MIT Report Endorses Centralized Interim Storage for Spent Reactor Fuel
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology task force report called yesterday for the United States to create a few centralized storage sites for spent nuclear reactor fuel in the next decades, while researching new reactor designs that could reduce the challenges of permanent geological burial of nuclear wastes.
The report, “The Future of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle,” co-chaired by MIT professors Mujid Kazimi, Ernest Moniz and Charles Forsberg, also concludes that worldwide supplies of uranium will be sufficient to serve a tenfold increase in light water reactors, each operating for 60 years. “There is no shortage of uranium resources that might constrain future commitments to build new nuclear plants for at least much of this century,” the report says.
Kidnapping comes as French nuclear giant Areva works on image
The kidnapping of seven foreign nuclear employees in Niger comes at a time when French nuclear giant Areva has been striving to improve its image in a region threatened by robbery, radical Islamism, and the local population’s widespread resentment.
Russa’s Putin pledges coordination with OPEC
(Reuters) - Russia, currently the world’s biggest oil producer, will work more closely with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
“OPEC is sometimes irritated by us as we, not being a member of the organisation, produce more oil, which influences international crude oil prices,” he told a conference in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.
“But we will coordinate our work with OPEC,” he said, adding Russia would also work with the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, which brings together leading gas exporters.
Japan’s Maehara: watching China gas field actions
(Reuters) - New Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told a news conference on Friday that he would carefully watch Chinese activities at a gas field in disputed waters of the East China Sea.
Powerful Hurricane Karl nears Mexican Gulf coast
VERACRUZ, Mexico — Hurricane Karl grew with surprising speed into a powerful Category 3 storm Friday, prompting closure of Gulf of Mexico oil facilities and the country’s largest power plant.
About 1,000 people evacuated to shelters near the Laguna Verde electrical plant, Mexico’s only nuclear generator, and some coastal towns as the storm approached. By late Friday morning, it was 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Veracruz city — which was already being lashed by 100 mph (150 kph) winds, according to Isidro Cano, chief of civil protection in the city.
Exxon Seeking Buyers For Argentina Downstream Assets - Report
Integrated oil companies face a tough operating environment in Argentina where fuel prices are heavily regulated by the government. Last month, the administration of President Cristina Fernandez ordered gasoline stations to roll back fuel prices to where they were on July 31 in a bid to limit inflation, which is widely believed to be above 20%.
FACTBOX-Petrobras plans for world’s biggest stock offer
(Reuters) - Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras increased on Friday the size of its massive offering, adding more stock to meet investors’ demand.
Coal-bed methane in China: coming to consumers by truck
China is rich in coal-bed methane, a gas that can be used for fuel. But production has not proved easy. This year output of the gas will be less than a quarter of the official target.
Transport is a key obstacle. China’s pipeline network is dominated by oil giants CNPC and Sinopec, making it difficult for gas suppliers to get access. Now one company, Green Dragon Gas, has found a way to skirt the issue - by selling its coal-bed methane directly to customers.
Northern Ireland gas prices frozen for winter
Consumers in Northern Ireland will benefit from a gas price freeze this winter, it’s been announced.
Phoenix Supply has pledged to hold tariffs steady for its 130,000 homes and businesses from the beginning of October — despite increases in wholesale energy prices in recent months.
No light at tunnel’s end in fuel crisis
Fuel scarcity in Uganda and the region continues to bite as consumers pounce on every litre ferried into the country.
Most stations have completely run out of petroleum, pushing motorists to resort to public means. “Our only ray of hope; a 200,000 litre consignment is being ferried into the country. This is the only fuel we expect this week until the repairs are done,” said Mr Peter Ochieng, Kobil’s marketing and operations manager.
NOIA Responds to Revised Projections of Job Losses from Moratorium
“The report from the Obama Administration on the job losses caused by their blanket deepwater drilling moratorium downplays the true impact being felt in the Gulf Region,” said Randall Luthi, President of the National Ocean Industries Association. “It will be no comfort to these unemployed workers to read how their plight could be worse had the Department’s earlier estimates of 23,000 rendered jobless been realized.”
