. Additional heat remains well behind other European building a CHP system in the Oty of capacity of 24MW could be provided countries. In Denmark, for instance, 40 London and developing other projects in from the university boiler room. Standby per cent of towns and cities are heated major towns and cities in the UK. and top-up electricity will be available and powered by CHP plants. from the existing public supply. Environmental groups, including Edinburgh's scheme, starting in the city SCRAM, have long argued the benefits centre, will hopefully expand The hot water, at a seasonally varied of CHP, and as the environmental need throughout the city. Phase one will be temperature of 70-100°C, will be for efficient use of energy becomes ever based around several large institutional supplied through a network of more urgent, it must be hoped that buildings in the Old Town: council pre-insulated pipelines to existing projects like the one planned for offices, public buildings, the Royal central heating systems. Electricity, at Edinburgh will encourage further Infirmary and Edinburgh University. llkV, will be sent out alongside the heat development. a An area of tenements and terraced houses will be incorporated to demonstrate domestic use of the service. Hot water will be piped to mainly existing central heating systems, and electricity will be supplied either 30 directly or via Scottish Power's grid.

This first stage should be completed by I the middle of next year, and could be followed rapidly by extension into the 120 New Town area north of Princes Street. ------HEAT PfiOOUCtiONCNWJII..nY FROM Oft The flexibility of the scheme, using 10 small efficient generating plant, will allow further expansion to other areas of the city, and it is hoped to incorporate industrial waste heat and energy from waste into the system.

Plans in the mid~, when Edinburgh 24 hour seasonal heat demand profiles for phase 1 - Old Town

18 Safe Energy 94 work only; and 12 will be shut. nuclear power has been brought forward Little help for coal Even the 12 'saved' pits are not to this year. expected to survive for long as Heseltine The sweeteners in the package were a WO months late, on 25 March, has done little to improve the market for total of £200 million to help areas affected T Michael Heseltine finally coal. The generators in England and by pit closures and an extra £12 million produced "The prospects for coal", his Wales are committed to just 160 million over three years for clean coal technology white paper designed to placate Tory tonnes over five years; and a government ("Clean coal reprieve?", p21). The white backbenchers over pit closures. He subsidy for additional sales, to bring them paper also welcomed British Coal's succeeded, and with only four Tory in line with imports, will be phased out announcement that pits to be closed will rebels voting against and three prior to privatisation of the industry - be offered to the private sector for sale or abstaining, giving the government a which will now take place "at the earliest lease. comfortable 22-vote majority. practical opportunity". Recognising to some extent the On 20 October last year, the day after shambles caused by its hands off (or even Heseltine promised a three-month review Pension fund Pontius Pilate) approach to the energy of the pit closure plan ("Coal chaos", Safe Even the money for the short-term sector, the government will now publish Energy 91), Lord Wakeham, Tory leader subsidy, estimated at around £500m, may an annual Energy Report, and an Energy in the Lords, told the Upper House: in effect end up coming from the miners' Advisory Panel will be established to "There would be little point in having a pension funds. The government is obliged offer advice. pause and moratorium on the proposed pit to reimburse British Coal (BC) for £480m Opposition MPs attacked the white closures if it was merely a device for of staged payments due to be made into paper for failing to address long-term getting the Government off the hook for the fund, to cover redundancies. But, strategic energy policy. Closing pits today or tomorrow." according to trustees of the fund, almost inevitably means the loss of the As it turned out, that is exactly what the government ministers have instructed BC natural resource - a loss that no change review was. Many people - particularly to make the payments from BC's share of in market forces or political will can ever those whose jobs were at stake had hoped an estimated £1bn surplus in the worker retrieve. The reliance on the market to for a genuine review, but the entire pension funds. decide the fate of coal mines, indeed to five-month process was nothing more The 'dash-to-gas', having received the dictate energy policy as a whole, is than a cynical political manoeuvre. approval of the Electricity Regulator, is to flawed. The nuclear industry remains The key outcome of the white paper proceed unchecked; no restrictions will be heavily subsidised; the dash-to-gas is is that 12 of the 31 pits originally to have placed on imports of subsidised nuclear based on short-term economics and been closed are, for the time being, power from France; and the dangerously preferential contracts; and imported coal reprieved; another six will be moth­ decrepit UK Magnoxes are to be kept is often subsidised and sometimes mined balled; one will receive development running - though the 1994 review of by child labour. Q

