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US atomic cooperation with other countries
Main Article: U.S. Atomic Cooperation with Other Countries (Agreement 123)
2024
Amazon, Google deals to supply electricity from small nuclear reactors
Nuclear stocks soared to record highs in October 2024 after Amazon and Google struck landmark power supply deals, spurring efforts to deploy the first small modular reactors (SMRs) in the U.S.
The level of pollution at a nuclear facility in the American Los Alamos is comparable to Chernobyl
At the end of August 2024, researchers reported that soil, plants and water along popular recreation sites near the nuclear facility in Los Alamos (USA) are contaminated with plutonium in "critical concentrations," but the federal government refuses to take appropriate measures. Scientists believe that the level of pollution in Los Alamos is comparable to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Read more here
The United States adopted a law on the accelerated development of nuclear power
At the end of June 2024, the US Senate passed the so-called ADVANCE Act on the accelerated development of nuclear power. The document provides for the simplification of regulatory procedures for the approval of the latest reactor technologies and introduces incentive measures for enterprises that will build new power plants on their basis. The bill found bipartisan support in both the House and Senate and was sent for President Biden's signature.
Key provisions of the new law include reducing the amount of royalties and providing financial rewards to companies that have met certain targets, such as those licensed for new reactor technologies or that have included nuclear reactors in existing power storage systems. However, experts believe that the most serious obstacles faced in recent years by nuclear power are economic, not regulatory, and the bill will not be able to turn the tide, since it does not offer direct means of solving these problems.
Even in cases where reactors of a new type are planned to be built on the site of existing installations within the already licensed site, the stations are commissioned with a serious delay with a significantly exceeded budget, and often the construction sites are completely closed. Due to construction delays and cost overruns, nuclear power plants have become one of the most expensive sources of electricity, comparable to the cost of building offshore windmills.
The adopted bill is not able to remedy this situation, since the incentives provided are too small compared to the total cost of building a new power plant. In addition, most advanced nuclear technologies are still under development, which means they will be ready for implementation in practice only in ten years or more.[1]
U.S. Nuclear Power Plant Map
Resumed the work of the Michigan nuclear power plant Palisades
The once unthinkable revival of nuclear power plants in the spring of 2024 is becoming a reality in the United States.
In April 2024, the Michigan Palisades nuclear power plant resumed operation. There is a growing sense among industry and government officials that it may not be the last.
The US nuclear industry dreams of rare new reactors, but the modernization of old ones will dominate.
Despite the revival of interest in nuclear power and the opening of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia, in the coming years the United States can expect only minor modernization of reactors.
Very high capital expenditures for NPP construction
2023
Growth of nuclear power plant production to 775 billion kWh
Bill to ban uranium imports from Russia until 2040 approved
USA uranium The bill, approved in December 2023, would ban imports into low-enriched produced in, Russia 90 days after it came into force.
However, it allows the US Department of Energy, in agreement with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury, to issue permits for the import of Russian uranium in volumes permitted by current US law. The restrictions are provided for until the end of 2040.
Cancellation of the design of the first small modular nuclear reactor after a 53% increase in costs
The first USA in the project to create a small modular nuclear reactor was canceled after an increase in costs by 53%. The project NuScale Power involved the use of six small reactors.
The decision is a blow to supporters of "advanced nuclear power."
The United States and its satellites are trying to repeat Russia's success in the production of nuclear fuel
Main article: Nuclear fuel
Dependence on high nuclear technologies from Russia and a sense of vulnerability on both sides of the Atlantic led to the fact that in March 2023 the United States and Canada pledged to jointly create new reserves of enriched uranium in North America.
Following this, the United States,, and Britain Canada Japan France entered into a separate agreement on the creation of "joint supply chains that isolate." Russia United States Congress considers imposing domestic restrictions on Russian uranium imports and investment incentives to attract new suppliers.
Joe Biden The law on climate and net, adopted in 2022 by the President of the United States to power , includes $700 million for the development of American fuel supplies for modern reactors. power engineering specialists The U.S. Department and Centrus Energy Corp. are working on a demonstration project to produce uranium used in SMR reactors.
