Environment

America’s first new nuclear reactor in nearly seven years starts operations

Published

2 years ago

July 31, 2023

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Vogtle nuclear reactor 3

Source: Georgia Power

Monday marked the first time a new nuclear reactor has begun delivering power to the electric grid in the United States in nearly seven years. Nuclear energy does not generate the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

The unit 3 reactor at Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, Georgia, has started commercial operation, primary owner Georgia Power said on Monday. This follows preliminary tests in March.

The reactor, an Westinghouse AP1000, is generating approximately 1,110 megawatts of energy, which can power an estimated 500,000 homes and businesses, Georgia Power said.

The last time a nuclear reactor started delivering energy to the power grid was in October 2016, when the Tennessee Valley Authority began commercial operation of its Watts Bar Unit 2 near Spring City, Tenn., according to Scott Burnell, a spokesperson for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Prior to that, there hadn’t been a new nuclear reactor turned on since Watts Bar 1 in May 1996.

The unit 3 power reactor at Vogtle will deliver electricity to customers for the next 60 to 80 years, Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said in a statement.

Reactors for Unit 3 and 4 sit at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle nuclear power plant on Jan. 20, 2023, in Waynesboro, Ga., with the cooling towers of older Units 1 and 2 billowing steam in the background.

John Bazemore | AP

The nuclear industry is celebrating the milestone.

“The commercial operation of Vogtle Unit 3 marks a significant achievement for the U.S. nuclear energy industry and a milestone in advancing global clean and reliable energy solutions,” Maria Korsnick, the CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, a nuclear industry advocacy group, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to witness the successful deployment of this Westinghouse AP1000 advanced reactor, which is helping to shape the energy landscape of the future.”

Over budget and late

Building one of these reactors is a massive project.

Construction on Vogtle 3 and 4 began in June 2009, took much longer than expected to complete, and was much more expensive than initially forecast, as detailed in a piece published Monday by nuclear energy scholars at Columbia University.

Initial cost estimates for both reactors were $14 billion, and they were expected to power up in 2016 and 2017. but the costs have ballooned to $30 billion so far, and unit 4 is still not turned on, nuclear energy experts Matt Bowen, Rama T. Ponangi, and Andrew Evans from Columbia said.

Some of the delays came because construction began before the design was completed, among other problems, the Columbia energy analysts say. New builds of the AP1000 will not face that struggle.

Regardless, the construction timeline and budget woes at Vogtle have been a drag for the nuclear industry, which is actively trying to reinvent itself after a decades-long slump.

Most of the nuclear energy in the United States came online in the 1970s and 1980s. Sentiment around nuclear energy nosedived in the United States after the nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island in 1979. “The nuclear construction industry went into the doldrums for two decades,” the industry trade group, the World Nuclear Association says.

But interest in nuclear energy has been increasing significantly in recent years as the sense of urgency in responding to climate change has pushed demand for clean energy. Nuclear energy contributed 47% of America’s carbon-free electricity in 2022, according to the DOE, and has contributed about 20% of the nation’s overall energy since the 1990s.

Unit 4 of the Vogtle Plant is expected to go into service during the late fourth quarter 2023 or the first quarter of 2024, Georgia Power said on Monday. Georgia Power owns 45.7% of the Vogtle Power Plant, the Oglethorpe Power Corporation owns 30%, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia owns 22.7%. and Dalton Utilities owns 1.6%.

Environment

Fortescue Infinity Train gets 14.5 MWh battery that never needs charging [update]

Published

1 hour ago

December 15, 2025

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Fortescue Infinity Train gets 14.5 MWh battery that never needs charging [update]

Fortescue Infinity Train in Pilbara - world's largest EV

Fortescue has taken the wraps off a prototype of its proposed “Infinity Train” electric locomotive, making the 1,100 km (about 685 miles) trip from Perth to the Pilbara and marking a major milestone in the decarbonization of the company’s heavy haul operations.

UPDATE 15DEC2025: now there are two!

This week, two of Fortescue battery-electric locomotives began operating at the company’s Pilbara mines in Australia, where the so-called Infinity Trains (co-developed with Caterpillar’s Progress Rail division) began regular duty.

“It’s not every day you welcome not just one, but two of the world’s largest battery-electric locomotives into your operations,” said Fortescue Metals CEO, Dino Otranto, on LinkedIn. “[I] can’t wait to see these in motion soon!”

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The two new trains are now fully operational assets, packing almost unimaginably massive 14.5 MWh battery packs that were charged once with grid power upon deployment, and which will (in theory) remain at a usable state of charge indefinitely thanks to a cleverly applied combination of gravity, regenerative braking, and human intelligence.

You can read the original article about the Infinity Train prototype completing its first 1,100 km (~685 miles) trip across the Pilbara, below, then let us know what you think of Fortescue’s latest fuel-saving efforts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Our prototype battery electric locomotive has made the 1,100 kilometre journey from Perth to the Pilbara – a major milestone in the decarbonisation of our heavy haul operations. — Infinity Train prototype; by Fortescue Rail.

Co-developed with the locomotive experts at Downer Group, Fortescue revealed its concept for a battery electric “Infinity Train” back in March of 2022. At the time, the company promised a “world’s first” iron ore train capable of fully charging its batteries through regenerative braking. The two companies claimed the clever technology would create a self-sustaining, zero-emission rail system powered entirely by the force of gravity during the train’s loaded downhill travels.