unlikely to receive any help. VAT's no carbon tax Opposition parties, charities and N Ireland power sell-off consumer groups have condemned the HANCELLOR Norman Lamont's imposition of VAT on an essential RIVATISATION of Northern Cbudget announcement of V AT at commodity. David Blunkett, shadow PIreland Electricity (NIE), 17 .S per cent on domestic fuel and health secretary, commented: "I am sure postponed from last autumn, will now power has shocked individuals and this change will mean an increase in take place by June this year. The sale organisations concerned with fuel hypothermia as many elderly people relates only to transmission and poverty, and the attempt to defend the will go without heating because of the move as a carbon tax has angered threat of increased bills." Amongst distribution, with the province's four environmentalists. others, Fran Bennett, the director of the power stations having been privatised The change from zero rating is to be Child Poverty Action Group, pointed in a series of trade sales in March 1992, phased in, with an eight per cent rate from out that the proportion of their income raising £352m. 1 April 1994, and the full 17.5 per cent spent by the poorest 20 per cent of The sell-off, expected to raise being levied a year later. Once such a households is twice that of an average £300-£400m, follows the delayed change is made, under present European household and that many live in approval of a £61 m European Community rules it would not be possible hard-to~heat, energy-inefficient Community grant towards the to return to zero rating in the future. housing. For the Gas Consumers' estimated total cost of £175m for a During his budget speech, the Council, its director, Ian Powe, said: Chancellor assured the House that the "This is a punitive tax on the warmth 250MW interconnector with Scotland. effects on those people on income related and comfort of low-income families, The Northern Ireland electricity system benefits would be taken into account from which must to some extent be returned has been isolated since an interconnector April 1994. Subsequent statements from through subsidised energy efficiency with the Republic of Ireland was blown junior social security minister Ann improvements to their houses." up by the IRA in 1976. Widdecombe and Chief Secretary to the The attempt to pass off the move as an The link with ScottishPower is Treasury Michael Portillo implied that environmental measure has been viewed the only adjustment would be through with widespread scepticism. Though it meant to increase competition in the benefit changes in line with the retail removes the anomaly in taxation between province, but with two power stations price index. This would delay any domestic fuel and energy efficiency nearing the end of their lives, there are increase in benefits until April 1995, goods, the failure to provide wide-ranging fears that Northern Ireland will and would take no account of the energy efficiency programmes will become dependent on imports along a disproportionate effect on the fuel poor exacerbate already serious fuel poverty vulnerable link which could become a or regional variations in fuel costs. problems while doing little to reduce terrorist target. It now appears that some compensation carbon dioxide emissions ("Road from mechanism will be introduced in April Rio", p20). In the absence of new As well as the electricity link, an 1994, but the level and scope of this has measures to improve energy efficiency, undersea gas pipe from Britain to yet to be announced. Those households on the Chancellor's move is no more than a Northern Ireland is being planned by incomes just above benefit levels are regressive method of raising revenue. Q British Gas. Q

