Nuclear Energy

The Georgia Public Service Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an agreement, negotiated between PSC staff and Georgia Power, that will save Georgia Power customers more than $3 billion in construction costs for Units 3 and 4 at the Vogtle nuclear power plant.

In the agreement, Georgia Power accepted major concessions including limiting the ratepayers’ share of capital costs to $7.562 billion — significantly less than the $10.75 billion Georgia Power expects to have spent to bring the project to fruition.

Several consumer groups and trade organizations signed onto the agreement, including Georgia Watch, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, Partnership for Southern Equity, and the Georgia Association of Manufacturers.

“It is a unique and certainly positive sign when so many intervening groups sign on to the same agreement,” Shaw said. “This is a fair and very reasonable outcome to a long and complex process.”

This final agreement is the culmination of public proceedings over the past several years, including 29 semi-annual construction monitoring reports, countless public hearings before the commission and tens of thousands of pages of documents. All reports, videos of hearings and documents are archived and available publicly on the PSC website.

“After years of hard work, we can celebrate that Georgia has access to brand new nuclear facilities that will provide carbon-free energy over the next 60-80 years,” Shaw said. “Georgia has proven once again that it is a leader in clean energy and will be better able to meet the energy capacity needs for our rapidly growing state.”

Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald Jr. has served on the Commission since the Vogtle expansion project began in 2009.

“It has been 34 years since an American nuclear power plant was constructed,” McDonald said. “After 34 years this is a first in America, and Georgia, again, leads the way — not just for today but for the next 80-plus years of producing clean, reliable carbon-free energy for all Georgians.”

Commission Vice-Chairman Tim Echols said he is, likewise, proud of the new reactors.

“Finishing Plant Vogtle for Georgia has been a top priority for me since coming on board the PSC,” Echols said. “This plant increases our base load reliability and lowers our carbon footprint — at the same time.”

When combined with previous savings provided by commission oversight, the PSC has saved ratepayers $5.049 billion in net present value revenue requirements and $12.978 billion in nominal revenue requirements over the life of the units.

Vogtle Unit 3 went into operation in July. Currently, Georgia Power estimates that Vogtle Unit 4 will go into operation in the first quarter of 2024. According to the stipulation, if Unit 4 is not operational by March 31, Georgia Power’s return on equity that is applied to construction costs to determine the company’s profit margin will be reduced to zero until Unit 4 does come online.

Finally, as a way to shield the most disadvantaged Georgians from paying for the construction, the stipulated agreement expands Georgia Power’s Income Qualified Senior Discount. The discount will now include households that earn less than 200% of the federal poverty line, anyone who receives Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income, and customers who are part of the federal Section 8 housing program. As many as 96,000 Georgia seniors will now be eligible for these discounts.

The stipulated agreement can be downloaded at https://psc.ga.gov/search/facts-document/?documentId=205571

Industry will need government and private sector support to ‘meet its needs’.

TradeTech’s uranium spot price reached $86/lb uranium oxide (U3O8*) on 15 December – its highest level in nearly 16 years, the US-based market consultant TradeTech said.

TradeTech’s Weekly Uranium Spot Price Indicator has increased 76% in 2023 amid growing global support for nuclear power and uranium supply concerns linked to the arrival of investor interests and the potential for restricted supply due to geopolitical tensions.

“The spot uranium price, which has been under upward pressure for most of this year, increased again this week as bipartisan support for banning Russian nuclear fuel imports into the USA after 2028 is gaining momentum,” said TradeTech president Treva Klingbiel.

“The uranium market has been exhibiting the effects of increased demand and limited availability, and the ambitious goals set out at Cop28 will mean that the industry will need government and private industry support to meet its needs in the coming years.

“Today, uranium market participants face an environment characterised by both rising spot and long-term prices, combined with a significant gap in availability of material in the 2025 to 2028 time frame,” Klingbiel said.

The recent United Nations Cop28 climate conference ended with a landmark consensus that called for a transition away from fossil fuels and an acceleration of zero- and low-emission technologies, including nuclear energy. It marked the first time nuclear energy had been formally specified as one of the solutions to climate change in a Cop agreement.

That consensus followed a declaration endorsed by 22 nations earlier at Cop28to triple nuclear power capacity by 2050, marking the first time that governments have joined together at Cop to endorse nuclear power.

While the price of uranium has more than doubled over the past three years, it remains far below its peak of $140/lb reached in 2007.

• U3O8 is a compound of uranium. It is one of the more popular forms of yellowcake – a type of uranium concentrate powder. U3O8 is shipped between mills and refineries. It is a step in the processing of uranium after it has been mined but before fuel fabrication or uranium enrichment.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Fourth-Barakah-unit-prepares-to-start-up

The loading of fuel into the core of unit 4 of the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE has been completed, operator Nawah Energy Company has announced.

Fuel loading at the unit "has been completed by Nawah in line with national regulations and the highest international standards", the company said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "This takes us one step closer to full fleet operations at Barakah, the largest single source of clean electricity in the region."

The UAE's nuclear regulator - the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation - issued an operating licence to Nawah on 23 November, clearing the way for commissioning and commercial operation of the unit, the fourth and final unit at the Barakah plant.

With the loading of fuel now completed, Nawah will run a series of tests, prior to commencing the start-up sequence process known as power ascension testing, where operators will gradually raise the power generation levels. The unit will then be synchronised to the grid and the first megawatts of electricity will be dispatched. Following the successful completion of these tests, unit 4 will enter commercial operation.

Construction of the fourth Korean-designed APR-1400 unit at Barakah began in July 2015, three years after work began on the first Barakah unit. The first three units are now fully operational under FANR's regulatory oversight.

The UAE embarked on its plan to implement a nuclear energy programme in 2008 when its government made the decision to build and operate a nuclear power plant to provide 25% of the country's electricity needs, diversifying its energy sources and supporting its long-term energy vision and net zero goals. Construction of the first unit began in 2012, and Barakah 1 was connected to the grid in 2020.

The Barakah plant - in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi - is owned by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and operated by Nawah, a joint nuclear operations and maintenance subsidiary of the ENEC and the Korea Electric Power Corporation.

Global supply chain needed so countries can move from dependence on Moscow, says Urenco executive.

As demand for new nuclear power in Europe increases, the pressure for alternatives to Russian nuclear fuel for VVER reactors is also increasing, nuclear power executives said at a London conference.

The increased demand for advanced and small modular reactors across Europe over the next five to 10 years also points to the need for a new global strategy for diversified fuel supply from companies like Urenco, Westinghouse and Framatome, which have the potential to produce sufficient amounts of nuclear fuel for the European industry, according to their own estimates.

Debbie Breasley, director of government affairs at Urenco, said that “some companies self-sanction, but there is no fuel tender yet that specifically excludes Russia. Seeing more and more tenders that specify no Russian fuel might be the next step.”

A proposal for a new strategy to avoid nuclear fuel supply from Russia is needed, according to Breasley. This would also suggest that somebody needs to manage this strategy for fuel customers.

“There is plenty of natural uranium in the world and with the right price level for miners that we are seeing now, they can invest in capacity”, Breasley noted at the Nuclear Industry Association UK’s annual conference in London on 7 December. “However, there is not enough uranium conversion capacity, so investment in it is needed,” she added.

“A global supply chain is needed to allow countries in eastern Europe with contracts with Russia to move from their dependence on one [fuel] supplier,” according to Breasley.

