Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: 12/31/23

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Joseph Hendrie, 98, Dies; Key Figure in the Three Mile Island Crisis - The Union Journal

Joseph Hendrie, 98, Dies; Key Figure in the Three Mile Island Crisis - The Union Journal: Joseph M. Hendrie, a prominent physicist and former leader of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission during the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear power disaster —

Helion aims to achieve fusion energy breakthrough by mid-2024, revolutionizing power sector: S&P

Helion aims to achieve fusion energy breakthrough by mid-2024, revolutionizing power sector: S&P: According to S&P Global Commodity Insights (GCI), fusion energy holds the promise of providing an essentially unlimited source of zero-carbon baseload power, derived from the same thermonuclear reaction that powers the sun, without the drawbacks associated with conventional nuclear reactors.

Fusion energy industry anticipates electric power breakthrough by summer | S&P Global Commodity Insights

Fusion energy industry anticipates electric power breakthrough by summer | S&P Global Commodity Insights: Private investment surges to $6 billion to date NRC drafting first fusion plant regulations The new year is expected to bring major progress toward the commercialization of fusion based power plants b

Joseph Hendrie, 98, Dies; Key Figure in the Three Mile Island Crisis - The New York Times

Joseph Hendrie, 98, Dies; Key Figure in the Three Mile Island Crisis - The New York Times: He was chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 1979, when America faced its worst nuclear power mishap in history.

$270 Billion in Trade Rests on Finding a Fix to the Panama Canal - Bloomberg

$270 Billion in Trade Rests on Finding a Fix to the Panama Canal - Bloomberg: A combination of climate change and infrastructure is to blame for critical shipping delays at the canal.

NuScale Lays off 40% of its Staff | Neutron Bytes

NuScale Lays off 40% of its Staff | Neutron Bytes: According to reports in the Huffington Post and the Oregonian newspaper, NuScale laid off 40% of its over 500 employees on Friday January 5th. The Huffington Post cited a recording of a virtual mee…

Nuclear power entering 'boom era' on traditional energy woes

Nuclear power entering 'boom era' on traditional energy woes: On today’s installment of Good Buy or Goodbye, nuclear energy is in focus as rising costs and geopolitical tensions put a strain on traditional energy sources. VettaFi Financial Futurist Dave Nadig joins Yahoo Finance's Julie Hyman to discuss what investors should be considering in the energy sector. Nadig predicts a “boom era” for uranium supplies as tax cuts and subsidies in various countries accommodate a shift to nuclear energy. He takes a closer look at the VanEck Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF (NLR). “Nuclear is increasingly looking like the solution," Nadig insists, who sees various industries relying on nuclear energy, specifically in the areas that require computing power such as electric vehicles and AI systems. Nadig advises investors to avoid the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) due to the various challenges that could leave many at a loss. Nadig views the ongoing disputes in the Middle East and South America are “not good for anybody” as the impact on production and costs become increasingly problematic. "It's going to be another year or two at least before demand catches up to the over-supply," Nadig says on slowing growth for the broader energy market and the XLE Cli

Mass Layoffs At Pioneering Nuclear Startup | HuffPost Impact

Mass Layoffs At Pioneering Nuclear Startup | HuffPost Impact: NuScale is the second major U.S. reactor company to cut jobs in recent months.

Natural Gas, WTI Oil, Brent Oil Forecasts - Oil Gains Ground Amid Rising Tensions In The Middle East

Natural Gas, WTI Oil, Brent Oil Forecasts - Oil Gains Ground Amid Rising Tensions In The Middle East: Oil traders focus on geopolitical developments ahead of the weekend.

Norway trials first-ever subsea floating offshore wind tech

Norway trials first-ever subsea floating offshore wind tech: Revolutionizing offshore wind! Subsea Collector slashes costs by 10%, redefining how floating wind farms operate.

