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Issued by the World Nuclear Association
World Nuclear Association has released a new White Paper outlining why nuclear projects should be part of the economic and employment recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
More governments must introduce policies to support the long-term operation (LTO) of nuclear plants to maximise the environmental, employment and economic benefits they bring. This is the conclusion of a new technical position paperissued by World Nuclear Association's Long-term Operation Task Force.
This Expanded Summary will provide readers with explanations of what factors are affecting the growth of nuclear power, what new concepts were introduced in the 19th edition, and what developments the industry may require between now and 2040.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD-NEA) has today launched a series of policy briefs that examine nuclear energy’s role in the post-pandemic economic recovery.
Today the International Energy Agency (IEA) has released an energy-focussed COVID-19 recovery plan identifying actions that will “move the world towards a cleaner and more resilient future.” Investment in existing nuclear plants, new nuclear build and supporting innovation in small modular reactors are among measures proposed to support a broad range of clean energy technologies.
Background information on topical issues
Agneta Rising's speech at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power, in Vienna on October 2019, highlighted the need for governments to take action to create the conditions needed to allow nuclear energy to deliver its potential.
Agneta Rising's speech looking back on progress made by the nuclear industry, and looking ahead to future opportunities. The speech was to mark the NEA's 60th anniversary.
Full text of speech made by Agneta Rising to the Energy Commission Members of the Bulgarian Parliament on 25 January 2018.
Germany is projected to miss its 2020 emissions reduction target because it has prioritised closing nuclear plants ahead of closing coal plants.
Although peak generation from solar briefly exceeded generation from nuclear energy on 26 May 2017 in the UK, over the whole day nuclear generated considerably more low carbon electricity. Expanding nuclear offers greater potential for emissions savings.
World Nuclear Association
Published: Wed, 12 Aug 2020 14:14:20 GMT
The leadership of the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan met with a Hungarian delegation to Tashkent last month, during which they discussed Hungary's willingness for partnership in the energy sector.
Published: Wed, 12 Aug 2020 12:03:24 GMT
The Municipality of Retortillo has issued Berkeley Energia a land use permit, known as an Urbanism Licence, for construction works at the Salamanca uranium project in western Spain. The project still requires a construction permit for the uranium processing plant before full construction of the mine can begin.
Published: Tue, 11 Aug 2020 11:32:55 GMT
Experts from the Moscow Centre of the World Association of Nuclear Operators have completed a pre-start-up peer review of unit 2 of the Leningrad II nuclear power plant in Western Russia. The purpose of review was to assess the readiness of the unit for safe start-up and further operation. Peer reviews are conducted at operating nuclear power plants once every four years, including at the start-up stage.
Published: Tue, 11 Aug 2020 15:10:20 GMT
Jacobs and IS Instruments have designed a new type of Raman spectroscopy technology to detect radioactive contamination or other hazardous substances in waste stores and nuclear facilities undergoing decommissioning.
Published: Tue, 11 Aug 2020 14:35:58 GMT
US company X-energy has initiated a Vendor Design Review for its Xe-100 small modular reactor design with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Kinetrics will lead X-energy’s Canadian regulatory affairs and licensing efforts.
Published: Tue, 11 Aug 2020 14:00:10 GMT
The China Experimental Fast Reactor completed a manual emergency shutdown test from full power on 31 July, China National Nuclear Corporation announced last week. The company said this marked the end of commissioning tests for the power test phase of the reactor and verified that its performance met the design requirements under stable conditions and expected transient operating conditions.
Published: Tue, 11 Aug 2020 13:45:11 GMT
The final canister of used fuel from the shut-down San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station has now been transferred into dry storage, marking a milestone for the decommissioning of the California site.
Published: Mon, 10 Aug 2020 11:20:15 GMT
Unit 5 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province has been connected to the grid for the first time. The 1080 MWe domestically-designed ACPR1000 pressurised water reactor achieved the milestone at 19:52 local time on 8 August, China National Nuclear Corporation announced today.
Published: Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:19:38 GMT
Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro has completed on schedule the installation of the 'dry shield' for the reactor pressure vessel of unit 3 of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant under construction in in Tamil Nadu. Separately, Russia's Atommash has announced the start of manufacturing a set of steam generators for unit 5 at the same plant.
Published: Mon, 10 Aug 2020 14:31:11 GMT
Developing the Etango uranium project in Namibia as an 8 million tonnes per year (Mtpa) throughput operation as opposed to the 20 Mtpa operation envisaged in previous studies will cut upfront capital costs while maintaining project economics, according to a newly completed scoping study by Bannerman Resources.
Published: Mon, 10 Aug 2020 13:20:56 GMT
Alberta is to join three other Canadian provinces to support the development of small modular reactors, its premier Jason Kenney has announced. SMRs could provide energy for on and off-grid communities as well as steam to industry, including Alberta's oil sands, he said.
Published: Fri, 07 Aug 2020 14:35:54 GMT
Fuel loading began today at unit 1 of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has announced. At 11:45am local time, the first fuel assembly was loaded into the reactor and a total of 163 assemblies will be loaded before the end of the month.
