The world nuclear market is shrinking, confirms the 2018 edition of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR), unveiled in preview by L’Usine Nouvelle. The nuclear spring, which was to succeed the post-Fukushima winter, still does not arrive. And may well never happen. Only four new reactors – that is, connected to the electricity grid – were commissioned in 2017. The first three are in China, the fourth – of Chinese construction – in Pakistan. In 2018, there will be only three. One in China and two in Russia, including Rostov 4 under construction since the 1980s. Statistics from the count of May 31 Julie Hazemann, data manager, and Mycle Schneider, lead author of the World nuclear industry status report 2018 (WNISR 2018) unveiled in preview by “L’Usine Nouvelle”.
L’Usine Nouvelle 26th June 2018 read more »
Identified uranium resources are sufficient for well over 100 years of supply, but the current oversupply may not last for ever and it is important that this “vital resource” is mined, produced and managed sustainably, International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Yukiya Amano told the opening of a meeting on the uranium production cycle today. Mr Amano told the International Symposium on Uranium Raw Material for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle that it is also essential to take full account of environmental concerns, both to ensure public acceptance today and to avoid troubling legacy issues in the future. Delegates at the Vienna meeting are discussing the latest research and technologies related to the development of new uranium sources, and the technical, economic, environmental, safety and social aspects of uranium exploration and mining. Mr Amano said he believes it will be difficult for the world to meet the twin challenges of securing sufficient energy and limiting the average global temperature increase to two degrees centigrade in the coming decades without making more use of nuclear power.
Nucnet 25th June 2018 read more »