Nuclear Energy

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Corporate-agreement-furthers-Canadian-SMR-collabor

Ontario Power Generation subsidiary Laurentis Energy Partners (LEP) and Saskatchewan utility SaskPower have announced details of a Master Services Agreement that will see them collaborate to advance the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Saskatchewan.

The LEP-SaskPower agreement will run for up to five years and serves as a foundation for a long-term strategic partnership to streamline SMR development in Saskatchewan, the companies said. The agreement will see LEP - which has offices in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan as well as Ontario - focus on programme management, licensing, and operational readiness activities.

The new agreement is the latest development in the ongoing collaboration between SaskPower and Ontario Power Generation (OPG). Last year, SaskPower selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment in the province in the mid-2030s, the same technology that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) had already selected for deployment at its Darlington New Nuclear Project where the first of four SMRs is to be completed by the end of 2028, and online by the end of 2029.

Earlier this year, SaskPower and OPG renewed an agreement to continue working together on new nuclear development, including SMRs, in both provinces, providing mutual support by sharing lessons learned, technical resources and expertise, best practices and operating experience, as well as considering opportunities for future collaboration in areas including project development and plant operations.

OPG President and CEO Ken Hartwick said the company's long experience in building, operating and maintaining nuclear power plants will help Saskatchewan to add nuclear to its own generation mix. "Through these agreements, we are using a fleet-style approach, which will increase efficiency and decrease costs as we deploy much-needed new nuclear generation in both provinces," he said.

OPG and LEP's decades of combined experience will be extremely valuable for SaskPower's SMR project, SaskPower President and CEO Rupen Pandya said. "SaskPower's clean energy transition is part of a global transformation to a sustainable future - and the best path forward on this journey is through collaboration," he added.

Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Alberta in 2022 released a joint strategic plan for the deployment of SMRs, and the BWRX-300 is being advanced for deployment in countries including Estonia, Poland and the Czech Republic.

The world is watching Ontario as it works to deploy the world's first grid-scale SMR, Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith said. "Ontario is ready to support partners across Canada - like Saskatchewan - and around the world, leveraging the expertise of our world-class nuclear operators and supply chain to support their deployment of small modular reactors as a clean and reliable source of electricity," he added.

SaskPower is working to identify suitable sites for the deployment of SMRs in the mid-2030s, subject to a decision to build that is expected in 2029. Saskatchewan's Minister Responsible for SaskPower Dustin Duncan said the strategic partnership between SaskPower, OPG, and Laurentis is an example of ongoing collaboration between the two provinces across many sectors and industries. "Today's agreement is not only good for Saskatchewan and Ontario, but will protect sustainable energy security in Canada for decades to come," he said.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/NuScale,-ORNL-to-assess-SMR-use-by-industry

NuScale Power and the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are to collaborate on a techno-economic assessment (TEA), studying a NuScale small modular reactor's ability to implement a cost-effective steam heat augmentation design.

The study will be based on process data from a US chemical facility to help the plant meet its electric power and process steam requirements with NuScale's small modular reactor (SMR) technology.

The TEA will evaluate the viability of NuScale's SMR technology with steam heat augmentation for use in a chemical system, including examination of steam reliability, operational costs and system stability. It will also study SMR siting suitability.

"This work will be a highly collaborative effort with engineers from ORNL and NuScale forming a composite engineering team," NuScale said. "The proposed deliverables of the techno-economic assessment are anticipated to be completed within one year."

The TEA is receiving funding through an award granted by the Department of Energy's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative, which connects industry with the US national laboratories to accelerate the development and commercialisation of advanced nuclear technologies. Funding for the project was announced in September, in the fourth round of GAIN Vouchers awarded in fiscal year 2023.

"With the support of the US DOE under the GAIN initiative, we are thrilled to collaborate with Oak Ridge National Lab to assess this exciting new decarbonisation pathway that serves as a model for chemical plants," said NuScale President and CEO John Hopkins. "It is a crucial step in the transition to a sustainable future that serves all energy-intensive sectors. As the first and only US Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified SMR design, NuScale leads in the development of new technologies to achieve industry-wide decarbonisation."

"Nuclear technologies will play an essential role in the carbon-free integrated energy systems of the future," said Mickey Wade, Associate Lab Director for Fusion and Fission Energy and Science at ORNL. "The reliability of heat production from advanced fission technologies will drive deep decarbonisation across industrial sectors, including chemical production facilities. ORNL's expertise in techno-economic analysis regarding system reliability, operational cost, and system stability analyses provides an enabling foundation for our partners to evaluate this decarbonisation pathway."

The NuScale Power Module on which VOYGR nuclear power plants are based is a pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single 77 MWe unit. The company offers a 12-module VOYGR-12 power plant is capable of generating 924 MWe as well as the four-module VOYGR-4 (308 MWe) and six-module VOYGR-6 (462 MWe) plants and other configurations based on customer needs.

A pilot six-module plant had been planned to be built near Idaho Falls in the USA as the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS)-led Carbon Free Power Project, expected to be operational by 2030. However, UAMPS and NuScale earlier this month announced they had mutually agreed to terminate the project.

In May, NuScale said new research demonstrates the advanced capabilities of its SMRs for reducing emissions in industrial sectors. Led by NuScale co-founder and Chief Technology Officer José Reyes, the benchmarked research found that NuScale SMRs have the potential for use in a wide variety of high-temperature industrial processes not previously envisioned using light water reactor (LWR) technology.

The company's research showed that the steam generated by a single NuScale Power Module can be compressed and heated to produce process steam at commercial scale, temperatures and pressures. Reyes and his team found that a single Power Module, generating 250 MWt, can produce more than 500,000 lb/hr of steam at 1500 psia and 500ºC, with the potential to extend production to 2400 psia and over 650ºC.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Reactor-vessel-delivered-to-Kursk-II-s-second-unit

The 340-tonne reactor vessel could now be installed before the end of the year at the new unit being built by Rosatom at the Kursk nuclear power plant.

The reactor pressure vessel - one of five shipped this year by Rosatom - was transported by barge and road from the Atommash plant in Volgodonsk. For the last leg of the journey, the giant load had specialist traffic and police escorts, with its speed not reaching 25 kilometres an hour.

Kursk II is a new nuclear power plant in western Russia, about 60 kilometres (37.5 miles) from the Ukraine border, that will feature four VVER-TOI reactors, the latest version of Russia's large light-water designs. They have upgraded pressure vessels and a higher power rating of 3300 MWt that enables them to generate 1300 MWe gross and they will replace four RBMK units currently operating at the site.

Construction of the first unit began in 2018, its polar crane was installed in October 2021 and the reactor vessel in June 2022. Concreting of the outer dome of the first unit was completed in August.

Alexander Uvakin, director of Kursk NPP, said: "The 340-tonne, 12-metre reactor vessel is capable of withstanding a pressure of 250 atmospheres, which is 1.4 times higher than the working pressure. This will allow, after 60 years of operation, to extend the life of the reactor by another 40."

Oleg Shperle, vice-president of Atomstroyexport JSC, director of the project for the construction of Kursk II, said installation of the equipment is planned for this year, adding it was a complex construction operation with the reactor vessel installed at a height of 11.3 metres "on a support ring inside the reactor compartment". He said the installation was one of the key events in the construction of Kursk II: "It marks the active phase of installation of all primary circuit equipment, from which the countdown begins until the start of commissioning work at the nuclear power plant."

