Nuclear Energy

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-concludes-international-physical-protection-advisory-mission-in-the-netherlands

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has completed an International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission in the Netherlands today. This peer review mission aimed to assess the country’s nuclear security regime and provide recommendations to enhance its effectiveness.

The thirteen day mission was carried out at the request of the Government of the Netherlands and hosted by the Dutch Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS). It is the fifth such mission in the Netherlands.

The team reviewed the nuclear security regime for nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities and activities, including computer security. It also assessed the Netherlands’ implementation of the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its Amendment.

The IPPAS team – composed of 10 experts from Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, as well as one IAEA staff member – met in The Hague with senior officials and representatives from the ANVS. The team also assessed physical protection systems at the Petten High Flux research reactor, the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Antoni van Leeuwenhoek) in Amsterdam and Applus RTD in Rozenburg.

The team observed that the Netherlands is committed to a high level of nuclear security and that it has further strengthened its nuclear security capabilities since the last IPPAS mission in 2012. The team provided recommendations and suggestions to support the Netherlands in further enhancing and sustaining nuclear security. Good practices were identified that can serve as examples to other IAEA Member States to help strengthen their nuclear security activities.

“This fifth IPPAS mission in the Netherlands confirms the country’s continuous commitment and efforts on building a strong nuclear security regime. The mission’s findings indicate a well-established national nuclear security regime and alignment with the IAEA nuclear security guidance,” said Arvydas Stadalnikas, Head of the Integrated Nuclear Security Approaches Unit at the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security, during the mission closing ceremony.

“The 2023 IPPAS mission is an enriching experience for the ANVS, with a long period of intense preparation and two weeks of thorough review by a great team of international experts during the mission itself. The feedback helps us to further improve the level of nuclear security in The Netherlands,” said Annemiek van Bolhuis, chair of the board of the ANVS. “As an independent regulator, it is crucial to commit to international peer reviews and to follow up on the recommendations that we received.”

Background

The mission was the 101st IPPAS mission conducted by the IAEA since the programme began in 1995.

IPPAS missions are intended to assist States in strengthening their national nuclear security regime. The missions provide peer advice on implementing international instruments, along with IAEA guidance on the protection of nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities.

During missions, a team of international experts observes a nation's system of physical protection, compares it with international good practices and makes recommendations for improvement. IPPAS missions are conducted both on a nationwide and facility-specific basis.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Second-Zaporizhzhia-unit-to-be-put-into-hot-shutdo

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it has been informed that a second reactor at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine is being brought into hot shutdown in order to provide hot water and district heating over the coming winter.

The six-unit Zaporizhzhia plant - which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022 - has not supplied electricity to the grid since September 2022. Since April, it has kept five reactors in cold shutdown and just one - currently unit 4 - in hot shutdown to generate steam to process liquid radioactive waste and to heat water for Energodar, where most plant staff live.

Ahead of the upcoming winter season, the plant started transferring unit 5 to hot shutdown last week after carrying out safety maintenance and testing at the unit.

The IAEA said it was told that a decision regarding how long unit 5 will remain in hot shutdown would be made once Energodar's heating systems have stabilised after the beginning of the heating season, which starts in the coming days. It has also been informed that there are no plans to transfer additional units to hot shutdown.

The IAEA has strongly encouraged the plant to find an alternative, external source of steam generation to cover its needs and allow for all the reactors to be maintained in a cold shutdown state, in part because the destruction of the Kakhovka dam four months ago limited the site's supplies of cooling water.

The IAEA experts at the site had earlier been informed that the plant has initiated a process to buy an external steam generator by sending technical requirements to possible vendors. However, the installation of this equipment is not expected until early 2024, possibly not until after the end of the heating season.

The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine issued regulatory orders in June for all six units to be placed in cold shutdown, given its situation on the frontline of the war, and the breaching of the dam that had helped ensure plentiful cooling water supplies.

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/the-iaea-the-international-centre-of-fusion-energy-past-present-and-future

Ladies and gentlemen,

It’s a pleasure to open the IAEA’s Fusion Energy Conference and to be back here in the United Kingdom, host of the second Fusion Energy Conference in 1965, the 10th in 1984 and the 29th, today in 2023.

It is good to be here in this home of so many important fusion endeavours: Mast Upgrade, STEP, JET, RACE, Tokamak Energy, First Light Fusion and General Fusion, to name a few.

Before I begin my remarks, let me wish a happy 40th anniversary to JET, the first tritium experiment in Europe, breaker of scientific records, producer of generations of accomplished scientists and engineers, and a true magnet for international collaboration.

Big science needs collaboration and it doesn’t get much bigger than fusion energy. In fusion energy, it doesn’t get bigger than the IAEA Fusion Energy Conference.

Since the early 1960s, this conference has been the marker of many milestones; a place where Nobel prize winners, inventors and scientists have come to unveil their achievements, often months and years in the making. For decades, the Fusion Energy Conference has been setting the direction of fusion research - from the shift to the tokamak after the 1968 conference to the discovery of H-mode after the 1982 conference.

I hear many in the fusion community call the Fusion Energy Conference simply “the IAEA”. I don’t want to spoil the party, but I have to tell you…there are a few other things the IAEA does too.

And that is a good thing because it gives us many years of experience, not only bringing scientists and engineers together, but also bringing policy makers, regulators, investors and other key stakeholders to the table.

This year’s FEC has 2,000 participants and our always-evolving programme includes a session on the “Pathways to Fusion” – which brings together both public and private sector developments.

Fusion is making progress. Progress is being made at ITER. It is being made here in the UK and all around the world, in Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, and the USA. Since the last Fusion Energy Conference, in 2021, there have been momentous achievements in the field. Today you will hear about: JET’s world energy record; NIF’s scientific energy gain; MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ high-temperature superconducting magnet; and EAST’s long-pulse operation. Meanwhile, more than $6bn has gone into the private sector.

Young entrepreneurs I have met from England to New England, talk about their plans to get their projects up by 2025. Such ambition and enthusiasm is catching and the FEC has always been a place where ideas and enthusiasm are shared.

Now is the time to use the momentum and the enthusiasm and ride it to more breakthroughs.

The world is in urgent need of reliable energy sources that mitigate climate change and provide energy security. Governments know it, the public is demanding it, and people are becoming better informed about fusion.

The FEC will always be a place dedicated to science and engineering in fusion. But the fusion community is growing. We are at a crucial moment in the development of the field and there are new stakeholders who want to be – and need to be – part of the dialogue. I want you to be the first to hear the news from me: the IAEA will convene the inaugural World Fusion Energy Group next year. It will bring together you, the indispensable scientists and engineers, policy makers, financiers, regulators and civil society. This next leg of the fusion energy journey will get us from experiment to demonstration to commercial fusion energy production.

It is time to tell the story of fusion widely and with confidence. Fusion can provide stable, baseload power, and complement intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind. Fusion could help address the challenges of grid stability and energy storage. Fusion technology will be inherently safe with no long-lived radioactive waste. Fusion could revolutionize the way industries produce high-grade heat, to achieve more sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial practices. Fusion can provide enhanced energy security and independence from market fluctuations because its inputs are widely available or produced in situ.

There is of course the question of timing – that old quip that fusion will always be the energy of the future. But with every breakthrough we are experiencing, that belief sounds more and more outdated.

Will fusion get us to our climate goals of 2050? That is being debated. But the world will continue after 2050, and it will need clean energy on a massive scale beyond that date, to be sure.

No energy is more expensive than no energy, as the distinguished Indian nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha, said.

Today, nearly 800 million people still have no access to electricity. If billions of people are to be lifted from poverty, developing countries will be requiring much bigger energy budgets by the second half of this century. Meeting those needs requires investments made today. Here, I am not only talking of financial investments. Let me tell you a bit about how the IAEA is investing in the future of fusion.

We have brought together experts from across the IAEA’s disciplines to address all aspects of fusion, from research and development to future demonstration and deployment. We are also looking at safety and regulation, and even proliferation aspects of fusion and its interrelation with international law. We will draw from our long experience, deep knowledge and wide network in fission energy systems.

And we are reaching out beyond our hallways. Just a few weeks ago, I travelled to Massachusetts and signed a partnership with MIT to create the first Collaborating Centre focussed on fusion. We are also collaborating with companies, including Eni, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, General Atomics, and Tokamak Energy and First Light Fusion, here in the UK.

The IAEA will continue to support research in fusion through its Coordinated Research Programmes. We will continue to provide and manage important atomic and plasma physics data through 7 fusion databases. The Agency’s Fusion Portal has more than 10,000 users a year. It is the single access point to the Agency’s work in fusion and it is the home of the Fusion Device Information System, which has been visited more than 40,000 times.

Nuclear Fusion – the first and premier scientific journal in the field – continues strong after more than 60 years.

But the community and the public still lack a regularly published, recognized reference that tells us exactly where we are and what is happening on all the world’s continents in fusion. This is why, today in London, I am proud to introduce the IAEA’s World Fusion Outlook.