The report, released on September 16 at the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing, reduces the original projections of 23,000 lost jobs resulting from the gulf drilling moratorium to between 8,000 to 12,000, and predicts that most of those will be temporary losses.
EPA investigates release at BP’s Texas refinery
HOUSTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is investigating a 40-day benzene release at BP’s Texas City refinery, the site of a 2005 explosion that killed 15 workers.
The EPA’s investigation comes after Texas filed suit against BP over the toxic release in April. Texas City residents have also filed a class-action suit against BP seeking $10 billion in damages.
Inflation rate flat amid price confusion
He puts the odds of deflation happening — meaning CPI dips below zero — at 25%.
“We don’t have a whole lot of inflation right now, and the economy seems to be losing momentum. But when you look at the numbers, what we see is low rates of inflation, no actual deflation,” he said.
Rising energy and food prices are the biggest drivers keeping the overall index above water, with gasoline rising 4.1% over the last year and food rising 1%. The entire energy index — which includes fuel, electricity and gas utilities — rose 3.8%.
Review: 2011 Nissan Leaf electric car is a treat to drive
Electric cars have been around as long as gasoline versions, but their limited range always outweighed the fact that they are simple to use and easy to drive.
Citgo sign outside Fenway Park gets relighted
BOSTON — The giant Citgo sign visible over Fenway Park’s famous Green Monster will soon be lighting up the night again.
The 3,600-square-foot sign featuring the Venezuelan oil company’s iconic red triangle on a white background has been dark since the middle of the summer for a makeover. It will be turned on again Friday during the seventh-inning stretch of the Red Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
In the past two months, electricians have replaced about 218,000 LED lights on the 60-foot by 60-foot sign with brighter, more energy-efficient, and weather-resistant lights.
The 4 major threats to industrialized agriculture — Fred Kirschenmann speaks
The question to challenge policy makers today is this, “What kind of system will we need when crude costs $300 per barrel? Since our current industrial agriculture model is based upon cheap energy, this is his number one concern. Fertilizers, pesticides, equipment manufacturing and operation, all rely upon cheap fossil fuels. When the cost of fossil fuels goes up, farming costs skyrocket. In Iowa, anhydrous ammonia went from $200 per ton to more than $1,000 per ton almost overnight when energy prices peaked in 2008. Farmers cannot operate profitably under such high input cost conditions. The Leopold Center expects crude oil to cost $200 per barrel in 4-5 years and $400 in 5-10 years.
Increases in energy costs are also a factor in local food production. This is a complex issue since a small farmer driving his produce fifty miles to his nearest farmer’s market can use relatively more energy than a full semi-truck of produce driving half-way across this country.
Bill McKibben: Strength in Numbers
On Oct. 10 (10/10/10), 350.org is organizing a Global Work Party, a day when people from pole to pole will be putting up solar panels, digging community gardens, and creating new bike paths. At the end of the day, they’ll swap shovels for cell phones, calling their presidents or their politburos with the same message: “I’m getting to work, and I expect you to do the same.” If anyone wonders how much work is enough, we’ve got a number for them.
Pakistan on the brink of an energy crisis?
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (UPI) — Pakistan is bracing for a major shortage of petroleum products as the Pakistan State Oil company moves closer to a financial emergency, a source suggested.
PSO is on the verge of defaulting on its international payments as $190 million in debt is due to foreign suppliers. An official at the company told Pakistan’s English-language Dawn newspaper that PSO was considering canceling a significant amount of oil imports.
“The situation is very bad,” the source said. “It has never been like this.”
Crude Oil Rises as Hurricane Karl, Higher Equities Temper Supply Concern
Oil rose for the first time in four days in New York as advancing equities and a hurricane battering Mexico tempered concern that the restart of a crude pipeline in the U.S. will add to excess supplies.
