Filter by tags: European Union 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Clear all tag filters
6 news articles found
Nuclear plants ‘key pillars’ of national energy security, says Slovenske Elektrarne
- Source: Nucnet
- Date: Friday, 02 June 2023
- Original article: nucnet.org/news/utility-announces-plans-to-cooperate-with-france-on-100-european-fuel-design-for-vver-reactors-6-4-2023
Budapest says regardless of Ukraine war and sanctions, contracts ‘had to be changed’
Rosatom director-general Alexey Likhachev (left) and Hungary’s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto sign the amended Paks 2 contracts. Courtesy Rosatom.
Hungary and Russia have reached agreement on “all the necessary issues” needed to proceed with the construction of two more nuclear power plants at the Paks site.
Hungary’s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed on social media that agreement had been reached on “the amendment of the construction and financing contract for the expansion of Paks”.
He said that regardless of the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, “life and the technological situation have changed so much that contracts had to be changed”.
“We have gone through long negotiations, but today we have reached an agreement on all the necessary issues that guarantee that we can carry out the investment and protect Hungarian families and the Hungarian economy from completely insane price changes,” Szijjarto said.
Hungary’s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed on social media that agreement had been reached on “the amendment of the construction and financing contract for the expansion of Paks”.
He said that regardless of the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, “life and the technological situation have changed so much that contracts had to be changed”.
“We have gone through long negotiations, but today we have reached an agreement on all the necessary issues that guarantee that we can carry out the investment and protect Hungarian families and the Hungarian economy from completely insane price changes,” Szijjarto said.
Szijjarto held talks in Moscow on the Paks 2 project for Russia to build two new nuclear power plants at the Paks site in central Hungary.
- Source: Nucnet
- Date: Friday, 14 April 2023
- Original article: nucnet.org/news/hungary-and-russia-resolve-all-necessary-issues-on-nuclear-expansion-project-4-4-2023
Proposals support bloc’s bid for net zero by 2050
Proposed European legislation which aims to support technologies that will get the bloc to net zero by 2050 includes “advanced technologies to produce energy from nuclear processes with minimal waste from the fuel cycle” and small modular reactors.
The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), published by the European Commission on Thursday (16 March), aims to scale up manufacturing of clean technologies in the EU and make sure the bloc is well-equipped for the clean-energy transition.
The commission said the legislation sets out a clear framework to reduce the EU’s reliance on highly concentrated imports.
By drawing on the lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic and the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it will help increase the resilience of Europe’s clean energy supply chains, a statement said.
The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), published by the European Commission on Thursday (16 March), aims to scale up manufacturing of clean technologies in the EU and make sure the bloc is well-equipped for the clean-energy transition.
The commission said the legislation sets out a clear framework to reduce the EU’s reliance on highly concentrated imports.
By drawing on the lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic and the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it will help increase the resilience of Europe’s clean energy supply chains, a statement said.
The legislation addresses a range of technologies. The commission said it will will improve conditions for investment in net-zero technologies by reducing the administrative burden to set up projects and simplifying permit-granting processes.
- Source: Nucnet
- Date: Saturday, 18 March 2023
- Original article: nucnet.org/news/net-zero-industry-act-includes-advanced-nuclear-energy-and-small-modular-reactors-3-4-2023
Russia plans ‘full control’ as standoff continues over IAEA staff rotation and little progress made on protection zone
Russia is pushing ahead with plans to take full control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. Petro Kotin said. Courtesy Energoatom.
One year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is pushing ahead with plans to take full control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and use it for the supply of electricity to occupied territories and Russia, the head of Ukraine’s state nuclear company Energoatom said.
Petro Kotin told the My-Ukraina (“We are Ukraine”) news channel that Russia’s shelling of the station and the area around it since the invasion began in February 2022 is “an act of nuclear terrorism”.
He said Zaporizhzhia – which has six Soviet era reactors and is the largest commercial nuclear facility in Europe – had operated safely for almost 40 years, but since Russia took control “we have had 20 very serious events, including those on the [International Atomic Energy Agency’s] emergency scale”.
