Dow considering nuclear power at two U.S. production sites -CEO Fitterling

U.S. chemical maker Dow Inc is considering adding nuclear power systems at two production sites to reduce pollution, said Chief Executive Jim Fitterling at the CERAWeek conference in Houston on Wednesday. “We are considering nuclear at a couple of sites,” Fitterling said. “It would take those entire sites to net zero.” He declined to identify …

Challenge from renewables forces nuclear industry to look beyond electricity generation

Dive Brief: Federally-backed research on applications for nuclear power plants outside of electricity generation could offer new potential for the industry, panelists said Tuesday at a conference hosted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is modeling ways high-temperature nuclear reactors and small modular reactors could be used to offer thermal …

Amended nuclear power bill advances with unresolved issues

Concerns remain about the Natrium nuclear power plant’s reliance on a Russian enrichment facility for fuel. A measure to clarify state and federal regulatory roles regarding TerraPower’s planned Natrium nuclear power plant passed a Senate committee Monday with no opposing votes. But members of the public highlighted several issues that remain largely unresolved in the …

War highlights uranium worry for the advanced nuclear industry

Ural Electrochemical Integrated Plant Director General Alexander Belousov stands next to gas centrifuges for uranium isotope separation in a separation workshop of the plant, in Novouralsk, about 40 miles northwest of Yekaterinburg, Russia. Advanced nuclear reactors like the one that TerraPower wants to build in Kemmerer require a type of enriched uranium that’s currently only …

Xcel Energy Considering Nuclear Operator Role at Idaho NuScale SMR Plant

By 2030, Xcel Energy projects that approximately 80% of its energy will come from carbon-free resources. It expects to be coal-free by 2034. Source: Xcel Energy, 10-K filing, Feb. 23, 2022. Xcel Energy is exploring a role as operator of the 462-MWe Carbon-Free Power Project (CFPP), potentially becoming a key member of the first-of-its-kind small modular …

ORNL, TVA Partner to Drive Decarbonization, Explore Carbon-Free Technologies

 The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), are joining forces to advance decarbonization technologies from discovery through deployment through a new memorandum of understanding, or MOU. Eliminating carbon dioxide emissions in the production of U.S. electricity is essential to achieving the federal government’s goal of net-zero carbon …

Linglong 1’s lower cylinder of steel containment successfully lifted

The lower cylinder of the steel containment of the world’s first commercial modular small reactor on land, the Linglong 1, was successfully lifted into position on Saturday in Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant in South China’s Hainan Province, completing the milestone 46 days ahead of schedule, according to media reports. The lower cylinder of the steel …

TerraPower and Southern Company to demonstrate the world’s first fast-spectrum salt reactor at Idaho National Laboratory

The Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment will provide crucial operational data for fast-spectrum salt reactors and unlock this uniquely flexible advanced reactor technology for use in a net-zero future TerraPower and Southern Company recently finalized a subrecipient agreement to design, construct and operate the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) – the world’s first critical fast-spectrum salt …