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☆ Microsoft to buy power from nuclear fusion company Helion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Timothy Gardner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) - Private U.S. nuclear fusion company Helion Energy will provide Microsoft (MSFT.O) with electricity in about five years, the companies said on Wednesday, in the first such deal for the power source that fuels the sun but has been elusive on Earth. Government labs and more than 30 companies are racing to generate power from fusion, which could one day help the world slash emissions linked to climate change. Helion's plant is expected to be online by 2028 and will target power generation of 50 megawatts or greater after a one-year ramp up period, it said. Polaris, Helion's seventh generation machine, should come online next year and demonstrate electricity generation, using a mix of laser and magnet technologies to achieve fusion, Kirtley said. In 2021, Helion was the first private company to achieve 100 million degrees Celsius and the optimum temperature is about twice that, Kirtley said.

☆ US approves temporary nuclear waste storage in New Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Timothy Gardner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said the license authorizes private company Holtec to store 500 canisters holding nearly 8,700 metric tonnes of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants for 40 years. Opponents of nuclear power say the government does not yet have a permanent fix for the waste that can be toxic for hundreds of thousands of years. It bans storage of the waste, until the state agrees to handle it and until the federal government figures out permanent storage. The Biden administration prefers a consent-based siting of nuclear waste facilities in which local communities are involved in the site selection process. The NRC issued a license in 2021 to Interim Storage Partners LLC for a proposed storage site in Andrews, Texas, but the company has not started construction.

☆ Oliver Stone says you should be more worried about the climate crisis than the risks of using nuclear power
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Oscar-wining director Oliver Stone released a documentary calling for more use of nuclear power. And nuclear power kills far fewer people than fossil fuels — the main cause of the climate crisis — in terms of air pollution and accidents. These events distorted the safety risks of nuclear energy, Stone argues, noting that beyond the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, few people have died from nuclear accidents. Stone told Insider he didn't know that Ralph Nader, who famously campaigned against nuclear power plants, described the documentary as a "propaganda boomerang." "I'd rather not," Stone told Insider.

☆ Westinghouse announces a new small nuclear reactor — a notable step in the industry's efforts to remake itself
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Westinghouse is offering a smaller-scale nuclear reactor in an effort to expand access to nuclear power as demand for clean energy soars. The company announced the launch of a small version of its flagship AP1000 nuclear reactor on Thursday. Small nuclear reactors are also being eyed by industrial producers as carbon-free sources of heat, Merrifield told CNBC. But an AP300 nuclear reactor will produce roughly the same amount of electricity as what a typical coal plant produces, so replacing one coal plant with a small nuclear reactor would be simpler. "We have absolute confidence, because the NRC has already licensed every bit of this technology," Durham told CNBC.

Peskov did not provide any evidence to his claims, nor additional details regarding the alleged attack, saying that information would be released later. Earlier this week, Russia claimed Ukraine launched a drone strike targeting the Kremlin in an attempt to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a “planned terrorist attack.” Ukraine has strongly denied any involvement. The United States had nothing to do with this. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty ImagesRyabkov also accused US officials of trying to “promote the idea of Washington’s non-involvement” in the purported drone attack, TASS reported. “Washington has long been a direct party to the Ukrainian conflict and aims to destroy sovereign Russia,” he said, according to TASS.

☆ Nuclear fusion will not be regulated the same way as nuclear fission — a big win for the fusion industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The top regulatory agency for nuclear materials safety in the U.S. voted unanimously to regulate the burgeoning fusion industry differently than the nuclear fission industry, and fusion startups are celebrating that as a major win. As a result, some provisions specific to fission reactors, like requiring funding to cover claims from nuclear meltdowns, won't apply to fusion plants. Other differences include looser requirements around foreign ownership of nuclear fusion plants, and the dispensing of mandatory hearings at the federal level during the licensing process, Holland said. The electricity generated by nuclear fission is considered clean energy by the U.S. Department of Energy because it generates no greenhouse gas emissions. And these reactors deliver massive quantities of power: Half of the carbon-free energy generated in the U.S. comes from nuclear fission reactors.

☆ A nuclear plant that leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water will be shut down after second incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Erik Ortiz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

This second leak involved hundreds of gallons of radioactive water, according to the utility company, far less than the 400,000 gallons that was discovered leaking in late November. "I think the general public needs to be informed more about this," Megan Sanborn, 31, who lives 6 miles upstream from the nuclear plant, said. Tritium spills do happen occasionally but are typically contained within a nuclear site, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The incident comes as Xcel Energy is in the midst of seeking an operating license renewal for Monticello. At a town hall meeting over the license on Wednesday, before the latest leak was known publicly, Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials sought to allay residents' fears.

☆ A new nuclear reactor in the U.S. starts up. It's the first in nearly seven years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

For the first time in almost seven years, a new nuclear reactor has started up in the United States. On Monday, Georgia Power announced that the Vogtle nuclear reactor unit 3 has started a nuclear reaction inside the reactor. It's when the nuclear fission process starts splitting atoms and generating heat, Georgia Power said in a written announcement. However, because nuclear energy is generated without releasing carbon dioxide emissions, which cause global warming, the current increased sense of urgency in responding to climate change has given nuclear energy a chance at a renaissance. The cost associated with building nuclear reactors is a major barrier to a potential resurgence in nuclear energy, however.