I am confident it will become the global reference for authoritative information and updates on fusion energy, its developments and its prospects.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Fusion is not to be confined to the laboratories and experimental centres. They, of course, are indispensable. But the ambition is to bring fusion energy to the economy. To make it part of the energy mix of the not-to-distant future, credible pathways must be identified, encouraged and supported.

I believe private-public partnerships will become increasingly important as the emphasis on R&D for fusion power plants grows.

We are seeing more and more start-ups enter this space. Many, like Kyoto Fusioneering, will become important parts of the supply chain that builds the fusion power industry.

But like a puzzle, these pieces only become a coherent picture when you align them. With its global reach, the IAEA is able to align fusion energy R&D programs to give us a clearer picture of where the sector is heading. This clarity and alignment will help make the most of existing facilities and optimize the development of new ones. It will support the testing and qualifying of crucial fusion technology components, in parallel with DEMO designs and constructions. Global cooperation, public-private partnership and effective regulation will all play crucial roles in fusion’s progress.

The IAEA has been, is and will be the central hub for international cooperation and coordination in fusion, just as it is for fission. That is why I believe we should not only discuss where we are today. Let us pave the way, support each other, and nurture projects and groups around the world. This is what the World Fusion Energy Group is all about.

The World Fusion Energy Group will bring together a set of diverse stakeholders in a dialogue that will drive fusion development forward.

I will shortly invite fusion experts to work with the IAEA to outline Fusion Key Elements such as fusion-related definitions, characteristics and criteria for fusion energy to help develop common understanding among stakeholders essential for global deployment. I expect these Fusion Key Elements to be ready by the inaugural gathering of World Fusion Energy Group.

In closing, let me thank you. I am inspired by your determination and enthusiasm. It is a privilege to be working together on this grand engineering endeavour of the 21st Century. We all are benefiting from the scientific and engineering feats of generations past. Standing on the shoulders of those who preceded us, we can see further and accomplish more.

Dear colleagues, dear friends,

While we may have different views on how exactly the global energy landscape will look in the coming years, we all see a place for fusion. Making this possibility a reality, is up to all of us.

Korea's state-run energy company said Thursday it is taking a step closer to winning a project worth around 2.5 trillion won ($1.87 billion) to refurbish an aging nuclear reactor in Romania's Cernavoda power plant through a consortium with Canadian and Italian firms.

The Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed a tripartite consortium agreement with Canada's Candu Energy Inc. and Italy's Ansaldo Nucleare S.p.A. to jointly conduct a project to refurbish Cernavoda's unit 1 reactor.

The signing ceremony took place at the headquarters of Romania's nuclear energy company SNN, or Nuclearelectrica, in the capital city of Bucharest on Thursday (local time), the company said.

Located some 170 kilometers east of Bucharest, the unit with a capacity of 700 megawatts has been in operation since 1996 and its 30-year operating license is supposed to expire in 2026.

The Romanian government has sought to renew the license for an additional 30 years and SNN plans to upgrade and replace key components starting in 2027, the KHNP said.

Under the agreement, the KHNP will lead the construction part of the project, including building radioactive waste storage and other infrastructure, while Candu and Ansaldo will take charge of the engineering and procurement work as original designers of the unit.

"The three companies will begin preparations for negotiations with SNN about the envisioned project," the KHNP said. "The three companies seek to sign a contract with the Romanian entity within the first half of next year."

If signed, the envisioned contract will be the second large-scale export of nuclear power facilities for the Yoon Suk Yeol government after Korea won a 3 trillion-won deal in August 2022 to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant project in El Dabaa.

The Yoon administration reversed the nuclear phase-out policy of the preceding government and set a target of exporting 10 nuclear power reactors by 2030.

In June, the KHNP won a 260 billion-won deal to build a tritium removal facility at the Cernavoda plant. (Yonhap)

• Source: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/environment-climate/article/2001483383/your-nuclear-stance-bad-for-africa-greenpeace-told
• Without paywall: https://archive.ph/EGDWO

A climate action group has called on an environmental organisation to rethink its opposition to carbon-free nuclear power.

RePlanet Africa questioned Greenpeace’s stance against nuclear power, which emits minimal carbon dioxide during operation.

In February, Greenpeace dragged the European Commission to the European Court of Justice over the inclusion of nuclear energy in the EU’s list of sustainable investments, in what the lobby group said will hurt African countries, some of whom are now seeking partnerships to set up nuclear plants of their own.

“In so doing, you unwittingly obstruct Africa’s effective transition from fossil fuels and alleviation of the strain on the forests powering most kitchens on the continent through charcoal and wood,” RePlanet Africa said in a letter that was also signed by Eastern African Radiation Association and Kenyan Young Generation in Nuclear.

The three organisations called on Greenpeace to drop its opposition to nuclear energy, emphasising its potential to bridge the energy deficit on the continent and to empower African nations to achieve prosperity.

“Despite Africa’s abundant natural resources, including extensive uranium reserves, approximately 600 million Africans still lack access to reliable energy sources, resulting in inordinate reliance on wood fuel that is straining our forest cover and exacerbating climate change,” the two-page letter reads.

While noting Greenpeace’s initial reservations on nuclear safety and waste management, the letter challenged Greenpeace to recognise the significant technological advancements made in the nuclear industry. “The nuclear industry has made notable strides in waste reduction and efficient disposal methods. Advances in reprocessing technologies and the creation of advanced reactors offer effective long-term solutions to nuclear waste concerns,” the lobby groups said in the letter.

While acknowledging Africa’s renewable energy potential, they highlight its insufficiency to meet current and projected energy demands, as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power are often constrained by geography and weather conditions.

On September 20, after a shutdown lasting about twelve years, Takahama-2 (PWR, 826MW), owned and operated by Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Co. (Kansai EP), reconnected to the grid. It is the third nuclear power plant in Japan to remain in service beyond 40 years, following the same company’s Mihama-3 and Takahama-1.

Takahama-2 made its debut as Japan’s tenth commercial reactor on November 14, 1975, exactly one year after Takahama-1. It now boasts the second longest operating duration in Japan, from the commencement of commercial service.

Compatibility examinations of Takahama-1 and -2 under the new regulatory standards were essentially carried out in parallel. Permission was given to both to make changes to their reactor installations (basic design approvals) in 2016, and agreements were reached in 2021 with local communities on restarting them.

Takahama-1 was restarted on August 2, 2023, ahead of Takahama-2, and went back online on August 28. Takahama-2 was restarted on September 15 after an emergency response building, referred to in the standards as a “specific safety facility,” became operational on August 13.

Takahama-2 could return to commercial operation as early as October 16, after adjustment operations and a final inspection by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA).

With the restart of Takahama-2, all seven NPPs (6,578MW) owned by Kansai EP―Mihama-3, Takahama-1, -2, -3 and -4, and Oi-3 and -4―are generating power again.

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-mission-says-italy-committed-to-managing-radioactive-waste-safely-sees-areas-for-improvement

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) peer review mission said Italy is committed to addressing the challenges of safely managing its radioactive waste. The review identified areas for additional efforts, including the swift approval of plans for a national repository for spent fuel and radioactive waste.

The Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation (ARTEMIS) review team concluded the ten-day mission to Italy on 10 October. The review was carried out at the request of Italy and hosted by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (‘MASE’).

The team engaged with representatives of MASE, the National Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ISIN), and the Italian state owned company responsible for the decommissioning of Italian nuclear plants and the management of radioactive waste, SOGIN, the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Development (ENEA) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) Ispra.

The ARTEMIS review team comprised six experts from Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Lithuania, and France and three IAEA staff members.

Italy’s radioactive waste management responsibilities arise from decommissioning four nuclear power reactors and facilities from the country’s former nuclear power programme. All nuclear power plants were closed by 1990. Italy also manages radioactive waste from the operation of five research reactors, research laboratories and experimental facilities and from activities in medicine, industry and other uses.

Italy stores waste at temporary storage sites near decommissioned nuclear power reactors and other nuclear facilities. It plans to establish a national repository comprised of a near surface disposal facility for very low level and low level waste, a centralized storage for intermediate level and high level waste as well as a technology research park. The search for a suitable site is underway.

The ARTEMIS review team concluded that the Italian counterparts are aware of the challenges of safely managing the country’s radioactive waste and are committed to addressing them.

“Italy has thoroughly prepared for the ARTEMIS review mission, proactively shared pertinent information and engaged in constructive discussions. I am confident that the mission will support Italy in managing nuclear and radiological waste,” said ARTEMIS team leader Paul McClelland, Director, Waste Management & Technical Support at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.

The team identified areas for improvements, including a formal approval for the national radioactive waste management programme, the development of a Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) programme clearly linked to supporting implementation of the national programme, and the consideration of international experience in resource planning.

