😱Mexico’s Desperate Race for Uranium

Welcome to Nuclear Update! Get ready for some fission-tastic news from the nuclear realm!

This is what we got for you this week:

• 😱Mexico’s Desperate Race for Uranium

• 📺Discovery Channel Launches Nuclear Series

• 😡Sweden Blames Germany’s Nuclear Exit for Energy Surge

• 🔋First Carbon-14 Diamond Battery Unveiled

😱Mexico’s Desperate Race for Uranium

Mexico’s state-owned utility, Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), is urgently seeking low-enriched uranium (LEU) to reload fuel for its Laguna Verde nuclear plant after Rosatom’s Tenex declared force majeure on a contracted shipment.

The 1.5 GW Laguna Verde facility in requires LEU before its scheduled March outage—a planned maintenance period for refueling and essential inspections.

The disruption likely stems from geopolitical tensions, as Russia recently imposed a temporary ban on LEU exports to the US, complicating supply chains even for non-restricted destinations like Mexico.

With limited alternatives available, CFE is navigating a challenging market to secure the necessary fuel assemblies by February to ensure uninterrupted operations.

📺Warner Bros. Discovery Launches Nuclear Series

Warner Bros. Discovery has partnered with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to launch an educational series on nuclear science and technology on the Discovery Channel, set to debut in 2025.

Named ‘Good To Know,’ the series will feature short films that showcase nuclear-based solutions to global challenges such as drought, cancer, and plastic pollution.

It will be broadcast across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to over 40 million monthly viewers, both on television and online.

This initiative aims to enhance public understanding and support for nuclear science as a tool for environmental sustainability and societal improvement.

📰CNBC Television: “The Surge in Uranium Mining: Here’s What to Know”

😡Sweden Blames Germany’s Nuclear Exit for Energy Surge

Sweden is attributing soaring energy prices to Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear power.

Swedish Energy Minister Ebba Busch criticized Germany’s nuclear shutdown, explaining that Germany’s reduced nuclear capacity has increased reliance on Swedish exports to fill supply gaps. This reliance has decreased electricity availability for Swedish consumers, driving up domestic prices.

EU regulations require Sweden to export electricity, and economic, technical, and political factors prevent Sweden from halting these exports. Stopping would disrupt the integrated EU energy market and breach existing agreements.

Critics argue that EU energy market mechanisms prioritize broader European demand over national needs, highlighting vulnerabilities associated with reduced nuclear energy capacity.

🔋First Carbon-14 Diamond Battery Unveiled

Scientists at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the University of Bristol have pioneered the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery, promising to power devices for over 5,000 years.

This innovative battery harnesses the radioactive decay of carbon-14, which has a half-life of 5,700 years, to generate low levels of continuous power.

Unlike solar panels that convert light into electricity, the carbon-14 diamond battery captures fast-moving electrons within its diamond structure.

Sarah Clark of UKAEA highlighted its safety and sustainability, noting that the diamond encases the carbon-14 securely.

Developed at UKAEA’s Culham campus as a spin-off from fusion energy research, potential applications include powering long-term devices in hostile environments, such as space radio frequency tags or medical pacemakers.

⚛️Nuclear Nuggets

Argentinian President Javier Milei announces new nuclear energy program for Argentina. Argentina will start building nuclear power plants again.

The Australian opposition says newly released economic analysis shows its plan for a balanced energy mix that includes nuclear will be cheaper, cleaner, and more consistent than the renewables-only approach favored by the current government.

Canada is considering imposing tariffs on exports of oil, uranium, and potassium carbonate to the United States if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his plan to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods.

Japan’s industry ministry is making final amendments to a policy that will set the country’s planned nuclear share in 2040 at 20% – a significant increase from the estimated 8.5% the reactor fleet provides today.

Italy kicks off project to develop small nuclear reactors to power moon settlements.

😂Meme of the Week

💪Review of the Week

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research