This week, the concept went from the drawing board to the real world, completing an 1,100 km trip across Australia and proving itself to be up to the task of handling the grueling demands of Fortescue’s massive mining operations.

“We’re thrilled to see our battery electric locomotive prototype arrive in the Pilbara,” said Ellie Coates, CEO of Fortescue Zero. She added that the achievement, using zero fossil fuels, “represent(s) a major step in Fortescue’s journey to Real Zero.”

The Fortescue Infinity Train uses the energy produced by slowing the loaded train on downhill sections of the company’s 385 mile private, heavy-haul rail network to recharge its battery systems. That energy is enough to bring the unloaded train back to the mine, eliminating the need for external charging infrastructure or additional renewable energy sources, making the train almost entirely self-sufficient.

Fortescue says the deployment of the Infinity Train concept at its mines will eliminate more than 82 million liters of diesel fuel consumption (about 21 million gallons, which ChatGPT tells me amounts to about 235,200 tons of CO₂ emissions).

That change alone would eliminate about 11% of Scope 1 emissions annually for Fortescue all on its own, putting it well on its way to its stated goal of achieving “Real Zero” emissions-free operations.

Electrek’s Take

Infinity Train on the rails; via Fortescue.

Using gravity to charge up heavily-laden mining vehicles on downhill runs is an idea that’s been put into practice for years, with great success wherever the topography allows (since 2017, at least). Combining that clever use of gravity, traction braking, and battery storage for use on a rail system like this just seems smart, and it makes me think we’re just scratching the surface of all the clever ways electrification and battery storage will eventually get put to use.

I wonder what would happen if you threw some battery electric rail cars into the mix, as well!? You guys are smart, head down to the comments and let me know (and, while you’re there, help me check ChatGPT’s math on those carbon emissions).

SOURCE | IMAGES: Fortescue, via LinkedIn.

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Environment

E-quipment highlight: Develon DX250LCE-7 electric crawler excavator

Published

2 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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E-quipment highlight: Develon DX250LCE-7 electric crawler excavator

Develon launches new range of electric excavators

Develon is kicking off the holidays with seven new or updated electric excavators, led by its seriously impressive flagship offering: the new 25‑ton DX250LCE-7 battery-electric crawler excavator developed by HD Hyundai.

When Hyundai acquired the Doosan Infracore equipment division back in 2023, it rebranded the orange machines as “Develon” in a move that signaled a new era of forward-looking thinking for the Korean company — and, last week, we got some of the first tangible results of that new thinking debuted with the launch of seven new or updated electric excavators, including the flagship DX250LCE-7 25-ton model shown here.

Develon says its new electric machines offer identical performance to their diesel counterparts, while delivering significant reductions in emissions, noise, and vibration — and that the breadth and scope of the brand’s new, zero-emission lineup underscores its continued commitment to sustainable innovation in the heavy equipment space.

“Moving forward, Hyundai Infracore is focusing on innovation and smart technology, as well as productivity and fuel efficiency. I think the timing very good for us, with exciting new technologies on the market,” Young-cheul Cho, President and CEO of Develon parent company HD Hyundai Infracore, told Construction Europe at last summer’s Intermat construction show. “Our next generation machines will use AI and have sensors that will be reliable in all environments and all weathers, which will improve safety.”

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The new Develon DX250LCE-7 brings Cho’s Intermat vision to life with specs that meet or beat the diesel-powered DX255LC-7’s capabilities in a quiet, zero-emission package.

Starting with horsepower, the DX250LCE-7’s electric motors pot out about 200 hp (comparable to the diesel) while tipping the scales at a ~26 metric ton operating weight. Bucket capacity matches the diesel at 1.4 cubic meters, too — but the Develon’s standout feature is its oversized battery pack, offering up to 12 hours of continuous runtime on a single charge under typical conditions (kWh capacity hasn’t been released), with DC fast-charging options that can get it back in action at full capacity in under two hours — making it ideal for a full-day of moving dirt.

North American pricing and availability should be released in Q1.

Electrek’s Take

As demand for low-emission solutions rises throughout Europe and SE Asia, the latest electric excavators from Develon and parent company Hyundai provide an ideal balance between eco-friendly operation and real-world job site requirements – especially when fitted with articulating buckets and other versatile implements.

Regardless of who is in power in the US, the fact is that these electric machines deliver quiet, efficient performance in challenging environments, cutting both emissions and noise while maintaining productivity and improving both operators’ safety and working conditions. They’re winners all the way.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Develon; via ELM Group.

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Environment

BYD increases EV battery warranty to 8 years/250,000 km, surpassing Tesla’s

Published

2 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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BYD increases EV battery warranty to 8 years/250,000 km, surpassing Tesla's

BYD is making a significant move to boost confidence in its electric vehicles in Europe. The Chinese automaker has announced a major update to its warranty terms, extending the battery coverage to 8 years or 250,000 km (approx. 155,000 miles), whichever comes first.

This new policy significantly outpaces the industry standard and puts pressure on competitors like Tesla and Volkswagen to follow suit.

The announcement was made via BYD Europe’s official channels today, confirming that the new warranty terms apply to its lineup of “New Energy Vehicles” (NEVs) in the region: