All gassed up, and nowhere to go...

A day after the European Commission agreed to look into the LNG project, a story of great significance to Welsh campaigners appeared on BBC Online.

The UK government decided to throw out National Grid's application to build a Pressure Reduction Installation at Corse, near Tirley. This installation marks the end of Phase 2 of the pipeline project.

And while the timing of this decision is curious enough, it's significance is clear: National Grid have a pipeline - but nowhere to run it to. The UK government have delivered a vote of no confidence in a key part of the project.

Perceptive readers with their critical faculties intact may ask a key question at this point: haven't the BBC been reporting the Grid's line that this pipeline project is complete?

Maybe the BBC were aware of this small conundrum when they decided to tuck this small nugget of info away in the "South-West" section of the BBC England website, where the 90% of those affected by the pipeline would be unlikely to see it...tut tut.

“It is important that we shine light into this darkness.”

The numerous safety and environmental concerns raised by residents at the LNG Terminals and along the pipeline were vindicated last Thursday when the European Committee of Petitions agreed to pass the whole issue to the European Commission for further investigation.

Members of the European Parliament sitting on the Committee sat in stunned silence as Rodney Maile, a resident from Milford Haven, laid out in graphic detail the potential consequences of an accident at the LNG terminals and jetty. While Liz Whomsley, a resident of Trebanos, in the Swansea valley showed, amongst many other things, how the lack of consultation in her area had led to the routing of a section of the massive pipeline through a geologically unstable area and even under a school playing field.

The remarkable proceedings, apparently unprecedented in the history of the Committee, were the outcome of more than 2 months of hard work by Euro MEP Jill Evans and her team, who unearthed breaches of up to 8 EU Directives. A cross-party consensus amongst the numerous political groupings on the Committee meant that it did not even have to be put to a vote.

Nevertheless, a diversity of opinions were expressed, and ordinary residents used to banging their heads against a wall of official silence sat in amazed disbelief as a full debate on the merits and de-merits of LNG unfolded across the floor.

A debate that has certainly never taken place on UK soil.

The LNG project has now been referred to the European Commission, as a matter of urgency. The Commission in turn will investigate the alleged breaches in more detail and report back to the Committee in February.

Brussels to hear anti-LNG petition.

After a brief wait, campaigners against the LNG pipeline and Terminals have confirmation that they will be called to testify to the European Committee on Petitions on December 20th.

If persuaded, they may recommend that the European Commission open an investigation into the project. We shall see.

What England Doesn't Want, Wales Gets.

I've become convinced that the UK government must a giant map somewhere, where power projects and communities are shifted around like so many pieces in a game of chess. Of course, for people who live nowhere near any of these projects, it's quite easy to be abstract and detached.

For people who have to live in the shadow of them for the rest of their lives, it can be a living hell.

Some communties seem quite happy to accept what's foisted on them. Others take a stand and fight back. And sometimes, they win. The fact that many of those communities happen to be in England, however, can create problems for poorer areas of the UK, where people may be happier to accept a few crumbs off the table.

Take Canvey Island, Essex, for example. The local council took a stand and fought off a proposal by Calor Gas, Centrica and Japan LNG to build a giant LNG terminal in the area. The scheme was earmarked to be operational by 2011. But in October of this year Calor Gas announced that they were withdrawing from the scheme, effectively killing the project.

This created a problem for the UK government. Canvey was provisionally earmarked to bring in 5.4 billion cubic metres of gas every year, a substantial proportion of the UK's overall demand. With the scheme dead, that supply will now have to come from somewhere else.

So goodbye Canvey, and hello Amlwch. And by sheer coincidence this scheme has been earmarked to be up and running by 2011 too! It all fits together so neatly...

Amlwch, however, is already a much bigger project, by Canatxx' own admission;

"When operating the plant is designed to regasify up to 3 bcf per day of LNG. This represents between 25% and 33% of UK daily total demand for gas. It will take 24 hours to discharge a tanker. At peak it is estimated that three tankers would be discharged a week."

With this plant up and running, by the UK government's target date of 2011, Amlwch, combined with Milford Haven in the south, will be importing approximately 50% of the UK's total gas requirement. Anybody who wants to take it out will know where to come.

