The Department of Energy (DoE) has started a new Office of Nuclear Energy project called the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). The $230 million program will give $160 million to scientists working on two reactor designs that “can be operational” in the very near future. The “Advanced” part of ARDP is an industry term for …
Some of what you’ve heard about nuclear waste is true. It really can take thousands of years to decay, and even the briefest exposure to the most dangerous kind can be lethal. But in my ten years working with and researching nuclear waste, I’ve also encountered a lot of nonsense. It’s simply not as bad as …
A nuclear reactor core is one of the most extreme human-made environments on the planet. These scientists just figured out how to print one. KURT TERRANI WANTS to accelerate the future of nuclear energy—so he’s turned to its past. Over the last year and a half, Terrani and a team of physicists, engineers, and computer scientists …
Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy has published a detailed ‘Concept Note’ outlining its strategy on electrical generation to the year 2030. The document anticipates a sharp reduction in the country’s reliance on gas-fired power generation from the current 83% to 50%, and sets goals for new nuclear, solar and wind power production of 15%, 8% and …
Support for the development of next-generation technologies and advanced fuels outlined in the report of the US Nuclear Fuel Working Group (NFWG), published last week, will enable the country to remain competitive in this area, the Nuclear Energy Institute has said. Meanwhile, fuel cycle company Centrus said immediate action to restore the viability of the …
Russian State Expert Examination Board (Glavgosexpertiza) has approved plans to build the infrastructure needed to support the floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) Akademik Lomonosov in the city of Pevek, which is in Russia’s Chukotka region. The plant, which comprises two 35-megawatt KLT-40C reactors, started commercial operation in December last year. Glavgosexpertiza announced on 15 April …
Towers of concrete blocks as tall as skyscrapers, a ski lift-like contraption on the side of a mountain, underground caverns — the quest for more ways to back up the increasing amount of wind and solar energy on the grid has recently driven investment toward a number of unusual technologies. Now, the ability to serve a …
EDF is digitally transforming to drive the development of safe, dependable and affordable low-carbon power generation technologies by collaborating with Ansys. Through a new multi-year agreement, EDF will use Ansys to design state-of-the-art nuclear power plants and deliver unprecedented nuclear energy efficiency. Using Ansys multiphysics solutions to enable digital transformation, EDF will drive the development of …
The laboratory’s research helped avoid $1 billion in potential costs for boiling water reactors in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, keeping power plants running while ensuring safety. A few years ago, several nuclear reactors in the United States were facing the possibility of unforeseen shutdowns in the wake of disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi …
Small-scale nuclear reactors are starting to be developed around the world. Proponents say they are a safer and cheaper form of nuclear power. But will they keep up with renewables? Huge computer screens line a dark, windowless control room in Corvallis, Oregon, where engineers at the company Nuscale Power hope to define the next wave …