“Advanced reactor manufacturers need fuel to have the business case to build a reactor, so there is a role for governments to play in this process. The UK government has been very focused on building advanced nuclear reactors in the UK,” she added.

War In Ukraine Brings New Reality

Tarik Choho, president of Westinghouse nuclear fuel, said at the conference that the industry “always has security of supply in focus, but had to have war [in Ukraine] to make it a reality”.

As far as “fuel design is concerned, now we can reformulate and deliver VVER fuel, so every utility that has a VVER reactor can be independent of Russia”, Choho said.

“Ukraine was aware for years that it had to have alternative VVER-1000 fuel supply,” he said. “I had to rework the licensing and design for VVER-440 fuel and am happy that I was able to deliver it [the first VVER-440 fuel] to Ukraine in September.”

Currently, 21 out of 34 VVERs globally have fuel supply contracts outside Russia, Choho noted. Countries being supplied by Russia with VVER fuel were “used to getting everything in one package,” Choho also said, referring to services on the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle also supplied by Russia.

Westinghouse is happy to work together with Urenco, Choho added, while Urenco is also prepared to partner with Westinghouse, according to Breasley.

Choho said that Westinghouse had already received some UK government funding to work on development of advanced nuclear fuel in the UK. He added that the company’s Springfields nuclear fuel complex in northern England currently supplies advanced gas-cooled reactor and pressurised water reactor fuel for the European market.

While Westinghouse was currently able to undertake fuel fabrication at its Springfields facility, the company was also working on a molten salt fuel programme there, Choho said, adding that the group was also looking at potentially building a conversion facility at Springfields too.

First Westinghouse Fuel Loaded At Rivne

Following Russia’s 24 February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, VVER reactor operators across Europe intensified efforts to diversify their nuclear fuel supply. In Ukraine, the first Westinghouse fuel to be loaded into a VVER-440 reactor in the country was loaded into a unit at the Rivne nuclear station, comprising two VVER-440 reactors and two VVER-1000s, with a combined capacity of 2,657 MW.

Finnish nuclear company Fortum currently has a fuel supply contract until 2027 with Tvel, the fuel subsidiary of Russian state nuclear group Rosatom, for its Loviisa nuclear station, comprising two Russian-designed VVER-440 reactors, each with a capacity of 507 MW.

Fortum executives have recently said that “fuel diversification is a focus” for the company.

In Eastern Europe, Westinghouse has a fuel supply contract with Czech power company ČEZ to supply fuel for the VVER-440- reactors at the Dukovany plant, with first deliveries scheduled for early 2024.

Both Westinghouse and France’s Framatome already supply fuel to the VVER-1000 units at ČEZ’s Temelín nuclear station in the Czech Republic. Since 2019 Westinghouse-made test fuel assemblies have been in operation in the reactor core of Temelín. Westinghouse had also been supplying fuel for the plant in the early 2000s.

Bulgaria and Slovakia are making similar diversification efforts away from reliance on Russian nuclear fuel.

Namely, Bulgaria has got nuclear fuel contracts with Westinghouse for Kozloduy-5 VVER 1000 reactor, and with Framatome for the Kozloduy-6 VVER 1000 with first deliveries scheduled in 2024.

In Slovakia, an agreement has been reached with Westinghouse for the licensing and supply of Westinghouse VVER-440 fuel assemblies as part of Slovak power company Slovenske Elektrarne’s efforts to diversify its supplies for power plants in Slovakia, Westinghouse and Slovenske Elektrarne said in August. According to Westinghouse, it takes a year to fulfil the fuel delivery agreement.

Meanwhile, Hungary has not made yet efforts to step away from Russian nuclear fuel supply, although parliament has supported plans to allow using nuclear fuel from alternative sources to Russia for its only commercial station, the four-unit Paks, according to an unconfirmed report by the state Tass news agency.

Framatome is also developing fuel for VVER-440 and VVER-1000 reactors, but it is seen as being somewhat behind Westinghouse in the fuel development process.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Licensing-milestone-for-Tumas-uranium-project

Namibia's Ministry of Mines and Energy has issued a mining licence to Deep Yellow Ltd for the Tumas uranium project. The company says it is aiming to make a final investment decision on the project in the third quarter of 2024.

Licence ML 237 has been issued to Perth, Western Australia-based Deep Yellow's 100% owned subsidiary, Reptile Uranium Namibia (Pty) Ltd and is valid for 20 years from date of issue. Deep Yellow plans to develop Tumas to produce 3.6 million pounds U3O8 (1285 tU) per year, with an anticipated life of more than 30 years.

Deep Yellow CEO and Managing Director John Borshoff said the mining licence "represents another key accomplishment in the progress to develop this significant uranium asset and our overall objective of building Deep Yellow into a reliable, geographically diverse and long-term uranium producer" and ensures the company can move forward on its stated development schedule.

Tumas hosts one of the largest known paleochannel-hosted calcrete uranium deposits in Namibia, with a contained indicated mineral resource of 108.5 million pounds U3O8 (41,734 tU). Earlier in November, the company announced updated costs and forecast financial outcome for the project following completion of a reassessment of capital expenditures and operating expenses from the definitive feasibility study released in January. It also included a market reappraisal, with the base case uranium price increased "conservatively" to USD75 per pound U3O8 from the previously used value of USD65 per pound in recognition of "continued strengthening uranium market conditions".

The company said the recent work provides a "strong platform" for it proceed with project financing, product marketing and detailed engineering work ahead of a final investment decision.

This is the second Namibian uranium mining licence to be issued in recent days: Bannerman Energy announced on 15 December that it had received a mining licence for its Etango uranium project, for which it has now awarded early works contracts with a combined value of about NAD36 million (USD2 million) to a Namibian construction firm.

Reaction replicated same natural processes found within the Sun.

Scientists have managed to repeatedly produce nuclear fusion ignition for the first time, marking a major milestone towards achieving near-limitless clean energy at scale.

A team at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the US achieved fusion ignition last December, producing a net energy gain from a fusion reaction for the first ever time. The feat was hailed as a “moment of history” by physicists, which LLNL scientists have now repeated a further three times.

LLNL used the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to fire 192 laser beams at a frozen pellet of isotopes held within a diamond capsule suspended in a gold cylinder.

The resulting reaction replicated the same natural processes found within the Sun and resulted in a record energy increase of 89%. This was only enough energy to boil a kettle, but scaling up this proof-of-concept could herald a “new era” of energy, according to the scientific journal Nature.

Nature said the stadium-sized NIF had “unequivocally” achieved its goal of ignition in four out of its last six attempts, creating a reaction that generates pressures and temperatures greater than those that occur inside the Sun.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Richard Town, a physicist who heads LLNL’s inertial-confinement fusion science programme, told the journal. “I think we should all be proud of the achievement.”

The NIF was designed not as a power plant, but as a facility to recreate and study the reactions that occur during thermonuclear detonations after the US halted underground weapons testing in 1992.

The higher fusion yields are already being used to advance nuclear-weapons research, and have also fuelled enthusiasm about fusion as a limitless source of clean energy.

US secretary of state John Kerry called for new international partnerships to advance fusion energy at the recent Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, and the US Department of Energy which oversees the NIF, followed up by announcing the new research hubs, to be led by the LLNL, the University of Rochester in New York and Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

China, Japan, Russia and the European Union are also investing heavily in nuclear fusion research, with more than $6bn (€xxbn) invested to date, according to the Fusion Industry Association.

