In this issue:
India: the energy carrot and the China stick
U.S. Energy Bill to bring new reactors
Swedish nuclear waste to Sellafield
Waste not wanted: European nuclear waste in Russia
In brief
25 Years ago
What happened 25 years ago? We go back to news from our 1980 WISE Bulletin, comparing anti-nuclear news then and now.
Then
In vol. 2 nr. 3 of the WISE Bulletin, we reported on the utilization of wave power: "Japan: About 1000 houses were supplied, Tuesday December 25th, with electricity generated by ocean waves"
Now
In many countries around the world, and especially in Asia where electricity demands are growing rapidly each year, several plans are being developed for the construction of power plants using energy from the sea. For too long wave and tidal power have been seen as just technical opportunities rather than as an energy sources with huge potential for long term practical application and even now are only used sparingly.
The wave industry comprises of many small businesses and is still in the early stages of development compared to other renewable sources. In 2003, just one megawatt (MW) of wave power was installed globally but the prospects for this renewable energy source are improving as the energy industry becomes more aware of the economic viability as well as the environmental.
In 2000 the world's first commercial power plant producing energy from tidal waves was installed in Scotland. It has a capacity of 500 kilowatts (KW), enough to power over 200,000 homes. South Korea expects to complete the 260 MW Sihwa Tidal Power Plant in 2009 - the plant will be the largest in the world and will cost an estimated total of US$250 million to complete. South Korea plans to quadruple its share of renewable energy from the current level of 1.4% to 5% by 2011. Rapidly expanding countries like China and India are also amongst those researching the commercial use of wave and tidal energy. (http://iran-daily.com/1384/2287/html/energy.htm)
Although engineers have long been aware of the potential to generate energy from the sea, tidal power has not expanded in the same way as wind power for example. The first patent for a wave energy generator was actually issued in 1799 and some 300 devices have since been patented but commercial applications have been limited. (www.ecoworld.org/Home/articles2.cfm?TID=334)
Change is however on the horizon. The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) opened in Orkney, Scotland in 2004 and will test potential wave energy generators. It is expected that this will give a boost to the development and implementation of the wave energy, which could provide 50-700 terawatt-hours per year (TWh/year) in UK waters alone - current electricity consumption in the UK is around 380 TWh/year. (www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/08/10103847 ; www.ecoworld.org/Home/articles2.cfm?TID=334)
By 2010, EU officials estimates that energy sourced from the sea will generate over 950 MW of electricity, which is enough to power almost a million homes in the industrialized world. http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/nbl.html
WISE-Amsterdam/NIRS
ISSN: 1570-4629
Reproduction of this material is encouraged. Please give credit when reprinting.
Editorial team: Tinu Otoki (WISE Amsterdam), Michael Mariotte (NIRS). With contributions from NIRS, WISE India, WISE Russia and WISE Sweden.
Oops! In the last issue article 632.5701 "U.S. radiation panel: no radiation dose safe" contained a numerical error. The first bullet point should of course have read "60 million people worldwide" instead of 60 billion...
The next issue (634) will be mailed out September 16, 2005.
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