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☆ Sweden plans new nuclear reactors by 2035, will share costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Simon Johnson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

By 2045 the government wants to have the equivalent of 10 new reactors, some of which are likely to be small modular reactors (SMRs), smaller than conventional reactors. Energy Minister Ebba Busch said the government was planning a "massive build out" of new nuclear power by 2045. "It's decisive for the green transition, for Swedish jobs and at heart for the welfare of our citizens," she told reporters. Countries like Poland, the Czech Republic, and Britain are looking at expanding nuclear power as societies transition to a fossil-fuel free future. Sweden voted to get rid of nuclear power in 1980, and has only six of an original 12 reactors still in production.

Persons: Tom Little, Ebba Busch, Elisabeth Svantesson, Busch, Finland's, Germany's Uniper, Simon Johnson, Chizu Nomiyama, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Rights, Energy, EDF, Thomson Locations: Swedish, Stockholm, Sweden, Rights STOCKHOLM, Poland, Czech Republic, Britain

☆ US, Philippines Sign Landmark Nuclear Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The United States and the Philippines on Friday signed a landmark deal that would allow Washington to export nuclear technology and material to Manila, which is exploring the use of nuclear power to decarbonise and boost energy independence. "Nuclear energy is one area where we can show the Philippines-U.S. alliance and partnership truly works." U.S. Congress approval is needed for the deal, which will allow a peaceful transfer of nuclear material, equipment and information in adherence with non-proliferation requirements. Previous attempts to pursue nuclear energy in the Philippines were halted over safety concerns, but Marcos has discussed the possibility of reviving a mothballed nuclear power plant, built in response to an energy crisis during the rule of the late Philippines strongman and his namesake father. Completed in 1984, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was mothballed two years later following the ouster of the older Marcos, the deadly Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and corruption allegations.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Neil Jerome Morales, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: APEC, International Atomic Energy Agency, Bataan Nuclear Locations: MANILA, United States, Philippines, Washington, Manila, San Francisco, U.S, Taiwan

☆ Japanese helicopters train to repel invaders amid nationwide military drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Tim Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force's (JGSDF) AH-64 Apache helicopter flies over JGSDF's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) soldiers and the U.S. Marines during ARDB's military drill at an uninhabited Irisuna island close to Okinawa, Japan, November 15, 2023. The flight over Irisuna, about 70 kilometres (43.5 miles) from the main Okinawa island, was part of the country's 11-day nationwide 05JX. The drills, which end Monday, also include an air defence exercise in Japan’s north and simulated attacks on five nuclear reactors including the Fukushima plant. Trained to conduct operations from the sea, his unit was established in 2018 to help Japan defend the Okinawa islands, which stretch from the main Japanese islands to close to Taiwan. Japan's increasing defence budget will allow the ARDB to add a third regiment, Nashinoki said.

Persons: Issei Kato, Fumio Kishida, Shingo Nashinoki, Nashinoki, Tim Kelly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, JGSDF's, Rapid Deployment Brigade, U.S, Marines, REUTERS, Apache, Wednesday, Japan's Self Defence Forces, Japan's, Irisuna, Thomson Locations: Okinawa, Japan, East Asia, China, Russia, East China, South China, Pacific, Taiwan

☆ Start-Ups With Laser Beams: The Companies Trying to Ignite Fusion Energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Kenneth Chang | More About Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In December last year, after years of trying, the National Ignition Facility, or NIF, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory reported that it had finally lived up to its middle name: ignition. For the first time anywhere, a laser-induced burst of fusion produced more energy than that supplied by the incoming lasers. “We’re really excited by the NIF results,” said Kramer Akli, who manages the fusion energy sciences program at the United States Department of Energy. A decade ago, a report by the National Academy of Sciences found much to like in the energy potential of laser fusion but recommended that the United States hold off major investments until ignition was achieved. The sun generates heat and light by jamming — fusing — hydrogen atoms together into helium.

