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Bill Gates, Rolls Royce, and others, in the scrum to con the UK government into buying useless nuclear reactor minitrash

Rolls-Royce mini-nukes project under threat as Bill Gates eyes bid

Global interest comes as British company scrambles to secure government contract

By Gareth Corfield, 7 May 2023

Bill Gates is eyeing a bid to build Britain’s first mini-nuclear reactor in a direct challenge to Rolls-Royce which is scrambling to secure a government contract. Seattle-based TerraPower, which was founded by the Microsoft billionaire, said it was considering throwing its hat into the ring for lucrative contracts to build Britain’s next-generation small modular reactors or “mini-nukes”.

In a blog post, Mr Gates said the nuclear energy company’s work “has drawn interest from around the globe”, citing agreements with Japan, South Korea and the Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal steel conglomerate. TerraPower claims its travelling wave reactor design can “operate for centuries with unenriched uranium fuel”. Founded in 2006, the company secured $830m (£657m) in its most recent funding round last summer. Unlike many traditional SMR designs, the company’s plant, called Natrium, uses a molten salt heat storage system that will allow it to rapidly boost its power output at peak times.

Dozens of other nuclear energy startups are competing to bring their designs into
service, with Rolls-Royce competing against the likes of GE-Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Westinghouse Electric. In March, US company Last Energy, signed a deal to sell 24 small modular reactors (SMRs) to British customers. While Last Energy still needs regulatory approval for its designs, the company expects the first of its SMRs to be operational by 2026 with no government funding required.

Telegraph 7th May 2023

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/05/07/bill-gates-bid-britains-mini-nukes-contract-rolls-royce/

May 9, 2023 Posted by | marketing | Leave a comment

Ukraine war: ‘Mad panic’ as Russia evacuates town near Zaporizhzhia plant

BBC 8 May 23

Russia has sparked a “mad panic” as it evacuates a town near the contested Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a Ukrainian official says.

Russia has told people to leave 18 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, including Enerhodar near the plant, ahead of Kyiv’s anticipated offensive.

The Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, said there were five-hour waits as thousands of cars left.

The UN’s nuclear watchdog warned a “severe nuclear accident” could occur.

Speaking to the BBC’s Newshour programme Rafael Grossi – the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – said the evacuation of residents near the nuclear facility indicated the possibility of heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces around the plant.

Although its reactors were not producing electricity they were still loaded with nuclear material, he said.

Mr Grossi added that he had had to travel through a minefield when he visited the plant a few weeks ago.

Earlier, the IAEA warned in a statement that situation at the Zaporizhzhia facility was “becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous”.

Operating staff were still at the site but there was “deep concern about the increasingly tense, stressful, and challenging conditions for personnel and their families”.

It said IAEA experts at the plant had “received information that the announced evacuation of residents from the nearby town of Enerhodar – where most plant staff live – has started”.

On Friday, the Russian-installed regional head Yevgeny Balitsky said that “in the past few days, the enemy has stepped up shelling of settlements close to the front line”.

“I have therefore made a decision to evacuate first of all children and parents, elderly people, disabled people and hospital patients,” he wrote on social media. .

The IAEA has issued warnings previously about safety at the plant – which Russia captured in the opening days of its invasion last year – after shelling caused temporary power cuts.

In March the IAEA warned the plant was running on diesel generators to keep vital cooling systems going, after damage to power lines.

Since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022 the number of staff at the plant has declined, the IAEA says, “but site management has stated that it has remained sufficient for the safe operation of the plant”.

Russian forces occupy much of the Zaporizhzhia region but not the regional capital Zaporizhzhia, which lies just north-east of Enerhodar across the Dnipro reservoir.

