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☆ U.S.-Mexico nuclear cooperation agreement enters into force
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Nov 2 (Reuters) - A bilateral agreement on nuclear energy between the United States and Mexico entered into force, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday, adding that it will enhance cooperation on energy security. The agreement is the "first bilateral agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation" between the two countries, the department said in a statement. "This agreement will further strengthen the U.S.-Mexico relationship and deepen our cooperation on energy security," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Twitter. Mexico and the United States signed the agreement in 2018, but Mexico's Senate did not give its approval until March. Energy Minister Rocio Nahle has described nuclear energy as "clean, safe, constant and profitable."

☆ UAE and U.S. reach deal for $100 billion in clean energy projects
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABU DHABI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The United States and United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement to spend $100 billion on clean energy projects with a goal of adding 100 gigawatts globally by 2035, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday. The two governments signed a memorandum of understanding in Abu Dhabi setting out the framework of the deal, Blinken said in a statement. "This memorandum of understanding is an important step forward in our joint efforts to accelerate our collective movement toward clean energy," Blinken said. Under the initiative, the UAE, an OPEC oil producer, and the United States would provide technical, project management and funding assistance for commercially and environmentally sustainable energy projects in other countries. The statement said the partnership would "assemble and stimulate" private and public sector funding and support for clean energy innovation, carbon and methane management, advanced reactors including small modular reactors, and industrial and transport decarbonisation.

☆ UAE and U.S. to spur $100 bln in clean energy projects - WAM
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABU DHABI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates and the United States have signed a partnership to spur $100 billion of investments in clean energy projects and add 100 gigawatts of clean energy globally by 2035, state news agency WAM reported on Tuesday. "Together, we will spur large-scale investment in new energy technologies, in our own countries, around the world and in emerging economies," U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein said a statement carried on WAM. The statement said the partnership would "assemble and stimulate" private and public sector funding and support for clean energy innovation, carbon and methane management, advanced reactors including small modular reactors, and industrial and transport decarbonisation. Under the initiative, the UAE, an OPEC oil producer, and the United States would provide technical, project management and funding assistance for commercially and environmentally sustainable energy projects in other countries. Reporting by Ahmed Tolba; Writing by Lina Najem and Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Louise Heavens and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia's invasion of Ukraine has accelerated a nuclear renaissance. Europe's nuclear startups have raised a record $403 million in 2022.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Nuclear power has long been shunned by policymakers due to disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima. Rising energy costs caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine have sparked a nuclear resurgence. For most, nuclear energy sparks memories of the large-scale disasters at Fukushima and Chernobyl. To generate energy via nuclear fusion, two atoms have to be combined – the same process that fuels the sun. Both are needed to fight climate change, according to Aneeqa Khan, a nuclear fusion research fellow at the Dalton Nuclear Institute.

☆ How Russia Pays for War
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Lazaro Gamio | Ana Swanson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Invasion –84% Imports from Russia –20% Germany Current total trade $4.8 billion Since invasion –3% Exports to Russia Avg. Invasion –51% Imports from Russia +38% The Netherlands Current total trade $2 billion Since invasion +32% Exports to Russia Avg. Invasion –52% Imports from Russia +74% China Current total trade $15 billion Since invasion +64% Exports to Russia Avg. Invasion +24% Imports from Russia +98% India Current total trade $3.3 billion Since invasion +310% Exports to Russia Avg. Invasion –19% Imports from Russia +430% Turkey Current total trade $6.2 billion Since invasion +198% Exports to Russia Avg.

☆ Poland picks U.S. offer for its first nuclear power plant -PM
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Oct 28 (Reuters) - U.S. firm Westinghouse Electric Co will build Poland's first nuclear power plant, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday, confirming a long-awaited decision aiming to reduce the country's carbon emissions and phase out coal. "We confirm our nuclear energy project will use the reliable, safe technology of @WECNuclear," Morawiecki said on Twitter. Westinghouse was competing with South Korea's state-owned Korea Hydro Nuclear Power, which submitted an offer in April. Warsaw had been seeking a partner to build 6-9 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity and provide up to 49% equity financing for the project. Sources have said that Poland would choose the technology first, which would indicate who the partner would be, and discuss the details of the contract afterwards.