In a rapid ten-minute session, lawmakers backing Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov swiftly endorsed a proposal outlining the schedule for constructing units 7 and 8 at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) using American technology.

Despite several parliamentary groups and an independent member abstaining from the session, others moved the decision forward. Members from GERB, "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria," and DPS supported the decision, with minimal opposition from a single delegate.

The decision's architects include Boyko Borissov (GERB), Kiril Petkov (We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria), Delyan Peevski (DPS), and Delyan Dobrev (GERB).

It directs the Energy Minister to boost the capital of "Kozloduy NPP" Ltd. by BGN 1.5 billion, allocating future revenues from the sale of equipment from the incomplete "Belene" NPP solely for the new Kozloduy blocks.

This accelerated plan marks a push to expand nuclear power capabilities at the Kozloduy site.

Drie bedrijven gaan uitzoeken of zij in Nederland een kerncentrale kunnen bouwen. Dat maakte het ministerie van economische zaken en klimaat deze week bekend.

De Nederlandse overheid wil twee nieuwe kernreactoren laten bouwen. Minister Rob Jetten van economische zaken en klimaat (EZK) zette deze week een nieuwe stap in dat proces. Drie fabrikanten mogen onderzoek gaan doen naar de ‘technische haalbaarheid’.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) was deze week de eerste die de overeenkomst voor zo’n onderzoek tekende. Op hoofdlijnen moet KHNP aantonen dat het eigen model kerncentrale aan de Nederlandse eisen voldoet, dat het bestand is tegen de grootste veiligheidsrisico’s – zoals overstroming – en dat het ruimtelijk ‘ingepast’ kan worden op het EPZ-terrein in Zeeland, waar ook de kerncentrale van Borssele staat.

De andere bedrijven die mogen meedoen zijn het Franse Électricité de France (EDF) en het Amerikaanse Westinghouse. De drie bedrijven kwamen in 2021 als meest kansrijk uit een marktonderzoek van KPMG.

De drie bedrijven hebben recent moderne kerncentrales gebouwd. Dat betekent dat Nederland kan kiezen voor bestaande technologie. Daardoor zouden de bouwkosten lager uitvallen en kan de bouw relatief snel. Het gaat om ‘generatie 3+’-reactoren waarin de lessen van ‘Fukushima’, de Japanse kernramp uit 2011, zijn verwerkt.

Kant en klaar, of niet?

In de basis is het ontwerp helemaal gereed. KHNP heeft bijvoorbeeld de ‘APR 1400’ in de aanbieding, een type kerncentrale waarvan het bedrijf er recent vier heeft gebouwd in de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten. EDF bouwde recent centrales van het type ‘EPR’ in Finland en China en bouwt ze ook in Frankrijk en Engeland. Westinghouse bouwde twee ‘AP 1000'-centrales in de VS.

Toch zullen de fabrikanten vermoedelijk de nodige aanpassingen moeten doen, zegt emeritus hoogleraar kernenergie Wim Turkenburg. De technische eisen verschillen vaak van land tot land. Nederland heeft bijvoorbeeld veel capaciteit om zon- en windenergie op te wekken. Als dat gebeurt moet de kerncentrale tijdelijk minder hard draaien, of zelfs even uit. “Kan de techniek dat aan?”, vraagt Turkenburg. Ook moet de centrale bestand zijn tegen terroristisch geweld en daarnaast snel en voortvarend gebouwd kunnen worden.

Het ministerie van EZK zet erop in dat de eerste kerncentrale omstreeks 2035 operationeel is, de tweede uiterlijk in 2040. Maar of dat lukt is nog maar zeer de vraag. Al was het maar omdat Nederland niet het enige land is dat zijn zinnen op kernenergie heeft gezet.

In Oost-Europa is veel interesse in kernenergie. Zo praat Polen bijvoorbeeld ook met de genoemde drie bedrijven, zegt Turkenburg. Frankrijk wil op korte termijn nog zeker zes nieuwe kerncentrales bouwen. En het Verenigd Koninkrijk twee. Voor die bouwprojecten is veel specialistisch personeel nodig – en nu al hebben bedrijven moeite die mensen te vinden. Ook in Nederland is een personeelstekort.

Nederlandse overheid moet ook aan bak

De drie bedrijven hebben ruim zes maanden om hun haalbaarheidsonderzoek uit te voeren. Het ministerie van EZK zal hun inbreng gebruiken voor de uiteindelijke aanbestedingsprocedure die daarna van start zou moeten gaan. KHNP zou daaraan sowieso mee willen doen, meldt de Koreaanse pers.

Aan haar kant moet de Nederlandse overheid ook nog veel vragen beantwoorden. Over het geld bijvoorbeeld: nu is 5 miljard euro gereserveerd voor twee reactoren, wat te weinig is. De Britse centrales kostten ruim 37 miljard euro, zegt Turkenburg.

De overheid moet ook goed nadenken over de rol die ze wil spelen, want marktpartijen willen zo min mogelijk risico’s. Dus: moet Nederland bijvoorbeeld prijsgaranties bieden, of aandeelhouder worden? En wie wordt de eigenaar van de kerncentrale? Allemaal ingewikkelde vragen voor een nieuw kabinet.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/SMuRFs-to-help-in-nuclear-decommissioning

Teams of autonomous robots known as SMuRFs (for Symbiotic Multi-Robot Fleet) could assist in the future decommissioning of nuclear power plants, according to researchers from four British universities.

Engineers from University of Glasgow, University of Manchester, Bristol Robotics Laboratory and Heriot-Watt University have developed a system to enable wheeled, four-legged and airborne robots to collaborate and complete tasks that could be difficult or harmful for humans to undertake on their own.

Using the system, a single human supervisor can remotely observe the actions of the robots as they share sensor data between themselves, combining their abilities to achieve results far beyond the reach of a single machine.

SMuRFs could offer a safer, faster method of monitoring nuclear facilities, as well as opening up new opportunities for the maintenance of engineering infrastructure in challenging environments, such as offshore wind power platforms.

In a paper published in the journal IET Cyber-Systems and Robotics, the researchers outline how they deployed the SMuRF in a practical demonstration at the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) facility in Cumbria. RAICo is a collaboration between the UK Atomic Energy Authority, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd and the University of Manchester.

During the demonstration, the SMuRF successfully completed an inspection mission in a simulated radioactive storage facility containing some of the challenges found in real nuclear power decommissioning environments.

The robots' ability to collaborate is the result of a sophisticated computer system developed by the researchers, which they call a 'cyber physical system' (CPS). The CPS is capable of communicating with up to 1600 sensors, robots and other digital and physical assets in near to real-time. It also allows robots with very different abilities and operating systems to work together and most importantly, update the human operator.

The data collected and processed by the CPS enables the creation of a 3D digital twin of a real space. That allows the SMuRF to navigate around the space and carry out tasks with minimal oversight, while providing human operators with a wealth of data via a specially-designed digital dashboard to help the SMuRF make informed decisions if required. Human operators can also take direct control of the robots if they need to.

Combining the robots’ abilities allowed them to complete a series of tasks often applied to radiation monitoring around nuclear sites known as post-operational cleanout. The robots collaborated to map the environment, creating a 3D digital twin of the space using their onboard sensors, which was supported by further mapping from an aerial drone piloted by a human operator.

