US support for nuclear energy at record high, poll shows

13 June 2024

Public support in the USA for nuclear energy is at a record high level, according to the latest survey by Bisconti Research Inc. The results show that for four years in a row, more than three-quarters of the US public said that they favoured the use of nuclear energy.

Attitudes on the use of nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity in the USA, 1983-2024 (Image: Bisconti)

The National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey - conducted between 30 April and 2 May - included 1000 nationally representative US adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, and was conducted by Bisconti with the Quest Mindshare Online Panel. The company has conducted national surveys on attitudes towards nuclear energy since 1983.

The poll found that 77% of respondents said they strongly, or somewhat, favoured the use of nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity in the USA, while 23% were opposed. 

"That is a sea-change from four decades ago, when the public was about evenly divided between those who favoured nuclear energy and those who were opposed," Bisconti said.

Opinions about licence renewal and constructing new reactors were also found to be "overwhelmingly favourable" in 2024 and have remained at the same high level for the past four years. 

The survey found that 88% of the public agrees that the licences of nuclear power plants that continue to meet federal safety standards should be renewed. Bisconti said: "On this measure, the public has always viewed nuclear power plant licence renewal as similar to renewing a driver's licence - if you can drive safely, the licence should be renewed."

Support for constructing more nuclear power plants has grown, especially since 2021. The latest poll found 71% of respondents in favour of new reactors and 29% opposed.

"Those strongly favourable to nuclear energy outnumber those strongly opposed by 5 to 1," the company noted. "However, the majority do not have strong opinions. Nearly two-thirds somewhat favour or somewhat oppose nuclear energy; they are fence-sitters and have not yet made up their minds."

The level of knowledge about nuclear energy was determined in the survey by answers to 10 questions. Bisconti said many respondents failed the knowledge test. Two-thirds of the sample had low or somewhat low knowledge, and only 7% had high knowledge. The results showed "that the more people know about nuclear energy, the more strongly they favour this energy source - with a range of 14% (low knowledge group) to 70% (high knowledge group) who are strongly in favour".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

IAEA reports mine explosion close to Zaporizhzhia cooling pond

14 June 2024

As the International Atomic Energy Agency completed the 20th rotation of its experts at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi says they continue to report hearing explosions nearby.

IAEA staff have been at the plant since September 2022 (Image: IAEA)

In his latest update on the situation at the six-unit nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022, Grossi said agency staff had "confirmed with the plant that one of the mines located next to the cooling pond area exploded on 11 June. There were no physical damage or casualties from the explosion and the cause of the explosion was not shared with the IAEA team".

"This latest explosion, so close to the plant, is of grave concern and is aggravating an already fragile situation ... nuclear safety and security of the ZNPP cannot be compromised," he said.

Ahead of a Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine, Grossi met Switzerland's Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis to brief him on the work the IAEA is doing to try reduce the risk of a nuclear accident during the war and to urge the summit to "strengthen and support the unique, independent, and technical role of the IAEA".

Over the past week, the update says, IAEA staff visited an electrical substation in nearby Energodar which, according to those running the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, was damaged by shelling on 8 June. They also witnessed a successful test of safety systems at unit 2 and observed "the real-time monitoring system of the storage casks, containing spent fuel from all six reactors, at the ZNPP dry spent fuel storage facility".

An emergency drill was held on 15 May and the IAEA team has been told the drill achieved its goals and "identified several valuable lessons ... an action plan is being implemented to address the areas identified for improvement during the drill".

Since the destruction of the Kakhovka dam a year ago, the need to supply enough cooling water to the Zaporizhzhia plant has continued to be an issue. The IAEA team were informed that the operators of the plant have installed a submersible pump near the isolation gate of the discharge channel of the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant, which can pump water to the cooling pond, which is also being fed by 11 groundwater wells.

The IAEA teams at the three other Ukrainian nuclear power plants - Khmelnitsky, Rivne and South Ukraine - also rotated this week.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Ontario minister marks completion of first phase of SMR preparations

14 June 2024

Newly appointed Minister of Energy and Electrification Stephen Lecce visited Ontario Power Generation's Darlington New Nuclear site to mark the completion of the first phase of site preparation for the province's first small modular reactor (SMR) and recent trade missions to Romania and France.