Aprlf/May '93 19 opposition to the tax comes at a time when and the Department of Trade and Industry Road from Rio moves in the US \Clinton taxes fuel .., have estimated that without counter below) have made the EC tax, which is measures UK emissions will have risen IKE over one hundred and fifty conditional on similar measures being from 160 million tonnes of carbon (MtC) L other countries which signed up at introduced in the US and Japan, more in 1990 to 170MtC by 2000 - with 70 per the UN Earth Summit in Rio, the UK is likely. cent of this increase in the transport sector. committed to drawing up an inventory Of the six countries unequivocally Fortuitously for the DoE, Michael of its carbon dioxide (C02) emissions, supporting the EC-wide tax, Belgium, Heseltine's white paper on coal ("Little producing a reduction/stabilisation Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands help for coal.. , pl9), which will lead to strategy, and stabilising emissions at intend to go further than their UN coal generation being superseded by 1990 levels by the year 2000 ( .. One commitments and reduce c~ emissions gas-fired stations, is in line with the small step", Safe Energy 89). So far, the below 1990 levels, while the other two, forecasts. government's efforts are looking Italy and Luxembourg are aiming for V AT on domestic fuel and power is extremely haphazard. stabilisation. expected by the government to reduce The Department of Environment (DoE) C~ emissions by 1.5MtC per year by Stabilisation shortfall consultation document on C02, "Climate 2000, with a further 1.5MtC/y being cut change: our national programme for c~ Recent European Commission studies through increases in road fuel duties also emissions" ("Climate for change", Safe have shown that the EC is set to fall far announced in the budget. Energy 93) has been overtaken by events. short of its stabilisation target, and as well The government believes that a further V AT on domestic fuel, announced by the as the UK's opposition to the 4MtC/y can be saved by: the new Energy Chancellor, Norman Lamont, in his Spring carbon/energy tax other EC measures on Saving Trust, improved building budget ("VAT's no carbon tax", p 19), is not energy efficiency have been blocked, as regulations, the Energy Management a carbon tax as claimed, but it does seriously has funding for research into renewables Assistance Scheme, and labelling of impact on environmental policy. and promotion of clean technology. censumer goods. But there is considerable Introducing the V AT measures in his In an attempt to break the logjam, the doubt about the effectiveness of these budget speech, Lamont dismissed plans Danes - who currently hold the EC measures which the Association for the for a European Community (EC) presidency - arranged a meeting of Conservation of Energy, amongst others, carbon/energy tax ("EC energy tax", Safe energy and environment ministers on 23 considers are grossly underfunded. Energy 85).saying: "I remain unpersuaded April, at which all but the UK backed the Even assuming the government's of the need for a new EC tax". principle of the tax. However, ultimately, estimates are achieved, a further reduction Six EC countries have responded by any agreement will be subject to the of 3MtC/y will be required. Unless the challenging the UK over the tax, which approval of the finance ministers, who government is expecting a slower pick-up they believe is necessary to meet the UN will meet in June. in the economy than it is prepared to agreed targets. The six have threatened to The UK government appears to believe admit, further measures will need to be pull out of the Rio agreement if the EC tax that it at least can meet its C02 emission brought forward. An EC carbon/energy doe5 not go ahead quickly. lronical1y ,lJK targets without an EC-wide tax. The DoE tax may yet be back on the agenda. Q

