Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Democratic Governors Block Bills For New Nuclear Power Plants
Democratic Governors Block Bills For New Nuclear Power Plants: But the nature of opposition is changing, suggesting a growing acceptance of the role the major source of carbon-free electricity could play in cutting emissions.
IAEA Opens Initiative to Enhance Fusion Energy Collaboration | Neutron Bytes
IAEA Opens Initiative to Enhance Fusion Energy Collaboration | Neutron Bytes: IAEA Opens Initiative to Enhance Fusion Energy Collaboration ‘Formidable Challenges Ahead for Fusion – Funding and Policy Support Needed UK Provides Details of £650 Million Funding For Nucle…
Friday, October 20, 2023
US Tests Explosive at Nuclear Site as Russia Revokes Ban on Atomic Weapons Tests - Bloomberg
US Tests Explosive at Nuclear Site as Russia Revokes Ban on Atomic Weapons Tests - Bloomberg: The US conducted a high-explosive experiment at a nuclear test site in Nevada just hours after Russia revoked a ban on atomic-weapons testing, prompting concerns of a new arms race between the world’s top nuclear powers.
Israel Oil: The Desert Pipeline That Keeps Crude Imports Flowing - Bloomberg
Israel Oil: The Desert Pipeline That Keeps Crude Imports Flowing - Bloomberg: Israel relies almost entirely on imported oil and the war with Hamas has disrupted the country’s main terminal on the Mediterranean. But there’s a long-standing Plan B: a 158-mile (254-kilometer) pipeline linking the sliver of Israeli coast on the Red Sea with the country’s oil refineries.
Biden move to lift Venezuela oil sanctions meets criticism from Manchin, Republicans | The Hill
Biden move to lift Venezuela oil sanctions meets criticism from Manchin, Republicans | The Hill: The Biden administration’s decision to lift sanctions on Venezuelan oil is garnering pushback from energy and foreign policy hawks. The administration announced late Wednesday that it would temporarily ease sanctions on oil and gas, as well as gold, in Venezuela after the country recently agreed to election reforms. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government agreed to reforms…
IAEA Samples Marine Environment Near Fukushima Daiichi | IAEA
IAEA Samples Marine Environment Near Fukushima Daiichi | IAEA: IAEA scientists and experts from international laboratories are visiting Japan this week to take marine samples near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
Ukraine brings in new pre-licensing assessment for nuclear projects : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News
Ukraine brings in new pre-licensing assessment for nuclear projects : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News: The large increase in proposed new nuclear energy projects has led the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine to establish a pre-licensing system based on the approach used by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
Low-Energy Fridays: Why Aren’t We Using More Nuclear Energy? - R Street Institute
Low-Energy Fridays: Why Aren’t We Using More Nuclear Energy? - R Street Institute: Nuclear energy is amazing. It is mostly produced from the chemical element uranium. A one-kilogram piece of uranium (a cube about 1.5 inches per side) has as much energy content as 20 metric tons of coal. It is the largest source of clean energy in the United States, accounting for about half of all our...
U.S. Plan to Put Weapons-Grade Uranium in a Civilian Reactor Is Dangerous and Unnecessary - Scientific American
U.S. Plan to Put Weapons-Grade Uranium in a Civilian Reactor Is Dangerous and Unnecessary - 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.
America’s Failing Iran Nuclear Policy: Time for a Course Adjustment - War on the Rocks
America’s Failing Iran Nuclear Policy: Time for a Course Adjustment - War on the Rocks: America’s inability to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program after exiting the 2015 nuclear deal — to halt the Islamic Republic’s subsequent accumulation of
Westinghouse signs Bulgaria supplier MoUs : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Westinghouse signs Bulgaria supplier MoUs : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: A series of memorandums of understanding have been signed by Westinghouse Electric Company with suppliers in Bulgaria for the proposed new units at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant and other potential projects.
Ukraine brings in new pre-licensing assessment for nuclear projects : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News
Ukraine brings in new pre-licensing assessment for nuclear projects : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News: The large increase in proposed new nuclear energy projects has led the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine to establish a pre-licensing system based on the approach used by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
Orano to expand capacity of French enrichment plant : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News
Orano to expand capacity of French enrichment plant : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News: The board of directors of Orano has approved an investment of some EUR1.7 billion (USD1.8 billion) to raise the production capacity of the Georges Besse II uranium enrichment plant at the Tricastin site in southern France by more than 30%.