The ARTEMIS Review Team identified concrete recommendations and suggestions, including:

• The Government should approve the 2023 National Programme, that includes geological disposal as a final destination for spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste.

• The Government should ensure that the process for authorization of closure of the planned near surface disposal facility requires update of the safety report as part of the application.

• The Government should take measures to ensure that the time constraints imposed on preparation and review of the safety case and safety assessment for the national repository will not compromise safety.

• ISIN should implement its own Research and Development programme to build its expertise to review safety cases for the activities in the National Programme.

The review also acknowledged Italy’s comprehensive training and development programmes for nuclear professionals as a good practice.

“The ARTEMIS peer review has been an excellent forum for the exchange of experiences and lessons learned in an open and transparent manner. We are grateful that the review team recognized our efforts so far to establish a well-managed spent fuel and radioactive waste system. We are fully committed to addressing the recommendations and suggestions that have been highlighted, which will make an important contribution to strengthening our capabilities and valuable guidelines for further improvements,” said Mariano Cordone, Director of Nuclear Division at Ministry of MASE.

Anna Clark, Head of the IAEA’s Waste and Environmental Safety Section, said that Italy is clearly committed to the safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste. “Italy’s approach to this peer review mission has enabled open and fruitful discussions. This has allowed members of the ARTEMIS peer review team to share relevant experience, for example relating to time and resources required to plan for geological disposal. We are confident that the findings will help Italy to further enhance the safe and effective management of spent fuel and radioactive waste” she said.

The final report from the review will be provided to the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security in two months.

About ARTEMIS

The Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation (ARTEMIS) is an integrated expert review service for radioactive waste and spent fuel management, decommissioning and remediation programmes. ARTEMIS reviews provide independent expert assessments using teams of international specialist peer reviewers convened by the IAEA and are based on the IAEA Safety Standards, technical guidance, and international good practices. This service is intended for facility operators and organizations responsible for radioactive waste management, as well as for regulators, national policymakers and other decision-makers.

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements, and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. IAEA documents, such as Nuclear Energy Series publications, are also included in the review basis. They include practical examples to be used by owners and operators of utilities, implementing organizations, academia, and government officials in Member States, among others.

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/iaea-climate-change-conference-ends-with-appeal-for-level-playing-field-for-low-carbon-nuclear-power

The IAEA’s 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power 2023: Atoms4NetZero concluded in Vienna today with an appeal for a “level playing field” on energy policies and access to financing so that nuclear power can fulfil its potential in achieving climate change and energy security goals.

The conference’s president, Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), brought the event to an end following a week of high-level talks involving nearly 550 participants from 81 countries and 26 invited organisations. Participants agreed that nuclear energy plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change but must overcome several challenges to achieve the large-scale deployment that several authoritative global studies say is needed to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

“We must continue to push for a level playing field for nuclear energy, in terms of policies and access to financing, which can allow the technology to benefit from similarly favorable conditions that helped to deploy renewable energy technologies at scale over the last decade,” Mr Alkaabi said in his summary of the conference’s conclusions. “Long term energy policies, innovative electricity market designs and technology-neutral sustainable finance frameworks that recognize nuclear’s contribution to energy system reliability, flexibility and decarbonization are needed.”

At the start of the conference, the IAEA released its latest annual outlook for nuclear power in the coming decades, with its projections revised up for a third consecutive year. The high case projection sees installed nuclear capacity more than doubling by 2050. That is just above the figures recently published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) for nuclear power’s required contribution to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the average increase in global temperatures to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.

Currently, 31 countries operate nuclear power, which provides more than nine per cent of the world’s electricity but accounts for around 25 per cent of its clean electricity. Another 30 countries or so are embarking on or considering the introduction of nuclear power, with support from the IAEA.

“We found consensus on the crucial role of nuclear energy in meeting climate targets, with emphasis on safe long-term operation of existing nuclear power plants in established nuclear markets, the need to rapidly deploy proven large-scale reactors and the urgency of bringing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to market as soon as possible, particularly to replace fossil plants of similar size, including to meet the needs of emerging countries and for non-electric applications,” Mr Alkaabi said.

The UAE will host COP28, the UN’s main climate change conference, starting next month in Dubai, where the IAEA for the second successive year will host a pavilion highlighting the role of nuclear energy in mitigating and adapting to climate change. “This year at COP, countries using nuclear energy will gather around the global convening point of the IAEA to state the reality: they use, they will continue to use, and they will increase the contribution of nuclear energy to the energy mix,” IAEA Director General said in his opening remarks to this week’s conference.

The conference kicked off with a keynote address by Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, who noted that progress on nuclear power is currently not keeping pace and pointed to Europe, where 20 years ago nuclear provided 30% of electricity but will fall to about 15% in the coming years unless national policies change. “This has a lot of implications,” Mr Birol said, “for Europe’s electricity security and how challenging it will be to fight against climate change.”

As well as providing clean electricity 24 hours a day, nuclear power could also radically cut emissions in industry, transportation and buildings, known as the hard-to-abate sectors, which are responsible for 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear power can produce process heat for industries such as cement and steel making, clean hydrogen for transport and other uses, district heating for buildings and also help address the growing global need for fresh drinking water by reducing the carbon footprint of desalinisation.

“Nuclear power is the only technology that can produce at scale the three low-carbon energy vectors needed to reach net zero: electricity, heat and hydrogen,” Mr Alkaabi said. “Unfortunately, there is a large disconnect between what nuclear technology can deliver and how this potential is portrayed in climate scenarios that inform policymakers.”

To help governments and financial institutions make data-driven, science-based decisions about their investments in future energy systems, the IAEA last year launched the Atoms4NetZero initiative. In cooperation with a variety of partners, it aims to provide a comprehensive energy scenario modelling service, featuring the full potential of nuclear power in achieving net zero emissions, including providing non-electric applications such as hydrogen production. 

The weeklong conference included ten high-level panels, a high-level segment, a special session, 18 technical sessions, and seven side events organized by various stakeholders. The panels focused on the role of nuclear power in the global clean energy transition, and how to enable it to fulfil its potential in that role, and mobilize multi-stakeholders, including women and young generation groups, to facilitate the global dialogue about nuclear as a sustainable low-carbon energy source.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Franco-Mongolian-protocol-lays-foundations-for-ura

An agreement between Orano and Mongolian state-owned investment company Erdenes Mongol LLC sets out the framework for an investment agreement that will lay the foundations for a long-term relationship for the development and industrial operation of the Zuuvch-Ovoo uranium project in south-western Mongolia. The investment agreement is expected to be signed by the end of the year.

The protocol was signed on 12 October at the Elysée Palace in Paris by Orano Chairman Claude Imauven and Erdenes Mongol CEO Sanjaagiin Narantsogt, in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron of France and President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh of Mongolia.

Pilot operations over 2021-2022 have already confirmed the economic, environmental and societal feasibility of operating the Zuuvch-Ovoo site, Orano said. The project has been developed by Badrakh Energy, the joint venture between Orano Mining and the Mongolian state-owned company MonAtom.

The joint Franco-Mongolian project will be based on international standards and best practices in terms of safety, security and the environment, setting a benchmark for the development of the industry in Mongolia, the French company added. It also said it is "committed over the long term, alongside communities for responsible mining with a development and cooperation programme in favour of local populations".

Imauven said the signature of the protocol "marks a decisive step" in a relationship with Mongolia that has been in existence for more than 25 years. "This cooperation will enable us to develop the uranium sector in Mongolia while furthering the Group's strategy of diversifying its mining activities," he said.

Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France's Minister for Energy Transition, said on X (formerly Twitter) that the agreement contributes to the diversification of French sources of supply. "This is good news for our nuclear industry and our energy sovereignty," she said.

Badrakh Energy's on-site pilot at Zuuvch Ovoo in the Gobi Desert took place from July 2021 to December 2022, to test uranium extraction by in-situ leach methods. The pilot produced 10 tonnes of natural uranium concentrate. Orano has previously said that, over a forecast 30-year mine life, the Zuuvch-Ovoo project has the potential to bring Mongolia some USD1.6 billion of direct investment over the life of the project as well as USD1 billion in tax income nationally and locally. According to Uranium 2022: Resources, Production and Demand - the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and International Atomic Energy Agency's joint report, known as the Red Book - the deposit has 93,291 tU of resources at a grade of 0.022% uranium.

Mongolia has substantial known uranium resources, although no uranium has been mined there since the closure in 1995 of an open-pit mine at the Dornod deposit in the north-east of the country. The Dornod mine was operated by Russian interests, and produced 535 tU over six years of production. Ore from the mine was transported by rail to the Priargunsky facility in Krasnokamensk, Russia, for processing.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Multinational-consortium-formed-for-Cernavoda-work

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced it has signed an agreement with Canada's Candu Energy and Italy's Ansaldo Nucleare to jointly carry out a refurbishment of unit 1 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant in Romania.

