Independent report shows Britain doesn't need nuclear stations to keep the lights on

Experts to come together to review alternative options for UK energy system

Greenpeace has published an in depth study by independent energy experts, ILEX, which shows that all of British Energy's nuclear power stations could be closed in the next 2-3 years without the lights going out. This analysis undermines the government's main justification for its controversial £50 million loan of taxpayer's money to the failed private nuclear generator.

Greenpeace and the think-tank Green Alliance will now use the report to host a series of expert seminars to review the options available to the government on maintaining a secure electricity supply and continuing to tackle global warming if the UK's nuclear power stations are closed down rapidly. The first seminar will review a menu of options identified by industry and policy experts that can make up for additional emissions generated from gas fired power stations. These include increased energy and fuel efficiency schemes, as well as a proposal by British Sugar to displace 5% of UK petrol sales with bio-ethanol. (1)

Commenting on the report Matthew Spencer, Greenpeace Energy Campaign Director said,
"Independent analysts have shown that we don't need nuclear power stations to keep the lights on in Britain. This Government is using security of supply and climate change as a smokescreen for propping up the nuclear sector, a policy which is damaging players in the renewable energy industry."

"The Governments final line of defence for the British Energy bail out collapses under ILEX's dispassionate analysis. The Government should use the opportunity created by this British Energy crisis to negotiate an early closure of the company's nuclear power stations. It would rebalance the power market, staunch the flow of taxpayers money to the nuclear industry, and prevent the generation of 20 years of highly radioactive waste."

The ILEX report - 'The closure of British Energy's nuclear power stations'- looks at the implications of closing all of the company's reactors over 2-3 years and shows that the National Grid's 20% safety margin can be maintained on the UK electricity system if wholesale price returns to 1999 levels. This would give owners of conventional power stations the incentive to keep them open, reopen plants that have been mothballed, and encourage new gas plants to be built. The report also shows that all the UK's nuclear reactors, including those run by BNFL, could be closed within 3-4 years whilst maintaining the 20% margin. ILEX identifies measures that would help the building of combined heat and power and renewable energy capacity.

Greenpeace calculates that British Energy's eight nuclear power stations currently generate 465 tonnes of spent fuel each year. Spent fuel is highly radioactive and there is no known way of disposing of it safely. This waste would not be generated if the stations were closed down.(2)

The report highlights the relationship between the Government's British Energy bailout and the current crisis in the UK electricity sector that has seen many energy companies in trouble. Wholesale prices have dropped by 40% in the last four years and are causing problems for many gas, combined heat and power and renewable energy generators.

On Friday (22nd November) The High Court gave renewable energy company Ecotricity and Greenpeace leave to proceed with a Judicial Review of the Government's decision to loan £50 million of taxpayers money to private nuclear generator British Energy. The case will be heard the week of 27th January 2003.

Matthew Spencer added,
" This report shows one clear route to closing nuclear power stations whilst maintaining security of supply - there will be others - the important thing is that it starts a serious discussion about the other options available to the Government to power this country without nuclear energy."

Notes to Editors:

1. If all nuclear power was replaced by gas-fired CCGT plant the carbon 'gap' in the governments programme to achieve a 20% cut in CO2 emissions would be 7 million tonnes of carbon. Greenpeace is aware of proposals from industry and policy experts for measures not currently in the climate programme that total 11-12 million tonnes of carbon. These include work from the CHP Association that suggest an additional 2.3 million can be saved in more efficient energy generation, a proposal from British Sugar to displace 5% of UK petrol sales with bio-ethanol that would save 0.6 million tonnes of carbon, and analysis from the Institute of European Environmental Policy that shows that improving fuel efficiency of road vehicles which could deliver additional savings of 1.5 million tonnes of carbon.
2. Table. Annual radioactive spent fuel from British Energy nuclear power stations
   

   Reactor Type	tonnes per GWe (annual)1	total BE capacity GWe 2	tonnes spent fuel
   AGR	49	8.6	421.4
   PWR	36	1.2	43.2
   Total			464.6

   1. Appendix 41, House of Commons Environment Committee, 1st Report, Radioactive Waste, Volume III
   2. Seven year statements from National Grid Company & Scottish Power