nuclear

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 […]

The world’s largest nuclear power plant, among the facilities taken offline after the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan, could be nearing a restart. Japanese media reported that on March 14, Takeshi Saito—Japan’s minister of Economy, Trade and Industry—asked Hideyo Hanazumi, the governor of Niigata Prefecture, for permission to restart the first of seven reactors at […]

Nuclear regulatory agencies from the U.S., Canada, and the UK will collaborate on technical reviews and share best practices for advanced reactors and small modular reactor (SMR) technologies. The measure is aimed at improving regulatory efficiency and effectiveness as more reactor technologies seek approval in the three countries. A trilateral memorandum of cooperation (MOC)  signed […]

The head of Russia’s space agency said his country and China have been working on a program to build a nuclear power plant on the moon, with an eye toward producing electricity that would allow settlements on the lunar surface. Yuri Borisov, who leads Russia’s Roscosmos space group, on March 5 said the agency was […]

Talen Energy Corp. said the company has sold its Cumulus data center campus, located near a Pennsylvania nuclear power station that provides the site with its power, to Amazon Web Services (AWS), according to a Talen investor presentation. Talen owns the nuclear power plant, the 2.5-GW Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, in Luzerne County. Talen’s investor […]

There are literally dozens of small modular reactor (SMR) and microreactor designs being developed by different companies around the world, and some of the work has been going on for decades. Yet, only two

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) proved to be a historic moment for nuclear energy, with more than 20 countries including the U.S., France, Japan, and the UK pledging to triple global

Nuclear energy has long been a topic of debate due to concerns about its environmental impact and the disposal of nuclear waste. However, a paradigm shift is underway that could revolutionize how we view nuclear waste. Not only could recycling nuclear fissile waste reduce the waste generated by current nuclear power plants, but it also […]

A major U.S. utility is part of a fusion energy project that would be located at the site of one of the company’s retired coal-fired power plants. Type One Energy Group on Feb. 21 announced plans to build Infinity One, a stellarator fusion prototype machine, at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) closed Bull Run Fossil […]

If you have paid any attention to nuclear power plant construction projects over the years, you know that there is a long history of cost overruns and schedule delays on many of them. In fact, many nuclear power plants that were planned in the 1960s and 1970s were never completed, even after millions (or billions) […]

The decarbonization of power generation is fostering research and development of new energy technologies, and some companies are reimagining what’s possible when it comes to power plant design. That includes pairing nuclear power with solar power, in a system that could repurpose a brownfield site—for example, a closed or soon-to-retire thermal power plant with transmission […]

German officials announced a new plan for the country’s power generation, a strategy that includes putting at least 10 GW of new gas-fired capacity up for tenders. Officials on Feb. 5 said the plants would be designed to eventually burn hydrogen at some point between 2035 and 2040, according to Germany’s Economy Ministry. The agency […]

Iran’s state-run news service said the country has started construction on four new nuclear power units. The IRNA agency on Feb. 1 reported that the four reactors would have expected total generation capacity of about 5,000 MW. Iran, whose nuclear program continues to be closely watched by the United Nations and others, has one operating […]

The Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan could be another step closer to restarting, with reports saying the Biden administration in February will announce $1.5 billion in funding for the project. Holtec International Corp. purchased the 800-MW facility from Entergy in 2022, after Entergy closed the nuclear plant. Holtec was prepared to decommission the site […]

Over the past week, the UK government stepped up its nuclear agenda, doling out a £33.6 million grant under its Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to support GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH)’s BWRX-300 while also announcing a substantial £1.3 billion investment in the proposed 3.2-GW Sizewell C nuclear project. The developments, aimed at potentially tripling the […]

Westinghouse has revealed it is designing a transportable nuclear power plant (TNPP) featuring an eVinci microreactor with Canadian firm Prodigy Clean Energy, aiming to deliver a first project in Canada by 2030. The project will potentially integrate a single or multiple 5-MWe eVinci microreactors within a Prodigy Microreactor Power Station—a purpose-designed floating facility that will […]

Poland’s top climate official said the country is preparing to set a date for a complete phase-out of coal-fired power generation, just months after the nation elected a new government that has pledged to support environmental policies of the European Union (EU). Poland, which currently receives about 70% of its electricity from burning coal, and […]

Energy Northwest, a Washington state public power joint operating agency, announced an agreement with Bellevue-based Puget Sound Energy (PSE), which it says will “accelerate the agency’s program examining the feasibility of developing and deploying a next-generation nuclear energy facility.” The agreement, a $10 million investment by PSE in Energy Northwest’s new nuclear project feasibility phase, […]

A UK-based nuclear energy group is working with an Italian technology company to support decarbonization of the chemical industry, including hydrogen production. The agreement announced Jan. 10 between newcleo, a developer of small modular reactors (SMRs) and producer of MOX (mixed oxide) fuel, and two subsidiaries of Italy’s MAIRE will enable development of a conceptual […]

The UK may be poised to become the first European country to launch domestic production of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). New funding announced by the country’s government this week signifies global momentum to establish a reliable supply of the specialist fuel that will be required for advanced nuclear reactors. The UK’s Department for Energy Security […]

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

Azerbaijan’s First Utility-Scale Solar Project Online. Officials in Azerbaijan in November announced the country’s first and largest utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plant is now operating. The

California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant can continue operating at least through much of 2030 after state energy regulators on Dec. 14 voted to keep the facility open an additional five years. The state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Thursday agreed to extend the closure date for Diablo Canyon, which originally was scheduled to shut down […]

Negotiators from nearly every country in the world closed COP28 with a decision that—for the first time—formally recognizes the necessity of moving away from fossil fuels to achieve Paris Agreement targets. The decision, adopted on the last day of the two-week 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved a construction permit for Kairos Power’s 35-MWth Hermes molten salt “non-power” demonstration reactor, which the firm has proposed to build at the East Tennessee Technology Park Heritage Center (ETTP) site in Oak Ridge. The NRC on Dec. 12 directed staff to issue the construction permit for the test reactor […]

South African officials, faced with continued power outages that are hurting the country’s economy, are turning to nuclear power in an effort to support a more reliable supply of electricity. The country has experienced intermittent blackouts, part of a process known as load shedding, since 2008. The outages, imposed by state-owned utility Eskom, have escalated […]

The World Nuclear Exhibition was held in Paris, France, from Nov. 28-30, 2023. Sitting here in France at the World Nuclear Exhibition among 20,000 nuclear stakeholders, it seems a new day for nuclear has arrived. The prospects of carbon-free 24/7 baseload power, a massive workforce and lucrative supply chain means billions of dollars and gigawatts […]

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said the U.S. is ready to work with other governments on research and development of nuclear fusion, as part of efforts to produce more carbon-free energy and combat climate change. Kerry made the announcement Dec. 5 at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Fusion has long been […]