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Utah: 140MW Geothermal bid can beat the cost and performance of the proposed Nuclear SMR

January 27, 2023 by Dennis Wamsted

The U.S. state of Utah is processing an agreement for a new Small Modular Reactor (SMR) to provide baseline and dispatchable power. The SMR bid quotes a price of $89/MWh. But cost overruns will tie the state’s consumers to whatever high prices entail, says Dennis Wamsted at IEEFA. Now a geothermal bid from NV Energy has been presented that offers the same capacity at around $70/MWh. Wamsted explains why the 140MW geothermal project would meet … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Geothermal, Nuclear Tagged With: baseline, costs, dispatchable, electricity, geothermal, Nuclear, prices, renewables, SMR, UAMPS, US, Utah, variable

Laser-driven Nuclear fusion achieves “ignition”: lab gets more energy out than in

December 21, 2022 by John Pasley

Though nuclear fusion serving the grid is surely still decades away, it has got one important step closer, explains John Pasley at the University of York. For the first time, in the U.S. the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved “ignition” for laser driven fusion. That means more energy was taken out, by a factor of 1.5, than put in. However, the two million Joules of laser light fired at the fuel pellets needed 300 million Joules to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Nuclear Tagged With: electricity, fusion, grids, ignition, innovation, ITER, Laser, Nuclear, US

How Europe is countering Russia’s weaponisation of energy – CEDE 2022 event summary

December 12, 2022 by Simon Göss

Simon Göss provides a written summary of our two panel discussions held in Brussels on Thursday December 8th 2022. Panel 1 was titled “The Availability and Affordability of Gas and Energy in CEE and EU”, Panel 2 “The War in Ukraine: Security of Critical Energy Infrastructure”. The issues covered include EU policy interventions for countering the Russian weaponisation of energy, cooperation with Ukraine, how far is Europe prepared, spill-over … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Events, Policies Tagged With: Energy, gas, industry, infrastructure, Nuclear, prices, renewables, Russia, security, storage, Ukraine

EU Energy Outlook to 2060: how will power prices and revenues develop for wind, solar, gas, hydrogen + more

December 6, 2022 by Alex Schmitt and Huangluolun Zhou

Alex Schmitt and Huangluolun Zhou at Energy Brainpool present a summary of their “EU Energy Outlook 2060”. Its scenarios map out how the European (EU 27, UK, Switzerland and Norway) energy system will change dramatically in the coming decades. Current geopolitical tensions are added to climate mitigation and an outdated power plant fleet as the main drivers of change at the EU and national levels. The in-depth modelling is trying to answer the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Hydrogen, Oil, Gas & Coal, Renewables Tagged With: buildings, coal, demand, electricity, EU, gas, hydrogen, industry, Nuclear, outlook, prices, renewables, Russia, solar, transport, Ukraine, volatility, wind

Small Modular Reactor cost overruns: the same old problems haunt new nuclear in Utah

November 25, 2022 by David Schlissel

Much hope is being placed on Small Modular Reactors (SMR) making new nuclear plants competitive. But David Schlissel at IEEFA summarises their research into the publications, updates and statements coming from the stakeholders involved with the SMR by UAMPS (Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems) and NuScale Power Corporation that shows that costs are going out of control, a persistent problem in the nuclear industry. The original target power … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Nuclear Tagged With: construction, costs, delays, electricity, Fluor, grids, Nuclear, NuScale, power, SMR, UAMPS, Utah

Geopolitics and energy security require the U.S. and its allies to lead on Nuclear

October 21, 2022 by Robert Ichord

Combine the current energy crisis with the geopolitical ambitions of Russia and China, and you have your reason for why the U.S. and its allies should prioritise nuclear, argues Robert Ichord at the Atlantic Council. All three nations have well-developed world-leading nuclear sectors. But it’s Russia that has been the largest exporter of nuclear reactors to the world market. Meanwhile, China has the most plants under construction at twenty. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Nuclear Tagged With: China, geopolitics, MNR, Nuclear, regulations, research, Russia, security, SMR, US

Reactor shutdowns in Nuclear-dependent France expose the need for a diversified mix of Renewables

September 14, 2022 by Frank Bass

Events are showing that a nation’s heavy reliance on a single source of energy is unwise. It’s not just gas. The heatwave is causing problems for France’s nuclear fleet, where the use of water for cooling has had to be restricted. All compounded by routine and unexpected maintenance shutdowns. As nuclear typically delivers well over 60% of its power, and also made it Europe’s biggest power exporter (until now), France is feeling the consequences. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Nuclear Tagged With: electricity, exports, France, heatwave, hydro, Nuclear, power, Sweden, wind

As spot market electricity prices break all records, what is the prediction for winter?

September 13, 2022 by Simon Göss

Spot market prices for electricity have been breaking all records, as European leaders and their ministers intensify their discussions on how to deal with the crisis. Simon Göss at cr.hub, writing for Energy Brainpool, starts by explaining how the markets work, noting that price rises are indeed being driven by fossil prices and not CO2 certificates. Göss looks at how prices have climbed in Germany, France, the Baltics and Spain, and how the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Oil, Gas & Coal, Policies Tagged With: baltics, coal, demand, electricity, EU, Europe, France, gas, Germany, imports, LNG, markets, Nuclear, prices, Russia, spain, Ukraine, winter

Can China’s 14th 5-year-plan for Renewable Energy deliver an early emissions peak before 2030?

