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☆ How Sam Altman's $850 million SPAC could help turn nuclear power into a mainstream energy source
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

OpenAI's Sam Altman is taking nuclear startup Oklo public through a SPAC expected to close in 2024. The Oklo SPAC deal will mark a watershed moment for the energy source, industry experts told Insider. The public debut of Oklo, a nuclear startup chaired by Sam Altman, could be a watershed moment for the power source, industry experts say. Fission versus fusionThere are two types of nuclear power: fission and fusion. All existing nuclear energy is created via fission, which makes up around 10% of the world's electricity supply, per the International Energy Agency.

Persons: OpenAI's Sam Altman, Altman, Sam Altman, Matthew Honeyben, Douglas Hansen, Luke, we've, " Hansen, Victoria McIvor, SPAC, McIvor Organizations: CMS, CNBC, Planet Capital, International Energy Agency, Energy, Microsoft Locations: Ukraine, France, Germany, SPAC

☆ EDF swings back to profit in H1 thanks to price increases
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Net income came in at 5.8 billion euros ($6.44 billion), compared to a loss of 5.3 billion in the first half of 2022. The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) reached 16.1 billion euros, from 2.7 billion euros a year earlier. Net debt rose slightly to 64.8 billion euros, from 64.5 billion euros at the end of 2022. The French state became the sole shareholder of the public utility after taking full control at the beginning of June. A government decision in 2022 to limit electricity price increases, as well as reduced power supply due to stress corrosion problems at several EDF reactors led to a record net loss of 18 billion euros in 2022.

Persons: Forrest Crellin, Benjamin Mallet, Silvia Aloisi Organizations: Electricite de, SA, PARIS, EDF, Thomson

☆ NASA Seeks a Nuclear-Powered Rocket to Get to Mars in Half the Time
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Kenneth Chang | More About Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

A Number That Sums It Up: 3 to 4 months to MarsWhat if a spacecraft could get to Mars in half the time it currently takes? Every 26 months or so, Mars and Earth are close enough for a shorter journey between the worlds. “The technical capabilities, including early safety protocols, remain viable today,” Tabitha Dodson, the DRACO project manager, said in a news briefing on Wednesday. A key difference between NERVA and DRACO is that NERVA used weapons-grade uranium for its reactors, while DRACO will use a less-enriched form of uranium. The demonstration spacecraft would most likely orbit at an altitude between 435 and 1,240 miles, Dr. Dodson said.

Persons: Agency —, NERVA, ” Tabitha Dodson, DRACO, ” Dr, Dodson, Kirk Shireman, Lockheed Martin Organizations: DARPA, Orion, NASA, Air Force, Research, Agency, Rover, Lockheed

☆ Oppenheimer never won a Nobel Prize, but these 31 scientists with ties to the Manhattan Project did
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

Manhattan Project: After a harrowing escape from Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943, Bohr began consulting on the Manhattan Project. Manhattan Project: Between 1943 and 1944, Muller was a civilian advisor for the Manhattan Project, consulting on experiments studying the effects of radiation. Maria Goeppert Mayer, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1963Maria Goeppert Mayer worked on the Manhattan Project and later won the Nobel Prize in physics. Manhattan Project: Working as an assistant to his father, Niels Bohr, Aage Bohr proved instrumental in interpreting for some members of the Manhattan Project. Manhattan Project: At 18, Glauber was still a student at Harvard when he became one of the youngest scientists to join the Manhattan Project.