Futures are heading for a 1.7 percent decline this week after Enbridge Energy Partners LP received government approval to resume flowing oil on their Line 6A, which supplies refineries in the Midwest. The system will begin operating today, the company said. Petroleos Mexicanos, closed 14 offshore wells as Hurricane Karl approached.
Fuel-Oil Loss Grows as Asian Imports Rise Most in 6 Months
Fuel-oil shipments to Singapore are poised to climb in September by the most in six months, widening the losses incurred by Asian refiners from producing the commodity, according to a Bloomberg survey.
Imports will jump about 25 percent this month to 4 million metric tons compared with August, based on the median estimate of five traders in Singapore and Tokyo surveyed by Bloomberg.
Brent Oil in London Likely to Fail at $80 Trend-Line: Technical Analysis
Crude oil is unlikely to advance much more in London as prices fail at a four-month trend-line at $79.25 to $80.26 a barrel, according to technical analysis by Commerzbank AG.
Brent oil futures on the ICE Futures Europe exchange traded up 81 cents at $79.29 a barrel as of 11:46 a.m. local time, having advanced nearly 4 percent this month on hopes that the global economic revival will stimulate fuel demand. The commodity is likely to falter at current levels, blocked by a resistance line that has bound prices since May, according to the bank.
Oil May Fall as Enbridge Repairs Line, U.S. Supplies Expand, Survey Shows
Crude oil may fall next week on speculation U.S. supplies will increase after Enbridge Energy Partners LP starts a pipeline, a Bloomberg News survey showed.
Twenty-four of 46 analysts, or 52 percent, forecast crude oil will decline through Sept. 24. Seventeen respondents, or 37 percent, predicted little change, and five estimated prices will rise. Last week, 55 percent said crude would decrease.
Hurricane Karl Strengthens in Southwestern Gulf, Closes Mexican Oil Wells
Karl became a “major” hurricane, packing winds of 120 miles an hour and bearing down on Mexico’s east coast after closing oil wells in the Gulf, while Bermuda issued a hurricane watch as Igor approached.
Karl’s maximum winds increased from 105 mph (165 kilometers an hour), making it now a Category 3 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory before 4 a.m. Mexico City time. The storm’s eye was 70 miles east-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico, the center said.
China’s Rise Complicates Goal of Using Less Energy
BEIJING — Despite huge investment in new technologies, China is finding it difficult to make its economy more energy-efficient, a senior official said Thursday.
The acknowledgment of difficulties by Zhang Laiwu, deputy minister for science and technology, comes as China has become the world’s largest auto market and is spending heavily on high-speed rail and other infrastructure projects that require a lot of steel and cement, which are energy-intensive to make.
A top Chinese auto executive predicted Thursday at a conference in Chengdu that annual auto sales in China would reach 40 million vehicles by 2020, more than twice the peak of the American market before the recent economic downturn. That could add to China’s energy-efficiency challenges, as more people drive cars rather than use mass transit.
China LNG imports double to record high in August
BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) doubled in August from a year earlier to a record high of about 1 million tonnes, an official source who had seen the trade data said on Friday.
Most of the additional volume likely arrived at a terminal in the southern Guangdong province, sources said.
China’s Activites in East China Sea Gas Field Are `Legal,’ Ministry Says
China has sovereign rights over the East China Sea gas field known as “Chun Xiao” and all activities there are “completely legal”, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement posted on the department’s website today.
Chevron, Sinopec may join in shale gas deal
Major US oil company Chevron Corp and China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec) may join forces to explore and develop shale gas in southwestern China at the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing an unnamed source.
Canada: boom times are back at Alberta’s oil sands
TORONTO, Canada — The boom times are back at Alberta’s oil sands.
What environmentalists describe as one of the worst emitters of greenhouses gases on earth has shaken off the recession. Its massive oil extraction projects now employ 27,700 workers — 3 percent more than the previous peak in 2008.