Southwestern, Chesapeake Energy close to merger, creating $17 billion U.S. natural gas company

Southwestern, Chesapeake Energy close to merger, creating $17 billion U.S. natural gas company: The acquisition would make Chesapeake’s gas production larger than its biggest rival, EQT Corp., and expand its holdings in two key gas drilling regions: the Marcellus basin in Appalachia and the Haynesville basin in Louisiana and East Texas.

This multinational tech giant will use hydrogen fuel powered warehouse vehicles - H2 News

This multinational tech giant will use hydrogen fuel powered warehouse vehicles - H2 News: The company believes that H2 will provide a sustainable option for keeping its forklifts running. Amazon is developing a strategy for the production of hydroge

Uranium price hits new post-Fukushima high - MINING.COM

Uranium price hits new post-Fukushima high - MINING.COM: Uranium hit $91 per lb. this week, another record since triple-digit prices in 2007.

Friday, January 5, 2024

Biden Administration To Purchase More Oil For SPR | OilPrice.com

Biden Administration To Purchase More Oil For SPR | OilPrice.com: The Department of Energy’s Office of Petroleum Reserves has announced a solicitation for the purchase of up to 3 million barrels of crude oil for the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves

NuScale Lays off 40% of its Staff | Neutron Bytes

Japan earthquake casts cloud over push to restart nuclear plants | Reuters

Gas prices average below $3 in many states | The Hill

Gas prices average below $3 in many states | The Hill: Much of the country is seeing gasoline prices drop below $3 per gallon — good news for consumers and the White House. While the national average was sitting at around $3.09 per gallon Friday, 30 states had prices averaging below $3 per gallon, according to AAA. Prices have been on a downward trend in recent…

Westinghouse submits AP300 regulatory engagement plan to NRC -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

Westinghouse unveils SMR version of AP1000 -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

JT-60SA is now the largest operating tokamak: What does that mean for ITER and JET? -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

NRC rejects hybrid approach to fusion regulation in a vote for clarity -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

Three new inertial fusion energy hubs have distinct, laser-focused missions -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

The DOE is set on “building bridges” to a fusion energy future -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

DOE picks eight fusion companies to design pilot power plants -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

The U.S. nuclear fuel Gordian knot: From global supplier to vulnerable customer -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

On the verge of a crisis: The U.S. nuclear fuel Gordian knot -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

Coalition pushes Senate for $1.2 billion for the grid -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

The 5 Largest Nuclear Power Plants by Country - ASME

The 5 Largest Nuclear Power Plants by Country - ASME: South Korea, Canada, China, Ukraine, and France build their nuclear power plants bigger than anyone else.

Connection to grid requested for Poland's first plant : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Connection to grid requested for Poland's first plant : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Polish electricity grid operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne has determined the parameters required for connecting the country's first nuclear power plant, planned in Pomerania, to the national grid.

Canadian collaboration to explore isotope production for space exploration : Corporate - World Nuclear News

Canadian collaboration to explore isotope production for space exploration : Corporate - World Nuclear News: The Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council and nuclear innovation company Nuclear Promise X will explore the feasibility of using Canadian nuclear reactors to produce plutonium-238 for use in deep space exploration.

Nuclear icebreakers help Northern Sea Route to record year : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News

Nuclear icebreakers help Northern Sea Route to record year : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: A new record for cargo transported via Russia's Northern Sea Route was set in 2023 with existing nuclear icebreakers providing more than 730 vessel support services. Work continues to progress on two more nuclear-powered icebreakers.

Empowering the Future in the United Arab Emirates | IAEA

Empowering the Future in the United Arab Emirates | IAEA: “Every country in the world wants energy security, wants to create jobs and promote sustainable prosperity, and wants to encourage its young people to build skills and plan for the future.

