Governing a Nuclear Megainvestment: a Multi-Scalar Ethnography of Wylfa Newydd Márton Fabók
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Governing a nuclear megainvestment: A multi-scalar ethnography of Wylfa Newydd Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy by Márton Fabók September 2016 THESIS ABSTRACT The ambitious 16+ GW new nuclear programme in Britain marks a distinctive low-carbon energy pathway. The proposed new build projects are megainvestments instituting novel ways of governance and public engagement with striking contrasts to previous constructions. To probe into this new era of nuclear megainvestments, the thesis focuses on the proposed £14bn Wylfa Newydd project on Anglesey, on the northwest fringe of Wales. In the intersection of sociotechnical transitions, human geography, and science and technology studies (STS) literatures, the case study addresses the geographies of energy transitions, the politics of governing low-carbon investments, and the changing participation in large-scale infrastructural projects. The multi-scalar ethnographic study included both living in local communities and engaging with stakeholder organisations, from local councils to Whitehall ministries and multinational investors, through interviewing, document analysis, and meeting participations. Based on the findings, the thesis claims that the new nuclear project is better characterised as a megainvestment assembled together from diverse issues across multiple scales, from Welsh language protection to supply chain development, than as a technological object, an energy-generating source, or a financial megaproject. The megainvestment is transformative well beyond Anglesey with distinct practices and visions tied to the investment across various geographic scales. The governance of Wylfa Newydd is blurring the boundaries between public and private organisations with a shift towards collaborative platforms and coproduction of specialist knowledge. The public consultations displace the political controversies to legal wrangles and disputes on (geographic) boundaries by fragmenting affected publics and customising issues. In summary, this transformative project marks a new era of doing megainvestments on multiple geographic scales, with shifts in particular towards collaborative evidence-based governance and customised public consultations. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A PhD is the rite of passage for the candidate to the academic community. While it is a collective achievement with a support of colleagues, family and friends, first I would like to thank for myself. I did it. These four years were sometimes filled with struggles and hard lessons, but I have learnt to appreciate the companion who was always there, myself. My supervisors probably do not recognise how much they shaped this project, and how many hours and days I have sometimes spent thinking even about their minor remarks. Pete, I was a stubborn student but I have always appreciated your care, advice, and camaraderie, and your supportive hugs. Darren, as a supervisor you are the same as a footballer, a great team player with some really well-targeted shots. Andy P, your cheerfulness, wisdom and constructive criticism were always reassuring. Andy D, you made only a few comments but those often opened whole new worlds for me. I am incredibly grateful to the people I interviewed, chatted with on the street, and visited in the homes and workplaces during my fieldwork. On Anglesey I have found an amazing welcome and support, and many great people. I am especially thanking all my interviewees for their precious time and often remarkable honesty. In particular, I would like to thank the staff of Horizon, the officials of Energy Island Programme, and the community councillors at Llanbadrig and Mechell for answering my never-ending inquiries and for allowing me to visit their meetings. A PhD project is a journey. In my case, it was a very literal one. In the last four years I have lived in six different places, five cities in three (and a half) countries and a small Welsh village. This PhD thesis was written in a number of houses and offices, but especially in stunning public libraries and cafés. In Liverpool, our growing small PhD community made our department so much better to live and work in. Thanks to Josh, Madeleine, Alina, Lena, Julcsi, Dan, Cat, Craig and Leo. My memories go back to Lancaster, where I found an intellectual and personal home before starting my PhD (and a physical shelter after) in particular with Péter, Felipe, Owen, Jan, Elizabeth, Tom and Abby. In Manchester, I couldn’t have been surrounded with better people than Roberto, Chiara, Serena, and Sergio. On Anglesey, I spent far the best part of the PhD surrounded by lovely people, I cannot name all, in a community I sometimes still miss. I am especially thankful to Ross for the conversations, gym sessions and drinks, and to Elfed for his true care and the shared stories. At St Andrews, Darren was great in hosting me both academically and personally, and I have found an active PhD community in town and a relaxing cottage in the countryside. In Vienna, Uli and Max were excellent in hosting me, I have really ii enjoyed working in the department and getting to know the people there, including sharing the office and many lunches with Bernhard. In Budapest, there were just too many friends I didn’t see in the final writing-up phase…I look forward to getting together with them again. Thanks a lot to Éva and Bandi for proofreading parts of this thesis, and to Áron for taking care of the hardcopy. Special thanks for their friendship to Jucus, Imi, Andris, Rita, Slank and Dávid. The ones who were always there for me are my family. Probably we have never been so close, and I relied much on the unconditional trust of Anya, Apa, Bálint, and now Viki and Dorka. In Bori I have found a partner to share our joys and strains, and who was patient enough in the long-long final months that she had to compete for attention with this piece of writing. Budapest, 30 September 2016 iii Nagyapa emlékére, szeretnék olyan ember lenni mint ő volt. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (CHAPTER OUTLINE) Chapter 1. Introduction: Researching an energy transition from the ground ...... 1 Chapter 2. Histories of the UK nuclear industry and Anglesey ........................... 13 Chapter 3. Literature review: Beyond energy transitions ................................... 40 Chapter 4. Methodology: A multi-scalar ethnography ....................................... 90 Chapter 5. Negotiating geographies: Places, visions, and practices ................. 113 Chapter 6. A governance experiment: The collaborative making of new nuclear .......................................................................................................................... 153 Chapter 7. Making things private: Public engagement and democracy ........... 177 Chapter 8. Conclusions ..................................................................................... 212 Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 221 Appendices ....................................................................................................... 267 v TABLE OF CONTENTS (FULL) Thesis abstract ....................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................... ii Glossary of terms .................................................................................................. x Chapter 1. Introduction: Researching an energy transition from the ground ...... 1 1.1 A megainvestment on the fringe of Britain ................................................. 1 1.2 Electricity systems in transition: Spaces of experimentation ..................... 4 1.3 Energy transitions, geographies, and politics ............................................. 8 1.4 Research aim and questions ..................................................................... 11 1.5 Overview of the thesis .............................................................................. 11 Chapter 2. Histories of the UK nuclear industry and Anglesey ........................... 13 2.1 The history of a national industry from the ground .................................. 13 2.2 Building the backbone of a nation: From streetlights to a national industry (1870s-1950s) ................................................................................................. 15 2.3 Anglesey, Mother of Wales ....................................................................... 18 2.4 White heat transforming the fringe of Britain (1950s-1970s) .................. 20 2.4.1 The First Programme of Nuclear Power from behind the scenes ...... 21 2.4.2 Building a nuclear cathedral ............................................................... 23 2.4.3 Bringing modernity to the fringe ....................................................... 24 2.5 White elephant vs red dragon (1970s-1990s) ........................................... 26 2.5.1 Turbulent changes in post-war Britain ............................................... 27 2.5.2 Electricity privatisation and the end of the nuclear dream ............... 28 2.5.3 An island on fire, a village in blossom ................................................ 29 2.6 White papers giving rise to an Energy Island (1990s-2010s) .................... 31 2.6.1 Decarbonisation policies in a liberalised market ............................... 32 2.6.2 Nuclear renaissance or nuclear