Today: 31.Jan.2017

The Economist: THE Barakah nuclear-power plant under construction in Abu Dhabi will never attract the attention that the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in neighbouring Dubai does, but it is an engineering feat nonetheless. Remarkably, its first reactor may start producing energy in the first half of 2017—on schedule and (its South Korean developers insist) on budget. That would be a towering achievement. Of 55 plants under construction, the Global Nuclear Power database reckons almost two-thirds are behind schedule. The delays lift costs, and make nuclear less competitive with other sources of electricity, such as gas, coal and renewables.

Published in Energy Tomorrow

Michael Shellenberger, Founder-President of Environmental Progress: Global demand for electricity is set to rise 70% over the next 25 years. New nuclear reactor components can increasingly be mass-manufactured in factories and shipped around the world for reassembly on site. What’s at stake is a market worth $500 to $740 billion over the next decade and hundreds of thousands of high-skill and high-wage jobs. This essay applies to America and other countries who promote nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, and nuclear science for peaceful purposes. This new Atoms for Peace effort could inspire and unite the world around something almost everyone wants: cheap, clean energy and its beneficial and very valuable by-products and services.

Published in Energy Tomorrow

Andrew Kenny, Nuclear Africa: Decommissioning of nuclear power plants is neither mysterious nor very expensive. In the USA, more than a dozen nuclear facilities have already been successfully decommissioned, and all around the world many more are being decommissioned or are about to be. New nuclear plants are easier to decommission than old ones, so as time passes the process of decommissioning will become easier and cheaper. Furthermore, as techniques improve, especially with the increased use of robotics instead of humans to dismantle the plants, costs will come down and exposure to radiation will decrease.

Published in Energy Today

Gary Young, mechanical engineer, major product development manager - Before retirement, he worked on product development that significantly contributed to profitability of a global technology company. In this three part series of articles titled "A Galactic Visitor's Essay," he uses a fictional galactic visitor to let his outstanding technical knowledge and practical experience describe important new ways to use existing nuclear power that can solve many problems existing today in nuclear power and energy needs in general. Part III is the presentation of his grand idea, starting in the United States.

Published in Energy Tomorrow