Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
L-R: John Kerry, US President's Representative for Climate Change, Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania, Source: Romanian Presidency
The joint agreement is for a small modular nuclear reactor, which will create the same type of jobs as those in the coal-power sector
Yesterday, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and the US President’s Special Representative on Climate Affairs John Kerry announced their joint effort to build the country’s first nuclear small modular reactor (SMR). The new agreement was announced during the COP26 Conference in Glasgow.
According to a press release, it has the potential to create thousands of jobs, while pushing Romania’s energy sector towards rapid decarbonisation, as the announcement stated that the facility will be operational by 2028.
One of the major criticisms against nuclear reactors is how inflexible they are, considering the uneven energy output of renewable sources. In essence, it takes a lot of effort to start the reaction in a nuclear reactor and it is very hard to modulate the output.
Renewables, however, are an energy source that constantly fluctuates, depending on the weather. This means that the supporting infrastructure in the energy mix also needs a certain degree of flexibility.
Enter SMRs, a relatively recent iteration on nuclear reactors. They offer low costs, scalability and flexibility. This helps them work better with renewable sources. They are cheaper to build and can be located in various places, as opposed to traditional nuclear reactors, and their capacity can be increased to match consumption.
SMRs can also be used to produce hydrogen, industrial-grade thermal energy and desalinated water. Another important fact is that they can be crucial in decarbonising difficult coal power-dependent regions since they offer jobs for the same employees.
According to a statement by the United States Government, the new development will initially create around 3,700 US and Romanian jobs, however, that can scale up to 30,000 as the project grows. The investment will also strengthen the US-Romania partnership in the civil nuclear sector and position USA as a leader in the development of SMRs.
The modular reactor will consist of 6 units, each capable of supporting 270 jobs, directly transferable from the coal power sector with minimal interdisciplinary training. At the same time, the US government will provide about 1.7 million euros in the form of technical assistance to Romania to help the country become a regional centre in SMR technology.
Legislators and magnates have to await a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice
The building will then serve as the site for a new museum dedicated to Finnish-Russian relations
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
In addition, the federal government has launched the National Week of Action against Bicycle Theft to raise awareness of the issue and the new solution
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
Experimenting with public transport provision in Germany is clearly in a state of creative fervour
Legislators and magnates have to await a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice
It also set the standards for a better European parking card for people with disabilities
Experimenting with public transport provision in Germany is clearly in a state of creative fervour
It also set the standards for a better European parking card for people with disabilities
Italian cities and regions continue experimenting with creative proposals to curb overtourism effects
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team