Persons: We’re, ”, Kramer Akli, arth, ould Organizations: National Ignition Facility, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, United States Department of Energy, National Academy of Sciences Locations: United States

Steam feeding into the Unit 3 turbine generator of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Ga. “The United States is now committed to trying to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy,” John Kerry, President Biden’s climate envoy, said in September. One recent Pew survey found that 57 percent of Americans favor more nuclear plants, up from 43 percent in 2016. A NuScale engineer gave a tour of a control room simulator, modeling the company’s plans for new nuclear reactors, in 2013. “The demand for clean energy is almost unprecedented,” said Maria Korsnick, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry group.

Persons: Biden, ” John Kerry, Biden’s, “, ”, Jacopo Buongiorno, Jimmy Carter, Rosalyn Carter, Bruce Springsteen, Dan Reicher, Gavin Newsom, Reicher, Clinton, Jeffrey Collins, Arnie Gundersen, John Williams, “ It’s, Patty Durand, Julie Kozeracki, Kendrick Brinson, Jay Wileman, Bill Gates, Dow, Roger Blomquist, NuScale Power, Jose Reyes, Adam Stein, it’s, they’re, Ahmed Abdulla, Robert Taylor, Leah Nash, NuScale, David Schlissel, Joshua Freed, didn’t, Maria Korsnick Organizations: Unit, Republicans, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Associated Press, Madison, Natural Resources Defense, California Gov, Democrat, Associated, Fairewinds Associates, Components, Workers, Georgia, Southern Company, Georgia Power, Georgia Public Service Commission, Energy Department, The New York Times, GE, Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Vogtle . Ontario, Tennessee Valley Authority, Argonne, National Laboratory, Energy, Nuclear Regulatory, NuScale, ”, Breakthrough Institute, Carleton University, Soaring, Institute for Energy Economics, United, Nuclear Energy Institute Locations: U.S, Waynesboro, Ga, Savannah, Georgia, United States, ”, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Jenkinsville, Vogtle, South Carolina, South, Canada, Tennessee, Argonne, Chicago, Idaho, Wyoming, California, Alaska, Maryland, Pueblo County, Colo

WASHINGTON (AP) — A project to build a first-of-a-kind small modular nuclear reactor power plant was terminated Wednesday, another blow to the Biden administration's clean energy agenda following cancellations last week of two major offshore wind projects. Oregon-based NuScale Power has the only small modular nuclear reactor design certified for use in the United States. “We absolutely need advanced nuclear energy technology to meet (the Biden administration’s) ambitious clean energy goals,'' spokeswoman Charisma Troiano said. In 2020, the Trump administration approved up to $1.4 billion for the project, known as the Carbon Free Power Project. Most prospective subscribers were unwilling to take on the risks associated with developing a first-of-a-kind nuclear project, the Utah group said.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Charisma Troiano, “, Timothy Fox, Fox, Trump, Obama, John Hopkins, NuScale, Ken Cook, ” Cook, ___ McDermott Organizations: WASHINGTON, Biden, Idaho National Laboratory, Energy Department, DOE, ClearView Energy Partners, The Energy Department, Energy Department's, Energy Department's Idaho National Laboratory, Carbon, Power, Congress, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, Nuclear Energy Institute, Environmental, U.S . Nuclear Regulatory Commission, AP Locations: Oregon, United States, Utah, Idaho, New Jersey, U.S, Washington, Idaho Falls , Idaho, Energy Department's Idaho, California, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ A blistering bull run is underway in the market for uranium
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Anil Varma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Uranium and shares in companies that mine it have enjoyed a scorching rally on soaring demand. Nuclear energy is back in fashion as more reactors are planned amid a shift away from fossil fuels. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . A blistering bull run is underway in the market for uranium, the radioactive element used to produce nuclear energy. The widening demand-supply gap will continue to drive uranium prices higher, according to John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, which specializes in precious metals and real assets.