What is Net Zero? What is the Role of Nuclear Power and Innovations? | IAEA

How PG&E Almost Became the Nation’s Largest Cooperative

How PG&E Almost Became the Nation’s Largest Cooperative: The history of electric cooperatives is one of individuals striving to improve their local communities. Perhaps the most inspiring electric cooperative

DOE formalizes billion-dollar financial aid for Diablo Canyon; payments to start in 2025 - ExchangeMonitor | Page 1

DOE formalizes billion-dollar financial aid for Diablo Canyon; payments to start in 2025 - ExchangeMonitor | Page 1: ExchangeMonitor covers nuclear weapons, waste management, nuclear cleanup, international intelligence as well as carbon capture and storage.

Fukushima News | Fukushima Nuclear Disaster | Fukushima Accident

Thursday, January 4, 2024

War on Gaza: Survivors recount harrowing Israeli field executions | Middle East Eye

Public Attitudes toward Clean Energy 2023 - Nuclear

Public Attitudes toward Clean Energy 2023 - Nuclear: The world’s largest publicly-released international study on what people think about nuclear energy.

Extracting uranium from seawater as another source of nuclear fuel - American Chemical Society

Extracting uranium from seawater as another source of nuclear fuel - American Chemical Society: Did you know that the oceans hold more uranium than can be found on land? Seawater could become another source of nuclear fuel, and researchers in ACS Central Science report a way to capture it effectively.

DOE Awards Civil Nuclear Credits to Diablo Canyon

DOE Awards Civil Nuclear Credits to Diablo Canyon: The Department of Energy (DOE) will award credits under its Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) program to bolster the continued operation of Diablo Canyon Power

DOE docs: Carbon removal proposal bets on rare nuclear reactors - E&E News by POLITICO

DOE docs: Carbon removal proposal bets on rare nuclear reactors - E&E News by POLITICO: Previously unreported plans for a major direct air capture hub raise concerns about using troubled reactors that don’t exist in the United States.

Indian PM dedicates demonstration reprocessing plant : Waste & Recycling - World Nuclear News

Indian PM dedicates demonstration reprocessing plant : Waste & Recycling - World Nuclear News: The Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant is a precursor to large-scale plants for the reprocessing of fast reactor fuel.

New wetland proposed near Hinkley Point C : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News

New wetland proposed near Hinkley Point C : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News: EDF Energy is proposing the creation of more than 800 acres (324 hectares) of saltmarsh on the River Parrett in Somerset, UK, as an alternative to the proposal for 280 underwater speakers to produce an acoustic fish deterrent at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant.

BP and Equinor Cancel Big New York Offshore Wind Project - Barron's

BP and Equinor Cancel Big New York Offshore Wind Project - Barron's: BP and Equinor have canceled a major offshore wind contract near New York. The project, known as Empire Wind 2, was expected to be installed 15 to 30 miles off the coast of Long Island and had already received important permits.

Could 2024 be a breakout year for the transmission… | Canary Media

DOE docs: Carbon removal proposal bets on rare nuclear reactors - E&E News by POLITICO

COP28’s Nuclear Energy Promise Is Still a Long Way Off | The National Interest

COP28’s Nuclear Energy Promise Is Still a Long Way Off | The National Interest: The role nuclear energy might play in the future global energy mix should be supported by realistic analysis not on hope about what might be accomplished on hypothetical pathways.

There Is No Clean Future Without Nuclear Energy | RealClearEnergy

The Ultimate Twosome - TomDispatch.com

The Ultimate Twosome - TomDispatch.com Nukes and Climate Change in 2024 By Tom Engelhardt Honestly, what strange creatures we are. Nothing stops us when it comes to destruction, does it? (And I'm not even thinking about the utter, ongoing devastation of Gaza.) I mean, give us credit as the new year begins. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about humanity isn't our literature, our theater, our movies, the remarkable food we cook, the cities we've built, or the endless other things we've created. To my mind, it's the fact that, in our relatively brief time as rulers of this planet, amid a chaos of never-ending wars and conflicts, we've come up with not just one but two different ways of doing ourselves (and much of the rest of our world) in.

