Over the past two decades, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been captured by the nuclear power companies it is supposed to regulate. The process of capture and resulting erosion of regulation has been driven in part by the increasingly poor economics of nuclear energy as companies struggle to avoid large costs due to …
A national referendum on activating the long-mothballed Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei will be held on Aug. 28, after the Central Election Commission (CEC) confirmed the date that was already set in stone in the Referendum Act. The Referendum Act stipulates that national referendums can only be held once every two years starting …
The Bulgarian Council of Ministers, at a meeting on 20 January, approved plans presented by the Minister of Energy to construct a seventh unit at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant using Russian-supplied equipment purchased for the Belene project. The minister noted discussions have been held with Westinghouse of the USA to construct the unit. During …
A daylong Nuclear Regulatory Commission meeting Thursday will revolve around discussion of any technical issues that could arise if nuclear power plants were licensed to operate for 100 years. When a nuclear power plant is first licensed by the NRC, that license permits a plant to operate for 40 years. After that, owners of nuclear …
Romanian national nuclear company Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN) has been awarded a non-refundable grant of USD1.28 million by the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for use in the identification of potential sites in Romania to host small modular reactors. The USTDA is an independent federal government agency focused on connecting US companies with export …
Japan will need nuclear power if it is to realise the government’s carbon neutrality goal and should therefore restart idled nuclear reactors as soon as possible, as well as work to extend their operating lifetimes and build new nuclear capacity, the heads of the Japanese Atomic Industry Forum (JAIF) and the Japan Iron and Steel …
On 1 January 2021, Bulgaria became the newest member of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and its Data Bank. “Bulgaria’s membership will enrich the NEA’s work in areas such as nuclear safety and regulation, decommissioning and radioactive waste management,” said OECD Secretary‑General Angel Gurría. “The accession of Bulgaria to the Agency also underlines the …
The U.S. could establish a national strategic uranium reserve for the first time in the country’s history, thanks to $75 million in funding included in the federal spending bill signed by President Donald Trump this week. In addition, a piece of legislation passed in the giant omnibus funding bill would limit the import of uranium …
International treaties governing nuclear security serve as frameworks based on shared experience, but they are not a substitute for practical and ongoing cooperation. This was one of the messages from delegates at NP1 – The Nuclear Power Conference Israel – Threats, Challenges, Opportunities. The 10 November event took place amid growing concern about Iran’s move away …
While still primarily relying on coal to meet its energy needs, China says it is committed to playing its part in the global fight against climate change. A white paper published yesterday by the State Council says the country will increase the share of clean energy sources, including nuclear, in its energy mix. The State …
