#NuclearCommissionSAust Submissions to South Australia’s Nuclear Royal Commission – theme for July 2015
Theoretically, anyone can make a Submission. Even though they seem to be confining this whole thing to South Australia, those outside South Australia can still make a Submission (- and particularly if you are a company that makes nuclear reactors.)
Closing dates for Submissions
24 July 2015 – Submissions addressing only Issues Paper 1 ((Exploration, Extraction and/or Milling) and Issues Paper 4 (Management, Storage and Disposal of Waste).
3 August 2015 – Submissions addressing Issues Paper 2 (Further Processing and Manufacture) and/or Issues Paper 3 (Electricity Generation).
This closing date also applies to any consolidated submission which addresses all four Issues Papers.
If you go to the Royal Commission’s website http://nuclearrc.sa.gov.au/, you will there find the instructions on how to do the Submission.
This involves:
- Submissions should be typed with page numbers. Submissions should adopt the numbering of the questions used in the Issues Papers.
- Use their cover form and format.
- Stick to the topics and points as given in their Issues Papers (but you can add other topics as an Appendix) Also in an Appendix you can nominate an expert witness to give evidence at a Hearing.
- Swear an oath before a Commissioner for Affidavits or a Justice of the Peace.
Submissions can be sent by email (submissions@nuclearrc.sa.gov.au) or by directly uploading the submission through its website, Electronic submissions should be in PDF format and be text searchable (OCR). Or in hard copy. by post. Hardcopy submissions can be sent to: Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission GPO Box 11043 Adelaide SA 5001
Investors flee Energy Resources of Australia as its uranium mining plans stop
ERA shares in death spiral as prospects slashed, SMH, June 15, 20 Peter Ker The uranium miner operating beside Kakadu National Park may have zero chance of restarting mining at the site, according to UBS analyst Glyn Lawcock.
Speaking after shares in Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) lost more than 48 per cent of their value on Friday, Mr Lawcock said the decision to abandon plans for an expansion of the Ranger mine warranted a downgrading of the stock to a “sell” rating.
Many ERA shareholders were doing just that on Monday, with the stock falling a further 25.4 per cent or 17¢ to close at 50¢.
ERA shares were worth $1.29 at market close on Thursday, prior to ERA announcing that it would not go ahead with an underground expansion at the Ranger mine. That expansion, called “Ranger 3 Deeps”, was the only chance of future mining at Ranger, where mining of the third pit ceased in 2011……
Rio Tinto has offered to cover the shortage of funds to complete the rehabilitation, but it is believed that offer is conditional on ERA ruling out any further development at Ranger, something ERA is not yet willing to do……
The funding shortfall for the rehabilitation is believed to be close to $200 million, although Mr Drew speculated it could be as high as $500 million.
Uranium prices have been depressed since the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in March 2011, and that weakness was one of the major reasons why the underground expansion was abandoned….http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/era-shares-in-death-spiral-as-prospects-slashed-20150615-gho6jg.html
Port Augusta the right place for concentrated solar power
Ingo Weber: After Alinta, here’s a new future for Port Augusta, Adelaide Advertiser, 15 June 15 IN Australia air pollution kills more than double the number of people who die in road deaths. We need to change our dependency on coal, and Port Augusta is the place to start.
There are at least two large international companies currently building concentrated solar thermal power plants (in Spain and the US) keen to build CST right here and now in Port Augusta. We just need political vision.(subscribers only) http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/ingo-weber-port-augusta-ideal-for-a-solar-powered-future/story-fni6unxq-1227400879688
Safety and cost anxieties about Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
USA considers Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, The Hill, 16 June 15 “……. the same problems that have slowed development of full-size nuclear reactors to nearly a halt — safety and cost — could keep delaying or even kill the potential for small modular reactors to take off……
However, the prospect of changing rules for small reactors is troubling to nuclear safety and security advocates such as the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Edwin Lyman, a senior scientists with the group, said small reactors have no safety or security advantages when compared with larger ones. But since they would produce less power, there is pressure to scale down the requirements.
“The simple fact is that SMRs have a significant cost penalty compared to large reactors on a per-megawatt basis because of diseconomies of scale,” Lyman said.
“No utility will want to buy them unless they can be exempted from a lot of costly regulations that large reactors must meet,” he continued. “But in light of the Fukushima disaster, one must be very wary of the safety claims made by the nuclear industry, especially for reactor designs that have never been built or tested.”
Asia Pacific Greens Federation Congress condemns Australia’s backward action on climate chnage
Delegates expressed strong opposition to plans to roll out more nuclear power stations in Korea, Japan and Taiwan, and sought the help of Greens parties worldwide in that effort. All want greater efforts in promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Greens are well placed to break through and win seats in upcoming elections in Korea and Taiwan……..