Some, like fossil fuel-burning Saskatchewan and Alberta, say the federal government's plan for a 2035 net-zero grid is unrealistic. The challenges Canada faces underline how difficult meeting net-zero electrification goals will be globally. Reuters GraphicsUnlike Canada, the United States has a federal electricity regulator and mostly delivers power through regionally integrated systems, which may make it more nimble to transform the grid. Provinces regulate Canada's electricity utilities, but the federal government has some jurisdiction over the environment. The Alberta Electric System Operator in June estimated it would cost an additional C$44 billion to C$52 billion ($38.18 billion) to meet Ottawa's 2035 net-zero mandate.

PARIS, Oct 27 (Reuters) - EDF (EDF.PA) is expecting a hit of around 32 billion euros ($32.18 billion) to its full-year core earnings from lower nuclear production, a bigger loss than previously estimated and its sixth profit warning this year. The group, which is in the process of being fully nationalised, confirmed nuclear output would come in at the lower end of a previously announced 280-300 terawatt-hours range - a 30-year low. In September, EDF had forecast a hit to its earnings of 29 billion euros due to lower production. The combination of lower output and capped electricity prices means EDF is set to end the year with a big loss. The company's core earnings or EBITDA in 2021 came in at 18 billion euros.

☆ TerraPower, PacifiCorp to study 5 more advanced nuclear reactors
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - TerraPower LLC, Bill Gates' advanced nuclear reactor company, and power company PacifiCorp said on Thursday they will undertake a study to evaluate deploying up to five additional Natrium reactors in the U.S. West by 2035. The Wyoming Natrium reactor, being developed by TerraPower and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, will get about half of its funding from the U.S. government. The joint study on the additional reactors will evaluate the potential for advanced reactors to be located near current fossil-fueled generation sites, enabling PacifiCorp to repurpose existing power generation and transmission assets in California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, the companies said. Some nonproliferation experts say the more highly enriched fuel expected to be used by advanced reactors could become an attractive target for militants looking to convert it for use in a crude nuclear weapon. Advanced reactor proponents say the plants are safer and create less waste.

☆ U.S. developing domestic uranium strategy -energy secretary
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Timothy Gardner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The United States relies on Russia and its allies Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for roughly half of the uranium powering its nuclear power plants. "The United States wants to be able to source its own fuel from ourselves and that's why we are developing a uranium strategy," Granholm told reporters at an International Atomic Energy Agency conference in Washington. In September, the White House asked Congress for another $1.5 billion in a temporary government funding bill to boost domestic supply of low enriched uranium and HALEU. The Department of Energy has supplies of heavily enriched uranium, from which it can downblend fuel for reactors. Some nuclear power proponents also want to boost U.S. mining and processing of uranium, practices many environmentalists want to limit.

☆ Canada backs nuclear power project with C$970 mln financing
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The nuclear power project, which is being developed by utility Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in Darlington, will be the first commercial grid-scale SMR in the Group of Seven wealthy nations (G7), according to the minister's spokesperson. read more"We are doing this because nuclear energy – as a non-emitting source of energy – is critical to the achievement of Canada's and the world's climate goals," Wilkinson will say. "Nuclear power is one source that can help in reaching our climate targets while addressing growing future demand." About 15% of Canada's electricity comes from nuclear power, according to the World Nuclear Association. The reactors are designed by GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy, an alliance between General Electric Co (GE.N) and Japan's Hitachi Ltd , and could power about 300,000 homes after completion, OPG says.

☆ Investor Vinod Khosla says focusing on 2030 climate targets is the wrong approach
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Why Khosla thinks short-term goals are a mistakeFocusing on "short term goals will force us to deploy suboptimal technology," Khosla told CNBC. And if it doesn't do that, it's the wrong technology," Khosla told CNBC. Nuclear fusion is one example of the kind of breakthrough technology Khosla considers critical, but which will not be commercialized by 2030. "But I'm not interested in today's geothermal, because it is such a niche — it doesn't scale," Khosla told CNBC. And that's what we need," Khosla said.

