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The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest report, Electricity 2024, dedicates a significant amount of space to nuclear power – a departure from its previous studies which treated it as peripheral. In its press release on the new report, IEA says the increase in electricity generation from renewables and nuclear "appears to be pushing the power sector's emissions into structural decline". Over the next three years, low-emissions generation is set to rise at twice the annual growth rate between 2018 and 2023. Global emissions from electricity generation are expected to decrease by 2.4% in 2024, followed by smaller declines in 2025 and 2026.

Date: Friday, 26 January 2024
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsiea-acknowledges-significance-of-nuclear-energy-in-new-report-11463539

US-based Westinghouse has signed an agreement with Ukraine on the purchase of equipment for the expansion of Khmelnitsky NPP. The agreement was signed by Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, nuclear utility Energoatom President Petro Kotin and Westinghouse CEO Patrick Fragman. “We have signed an important contract for the supply of reactor island equipment for the Khmelnitsky NPP power unit 5, which will be built using AP1000 technology.” Kotin said. “I consider this to be a milestone event in the development of the domestic nuclear industry. This will be the first-ever non-Soviet (by origin) power unit to be built by Energoatom in Ukraine. It will have a power over 1,100 MWe with a safe and reliable Generation III+ nuclear reactor.”

Date: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newswestinghouse-to-supply-equipment-for-new-unit-at-khmelnitsky-npp-11387306

Estonia's privately held nuclear energy company, Fermi Energia, has chosen GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's (GEH's) BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) for deployment in Estonia by the early 2030s. In 2022 Fermi Energia had accepted tenders from US-Japan joint venture GE Hitachi, US-based NuScale and the UK’s Rolls-Royce. Fermi Energia said the criteria for selection were technological maturity, the establishment of a reference plant, economic competitiveness and the participation of Estonian companies in the supply chain.

Date: Friday, 10 February 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsestonias-fermi-energia-chooses-bwrx-300-for-its-smr-programme-10582892

Estonia's Fermi Energia has selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's (GEH's) BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) for potential deployment in the Baltic country by the early 2030s. Two other SMR designs had been under consideration.

Date: Thursday, 09 February 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/BWRX-300-selected-for-Estonia-s-first-nuclear-powe

‘No technical arguments’ for shutting down nuclear plants after 40 years Unit 2 at the Tihange nuclear power station in Belgium is scheduled for permanent shutdown this week. Courtesy Electrabel. Belgium should repeal its 2003 nuclear exit law as it looks for ways to deal with the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and resulting gas and electricity price increases, the Brussels-based Belgian Nuclear Forum said.

The underlying argument of the 2003 law is that a nuclear plant is obsolete after 40 years and should be decommissioned, the forum said.

“Nothing could be further from the truth: there are no technical arguments for definitively shutting down a nuclear power plant after 40 years of operation, but only political arguments,” it added.

The forum issued the statement as owner and operater Engie Electrabel prepares to permanently shut down the Tinhange-2 nuclear power plant on 31 January. The 1,008-MW pressurised water reactor unt began commercial operation on 1 June 1983 and has been online for 40 years.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the last couple of decades have witnessed increased interest in the extension of the operating life of nuclear power plants. Extending the life of a plant is more economical than building a new one, and where it makes business sense. The agency says about 90% of US plants have already renewed their licences to extend their operation to 60 years, with additional extensions for a total of 80 years being considered. In Europe, plants are regularly seeking lifetimes of 60 years.

Date: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/as-tihange-2-approaches-closure-industry-group-calls-for-repeal-of-2003-nuclear-exit-law-1-1-2023

Even oil-rich companies of Middle East are eying reactors, as more nations announce plans for SMRs Russian troops occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear station, which was damaged by shelling. File photo courtesy IAEA. 2022 was a year of mega milestones for nuclear energy.

Countries around the world turned to nuclear as a reliable low-carbon energy source as they looked for ways to wean themselves off Russian imports and lower carbon emissions.

New plants began operating, deals for small modular reactors were signed and countries announced ambitious plans for new-build.

On the political front, US president Joe Biden signed into law new legislation that will help to finance struggling nuclear reactors and could save dozens from being shut down early. In Europe, the nuclear industry celebrated when members of the European parliament decided to “follow the science” and support legislation which includes nuclear in the bloc’s sustainable finance taxonomy for green investment.

Date: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/five-major-developments-that-are-setting-the-stage-for-2023-and-beyond-1-1-2023

In a wide ranging interview for the World Nuclear News podcast, Cameco CEO Tim Gitzel explained: Why the time was right for the Westinghouse deal How Russia's war with Ukraine has led to 'bifurcation' of the nuclear sector Explained Cameco's long-term strategy Looks ahead at the impact of new technologies, including SMRs How nuclear will need to play a key role in getting to net-zero

Date: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/In-Quotes-Cameco-s-Tim-Gitzel-WNN-podcast-on-nucle

The urgent need to reduce emissions and slow global heating should involve the roll-out of more nuclear power stations, according to a new briefing released by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on 11 August. In the run up to the COP 21 meeting in Glasgow, UNECE argues that nuclear power can help deliver on the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNECE, set up in 1947, is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations. Its main aim is to promote pan-European economic integration. UNECE includes 56 member states in Europe, North America, Central Asia and Western Asia.

Date: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsunece-says-nuclear-power-essential-to-achieve-climate-goals-9007938

Nuclear power can be part of a broader portfolio alongside deploying other sustainable low- or zero-carbon technologies to decarbonise the global energy system and energy intensive industries, according to a new technology brief from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The publication highlights nuclear power as an important source of low-carbon energy that can contribute to attaining carbon neutrality and for policy-makers who wish to meet climate and sustainable development objectives using nuclear power should provide positive, long-term policy signals for new nuclear development.

Date: Thursday, 12 August 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Policies-must-allow-nuclear-to-play-its-vital-role

European unions on 27 July reiterated calls for the European Commission (EC) to include nuclear power in its green goals. In a joint letter to EC President Ursula von der Leyen, 18 trade unions in the energy sector from 10 countries said nuclear energy must be included in a delegated act of the European taxonomy. The unions - from Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, Slovak Republic and Slovenia - called for "a dialogue with the purpose of nuclear energy to play its full potential and build an economically efficient and socially just carbon-free Europe by 2050".

Date: Friday, 30 July 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newseuropean-unions-call-again-for-nuclear-to-be-part-of-the-eu-taxonomy-8946044