Social media's double-edged sword: New study links both active and passive use to rising loneliness

Baylor consumer behavior expert examines the hidden emotional costs of social media

Baylor University

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"The Epidemic of Loneliness: A Nine-Year Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Passive and Active Social Media Use on Loneliness" investigated how social media use impacts loneliness over time.  This eye-opening research suggests that the very platforms designed to bring us together contribute to an "epidemic of loneliness."

The findings showed that both passive (PSMU) and active (ASMU) social media use were associated with increased feelings of loneliness over time. While passive social media use—like browsing without interaction—predictable lead to heightened loneliness, active use, involving posting and engaging with others, was also linked to increased feelings of loneliness. These results suggest that the quality of digital interactions may not fulfill the social needs that are met in face-to-face communication.

“This research underscores the complexity of social media’s impact on mental health,” said primary investigator James A. Roberts, Ph.D. “While social media offers unprecedented access to online communities, it appears that extensive use—whether active or passive—does not alleviate feelings of loneliness and may, in fact, intensify them.”

The study also found a two-way relationship between loneliness and social media use.  "It appears that a continuous feedback loop exists between the two,” Roberts, Ph.D.  “Lonely people turn to social media to address their feelings, but it is possible that such social media use merely fans the flames of loneliness."​

The findings emphasize an urgent need for further research into the effects of digital interaction, underlining the essential role of in-person connections in supporting well-being. This study adds a valuable perspective to the conversation on how digital habits influence mental health, offering insights to shape future mental health initiatives, policies, and guidelines for healthier social media use.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

JAMES A. ROBERTS, PH.D.

James A. Roberts, Ph.D., is The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. A noted consumer behavior expert, he is among the "World's Top 2%" most-cited scientists in a database compiled by Stanford University. In addition to journal citations, Roberts has often been called upon by national media outlets for his consumer expertise and latest research. He has appeared on the CBS Early Show, ABC World News Tonight, ABC Good Morning America, NBC’s TODAY Show and NPR’s Morning Edition, as well as in articles in The New York Times, USA TODAY, The Wall Street Journal, TIME and many others.

Roberts’ research has focused on how individual consumer attitudes and behavior impact personal and collective well-being. His research has investigated the factors that drive ecologically and socially conscious consumer behavior, the impact of materialism and compulsive buying on well-being and the impact of smartphone and social media use on personal well-being. He is the author of “Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Can’t Buy” and “Too Much of a Good Thing: Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone?”

PHIL D. YOUNG

Phil D. Young serves as the graduate program director for the Master’s in Business Analytics program at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, where he oversees initiatives designed to foster partnerships between the university and the broader business community.

MEREDITH E. DAVID, Ph.D.

Meredith E. David, Ph.D., is an associate professor of Marketing Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business.   Her research focuses on marketing strategies with an emphasis on consumer behavior and well-being. Recently, her research has explored how new media technologies, including smartphones, impact personal and workplace relationships. Dr. David has also published research related to customized pricing tactics, interpersonal attachment styles, and the pursuit of health goals.

Her research appears in numerous journals including the Journal of Business Research, Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, Journal of Advertising, European Journal of Marketing, and Psychology & Marketing, among others. Dr. David has been interviewed and quoted for her research in many national and international news outlets, including ABC News, Fox News, Oprah.com, Redbook Magazine, Consumer Reports, and Health Magazine, among others. She has also worked on several consulting projects for large consumer product goods companies, including Hanesbrands and Idahoan Potatoes.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.

ABOUT THE HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business strives to further God’s kingdom through the realm of business, using God-given gifts and academic talents to do so. Faculty and students conduct purposeful research and participate in experiential learning opportunities, all while operating in a Christ-centered mission. Undergraduate students can choose from 13 major areas of study. Graduate students can earn their MBA on their terms, either through the full-time, online or a Dallas-based executive program. The Business School also offers three Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The School’s top-ranked programs make up approximately 25% of the University’s total enrollment. Visit the Hankamer School of Business website for more information.