☆ France’s Nuclear Reactors Malfunction as Energy Crisis Bites
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Matthew Dalton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS—France is falling behind in its plans to return the country’s fleet of nuclear reactors to full power this winter after a rash of outages, raising fears that one of Europe’s key sources of electricity won’t be ramped up to counter Russia’s squeeze on the continent’s energy supplies. The nuclear fleet was designed to act as the front line of France’s energy security. Since Moscow cut the flow of natural gas to Europe—plunging the continent into its biggest energy crisis since the 1970s oil shock—France’s vaunted nuclear fleet has been about as effective as the Maginot Line, the French fortifications that did little to stop the German invasion during World War II.

Turkey Point sits on porous rock and underneath it is the Biscayne Aquifer – a primary source of drinking water. Nuclear plants have up to 60 years after they shut down to dispose of their nuclear waste. “FPL and the NRC regularly evaluate nuclear power plant operating conditions and physical infrastructure to ensure ongoing safe operations,” the company said. Electrical cables from Turkey Point Nuclear Power plant that power 1 million homes in South Florida. Alfonso Duran for NBC NewsNew homes under constructed near Turkey Point nuclear power plant in Miami in September.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine has renewed interest in nuclear power. But without a reliable source of the high assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) the reactors need, developers worry they won't receive orders for their plants. But only TENEX, which is part of Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom, sells HALEU commercially at the moment. And this chicken and egg conundrum is complicating the smooth development of HALEU supply. "A reliable HALEU supply is one of many factors under consideration," the company said in an emailed statement.

☆ Explainer: Strikes at French nuclear plants - what's at stake?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Forrest Crellin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRolling strikes over wages by the FNME-CGT union at some plants have added to the problem. France is a net importer of electricity and the strikes will further boost power imports, particularly from Britain, the consultancy said. Power grid operator RTE warned on Tuesday that prolonged strikes further delaying the restart of reactors could have "heavy consequences" for electricity supply over the winter. Britain's National Grid has also cited maintenance issues at French nuclear reactors as a factor that could affect UK energy supplies this winter. read moreRTE still expects France's nuclear power production to rise to between 40 and 45 gigawatt (GW) a day in December and January, up from 25-30 GW at the end of October.

☆ Twenty French nuclear reactors affected by strike, union says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Strikes have affected work at nearly a third of France's nuclear reactors, an FNME-CGT power union representative said on Wednesday, delaying maintenance at many of them ahead of planned talks with operator EDF (EDF.PA). Three of the reactors lowered production by a total of 1.8 gigawatts (GW) by 0837 GMT, EDF data showed. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterPower supply has been further hit in recent weeks as the FNME-CGT union has been staging rolling strikes over wages at some nuclear power plants. FNME-CGT representative Virginie Neumayer told Reuters 20 reactors out of a total of 56 had been affected by the strikes. The start of planned maintenance at the Gravelines 4 and Dampierre 3 sites have been pushed back due to the strikes, and now show their outage start date on Oct. 19.

☆ French petrol supply improving but Paris area still having problems - minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - There are signs of a general improvement in the supply of petrol to service stations in France, but the situation in the Paris/Ile-de-France area remains difficult, French Energy Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told French radio. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThose protests have disrupted the supply of petrol to service stations, leading to long lines of motorists queuing to fill up their cars and causing general public anger. Energy company EDF (EDF.PA), which the French government is in the process of fully nationalising, has also been affected by strikes at its nuclear reactors. France's national grid operator RTE warned on Tuesday that those prolonged strikes at EDF could have "heavy consequences" for the country's electricity supplies over the coming winter. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Jan Harvey and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

One in two trains were canceled on some suburban rail lines in Paris and Eurostar canceled four services between the French and British capitals on Tuesday and Wednesday, blaming strike action. French unions called for a nationwide strike on Tuesday, expanding a weeks-long refineries strike that has caused fuel shortages and miles-long lines at gas stations. “There will be as many ordered back to work as necessary,” to respond to the needs of French people, Veran told France 2 television. He criticized ongoing blockades at refineries by French union CGT, given that a majority of workers had now agreed to wage deals with ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies. While ExxonMobil workers agreed to end their blockade of the Fos-sur-Mer refinery and depot in southern France late last week following salary negotiations, strikes continue at TotalEnergies refineries.

