Nuclear Power








Asia

North America

Power Markets

Entergy, the electric utility in South America, is looking to add more nuclear energy.

Entergy, the U.S. electric company, is planning to upgrade its existing nuclear plants in the South of the United States while considering advanced nuclear technology. This was announced by executives on Tuesday. In recent years, U.S. Nuclear Power, which is almost carbon-free, has become increasingly popular, especially as Big Tech struggles to balance its growing electricity demands with climate-driven energy commitments. Entergy announced on a conference call with investors that it recently completed a refueling shutdown at its River Bend Nuclear Plant and is planning work to clear the site for the expansion of the 967 megawatt St. Francisville plant...

Nuclear Power

China's lunar chief accuses the US of interfering with joint space programmes between other nations

On Wednesday, the chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program accused the United States of interfering with Beijing’s efforts to cooperate in space programmes with Europe and other partners. Wu Weiren told foreign media in a rare, exclusive interview that China had a policy of "open space diplomacy" in contrast to the U.S. and was open to cooperating with both developing and developed nations on lunar exploration. Wu said that the International Lunar Research Station, an initiative led jointly by Russia and China, to establish a permanent lunar base by 2035 was progressing well. Already, 17 countries and organisations have...

Energy Markets

Sam Altman resigns as Oklo Chairman

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is stepping down as chairman of Oklo's nuclear technology startup, opening the door to a possible tie-up. Shares of Oklo fell more than 11 percent in Tuesday's extended trading. Jacob DeWitte will become chairman of Oklo, the company that aims to build its first small nuclear reactor module by 2027. Caroline Cochran said that the startup would continue to "explore potential strategic partnerships with OpenAI and other leading AI companies", in a press release. Altman's AltC Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition corporation, will acquire Oklo in the U.S. by May 2024. After decades of stagnation...

Power Markets

US pays part of the loan to Michigan nuclear plant for restart

The Energy Department announced on Tuesday that a Michigan nuclear reactor, which hopes to be the United States' first to restart after permanent shutdown, has received approximately 10% of the $1.52 billion U.S. funding approved during former president Joe Biden’s term. The Department's Loan Programs Office approved the disbursement of nearly $47 Million of the loan guarantee for the Palisades Nuclear Plant Holtec Inc hopes will reopen this year. The loan guarantee, which was approved by Biden's administration, was a conditional loan that was made to Palisades. This was the second time the Trump administration has disbursed money. The original...

Power Markets

State media reports that an Iranian minister has arrived in Russia to deliver a message by Khamenei.

Iranian state media reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Moscow on Friday to deliver to Russian President Vladimir Putin a message sent by the Islamic Republic's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. U.S. president Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran of bombings and secondary tariffs, if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with Washington regarding its disputed nuclear programme. The United States have also moved additional warplanes in the region. Both sides characterized the U.S.-Iran talks held in Oman at the weekend as constructive and positive. Araqchi stated on Wednesday, ahead of the second round of negotiations that will...

Energy Markets

Overnight, Russia shoots down dozens of drones; Ukraine strikes Shuya a second time

The Russian Defence Ministry announced on Thursday that Russian air defence systems intercepted or destroyed 71 Ukrainian drones in six Russian regions over the course of one night. The majority of drones, 49, were brought down in the Kursk area, while others fell in Oryol and Ryazan regions, Bryansk and Vladimir, Tula, or Oryol. According to a Telegram statement, authorities in the Ivanovo Region of Russia, located east of Moscow said that Ukrainian drones attacked the town Shuya but no injuries or damages were caused. Shuya is under attack for the second time in a week. It is located around...

Electric Utilities

US regulators refuse a rehearing of the co-located Amazon Data Center Energy Pact

The U.S. Energy regulators denied this week a request for reconsideration of a decision which prevented an Amazon datacenter, directly connected to a Talen Energy Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania, to increase its power usage, according to government filings. Big Tech's race for massive amounts of energy to fuel their AI data centers led to new arrangements with power companies. These included so-called "co-located" deals where giant computer warehouses were powered directly from the power source. These arrangements promise to accelerate the artificial intelligence expansion of the technology industry by eliminating the wait time to connect to a broader grid....

Nuclear Power

US to develop AI on Energy Department Lands

On Thursday, the administration of Donald Trump announced that it had identified 16 sites in the United States Energy Department where data centers and energy plants could be built to support artificial intelligence. Why it's important The rapid growth of AI has led to the first surge in U.S. electricity demand in 20 years, sending Big Tech companies and utility companies scrambling for new data centers and energy plants. DOE stated that the potential sites were positioned to allow rapid construction of data centers, with in-place infrastructure and the ability for fast-tracking permits for new energy production such as nuclear...

Fossil Fuels

EIA: US has produced most uranium in 2018

Energy Information Administration of the United States reported on Wednesday that the U.S. produced a greater amount of uranium concentrat, which is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, during the final three months in 2024 than in any other quarter over the past six years. The EIA reported that the increase in output was due to higher uranium prices and the restart of production at White Mesa Mill, the only uranium-producing mill in the United States. Why it's important Data centers, onshored production and electrification in buildings and transportation have all contributed to the rise of electricity demand in the...

