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After falling by about 1% in 2020 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, global electricity demand will increase by 5% in 2021 and 4% in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). However, almost half of this increase will be from fossil fuels - notably coal - threatening to push CO2 emissions from the power sector to record levels in 2022. Nuclear power generation is forecast to grow by around 1% in 2021 and by 2% in 2022.

Date: Friday, 16 July 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Emissions-set-to-rise-with-growth-in-coal-use,-say

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced the uranium market as several companies announced in the second quarter of 2020 measures leading to an important decrease of uranium production and related services, the Euratom Supply Agency (ESA) says in its newly released 2020 Annual Report. The report provides an overview of nuclear fuel supply and demand in the EU.

Date: Friday, 09 July 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ESA-reviews-COVID-impacts-on-supply-and-demand

Global crises like the coronavirus pandemic and climate change can create a strong impetus for the rapid acceleration of new technological development, panellists at a World Nuclear Association Strategic eForum said this week. Governments also have an important part to play in facilitating the right market conditions to enable innovation to flourish, while effective communication is vital in all sectors.

Date: Saturday, 26 June 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Cross-sector-panel-embraces-spirit-of-innovation

There are important lessons to be learned from the approaches that led to the rapid deployment of vaccines in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, James Naismith, professor of structural biology at the University of Oxford and director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, told World Nuclear Association's Thinking Outside the Dome - Strategic eForum on Nuclear Innovation. The following is the text of his speech.

Date: Friday, 25 June 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/SPEECH-Learning-lessons-from-vaccine-development

The 70-year decommissioning programme of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), including long-term management of residual waste, provides a good basis for future effective implementation, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has concluded. The team made several recommendations to support JAEA in increasing the effectiveness of its decommissioning activities, including in the area of waste disposal.

Date: Wednesday, 23 June 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-commends-JAEAs-back-end-programme

Southern Company, on behalf of Georgia Power, on 15 June filed a Common Rate Adjustment Application for unit 3 of the US Vogtle NPP with the Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) proposing to increase annual rates to customers by $235 million a year once the unit begins operation. GPSC approved the Vogtle expansion project in 2009, including construction of two 1,117MWe Westinghouse AP1000 reactors which were expected to begin operation in 2016 and 2017.

Date: Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsgeorgia-power-seeks-rate-increase-to-pay-for-vogtle-8837352

British engineering firm Rolls-Royce will ensure its new products are compatible with net zero by 2030 and its whole business by 2050. Small modular reactors will play a role in meeting these targets. In June 2020, Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East joined the UN High Level Climate Champions to launch the Race to Zero, the United Nation's campaign to mobilise leadership of businesses, cities and investors to commit to net-zero emissions by the middle of the century at the latest.

Date: Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/SMRs-to-help-Rolls-Royce-meet-net-zero-ambitions

The Olkiluoto nuclear power station in Finland. Courtesy TVO. Annual outages were completed at the Olkiluoto nuclear power station in Finland at 05:52 local time on 18 June when the Olkiluoto-2 plant unit was reconnected to the national grid, owner and operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj said.

The outage for Unit 1 consisted of refuelling and a number of tasks which were postponed from last year’s annual outage because of the Covid-19 epidemic. The work included replacement of the main transformer and a pressure test of the reactor primary circuit. The refuelling outage started on 25 April and ended on 11 May.

Date: Saturday, 19 June 2021
Original article: nucnet.org/news/annual-outages-complete-at-olkiluoto-nuclear-station-6-5-2021

Annual investment in clean energy in emerging and developing economies will need to increase sevenfold by 2030 if the world is to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. Financing Clean Energy Transitions in Emerging and Developing Economies is a collaboration between the IEA, the World Bank and World Economic Forum.

Date: Friday, 11 June 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Clean-energy-should-be-investment-priority-IEA

File photo of the Vogtle construction site in June 2020. Courtesy Georgia Power. The Vogtle-4 nuclear power plant under construction in the US state of Georgia has been brought to initial energisation, meaning plant equipment is permanently powered.

Georgia Power said energisation is needed to perform all subsequent testing for the AP1000 Westinghouse plant, construction oof which began in November 2013. Construction of Vogtle-3, an identical unit, began in March 2013.

In April, hot functional testing began at Vogtle-3. Hot functional testing – which takes six to eight weeks – marks the last series of major tests for the new unit ahead of initial fuel load.

Date: Thursday, 10 June 2021
Original article: nucnet.org/news/georgia-power-announces-initial-energisation-of-unit-4-6-3-2021