news & information about the UK nuclear industry
The incident that caused the shutdown of the Taishan nuclear power plant occurs regularly in France. An expert will have to determine whether the responsibility of the French fuel manufacturer, Framatome, is engaged in the incident at the Chinese plant.
France TV info 3rd Aug 2021 read more »
It is not only in China, in the world’s first operational EPR nuclear reactor, that the fuel produced by EDF’s subsidiary, Framatome, is a problem. In France, in the Ardennes, an unprecedented incident on the nuclear fleet has just occurred in a reactor and potentially concerns ten reactors, to varying degrees of severity.
Le Journal de l’energie 2nd Aug 2021 read more »
The US Energy Information Administration reports that in 2020, renewable energy sources (including wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy) generated a record 834 billion kWh of electricity, or about 21% of all generation in the United States. Only natural gas (1617 billion kWh) produced more in 2020. Renewables overtook both nuclear (790 billion kWh) and coal (774 billion kWh) for the first time on record. This outcome in 2020 was due mostly to significantly less coal use in US electricity generation and steadily increasing deployment of wind and solar.
Modern Power Systems 3rd Aug 2021 read more »
IFLS 3rd Aug 2021 read more »
Newly released results from a pre-feasibility study (PFS) of the Etango-8 uranium project have confirmed the strong technical and economic viability of conventional open pit mining and heap leach processing of the deposit in Namibia, Bannerman Energy has announced. The company now plans to complete a definitive feasibility study (DFS) in 2022.
World Nuclear News 3rd Aug 2021 read more »
China’s top decision-making body has given new instructions on the nation’s efforts to tackle climate change at a meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping. According to state media, the meeting, held in Beijing last Friday, urged officials to pursue the nation’s twin goals of reaching the carbon emission peak before 2030 and achieving “carbon neutral” before 2060 in a “coordinated and orderly manner”.
Carbon Brief 4th Aug 2021 read more »
Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) has received information from the plant supplier Areva-Siemens Consortium that the regular electricity production of the OL3 EPR plant unit will be postponed for a month due to extra turbine overhaul and inspection works. The hot functional test phase has been ongoing at Olkiluoto 3. This is the final major set of test before the first criticality and the start of electricity production. The hot functional tests have proceeded well but after receiving the test results it has been decided to conduct still some overhaul and inspection works for the turbine.
TVO 30th July 2021 read more »
World Nuclear News 2nd Aug 2021 read more »
Southern Co’s (SO.N) Georgia Power unit on Thursday said it delayed the start dates for two reactors under construction at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia and that its share of the cost would rise by $460 million to an estimated $9.2 billion. Georgia Power, which owns 45.7% of Vogtle, said Unit 3 was now on track to enter service in the second quarter of 2022 and Unit 4 in the first quarter of 2023.
Reuters 29th July 2021 read more »
U.S. utilities are looking to miniature nuclear reactors, as they seek a steady energy source that can help reduce the carbon emissions linked to climate change. While power companies have stopped building big nuclear reactors because of cost overruns and construction delays, not all utilities are giving up on nuclear power. Several U.S. utilities and power consortia—including Energy Northwest, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, and PacifiCorp, part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. —have entered into partnerships with manufacturers to build small modular reactors, or SMRs, attracted to their potential to produce carbon-free, 24-houra-day power. However, SMR makers are still years away from proving that the technology can live up to its promise. None of the designs being tested across the country have fully made it past the U.S. regulatory review process, and the first miniature reactors likely won’t start delivering power to customers until the end of the decade, at the earliest. Opponents question whether the shrunken nuclear reactors can shed the issues that have plagued the now aging fleet of full-size plants, such as costly development times, nuclear waste management and safety concerns.
Wall St Journal 2nd Aug 2021 read more »
The shutdown of a nuclear reactor at a power plant in southern China could signal extra caution over a cutting-edge system that its developers plan to roll out in other countries, according to industry analysts. China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), which owns 70 per cent of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant, said on Friday it had closed one of the plant’s reactors for maintenance work to repair damaged fuel rods. The decision came one week after French energy conglomerate Électricité de France (EDF), which owns the remaining 30 per cent of the plant, suggested a shutdown of the reactor was necessary.
South China Morning Post 31st July 2021 read more »
China finally shuts down reactor after Taishan EPR incident. A month after minimizing radioactive leaks, the operator of the power plant built by EDF in Taishan shut down the reactor.
Ouest France 30th July 2021 read more »
Japan’s annual nuclear energy report has warned against complacency that could set in at nuclear plant operators once they have cleared government screening requirements. This year’s white paper on nuclear energy points to mounting challenges faced by operators of nuclear facilities in the country. The report said decontamination work following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident has been progressing in surrounding areas. However, it also said work to decommission the plant is expected to take more than 20 years. The paper also cited about 36,000 people who are forced to live away from their hometowns mainly because of the accident, and the spread of unfounded rumors about Fukushima. The report referred to the introduction in April last year of surprise inspections by Japan’s nuclear regulator at nuclear power stations. It also mentioned a recent series of security breaches in anti-terrorism measures that surfaced at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture.
NHK 31st July 2021 read more »
This website relies on donations to bring you the latest news and information about the UK nuclear industry.
You can make a credit card donation via PayPal.
To receive our daily news digest, monthly nuClear News, occasional Safe Energy e-journal or news of site updates, join our mailing lists.
Thank you for your interest in our nuclear news service, and apologies for interrupting your visit.
If you are not already a subscriber, you can sign up free to receive the daily news by email.
We do not charge for the email service or for access to the daily news online, but we do rely on donations from individuals to help cover the costs and are asking regular readers to consider making an annual donation.
The recommended amount for those who can afford it is £30, but any contribution is appreciated.
You can make a donation online.