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☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ EDF says strike hits a third of French nuclear plants, delaying maintenance work
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Strike action over wage demands was hitting a third of EDF's 18 French nuclear plants as of Friday night, a spokesperson for the utility said, further delaying the maintenance of its reactors. "Six sites (were) affected by strikes as of last night," the spokesperson said on Saturday. This led to the postponement of the restart date of five reactors currently under maintenance by "one to several days", the spokesperson for EDF (EDF.PA) added. A representative for France's FNME trade union said on Friday that maintenance work at nine nuclear reactors split between five sites had been delayed due to a strike over wages. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Mathieu Rosemain; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine says Russia hits power site near Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"Putin knew he would not be able to sustain high-intensity missiles strikes for a long time due to a dwindling arsenal of high-precision missiles," the think tank said. Vorontsov explained the move by citing Moscow's concern about the possibility of the deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in Poland near the borders of Belarus and Russia. He emphasized that in compliance with the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Russia had no intention for now of fitting nuclear warheads to Belarusian weapons systems or transferring nuclear warheads to the territory of Belarus. He said the shelling of the city of Nikopol, which is located across the Dnieper from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, damaged a dozen residential buildings, several stores and a transportation facility. "Working in very challenging conditions, operating staff at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are doing everything they can to bolster its fragile offsite power situation," Grossi said.

☆ France's CGT union extends strikes at TotalEnergies as petrol crisis drags on
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We have seen a masquerade ... the offers on the table are clearly insufficient", CGT representative Alexis Antonioli told journalists after his union left the talks. But this does not mean the strikes may end anytime soon as the standoff with the union persists. The CGT previously said it wanted a 10% wage rise, citing inflation and windfall profits made by the company resulting from the global energy crisis. "The company is in good shape and shareholders have been rewarded for a long time," Philippe Martines, the head of the CGT union, told franceinfo radio. The CGT union, France's second-largest, is seeking to scale up the movement and calls for nationwide industrial action across sectors which could hamper parts of the country's infrastructure this autumn.

☆ Europe is still quietly importing Russian nuclear energy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

On presenting its latest sanctions package, the European Commission did not propose targeting the trade of Russian nuclear fuel. Hungary and Bulgaria were the most vocal in opposing sanctions on Russian uranium and other nuclear tech last week, according to Rodrigo. "Russian nuclear terror requires a stronger response from the international community - sanctions on the Russian nuclear industry and nuclear fuel," Zelenskyy said via Twitter at the time. Mikhail Metzel | Afp | Getty ImagesThere are 18 Russian nuclear reactors in Europe, in countries including Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. How 'green' is nuclear energy?

☆ Exclusive: Ukraine nuclear chief says Zaporizhzhia plant does not need Russian fuel
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian all-terrain armoured vehicle is parked outside the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during the visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, September 1, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander ErmochenkoKYIV, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The head of Ukraine's state nuclear energy company on Thursday decried as "fake news" Russian assertions that the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will need Russian fuel. Energoatom chief Petro Kotin, speaking in a Reuters interview, said there are fresh fuel supplies in storage at the six-reactor plant, the largest in Europe. His comments came after an official of Rosenergoatom, Russia's nuclear power operator, was quoted by Russia's TASS state news agency as saying that the Zaporizhzhia plant would be switched to Russian fuel once its reserves are exhausted. Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in March, the month after they launched their full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Maintenance on five French nuclear reactors delayed over strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - A representative of France's FNME trade union said on Wednesday that some workers at EDF's (EDF.PA) nuclear plants resumed their strike over salaries, delaying maintenance work on at least five reactors, including the Bugey facility. The strike is not reducing power supply at active reactors, FNME said. FNME representative official Viginie Neumayer told Reuters the union sent a message of support to striking workers at refineries and petrol depots owned by oil giants TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) and Exxon Mobil (XOM.N). Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"The threat of requisition which is above all a sign of government feverishness has never demonstrated its effectiveness in getting out of this conflict," Neumayer said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CGT trade union flag flutters as tyres set on fire by demonstrators burn in front of the ExxonMobil oil refinery, in Port-Jerome-sur-Seine, France, October 12, 2022. The government said it was requisitioning some staff at the Gravenchon-Port Jerome depot run by Exxon's (XOM.N) Esso France business, where the hardline CGT union remains on strike despite an agreement between management and other unions over pay. Refinery and fuel depot stoppages in France are among the longest since the cost-of-living crisis sparked labour unrest across Europe. "In view of a strike by part of the Port-Jerome staff, in Normandy, the government launches the requisition of staff necessary to operate the depot. The strike at TotalEnergies' French refineries resumed across all sites on Wednesday, the CGT said.

☆ EDF's French nuclear output down 37.2% in September
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Nuclear power generation at EDF's (EDF.PA) French reactors fell 37.2% year-on-year in September to 18.2 terawatt hours (TWh), mainly due to the maintenance of circuits affected by stress corrosion, the utility said on Tuesday. EDF said on its website that total nuclear generation in France since the start of the year had been 209.2 TWh, down 22% compared with January-September 2021. The French utility said its September nuclear power output in Britain was up 19.9% year-on-year at 3.2 TWh, against 2.7 TWh in 2021. Total generation in Britain since the start of the year was at 33.2 TWh, up 11.2% from January-September 2021. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Westinghouse deal will overpower immediate fallout
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, Oct 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A mushroom cloud is rising over a $7.9 billion nuclear deal. Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP.N) and Cameco (CCO.TO)agreed to buy Westinghouse Electric, sending the Canadian uranium miner’s shares tumbling by 15% on Wednesday. All told, this nuclear deal should be able to power through the immediate fallout. Brookfield Business Partners bought the company in 2018, after Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors the previous year. Brookfield Business Partners said it expects proceeds from the deal to equal six times its invested capital when combined with distributions received to date.

