Global Climate News

Finland has made significant investments in its green transition, including over €3 billion in wind power in 2023 and an additional €2 billion planned for 2024. A new nuclear power plant was also launched. The country aims to achieve self-sufficiency in electricity generation and is attracting foreign investment in green hydrogen production and industrial electrification. Green investments are projected at €2 billion in 2024 and €4 billion in 2025 (excluding onshore wind power), with a total of €140 billion in planned projects.

The UKAEA’s NEURONE consortium has achieved a breakthrough in producing fusion-grade steel on an industrial scale, potentially reducing production costs by up to 10 times and improving the efficiency of future fusion power plants. The ~£12M project involved universities and organizations across the UK and Australia.

The Environment Agency in England is consulting the public on Sizewell C Limited’s application for an environmental permit to construct a highway drainage surface water headwall and remove an associated ash tree near the River Yox/Minsmere River. The works will take place on the south bank of the river, downstream of the A12 Yoxford road bridge.

Finland has experienced a decline in electricity prices, with the Nordic power futures indicating further decreases below 50 euros per megawatt-hour. The country is on track to become self-sufficient in electricity and achieve fossil-free power generation within the next couple of years due to new nuclear reactors and increased wind power capacity. Onshore wind power in Finland is noted as one of the cheapest methods for increasing zero-emission power in Europe, reducing reliance on Russian energy imports.

Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines are using nuclear technology to recycle plastic waste and develop sustainable alternatives. The IAEA's NUTEC Plastics initiative supports these efforts through partnerships with private sector companies, such as PT Viro in Indonesia, HDD Technology and Alam Flora in Malaysia, and Envirotech Waste Recycling in the Philippines. These collaborations focus on using radiation technology to transform plastic waste into valuable products, addressing plastic pollution and promoting a circular economy.

The UK-based M-SParc’s Egni team secured £360,000 from the NDA’s Socio-Economic Fund in 2021 and an additional £389,000 in 2024 for projects supporting low-carbon businesses and education. The NDA has invested £60 million over five years in similar community projects.

Egypt saved $1 billion in fuel consumption for electricity generation last year. The country aims to increase renewable energy to 42% by 2030 and 60% by 2040, including 65 GW from wind and solar. Orascom Construction finished the first phase of a wind farm. Asia-Potash plans to invest $10 billion in Egypt for phosphate fertilizer production.

India plans to triple its nuclear power capacity from 8,180 MW to 22,480 MW by 2031-32 to meet its net-zero target. The country is also developing thorium-based nuclear fuel and a prototype fast breeder reactor. However, challenges include high upfront costs, public opposition, and stringent liability laws.

The European Commission confirmed the inclusion of fossil gas and nuclear activities in the EU Climate Taxonomy. This decision, while criticized, aims to facilitate investments in transitional energy activities. The proposal includes criteria for gas and nuclear power generation, and will undergo a four-month approval process by Member States and the European Parliament. A review clause mandates re-examination of the provisions every three years.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has emphasized the importance of accounting for uncertainty in energy models and not treating projections as predictions. The agency uses models to inform decision strategies and facilitate dialogue among stakeholders, highlighting the need for humility and intellectual honesty in assessing future energy scenarios. The EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) now includes \"cones of uncertainty\" to better reflect the unpredictability of future energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.

US-based researchers have used supercomputers to simulate how Alfvén waves can disperse runaway electrons in fusion reactors, potentially mitigating damage to the reactor walls. The simulations, performed on Summit and soon Frontier supercomputers, suggest a promising method to prevent damage from these high-energy electrons.

The IAEA has launched a free e-learning series on its safety standards, covering all nuclear and radiation applications for peaceful purposes. The series includes 13 modules, available in multiple languages, and aims to increase global awareness and effective application of these standards to protect people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation. Over 6500 individuals have already used the modules since 2020.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released its 10th annual Standard Scenarios, modeling least-cost electricity futures for the US through 2050. The 2024 edition shows significant growth in wind, solar, storage, and natural gas, with coal mostly retiring or retrofitting by 2032 under current policies. New scenarios include 100% net life-cycle CO2-equivalent decarbonization.

US-based Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) hosted the 10th annual Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) workshop, attracting 365 participants. The workshop focused on advancements in MSR technology, including demonstration projects, reactor design, and international deployment strategies. ORNL's expertise in MSRs dates back to the 1950s, and the lab's involvement continues to shape the field, as evidenced by Kairos Power's recent groundbreaking on a demonstration reactor near the ORNL site.

The IPCC assessment reports (AR5 and AR6) have shown that scenarios without specific climate policies have shifted lower due to falling low-carbon technology costs and reduced expectations for economic growth. Mitigation pathways consistent with 1.5–2 °C have seen increasing electrification rates and higher shares of variable renewables in electricity, reflecting changing costs. Despite the shrinking carbon budget, mitigation costs have not increased given more optimistic low-carbon technology cost projections. Scenario producers must continually recalibrate to keep abreast of technology, policy and societal developments to remain policy relevant.

The US Department of Treasury and IRS released final rules for the section 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. The rules clarify eligibility for the credit for hydrogen producers using various sources, including electricity, natural gas with carbon capture, and renewable natural gas. The rules also include prevailing wage and apprenticeship standards and aim to accelerate clean hydrogen deployment.

The IAEA is assessing the impact of attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on nuclear safety. The attacks have reduced the stability of Ukraine’s electrical grid, impacting the off-site power supply to nuclear power plants. The IAEA is working to identify and deliver technical assistance to help prevent a nuclear accident.

The UK's electricity was the cleanest ever in 2024, with CO2 emissions per unit falling by more than two-thirds in a decade. This is due to phasing out coal, reduced electricity from fossil fuels (now less than half from a decade ago), and more than doubled renewable generation. In 2024, fossil fuels made up 29% of UK’s electricity, renewables reached 45%, and nuclear was 13%. The carbon intensity of electricity fell to 124gCO2/kWh in 2024, down 70% from 2014.

MIT's Associate Professor Matteo Bucci and his team have developed new experimental techniques and a unifying principle to address the boiling crisis in nuclear reactors, enhancing efficiency and preventing failures. Their research also focuses on two-phase immersion cooling for data centers, aiming to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions significantly. This work has implications for efficient energy production, electronics cooling, and more.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a 10-year contract with Constellation New Energy for over 10 million megawatt-hours of electricity, including 2.4 million MWh from new nuclear capacity. This is GSA’s largest energy purchase, providing power to 80 federal facilities and aiming for 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2030.