Just as corporations are global, so too the Greens are a global force
Christine Milne: Australia ‘universally condemned’ at regional Greens meeting, Guardian 15 June 15 Too often, the concerns of Pacific Island nations are jettisoned in favour of bigger nations’ interests. The Asia Pacific Greens congress aims to change that . Green parties around the world have been working for decades to address global warming. Australia’s Pacific Island neighbours are already suffering extreme weather events, storm surges, and adverse impacts on their health and livelihoods, with their ability to grow food constrained by salt water incursion into fresh water lenses. At every UN climate meeting they ask for help, and in spite of all the sympathetic talk, their concerns are jettisoned in favour of national sovereignty arguments from more powerful nations like Australia. This has to change. Continue reading
Australian Greens want Senate inquiry into fossil fuel money to political parties and lobby groups
Greens mount fossil fuel donations hunt http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/greens-mount-fossil-fuel-donations-hunt/story-fni0xqi4-1227400237377AAP
JUNE 16, 2015 THE Greens are going on a fossil fuel hunt to track down how much influence the industry wields over Australian politics.
THE minor party wants the Senate to look into what donations fossil fuel companies make to the major political parties and tax-free campaigns run by associated lobby groups.
Environment spokeswoman Larissa Waters said an existing parliamentary inquiry into tax-free donations to environmental groups was a witch-hunt and it was time questions were asked on the other side.
Oil and Gas industry claims against environmental groups
Environmental groups ‘subsidise illegal activity’, oil and gas industry claims, The Age June 17 Heath Aston, political correspondent Environmental groups have been accused by the oil and gas industry of “subsidising illegal activity and activism”.
The government register that provides tax-deductible status for donations to groups like WWF and Greenpeace may have been “subverted” by some groups to channel money into illegal protests, according to the industry.
Groups that specialise in training protesters to take part in mining blockades are also qualifying for charity status through “affiliation” to groups listed on the register of environmental organisations overseen by the federal Environment Department.
The claims are contained in a submission to the Senate inquiry into the tax-deductible status of environmental groups, which held its first public hearing on Tuesday, by the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association……..http://www.theage.com.au/national/environmental-groups-subsidise-illegal-activity-oil-and-gas-industry-claims-20150616-ghphrm.html
South Australia already a world leader in renewable energy – could reach 100% by 2030
South Australia powered by renewable energy in 2030
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/sa-100-per-cent-renewable-by-2030/story-fni0xqi3-1227399824523AAP JUNE 16, 2015
SOUTH Australia could be completely powered by renewable energy in just 15 years.
A REPORT released by the Conservation Council on Tuesday says the 100 per cent target is achievable based on extensive modelling of future power needs.The report says renewable energy is a safe, reliable and affordable option and rejects suggestions South Australia will need more base load power.
“South Australia has a very real opportunity to become the first Australian state to reach 100 per cent renewable energy,” report author Professor Mark Diesendorf from the University of NSW said.
“Our research team has taken years of real time data and matched it with detailed weather results and run hourly simulations to see if 100 per cent renewable energy is possible.
“It’s not only possible, but could be done effectively and reliably within 15 years.” The report comes after news last week that Alinta Energy plans to close down its South Australian power stations and the Leigh Creek coal mine that supplies them as early as March next year.
South Australia already gets 40 per cent of its power from wind and solar energy and around a quarter of local households have rooftop solar systems.
Conservation Council chief executive Craig Wilkins said South Australia was already a world leader in renewable energy. “The exciting thing is we don’t need to wait for the federal government to act.
“If we are smart, our state is uniquely poised to attract sorely needed job-rich investment into this important industry,” he said.
Research shows USA Could Run Exclusively On Renewable Energy By 2050
The US Could Run Exclusively On Renewable Energy By 2050 http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/06/the-us-could-run-exclusively-on-renewable-energy-by-2050/ ALISSA WALKERThere are many things holding up the US’s move towards renewable energy, but that one thing is not science: We already have all the technology we need to make this happen. A new study claims that a completely clean energy future is possible by 2050, and it plots roadmaps for all 50 states to achieve this goal.
The study, which is published in Energy & Environmental Science, is authored by Mark Z. Jacobson, a civil and environmental engineer who heads up Stanford’s Atmosphere and Energy Program. He’s known for publishing many similar roadmaps for America’s energy future, but this one is the most comprehensive — and useful — because it takes into consideration the unique environmental situations and policy quirks for each state.
Most enticing is this chart where incredible growth in solar and wind energy helps offset the gradual reduction in fossil fuels and nuclear energy. But the overall energy supply needed will also decrease, even with increased demand, due to better energy efficiency.
In that black zone that gets squeezed out: Nuclear power, coal with carbon capture, liquid or solid biofuels, and natural gas. Nope, not even biofuels, argues the study — since “their combustion produces air pollution at rates on the same order as fossil fuels and their lifecycle carbon emissions are highly uncertain.”
Japan’s Giant Floating Solar Power Stations
Giant Floating Solar Power Stations Are Japan’s Newest Power Source, Huffington Post 15 June 15 “……. the country is now turning to floating solar power stations, this month going live with its largest such systems to date in two reservoirs in Kato City in the nation’s Hyogo prefecture, Quartz reports. The systems consist of almost 9,000 solar panels on a bed of polyethylene and are fully waterproofed.