anticipated to reduce demand by just two Clinton taxes fuel per cent from forecast levels, but they are Japan intervenes to cut C02 only part of a package of Federal RESIDENT Clinton 's plans for a programmes to reduce energy demand. N surprising contrast to US moves PUS energy tax, included in his The budget for the Oreen Lights I for energy taxes, Japan is planning an inaugural budget, successfully passed programme, to encourage the country's interventionist approach to carbon through both the Senate and Congress. largest 500 companies and local dioxide (C~) reductions. In rejecting Some watering down of the proposals government to use energy efficient free-market solutions, Japan's powerful was necessary to placate influential lighting, is increased to $69 million over international trade and industry Congressmen with strong regional four years, and is anticipated to produce ministry proposes low-interest loans interests. savings by the year 2000 of 75 to 108 and tax incentives to promote energy Clinton 's measures, which were million tons of carbon. The Low Income efficiency in industry commerce and developed in consultation with Home Energy Assistance programme will the home. environmental groups. are based on the be boosted, and State low income The policy "Fourteen proposals thermal content of fuels. The taxes, to be weatherisation programme budgets will for a new Earth" aims to meet phased in over three years, will be 25.7 cents be matched dollar for dollar. $1.3bn over Japan's ·commitment to return C02 per million BTUs (British Thermal Units) four years will be provided for emissions to 1990 levels by the year on coal, nuclear, hydro (BTU equivalent) development of new energy conservation 2000. With a forecast annual and gas, with an additional 34.2 cents on research programmes and the economic growth rate of 3.5 per refined petroleum oil. Exempted from the establishment of minimum standards, cent, Japan realises that stringent tax are home heating oil; bunker and jet fuel whi1e Federal buildings energy efficiency used in international transportation; and budgets will rise from $150 million to measures will be necessary. Energy petrol which will instead be taxed at a $500m a year with anticipated annual taxes would, the Japanese believe, relatively low rate starting at about 2.4 cents savings of $350m by 1997. Wholesale .. invite the international migration of a gallon rising to 7.4 cents by 1997. Ethanol customers of electricity from 123 industry" and might reduce economic and methanol, and renewable energy except Federally owned hydro stations will be growth and cause inflation. The use of hydro are exempt. able to resell energy saved through emission permits would incur It is estimated that when fully demand side management, sharing profits .. ma5sive costs". implemented these taxes will bring in $22 equally with the Federal Government. Producing 1 S per cent of the billion annually. Low wage earners will These Federal measures are in addition to world's wealth using just five per be protected from the fuel and other action being taken in a growing number of budget tax increases through expansion of States where regulatory bodies require cent of its energy, Japan is the the earned income tax credit for workers utilities to include costs for anticipated world's most energy-efficient earning up to .£20,980 a year. external environmental damage - country with balf the per capita The direct impact of the taxes is effectively acting as a local energy tax. Q C02 emissions ()f the USA. Q

Safe Energy 94 the Orkney Islands and the Scottish mainland This summer, IT Power, NEL at East Tidal turbines - where tidal currents reach 12mph. The cost Kilbride and Scottish Nuclear (SN) are to of electricity from these sites is estimated at carry out a £200,000 'proof of concept • pro­ IDAL streams around the UK coast lOp/kWh, but Peter Fraenkel, a director of IT ject, 85 per cent funded by SN, to test a T could supply 20% of the country's Power and one of the study's authors, believes lOkW unit in the Corran Narrows, Loch electricity needs according to a study for the thisfigurecouldcomedownto5p/kWhorless. Linnhe, near Fort William. Department of Trade and Industry.* The Pentland Firth alone could provide If these trials are successful, the next Powerful, predictable tides could be 3,000MW generating capacity with a load phase would be to develop a device of harnessed using technology similar to wind factor of 20 per cent or more. several hundred kW supplying electricity, turbines. The underwater turbines could be Advantages of tidal turbines should possibly to an island community. a attached to seabed towers, surface floats or include minimal environmental impact, mid-water buoyancy platfonns. modular design, short construction time and *"Tidal stream energy review", ETSU. Six of the best eight UK sites identified in reliance on largely proven technology from Department of Trade and Industry, the study are in the Pentland Firth- between wind power and offshore oil development. April1993.

with an expensive plan to increase biodiesel Energy efficiency moves Bio-fuel for thought production - taking advantage of the EC 'set aside' scheme for agricultural land. LECfRICITY regulator Prof. Stephen HE environmental benefit of bio­ The environmental impact of biodiesel ELittlechild is considering standards of T diesel derived from rapeseed has could be reduced by using less fertiliser in performance on energy efficiency for elec­ been questioned in recent studies in cultivation and using renewable energy for tricity companies. After last year's energy Germany and France. processing. efficiency review ("Energy efficiency", While biodiesel cultivation and process­ • A 5MW biomass-fuelled generating Safe Energy 91), he concluded "there was ing saves 65 per cent in C02 compared with scope for the electricity companies to diesel emissions, the German study for the plant is being planned for St Boswells in make an increased contribution to the pro­ Federal Environment Office shows that the Scottish Borders. Border Biofuels motion of the efficient use of electricity." other greenhouse gases including methane aims to use wood chips from willow trees Standards of performance will be designed and oxides of nitrogen reduce the advantage grown on agricultural land under the set to ensure the companies make effective use of to just 35 per cent. aside scheme. funds made available for energy efficiency. Problems with carbon deposits in The Ministry of Agriculture doubts that engines discovered during trials can be the EC subsidy would apply but the House • Regional electricity company Manweb is overcome but require a more expensive and of Commons Environment Committee re­ on course to achieve an 11% cut in the energy intensive production method - cently called for tree-planting to be included 9MW electricity demandatHolyhead,north further reducing the benefit. in the scheme. Wales. The £500,000 project - to avoid The French study has shown no economic Even without EC funding, the company upgrading the supply system -has included or environmental benefit from biodiesel, but believes the project could be viable with some offering cheap energy-efficient light bulbs the farming lobby has ensured the French fiscal pump priming through the expected and hot water tank insulation. a government's support for pushing ahead Scottish Renewables Obligation. a

