We round up the past week’s news and updates from the world of Nuclear.
EDF reaches AGR decommissioning agreement, by World Nuclear News: “The UK government and EDF have agreed improved arrangements to safely and efficiently decommission Britain’s seven Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) nuclear power plants that are scheduled to reach the end of their operational lives this decade. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said the deal, which was signed yesterday, will save the UK taxpayer about GBP1 billion (USD1.4 billion), as EDF and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) forge a new partnership.”
Boss of giant East Lothian plant makes case for nuclear power, by Herald Scotland: “THE man in charge of the vast Torness nuclear power station on Scotland’s east coast has said the industry has a huge contribution to make after the 30-year-old plant celebrated a record performance…One of the two reactors at the power station near Dunbar operated continuously for 865 days between shut-downs beating the previous best by six days. The achievement is a source of pride for Tamer Albishawi, who was promoted to station director at Torness in September. Aged 38, he is the youngest station director in the eight strong fleet operated by EDF.”
IAEA and NEA-OECD Discuss Key Nuclear Power Developments During Annual Meeting, by IAEA: “Experts from the IAEA and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the OECD discussed cooperation on key nuclear power topics including climate change mitigation, the impact of COVID-19, advanced nuclear technologies and gender balance in the nuclear field during their recent annual coordination meeting.”
“Nuclear Batteries” Offer a New Approach to Carbon-Free Energy, by SciTechDaily: “Much as large, expensive, and centralized computers gave way to the widely distributed PCs of today, a new generation of relatively tiny and inexpensive factory-built reactors, designed for autonomous plug-and-play operation similar to plugging in an oversized battery, is on the horizon, they say. These proposed systems could provide heat for industrial processes or electricity for a military base or a neighborhood, run unattended for five to 10 years, and then be trucked back to the factory for refurbishment.”
GE outlines nuclear’s role as a pillar of a low-carbon world, by World Nuclear News: “Nuclear power, the largest source of carbon-free electricity generation today, should continue to be a pillar in the energy transition to a carbon-free future and in helping countries achieve energy security, GE says in a newly published ‘positioning paper’. It says two parallel paths are needed: maximizing the lifetime output of the existing installed fleet and building new nuclear plants with best-in-class technology.”
