France selects innovative nuclear projects

Market: Electricity
28/11/23

Six innovative nuclear reactor projects will be supported as part of the France 2030 investment plan, energy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher announced ahead of the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) held in Paris this week.

Selected projects include a fusion reactor, fast-neutron reactors, modular reactors and high-temperature reactors. They will benefit from total funding of €77.2mn, in addition to technical support from the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) for four of the six projects.

French firm Renaissance Fusion proposed a deuterium-tritium fusion reactor of 1GW that it hopes to commission in the 2030s. The France 2030 funding will be allocated to the first phase of the project, which consists of the development of liquid metals and superconductors, and represents 40pc of total funding received by the firm, the rest coming from the private sector, Renaissance Fusion's chief project officer Simon Belka told Argus at the WNE conference.

In addition, start-ups Otrera Nuclear Energy and Hexana put forward projects involving fast-neutron reactors (FNRs). The latter are fourth-generation reactors that allow for a more efficient use of nuclear fuel. "If we start having tensions on uranium supply in 2050, we have to start building FNRs now," Hexana chief technical officer Paul Gauthé told Argus at the WNE conference. The company aims to commission its two 400MW units by 2035. The reactors will include a heat storage system, for which tests will begin next year.

The government support for Hexana's technology shows a return of interest in FNRs, Gauthé said, as France abandoned its Superphenix and Astrid FNR prototypes in 1997 and 2019.

In addition, Calogena submitted a project for modular reactors of 30MW for the production of heat, Blue Capsule proposed a high-temperature reactor, while Jimmy Energy also proposed a 15MW reactor for the production of heat.

The selected projects add to two other innovative reactors that were chosen earlier this year and benefited from combined funding of €24.9mn.

France, along with a group of pro-nuclear countries, this summer called on the European Commission to consider the development of an industrial alliance for small modular reactors.

By Tatiana Serova

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21/11/24

Cop: EU, four countries commit to 1.5°C climate plans

Baku, 21 November (Argus) — The EU, Canada, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland have committed to submit new national climate plans setting out "steep emission cuts", that are consistent with the global 1.5°C temperature increase limit sought by the Paris Agreement. The EU and four countries made the pledge at the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan today, and called on other nations to follow suit — particularly major economies. Countries are due to submit new climate plans — known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) — covering 2035 goals to the UN climate body the UNFCCC by early next year. The EU, Canada, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland have not yet submitted their plans, but they will be aligned with a 1.5°C pathway, EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said today. The Paris climate agreement seeks to limit the global rise in temperature to "well below" 2°C and preferably to 1.5°C. Canada's NDC is being considered by the country's cabinet and will be submitted by the 10 February deadline, Canadian ambassador for climate change Catherine Stewart said today. Switzerland's new NDC will also be submitted by the deadline, the country's representative confirmed. Pamana's special representative for climate change Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez also joined the press conference today. Panama, which is designated as carbon negative, submitted an updated NDC in June. It is planning to submit a nature pledge, Monterrey Gomez said. "It is time to streamline processes to get to real action", he added. The UK also backed the pledge. The UK announced an ambitious emissions reduction target last week. The UAE — which hosted Cop 28 last year — released a new NDC just ahead of Cop 29, while Brazil, host of next year's Cop 30, released its new NDC on 13 November during the summit. Thailand yesterday at Cop 29 communicated a new emissions reduction target . Indonesia last week said that it intends to submit its updated NDC ahead of the February deadline, with a plan placing a ceiling on emissions and covering all greenhouse gases as well as including the oil and gas sector. Colombia also indicated that its new climate plan will seek to address fossil fuels, but it will submit its NDC by June next year . By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Cop: Australia backs no new coal power call: Correction

20/11/24

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20/11/24

Cop: Australia backs no new coal power call: Correction

Corrects missing word in headline London, 20 November (Argus) — Major coal producers Australia and Colombia, along with the EU and 23 other countries including the UK, have pledged not to allow any new unabated coal-fired power generation in their energy systems at the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. This comes a day after Colombia, New Zealand and the UK joined a Netherlands-led international coalition focused on phasing out incentives and subsidies for fossil fuels. Most of the coal pact signatories are members of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, under which some countries have committed to phasing out existing unabated coal power generation. Australia is not listed as a member of the alliance, but the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra are. Unsurprisingly, the list of signatories did not include China or India, the two world's largest coal importers. It also does not include the US, although the country is part of the Powering Past Coal Alliance. "There is no space for new unabated coal in a 1.5°C or even 2°C aligned pathway, yet coal capacity rose by 2pc last year," the pact signatories said today. The pledge focuses on coal-fired generation and does not mention the phasing out of exports or imports. Australia, is the world's second-largest seaborne coal exporter. The country is looking to host Cop 31 in 2026 by outbidding Turkey for the spot. But no realistic policy changes in coal exports is expected from Australia, which will have a federal parliamentary election by May 2025 and winning votes from key coal mining regions in New South Wales and Queensland has proven to be crucial in recent elections. Turkey is on track to overtake Germany as Europe's largest coal-fired generator this year and was not among the signatories of today's coal pledge. Amid calls for a faster phase-down of unabated coal-fired power generation, global coal trade is set to reach a record high of more than 1.5bn t this year , surpassing last year's 1.38bn t, according to IEA data. Coal consumption will probably remain resilient, supported by higher electricity demand growth in China and India. China has not set a new climate plan since 2021, but it is expected to ramp up its ambitions in a new plan due by February 2025. India and Indonesia are strongly encouraging higher coal production to ensure energy security. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) in September lowered its forecast for US coal-fired generation in this year but raised its expectation for 2025 . By Shreyashi Sanyal Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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China to quit coal baseload power by 2050: Think tank

20/11/24

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20/11/24

China to quit coal baseload power by 2050: Think tank

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UK launches global clean power group at G20

19/11/24

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19/11/24

UK launches global clean power group at G20

Rio de Janeiro, 19 November (Argus) — UK, Brazil and 10 other countries have signed on to a new initiative to support renewable power project development in both developed and developing countries. The Global Clean Power Alliance, launched during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by UK prime minister Keir Starmer, aims to have countries share expertise to meet UN Cop 28 climate summit commitments to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency. The alliance will "... accelerate the transition to clean energy, reduce energy bills, increase energy security and reduce emissions around the world," Starmer told journalists at the G20 summit. Among the first of several 'missions' the alliance will tackle to address energy transition challenges will be the finance mission, which will co-chaired by Brazil. It will "harness the political leadership needed to unlock private finance on a huge scale, so that no developing country is left behind," the UK said. "Brazil signing up to our finance mission is a huge vote of confidence ahead of the crucial Cop 30 summit in Belem next year," British energy minister Ed Miliband said. Other alliance members are Australia, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Morocco, Norway, Tanzania, the African Union. The US and the EU are also expected to join the initiative. By Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Cop: Norway spending $740mn on Paris carbon credits

19/11/24

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19/11/24

Cop: Norway spending $740mn on Paris carbon credits

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