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Journal

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

DOI

10.1177/01461672241295870 

Method of Research

Content analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The Epidemic of Loneliness: A 9-Year Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Passive and Active Social Media Use on Loneliness

 

PREPSOIL promotes soil literacy through education

Join the PREPSOIL webinar where two of the winners in the PREPSOIL competition on soil pedagogy in 2024 will present their projects.

Aarhus University

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Images from the project Young Farmers Grow: a field trial project of regenerative agriculture in Italy.

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Credit: Young Farmers Grow

One of the eight key aims of the EU Mission Soil is to enhance soil literacy in society. As part of this effort, the PREPSOIL project is working to inspire teachers across Europe to integrate soil topics into their teaching. By identifying and promoting innovative examples of soil education, PREPSOIL aims to empower educators to engage students in exploring the vital role of soil in natural, urban, and agricultural environments.

In 2023 and 2024, teachers were invited to submit their best practices in soil education targeting primary, secondary, and vocational students. The initiative received over 50 submissions, showcasing a variety of creative and interdisciplinary approaches that combined science, humanities, and hands-on activities. Examples included lessons involving multiple senses and practical experiences with soil in diverse contexts.

A committee consisting of three teachers, a soil scientist, and a pedagogy expert selected the winning entries. Participants from six countries—Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Sweden—collaborated to identify and share these exemplary teaching practices.

Partnering with specialized organizations
The Re Soil Foundation in Italy emerged as a key player in promoting soil education. The Re Soil Foundation has a strong track record of working with teachers and schools to develop free training resources about soil, which are available on its website. Leveraging its extensive network of 1,600 teachers and educators, Re Soil Foundation played a pivotal role in ensuring a high level of participation from Italy, which had the most submissions among the participating countries.

In Sweden, the Swedish Centre for School Biology helped promote the initiative by advertising the call in its newsletter, which reaches biology teachers across the country. However, soil-related issues are just one of many topics covered by the organization, and they are not among the most frequently discussed by teachers.

These experiences underscore the importance of partnering with reputable, specialized organizations like the Re Soil Foundation to effectively promote soil literacy initiatives. Collaborating with such actors enables more targeted outreach and engagement, ensuring that innovative examples of soil education can inspire teachers and students across Europe.

The effort to identify good examples of soil education and learning activities for European youth and the communication with teachers and pedagogic representatives is described in detail in the PREPSOIL Deliverable 6.1 which can be found on Zenodo.

Despite challenges in reaching educators in some regions, PREPSOIL continues to advance the EU Mission Soil’s goal of increasing awareness about soil health and sustainability.

On the 13th of February, 2025, a webinar will take place where two of the winners in the PREPSOIL competition on soil pedagogy in 2024 will present their projects.

Read more and register for the webinar Soil literacy among young people – why does it matter and how can educators deal with it? here.

 

Rare bird skull from the age of dinosaurs helps illuminate avian evolution

University of Texas at Austin

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An artist’s interpretation of Vegavis iaai diving for fish in the shallow ocean off the coast of the Antarctic peninsula, with ammonites and plesiosaurs for company. 

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Credit: Mark Witton

A new study in Nature describing a fossil of a nearly complete and intact bird skull from Antarctica is shedding light on the early evolution of today’s birds and avian diversity at the end of the Age of Dinosaurs.

The skull is from Vegavis iaai, an extinct duck-like bird that lived during the Late Cretaceous, just before non-avian dinosaurs went extinct. It’s one of very few 3D bird skulls known to science from the Cretaceous — a 79-million-year geological period and the last era when non-avian dinosaurs walked the Earth.

Vegavis is among the best-known bird species from this era. There are multiple fossils of this bird, including the oldest known fossil bird vocal organ. But research on the new skull — and the shape of the brain inside it — isn’t only helping scientists learn more about this particular extinct bird species, but the origins and evolution of birds that are still living today.

“There are very few brains to illuminate this phase of avian evolution,” said Chris Torres, an assistant professor at the University of the Pacific, who led the study.

Torres conducted the research as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at Ohio University, and began it as a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, working with Julia Clarke, a professor at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences.