Energy Markets

Dow and X-energy apply for a nuclear construction permit in Texas

The companies announced on Monday that Dow Chemical and X-energy Reactor Company had submitted a permit application to Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a proposed project at Seadrift in Texas. Why is it important? In recent years, the U.S. Nuclear Industry has experienced challenges with expansion. However, the industry is now experiencing a boom in demand due to the power-intensive nature of data centers, and the shift towards low-emission, alternative energy sources. Small modular reactors are becoming more popular among companies. They are compact, cost-effective and faster to construct than full-sized nuclear reactors which can take years to build. The project...

Power Markets

Moscow: Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant will remain under Russian control

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant was a Russian facility, and it was impossible to transfer control of this plant to Ukraine or other countries. The ministry said that it was also not permissible to operate the plant jointly, as it would make it impossible to ensure the safety of the station in terms of both physical and nuclear security. The report said that the Zaporizhzhia Region, which is partly controlled by Russian troops, was one out of four regions in Ukraine to be annexed into Russia as a result of referendums held seven...

Nuclear Power

US Supreme Court to hear Texas nuclear waste storage case

On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is authorized to issue licenses for nuclear waste storage. The states of Texas and New Mexico along with the oil industry objected. The U.S. Government and a company, which was granted a license to operate an operation in western Texas by the NRC (the federal agency responsible for regulating nuclear energy in the United States), have appealed the ruling of a lower court that declared this storage arrangement illegal. Arguments were still ongoing. In several important rulings, the Supreme Court's conservative majority of 6-3 questioned the...

Europe

Energy Markets

Colder temperatures and lower solar output are expected to increase demand.

German and French spot rates were not traded on Friday morning, but a lower solar output will be expected in the entire region by Monday due to a higher demand because of colder temperatures. LSEG data shows that the German and French baseload power prices for Monday were not traded by 0745 GMT. Ricardo Parviero, LSEG analyst, says that residual load will increase in the region Monday as the lower solar supply limits the gains from the higher wind supply. LSEG data revealed that the German solar energy supply is projected to drop sharply from 10.7 GW to 5.8 GW....

Nuclear Power

Polls indicate that Australia's centre left Labor Party is likely to remain in power, as Trump worries weigh on the country.

Two opinion polls released on Thursday showed that Australia's center-left Labor Government is likely to remain in power after a tight national election at the weekend. Voters ranked Donald Trump's policies as their number one concern. According to a RedBridge/Accent poll conducted by News Corp on Thursday, Labor led the Liberal-National Coalition conservative coalition 53%-47% under Australia's preferential voting system for two parties. Votes are then distributed until a winner has been declared. The RedBridge survey showed that Labor could form a majority government or win the election on its own. This is a change from the February poll, which...

Power Markets

Czech Government to Take Majority in Nuclear Power Project worth $18 Bln

The Czech government has agreed to an updated model of financing for the construction of two new nuclear units. It will also take a major stake in this project, worth at least 18 billion dollars, from CEZ, according to Prime Minister Petr Filia. This will relieve CEZ of some of its financial burden. CEZ is owned 70% by the Czech state. The remaining 30% shares are free to float at the Prague Stock Exchange. CEZ agreed to build a new reactor in its Dukovany plant using state loans and guaranteed financing. However, it sought another solution when the government increased...

Western Europe

North Asia

Environment

The nuclear power station in the eye the Ukraine war

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that he will speak with Vladimir Putin of Russia on Tuesday to discuss ending the Ukraine conflict. The question of who controls the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is likely to play a major role in the discussions. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of drone attacks and military activity around Zaporizhzhia - Europe's biggest nuclear plant - and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned about the dangers of a catastrophe there for years. The plant is located 500 kilometers (300 miles), away from the site where the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear disaster, which...

Nuclear Power

Russia claims IAEA mission arrived at Ukrainian nuclear plant through Russia

The U.N. nuclear monitors arrived in Ukraine on Saturday for the first ever time via Russian territory at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is owned by Russia. The IAEA's rotation was delayed for weeks by military activity on the site. Each side blamed the other, claiming that the rules were not followed to ensure the safety of the team. In a video posted on Telegram, Yuri Chernichuk said that it was important for the route to pass through Russian territory. He added that the arrival of three inspectors was guaranteed by Russia's Defence Ministry and National Guard and came...

Energy Markets

Source: Ukraine MPs are expected to vote on the law required for two new nuclear units next week

An industry source said on Wednesday that the Ukrainian parliament will vote on a bill next week to allow for the construction and startup of two new nuclear power plants. This would help support Ukraine as it is constantly under attack by Russian missiles. Ukrainian energy officials said that the new reactors would be built at Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant in western Ukraine, and will be equipped with Russian designed equipment which Kyiv is looking to import from Bulgaria. The Ukraine planned to sign an agreement last June with Bulgaria to purchase two nuclear reactor bodies to compensate for the...