Lecce's first visit to the Darlington New Nuclear site since becoming Minister of Energy and Electrification (Image: OPG/X)

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) announced in March that early phase works for the Darlington New Nuclear Project to construct the first of up to four BWRX-300 SMRs had been completed on time and on budget, clearing the way for the main site preparation work to begin.

Yesterday, the government said that OPG "has now completed the early works for the first SMR in the G7 on time and on budget" and added that the site has now been transitioned into the care of the Darlington New Nuclear Project's construction partner, Aecon, to allow for main site preparation to begin. This work includes excavation, the construction of shoring walls, and land clearance for three additional units.

"We are today announcing the next phase of construction on the first small modular reactor of its kind in our country and across the G7 and part of the industrialised world," Lecce said during his visit to the site. "We're building four here. And we're expanding Bruce. We're extending the life of Pickering. These are massive investments to ensure we have the energy security to build our economy."

The new minister also marked the successful completion of trade missions to Romania and France, with "significant deals" worth over CAD360 million (USD261 million) including the signature of new agreements with Nuclearelectrica in Romania and Stellarex in France. Lecce and former Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith - now the province's Minister of Education - also met with European government representatives and energy companies and hosted a Nuclear Education Roundtable to discuss workforce and talent gaps in Romania's nuclear sector and opportunities for future collaboration.

"With increasing geopolitical volatility, it is clear that countries around the world are looking for stable democratic energy partners that offer clean, reliable and affordable energy - and Ontario is once again answering that call," said Lecce. "Thanks to Ontario's domestic nuclear programme, we are landing major agreements abroad that are creating value-added jobs back home in Ontario as we deliver a major nuclear refurbishment in Romania that is going to support energy security for Europe."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 GLOBAL NUKE NEWZ  

Nuclear industry sets expectations of next European Commission

14 June 2024

Leaders from across the European nuclear industry have published a manifesto outlining their priorities for the new European Commission. Nuclear energy, they note, plays a crucial role in providing the EU with secure and affordable energy.

Industry leaders present their manifesto (Image: Nucleareurope)

Between 6 and 9 June, EU citizens voted to elect the 720 members of the next European Parliament. The new European Commission and its new President will shortly be elected.

The manifesto notes the Nuclear Alliance of the EU Member States who have committed to expanding their use of nuclear energy has recognised that nuclear could provide up to 150 GW of electricity capacity by 2050 in the EU, compared with about 100 GW currently. This commitment aligns with the Net Zero Nuclear initiative, launched in November last year during COP28, which aims to triple the world's nuclear energy capacity by 2050.

More recently, this support for the sector has also been echoed by the European Commission during the Nuclear Energy Summit in March, and with the launch of the European Industrial Alliance for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), as well as by the European Parliament's adoption of an Own Initiative Report on SMRs.

"We have to build on this acknowledgement," the manifesto says. "For the EU to achieve a net-zero future for our society, it is imperative to fully support the pivotal role of nuclear energy alongside renewable energy sources.

"We encourage European institutions to develop an ambitious strategy to accelerate the decarbonisation and electrification of Europe's industry. This strategy should acknowledge the significant role that nuclear energy plays in enhancing the EU's strategic autonomy."

In the manifesto, nuclear industry leaders call on policymakers to: treat all net-zero technologies equally; implement consistent and coherent policies which facilitate the deployment of nuclear; allow nuclear to access EU funds and finance; include the nuclear fuel cycle as an enabling activity under the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy; ensure that low-carbon technologies are not discriminated against in taxation policies; enable innovative nuclear technologies to access EU funds beyond the Euratom programme and provide greater support for nuclear research; and support and invest in the development of a skilled nuclear workforce.

"The challenges are significant but not impossible to overcome if the European institutions, EU Member States' governments and the whole nuclear community collaborate closely to meet them," the manifesto says. "The European nuclear industry is fully committed to fulfil its role.

"It is time to turn words into actions. Together we can make a difference."

Yves Desbazeille, director general of nuclear trade body Nucleareurope, added: "Nuclear is a clean and sustainable technology which is why it essential the next Commission treat nuclear on an equal footing with other fossil free technologies. Our expectation is that future policy proposals will focus on goals - decarbonisation, competitiveness, energy sovereignty - rather than on specific technologies."