There Are 2 Types of Environmentalist - by Tomas Pueyo

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

First major U.S. offshore wind farm sends first power to the grid | The Hill

First major U.S. offshore wind farm sends first power to the grid | The Hill: An offshore wind project in New England that is expected to be the U.S.’s first large-scale offshore wind farm has delivered power to the electric grid for the first time. The Vineyard Wind project — located off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts — sent power to the New England grid during initial testing. …

Russia, India sign Kudankulam agreements : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Russia, India sign Kudankulam agreements : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Agreements linked to the construction of new reactors at the Kudankulam site in Tamil Nadu were signed during a five-day visit to Moscow by India's Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

UK-Korean partnership to develop nuclear-powered cargo ships : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News

China approves construction of four new reactors : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

China approves construction of four new reactors : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: The construction of two Hualong One reactors at each of the Taipingling and Jinqimen sites was approved by China's State Council at a 29 December meeting. Meanwhile, various milestones have been reached in the construction of other Chinese units.

Carbon-Free Energy Is the Name of the Game: Renewables, Nuclear Poised for Growth: Solar, wind, and nuclear power, as well as battery storage systems, are the obvious winners as the world aims to decarbonize energy systems. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has been following trends

There Is No Clean Future Without Nuclear Energy | RealClearEnergy

There Is No Clean Future Without Nuclear Energy | RealClearEnergy: On the heels of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, it’s clear that nuclear energy’s role in achieving a clean energy future cannot be overlooked or understated.

Ground News - Appeals court delivers fatal blow to California city pushing natural gas ban

Ground News - Appeals court delivers fatal blow to California city pushing natural gas ban: A federal appeals court rejected a petition Tuesday to rehear a case related to a natural gas ban proposed by the City of Berkeley, California, which the panel ruled was illegal last year.

ExxonMobil hands over operations at West Qurna 1 oilfield to PetroChina | Reuters

ExxonMobil hands over operations at West Qurna 1 oilfield to PetroChina | Reuters: U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil Corp has formally exited the West Qurna 1 oilfield in southern Iraq and handed over its operations to PetroChina as lead contractor, a deputy oil minister told Reuters on Monday.

Nuclear Power’s Commanded Heights (Part II) | RealClearEnergy: Note: This is Part 2 of a 2 Part Series. It was nuclear energy’s dependence on the start and stop policies of the Federal Government that crippled the industry in the 1970s. Civilian Nuclear Pow

Scientist Discover How to Convert CO2 into Powder That Can Be Stored for Decades | Scientific American

Scientist Discover How to Convert CO2 into Powder That Can Be Stored for Decades | Scientific American: A team of scientists has figured out how to convert planet-warming carbon dioxide into a harmless powdery fuel that could be converted into clean electricity

NuScale SMR meets Polish safety requirements, says regulator : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News: NuScale Power's NPM-20 small modular reactor technology is compliant with Polish nuclear safety and radiological protection standards, the president of the National Atomic Energy Agency said in a general opinion.

Korea’s Artificial Sun KSTAR Receives Upgrade to Withstand Temperature 6 Times Hotter Than Center of the Sun | Science Times

Korea’s Artificial Sun KSTAR Receives Upgrade to Withstand Temperature 6 Times Hotter Than Center of the Sun | Science Times: The nuclear fusion reactor from South Korea had been upgraded to withstand extreme temperatures. Continue reading to learn about the progress of the artificial sun KSTAR.

Documents Confirm Mutated SARS-CoV-2 Virus Most Likely Leaked from… – The Vaccine Reaction: More evidence has emerged that the COVID-19 pandemic began when a lab engineered mutated coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) leaked from a biohazard lab in Wuhan, China. Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which was filed by the nonprofit public health research group...