European fuel producers, including Urenco and Orano, are also investing in new capacity, including in the United States, to distract customers from Russian suppliers. According to the expectations of industry leaders, it will take about five years to completely refuse supplies from Russia.
In the year since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, Rosatom has increased exports by more than a fifth, concluding new deals in emerging markets. Rosatom has derided efforts to diversify supplies from Russia, saying the proposed fuel supply chains look like Frankenstein's monster compared to its brand of vertical integration.
Vogtle NPP launch plan exceeding construction budget by $16 billion
A nuclear plant over budget by 16 billion dollars is ready for a nuclear revival. Southern Co.'s Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant is set to become the largest U.S. power source in late 2023, generating enough power to provide light to 1 million homes and businesses.
Vogtle NPP should go into operation just at the moment when the turning point in the discussion of the nuclear power has come in the world.
Approval of the first MMP nuclear modular reactor
On January 20, 2023, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved the use of the country's first small modular reactor (MMR). This is a relatively small nuclear plant that can be manufactured in a factory and then transported and deployed to any prepared site. Read more here.
2022
Dependence on uranium supplies from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
In March 2022, the American nuclear industry lobbies for the possibility of continuing imports from Russia uranium despite the situation, To Ukraine this is seen as a key element of maintaining USA low electricity prices.
At the beginning of 2022, the United States has neither its own production nor uranium processing. About half of nuclear power plants in the States operate on uranium from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, so the US ban on energy imports from the Russian Federation, introduced in early 2022, does not apply to uranium.
Russia delivered nearly a quarter of the enriched uranium used to supply America's more than 90 commercial reactors in 2022, making it the No. 1 foreign supplier, according to the Energy Ministry.
The most vulnerable are the new generation of so-called small modular reactors (SMRs). They run on uranium enriched to high levels, which reduces the frequency of refills. In 2023, Rosatom supplies all such fuel to the United States.
Number of operating reactor plants - 92
2021: Map of existing and under construction power units
2020: US purchases half of uranium for its nuclear power plants in Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
According to the US Energy Information Administration and the World Nuclear Association, the US relies on Russia and its allies Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to supply about half of the uranium for its nuclear power plants - in 2020, this amounted to about 22.8 million pounds (10.3 million kg), about 20% of American electricity. For more details see Uranium (market)
2015: The largest nuclear power plant fleet in the world - 104 power units
In 2015, the largest nuclear power plant fleet in the world belongs to the United States. 104 power units with a total capacity of about 100 GW are in operation. They provide 20% of electricity.
2013: Last uranium enrichment plant closes in US
The last commercial enrichment plant owned USA closed in 2013, and many countries allowed a reduction in their production capacity amid growing rejection of the nuclear plant power engineering specialists after the disaster Fukushima NPP Japan in 2011. In those years, some Western companies involved in the fuel cycle went bankrupt, including France's Areva SA, America's Enrichment Co. and. Westinghouse Electric
At the same time, Russia continued to increase its market share not only due to the world's fleet of nuclear reactors, but also through generous financing of new foreign projects.
US deceives Russia in reprocessing weapons-grade plutonium
An agreement was also concluded between the Russian Federation and the United States on the processing of part of weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for nuclear power plants. At the time of its conclusion in the Russian Federation there were 125 tons of plutonium, in the United States - 100 tons. It was supposed to process 34 tons on each side. The Russian side fulfilled its part of the agreement, and the United States, in violation of the agreements, changed the technology and retained the possibility of "restoring" recycled plutonium to weapons, in connection with which Russia withdrew from the agreement.
1979: Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant accident
The accident at the Three Mile Island NPP is the largest accident in the history of commercial nuclear power plants that power engineering specialists USA occurred on March 28, 1979 at the second power unit of the plant due to a timely failure to detect a leak of the primary coolant of the reactor plant.
1942: Enrico Fermi receives first nuclear chain reaction
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