Candu units are pressurised heavy water reactors designed to operate for 30 years, with a further 30 years available subject to refurbishment. This includes the replacement of key reactor components such as steam generators, pressure tubes, calandria tubes and feeder tubes. It involves removing all the reactor's fuel and heavy water and isolating it from the rest of the power station before it is dismantled. Thousands of components, including those that are not accessible when the reactor is assembled, are inspected, and all 480 fuel channels and 960 feeder tubes are replaced during the high-precision rebuild.

In the newly-formed consortium, Candu Energy and Ansaldo - the original design companies for Cernavoda 1's reactor system and turbine generator system - will be responsible for designing the nuclear reactor system and turbine generator system and purchasing equipment, respectively. Meanwhile, KHNP will be responsible for the overall construction as well as infrastructure construction, including radioactive waste storage facilities.

KHNP - which owns and operates Candu pressurised heavy water reactors in South Korea - was directly responsible for project and construction management when replacing the pressure tubes at Wolsong unit 1 in 2009.

"With the formation of the consortium, the three companies plan to begin preparing business proposals in earnest and then begin contract negotiations with Romania's nuclear energy company SN Nuclearelectrica, the ordering company," KHNP said. The contract - valued at USDS1.85 billion - is expected to be concluded within the first half of 2024.

KHNP noted that other Korean companies - including KEPCO KPS, Doosan Energy, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Samsung C&T, as well as domestic small and medium-sized nuclear power companies - will also participate in the project.

"KHNP maintains a deep relationship of trust with Nuclearelectrica, including winning the contract to build a tritium removal facility for the Cernavoda nuclear power plant last June," noted KHNP CEO Hwang Joo-ho. "We will continue to cooperate closely with the ordering company and consortium members to achieve the final solution. We will do our best to ensure that the contract is successful."

Cernavoda is the only nuclear power plant in Romania and consists of two 650 MWe Candu reactors. Unit 1 went into commercial operation in 1996 and unit 2 in 2007. Nuclearelectrica plans to extend the operating life of unit 1 to 60 years. Most of the work on units 3 and 4 - like units 1 and 2, Candu-6 reactors - was done in the 1980s prior to the fall of the government of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989. Work is now on-going to construct units 3 and 4, with scheduled commercial operation in 2030 and 2031.

The unit 1 refurbishment project began in 2017 and is currently in the second of three phases. This phase, due to last from February 2022 to 2026, covers providing the financial resources, negotiating and granting engineering, procurement and construction contracts, assessing, preparing and scheduling the activities to be carried and obtaining all the authorisations and approvals necessary to start the project. The third phase, scheduled for 2027 to 2029, starts with the shutdown of unit 1 and includes all the work required on it and its recommissioning.

In July 2022, Candu Energy signed the first contract for the refurbishment of Cernavoda 1. The work agreed with Nuclearelectrica is worth USD47 million and covers engineering and early procurement for the retubing of the reactor core. In March this year, it signed a two-year USD65 million agreement to conduct pre-project work for the lifetime extension of Cernavoda 1. The work is expected to include long lead and front-end engineering services for the unit.

Also in March, Ansaldo Nucleare signed a contract with Canada's SNC-Lavalin - Candu Energy's parent company - for the supply of engineering services for plant life extension of Cernavoda 1.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Floating-nuclear-power-plant-set-for-first-refuell

Nuclear fuel has been delivered to Russia's floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov with the landmark refuelling set to begin before the end of the year.

The fuel was delivered by TVEL, Rosatom's fuel division, via the Northern Sea Route to the site, in Pevek, in the Chukotka region, in northeast Russia. The fuel was manufactured by TVEL's Elektrostal Machine-Building Plant, which is in the Moscow region.

The Akademik Lomonosov, which supplies heat and power to the town, is based on two KLT-40S reactors generating 35 MWe each, which are similar to those used in a previous generation of nuclear powered icebreakers. The fuel for the second reactor is due to be supplied and loaded during 2024.

TVEL said that unlike land-based large reactors which generally require replacement of a proportion of their fuel rods every 12-18 months "in the case of these reactors, the refuelling takes place once every few years and includes unloading of the entire reactor core and loading of fresh fuel into the reactor". It says this means there can be up to 3.5 years between refuellings.

Akademik Lomonosov, which was put into commercial operation in May 2020, was described at the time as a pilot project and a 'working prototype' for a future fleet of floating nuclear power plants and on-shore installations based on Russian-made small modular reactors intended for deployment in hard-to-reach areas of Russia's North and Far-East, as well as for export. Named after the 18th century Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, it is 144 metres long and 30 metres wide, and has a displacement of 21,000 tonnes.

The town of Pevek has a population of about 4000, while the floating plant could potentially supply electricity to a city of 100,000. Since commissioning it is replacing the Bilibino nuclear power plant as it is retired, having operated since 1974, and the Chaunskaya thermal power plant which had been operating for more than 70 years. It also supplies power more widely in the region, including to mining companies involved in the development of the Baimsk ore zone.

Rosatom is already in the process of constructing four floating power units and is targeting the export market for floating nuclear power plants with capacity of at least 100 MWe and an assigned service life of up to 60 years featuring RITM-200M reactors, derived from those used on Russia's latest nuclear-powered icebreakers.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Bruce-Power-backed-hydrogen-study-wins-IESO-fundin

The study by Kinectrics and FuelCell Energy, supported by Bruce Power, will explore the potential of using nuclear-generated electricity to produce hydrogen and is one of six projects selected to receive a share of the first CAD7.5 million (USD5.5 million) of funding from the Ontario government's new Hydrogen Innovation Fund.

The province announced in February that it would invest a total of CAD15 million over the next three years to kickstart and develop opportunities for hydrogen to be integrated into Ontario's clean electricity system, including hydrogen storage. The fund is administered by Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and will focus on the opportunities for hydrogen to serve as a clean alternative fuel for transportation and other end uses.

Kinectrics is to receive CAD250,000 for its project to study the feasibility of integrating hydrogen production, hydrogen power generation and a hydrogen fuelling station at a hydrogen hub in Toronto. It will include a techno-economic assessment of hydrogen production as a clean fuel source for heavy-duty vehicles through high-temperature water electrolysis and will explore the use of solid oxide fuel cells for power generation.

As well as seeking to demonstrate the value of hydrogen as an integral part of the electrical grid, and identifying key environmental, safety, regulatory and operational considerations for its deployment, the project will also serve as a pilot for broader deployment at a larger scale including integrating hydrogen systems with nuclear power plants, including small modular reactors, Kinectrics said.

Kinectrics President and CEO David Harris said the company is "well positioned" to conduct the hydrogen study that will produce "valuable insights to support decarbonisation of power" and create "meaningful opportunities to advance hydrogen production and improve grid reliability and flexibility".

"Nuclear power offers numerous advantages such as stable and continuous electricity supply, cost efficiency and carbon-free generation," said Richard Horrobin, vice-president of Business Development and Energy Innovation at Bruce Power. "We are pleased to support Kinectrics and FuelCell Energy as they take this step to explore the potential to use innovative new technology to harness the power of nuclear to produce low-carbon hydrogen."

FuelCell Energy's solid oxide fuel cell platform will form part of the project. "Power generation in Ontario is already among the cleanest in the world, thanks to nuclear energy," said the company's President and CEO Jason Few. "Producing hydrogen from zero carbon electricity allows for decarbonisation of other sectors of the economy as well, including light and heavy duty, rail, sea, and aviation transportation, industrial, and long duration energy storage."

Ontario Minister of Energy Todd Smith said the province can leverage its clean, reliable and affordable electricity system to become a leader in the growing hydrogen economy. "Today's investments, which are part of our larger CAD15 million Hydrogen Innovation Fund, will kickstart new opportunities for hydrogen to be used as a clean fuel, creating new jobs and driving down emissions at the same time."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Sheffield-Forgemasters-joins-UK-Xe-100-deployment

Sheffield Forgemasters, X-energy and Cavendish Nuclear have signed a memorandum of understanding on collaborating to explore opportunities around the deployment of a fleet of Xe-100 high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) in the UK.

X-energy of the USA and Cavendish Nuclear - a UK subsidiary of Babcock International group - will tap into Sheffield Forgemasters' decades of experience in the development of nuclear forgings and castings with plans to build up to 40 Xe-100s across the UK.

"Following the key step forward recently made by Great British Nuclear (GBN) to boost UK nuclear power generation through small modular reactor (SMR) development, GBN is also developing a route to market for other technologies, including advanced nuclear and a consultation will be published this autumn," said Dominic Ashmore, Head of Strategy and Business Development - Clean Energy at Sheffield Forgemasters. "The UK's civil nuclear development is part of our business strategy and this MoU is the latest in a line of agreements that we have signed with a number of SMR companies looking to deploy in the UK market.

"Our work with X-Energy and Cavendish Nuclear will provide specialist engineering services, support and components including forgings, to the UK Xe-100 deployment programme," he added. "Sheffield Forgemasters will undertake a detailed review of the Xe-100 forgings and look to facilitate more definitive cost estimates and production plans."