ment of the 100,000 people being displaced, Renewables obligations Dam shame believe the move was to pre-empt the World Bank withdrawing from the project over ICHAEL Heseltine's white paper HE Indian government has India's failure to meet resettlement and M on coal included an increase in the Tannounced that it is to tum down environmental criteria. renewables target for the year 2000 from further World Bank funding for its l,OOOMW to l,500MW. This is the rather massive $3bn Narmada dams project. • Deadlock between Hungary and Slo­ unambitious target proposed by the With two major, 135 medium-sized and vakia over the Gabcikovo hydro-electric Renewable Energy Advisory Group 3,000 small dams, the scheme is designed project ("Dam discussions", Safe Energy ("Reaaargh!", Safe Energy 93), well short to supply drinking water to 30 million 92) will now be referred to the Inter­ of the 3-4,000MW proposed by the people, provide irrigation to feed 20 mil­ national Court of Justice in The Hague. House of Commons Energy Committee. lion and generate electricity With Hungarian reports of dried up wells It now looks as if the renewables part of In addition to not receiving the fmal $187m and creeks along the stretch of the Danube the Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) in loan from the World Bank, the Indian govern­ where most of the flow is being diverted to England and Wales will be extended ment is unlikely to receive $200m in aid from the Slovak turbines, the European Com­ beyond 1998, and that similar measures Japan, which was frozen in 1990. munity has persuaded the antagonists to will finally be introduced in Scotland and Environmental and human rights oppon­ agree in principle to a temporary water man­ Northern Ireland. New European ents of the scheme who doubt the benefits agement scheme ensuring flow along both the original river and the new canal. Community (EC) Competition Commis­ will ever materialise and criticise the treat- a sioner Karel van Miert has formally told the UK government that the Commission would not object to the NFFO being Clean coal reprieve? Floating wind turbines extended for renewables. According to EC Energy Monthly, a HE Coal Research Establishment l.4MW offshore wind turbine on a 50MW DNC (declared net capacity) target T (CRE) at Cheltenham was given A floating concrete hull is being for the year 2000 is proposed for Northern £12rn over three years in Michael Hesel­ developed by three UK companies. It Ireland, with schemes being subsidised over tine's coal white paper. While this lifts the would be moored in water 70-300m deep 15 years. In Scotland a 35MW DNC immediate uncertainty over the centres up to 15km offshore and a prototype could obligation is planned for 1993, with survival, its long-term future will depend be at sea by the end of 1994. subsidies lasting around ten years; similar on private sector funding to meet its £18m Offshore engineering consultancy obligations are expected in future years. annual budget. Tecnomare UK, wind energy specialists The government has already notified the The white paper states that the CRE's Garrad Hassan and British Maritime Commission of its plans for a renewable most promising project, the Topping Technology have been working on the obligation in Northern Ireland, and formal Cycle, should be taken over by private project for a year with backing from the approval for all these schemes could be industry and that the CRE should become Department of Trade and Industry's completed by June this year. a an independent research organisation. a Wealth of the Ocean!'! project. a