Persons: —, John Ciampaglia, Ciampaglia, Rohan Reddy Organizations: Service, Uranium Miners, Crux, Sprott Asset Management, CNBC, Global Locations: China, India, Russia, Japan

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Nuclear energy must be part of the equation to tackle climate change, the U.N. nuclear chief said Wednesday. Over a quarter of the electricity from nuclear power is low-carbon electricity and global carbon dioxide emissions would be considerably higher without nuclear power, Grossi said. More than 400 nuclear reactors in over 30 countries are supplying global electricity, and Grossi said more than 50 are under construction and many countries are extending their existing nuclear programs. Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesBut “nuclear power’s share of global electricity production decreased by about half" in the past two decades, he said. Grossi said the growing worldwide interest in nuclear energy has led the IAEA to increase its high nuclear energy projection to 873 gigawatts in 2050.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Grossi, ” Grossi, “ Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, International Atomic Energy Agency, General, IAEA, International Energy Agency Locations: Africa, Latin America

A developer of small nuclear reactors announced on Wednesday that it was canceling a project that had been widely expected to usher in a new wave of power plants. NuScale Power, a company in Portland, Ore., said it lacked enough subscribers to advance the Carbon-Free Power Project, which had been expected to deliver six of the company’s 77-megawatt reactors. The Carbon-Free Power Project was the result of an agreement between NuScale and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, which supplies electricity to public power providers in seven Western states, including California. “This decision is very disappointing given the years of pioneering hard work,” said Mason Baker, chief executive of Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems. “We are working closely with NuScale and the U.S. Department of Energy on next steps to wind the project down.”

Persons: NuScale, ”, Mason Baker Organizations: Power, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, U.S . Department of Energy Locations: Portland ,, Idaho, NuScale, Utah, California

WIDESPREAD IMPACTAny shortfall in France's total power generation will have Europe-wide repercussions due to the scale of France's clean power supplies. Even with the rapid advances in clean power generation throughout most major European economies in recent years, France still accounts for over 25% of total clean power generation in the European Union, data from think tank Ember shows. The latest forecast for wind generation in Germany, Europe's largest wind power producer, calls for wind power generation to be 2.1% above the long-term average from November 2023 through to the end of February 2024, data from LSEG shows. Any drop in regional wind power output would also affect regional power flows by raising demand for imports into countries that may see a dip in local wind generation. In recent months, France's rising output of nuclear power has facilitated higher power market exports to neighbouring nations, including the United Kingdom and Italy.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, Gavin Maguire, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: EDF, REUTERS, Jan, European Union, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Cattenom, LITTLETON , Colorado, Russia, Ukraine, LSEG, Europe, EU, Germany, Europe's, United Kingdom, Italy

Nov 8 (Reuters) - NuScale Power (SMR.N) said on Wednesday it has agreed with a power group in Utah to terminate the company's small modular reactor project, dealing a blow to U.S. ambitions for a wave of nuclear energy to fight climate change and sending NuScale's shares down 20%. In 2020, the Department of Energy approved $1.35 billion over 10 years for the plant, known as the Carbon Free Power Project, subject to congressional appropriations. NuScale's Utah plant was expected to be the first SMR to win a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for construction. An Energy Department spokesperson said it was unfortunate news, but added, "We believe the work accomplished to date on CFPP will be valuable for future nuclear energy projects. So far, only NuScale's SMR design has been approved by the NRC.

Persons: NuScale, John Hopkins, Critics, Biden, Manas Mishra, Timothy Gardner, Shounak Dasgupta, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Leslie Adler Organizations: Department of Energy, Carbon, Power, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, SMR, U.S . Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Energy Department, DOE, NRC, Thomson Locations: Utah, Romania, Kazakhstan, Poland, Ukraine, NuScale's Utah, U.S, Bengaluru, Washington

WALHALLA, S.C. (AP) — An Arkansas man has been arrested for trying to crash through the exit gates of a South Carolina nuclear plant, authorities said. Whisenhunt also trespassed onto the property of the nuclear station without authorization, according to the charges. The driver backed up and tried to drive down a dirt road as security tried to block them in. The driver tried to hit the guards, then drove through a fence and off the nuclear plant property, according to authorities. The Oconee Nuclear Station has three nuclear reactors and started generating power 50 years ago on Lake Keowee.

Persons: —, Doyle Wayne Whisenhunt, Whisenhunt Organizations: Duke Energy Locations: WALHALLA, S.C, — An Arkansas, South Carolina, Lockesburg , Arkansas, Pickens County , South Carolina, Oconee County, Oconee, Seneca , South Carolina, Arkansas, Keowee

The winner of the lucrative contract will then have an option to build three more nuclear reactors in the country. Last year, the Czech government excluded Russia’s energy giant Rosatom and China’s CNG from the tender process on security grounds. Political Cartoons View All 1227 ImagesPrime Minister Petr Fiala said Russian participation in the project, which is critical for the Czech Republic's energy security, was “unimaginable” following the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. The Czech Republic already relies on six nuclear reactors to generate more than a third of its total electricity. In a separate deal, CEZ had signed a deal with U.S. energy giant Westinghouse Electric Co. to supply nuclear fuel for the Dukovany nuclear plant, eliminating dependence on Russia for such fuel.