Nuclear companies sign up for space technology missions : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Nuclear companies sign up for space technology missions : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: With nuclear technology set to underpin new developments in space travel, NASA has awarded Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation a contract to manufacture and test fuel and develop the design of a nuclear thermal propulsion engine for near-term missions. Separately, Space Nuclear Power Corporation has partnered with Lockheed Martin Corporation and BWX Technologies for the US Space Force/Air Force's JETSON nuclear electric propulsion demonstration project, while Framatome has announced the creation of a new brand, Framatome Space.
What's behind Saudi Arabia's quest for a nuclear programme?
What's behind Saudi Arabia's quest for a nuclear programme?: Analysis: Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear aspirations are on ice amid US concerns over regional proliferation, tensions with Iran, and the now shaky prospects of normalisation with Israel, but they still feature in Riyadh's long-term plans.
Japan hopes to complete nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in 2024 | Reuters
Japan hopes to complete nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in 2024 | Reuters: Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) hopes to finish construction of a long-delayed nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the first half of fiscal 2024, a company official said, as Japan looks to freeing storage space amid reactor restarts.
China imposes export curbs on graphite
China imposes export curbs on graphite: Restrictions on critical electric vehicle battery material set to escalate trade tensions with US
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Biden relieves sanctions on Venezuelan oil after election deal | The Hill
Biden relieves sanctions on Venezuelan oil after election deal | The Hill: The Biden administration will ease sanctions on Venezuelan oil in exchange for election reforms. A senior administration official told reporters Thursday evening that the U.S. would provide limited sanctions relief to Venezuela, primarily its oil and gas sector. The move comes as a result of an agreement signed by Venezuela’s government and opposition that included allowing international…
Centrus Begins Enrichment Operations in Ohio - Centrus Energy Corp
Centrus Begins Enrichment Operations in Ohio - Centrus Energy Corp: PIKETON, OH – Today, Centrus Energy (NYSE American: LEU) announced that it has begun enrichment operations at its High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) facility in Piketon, Ohio, and expects to begin withdrawing HALEU product later this month. It is the only NRC-licensed HALEU facility in the United States and the first new U.S.-owned, U.S.-technology uranium enrichment plant to begin production since 1954.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $7 Billion For America’s First Clean Hydrogen Hubs, Driving Clean Manufacturing and Delivering New Economic Opportunities Nationwide | Department of Energy
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $7 Billion For America’s First Clean Hydrogen Hubs, Driving Clean Manufacturing and Delivering New Economic Opportunities Nationwide | Department of Energy: Investing in America Agenda Drives $50 Billion in Public-Private Sector Investment to Jumpstart America’s Clean Hydrogen Economy; Seven H2Hubs Will Create Tens of Thousands of Good Jobs, Strengthen the Nation’s Energy Security, & Combat the Climate Crisis
How to Scale Nuclear Power | Andreessen Horowitz
How to Scale Nuclear Power | Andreessen Horowitz: If we’re going to normalize nuclear power as a reliable energy source, it's essential to understand how we’ve ended up in our current situation.
Is It Time for Nuclear Power in the Arctic?
Is It Time for Nuclear Power in the Arctic?: Reykjavik (High North News): The world is on the hunt for clean and carbon-free energy, and nuclear power is on the menu as the High North convenes in Reykjavik for the Arctic Circle conference. But is the Arctic ready?
Slovenia Pushes on With Pricey Nuclear Project to Phase Out Coal - Bloomberg
Slovenia Pushes on With Pricey Nuclear Project to Phase Out Coal - Bloomberg: Slovenia will push forward with plans to build its second nuclear power plant, its largest and most expensive infrastructure project to date, as it aims to phase out coal by 2033.
US invests $3.5 billion to bolster power grid, deploy clean energy
US invests $3.5 billion to bolster power grid, deploy clean energy: WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced $3.5 billion in grants for projects to protect the aging U.S. power grid from extreme weather and fires and to connect transmission systems with more electricity from renewable energy sources. The funding for 58 projects across 44 states comes from the bipartisan infrastructure law Biden signed in 2021, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said, and is the largest-ever direct investment in the grid. The U.S. power grid, much of it built nearly a century ago, is being strained by storms, floods and heat waves fueled by climate change even as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence are boosting power demand, Granholm told reporters in a call.
