Alphaxioms Geothermal News and Related Research Globally

Revolutionizing Energy: A Collaborative Journey Towards Advanced Clean Electricity By: Robert Buluma In a groundbreaking alliance, tech titans  Google and Microsoft , along with steel giant Nucor Corporation , have embarked on a mission to reshape the landscape of electricity generation. The trio is not merely envisioning a cleaner future but actively spearheading initiatives to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced clean electricity technologies. At the core of this ambitious endeavor lies a profound understanding: the transition to a sustainable energy future demands more than just conventional renewables like wind and solar. To effectively combat climate change and meet the soaring global energy demand, a diverse portfolio of cutting-edge solutions is imperative. This is where advanced clean electricity technologies come into play. The International Energy Agency (IEA) underscores the critical role of these technologies in decarbonizing grids and ensuring energy se...

China has done it again! The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced the installation of the inner dome at unit 3 of the Changjiang nuclear power plant, located in the stunning Hainan province. This comes just a few days after the outer dome was successfully installed at Zhangzhou unit 1, another Hualong One unit. CNNC plans to have both units 3 and 4 fully operational by early 2027, and it seems like they are on track to achieve that. The steel inner dome in place at Changjiang 3 (Image: China Huaneng) This impressive inner dome - with a diameter of 46.8 metres, a height of 23.4 metres and a total lifting weight of 518 tonnes - was lifted into place using a 3200-tonne crawler crane. The successful installation of this steel dome, marking an "important milestone node in the construction of nuclear power projects", will play a critical role in ensuring the integrity and leak tightness of the reactor building, and containment of radioactive substances. China Hua...

It's official: the tide has turned in Japan's nuclear energy debate! For the first time in over a decade, a majority of respondents in the Asahi Shimbun's annual survey are clamouring for the country's nuclear power plants to be restarted. And the reason for this seismic shift in public opinion? Look no further than the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has caused energy costs to skyrocket and forced the Japanese to rethink their energy policies. Tokyo Electric Power Company is awaiting regulatory approval to restart units 6 and 7 at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant (Image: Tepco) In the Asahi Shimbun's latest survey, a whopping 51% of respondents voiced their support for resuming operations at the country's nuclear reactors. This marks a significant departure from the past, when only about 30% of respondents expressed their backing for nuclear energy. The remaining 42% of respondents, meanwhile, felt that it was best for the reactors to remain offline. It's wo...

  Jadrová Energetická Spoločnosť Slovenska (JESS) has submitted a request to the Slovak Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ÚJD) for a siting permit for a new nuclear power plant near the existing Bohunice plant in Jaslovské Bohunice, a small village in the west of the Slovak Republic. The existing Bohunice plant (Image: Slovenské Elektrárne) JESS said it submitted the siting permit application - comprising almost 2500 pages - on 15 February along with the Requirements for the Quality of a Nuclear Facility and the Proposal for the Nuclear Facility Boundaries for the New Nuclear Resource Project (NJZ). In addition to the requirements for the quality of the nuclear source and the design of the boundaries, the application also addresses the issues of the commissioning safety report, the project intent for the physical-technical solution, the method of handling radioactive waste and used nuclear fuel, the size of the emergency planning zone and the assessment of the impact on the environment...

Japan has taken a bold step forward in the fight against climate change by adopting a plan to maximize the use of nuclear power while ensuring a stable electricity supply. This decision comes amid an energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, signaling a significant shift from Japan's previous policy of reducing reliance on nuclear energy after the Fukushima disaster.  The Yomiuri Shimbun / file photo The Mihama nuclear power plant is seen in Fukui Prefecture on Oct. 26, 2022. The plan involves building next-generation nuclear reactors to replace decommissioned ones and lifting the freeze on projects to expand, add, or replace reactors. The government will also allow power companies to operate reactors beyond the previously imposed 60-year limit.  The green transformation plan has a target of attracting over ¥150 trillion in public and private investments for decarbonization over the next decade.  This ambitious plan includes the issuance of green transforma...

Tokamak Energy is to build a prototype compact spherical tokamak, the ST80-HTS, at the UK Atomic Energy Authority's (UKAEA's) Culham Campus, near Oxford, England. The fusion device - with power plant-relevant magnet technology - will demonstrate multiple technologies required for the delivery of clean, sustainable fusion energy. A cutaway of the ST80-HTS (Image: Tokamak Energy) Constructing the new purpose-built facility at the Culham Campus - part of the thriving UK Fusion Cluster - provides the Tokamak with access to leading science and engineering capabilities, including knowledge and experience in designing, constructing and operating the record-breaking Joint European Torus (JET). Designs for the facility are under way in partnership with construction consultants McBains, with build completion planned for 2026. Oxfordshire-based Tokamak's ST80-HTS will target the significantly longer pulse durations needed for sustained high power output in commercially competitive fus...

