Some believe that nuclear energy is a key component of decarbonizing our economy. However, big conventional nuclear power reactors are complex and expensive. In order to make nuclear energy more available and attractive, developers have designed a variety of small modular reactors (SMRs) that have more flexibility and offer lower initial costs. Different types of SMRs with advanced design features are currently under development in the U.S. and around the world.
     Researchers believe that SMRs could be deployed at a variety of scales for locally distributed generation of electricity. SMR have an output of three hundred megawatts or less. This is about one fourth of the one and two tenths’ gigawatts of the conventional pressurized light water nuclear power reactors. The economics and technologies of SMRs have been broadly studied. However, there is less information about their implications with respect to nuclear waste. Take Kyum Kim is a senior nuclear engineer at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE) Argonne National Laboratory. He said, “We’ve really just begun to study the nuclear waste attributes of SMRs.”
     Kim and his team from Argonne and DoE’s Idaho National Laboratory recently issued a report that attempts to measure the potential nuclear waste attributes of three different SMR technologies. They used metrics developed through an extensive process during a comprehensive assessment of nuclear fuel cycles published in 2014. Although SMRs are not yet in commercial operation, several companies have collaborated with the DoE to explore different possibilities for SMRs. The three designs studied in the report are all scheduled to be constructed and operational by the end of this decade.
     One type of SMR is called VOYGR. It is being developed by NuScale Power. It is based on a current pressurized water reactor design but has been scaled down and modularized. A second SMR is called Natrium and is being developed by TerraPower. It is sodium cooled and runs on a metallic salt fuel. The third SMR is called the Xe-100 and is being developed by X-energy. It is cooled by helium gas.
     With respect to nuclear waste, each reactor offers both advantages and disadvantage over large light water reactors (LWRs). Kim said, “It’s not correct to say that because these reactors are smaller, they will have more problems proportionally with nuclear waste, just because they have more surface area compared to the core volume. Each reactor has pluses and minuses that depend upon the discharge burnup, the uranium enrichment, the thermal efficiency and other reactor-specific design features.”
     One important factor that influences the amount of nuclear waste produced by a reactor is called burnup. It refers to the amount of thermal energy produced from a certain quantity of nuclear fuel. The Natrium and Xe-100 reactors have significantly higher burnup than LWRs. A higher burnup is correlated with lower nuclear waste production. This is because the fuel is converted more efficiently to energy. These designs also have higher thermal efficiency. This refers to how efficiently the heat produced by the reactor is converted into electricity. The VOYGR pressurized water reactor design has a slightly lower burnup and thermal efficiency than a big conventional pressurized water reactor.
      The spent fuel attributes vary somewhat between the designs. VOYGR is similar to the LWRs. Natrium produces a more concentration waste with a different mixture of long-lived isotopes. Xe-100 produces a lower density but a higher volume of spent fuel.
     Kim said, “All told, when it comes to nuclear waste, SMRs are roughly comparable with conventional pressurized water reactors, with potential benefits and weaknesses depending on which aspects you are trying to design for. Overall, there appear to be no additional major challenges to the management of SMR nuclear wastes compared to the commercial-scale large LWR wastes.”

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Officials in Kyiv have been accused by the Russian Foreign Ministry of being the ones really responsible for targeting the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant euroweeklynews.com

No federal aid to restart Michigan nuclear power plant apnews.com

 

 

Ambient office = 113 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 88 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 91 nanosieverts per hour

Avocado from Central Market = 109 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 104 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 93 nanosieverts per hour

IAEA concern over conflicting instructions for Zaporizhzhia staff world-nuclear-news.org

Simulator For Underwater Decommissioning Developed nuclearstreet.com

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Ambient office = 91 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 102 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 100 nanosieverts per hour

Tomato from Central Market = 94 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 65 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 50 nanosieverts per hour

Grandmothers for Peace seeks local support to eliminate nuclear weapons superiortelegram.com

Iran said Wednesday it rejected a draft resolution by Western nations calling on Tehran to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency france24.com

NATO, Poland say missile was Ukrainian stray, easing fears of wider war reuters.com

Bruce Power seeks partners for nuclear carbon offset protocol world-nuclear-news.org

 

 

 

 

 

Ambient office = 87 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 88 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 89 nanosieverts per hour

Red bell pepper from Central Market = 92 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 64 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 52 nanosieverts per hour

Dover Sole from Central = 124 nanosieverts per hour

Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
     Gantz said, “Everything possible must be done to preserve and expand the regional architecture – also vis-a-vis Iran, but not only. When you communicate with each other you have the ability to get to know each other, share abilities, and reach the level of joint exercises, intelligence sharing and more.” According to recent reports, Israel has sold the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at least two Israeli Barak air defense systems to defend against a range of aerial threats launched by Iran.
    Tactical Report covers events in the Gulf States and the Middle East. They presented satellite images of the batteries and an Elta EL/M-2048 radar deployed near the al-Dhafra airbase near Abu Dhabi. The batteries are the first of what could be a substantial contract for additional systems to protect sensitive sites that have been targeted by missiles and drones launched by Houthis rebels in Yemen.
     Israel and the UAE have collaborated covertly for years against Iran’s hegemony.  According to foreign report, they have improved their intelligence-sharing and military relations in order to be prepared for Iranian threats.
     Even prior to the normalization of ties with Gulf countries, Israel had begun talking about a regional air defense system to protect it from threats like Iranian drones and missiles. Once the ties were formalized with the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, Israeli officials started talking openly about a Middle East Air Defense system.
     According to Gantz, such a system is already operational and has successfully intercepted aerial threats. The alliance has reportedly brought together Israel and Arab states in the Middle East around a shared table in order to defend their countries from Iran and its proxies who have increased their attacks in recent years.
     After two and a half years as Defense Minister, Gantz is worried not only about the threat that Iran and terrorism by Palestinians pose to Israel but also the rise of extremism in the Jewish State.
      Gantz said, “We have an excellent army and a security system with amazing operational capabilities. When you call the IDF or the Ministry of Defense – they answer. But what really bothers me is not related to security, but the extremism in Israeli society. The extremism in society and in the government is what bothers me.” Gantz is expected to be replaced by Likud Member of the Knesset Yoav Gallant or Religious Zionism Chairman Bezalel Smotrich.
     Regardless of whoever takes that office after Gantz, they will be faced with six main strategic challenges, including strengthening internal security, governance, and unity. The incoming Defense Minister will also have to continue to develop national infrastructure in the Negeve and Galilee. In addition, they will also have to maintain Israel’s legitimacy in the international community and strengthen the relationship with the Diaspora.
     The foreign ministers of Israel, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco and UAE, along with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, talked at the Negev Summit last month. A regional security axis with US backing is a realistic option.

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GeoReN to support Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning in radwaste management neimagazine.com

CPN Tribal member leads nuclear deterrence squadron news-star.com

India’s long-term development strategy sees nuclear expansion world-nuclear-news.org

Ambient office =91 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 119 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 119 nanosieverts per hour

Honey nut squash from Central Market = 100 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 87 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 75 nanosieverts per hour