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01 / 05
Iceland Will Tunnel into a Volcano to Tap Into Geothermal Power

ZME Science | Energy & Natural Resources

Iceland Will Tunnel into a Volcano to Tap Into Geothermal Power

“In 2026, Iceland’s Krafla Magma Testbed project will drill into a volcano’s magma chamber, seeking to tap into its super-hot fumes to generate geothermal energy at a scale that has never been attempted before.

The endeavor promises to power homes across Iceland with a renewable, limitless energy source.”

From ZME Science.

Ember | Energy Production

Turkey Doubles Solar Capacity

“Türkiye’s solar energy capacity doubled from 9.7 GW in July 2022 to exceed 19 GW by the end of 2024. By August 2024, the country had already exceeded the 18 GW target set for 2025 in the National Energy Plan (NEP) by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MENR). Achieving this target 1.5 years ahead of schedule underscores Türkiye’s strong commitment to solar energy and signals the need for more ambitious future targets.

Unlicensed plants, primarily built for self-consumption, accounted for 90% of new installations in the past four years.”

From Ember.

Washington Examiner | Energy Production

Closed Iowa Nuclear Plant Could Come Back Online by 2028

“The decommissioned Duane Arnold nuclear plant in eastern Iowa is inching closer to a restart as NextEra Energy has asked for a licensing change for the facility.

A representative for the renewable energy company confirmed to Bloomberg that it filed a request with federal regulators from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday, marking the first step toward bringing the plant back online.”

From Washington Examiner.

Live Science | Energy Production

China’s “Artificial Sun” Shatters Nuclear Fusion Record

“China’s ‘artificial sun’ reactor has broken its own world record for maintaining super-hot plasma, marking another milestone in the long road towards near-limitless clean energy.

The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) nuclear fusion reactor maintained a steady, highly confined loop of plasma — the high-energy fourth state of matter — for 1,066 seconds on Monday (Jan. 20), which more than doubled its previous best of 403 seconds, Chinese state media reported.”

From Live Science.

New Atlas | Energy Production

Molten Salt Nuclear Reactor in Wyoming Hits Key Milestone

In Kemmerer, Wyoming, the Naughton Power Plant has been burning coal to provide electricity since the 1960s. But in September 2019, it was announced that the plant would be shut down by 2025 due to issues with operating efficiency and compliance with environmental regulations. Yet unlike other towns where coal plants get shuttered, Kemmerer won’t simply fade from the map. Instead, it is the site where Natrium, America’s first coal-to-nuclear project, is taking place…

TerraPower broke ground on Natrium in June of last year and, this week, the company announced that it received approval from the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council (ISC) for the first of the Natrium plants, known as Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1. According to the company, this makes them the first developer to receive a state permit for an advanced nuclear project in US history…

The ISC permit will only cover the development of the non-nuclear components of Natrium. The subsequent permit for the nuclear tech will need to come from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That body accepted TerraPower’s application last summer, so it might be some time until the project can move onto the nuts-and-bolts phase. Still, if the application gets approved as anticipated, it seems that reactor construction could begin in 2026.”

From New Atlas.