July 28, 2022 by Hu Min

At the beginning of June China released its 14th five-year plan (FYP) for renewable energy for the five years 2021-2025. Hu Min at Innovative Green Development Program, writing for Carbon Brief, reviews the plan’s targets and actions, and its implications. Unchanged from the 13th FYP, 25% of China’s energy will come from non-fossil sources by 2030. But the 14th FYP says at least half of the increase in electricity demand will be covered by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Renewables Tagged With: China, coal, electricity, emissions, hydro, netzero, Nuclear, renewables, solar, storage, wind

Energy security concerns are building momentum for Nuclear

July 19, 2022 by IEA

The IEA’s latest report on nuclear power recommends a doubling of capacity by 2050. It emphasises that, though many advanced economies are planning a decline, 32 nations have nuclear today and reactors are now under construction in 19 countries. It’s evidence of a momentum behind nuclear power that should be further stimulated by recent spikes in oil, gas and electricity prices, says the IEA. Russia and China remain nuclear advocates, which … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Nuclear Tagged With: Canada, China, costs, electricity, EnergySecurity, France, innovation, investment, Nuclear, Russia, SMRs, UK, US

Deep Geothermal: accessing 500°C for steam turbines. Can it make coal, gas, nuclear redundant?

July 13, 2022 by Zach Winn

The concept of “deep geothermal” is very simple. Dig deep enough, like 20km, to access a permanent reservoir of 500°C of heat. There, you generate the steam to power your turbines. The digging of a stable hole and getting the steam to the turbine is the big engineering challenge. But if you find a way that allows you to do it anywhere in the world (i.e. not limiting yourself to existing geological formations), nobody will ever need other … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Geothermal Tagged With: coal, engineering, gas, geothermal, gyrotron, heat, Nuclear, steam, turbines

Russia-Ukraine: modelling the consequences for the European electricity market to 2050

June 17, 2022 by Alex Schmitt, Christoph Kellermann, Calvin Triems and Huangluolun Zhou

Alex Schmitt, Christoph Kellermann, Calvin Triems and Huangluolun Zhou at Energy Brainpool have used their modelling tools to update their predictions of how the European electricity market will develop over the next 30 years, given a target of 99% emission-free generation in 2050. Projections are made on generation (mix and volumes) and price. The big change from their last predictions is the Russia-Ukraine war and Europe’s determination to ramp … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Grids, Markets, Renewables Tagged With: 2050, bioenergy, CO2price, coal, electricity, emobility, EU, EVs, gas, generation, heating, hydrogen, Nuclear, oil, prices, Russia, solar, Ukraine, wind

Electricity markets with high shares of Wind and Solar will need Nuclear

May 24, 2022 by Machiel Mulder, Xinyu Li and Arjen Veenstra

When electricity markets have high shares of wind and solar – the goal of many regions around the world – is it more efficient to build a nuclear power plant instead of investing further in more renewable capacity? The answer is yes, according to a study by Machiel Mulder, Xinyu Li and Arjen Veenstra at the University of Groningen. In essence, it’s because nuclear benefits from the high (scarcity) prices when there’s little wind or sunshine. Here … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Nuclear, Renewables Tagged With: electricity, emissions, gas, Intermittency, markets, Netherlands, Nuclear, solar, subsidies, utilisation, wind

Post-war Ukraine needs energy independence, decarbonisation and EU cooperation

April 22, 2022 by Andriy Konechenkov

Energy independence is a choice for some countries. For Ukraine it is a life-or-death necessity, says Andriy Konechenkov, VP of the World Wind Energy Association and Chairman of the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association, in this op-ed. The Russian invasion has exposed the vulnerability of Ukraine’s current energy system. Many of its fossil-fuelled power plants are near the Russian border, exposing them to disruption by the invading neighbour. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Renewables Tagged With: coal, electricity, ENTSOE, gas, investment, Nuclear, oil, renewables, Russia, Ukraine, wind, Zaporizhzhia

What can replace Russian gas: modelling Germany’s options on renewables, coal, nuclear, LNG, lowering thermostats

March 24, 2022 by Tobias Federico

A sudden cut in Russian gas imports means Germany will have to cope with the loss of TWhs. How? Tobias Federico at Energy Brainpool wants decision-makers to get the facts straight. He uses modelling tools to answer this question that is causing fierce debate. The first thing to note is that the loss of gas TWhs (of the order of 100TWh) will be most felt in the provision of heat over winter. Heating systems mostly depends on gas, so intermittent … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Oil, Gas & Coal Tagged With: coal, gas, Germany, heating, LNG, Nuclear, renewables, Russia, Ukraine

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Recent Posts

Utah: 140MW Geothermal bid can beat the cost and performance of the proposed Nuclear SMR

Make Hydrogen in developing nations: share prosperity while meeting our climate goals

Smart Glasses: experts can monitor and advise on power plant inspections anywhere in the world

Concrete: 8% of global emissions and rising. Which innovations can achieve net zero by 2050?

Biofuel is approaching a feedstock crunch. How bad? And what must be done?

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