Power Markets

Ukrainian drones attack city near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, authorities state

Russiainstalled authorities in Ukraine's partlyoccupied Zaporizhzhia region stated Ukrainian drones on Wednesday assaulted Enerhodar, a city serving the Russianheld Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia seized the nuclear plant, Europe's biggest with 6 reactors, in the early days of the war and each side has because implicated the other of staging periodic attacks on the facility. Russia-installed regional authorities have actually reported attacks on Enerhodar, particularly on 2 electrical power substations nearby. Russian media quoted the city's authorities as stating at least 4 drones had actually attacked Enerhodar. It stated there were no casualties and no details on damage were offered....

Energy Markets

IAEA's 35-nation Board condemns attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities

The U.N. nuclear watchdog's. 35nation Board of Governors passed a resolution on Thursday. condemning attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities, but. stopping working to discuss Russia as the perpetrator. Ukraine called Thursday's emergency International Atomic. Energy Agency (IAEA) Board conference to talk about a wave of attacks. on Nov. 28 that Russia released on its energy infrastructure,. triggering deep power cuts throughout the nation. The drone and rocket attacks strike electricity sub-stations. used by 3 of Ukraine's nuclear reactor to get and. transfer off-site power, which is vital to their security since. that power is necessary to cool their nuclear fuel...

Energy Markets

Drone hits IAEA lorry on road to Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, company says

A drone hit and seriously damaged an official car of the International Atomic Energy Agency on the roadway to Ukraine's Russianheld Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Tuesday, the agency's head said. There were no casualties and the teams are safe, Rafael Grossi, director general of the U.N. nuclear guard dog, said in a. video published on X. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the strike was. a purposeful Russian attack that showed Moscow had overall. disregard for worldwide law and institutions. Moscow made no. instant declaration after the occurrence took place. I condemn in the most firm terms this attack on...

Nuclear Power

Iran significantly speeding up uranium enrichment to near bomb grade, IAEA says

Iran is drastically. accelerating its enrichment of uranium to as much as 60% pureness,. near the roughly 90% level that is weapons grade, U.N. nuclear guard dog chief Rafael Grossi informed Reuters on Friday. The International Atomic Energy Firm later validated in a. private report to member states that Iran was accelerating. uranium enrichment, a process that refines the raw material so. that it can be utilized as fuel in civil nuclear power generation. or, potentially, nuclear weapons. The IAEA findings will deepen alarm in Western nations. that say there is no reason for enhancing uranium to such. a high...

Nuclear Power

United States will not return nuclear weapons to Ukraine

The United States is ruling out going back to Ukraine the nuclear weapons it quit after the Soviet Union collapsed, White House national security consultant Jake Sullivan said on Sunday. Sullivan made his remarks when questioned about a New york city Times article last month that stated some unknown Western officials had actually suggested U.S. President Joe Biden could offer Ukraine the arms before he leaves workplace. That is not under factor to consider, no. What we are doing is surging different traditional capabilities to Ukraine so that they can effectively safeguard themselves and take the battle to the Russians,...

Energy Markets

EXCERPTS-IAEA Board of Governors resolution versus Iran

Below are crucial passages from a. resolution on Iran that diplomats said the International Atomic. Energy Firm's 35nation Board of Governors passed at a. quarterly meeting on Thursday night. The Board of Governors ... ( d) Noting the Director General's deep concern that. undeclared nuclear material had actually been present at several. undeclared areas in Iran which its present place( s). are not known to the Company, and his evaluation that nuclear. product used in Iran was not stated as needed under Iran's. NPT Safeguards Contract, ... ( g) Recalling the Board of Governors' resolutions of 19 June. 2020 ...,...

Energy Markets

Hungary sends bill to permit increase in Russian nuclear plant project expense

Hungary's government has sent an expense to parliament to allow a change of its nuclear plant contract with Russia and raise the prepared cost of the construction task if called for, according to the legislation published on parliament's website. The expense, dated Nov. 19, says the objective is to enable the building of the 2 new atomic power plants at Paks to continue smoothly. The project was granted in 2014 without a tender to Russian nuclear giant Rosatom, and has been delayed by years. The project is often mentioned as an indication of continuing close ties in between NATO and...

Energy Markets

Russia continues uranium deliveries as typical, and can supply to U.S. under unique waivers - Rosatom

Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, the world's largest provider of enriched uranium, said on Monday it was providing uranium to all of its consumers as normal which materials to the United States could take place under a special regime. Russia stated on Friday that it had actually imposed momentary constraints on the export of enriched uranium to the United States in action to U.S moves. Uranium rates rose on the choice. In May, President Joe Biden signed into law a restriction on Russian enriched uranium, though the U.S. likewise has the capability to provide waivers if there are supply concerns....

Energy Markets

Russia informs Israel to not even consider assaulting Iranian nuclear facilities, TASS states

Russia is alerting Israel to not even think about striking Iranian nuclear centers, state news company TASS priced quote Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as stating on Thursday. After Iran's rocket attack on Israel on Oct. 1, there has been speculation that Israel could strike Iran's nuclear centers, as it has actually long threatened to do. We have actually consistently warned and continue to caution, to warn ( Israel) versus even hypothetically considering the possibility of a strike on (Iranian) nuclear facilities and nuclear facilities, Ryabkov was quoted by TASS as stating. This would be a devastating development and a...