Nuclear energy generates electricity in 14 of the 27 EU Member States, and currently provides 25% of Europe's electricity and 50% of its low carbon electricity.

Estonian parliament passes nuclear resolution

14 June 2024

The Riigikogu has passed a resolution supporting the adoption of nuclear energy in the country, paving the way for the creation of the necessary legal and regulatory framework.

(Image: Riigikogu)

The parliament based its decision on analysis conducted by the Nuclear Energy Working Group, which concluded that the adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia was feasible.

The resolution, Supporting the adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia (431 OE), says that Estonia's national development plan up to 2035 must consider the impacts of adopting nuclear energy in order to ensure security of energy supply "during the transition to climate-neutral energy production". This will include the development of a draft act on nuclear energy and safety and, if necessary, amending and supplementing existing legislation, as well as the creation of a regulatory authority for the safe use of nuclear energy, and the development of sectoral competences.

"When establishing the regulatory framework, it must be ensured that the risks related to national security, financing and form of ownership are thoroughly assessed," the resolution notes.

The explanatory memorandum that accompanies the resolution says adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia would, among other things, provide a continuous generation capacity that would balance the fluctuations in renewable energy generation capacity, help Estonia reach its climate neutrality target, ensure a stable and affordable electricity price in the long term perspective, promote research and development, bring economic benefits and create jobs for local people.

Forty-one members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the draft resolution, with 25 voting against it and two members abstaining.

Nuclear power plant proposed for north-eastern Norway

14 June 2024

Norsk Kjernekraft has submitted a proposal to Norway's Ministry of Energy for an assessment into the construction of a power plant based on multiple small modular reactors (SMRs) in the county of Finnmark. The company said it marks the first step in the formal process to establish a nuclear power plant there.

Vardø (Image: visitvardo.com)

In April last year, the municipality of Vardø in Finnmark proposed nearby Svartnes as a possible site for a nuclear power plant to Norsk Kjernekraft, which aims to build, own and operate SMR power plants in Norway in collaboration with power-intensive industry. Vardø municipality and Norsk Kjernekraft entered into an agreement to prepare a report with proposals for a study programme in June 2023.

In collaboration with Vardø, Norsk Kjernekraft has mapped the energy situation in Finnmark, and considered the local conditions at Svartnes. Based on this, a nuclear power plant is proposed with a capacity of up to 600 MWe and an annual output of up to 5 TWh - "enough to triple the power supply in Finnmark". 

Norsk Kjernekraft said the report it has now submitted to the Ministry of Energy "describes local conditions for the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant at Svartnes outside Vardø, and which topics will be described in a future impact assessment. The available information suggests that the location is suitable for the purpose."

The scope of the proposed study programme is limited to assessing what effects construction, operation and decommissioning of the power plant can have for society and the environment. Once the proposal has been approved by the ministry, an environmental impact assessment can start.

The report says Vardø is an urban community with "a good public service offer and varied working life", and that it is therefore possible to attract the high number of employees necessary for construction and operation of the plant. Other advantages at Vardø are that there are already power lines and a substation where, combined with good road connections, ports, large areas available for both the power plant and power-intensive industry, ample access to cooling water, stable ground conditions and local political support for nuclear power. "In addition, a nuclear power plant in the far east of the country will emphasise Norway's willingness to assert sovereignty," it adds.

Norsk Kjernekraft notes that, due to limited network capacity in Vardø, it will consider alternative locations in Finnmark before the impact assessment begins.

The report says that electricity is currently generated in Finnmark using hydro plants and wind turbines. "In periods of low wind, Finnmark is dependent on supply of power from other parts of Norway and from Finland," it says. "The nuclear power plant will produce electricity completely independently of the weather, thereby providing a significant improvement in the reliability of the power supply throughout north Scandinavia, as well as helping to cover the expected power demand."

"The purpose of this notice is to inform the relevant authorities and other stakeholders that the construction of a nuclear power plant in Vardø is considered, and to invite other municipalities to report their interest in investigating alternative locations in their municipalities," Norsk Kjernekraft said.