"We're delighted to be collaborating with Sheffield Forgemasters, which is a world-renowned industry leader in its field," said Carol Tansley, vice president of UK Nuclear New Build at X-Energy. "Our technology will be the first small modular reactor operational in the US and we want to build on that progress by moving forward quickly with our UK programme.

"In delivering that fleet we want to maximise the involvement of the UK supply chain as part of our target to achieve 80% by value UK content, and the MoU with a company with the experience and capabilities of Sheffield Forgemasters is a crucial step in that journey."

The Xe-100 is a Generation IV advanced reactor design which X-energy says is based on decades of HTGR operation, research, and development. Designed to operate as a standard 320 MWe four-pack power plant or scaled in units of 80 MWe, it is engineered to deliver reliable and load-following grid-scale power to electricity systems and to pair seamlessly with renewables. At 200 MWt of 565°C steam, the Xe-100 is also suitable for other power applications including mining and heavy industry.

In December 2021, then UK energy minister Greg Hands announced that HTGRs had been selected as the preferred advanced reactor technology for the Advanced Modular Reactor Research, Development & Demonstration Programme. The programme counts on GBP170 million (USD210 million) of government funding from a GBP385 million package intended to accelerate development of highly flexible nuclear technologies.

In May 2022, Cavendish Nuclear signed an MoU with X-energy to act as its deployment partner for HTGRs in the UK. The two companies have applied to the UK's Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to support a Generic Design Assessment of the Xe-100 SMR and also supply chain development for the first proposed project.

Burkina Faso's military leaders have signed a deal with Russia to build a nuclear power plant to increase electricity supplies.

It is the junta's latest move to align itself with Russia after falling out with most of its Western partners.

The junta has turned to Russia for economic and military support since it seized power last year.

Burkina Faso is one of the least electrified countries globally, with only 21% of people connected to power.

The new deal with Russia is a culmination of talks the Burkinabe military ruler, Capt Ibrahim Traore, had with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July during the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow.

Capt Traore requested President Putin's support in setting up a nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso, which he said would help meet the country's energy demands and those of neighbouring countries.

"We have a critical need for energy, this is an important point for me because we need, if possible, to build a nuclear power station in Burkina Faso to produce electricity," he was quoted as saying at the time.

"Our position is rather strategic because we are in the heart of West Africa and we have an energy deficit in the sub-region."

The deal is part of Burkina Faso's target to achieve 95% electricity access for urban areas and 50% for rural areas by 2030.

Burkina Faso gets most of its electricity from biofuels like charcoal and wood while oil products account for one-third of the total energy supply, according to the International Energy Agency.

According to the US development agency USAid, Burkina Faso also has one of the highest electricity costs in Africa.

South Africa is currently the only African state that produces nuclear power commercially, but increasingly more nations on the continent are moving in the same direction.

Russia is helping Egypt to build a nuclear power plant at cost of $30bn (£24bn) following a deal signed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and President Putin in 2017.

Russia also signed a deal to build power plants in Nigeria in the same year, but the project is yet to begin.

Kenya has also announced plans to build its first nuclear power plant by 2027, but it is still to decide on its international partner.

In September this year, Rwanda announced that it had opted for Canadian-German company Dual Fluid Energy to build a nuclear reactor by 2028.

The Rwandan government said the reactor will be instrumental to meet the central African country's energy demands and "build resilience" as a result of climate change.

Although access to energy has increased in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years, it still remains low, with more than 50% of the region's population still lacking access to electricity, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad).

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Enrichment-operations-start-at-US-HALEU-plant

US nuclear fuel and services company Centrus Energy Corp has begun enrichment operations at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. The company said it expects to begin withdrawing high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) product later this month.

Centrus said the American Centrifuge Plant is the only HALEU facility in the USA licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the first new US-owned, US-technology uranium enrichment plant to begin production since 1954.

"This moment holds great pride - and promise - for the nation," said Centrus President and CEO Daniel Poneman. "We hope that this demonstration cascade will soon be joined by thousands of additional centrifuges right here in Piketon to produce the HALEU needed to fuel the next generation of advanced reactors, low-enriched-uranium to sustain the existing fleet of reactors, and the enriched uranium needed to sustain our nuclear deterrent for generations to come. This is how the United States can recover its lost nuclear independence."

HALEU fuel contains uranium enriched to between 5% and 20% uranium-235 - higher than the uranium fuel used in light-water reactors currently in operation, which typically contains up to 5% uranium-235. It will be needed by most of the advanced reactor designs being developed under the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The lack of a commercial supply chain to support these reactors has prompted the DOE to launch a programme to stimulate the development of a domestic source of HALEU.

Centrus began construction of the demonstration cascade of 16 centrifuges in 2019 under contract with the DOE, and last year secured a further USD150 million of cost-shared funding to finish the cascade, complete final regulatory steps, begin operating the cascade, and produce up to 20 kg of HALEU by the end of this year.

In June, Centrus announced it had successfully completed its operational readiness reviews with the NRC and received approval from the regulator to possess uranium at the Piketon site - the last major regulatory hurdle prior to beginning production.

Since then, Centrus has been conducting final system tests and other preparations so that production could begin.

The company noted it met every required milestone on time and on budget during construction of the cascade and is starting production two months earlier than scheduled under the competitively-awarded, cost-shared contract the company signed with the DOE in 2022.

Centrus said the capacity of the 16-centrifuge cascade is modest - about 900 kilograms of HALEU per year - but with sufficient funding and offtake commitments, the company could significantly expand production. It says a full-scale HALEU cascade, consisting of 120 centrifuge machines, with a combined capacity to produce some 6000 kilograms of HALEU per year, could be brought online within about 42 months of securing the necessary funding. Centrus said it could add a second HALEU cascade six months later and subsequent cascades every two months after that.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/JEK2-Larger-capacity-considered,-Westinghouse,-ED

The proposed new nuclear energy plant for Slovenia could have a power of 2400 MW and there are three technology providers being considered, GEN Energy CEO Dejan Paravan has said.

Paravan gave the update on the project while speaking at the Energetika 2023 conference.

According to GEN Energy he noted that the company had this year changed the design of the project "so we could build a larger block with a power of up to 2400 MW, or two blocks". This would expand the range of potential suppliers, improving the negotiating power and provide greater co-investment opportunities, he said. It would also increase energy security.

The company reported him as saying "we will treat all three possible technology suppliers for JEK2 - the American Westinghouse, the French EDF and the Korean KHNP - equally" and added that they all have strengths and weaknesses and "the decision will not be easy".

A new working group of Slovenian government ministers and industry officials has been established and met last month with the aim of speeding up the implementation of the JEK2 project and preparing "all the necessary bases for citizens to make high-quality and informed decisions about" it in a referendum which the government says is needed for the project to happen.

The planned timeline is for a final investment decision by 2028, with the aim of new capacity coming online in the 2030s.

Krško, a 696 MWe pressurised water reactor, is Slovenia's only nuclear power plant and generates about one-third of its electricity. The plant, which is co-owned by neighbouring Croatia, began commercial operation in 1981, and a 20-year extension to its initial 40-year operational lifetime was confirmed in mid-2015. Krško is owned and operated by Nuklearna Elektrarna Krško, which is jointly owned by Croatia's Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP Group) and Slovenia's GEN Energija.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Construction-of-fusion-materials-testing-facility

Construction has started in Granada, Spain, of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility-Demo Oriented Neutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) project. The facility will provide a fusion‐like neutron source for the qualification of the materials to be used in a fusion power plant.

The ITER Organisation noted the high kinetic energy of fast neutrons produced in a deuterium-tritium fusion reaction is converted into heat as they pass through the walls of the tokamak, allowing for significant power generation. However, those same high-energy neutrons, over a period of sustained bombardment, cause material degradation through the process of transmutation.

The level of neutron irradiation planned for demonstration fusion power plants (DEMOs) has never been tested. In order to build DEMOs out of materials that can withstand such harsh bombardment, developers are looking to neutron sources as a way to mimic fusion conditions for materials testing.

The IFMIF-DONES materials testing facility will simulate DEMO-like conditions for potential structural materials. It will use a particle accelerator to produce a continuous-wave deuteron (D+) beam aimed at a target made of a liquid lithium curtain. The interaction between deuterium and lithium will generate enough free neutrons to simulate the planned neutron flux over time of Europe's DEMO, which is being designed by the DEMO Central Team at EUROfusion. Directly behind the lithium target will be the high-flux test module, which will house capsules of material samples for neutron irradiance testing.

The facility will produce a 125 mA deuteron beam, accelerated up to 40 MeV and shaped to have a nominal cross section in the range from 100 mm x 50 mm to 200 mm x 50 mm, impinging on a liquid lithium target 25 mm thick cross‐flowing at about 15 m/s in front of it.

