Markets lack a price signal for nuclear investment

The nuclear industry should work with policymakers on the design of market mechanisms that can produce a clear price signal to attract investors to this low-carbon form of electricity, Jostein Kristensen, partner with economics consultancy firm Oxera, told participants in World Nuclear Association’s Strategic eForum last week. Markets currently do not reflect the value of …

For nuclear plants operating on thin margins, growing climate risks prompt tough choices

As the single-largest carbon-free source of electricity, nuclear power often plays a big part in plans to decarbonize energy. Many policymakers insist that nuclear must be part of any solution to avoid the worst consequences of climate change over the coming decades. But as the debate over preserving existing nuclear plants and supporting advanced nuclear …

Vietnam urged to reconsider nuclear power programme

VIETNAM has been urged to reconsider its nuclear power programme as it struggles to meet demand for electricity in the nation. The recommendations for nuclear energy come as the government gathers public input for its 2021-2030 National Energy Master Plan. Vietnam Mining Technology Association chairman Tran Xuan Hoa said Vietnam’s energy imports has continued to …

Cameco: A Gamble On Rising Uranium Prices

Summary Cameco’s profitability relies on uranium pricing moving up from current cycle lows. COVID-19 has interrupted Cameco’s production and has added more uncertainty to global supply. Demand for nuclear energy and reactor construction has slowed in western nations in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. The bull case for uranium demand growth hinges on a …

Looking beyond Hinkley Point C

IN JUNE, EDF ENERGY ANNOUNCED it had completed the 49,000-metric-tonne concrete basemat for the second EPR reactor at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. The milestone was achieved “on schedule”, despite the coronavirus pandemic and a reduction of “more than half” in the number of workers on site since March. Completion came less than a year …

Kazatomprom workers returning to site, confirms spot market purchases

Kazakhstan-based Kazatomprom is mobilising employees and expects to have its sites back to normal staff levels within two to three weeks. The world’s largest uranium producer said on Monday it believed it could safely begin to bring staff back to its mine sites, after a four-month Covid-19-related shutdown. Production in the second half of the …