"The robots we programmed and designed in this prototype SMuRF each have their own unique abilities and limitations, as well as their own operating systems," said Daniel Mitchell of the University of Glasgow's James Watt School of Engineering. "During the deployment of the SMuRF at RAICo, we were able to show how well the robots can work together and how the digital twin we built can provide remarkable situational awareness for human operators. That could make them ideally-suited for the challenges of working in potentially hazardous environments such as nuclear inspection and decommissioning. Humans will still be required to oversee and direct the robot fleet, but their high level of autonomy could help keep people safe by allowing them to interact with the robots from their desks instead of visiting work sites."

"These kinds of autonomous robotic fleets have a great deal of potential to undertake a wide range of dangerous, dirty, dull, distant and dear jobs," added David Flynn, Professor in Cyber Physical Systems at the University of Glasgow. "The next step for our research is to integrate a wider range of robots in our fleets, with even more diverse abilities to sense their surroundings, move through them in new ways, and manipulate objects."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/No-centralised-logistics-centre-for-German-reposit

Plans for a centralised low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste logistics centre at the former Würgassen nuclear power plant have been shelved by the German Federal Environment Ministry due to "too many legal and planning risks". The waste would then have been sent to the Konrad repository for disposal.

BGZ Gesellschaft für Zwischenstorage mbH's (BGZ's) planning for this central staging area - the logistics centre for the Konrad repository (LoK) - began in 2018. Containers with pre-packaged radioactive waste from on-site interim storage facilities will be collected in this facility and assembled in precisely fitting batches as required for onward transport to the final repository. The plan was to begin operation of the LoK at the beginning of 2027.

There is insufficient space on the Konrad site itself to build a logistics centre. Therefore, after a comprehensive search process for a suitable and feasible location, BGZ announced on 6 March 2020 that it wanted to build the LoK at the site of the decommissioned Würgassen nuclear power plant. The plant already has a direct railway connection. BGZ secured a purchase option from the Würgassen power plant operator for the required property, which expires at the end of this year. The operator has refused an extension.

"Due to too many legal and planning risks, it will probably not be possible to implement it in a timely manner and therefore not economically," the Federal Environment Ministry (BMUV) announced on 12 December. "This is the result of the audits by BMUV, which would have to approve a property purchase for the LoK in the double-digit million range by the end of this year. The BMUV has therefore decided to end the project and avoid a likely bad investment of around EUR2.0 billion (USD2.2 billion).

"For the Konrad repository, this means that there will be no significant reduction in the active operating time, which was the aim of the LoK. The BGZ will now intensify its existing plans for a decentralised supply to the Konrad final repository, which it had started as a precautionary measure in parallel with the work on the LoK."

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said cancellation of the plans for LoK "creates clarity and reliability for everyone involved". She added, "After careful consideration of all the facts, a logistics centre that is completed too late would be a bad investment worth billions that should be avoided. The necessary end of the logistics centre also means that the Konrad final storage facility will now be in operation for longer."

The ministry noted that, due to the existing uncertainties, BGZ had already planned to initially supply the Konrad final repository decentrally before the LoK was put into operation. "These plans will now be intensified with the cancellation of the LoK," it said.

Thomas Lautsch, technical director of the Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE) - which assumed responsibility as the operator of the Asse II mine and the Konrad and Morsleben repositories from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in April 2017 - sees the ministry's decision as a challenge for the logistics of the waste containers destined for the Konrad repository. However, he also sees this as a further incentive to complete the Konrad repository quickly so that it can then begin receiving waste.

"The Konrad final storage facility can be operated without a logistics centre," Lautsch said. "But when it comes to the delivery of waste from more than 30 interim storage facilities throughout Germany, this raises questions about transport and delivery in the correct order for storage."

The Konrad iron ore mine - in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony - closed for economic reasons in 1976 and investigations began the same year to determine whether the mine was suitable for use as a repository for LLW/ILW. In 2002, the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment issued a planning approval decision for the Konrad repository. Following multiple legal proceedings, this approval was confirmed by the Federal Administrative Court in 2007. A construction licence was issued in January 2008.

The final disposal of up to 303,000 cubic metres of LLW/ILW at Konrad is set to begin in the early 2030s. This waste represents 95% of the country's waste volume, with 1% of the radioactivity. At present, this waste is stored above-ground in interim storage facilities at more than 30 locations in Germany. Once within the Konrad repository, the containers will be immobilised with suitable concrete and securely sealed off during emplacement operations. Once operations are complete, all cavities of the mine will be backfilled and sealed in a manner that ensures long-term safety.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Ukraine-and-Westinghouse-sign-agreement-for-Khmeln

Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, Energoatom President Petro Kotin and Westinghouse CEO Patrick Fragman have signed an agreement on the purchase of equipment for what is to become Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant unit 5.

They also discussed further collaboration in the years ahead, with Energoatom planning for a total of nine AP1000 reactors in the future, as well as Westinghouse-supplied fuel for its VVER reactors. The country is also exploring the potential deployment of small modular reactors.

Kotin said: "We have reached a very important stage in the process, which was started back in 2021 during the visit of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to the USA. I believe that the signing of the contract for the purchase of equipment for the AP1000 power unit is an epoch-making event in the development of the domestic nuclear power industry. The first western power unit in Ukraine will add more than 1100 MW of capacity and strengthen domestic energy independence."

Haluschchenko said the agreement was part of the country moving away from Russian technology in its nuclear energy industry, noting of the AP1000 "such reactors did not exist in Ukraine, they do not exist in the post-Soviet space, and they do not yet exist in Europe ... this is important for strengthening the energy security of Ukraine and renewing our nuclear power industry, which was, is and will be the key generation in Ukraine".

Fragman said: "We are moving to a new level of cooperation. This agreement is of fundamental importance for the energy security of Ukraine, because it is a very reliable technology. Today, five AP1000 units are in operation in the world, in particular in the USA and China, five more are almost ready for start-up. Poland and Bulgaria are interested in the construction of such reactors, as well as a number of other countries."

The go-ahead for the pilot AP1000 project in the country at Khelmnitsky was signed in November 2021, with another one proposed for the same site among the nine new AP1000s planned in total in Ukraine. Energoatom said that since signing those agreements a large amount of pre-project and project work had been carried out and "favourable conditions were obtained for the supply of equipment, which is already manufactured and ready for delivery".

"This will allow us to significantly speed up the construction of power unit 5 ... we will not have to wait at least three years (this is the term for the production of such equipment to order), and be in line with other Westinghouse customers," Kotin added. As soon as the Ukrainian parliament gives the legal go ahead, construction will be able to start, he added.

With Energoatom having switched away from Russian fuel for its existing fleet of Soviet-era nuclear plants, Kotin praised the performance of the Westinghouse VVER-440 fuel that was loaded at Rivne nuclear power plant in September, and said progress continued in the country creating its own nuclear fuel supply chain.

Ukraine has 15 nuclear units generating about half of its electricity, including the six at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022. Khmelnitsky's first reactor was connected to the grid in 1987, but work on three other reactors was halted in 1990. Work on the second reactor restarted and it was connected to the grid in 2004 but units 3 and 4 remain uncompleted.

Move ‘an important measure’ towards supporting reliability of state’s electricity grid.

California energy regulators have voted to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear station in California to operate for an additional five years as the state seeks to reduce blackout risks amid its transition to a carbon-free grid.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) agreed to extend the operational date for the state’s last functioning commercial nuclear power facility to 2030 instead of closing it in 2025 as previously agreed.