Construction of the IFMIF-DONES facility is expected to take about 10 years to complete. Subsequently, the scientific and technological exploitation will last at least 30 years.

"A key use of the IFMIF-DONES facility will be the testing of EUROFER, the reduced activation steel alloy currently intended to serve as DEMO's first wall structural material," said IFMIF-DONES Director Angel Ibarra. "It is important to do these experiments in a fusion-like environment as soon as possible to validate this material for Europe's DEMO. We'll be testing hundreds of samples of EUROFER and EUROFER-like alloys under varying conditions of neutron and heat flux to gain a fuller understanding of its mechanical properties.

"Both success stories and lessons learned from the ITER Project's last 15 years can help optimise IFMIF-DONES operations as the facility enters its construction phase," Ibarra added. "Also, some technologies already developed for ITER will also be needed in our project, and perhaps the development process can be streamlined."

The mission of the DONES programme is to develop a database of fusion‐like neutron irradiation effects in the materials required for the construction of DEMOs for benchmarking of radiation response of materials.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Partnership-to-support-nuclear-deployment-in-Afric

World Nuclear Association and the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) have signed a memorandum of understanding to support the economic growth and sustainable energy development of the African continent through the use of nuclear energy.

"This cooperation confirms the shared commitment of both organisations to proactively facilitate the wider understanding of civilian nuclear energy and support the development of nuclear energy in African States," World Nuclear Association said. It added that the purpose of the MoU was to support information sharing and exchange, networking, capacity building, and training.

The agreement comes ahead of African Energy Week 2023, which takes place in Cape Town from 16-20 October.

As the organisation representing the global nuclear industry, World Nuclear Association said it was in a unique position to share common messages and best practices from the global nuclear industry with African countries interested in nuclear energy.

Currently, Africa has two nuclear power reactors in operation at the Koeberg plant in South Africa, and four reactors under construction at the El Dabaa plant in Egypt. Meanwhile Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria have already made their national decision to deploy nuclear energy and are progressing with plans. African countries exploring the use of nuclear energy include Algeria, Ethiopia, Morocco, Niger, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia. The World Nuclear Association Nuclear Fuel Report - published in September - estimates that by 2040 Africa could have 18 GWe of nuclear power based on current member state plans.

"Nuclear energy offers a golden opportunity to build a cleaner, more equitable world, in which everyone has access to clean abundant affordable 24/7 energy and a high quality of life," said World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León. "The association has recently engaged with key members and organisations in many African countries, recognising nuclear energy's enormous potential to support sustainable growth and development in the continent's energy landscape. I am delighted to partner with AFCONE to help Africa deploy nuclear energy and provide 24/7 clean energy for all."

"Nuclear energy has been identified among the viable clean energy sources for addressing Africa's energy poverty," added AFCONE Executive Secretary Enobot Agboraw. "The relative advantage of nuclear energy lies in its ability to provide base load, its long-term cost effectiveness, its environmental resilience, and the long operational lifespan of nuclear power plants. Considering Africa's steep population growth, AFCONE is striving, inter alia, through partnerships with key industry players, such as World Nuclear Association, to urgently expedite the process of deploying nuclear energy capacity in Africa."

The African Union established AFCONE in November 2010, following the entry into force of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (The Treaty of Pelindaba) in July 2009, which required the parties to establish a commission for the purpose of ensuring states' compliance with their treaty obligations and promoting peaceful nuclear cooperation, both regionally and internationally. The headquarters of AFCONE is in Pretoria, South Africa. AFCONE is financed by States Parties assessed contributions, as well as extrabudgetary funding.

An opinion poll led by Demoscope on behalf of the Swiss Nuclear Forum shows that the majority of the Swiss support nuclear energy.

According to the results, 54% of respondents (+10% compared to the results collected in February 2022) believe that Switzerland should continue to use nuclear energy to produce electricity, alongside renewables. At the same time, 38% of respondents are against nuclear power, while the remaining 8% do not know.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) agree that existing nuclear power plants should be used as long as they are safe. A similar proportion (74%) considers current plants to be very safe. Moreover, 68% of respondents agree with the statement that existing NPPs are essential to guarantee Switzerland’s electricity supply.

Indeed, more than 80% of the interviewees agree that nuclear has offered benefits to the Swiss population and economy in recent years, in particular high security of electricity supply and low energy prices.

Currently, Switzerland has four nuclear reactor units in commercial operation at three sites – Gösgen, Leibstadt (both ENS Corporate Members), and Beznau-1 and -2 – which provided 36.4% of the country’s electricity in 2022.

In 2018 an International Energy Agency report said Switzerland’s nuclear phaseout will create an energy gap of at least 20 TWh a year that will need to be replaced with other generation technologies, possibly including new fossil fuel capacity.

De centrumrechtse regering in Zweden wil voldoen aan de afspraken van het Parijsakkoord met de bouw van tien nieuwe kernreactoren. Volgens critici komen die te laat en zijn ze duur en riskant. Voorstanders wijzen op de voordelen van stabiele energievoorziening.

Geleidelijk zou kernenergie in Zweden worden afgeschaft, zo was het in 1980 na een niet-bindend referendum afgesproken. In 2016 stemde een politieke meerderheid voor vervanging van de overgebleven zes reactoren aan het einde van hun levensduur. Partijen die traditioneel tegen kernenergie waren, gingen ervan uit dat hernieuwbare energie — door technologische ontwikkeling en dalende prijzen — kernenergie zou verdringen.

Maar nu gooit de centrumrechtse regering van Ulf Kristersson (Gematigde Uniepartij) het over een andere boeg. Om te kunnen voldoen aan de verwachte verdubbeling van de elektricteitsvraag (tot 300 terawattuur in 2040) en tot de eerder beloofde nuluitstoot in 2045 te komen, kiest Zweden voor kernenergie. De eerder vastgelegde doelstelling 100% hernieuwbaar wordt gewijzigd in 100% fossielvrij

Onlangs kondigde de minister van klimaat Romina Pourmokhtari tijdens een persconferentie aan de hoeveelheid kernenergie de komende twintig jaar te willen verdrievoudigen. Dat vereist de bouw van tien nieuwe reactoren.

De nog geldende wettelijke beperkingen staan volgens de minister ‘een moderne visie op kernenergie in de weg’. De regering werkt aan een wetsvoorstel voor de versoepeling van de regelgeving en het schrappen van onder meer het plafond op het aantal kernreactoren en het vetorecht van gemeenten.

De eerder vastgelegde doelstelling 100% hernieuwbaar wordt gewijzigd in 100% fossielvrij. ‘We hebben behoefte aan een grotere elektriciteitsproductie, schone elektriciteit en een stabiel energiesysteem’, verklaarde minister van financiën Elisabeth Svantesson in het parlement. Politieke verdeeldheid

‘Als je je ziel verkoopt aan een populistische en nationalistische partij met veel klimaatontkenners, is dit het resultaat’, verklaarde klimaatwoordvoerder van de Centrumpartij Rickard Nordin in een reactie op het voornemen van de regering. De minderheidscoalitie leunt op de steun van de radicaal-rechtse Zweden Democraten, waarvan een aantal partijleden de klimaatcrisis of de ernst ervan ontkent. En dat is te zien aan de begroting; het milieu en klimaat komen er voor Zweedse begrippen bekaaid af.

‘Al sinds de jaren zeventig is kernenergie een hoofdthema in de Zweedse energiepolitiek en verdeelt het onderwerp het politieke landschap’, zegt Lars Nilsson, hoogleraar milieustudies aan de universiteit van Lund en lid van de Europese Klimaatadviesraad.

Na het referendum in 1980 werden zes van de twaalf kernreactoren stopgezet. De laatste zes staan in drie gemeenten en leveren tezamen 30% van de Zweedse elektriciteit. De Zweedse regering verklaarde bij het sluiten van de energieovereenkomst in 2016 moeite te hebben ‘levensvatbare, alternatieve energiebronnen’ te vinden ter vervanging van kernenergie. Vooral ‘gedurende de overgangsfase waarin hernieuwbare energiebronnen als zon en wind nog niet compleet in de behoefte kunnen voorzien’.

Behoefte aan stabiel beleid

Toen in 2016 besloten werd de verouderde reactoren te vervangen in plaats van te sluiten, bedong de toen rood-groene regering dat het maximumaantal reactoren op tien kwam te liggen en dat deze alleen konden worden gebouwd op de drie locaties van de huidige centrales. Ook kwamen de partijen overeen dat de kernenergieproductie — in tegenstelling tot die van wind- en zonne-energie — geen aanspraak kon maken op subsidies. Kernenergie zou zo vanzelf overbodig worden, was de gedachte.

‘Wat er nu gebeurt, is symbool- en identiteitspolitiek pur sang’, meent Nilsson. Tijdens de verkiezingscampagne drong de minderheidscoalitie aan op nucleair en ‘nu hebben ze iets waar te maken’. De hoogleraar betwijfelt of de installatie van tien nieuwe reactoren wenselijk of realistisch is.