☆ Dow and X-energy to build U.S. Gulf Coast nuclear demonstration plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) - Dow Inc (DOW.N) and private company X-energy said on Wednesday they have agreed to develop and demonstrate the first grid-scale next-generation nuclear reactor for an industrial site in North America. The X-energy Xe-100 plant featuring four high-temperature, gas-cooled reactors is set to be built at one of Dow's sites on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Backers of next-generation nuclear reactors, including the Biden administration, say the technology is crucial to fight climate change. The X-energy plant will provide a Dow facility with process heat and power to make products. Dow, a chemicals company, makes a wide variety of products including polyethylene used in packaging, paints, and foams.

☆ U.S. approves design for NuScale small modular nuclear reactor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Timothy Gardner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Nuscale Power Corp FollowWASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. nuclear power regulator has certified the design for the NuScale Power Corp's (SMR.N) small modular reactor, the first such approval in the country for the next generation technology. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval, published in the Federal Register late on Thursday, clears a hurdle for NuScale. The company plans to build a demonstration small modular reactor (SMR) power plant at the Idaho National Laboratory. The U.S. Department of Energy has provided more than $600 million since 2014 to support the design, licensing and siting of NuScale's power plant and other small modular reactors. "SMRs are no longer an abstract concept," said Kathryn Huff, assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the Energy Department.

☆ U.S. grants $1.1 bln to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Timothy Gardner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Diablo is the last operating nuclear plant in California. The Biden administration believes nuclear power is critical in curbing climate change and wants to keep plants open ahead of the development of next-generation reactors. Poppe said the plant is also ordering more uranium fuel for the reactor, and dry casks for storing nuclear waste. Some politicians who have been wary of problems associated with nuclear waste have come out in support of the Civil Nuclear Credit program. Holtec International, which in May bought the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan, said on Friday that DOE rejected its application for funding.

☆ U.S. nuclear plants expect government decision on credits by year-end
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Two companies that have applied for funding to keep struggling nuclear power plants open said they expect to hear from the U.S. Department of Energy by the end of the year. Both power utility PG&E Corp (PCG.N) and Holtec International applied to the first phase of the $6 billion DOE Civil Nuclear Credit program to keep their reactors running. The Biden administration believes nuclear power is essential to fight climate change, but plants are struggling with costs and competition from natural gas plants and renewables. Poppe said PG&E is applying to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a license allowing Diablo to continue operating. She said Diablo is also ordering more uranium fuel for the reactor, and dry casks for storing nuclear waste.

☆ What it feels like to visit a fusion company lab on a day when wildfire smoke cloaks the horizon
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

The Helion Energy building under construction to house their next generation fusion machine. For the employees of Helion Energy, building a fusion device is their job. Helion Energy's building under construction to house the seventh generation fusion machine on a day when wildfire smoke was not restricting visibility. On the one hand, I had a newfound sense of hope about the possibility of fusion energy. This is the Polaris Injector Test, where Helion Energy is building a component piece of the seventh generation fusion machine.

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.

Польша обиделась на то, что немцы, французы и австрийцы решили строить жизненно важный для них газопровод, не спросив разрешения у нее. Правда, на текущий момент "Газпром" и его партнеры по всем аналогичным требованиям выплатили ровно ноль долларов, но поляки упорно гнут свою линию. По словам министра энергетики США Дэна Бруйетта, Штаты обязуются в течение ближайших полутора лет разработать план строительства шести атомных реакторов на территории Польши совокупной мощностью до девяти гигаватт. С 1954 года и по настоящий момент все внешнее сотрудничество в сфере атомной энергетики в США регулируется положениями так называемого Atomic Energy Act. Впрочем, подписание межгосударственных соглашений с Америкой вовсе не значит, что вторая сторона действительно получит атомный "горшок".

Persons: —, Wintershall, Virgil C, Сергей Савчук, Дэн Бруйетта, Петр Возняк, Возняк Organizations: Reuters, Energy, Westinghouse General Electric, Westinghouse, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Power Investment Corp, Sputnik Moldova, Управление по охране конкуренции и потребителей (UOKiK), Газпром, Engie, Uniper, Wintershall, OMV, РИА Новости, UOKiK, Reuters, АЭС, Cheniere Marketing International LLP, PGNiG, Westinghouse, General Electric, Саньмынь, АР, Комиссия по ядерному регулированию (Nuclear Regulatory Commission), Vogtle, Virgil C. Summer, State Power Investment Corp (SPIC), AP, SPIC, Росатом, Telegram, Video, Radio Sputnik Moldova Locations: Польша, США, Европа, Россия, Варшава, Соединенные Штаты, Штаты, Вашингтон, Евросоюз, Брюссель, Германия, Австрия, Франция, Москва, Свиноуйсьце, Тайвань, Америка, Китай, Пекин, Молдова

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