The approval is contingent on station owner and operator PG&E getting an operating licence extension from the federal US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The decision “is an important measure towards supporting the reliability of the California electricity grid as we move forward in our energy transition,” said Karen Douglas, the commissioner assigned to the case.

“California’s path forward in the energy transition hasn’t always been easy and won’t always be easy.”

The current operating licences for Units 1 and 2 at the two-unit station were set to expire in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The decision CPUC calls for keeping Unit 1 operational until 31 October 2029, and Unit 2 until 31 October 2030.

California governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed legislation last year that reversed an agreement between the state, PG&E and environmental groups to retire the facility.

The legislation included a provision allowing PG&E to access a $1.4bn (€1.2bn) forgivable loan that would be collected from rates collected by all customers who are served by the CPUC.

Newsom, who once was a leading voice to close the facility, said last year that Diablo Canyon’s power is needed beyond 2025 to ward off possible blackouts as California transitions to solar and other renewable energy sources.

Newsom’s administration has cited “unprecedented stress” on the state’s energy system as a reason for keeping open Diablo Canyon, which alone accounts for 9% of the state’s generation and 17% of its electricity from carbon-free sources.

Diablo Canyon, to the north of Los Angeles near Avila Beach, has two Westinghouse pressurised water reactors.

Unit 1, a 1,138-MW PWR, began commercial operation in May 1985, while the 1,118-MW Unit 2 started providing power in March 1986.

Residents and activists, including Mothers for Peace and Friends of the Earth, have challenged the extension, citing concerns about seismic activities and the storage of radioactive spent fuel.

KAPP 3 and 4 (2x700 MW) are located at Kakrapar in Surat district of Gujarat, adjacent to the existing reactors KAPS 1 and 2 (2x220 MW), it said.

India's second home-built 700 MW nuclear power reactor at Kakrapar in Gujarat achieved its first criticality, the start of the controlled fission reaction, early Sunday, setting the stage for its gradual move towards producing electricity for commercial purposes.

The first criticality was achieved at 1.17 am in the presence of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) Chairman-cum-Managing Director B C Pathak.

Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) Unit-4 is the second in the series of 16 indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) of 700 MW each being set up in the country.

"Achievement of the criticality of KAPP-4, within six months of commercial operation of Unit-3 was significant," Pathak said addressing officials at the site.

The criticality was achieved after meeting all the stipulations of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), which had issued clearance after a rigorous review of the safety of the plant systems, a statement from NPCIL said.

After the first criticality, several experiments/tests will be conducted in KAPP-4 and the power level raised in steps, in line with the clearances of the AERB, ultimately culminating in the operation of the unit at full power, it said.

KAPP 3 and 4 (2x700 MW) are located at Kakrapar in Surat district of Gujarat, adjacent to the existing reactors KAPS 1 and 2 (2x220 MW), it said.

These indigenous PHWRs have advanced safety features and are among the safest reactors in the world, the NPCIL claimed.

While these reactors have been designed, constructed, commissioned, and operated by the NPCIL, the supply of equipment and execution of contracts have been by Indian industries/companies, the corporation said.

Presently, the NPCIL operates 23 reactors with a total capacity of 7,480 MW and has nine units, including KAPP-4, with a capacity of 7,500 MW under construction.

In addition, 10 more reactors with a total capacity of 7,000 MW are in pre-project activities. These are expected to be completed by 2031-32.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Bannerman-granted-mining-licence-for-Etango

Namibia's Ministry of Mines and Energy has granted Bannerman Energy a mining licence for its Etango uranium project. Initial contracts have been awarded for the Etango early works programme.

"The grant notification and signed ML 250 documentation was received from the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy yesterday," the Perth, Australia-based company said. "All attaching conditions to the ML are considered to be customary."

The granting of the mining licence has allowed Bannerman to award two key early works contracts on Etango for the building of the temporary construction water supply and the site access road. The contracts - awarded to a Namibian construction firm - have a combined value of about NAD36 million (USD2 million).

The temporary construction water pipeline will ensure sufficient water is available onsite when the main earthworks and civil contracts commence. The access road will enable controlled access to the mine site with minimal impact on the surrounding area to be achieved from the start of full construction works.

"The grant of the Etango mining licence represents a milestone event for Bannerman and our valued stakeholders," said the company's Managing Director and CEO Brandon Munro. "This moment is the culmination of our unwavering focus on Etango since our initial investment in 2006, all the while maintaining our conviction in the vital role of nuclear power for a better world.

"Etango is now fully permitted, enabling us to drive key project workstreams towards a final investment decision in parallel with the ongoing strengthening in uranium market fundamentals."

"Our overall construction schedule remains on track, with this final project permit now complete and the Front End Engineering and Design work meeting our most optimistic expectations," added Bannerman's Chief Operating Officer Gavin Chamberlain. "We look forward to site establishment commencing in January, with early works construction proceeding in parallel with other workstreams over the next four to six months."

Etango is in Namibia's Erongo uranium mining region, which hosts the operating Rössing, Langer Heinrich and Husab uranium mines. The proposed Etango mine received environmental approval in 2010 and the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy in 2017 granted Bannerman a five-year, extendable, mineral deposit retention licence over the project.

The Etango-8 Project is expected to deliver more than 3.5 million pounds U3O8 (1346 tU) per year over an initial operating life of more than 14 years.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Agreement-reached-on-EU-electricity-market-reform

The European Council and Parliament have reached a provisional agreement to reform the European Union's electricity market design. The agreement now needs to be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions.

The European Council said the reform aims to "make electricity prices less dependent on volatile fossil fuel prices, shield consumers from price spikes, accelerate the deployment of renewable energies and improve consumer protection". The proposal is part of a wider reform of the European Union (EU) electricity market design which also includes a regulation focused on improving the EU's protection against market manipulation through better monitoring and transparency.

The European Commission adopted the proposals on the reform of the EU's electricity market design on 14 March. However, a dispute between France and Germany over the role of nuclear power in European climate action has dominated negotiations for months.

The European Council reached an agreement in October on a proposal to amend the EU's electricity market design, agreeing to include existing nuclear plants in the reform.

Among the measures agreed, both co-legislators agreed to make two-way contracts for difference (CfDs) or equivalent schemes with the same effects as the model used when public funding in the form of direct price support schemes are involved in long term contracts.

Two-way CfDs would apply to investments in new power-generating facilities based on wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower without reservoir and nuclear energy.

"The rules for two-way CfDs will only apply after a transition period of three years after the entry into force of the regulation, in order to maintain legal certainty for ongoing projects," the Council said.

"This deal is great news, as it will help us reduce even more the EU's dependence on Russian gas and boost fossil-free energy to cut greenhouse gas emissions," said Teresa Ribera, Spanish Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. "Thanks to this agreement, we will be able to stabilise long-term markets, speed up the deployment of renewable and fossil-free energy sources, offer more affordable electricity to the EU's citizens and enhance industrial competitiveness."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Mixed-oxide-fuel-with-minor-actinides-produced-for

The first three fuel assemblies with uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel containing transuranic elements americium-241 and neptunium-237 have been produced by Rosatom's Mining and Chemical Combine.

The fuel has been accepted and is due to be loaded into the BN-800 fast neutron reactor at Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in 2024, with pilot operation "during three micro-campaigns (approximately one-and-a-half years)".

Minor actinides are transuranic elements other than plutonium which are formed in irradiated nuclear fuel. They are highly radioactive and have long half-lives.