‘De kern van het probleem is dat de economische en politieke risico’s van de aanbouw van nieuwe reactoren te groot zijn, tenzij de overheid verreikende garanties biedt. Op dit moment hebben we een pronucleaire regering. Maar wat als een regering over vijf of tien jaar minder positief tegenover kernenergie staat?’

Historisch is Zweden altijd goed geweest in het voeren van partijoverstijgende energiepolitiek van de lange adem, meent Nilsson. ‘Het huidige kabinet wijkt daarvan af. Vanaf de buitenkant is het moeilijk met zekerheid te zeggen in hoeverre de regering beloftes probeert na te komen of dat ze daadwerkelijk gelooft in de komst van zo veel nieuwe reactoren.’

Bedrijven hebben behoefte aan stabiel beleid. De staalindustrie zet in op groene waterstof ter vervanging van steenkool en daarvoor heeft de sector binnen afzienbare tijd elektriciteit nodig. De industrie geeft aan niet te kunnen wachten op nieuwe reactoren en wil dat de overheid in plaats daarvan het elektriciteitsnet en de windenergieproductie uitbreidt.

Daarbij leert de ervaring dat aan de bouw van reactoren een fors prijskaartje hangt. Recente Europese voorbeelden zijn ontmoedigend. Zowel in Finland als in het Verenigd Koninkrijk gaat de installatie van nieuwe reactoren gepaard met oponthoud en hoge kosten. De bouw van de Olkiluoto 3 kernreactor in Finland moest binnen vier jaar zijn afgerond, maar trad pas in april van dit jaar (veertien jaar te laat) in werking. De kosten: zo’n €11,5 mrd, in plaats van de geraamde €3,5 mrd.

Ook de installatie van de kerncentrale Hinkley Point C in Engeland is onderhevig aan kostenstijgingen en vertragingen. De initiële begroting van £18 mrd (ruim €20 mrd) is bijgesteld naar £32 mrd (bijna €37 mrd). ‘Subsidies niet nodig’

In mei begrootte energieadviesbureau Wood Mackenzie in een rapport dat de kosten van elektriciteit uit kernenergie ‘minstens vier keer zo hoog zijn als die van wind- en zonne-energie’, als je zowel bouw- en exploitatiekosten in ogenschouw neemt. De Britse regering heeft het marktrisico voor beleggers weggenomen door eenprijs van £92,5 per megawattuur te garanderen gedurende 35 jaar. Zonder die zeer controversiële garantie, zegt Nilsson, zou niemand het in zijn hoofd hebben gehaald een nieuwe kerncentrale uit de grond te stampen. Klimaatminister: subsidies of prijsgaranties niet nodig zodra wettelijke belemmeringen zijn geschrapt

Om in Zweden investeerders zover te krijgen zou ook de regering hier garanties moeten bieden, meent Nilsson. ‘En dat is in strijd met het heersende principe van technologieneutraliteit.’ Bovendien komen de kosten waarschijnlijk disproportioneel bij de Zweedse belastingbetaler terecht. Klimaatminister Pourmokhtari stelt dat subsidies of prijsgaranties niet nodig zijn zodra de wettelijke belemmeringen zijn geschrapt.

Er wordt door verschillende landen veel onderzoek gedaan voor de ontwikkeling van kleine modulaire reactoren die goedkoper en makkelijker te plaatsen zijn. ‘Maar’, zegt Nilsson, ‘ze bestaan nog niet. De ontwikkeling ervan vergt zeker tien jaar, terwijl we op een punt zijn beland waarop we nu iets moeten doen.’

En dan zijn er volgens Nilsson de veiligheidsrisico’s: wat te doen met kernafval, het risico van ongelukken en nucleaire proliferatie? ‘Op deze vlakken komt een enorme verantwoordelijkheid bij de overheid te liggen. Is ze bereid die te nemen?’ Kernenergie als systeemoplossing

Het Zweedse ministerie van energie herinnert aan de ‘ernstige gevolgen voor ons energiesysteem’ toen zes van de twaalf kerncentrales werden gesloten, en benoemt onder meer ‘knelpunten in de transmissie, hogere prijzen en gebrek aan capaciteit’.

‘Het doel is de nucleaire industrie in Zweden te herstellen. We hebben een trotse nucleaire geschiedenis. Er is een goede basis om bedrijven en experts op dit gebied aan te trekken.’

‘We zijn bezig met de herziening van het systeem voor het verlenen van vergunningen voor nucleaire technologie en kerncentrales. Verder bespreken we de mogelijkheid van kredietgaranties à 400 miljard Zweedse kronen en andere maatregelen om de financiële risico’s te verkleinen.’

Carl Berglöf, adviseur inzake kernenergie bij Energiföretagen, de belangenorganisatie van de energiesector, zegt dat ‘nucleair niet alleen energie in het systeem brengt, het brengt ook stabiliteit en controle die de operationele veiligheid van het transmissiesysteem vergroot. Kernenergie is dus een systeemoplossing. Daarom is het logisch dat de regering de ontwikkeling van nieuwe kerncentrales ondersteunt.’

Berglöf: ‘Zolang zowel de nucleaire industrie als de staat alles doen wat nodig is voor een soepel proces — bijvoorbeeld in de vorm van vergunningsprocedures en geschikte financiering — is er een goede mogelijkheid voor nieuwe kerncentrales.’

As the Israeli crisis showcases the need for energy independence, the conditions for Italy’s return to atomic energy are increasingly favourable. Ministers Salvini, Pichetto and Urso, representing the government’s three major parties, displayed the executive’s unity on the matter and hoped that Rome would be flicking the switch back on in 2032

The Italian government is wholeheartedly in favour of nuclear power. That’s the inescapable takeaway from a conference (“Nucleare: si può fare,” organised by Intelligence Week) in which three leading members of the executive took part. Representing all three major partners in the governing coalition, they displayed unity in their support for a gradual return to nuclear power generation.

• These were Matteo Salvini (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport), Gilberto Pichetto Fratin (Minister of the Environment and Energy Security) and Adolfo Urso (Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy).
• All spoke of a whole-of-government approach to a nuclear strategy, which is currently being drafted by the brand new National Platform for Sustainable Nuclear – kickstarted by Minister Pichetto in late September and overseen by his ministry.

It’s a strategic choice – especially now. The ministers emphasised the need for energy autonomy and diversification against the backdrop of the Hamas-Israel conflict, which has already compounded the long-running energy crisis by impacting oil and gas prices. “We need to reduce dependence on coal, gas and oil and achieve Europe’s energy independence. Nuclear power can make a significant contribution. This government is more aware than others of our and Europe’s needs, and it can do nuclear power because this strategy is shared by all its components and its majority,” explained Minister Urso.

• “The images from Israel are barbarically topical and require us to reflect [on energy issues] without ideology,” commented Minister Salvini, while Minister Pichetto stressed that Rome maintains “a very strong relationship with current supplier countries” – such as Algeria, Libya, and Azerbaijan.

Please, in my back yard. The deputy PM made headlines by declaring that he would be happy to see a next-generation reactor in his native city, Milan – quite the statement in a country that struggles with the NIMBY (not in my back yard) syndrome and twice rejected atomic energy with two referendums, in 1987 (right after Chernobyl) and in 2011 (right after Fukushima). Still, Minister Salvini is calling for a new country-wide consultation on next-generation nuclear power.

• The context is that conditions are increasingly favourable: a majority of Italian citizens (54%) now favour nuclear power according to a recent SWG poll, and the young are especially keen (63%, compared to 47% of those over 55).
• “There was reluctance to talk about nuclear power, but the country has changed a lot,” commented Minister Pichetto with reference to the polling numbers and speaking of a “new and modern sensibility.”
• “A greater awareness of this issue has developed in Italy,” added Minister Urso, who believes the nuclear strategy can overcome electoral contingencies: “we can lay the groundwork in this legislature, and in the next one perhaps someone else will be able to inaugurate those plants.”

Dates and tech solutions. Asked about the referendums, Minister Pichetto replied that they referred to outdated power plants. “We are not talking about the third generation of nuclear power; we are talking about the fourth,” as well as novel reactors that “experts say will be feasible in the early 2030s”. Still, the principle of technological neutrality prevails: today is not about deciding what kind of reactor to deploy – but rather preparing the ground for doing so in the future, he said.

• This did not stop Minister Salvini from venturing a date: “If we start tomorrow, in 2024 […] it will take seven to eight years. Which means that the first switch can be turned on in 2032.”

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Newcleo-and-Tosto-Group-team-up-on-LFR-development

Newcleo, the UK-headquartered developer of small modular lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs), has signed a cooperation and investment agreement with the Tosto Group to advance the industrialisation of Newcleo's reactors.