Aprii/May '93 I REVIEWS I new textbook on BEMS by GJ What is most disturbing is Managing energy, by Paul O'Callaghan Levermore at UMIST (pub. the absence of any genuine E&:FN Spon). Pages on reference to the recent work Discounted Cash Flow, Net of the Energy Efficiency McGraw-Hill; 1992, 416pp, £40 Present Value and Option Office (EEO). Literally Conflict Correction Charts millions of taxpayers' money follow to fine-tune the have been sunk into what is "So you're an Energy They are followed by a investment appraisal. Now, emerging as an excellent set Manager are you? What general fishing expedition apart from a few exception­ of advisory documents and exactly do you do ... ?" request for all plans, ally large or complex projects case studies under the EEO enquired my maiden aunt. schematics, layouts, ratings, I've never heard of anyone Best Practice Programme "Well, I manage the energy, operating hours, etc for using anything more complex and the Making a Corporate don't I ... ", was my flippant every piece of equipment in than Simple Payback - ie Commitment Campaign reply, because it takes a 400 the place. dividing total project costs by (MACC). Much recent page book (and some) to After cooking all this data estimated annual savings emphasis has been on the explain what I could be up in some mean-looking gives the number of years need to mJtnage energy doing. The tome in question flow charts it is announced needed to repay the cost. management in a coherent Energy Management - a that potential savings Greater sophistication relies way and build it into the comprehensive guide to amoUJlt to £85,000, or 35% of on inflation and fuel cost normal decision-making and reducing costs by efficient the initial energy bill. Next he forecasting and we all know investment procedures of the energy use, is the collected spells- out how the savings how dodgy a science that is! organisation rather than it wisdom distilled from the from each of three years can Appendices provide more being an ad-hoc activity to be MSc course which Paul be re-invested to achieve a tables, a summary list of low funded if an exceptionally 0' Callaghan has been capital spend of £85,000 cost, medium cost and higher good case can be made for it. evolving for twenty years at entirely from revenue. My cost options and 20 chec~ts This book only really Cranfield Institute of experience is that there are for different items -of touches on aspects of energy Technology. Now Professor rarely so many unconsidered equipment or building engineering and my feeling is CfCallaghan, he has seen over opportunities, and I'm elements. that an aspiring energy 600 students graduate as certainly unclear how far The whole lot appears manager would do better to potential energy managers; £1,000 would go on comprehensive, but it's not. dig out all the mostly free and this book ranges over reports and booklets much of his theoretical basis published by the Building for energy engineering •. ··;.·.:·c.•··c: Research Energy Conserva­ decision- making. tion Support Unit (BRECSU) The first chapter sets out the . EEO MAC calllpaign.1 Pat·~· Str~et,l.on~ori SW1 E - mainly building-related, imperative for energy effi­ 5HE (QU ~~ ~~~?) and the Energy Technology ciency improvements as a key Support Unit (ETSU) - .. ·····afi~csoeriqoltl.ii 8uilnrWat1otdWD2 7JA (0923 664 258) · mainly processes and burgeoning human impact on production, but including the environment, now seen to · g¥~fi ~hqUi~i~~. ~~h.t~tt l.~s~l'~t~~. t~it~dsh.i.re renewables. Organisational be seriously at risk. In the OX~1.0AA (023~ 4Q6747) .. : : ; . .. Aspects of Energy Manage­ second and third he launches ment (GIR 12 from BRECSU) into an energy audit of an and Computer Aided Monit­ imaginary widget manu­ improving/ installing I kept wishing for the rules of oring and Targeting for facturer with annual energy temperature controls in an thumb, the more directive Industry (GPG31 from E'ISU) costs of £280,000. The audit 8,000m2 factory, and wonder advice, which is passed on by are but two noteworthy trail is well polished, with whether £37,000 pa could be people with years of items from the lists available fairly obvious recommenda­ saved through this measure. practical experience, to do free on request. tions emerging early, eg Ploughing on through this or avoid that. As an Lastly, there is much good "Investigate use of electricity chapter 4, "Fundamental example ten pages on the sense in the promotional for heating purposes" - Concepts", he introduces no theory behind electrical literature emerging from the having shown that it is not fewer than 114 complex power factor correction fails Making a Corporate Commit­ only a bad thing but also equations in 80 packed pages entirely to mention that ment Campaign (MACq run prohibitively expensive. cove,ring Thermophysical electricity invoices need by the EEO itself. A literature Loads of histograms, pie TranSport Properties through checking every month in case request form is available free charts and tables of energy U-values to Vapour Migration the installed capacitors or from the EEO. My enthusi­ indices show different views afid Condensation. Chapter 5 their fuses fail, leading to asm for the maturing output of consumption and costs of contains a curious bundle of lower power factor and from the Best Practice various fuels delivered to the unrelated elements, from higher charges. Water Programme is only tempered site in 1991-92. boiler efficiency tables to conservation only rates a by the difficulty in knowing The initial review completed human comfort scales, with a single paragraph, but when of the existence of much of and presented, several pages quantity of useful reference some organisations' annual the very well considered of questions are then fired off material. water bills are now higher information, let alone how to at Mr Jimmy, Chief Works Chapter 6, "Instrumenta­ than their gas bills, then this get it. A six-monthly Engineer, by our intrepid tion, Measurement. and is inadequate. Too often the compiled list of the interviewer Mr Probe. These Control", introduces 52 more advice is in the form "Check publications published and range widely, if a little equations, but barely three the boiler" rather than which sponsored by the EEO would generically, eg "Boilers: Is sides on Building Energy aspect is the crucial one be of inestimable value. plant operating efficiently?" Management Systems, and leading to potential -one of120 questions listed. no r.t!ference to the useful improvement DAVID SOMERVELL

