Japan calls for strict examinations in nuclear oversight – draft document

Japan will move forward with the safe restart of nuclear power plants and include strict examinations in its nuclear regulatory oversight, the final draft of its annual economic policy outline seen by Reuters showed. The government aims to speed up decarbonisation and improve energy self-sufficiency, and the use of power sources with a high decarbonisation …

Gov’t earmarks $321 million to foster small nuclear reactor biz

The government will spend 399.2 billion won ($321 million) over the next six years to foster small modular reactor (SMR) businesses. The plan to develop the country’s new growth driver has gained serious traction after passing the government’s feasibility test which is required for large, long-term state-run projects, the science and industry ministries said Wednesday.SMRs …

NuScale makes public debut but requires ‘a lot of financing’ to launch small nuclear reactor in 2029

The meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011 essentially put the nail in the coffin of the construction of big nuclear power plants with similar technologies in the U.S., according to nuclear proponents and watchdogs. That disaster, along with earlier accidents, ongoing delays and cost overruns at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia, …

Energoatom borrows USD51 million to buy extra Westinghouse fuel

Ukraine’s Energoatom has taken a UAH1.5 billion (USD51 million) loan from Ukrgasbank to buy more nuclear fuel from Westinghouse. It follows the energy giant’s decision to stop using Russian fuel earlier this year. In a statement Energoatom said “the borrowed funds will increase the purchase of American fuel and ensure the efficient operation of Ukrainian …

Utility executive expands push for second nuclear power plant in Wisconsin

A Wisconsin utility executive is stepping up his sales job for the idea of adding a new nuclear power plant in the state. The proposal has supporters and critics. The two reactors at the Point Beach nuclear plant north of Manitowoc continue to generate electricity, including for We Energies customers. There’s even a controversial proposal to keep …

Japan governor wins re-election, NHK says, in race seen key to nuclear restart

The governor of Japan’s Niigata prefecture easily defeated his anti-nuclear opponent in an election on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK said, a result that could embolden members of the ruling party who are pushing for the country’s largely idled nuclear energy plants to be revived. Hideyo Hanazumi, who was backed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s ruling …

U.S. nuclear power regulator staff say NuScale design is safe

NuScale Power Corp’s (SMR.N) design for a new kind of nuclear reactor is adequate to protect the project from damage by earthquakes, staff at the U.S. nuclear power regulator said in documents seen by Reuters on Friday. Last month, Reuters reported that Dan Dorman, the NRC’s executive director for operations, ordered agency staff to document their evaluation …

China’s first project to provide industrial steam via nuclear power begins construction

Construction of energy station of Tianwan nuclear power plant, in East China’s Jiangsu Province, designed to provide an industrial steam supply, launched on Friday, the first-of-its-kind project in China. It marks an important step in the diversification of China’s nuclear power use, in addition to electricity generation and residential heating. The steam generated by the …