Persons: Robert Oppenheimer, Alfred Nobel, Joseph Rotblat, Albert Einstein, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Niels Bohr, Bohr, Nicholas Baker, Nick, James Franck, Boyer, Roger Viollet, Gustav Ludwig Hertz, Niels Bohr's, Franck, Arthur Compton, Imagno, Compton, Harold Urey, Harold, Urey, James Chadwick, Chadwick, Enrico Fermi, Fermi, Ernest Lawrence, Lawrence, Isidor Isaac Rabi, Nancy R, Schiff, Rabi, Hermann Muller, Muller, Edwin McMillan, Bettmann, Glenn Seaborg, McMillan, Elsie McMillan, Seaborg, Felix Bloch, Edward Purcell, Nobel, Hans Bethe, Bloch, Purcell, Emilio Segrè, Owen Chamberlain, Chamberlain, Segrè, Willard Libby, Leona Libby, Lowell, Libby, Linus Pauling, Leona Woods Marshall Libby, Eugene Wigner, Wigner, Leo Szilard's, Einstein, Franklin D, Roosevelt, Maria Goeppert Mayer, J, Hans Jensen, Goeppert Mayer, Teller, Richard Feynman, Tomonaga, Julian Schwinger, Fenynman, Hans Bethe's, Feynmwan, Feynman, Schwinger, Robert Mulliken, Mulliken, Szilard, Hans A, Bethe, Luis Alvarez, Alvarez, Enola Gay, Walter Alvarez, James Rainwater, Aage Bohr, Ben Mottelson, Rainwater, Wu, Aage Niels Bohr, Mottelson, mumbled, Val Fitch, James Cronin, Fitch, Jerome Karle, Isabelle, Larry Morris, Herbert Hauptman, Karle, Isabella Karle, Norman Ramsey, Ellie Welch, Ramsey, Norman Ramsey's Nobel, David Cheskin, Rotblat, Russell, Bertrand Russell, Enstinen, Frederick Reines, Philippe Caron, Sygma, Reines, Roy Glauber, Gail Oskin, Glauber Organizations: Manhattan Project, Service, Manhattan, US Army, AP, Getty, University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory, Chicago Met, Los Angeles Examiner, USC, Columbia, Keystone, Gamma, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Trinity Test, University of California, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Hulton, Trinity, Deutsch, Los Alamos, University of Chicago's Metallurgical, Atomic Energy Commission, Harvard University, MIT Rad Lab, Denver, Chicago Met Lab, Materials Laboratory, Los, Radiation Laboratory, MIT, University of Chicago's, Princeton University, Naval Research Lab, Washington, US Naval Research Laboratory, Science, World Affairs, Einstein, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Harvard, Institute for Locations: Wall, Silicon, Polish, Denmark, Copenhagen, Nazi, London , Washington, Los Alamos, German, Germany, Japan, Manhattan, British, France, Washington, DC, Berkeley, Ridge , Tennessee, Los, New Mexico, Hanford, antiprotons, Hiroshima, Lowell Georgia, San Diego, Chicago, Washington ,

☆ New IAEA complaint about anti-personnel mines in Russian-held nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 24 (Reuters) - The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said on Monday it had found anti-personnel mines in an area of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine and complained for the second month running that this violated safety procedures. The plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility, was seized in the first days of Russia's invasion last year. "But having such explosives on the site is inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance and creates additional psychological pressure on plant staff," Grossi said in a statement on the agency's website. Grossi had issued a similar warning about mines last month and on both occasions he suggested they posed no risk to the plant's security. In Monday's note he said his agency's initial assessment was that even if they exploded, "these mines should not affect the site's nuclear safety and security systems".

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Ron Popeski, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow

☆ The science you should understand before seeing 'Oppenheimer'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Fission vs. fusionWhile fission and fusion are both key components of nuclear technology, the two processes are very different — and central to the plot of "Oppenheimer." The hydrogen bomb — promoted by Lewis Strauss, a member of the US Atomic Energy Commission — relies on fusion, making it far more powerful than the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer led a group of physicists who advocated for the United States to export radioactive isotopes to researchers abroad. However, Strauss pushed back while serving as chair of the US Atomic Energy Commission, advocating for a US monopoly on the materials. He argued that exporting them would be the equivalent of sharing nuclear information, an act forbidden by the 1946 Atomic Energy Act.

