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 …
Framatome held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting event in Cadarache, France, to mark the opening of its new engineering research and operations center and the expansion of Intercontrôle, a Framatome subsidiary that specializes in automated non-destructive testing. More than 100 customers, partners and employees attended the celebration. “It’s an honor to open these new facilities that position …
A new type of nuclear power technology — small modular reactors that promise to produce carbon-neutral energy more safely and efficiently than traditional nuclear power plants — is becoming closer to a reality as a handful of companies push to overcome key regulatory hurdles. The U.S. government has not yet approved the reactors, which require …
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy has announced it is beginning the licensing process with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) design. The proposed design, the BWRX-300, is based on a design already licensed by the NRC in 2014, and the company hopes to leverage this existing work to make a …
Billionaires and leading researchers in the United States are developing next-generation nuclear reactors that are small, reputedly safe and suitable to modern power grids. They could be part of the climate change solution. The core of the reactor will be almost entirely filled with nuclear waste, which is a great way of disposing of it. …
NuScale Power has made its first submittals to Canada’s nuclear regulator for a pre-licensing vendor design review (VDR) for its small modular reactor (SMR) design. The reactor is also undergoing a design certification review in the USA where the company plans to bring a plant into production and operation by 2026. The NuScale SMR design features a …
After successfully running a beta version, Russian nuclear utility Rosenergoatom (part of state nuclear corporation Rosatom) has launched a unique digital sales support service. The so-called “technical documentation e-shop” provides access to all necessary regulatory and technical documentation to operate Russian-designed nuclear power plants. Organisations, from a computer or a phone, can quickly and conveniently …
In 2010, Great Britain generated 75% of its electricity from coal and natural gas. But by the end of the decade*, these fossil fuels accounted for just 40%, with coal generation collapsing from the decade’s peak of 41% in 2012 to under 2% in 2019. The near disappearance of coal power – the second most …
South Korea and Saudi Arabia will establish a joint venture that will spearhead the construction of Korea’s small modular reactor (SMR) unit in the Middle Eastern country. The Ministry of Science and ICT signed a revised pre-project engineering contract to jointly set up an entity that will lead the commercialization and construction of a Korea-designed …
A new generation of reactors will start producing power in the next few years. They’re comparatively tiny—and may be key to hitting our climate goals. For the last 20 years, the future of nuclear power has stood in a high bay laboratory tucked away on the Oregon State University campus in the western part of the state. …