Persons: Korea’s, CEZ, Petr Fiala Organizations: U.S, Westinghouse, France’s EdF, Union, Westinghouse Electric Co Locations: PRAGUE, Czech, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Dukovany, Austria, Germany, Central Europe, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Russia

☆ Why we don't have fusion power plants yet, and what it'll take to get clean, limitless energy to market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Two experts explain how long it could take until fusion power plants are possible. Fusion plants could theoretically produce almost 4 million times as much energy as burning coal or oil — with none of the carbon emissions. It's what Andrew Christlieb, who is part of a US Department of Energy fusion project at Michigan State University, calls "step zero." The US Department of Energy's Fusion Energy Sciences program has a $763 million budget for 2023, which could grow to over $1 billion next year. Achieving commercial fusion power in two decades won't be quick enough to address many countries' goals of adapting clean energy and limiting global warming by 2035.

Persons: It's, Andrew Christlieb, Christlieb, Michael Livingston, PPPL, Jean, Paul Pelissier, it's, Jason Laurea, Lawrence, Jonathan Menard, Menard, Bill Gates, Sam Altman Organizations: Service, Ignition, NIF, US Department of Energy, Michigan State University, Royal Society, Reactor, REUTERS, European Union, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics, US Department of Energy's Fusion Energy Sciences, Fusion Industry Association, Tech Locations: PPPL, Saint, Durance , Southern France, US, China, Russia, Lawrence Livermore, Princeton

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria on Wednesday decided to expand the country’s nuclear power generation as an alternative to fossil fuels by launching the construction of two additional reactors at its only nuclear power plant. The two new reactors, which will provide a total of 2,300 megawatts, will use Westinghouse’s technology, the government said in a statement. Earlier this year, U.S.-based nuclear equipment manufacturer Westinghouse Electric Co. signed an agreement with the Kozloduy plant for a proposed deployment of one or two AP1000 pressurized water reactor units. Bulgaria currently operates two Russian-designed VVER-1000 reactors of 1000 MW each at the nuclear facility in Kozloduy that generate about a third of the country’s electricity. As part of its energy diversification efforts, Bulgaria signed agreements last year with France’s Framatome and Westinghouse Electric to receive fresh nuclear fuel for its operating reactors.

Persons: Nikolay Denkov, France’s Organizations: —, Wednesday, Westinghouse Electric Co, European Union, Westinghouse Electric Locations: SOFIA, Bulgaria, — Bulgaria, Kozloduy, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ China's defence ministry blasts Pentagon's annual report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Bernard Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The flags of the United States and China fly from a lamppost in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., November 1, 2021. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 25 (Reuters) - China's defence ministry on Wednesday denounced the U.S. Defense Department's annual report on China, saying it distorts the country's security policy and military strategy. "The so-called report on China's military power released by the United States is full of all kinds of wrong content, including the statement on the Taiwan issue," a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said at a media briefing on Wednesday. But he added the difficulties and obstacles facing relations between the two militaries are created by the United States. The United States accepted China's invitation after China turned down a meeting a few months ago between the two countries' defence chiefs.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Wu Qian, Wu, Defence Ministry's Wu, Bernard Orr, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Defense, Pentagon, Congress, Defence Ministry, Taiwan Affairs, Defence, United, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Chinatown, Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Rights BEIJING, People's Republic of China, South, Taiwan, United, Beijing

ONJUKU, Japan (AP) — Scientists from the U.N. nuclear agency watched Friday as Japanese lab workers prepared samples of fish collected at a seafood market near the Fukushima nuclear plant to test the safety of treated radioactive wastewater released from the damaged plant into the sea. On Friday, a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency watched as fish samples were prepared at the Marine Ecology Research Institute in the coastal town of Onjuku near Tokyo. During Friday's lab visit, technicians prepared samples for the measurement of tritium, which cannot be removed from the wastewater by the treatment equipment at the Fukushima plant. Other lab workers packed processed fish samples for measuring Cesium, which experts say is important to monitor because it tends to stay in fish muscles. The Oct. 16-23 sampling work will be followed by a separate IAEA task force that will review the safety of the water discharge.