Persons: Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, —, Earnest O, Lawrence, Radiochemists Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassman, Lise Meitner, Lewis Strauss, Strauss Organizations: Manhattan, Service, US Atomic Energy, US Atomic Energy Commission, 1946, Energy Locations: Wall, Silicon, Berlin, United States

☆ France to raise regulated household electricity prices by 10% from August
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, July 18 (Reuters) - The French government has decided to raise regulated household electricity prices by 10% starting from August, a government official said on Tuesday, confirming a report from newspaper Les Echos. The 10% increase is much lower than the one proposed by the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), which - based on current market prices - recommended an increase of 74.5%. In May, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said France's cap on electricity prices would be phased out and end at the end of next year. European electricity prices soared last year, mainly driven by the fallout from the war in Ukraine. France also saw record-low nuclear output as state-owned utility EDF (EDF.PA) repairs reactors affected by stress corrosion.

Persons: Les, ”, Bruno Le Maire, France's, Benjamin Mallet, Tassilo Hummel, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Jason Neely Organizations: French Energy Regulatory Commission, Finance, EDF, Thomson Locations: Europe, Ukraine, France

July 13 (Reuters) - High river temperatures that look set to restrict power output at two French nuclear plants that use river water to cool reactors may trigger increased fossil fuel-fired power output elsewhere due to Europe's extensive regional power trading. French power system in hot waterIn turn, any increased output from fossil fuel-fired power plants will likely lift regional power sector emissions, undermining regional efforts to accelerate cuts to all forms of industrial pollution. France is also Europe's second largest electricity generator behind Germany, producing roughly 470 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2022, compared to Germany's 582TWh, and 324TWh by Europe's third largest generator, the United Kingdom. France's high proportion of non-emitting nuclear power means that its power sector has by far the lowest carbon intensity of any major European economy, averaging around 85 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour of electricity produced. That compares to more than 385 grams in Germany, 257 in the United Kingdom, and 300 for Europe as a whole, Ember data shows.

Persons: Germany's 582TWh, Gavin Maguire, Jamie Freed Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, EDF, RTE, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Ember, Europe, Belgium, Luxembourg

☆ Sam Altman explains why he's helping to take nuclear microreactor company Oklo public via SPAC
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

And if we get those, we'll be quite surprised about how different and how much better the future is," Altman told CNBC in a phone conversation on Friday. I think there's urgent demand for tons and tons of cheap, safe, clean energy at scale," Altman told CNBC. I mean, maybe we could get there just with solar and storage," Altman told CNBC. There's no lack of desire or need for this," Altman told CNBC. Some of that is the reactor's smaller size, but some of it is how the Oklo reactors have been designed.

Persons: Gensler, Sam Altman, Oklo, Jake DeWitte, Aurora, Altman, chatbot, Caroline Cochran, Jacob DeWitte, Y, OpenAI, Joel Saget, He's, We've, DeWitte Organizations: AltC Acquistion Corp, CNBC, Microsoft, Oklo, Y Combinator, Afp, Getty, Helion, Southern, Initiative, U.S . Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC Locations: ramping, OpenAI, Paris, Georgia, U.S, Southern Ohio, Idaho

☆ A showdown with one senator over hundreds of generals and admirals is set to ripple through the US military
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Waiting to replacing him is Gen. Eric Smith, and he will continue waiting until one senator lifts holds on the promotions of more than 250 generals and admirals. Tuberville's hold targets uniformed military officers over a policy set by the US military's civilian leadership, diverging from the longstanding manner in which members of Congress have expressed displeasure with such policies. Kelsey Dornfeld"Uniformed military officers do not set policy. 'We will lose talent'Maj. Gen. Eric Smith receives his three-star rank insignia during a ceremony in Okinawa in August 2018. "It is the personal development, it is the family understanding and predictability" that will be affected, Adm. John Aquilino, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, told senators in April.

