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 …
Switzerland plans keeping nuclear plants in use longer than previously expected over fears of electricity shortages, mirroring a broader trend of European countries revisiting the potential of atomic energy. The country decided to exit nuclear power in 2017, but didn’t set a date to shut down its four plants, which are supposed to run as …
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 …
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 …
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 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 …
The second unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was put into commercial operation on 1 November. Together with the first unit the new nuclear power plant will provide about 40% of the country’s electricity needs. The first power unit – also a Russian VVER-1200 reactor – was connected to the grid in November 2020 and, …
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, …
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday approved an extension of the operating lifetimes of two reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s Sendai nuclear power plant nearing 40 years since the start of operation. The approval will allow the company to extend the lifetimes of the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the plant in …
Paris eyes deeper cooperation with resource-rich Kazakhstan Macron also wants to tempt Central Asia away from Putin After finding itself suddenly unwelcome in its traditional sphere of influence, France is casting further afield. That’s why president Emmanuel Macron will travel to energy-rich Central Asia this week to visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, two suppliers of the uranium that powers the …
