Nuclear

The incoming new government of the Netherlands reportedly will support construction of at least four new utility-scale nuclear power reactors, as part of a program to more than triple the amount of government money to fund nuclear projects. Dutch media reported that Silvio Erkens, a member of the center-right VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and […]

(Updated—June 1, 2024): Framatome and TerraPower will team to design and develop a pilot line for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) metallization, a crucial deconversion process, at Framatome’s nuclear fuel manufacturing facility in Richland, Washington. The pilot line, which will convert uranium oxide into HALEU metal, is scheduled to be ready for testing in early 2025, […]

The White House has unveiled a suite of new measures aimed at slashing risks associated with new nuclear reactor development and construction, underscoring its policy push to champion nuclear. At a May 29 White House summit that showcased recent policy developments and industry investments, the Biden administration announced the formation of a nuclear working group […]

Fortum, a Nordic energy company with headquarters in Espoo, Finland, near Helsinki, and offices in 10 other countries, announced that it will modernize the Loviisa nuclear power plant’s low-pressure turbines. The project will start in 2026 as part of lifetime extension-related investments at the site. The Lovissa plant is a dual-unit facility with a total […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Uzbekistan on May 26 to meet with his counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Among topics high on the leaders’ discussion list was energy. In addition to Russia reportedly being open to broader cooperation on gas supplies with Uzbekistan, the two countries also signed a protocol in the presence of the two […]

The UK government has picked Wylfa in Anglesey, North Wales, as its preferred site for the country’s third large-scale nuclear power plant after Hinkley C in Somerset and Sizewell C in Suffolk. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ ) on May 22 unveiled the site as its “first choice” for the project […]

It’s welcome that the U.S. House of Representatives in April revived policy discussions over nuclear waste. Our organizations support nuclear energy as a tool of economic opportunity and emissions reduction, and we believe that nuclear’s sustainable expansion is necessary for global health and prosperity. Nuclear’s role in deep decarbonization is clearer than ever, especially as […]

A year after EPRI and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) unveiled the first phase of their Advanced Reactor Roadmap, the nuclear industry and its stakeholders have rallied to make significant strides in aligning around the roadmap’s strategic priorities.   Over the past year, efforts have been particularly focused on increasing engagement, promoting regulatory efficiency, and […]

The College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech University announced on May 21 the launch of its Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering degree program, only the second such program currently available in Tennessee. The program was formally approved May 16 by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Tennessee Tech students, transfer students, and incoming first-year students […]

British officials said the UK government will invest about £200 million (more than $251 million) for a project to build Europe’s first production facility for high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). Officials have said the fuel will be needed to supply the coming generation of nuclear power, including advanced nuclear reactors. Britain has said it wants to […]

High-burnup fuel rods, manufactured by GE Vernova’s Nuclear Fuel business, Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), have been delivered to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for examination after commercial operation. The rods completed three full cycles of operation at a U.S. nuclear power plant. “This shipment of these rods is another […]

When I first considered moving to San Luis Obispo, California, I learned of the nearby Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, and almost subscribed to a “not in my backyard” syndrome. But our power grids are strained by many things—including a computing revolution driven by artificial intelligence (AI), causing server stacks in data centers to consume […]

The U.S. Senate on April 30 passed—by unanimous consent—a bill to ban imports of unirradiated low-enriched uranium (LEU) produced in Russia. The bill now heads to the president’s desk for signature into law. The Senate passed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act (H.R. 1042), which the House of Representatives passed (also by unanimous consent) by […]

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is forming a group of qualified supply chain companies to help ensure the deployment of its BWRX-300 small nuclear modular reactor (SMR). The move comes as power companies vie for components amidst a supply chain strain that has led some sectors to delay critical infrastructure projects and ramped up competition […]

The road was long and the challenges difficult, but Plant Vogtle is now the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S., as Unit 4 was declared commercially operational on April 29. With four units now available, Plant Vogtle has the capacity to generate a total of about 4,664 MW of electricity. “The completion of the […]

The Biden administration has unveiled several sweeping actions over the past month aimed at boosting clean energy deployment, enhancing manufacturing jobs, and reducing pollutant emissions across the power sector. The measures—many announced as part of a comprehensive Earth Week agenda on April 25—are notable for their strategic push in an election year, highlighting the administration’s […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has voted to codify proposed changes to streamline a key environmental review process for advanced nuclear reactors. Nuclear advocates lauded the measure as one of the regulator’s most important actions in 2024.    The NRC on April 17 approved its staff’s recommendation to publish a proposed rule that would amend […]

Framatome and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to demonstrate the feasibility of producing non-carrier added lutetium-177, a medical isotope used for a variety of lifesaving cancer treatments, at the Wolsong nuclear power plant in South Korea. Under this MoU, Framatome and KHNP will jointly perform a technical […]

BGEN, one of the UK’s largest engineering firms, has been awarded an £84 million project by GE Steam Power Systems to provide electrical and instrumentation solutions to Hinkley Point C (HPC), which is a two-unit EPR nuclear power station under construction in Somerset, England. When complete, Hinkley Point C is expected to deliver 7% of […]

In a time where capacity revenues are pricing lower and many generation owners find that their facilities are not being dispatched for energy on a consistent basis, reliable revenue streams are increasingly important. In addition to selling energy and capacity, many generation facilities collect fixed, monthly payments for the provision of “reactive power,” which are […]

In the coming decade, the nuclear industry faces the daunting prospect of seeing one in four employees retire. According to the 2022 Global Energy Talent Index, 25% of its current workforce is over 55, compared to 20% in the oil and gas industry, and only 10% in the renewable energy sector. And, at age 65 […]

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) represent a fascinating intersection of nuclear history and modern innovation. The concept of using molten salts as both a coolant and fuel carrier dates back to the 1950s, with the pioneering work of Alvin Weinberg and his team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In 1965, ORNL successfully operated the Molten […]

Nuclear energy is surging back in a big way. Case in point: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s comments last week on plans to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. To bolster the effort, she announced a $1.5 billion conditional loan guarantee to cover work required to restart the plant after a two-year shutdown. And […]

India in March began fuel loading at a 500-MWe/1,250-MWth prototype fast-breeder reactor (PFBR) located at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, marking a crucial phase for the second stage of the country’s ambitious

Employing artificial intelligence (AI) in the power industry may seem like a futuristic concept, but the truth is that it’s available in several innovative applications today. Power companies that tap into

Turbines are by far the single most-costly piece of equipment for many energy businesses, which highlights the importance of lubrication for these assets. Although turbine oil could last for more than a

The state-owned nuclear energy group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed interest in supporting nuclear power projects in Europe. The news comes just weeks after the fourth unit of the emirate’s only nuclear power plant, the Barakah station (a POWER Top Plant in 2021), began delivering electricity to the grid. The Khaleej Times, […]

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades LLC to finance the restoration and resumption of service of the Palisades Power Plant, an 800-MW nuclear generating station in Covert Township, Michigan (Figure 1). The project aims to bring […]

The UK government has ambitions for 24 GW of nuclear energy by 2050 to help in providing energy security for the UK and for meeting its net-zero goals. Among groups helping to revive and expand the UK’s nuclear industry is the University of Sheffield Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), part of the High […]

A group established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates is preparing to begin construction of a new generation of nuclear power plants in June, according to the company’s chief executive. Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower, on March 18 said the company is ready to move forward with work on its Natrium reactor at the site of […]