☆ Cameco, Brookfield Renewable Partners to Buy Westinghouse Electric for $7.88 Billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Kathryn Hardison | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Westinghouse Electric services about half of the nuclear-power reactors in the world. Cameco and Brookfield Renewable Partners said they will buy Westinghouse Electric Co. in a deal that will boost nuclear power, an energy resource reinvigorated by the need to reduce the use of carbon-based fuels. The Canada-based companies said Tuesday that they are forming a strategic partnership to acquire the nuclear-services business. Brookfield Renewable, with its institutional partners, will own a 51% interest in Westinghouse and Cameco will own 49%, they said.

☆ Explainer: What are the risks to Ukraine's nuclear reactors in war
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

What nuclear material is at Europe's largest nuclear power plant, what are the risks and why are Russia and Ukraine fighting over it? The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235, which has a half-life of more than 700 million years. The biggest risk is from overheating nuclear fuel, which could happen if the power that drives the cooling systems was cut. Besides the reactors, there is also a dry spent fuel storage facility at the site for used nuclear fuel assemblies, and spent fuel pools at each reactor site that are used to cool down the used nuclear fuel. Special Russian military units guard the facility and Russian nuclear specialists are on site.

Any hope of the Nord Stream network resuming shipments to Germany was dashed last month by suspected sabotage. Even then, it is unlikely to make up for the missing Russian gas. A risk is that as energy supplies dwindle, energy demand will not shrink enough. European industrial gas demand has fallen as high gas prices have led factories in energy-intensive sectors such as aluminium, steel and ammonia, have shut production. Europe can't afford any surprises this winter without Russian gasA more comfortable energy supply situation could be many winters away.

☆ Possible extension of Germany's nuclear power at risk -econ ministry
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But disagreements within the German cabinet could jeopardize the possible lifespan extension for the Isar II power plant, a spokesperson for the Economy Ministry told Reuters. The plant operator needs clarity on the government's plans before starting the maintenance, the Economy Ministry spokesperson said. Monday's decision was delayed due to objections from the finance ministry, a source told Reuters. The ministry is run by the Free Democrats party, which has been demanding a longer lifespan extension for the reactors. "The finance ministry is of the opinion that the proposed continued operation of only two power plants alone is not sufficient," a finance ministry source said.

☆ The US Navy's new high-tech aircraft launcher is being prepped for deployment on France's new nuclear-powered carrier
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The new carrier will have the same aircraft launch and recovery systems as the US's newest carriers. It is the latest development in France's ambition to build a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a project known as the Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération, sometimes called PANG, which translates to "New Generation Aircraft Carrier." Charles de GaulleFrench aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. It is the only non-US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the world. Sailors prepare an F/A-18F for launch during testing with Ford's Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System in January 2020.

☆ Russia appoints new overall commander for its military in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-08 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has appointed a single commander to lead all its forces in Ukraine, the country's Defense Ministry said Saturday. The army general, who is also head of Russia's air force, was placed in charge of Russian troops in southern Ukraine over the summer. Surovikin's appointment follows the reported sacking earlier this week of the commanders of two of Russia’s five military regions. Black smoke billows from a fire on the Kerch Strait Bridge that links Crimea to Russia on Saturday. It cited official information from Ukraine as well as reports from IAEA experts at the site, which is held by Russian forces.

☆ Feds commit $50 million to for-profit nuclear fusion companies, chasing the 'holy grail' of clean energy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The United States government is putting money behind private-sector nuclear fusion companies for the first time, and that's an indication of how momentum is building behind the "holy grail" of clean energy. At the Global Clean Energy Action Forum in Pittsburgh on Thursday, the Department of Energy officially announced $50 million will go towards private fusion companies in public-private partnerships. Nuclear fusion is when two heavier atoms slam together to form a heavier atom, and is the way stars are powered. But it will help bolster U.S fusion companies and give them credibility. The private sector fusion industry has attracted almost $5 billion in venture and other funding according to the Fusion Industry Association.

☆ Hungary and Russia hold talks on gas, nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Gazprom (GAZP.MM) started to ramp up gas supply to Hungary last month, adding to previously agreed deliveries under a long-term supply deal via the Turkstream pipeline. Russia supplies Hungary with most of its oil and gas needs. "Our national interests dictate that we should pursue a reliable and predictable cooperation with Russia, with Gazprom, as without this, Hungary's natural gas supply would not be secure," Szijjarto said. Szijjarto said Hungary had received another shipment of nuclear fuel for the Paks plant from Russia. Hungary aims to expand the plant with two Russian-made VVER reactors with a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts each.

☆ Former NATO boss slams Macron for "disastrous" diplomacy on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

However, Rasmussen's broadside comes at a time Macron is recalibrating his message and striking a firmer tone against Moscow. Macron stated that peace talks can only work if Ukraine's "sovereignty is respected, its territory liberated and its security protected." "Russia must now understand that it cannot impose its will by military means", said Macron. "He has weakened international cohesion, and I think he is now regretting this and trying to regain the initiative", he said in the interview. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Tassilo Hummel and Michel Rose; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

She likened the climate contributing to the couple's decision to leave Texas to "death by a thousand paper cuts." The business risks to recruiting is especially high for oil companies, already unpopular with graduates of engineering programs, said Jonas Kron, chief advocacy officer at Trillium Asset Management. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has acknowledged the state is losing workers, but does not regret the departures. Oil companies contribute to politicians who advocate for free trade, tax and energy policies through political action committees (PACs). Dawn Seiffert, 52, and her husband, an oil company employee, returned to Texas in 2012 and planned to stay.

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