Andy Blowers ponders the Sizewell C development and what may eventually befall Bradwell in the BANNG Column for Regional Life, April, 2019 ‘The evening has come, and the tide still rises. Soon it will be over the saltings. The breeze is strengthening. Night and wind and tide are moving in together. A primrose sky has … [Continue Reading]
Is Bradwell B a risk to national security?
Andy Blowers considers whether the ‘golden relationship’ with China might be a Trojan Horse in the BANNG Column for Regional Life March 2019. The state visit of the Chinese President Xi Jinping, in October 2015 proclaimed the beginning of a ‘golden era’ in Sino-British relations. The deal was sealed with the promise that China would … [Continue Reading]
Is the Bradwell project doomed to fail?
As the government’s nuclear programme falls apart and as rising seas threaten nuclear plants, Andy Blowers asks the question in the February 2019 edition of Regional Life magazine Over the past few months there have been two global developments which may, sooner or later, determine the fate of the new nuclear power station at Bradwell. … [Continue Reading]
Decommissioning – Who is Kidding Who?
Amid all the hype surrounding the closure of the former Bradwell nuclear power station, Peter Banks reminds us of past problems, present concerns and future uncertainties surrounding the plant. BANNG Column for Regional Life – January 2019 ‘Safe and Quiescent’ Bradwell A ceased generating power in 2002 and, after more than 15 years decommissioning, has … [Continue Reading]
New Nuclear: A Waste of Time and No Time to Waste!
Andy Blowers, Chair of BANNG, ponders the long time-scales of the Bradwell project in the December 2018 column for Regional Life Have you ever thought that nuclear energy and new nuclear power stations in particular are a waste of time? By this I mean that they take so long to build, so long in operation … [Continue Reading]
Bradwell B – an unsuitable site for development?
Andy Blowers, Chair of BANNG, considers some of the key issues facing the proposal to build a new nuclear power station on the Bradwell site BANNG Column for Regional Life, November, 2018 BANNG’s visit to the Bradwell B site (reported on in the October edition) gave an opportunity to discuss the early site assessment undertaken … [Continue Reading]
Is Bradwell B going down the drain?
BANNG Column for Regional Life, October, 2018 – By Varrie Blowers, Secretary of BANNG BANNG has long maintained that there is no need for a new nuclear power station at Bradwell. The costs, in terms of the long-lasting, physical damage to the tranquil and vulnerable Blackwater estuary, of the finances, of the potential for terrorist attacks … [Continue Reading]
Possible Chinese withdrawal from Bradwell B?
Press Release – 18 September, 2018 Possible Chinese withdrawal from Bradwell B ‘not surprising but still a surprise’ says BANNG. The news (Financial Times, 18 September, 2018) that the Chinese company behind Bradwell B is considering withdrawing its interest in the project because of political sensitivities ‘is not, perhaps surprising, though it comes as a … [Continue Reading]
Into the Void – Regional Life Column August 2018
Andy Blowers, Chair of BANNG, reflects on his recent experience in giving evidence to a Select Committee at Westminster It’s interesting to see how government works. The other day I was invited to give evidence to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. They were pondering the Draft National Policy Statement for … [Continue Reading]
A nuclear power station is not just for life, it’s forever…
BANNG column for Regional Life, July, 2018 Varrie Blowers, Secretary of BANNG, reports on the June meeting of the Bradwell Local Communities Liaison Council (LCLC) A band of BANNG representatives, including myself, attended the June meeting of the LCLC at Mundon. The LCLC looks at what is happening at the Bradwell A site with regard … [Continue Reading]