The company said it intends to utilise a significant part of the excess heat from the plant "as an input factor for industrial companies, food production, district heating and others". It said the power plant can enable the establishment of local industry, for example within data centres, hydrogen production, mineral extraction, green shipping and food production.

Norsk Kjernekraft CEO Jonny Hesthammer commented: "A nuclear power plant in Vardø will give Finnmark access to large amounts of stable power, create hundreds of jobs and provide light in the houses in a strategically important part of our country. In addition, it will help assert Norwegian sovereignty and ensure Norwegian presence. This report will be an important part of the knowledge base for the government's announced investigation into nuclear power in Norway."

"This is a right and important step to meet future energy needs," added Vardø mayor Tor-Erik Labahå. "A nuclear power plant in Vardø will build the community in the far north-east of Norway, and it will be able to supply new industry in the entire Eastern Finnmark region."

In November, Norsk Kjernekraft submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Energy for an assessment into the construction of an SMR power plant based in the municipalities of Aure and Heim in south-western Norway. In April this year, it initiated work on the impact assessment of a plot of land in Øygarden municipality, west of Bergen, to assess the possibility of establishing a nuclear power plant comprising up to five SMRs.

A new company, Halden Kjernekraft AS, has also been founded by Norsk Kjernekraft, Østfold Energi and the municipality of Halden to investigate the construction of a nuclear power plant based on SMRs at Halden, where a research reactor once operated.

Uranium production resumes at Texas project

14 June 2024

The start-up of production at Alta Mesa - a joint venture of enCore Energy and Boss Energy - sees enCore become the only US uranium producer with multiple production facilities currently in operation and is the second start-up in eight weeks for Boss Energy. The first shipment of yellowcake is expected in 60-90 days' time.

(Image: enCore Energy)

The previously producing in-situ leach project comprises the fully licensed and constructed Alta Mesa Uranium Central Processing Plant (CPP) and wellfield, and was acquired by enCore from Energy Fuels Inc in February 2023 for USD120 million. In December, the company entered into an agreement with Australia's Boss Energy which saw Boss acquiring a 30% stake. It is operated by enCore.

EnCore CEO Paul Goranson said the company has advanced the project from acquisition to the completion of upgrades, wellfield installation and production within fifteen months. Alta Mesa is the company's second producing asset to come online: the Rosita CPP, also in South Texas, resumed production in late 2023 after being offline since 2008, and shipped its first uranium in March.

"Our strategy at Alta Mesa is to initiate phased ramp-up from the wellfield located in Production Authorisation Area 7 (PAA-7), increasing production progressively and consistently as additional injection and recovery wells are systematically tied into the production lines," Goranson said. "As we continue to increase production from PAA-7, work has commenced on the second new wellfield at Production Authorisation Area 8 with a goal of achieving full operational capacity by 2026. We are very pleased with our initial early production providing enCore with a second revenue source as we continue to build out the Alta Mesa Project."

The Alta Mesa CPP has a total processing capacity of 1.5 million pounds U3O8 (577 tU) per year with additional drying capacity of  0.5 million pounds. It produced nearly 5 million pounds U3O8 between 2005 and 2013, when production was curtailed due to low uranium prices.

Currently, oxygenated water - used to extract uranium from the orebody - is being circulated in the wellfield through injection or extraction wells plumbed directly into the primary pipelines feeding the CPP. Expansion of the wellfield will continue with production to steadily increase from the wellfield as expansion continues through 2024 and beyond, enCore said.

In April, Boss Energy's Honeymoon project in South Australia produced its first drum of uranium in more than a decade, and Managing Director Duncan Craib said the start of production at the Alta Mesa Project is another key milestone in the company's strategy to be a global uranium supplier with a diversified production base in tier-one locations.

“With operations now ramping up at both Honeymoon and Alta Mesa, we are on track to hit our combined nameplate production target of 3 million pounds of uranium per annum," he said. "Our timing could hardly be better given the increasingly tight supply and demand fundamentals in the uranium market."

Kazatomprom gets go-ahead for Inkai 3 pilot

13 June 2024

The national atomic company has signed a new subsoil use agreement with Kazakhstan's Minister of Energy and received approval for up to four years of pilot production of a total of 701 tU from the Inkai 3 deposit.