But with a much lower population density, West and North Wales are much safer bets to site these controversial projects. People are desperate for the jobs, and planners and our representatives are happy to nod them through. So what price a couple of thousand Welsh lives, compared to the much more densely populated areas of the south east of England?

A North Wales Pipeline?

Despite objections from Anglesey town councillors concerned with the risk of terrorism and the impact on a local housing estate, the Isle of Anglesey county council today approved American multinational Canatxx's application to build a giant LNG terminal just offshore of the tiny town.

But Canatxx's application to build this giant floating bomb is only part of the story. Their overall plan is to pipe the gas to a strategic storage depot in the North-West of England. Needless to say, the massive size of this depot is only matched by the huge amount of controversy it has generated. 10,000 objections forced Canatxx's application to a public enquiry, the outcome of which is yet to be decided.

And then there is the small matter of the bit in between: the pipeline. In South Wales, the LNG terminals were common knowledge. What was less well known was that a massive, hugely destructive pipeline would be required to transport the regassified LNG to it's final destination in the English midlands, and possibly beyond.

When the UK government says there is a "National Need" for these projects, you can be sure it's not the Welsh nation they have in mind.

In the case of the Canatxx LNG Terminal, the publicly stated plan is to pipe this gas sub-sea to Fleetwood, in Lancashire. But a source within Plaid Cymru has stated that this plan has now changed: it will now run overland across North Wales into England. It's exact route at this point is unknown.

But one thing you can be sure of. The UK government and it's cronies in Wales will do everything in their power to ensure it happens. The safety of local people, or the beautiful landscape will not figure into the equation. And under new plans being cooked up in the bowels of Whitehall a new unnacountable Quango will be created to force through this massive new project, and others like it: the Independent Infrastructure Planning Commission.

There will be no Welsh representation on it.

Some Plaid AMs are already condeming the move, saying that puts us in a worse situation than Tryweryn, some 40 years ago. You have to ask the question: what are we paying for in Cardiff if the Assembly has no power to stop these things happening?

Governor General Peter Hain has thrown his support behind the plan though, which just goes to show that he is a man with two jobs and one plan: to turn Wales into an energy colony.

Who's been a naughty boy then? - Part 2.

















Well, the pipe may be up and running, but it seems that it may be running through a site that has no legal right to operate. A press release sent out on Friday makes clear that National Grid have not applied for a Hazardous Substances Consent to operate the Felindre Compressor site.

So by opening a valve on this very same site last Tuesday, a senior UK Government Minister may well have done so in breach of the law...oops.

Nothing new there then.

Given that they've produced a leaflet making clear that they do require a consent, it'll be interesting to see how they wriggle out of their much vaunted commitment to public safety this time...

The Curious Case Of The Minister And The Missing Safety Valve.

National Grid are happy as larry. Pipeline Tsar David Mercer claims today that their "tremendous engineering achievement" is now finally complete. As usual with National Grid, this claim is true, and then it's not true. A testament to Mercer's finely honed ability to twist and wriggle around the real issue, kind of like a worm on a sharp hook.

It may well be true that the pipeline is complete. The stations - without which the pipeline is useless - are another matter. They are far from complete. And when Malcolm Wicks happily flicked his safety valve at Felindre this afternoon, we can only hope that the safety valve in question was the same one that was raised by a Swansea councillor at a planning meeting at the end of last year.

At that farcical planning meeting, during which the Felindre Compressor Station was discussed and "approved", a local Labour Party councillor raised a concern about the amount of safety valves at the proposed station. This concern was based on observations made at a site visit 3 weeks previously. Exactly what was discussed on this site visit is hard to ascertain, as members of the public were excluded. The inference was that there may be a valve missing.

These valves, known in the industry as "block valves" work to isolate sections of pipeline in the event of a leak, or worse, a full blown rupture.

And while the good Councillor was concerned to clarify that there was a valve to protect the Swansea area, he inadvertedly touched on a larger issue. Many concerned residents have raised concerns about the number of safety valves along the pipeline. It's not hard to intuit that, given the length of the pipe and the tremendous pressure it operates at, there should be more than 2 valves along 314 kilometres of pipeline. This concern has never been adequately addressed.