The new study is the latest in a long list of Vegavis discoveries by Clarke. She and colleagues identified and named the species in 2005, working with a specimen that was discovered on Antarctica’s Vega Island in 1992. The specimen was the first example of a direct relative of modern birds from the Late Cretaceous — and served as evidence that living bird relatives and their non-avian dinosaur cousins co-existed. In 2016, Clarke and other collaborators discovered a fossilized syrinx — a bird vocal organ — in a different Vegavis specimen. And in 2011, she was part of the fossil finding mission to Antarctica where the skull was discovered by study co-author and geologist Eric Roberts, a professor at the Colorado School of Mines.

When Clarke identified Vegavis, she determined that it was closely related to modern ducks and geese and could be categorized in an evolutionary group called Anseriformes that encompasses both types of birds. But since then, other researchers have suggested that Vegavis is much more distantly related to most bird lineages today.

“Few birds are as likely to start as many arguments among paleontologists as Vegavis,” said Torres.

But answering the question of where Vegavis lands on the tree of life isn’t just a technical point of discussion between paleontologists. It can help answer a big open question in bird evolution: Did it take the demise of non-avian dinosaurs for modern birds to diversify into the many lineages still with us today? Or was this diversification already well underway during the Age of Dinosaurs? Also, what role, if any, did the asteroid impact that ended the Cretaceous have on modern birds and their diversification?

Thanks to this new study, the researchers have confidently found a taxonomic home for Vegavis. Its broad collection of anatomical traits keeps it in the Anseriformes group, as Clarke previously hypothesized. This outcome suggests that the earliest diverging modern bird lineages were evolving alongside non-avian dinosaurs.

Its placement came as a bit of a surprise, according to the researchers. That’s because the Vegavis skull has some decidedly un-ducklike features. Most notably, a long, spear-shaped beak.

“I think it gave some people pause,” Clarke said. “They expected [the skull] to be more duck or goose like.”

Clarke notes that the ducks and geese of today are just a small selection of the anseriform birds that have lived over time. There are examples from the fossil record of duck-like birds that had lifestyles akin to today’s herons and flamingos. Vegavis and its distinctive beak underscore the diversity of duck-like birds that once walked the Earth.

“In the past they were weird and wonderful,” Clarke said. “We have this huge range [of now-extinct anseriform birds] and Vegavis is consistent with that.”

This study also highlights the value of deeply researching a single species. Clarke and her colleagues have spent decades analyzing Vegavis fossils from Antarctica. But what they have discovered is having ripple effects across the entire evolutionary tree, said co-author Patrick O’Connor, a professor at Ohio University and the director of Earth and Space Sciences at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

“This new fossil reveals that Antarctica has much to tell us about the earliest stages of modern bird evolution,” he said.

Fossils of animals and plants from this time in Antarctica are extremely rare, leading to many more questions about the nature of the environments in which birds and other life forms originated and diversified.

 “Something very different seems to have been happening in the far reaches of the Southern Hemisphere, specifically in Antarctica,” said O’Connor. “This requires a much closer look into the fossil record and the changing environments of this region through time.”

The study’s additional co-authors are Joseph Groenke of Ohio University, Matthew Lamanna of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Ross MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History, and Grace Musser of UT Austin and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Digital reconstruction of a Vegavis iaai skull that was scanned at the University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility at the Jackson School of Geosciences. 

Credit

Joseph Groenke and Christopher Torres

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Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-024-08390-0 

Article Title

Cretaceous Antarctic bird skull elucidates early avian ecological diversity

Article Publication Date

7-Feb-2025

Mars in 30 days? Russia unveils prototype of plasma rocket engine

Friday, 7 February 2025

A laboratory prototype of a plasma electric rocket engine based on a magnetic plasma accelerator has been produced by Rosatom scientists, who say it could slash travel time to Mars to one or two months.

(Image: Rosatom)

Rosatom says that the average power of the engine, operating in pulse-periodic mode, reaches 300kW making it possible to accelerate the spacecraft to much higher speeds than conventional engines.

