Nuclear costs must fall to be competitive, says NEA’s Magwood

If countries are serious about combatting climate change, then they will reform their electricity markets, William Magwood, director general of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), told delegates at the World Nuclear Association Symposium 2018 held in London last week. Magwood highlighted one of the three objectives of the Harmony initiative – a level playing …

Russia, China Discuss Joint Development of Overseas NPP Projects – Rosatom

Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation Rosatom has held initial discussions with its Chinese partners on potential projects to jointly build nuclear power plants in third states, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev said on Wednesday. The discussions have started. The talks are on the initial stage,” Likhachev said at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). Earlier this year, Rosatom state …

Had They Bet On Nuclear, Not Renewables, Germany & California Would Already Have 100% Clean Power

Had California and Germany invested $680 billion into new nuclear power plants instead of renewables like solar and wind farms, the two would already be generating 100 percent or more of their electricity from clean (low-emissions) energy sources, according to a new analysis by Environmental Progress. The analysis comes the day before California plays host to …

French Orano opens uranium conversion plant despite glut

French nuclear group Orano on Monday inaugurated a 1.15 billion euro (1.02 billion pounds) uranium conversion plant despite huge global overcapacity for nuclear reactor fuel. State-owned Orano’s new plant in Tricastin, southern France, will account for a quarter of the world’s 60,000-tonne annual uranium hexafluoride (UF6) production capacity when it fully ramps up in 2021 …

New IAEA Energy Projections See Possible Shrinking Role for Nuclear Power

Nuclear power’s electricity generating capacity risks shrinking in the coming decades as ageing reactors are retired and the industry struggles with reduced competitiveness, according to a new IAEA report. The declining trend may set back global efforts to mitigate climate change, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said. The 38th edition of Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power …

Uranium Weekly Update from our friends at Cormark

Sector News – WNA Highlights, Denison Takes on Larger Stake of Wheeler River The World Nuclear Association (WNA) symposium took place in London last week. Some of the highlights from Cormark’s time on the ground include: We believe Kazatomprom is fully on board with the Cameco-led production curtailments to generate a longer-term rebound in the uranium markets, particularly …

Electric vehicles and opportunities for nuclear energy

The electrification of transport could potentially offer many opportunities for nuclear generation, Brandon Munro told the World Nuclear Association Symposium 2018 in London today. The acceleration in global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) over the past six years is a key litmus test signalling the reality of this shift, the CEO of Bannerman Resources said. …

Innovation is key to industry’s resilience, says Westinghouse

Westinghouse Electric Company is starting the next phase in its long history with one key message: The nuclear industry, which has always provided safe, clean and reliable energy, needs innovation now more than ever before. Speaking at the World Nuclear Association Symposium 2018 in London, Westinghouse President and CEO José Gutiérrez described the company’s strategy following its …

Murkowski, Booker, and Colleagues Introduce the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act

U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Cory Booker, D-N.J., James Risch, R-Idaho, Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Richard Durbin, D-Ill., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Chris Coons, D-Del., today introduced bipartisan legislation to boost nuclear energy innovation and ensure advanced reactors can provide clean, safe, affordable, and reliable power to meet national …