[SocialMedia] Spain confirms plans to close 7 nuclear plants by 2035 -

[SocialMedia] Spain confirms plans to close 7 nuclear plants by 2035 - Spain / Government Confirms Plans To Phase Out Nuclear Power By 2035 nucnet.org/news/government-confirms-plans-to-phase-out-nuclear-power-by-2035-12-4-2023 Move is contentious, with business group recently calling for lifetime extensions Spain on Wednesday (27 December) confirmed plans to close the country’s fleet of seven commercial nuclear power plants by 2035, with the first shutdown scheduled for 2027. The fate of Spain’s nuclear fleet became a key topic during this summer’s electoral campaign, with the conservative opposition People’s Party pledging to reverse the planned phaseout of the nuclear plants, which generate about a fifth of the country’s electricity. The Spanish Socialist Workers’ party, which supports the phaseout plans, won most seats in the election and a coalition deal between centre-left parties that formed a government has confirmed plans for “the orderly and progressive dismantling” of nuclear reactors. The management of radioactive waste and dismantling of the plants will cost about €20.2bn ($22.4bn) and will be paid for by a fund supported by the plants’ operators, the government said. The government, led by prime minister Pedro Sanchez plans to start closing down Spain’s fleet from 2027. According to government plans, Almaraz-1, a 1,011 MW pressurised water reactor unit that began commercial operation in 1983, is the first plant that would close. Recently, one of Spain’s top business lobby groups called for the government to extend the operational lifetimes of the country’s nuclear plants, calling plans to shut them down a “strategic and economic error”. “Ideological positions should not prevent us from recognising the need to extend the useful life of power plants already installed, which guarantee the stability of the system,” said Manuel Perez-Sala, chairman of business lobby Circulo de Empresarios, which says its members include 230 business leaders and top managers. Keeping nuclear plants running requires multi-billion euros investments in aging plants, but offers the assurance of stable power, he said at an energy transition event in Madrid. Industry Wants ‘Open And Honest Dialogue’ His comments came as Circulo de Empresarios released a study (Spanish only) on the energy transition which concluded the government should extend the useful life of nuclear power plants. The study said Spain’s nuclear power plants have not had safety problems and the quality of the operation is “beyond doubt”. In July, Spain’s nuclear energy industry said it wanted to establish an “open and honest dialogue” with the government on the future of the sector. The Madrid-based nuclear group Foro Nuclear said there has been “different information” about the sector's position regarding the future of nuclear energy, but the industry is “fully willing and open to collaborate with the government on the decisions that could be taken on the future of nuclear energy in Spain”. Foro Nuclear warned earlier this year that the energy situation is different to when the phaseout was originally decided in 2019, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A May 2021 International Energy Agency report said Spain should not rule out nuclear energy as an option beyond 2050 with reactor technology having the potential to contribute to decarbonisation through high-temperature heat supply and hydrogen production. Spain’s decision on nuclear comes as countries are considering the technology as a way of increasing energy security and mitigating climate change. A consensus agreed at the recent Cop28 climate summit recognised the need to “accelerate” nuclear energy as a key approach for a deep, rapid and sustained reduction in greenhouse gas emissions – a move hailed by industry representatives and European politicians as a major moment for the future of the sector. Also at Cop28, 22 countries signed a pledge to triple nuclear generation capacity by 2050 from a base year of 2020. # # # ______________________________________ Dan Yurman dan.yurman@outlook.com NeutronBytes Mobile: 216-218-3823 Cleveland, OH more or less

Kim Jong Un warns war is 'realistic reality' as he pledges to build more nuclear weapons in 2024 | World News | Sky News: North Korea's leader says moves by the US and its allies against Pyongyang have been unprecedented in 2023, pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear war.

Systems to supply power to nuclear plant in Ishikawa partially unusable | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News: The operator of the Shika nuclear power plant in quake-hit Ishikawa Prefecture says systems to supply electricity to the facility from outside sources remain partially unusable.

Japan Earthquake / No Irregularities at Nuclear Power Plants | Neutron Bytes: Japan issued tsunami alerts and ordered evacuations following a series of earthquakes on Monday on Japan’s west coast. According to news media reports, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reporte…

Saturday, January 6, 2024

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Sunday, December 31, 2023