Alexey Voronov, first deputy director general for science at the Rosatom Research Institute in Troitsk, said: "Currently, a flight to Mars using conventional engines can take almost a year one way, which is dangerous for astronauts due to cosmic radiation and exposure to radiation. Using plasma engines can shorten the mission to 30-60 days, meaning it will be possible to send an astronaut to Mars and back."

He said that creating a prototype was "one of the most important stages of the project" as it seeks to determine whether it will be suitable for spacecraft, and to get an idea on the costs of their production.

A large-scale experimental stand is being assembled to test the prototype, featuring a 14-metre-long/4-metre-diameter vacuum chamber to simulate the conditions of outer space for the tests.

Mars is about 140 million miles from Earth. To cover that distance in 30 days would require an average speed of about 195,000 miles per hour. Other countries, including the European Space Agency and the USA have on-going projects relating to cutting journey times and conditions that will make it possible for astronauts to travel to Mars and back.

According to Russia's Izvestia newspaper the engine thrust will be about 6N and researchers say "the propulsion system will be able to accelerate particles (charged electrons and protons) to a speed of 100 km/s. This will allow spacecraft to make interplanetary flights and even go beyond the solar system".

It describes a plasma rocket motor as "a type of electric motor. It is based on two electrodes. Charged particles are passed between them, and at the same time a high voltage is applied to the electrodes. As a result, the current creates a magnetic field that pushes the particles out of the engine". It adds that the launch into orbit would be using traditional methods, and the aim is that "the flight model of the unit will appear in 2030".

 World Nuclear News

 World Nuclear News

Private players will benefit India nuclear, minister says

Friday, 7 February 2025

India's nuclear energy sector will benefit from the entry of private sector players in the same way that the country's space economy has done, Minister of State Jitendra Singh has said.

The third steam generator for Kaiga 5 and 6 has been flagged off from L&T's facility in Gujarat (Image: L&T)

Singh was speaking to The Indian Express days after Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman included promises to amend Indian legislation to encourage private sector participation in the nuclear sector in the Union Budget for 2025-2026.

"We are inviting private participation in the nuclear industry … we expect that the participation of private players would energise the nuclear power sector and help it grow rapidly. We have seen the kind of impact private players have had in the space sector. Something similar can happen in nuclear as well," said Singh, who is the minister in charge of both the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Space.

Nuclear energy accounts for about 3% of India's current installed generating capacity, but it is aiming to grow its nuclear capacity from 6780 MWe today to 22,480 MWe by 2031. The government is targeting 100 GW of nuclear power for 2047 under its Viksit Bharat development strategy - a goal which Singh said is "very realistic".

"It is a challenging target, but not unachievable," Singh said, pointing to India’s space economy which is currently estimated to be worth USD8.4 billion, and projected to grow to USD44 billion by 2033: "Once a certain threshold has been reached, and the right atmospheres created, the growth can be very fast."

According to information from the US Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, the Indian government announced access for the Indian private sector to its space activities and programmes in May 2020, reflecting a major shift in its space policy. In February 2024, restrictions on foreign direct investment or ownership approvals for India's emerging private space industry were further relaxed, potentially opening up opportunities for international partner companies.

India's Atomic Energy Act of 1962 prohibits private control of nuclear power generation in India: only two government-owned enterprises - NPCIL and Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI, set up to build and operate fast reactors) - are legally allowed to own and operate nuclear power plants in India. The act was amended in 2016 to allow public sector joint ventures, but private sector companies and foreign investments are not allowed to invest directly in nuclear power in India. India's civil liability for nuclear damages, which would allow operators to have legal recourse to the reactor supplier, with no limit on supplier liability, in the event of a nuclear accident, has also been a stumbling block for overseas nuclear power plant vendors. 

Domestic progress

The Indian cabinet in 2017 approved the construction of ten domestically designed 700 MWe PHWR units using a fleet mode of construction to bring economies of scale as well as maximising efficiency. The first two of these units will be Kaiga 5 and 6, in Karnataka, and this week the heavy engineering arm of Indian engineering company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) announced that it has shipped the third steam generator for the plant. Excavation works for the units began in May 2022.

