Alphaxioms Geothermal News and Related Research Globally

The Mochovce nuclear power plant (Image: Slovenské elektrárne) The Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Slovakia has granted approval for the next phase of the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant, the energy start-up phase, which will see the reactor's power increased to 5%. The phase will involve a series of rigorous tests, including simulations of scenarios that are unlikely to occur during normal operation. The power of the reactor will be gradually increased, with tests conducted at each stage, and when the reactor reaches 20% power and sufficient steam is produced, the first turbine-generator will be connected to the electricity system of the Slovak Republic, marking the beginning of low-carbon electricity flowing into the grid. Construction on the first two units of the 471 MWe VVER began in 1982, and units 3 and 4 were slated to begin construction in 1986, but were put on hold in 1992. The first two units were completed and began operation in 1998 and 1999, with the completion of units ...

© shutterstock/Scharfsinn Are you ready to revolutionize the future of energy? The Clean Hydrogen Partnership has launched a €195m research call for projects that will push the boundaries of hydrogen technology and help society achieve net zero emissions.  This massive funding opportunity is focused on essential priorities outlined in the Strategic Research Agenda, with the goal of directly and quantitatively impacting the objectives of the Clean Hydrogen JU. But hurry, the call ends on April 18th! The European Union is making big moves in the hydrogen game. The REPowerEU directive has set the ambitious target of producing and importing 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030, bringing the total to a staggering 20 million tonnes annually by the end of the decade. But what exactly is the Clean Hydrogen Partnership? It's a public-private initiative supporting research and innovation in hydrogen technologies throughout Europe. The project will receive €1bn from the EU between ...

© shutterstock/PAITOON INSE Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. (LIT), a Canadian junior exploration company, is at the forefront of the global push for a cleaner and greener future. With a focus on acquiring, exploring and developing lithium brine projects located in Argentina, LIT is a member of the esteemed Grosso Group, a resource management team that has been a pioneer in the mineral exploration industry in Argentina since 1993. This esteemed management group has a track record of making four exceptional metal deposit discoveries and expanded its focus to include alternative fuels in the mid-2000s. In 2016, LIT began its exploration for lithium brines in the salar (salt lake) district of northwest Argentina, part of the district known as the Lithium Triangle. The company identified Argentina as the standout destination for investment due to the plethora of geological opportunities for large-size, low-cost lithium brine production; a favourable political environment, leading to ex...

  An experiment in the experiment in Broad Use Specimen Transient Experiment Rig (BUSTER) is loaded into TREAT (Image: INL) As the world searches for sustainable energy solutions, a groundbreaking research program into the safety of fast reactor fuel is set to resume at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) next month. After being suspended since the 1990s, the program will use INL's Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility to mimic postulated accident conditions in fast reactors and test the safety of high-burnup materials. INL researchers have crafted a special capsule to house the experiments and repurposed fresh legacy fuel pins from the lab's former EBR-II reactor, which ceased operations in 1994, for experimental commissioning tests. The team will now move on to transient experiments on high-burnup materials archived from historic irradiation testing in EBR-II, including tests on mixed oxide fuel used by Japanese and French fast reactor designs and metallic alloy fuel used by th...

The EPR2 reactor design (Image: EDF) The French Senate has begun a crucial discussion on a bill that aims to expedite the construction and operation of new nuclear facilities. The bill, which was approved by the French Council of Ministers in November 2022, is a response to the pressing need to address the climate crisis and the security of energy supply in light of the recent Ukrainian conflict. The bill will streamline the administrative and bureaucratic processes required to build new nuclear power plants, and repeal existing obstacles that impede the growth of the nuclear industry. The Senate's Economic Affairs Committee has appointed Daniel Gremillet as the rapporteur for the bill, which will be voted on January 24th. The bill also removes the objective of reducing the nuclear share of France's electricity production to 50% by 2035, and includes the possibility of using small modular reactors (SMRs) and hydrogen electrolysers. The bill also establishes a specific procedure...