Persons: ”, Iolanda Osvath, searobin, Paul McGinnity Organizations: —, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, International Atomic Energy Agency, Marine Ecology Research, IAEA, TEPCO Locations: ONJUKU, Japan, China, Russia, Onjuku, Tokyo, South Korea, Canada

☆ Pentagon warns about China’s growing long-range missile arsenal in major report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The 2023 China Military Power report, released annually by the Defense Department, said that Beijing has also completed the construction of three new fields of long-range ballistic missiles silos as it builds out its options for delivering a nuclear warhead from different platforms. China uses its military might to assert its claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea and beyond, including Taiwan. In 2022, the Chinese military increased its aggressive actions towards the independent island territory, including ballistic missile overflights, military aircraft flying into Taiwan’s aerial identification zone and major exercises near Taiwan. The growing aggression isn’t only pointed at Taiwan or China’s neighbors. Chinese military pilots have ramped up their “coercive and risky” behavior against US aircraft flying over the East and South China in the last two years.

Persons: ”, Xi Jinping, ” Ely Ratner, “, Aquilino Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Defense Department, National Defense Strategy, America, East, Defense, Pacific Security Affairs, PLA, PLA’s Joint Staff Department Locations: China, United States, Beijing, South, Taiwan, South China, Fiji

[1/2] An analyst monitors from a computer screen in the control room of the international nuclear test monitoring agency CTBTO in Vienna February 12, 2013. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 17 (Reuters) - Russia's parliament starts voting on Tuesday on withdrawing Moscow's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The CTBT is a 1996 treaty that bans "any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion" anywhere in the world. It says that the test ban, "by constraining the development and qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons and ending the development of advanced new types of nuclear weapons, constitutes an effective measure of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in all its aspects". But the move would provide it with legal cover to test if it wanted to, and some security analysts see a Russian test now as more likely.

Persons: Heinz, Peter Bader, Matthew Harries, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Comprehensive, UN, Arms Control Association, State Duma, Publicly, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Britain, France, Russia, United States, Israel, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, US, London, RUSSIA, Ukraine, Russian, Belarus

PIKETON, Ohio (AP) — Uranium enrichment is getting underway this week at a facility in southern Ohio, a federally authorized demonstration project considered critical to produce the type of fuel needed for newer, more efficient nuclear reactors. That form of uranium contains far more of the isotope U-235 than is typically found in current nuclear reactor fuel. The 3,800-acre (1,500 hectare) site was where uranium had been enriched until 2001 at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Poneman said the U.S. has since become the world's biggest importer of enriched uranium. Cleanup and decontamination of the Portsmouth plant are continuing.

Persons: Daniel Poneman, Poneman, Centrus Organizations: Centrus Energy Corp, Columbus Dispatch Locations: PIKETON, Ohio, Bethesda , Maryland, Piketon, Columbus, U.S, Portsmouth

A pipe for transporting carbon dioxide to removal equipment is shown at the Tomakomai carbon, capture and storage (CCS) test site in Tomakomai, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan March 22, 2018. Japan aims to cut total carbon emissions by 46% by 2030 from 2013 levels, and has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050. In Japan, those difficulties are made worse by the already-strained state of the national power system due to the sharp drop in nuclear power generation since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Over the longer term, Japan is also targeting increases in wind power generation, especially from offshore sites. Electric vehicle sales are accelerating in Japan, but remain a tiny proportion of Japan's total car fleetHowever, EVs represented just 3% of total car sales last year, and account for less than 1% of Japan's total car stock.