"L&T is committed to deliver 6-8 nos 700 MWe Steam Generators every year and for the success of 220 MWe Bharat Small Reactor (BSR) programme to ensure net-zero carbon emissions by 2070," the company said. The steam generator was manufactured at L&T’s AM Naik Heavy Engineering Complex at Hazira, Gujarat.

EU project seeks to develop new research reactor fuel

Friday, 7 February 2025

A new European research project, named EU-CONVERSION, has been launched with the aim of accelerating the conversion of high-performance research reactors by testing candidate low-enriched uranium fissile materials.

The reactor pool of the FRM II (Image: Wenzel Schuermann / TUM)

EU-CONVERSION is considering the conversion of Germany's FRM-II research reactor and the proposed French material test reactor Jules Horowitz (JHR), whose first criticality is expected in the 2030s. EU-CONVERSION builds on three previous projects, namely EU-QUALIFY, LEU-FOREvER and HERACLES-CP.

FRM-II currently uses fuel enriched to over 95% uranium-235 to generate its dense neutron flux - and such high-enriched uranium (HEU) is seen as a nuclear proliferation risk. TUM has agreed with the German government and the Bavarian State - who finance the reactor - to work towards converting it to fuel with lower enrichments when a suitable fuel is available. This is also a condition of the reactor's operating licence, which was issued in 2003.

The participants in the EUR12.8 million (USD13.3 million) EU-CONVERSION project - which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme - are: Technical University of Munich (Germany); Framatome (France); Institut Laue-Langevin (France); Belgium's Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN); CEA (France); Université Grenoble Alpes (France); Centrum Vyzkumu Rez (Czech Republic); Statni Ustav Radiacni Ochrany (Czech Republic); and Technicatome (France).

Two candidate fissile materials are being considered: one based on uranium-molybdenum (U-Mo) and one on uranium silicide (U2Si3). The BR2 research reactor at SCK-CEN will be used to expose both candidate materials to extreme irradiation conditions. The materials will spend about two to three cycles (about 55-75 days) in the core of the BR2 research reactor. Preparations for the demonstration test will begin this year, with irradiation in 2027–2028. Test analyses, after irradiation, will continue until 2030.

"Previous irradiation testing of the candidate materials was limited to a heat flux of 470 Watts/cm2," said Jared Wight, programme manager at SCK-CEN. "This allowed us to test them in normal, operational conditions. In this EU project, we go a step further and increase the heat flux to more than 500 Watts/cm2. We will exceed the normal operational limits to evaluate how the fissile materials behave under extreme conditions required by FRM-II and JHR. This is crucial to ensure the safety and reliability of the reactors."

He added: "The nuclear industry is making efforts around the world to reduce the use of highly-enriched uranium as fissile material, which is intended to prevent a potential spread and proliferation of this material. The bulk of reactors have already been converted. Now it's time for the last few - including these two reactors (FRM-II and JHR). It's a tough challenge, however, because of their specific technical specifications. But it's a challenge we intend to overcome in part with the help of our BR2 research reactor."

"Research strength and openness to technology without ideological blinkers are prerequisites for a good and safe future," said Bavaria's Science Minister Markus Blume. "We want to operate Germany's most powerful research reactor with innovative low-enriched fuel in the future - with the same scientific performance as before."

Arizona utilities team up to explore new nuclear sites

Friday, 7 February 2025

Arizona Public Service - operator of the Palo Verde nuclear power plant - is collaborating with Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power to assess possible locations for new nuclear capacity, including retiring coal plants.

Palo Verde (Image: APS)

Both small modular reactors (SMRs) and potential large reactor projects will be considered in the siting work. The trio has applied for US Department of Energy grant to begin the preliminary search for a potential site under the Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor programme, an initiative announced last year to provide to USD900 million to support SMR deployment support. If approved, the grant would support a three-year site selection process and possible preparation of an early site permit application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The utilities said they have been "monitoring emerging nuclear technologies and have a shared interest in evaluating their potential" to support Arizona's growing energy needs.

