For the foreseeable future, most new nuclear power technologies will still run, wholly or partially, on uranium, so it is important that this vital resource is mined, produced and managed sustainably, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano said this week. It is also essential to take full account of environmental concerns, "both to ensure public acceptance today and to avoid troubling legacy issues in the future", he added. World-nuclear-news.org
A group of 75 senior US figures, including former statesmen, military, industrial and academic leaders, have written to Energy Secretary Rick Perry imploring him to take immediate action to prevent the closure of reactors, citing the contribution of nuclear power to national security. Meanwhile, the US Senate has passed a 2019 appropriations bill providing USD1.2 billion for nuclear energy programmes and supporting nuclear innovation. World-nuclear-news.org
GE Power said it had begun manufacturing the first rotor for turbines that will be installed at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Bridgewater, Somerset in England. When complete, the Arabelle steam turbines will be among the largest in the world, producing 1770 MWe each and coming in longer than the Airbus 380 model. Nuclearstreet.com
Continuous improvement in reactor designs in the coming years could make nuclear power more cost-effective and help to alleviate public concerns on issues such as safety and waste disposal, International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Yukiya Amano said in his keynote address at the 2018 World Nuclear Exhibition event in Paris, France, today. Nucnet.org
