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Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted to include 17 technologies in the EU’s Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), including nuclear energy. The MEPs led by the conservative European People’s Party (EPP), the liberal Renew group, and the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) voted 376 in favour, 139 against with 116 abstentions. EU member states will now discuss the issue in the Council of Ministers before it is finalised in December. They are expected to reduce the list.

Date: Friday, 24 November 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newseu-parliament-includes-nuclear-in-net-zero-industry-act-11322086

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, during the opening day of the 29th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC) in London, launched the World Fusion Outlook (WFO), a new regular publication providing authoritative information and updates on fusion energy. It is expected to become a global reference for energy R&D, technology development and prospective deployment of fusion.

Date: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsiaea-launches-world-fusion-outlook-2023-11224436

In a new report, “What a waste: How fast-fission power can provide clean energy from nuclear waste”, environmental group RePlanet advocates recycling used nuclear fuel as fuel for advanced fast reactors. While Europe's nuclear power reactors "have a long history of safe use, and have provided prodigious quantities of clean electricity for decades", they use less than 1% of the energy potential in the natural uranium used to make their fuel, the report notes. Moreover, irradiated fuel assemblies removed from reactors are considered “nuclear waste”.

Date: Friday, 07 April 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsenvironmental-group-urges-use-of-fast-reactors-10738853

EDF has demonstrated commitment to safety at its Belleville nuclear power plant in central France by introducing additional methods to prepare for accident management and using innovative approaches in the training of plant staff, an expert team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded. The team also identified areas for further enhancement, for example in operation, maintenance and operating experience.

Date: Friday, 03 December 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-finds-commitment-to-safety-at-Belleville-plan

New report highlights current opportunities for progress in commercialisation of the technology The UK has shortlisted five sites as the potential future home of the country’s first prototype fusion energy plant. Courtesy UKAEA. Capital costs for the development of a new generation of nuclear fusion reactors are high at around £100/MWh, but a substantial programme of standard build could bring them down to a viable target of £60-£70/MWh, a report published by engineering group Assystem says.

According to the report, which examines the potential for fusion in the UK, the government has estimated the 2040 levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) for the UK for standalone offshore wind, onshore wind and large-scale solar of £40/MWh, £44/MWh and £33/MWh respectively.

The £60-£70/MWh cost for fusion “provides the first target for nuclear fusion to be economically competitive”, the report concludes. It says fusion is uncompetitive today with other low-carbon options available in the UK – including wind and light-water nuclear fission reactors. The reason for this is the combination of a relatively high construction cost (£5,887/kWe) and a low capacity factor (56%).

The International Energy Agency has put the LCOE for advanced nuclear at $63/MWh (about £45/MWh).

With an improved, large fusion design the construction cost decreases to £4,135/kWe and the capacity factor to 75%. These two effects improve the fusion economics, decreasing the LCOE into the range £60 to £97/MWh. For a small fusion design, the energy cost of 75 units is in the region of £69- £99/MWh – a range that is comparable to 10 units of large fusion reactors and also the energy cost of LWR fission reactors.

Date: Saturday, 23 October 2021
Original article: nucnet.org/news/capital-costs-are-high-but-can-be-reduced-to-economically-competitive-level-10-4-2021

The European Commission (EC) on 2 July adopted the Euratom Work Programme 2021-2022, implementing the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2021-2025. The Work Programme outlines the objectives and specific topic areas, which will receive €300 million in funding. These investments will support fusion research, and help to foster progress in a wide range of areas, from further improving nuclear safety and radiation protection, to boosting non-power applications of nuclear technology. The Work Programme contributes to the EU's efforts to further develop technological leadership and promote excellence in nuclear research and innovation. This year’s calls have a particular focus on the medical field, directly supporting the priorities of the EU’s Beating Cancer Action Plan and the SAMIRA Action Plan.

Date: Friday, 09 July 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newseuratom-programme-receives-300-million-for-fusion-research-8879362

South Korea’s National Fusion Research Institute (NFRI) on 24 November announced that the K-STAR fusion reactor had managed to operate the plasma at 100 million degrees Celsius for 20 seconds – the world’s first nuclear fusion reactor to have maintained plasma for more than 10 seconds at that temperature.

Date: Friday, 04 December 2020
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsanother-plasma-record-for-koreas-fusion-researchers-8391022

US Department of Energy (DOE) Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar joined Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) leaders last week to mark progress toward a next-generation fusion materials project.

Date: Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsprogess-for-oakridge-mpex-fusion-project-8191161

Netherlands Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Eric Wiebes has said that more nuclear power may join solar and wind in the Dutch energy mix after 2030, in particular small modular reactors (SMR) with a capacity of up to 400MW.

Date: Tuesday, 29 September 2020
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsnetherlands-pushes-for-more-nuclear-8153490