Changing energy policies?
As I write this month’s editorial, I glance outside my office window to see that it’s snowing again. It’s February 18th and snow has been falling intermittently for almost two months now, with temperatures well below freezing nearly every night. It’s a far cry from what we are used to. Winters in Holland are normally nothing extraordinary and certainly not very cold. In fact they are generally influenced by our maritime climate that brings us lots of rain borne on blustery south-westerly winds, and relatively mild temperatures. For the moment, therefore, the reality of global warming seems very distant, particularly when we look at our gas and electricity bills, which have suddenly rocketed skywards because of the continuing cold.
That increasing energy needs are very much on our minds at present is not only reflected by this winter’s exceptional cold spell. On the news two days ago, President Barack Obama announced that more than eight billion US dollars would be given in federal loan guarantees to begin building the first nuclear power stations in the USA for thirty years. A major change in US policy, albeit the signs were on the cards for some time. It will mean that two new plants will be constructed in Georgia by the US electricity firm Southern Company. In his announcement to the media President Obama stated that “On an issue that affects our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, we cannot continue to be mired in the same old debates between left and right, between environmentalists and entrepreneurs. To meet our growing energy needs, prevent the worst consequences of climate change, and help curb greenhouse gas emissions, we have to increase our energy supply from nuclear power. It’s that simple.” He went on to say that “This is only the beginning of efforts to develop a new generation of safe and clean energy-efficient US technologies to combat climate change.” Moreover, at this time of economic recession, he was also keen to stress that the project would create thousands of construction jobs over eight years and then hundreds of others when the facilities became operational.
Adding to these comments on his blog, Mark Mardell, the BBC’s North American correspondent said: “Each of these plants will cut carbon pollution by sixteen million tons every year when compared with a similar coal plant – it won’t persuade all the environmentalists but it is an argument that does weigh heavily with some of them.”
And, as in many other countries around the world at present, President Obama opens the route to nuclear power again in the US where already 104 operating reactors provide one-fifth of the country’s electricity needs. Elsewhere around the globe 56 new nuclear reactors are currently in the process of being built and many more are already on the drawing board. This trend is certainly likely to continue and expand during the coming years. It is not a fly-by-night.
Whatever your beliefs with regard to nuclear power, the gradual shift in mentality towards a more positive attitude with regard to this industry offers tremendous new possibilities and challenges for the stainless steel and exotic alloy industries around the world both now and in the future. There is potentially an enormous market in which to grow. Nevertheless, it is still early days and much work still needs to be accomplished not least on the part of governments to take this topic out of the realms of “secrecy” and to establish clear and open bidding on projects for steel companies, as well as to revise and make clear new, updated, international standards with which the stainless steel industry can move into this project field in the next decade and beyond. We look forward with interest to what will happen.
Best wishes,
John Butterfield
Editor-in-Chief of Stainless Steel World
j.butterfield@kci-world.com
Are you going to Wire & Tube 2010 in Dusseldorf, Germany, April 12–16th?
Teams from Stainless Steel World and its sister brands Stainless Steel World News, Edelstahl Aktuell, RVS Aktueel, American Stainless News, Castings & Forgings, and Focus on Nuclear will be at the Wire & Tube event. Should you wish to meet up with us then come along to Hall 3, stand A27 and have a chat. Alternatively, if you would like to entice one of our editors to pop along to meet you at your stand where you can tell us more about your company and products, let me know at j.butterfield@kci-world.com