Governor of the Jursk region, Roman Starovoyt, said it was "a key investment project in the region" and would help meet the need for electricity in the region for decades to come.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newskairos-claims-operation-of-worlds-largest-flibe-system-11315280

Kairos Power says its Engineering Test Unit (ETU) in Albuquerque has become the largest FLiBe system in the world. Kairos commissioned the plant in partnership with Materion Corporation to produce high-purity fluoride salt coolant – known as FLiBe – a eutectic mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride.

In October, the team at the ETU began loading 14 tonnes of molten fluoride salt coolant, initiating the largest FLiBe transfer since the US Molten Salt Reactor Experiment in 1969.

ETU is a non-nuclear prototype of Kairos Power's planned fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR) that aims to demonstrate the integration of principal systems, structures, and components. Lessons learned from ETU will be integrated into Hermes and future iterations on the path to commercialising KP-FHR technology. This is an advanced reactor technology that uses TRISO (TRI-structural ISOtropic) fuel in pebble form combined with a low-pressure fluoride salt coolant. The technology employs a steam cycle to convert heat from fission into electricity and to complement renewable energy sources.

In September 2021, Kairos applied to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a permit to build a 35 MWt reactor that would use molten salt to cool the reactor core. The test reactor, which will not generate electricity, is intended to provide operational data for future developments. The 35 MWt Hermes demonstration reactor design was awarded $629m in cost-shared risk reduction funding over seven years by the US Department of Energy under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. A site has been selected for the demonstration reactor at the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge, and TRISO fuel pebbles will be produced at the Los Alamos National Laboratory's Low Enriched Fuel Fabrication Facility under an agreement reached in late 2022.

Last July, Kairos applied to NRC for permission to build its Hermes 2 plant next to the Hermes reactor at Oak Ridge. Hermes 2 comprises two 35 MWt reactors, each the same size as the original test reactor, that share a power generation system. Hermes 2 is a non-power stepping stone towards deployment of the KP-FHR. The purpose of Hermes 2 is to further reduce risk on the path to commercialising the KP-FHR technology, demonstrating licensing, construction, operations, training, and decommissioning of a multi-reactor plant to help estimate the cost of the first commercial unit.

Kairo said the final batch of FLiBe for ETU was delivered to the ETU in August. The FLiBe was produced at the Kairos Molten Salt Purification Plant (MSPP) on the Materion campus in Elmore, Ohio.

“Being the first to build and operate a plant to produce FLiBe at an industrial scale has generated a wealth of lessons that will help de-risk salt production for future iterations,” Kairos noted.

“As we accelerate our experience with large-scale FLiBe operations, establishing operating protocols, training personnel, and executing maintenance procedures, we learn important lessons to optimise plant operations for Kairos Power’s future nuclear iterations.” Once all 14 tonnes of FLiBe are circulating in ETU, operators will embark on a multi-month testing programme that will continue to provide data until the system is decommissioned to make way for the next iteration – ETU 2.0.

Kairos said construction work has begun on the Modular Systems Facility, which will support ETU 2.0 subsystem development. ETU 2.0 is the first iteration to demonstrate modular construction, which provides a number of benefits. “By building each subsystem for ETU 2.0 as a modular skid, we will be able to complete entire subsystems and perform qualification testing in parallel before moving the skids into the ETU enclosure for assembly. This will enable us to advance ETU 2.0 construction while ETU 1.0 operations and decommissioning are still in progress.”

Kairos is also producing “components from stainless steel and graphite, U-stamped pressure vessels, non-nuclear TRISO pebbles, and other specialised parts for our testing programme”. This includes construction of a vessel shop where we will make reactor vessels for future iterations, “along with the TRISO Development Lab, where we will advance fuel manufacturing techniques that will be implemented off-site to produce the fuel for Hermes”.

The infrastructure and experience that Kairos Power is building in Albuquerque will directly support deployments in Tennessee, including the Hermes demonstration reactor, the company noted. “But Hermes won’t be our first hardware demonstration in Oak Ridge. In August, we announced that the third ETU iteration – ETU 3.0 – will be constructed on land owned by Kairos Power adjacent to the Hermes site at Heritage Centre Industrial Park.” Kairos Power plans to break ground at Heritage Centre in early 2024.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newskrko-back-in-operation-11315284

The Krško NPP, which was shut down in early October after the discovery of a leak in the primary circuit connection system, is back in operation following repairs to the pipeline, according to operator Nuklearna Elektrarna Krško (NEK). The plant began running at 28% and will gradually increase its power by operating procedures, NEK said. “Organisations authorised by the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) gave a positive opinion for the start-up after an independent control of the activities.” After Krško NPP submitted the SNSA Analysis Report After Deviation and supporting studies, SNSA confirmed that the plant” had implemented all necessary and expected measures and fulfilled the prerequisites for safe operation”.

Part of the NPP's safety injection system pipeline, where a leak on the weld location had been detected, was replaced. The part of the pipeline on the second branch of the safety injection system was also replaced as a precautionary measure, although no trace of leakage was found there. “After the successful inspection of the installed materials and welds on the pipelines, the standard procedures for entering the criticality state and further restart of the plant were initiated,” NEK noted.

The short-term measures included non-destructive ultrasonic testing of the removed pipelines, functional testing of snubbers on the safety injection pipelines and installation of a temperature monitoring system on the safety injection pipelines. As part of the long-term measures, the NPP will carry out a detailed analysis of the cause of the leak. The two dismantled parts of the pipeline were sent abroad for destructive and metallographic examinations of the material and welds in a suitable hot cell laboratory. Based on the results of these analyses, the Krško NPP will take additional technical measures if necessary.

NEK said replacement of both pipelines was a complicated procedure due to the radiation in the vicinity of the reactor vessel and the contamination of the pipelines. “No worker received a radiation dose above the legal limits. The measured collective dose of all workers was lower than the dose estimated before the start of the repair work. The NPP personnel were well prepared for the repair work on the pipeline, all protective measures for the workers were taken, and effective decontamination of the work area and the pipelines was carried out.”

The impact of the unplanned outage on the environment and the population was very low and comparable to the impact during normal operation of the NPP. Gaseous discharges to the environment were slightly increased during the unplanned outage, but the levels were still comparable to those during regular outages. All radioactive discharges were well below the legal limits set for the NPP.

Two units could remain in service for 60 years.

An International Atomic Energy Agency team has completed a review of long-term operational safety at Sweden’s Forsmark nuclear power station, where the operator is preparing to operate units for 60 years.

Units 1 and 2 at Forsmark, north of Stockholm on Sweden’s east coast, began commercial operation in 1980 and 1981 respectively. They were designed with an initial operational life of 40 years and entered their long-term operation (LTO) phase in 2020 and 2021.

Vattenfall AB, the operator, has decided to extend their operational life to 60 years.

A third unit, not covered by the review, began commercial operation in 1985.

The IAEA team said Forsmark should address some of the remaining elements in plant programmes to ensure the effectiveness in ageing management.

The plant should improve the grouping of components – so called commodity groups – for implementation of ageing management activities and should improve ageing management programmes for civil structures, systems and components for LTO.

The team said Forsmark had developed and implemented a detailed process for the identification of components not directly important to safety that may influence intended functions of safety components. It had developed and implemented a comprehensive obsolescence management programme.

The team also praised the development of a programme to coordinate specialist activities to foster the growth of a specialised workforce in specific areas, such as ageing management.

Swedish nuclear plant licences are not time-limited, but regulatory consent to operate is subject to a periodic safety review every 10 years.

The pressurised water reactor was synchronised to the South African energy grid on 18 November after nearly a year offline for the replacement of the plant's three original steam generators, a prerequisite for the long-term operation of the plant.

