Nuclear Energy

Enabling conditions for nuclear energy: Five key tasks for policymakers

Indian energy policy should create conditions where private firms may consider whether it is optimal for them to buy such equipment

Satellite images indicate China working on nuclear propulsion for aircraft

China has built a land-based prototype nuclear reactor for a large surface warship, in the clearest sign yet Beijing is advancing toward producing its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery and Chinese government documents. China's navy is already the world's largest numerically, and it has been rapidly modernising. Adding nuclear-powered carriers to its fleet would be a major step in realising its ambitions for a true "blue-water force capable of operating in seas far from China in a growing global challenge to the United States. Nuclear-powered carriers would place China in the exclusive ranks of first-class naval powers, a group currently limited to the United States and France, said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. For China's leadership, such a development would symbolise national prestige, fueling domestic nationalism and elevating the country's global image as a ..

AI may have finally tipped the scales in favour of nuclear energy again

If fuel is reprocessed, it can be reused. But the reprocessing turns it into weapons-grade fuel, which means it can also be used to make big bangs

Google to power AI data centres via nuclear power amid climate change woes

Google anticipates using 500 megawatts of nuclear power to run its operations, as global concerns over climate change intensify amid rising electricity consumption from AI and crypto technologies

NPCIL to operate 220 MW small nuclear plants for private companies

In a first, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) will operate 220 MW capacity small nuclear plants for private players who will provide both funding and land for the project, a senior government official has said. A development on this front is likely by this year-end or early 2025, the official told PTI. "The funding and land for the nuclear plant will be made available by the private player but the plant will be managed by NPCIL," the official said. With the NPCIL, a public sector enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy, managing and operating the plant, the need to amend the Atomic Energy Act will not arise. Under the Atomic Energy Act, the nuclear energy sector is open only for government PSUs, another official said. These 220 MW reactors will be known as 'Bharat Small Reactors' for which research is already in progress at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), the official said. The Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) technology, which India has maste

China approves 11 nuclear reactors worth $31 billion across five sites

China has more nuclear reactors under construction than any other nation in the world

Nuclear fusion to quantum computing: India, Russia explore hi-tech projects

During PM Narendra Modi's recent Russia visit, Russian media reported that New Delhi and Moscow are in talks to construct six more high-powered nuclear power units, as well as small nuclear plants

US Senate passes bill to accelerate advanced nuclear energy deployment

A version of the bill had already passed in the House of Representatives and it will now go to President Joe Biden for a signature to become law. It passed the Senate 88-2 votes

Singapore plans to build a pool of nearly 100 nuclear energy experts

Singapore is planning to build a pool of approximately 100 nuclear energy experts in the medium to long run, though no decision has been made on the deployment of nuclear energy, and the city-state is unable to commit to a timeline for taking a position on it. This was stated in Parliament by the Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng on Wednesday in response to a question posed by opposition Member of Parliament Gerald Giam. Giam from the Workers' Party had asked how many scientists were currently at the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative, as well as the number of scholarships awarded each year to help build a pipeline of nuclear scientists and expertise. Giam also asked if the government is building up the necessary regulatory policy frameworks that will be needed to oversee potential nuclear energy programmes such as nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. In his response, Tan said the government supports efforts to train scientists and experts in local an

India aims to produce 100 GW nuclear power by 2047: AEC Chairman Mohanty

India aims to produce 1 lakh MW of nuclear power by 2047, a massive increase from the current production of over 8,000 MW, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman A K Mohanty said here on Wednesday. Mohanty was speaking at the release of a report, 'Synchronising Energy Transitions Towards Possible Net Zero for India: Affordable and Clean Energy for All', largely funded by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the government of India. Ravi B Grover, Chairman Emeritus of the Homi Bhabha National Institute, said the report was necessary as studies for energy transition for India have come up with a very insignificant role for nuclear citing high input cost and lower public acceptance. Mohanty said a vision document for 'Amrit Kaal' was being prepared by the Department of Atomic Energy which envisages reaching a nuclear capacity of about 100 GW by 2047. He said the breeder reactors would contribute 3 GW of nuclear power, while 17.6 GW would come from light water reactors built wi

Biden admin to lend $1.5 bn to restart Michigan nuclear power plant

The federal government will provide a USD 1.5 billion loan to restart a nuclear power plant in southwestern Michigan, officials announced on Wednesday. Holtec International acquired the 800-megawatt Palisades plant in 2022 with plans to dismantle it. But now the emphasis is on restarting it by late 2025, following support from the state of Michigan and the Biden administration. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said it would be the first nuclear power plant to be reopened in the US. It still faces hurdles, including inspections, testing and the blessing of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, known as the NRC. Nuclear power is our single largest source of carbon-free electricity, directly supporting 100,000 jobs across the country and hundreds of thousands more indirectly, said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, a former Michigan governor. The Palisades plant is along Lake Michigan, a two-hour drive from Chicago. A Michigan utility, CMS Energy, owned it from 1971 until the plant was sold to

