France’s clean power clout to be tested again this winter

France’s power sector is under fresh scrutiny as maintenance on several of the country’s critical nuclear reactors continues just as Europe braces for another winter, when regional heating demand typically peaks. Nuclear reactors generate 65% to 70% of France’s electricity, which is the highest share of nuclear generation globally and has historically enabled France to …

Senator Proposes Plan That Lifts Nuclear Moratorium and Requires New Oversight Rules

Fresh legislation to lift a moratorium on new nuclear plants in Illinois has surfaced in the state General Assembly A Republican Illinois senator proposed fresh legislation Tuesday lifting a moratorium on new nuclear reactors and calls for new rules governing them, one of the concerns raised in a gubernatorial veto of a previous version of the legislation. Sen. Sue …

Containment shell in place for Chinese SMR

The steel containment dome was successfully hoisted into place at the ACP100 small modular reactor (SMR) demonstration project at the Changjiang site on China’s island province of Hainan, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced. The reactor building for the ACP100 – also referred to as the Linglong One – consists of three parts: the internal …

Member states urge EU to create alliance for small modular reactors

Twelve European Union member countries asked the European Commission to create an industrial alliance for small modular nuclear reactors. Their representatives are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the European Nuclear Energy Forum in Bratislava. In a joint letter, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden called for investment incentives for small modular reactors (SMRs). In …

Cold testing completed at first Zhangzhou unit

Cold hydrostatic testing has been completed at unit 1 of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in China’s Fujian province, the first of two Hualong One reactors under construction at the site. The tests mark the first time the reactor systems are operated together with the auxiliary systems. Cold functional tests are carried out to confirm …

German power mix may get dirtier for 1st non-nuclear winter

Germany’s power producers are preparing for their first winter without nuclear power, after the country closed its last remaining reactors in early 2023 amid ongoing efforts to modernize its energy system. German officials opted to shut the country’s last remaining reactors in April, as although they generated steady volumes of power with little to no emissions, …