Kiev sees South Stream as wasteful
MOSCOW (UPI) — Russian plans to build the $20 billion South Stream natural gas pipeline to Europe is a waste of money, the Ukrainian foreign minister said.
The Ukrainian gas transit system carries 80 percent of all Russian gas bound for Europe currently. A stormy relationship between Kiev and Moscow has exposed vulnerabilities in the regional energy sector, however.
Shipping Billionaire Fredriksen Reworks Orders for China Tankers, Carriers
Shipping companies led by Norway- born billionaire John Fredriksen renegotiated the terms of orders for oil tankers and coal and iron ore carriers due to be built by a Chinese shipyard.
Frontline Ltd., the world’s largest supertanker operator, and Golden Ocean Group Ltd. increased the number of vessels they are having built at Zhoushan Jinhaiwan Shipyard Co. and secured lower prices, according to statements from both companies today. Fredriksen is chairman of the two shipping lines.
Gulfsands looks to Iraq gas deals after fivefold profits surge
Gulfsands, the British oil company with operations in eastern Syria, is hoping it can succeed in Iraq where bigger companies have stumbled.
The company, which reported a fivefold increase in net profit yesterday, is optimistic that a new Iraqi government will conclude a natural gas deal and offer the company partnerships with international majors to advance the pace of the country’s oilfield development, said Mahdi Sajjad, the president of Gulfsands.
Reliance Said to Consider Investing in Chesapeake Energy’s Shale-Gas Asset
Reliance Industries Ltd., India’s biggest company by market value, is considering investing in a Chesapeake Energy Corp. shale-gas asset, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The Indian energy explorer controlled by Mukesh Ambani has been reviewing the assets for some months, two of the people said, declining to be named before an announcement. Chesapeake, which has about 600,000 acres in Eagle Ford shale in south Texas, is negotiating joint ventures with “a couple of different parties,” finance chief Marcus C. Rowland said on Sept. 15.
Group gets more time to fund Maine LNG terminal
Last month, Calais LNG received a one-month delay from state regulators after a Goldman Sachs affiliate withdrew from the project.
Rocks, nearby water line suspected cause of Enbridge spill
CALGARY — An oil spill and subsequent shut down of a major crude export line into the United States could have been caused by external factors around an Enbridge pipeline, according to initial investigations.
The information could get Enbridge out of the hot seat on the second major incident in as many months, which saw 6,000 barrels of oil spilled on Illinois soil last week.
Details about the Romeoville, Ill., spill indicate rocks between the pipeline and a municipal water line placed directly below Line 6A could have led to the rupture, according to initial data released Thursday.
After blast, states wait on aging gas lines
SAN BRUNO, Calif - Some of Pennsylvania’s natural gas pipelines are 120 years old. Portions of lines also date to the 1800s in Massachusetts. And hundreds of miles in New York state are made of leak-prone cast iron.
Tens of thousands of miles of pipelines that run beneath communities nationwide are old or decaying, and an Associated Press survey found that no states in the parts of the country with the greatest concentration of people and pipes have ordered a safety review in the week since a deadly explosion in California raised public awareness of potential problems.
Enbridge Pipeline Halt to Keep U.S. Oil Imports Low, Goldman Sachs Says
The halt of an Enbridge Energy Partners LP pipeline that got approval to reopen is expected to keep U.S. crude oil imports at a reduced level in coming weeks, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said.
Enbridge got final approval from federal regulators to resume shipments through Line 6A today after its largest oil pipeline linking Canada and U.S. Midwest refiners was closed Sept. 9 following a leak. The 670,000-barrel-a-day link will run at about 69 percent of capacity when it returns to service, the company said yesterday.
Engineers complete link-up with blown-out BP well
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Engineers have managed to hook up a relief well to the blown-out BP oil well which caused the largest maritime spill in US history and sullied Gulf of Mexico waters, officials said.
Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who is leading the government response to the massive spill, said data showed the relief had now “intersected” with the ruptured Macondo well.
Gulf jobs report stirs debate over moratorium
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., a leading critic of the moratorium, attacked the report and said the “heavy hand of the federal government” was placing thousands of jobs in the Gulf at risk.
“I find it stunning that the administration was aware that their actions might eliminate nearly 23,000 jobs in an already faltering economy and proceeded anyway,” Landrieu said. “That decision has imperiled thousands of small businesses who are reliant on the revenue generated by the oil and gas industry.”
Gulf spill judge says never too early to settle
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – The judge overseeing the hundreds lawsuits filed by shrimpers, restaurateurs and others against BP Plc and its partners as a result of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill urged the parties on Thursday to consider an agreement to avoid a trial.
BP declines to pay Ala. claim, school funds cut
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — BP has declined for now to pay Alabama on its $148 million claim for tax revenue lost by the massive oil spill - a move that caused the governor to cut funding sharply for schools for the rest of September.
Obama administration accused of helping BP hide the oil in the Gulf
The Obama administration is facing two new charges of suppressing information about the BP oil spill.
Independent scientists, environmental organisations and local groups in the Gulf have repeatedly accused government agencies of helping BP to under-estimate the amount of oil that spewed out of its well and play down its effects on marine life.
EU Condemns France’s ill Treatment of Roma
(Hamsayeh.Net) - In the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis gripping the European Union members - due to peak oil - EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding grilled French officials for their racist behavior toward the ancient Roma people.
For the Coda, a Preface in Washington
After you build an electric car, the next step is to sell it. So Kevin Czinger, the president and chief executive of Coda Automotive, trucked his from California to Washington this week to try it out on the General Services Administration, the purchasing arm of the federal government.
Consumers Resist Smart Meters After $3.4 Billion Stimulus Push
PG&E Corp., Cisco Systems Inc. and General Electric Co. are all betting that energy-monitoring devices will catch on in homes. Convincing consumers that they’re a good thing is turning out to be a tough sell.
Power companies have traditionally relied on workers walking house to house to monitor electricity use. Smart meters are designed to give utilities a real-time picture of electricity consumption, eventually allowing them to create pricing plans that will encourage conservation during peak hours. About 43 percent of U.S. homes will have the new meters by 2014, up from 14 percent at the end of last year, according to Dallas-based market researcher Parks Associates.
FACTBOX - U.N. scheme aims to bring clean energy to millions
REUTERS - A U.N. scheme designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and transform the livelihoods of millions of people in developing countries is picking up speed, with dozens of projects being developed or evaluated.
The Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism provides for offsets from clean energy projects in developing countries to be sold to governments and companies, such as utilities, that need to meet mandatory emissions targets.
Coal Challenge Looms in China and India
My article in Thursday’s Times looks at Europe’s attempt to reduce its dependence on coal by ending state subsidies for coal plants and mines. Using coal for power generation results in high levels of local pollution as well as the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
But in terms of future emissions, the larger coal problem is in emerging economies, particularly China’s, rather than in Europe or the United States. Economic growth in China is now powered largely by coal. If current trends continue, coal use will decrease in Europe by 2050 but will more than double in China and in India, according to projections by the International Energy Agency. Even if there is a significant shift to cleaner forms of power by that date, the growth of each country will spawn enormous emissions along the way.
Q. and A.: Hastening the Energy Revolution
The International Energy Agency’s primary focus is ensuring energy security for industrialized countries, particularly members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Founded in the 1970’s during a period of oil shortages, the agency was meant to be a counterweight to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and serve as a kind of consumers’ union of oil-consuming nations.
The economist Nobuo Tanaka, the agency’s executive director since 2007, says a historic “energy revolution” is needed both to ensure energy security and to prevent climate change. He is a strong advocate for investment in alternatives to fossil fuels, from nuclear to renewable energy. (The agency would like to see the world’s dependence on fossil fuels reduced from 81 percent today to 46 per cent by 2050.)