On Sunday, the Ukrainian general staff said civilians were being evacuated to the cities of Berdyansk and Prymorsk, further inside Russian-held territory……………………….. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65515443

May 9, 2023 Posted by | safety, Ukraine | 1 Comment

Australian Radioactive Waste Agency a “zombie measure”- no funding left by Morrison government

Why a staggering $5BILLION will need to be found to keep the vital MyGov app running, store Australia’s radioactive waste and even monitor high-risk terrorists: ‘Australians were tricked’

By BRITTANY CHAIN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA, 8 May 2023

…………….. According to Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, these funding shortfalls or ‘booby traps’ were left by ex-PM Scott Morrison in the hope they would blow up on the incoming Albanese Government……….

‘For example, there was no money in the budget for the agency responsible for safely storing and disposing of Australia’s radioactive waste,………………………..


Australian Radioactive Waste Agency

The agency is one of the ‘zombie measures’ in which funding was not taken into account beyond this year, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.

Senator Gallagher said there was actually no money at all in the budget for the agency, despite its responsibility to safely store and dispose of Australia’s radioactive waste…………………………….  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12032345/Budget-2023-Underfunding-MyGov-app-public-dental-mental-health-revealed-Federal-Budget.html?fbclid=IwAR2I1-FswPxwSyqGUbBetcBPCOtUHyuAqAv_TNk-oBlhGy7b0KW0z7vdZv8 

May 9, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Pentagon: U.S. deploys warplanes, warships, interceptor missiles to Europe, troops to Mexican border — Anti-bellum

U.S. Department of DefenseMay 5, 2023 NATO Partners Prepare to Kick Off ‘Formidable Shield’ Exercise Exercise Formidable Shield, which kicks off Monday, is expected to showcase the strength of the NATO alliance and its commitment to the defense of Europe, the deputy Pentagon press secretary said. “The U.S. 6th Fleet and Naval Striking and Support […]

Pentagon: U.S. deploys warplanes, warships, interceptor missiles to Europe, troops to Mexican border — Anti-bellum

May 9, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Christopher Nolan’s New ‘Oppenheimer’ Trailer Sees U.S. On the Brink of Nuclear War

Cillian Murphy stars as the father of the atomic bomb in the film, hitting theaters in July.

Stacey Ritzen, May 8, 2023   https://www.mensjournal.com/news/oppenheimer-trailer-christopher-nolan

“This is a national emergency,” says Cillian Murphy in the latest trailer for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic Oppenheimer, which dropped today. “We’re in a race against the Nazis. And I know what it means if the Nazis have a bomb.”

Murphy stars as the titular J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist credited with the invention of the atomic bomb during World War II. Although the real Oppenheimer would later go on to regret his role and spent the rest of his life advocating against his creation, the film is set during the Manhattan Project, the research and development program that was ultimately responsible for producing the first nuclear weapons.

In addition to Murphy, the star-studded cast features Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Michael Angarano, Josh Hartnett, and Kenneth Branagh.

“Are we saying there’s a chance that when we push that button, we destroy the world?” Damon’s skeptical Lieutenant General Leslie Groves, the director of the Manhattan Project, asks Murphy’s Oppenheimer midway through the trailer. “Near zero,” the physicist guesses, to which Damon’s character responds: “Zero would be nice.”

In other words, not exactly your typical breezy summer movie fare, as Oppenheimer hits theaters on July 21, 2023. The film, which clocks in at two hours and 30 minutes, has been named one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year. It remains to be seen how its box office returns will fare against the upcoming Barbie movie from director Greta Gerwig, which opens on the same day.

May 9, 2023 Posted by | media | Leave a comment

Whitewashing history. Estonia to issue fines for celebrating WW2 victory over Nazis

Rt.com 8 May 23

The Estonian police have warned citizens against displaying any Russian or Soviet flags or symbols, or playing “aggressive music”

Carrying a Soviet flag or sporting any other symbol deemed offensive by the authorities could cost Estonians dearly on Victory Day, the local police have warned. Any gatherings that could be interpreted as “supportive of aggression,” which Tallinn says Russia is waging against Ukraine, are also outlawed.

Speaking to the media outlet Postimees on Thursday, Elena Miroshnichenko, a lieutenant colonel of the Police and Border Protection Department in the Pyhja prefecture, said that while people are allowed to lay flowers at graves and WWII memorials on May 9, they should not have on them “any symbols and shouldn’t listen to aggressive music on their cellphones.”