"Energy demand in Arizona is increasing rapidly," Arizona Public Service President Ted Geisler said. "To ensure a reliable and affordable electric supply for our customers, we are committed to maintaining a diverse energy mix. While new nuclear generation would take more than a decade to develop, the planning and exploration of options must begin now."

Salt River Project (SRP) is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest provider of electricity in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, with more than 1 million customers. It generates electricity using solar, geothermal, biomass, wind and hydropower as well as coal and gas, and it also owns a 17.5% interest in Palo Verde. General Manager and CEO Jim Pratt said SRP was "exploring all options" to meet the area's growing energy needs affordably, reliably and sustainably. “We appreciate the collaboration with our neighbouring utilities to help determine the role new nuclear generation could play in powering Arizona’s future," he said.

New nuclear generation could provide Arizona with reliable, around-the-clock carbon-free energy to power economic growth, said Susan Gray, president and CEO of Tucson Electric Power. The utility serves more than 450,000 electric customers in Southern Arizona from an energy mix that currently includes wind and solar, coal and natural gas, but has said it is aiming to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. "We know the development timeline would be long, so it makes sense for our state’s energy providers to begin this preliminary evaluation as soon as possible," she added.

According to the US Nuclear Energy Institute, the three-unit Palo Verde nuclear power plant provides 27% of Arizona's electricity and some 61% of the state's carbon-free generation. Nearly half - 45.5% - of the state's electricity comes from coal, with 10.4% from coal plants and 10.2% from solar.

The DOE opened applications for funding to support the initial domestic deployment of Generation III+ small modular reactor technologies last October, with up to USD800 million to go to two "first-mover" teams and USD100 million to address so-called gaps that have hindered plant deployments. A coalition led by the Tennessee Valley Authority has also announced that it is seeking funding from the programme, with subsidiaries of American Electric Power also seeking funding for siting work in Indiana and Virginia.

Grossi says Zaporizhzhia safety talks 'more critical than ever'

Friday, 7 February 2025

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has held talks with Rosatom's Director General in Moscow, focusing on safety and security issues for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. 

(Image: @rafaelmgrossi/X)

Posting on the social media site X, Grossi wrote: "Completed interagency consultations in Moscow with Russian delegation led by Rosatom’s [Alexei] Likhachev. After 3 years of talks on ZNPP nuclear safety and security, these are more critical than ever. The IAEA stands fully engaged to prevent a nuclear accident."

According to Russia's Tass news agency, the talks - which took place as the Russia-Ukraine war approaches its third anniversary - also covered safety and security risks to the Kursk and Smolensk nuclear power plants and general energy infrastucture.

It quoted Likhachev as saying "we thoroughly informed the esteemed IAEA delegation about measures that are being taken to ensure the unconditional protection" of the Zaporizhzhia plant  "in terms of both nuclear safety and nuclear security".

The six-unit Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been under Russian military control since early March 2022. It is located on the frontline of Russian and Ukrainian forces.

The IAEA has had a team of experts stationed at the site since September 2022 as part of efforts to help ensure its safety and security. The agency, with UN Security Council backing, has set out core principles to help ensure its safety, including that it should not be fired at or from, and should not be used as a base for heavy military equipment.

Earlier this week, Grossi travelled to Ukraine, where he inspected a substation and warned of potential safety risks for nuclear power plants from any loss of external power supplies. In an update on Thursday, the IAEA said its team at Zaporizhzhia continued to hear "multiple instances of explosions on most days, some very close to the plant. There were no reports of damage to the site".

Spain has successfully enhanced regulatory framework, says IAEA

Friday, 7 February 2025

An International Atomic Energy Agency follow-up mission has praised Spain's commitment to nuclear and radiation safety and said it has successfully implemented recommendations made by agency experts following their 2018 mission.

(Image: @mitecogob/X)

Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) missions are conducted at the request of IAEA member states to review and suggest enhancements to the regulatory infrastructure for nuclear, radiation, radioactive waste and transport safety. The follow-up mission to Spain had four regulatory experts from France, Germany, Switzerland and the USA, as well as four IAEA staff members.