Published: Fri, 07 Aug 2020 13:34:49 GMT
The restarts of three advanced gas-cooled reactor units at EDF's Dungeness B and Hunterston B nuclear power plants in the UK have been postponed.
Published: Fri, 07 Aug 2020 12:04:14 GMT
The French nuclear safety authority, Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, has published the report of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Pre-Operational Safety Review Team mission conducted last year at the Flamanville 3 EPR. The mission team identified eight good practices and made six recommendations and 15 suggestions.
Published: Thu, 06 Aug 2020 14:18:21 GMT
The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) has issued a permit for the loading of fresh fuel into unit one of the nuclear power plant under construction near Ostrovets in the Grodno region. It consists of two VVER-1200 reactors that are scheduled for commissioning this year and next.
Published: Thu, 06 Aug 2020 11:57:47 GMT
USA-based Jacobs Engineering Group has been selected by Moltex Energy to support its development of the Stable Salt Reactor (SSR), a 300 MWe small modular reactor design. Jacobs will build a bespoke experimental facility for thermal transfer testing at its Birchwood Park research and development facility near Warrington, UK.
Published: Wed, 29 Jul 2020 11:47:25 GMT
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation of the USA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The five-year agreement outlines goals for development of technologies that enhance the ability of the USNC Micro Modular Reactor to produce and deliver carbon-free power, heat and hydrogen.
Published: Wed, 05 Aug 2020 14:42:41 GMT
The University of Manchester and the University of Sheffield will support the delivery of independent evidence-based research to underpin the development of a UK Geological Disposal Facility following a GBP2.5 million (USD3.3 million) grant secured from Radioactive Waste Management (RWM).
Published: Wed, 05 Aug 2020 12:25:28 GMT
The first T-pylon on National Grid's Hinkley Connection is scheduled to be constructed at the end of July 2021. It will be one of 116 T-pylons along the 57km route, which will connect low-carbon energy from EDF Energy's Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant to six million UK homes and businesses. It will also allow for more capacity on the network for renewable energy from the South West peninsular.
Published: Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:06:32 GMT
Romania has launched a tender for a new feasibility study to complete units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant for which it is prepared to pay up to RON1 million (USD245,000). There is also the option of a single unit being put up for auction, according to a report by Economica.Net.
Published: Tue, 04 Aug 2020 13:21:29 GMT
Kazakhstan's JSC National Atomic Company Kazatomprom plans to return staffing levels at its uranium mines to normal by around the end of this month. The number of employees at the mine sites was reduced between April and July in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published: Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:16:20 GMT
Ukraine's Ministry of Energy has restored Energoatom’s ability to influence its own financial planning and the process of appointing a company president, in a newly approved corporate charter that has been submitted for state registration. The state-run nuclear power plant operator had started legal action to force the move before its dialogue with the ministry was resumed.
Published: Wed, 05 Aug 2020 14:20:17 GMT
Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, describes the significance of the recent start-up of the first nuclear power unit in the Arab world.
Published: Tue, 04 Aug 2020 14:41:40 GMT
Virginia's 38-year-old moratorium on uranium mining will continue following a district court ruling in a case challenging its constitutionality. Virginia Uranium Inc first brought the state suit in 2015 in its effort to mine what it claims is the largest known uranium deposit in the USA.
Published: Mon, 03 Aug 2020 14:56:41 GMT
It is understandable that the nuclear power industry feels it has been left "in limbo" by the European Commission's taxonomy on sustainable finance, even though its low-carbon credentials are clear, an adviser to the Technical Expert Group that developed the guidance said last week. Sean Kidney, CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, participated in the 28 July webinar-based discussion of a newly published Policy Brief by the OECD-Nuclear Energy Agency, Unlocking financing for nuclear energy infrastructure in the COVID-19 economic recovery.
Published: Fri, 31 Jul 2020 14:40:21 GMT
Nawah Energy Company has started up unit 1 of the Barakah nuclear power plant, located in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi. Nawah is the joint venture nuclear operations and maintenance subsidiary of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Korea Electric Power Corporation. The APR1400 attained a sustained chain reaction for the first time early yesterday morning and is expected to enter commercial operation later this year.
Published: Fri, 31 Jul 2020 15:10:28 GMT
Exports of nuclear energy equipment and technology to meet the needs projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change could be worth USD1.3-1.9 trillion to the USA over the period to 2050, a new report by consulting firm UxC has concluded.
Published: Thu, 30 Jul 2020 11:39:01 GMT
Unit 5 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province has attained a sustained chain reaction for the first time. The 1080 MWe domestically-designed ACPR1000 pressurised water reactor is expected to be connected to the grid later this year, after which it will enter commercial operation.
Published: Thu, 30 Jul 2020 15:34:54 GMT
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The rover, which will be powered by a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator developed at the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, will land on Mars to begin exploration in February 2021.
Published: Thu, 30 Jul 2020 14:39:48 GMT
EDF has said the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a slowdown in construction and maintenance of its nuclear power plant fleet in both France and the UK. It has warned of further delays to the schedules for completing both the Flamanville and Hinkley Point C projects.
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