Page 3 - Nuclear Power

No plans to stop use of nuclear power in future: Govt in Lok Sabha

Government does not propose to stop the use of nuclear energy in the future and has approved building 10 atomic power reactors at a cost of Rs 1.05 lakh crore by 2031, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. "No, sir," Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh said in response to a question from BSP member Malook Nagar who sought to know whether the government proposes to completely stop the use of nuclear energy in future and develop conventional energy sources in a phased manner. In a written reply to a separate question, Singh said the government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for 10 indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors of 700 MW each in fleet mode. Two 700 MW reactors each are being built at Kaiga in Karnataka, Gorakhpur in Haryana, and Chutka in Madhya Pradesh. Four nuclear reactors will be built at Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan, Singh said. "These reactors are planned to be set up in 'fleet mode' progressively by t

400,000 gallons of radioactive water leaked from US nuclear power plant

About 400,000 gallons of radioactive water has leaked from a nuclear power plant in Monticello, the midwestern US state of Minnesota, regulators revealed recently

Nuclear power sector saves 41 mn tonnes of carbon emissions annually: Govt

India's nuclear power sector is saving 41 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, compared to emissions that would have been generated by equivalent electricity generation from coal-based thermal power plants, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply, Singh said as part of low carbon development of electricity systems consistent with enhanced development benefits, the government was exploring a significantly greater role for nuclear power. Nuclear power currently comprises three per cent of India's total electricity generation, Singh said, adding that sufficient production and share of atomic energy was essential for ensuring the country's energy security. Current policy targets a three-fold rise in nuclear installed capacity by 2032, said Singh, who is in-charge of the Department of Atomic Energy. He said nuclear energy can be considered for delivering base load power free of intermittency in place of energy from fossil ...

Turkey quake revives longstanding debate over nuclear plant being built

A devastating earthquake that toppled buildings across parts of Turkiye and neighbouring Syria has revived a longstanding debate locally and in neighbouring Cyprus about a large nuclear power station being built on Turkiye's southern Mediterranean coastline. The plant's site in Akkuyu, located some 210 miles (338 kilometres) and 245 miles (394 kilometres) to the west of the February 6 tremors' epicentres, is being designed to endure powerful tremors and did not sustain any damage or experience powerful ground shaking from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks. But the size of the quake the deadliest in Turkiye's modern history sharpened existing concerns about the facility being built on the edge of a major fault line. Rosatom, Russia's state-owned company in charge of the project, says the power station is designed to withstand extreme external influences from a magnitude 9 earthquake. In nuclear power plant construction, plants are designed to survive shaking that is mor

Russia, IAEA hold discussions on safety of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

The Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is one of Europe's largest nuclear power plants, has been controlled by Russian forces since early March last year

Annual nuclear power generation stood at 35,333 mn units in 2021-22: Govt

In past India's nuclear installations were mostly confined to the South Indian States or in the west in Maharashtra and Gujarat, the Modi govt is also promoting its expansion to other parts of India

Nuclear power plant generation expansion hit snags in Pakistan: Report

After Pakistan's Finance Ministry refused to provide a sovereign guarantee, the fifth unit of the Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station, C5, hit a snag, Dawn reported citing sources

With plans to commission 20 plants, India looks to tap nuclear power faster

India has historically taken more than a decade to get plants in action, shows a Busi­ness Standard analysis

Japan adopts new policy to promote use of nuclear power to tackle energy

Japan on Thursday adopted a new policy promoting greater use of nuclear energy to ensure a stable power supply amid global fuel shortages and to reduce carbon emissions a major reversal of its phase-out plan since the Fukushima crisis. The new policy says Japan must maximise the use of existing nuclear reactors by restarting as many of them as possible and prolonging the operating life of old reactors beyond their 60-year limit, and by developing next-generation reactors to replace them. Anti-nuclear sentiment and safety concerns rose sharply in Japan after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, and restart approvals have since come slowly under stricter safety standards. Utility companies have applied for restarts at 27 reactors in the past decade. Seventeen have passed safety checks and only 10 have resumed operations. That was in line with Japan's earlier plan to phase out nuclear energy by 2030. In a reversal, the new policy says nuclear power provides stable output and serves an import

