Nuclear plant output in China poised for rapid increases in 2018-2020

The last two days in June 2018 saw the first power generation from two separate first of a kind nuclear plants in China. Taishan 1, a 1650 MWe European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) was connected to the grid at 5:59 pm local time on June 29, 2018. Less than 24 hours later, at 4:48 pm local…

Urenco, Bruce Power Sign MOU To Develop U-Battery for Canada

Urenco, Bruce Power and AMEC NSS Limited recently announced that they had signed an MOU to cooperate in the design, licensing and development of Urenco’s U-Battery micro nuclear system for the Canadian electricity and heat market. The U-Battery contains a 10 MWth nuclear heat source that can be configured to produce either 4 MWe plus…

Atomic Show #260 – Pro-nuclear voices from COP23 in Bonn. Not a warm welcome

This episode of the Atomic Show is a conversation among five clean energy advocates who attended the COP with the goal of sharing what they know about the ways that nuclear energy can help reduce global emissions while also providing a growing amount of reliable power. With more power, more people will have a pathway…

(Re-)Creating Nuclear Fuel Demand in East Asia

(Re-)Creating Nuclear Fuel Demand in East Asia

South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, three historically large markets for uranium and fuel cycle services, have been under siege by organized antinuclear opponents who have made the most from Fukushima to rally public support for their efforts. To paraphrase a cliché, nuclear energy opponents did not let an attention-getting crisis go to waste. As a…

UN Environment Program Rejects WNA’s Money. Won’t Allow Sponsorship Of Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF17)

UN Environment Program Rejects WNA’s Money. Won’t Allow Sponsorship Of Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF17)

The UN Environmental Program (UNEP) has rejected the World Nuclear Association’s (WNA) offer to provide financial support to the 8th Annual Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF). Described by its chairman as the “largest business-focused side event during the annual Conference Of Parties” the event is scheduled to take place alongside COP23 in Bonn, Germany. Originally accepted as a gold sponsor…

Moon Jae-in Making Friends By Promising To Buy More Gas

During his successful campaign to become South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in promised to dramatically increase South Korea’s natural gas consumption. Within weeks of taking office, he took several concrete steps towards fulfilling that promise. He announced the near-term closure of 10 coal plants, he allowed the operating license to expire as scheduled for South Korea’s…

Implications Of South Korean Presidential Election On Its World Class Nuclear Industry

Inside the U. S. nuclear energy industry, there is a high level of respect and admiration – along with a barely suppressed tinge of jealousy – for the way that the Republic of Korea (aka South Korea) has steadily developed its world class nuclear power plant manufacturing and construction industry. Starting from zero operating plants in…

Potential for Korea, Japan, U.S. to Collaborate on Pyroprocessing Under Trump

South Korea (ROK), Japan and the United States all have large nuclear energy programs that are facing a variety of challenges limiting their growth, namely opposition by the nonproliferation industry to wider deployment of enrichment and recycling technologies. There is interest and opportunity to collaborate in developing solutions in areas where challenges overlap. The Global…

Unshielded radiation levels inside Fukushima unit 2 are extremely high

NEWS FLASH: Radiation levels measured inside the containment and shielding of a damaged nuclear reactor are HIGH. That is about as unexpected as finding out that the temperatures inside a coal-fired furnace are high enough to cause instant death to any unprotected living creature, including human beings. There is absolutely no reason for the public…