Persons: Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Tuberville, David Berger, Eric Smith, Biden, —, Katherine Kuzminski, Sergeant, Marine Corps Troy Black, Kelsey Dornfeld, They're, Kuzminski, Berger, It's, Defense Lloyd Austin III, Austin, that's, Smith, Olivia G, Ortiz, Benjamin Northcutt, Christopher Cavoli, Michael Gilday, Lisa Franchetti, MCS2 La’Cordrick Wilson, John Aquilino, James McConville, McConville, Frank Kendall, Charles Brown Jr, Kendall, Brown, Drew Angerer, Mitch McConnell, Jack Reed's, Defense Lloyd Austin, Mark Milley, Alex Wong, Reed, Elizabeth Warren Organizations: Service, US Marine Corps, Pentagon, Department, US, Military, Veterans, Center, New, New American Security, Marine Corps, Staff, Uniformed, Defense, United States, Washington DC, Senate Armed Services Committee, US Army Europe, US Army, US European Command, NATO's Military, Naval Reactors, US Navy, Pacific Command, " Air Force, Savannah, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Capitol, Republican, CNN, Joint Chiefs Locations: Wall, Silicon, New American, Okinawa, Germany, Cavoli, Pacific, California, South Korea, Alabama

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Christian Edwards | Ed Upright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A view shows Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the bank of Kakhovka Reservoir near the town of Nikopol after the Nova Kakhovka dam breach in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, on June 16, 2023. Zakharova responded by calling Ukraine “a terrorist regime.”“Now they have embarked on a plan for ‘their own salvation’ - systematic damage to the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The NATO summit should have focused on this very subject. After all, the vast majority of the Alliance members will find themselves in the direct hit zone,” she said. However, Zakharova’s claim that the “majority” of NATO members will find themselves in the hit zone is false.

Persons: Alina Smutko, Maria Zakharova, Zakharova, Hanna Maliar, Ukraine “, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Vladimir Putin, ” William Alberque, Zakhorova, Read Organizations: Reuters Russia's Foreign, NATO, Zaporizhzhia NPP, Alliance, Ukrainian, Technology, International Institute for Strategy Studies, CNN Locations: Kakhovka, Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Russia calls on NATO to discuss Ukraine nuclear plant at summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 9 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday that the leaders of the U.S.-led transatlantic NATO defence alliance should discuss Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant at their summit this week. Accusing Ukraine of "systematic infliction of damage" to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Zakharova said that "the NATO summit's key attention should be devoted to it." "After all, the vast majority of the alliance members will be in the direct impact zone" (if something were to happen at the plant), Zakharova said on the Telegram messaging app. Vilnius is some 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from the nuclear plant, Europe's largest. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of planning to attack the plant, which is located on Russian-held territory in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, near the front line of Russia's conflict with Ukraine.

Persons: Maria Zakharova, Zakharova, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, Kim Coghill Organizations: Foreign, NATO, Ukraine, International Atomic Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: U.S, Vilnius, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Melbourne

CNN —North Korea has called upon the international community to stop Japan from releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. Japan plans to release the wastewater sometime this summer. Ground and rainwater have also leaked in, creating more radioactive wastewater now measuring 1.32 million metric tons – enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Overview of the Fukushima nuclear plant. ‘Necessary move’Japanese authorities have maintained that the release is necessary as space runs out to contain the contaminated material – and the move would allow the full decommissioning of the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, ”, ” Grossi Organizations: CNN, Environment Protection Department, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA Locations: Korea, Japan, South Korea, China, Fukushima, Tokyo

☆ South Korea says respects IAEA review of Japan's Fukushima wastewater plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 7 (Reuters) - South Korea's government said on Friday it respected the U.N. nuclear energy watchdog's review of Japan's plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean and said it met international standards. Seoul announced its own assessment after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gave the greenlight this week to Japan's plan, despite concerns over safety in some neighbouring countries and signs of a consumer backlash. "Therefore the plan meets international standards including those of the IAEA," he said. The plan to discharge the treated water from the Fukushima plant is also expected to "not have any meaningful impact on our ocean areas," Bang said. The announcement comes as Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, is due to arrive in South Korea on Friday for a three-day visit to explain the agency's findings after it approved Japan's plan this week.

