Web Event: Bold Strategy For Nuclear Energy Leadership

Join top leaders from The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Industry, ClearPath, the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and other stakeholders to discuss the Administration’s Nuclear Fuel Working Group Report outlining a Strategy to Restore American Nuclear Energy Leadership.

Register here for the event next Friday, May 29: “Trump Administration Strategy to Restore American Nuclear Energy Leadership: A DOE and Industry Discussion.”

3 Oil Majors Plan First-of-a-kind CO2 Storage Project Under the Sea

Equinor ASA, Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Total SA announced a first-of-its-kind project capturing carbon dioxide from multiple emitters, and transporting and storing the gas underneath the North Sea. They are calling this the Northern Lights initiative, which will move CO2 from cement and other industrial facilities by ship to a terminal off Norway’s coast. From there, they will transport the CO2 via pipeline for permanent storage below the seabed. They intend to transport and sequester up to 1.5 million tons of CO2 annually. The three companies combined for a $674 million initial investment and plan to be operational by 2024. Read more

Examiner:
Pandemic illustrates the need to strengthen US nuclear industry

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) authored a piece on the importance of strengthening the U.S. nuclear energy industry and preserving American leadership around the world. For years, we have allowed our nuclear energy industry to fall behind our foreign competitors like Russia and China, and we must prioritize it moving forward. Read more

National Carbon Capture Center to Add Direct Air Capture to Scope

The National Carbon Capture Center team, which includes the Southern Company, announced a major expansion of carbon capture testing for natural gas power plants. The Center’s future scope of work is expected to include Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies. Read more

DOE Announces $81 Million for Design Development of
Coal Plants of the Future

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) announced an $81 million funding opportunity for research and development projects for concepts in the Coal FIRST initiative to develop the coal plant of the future. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) has been issued so that interested parties are aware of DOE’s intention to issue the finalized FOA later this summer. Read more

A few notable highlights from the FOA:

Made in America. Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) work supported by this award must provide:

at least 50% of the planned fuel input (by HHV) be coal mined in the U.S.,
at least 50% of the planned plant equipment (on a dollar basis) be fabricated in the United States, and
at least 75% of the planned labor in design and construction be United States based.

Carbon capture systems will be a key element of proposed designs. Watch a recent ClearPath whiteboard video on the exciting new technology coming from Jupiter Oxygen, and why you should pay attention to the future of coal plants with carbon capture.
Hydrogen will be supported through coal and biomass gasification to produce the clean burning fuel.

NRC Returns to Full 5 Member Commission

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) returns to a full five-member slate following the Senate vote yesterday to confirm the appointment of Christopher Hanson for a term of four years, and the reappointment of David Wright for a five-year term.

IN THE HEARING ROOM

In the hearing room this week: On Wednesday, May 20, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Mark Menezes to be Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Read more

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

CRES Launches Clean Energy Forward

The Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions have launched Clean Energy Forward, an advertising and promotional campaign advocating for clean energy jobs to be a centerpiece of the United States’ economic recovery from COVID-19. See the campaign here

$230 million in Funding for the
Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the launch of the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) within the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). ARDP will help domestic private industry demonstrate advanced nuclear reactors in the United States. Read more

White House official urges Britain not to hand China control of its electricity as Beijing-run nuclear energy company jostles for dominance

U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for Nonproliferation and International Security Dr. Christopher Ford warned the United Kingdom (UK) not to continue to let a Chinese state-run nuclear energy company (China General Nuclear) control a portion of its electricity supply. Dr. Ford suggested China’s involvement in the UK’s power generation could jeopardize Britain’s political independence for several decades.
Read more

THE PATH AHEAD

May 22: Happening Now. The U.S. Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC) and the Global America Business Institute will host a virtual workshop from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. ET on Areas for International Cooperation in Advanced Nuclear. Register here

May 29: DOE is hosting an event at noon, Trump Administration Strategy to Restore American Nuclear Energy Leadership: A DOE and Industry Discussion. Register here

June 4: The Global CCS Institute is hosting a webinar: The Technology Cost Curve at 9am to discuss the 19 large-scale facilities, and many other smaller scale projects and installations utilizing carbon capture technology as well as a series of FEED studies which demonstrate lower costs for established technologies. Register here