Persons: Aaron Sheldrick, EVs, Gavin Maguire, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Energy Institute, Japan, International Energy Agency, IEA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tomakomai, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan, LITTLETON , Colorado, India, China, United States, Europe

☆ How is the rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs affecting market action? Jim Cramer explains
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Wednesday explained how GLP-1 drugs are influencing market action. GLP-1 drugs were initially approved to treat diabetes, but many found off-label use to help with weight loss. Popular GLP-1 drugs include Eli Lilly 's Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk 's Wegovy, the latter of which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss management. Even though it seems early to asses the impact of these drugs, they are already affecting stocks, Cramer said. Intuitive Surgical also saw shares slide when executives noted slowed growth in bariatric surgeries last quarter, potentially due to increased use of GLP-1 drugs.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, there'll, Eli Lilly, Cramer, Abbott Labs —, Lilly's Mounjaro Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Food and Drug Administration, Abbott Labs

☆ Strained France-Germany ties slow EU decision making
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

From joint defence programmes to nuclear energy or relations with China, Paris and Berlin are at odds over a growing number of issues. In an August speech Macron made his frustration public, calling Germany's position on nuclear energy "a historic mistake". Germany decided to phase out nuclear energy after Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011, closing its last reactors in April. It is unclear if France and Germany can hash out a deal in Hamburg ahead of a crucial EU energy meeting on Oct. 17, but analysts are doubtful. Although the concept was criticised for having failed with Russia, German officials believe trade ties with a country like China could prevent conflict.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Sarah Meyssonnier, Macron, Detlef Seif, Marc, Antoine Eyl, Wolfgang Munchau, hasn't, Wandel, Handel, Noah Barkin, Sarah Marsh, Kate Abnett, Michel Rose, Rachel Armstrong, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Weimar, REUTERS, German Christian Democratic Union, BASF, Reuters, EDF, Franco, GMF, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Hamburg, Berlin, China, German, Germany, Ukraine, Europe, EU, Franco, Italian, Russia, Brussels, Beijing

☆ The first full deployment of the US Navy's newest supercarrier and its strike group just took an unexpected turn with the crisis in Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The US announced the deployment of USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean on Sunday amid a major crisis in Israel. The USS Gerald R. Ford is the US Navy's newest aircraft carrier and is on its first full deployment. Aircraft carriers have long been deployed to deter enemy forces, engage in air operations, and provide humanitarian support in emergencies. F-18 jet fighters are seen on the flight deck of USS Gerald R. Ford, on November 17, 2022 in Gosport, England. The deployment of the carrier strike group indicates US support for its ally during this serious crisis.

Persons: Gerald R, Ford, —, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Burke, Thomas Hudner, Ramage, USS Carney, Roosevelt, Kendall Warner, US Navy supercarrier, Maxwell, Trump, Nimitz, Theodore Roosevelt Carrier, Abraham Lincoln, John C, Marines —, George H.W, Bush, Harry S, Truman, Finnbarr Webster Organizations: US, Ford Carrier Strike Group, Aircraft, Service, carrier's, Ford Carrier Strike, Israel Defense Forces, Ticonderoga, Arleigh, Ford, Virginian, Tribune, Getty, US Navy, Nimitz, Whitney, ITS Cavour, U.S . Navy, Naval, Pentagon, Iranian, Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, Stennis, Marines Locations: Israel, Normandy, Gaza, Iran, South China, Taiwan, China, Russia, Damascus, Syria, Ukraine, Gosport, England, States

☆ France blocks US takeover of Canada-owned French nuclear valve makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - France blocked a deal that would have seen the takeover of two Canadian-owned French maker of valves used in nuclear reactors because it did not think commitments made by U.S. bidder Flowserve were sufficient, a finance ministry source said. Flowserve, which makes pumps and valves, said on Thursday it was dropping its $245 million takeover of Montreal-based Velan, whose French subsidiaries Segault and Velan SAS make valves used in nuclear plants, submarines and aircraft carriers. The French government has extensive powers to vet proposed takeovers of French companies that it considers to be strategically sensitive, though outright rejections are rare. Flowserve Chief Executive Scott Rowe said on Thursday that the firm had sought to address all of the French concerns. Some French senators had aired concern about the takeover, in particular that it could mean the U.S. government could order Flowserve to hand over information from its French subsidiaries.

Persons: Bruno Le Maire, Scott Rowe, government's, Rowe, Emmanuel Macron, Leigh Thomas, Alexander Smith Organizations: U.S, Flowserve, Velan SAS, Thomson Locations: France, Montreal

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