Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Editor's Note

All
I am on vacation for a few days and will return to posting next week. Enjoy these last few
days of summer.
Warmest regards.
Michele Kearney

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

(99+) US and Turkey on a collision course: the perils of nationalism | LinkedIn

(99+) US and Turkey on a collision course: the perils of nationalism | LinkedIn

Iran getting low enriched uranium back from Russia – NextBigFuture.com

Iran getting low enriched uranium back from Russia – NextBigFuture.com

Europe Getting Serious About Buying US LNG | RealClearEnergy

Europe Getting Serious About Buying US LNG | RealClearEnergy

The 4th Generation | Dr. James Hansen: Nuclear Power has Contributed More to Reducing Mortality Than Any Other Energy Source

The 4th Generation | Dr. James Hansen: Nuclear Power has Contributed More to Reducing Mortality Than Any Other Energy Source: [Dr. James Hansen giving testimony to the United States Senate on the dangers of climate change – the first scientist ever to do so – on June 23, 1988.] In a 2013 paper published in Environmental Science and Technology, Hansen et al. concluded that nuclear power has historically prevented 1.84 million human deaths worldwide. They …

This summer’s extreme heat may just be the start of a super-hot stretch - MIT Technology Review

This summer’s extreme heat may just be the start of a super-hot stretch - MIT Technology Review: More than 100 major wildfires are raging across the American West, including the largest blaze in California’s history.

Warming Is Worsening Wildfires, but Not Everywhere or Every Time - Scientific American

Warming Is Worsening Wildfires, but Not Everywhere or Every Time - Scientific American: Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.

AP1000 Units In China Notch Operational Milestones - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

AP1000 Units In China Notch Operational Milestones - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers: The latest nuclear news in Nuclear Power Industry about utilities, companies, suppliers in the nuclear energy market.

Canada Extends Pickering NPP License With Closure Caveat - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

Canada Extends Pickering NPP License With Closure Caveat - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers: The latest nuclear news in Nuclear Power Industry about utilities, companies, suppliers in the nuclear energy market.

California wildfires are mostly preventable - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

California wildfires are mostly preventable - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Fires raging in California are not natural disasters. Humans start most fires, and human-caused climate change helps them spread.

Caught In The Crossfire: The Unintended Victim Of Iran Sanctions | OilPrice.com

Caught In The Crossfire: The Unintended Victim Of Iran Sanctions | OilPrice.com

India Doubles Down on Domestic 700 MW PHWR Design | Neutron Bytes

India Doubles Down on Domestic 700 MW PHWR Design | Neutron Bytes: India Doubles Down on 700 MW PHWR Design India’s installed nuclear power capacity is expected to rise with the addition of 12 new nuclear reactors. Nine of the new reactors to be built and co…

Dominion Acquiring 240 MW in Virginia Solar Projects - Power Engineering

Dominion Acquiring 240 MW in Virginia Solar Projects - Power Engineering

Bloomberg Analyst: Battery Boom Could Burn Investors - Renewable Energy World

Bloomberg Analyst: Battery Boom Could Burn Investors - Renewable Energy World

Electricity pricing in California will cause old people to not use life saving air conditioning in heat waves – NextBigFuture.com

Electricity pricing in California will cause old people to not use life saving air conditioning in heat waves – NextBigFuture.com

Webinar: AVEVA and ENEC discuss lessons learnt from Digital Solution Implementations

The adoption of a holistic digital strategy is imperative if the nuclear industry want to remain competitive and achieve plant license renewals. However, to achieve a digital transformation, utilities are faced with challenges when demonstrating ROI for I&C upgrades and advanced data analytics.
Paul Lalovich (ENEC) and Bob Aldridge (AVEVA) are sharing expert insight on Thursday 23rd August (9.00am CT) at our “Webinar - Digital Solution Implementation: Lessons Learnt for Nuclear Plants”
Sign up here to join this free 1 hour webinar
4 key focuses:
  • Effective cost-benefit analysis for a digital strategy: effectively benchmark initial investment to more successfully estimate future ROI
  • Leverage technology to reduce risk and optimize reliability: reduce risk through analytic-based predictive maintenance to drive reactor reliability
  • Drive an innovative culture: produce an entire digital experience through the adoption of an innovative culture to optimize efficiency
  • Proven success stories: Find out how you can benchmark against the success of parallel energy industries
Can’t make it? Don’t worry, just sign up and I’ll send you the recordings the week after.
Any questions do let me know.
Kind regards,
Louis
Louis Thomas
Nuclear Project Director
Nuclear Energy Insider
+44 (0)207 375 7246
lthomas@nuclearenergyinsider.com

