Turbine tests completed at China’s HTR-PM

Testing of the steam turbine using non-nuclear steam has been completed at the demonstration high-temperature gas-cooled reactor plant (HTR-PM) at Shidaowan, in China’s Shandong province. The twin-unit HTR-PM is scheduled to start operations later this year. Non-nuclear steam flushing is an important test for nuclear power projects to check the operating quality of steam turbine …

Preparations begin for next Turkish unit

Preparations have begun for the construction of the fourth unit at Turkey’s Akkuyu nuclear power plant, Akkuyu Nuclear has confirmed, with excavations for the reactor building, turbine hall, auxiliary reactor building and other main facilities now under way. Separately, Netherlands-based geotechnical survey company Fugro has completed a complex 6-month offshore site characterisation project on the …

Which Industries Stand to Gain From the $1.2T Infrastructure Bill—and Which Stand to Lose

The Senate on Tuesday approved a $1.2 trillion proposal to improve the nation’s aging infrastructure, offering hope of a historic boost to several industries that stand to benefit from increased funding and regulations. While the bill must still clear the House, where it faces a rocky path over the next few weeks, the Senate outcome marks a …

Global climate objectives fall short without nuclear power in the mix: UNECE

The urgent need to reduce emissions and slow global heating, should involve the roll-out of more nuclear power stations, regional UN energy experts argued in a new briefing on Wednesday. Only weeks before world leaders gather in Glasgow to hammer out plans to slow climate change, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has released a …

Big win for $1T infrastructure bill: Dems, GOP come together

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a robust vote after weeks of fits and starts, the Senate approved a $1 trillion infrastructure plan for states coast to coast on Tuesday, as a rare coalition of Democrats and Republicans joined together to overcome skeptics and deliver a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s agenda. “Today, we proved that democracy can …

Nuclear Energy Is Staging A Comeback

Nuclear energy had been falling further and further out of favor amid falling costs for renewable energy installations. But suggestions of its death have been highly exaggerated. The $1-trillion bipartisan deal that the Senate approved earlier this month envisages $6 billion to support nuclear power. And some utilities are considering mini reactors to support their …

Icebreaker Reactor Approved for Ground-Based Nuclear Plant

The international business arm of Russia’s state-owned nuclear power company has received a license that will allow construction of small modular reactors (SMRs), based on the design used in the country’s icebreaker shipping fleet, at ground-based nuclear power plants. Rusatom Overseas JSC (RAOS JSC), the company representing parent company Rosatom’s international interests, on Aug. 9 …

Study reveals an increase in the frequency of nuclear power outages caused by climate change

Past research suggests that climate change and energy systems have a bidirectional relationship. In other words, just like emissions from energy systems can fuel climate change, climate change could also expose the vulnerabilities or shortcomings of energy systems. For instance, climate change could adversely impact the operation of critical energy systems and infrastructure, potentially disrupting the provision of electricity. …

Nuclear power’s benefits for climate change should outweigh our fears

On July 14, Senate Democrats introduced their plan to push $3.5 trillion in federal spending through the reconciliation process, in order to add climate change provisions long-sought by progressives to the highly contested infrastructure bill. These provisions restrict fossil fuels in the economy and commit the United States to dramatically increase clean energy use. Reducing …