Greetings!
In this issue we highlight the UK's push for new nuclear power plants, multiple domestic civil nuclear developments, and new global advancements in nuclear security and technology. We also recommend several opinion pieces that caught our attention.
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Can Nuclear Take the Heat?
Last week the searing hot weather in Europe cast a worrisome light on the connection between climate change and nuclear power. Rather than offering a response to the carbon build-up in the atmosphere from fossil fuels, several nuclear reactors were adversely
affected
by the soaring temperatures.
Nuclear plants in Sweden and Finland were forced to reduce power because the temperature of the seawater they use for cooling was rising to unsafe levels. In France, four reactors were shut down because the temperature of their cooling water had risen, and water expelled from the plants threatened to overheat rivers and cause environmental damage.
The heatwave was a wake-up call for governments relying on renewable energy, too. The sultry conditions reduced wind
output
in Germany, Spain, Italy, the U.K., Denmark, and Sweden, even while solar power benefitted from abundant sunshine.
A changing climate is at the root of these challenges. University of Oxford scientists
concluded
that climate change made the current heatwave more than twice as likely.
Nuclear advocates should be concerned by this situation. It now seems the changing climate can be a catch-22 for water-cooled nuclear power plants. Because while their zero-carbon output is important for reaching the targets set by the Paris climate agreement, rising temperatures could cut the plants’ output - and their carbon-limiting benefits.
Next-generation reactors that do not use water as a coolant are one possible answer to this situation. They are especially attractive in arid regions like Africa, where the population is projected to
double
to 2.4 billion people by 2050, increasing energy demand. But OECD countries are not supporting the R&D, demonstration and licensing for this new class of reactors as aggressively as needed, and there are unanswered nuclear security and non-proliferation questions that need to be addressed as well.
These concerns may not bother Russia and China, who currently are in the advanced reactor driver’s seat and are actively seeking to dominate the energy supply of emerging economy nations as a geopolitical objective. This is an important, if non-traditional, global security test for the U.S. and its allies, who at the moment are wilting in the heat of it.
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Nuclear Policy, Governance, and Geopolitics
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The United Kingdom (UK) began
talks with Japan about a new nuclear reactor in Wales, as Japanese policymakers hope to encourage nuclear sales abroad.
China is
strengthening
its position as a global exporter of nuclear power by planning to build 6 new nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the UK over the next two decades.
During a bilateral meeting, the Presidents of Zambia and Russia
stated the countries’ commitment to focus on economic and nuclear energy cooperation in the future.
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Civil Nuclear Developments
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Fuel was loaded into Russia’s
floating NPP (Akademik Lomonosov) to begin testing before it is towed to Russia’s north Siberian port.
Over the last week eight
Nordic NPPs were forced to suppress power output or shutdown, due to the rise in seawater temperatures.
France shut down
four
NPPs, located on the Rhine and Rhone rivers, due to rising temperatures from the recent heatwave.
In
Utah, 20 municipalities have
partnered with NuScale Power to finance a proposed small nuclear 12-module reactor.
The Bellefonte NPP in Alabama,
purchased last month by Nuclear Development, released plans to complete construction within the next 5-6
years, this would bring new jobs and revenue to the region.
Rick Perry, Secretary for the Department of Energy,
visited his first nuclear plant this week in New York city, where the Secretary stated his desire to “make nuclear cool again.”
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Nuclear Security and Emerging Technologies
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In order to address supply chain
concerns the
Sandia National Lab teamed up with organizations in Spain and Korea, to monitor faux fuel on a 14,500 mile trip from Spain to Colorado, preliminary results indicate a smooth ride.
The IAEA is
working
to increase Chinese crop productivity by implementing nitrogen-15 isotope tracing to optimize the application rate of nitrogen fertilizers.
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The Partnership for Global Security (PGS) is a recognized international leader and innovator in nuclear and transnational security policy developing actionable responses to 21st century security challenges by engaging international, private sector, and multidisciplinary expert partners to assess policy needs, identify effective strategies, and drive demonstrable results.
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