Completion of the longest outage in the plant's history is a "huge milestone" in its generational recovery plan and strategic objectives, Eskom said.

The steam generator replacement had originally been scheduled to take place in the first half of 2021, with similar work at Koeberg 2 to take place the following year. However, the schedule was put back due to concerns about the tight supply of electricity in South Africa. Koeberg 1's maintenance outage began on 10 December 2022 and had been expected to last about six months.

Koeberg 2 - which continued to operate for the duration of unit 1's outage - will begin an outage for similar work once unit 1 is stable and all the required commissioning tests are complete - but lessons learned from unit 1's outage will enable the duration of unit 2's outage to be reduced, Eskom said.

"This milestone is as a result of the hard work and determination of the Eskom employees, suppliers, and contractors who have had to endure a long and challenging outage in the Koeberg Power Station's history. I commend everyone involved on the project for ensuring that the unt was returned to service safely," said Eskom Group Executive for Generation Bheki Nxumalo.

Although Koeberg 1 has now been reconnected to the grid, South Africa's electricity system remains constrained: on 19 November, Eskom announced that loadshedding measures would continue with 16,264 MWe of its generating capacity in unplanned outages. Some 6,606 MWe of capacity was offline for planned maintenance.

Koeberg, with a combined capacity of 1,860 MWe, is the only operating nuclear power plant on the African content. Unit 1 entered commercial operation in 1984 and unit 2 in 1985, and the units are currently licensed to operate until 2024 and 2025, respectively. Eskom submitted its application to extend the operating life of the two-unit plant by additional 20 years beyond its initial 40-year operating life to South Africa's National Nuclear Regulator in May 2021. Public hearings in connection with the application are scheduled for February 2024.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Installation-of-El-Dabaa-2-s-core-catcher-begins

A ceremony has been held to mark the beginning of the installation - ahead of schedule - of the core catcher in the second unit at Egypt's El Dabaa nuclear power plant.

The installation of the core catcher - or melt trap - was one of the construction targets for 2024 so its installation is ahead of schedule, and follows on from the installation of the first unit's core catcher in October.

The 6.1-metre diameter core catcher is a key part of the passive safety system for the VVER-1200 reactor - its function is that "in case of an emergency, it securely retains the fragments of the molten core and prevents the discharge beyond the reactor building containment".

Those attending the ceremony included the Chairman of the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) Amged El-Wakeel and the First Deputy Director General of Rosatom, Andrey Petrov.

El-Wakeel said that the progress on the construction "is not the result of a coincidence, but a consequence of the tireless and persistent efforts of all project participants, who worked day and night to fulfill key production events. This would not have been possible without dedication, tenacity and tireless hard work".

Petrov noted the almost parallel construction of the first two units and said: "Our project continues to develop at a rapid pace ... by the end of this year, we plan to pour the 'first concrete' into the foundation slab of the fourth power unit, thus marking the end of the preparatory period and the transition to the main stage of construction of the four-unit El Dabaa NPP. All this is the result of the coordinated work of a single team of the customer and the general contractor."

The El Dabaa nuclear power plant project - about 320 kilometres north-west of Cairo - is based on contracts that entered into force on 11 December 2017. The plant will comprise four VVER-1200 units, like those already in operation at the Leningrad and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants in Russia, and the Ostrovets nuclear power plant in Belarus.

The contracts stipulate that Rosatom will not only build the plant, but will also supply Russian nuclear fuel for its entire life cycle. It will also assist Egyptian partners in training personnel and plant maintenance for the first 10 years of its operation. Rosatom is also contracted to build a special storage facility and supply containers for storing used nuclear fuel.

The electricity production of Olkiluoto 3 was interrupted yesterday, Sunday, November 19th, at 19:10 due to a fault detected in the turbine plant.

The Olkiluoto 3 unit was in normal production when a fault in the turbine plant automatically stopped the facility's electricity production. The facility operated as intended during the fault.

In the research, the cause of the fault was revealed to be a malfunctioning temperature measurement in the generator's cooling system. After the repair work, further inspections and testing will be conducted at the facility. According to the current estimate, the plant unit is expected to return to production at noon on November 21st. The incident had no impact on nuclear safety.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Eiffage-awarded-civil-engineering-contract-for-Pen

French construction company Eiffage, through its subsidiary Eiffage Génie Civil, has been awarded a contract worth more than EUR4 billion (USD4.4 billion) by EDF for civil engineering works on the first two EPR2 reactors planned at the Penly site in Normandy, northern France.

The contract - the tender for which was launched in 2019 - includes the construction of two units, including 69 civil structures. The civil engineering phase will include the construction of the reactor buildings containment - a 70-metre tall dome with a 50-metre diameter - and the turbine hall buildings. It also includes a six-level operation building with a total floor space of 15,000 square metres in a design and construction framework.

The preparatory works are expected to begin in mid-2024 once the administrative authorisations are granted to EDF for the construction of the two units.

Eiffage said it "will be striving to boost the local economy, prioritising local jobs and social employment". At its peak, this civil engineering phase will involve almost 4000 people, and will generate 1.3 million working hours of social employment and jobs for people with disabilities, it said. Eiffage said it will also develop training programmes essential to the revival of the French nuclear industry.

"This new contract awarded to Eiffage demonstrates the group's ability to manage major projects and support large industrial companies in meeting the challenges of decarbonisation and energy sovereignty in France," the company said.

In May 2021, EDF submitted to the State a proposal for the construction of the new EPR2 reactor programme in France. It proposes to build three pairs of EPR2 reactors, in order, at Penly, Gravelines and at either Bugey or Tricastin.

In February 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the time was right for a nuclear renaissance in France, saying the operation of all existing reactors should be extended without compromising safety and unveiling a proposed programme for six new EPR2 reactors, with an option for a further eight EPR2 reactors to follow.

EDF announced in June this year that it is seeking the necessary authorisations to construct two EPR2 reactors at the Penly site. The state-owned power company said its board of directors had decided to proceed with the planned construction of the first pair of EPR2 reactors at Penly "in response to the expectations expressed" during a national public debate, which took place between 27 October 2022 and 27 February 2023 under the aegis of the National Commission for Public Debate.

It added that once the environmental authorisation has been obtained, EDF can begin preparatory work for the site in the summer of 2024, including the earthworks and the reshaping of part of the cliff, "which represents around three and a half years of work". Once the decree is obtained, around 2027, the company can pour the first concrete for the first reactor building. The construction of the units will then take about seven years with commissioning in 2035.

Bouygues Construction was awarded the civil engineering contract for Flamanville 3 EPR in September 2006. Construction work began in December 2007 on the 1650 MWe unit at the site in Normandy. The dome of the reactor building was put in place in July 2013 and the reactor vessel was installed in January 2014. The reactor was originally expected to start commercial operation in 2013 but the project has been beset by delays. Fuel loading is now scheduled for the first quarter of 2024.

EDF and Framatome are developing a simplified version of the EPR design, known as EPR2. Its aim is to incorporate design, construction and commissioning experience feedback from the EPR reactor, as well as operating experience from the nuclear reactors currently in service.

The Bugey plant currently comprises four operating 900 MWe pressurised water reactors - units 2-5 - that started up between 1978 and 1979. Bugey 1 was a gas-cooled reactor that was built from 1965 with its first grid connection in 1972. It was shut down permanently in 1994.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Framatome-piping-rehabilitation-system-an-industry

A two-year test programme has validated the first spray-in-place structural liner system for use within nuclear plant safety-related applications for long-term plant operations and licence renewals.