Nuclear Waste Is Piling Up. Here's How to Fix the Problem - Scientific American
Nuclear Waste Is Piling Up. Here's How to Fix the Problem - 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.
Xi backs new Russian gas pipeline — RT Business News
Xi backs new Russian gas pipeline — RT Business News: President Xi Jinping said Beijing is looking forward to the construction of the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline that will run through Mongolia
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Here are the most and least energy efficient states – The Hill
Here are the most and least energy efficient states – The Hill: Story at a glance Utah earned the No. 1 spot in a new WalletHub ranking of most and least energy efficient states. Some other states that are making good use of less energy are Massachusetts, New Y…
Republican AGs, industry ask for emergency Supreme Court stay of Biden smog rule | The Hill
Republican AGs, industry ask for emergency Supreme Court stay of Biden smog rule | The Hill: A coalition of Republican attorneys general on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to stay the federal “Good Neighbor” interstate smog rule while they appeal a lower court ruling. The plaintiffs, led by Dave Yost of Ohio, asked the high court to pause the rule, which regulates the flow of air pollution across state lines from…
Biden administration announces $3.5 billion for grid resilience measures | The Hill
Biden administration announces $3.5 billion for grid resilience measures | The Hill: The Biden administration on Wednesday announced it will put $3.5 billion toward electrical grid resilience projects. The funds, provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will cover 58 projects across 44 states, Biden administration officials told reporters on a call Wednesday. It marks the largest single federal investment in the electrical grid in the history of…
Nuclear Waste Is Piling Up. Here's How to Fix the Problem - Scientific American
Nuclear Waste Is Piling Up. Here's How to Fix the Problem - 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.
Russia and Belarus radioactive waste disposal agreement : Waste & Recycling - World Nuclear News
Russia and Belarus radioactive waste disposal agreement : Waste & Recycling - World Nuclear News: Russia's TVEL and the Belarusian Organisation for Radioactive Waste Management have entered into a long-term cooperation agreement covering the creation and development of infrastructure for the final isolation of radioactive waste in Belarus, as well as training personnel for the operation of a near-surface waste disposal facility.
Viewpoint: The communications challenge for nuclear energy's revival : Perspectives - World Nuclear News
Viewpoint: The communications challenge for nuclear energy's revival : Perspectives - World Nuclear News: Public support for nuclear energy continues to grow as a wave of new nuclear plants - large and small - enter service or are planned, and communications strategies need to evolve to match the new outlook, writes Jarret Adams, CEO of Full On Communications.
Bruce Power explores technology options for nuclear expansion : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Bruce Power explores technology options for nuclear expansion : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Bruce Power announced it is launching an Expression of Interest process to "further understand nuclear technologies that could help meet growing demand for clean electricity and advance decarbonisation efforts in Ontario". In July, the provincial government said it was starting pre-development work to build up to 4800 MWe of new nuclear capacity at Bruce Power's existing site.
Enlist New Nuclear Reactor Tech And FEMA To Project Power Ashore
Enlist New Nuclear Reactor Tech And FEMA To Project Power Ashore: Quick action to field a FEMA fleet of power-generation vessels can advance modern nuclear generation technology and further an array of pressing U.S. strategic goals.
Cleanup cost for nuclear contamination sites has risen nearly $1 billion since 2016, report says | AP News
Cleanup cost for nuclear contamination sites has risen nearly $1 billion since 2016, report says | AP News: The estimated future cost to clean up 19 sites contaminated by nuclear waste from the Cold War era has risen by nearly $1 billion in the past seven years.
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Israel-Hamas war threatens regional gas volatility | The Hill
Israel-Hamas war threatens regional gas volatility | The Hill: In the aftermath of Hamas’s unprecedented assault on Israel, the ensuing war is threatening to rattle a key natural gas supply hub in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Last Monday — just two days after Hamas launched the surprise attack — Israel’s Energy and Infrastructure Ministry announced a temporary halt in the supply of gas from the country’s Tamar…
PG&E on track to underground at least 350 miles of power lines by end of 2023 - Daily Energy Insider
PG&E on track to underground at least 350 miles of power lines by end of 2023 - Daily Energy Insider: In an effort to reduce wildfire risks, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) noted last week that it is on track to underground at least 350 miles of power lines by the end of the ... Read More »
Nuclear Reactors Don’t Need to Be So… | The Breakthrough Institute
Nuclear Reactors Don’t Need to Be So… | The Breakthrough Institute: The Breakthrough Institute is an environmental research center based in Berkeley, California. Our research focuses on identifying and promoting…
Thirsty Electricity
By Matthew L Wald
Shifting rainfall patterns may require changes to electricity generation
A central selling point for solar and wind power installations is that they use very little water. But what about nuclear? Can nuclear be similarly thrifty with this limited resource?
