OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s Post

Belgium, France, Finland and Sweden continue to generate at least a third of their power needs from reactors for more than 100 million citizens combined. The newest reactor in the EU — Olkiluoto 3 in Finland — started generating power last year. France’s latest addition will begin producing electricity this summer at its long-delayed Flamanville-3 EPR reactor. For Strycek in Slovakia, the issues also go beyond money. There’s the tight supply chain and shortage of experts and contractors. France’s program to build new reactors will take up European resources and personnel, for example. “Though you may start” building, said Strycek, “you’re just treading water.” #nuclear #nuclearpower #electricitymarket #sustainableenergy #powergeneration #investmentstrategy #businessstrategy #eu

Interesting short piece from the NIA outlining the key contribution that Nuclear capability will play in providing UK energy independence while supporting us on the path to a greener future. SMR clearly playing a key role in the nuclear portfolio here, providing a faster route to available, dependable power for our future commercial and domestic demands. MHP considers that best in class industry solutions supporting core industrial processes such as Model Based Systems Engineering and Advanced Configuration for the Design and Build phases with Building Information Management capability (BIM) for in-service plants would form the core of a successful scalable, repeatable SMR manufacturing approach. #WeManufactureWeConsult #DigitalTransformation  #ManufacturingExcellence  #Innovation  #Automation 

France, Finland, Belgium and Sweden continue to generate at least a third of their power needs from reactors for more than 100 million citizens combined. The newest reactor in the EU — Olkiluoto 3 in Finland — started generating power last year. France’s latest addition will begin producing electricity this summer at its long-delayed Flamanville-3 EPR reactor. For Strycek in Slovakia, the issues also go beyond money. There’s the tight supply chain and shortage of experts and contractors. France’s program to build new reactors will take up European resources and personnel, for example. “Though you may start” building, said Strycek, “you’re just treading water.” #nuclear #nuclearpower #electricitymarket #sustainableenergy #powergeneration #investmentstrategy #businessstrategy #eu

As Small Modular Reactors (SMR) developers look to place their first-of-a-kind reactors, that could also present a unique financing opportunity. States could agree to build a first-of-a-kind SMR and act as the first developer or owner. George Borovas, head of HuntonAK’s nuclear practice, shares his insights with Energy Intelligence, in this recent article. https://ow.ly/tyg550R487z #LegalNews #NuclearEnergy #EnergyInnovation

How secure & predictable is Europe’s nuclear future? 🗓️ Our fifteenth annual event on extended nuclear deterrence & assurance will consider the key factors shaping that future, and new choices that must be made to shape it for the better. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eAAvK9g7

Nuclear Reactor News 🚨 The advanced reactor field is witnessing a mix of challenges and progress. NuScale Power, the only company to have navigated the licensing process successfully, has faced setbacks with its consortium of utilities. This has led to a significant stock price drop and workforce reductions. Other companies like X-energy and Oklo are also navigating through the complexities of public offerings, private financing, and design modifications. However, despite these hurdles, there is ongoing progress in the sector, with several companies continuing to develop innovative reactor designs like GE Hitachi's BWRX-300, TerraPower's Natrium, and X-energy's Xe-100. These developments highlight the diversity and potential of advanced nuclear technologies. Read more. ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/g8JyXj-X #nuclear #nuclearpower

Government and nuclear industry leaders are meeting at #RoadmapstoNewNuclear 2024 conference in Paris co-organised by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the Ministry for Climate and Enterprise of Sweden. Participants will explore: ➡️ How to unlock access to significant amounts of capital at competitive rates ➡️ How to ensure healthy and resilient supply chains ➡️ How to build the skilled workforce that the future nuclear sector needs Read more: https://brnw.ch/21wMUyj | #Nuclear

….and off the grid they went. One year after the shutdown of Germany‘s last three nuclear power plants, they continue to be a subject of debate. Our scientist Bruno Burger answers some of the current questions and myths about the nuclear phase-out in Germany in his blog post: https://lnkd.in/eVgH7apX #EnergyTransition #NuclearPower

You lump all your talk as Nuclear (meaning only Fission) and fail to talk about fusion. You are, as the nuclear fission industry is, ignorant of what's happening around you. Pull your uranium heads out, start adjusting your industry to fusion energy and start preparing to enter the commercially growing fusion energy industry. As it dawns on Earth like the sun. Great Headline Guardian on Nuclear fission. https://lnkd.in/g8sMZtpR Fission is moving towards obsolescence at an accelerated pace, as it is "out of step, out of time, out of place," and merely a temporary industry globally. https://lnkd.in/gbd_mZqk Commercial fusion electrical generation is a promising and innovative method of producing sustainable and clean energy. By 2028, Helion is expected to start producing electricity from its first fusion commercial power plant, which will provide electricity to Microsoft. The plant will produce at least 50 MWe after an initial ramp-up period. https://lnkd.in/gY9J3MQY Now see what news is happening in the Fusion industry in the world. https://lnkd.in/g9hMBD7a As fission trebles, fission fuel shortage is increasingly real, as linked below. https://lnkd.in/gze5rwpr

Right Tech Moves, Even if Speculative: A Call for Committed Nuclear Strategy While big tech's involvement in nuclear energy through speculative MOUs and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) might seem like the right move, it’s largely a PR exercise. Without a robust federal mandate and long-term funding policies in place for the next 15-20 years, new nuclear programs will struggle to gain momentum. We've been down this road before successfully in the 1960s-1990s, but with today’s advanced systems, materials, and methodologies, we can do far better. What we can't afford is a stop-start, piecemeal approach. The stakes are too high for anything less than a fully committed, cohesive strategy aimed at achieving lasting progress.