Cooper (Image: NPPD)  The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), operator of the Cooper nuclear power plant, is embarking on an exciting journey to identify the perfect spots for small modular reactors (SMRs) with the help of a state-allocated funding of $1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. This funding will be used to complete a siting study that will assess the state-wide locations that are most suitable for SMRs based on geographic data and preliminary licensing criteria. This two-phase study will kick off with the assessment of 15 "best locations" for SMRs, expected to be completed this Spring, and will then proceed to an in-depth evaluation of the chosen sites, which will include detailed field environmental and constructability evaluations based on US Nuclear Regulatory Commission plant licensing criteria. The goal of this second phase is to reduce the number of sites to four. The study is estimated to take about a year to complete. NPPD has partnered with engi...

                          Photo Credit: chevron Chevron, the American multinational energy corporation, announced that it has made a "significant" discovery of natural gas in the East Mediterranean, specifically in Egypt's Nargis Offshore area.  The company drilled the Nargis-1 exploration well, which yielded 61 meters of Miocene and Oligocene gas-bearing sandstones, according to Clay Neff, president of Chevron International Exploration and Production.  This exciting discovery comes on the heels of Chevron's entry into the Egyptian upstream sector in 2020 and the company is looking forward to collaborating with the Egyptian government, Egyptian Natural Gas Holding, and its partners to further develop Egypt's energy sector.  The East Mediterranean is known to have abundant energy resources and this discovery is likely to spur strategic collaboration in the region. Eni, Chevron's partner in the venture, also ...

  President Yoon Seok-yeol's state visit included a visit to the Barakah nuclear power plant (Image: Office of the President) The leaders of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to strengthen their partnership and collaborate more closely in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. During a meeting between Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nayhan, several memorandums of understanding were signed to deepen and accelerate cooperation in this area. The two leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in other areas, such as conventional and clean energy, economy and investment, and defense and defense technology, as well as emerging industries and culture. The joint statement released by the two countries recognized the importance of nuclear power as a source of energy security and a crucial element in the transition to a clean economy. The leaders expressed their determination to deepen and accelerate collaboration in the peaceful nuc...

  FPSO Cidade de Caraguatatuba; Source: MODEC French-headquartered energy giant TotalEnergies has approved a final investment decision (FID) for an oil development project located in the Santos Basin, 300 km off the coast of Brazil. TotalEnergies announced the FID for the Lapa South-West oil development project on Monday, 16 January 2023. The French player operates this project with a 45 per cent interest, in partnership with Shell (30 per cent) and Repsol Sinopec (25 per cent). David Mendelson, Senior Vice President, Americas at TotalEnergies Exploration & Production, remarked: “This latest development is an important milestone for TotalEnergies in Brazil that will increase its operated production in the pre-salt Santos Basin, a key growth area for the company. With its efficient engineering approach and synergies with existing facilities, this project illustrates TotalEnergies’ strategy of focusing on low-cost, low-emissions assets.” The Lapa South-West project will be develo...

1.  China is the  leader in wind power generation, with  continued rapid growth in new wind facilities.  With it's  large land mass and long coastline   , China has exceptional  wind power  resources:   Estimated China has about 2,380  gigawatts  (GW) of exploitable capacity on land and 200GW on  sea.  Wind power remained China’s third-largest source of electricity at the end of 2022, accounting for 8.2% of total power generation. -  European Union has a total installed wind   capacity   of  about169.3  gigawatts   (GW). A total of 15,680 MW of   wind power   was installed, representing 55% of all new power capacity, and the wind power generated 336  TWh   of electricity, enough to supply 24.8% of the EU's electricity consumption.  wind power is likely to continue to grow in the European Union. According to a   European Environment Agency   report...

  LKAB owns and run the Kiruna ore mine, which is Europe’s largest underground iron ore operation. ( Image courtesy of LKAB. ) LKAB,  Swedish state-owned mining company , said it had found  Europe’s largest known deposit of rare earths  close to Kiruna, the country’s northernmost town. This discovery might unchain the continents  dependence in mining from the China. 98% of the group of 17 minerals used in electric vehicles (EVs), portable electronics, wind turbines and military equipment are produced by the nation. According to LKAB, the Per Geijer deposit,  north of the company’s largest iron ore mine in the Swedish Arctic, is estimated to contain more than 1 million tonnes of rare earths. Developments still in  exploratory phase with the full extent of the deposit is not known. “It will be at least 10 to 15 years before we can actually begin mining and deliver raw materials to the market,” chief executive officer Jan Mostrom  said in t...