The subject needs to be clarified.
Today’s nuclear plants use water in two different roles. And the first tranche of new, small modular reactors will likely do the same.
Fuel in the reactor vessel is immersed in water. That water “moderates” the flow of neutrons, the sub-atomic particles released in fission. It slows the neutrons down to a speed more likely to cause another fission.
The water also carries off the heat generated by fission, so it can be turned to steam and put to work to spin a turbine, creating mechanical energy that turns a generator and makes electricity.
One problem for steam-electric plants (including coal plants) is that when this steam exits the turbine, depleted of much of its energy, it needs to be re-heated to gain the energy needed to spin the turbine again. But it’s hard to heat steam, so the engineers have to find a way to condense it back into water.
Cooling the steam and turning it back into liquid water requires more cooling water.
In some future reactors, water requirements will be smaller. Gas-graphite reactors, for example, heat an inert gas, use the hot gas to spin the turbine, and then route the gas back to the core for re-heating. But the material is a gas in the entire process; it does not have to be condensed back to a liquid for re-heating.
To understand how reactors in service today use water and how that compares to plants that burn fossil fuels for energy, it is worth looking into each type in more detail.
Colocation provider plans to use modular nuclear reactors to power its data centers | Network World
Colocation provider plans to use modular nuclear reactors to power its data centers | Network World: Standard Power is deploying 24 of NuScale's small modular reactors to power data centers in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Nuclear Reactors Don’t Need to Be So… | The Breakthrough Institute
Nuclear Reactors Don’t Need to Be So… | The Breakthrough Institute: The Breakthrough Institute is an environmental research center based in Berkeley, California. Our research focuses on identifying and promoting…
Korea reclaims nuclear powerhouse status after winning series of global deals - The Korea Times
Korea reclaims nuclear powerhouse status after winning series of global deals - The Korea Times: Korea is set to regain its status as a global nuclear energy powerhouse after winning a series of construction and maintainence deals for nuclear power plants abroad over the past year, according to industry analysts Friday. President Yoon Suk Yeol has pushed to rebuild and nurture the nuclear power industry as the nation's main export item after scrapping the previous Moon Jae-in administration's anti-nuclear policies.
Floating nuclear power plant set for first refuelling : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News
Floating nuclear power plant set for first refuelling : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News: Nuclear fuel has been delivered to Russia's floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov with the landmark refuelling set to begin before the end of the year.
What September's sizzling temps say about climate change
What September's sizzling temps say about climate change: Climate change is occurring faster in the past 15 years than it did at any other time since the 1970s.
Tiny nuclear meets big oil: Can micro reactors reduce oil and gas operations emissions? | S&P Global Commodity Insights
Tiny nuclear meets big oil: Can micro reactors reduce oil and gas operations emissions? | S&P Global Commodity Insights: Oil and gas production, transport and processing account for almost 15% of total energy-related greenhouse gas emissions globally, and the use of the oil and gas results in another 40% of emissions, a
France, Germany Urged to Reach Nuclear Agreement as Clock Ticks Down - Bloomberg
France, Germany Urged to Reach Nuclear Agreement as Clock Ticks Down - Bloomberg: Germany rejected the latest proposal to overhaul the European Union’s power market over fears that France could use it to unfairly benefit its nuclear industry and undercut prices across the bloc.
Why does nuclear energy scare people? We gave it a rebrand
Why does nuclear energy scare people? We gave it a rebrand: Most people are more familiar with notable nuclear power plant meltdowns than the facilities that supply 20% of U.S. power. A rebrand could change that.
Poland Is Planning to Become a Nuclear Power
Poland Is Planning to Become a Nuclear Power: The country's new government has fanciful plans for energy production.