(Image: Kazatomprom)

Inkai is a key uranium deposit, located in the Suzak district of Turkestan region. The Inkai 3 deposit contains uranium resources of 83,100 tU, Kazatomprom said.

"This licence is important to our sustainable development strategy. Launch of pilot production at Inkai 3 will contribute to social and economic development of the Turkestan region," Kazatomprom CEO Meirzhan Yussupov said. "Replenishment of the mineral resource base will further bolster our position as a uranium industry leader and help us to meet the rising demand for clean energy."

Kazatomprom said it expects to transfer the Inkai 3 subsoil use contract to its 100%-owned Kazatomprom-SaUran LLP subsidiary, which mines uranium from the Kanzhugan, South Moyynkum, Central Moyynkum, Uvanas and Mynkuduk deposits in the Turkestan region. Last year, it completed a major investment project to modernise its 1600 tonne per year uranium refinery in Turkestan.

The company announced its plans to start production from the new deposit in June last year, when it said it was negotiating subsoil rights based on project documents with a validity of 25 years, including the pilot production phase. At that time, it said planned to construct operating assets with an annual capacity of 4,000 tU.

All uranium production in Kazakshtan is by the in-situ leach method. JV Inkai LLP, a partnership of Canadian company Cameco (40%) and Kazatomprom (60%), produces uranium from the Inkai 1 deposit.

Sanmen 3 containment walls take shape

13 June 2024

The three steel rings forming the walls of the main containment shell have been hoisted into place at unit 3 of the Sanmen nuclear power plant in China's Zhejiang province.

(Image: Hou Bangjun / SNERDI)

Installation of the three rings - each with a wall thickness of almost 4.5 centimetres, an inner diameter of about 39.6 metres and an overall height of about 11.6 metres - was completed on 5 June, the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI) announced. The total hoisting weight was about 826 tonnes.

In addition to installing temporary stiffening ribs, accessory plates, air deflector brackets, guide devices, lifting ears and other items on the shell, pipelines, electrical, ventilation, steel structures and electric winches were also installed in advance to further save the installation time of items on the island, reduce the risk of cross-operation, and improve on-site work efficiency, SNERDI said.

The construction of two new reactors at each of the Sanmen, Haiyang and Lufeng sites in China was approved by China's State Council in April 2021. The approvals were for Sanmen units 3 and 4, Haiyang 3 and 4 and units 5 and 6 of the Lufeng plant. The Sanmen and Haiyang plants are already home to two Westinghouse AP1000 units each, and two CAP1000 units were approved for Phase II (units 3 and 4) of each plant.

The CAP1000 reactor design - the Chinese version of the AP1000 - uses modular construction techniques, enabling large structural modules to be built at factories and then installed at the site. This means that more construction activities can take place at the same time, reducing the time taken to build a plant as well as offering economic and quality control benefits.

The first safety-related concrete was poured for the nuclear island of Sanmen 3 on 28 June 2022, marking the official start of its construction. The first concrete for that of unit 4 was poured on 22 March last year. The units are expected to be connected to the grid in 2027 and 2028, respectively.

Cyclotron lifted into place at Argentina's Proton Therapy Centre

13 June 2024

The 230-tonne cyclotron, which will produce proton beams for advanced cancer therapy, was lifted into the building in two stages this week.

The cyclotron was lifted in two parts (Image: CNEA)

The centre is being built in Buenos Aires, next to the Nuclear Diagnostic Center Foundation and is a joint project between Argentina's National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), the University of Buenos Aires and construction company INVAP.

Luis Rovere, vice president of the CNEA, called it a "very important milestone" with the cyclotron being the main machine for the Proton Therapy Centre, which is described as the first proton centre for the treatment of cancer in the southern hemisphere. He said: "We estimate that the first tests could begin in the second half of 2025."

The operation was carried out by Belgian company Ion Beam Applications, supplier of the equipment.

The C230 cyclotron, from the Proteus Plus system, is a circular particle accelerator that produces beams of protons. It is located in a secure space with concrete walls up to four metres wide, which meant that the lifting and placing of the lower and upper halfs of the cyclotron had to be a precision operation.

