Africa electricity shortage problem has a nuclear power option

The focus on tackling the electricity supply deficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa has been on renewable energy over the last decade. In particular, the potential of solar and wind energy has been most loudly heralded as the solutions for the hundreds of millions of Africans without access to any electricity. The ability to use innovative, off-grid …

Emerging markets, resurgence of IPOs boost interest in uranium

The uranium market has enjoyed a recent resurgence of initial public stock offerings, amid prospects for significant growth in demand from emerging markets. “In terms of an investment thesis today, there is perhaps no better commodity than uranium with its bull market finally under way on tightening fundamentals,” says Scott Melbye, executive vice president of …

Finland Eyes Nuclear Power to Hit Climate Targets

Along the pine-lined shores of Finland’s bucolic western coast, a clean energy vision of the Nordic country’s future is quietly taking shape. On the tiny island of Olkiluoto, workers are applying the finishing touches to a new Evolutionary Pressurised Reactor (EPR) set to supply 10% of Finland’s electricity needs. Like all nuclear power reactors, the massive …

Japan and USA enhance cooperation in nuclear energy

A memorandum of cooperation has been signed between Japan and the USA to “promote the global leadership role” of the two countries in civil nuclear energy. The memorandum was signed on 13 November by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the USA’s Department …

China likely to more than triple nuclear power capacity by 2030

China‘s total nuclear capacity is expected to reach 120-150 gigawatts (GW) in total by 2030, a senior industry official said on Thursday, more than triple the current rate but still lower than previous forecasts after a slowdown in new approvals. The prediction was made by Yu Jianfeng, chairman of the government-run China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), during …

Nuclear watchdog group causes stir with call to financially support existing nuclear plants

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) surprised environmental advocates and energy officials on Thursday when it called for keeping existing nuclear power plants open for as long as safely possible to provide a wider window for transitioning to renewable energy resources. The group has spent years criticizing the nuclear industry for its safety problems and …