Rosatom said that the proposed Russian solution to what are the most hazardous components of nuclear waste is via fast neutron reactors which can be fuelled not only by enriched natural uranium, but also by secondary products of the nuclear fuel cycle, such as depleted uranium and plutonium. "In addition, the research shows that minor actinides from spent nuclear fuel under the flux of fast neutrons will fission into fragments representing a fairly wide range of radioactive and stable isotopes, but in general their potential hazard will be much lower than that of the original minor actinides," the company said.

Alexander Ugryumov, senior vice president for research and development at Rosatom's fuel division, TVEL, said: "Rosatom is step-by-step taking the unique advantages that powerful fast neutron reactors provide to our industry. The introduction of MOX fuel enables the expansion of the resource base for nuclear power multifold involving depleted uranium and plutonium, and also to reprocess irradiated fuel instead of storing it. Afterburning of minor actinides is the next step in closing nuclear fuel cycle, which should not only reduce the amount of nuclear waste for final isolation, but also significantly reduce its radioactivity. In the long term, it could avoid the complicated and expensive deep burial of waste."

These lead-test assemblies were manufactured at Mining and Chemical Combine in Zheleznogorsk in the Krasnoyarsk region, based on fuel fabrication technology developed at TVEL's Bochvar Institute in Moscow.

TVEL says that the pilot operation in the BN-800 reactor "is the key stage of the comprehensive research programme" for minor actinides afterburning which began in 2021 and is due to run until 2035, saying: "The programme includes projects of minor actinides separation into different fractions, their intermediate storage, involvement in fast reactor fuel, operation of such fuel, post-irradiation studies, etc. Another important issue is optimisation of reactor facilities for burning the maximum volume of minor actinides."

Beloyarsk 4 is a BN-800 reactor - a sodium-cooled fast reactor which produces about 820 MWe - which was brought to minimum controlled power for the first time in June 2014, and connected to the grid on 10 December 2015. The 789 MWe reactor entered commercial operation on 31 October 2016. It was fully loaded with MOX fuel in September 2022 and recently became the first such facility to complete a year operating on MOX fuel. MOX fuel is manufactured from plutonium recovered from used reactor fuel, mixed with depleted uranium which is a by-product from uranium enrichment.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Hinkley-Point-C-landmark-dome-lift-in-pictures

You want to see the source for this one.

Here's a livestream of it happening.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/New-Brunswick-releases-energy-strategy-with-SMR-fo

The strategy outlining how the province aims to transition to clean energy calls for the addition of 600 MWe of capacity at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generation Station by 2035, doubling New Brunswick's current nuclear capacity.

Powering our Economy and the World with Clean Energy – Our Path Forward to 2035 focuses on affordability, energy security and reliability, regulatory reform and economic growth. As well as SMRs, it calls for an almost five-fold increase in wind and solar capacity, with increased roles for hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and biofuels - traditional natural gas serving as a transition fuel both locally and globally. Transmission upgrades and enhanced connectivity within Atlantic Canada will play an increasingly important role in balancing the grid, while adding electric vehicle charging stations and increasing use of biofuels and hydrogen will transform the transport sector.

The roadmap included in the report sees the first 150 MWe of SMR capacity coming online in 2030-2031, with another 450 MWe starting up in 2035. As well as installing new SMR capacity, the strategy also outlines an initiative to increase the operating efficiency of the existing Point Lepreau nuclear generating satation, with the government saying it will work with utility NB Power "to enable the establishment of a partnership with another nuclear operator to improve performance, lower operational risk and lower cost".

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs said the strategy balances addressing climate change with the province's growing energy needs and demands. "We have a generational opportunity in front of us, to change the way we use energy to live and work, that will lead to a cleaner environment, more economic growth and, most importantly, an affordable and secure energy supply for all New Brunswickers" he said.

"Climate change and the need to move away from greenhouse gas-emitting fuels are creating a global energy transition," the province's Natural Resources and Energy Development Minister Mike Holland said. "Our actions will collectively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half by 2035, putting us well on our way to achieving a net-zero economy and creating new economic opportunities and prosperity for our province."

NB Power, operator of the existing 600 MWe Candu plant at Point Lepreau, earlier this year published its own strategic plan highlighting the need to phase out coal by 2030 and achieve net-zero electricity supply by 2035. The utility, a Crown Corporation owned by the province, currently generates electricity from nuclear, hydro, coal, oil and diesel powered stations.

In July, NB Power, in partnership with SMR developer ARC Clean Technology Canada Inc, submitted an environmental impact assessment registration document and an application for a site preparation licence for an SMR at Point Lepreau. The deployment of ARC Clean Technology Canada Inc's ARC-100 sodium-cooled fast reactor in New Brunswick and is part of a joint strategic plan on SMR development and deployment released by the governments of Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Alberta in 2022.

Green light from NRC a major boost for California-based reactor company.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a construction permit for Kairos Power’s 35-MWt Hermes molten salt “non-power” demonstration reactor, which the firm has proposed to build at the East Tennessee Technology Park Heritage Center site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Kairos Power said operation of the plant could begin as early as 2026.

The reactor will be used to inform the development of the company’s fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR) technology.

NRC commissioners voted to approve Kairos Power’s construction permit application, which was first submitted in September 2021.

The vote comes nearly two months after the NRC held its final review of the application on 19 October, where the company and NRC staff addressed outstanding questions on safety and environmental reports completed earlier this year.

The approval is a major boost for Alameda, California–headquartered Kairos Power, a privately owned nuclear engineering, design, and manufacturing company that says it is “singularly focused” on the commercialisation of its KP-FHR technology.

The entire process took just over two years to complete and included dozens of technical and topical reports which were developed, in part, with support from the US Department of Energy.

Two-Unit Demo Plant Also Planned

Kairos Power will file a separate application for a Hermes operating licence from the NRC in the future.

Kairos Power said the “this efficient review” was possible due to its extensive pre-application engagement with the NRC, which began in 2018 and established open lines of communication between the two organisations.

Peter Hastings, vice-president of regulatory affairs and quality at Kairos Power, said Hermes is the first non-water-cooled reactor to be approved for construction in the US in over 50 years.

“Our successful pre-application engagement and application review have established a solid foundation on which to build,” he said.

In parallel, the NRC is currently reviewing Kairos Power’s construction permit application for Hermes 2, a proposed two-unit demonstration plant that would build on experiences from Hermes, demonstrating the complete architecture of Kairos Power’s future commercial plants at a reduced scale and supplying electricity to the grid.

The Hermes plants will help mitigate technology, licensing, supply chain, and construction risk to achieve cost certainty for Kairos Power’s KP-FHR technology. Lessons learned will be integrated into the company’s future commercial deployments targeted in the early 2030s.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Viewpoint-The-legacy-of-Eisenhower-s-Atoms-for-Pea

The text of a speech delivered by World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on 8 December, considering the legacy of US President Dwight D Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace speech 70 years ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and fellow advocates for a brighter future, it is an honour to stand before you today at this historic conference, commemorating seven decades of the enduring legacy of Atoms for Peace. Today, we gather not just to reflect on the past but to chart the course for a future energised by the transformative potential of nuclear energy.

Seventy years ago, in 1953, President Dwight D Eisenhower delivered his historic Atoms for Peace speech.

On that day, he set out a vision to harness the power of the atom for the betterment of humanity, setting the stage for international cooperation in the pursuit of peace and prosperity - a vision that has grown into a lasting legacy.