20 new nuclear power plants to be commissioned in India by 2031, says govt

India plans to commission 20 nuclear power plants by 2031, adding nearly 15,000 MW in power generating capacity, the government told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The first of these 20 nuclear power plants, a 700 MW unit, is expected to be commissioned in 2023 at Kakrapar in Gujarat, which already has three atomic power generating units operational. According to a written reply by Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh, the 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam is likely to be operational in 2024, followed by two 1,000 MW units at Kudankulam in 2025. Two 700 MW units at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan are likely to be completed by 2026, while another two 1,000 MW units are likely to be completed at Kudankulam by 2027, he said. Two 700 MW units are expected to be completed at Gorakhpur in Haryana by 2029, the minister said listing out details of projects under consideration. In addition, government had accorded administrative approvals and financial sanctions for building 1

Energy breakthrough

Commercial nuclear fusion may still be decades away

IAEA to send permanent technical missions to all nuclear plants in Ukraine

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency will send permanent technical missions to all the nuclear power plants in Ukraine as part of stepped-up efforts to help prevent a nuclear accident

Indonesia plans to build nuclear power plant by 2039, seeks investors

The plant aims to provide new and renewable energy for the Southeast Asian country so that it can reach its zero emissions target

Nuclear power: All that you need to know about small modular reactors

Small modular reactors are advanced reactors that have a power generation capacity of up to 300 megawatts (MW) per unit

Russia and Belarus sign agreement for spent nuclear fuel management

Russia and Belarus ]signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of spent nuclear fuel management

Switzerland is paying poorer nations to cut emissions on its behalf

The agreements raise concerns that other countries will follow suit, delaying more difficult cuts of greenhouse gas emissions in wealthier nations

Engineers restore external power to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant: IAEA

Ukrainian engineers restored external power to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant a day after the facility lost the connection to its last remaining operating power line due to shelling

Latest LIVE: Amit Shah to attend AGM of major Gujarat cooperatives tomorrow

Live news updates: Shah is slated to participate in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of major cooperative institutions of Gujarat on Sunday

Small nuclear power stations emerge in EU as energy option, but risks loom

A global search for alternative sources to Russian energy during the war in Ukraine has refocused attention on smaller, easier-to-build nuclear power stations, which proponents say could provide a cheaper, more efficient alternative to older model mega-plants. UK-based Rolls-Royce SMR says its small modular reactors, or SMRs, are much cheaper and quicker to get running than standard plants, delivering the kind of energy security that many nations are seeking. France already relies on nuclear power for a majority of its electricity, and Germany kept the option of reactivating two nuclear plants it will shut down at the end of the year as Russia cuts natural gas supplies. While Rolls-Royce SMR and its competitors have signed deals with countries from Britain to Poland to start building the stations, they are many years away from operating and cannot solve the energy crisis now hitting Europe. Nuclear power also poses risks, including disposing of highly radioactive waste and keeping

Russia, Ukraine trade claims of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant attacks

Russia and Ukraine traded claims of rocket and artillery strikes at or near Europe's largest nuclear power plant on Sunday, intensifying fears that the fighting could cause a massive radiation leak. Russian forces took control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant soon after the war began and hold adjacent territory along the left bank of the wide Dnieper River. Ukraine controls the right bank, including the cities of Nikopol and Marhanets, each about 10 km (six miles) from the facility. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday that Ukrainian forces had attacked the plant twice over the past day, and that shells fell near buildings storing reactor fuel and radioactive waste. "One projectile fell in the area of the sixth power unit, and the other five in front of the sixth unit pumping station, which provides cooling for this reactor, Konashenkov said, adding that radiation levels were normal. In another apparent attack Sunday, Russian forces shot down an ar