South Korea turns to migrant labor to fuel growth - Nikkei Asia
South Korea turns to migrant labor to fuel growth - Nikkei Asia: SEOUL/UIJEONGBU, South Korea -- Around the time Kuda Jayantha neared high school graduation, he began noticing billboards in his home village in Sri L
Advanced Nuclear Reactor Projects | Neutron Bytes
Advanced Nuclear Reactor Projects | Neutron Bytes: New Paradigms Emerge for Innovation and Investment in Advanced Nuclear Energy Reactor Designs (Updated July 2023) Designers of advanced nuclear reactors seek to bridge the gap between concept and p…
Monday, October 16, 2023
Iranian oil faces scrutiny amid Israel-Hamas conflict | The Hill
Iranian oil faces scrutiny amid Israel-Hamas conflict | The Hill: The deadly violence between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas is putting Iranian oil under the microscope. Republicans in particular are calling for more action to restrict this key source of income for Iran, whose decades-long backing of Hamas has come under renewed scrutiny in the wake of the group’s attack on Israel last weekend. Former President Trump has sought to use the issue as…
World’s Biggest Fusion-Energy Project Searches for Lost Memory - Bloomberg
World’s Biggest Fusion-Energy Project Searches for Lost Memory - Bloomberg: The executive in charge of the world’s biggest fusion-energy experiment is trying to rehire retired engineers, who possess knowledge that’s critical to advancing an unfinished reactor in southern France.
UW nuclear medicine employees use radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatments · The Badger Herald
UW nuclear medicine employees use radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatments · The Badger Herald: Experts say radiopharmaceuticals are future of improved cancer diagnosis, treatment
Project aims to increase diversity in isotope research | AuntMinnie
Project aims to increase diversity in isotope research | AuntMinnie: A project to increase the diversity of students participating in isotope production research is the first one funded under a new $37 million initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Vogtle 4 start-up moved to 2024 : Corporate - World Nuclear News
Vogtle 4 start-up moved to 2024 : Corporate - World Nuclear News: The in-service date for the second AP1000 plant at the site near Waynesboro, Georgia, has been revised after a motor fault was discovered in a reactor coolant pump. Meanwhile, Georgia Power has agreed to pay the plant's co-owner Oglethorpe Power Corporation USD308 million in settlement of an ongoing dispute.
France and Brazil discuss nuclear energy links : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
France and Brazil discuss nuclear energy links : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: France and Brazil are looking to "rebuild cooperation" in the energy sector with an emphasis on nuclear energy, after energy ministers from the two countries held talks in Paris.
Another Zaporizhzhia unit to be put into hot shutdown : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News
Another Zaporizhzhia unit to be put into hot shutdown : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News: The International Atomic Energy Agency said it has been informed that a second reactor at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine is being brought into hot shutdown in order to provide hot water and district heating over the coming winter.
Rosatom expands cooperation in West Africa : Corporate - World Nuclear News
Rosatom expands cooperation in West Africa : Corporate - World Nuclear News: Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has signed a memorandum of understanding with Burkina Faso and another with Mali on cooperation in the field of the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
'Full government support' for Niger uranium project : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News
'Full government support' for Niger uranium project : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News: The Government of Niger has confirmed its "full support" for Global Atomic Corporation's Dasa uranium project, the company has said. The project is still pencilled in to make its first yellowcake deliveries in 2025 and remains unimpaired by a recent US decision to put a hold on US Development Bank financing following the coup that took place in Niger earlier this year.
Nuclear fusion: New initiatives outlined at IAEA's FEC 2023 conference : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Nuclear fusion: New initiatives outlined at IAEA's FEC 2023 conference : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: The first edition of World Fusion Outlook and proposals to form a World Fusion Energy Group - as well as updates on progress across the industry and new investment from the UK hosts - have been unveiled at the 29th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference.
The wheels are coming off New York's insane alternate-energy plans
The wheels are coming off New York's insane alternate-energy plans: New York state’s insane renewable-energy plan is starting to implode; the sooner Gov. Kathy Hochul and other leaders admit the truth, the better.
The Great British SMR Off! - by Angelica Oung - Elemental
The Great British SMR Off! - by Angelica Oung - Elemental: On your marks, get set, react! The Brits have announced 6 finalists to their SMR competition. Let’s find out who’s the star reactor and who’s got a soggy bottom.
Sunday, October 15, 2023
CENTRUS Starts HALEU Enrichment Operations | Neutron Bytes
CENTRUS Starts HALEU Enrichment Operations | Neutron Bytes: Centrus Starts HALEU Enrichment Operations Rolls-Royce Inks SMR Fuel Deal with Westinghouse UK Sheffield Forgemasters Joins X-Energy Deployment Effort General Fusion and Japan’s Kyoto Fusioneering …
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