They concluded that 12 recommendations and 20 suggestions made during the original mission had been adequately addressed. Scott Morris, Regional Administrator for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Team Leader for the mission, said: "The IRRS team was very impressed with the high degree of commitment and professionalism demonstrated by our Spanish counterparts. Their focus on continuous improvement of the legal and regulatory framework for nuclear and radiological safety in Spain is commendable."

Achievements highlighted by the mission include: developing a human resource plan, including a systematic training approach for all staff;  strengthening the safety culture of the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN); establishment of a national radon action plan, and ensuring CSN’s effective collaboration with the Autonomous Communities of Spain.

They also highlighted two areas of good practice - the creation of a digital platform to provide users with real-time dose data, and also a centralised digital dosimetry system to be used during emergencies for real-time radiation dose monitoring of emergency workers of all off-site response organisations.

CSN President Juan Carlos Lentijo said: "The IRRS follow-up mission reinforces Spain's commitment to nuclear safety and radiation protection. This process is a valuable tool to work on robust and future-proof safety systems, where excellence continues to be the highest priority."

Spain has seven operating nuclear power reactors producing about 20% of its electricity. It also has three plants in permanent shutdown, most reactor sites have interim used fuel storage facilities and the country has one disposal facility for very low- to intermediate-level radioactive waste. Spain had its first IRRS mission in 2008, with a follow-up mission in 2011, and in 2018 it hosted the IAEA's first combined IRRS-ARTEMIS (Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation) mission.

A follow-up ARTEMIS mission will take place later this year. The final report from the eight-day IRRS mission, which took place from 26 January, will be sent to the Spanish government in about three months.

Naarea opens test facility for microreactor development

Friday, 7 February 2025

French microreactor developer Naarea announced the commissioning of its industrial test facility and laboratory, referred to as the I-Lab. It will be used to conduct non-nuclear tests and experiments to support the development of its XAMR molten salt fast microreactor.

3D model of a molten salt test loop within the I-Lab (Image: Naarea)

Located in Cormeilles-en-Parisis in northern France, the 2400 square-metre facility will host a team of around 20 Naarea engineers as well as experimentation facilities to validate the non-nuclear environment of the technologies that will be used in Naarea's microreactors (such as pumps, gas systems, materials, valves, chemical processes, sensors, actuators, etc) and their modes of operation.

The I-Lab will have three main areas. Firstly, an industrial area dedicated to the production of coolant salts, prototyping, assembly and automated tests, and the validation of the future digital architecture of Naarea's production facilities. Secondly, a testing area dedicated to the operation of experimentation facilities designed to validate the thermohydraulic components for the eXtra Advanced Nuclear Reactor (XAMR). These facilities will primarily include test loops and testbeds on various scales. The third area will comprise three specialised laboratories: a materials and chemistry laboratory dedicated to studying corrosion and mechanical behaviour; an analysis laboratory for the development of methods, processes and analysis of materials and their level of purity; and a gas laboratory for the development of the XAMR microreactor's gas systems (filtration of noble gases, drying of inerting gases, enrichment and treatment of chlorine gases, etc).

Naarea said the tests that will be conducted using the full-size test loops at the I-Lab will allow it to make "concrete progress" in the development of its microreactor. They will be used to validate the studies and calculations performed by the engineering teams, test innovative processes and materials and develop the technical documentation being prepared for the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection.

"I am proud of this new step forward achieved with our teams, which reinforces our progress and shows further evidence of our development," said Naarea founder and CEO Jean-Luc Alexandre. "This test facility is the right size to meet our needs, and will accommodate large-scale test loops as well as materials and large structures. These tests and research are essential to our industrial goals, and mark a turning point in our road to achieve them. Complementing the joint laboratory created with the CNRS [French National Centre for Scientific Research] and Paris-Saclay University, I-Lab brings us into a new physical demonstration phase that was particularly important to us."

Naarea - formally established in November 2021 - says its ultra-compact molten salt fast neutron reactor will use "the untapped potential of used radioactive materials, and thorium, unused mining waste". Once it develops the XAMR design, the company intends to target applications in areas such as transportation, agriculture and smart buildings.