Russia on an international offensive to sell its nuclear plants - Nikkei Asian Review

Russia on an international offensive to sell its nuclear plants - Nikkei Asian Review: MOSCOW -- Russia is stepping up its overseas sales of nuclear power plants, with state-run nuclear energy company Rosatom agreeing in J

EDF's 1.3 GW Penly-1 nuclear reactor suffers unplanned outage | S&P Global Platts

EDF's 1.3 GW Penly-1 nuclear reactor suffers unplanned outage | S&P Global Platts

William Bookless to be Nominated NNSA Principal Deputy Administrator

William Bookless to be Nominated NNSA Principal Deputy Administrator: William Bookless, a former senior physicist at the Energy Department's Lawrence Livermore National L

Which nuclear medicine specialists spend the most time practicing their craft?

Which nuclear medicine specialists spend the most time practicing their craft?: In the face of a challenging nuclear medicine (NM) landscape, defined by declining reimbursement and disruptive technology, a group of radiologists set out to determine work patterns of self-identified NM specialists.

MEAG and Oglethorpe Power face downgrades from nuke costs | Bond Buyer

MEAG and Oglethorpe Power face downgrades from nuke costs | Bond Buyer: The public power agencies could see their ratings dropped if financial flexibility diminishes as a result of higher costs.

Project Orion: Detonating Nuclear Bombs For Thrust | Hackaday

Project Orion: Detonating Nuclear Bombs For Thrust | Hackaday

Protecting the power grid: TVA beefs up security as cyber threats grow | Times Free Press

Protecting the power grid: TVA beefs up security as cyber threats grow | Times Free Press

Chinese research reactor sets operational record - World Nuclear News

Chinese research reactor sets operational record - World Nuclear News: The China Advanced Research Reactor has been operated continuously at high-power for 14 days, setting a new operational record for the 60 MWt light-water tank-in-pool type unit. The reactor has also completed its first batch of irradiation tasks.

Public to comment on Hanford tunnel work - World Nuclear News

Public to comment on Hanford tunnel work - World Nuclear News: Washington State's Department of Ecology has launched a 45-day public comment period on whether to allow the US Department of Energy to fill a radioactive waste-containing tunnel at the Hanford site with grout.

Chinese AP1000 reaches full power operation - World Nuclear News

Chinese AP1000 reaches full power operation - World Nuclear News: Unit 1 of the Sanmen nuclear power plant in China's Zhejiang province has reached full power operation for the first time. In late-June, the unit became the world's first AP1000 to achieve grid connection and power generation.

India Doubles Down on Domestic 700 MW PHWR Design | Neutron Bytes

India Doubles Down on Domestic 700 MW PHWR Design | Neutron Bytes: India Doubles Down on 700 MW PHWR Design India’s installed nuclear power capacity is expected to rise with the addition of 12 new nuclear reactors. Nine of the new reactors to be built and co…

Is NextEra Energy, Inc. a Buy? -- The Motley Fool

Is NextEra Energy, Inc. a Buy? -- The Motley Fool: This giant U.S. utility is changing gears fast, but is it worth the price investors are paying today?

Preparatory Work Begins at Fuel Manufacturing Site in Washington State for Lightbridge Fuel™ - NASDAQ.com

Preparatory Work Begins at Fuel Manufacturing Site in Washington State for Lightbridge Fuel™ - NASDAQ.com: RESTON, Va., Aug. 13, 2018-- Lightbridge Corporation, a nuclear fuel technology development company, announced today that work began at the.

Why North Korea's Nuclear Program Continues After Singapore

Why North Korea's Nuclear Program Continues After Singapore: Sixty days since the Singapore summit, North Korea continues to expand its nuclear and ballistic missile arsenals and has played its diplomatic hand brilliantly.

EIA Data Undermines Trump's Love Affair With Coal & Nuclear | CleanTechnica

EIA Data Undermines Trump's Love Affair With Coal & Nuclear | CleanTechnica

Ancient Nuclear Waste Is Teaching Us About Radioactive Storage Today - D-brief

Ancient Nuclear Waste Is Teaching Us About Radioactive Storage Today - D-brief: The Oklo natural nuclear reactor is the only one of its kind we've discovered. It has a lot to say about nuclear power today.

