Future Energy Pathways

[SolarisKenzo]

NEWCLEO advances with licensing of MOX fuel plant and Reactor in Europe. The design is of a 4th gen lead-cooled reactor.
History of this company is very interesting...
The founder (italian scientist Stefano Buono) worked at CERN with nobel-prize winner Rubbia and the chief Engineer was in the team that design France's Superphenix reactor in the 70s.
The company is helped by state-agency ENEA that worked on lead-tech for nuclear since the 90s, when they were able to buy documentation and technology from Russia after the fall of the USSR.

They are currently building a small electrical reactor in a former italian nuclear research site.

Newcleo advances MOX fuel licensing in France

France's nuclear safety regulator has published its opinion on the safety features proposed by Paris-headquartered innovative nuclear energy company Newcleo for its planned French mixed-oxide fuel facility, concluding that the provisions adopted by the company for its safety approach are...

www.world-nuclear-news.org

 

[SolarisKenzo]

Fuel loading at Mochovce 4 reactor has been completed and start-up can now begin.
The reactor is expected to begin commercial operation in the next months.
A very interesting video with a close-up of the core is also available, not in english tho.

Mochovce 4 will be the fourth and last unit of Mochovce NPP to begin operation, the 121st operational nuclear reactor connected to the EU grid.

Mochovce 4 preparing for physical start-up tests

Slovenské elektrárne has said the assembly and hermetic sealing of the reactor has been completed and Slovakia's Mochovce unit 4 is ready to move on to the physical tests leading to the first controlled fission reaction. ;

www.world-nuclear-news.org

 

[John Fedup]

Some news on smaller nuclear power output in the attached link. DARPA's Rads to Watts program could offer small power cells that could last for years without recharging.
How DARPA plans to get nuclear power in the size of a 'AA battery' - Breaking Defense

 

[Ananda]

BRIN - Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional

Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional

brin.go.id

Indonesia research agency shown their SMR design that aimed to produce both electricity and hydrogen. This design is their work collaborate with China Tsinghua University. The idea for nuclear power is now gaining momentum not only in Indonesia, but also throughout ASEAN Neighbourhood.

Rumour say this SMR design is also being evaluated by MinDef for naval purpose (SSN). The other design is SMR Molten Salt reactor from Thorcon.

 

[SolarisKenzo]

Is India going to "follow" China in Energy transition?

India begins public consultation on SHANTI Bill rules

India's Department of Atomic Energy has launched a public consultation on its draft rules and regulations under the 2025 legislation to modernise the country's nuclear legal framework and, amongst other things, enable limited private participation in India's nuclear sector. ;

www.world-nuclear-news.org

 

[SolarisKenzo]

Interesting article about uranium enrichment.

URENCO and ORANO (EU), CNNC (China) and ROSATOM (Russia) control approximately 99% of global enrichment market.

South Korea's Nuclear Expansion Faces Fuel Supply Pressure as Enriched Uranium Costs Surge Nearly Sixfold in Seven Years

Against the backdrop of accelerating global nuclear power construction and surging electricity demand from AI data centers, the nuclear fuel supply chain is facing new tensions. Due to limited uranium enrichment capacity and sanctions affecting Russian-related supplies, international uranium...

en.cinie.net

 

[kato]

URENCO and ORANO (EU), CNNC (China) and ROSATOM (Russia) control approximately 99% of global enrichment market.

That's mostly because the USA as one of the largest nuclear powerplant operators doesn't have independent commercial enrichment at all.

The US sold off scrap enriched fuel on the side from its 1940s/50s military enrichment until decommissioning those plants 1992. From 1994 to 2013 US powerplant operators use watered-down Russian military uranium stocks for fuel for about half their needs, since 2013 they've been buying regular Russian enriched uranium from Tenex, the commercial front of ROSATOM. In both cases the reseller is a former US government agency (USEC) that was privatized in 1998 (as CENTRUS). Plans by USEC/CENTRUS to start their own commercial enrichment have been largely unsuccessful in the part.

URENCO operates the currently only commercial enrichment facility in the USA, which provides most of the rest.

 

[SolarisKenzo]

Massive engineering of one of the "trendy" sources of our times, offshore wind.

 

[kato]

There are 14 of these platforms with the same converter equipment (one per offshore windpark out in the German highsea EEZ, between ca 50 and 100 km offshore beyond the Wattensee island chain). Although all built and installed a bit differently, mostly because the company uses different suppliers to have them built worldwide.
The purpose of these platforms is to convert 155 kV or 66 kV 3-phase alternating input from the windpark to 320 kV DC to reduce transport losses over the usually circa 200-250 km connection to the main high-voltage power network. Power handled is between 400 and 900 MW per platform, i.e. on scale with a smaller nuclear plant.

Engineering-wise probably most interesting among those 14 are HelWin 1 and HelWin 2. These two (looking much like BorWin 5 in the video) were build right next to each other and then connected with a permanent bridge so that the two can share helicopter platform and crew quarters.