Persons: Bang, Yoon Suk Yeol, Rafael Grossi, Jin, Hyunsu Yim, Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: Seoul, International Atomic Energy Agency, Coordination, IAEA, Democratic Party, South Korean Foreign, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Japan, South Korea, Tokyo

☆ Ukraine spy chief says nuclear threat at Zaporizhzhia plant subsiding
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Major General Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the Military Intelligence of Ukraine, speaks during an interview with Reuters, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoKYIV, July 6 (Reuters) - Ukraine's military spy chief said on Thursday that the threat of a Russian attack on the vast Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was receding, but that it could easily return as long as the facility remained under occupation by Moscow's forces. The intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, made the comment in an interview with Reuters after days of warnings by Ukrainian and Russian officials accusing each other of plotting an attack at Europe's largest nuclear plant. Budanov did not give details of what had been done to reduce the threat, or what it consisted of. "Sorry I can't tell you what happened recently but the fact is that the threat is decreasing", he said.

Persons: Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, It's, let's, Tom Balmforth, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Military Intelligence, Reuters, REUTERS, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Valentyn, KYIV, Bakhmut

☆ What to know about nuclear power in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Those developments, which might give anyone pause about the future of nuclear power, are counteracted by other headlines. The question of nuclear energy splits governmentsGermany made the decision to decommission all of its nuclear plants after disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima. Nuclear power in the USAs of 2022, about 18% of US electricity is generated by nuclear power, according to the US Energy Information Administration. First, be very carefulI talked to one nuclear expert who said the US should be slow and methodical about nuclear power and another who argued there are multiple, public misperceptions about nuclear power that should be corrected. The more circumspect voice is Rodney Ewing, a Stanford University professor and expert on nuclear waste who was chairman of a federal review of nuclear waste procedures.

Persons: CNN’s Clare Sebastian, Larry, Joe Biden, Rodney Ewing, ”, I’ve, ” Ewing, “, David Ruzic –, Ruzic, we’ve, ” Ruzic, “ It’s, it’s, Ewing Organizations: CNN, International Atomic Energy Agency, US Energy Information Administration, FirstEnergy Corp, Department of Energy, Stanford University, Bulletin, Atomic Scientists, University of Illinois, Lawmakers Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe’s, Japan, Georgia, Germany, Fukushima, France, CNN’s, China, Tennessee, California, Illinois

☆ The war in Ukraine will define Biden’s legacy, but peril and uncertainty lie ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

They include:— A war of words between Ukraine and Russia over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of readying a bomb attack. The back-and-forth is raising fears of another alarming new dimension to a war already marred by alleged war crimes and terrible suffering among civilians. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that the potential for “sabotage” by Ukraine at the plant was high. Given Russia’s previous nuclear rhetoric and fog of war misinformation, many Western observers are likely to give Zelensky the benefit of the doubt. Zelensky argued in the interview that the uprising exposed splits inside Russia over the war and an erosion of Russians’ positions.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Wagner, Vladimir Putin’s, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Zelensky, Dmitry Peskov, –, CNN’s Christian Edwards, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ” Zelensky, Putin, Mike Turner of, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ”, Burnett, “, Hanna Maliar, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Xi Jinping, what’s, ” McConnell, “ That’s, it’s, McConnell Organizations: CNN, NATO, Kremlin, UN, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagner Group, Senior, House Intelligence, Ukrainian, Republican, Senate, Kentucky Republican, America, Trump Locations: Ukraine, Lithuania, Baltic, Soviet Union, Russia, readying, Russian, Belarus, Moscow, Mike Turner of Ohio, Klishchiivka, Bakhmut, Washington, Europe, Fort Knox