The official reminded the public that any rallies featuring Russian or Soviet flags, or those of Russia’s Donbass republics, are strictly prohibited. Also off limits are any flags or placards emblazoned with the Latin letters Z and V, which have come to symbolize Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine.

Miroshnichenko stressed that the police are not going to “engage in any dialogue with anyone” found in breach of the rules. Violators can expect to be fined to the tune of up to €1,200 euros ($1,345) or even face prison time………………….

Late last month, authorities in another former Soviet republic, Moldova, warned the public against displaying St. George’s ribbons, which have become a symbol of May 9 celebrations in Russia over the past two decades.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean emphasized that individuals running afoul of the ban will face fines.

The country’s parliament outlawed the ribbon along with the letters ‘Z’ and ‘V’ last year as promoting “Russian aggression.”

Earlier last month, Moldova’s Constitutional Court issued a ruling that some opposition politicians construed as a lifting of the ban. The judges, however, were quick to clarify that this was not the case.

According to the Moldovan media, more than 300 people were fined for wearing the ribbon last year.  https://www.rt.com/news/575916-eu-nation-police-fine-victory-day/

May 9, 2023 Posted by | EUROPE, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Russia orders evacuation of civilians around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant amid warnings of ‘severe nuclear accident’

Anxiety about the safety of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is growing after the Moscow-installed governor of the Ukrainian region where it is located ordered civilian evacuations.

Key points:

  • Russian forces are ordering civilians to leave towns around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant 
  • The evacuation zone includes Enerhodar, which is home to most of the plant’s staff
  • IAEA head Rafael Mariano Grossi says the situation is “increasingly unpredictable”

Russian soldiers are evacuating people from Zaporizhzhia and 18 nearby towns, ahead of an anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi has called on both Russia and Ukraine to ensure that there will be no fighting near the Zaporizhzhia plant to prevent what he calls “the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences”.

The towns and villages being evacuated include Enerhodar, which is home to most of the plant’s staff.

The Russia-backed governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia province, Yevgeny Balitsky, said more than 1,600 people, including more than 600 children had been evacuated as of Sunday.

The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the evacuation of Enerhodar was underway.

…………………………… Although none of the plant’s six reactors are operating because of the war, the station needs a reliable power supply for essential cooling systems. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-08/russia-orders-evacuations-around-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant/102316184

May 9, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

THE NUCLEAR CLUB

JONATHAN HUNT MAY 8, 2023 PODCASTS – HORNS OF A DILEMMA https://warontherocks.com/2023/05/the-nuclear-club/

On this episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Jonathan Hunt talks about his book, The Nuclear Club: How America and the World Policed the Atom from Hiroshima to Vietnam. Hunt starts out with an anecdote about the origins of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty under U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Special Assistant for National Security Affairs Walt Whitman Rostow. He then outlines the core argument of his book: that parallel to the nuclear revolution was a “counter-revolution” to prevent the universalization of nuclear weapons, therefore maintaining the dominance of the “nuclear club” of nuclear-armed states. He then discusses the sequence of events that led to the implementation of nuclear laws, including the Limited Test Ban Treaty and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Finally, he touches on the lessons of this narrative and how the politics of nuclear diplomacy during the Cold War led to the rise of a “paternal” U.S. presidency. This was recorded at the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin.

May 9, 2023 Posted by | media | Leave a comment

Ukrainian soldiers train to deal with radiation as worries over nuclear plant grow

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog expressed growing anxiety about the safety of a Russian-occupied nuclear power plant near the front lines of fighting in Ukraine after the Moscow-installed governor of the area ordered the evacuation of the city where most plant staff live. “The risk of a chemical or nuclear attack by the enemy is always there,” said one Ukrainian soldier in training.“The risk of a chemical or nuclear attack by the enemy is always there.”

May 9, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Bristol solar farm connects directly to the grid.