NCC, NPCIL sign pact to raise awareness on peaceful use of nuclear power

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) on Thursday joined hands with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to conduct awareness programmes across the country to enhance public perceptions on peaceful use of nuclear power and disseminate scientific information. The memorandum of understanding between NCC and NPCIL, a public sector undertaking, also facilitates a unique opportunity to cadets to visit various facilities of NPCIL, thereby giving a "first-hand experience" on peaceful use of nuclear energy, its technical and technological aspects. The MoU was signed in New Delhi in presence of Director General of the NCC, Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh and Executive Director (Corporate Communication & Corporate Planning), NPCIL, BVS Shekhar, the defence ministry said in a statement. The agreement will entail conducting "various awareness programmes throughout the country to enhance public perceptions on peaceful use of nuclear power, and disseminate scientific and authentic information," ..

Leaders of over 30 nations meet in Brussels to promote nuclear energy

In the shadows of a massive monument glorifying nuclear energy, over 30 leaders and delegations from around the world are backing the idea to use the controversial source to help achieve the goal of a climate-neutral globe while giving more countries an added sense of economic and security independence. Such a summit would have been unthinkable a dozen years ago in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, but a warming planet creating a need to phase out fossil fuels and war in Ukraine laying bare a dependence on Russian energy have turned the tables over the past half decade. We have to do everything possible to to facilitate the contribution of nuclear energy, said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is clear: Nuclear is there. It has an important role to play, he said. The one-day meeting is held next to the 1958 Atomium, the 102-meter (335-foot)-tall construction of the nine iron atoms, which sought to promote the peaceful use

IAEA chief in Russia to discuss safety of Ukrainian nuclear plant

The U.N.'s atomic watchdog agency chief is visiting Russia amid concern about a Ukrainian nuclear power plant caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi arrived at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday evening, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti for talks on nuclear safety in Ukraine. Grossi announced the trip on Monday, the first day of a regular meeting of the agency's 35-nation board of governors in Vienna. The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm about the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest, amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. The plant's six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features. Speaking to reporters in Sochi on Wednesday, the IAEA chief said he had a very intensive and exhaustive workin

Russia mulls putting nuclear power plant on moon with China: Report

Borisov, a former deputy defence minister, said that Russia and China had been jointly working on a lunar programme and that Moscow was able to contribute with its expertise on "nuclear space energy"

RIL, Tata Power among firms in fray for $26-billion nuclear investment

This is the first time New Delhi is pursuing private investment in nuclear power, a non-carbon-emitting energy source that contributes less than 2% of India's total electricity generation

French nuclear operator EDF ties up with Canadian, Czech, Indian firms

EDF concluded a cooperation agreement with BHEL to "maximize the local content" of a proposed project to build six EPR reactors in Jaitapur

IAEA calls on PM Modi, praises India's record as responsible nuclear power

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday underscored India's enduring commitment to safe and secure use of atomic energy for peace and development in a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. Grossi, who called on Modi, commended the country's impeccable record as a responsible nuclear power and praised its progress in nuclear science and technology, particularly highlighting the development and deployment of indigenous nuclear power plants, the PMO said. In the meeting, Modi shared India's ambitious goals to enhance the share of environmentally friendly nuclear power generation capacity as part of its energy mix. Grossi, the statement said, acknowledged India's global leadership role in civil nuclear applications for societal benefits. This includes the remarkable progress that India has made in utilising nuclear technology to address the challenges faced by humankind including those related to health, food, water treatment, ...

Scholz dismisses talk of keeping nuclear energy option open in Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed a suggestion by a junior coalition partner that the country should keep open the option of using its closed nuclear power plants, declaring that atomic energy is a dead horse in Germany. Germany switched off its last three nuclear reactors in April, completing a process that received wide political support after Japan's Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster in 2011. But some argued for a rethink after energy prices spiked because of the war in Ukraine. Among those who advocated a reprieve were members of the Free Democrats, a pro-business party that is part of Scholz's governing coalition. This week, the Free Democrats' parliamentary group approved a policy statement saying that it wants to stop the dismantling of the nuclear power plants that are still fit to use as part of efforts to be prepared for worst-case scenarios. That is the only way we will remain capable of acting in every situation, it said. Scholz brushed aside the suggestion in a

Americans 'very keen' to transfer nuclear energy tech to India: Power Secy

The US is "very keen" to collaborate with India in the area of technology transfer on the nuclear energy front, a senior government official said on Wednesday. Responding to a question on how G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant's request for "unfettered access" to US technology made to delegates attending the third meeting of the G-20 energy transition working group on Tuesday was taken by American delegates, Union Power Secretary Alok Kumar hinted Washington is positive. "US delegation was also there as part of the G20 group and they supported the technology transfer. But It is always on the voluntary, mutually agreed basis," Kumar told reporters at a press conference organised at the conclusion of the three-day meet in the financial capital. Details will have to be worked out and have to be mutually agreed, he added. "My sense is the US side is very keen to collaborate with India in the area of technology...including nuclear technology," Kumar said. Addressing a side meeting of the working