22 Safe Energy 94 I OBITUARY I Sir Kelvin Spencer conversion of "swords into experience whose only the day. In short he was ploughshares" and the problem for Whitehall was treated as a dissident, whose Sir Kelvin Spencer was a public were then persuaded that he had taken a line that isolation was intended as a long-time supporter of that our nuclear power was unacceptable to the punishment for his defection SCRAM, and his interest stations offered endless nuclear lobby, which was, at from what had become a and backing will be greatly supplies of energy that the time, deeply entrenched central item of almost missed. The following would be cheap, safe and at the heart of government. religious belief among top obituary by Tony Benn first peaceful. Kelvin Spencer came to the people- that nuclear power appeared in The Independent Later, as a result of his own conference and it was there was the right and proper and is reproduced with experience and concern at that I met him - a wise, course to be followed. permission. certain safety aspects of this experienced and kindly man As a result of his principled programme (in particular the whose interests extended well stand he won the respect and The death of Kelvin accidental fire at Windscale beyond technology of energy affection of the younger Spencer deprives this in 1957), Spencer, in his to the widest social and generation who suspected country of one of its finest retirement in the Sixties, political implications of any that the "Atoms for Peace" scientific public servants, concluded that he had been decision that might be made. programme was really a thin whose contribution to wrong and that the whole He was clear, modest and cover for the development of contemporary society has nuclear power policy should inc1s1ve and made a nuclear weapons, and was never been fully appreciated. be scrapped, a view which I formidable contribution to our unsafe and far more He served, and was later came to share. discussions that weekend. expensive than coal- as it is. decorated for gallantry, in the When, as Energy Secretary, Later I met him again on Such men are precious and First World War, played a I decided to convene a various occasions and he his admirers - amongst large role in the development representative weekend retained that combination of whom I count myself - well of the post-war aircraft conference at Sunningdale in sharp intellect and humane miss him greatly. industry, and in 1952 moved 1977 to discuss policy I asked sensitivity that is so rarely to to become the Chief Scientist civil servants to invite Kelvin be found in one person. He TonyBenn at the Ministry of Fuel and Spencer, hoping that he was always shrewd and Power where he supervised would be a counterbalance to generous in the presentation Kelvin Tallent Spencer, the early work in the the conventional view. of his arguments but there is scientist: born 7 July 1898; formulation of Britain's new I was strongly advised no doubt that he was a victim MC 1918; CBE 1950; Chief civil nuclear programme. against inviting him, by of the same sort of Scientist, Ministry of Power For his generation, and senior civil servants, on the marginalisation that is used 1954-59; Kt 1959; married those of us who had been grounds that he was senile. A to exclude anyone whose 1927 Phoebe Wills (died shocked by Hiroshima, this scandalous charge to make views do not fit into the 1989; one son); died 28 was a classic case of the against a man of immense establishment consensus of February 1993.