Aging and degradation of buried piping is a challenge in the nuclear industry, but the location of these components - which can range in size from several centimetres to more than three metres - makes necessary repairs and inspections costly, the company said. Its spray-in-place liner provides the nuclear industry with a safe solution that rehabilitates pipe internals and overcomes cost, safety and outage duration challenges, it added.

Such innovations can help to improve plant performance, achieve outage performance goals, and secure long-term operations, said Craig Ranson, senior vice president of Framatome's Installed Base business unit in North America. "Our turnkey lining process saves our customers money and downtime, while solving buried piping aging challenges and taking them to the end of the plant's lifespan," he added.

The engineered structural spray-in-place liner system, developed by Framatome and industry partners, is delivered remotely by a robotic crawler. The fast-curing liner is sprayed evenly onto the inside of the pipe, fully rehabilitating the pipe and becoming the new pipe pressure boundary. The quick-installing system does not require excavation, minimising safety risks and reducing outage duration, the company said.

Testing and engineering evaluations were performed at Framatome’s Qualification and Testing Center in Virginia.

MOU is one of a number of recent agreements on possible reactor build.

Sweden-based nuclear technology company Studsvik has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nordic energy company Fortum to explore the possibility of new nuclear at the Studsvik site outside Nyköping in southeast Sweden.

Studsvik said it wants to support the climate transition and in the long term sees the possibility for new nuclear power at its site, south of Stockholm, either in the form of commercial reactors, research reactors or a combination of both.

Studsvik said its role will be to make land available and contribute with its expertise. It would not to build or operate nuclear power plants on its own.

The goal for the first phase of the MoU is to identify potential business models and technical solutions for further development.

The MoU is part of a Fortum nuclear feasibility study, to be completed in 2024, that will explore the commercial, technological and societal conditions both for SMRs and conventional large reactors in Finland and Sweden. The study is also looking at new partnerships and business models.

Fortum operates the two-unit Loviisa nuclear power station in Finland and jointly owns the three-unit Olkiluoto in Finland, Oskarshamn-3 in Sweden and the three-unit Forsmark in Sweden.

In August, Swedish SMR project development company Kärnfull Next announced plans for its first nuclear new build site at Nyköping – a site it wants to turn into an “SMR campus” by the mid-2030s.

The company said it had signed a MoU and attained prospecting rights to explore the potential for commercial nuclear energy production at an industrial site owned by Studsvik at Nyköping. Fortum Signs Number of New Nuclear Agreements

In March 2022, Kärnfull Next signed an MoU with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy on the deployment of the BWRX-300 in Sweden.

Fortum has signed a number of agreements on potential new nuclear. In June it signed agreements with US-based Westinghouse Electric Company to study the possibilities for the development and deployment of AP1000 and AP300 nuclear power reactor projects in Finland and Sweden.

It has signed agreements with stainless steel manufacturer Outokumpu to explore the decarbonisation of Outokumpu’s operations with emerging nuclear technologies such as SMRS, and with UK-based Rolls-Royce SMR to explore opportunities for the deployment of small modular reactors in Finland and Sweden.

Under an agreement signed in March, Swedish lead-cooled SMR technology developer Blykalla is to conduct a feasibility study on the construction and operation of a demonstration Sealer (Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor) with associated infrastructure for fuel fabrication in Nyköping.

Fortum has also signed agreements with South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Helsinki-based utility Helen Energy.

Technology is Chinese version of Westinghouse AP1000.

Construction has started of the nuclear island for Unit 1 at the Xudabu nuclear power station in Liaoning Province, northeast China, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced.

The construction of units 1 and 2 at Xudabu – also known as Xudapu and Xudabao – station was approved by China’s State Council on 31 July.

CNNC said investment in the two-unit project will be about $6.6bn (€6bn). Total investment in six units planned for the site will be about $19.5bn, state media reported.

The start of construction at Unit 1 means, according to International Atomic Energy Agency data, that China has 23 nuclear plants under construction, the most in the world.

CNNC said it has 10 reactors being built in China with a combined generating capacity of 11.42 GW.

Xudabu-1 and -2 will both have 1,250 MW CAP1000 reactors, the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 pressurised water reactor unit.

There are already two Russia-supplied VVER-1200 PWR units under construction at Xudabu. Those units are Xudabu-3 and -4.

The Xudabu project will comprise six reactors, with Units 1 and 2 originally planned for the first phase.

However, a change in plans saw construction of Xudabu-3 and -4 begin in July 2021 and May 2022 respectively, before Units 1 and 2. Xudabu-3 and -4 are expected to be commissioned in 2027 and 2028.

The Xudabu station is owned by Liaoning Nuclear Power Company Ltd, in which CNNC holds a 70% stake with Datang International Power Generation Co holding 20% and State Development and Investment Corporation owning 10%. The general contractor is China Nuclear Power Engineering Company Ltd, a subsidiary of CNNC.

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/iaea-director-general-and-president-of-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-celebrate-cancer-care-milestone

The IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi met President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Thursday, after attending a ceremony to lay a foundation stone of the country’s first public radiotherapy centre. The DRC was one of the first countries to work with the IAEA under its flagship cancer care initiative, Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All, which aims to widen access to life-saving radiotherapy by supporting the establishment and expansion of global radiotherapy services in many countries around the world.

Mr Grossi said: “Cancer claims too many lives, but we're changing this — one radiotherapy centre at a time. At the heart of IAEA's mission is supporting nations to bolster their cancer care capabilities. And we're actively making this happen.”

The DRC faces a significant cancer burden, and like many low-income countries, does not have enough access to radiotherapy or medical imaging. Prior to the Rays of Hope initiative, only one private radiotherapy facility served a country of approximately 90 million people, according to an IAEA imPACT review, carried out in 2022. Most diagnostic and treatment services were only available in private facilities in Kinshasa, creating considerable disparity in access to diagnostic services across the country.

Rays of Hope

Since the Rays of Hope initiative began on World Cancer Day in 2022, the ‘first wave’ countries of Benin, Chad, DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, and Senegal have received a range of key radiotherapy and medical imaging machines – as well as training for the medical professionals needed to operate the equipment and provide safe and timely diagnostic and treatment services. The IAEA has six decades of experience in helping countries fight cancer, including in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO). The assistance provided by the IAEA has enabled many countries to establish and/or strengthen safe, secure and effective radiation medicine (radiotherapy, radiology and nuclear medicine) capabilities.

While in high-income countries nearly all patients have access to radiotherapy, in middle-income countries fewer than 60 percent do. In low-income countries, the figure drops to just only one in ten people with access to this life-saving treatment.

Integrated cancer care can help to prevent one third of all cancers, including some of the most common forms such as cervical, breast, head and neck, and colorectal cancers. Investments in diagnosis and treatment can enable diseases to be detected early and treated appropriately. The most prominent types of cancer in the DRC are prostate cancer in men with around 7471 new cases annually, and cervical cancer in women with around 7772 new cases per year, according to the online cancer statistics database GLOBOCAN.

The new Centre of Multidisciplinary Diagnostic and Radiotherapy will be hosted by the University of Kinshasa. The University of Kinshasa also includes the Regional Center for Nuclear Studies and houses Africa’s first research reactor, TRICO I, now in permanent shutdown, as well as its TRICO-II research reactor.

Research reactors are powerful tools, providing life-saving medical radioisotopes for cancer care, and enabling scientific research in agriculture and industry. The Trico II reactor has been in extended shutdown since 2004, but there are plans to bring it back into service, following a series of IAEA missions aimed at enhancing nuclear safety and security at the reactor as well as putting into place ageing management plans. Mr Grossi re-affirmed the IAEA’s support to bring Trico II back into service while speaking to President Tshilombo during his visit.

The TRICO II research reactor may also play a role in the IAEA and UN Food and Agriculture’s most recent initiative, Atoms4Food, which aims to use nuclear science to create greater food security in countries such as the DRC. Tools provided by nuclear science can help farmers to use their scarce water resources more effectively and scientists to create to create more climate-resistant and nutritious crops. They can also help scientists more accurately measure malnutrition.

Mr Grossi said: “Nuclear science holds great potential for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s progress. The IAEA stands ready to support, especially with Atoms4Food, in tackling food insecurity and boosting agricultural productivity, contributing to the nation’s sustainable development.”

The world is in the midst of a global food crisis and the number of people experiencing high levels of food insecurity has doubled since 2020. Without action, millions more will experience hunger, as increasing climate extremes cause crops to fail, while the world’s increasing population causes a rise in global food demand.

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-194-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine

A reactor unit of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) temporarily lost power earlier this week, forcing it to rely on an emergency diesel generator for the electricity it needs for cooling and other vital functions, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

The ZNPP is investigating the cause of the 90-minute power outage that occurred late on Wednesday at reactor unit 6. The IAEA experts at the site are also gathering information to make their own independent assessment. The affected unit is in cold shutdown, but still needs access to power. None of the ZNPP’s five other reactors lost power, three of which are also in cold shutdown, while two are in hot shutdown to generate steam and heating.

“While this was not a total loss of off-site power, as we have seen seven times before during the conflict, it once again highlights the precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant,” Director General Grossi said. “The IAEA will continue to collect information so we can inform the international community about the situation at the plant.”

The day after the power outage, the ZNPP informed the IAEA experts that part of the safety system of the same unit was placed under planned maintenance.

The ZNPP continues to be connected to the electricity grid through a single 750 kilovolt (kV) main power line – out of four before the conflict – as well as a back-up 330 kV line, compared with six less than two years ago.

IAEA experts present at the ZNPP are continuing to hear explosions on a near-daily basis some distance away from the site, on the frontline of the conflict.

Separately, the IAEA experts have been informed that the chemical boron has been detected in the secondary cooling circuit of one of the steam generators of reactor unit 5, which is currently in hot shutdown. Borated water is used in the primary coolant to help maintain nuclear safety. The site has increased the frequency of boron measurements in the secondary cooling circuit of unit 5. The measurements remain relatively stable and are within the limits permitted by the reactor’s technical specifications. No radioactivity has been detected in the secondary cooling circuit.

The ZNPP stated that, as the boron concentration remains within the allowable limits, the site intends to keep unit 5 in hot shutdown, which will be reassessed after all the boilers, used for heating in the nearby town of Enerhodar, have started operating. At that time, the site will determine whether to move unit 5 to cold shutdown.

The ZNPP has been keeping reactor units 4 and 5 in hot shutdown to provide heating and steam for nuclear safety purposes on site, as well as heating for Enerhodar, where most plant staff live. The IAEA continues to follow the ZNPP’s progress to find an alternative source of steam generation. Ukraine’s national regulator, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), issued regulatory orders in June to limit the operation of all six units of the ZNPP to a cold shutdown state.

In other activities conducted by the IAEA experts over the past week, the team performed – for the first time – a walkdown on Wednesday of all six main reactor control rooms at the ZNPP, one after the other. It provided the team with an opportunity to gather more information about staffing there and to confirm the status of each reactor unit.

“This has been a positive development regarding access. I strongly encourage the plant to ensure that timely access and information sharing take place regularly. It will enhance our capability to report about the overall situation at the plant,” Director General Grossi said.

The same day, the IAEA experts also conducted a walkdown of the turbine hall of unit 5, but their access was partially restricted, as was the case also during a visit to the turbine hall of unit 1 last week, and of the turbine halls of units 1, 2, 4 and 5 during walkdowns in October. The IAEA experts continue to request access to all six turbine halls together as part of their activities to monitor compliance to the seven indispensable pillars and the five concrete principles for protecting the ZNPP.

Following last month’s closure of the reactor vessel of unit 3, the plant informed the IAEA experts this week that testing of the reactor’s primary cooling circuit was completed, and pressure testing of the secondary cooling circuit is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Over the past week, up to seven of the nine mobile diesel boilers installed at the ZNPP to provide additional heating during the winter have been in operation most days. Their usage depends on the requirements for steam at the plant and for heating in Enerhodar.

Elsewhere in Ukraine this week, IAEA experts observed an emergency exercise conducted at the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on 15 and 16 November, which also included support from staff at the South Ukraine and Khmelnitsky NPPs. The IAEA has teams continually present at these three plants, who followed the different aspects of the exercise, at the Rivne NPP from both the onsite and offsite emergency control room.

During the exercise, the SNRIU – the Ukrainian Competent Authority under the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency – shared information with the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre.

Following the emergency exercise, the Rivne NPP conducted a debriefing to discuss the conduct of the exercise, document lessons learned and to identify areas for improvement.

The ZNPP plans to conduct an emergency exercise next week, which the IAEA team will also observe.

The IAEA teams at the Khmelnitsky, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site report safe and secure operations of these nuclear facilities despite the continuation of the conflict.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/UK-should-emulate-France-and-South-Korea-on-new-nu

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Nuclear Energy report, Made in Britain: The Pathway to a Nuclear Renaissance, says multiple small modular reactor (SMR) units should be ordered to justify firms' investment in UK production facilities - and calls for Wylfa in North Wales to be backed within the next year as the next large-scale plant.

The report, by a group of members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, says that the arms-length body set up to deliver the UK's nuclear expansion - Great British Nuclear (GBN) - should set contract conditions requiring the use of British supply chains. This would mean that even if foreign SMR designs are selected, they would be "effectively made by British industry". The report says the requirement to maximise UK content, should start "with the use of UK nuclear fuel, which is our most mature supply chain capability".

"The UK could once make reactor pressure vessels, coolant circulators, boilers and turbines for nuclear power stations. We cannot do any of that today, but we could again. Companies like Sheffield Forgemasters, for instance, now owned by the Ministry of Defence, could make reactor pressure vessels for civilian SMRs," the report says.

It says that by doing so, the UK can replicate the most successful aspects of the experience of South Korea, which had no nuclear power plants in the 1970s but which now has 24 GW capacity with 4 GW under construction and 5 GW exported. As well as ordering multiple units of each of the winning SMR designs in the current selection process, it says "GBN should standardise on the single most successful SMR design after the initial deployment phase. This will concentrate investment efficiently on the required capabilities, allowing swifter introduction of UK content and more competitive exports".

On the planning front, it suggests imposing a net-zero duty on all planning regulators and also designation of nuclear as a Critical National Priority. It says GBN should choose its SMR Technology Partners and agree co-funding agreements by Spring 2024, saying the government "must be willing to take equity shares in the first SMR projects and to order enough units in the first wave to get the programme off the ground". It says that at the same time a technology partner should be chosen to "deliver a major, multi-reactor, large-scale nuclear project at Wylfa before the Parliament is out", which it will be by December 2024 at the latest.

All-Party Parliamentary Groups are not formal Parliamentary committees and do not have legislative powers but are forums for parliamentarians to discuss an issue or topic - in this case civil nuclear energy - on a cross-party basis. This group says its aim is that "working with the civil nuclear industry, we can assist the UK Government in developing better legislation for nuclear power that will drive forward the UK's ambition to achieve net-zero and ensure a secure domestic energy supply for future generations".