According to Kyocera, the electronics manufacturer behind the floating solar systems, the two new stations in Kato City are expected to generate 3,300 megawatt hours annually, providing enough electricity to power about 920 typical households. The company is also behind another floating solar farm just east of Tokyo, slated to open next March, that will be even larger, powering almost 5,000 households.
The “mega-plants” have a number of benefits compared to traditional land-based solar plants. As Wired previously reported, the floating plants generate power more efficiently because of the cooling effect of the water underneath the system. In addition, the shade generated by the stations helps reduce both water evaporation and algae growth, and the systems overall are also drought-friendly thanks to how muchwater they conserve……..
the floating islands could play a huge role in helping Japan meet its goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2040…….Japan isn’t the only country investing in these solar “islands,” either. Projects are already online or underway in India, Australia, Great Britain, Brazil and in Sonoma County, California. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/15/japan-floating-solar-power_n_7588506.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green
AGL’s Utility-scale Solar Photovoltaic plants in New South Wales
Utility-scale PV in Australia: AGL’s 102 MW Nyngan solar plant achieves full generation Solar Server 15 June 15 AGL Energy Limited (AGL, St Leonards, North Sydney Council, Australia) on June 9th, 2015 confirmed that the Nyngan solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in western New South Wales (NSW) has achieved full generation, sending 102 MW of solar power into the National Electricity Market.
The 250 hectare Nyngan PV plant together with its sister solar plant in Broken Hill, will have a combined capacity of 155 MW, bolstering AGL’s credentials as the largest ASX-listed owner, operator and developer of renewable energy generation in Australia. In the last decade AGL has invested more than USD 3 billion in renewable energy projects.
AGL Project Manager for both the Nyngan and Broken Hill Solar Plants, Adam Mackett, said the team has been working very closely with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and local distributor Essential Energy (EE) to make sure testing and commissioning was satisfactory to enable 100 percent generation. Largest utility-scale solar PV plant ever built in Australia
AGL’s 140 hectare Broken Hill plant has also reached a significant construction milestone, with 35 percent of the 650,000 solar PV modules installed……..
“This new Australian record sends a strong signal to the energy industry that utility-scale solar PV plants can be constructed on time and on budget,” said Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO Ivor Frischknecht, adding, “ARENA is pleased to support this landmark project, which will greatly increase market confidence in future solar PV projects, bringing down the cost of planning, construction and finance.”……
Nyngan and Broken Hill PV plants to produce 360,000 megawatt hours of solar power annually……..AGL will deliver the solar plants in partnership with local councils and communities, project partner First Solar, as well ARENA and the NSW Government. http://www.solarserver.com/solar-magazine/solar-news/current/2015/kw25/utility-scale-pv-in-australia-agls-102-mw-nyngan-solar-plant-achieves-full-generation.html
Electricity utilities scramble now to embrace domestic solar and storage systems
Energy companies embracing domestic solar and storage systems in scramble to protect profits, ABC News 14 June By business reporter Stephen Letts The battle lines in the fight to power the nation are rapidly being redrawn as the emergence of domestic solar and storage systems have forced the big utilities to scramble to protect their shrinking fiefdoms.
Six months ago, the big three power companies – AGL, Origin and EnergyAustralia – were spending considerable time and resources fighting to have both large and small scale Renewable Energy Targets (LRET and SRES) either cut or abolished.
In the past few weeks the rhetoric has been all about the lucrative growth opportunities for their small residential solar businesses.
Both the big listed Australian utilities – AGL and Origin – have told their recent investor briefings that their traditional businesses in the National Electricity Market (NEM) do not exactly have bright prospects.
Coal fired generation in decline; demand and prices hit Continue reading
Australian Technologies Competition (ATC) dominated by renewable energy solutions
Smart grid, renewable energy solutions dominate Australian tech comp shortlist, REneweconomy, By Sophie Vorrath on 15 June 2015 A pre-fab, portable solar power solution; peak energy load predicting software; and inverter/charger grid balancing technology for network operators. These are just three of a range of home-grown, new clean technologies to make the shortlist for this year’s Australian Technologies Competition (ATC), announced on Monday………
This year’s Semi Finalists includes NSW-based 5B Australia, for its prefabricated, portable, modular solar PV power system for use where energy needs are changeable, short-term or over multiple sites; Queensland’s Renewable Energy Solutions Australia (RESA) for its VoltLogic inverter/charger technology that can be used for power factor correction and phase balancing in grid networks, where renewables capacity is being added; and a retrofittable hybrid heating, ventilating, and air conditioning unit that delivers an average a 30-40 per cent energy reduction on costs compared to conventional HVAC units, from Victorian company Independent Products.
There is also “CloudCAM”, by NSW company Fulcrum3D – an advanced, ground-based sky imaging system that identifies, categorizes, tracks
and predictscloud movement and shadow for solar power stations; and a product that reduces network, customer and generation peaks to
provide energy optimisation and demand management, by Victoria-based company, GreenSync…………http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/smart-grid-renewable-energy-solutions-dominate-australian-tech-comp-shortlist-19161
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 