Naarea says that, because of the compact size of its reactor and because there is no need for it to be grid-connected, the XAMR can "be deployed as close as possible to regions, to match energy demand as closely as possible and allow the control of security of supply, at the service of industries and communities". It expects the first units of XAMR - which can generate 80 MWt/40 MWe - to be produced by 2030.

Europe’s Oil Market Flashes Price Weakness on Refinery Halts

By Sherry Su and Alex Longley, 

Bloomberg News

February 06, 2025 


(Bloomberg) -- European crude prices have slumped to multimonth lows as the continent’s refineries start to take plants offline for regular maintenance, another cloud hanging over an oil market that’s largely wiped out its year-to-date gains.

Values are falling from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. A grade of Kazakh oil sank to the lowest in more than two years last week, while the UK’s Forties crude that helps to set the benchmark price for barrels around the globe traded at its weakest since May. US oil delivered to Europe is also the softest in several months.

The price weakness reflects a mix of unplanned disruptions at refineries and the scheduled maintenance season that usually starts in March and dents crude consumption. Already about 720,000 barrels a day of refinery capacity is offline in northwest Europe, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Permanent plant closures in the region, including in Scotland and Germany, are also looming.

“Physical light crude in northwest Europe is weak,” said Neil Crosby, an analyst at Sparta Commodities SA. The move is likely a result of forthcoming refinery maintenance, he added.

The weakness in markets for real barrels comes as benchmark Brent crude futures have all but given up their gains for the year in recent days, after topping $80 a barrel last month. But while supply concerns centered on Russia and Iran linger, there have been no such worries in Europe and the surrounding Atlantic Basin region.

Oil produced in those areas is typically lighter and less sulfurous than crudes from the Middle East and Russia. Just as demand is slipping, supply of these so-called sweeter grades — which help to underpin global benchmark prices — is set to increase in both the North Sea and the Mediterranean.

Production of Kazakh crude is expected to gain by 300,000 barrels a day after the completion of expansion at the Tengiz field, led by Chevron Corp. Meanwhile, Norwegian oil giant Equinor ASA’s new field Johan Castberg will start pumping soon, potentially adding another 100,000 barrels a day or more.

The spate of weakness is also showing up in key gauges of the derivatives market that reflect the health of crude trading. The nearest Brent futures contract is registering its smallest premium to the next month in five weeks, a sign of a softer outlook. This week, weekly swaps contracts tied to North Sea crude were in the least bullish structure since the early days of the year.

The moves are being compounded by a long-term reduction in refining capacity. Petroineos is set to close its Grangemouth site in the second quarter of this year. Shell Plc is also reducing crude processing capacity at a German refinery.

“Light-sweet barrels have made up the majority of the production growth, while the conventional customer base in the Atlantic Basin is shrinking,” said Brian Leisen, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. “We expect continued pressure on light sweets heading into maintenance.”

--With assistance from Jack Wittels.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

Suncor touts Canadian refining capacity as way to weather tariffs

By The Canadian Press

February 06, 2025

The Suncor Energy Centre is pictured in Calgary

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY — Suncor chief executive Rich Kruger says that while all Canadian businesses will feel a hit from tariffs, his company is fairly well-positioned to limit the impact.The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

He says the company’s large Canadian refining footprint and higher capacity than peers to export crude from the coast makes it less exposed to tariffs compared with some companies more reliant on shipping unrefined heavy crude south of the border.

Kruger says that while he thinks the U.S. needs Suncor just as it needs the U.S. market, the company’s integrated asset base gives it a natural hedge to tariff impacts.

His comments on an earnings call came as Suncor reported a profit of $818 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, down from $2.82 billion a year earlier.

Adjusted operating earnings were $1.57 billion, down from $1.64 billion a year earlier.

Desjardins analyst Chris MacCulloch said in a note that earnings beat expectations even though the company had pre-released most key operational metrics in January.

He says Suncor looks to be a safe harbour in the event of a North American energy trade war given it refines nearly half of corporate production within Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:SU)

The Canadian Press