FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (FE), received a 20-year license extension for the Beaver Valley Power Station Unit 1 and Unit 2 in Shippingport, Pennsylvania.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted the license renewal after thorough inspection and audit of the plant’s safety and environmental programs; the hearing detailed information from Beaver Valley representatives during five public meetings; and review of more than 3,000 pages of supporting documents.   FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. (FENOC) submitted a revised license renewal application to the NRC in 2007 for Unit 1 and Unit 2 to operate until 2036 and 2047, respectively. Unit 1's original license was set to expire in 2016 followed by Unit 2 in 2027.   Beaver Valley is capable of generating 1,815 megawatts, enabling it to power more than 1.4 million homes. In addition, plant operations prevent the emission of more than 12 tons of carbon

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Sep. 30, 2009 (PR Newswire) — VANCOUVER, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – Mantra Venture Group Ltd. (’Mantra’, OTCBB: MVTG, FSE: 5MV) is pleased to announce that it has just signed its second Contribution Agreement with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) in support of its Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide (ERC) technology.

Mantra received its first contribution from NRC-IRAP in April 2009 with the purpose of establishing the technical basis for electro-reduction of carbon dioxide to formate using Mantra’s ERC technology. Mantra’s technology has advanced significantly since this initial reward, including an increase in efficiency to 89.66% from 46.24% through the use of a new cathode structure. These encouraging improvements, along with Mantra’s continual compliance with program guidelines, contributed to NRC-IRAP’s second financial assistance award.

Over the course of this second project, entitled “Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide Development Project 2,” Mantra’s objective is to explore suitable materials

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With all of Silvio Berlusconi's torrid scandals in recent weeks, one may expect the colorful prime minister to hold some regrets and seek national reconciliation, while asking the country to put the past behind them.  Here's a quote from the AP:"We want to forget (the past) and resume total cooperation on all the issues on which we have decided to collaborate," Mr. Berlusconi told journalists on his arrival at the meeting. But no, Berlusconi wasn't talking about Italian politics or his allegedly high-priced houseguests.  He was talking about the resumption of NATO-Russia diplomatic relations, which had been severed since the war last August.  The NRC Summit held in Corfu was only attended by two European heads of state - Mr. Berlusconi and Greek PM Costas Karamanlis, and while an important issue, this is just one stop on a ...

Mantra Venture Group Ltd. announced yesterday after the closing bell that it has entered into a Contribution Agreement with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) with the purpose of advancing its Electro-Reduction Technology (ERC) towards commercialization. In addition to business and technical advisory and development support, this agreement will provide research and development funding of up to $75,000.

In the press release, the company stated, “The objective of this project, entitled ‘Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide Development Program,’ is to establish the technical basis for electro-reduction of carbon dioxide to formate using Mantra’s ERC technology. The focus will be on increasing the cathode life, reducing formate cross-over to retrieve formate from the catholyte solution, and optimizing the reactor with respect to its use in processes for the electro-synthesis of formate/formic acid.”

Larry Kristof, President and CEO of Mantra, commented, “We are

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SEATTLE, May 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Mantra Venture Group Ltd. (’Mantra’, OTCBB: MVTG, FSE: 5MV) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Contribution Agreement with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) with the goal of advancing Mantra’s Electro-Reduction Technology (ERC) towards commercialization. This agreement will provide research and development financial support of up to $75,000, in addition to business and technical advisory and development support.

The objective of this project, entitled ‘Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide Development Program,’ is to establish the technical basis for electro-reduction of carbon dioxide to formate using Mantra’s ERC technology. The focus will be on increasing the cathode life, reducing formate cross-over to retrieve formate from the catholyte solution, and optimizing the reactor with respect to its use in processes for the electro-synthesis of formate/formic acid.

Larry Kristof, President and CEO of Mantra, comments: ‘We are very encouraged by the

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It’s been 30 years since the accident at Three Mile Island effectively killed the commercial nuclear power industry in the United States. But strongly escalating concerns about global warming, growing worries about so-called “Peak Oil,” and greatly improved nuclear-power technology are combining to make nuclear power an increasingly alluring option in the United States, Money Morning has been reporting.

The 30-year anniversary of the Three Mile Island accident – which occurred near Harrisburg, Pa., in the in the predawn hours of March 28, 1979 – has obviously resurrected some of these discussions. But thanks to these deep-seated and growing concerns – virtually every one of them sparked by globalization – the nuclear power industry is moving ahead with plans to build a string of new reactors in the U.S. market, The Washington Post reported this weekend…

The revival faces many uncertainties, but will also

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President-elect Barack Obama has made no bones about wanting to jump-start the renewable energy markets – pledging $150 billion for the development of biofuels, solar and wind power, other alternative energy sources during his first term.

But what might the new administration mean for more traditional – and more reliable –energy sources?

Oil is always the first energy source to spring to mind. But it’s hardly a solo act – coal and nuclear make up the other two-thirds of the top fuel trio. Coal delivers 50% of U.S. electricity needs, and nuclear power brings another 20% to the table.

The cold truth is that demand for energy of all types – and especially electricity – is going to keep advancing, domestically and worldwide. And developing alternatives to coal and nuclear will take time. For instance, tying wind and solar into the existing power grid will be enormously expensive and is likely

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In a sign that the planned construction of new nuclear reactors in the U.S. market could jump-start the nation’s moribund manufacturing sector, France’s Areva SA and defense-industry giant Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) have formed a joint venture to make nuclear reactor vessels, steam generators and other related components at Northrop’s Newport News shipyard in Virginia.

The venture – Areva Newport News LLC – will emanate from a $360 million investment, and will lead to the construction of a 300,000-square-foot production-and-engineering facility, the two companies said yesterday (Thursday). It will employ 500 workers when completed in 2011, according to an MSNMoneycentral report.

Mike Petters, president of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, the unit that has signed on to work with Areva, told The Wall Street Journal that “we’ve watched manufacturing wane in shipbuilding and we’ve watched for other opportunities to go into adjacent areas…We think a nuclear renaissance

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