by Timothy Gardner (Reuters) - Two Democratic lawmakers urged the U.S. Energy Department to move faster with a research program on converting nuclear reactors in the Navy's submarines and carriers from bomb-grade uranium to a safer fuel, a letter viewed by Reuters showed. Last year, Congress approved $5 million in defense policy and spending bills for the Energy Department's … [Read more...]
SPOTD: The World’s Largest & Heaviest Active Duty Warship
Today's Ship Photo Of The Day (SPOTD) is the Russian nuclear Battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy. Technically the Russian Navy designation is Kirov class "heavy missile cruiser", but Western defense commentators re-invented the term "battlecruiser" to describe these because they are the largest warships in the world besides aircraft carriers. With a length of 252 m (827 ft) and … [Read more...]
U.S. Navy Sailor Convicted Of Stealing Nuclear Secrets
By Nate Raymond (Reuters) A U.S. Navy sailor was sentenced on Friday to one year in prison for illegally taking photos inside restricted areas of a nuclear submarine and then trying to impede an investigation into the matter, prosecutors said on Friday. Kristian Saucier, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill in Bridgeport, Connecticut, after pleading … [Read more...]
Could Offshore Wind Replace Nuclear Power?
by Jessica Shankleman (Bloomberg) Britain could scrap the 18 billion-pound ($23 billion) nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point and get the same amount of electricity from offshore wind turbines for roughly the same investment. That’s the assessment of Bloomberg New Energy Finance following Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to review whether to proceed with the first new … [Read more...]
China’s Plans To Float Nuclear Reactors In Disputed Waters
by Kathy Chen and David Stanway (Reuters) China aims to launch a series of offshore nuclear power platforms to promote development in the South China Sea, state media said again on Friday, days after an international court ruled Beijing had no historic claims to most of the waters. Sovereignty over the South China Sea is contested by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, … [Read more...]
Russia and China to Collaborate on Developing Floating Nuclear Power Plants
Rosatom, Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation announced last week that its subsidiary Rusatom Overseas signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CNNC New Energy Company (China) to cooperate in the development of floating nuclear power plants. This MOU followed a visit last month by a Chinese delegation to United Shipbuilding Corporation's Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg … [Read more...]
Fukushima Plant Leaked 120 Tons of Radioactive Water Into Pacific Ocean
How much radioactive waste has leaked into the pacific ocean? Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501) said thousands of gallons of highly radioactive water has leaked from an underground pool at the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant and may have seeped into the soil. Tepco estimates about 120 tons (32,280 gallons) of radioactive water has escaped, company spokesman … [Read more...]