According to INVAP: "Unlike the photon beam used in conventional radiotherapy, proton therapy uses high-energy protons directing higher doses to the tumour area without increasing the doses in other areas. The large mass of these protons prevents them from undergoing changes in their path to the tumour, allowing them to be more precisely directed to the affected tissues thereby minimising adverse effects on healthy tissues or organs."

The precision of the treatment, says INVAP, makes it "ideal for treating tumours that are difficult to access or surrounded by vital structures such as brain, head and neck, or lung tumours. It is also a very safe option for treating paediatric tumours since the treatment produces fewer side effects in growing bodily structures".

The Proton Therapy Centre will also offer radiotherapy with high energy X-rays and will also feature a CyberKnife linear accelerator for radiosurgery, with a robotic arm that moves and irradiates while visualising the tumour through real-time radiographic images. There will also be a magnetic resonator and a dual energy tomograph. In addition, there will be a dedicated Research, Development and Innovation laboratory at the site, separate from the clinical areas.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Elliott steps in to back faltering Canadian copper miner after bankruptcy

Bloomberg News | June 11, 2024 | 

Pumpkin Hollow mine in Yerington, Nevada. (Reference image by Nevada Copper.)

US hedge fund manager Elliott Investment Management has offered support to troubled Canadian miner Nevada Copper Corp. after the company filed for bankruptcy protection.


Before Monday’s bankruptcy filing, Nevada Copper had attracted two bidders though it failed to close a deal with either one, chief financial officer Gregory J. Martin said in a court filing. To help pay for the Chapter 11 restructuring case, the company agreed to borrow as much as $60 million from Elliott affiliates. Elliott didn’t immediately provide comment.

Nevada Copper files for bankruptcy, names new top boss

While Nevada Copper said Elliott has offered to help with debtor-in-possession financing, the actual loan needs to be approved by the court. Elliott owns two-thirds of Triple Flag Precious Metals Corp., a Canadian streaming company that invested in Nevada Copper’s operations.

Nevada Copper had been in the process of restarting mining at its Pumpkin Hollow project, but a series of operational setbacks including a build up of water underground saw costs spiral for the Vancouver-based company. Its key backers, which include Pala Investments Ltd. and Mercuria Energy Group Ltd., balked at putting up more money.

The company’s collapse comes when the mining industry has never been more bullish on copper’s outlook, with the metal soaring above $11,000 a metric ton to hit a record last month. While copper prices have sharply dropped since then, many investors and mining executives see a deepening shortage of copper, a metal that’s essential in the global push to shift from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources.

(By Guillermo Molero)

US imposes sanctions on Guyanese mining magnate over alleged fraud

Reuters | June 11, 2024 | 

Aerial Photo of Gold and Diamond Mine Town of Mahdia Guyana. Stock image.

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Guyanese mining magnate Nazar Mohamed and his son over allegations the two men defrauded Guyana’s government of tax revenues and bribed public officials, the Treasury Department said.


The sanctions, which target three of the men’s companies as well as a Guyanese government official, fall under an executive order aimed at stemming corruption and human rights abuses.

Reuters has previously reported that the two men face a criminal probe by US law enforcement agencies into alleged money laundering, drug trafficking and gold smuggling. They have denied any wrongdoing.

In a statement, US Treasury Department official Brian Nelson said the action aimed to disrupt “those who seek to exploit Guyana’s underdeveloped gold sector for personal gain.”

Treasury’s sanctions target Mohamed’s son Azruddin along with the companies Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing team. The Guyanese official targeted is Mae Thomas, who Treasury described as the country’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and a former home affairs secretary.

(By Rami Ayyub; Editing by Susan Heavey)

 35 bottles from the 18th century filled with cherries unearthed by archeologists at George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Ashley R. Williams, CNN
Sat, 15 June 2024

The story of a six-year-old George Washington chopping down a cherry tree may be a myth, but archeologists excavating Mount Vernon, the home of the United States’ first president, made the very real discovery of 35 glass bottles filled with cherries and berries.