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi arrives to inspect the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant with Japanese officials on July 5, 2023. The report found the wastewater release plan will have a “negligible” impact on people and the environment, adding that it was an “independent and transparent review,” not a recommendation or endorsement. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi during an inspection in Fukushima, Japan, on July 5, 2023. “This is the DNA of the IAEA – to be the nuclear watchdog for nuclear operations, the nuclear watchdog for nuclear safety and security. “If there was one lesson that came clearly after the Fukushima accident, it’s that the nuclear safety standards should be observed to the letter,” he added.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, Rafael Grossi, “, ”, Hiro Komae, Grossi, Fumio Kishida, ” It’s, –, ” Grossi, Ukraine – Organizations: Tokyo CNN, United Nations, CNN, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, ”, Pacific Islands Forum, AP International Locations: Tokyo, ” Japan, South Korea, China, Fukushima, Japan, – Japan, United States, Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Seoul, Ukraine

☆ IAEA has seen no sign of explosives at Zaporizhzhia yet, more access needed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday accused each other of plotting to stage an attack on Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, where the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned of potential catastrophe from nearby military clashes. "The IAEA experts have requested additional access that is necessary to confirm the absence of mines or explosives," it added. loadingIt was not clear from the IAEA statement why the agency wanted access to those two reactor units' rooftops. The IAEA said it was aware of reports that mines and other explosives have been placed in and around the plant. "With military tension and activities increasing in the region where this major nuclear power plant is located, our experts must be able to verify the facts on the ground," the IAEA said.

Persons: Francois Murphy, Alex Richardson, Conor Humphries Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, British Ministry of Defence, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, Russian, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Zaporizhzhia: Ukraine warns Russia might blow up nuclear power plant. How worried should we be?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Russian troops have placed “objects resembling explosives” on roofs at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address Tuesday that instantly sparked concerns around the world. That is, Russia may claim that any explosion at the power plant was the result of reckless Ukrainian shelling, rather than its own explosives. Grossi points on a map of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, March 2022. “The whole thing was saying: Russia’s basically going to have to kill me, in order for me not to make this nuclear power plant more safe. The Zaporizhzhia plant seen from the banks of the Dnipro on June 16, after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapse.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Zaporizhzhia, “, Kyrylo Budanov, ”, ” Karolina Hird, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, –, Rafael Grossi, Petro Kotin, Joe Klamar, William Alberque, ” Alberque, Russia’s, Alberque, Alina Smutko, ” Cheryl Rofer, Stringer, Xi Jinping, Putin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Institute for, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, United Nations, Russian, Grossi, Getty, Technology, International Institute for Strategy Studies, CAN, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Rescuers, Reuters, Russia, Financial Times Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Zaporizhzhia oblast, Kyiv, Europe –, Dnipro, Enerhodar, Russian, AFP, Nova, Moscow, ZNPP, Pennsylvania, India, Pakistan

☆ Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of plotting imminent attack on nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 4 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday accused each other of plotting to stage an attack on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, long the subject of mutual recriminations and suspicions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, about Russian "dangerous provocations" at the plant in southeastern Ukraine. Zelenskiy tweeted that he had told Macron in a telephone conversation that "the occupation troops are preparing dangerous provocations at the Zaporizhzhia (nuclear plant)." "But in any case, the world sees - and cannot fail to see - that the only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Russia. Zelenskiy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Ukrainian television that Grossi had proved ineffective in trying to uphold safety at the plant.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Emmanuel Macron, Renat, Zelenskiy, Macron, Rafael Grossi, Mykhailo Podolyak, Grossi, Podolyak, Ron Popeski, Nick Starkov, Mark Heinrich, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, flipflopping, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian

CNN —Japan will soon begin releasing treated radioactive water into the ocean following approval from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog for a controversial plan that comes 12 years after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. Radioactive wastewater contains some dangerous elements, but the majority of these can be removed from the water, said TEPCO. The real issue is a hydrogen isotope called radioactive tritium, which cannot be taken away. A survey by Asahi Shimbun in March found that 51% of 1,304 respondents supported the wastewater release, while 41% opposed it. People in Tokyo protest against the Japanese government's plan to release nuclear wastewater into the sea on May 16, 2023.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Fumio Kishida, Daniel Campisi, Grossi, ” Robert H, Richmond, ”, ” Grossi, “, Han Duck, Yonhap, aren’t, Tim Mousseau, Wang Yiliang, Zhang Xiaoyu Organizations: CNN, United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, UN, Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Kewalo, Laboratory, University of Hawaii, Forum, World Health Organization, State Department, Atomic Energy Council, Pacific Islands Forum, Korean, US, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, University of South, Reuters, Getty, Asahi Shimbun, – Locations: Japan, Fukushima, China, Manoa, Richmond, Asia, Pacific, California, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, University of South Carolina, South Korea, Seoul, Xinhua, Tokyo

☆ The risk of nuclear disaster in Ukraine skyrocketed with the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. Residents nearby are preparing for the worst.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In June, a controlled explosion caused the Ukrainian Kakhovka hydroelectric dam to collapse. The nearby Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant relies on water reserves to cool its power reactors. He also said the loss of the dam could also endanger the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which draws on the reservoir at nearby Kakhovka for cooling. The security of the Zaporizhzhia plant — Europe's largest nuclear power plant — has been of paramount concern since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Russian leader Vladimir Putin targeting the plant early on. Recently, however, the IAEA has received reports of mines placed around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a violation of the UN principles and a significant risk to the security of the nuclear reactors.

Persons: —, Nadiya Hez, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Grossi Organizations: Service, New York Times, Reuters, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, United Nations Security Council, UN Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 0.1% higher. That made Spain the first among the euro zone's large economies to have inflation fall below 2%. This followed hawkish comments from U.S. and European central bank policymakers at a European Central Bank meet-up in Sintra on Wednesday, where the underlying theme was that rates are likely to stay higher for longer. Adding to recent hawkish messages from central banks globally, Sweden's central bank raised its policy rate by a quarter percentage point as expected and forecast at least one more rate hike this year. The stock was the top gainer on France's blue-chip index (.FCHI), which rose 0.4% and also helped the automaker sub-index (.SXAP) climb 1.3%.

Persons: Germany's DAX, year's, Claus Vistesen, Daniela Hathorn, Amruta Khandekar, Matteo Allievi, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Rashmi Aich, Conor Humphries Organizations: Pantheon, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Capital.com, Renault, Belgian, Severn Trent, Thames, Semiconductor, Citigroup, Thomson Locations: Spain, Sintra, Severn, Bengaluru, Gdansk

☆ Exclusive: EDF CEO tells managers nuclear business to be reorganised
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, June 29 (Reuters) - EDF CEO Luc Remont told managers on Thursday that the state-owned power group's nuclear activities would be reorganised to overcome recurring problems that cut production last year. Two sources said the division would be restructured and five executives charged with drawing up proposals, including nuclear park head Cedric Lewandowski, head of new nuclear projects Xavier Ursat and head of industrial quality Alain Tranzer. France is the region's largest exporter of power, but the outages cut 2022 nuclear power output to the lowest level since 1988. Remont told the group's top 300 managers that talks were still underway with the state and EU competition regulators about its existing and future nuclear activities, the source said. There's no need to wait for a final decision from the president's office," the source said after attending the meeting with managers.

Persons: Luc Remont, Cedric Lewandowski, Xavier Ursat, Alain Tranzer, Emmanuel Macron's, Remont, Elizabeth Pineau, Benjamin Mallet, Josephine Mason, Leigh Thomas, Jan Harvey Organizations: Electricite de, SA, PARIS, EDF, Reuters, French, Thomson Locations: France, EU, Paris, London

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