[en] The project manager in charge of decommissioning at Hunterston A power station describes the successful defuelling of the reactor. This process, which came about despite the Magnox reactor's excellent reliability and productivity record, was completed ahead of time schedule and within its budget targets. (UK)

[en] Extending the operating life of Magnox power stations is likely to produce some of the cheapest nuclear-generated electricity seen so far in the United Kingdom. The technical editor of The Nuclear Engineer, looks at the whole question of plant life management in the nuclear industry. (Author)

[en] A brief overview of the Malaysian energy sector and biomass resources is presented. The burning of oil palm wastes in burners in a cogenerating system, the harvesting of logs and potential use of forestry residues, the use of wood fuels in the rubber, brick, cocoa, and charcoal industries, the incineration of municipal solid waste without energy recovery, and the limited use of rice residues due to handling difficulties are discussed. (UK)

[en] A one-day conference organised by the Institute of Energy was held recently to discuss the way forward for emissions trading of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the UK. In the absence of the Government's draft rules for the scheme, the meeting examined the background to the proposed scheme and its implications for participants. Henry Derwent of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) confirmed that emissions trading would happen despite the US rejection of the Kyoto Protocol. Margaret Mogford of the UK Emissions Trading Group explained the special features of the UK scheme, including its voluntary nature, financial incentives from the Government and the use of targets based on units of output. The scheme would be administered by an emissions trading authority and there would be three possible routes to participation (core participants, emissions savings projects and 'unit' participants). Margaret Mogford also outlined the steps for companies interested in participating

[en] After decades of regulated power monopolies, the US electricity industry is becoming competitive. Spurred by a government deregulation order, utilities are recreating themselves, turning their backs on long held, non-competitive practices and positioning themselves to be lean, mean, competitive machines. The difficult and painful conversion is creating a new set of financial and technical problems. In particular, legislators and engineers alike wonder how reliability will fair in the newly competitive arena. (UK)

[en] Britain's nuclear industry is entering a new phase in which the decommissioning of existing power stations has begun at a time when no new stations are being built - or even planned. Including smaller installations, of a total of 44 reactors units which have produced electrical power since the 1950s, nine are now at various stages of decommissioning. These include three Magnox stations - both Berkeley and Hunterston A are now being decommissioned having been closed in 1988 and 1990 on economic grounds, while Trawsfyndd in NorthWales closed in 1993. (Author)

[en] The benefits of using mains-borne signalling to both the suppliers and consumers of electric power are set out in this article. Power line communications technology looks set to expand with the deregulation of the domestic electricity market in the United Kingdom. The specific options available with one such system known as PowerNet include real-time meter reading, load management, remote connection and deconnection and customer communications. Experience with existing PowerNet users justifies, it is argued, expansion of the network. (UK)

[en] It is argued that both the Climate Change Levy and the fuel duty tax are outdated even before they are implemented. Apparently, the real problems are not in the bringing of road fuels into the scope of the Climate Change Levy but in introducing reforms to improve integration of greenhouse gases and taxation. Both fuel duty and the Levy are aimed at maximising efficiency and reducing air pollution. The system as it stands does not take into account the development of a market where the management and trading of carbon and greenhouse gases may jeopardise the competitiveness of UK businesses. It is argued that an overhaul of climate and emissions-related law is necessary. The paper is presented under the sub-headings of (i) a fixation on energy; (ii) no focus on CO₂; (iii) carbon markets - beyond the levy and (iv) tax structure. (UK)

[en] Nuclear power is safe, clean and secure energy technology seldom treated fairly by the media; the industry's accident record and 'problems' around the storage and disposal of its waste are minor issues compared with those of other industries. (author)

[en] With the opening of Carno, Europe's largest wind farm, the amount of wind energy installed in the UK now exceeds 230 MW. This puts it third in the league of European countries. Supported by Friends of the Earth, the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) last month launched a campaign to urge the Government to build upon its support for renewable energy technologies, and to adopt a more ambitious target for wind -to generate 10% of UK electricity by 2025. FoE urged local authorities to take their commitment to sustainable development seriously by supporting sensitively developed wind projects. The BWEA examines the economics for wind power, and assesses the outlook for future trading in green energy. (author)