Czech nuclear regulator warns of European pressure to close reactors early

The head of the State Office for Nuclear Safety, Dana Drábová, gave this rather blunt warning at a Prague energy conference this week attended by most of the country’s top energy executives and the Minister for Industry and Trade: ʺThere is immense pressure developing that the operating life of nuclear reactors will be limited to …

Why Trump might bend nuclear security rules to help Saudi Arabia build reactors in the desert

Next month, Saudi Arabia will announce the finalists of a sweepstakes. The prize? Multibillion-dollar contracts to build a pair of nuclear power reactors in desolate stretches of desert along the Persian Gulf. For Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the reactors are a matter of international prestige and power, a step toward matching the …

Saudi Arabia says it’s in talks with 10 other nations on its nuclear energy ambitions, calls for fairness from the US

Saudi Arabia could look to adopt nuclear energy as a way to move domestic energy consumption away from oil, the country’s foreign minister told CNBC Sunday. “We are looking at a number of countries that have nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,” Al-Jubeir said, speaking to CNBC from the Munich Security Conference. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister …

Beijing approves the merger of two state-owned nuclear giants

China’s state asset regulator has been driving consolidation of businesses it supervises to help the economy grow at a slower but more sustainable pace Beijing has given the green light to the merger between two nuclear giants as it continues to pursue further consolidation of state-owned industrial juggernauts to enhance operating efficiency. China National Nuclear …

Can France Mix Nuclear and Renewable Power?

France’s nuclear giant has a plan to survive the wave of renewable energy that’s sweeping aside old-fashioned utilities across Europe. First it needs to disprove the conventional wisdom about how reactors work. Electricite de France SA says its fleet of nuclear reactors aren’t just able to provide a steady stream of power, they’re flexible enough to …

S. Korea reaffirms support for nuclear energy export push

SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s energy minister vowed Tuesday to support local companies’ overseas sales of nuclear reactors, even as the Asian country reduces use of nuclear power as part of its renewable energy initiative. Under the energy transformation policy, South Korea plans to increase use of renewable energy from 7 percent in …

Wyoming uranium producers appeal to Trump to decrease foreign imports

The two largest uranium producers in the country, both operating in Wyoming, are asking President Donald Trump for relief from one of their greatest challenges: foreign imports. Denver-based Energy Fuels and Ur-Energy petitioned the Department of Commerce to look into whether imports from dominant uranium producers, like Russia, pose a national security risk. The firms …