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Aprif/May '93 23 LITTLE BLACK RABBIT

bags provided the public with a far from Energy subscription look like exceedingly ~ ~ That's Rich reassuring image: a case of 'beauty in the good value. Which it is, of course. ~ Congratulations to Offer, on eye of the beholder', perhaps? ~ 1. granting the first licence to a I One Hann and his ... IIIJiij foreign company to sell ~ Scottis~ . Nuclear's la_test electricity in the UK. The ~ 1 advert1s1ng campa1gn. ( lucky recipients: Swiss-based .funded by a grateful nation, Rich~ & Co. Unfortunately, chairman Marc features Meg (a sheepdog Rich can' t come over to collect the award, ~.· g:~~~~~~r~review of the nuclear industry ( with some intriguing as he'd be extradited to the USA to face is to be brought forward to behaviouP ral quirks) rounding up charges involving racketeering, fraud, tax this year. Noting the white paper's customers for the Visitors' Centre at evasion, and illegal trading with Iran. Mr assertion that privatisation is 'the only way Torness. Unfortunately, a furry friend tells Rich happens to be reputedly the greatest of enabling the coal industry to realise its LBR that the scenes around Torness had to indicted tax evader (at $48m) in American full potential', Chief Executive Dr Robin be refilmed because the original footage history. It's good to know our electricity is Jeffrey wondered, "Is there a lesson here turned out to be fogged ... Look out for the in safe hands. for the nuclear industry?" There may well sequel, in whkh Black Bag (the faithful be: LBR knows of a few ex-miners who border bin-liner) is expected to give a Waste s ight could explain to Dr Jeffrey just how painful practical demonstration of waste Highland Region councillors it can be, preparing to 'realise your full management techniques at Dounreay. visited Dounreay on 1 April potential'. to assess AEA Technology's Watc hdog application to extend their I Knowledge and power And on the subject of silly low-level waste pits. A ~ The locals at Trawsfynydd advertising campaigns: a council report revealed that the proposed ~ 1 are not impressed with complaint against one of ex- tension was to be 8,425 metres deep. Nuclear Electric's miserly Scottish Nuclear's 1992 Disappointingly, this figure turned out to approach to information newspaper ads has been be an unintentional April Fool's joke, as the ( • sharing. The good proprietors upheld by the Advertising Standards council explained that the comma should of the (no-)power s tation are proposing to Authority- . In short, the advert claimed that have been a point. build an incinerator to burn off 'alternatives ... can provide no more than In any case, AEA Technology failed to contaminated oiL The people want a public 10% of our energy', but as the Scottish 'drum up' enough support in the council, inquiry, and asked for details such as the Greens pointed out, hydro already and the application was turned down -in expected increase in radiation doses. No provides more than 10% of Scotl a nd' s spite of their noble efforts to provide the problem, said NE-they' re yours for only electricity. So at £1 .9 million, Scottish press with a favourable view of the £4,500. I suppose you can't blame them for Nuclear' s 1992 informa tio n campaign -existing dump. Unfortunately, their photo grabbing at the rare chance to generate makes the Trawsfynydd offer look like of haphazardly dumped drums and bin some revenue, but it does make the Safe quite good value, really. Three ways to promote safe energy Three ways to help SCRAM: fill in the appropriate section(s) together with your name and address and return the form to the address below.

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Name ------· __ (amount) from my account number Address ______

Post code ______Phone No.

To: SCRAM, 11 Forth Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LE