Kotin said Russia had seized the nuclear station and all the infrastructure used to detect and respond to possible nuclear radiation incidents.
Petro Kotin told the My-Ukraina (“We are Ukraine”) news channel that Russia’s shelling of the station and the area around it since the invasion began in February 2022 is “an act of nuclear terrorism”.
He said Zaporizhzhia – which has six Soviet era reactors and is the largest commercial nuclear facility in Europe – had operated safely for almost 40 years, but since Russia took control “we have had 20 very serious events, including those on the [International Atomic Energy Agency’s] emergency scale”.
Kotin said Russia had seized the nuclear station and all the infrastructure used to detect and respond to possible nuclear radiation incidents.
“They are all seized, all this infrastructure is broken,” he said. Kotin added that staff are being pressured to sign a contract to work for Russia’s Rosenergoatom, the nuclear plant operations subsidiary of Atomenergoprom, itself a subsidiary of state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom.
- Source: Nucnet
- Date: Saturday, 25 February 2023
- Original article: nucnet.org/news/no-end-in-sight-to-crisis-at-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-station-2-5-2023
VVER-1200 plants are scheduled to be completed in 2030
Two new VVER-1200 pressurised water reactor units are being built at Paks 2. Courtesy Paks II.
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has begun excavation work at the site of two new nuclear units for the Paks 2 project in Hungary, Russian media reported.
“We have already started large-scale excavation work,” state-owned domestic news agency Ria Novosti reported Alexander Merten, vice-president of general contractor ASE JSC, a Rosatom subsidiary, as saying.
“Excavation work is being carried out for Unit 5 down to five metres and preparatory earthworks are being carried out for Unit 6,” Mr Merten said.
“We have already started large-scale excavation work,” state-owned domestic news agency Ria Novosti reported Alexander Merten, vice-president of general contractor ASE JSC, a Rosatom subsidiary, as saying.
“Excavation work is being carried out for Unit 5 down to five metres and preparatory earthworks are being carried out for Unit 6,” Mr Merten said.
Concrete pouring for the nuclear island is scheduled to begin in autumn 2023 and the plants should be built by 2030.
- Source: Nucnet
- Date: Tuesday, 20 September 2022
- Original article: nucnet.org/news/russia-begins-excavation-work-for-two-new-reactor-units-at-paks-2-9-1-2022
‘Targeted’ investments still needed in nuclear in short-term, says commission
From a total of 639 votes, 328 voted against a motion to exclude nuclear energy – and gas – from the taxonomy.
The vote by members of the European parliament to support legislation which includes nuclear in the bloc’s sustainable finance taxonomy for green investment is “important recognition” of Europe’s pragmatic and realistic approach to help states on their transition path towards climate neutrality, the European commission said.
The commission said it welcomed the result of the vote on the complementary delegated act on climate change mitigation and adaptation covering certain gas and nuclear activities.
From a total of 639 votes, 328 voted against a motion to exclude nuclear energy – and gas – from the taxonomy. 278 voted for the motion to exclude nuclear and gas and 33 abstained.
The vote means gas and nuclear will now be included in the taxonomy as transitional activities in a limited number of circumstances and under strict conditions. Both are recognised as “stepping stones” in the transition towards more renewables.
The commission said it welcomed the result of the vote on the complementary delegated act on climate change mitigation and adaptation covering certain gas and nuclear activities.
From a total of 639 votes, 328 voted against a motion to exclude nuclear energy – and gas – from the taxonomy. 278 voted for the motion to exclude nuclear and gas and 33 abstained.
The vote means gas and nuclear will now be included in the taxonomy as transitional activities in a limited number of circumstances and under strict conditions. Both are recognised as “stepping stones” in the transition towards more renewables.
The commission said targeted investments in both gas and nuclear are still needed in the medium term.
- Source: Nucnet
- Date: Friday, 08 July 2022
- Original article: nucnet.org/news/nuclear-vote-important-recognition-of-europe-s-pragmatic-and-realistic-approach-7-4-2022