A report commissioned by Ofgem at the end of 2005, for example, costed 2 safety valves along the 196 kilometre length of Phase 2. As it stands, there's only one, at Llanwrda. So what happened to the other one? At a cost of 250,000 quid apiece that's not even half of the cool 600,000 Chief Honcho Steve Holliday was paid last year.

With an estimated 120 tonnes of gas sitting in every mile-long stretch of pipeline, these valves are kind of important...

To put this issue in perspective, consider that Murphy pipelines, the contractor working on the eastern half of Phase 2, constructed another pipeline between Belfast and Derry in Northern Ireland a few years ago. This smaller 112 km pipeline had no less than 5 valves along it's length, even though it was contracted to operate at a lower pressure.

This issue of safety valves, while it certainly perplexed Councillor Roger Smith (Clydach), didn't stop him doing what so many other Labour councillors have done over the last 4 years. Having queried a planning officer who had just told him that the Environment Statement was a "wonderful document" even though "he hadn't read it all" he went ahead and voted for the application anyway.

Go figure.

Euro Petition Handed In...

Jill Evans (Left) and Irish MEP Kathy Sinnot hand in a joint petition to Chair Marcin Libicki

Plaid Euro MEP Jill Evans has now handed in a petition to the European Committee on Petitions. The Welsh petition has been handed in jointly with another one by Irish campaigners who are fighting a planned terminal on the Shannon Estuary.

A Terminal Problem

Gordon Brown yesterday announced new anti-terror measures, including plans to erect safety barriers around major facilities and also ensure new buildings are made from blast-proof material.

Maybe he'd like to start with the perimeter fence around the Dragon LNG terminal...

Currently winging it's way to a number of press outlets - but you heard it here first...

Ymgyrchwyr yn Erbyn y Beipen Nwy LNG yn Baratoi i Fynd i Ewrop.

Mae ymgyrchwyr yn erbyn y Terminalau a beipen nwy LNG sy’n torri trwy cymru yn baratoi i gymryd eu hachos i’r Undeb Ewropeaidd, gyda cymorth yr Aelod Seneddol Ewropeaidd, Jill Evans.

Mae Ms Evans wedi ymgynghori ymgyrchwyr o ardaloedd Penfro, Abertawe a Gastell Nedd fod nhw’n gallu gosod deiseb gyda’r Pwyllgor Deisebion ym Strasbourg, ac ei fod yn bosib y fydden nhw’n gael ymchwiliad mor gynnar a Mis Rhagfyr.

Meddai llefarydd ar ran yr Ymgyrchwyr, Jim Dunckley, "Mae Jill yn Aelod Seneddol Ewropeaidd gyda record dda o gymryd lan achosion grwpiau cymunedol ac amgylchfydol dros y flynyddoedd. Roedd hi’n mwy na hapus i siarad gyda ni a helpu ni cymryd ein hachos i Ewrop. Mae hi wedi ymgynghori ni am y bosibiliad fod y brosiect, neu rhannau o’r brosiect, yn redeg yn erbyn nifer o Directives yr Undeb."

"Er mai’r brosiect hon yn gael ei gomisiynu ar hyn o bryd, mae dal lot o gwestiynau sydd heb eu hateb gyda ni, yn arbennig am ddiogelwch a’r ffordd mae’r brosiect wedi cael ei roi trwy’r drefn cynllunio. Gan mai’r awdurdodau yng Nghaerdydd a Llundain wedi methu ni yn gyfangwbwl, teimlai fod gyda ni ddim dewis ond i fynd i Ewrop. Mae gyda ni lot fawr o dystiolaeth nawr a’r bosibiliad o gael y gyfle i dystio.

"Mae’n siom fawr i ni fod ein llywodraeth etholedig cyntaf yng Nghymru wedi methu sefyll lan i National Grid er mwyn diogelu ein cymunedau . Mi wnaethon ni ysgrifennu at y cyn Ysgrifennydd yr Amgylchfyd, Carwyn Jones i galw arno fe i "Galw Mewn" y Brosiect hon a wnaeth e anwybyddu ein llythyron. Mae’n eitha glir i ni erbyn hyn fod y Blaid Llafur yn hapus i roi Brydain yn gyntaf a werin bobl Cymru yn ail."

