IAEA breaks ground on new laboratory block

The groundbreaking ceremony at Seibersdorf (Image Dean Calma / IAEA) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has held a groundbreaking ceremony at its Seibersdorf facility near Vienna to mark the start of construction on a new nuclear applications laboratories building. The new building will house three laboratories: Plant Breeding and Genetics (PBGL), Terrestrial Environment and …

Nuclear central in Virginia’s energy plan

Governor Youngkin launching the 2022 Virginia Energy Plan at electrical equipment manufacturer Delta Star Inc’s Lynchburg facility (Image: Governor of Virginia / YouTube) The 2022 Virginia Energy Plan, announced by Governor Glenn Youngkin, calls for a nuclear innovation hub to be established in the state and for a commercial small modular reactor to be deployed in …

Duke Energy ups 10-year capital spending plan to $145B to modernize grid, move to zero-carbon generation

Duke Energy’s capital investment and energy transition plans call for $145 billion in spending over the next decade, with costs up by $10 billion over the company’s previous ten year plan, according to an announcement released Tuesday. Some 85% of the spending will go toward grid modernization and to the company’s transition toward decarbonized generation, according to …

Ansaldo, Westinghouse Partner on Nuclear Plant Based on Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor Design

Westinghouse and Ansaldo Energia’s Switzerland-based nuclear arm, Ansaldo Nucleare, will cooperate in developing a nuclear power plant based on lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology. The two companies, which have separately spearheaded the development of fast-reactor designs, said they will advance a common design “to maximize synergies, combine experience in design, testing and licensing, and align respective partner and …

Revival of nuclear power puts uranium in spotlight on the commodity market

With the rising price of oil and natural gas this year and supplies being embargoed from Russia, talk of nuclear power has increased substantially. Today we look at the commodity powering nuclear plants – uranium. Background Uranium occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and water, and is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals such as …