Obstruction of Injustice: Making Mountains out of Molehills at the Cooper Nuclear Plant - Union of Concerned Scientists

Obstruction of Injustice: Making Mountains out of Molehills at the Cooper Nuclear Plant - Union of Concerned Scientists: The initial commentary in this series of posts described how a three-person panel formed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to evaluate concerns raised by an NRC worker concluded that the agency violated its procedures, policies, and practices by closing out a safety issue and returning the

Ancient natural nuclear reactors show how to store radioactive waste | New Scientist

Ancient natural nuclear reactors show how to store radioactive waste | New Scientist

EDF's 1.3 GW Penly-1 nuclear reactor suffers unplanned outage | S&P Global Platts

EDF's 1.3 GW Penly-1 nuclear reactor suffers unplanned outage | S&P Global Platts: An unplanned failure at EDF s 1 330 MW Penly-1 nuclear reactor in northwest France Monday morning reduced production capacity from the unit to zero the French nuclear power plant operator said Monday.

Deputy Secretary Brouillette Hosts Fifth Meeting Of The U.S.-Japan Bilateral Commission On Civil Nuclear Cooperation


Deputy Secretary Brouillette Hosts Fifth Meeting Of The U.S.-Japan Bilateral Commission On Civil Nuclear Cooperation

By By U.S. Department Of Energy,   /  August 13, 2018 10:00 AM

TOKYO, JAPAN – The fifth meeting of the U.S.-Japan Bilateral Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation (the Bilateral Commission) was held in Tokyo on August 8, 2018. Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette and Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeo Mori led the discussions as co-chairs. The delegations included participants representing a wide range of governmental agencies.
Keep reading →https://breakingenergy.com/2018/08/13/deputy-secretary-brouillette-hosts-fifth-meeting-of-the-u-s-japan-bilateral-commission-on-civil-nuclear-cooperation/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy+Newsletters+Master+List&utm_campaign=ed141cb2f0-MAILCHIMP_BD_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_88392479a3-ed141cb2f0-411632309

Monday, August 13, 2018

California's Hellish Summer: A Grave Climate Warning | RealClearEnergy

California's Hellish Summer: A Grave Climate Warning | RealClearEnergy

Rosatom seeks to boost cooperation in Eurasia - World Nuclear News

Rosatom seeks to boost cooperation in Eurasia - World Nuclear News: Rusatom International Network has signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with the Eurasian Development Bank, which provides for establishing common principles of bilateral cooperation with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries.

Federal Government Seeks New Rationale For Supporting Nuclear - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

Federal Government Seeks New Rationale For Supporting Nuclear - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers: The latest nuclear news in Nuclear Power Industry about utilities, companies, suppliers in the nuclear energy market.

SNC-Lavalin Signs Fuel Contract With China's Qinshan Nuclear Power Company - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

SNC-Lavalin Signs Fuel Contract With China's Qinshan Nuclear Power Company - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

OPEC Revises Down Global Oil Demand Growth Estimate | OilPrice.com

OPEC Revises Down Global Oil Demand Growth Estimate | OilPrice.com: OPEC, in its monthly oil market report revised down its estimates for global crude demand in 2018 and 2019, and moved up its expectations for non-OPEC supply growth

Iran unveils next generation missile: media

Iran unveils next generation missile: media

Iraq PM defends stance on US sanctions against Iran

Iraq PM defends stance on US sanctions against Iran

Nuclear News Roundup for August 13, 2018 | Neutron Bytes

Nuclear News Roundup for August 13, 2018 | Neutron Bytes: China’s Haiyang-1 AP1000 Reaches First Criticality (NucNet): The Haiyang-1 Generation III+ Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactor unit in Shandong province reached first criticality on August 8th acco…

N. Korea to preserve nuclear know-how - The Japan News

N. Korea to preserve nuclear know-how - The Japan News: TEHRAN (AFP-Jiji) — North Korea will preserve its nuclear know-how despite its promise of denuclearization to the United States, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said during a visit to Tehran, Iranian media reported on Thursday.

Chugoku Electric applies for checks on Shimane reactor - The Japan News

Chugoku Electric applies for checks on Shimane reactor - The Japan News: TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Chugoku Electric Power Co. applied Friday for a Nuclear Regulation Authority safety screening of the No. 3 reactor now under construction at its Shimane nuclear power plant.

Radioactive spent nuclear fuel to roll through Port Huron

Radioactive spent nuclear fuel to roll through Port Huron: The plan, made public in filings last month with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has raised concerns with environmental groups and others.

