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Weekly News Roundup – Monday 22nd March

We round up the past week’s news and updates from the world of Nuclear.

Nuclear Power 10 Years After Fukushima: The Long Road Back, by IAEA: “The Fukushima Daiichi accident and public acceptance in some countries continue to cast a shadow over nuclear power’s prospects. Furthermore, in some major markets, nuclear power lacks a favourable policy and financing framework that recognize its contributions to climate change mitigation and sustainable development. Without such a framework, nuclear power will struggle to deliver on its full potential, even as the world remains as dependent on fossil fuels as it was three decades ago.”

Grid connection for Pakistani Hualong One unit, by World Nuclear News: “Unit 2 of the Karachi nuclear power plant in Pakistan was synchronised with the electricity grid yesterday. The Chinese-designed Hualong One reactor – the first of two to be constructed at the site – is scheduled to enter commercial operation by the end of this year. Karachi 2 and 3 are the first exports of China’s Hualong One design, promoted on the international market as the HPR1000.”

Hinkley Point B, near Bridgwater, given green light to restart producing energy, by Bridgwater Mercury: “EDF took Hinkley Point B offline last year for detailed assessments of the graphite cores. Specialist teams revealed the graphite was “in exactly the same condition as the company had forecast”.

And the past year, EDF has spent more than £3million upgrading the plant while the assessments have been completed on the graphite in the nuclear reactors.”

Integrated review: UK to lift cap on nuclear stockpile, by BBC News: “The UK is set to reverse plans to reduce its stockpile of nuclear weapons by the middle of the decade, as part of a foreign policy overhaul.

The overall cap on the number of warheads will now increase to 260, having been due to drop to 180 under previous plans from 2010.”

Australia’s miners urge Europe to define nuclear power and fossil fuels with carbon capture as ‘sustainable’, by The Guardian: “The Minerals Council of Australia has weighed into a European Commission climate policy debate, urging it to back fossil fuels with carbon capture use and storage (CCS) and nuclear power on a list of environmentally friendly developments.”