As we know, "it only takes one seed to grow a forest", and now, as we reflect on the past 70 years, we see that Eisenhower's vision has indeed germinated into a forest of possibilities for the peaceful uses of nuclear applications.

Looking back, we have witnessed remarkable achievements in the peaceful application of nuclear technology. From powering our cities to advancing medical diagnostics and treatment, nuclear technology has become an indispensable ally in our pursuit of a brighter, sustainable, future.

Today there are 436 nuclear power reactors operating, and 213 more reactors that did operate for many years and are now shutdown. All of these together have provided people in more than 30 countries with clean, reliable, and affordable electricity. Over the past 50 years they have avoided the emission of 80 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, more than twice the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted globally each year.

Beyond power generation, the world has seen more than 800 research reactors operate in 53 countries, in universities and research institutes, expanding our knowledge and the uses of nuclear science and technology for the benefit of humanity. Research and development are fundamental to the nuclear sector, with nuclear techniques reaching all areas of our lives: agriculture and the food we eat, historical and geological measurements, and producing life-saving medical radioisotopes.

Lloyd's Register also shows that some 700 maritime nuclear reactors have been used at sea since the 1950s. Combined with land-based power and research reactors, that is more than 2000 nuclear reactors with tens of thousands of years of operating experience that have operated since that original seed was planted 70 years ago.

Moreover, nuclear technology has ventured beyond land and sea, and even beyond our planet, supporting space exploration missions, demonstrating the versatility and adaptability of nuclear technology. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators, or RTGs, have powered a number of space missions and continue to propel human exploration beyond the realms of our solar system, with the Voyager space probes transmitting information back to earth since 1977, thanks to the power of nuclear technology.

From Apollo, Pioneer, Galileo, Cassini, and New Horizons space missions and the Martian rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance, nuclear technology is at the forefront of humanity’s quest for knowledge and exploration.

However, as we stand on the shoulders of all these significant accomplishments, we must also acknowledge the missed opportunities. Had we expanded the use of nuclear energy as fast and as widely as we originally planned, humanity might not be facing the climate crisis we are confronting today. Climate change is now an urgent threat to both the planet and humanity.

For many years nuclear power plants have been the backbone of electricity generation, powering homes and industries around the world while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They have brought energy security, helping nations reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and stabilise their grids.

But our vision extends beyond power generation. It encompasses a holistic approach to energy and sustainability, embracing non-power applications of nuclear technology. From hydrogen production, and water desalination to cogeneration for industrial processes and more. Nuclear innovation holds the key to unlocking a myriad of possibilities. The potential of nuclear energy extends far beyond what we have achieved to date.

Looking forward, we must paint an ambitious outlook for the nuclear sector, one that honours Eisenhower's vision and prepares us for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. The legacy of Atoms for Peace must inspire us to increase the contribution of nuclear for a better and brighter world. We must dream big and work tirelessly to transform those dreams into reality.

So, what are the key actions for us today that will lead us into this brighter future?

• First, safety and security will remain paramount. Our commitment to non-proliferation and safeguards is unwavering and was a pillar of the Atoms for Peace vision. We must continuously invest in research and development to enhance the safeguarding of nuclear materials.
• Second, we must prioritise sustainability. We know well the contribution of nuclear to mitigating climate change. Our actions must reflect a profound commitment to reducing impacts on the environment, by extending the life of existing nuclear power plants we can maximise 24/7 clean energy contributions. The continued presence and integration of nuclear energy into a broader energy mix, alongside renewables, can help us achieve a more resilient, low-carbon future.
• Third, innovation is the lifeblood of progress. We must accelerate the development and deployment of the next generation of reactor designs, such as small modular reactors and advanced-generation technologies, which promise enhanced efficiency, and applications beyond electricity. Let us also harness the power of technology outside of the nuclear sector, like artificial intelligence, automation, additive manufacturing and advanced materials to revolutionise the nuclear industry.
• Fourth, we must promote international collaboration. Nuclear energy knows no borders, and our collective success depends on our shared knowledge and experience. The legacy of Atoms for Peace calls upon us to work together, transcending geopolitical divides, to tackle global challenges like climate change and socio-economic inequity. We will succeed together or we will fail separately.
• Lastly, we must engage the public. Transparency, open dialogue and education are essential in dispelling misconceptions and building public trust in nuclear energy. An informed public can better appreciate the positive impact of nuclear technology on our world.

Progress in these key areas of nuclear energy: security, sustainability, innovation, collaboration, and communication, can help advance our contribution to a brighter future for all. The challenges ahead are formidable, but so is our collective resolve.

I am speaking to you from COP28 in Dubai. This has been a very positive COP in which nuclear energy has been very visible. We saw something that has never happened at a COP before. Eight heads of state, and many more ministers, totalling 22 countries in 4 continents, openly declared their intention to work towards a goal of tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050.

And during the first ever COP Presidency event dedicated to nuclear energy, I had the honour and the pleasure to launch the Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge, Endorsed by more than 120 companies, headquartered in 25 countries, and active in over 140 nations worldwide, matching the ambition and pragmatism shown by the 22 governments which signed the Nuclear Ministerial Declaration earlier in the week.

Both the Ministerial Declaration and the Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge are more than a mere numerical target but a call to join efforts in materialising the full potential of nuclear energy. By tripling our capacity, we can amplify our impact on climate change mitigation, energy security, and technological innovation.

If we can achieve this feat together, overcoming barriers and challenges to extend and deploy nuclear energy and technology for a brighter future - then in 2050, when we look back 27 years, we will remember this moment as another marker of significance in the race to net-zero electrons and molecules.

The discovery and harnessing of the atom is considered one of the greatest achievements of humankind in the 20th Century. Let the 21st Century see full utilisation of the atom to attain a decarbonised planet and sustainable development for all.

As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of President Eisenhower's visionary speech, Atoms for Peace, let us acknowledge the remarkable progress we've made, but let’s also recognise the challenges that lie ahead. Our commitment to Eisenhower's legacy drives us to ensure that nuclear energy remains a cornerstone of peace, prosperity, and sustainability for generations to come. Together, we can transform its promise into a living legacy - a legacy that transcends borders and benefits all of humanity.

Let us dream big, work tirelessly, and transform those dreams into reality, for the legacy of Atoms for Peace is a legacy of hope, progress, and a better world for all.

Thank you.

Project motivated by long-term demand forecasts.

Urenco, the Anglo-German-Dutch provider of uranium enrichment services, has approved an investment aimed at expanding the production capacity of its existing plant in Almelo, the Netherlands.

The company said in a statement that the project involves the addition of multiple new centrifuge cascades at the enrichment facility.

Urenco said the expansion is projected to boost the annual capacity at Almelo by 15%, or about 750 tonnes of SWU (separative work units). The new cascades are expected to become operational by around 2027.

According to Urenco, the expansion is a response to an expected long-term increase in customer demand as more countries and utilities turn to nuclear power for the first time or seek to extend and diversify fuel supplies for existing nuclear reactor fleets.

The expansion of the Almelo enrichment plant marks the third investment under Urenco's capacity programme.

In July this year, the company approved its first expansion project at its US site in New Mexico, providing an additional capacity of 700 tonnes of SWU per year.

At their site in Gronau, Germany, Urenco is re-fitting an existing space with more modern centrifuge technology which will improve the capacity of the plant.

Boris Schucht, Urenco’s chief executive, said the latest capacity expansion is “the largest so far” and in response to the “growing momentum” behind nuclear energy.