--Diwedd--


Pipeline Campaigners Take Their Fight to Europe.

Local campaigners from communities affected by the giant LNG pipeline project crossing Wales have teamed up with Plaid Euro MEP Jill Evans to take their case to the European Union.

Local campaigners Liz Whomsley and Jim Dunckley and other affected residents are preparing to lodge a petition with the European Committee of Petitions, and have been advised by Ms Evans and her team that the LNG pipeline project may be in breach of certain EU directives.

Jim Dunckley said: " Jill Evans is a Member of the European Parliament with a long-standing history of representing community and environmental groups, and she was more than happy to meet with us and take up our case. She has advised us that we can now lodge a formal petition, and that the Petitions Committee may invite representatives over to testify to the Committee as early as the middle of December, which is great news."

"Many of us feel that the democratic process in Wales and the rest of the UK has let us down badly, and that we are given no option but to try outside the UK. We attempted to get the relevant parts of this project "called in" by former environment minister Carwyn Jones, who refused to even meet with us or respond to many of our letters."

"There are still many unanswered questions around this project, and with the prospect of further pipeline and energy projects in Wales, a public enquiry is urgently needed. National Grid have trampled on many of our communities and ignored legitimate concerns. We need to make sure it never happens again."

--Ends--

Promises, Promises...














Well, they told us all these wonderful new gas import projects would be up and running in time, they told us the high prices over the last two years would come down. They told us all these wonderful projects would guarantee "security of supply" to Industry and the Consumers of Britain.

And they told us we could still use our Christmas tree lights and put the kettle on when the ads come on during Corrie. And they told us wrong. We're now told that we face "another winter of soaring prices and power shortages". Better get used to it. The DisUnited Kingdom sits at the end of a pipeline network that starts in Russia, and North Sea gas reserves are running down fast.

In effect, North Sea gas provided the UK with a kind of "supply cushion" that, to some extent, insulated us against the vagaries of the international energy markets. With these reserves now in rapid decline, those days are effectively over. Now we will pay the real price of privatisation.

But for the free-market diehards who have pushed this project, LNG is a wonderful thing. New technology, bigger ships and massive LNG terminals will allow gas to become a truly global trade. Middle Eastern producers like Qatar, in particular, are laughing all the way to the Royal Bank of Scotland. The world is now their oyster.

But what about the "contracts" that have been signed to bring in gas to Milford Haven, Teeside or the Isle of Grain? Milford Haven may not be up and running, but industry insiders say that the other two terminals are running below capacity.

So why are forward prices for gas and electricity already up some 30%?

When the government was crowing on about how these new LNG terminals would ensure a plentiful supply of gas for the foreseeable future, what they forgot to mention was that the contracts to ship gas into these terminals include "diversion clauses" that mean that ships can be diverted to other, higher priced markets, where the return is higher. The Shippers call the shots, not the government, and they can go where they damn well please.

These LNG privateers are now roaming the high seas in search of the highest return. They will come to Britain in the end, but not quite yet. They'll wait for prices to rise here first, so that they can make a decent killing.

But for now, with better returns to be had in Japan and South Korea, we'll just have to accept that, in the new, globalised, privatised, energy scarce world we are living in, winter price spikes are going to become business as usual.

LNG Jack-up accident: Something Deeper At Work?
















Let's picture the scene: A major Seaway on the West coast of the UK. A massive energy project under a tight construction schedule. An accident occurs involving a "Jack-up" Barge, which begins to list precariously into the sea. The workers, mostly Dutch, are quickly evacuated.

Are we talking about Milford Haven?

Nope. We're talking about the Solway Firth, on the West Coast of Scotland. Just over three weeks ago, a similar jack-up accident occured, under remarkably similar circumstances. Thirty eight contractors working on the massive Robin Rigg offshore wind-farm project were airlifted to safety in that case.

Contractors working on South Hook were not so lucky, and the Big Welsh Gas Project has now claimed it's first casualty. So what's behind this sudden spate of accidents?

In the case of Robin Rigg, German energy giant EON told a local coastguard that the rig had actually punctured through the sea bed. In industry parlance, this is known as "foundation failure." Jack-up barges, supported on four legs, are adjustable to allow them to rest securely on the sea bottom. But accidents do happen in the industry. As the Solway puncture occured, the rig listed, in this case at an angle of 35 degrees.

And not dissimilar to the 45 degree tilt reported at Milford...

The parallels don't end there either. The Dutch company which owns the Solway barge, SMIT International, recently sent another jack-up, TAKLIFT 7, to Milford Haven to work on the South Hook Jetty. These guys get about, don't they...

Needless to say, the Solway accident prompted the intervention of the Health and Safety Executive, as it has in Milford Haven. But in the case of South Hook, all the authorities seem to be keeping their cards close to their chests. No doubt the magic mantra; "20% of the UK's gas supply" has been whispered in the ears of the tiny HSE team assigned to this huge project, and they've shut up like little clams...

So rather than wait for the HSE to open up, let's be a little more pro-active and take a look at the HSE's own Industry guidance. In 2004, the Offshore Division of the HSE's Hazardous Installations Directorate produced a Science and Technology Strategy Document" which looked at precisely this issue of foundation failure.

This strategy was produced in relation to the newly developing Offshore Wind industry, but as the report pointed out 3 years before these two accidents occured; "There have already been potentially serious accidents (heavy lift crane collapse and jack-up foundation failure during site investigation)" and that "Jack-up barges have a history of structural and foundation failures when engaged in inshore and near-shore construction work."

"There is a need to determine the adequacy of current practices for the design and operation of construction barges and, if found inadequate, work with the industry to develop guidance on good practice."

Was such guidance developed in relation to LNG?

Given that the Milford Haven Port Authority has now finally given way to the demands of concerned locals and the Safe Haven group and agreed to release the Risk Assessments for the South Hook jetty, an inquiry into the causes of this particular incident seems particularly pertinent...

New Blog

Residents around Milford Haven who are concerned with the proliferation of energy projects have set up a new blog to make the public more aware of what's going on. Their primary concern is LNG but with the proposition of a massive new Biofuel plant in the offing, many are deeply worried that Milford Haven is effectively being transformed into "the largest energy port in Europe."

Check it out here

"Oversupply of gas does not mean price cuts"


This article in the Torygraph pretty much sums up the fragility of the UK's gas supply situation...

In the case of LNG, "diversion clauses" in many of the contracts mean that ships can be shifted to more lucrative markets in the event of price spikes elsewhere in the world.

So all we need is another Hurricane Katrina in the US to see our own LNG cargoes diverted across the Atlantic to meet a sudden US shortfall, and we could find ourselves with another supply shortage, and another price spike.

It's not about security of supply for us, it's about secure profit margins for Exxon and co...

Plaid MP Raises the Alarm Over "Duplicate Pipeline" Proposal

National Grid's "duplicate pipeline" proposal hit the papers this week as the Western Mail revealed that Plaid MP Adam Price is now publicly raising concerns that this is "a first step in the process to get another pipeline built across Wales".

Mr. Price has been a consistent opponent of the whole LNG pipeline project since the original pipe became public knowledge back in 2005. He rightly places the pipeline in a long tradition of exploitative energy projects imposed on Wales, the most famous of which was the drowning of Cwm Celyn in the 60s, to provide water for the Liverpool Corporation.

Needless to say, his allegations have sent the grid scurrying to cover their backsides with the usual combination of spin and misinformation. They claim in response that the document is "a technical industry document on the standard length of time it should take to connect in new sources of gas to the transmission system" and that that the "example" was used "only for illustrative purposes.”

Nice to know National Grid have a hidden artistic side...

In any case, Adam Price counters that British Gas' positive response to the exercise lends weight to the view that National Grid's proposal is a genuine industry consultation document that has been put out to key players in the gas industry.

And of course, it doesn't hurt to point out that British Gas, along with Dutch company Petroplus, is a partner in the Dragon LNG terminal in Milford Haven...

So who's right?

Well, let's ask the Regulator. On the 18th of October 2005, some six months prior to the release of the May 2006 document, a letter circulated by Ofgem to "Gas Transporters...and other interested parties" shows National Grid were putting out feelers about the duplicate pipeline even before Phase 1 of the current project had recieved approval from the Department of Trade and Industry.

Did Ofgem think it was a hypothetical exercise too?

In the last analysis this new pipe may well only be part of an industry consultation exercise. But a detailed review of the figures from each of NG's yearly QSEC (Quarterly Sale of Entry Capacity) Auctions points to a clear trend; with every new Auction, from 2004 through 2006, National Grid are continually ramping up the amounts of gas capacity they are offering to transport through Milford Haven.

Eventually, these amounts will exceed the quantity that can be physically transported by the existing pipeline (assuming it's commissioned). And at that point a second pipeline will become slightly more than "illustrative".

RWE Being Screwed?

Auntie BEEB dutifully regurgitated a little piece of corporate propaganda onto my carpet this evening.

It seems power generation company RWE Npower have decided after all to build a huge gas fired power station at Milford Haven.


The company have made clear on numerous occasions that the primary reason for selecting Milford as the site for this station is LNG.

RWE claim that this station will produce enough power "for three million homes", which is curious, as Wales itself only has around a million homes. So where's all this power going?

The answer is very generously provided by RWE's Chief Honcho, Andrew Duff; "the two developments (Pembroke and Staythorpe) will replace existing coal power stations at Didcot and Tilbury in England."

The fact of the matter is that Wales itself is already a net exporter of electricity. We produce around 33 Terrawatt hours of electricity every year, of which we only consume around 19 Terrawatt hours. The rest is exported over the border.

And while the company has not yet secured consent from the Department of Enterprise Business and Regulatory Reform for construction of this plant, you can rest assured it's already a done deal. A number of sources in the Milford Haven area inform me that construction has already begun on a connecting pipeline from the LNG terminal at Dragon to the proposed power station site at Pennar, on the other side of the Haven.

It's all part of a grand plan, you see, spoon-fed to the welsh public in small doses to make it easier to swallow.

TWINS!












An intriguing little "consultation document" tucked away in the dusty recesses of National Grid's huge, rambling website reveals that the multinational company are considering the possibility of inflicting yet another giant pipeline on the good people of Wales.

The document reveals that this pipeline will be a "duplicate" of the Milford Haven to Tirley pipeline and will not be commissioned until late 2010, at the earliest.

The original Milford Haven to Tirley pipeline was ultimately triggered by "Capacity Auctions" held by National Grid in early 2004. In it's new guise as Enron-esque international energy trader, the Grid is obliged under the terms of it's license to make gas capacity available to the big LNG shippers (i.e. ExxonMobil, British Gas etc.) NG needed 3 years from the point of the auction to design, build and commission the pipeline.

It was a lovely plan which must have looked wonderful in the Lab but didn't really take account of that unpredictable beastie - local opinion. For some reason, the idea of running a bloody great 4 foot pipe with significant safety and environmental issues through the Welsh countryside bothered quite a lot of people...

So heck, why not bother people all over again!

While NG don't make clear what route they are proposing for this new pipeline, British Gas' enthusiastic respose to the consultation gives us a few clues;

“… the planning and construction of a major civil engineeringproject can be very complex particularly where the route may involve national parks or other environmentally sensitive areas. However, the Long Term system Entry Capacity (LTSEC) allocation process had been formulated upon a 3 year lead time being sufficient for any project.”

But as National Grid point out;

"There are inherent risks with delivery of the duplicate pipeline within a nominal 3 year investment lead time, including the potential for the project to be affected by significant external factors beyond National Grid NTS’s control associated with delivering elements of the duplicate pipeline. These external factors are principally the timescales associated with obtaining consent under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations, planning permissions and easements from landowners."

In other words, the Nod, the Handshake, and a couple of CPO's slapped on unco-operative farmers.

So there we have it. National Grid are thinking about it, British Gas want it, and the language of the document is revealing inasmuch as "a duplicate pipeline" quickly metamorphoses into "the new duplicate pipeline" later on in the text.

Do you get the feeling that somebody somewhere has already made their mind up?

Who's Been a Naughty Boy Then?

