Kairos Power made history on May 8 as the first small modular reactor (SMR) developer to pour concrete for a U.S. advanced reactor.
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EU power grid needs trillion-dollar upgrade to avert Spain-style blackouts
Europe’s ageing power grid and lack of energy storage capacity will require trillions of dollars in investments to cope with rising green energy output, increasing electricity demand and to avoid blackouts. A week ago, Spain and Portugal lost power in their worst blackout. Authorities are investigating the cause, but whatever the findings, analysts and industry representatives say infrastructure investment...
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Global nuclear fusion project crosses milestone with world’s most powerful magnet
A much-delayed nuclear fusion project involving more than 30 countries is ready to assemble the world’s most powerful magnet – a key part of efforts to generate clean energy by smashing atoms together at super-high temperatures. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, based in southern France and backed by the United States, China, Japan,...
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Spain Slowly Returning to Normal After Crippling Blackout
Spain and Portugal were returning to some semblance of normality early Tuesday, with many questions remaining about what caused one of Europe’s worst blackouts in years across the Iberian peninsula the previous day. Spanish power supplies were back to nearly 100% capacity at around 7 a.m. in Madrid, and urban trains were slowly returning to...
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China Approves 10 New Reactors in Nuclear Power Ramp-Up
China’s State Council approved 10 new reactors on Sunday in a vote of confidence for nuclear power to remain central to the nation’s clean energy transition. It’s the fourth year in a row that China has approved at least 10 new reactors. The nation has 30 under construction, nearly half the global total, and is...
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Soil Contamination Puts Global Agriculture at Risk
New research highlights a largely overlooked risk to food production systems: widespread soil contamination by heavy metals. A large-scale analysis of nearly 800,000 global soil samples found that about 17% of the world’s surface soils exceed safe thresholds for at least one toxic metal. For the agriculture sector, that’s a red flag not just for food security, but...
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China Turns to Middle East LPG to Replace Tariff-Hit US Gas
Chinese plastics plants that buy liquefied petroleum gas are turning to the Middle East to replace tariff-hit imports from the US, disrupting global flows and reviving moribund freight rates. The LPG buyers, seeking to swap US cargoes bought earlier with alternatives, have found that Persian Gulf producers including Saudi Aramco are able to help with those requests,...
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The US has a single rare earths mine. Chinese export limits are energizing a push for more
America’s only rare earths mine heard from anxious companies soon after China responded to President Donald Trump’s tariffs this month by limiting exports of those minerals used for military applications and in many high-tech devices. “Based on the number of phone calls we’re receiving, the effects have been immediate,” said Matt Sloustcher, a spokesperson for MP Materials, the company that...
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The Ukraine Mineral Deal Is a Win for America, Ukraine, and Peace
As the Trump administration angles for peace between Ukraine and Russia, the real driving force that will bring calm to the region — while benefiting the United States — is a critical mineral deal with America.
To understand why, we must first recognize why critical minerals are so essential.
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Pakistan Looks to Appease Trump With Cotton, Soy Purchase Offer
Pakistan will offer to buy more cotton and soybean from the US, according to people with knowledge of the matter, as it looks to halve its bilateral trade surplus and escape tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The South Asian country wants to reduce this surplus to below $2 billion from about $4 billion in...