The UK's energy strategy unveiled in April set the target for eight new reactors plus small modular reactors to produce 24 GWe capacity by 2050, meeting about 25% of the UK's projected electricity demand. The UK currently generates about 15% of its electricity from about 6.5 GW of nuclear capacity. The first new nuclear capacity in the UK for about 30 years is being built by EDF at Hinkley Point C - two EPRs producing 3.2 GW of electricity - with a final investment decision also expected on a similar sized project at Sizewell C within the next few months.

Last month GBN announced that EDF, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC, Holtec Britain Limited, NuScale Power, Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Limited had been selected to bid for UK government contracts in the next stage of the SMR selection process which will provide support for up to four technologies to pursue a project through Final Investment Decision to construction and operation, with the support including "funding to support technology development site-specific design, a close partnership with Great British Nuclear which will be ready and able to provide developer capability" and support in accessing sites.

Ian Liddell-Grainger, Conservative MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset and and chairman of the all-party group, said: "Ramping up nuclear capacity to the levels needed for energy security and net-zero will require a monumental effort from government and industry. The steps outlined in this report shows how the UK can deliver on its commitment to nuclear and ensure we don’t fall behind the progress being made by other countries."

Charlotte Nichols Labour MP for Warrington North co-chair of the group, said: "Britain must show it is serious about its nuclear renaissance and by following these steps it can deliver on its ambition. The reward is huge: Building 20 GW more nuclear would sustain 250,000 jobs, adding around GBP20 billion (USD25 billion) to our new green economy each year, as well as providing a base of energy security for the rest of this century. We must act now to keep up momentum and deliver."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Studsvik,-Fortum-study-prospects-for-new-nuclear-a

Swedish nuclear technical services provider Studsvik has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Finnish utility Fortum to explore the conditions for new nuclear at the Studsvik industrial site near Nyköping in Sweden.

The MoU is part of Fortum's nuclear feasibility study launched in October 2022. During the two-year programme, Fortum will explore commercial, technological, and societal, including political, legal, and regulatory conditions both for small modular reactors (SMRs) and conventional large reactors in Finland and Sweden. The study also investigates new partnerships and business models.

The agreement with Studsvik initiates a process with the aim of assessing the potential to construct new nuclear at the Nyköping site. In the first phase, the goal is to identify potential business models and technical solutions for further development.

Studsvik has previously said its Nyköping site is in a strategic location and houses the company's broad expertise in nuclear technology, including fuel and materials technology, reactor analysis software and fuel optimisation, decommissioning and radiation protection services as well as technical solutions for handling, conditioning and volume reduction of radioactive waste.

"In the long-term, there is a possibility for new nuclear power on the Studsvik site, either in the form of commercial reactors, research reactors or a combination of both," Studsvik said. "In that case, Studsvik's role will be to make land available and contribute with its expertise in various areas - not to build or operate nuclear power plants on its own."

"Studsvik is positive to new nuclear as a part of the green transition, since it constitutes fossil-free, efficient, and plannable electricity production," said Studsvik President and CEO Camilla Hoflund. "We welcome Fortum as a partner to investigate the possibility of establishing new nuclear on the Studsvik site, which is a classic nuclear area with an infrastructure already adapted to nuclear operations."

Fortum said the agreement "supports its strategic priorities to deliver reliable and clean energy and to drive decarbonisation in industries by providing clean energy and CO2-free solutions to its customers".

"A lot of new electricity generation will be needed across the Nordics to meet future electricity demand in our societies and industries," said Laurent Leveugle, Vice President, New Nuclear at Fortum. "I am very satisfied as this agreement shows our ambition to support Sweden's green transition in the long-term."

The MoU between Studsvik and Fortum will run in parallel with earlier announced agreements with Kärnfull Next and Blykalla (formerly known as LeadCold).

In August, Studsvik signed an MoU with Swedish SMR project development company Kärnfull Next, which is investigating the possibility of constructing and operating SMRs at Nyköping. In March 2022, Kärnfull Next signed an MoU with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy on the deployment of the BWRX-300 in Sweden.

Under an agreement signed in March, Swedish lead-cooled SMR technology developer Blykalla is to conduct a feasibility study on the construction and operation of a demonstration SEALER (Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor) with associated infrastructure for fuel fabrication in Nyköping.

In addition to the MoU with Studsvik, Fortum has signed cooperation agreements with Westinghouse, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Rolls-Royce SMR, EDF, Kärnfull Next as well as Finland's Outokumpu and Helen Energy.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-accord-signed-between-USA-and-Philippines

The USA and the Philippines have signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement - known as a 123 Agreement - that will allow the transfer of nuclear energy-related materials and components between the two countries.

Formal cooperation agreements are required between countries that want to trade nuclear power goods and services, and those involving the USA are called 123 Agreements after the paragraph of the country's 1954 Atomic Energy Act which requires them.

The agreement was signed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Philippine Department of Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla on the sidelines of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Summit in San Francisco. The signing was witnessed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.

Negotiations on the 123 Agreement were launched in November 2022 during a visit by US Vice President Kamala Harris to the Philippines.

The agreement lays out a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation between the Philippines and the USA based on a mutual commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and is required by US law to allow for the transfer of nuclear equipment and material for peaceful uses, the US Department of State noted. With access to US material and equipment, the USA and the Philippines will be able to work together to deploy advanced new technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs) within the Philippines.

It added that the agreement also establishes non-proliferation criteria that both governments must uphold such as observing specific standards for covered items used in civil nuclear energy programmes, including International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards; physical protection of covered items; and limitations on enriching, reprocessing, and transferring specific items without the other party's consent.

"With the Philippines' leadership, we're working together to develop a nuclear energy sector in their country to fuel a reliable, secure, and affordable clean energy future," Blinken said at the signing ceremony. "As peak energy demands are expected to nearly quadruple in the Philippines by 2040, nuclear power can consistently produce enough energy to meet communities' critical needs without emitting more greenhouse gases. In a nation of more than 7000 islands, small modular reactors - some just the size of a city bus – can generate energy locally and conveniently."

Lotilla added: "Beyond nuclear power applications to combat climate change, the new agreement facilitates bilateral cooperation in a wide array of other peaceful uses of atomic energy, all supportive of various sustainable development goals, including plant breeding, livestock production, insect pest control, soil and crop management, water use efficiency, plastic waste disposal, food safety, health, and medicine."

In March 2022, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order that outlined the government's position for the inclusion of nuclear energy in the Philippines' energy mix, taking into account economic, political, social and environmental objectives. President Marcos included new nuclear among his campaign pledges before winning the election in May last year.

"We see nuclear energy becoming a part of the Philippine energy mix by 2032, and we would be more than happy to pursue this path with the United States as one of our partners," Marcos said at the signing of the 123 Agreement. "The signing of the Philippine-United States agreement for cooperation concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy ... is the first major step in this regard, taking our cooperation on capacity building further and actually opening the doors for US companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects in the country."

The signing of the agreement came the day after the announcement of a cooperation agreement between the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) - the Philippines' largest electric distribution utility - and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation of the USA to study the potential deployment of one or more Micro-Modular Reactors in the Philippines.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Fourth-Barakah-unit-receives-operating-licence

The United Arab Emirates' nuclear regulator has issued the licence to Nawah Energy Company, clearing the way for commissioning and commercial operation of the unit and marking a historic moment as the UAE realises its nuclear energy vision.

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) said it had reached its decision to issue the licence after conducting a thorough assessment of the application documentation, conducting robust regulatory oversight and inspections in the areas of safety, security and safeguards. It also assessed Nawah's organisational and manpower readiness, and ensured that Nawah was in compliance with all regulatory requirements.

Construction of the fourth Korean-designed APR-1400 unit at Barakah, in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi Emirate 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.

"Today marks a historic moment for the UAE, where it realised its vision that started 15 years ago in developing the-first-in-the-region peaceful nuclear energy programme," Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency and deputy chairman of FANR's Board of Management said. "The success of the UAE Nuclear Energy Programme and the ability to deliver it within a record span of time, adhering to the best international nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation standards, made the country a role model for many nations who are embarking on developing a nuclear energy programmes."

FANR has certified 215 Reactor Operators and Senior Reactor Operators - including 78 who are Emiratis - who are qualified to operate the control rooms of the nuclear power plant, FANR Director General Christer Viktorsson said.

"The review of the operating licence application for Unit 4 was conducted by a team consisting of 90% Emirati nuclear experts. This indicates the success of FANR's strategy in building the capability and skills of Emiratis to regulate the nuclear sector and ensure its safe operation," he added.

Nawah can now begin the commissioning phase to prepare for commercial operation, during which FANR will carry out around-the-clock inspection at the plant to ensure the nuclear fuel load and testing processes are completed according to regulatory requirements, Viktorsson said. When the plant enters commercial operation the regulator will assume an oversight role.

The Barakah plant is owned by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and operated by Nawah. Barakah 4's operating licence has a duration of 60 years.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Roadmap-launched-for-expansion-of-nuclear-energy-i

The Swedish government unveils a roadmap which envisages the construction of new nuclear generating capacity equivalent to at least two large-scale reactors by 2035, with up to ten new large-scale reactors coming online by 2045.

In October last year, Sweden's incoming centre-right coalition government adopted a positive stance towards nuclear energy, with the Christian Democrats, the Liberals, the Moderates and the Sweden Democrats releasing their written agreement on policies - referred to as the Tidö Agreement. With regards to energy, the agreement said the energy policy goal is "changed from 100% renewable to 100% fossil-free". In the Tidö Agreement, it is assumed electricity demand of at least 300 TWh in 2045, double the current demand.

The agreement also said necessary regulations should be developed to create the conditions for the construction and operation of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Sweden. In addition, the permitting process for nuclear power plants must be shortened.

In January this year, a formal proposal to amend Sweden's legislation on nuclear power was presented by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari. It aims to remove the current law limiting to 10 the number of reactors in operation, as well as allowing reactors to be built on new sites, rather than just existing ones. The proposed legislative amendments were open for consultation for three months. The government made a final decision on 28 September to introduce the bill to parliament. The changes to the law are proposed to enter into force on 1 January 2024.

The government has now presented a roadmap for new nuclear power in Sweden, which it says "clarifies the government's target and provides long-term conditions for new nuclear power".

The roadmap includes an in-depth agreement on four points.

Firstly, it calls for the government to appoint a nuclear power coordinator who will support the work of removing obstacles, facilitating and promoting new nuclear power. In addition, the coordinator will identify the need for additional measures. An important role for the coordinator will be to gather all relevant parties to get a clear direction for effective expansion.

Secondly, the state's financial responsibility needs to be clarified through a risk-sharing model. The government has previously proposed that government credit guarantees for SEK400 billion (USD38 billion) be introduced for nuclear power. However, the government has assessed that these credit guarantees alone will not be enough to stimulate new production. In order to strengthen the conditions and provide additional incentives to invest in nuclear power, an investigator must propose a risk-sharing and financing model where the state shares the risk.

The government has instructed the National Debt Office to take preparatory measures to be able to issue government credit guarantees for investments in new nuclear power. The National Debt Office must assist the Ministry of Climate and Business in the work of designing the detailed regulations for the credit guarantees. As part of the assignment, the National Debt Office must make an assessment of how credit guarantees for investments in new nuclear power affect the risk in the combined guarantee portfolio.

Thirdly, the new policy will make it possible for new nuclear power with a total output of at least 2500 MWe to be brought online by 2035 at the latest.

Fourthly, it paves the way for a "massive expansion of new nuclear power by 2045". "Given the long-term needs for fossil-free electricity until 2045, an expansion is needed that could, for example, correspond to ten new large-scale reactors," the government said. It noted that the exact amount and type of reactors needed "depends on several things, including the need and rate of expansion in the electricity system, technological development, and where in the country new consumption and production are located".

"We are now delivering a pearl string of decisions to pave the way for new nuclear power," said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch. "Sweden is laying the foundations to become a leading nuclear power nation again and a power factor for the green transition in the West."

Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson added: "New nuclear power is necessary for a stable and reliable energy system, for both consumers and businesses. It is therefore natural that the state will have to take a large financial role in terms of the expansion. The last few years have shown how expensive it is not to build nuclear power."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Philippines-considers-deploying-USNC-microreactors

The Philippines' largest electric distribution utility, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), has signed a cooperation agreement with Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) of the USA to study the potential deployment of one or more Micro-Modular Reactor (MMR) Energy Systems in the Philippines.

The agreement was signed by Meralco Chairman and CEO Manuel Pangilinan and USNC Founder and CEO Francesco Venneri on the sidelines of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Summit in San Francisco. The signing was witnessed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.

Under the agreement - which builds on the partnership between the two companies announced in August - USNC will conduct a pre-feasibility study that will run for four months to familiarise Meralco with MMR systems and how these can be effectively utilised in the Philippines. Depending on the results of the pre-feasibility study, Meralco has the option to conduct a more detailed feasibility study with a focus on the adoption and deployment of MMR energy systems.

USNC said the study will help Meralco in critical decisions and potential future activities on project-specific studies and project development plans at identified sites. The study will assess financial, technical, safety, and siting, among other considerations.

The MMR is a 15 MW thermal, 5 MW electrical high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, using TRISO (tristructural isotropic) fuel in prismatic graphite blocks and with a sealed, transportable core. The graphite blocks contain stacks of FCM fuel pellets. The helium-cooled reactor is fuelled once for its 20-year lifetime.

"USNC is changing the nuclear safety and national energy security conversations in the Philippines with the MMR," Pangilinan said, adding: "This cooperative agreement moves us forward with a partner who understands these important issues alongside the essential nature of the cost and reliability of the electricity supply."

"This also signifies the commitment of the Philippines, through Meralco, to explore and utilise diverse energy sources for the benefit of Filipinos. We believe that nuclear technology will help balance the need to meet the growing demand of our country with the equally crucial need to transition towards a sustainable energy future," he said.

Venneri said: "Meralco is demonstrating real leadership in advancing the energy security and sustainability roadmap for the Philippines. Our MMR nuclear batteries can play a major role in delivering those benefits. The plans that will quickly follow this study place Meralco well on the way toward creating a reliable, low-carbon, equitable and secure future for Filipinos."

President Marcos welcomed the agreement, saying the "partnership is a significant step towards exploring clean and sustainable energy options for the Philippines". He added that the agreement "is aligned with our commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate change".

In response to the 1973 oil crisis, the Philippines decided to build the two-unit Bataan plant. Construction of Bataan 1 - a 621 MWe Westinghouse PWR - began in 1976 and it was completed in 1984 at a cost of USD460 million. However, due to financial issues and safety concerns related to earthquakes, the plant was never loaded with fuel or operated. The plant has been maintained.

In March 2022, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order that outlined the government's position for the inclusion of nuclear energy in the Philippines' energy mix, taking into account economic, political, social and environmental objectives. President Marcos included new nuclear among his campaign pledges before winning the election in May last year.

123 Agreement concluded

Also on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders' Summit, US Vice President Kamala Harris met with President Marcos, where they discussed ongoing efforts to deepen security ties and expand commercial and economic cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, Harris and Marcos "welcomed the conclusion of a historic '123' civil nuclear cooperation agreement", according to a statement from the White House. It said the agreement "will deepen our partnership to build a global clean energy economy and strengthen our shared commitment to improving energy security and advancing the global non-proliferation regime".

Negotiations on the 123 Agreement were launched in November 2022 during a visit by Harris to the Philippines.

Formal cooperation agreements are required between countries that want to trade nuclear power goods and services, and those involving the USA are called 123 Agreements after the paragraph of the country's 1954 Atomic Energy Act which requires them.

"This agreement will provide the legal basis for US exports of nuclear equipment and material to the Philippines, which will support American workers and businesses," the White House said.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/WANO-urges-SMR-developers-to-sign-up-early

The World Association of Nuclear Operators says its New Unit Assistance missions have helped the safe start-up of 53 new nuclear units over the past eight years - and it wants new entrants such as those developing small modular reactors (SMRs) to become members in the years before launch to benefit from the industry's experience.

WANO is a not-for-profit international organisation established in 1989 by the world's nuclear power operators to exchange safety knowledge and operating experience among organisations operating commercial nuclear power reactors. It currently has 429 nuclear units as members.

Naoki Chigusa, WANO CEO, said that experts had undertaken 159 New Unit Assistance missions to the 53 units since 2015 which have started-up in both existing and newcomer nuclear energy countries.

Chigusa said: "By receiving support from WANO, our members have demonstrated higher levels of operational readiness, ensuring safe and reliable start-up and strong operational performance. We encourage those organisations that are constructing and preparing to operate new units - whether they are using traditional reactor technologies or innovations such as small modular reactors - to join WANO early. This will ensure that they can benefit from our expertise and experience many years before commercial start-up and enable them to start up safely and reliably."

As well as New Unit Assistance missions, there are Operational Readiness reviews about 18 months before the first fuel load and Pre-Startup peer reviews a few months before fuel loading which provide "hands-on, face to face interactions which help new operators prepare for the crucial transition from plant construction into plant operations, and the initial years of commercial operation". There is also training "tailored to members' specific needs, and includes the sharing of industry best practices".

The organisation is well known for the on-going support operating nuclear power units provide and receive from each other, and it has created an earlier stage category of membership for an organisation during the tendering, licensing, construction and commissioning phase of a new nuclear power plant, with the intention that they will transfer to a full voting member at the time of pouring of first nuclear concrete on the nuclear island.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/NuScale-CEO-remains-upbeat-after-CFPP-cancellation

The termination of the project that had been expected to be the first operational NuScale SMR reactor was "very disappointing" but the company remains bullish about the future, according to the company's CEO.

Speaking in a special update to the 2023 ANS Winter Conference and Expo, hosted by the American Nuclear Society (ANS), John Hopkins said the mutual decision to cancel the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) project at a site at Idaho National Laboratory was reached after it became clear that customer Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) - a nonprofit made up of 50 municipalities from across seven states - would be unable to obtain the amount of subscriptions needed to move the project forward.

This was one of three conditions that had to be met for the project to continue to move forward, Hopkins said: "One is they had to obtain the amount of subscription from their customers and their members to move the project. Second, the US government needed to continue to fund, and third, we needed to come in with a price target on a per-megawatt-hour basis."

Hopkins' words reflected comments to NuScale's third-quarter earnings call of 8 November, when the CEO said recently completed estimates had shown that capital costs, when adjusted for inflation, had remained stable and the cost for NuScale's SMR technology had also remained steady. CFPP had targeted 80% subscription for the project by year-end but despite "significant efforts" by both parties it appeared unlikely that the project would have enough subscription to support deployment.

"UAMPS is very, very unfortunate," Hopkins told the ANS, adding that the project had received "so much support" from INL Director John Wagner and Rebecca Casper, the mayor of Idaho Falls. "But it just wasn't meant to be. And so why continue to spend money if you know by year-end that more than likely because of the subscription, the project would not go forward? So, we move on."

Moving forward

Doosan Enerbility is already producing forgings and materials needed to manufacture the first NuScale Power Modules. The company envisages transferring those modules to its next customer, Hopkins told the ANS.

NuScale's SMR technology is currently under consideration in countries across the world, with projects in the USA, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia listed on the company's website. Romanian company RoPower Nuclear "has just approved the second round of funding for the FEL-2, which is very good for that project", Hopkins told the ANS. "That project in particular is extremely important for our United States government, our industry, and the Romanian government," he added.

In October, NuScale announced plans by US infrastructure company Standard Power to develop SMR facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania using NuScale's reactor technology to power nearby data centres. In the quarterly results, Hopkins said the project envisaged 24 power modules across two plants, collectively producing nearly 2 GWe. This is progressing, he told the ANS: "Hopefully we'll have our master services agreement completed, if not this week, next."

Meanwhile, Polish copper and silver producer KGHM Polska Miedź SA, who earlier this year received a decision-in-principal from the country's Ministry of Climate and Environment approving a potential SMR, has denied media reports alleging that its cooperation with NuScale has been terminated. KGHM said NuScale's technology was identified as a "preferred" technology in its application given the reactor's certification progress in the USA, but said it is one of several SMR technologies that "could be used in KGHM's planned investment".

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Work-on-Xudabao-unit-1-gets-under-way

Construction has started of the nuclear island for unit 1 at the Xudabao nuclear power plant in Liaoning Province, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced.

The construction of units 1 and 2 of the Xudabao (also known as Xudapu) plant was approved by China's State Council on 31 July this year.

On 6 November, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced that the National Nuclear Safety Administration had decided to issue a construction licence for Xudabao units 1 and 2, which will both feature 1250 MWe CAP1000 reactors - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000.

A ceremony was held on 15 November at the Xudabao site near Xingcheng City, Huludao, to mark the start of construction of unit 1.

The Xudabao project was originally expected to comprise six CAP1000 reactors, with units 1 and 2 in the first phase. Site preparation began in November 2010. The National Development and Reform Commission gave its approval for the project in January 2011.

However, with a change in plans, construction of two Russian-supplied VVER-1200 reactors as Xudabao units 3 and 4 began in July 2021 and May 2022, respectively. CNNC said "the work of the units 3 and 4 projects is progressing smoothly as planned". These units are expected to be commissioned in 2027 and 2028, respectively.

CNNC noted the total investment in the units 1 and 2 projects exceeds CNY48 billion (USD6.6 billion). "After the nuclear island project of unit 1 starts, the project will enter the comprehensive construction stage," it said. The two units are planned to be put into production in 2028 and 2029, respectively.

With construction of Xudabao 1 under way, CNNC now has ten reactors being built in China, with a combined generating capacity of 11.42 GWe.

The Xudabao plant is owned by Liaoning Nuclear Power Company Ltd, in which CNNC holds a 70% stake with Datang International Power Generation Co holding 20% and State Development and Investment Corporation owning 10%. The general contractor is China Nuclear Power Engineering Company Ltd, a subsidiary of CNNC.

In October 2016 an EPC contract for construction of Xudabao 1 and 2 nuclear islands was signed with China Nuclear Industry 22 Construction Co, a CNECC subsidiary.

After all the six units of the Xudabao plant are put into operation, they will provide more than 54 TWh of clean electricity every year, saving about 19.2 million tonnes of coal annually, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 56.7 million tonnes annually, CNNC said.