Airlines chief urges more investment in biofuels
GENEVA (AFP) – The head of the world’s biggest airline association, IATA, berated the oil industry and governments on Friday for investing “peanuts” in cleaner biofuels.
“Biofuels could break the tyranny of oil and lift millions from poverty along with providing a sustainable fuel source for aviation,” Giovanni Bisignani, director general of the International Air Transport Association said.
Bisignani told an industry conference on aviation and the environment that the oil industry had huge multibillion dollar earnings yet little is being done to prop up biofuels made from non-food crops.
India firm to bundle solar projects for CO2 offsets
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – An Indian carbon firm has launched a programme to link up developers of costly small-scale solar power projects to help them earn U.N. carbon credits and boost investment returns.
Solarfun Proves Why Energy Investors Like Cheap, Chinese Panels
Solarfun Power Holdings Co. is proving that cheaper, Chinese goods branded with English- sounding names can make renewable-energy investors rich.
The Chinese company makes solar panels that cost 35 percent less than Germany’s Schott AG and is headed to double sales in 2010. Its shares jumped 73 percent this quarter and lead Chinese stocks that are set to take the top five slots on the Bloomberg Global Leaders Solar Index for the first time in five quarters.
Russian Wheat-Sowing Outlook Is `Doom and Gloom,’ Forecaster Martell Says
Russian winter-wheat planting faces “doom and gloom” after rainfall in main growing areas in the country’s southwest was too light to relieve a drought, agricultural weather forecaster Martell Crop Projections said.
Soils in the Volga Federal District’s Saratov and Samara regions remain too dry for wheat planting to start and require “drenching rains,” Martell said in a report on its website dated yesterday. A cold front last week brought “little relief” in the area or in the Volgograd and Krasnodar regions of the Southern Federal District, it said.
INTERVIEW-Congo among nations advancing on forest carbon
OSLO (Reuters) - Nations including Democratic Republic of Congo are making surprise progress towards taking part in a $200 million project for slowing deforestation from late 2010, World Bank experts said.
They also said Latin America, with forested nations around the Amazon, had strong incentives to take part since most of the continent’s greenhouse gas emissions came from deforestation and shifts in land use, rather than use of fossil fuels.
White House: Global Warming Out, ‘Global Climate Disruption’ In
From the administration that brought you “man-caused disaster” and “overseas contingency operation,” another terminology change is in the pipeline.
The White House wants the public to start using the term “global climate disruption” in place of “global warming” — fearing the latter term oversimplifies the problem and makes it sound less dangerous than it really is.
California Braces for Showdown on Emissions
LOS ANGELES — A ballot initiative to suspend a milestone California law curbing greenhouse gas emissions is drawing a wave of contributions from out-of-state oil companies, raising concerns among conservationists as it emerges as a test of public support for potentially costly environmental measures during tough economic times.
Climate models show Fairbanks shifting to Saskatoon-like conditions by 2100
FAIRBANKS — When Rich Boone looks at the future of Fairbanks, he can’t help but envision the canola fields outside Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
That’s because a projected warming trend in Alaska could eventually give the Interior the same climate characteristics that exist in that Canadian Midwestern agricultural city. Boone, a professor and ecosystem ecologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, used that example during a Wednesday presentation on climate change science.
Arctic Shipping Gets Boring
Welcome to the transforming Arctic.
Thousands of walruses have massed on Alaska’s Arctic coast because they once again lack the late-summer offshore sea ice that normally provides a haven near feeding grounds. But the same paucity of ice, which Arctic climate specialists say is driven increasingly by global greenhouse warming, has made it easy for an enormous bulk carrier, the MV Nordic Barents, to achieve a new feat of northern navigation — carrying more than 40,000 tons of concentrated iron ore from Kirkenes, Norway, along the Northern Sea Route over Russia and, as of yesterday, out of the Arctic Ocean on its way to a Chinese port.