☆ France begins nationwide strike amid soaring inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Juliette Jabkhiro | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

French students block the entrance of the Lycee Montaigne high school to protest as part of a nationwide day of strike in Paris, France, October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesPARIS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - French trade unions began a nationwide strike on Tuesday, asking for higher salaries amid decades-high inflation and posing President Emmanuel Macron one of his stiffest challenges since his reelection in May. French public railway operator SNCF said that traffic on local connections was down 50% but that there were no major disruptions on national lines. Civil service workers' unions have also called for joining Tuesday's strike, with possible disruptions in schools and other public facilities. The leader of hard-left party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed), Jean-Luc Melenchon, marched alongside this year's Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Annie Ernaux.

☆ Explainer: How will Germany implement its nuclear power extension?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The operators of the three remaining nuclear power plants are E.ON (Isar 2), RWE (RWEG.DE) (Emsland) and EnBW (EBKG.DE) (Neckarwestheim 2). HOW LONG CAN THE PLANTS RUN WITH EXISTING FUEL RODS? According to industry group Nuclear Technology Germany (KernD), it usually takes around one year until fresh fuel rods are delivered. CAN GERMANY EXTEND NUCLEAR POWER BEYOND APRIL 2023? Politically, extending the lifespan of nuclear power is a red line for the Greens party, which has ruled out buying new fuel rods for longer operation of the country's remaining nuclear power plants.

☆ France's grid operator: EDF strikes could have heavy consequences for winter supply
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - France's national grid operator RTE warned on Tuesday that prolonged strikes delaying the restart of some reactors at nuclear power group EDF could have "heavy consequences" for the country's electricity supplies over the coming winter. RTE cut its forecast range for power availability for this month and the first half of November based on the blockade at some of EDF's reactors so far, compared to a previous report it released in September. RTE is still maintaining its expectation that France's nuclear power production will rise to between 40 and 45 gigawatt (GW) in December and January from 25-30 GW at the end of October. "A prolonged social movement would have heavy consequences for the key part of the winter," it said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Benjamin Mallet, writing by Silvia AloisiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Eleven French nuclear sites affected by strike, union says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Strikes have affected 11 French nuclear power plants, an FNME-CGT power union representative said on Tuesday, delaying maintenance at 17 different reactors. Power production was also reduced by 1.8 gigawatts (GW) at three other nuclear reactors, data from operator EDF (EDF.PA) showed. Members of FNME-CGT have been staging rolling strikes at French nuclear power plants for several weeks over wages, heightening the risk of power supply shortages as the French utility struggles to get enough reactors back online for winter. Maintenance operations are continuing on the reactors that are currently shutdown despite the strikes, an EDF spokesperson said on Monday. The strike is part of a general strike on Tuesday that has affected train traffic, schools and other sectors.

☆ Russian shelling cuts external power to Ukraine nuclear plant - Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant in southern Ukraine was operating on emergency diesel generators on Monday after Russian shelling cut off its external power supply, Ukraine's state nuclear energy company said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEnergoatom said Russia was now targeting all the substations supplying Ukrainian nuclear power stations with electricity, an accusation that Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom did not immediately comment on. "In recent days, the Russian invaders, shelling the entire territory of Ukraine, deliberately targeted substations connected by high-voltage communication lines to Ukrainian nuclear power plants," Energoatom said on its website. Writing on Facebook, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said: "Such nuclear blackmail by a terrorist country should not go unanswered by the world community! Russian forces have occupied the ZNPP, Europe's largest nuclear power station, since shortly after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine nearly eight months ago.

The government said it had requisitioned six workers at a TotalEnergies depot in Dunkirk, northern France, and would do the same at its Feyzin depot in the southeast this afternoon. The government has already requisitioned staff elsewhere, a move vehemently opposed by the CGT, which has called on other workers to join its protest. But even so, petrol supplies will take some time to get back to normal. Transport Minister Clement Beaune told France Inter radio that petrol stations might still have problems until next week, adding: "We're still struggling." According to government data, roughly one in three petrol stations has not been supplied normally in the last few days.

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