A solar farm near Bristol has become the UK’s first to connect directly to
the national grid, opening a way to unblocking bottlenecks in renewable
energy schemes.

To date, the hundreds of solar farms and 1.2 million homes
with rooftop solar panels have been connected to the electricity grid’s
equivalent of A-roads, called distribution networks. However, the 50MW
Larks Green solar farm, capable of powering 17,000 homes, has instead been
connected to the transmission network, the motorways of the electricity
system.

Solar power is the cheapest electricity technology in many
countries and the fastest-growing electricity source globally. Solar
industry figures said that years-long delays were normal to enable projects
to start producing clean electricity. Some developers are routinely being
told they will have to wait until the 2030s, and in one case a company was
told it would have to wait until 2037. Ministers recently promised to
introduce reforms to speed up connections, but are yet to provide details.

On Thursday a cross-party group of MPs wrote to the government telling it
to work with energy networks, including National Grid ESO, to “unblock
the pipeline of delays”. “There is potential for solar energy to have a
bright future in the UK, but a dark cloud of delays for the industry
hinders the ability to meet its full potential,” said Philip Dunne,
chairman of the environmental audit committee.

Times 4th May 2023

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/first-solar-farm-connects-directly-to-national-grid-6nx7qjx5s

May 9, 2023 Posted by | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

Protest against investment in Sizewell C nuclear power station.

Campaigners unfurled banners reading ‘Aviva, back renewables not Sizewell
C’ outside Norwich City’s Carrow Road football ground on Thursday.
Protestors from Stop Sizewell C gathered outside an insurer’s Annual
General Meeting (AGM) to vent concerns the firm was planning to invest in
the new Sizewell C nuclear power station.

East Anglian Daily Times 5th May 2023

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/23501909.suffolk-sizewell-c-protestors-gather-norwich-city-fc/

May 9, 2023 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, UK | Leave a comment

Opposition to Sizewell C nuclear was a factor in Green Party success in East Suffolk

The conservatives in East Suffolk were swept out of power in a Green wave
as the Green Party gained 11 seats in the local elections. In total, the
Tories lost 24 seats as their number declined from 39 to just 15 seats,
leaving the council with no overall majority.

Meanwhile the Greens moved on to 16 seats, while there were also gains for Labour, who moved on to 12 seats, an increase of five, while the Liberal Democrats also saw a rise of
eight seats to leave them with 11. Southwold councillor David Beavan, who
represents the Liberal Democrats, said meetings would be held between the
Greens, Liberal Democrats and Labour next week to discuss forming a
coalition to run the council.

He believed voters had rejected the Tories
over issues such as Sizewell C and plans to route electricity cables from
offshore wind farms through the Suffolk and Essex countryside instead of
the Thames Estuary. A number of high profile Conservative candidates lost
their seats, including former district council leader Ray Herring, who led
for 20 years, but lost his Rendlesham and Orford seat to the Greens’ Tim
Wilson.

East Anglian Daily Times 5th May 2023

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/23504329.tories-very-disappointed-greens-sweep-east-suffolk/

May 9, 2023 Posted by | politics, UK | Leave a comment

Nuclear weapons may not be in Seoul’s best interest

Going nuclear would likely hurt rather than enhance South Korea’s global prestige

On May 2, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed that a U.S. Ohio-class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine will, for the first time since the 1980s, make a visit to South Korea.

The visit is part of the bolstered extended deterrence consequent to the Washington Declaration signed by American President Joe Biden and South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol on April 26 — the 70th anniversary of their two countries’ bilateral alliance.

The agreement stipulates the U.S. will “make its deterrence more visible through the regular deployment of strategic assets” to South Korea and the establishment of a new Nuclear Consultative Group to facilitate greater South Korean input into how Washington prepares for threat contingencies on the Korean Peninsula. This was the price demanded by and paid to South Korea for staying inside the global nuclear nonproliferation regime………. (subscribers only)  https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2023/05/05/commentary/world-commentary/south-korea-nuclear-weapons/

May 9, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment