news & information about the UK nuclear industry
NFLA publishes a new report on Small and Advanced Modular Nuclear Reactors and remains sceptical of progress due to significant technical and financial challenges.
NFLA 21st April 2021 read more »
Small & Advanced Modular Nuclear Reactors and the UK – low carbon energy panacea or another nuclear ‘white elephant’ project? Report by Prof Steve Thomas.
NFLA 21st April 2021 read more »
Across Canada, environmentalists and First Nations will be closely watching the April 19 release of the federal budget to see just how far the Trudeau Liberals will go in their push for small modular reactors (SMRs). In September 2020, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O’Regan endorsed SMRs and stated that there is “no pathway to net zero [carbon emissions] without nuclear,” which prompted David Suzuki to famously tell the CBC: “I want to puke.” Apparently, many share that feeling. More than 100 Indigenous and civil society groups across Canada are now opposed to the new nuclear reactors, which are being pushed by the federal government and four provinces — Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and Alberta — as so-called “clean energy” and a supposed solution to climate change.
Rabble 15th April 2021 read more »
The nuclear power plant that shut 30 years ago but still towers over a Welsh village. Despite it being closed for decades, it still employs people and could soon create work for more, but it remains a fiercely controversial development. Looming on its skyline is a sight familiar to many who have passed through in the past 50 years or so; the twin reactors of Trawsfynydd nuclear power station. Since construction of the plant began in July, 1959, before its opening in 1965, it has shaped the economy of the surrounding area, even since it was shut 30 years ago. For more than 20 years the site employed people from the village itself, Blaenau Ffestiniog and beyond. It has continued to employ hundreds in the years since it closed and its future use has been a continuous topic of debate. Today, Trawsfynydd has been in the decommissioning process for longer than it was open. Since closing in 1991 it has continued to bring employment to the region and there have been mooted plans for its future. Last year it was revealed that Rolls-Royce were interested in building a network of mini-reactors on the site, and there have been talks of a possible small nuclear reactor (SMR) site there since 2015. In July, 2020, Trawsfynydd was chosen to be part of a decommissioning programme which will see its twin reactors fully demolished while a new low-level radioactive waste store is built on the site to hold the material. The programme means that the decommissioning of the station, which hadn’t been expected to be completed until around 2083, will be brought forward and will see continued employment on the site for the next 20 years.
Wales Online 18th April 2021 read more »
Do you study climate change? Do you have the year 2025 free? Then you could be eligible for a free ride on a nuclear-powered superyacht, that would normally set you back $3 million. The 300-metre yacht, named Earth 300, will be specially equipped for environmental exploration, as well as catering to billionaires and activists on luxury trips. Earth 300’s website describes it as a ship ‘that will unite science and exploration to confront earth’s greatest challenges’.
Metro 15th April 2021 read more »
A study into the feasibility of the development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Canada, prepared at the request of the leaders of New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan, has concluded the development of SMRs would support domestic energy needs, curb greenhouse gas emissions and position Canada as a global leader in this emerging technology. The province of Alberta has joined the three provinces as a signatory to a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on SMR development.
World Nuclear News 15th April 2021 read more »
Climate change students have the opportunity to do something really cool— ride aboard a nuclear-powered superyacht for free! Most people will have to stump up a whopping $3m for a 10-day ride on the nuclear-powered, emission-free yacht – but if you’re a student or scientist selected to help study the effects of climate change on the planet you’ll be on board free of charge. Earth300 has been described as ‘the Olympic Torch of global science”, is set to sail in 2025 with a crew of 160 scientists and 40 VIP guests, and 20 students.
Indy100 14th April 2021 read more »
Unilad 14th April 2021 read more »
Entrepreneur launches emission-free super-yacht to provide $3m eco-tours. It was designed for emissions-free sailing and will be powered by nuclear technology known as molten salt reactors (MSRs), however, it will at first run on synthetic green fuels until the reactors receive certification.
Independent 14th April 2021 read more »
Alberta’s Jason Kenney became the fourth Canadian premier to sign an agreement supporting the development of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in Canada on Wednesday. The provinces also released a feasibility report prepared by Ontario Power Generation, Bruce Power, NB Power and SaskPower which gives a potential timeline for development and deployment of SMRs and assesses their competitiveness with other non-emitting energy sources. Here’s five things you should know about SMRs.
Coast Reporter 14th April 2021 read more »
Cammell Laird has completed the design, manufacture and installation of an innovative test rig that will be used in the design of future nuclear reactors. It is aimed at re-establishing the UK as a world leader in thermal hydraulics research. The new Thermal Hydraulic test rig, which is seven metres tall, five metres wide and 2.5 metres deep, was built for the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) as part of Project Faith (Fuel Assembly Incorporating Thermal Hydraulics) by experts at the Birkenhead shipyard. The project aims to use the build of the experimental rig as a model for proving the facility’s modular construction techniques in the nuclear industry.
Business Desk 13th April 2021 read more »
Somerset could have a nuclear fusion reactor in long-term plans for Hinkley Point site
The UK government wants fusion energy to be a viable option by the 2040s. Somerset could end up with a nuclear fusion reactor under one long-term proposal for the Hinkley Point site. The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has been asking UK local authorities to put forward expressions of interest in hosting a “fusion demonstrator plant” as part of a drive towards making fusion a viable option for energy generation. Somerset County Council has thrown its name into the mix, believing that part of the Hinkley Point complex could host such a demonstrator in the years to come. The council has said such a plant would “contribute significantly” to the local area, building on the investment currently being poured into Hinkley Point C.
Somerset Live 12th April 2021 read more »
A fusion demonstrator plant would require at least 100 hectares of suitable land – which the county council believes could be secured either after the construction of Hinkley Point C or once the decommissioning work surrounding Hinkley Point A and B are completed. The government has not confirmed when the successful bidder will be announced.
Cheddar Nub News 12th April 2021 read more »
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is the largest nuclear fusion experiment in the world. The megaproject is a collaborative effort funded and run by seven members: the European Union, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States, with the United Kingdom and Switzerland participating through The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), a massive lineup of members which altogether represents 35 countries, half the citizens in the world, and a whopping 85% of global GDP. The project, which involves a massive-scale tokamak that began construction last year, spans 42 hectares in Saint Paul-lez-Durance, southern France–approximately the size of 60 soccer fields. This gargantuan megaproject has been considered as one of humanity’s best shots at achieving commercializable nuclear fusion. While nuclear fusion has been achieved before, it has always consumed considerably more energy than it produces. Fusing atoms, the process that fuels our sun, is many times more powerful than splitting atoms–the process currently used in nuclear power production. What’s more, nuclear fusion can be achieved without emitting any greenhouse gases or using any radioactive nuclear fuel, a process which creates hazardous waste that can threaten human health for millennia–not to mention put a huge financial strain on the taxpayers who are funding its maintenance. For these reasons, nuclear fusion has been considered as the holy grail of clean energy. And, much like the holy grail itself, commercial nuclear fusion has proven to be as unattainable as it is tantalizing. Projects like ITER have poured tens of billions of dollars into the potentially world-altering technology, but so far creating net energy has proven elusive–until now.
Oil Price 10th April 2021 read more »
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