Nuclear Power

Putin signs new doctrine that lowers threshold for using nuclear weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a revised nuclear doctrine declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country. Putin's endorsement of the new nuclear deterrent policy comes on the 1,000th day after he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022. It follows US President Joe Biden's decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with US-supplied longer-range missiles. The signing of the doctrine, which says that any massive aerial attack on Russia could trigger a nuclear response, reflects Putin's readiness to threaten use of the country's nuclear arsenal to force the West to back down as Moscow presses a slow-moving offensive in Ukraine.

Govt urges states to consider setting nuclear plants, list power utilities

India's stringent nuclear compensation laws have hampered talks with foreign power plant builders

Top US energy regulator rejects Amazon-Talen nuclear power agreement

The decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission deals a blow to the efforts by big technology companies

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

L&T partners with US firm to provide clean energy solutions globally

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Friday said it has entered into a pact with US-based Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) for providing efficient solutions in clean energy globally. The partnership aims to accelerate nuclear power deployment globally, particularly in developing countries which require large amount of carbon-free electricity for their growth. "Larsen & Toubro...announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on providing efficient solutions globally in clean energy through CCTE's patented ANEEL (Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life) fuel," the company said in a filing to BSE. ANEEL is a nuclear fuel that combines thorium and high assay low-enriched uranium. It's designed to be used in pressurized heavy water reactors, such as CANDU (Canadian deuterium-uranium) reactors. This fuel is expected to significantly reduce life-cycle operating costs and the waste produced (by over 85 per cent while improving safety due to its Accident Tolerant

Amazon, Google, Microsoft looking at N-power for emission-free electricity

Microsoft, Google and Amazon have recently struck deals with operators and developers of nuclear power plants to fuel the boom in data centres

Kim Jong threatens to destroy South Korea with nuclear strikes if provoked

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to use nuclear weapons and destroy South Korea permanently if provoked, state media reported on Friday, after the South's leader warned that Kim's regime would collapse if he attempts to use nuclear arms. The exchange of such rhetoric between the rival Koreas is nothing new, but the latest comments come during heightened animosities over the North's recent disclosure of a nuclear facility and the continuation of missile tests. Next week, observers say North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament is expected to constitutionally declare a hostile "two-state" system on the Korean Peninsula to formally reject reconciliation with South Korea and codify new national borders. During a visit to a special operation forces unit on Wednesday, Kim said his military "would use without hesitation all the offensive forces it possesses, including nuclear weapons", if South Korea attempts to use armed forces encroaching upon the sovereignty of North Korea, accordin

As CERN turns 70, it searches for ways to finance the next big thing

CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti is looking at new ways to fund research that spans the invisible dark matter

Vistra acquires remaining stake worth $3.25 bn in subsidiary Vistra Vision

Vistra's shares have jumped nearly 137 per cent so far this year

Voyaging into eternity: Nasa switches thrusters of probe 24 billion km away

After travelling over 47 years in space, Nasa's Voyager 1 spacecraft thrusters have reportedly been clogged with silicon dioxide impairing its communication with earth

Pak reviews hydro, nuclear power projects amid energy overcapacity concerns

Pakistan is conducting a review of existing and upcoming power projects, including hydropower and nuclear plants, in response to concerns over energy overcapacity and pricing, which have led to financial strain, including high capacity payments to IPPs for unused power, media reports said on Saturday. Maintaining that the review is aimed at assessing the viability and efficiency of these power projects as the country faces surplus energy production, the need to optimise power generation was stressed to align with current demand and ensure economic sustainability, newspaper The News International said. The development comes amid reports that Pakistan government has reportedly disbursed approximately Rs1 trillion in capacity payments to 26 independent power producers (IPPs) using gas, regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG), and residual furnace oil-based (RFO) over the past decade, starting from 2015, as per a report by the Business Recorder. The News International quoted Minister fo

Second nuclear-powered missile submarine commissioned into Navy at Vizag

India's second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine is expected to be commissioned by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, sources said. The commissioning of INS Arighat is being seen as a step towards boosting India's naval prowess and nuclear deterrence capabilities. India's second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine SSBN (Ship, Submersible, Ballistic, Nuclear) is scheduled to be commissioned on Thursday at Visakhapatnam, a sources in the defence establishment said. The defence minister is expected to be present during the commissioning of the submarine, they said. More details are awaited as officials on Thursday remained tight-lipped about the commissioning. India's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) programme is a closely guarded project. INS Arihant, India's first home-made nuclear submarine, was launched in July 2009 and was quietly commissioned in 2016. INS Arihant in October 2022 carried out a successful launch of a submarine-launch

India's second 700 MW nuclear power KAPS-4 starts ops at full capacity

India's second home-built 700 MW nuclear power reactor at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) in Gujarat on Wednesday started operating at its full capacity, the plant operator said. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) said Unit 4 at KAPS had been operating at 90 per cent capacity before raising it to full power of 700 MWe. "The full power operation of KAPS-4 after the smooth operation of its twin unit KAPS-3 at full power demonstrates the strength of the first of a kind indigenous 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) design," the NPCIL said. The KAPS-4 unit achieved first criticality on December 17 last year and commenced commercial operations on March 31. The power level of the unit, which commenced commercial operation on March 31, 2024 was raised in line with the permissions of the regulatory authority, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). India is building 14 more 700 MW nuclear power reactors of the same design which are expected to commenc

Megha Engineering bags nuclear power generation deal worth $1.53 bn

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Indian multi-sector infrastructure firm Megha Engineering & Infrastructures (MEIL) won a contract worth 128 billion rupees ($1.53 billion) in a tender floated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL).

Google, Microsoft want nuclear power but doesn't see role as investor

Building reactors, especially plants using new technologies, comes with high costs and high risk, according to Briana Kobor, head of energy market innovation at Alphabet Inc.'s Google

Global spending on nuclear weapons hits record $91 billion in 2023: Report

Global military spending on nuclear arsenals surged by 33% over the past five years, reaching $91 billion in 2023

Nuclear powers set to continue boosting operational warheads, says report

The number of such warheads rose to 3,904 as Russia continues to threaten its adversaries at the same time as China may have put weapons of mass destruction on high operational alert

Ready to put billions into nuclear power project in Wyoming: Bill Gates

TerraPower LLC, a startup founded by Gates, broke ground for construction of its first commercial reactor last week in Wyoming, where a coal plant is shutting down, he said

India to get next-gen nuclear fuel this summer, says Russian official

A full-scale discussion took place on the perspective areas of the Russian-Indian cooperation in the nuclear field

Constellation Energy beats Q1 profit estimates on nuclear power generation

Constellation, which also generates electricity via other renewable sources - hydro, wind and solar - beat analysts' estimates of $1.38 per share, according to LSEG data