The bottles were found in five storage pits in the mansion’s cellar, with 29 of them intact and containing “perfectly preserved cherries and berries, likely gooseberries or currants,” according to a news release from George Washington’s Mount Vernon on Thursday.

Crews unearthed the 18th-century bottles during the ongoing $40 million revitalization project launched last year at Mount Vernon, Virginia.

The bottles were extracted from the pits and refrigerated, and are expected to undergo scientific analysis, the release states.

The slowly drying bottles, “composed of materials and foodstuffs that are likely 250 years old,” will be sent from Mount Vernon’s archaeology lab to an off-site location for conservation, according to the release.

The latest discovery comes after the recent find of two intact European-manufactured glass bottles, also from the 18th century, filled with liquid, cherries and pits in the same cellar, according to the organization.

Cherries and pits were removed from the 18th-century glass bottles. - Courtesy Mount Vernon Ladies' Association

“Now we know those bottles were just the beginning of this blockbuster discovery,” Mount Vernon President and CEO Doug Bradburn said in a statement.

Bradburn referred to the discoveries as “an unprecedented find,” adding that “nothing of this scale and significance has ever been excavated in North America.”

“The bottles and contents are a testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table,” said Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon principal archaeologist.

The bottles may have been forgotten when Washington left Mount Vernon to take command of the Continental Army, according to Bradburn.

“These artifacts likely haven’t seen the light of day since before the American Revolution,” he said. “It’s so appropriate that these bottles have been unearthed shortly before the 250th anniversary of the United States.”

Bradburn added that the organization’s team is hopeful the cherry pits may be viable for future germination.

Mount Vernon partnered with the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service to analyze the bottles’ contents.

In the early stages of analysis, researchers identified 54 cherry pits and 23 stems, suggesting the bottles were likely full of cherries at one point, according to the release.

“The cherries likely are of a tart variety, which has a more acidic composition that may have aided in preservation,” the release states.

The cherries are likely candidates for DNA extraction, which could help researchers compare them against a database to identify their exact species, according to the release.

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Europe’s largest rare earth element deposit discovered in ancient Norwegian volcano

Written byRishav KothariSunday, June 16, 2024



Norwegian mining company Rare Earths Norway (REN) announced on June 6, 2024, that their Fen Carbonatite Complex, located in an ancient volcano near the capital Oslo, contains an estimated 8.8 megatons of rare earth oxides, making it Europe’s largest rare earth element deposit.

The Fen Carbonatite Complex is located next to the village of Ulefoss in Telemark County, about 100 km (62 miles) southwest of Oslo, near Lake Norsjø. It is the exposed magma-filled pipe of a volcano that has been dormant for 580 million years, with a diameter of about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers).

The current resource estimate extends to a depth of 468 m (1 535 feet) below mean sea level. However, REN anticipates the significant potential for future expansion, with previous exploration indicating mineralization could extend to approximately 1 000 m (3 280 feet) below m.s.l. New mining methods are expected to further increase the resource estimate.

“This is a very important moment for Rare Earths Norway,” said Alf Reistad, CEO of Rare Earths Norway.

“The resource estimate underscores the potential of the deposit to be a transformative asset that can underpin a secure rare earths value chain for Europe. We are working with leading partners, such as Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria, to develop this deposit with the world’s most sustainable mining and mineral processing technology, minimizing the environmental footprint from mine to magnet.”


According to Bernd Schäfer, CEO of EIT RawMaterials, the project offers Europe the potential to invest in world-class mining and processing initiatives. These efforts aim to secure industrial value chains and establish new standards in environmental and social performance through technology, innovation, and collaboration.

The Maiden Inferred Mineral Resource is estimated at 559 million tonnes (Mt) at 1.57% Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO), indicating the Fen Carbonatite Complex contains 8.8 Mt TREO with a reasonable prospect for economic extraction. Within the TREOs, 1.5 Mt are magnet-related rare earths used in electric vehicles and wind turbines, which the EU considers the most critical raw materials due to supply risk.

The discovery could be extremely important for the local community in Nome, but also for Norway and Europe for generations.

