Articles tagged with "carbon-free-electricity"
551-ton critical nuclear reactor component ready for UK project
Framatome has completed manufacturing the 551-ton reactor pressure vessel for the second EPR unit at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK. Fabricated in France, the 13-metre-long vessel is a critical component designed to house the reactor core and support its operation within the pressurized water reactor system. Alongside this, the first two of four large steam generators for Unit 2—each 25 metres tall and weighing 520 tonnes—have been received, with delivery scheduled for 2026. These steam generators transfer thermal energy from the reactor to produce steam that drives electricity-generating turbines. Hinkley Point C involves constructing two 1,630 MWe EPR reactors expected to operate for 80 years and supply carbon-free electricity to six million homes. Construction began in 2018 for Unit 1 and 2019 for Unit 2, with structural milestones such as the installation of containment domes recently achieved. The pressure vessel for Unit 1
energynuclear-powerreactor-pressure-vesselsteam-generatorsHinkley-Point-Ccarbon-free-electricitypressurized-water-reactorJapan plans new nuclear reactor, first since 2011 Fukushima crisis
Japan is planning to resume nuclear reactor construction for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, signaling a significant policy shift toward nuclear energy. Kansai Electric Power Co. has announced plans to conduct surveys for a potential new reactor at its Mihama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui prefecture. This move comes amid rising electricity demand driven by power-intensive technologies like artificial intelligence and data centers, and reflects Japan’s urgent need to secure stable, carbon-free energy sources. The company aims to explore replacing the aging No. 1 reactor currently being decommissioned, though no construction timeline has been set. The announcement has been positively received by the market, with shares of Kansai Electric and related companies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries rising sharply. Mitsubishi’s SRZ-1200 reactor model is considered the leading candidate for the project. Japan currently operates 33 nuclear reactors, but fewer than half are active due to regulatory, safety, and public acceptance challenges following Fukushima. However, public opinion is shifting in favor of
energynuclear-powerJapan-energy-policyclean-energycarbon-free-electricitynuclear-reactorenergy-infrastructureGoogle inks $3B deal to buy hydropower from Brookfield
Google has entered into a $3 billion agreement with Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners to purchase carbon-free hydropower, marking a significant step in its efforts to power its expanding data centers sustainably. The initial contracts include 20-year power purchase agreements for 670 megawatts from two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania—Holtwood and Safe Harbor—with plans to source up to 3 gigawatts under a broader framework. These facilities will be relicensed, upgraded, or overhauled to meet the new energy requirements. This deal reflects the growing demand among major tech companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft for reliable, renewable energy to support their rapidly growing data centers, which are critical for AI development and other digital services. Beyond ensuring a stable power supply, such renewable energy agreements help these companies advance their net-zero carbon emissions goals. Google emphasized that hydropower offers a dependable, low-cost, and carbon-free energy source that also supports job creation and grid resilience in the PJM
energyrenewable-energyhydropowerpower-purchase-agreementcarbon-free-electricitydata-centerssustainabilityPUR-1: First US nuclear reactor digital twin achieves 99% accuracy
energynucleardigital-twinAIremote-monitoringreactor-technologycarbon-free-electricity