Regulator seeks more than $1B in sanctions for V.C. Summer nuclear case - Charlotte Business Journal

Regulator seeks more than $1B in sanctions for V.C. Summer nuclear case - Charlotte Business Journal

US ambassador urges UK to back Trump on Iran nuke deal

US ambassador urges UK to back Trump on Iran nuke deal: LONDON (AP) — The U.S. ambassador in London is urging Britain to back President Donald Trump in pulling out of the Iran nuclear agreement, saying a united front is the best way to

The technical and economical climate solution | Energy Central

The technical and economical climate solution | Energy Central

Protecting the power grid: TVA beefs up security as cyber threats grow | Times Free Press

Protecting the power grid: TVA beefs up security as cyber threats grow | Times Free Press

Indian Point power plant closure could mean using more fossil fuels

Indian Point power plant closure could mean using more fossil fuels: The closure of the Indian Point nuclear-power plant in 2021 could cause more reliance by the city on dirty fossil fuels — despite both Mayor de Blasio and Gov Cuomo’s stance in favor of clean energy.

Waste package in place ahead of MSSS clearance - World Nuclear News

Waste package in place ahead of MSSS clearance - World Nuclear News: The first shielded waste transfer package has been installed onto one of three machines at the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) at the Sellafield site in the UK. The machines will begin removing magnesium swarf waste from the building's 22 silo compartments from next year.

ENEC launches youth council - World Nuclear News

ENEC launches youth council - World Nuclear News: The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and its subsidiaries have launched the Barakah Youth Council to "inspire, support, and empower" future leaders of the United Arab Emirates' nuclear energy industry.

Rosatom seeks to boost cooperation in Eurasia - World Nuclear News

Rosatom seeks to boost cooperation in Eurasia - World Nuclear News: Rusatom International Network has signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with the Eurasian Development Bank, which provides for establishing common principles of bilateral cooperation with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries.

Rosatom Says Conditions For Promoting Russian Technology Globally Worsened In 2017

 

Rosatom Says Conditions For Promoting Russian Technology Globally Worsened In 2017

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/business/rosatom-says-conditions-for-promoting-russian-409538.html

IAEA Unveils Unique World Uranium Map

IAEA Unveils Unique World Uranium Map

,
Overview of world distribution of uranium deposits map, Second Edition, 2018. (Photo: IAEA)
The IAEA has launched a comprehensive, online interactive and integrated digital map of the world’s uranium distribution and deposits. This second edition of World Distribution of Uranium Deposits was developed with contributions from the Saskatchewan Geological Survey, the Geological Survey of South Australia and the United States Geological Survey.
This edition classifies information by types of deposits and is unique in that it carries a vast amount of new information and knowledge — consolidating data from hundreds of public sources. It is accessible to anyone online and offers advanced interactive tools.
This latest map is a snapshot of all the current knowledge: a bundle of information, a visual representation of data from various technical documents, all summarized in one place
Martin Fairclough, uranium production specialist, IAEA
“The aim was to create a complex map that is very simple to use,” said Martin Fairclough, a uranium production specialist at the IAEA and one of the map’s developers.
The map has been created for uranium resource and inventory management, geoscience research and the promotion of the discovery and use of uranium. It also provides data relevant to the implementation of nuclear power programmes around the world.
The map is based on data from the IAEA Uranium Deposits of the World (UDEPO) database, further outlined in the Geological Classification of Uranium deposits and Description of Selected Examples and the IAEA UDEPO 2016 edition documents. UDEPO is continuously being updated and includes technical information and detailed geological information on regions, districts and deposits. Both documents, which are complementary to the map, can be downloaded.
Since the publication of the first edition of the map in 1995, the amount of material and the diversity of information available in the world have expanded exponentially, hand in hand with advances in the understanding of uranium deposits. The first edition included 582 worldwide uranium deposits; this latest edition includes 2831.
“This latest map is a snapshot of all the current knowledge: a bundle of information, a visual representation of data from various technical documents, all summarized in one place,” Fairclough said.
The map is unique in how it displays this vast amount of information. It classifies the uranium deposits into 15 different types, as well as their subtypes. These are represented by different symbols that also proportionately show the deposits’ size. For instance, a star represents all the volcanicrelated deposit types, its colours represent its subtypes, and its size represents the deposit’s size in tonnes of uranium (tU). A green star, for example, would represent a volcano-sedimentary deposit subtype. And the bigger the green star, the bigger the deposit size.
The map’s special features allow users to organize and customize all this data. They can turn layers on and off, making them visible or hiding them. For instance, they can choose to display one type of uranium deposit and hide the other 14 types, and then print the version with the exact selected data they are looking for. The benefit of this is that one single product — the map — carries a vast amount of information classified in such a structured way that users can quickly produce a document containing precisely what they are searching for.
Another unique feature is that users can look into individual deposits by clicking on them to see in text format information related to that particular deposit. The map also contains a shaded relief background to simulate topography and enhance the relationships between geology and deposits.
The map can be accessed here.
This article was featured in the June 2018 Bulletin edition on Uranium: From exploration to remediation.

Is A Clash Coming Between China and Taiwan?

Is A Clash Coming Between China and Taiwan?: Tensions are escalating between Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is intensifying efforts to pressure Taiwan to accept unification with China, and the notionally pro-independence Taiwanese government, under the leadership of President Tsai Ing-wen. Xi has made unification with Taiwan increasingly important part of his agenda, while in Taiwan, support for unification is low and

‘Too Big to Fail’: Russia-gate One Year After VIPS Showed a Leak, Not a Hack – Consortiumnews

‘Too Big to Fail’: Russia-gate One Year After VIPS Showed a Leak, Not a Hack – Consortiumnews: One year later, the VIPS memo contending that the DNC emails were leaked and not hacked has yet to be successfully challenged. Meanwhile, the country sinks deeper into the morass of the new McCarthyism.
By Patrick Lawrence
Special to Consortium News
A year has passed since highly credentialed int

Soviet Collapse Echoes in China’s Belt and Road - Bloomberg

Soviet Collapse Echoes in China’s Belt and Road - Bloomberg: Grand investment plans for unproductive regions have caused empires to founder before.

A Brief Overview of What Trump’s Tariffs Have Wrought – Rolling Stone

A Brief Overview of What Trump’s Tariffs Have Wrought – Rolling Stone

No, Mr. President, We’re Not the ‘Enemy of the People’

No, Mr. President, We’re Not the ‘Enemy of the People’: The media is to blame. That is the cry of the autocrat, the dictator and the shifty politician. I have heard variations of it since I started in the newspaper business at the age of 16. The “media”…

China’s Best Option for Responding to a Trade War - Barron's

China’s Best Option for Responding to a Trade War - Barron's

The case against a US retreat from international development

The case against a US retreat from international development: Today, aid—and with it, U.S. global leadership—are under threat.

Sunday, August 12, 2018

BREAKING: O'Malley opens investigation into Boston seminary, puts rector on leave

BREAKING: O'Malley opens investigation into Boston seminary, puts rector on leave: From CNS:  The Archbishop of Boston said in an Aug. 10 statement that he has asked the rector of its main archdiocesan St. John Seminary to go on sabbatical leave immediately and is asking for an investigation of allegations made on social media about activities there "directly contrary to the moral standards and

Southern Company and TerraPower Prep for Testing on Molten Salt Reactor | Department of Energy

Southern Company and TerraPower Prep for Testing on Molten Salt Reactor | Department of Energy: Southern Company and TerraPower Prep for Testing on Molten Salt Reactor

TerraPower’s Nuclear Reactor Could Power the 21st Century - IEEE Spectrum

TerraPower’s Nuclear Reactor Could Power the 21st Century - IEEE Spectrum: The traveling-wave reactor and other advanced reactor designs could solve our fossil fuel dependency

Keeping the Nuclear Arms Control alive - EURASIA NEWS

Keeping the Nuclear Arms Control alive - EURASIA NEWS: News agency & Current Affairs in Eurasia

Russia on an international offensive to sell its nuclear plants - Nikkei Asian Review

Russia on an international offensive to sell its nuclear plants - Nikkei Asian Review: MOSCOW -- Russia is stepping up its overseas sales of nuclear power plants, with state-run nuclear energy company Rosatom agreeing in J

Nuclear watchdog raises Hinkley Point C concerns | UK news | The Guardian

Nuclear watchdog raises Hinkley Point C concerns | UK news | The Guardian: Management failings could affect safety at EDF power station if unaddressed, says inspector

"Nuclear energy is not as risky as climate change" | Imperial News | Imperial College London

"Nuclear energy is not as risky as climate change" | Imperial News | Imperial College London: THE TRUTH ON NUCLEAR - Nuclear power will be essential for meeting the UK's greenhouse gas targets, concluded a new report by Imperial energy experts.

Backgrounder on Transportation of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Materials


Backgrounder on Transportation of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Materials


https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/transport-spenfuel-radiomats-bg.html