At the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai last week, leaders from the US, Canada, France, Japan and the UK – a group of G7 nations informally known as the Sapporo 5 – announced plans to mobilise $4.2bn (€3.9bn) in government-led investments to develop a secure, reliable global nuclear energy supply chain.

The investments will aim to increase Western uranium enrichment and conversion capacity over the next three years and establish a resilient global uranium supply market free from Russian influence.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Indian-regulator-gives-go-ahead-for-reactor-start

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has given its permission for the first approach to criticality of unit 4 at the Kakrapar nuclear power plant. The unit is the second of two Indian-designed 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) being built at the site in Gujarat.

"Based on the satisfactory Safety and Security reviews … permission is hereby issued for First Approach to Criticality (FAC) and Low-Power Physics Experiments (LPPE) or Kakrapar Atomic Power Project Unit 4," the AERB said in an announcement dated 11 December. The permission is valid until 30 April 2024.

The AERB gave permission for the start of fuel loading at Kakrapar 4 - also referred to as KAPP-4 - in October.

First criticality is when sustained nuclear fission is achieved in the nuclear fuel for the first time. Once first criticality is reached, a series of experiments and tests will be carried out as the reactor's unit is gradually increased, before the unit is connected to the power grid. Kakrapar 3 - the first Indian 700 MWe PHWR unit - underwent its First Approach to Criticality in July 2020 and was connected to the grid in January 2021. It was declared to be in commercial operation in July this year - when it was operating at a reported 90% of its full power. Operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd received permission from the AERB to take it to the full rated capacity in the following month.

Construction of Kakrapar 4 began in November 2010. The site is also home to two 202 MWe PWHRs: Kakrapar 1 was connected to the grid in 1992 and Kakrapar 2 in 1995.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/netherlands-south-korea-agree-cooperate-nuclear-power-2023-12-13/

AMSTERDAM, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The Netherlands and South Korea have signed an agreement to cooperate on nuclear power, including a feasibility study by Korea Hydro (KRHYDR.UL) for the construction of a new nuclear plant in the Netherlands, the two governments said on Wednesday.

The Dutch government plans to build one new nuclear plant by 2035 and is considering another. The announcement comes as part of a state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

South Korea’s industry ministry said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Dutch Economic Affairs ministry to support the new plant order.

The two countries plan to cooperate on "nuclear power plant construction and operation, supply of equipment, technology development, such as small modular reactors" as well as safety and education, the Korean ministry said.

Earlier in Yoon's visit, the first state visit to the Netherlands by a South Korean President since 1961, the two governments signed agreements to improve trade relations with a focus on the semiconductor industry and supply chains.

Dutch computer chip tool maker ASML (ASML.AS) said it would build a new billion won ($758 million) research and development facility in Korea together with Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), one of its biggest customers.

($1 = 1,318.9000 won)

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Final-accord-reached-on-Belgian-reactor-operations

A final agreement has been signed between the Belgian government and French utility Engie to extend the operation of the Tihange 3 and Doel 4 nuclear power reactors by 10 years and on all obligations related to radioactive waste.

Under a plan announced by Belgium's coalition government in December 2021, Doel 3 was shut down in September 2022, while Tihange 2 shut down at the end of January this year. The newer Doel 4 and Tihange 3 would be shut down by 2025. However, in March last year the Belgian government decided to start talks with Electrabel - the Belgian subsidiary of Engie - with a view to extending the operation of Doel 4 and Tihange 3, allowing for the retention of 2 GWe of nuclear generation capacity.

In July 2022, the government and Electrabel signed a non-binding Letter of Intent on continuing negotiations on the feasibility and terms for the operation of the reactors for a further 10 years. On 9 January this year, a non-binding agreement in principle was signed that "concretised the elements" of the Letter of Intent signed in July. This was followed by an interim agreement that built on the 9 January agreement and defined the terms for the extended operation of the two reactors. A framework agreement was signed on 21 July for the continuation of negotiations with a view to reaching a final and legally binding agreement in October.

A final agreement has now been signed which confirms and endorses the key principles of the framework agreement signed on 21 July.

Specifically, the agreement confirms the commitment by both parties to implement Flexible Long-Term Operation (Flex LTO), with an estimated investment of EUR1.6-2.0 billion (USD1.7-2.2 billion), and to use their best efforts to restart the reactors as early as November 2025. It also establishes a legal structure dedicated to the two extended units, owned equally by the Belgian State and Engie.

It also confirms that the business model for the extension will have a balanced risk allocation, in particular through a Contract for Difference mechanism covering remuneration for electricity generation. The strike price is to be based on the actual cost of extending operation of the nuclear units. This cost is not yet known, but will be estimated based on the nuclear safety requirements set out by the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control. An initial price will be set in 2025 and updated in 2028 to reflect the known final cost of the extension, to cover the period up to 2035.

In addition, it determines a fixed amount to cover the future costs related to the treatment of nuclear waste, concerning all Engie nuclear facilities in Belgium, for a total of EUR15 billion payable in two instalments depending on the category of waste.

The final text also sets out the technical and operational conditions for restarting the two units from November 2025, with full guarantees of nuclear safety.

Engie said the operation of these two reactors and the dismantling work under way of its other units "will maintain around 4000 jobs (direct, indirect and induced) and will require the recruitment of 200 additional employees in the coming months".

It noted that the agreement remains subject to approval by the European Commission - with consultation currently under way - and "to the substantive vote on the legislative amendments".

"We are very pleased to announce the final signature of this agreement, which allows a balanced sharing of risks associated with the extended operation of the two nuclear units and eliminates uncertainties for Engie Group related to the evolution of nuclear waste liabilities," said Engie CEO Catherine MacGregor. "Our teams are working hard on implementing the LTOs as quickly as possible, to strengthen security of electricity supply in Belgium."

Partnership aims to produce Haleu for existing and new reactors.

US-based nuclear fuel cycle companies Lightbridge Corporation and Centrus Energy have announced a joint project to conduct a study for a new Lightbridge pilot fuel fabrication facility at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio.

The companies said in a statement that a front-end engineering and design (Feed) study, scheduled for completion in 2024, will identify infrastructure needs, licensing requirements, estimated costs and the construction schedule for the facility.

American Centrifuge Operating, a Centrus Energy subsidiary and the operator of Piketon, will be in charge of the study, said the statement.

The partnership aims to create high-assay low-enriched uranium (Haleu) based fuels that have the potential to power both existing and new reactors.

The announcement has come amidst moves in the US to approve legislation that would bar the importation of low-enriched Russian uranium. Russia provides almost a quarter of the enriched uranium used to fuel the US’s commercial reactor fleet.

During the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, representatives from the US, Canada, France, Japan, and the UK, collectively referred to as the Sapporo 5 within the G7 group, announced plans to raise $4.2bn (€3.9bn) in government-backed funding to develop a global nuclear energy supply chain free from Russian influence.

Lightbridge Corporation develops advanced nuclear fuel technology for existing reactors and new small modular reactors. Centrus Energy supplies enrichment services. The company recently delivered a pilot batch of Haleu fuel under a demonstration programme run by the US Department of Energy.

Centrus began the construction of centrifuges at Piketon in 2019 as part of a contract with the Department of Energy. The company said in October that it had begun enrichment operations at Piketon, which is allowed to enrich uranium up to 20% Uranium-235 (U-235), higher than levels between 3% and 5% in conventional reactor fuel.