Energy-starved France mulls burning more coal to keep lights on

France is considering a plan to allow electricity producers to burn more coal after the nation’s grid operator warned of possible power shortages. The government may raise the annual cap on running coal-fired power stations, plugging a potential gap in supply as an unusually high number of nuclear reactors halt for maintenance just as the coldest months get under way. The country’s three remaining coal units may …

World’s 3rd Hualong One reactor connects to grid

On January 1, 2022, the Chinese independently developed nuclear reactor, HPR1000, brought a good start: Unit 6 of Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant(FQNP) of China National Nuclear Corporation(CNNC) successfully achieved the grid connection, marking the beginning of power generation. This is the 3rd HPR1000 unit in the global, meanwhile the 2nd HPR1000 unit in China that …

HPR1000 Karachi unit 3 finished fuel loading

The K-3 Unit of Karachi nuclear power plant in Pakistan, the second overseas nuclear power unit adopting HPR1000 technology, finished first fuel loading recently, marking the unit’s entry into the nuclear commissioning stage. This has laid a sound foundation for subsequent criticality and grid-connection of K-3 Unit. HPR1000 is one of the most widely accepted …

Uranium stocks in 2022: Sprott CEO calls for another bullish year

With descriptors like “enormous growth” and “tremendous impact”, Sprott Asset Management’s chief executive officer sounds like he’s talking about the Incredible Hulk when describing his massive bet on uranium in 2021. The Toronto-based firm’s Physical Uranium Trust (U-UN.TO), the only publicly-listed fund in North America that invests in physical uranium, has grown its assets from …

Commodities 2022: Nuclear energy advocates see new climate focus buoying industry

Infrastructure bill funds two reactors, including one in Wyoming Legislation includes $6 billion in credits for merchant nuclear units One new reactor expected to come online in 2022, one to retire The current focus on climate change has changed the conversation on nuclear energy, creating momentum for public and private sector action in 2022 to help push …

Fuel loading has started at Belarus NPP Unit 2

On 22 December, on Power Engineers’ Day – the professional holiday, loading of fresh fuel started at Belarus NPP Unit 2 (general designer and general contractor is ROSATOM Engineering Division). At 10:11 а.m. the first fuel assembly (FA) with nuclear fuel was loaded into the reactor core. Totally 163 fuel assemblies will be consequentially loaded …

The Olkiluoto 3 EPR plant unit started up

First criticality of the OL3 EPR plant unit was reached on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 3.22 a.m. OL3 EPR’s electricity production starts when the unit will be connected to the national grid at the end of January 2022. OL3’s reactor started up today on Tuesday, December 21 at 3.22 a.m. The moment of the …

Japan nuclear reactor operations: Kyushu Electric restarts Sendai No. 1 reactor

TOKYO, Dec 20 (Reuters) – Japan’s Kyushu Electric Power (9507.T) has restarted the No. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear power plant in southwestern Japan after scheduled maintenance and refuelling, a spokesperson said on Monday. The utility restarted the 890-megawatt (MW) reactor on Saturday, the spokesperson said. The reactor had been shut since Oct. 17 when the …