The rare earth oxides (TREO) found in the Fen Carbonatite Complex are critical components used in various advanced technologies. These elements are essential for the production of strong permanent magnets, which are crucial for the motors in electric vehicles and the generators in wind turbines. They are also vital in the manufacturing of consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, playing key roles in components like batteries, displays, and speakers. Additionally, rare earth elements are used in numerous defense and aerospace applications, including advanced radar systems, missile guidance systems, and jet engines.

Rare Earths Norway is actively pursuing the Norwegian government’s ambitions through a new Mineral Strategy to develop the world’s most sustainable mineral industry. REN aims to establish a complete value chain, from mine to magnet, with significantly lower climate and environmental impact.

Exploration work at Fen will continue, with a new drilling campaign scheduled for 2024. REN will assess the economic viability of the project through continued study work, with results expected later in 2024. Plans include establishing a pilot factory in Nome municipality to test new technologies and optimize mineral processing. This pilot will also serve as an educational platform in collaboration with local schools.


Telemark Utviklingsfond (TUF) has already supported the pilot with NOK 20 million. REN is now working on localization and full financing of the pilot. Exploration, development of new technologies, and test mining are expected to lead to an investment decision of NOK 10 billion for the first stage of mining by 2030. REN aims to cover 10% of the demand for rare earths, in line with European Union goals under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).


References:

1 Europe’s largest deposit of rare earth elements discovered at Fen, Norway- Rare Earths Norway – June 6, 2024

Featured image credit: REN

Crocodile attacks in Indonesia have increased and experts say illegal tin mines are to blame

Story by ABC Asia / by Sophie Johnson and Julian Morrow • 1d • 

Indonesia has the highest crocodile attack rate in the world — but it's likely not for the reason you think.

In the decade up to 2023, more than 1,000 attacks took place, leading to 486 deaths, and experts say the proliferation of illegal tin mines is to blame.

Areas with larger amounts of tin tend to be more prone to crocodile-conflict incidents — in particular, the Bangka-Belitung islands, off the south-eastern coast of Sumatra.

Brandon Sideleau is a wildlife biologist and founder of CrocAttack, a worldwide database tracking incidents between humans and crocs.

"In terms of reported attacks, Indonesia is definitely the highest by far, well over, probably close to 150 attacks reported annually, and about 85 deaths annually, and that's just what we get," he said.

"If you include Papua and West Papua, where there's barely any reporting, it's probably closer to around, you know, 120 deaths, and probably close to 200 attacks, but that's just an extrapolated estimate."

Illegal mining has destroyed natural biodiversity and crocodile habitats, resulting in a depletion of fish and other species they would naturally prey upon, Mr Sideleau said.

Instead, they start going after "domestic animals, livestock, dogs, stuff like that, and occasionally people".

The crocodiles move into old, flooded mines or areas known as "kulongs".

"[The kulongs] fill with crabs and fish, and they may attract, like dogs, livestock, and people actually use them for bathing, sometimes for fishing," Mr Sideleau said.

"Miners still use them to mine after they've been flooded in full and this also attracts crocodiles."
Protecting crocodiles and humans

Tin is used largely in smartphones, as well as other electronic devices.

The regional government of Bangka-Belitung gained control of the tin mines after Indonesia democratised in 1998, and in 2001, citizens were given the right to mine.

However, illegal mines boomed as a result, and unregulated mining methods led to severe degradation of land and wildlife displacement.

Endi Yusuf is the manager at Alobi Wildlife Rescue Centre, based in Bangka-Belitung.

His team tries to rescue and rehabilitate wild animals, including crocodiles, that have been impacted by illegal mining.


"There is a serious problem here ... about the conflict — the victim is not just the animals, but the victim is the people too," he said.

Mr Yusuf said natural habitat decreases every year, causing an increase in conflicts between animals and humans.

"Bangka-Belitung is a very small island, we have the limited area, we have the limited habitat," he said.

"[The] ecosystem is broken. Everything is broken, [crocodiles] don't have the food anymore in their [natural] habitat.


"[We] fight every day to save [the animals] or evacuate them."

The amount of space and funding available to the organisation limits the work they can do.

Currently, the rescue centre is home to a handful of small crocodiles, but rehabilitation is not a suitable option in Bangka-Belitung due to the damage caused by illegal mining.

In the past, the team relocated animals to the neighbouring island of Sumatra.