Councillor Ioan Richard, "The People's Representative" and Champion of the Upland Commons of Swansea, hasn't quite been upfront with the goods.

Last year, during a key planning vote for a Gas Compressor Station in his ward, councillor Richard voted for the application. The Compressor vote took place under highly dubious circumstances.

That's the polite way of putting it.

Voicing his opposition to a small wind turbine in Tesco's Car Park, Councillor Richard declared an interest and withdrew. The People's Rep is well known for his opposition to Wind Farms. He later returned to vote through the massive gas installation is his ward. Hmmmm. So why is Ioan such a big fan of fossil fuels?

A few months later, an interesting little article appears in the South Wales Evening Post. Councillor Richard is quoted parrotting National Grid's promotional speil; "20% of UK gas supplies etc." But tucked away in the piece is a very relevant little bit of info: the Grid awarded money from their fund to the Craigcefnparc Welfare Hall.

A hall which Ioan Richard happens to be a Trustee of, through his membership of Mawr Community Council.

Don't remember Ioan declaring an interest in that one though...

One Wales, Many Power Projects.

Well, Rhodri and Ieuan have gone ahead and done the deal. So from an energy point-of-view it pays to take a closer look at the “One Wales Accord” document, and see exactly what it means for us here in Wales.

And as it turns out, what’s not mentioned in the document is every bit as intriguing as what is.

There are a plethora of power projects currently under construction or consideration in Wales at the moment, many of which do not fall into the remit of the Welsh Assembly. Because many of them have a generating capacity over 50MW, they will be decided by the new Department for Business and Regulatory Reform (DEBRR, formerly the DTI) in London.

Given Labour’s track record over the last 10 years, you can safely take “Regulatory Reform” to mean “Deregulation”.

This issue of control over large power projects, however, is not something the Labour Administration in Cardiff have been insensitive to, and, a few years ago, former Enterprise Minister Andrew Davies made representations to the DTI, seeking devolution of large power station consents to the Assembly. In response to this, it was agreed to set up a three-way committee to look at the process, the Tripartite Group on Energy Consents.

This little-known group, split between the Welsh Assembly, DTI and the Welsh Office, have largely deliberated outside of the public gaze.

The funny thing is, no mention is made of this Group in the new Accord. Indeed, under Part 8 of the Accord, the only drawdown of powers that the new Plaid/Labour administration will seek, in order to tackle the huge problem of climate change, is control over Building Regulations. A useful step, I’m sure, but hardly earth-shaking.

So what exactly has this Group been discussing, and why is there no mention of it in the Accord? What exactly are Plaid’s Labour partners up to?

SYRIANA

I watched a very insightful and thought provoking film the other night. On the face of it, Syriana, an Academy Award-winning film starring American actor George Clooney, starts off about Oil, and ends up about Gas. But ultimately, maybe, it’s about Energy, and thus, Power, and who wields it, and the secret places they wield it from.

The film pans out across disparate locations around the globe, unconnected like random points of light viewed from space. Iran. China. Geneva, Switzerland. The United States (of course). Russia. Marbella, Spain. Holiday resort, or a good place to do deals? The film skips about and confuses the viewer, but maybe it’s just that we live in a confusing world, where the locus of responsibility is hard to pin down, and this film just embraces that reality.

Corporate mergers. Shell companies and dodgy accounting practices. Warring royal factions in the Middle East. CIA intervention. Hizbollah. Beirut. Assassinations and internal investigations. Derivatives trading. Peak Oil and Pipelines. Madrassas. Suicide Bombers. Take your shiny corporate coin and flip it to reveal the dark reality of our growing dependency on a world that even the Central Intelligence Agency doesn’t understand anymore…

And so on one level it may never make sense to us how “radical” Islam could drive a young Pakistani boy into seeking illumination in the path of an LNG tanker. And what use a double-hull against the best American-made weaponry? Is this what the intelligence community means by “Blowback”?

But squint your eyes and the vast, floating bomb you witness at the end of this chilling film could well be destined for, or even moored in Milford Haven, and then you’ll realise the real truth, tucked between the multilayered sheets of this revealing clever film.

That Syriana is here too. It’s everywhere.

Watch this film.