Imagine a group of scientists flying drones over a nuclear research center, equipped with cutting-edge technology to identify and measure the radiation being emitted from a plume source.   The CNL-SCK-CEN team with their drone at Mol (Image: CNL) The team has successfully tested a new, precise measurement technique that could be invaluable to emergency response teams during an accident. But that's not all - these drones are part of a groundbreaking research project funded by the Energy Transition Fund of the FPS Economy, aimed at developing unmanned aircraft with scintillation counters that can carry out radiological measurements without any human intervention. This futuristic technology is being fine-tuned at the Mol site of Belgium's Nuclear Research Centre, and the results are promising. During the tests, the drones successfully identified the radioactive source, qualified and quantified the radiation, and produced a special visualization of the contamination. This technolog...

Holtec International has achieved a remarkable feat - the fabrication and delivery of the Centre Stack Casing (CSC) for the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory's (PPPL's) National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U), a revolutionary step towards commercial nuclear power based on nuclear fusion. This magnificent piece of engineering represents the heart of the NSTX-U, which is expected to produce high-performance plasma with low-cost magnetic fields. The Centre Stack Casing for the NSTX-U (Image: Holtec) The CSC had to be designed and manufactured with extremely precise tolerances to meet the demanding metrology and magnetic permeability requirements. This challenge demanded Holtec's weld engineers to develop and qualify several unique welding procedures and tools that were then implemented by their highly skilled machinists and welders. The final product, which is made of inconel metal and resembles a hedgehog due to its stud-covered design, will provide the inner v...

Estonia is about to take a leap into the future of clean energy as Fermi Energia selects GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) for deployment in the country by early 2030s. Out of the three SMR developers Fermi Energia received tenders from, GE Hitachi emerged as the winner with its cutting-edge BWRX-300 design. A rendering of a BWRX-300 plant (Image: GEH) . This 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR features passive safety systems and leverages the design and licensing basis of GEH's ESBWR boiling water reactor. The BWRX-300, which is currently undergoing a pre-licensing review in Canada and the US, is a game-changer in the energy sector with its exceptional safety, lower cost, and shorter build time. The reactor, much smaller than traditional boiling water reactors used in Europe, has already been selected for deployment by companies in Canada, Poland, and the UK. "We are honored that our SMR technology has been selected by Fermi Energi...

Exciting news for the advanced nuclear sector as the US-based Centrus Energy Corporation has completed construction on a cutting-edge uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio. This state-of-the-art facility features a cascade of 16 advanced centrifuges and is set to revolutionize the production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) by the end of 2023. The HALEU cascade at Piketon (Image: Centrus) With the support of the US Department of Energy, Centrus received USD150 million in funding to bring this project to life. The cascade and its associated systems have undergone rigorous testing and the completion of fissile material storage and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) operational readiness reviews are the final steps before production can commence. Piketon is the only production facility in the US that has been licensed by the NRC for HALEU production, making this a major milestone in the advanced nuclear industry. The HALEU produced here will be enriched to between 5% and 20...

Nine South Korean organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on the development and demonstration of ships and offshore systems powered with small modular reactors (SMRs). The partners will also develop marine systems and the production of hydrogen using molten salt reactors (MSRs) . Representatives from the partners mark the signing of the MoU (Image: KAERI) Since July, an advisory panel - the Green Transformation (GX) Executive Committee - has been considering the implementation of major changes in energy, all industries, and the economy and society in order to achieve the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The government's GX implementation meeting was held on 22 December, during which a roadmap for the next ten years was agreed as a "basic policy for the realisation of GX". Under the new policy - which describes nuclear power as "a power source that contributes to energy security and has a high decarbonisation effect...

 "Brace Yourself for a Nuclear Revolution!" Doel units 1 and 2 (Image: Engie Electrabel) The Belgian government is taking a bold step towards securing its energy future by asking ENGIE to investigate the possibility of extending the operation of the country's three oldest reactors - Doel 1 and 2 and Tihange 1 - until 2027. The clock is ticking and the reactors are scheduled to shut down in 2025, but the government has a plan to keep the lights on. During the scorching summer months, the government hopes to reduce the electricity production of the reactors and extend their operation, ensuring energy supply security through the winter of 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. The energy ministry spokesman, Jonas Dutordoir, says, "The challenges faced in Ukraine and the French nuclear energy sector have prompted us to explore ways to create more certainty and reduce risks in energy supply." The government has tasked ENGIE with conducting a safety assessment of the proposed ...