The Tosto Group consists of seven companies headquartered in Italy and Romania. The two major enterprises - Walter Tosto and Belleli Energy CPE - are worldwide suppliers of critical and long lead process equipment.

The cooperation between Newcleo and the Tosto Group will see a synergetic, rolling long-term contract of collaboration that encompasses all stages of Newcleo's project: research, design and demonstration to industrialisation of its reactors. The partnership will be further strengthened by a work for equity mechanism that will allow the Tosto Group to fully invest in Newcleo.

The partners will collaborate on several activities aimed at studying and perfecting manufacturing, fabrication and installation encompassing the whole reactor life, underpinning the technological development of the LFR-AS designs with proven manufacturing and implementation expertise.

In this first stage of the cooperation, the companies' joint efforts will focus on: fabrication and installation sequence studies; installation tools and jigs conceptualisation; transportation plans; storage and site erection instructions; research, development and qualification on structural materials and coatings, also via participation to EU-funded programmes; and code evolution recommendations relevant for LFR construction.

"At Newcleo we are setting ourselves up for success, putting in place partnerships with the leaders of the relevant sectors," Newcleo Chairman and CEO Stefano Buono said. "We are laser-focused on our very ambitious timelines of delivery, and this industrial partnership with the Tosto Group will help us further ground our vision. They bring strong and proven expertise to ensure we are set up for the best manufacturing for our large reactor components."

"We are proud to collaborate with Newcleo, a forward-thinking leader in Gen-IV nuclear technology," added Tosto Group Managing Director Luca Tosto. "This partnership reflects our commitment to innovation and sustainable energy solutions and underscores our dedication to the nuclear sector, where we are actively investing and expanding our business division. Together, we will drive advancements in manufacturing and contribute to the success of Newcleo's pioneering projects."

The first step of Newcleo's delivery roadmap will be the design and construction of the first-of-a-kind 30 MWe LFR to be deployed in France by 2030, rapidly followed by a 200 MWe commercial unit in the UK.

At the same time, Newcleo will directly invest in a mixed uranium/plutonium oxide (MOX) plant to fuel its reactors. In June 2022, Newcleo announced it had contracted France's Orano for feasibility studies on the establishment of a MOX production plant.

Earlier this month, Newcleo completed its previously announced acquisition of SRS Servizi Ricerche e Sviluppo Srl and of Fucina Italia Srl, jointly referred to as the SRS-Fucina Group. Both based in Italy, SRS and Fucina design and build nuclear systems deploying liquid lead technology. "Under Newcleo's ownership, SRS-Fucina Group will continue to serve its blue chip customer base and generate revenue, whilst becoming integral to the delivery of Newcleo's ambitious plans," Newcleo said.

In March this year, Newcleo signed an agreement with Italian utility Enel to cooperate on Newcleo's power plant projects, including taking a stake in the first plant. Under the agreement, Enel will collaborate with Newcleo on projects related to its LFR technology, providing specialised expertise through sharing a number of the company's qualified personnel. In view of the support provided, Newcleo has committed to securing an option for Enel as first investor in its initial power plant, which will be constructed outside of Italy, which has a moratorium on the construction of nuclear power plants.

In March 2022, Newcleo signed a framework agreement with ENEA, the Italian national agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Rolls-Royce-partners-for-SMR-fuel-design-and-analy

Rolls-Royce SMR has awarded a contract to Westinghouse for the development of a fuel design for its small modular reactor (SMR). Meanwhile, it has partnered with the UK's National Physical Laboratory to investigate safe automated reactor operation for SMRs.

Westinghouse Electric Company UK Ltd is to develop a fuel design for the Rolls-Royce SMR. The design work - undertaken jointly in the UK and USA - includes associated core components and will be based on an existing Westinghouse pressurised water reactor (PWR) fuel assembly design.

Rolls-Royce SMR said development of the fuel design is "a vital part of the ongoing Generic Design Assessment (GDA) by the UK's independent regulators".

"Placing the contract to design the fuel for the Rolls-Royce SMR is an important step in our programme of work as we progress through the GDA process with the UK's nuclear regulators," said Rolls-Royce SMR's Regulatory Affairs and Safety Director Helena Perry. "Westinghouse has a strong heritage and unrivalled experience in nuclear fuel design and manufacturing.

"Placing this contract with Westinghouse will help deliver our commitment to maximise UK supply chain content and will support a long-term sustainable future for the nuclear industry."

"This collaboration between Westinghouse and Rolls-Royce SMR will help drive the future of nuclear fuel deployment," added Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel. "Westinghouse is proud to bring its generations of experience designing and manufacturing fuel in the UK. This contract presents an exciting opportunity for our Springfields site in Lancashire."

The announcement of the contract was welcomed by the UK's Nuclear Industry Association (NIA). "This partnership is vital to reigniting Britain's nuclear capabilities on a domestic and global stage," said NIA Chief Executive Tom Greatrex.

"It will strengthen the wider nuclear supply chain and shows the importance of maximising UK nuclear content as we develop a programme of new power stations to strengthen energy security and green our power grid.

"We must also ensure we are world leaders in the design and manufacture of nuclear fuel so we can establish a sovereign supply chain as the West looks to break free from reliance on Russian nuclear fuel."

The Rolls-Royce SMR, a 470 MWe design based on a small PWR, has progressed to the second stage of the UK's Generic Design Assessment, the only SMR to reach that stage so far. It is one of six SMR designs - which also includes Westinghouse's own AP300 - selected earlier this month by Great British Nuclear to bid for UK government contracts. The aim is for a final investment decision to be taken in 2029.

Automated monitoring of SMRs

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) announced it is partnering with Rolls-Royce SMR to investigate the potential of using inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry - a technique for measuring the elemental composition of samples - for the automated measurement of the constituents in different water chemistries within a Rolls-Royce SMR as an indicator of reactor operating conditions.

"When developing SMRs, there is a need for automated analytical capabilities to minimise onsite lab testing, reduce waste, the footprint of the site, as well as capital and operational costs," it said.

NPL noted the advantages of the mass spectrometric technique have been widely published and include: simultaneous measurement of multiple elements; rapid measurement time of several minutes per sample; little or no sample preparation; and reduced analyst time.

It said the NPL Rolls-Royce SMR project "offers an opportunity to apply tried and tested techniques to the safe and effective operation of SMRs".

"The Nuclear Metrology group has pushed inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry to advance measurement capabilities for low level radioactivity measurement, with the methods and standards developed increasingly used by industry, academia, and other measurement institutes." said Ben Russell, Principal Scientist and Science Area Leader for Nuclear Metrology at NPL. "We are excited to apply this technique to solving measurement challenges related to automated monitoring of SMRs."

Greg Wilkinson, Research and Technology Manager at Rolls-Royce SMR, added: "Rolls-Royce SMR offers a radically different approach to delivering nuclear power. Our design utilises long-established and well-understood PWR technology, allowing us to focus our research efforts in key areas, including in the development of inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry with NPL, to supplement and further enhance this technology. We look forward to collaborating with NPL's world-leading nuclear metrology team to achieve our vision of delivering clean, affordable energy for all."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Myanmar-and-Russia-sign-nuclear-infrastructure-MoU

Determining the nuclear infrastructure development needs for Myanmar and identifying priority areas of work for the development of a small modular reactor project were the subject of a fresh memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Russia.

The MoU was signed by Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev and Myanmar's Science and Technology Minister Myo Thein Kyaw on the sidelines of Russia Energy Week.

According to the Russian side: "The document determines that the development of nuclear infrastructure will be carried out in accordance with the IAEA approaches and recommendations as well as Rosatom’s best practices. The memorandum also provides for building up further Russian-Myanmar cooperation in the field of training and human resources development and enhancement of safety culture in the organisations participating in the nuclear energy development programme."

In February, Russia and Myanmar signed an Intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. In June, the first meeting of a joint coordinating committee, established as part of the Intergovernmental Agreement, was held.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Mining-activities-recommence-at-Honeymoon

Wellfield pre-conditioning has started as the final step before uranium extraction at the Honeymoon in-situ leach (ISL) uranium project in South Australia, Boss Energy Limited has announced. It said Honeymoon is on track to resume production by the end of this year.

The Perth-based company said pre-conditioning effectively cleans the wellfields of unwanted chlorides and calcium prior to uranium recovery being extracted. During wellfield pre-conditioning, groundwater containing calcium and chloride is pumped from the orebody via extraction wells and processed though the water treatment plant to remove calcium, and then through a reverse osmosis (RO) plant to remove chloride. The clean water is then acidified prior to reinjection into the orebody via injection wells.

To achieve this milestone, Boss said it had successfully completed major construction activities including wellfield development, gypsum repository construction, water treatment and RO plant commissioning.

"The pre-conditioning work for the start-up wellfield comprises careful commissioning of each part of the treatment circuit and will take about two months to complete," the company said. Following pre-conditioning, uranium extraction will commence via in-situ leaching.

Boss Managing Director Duncan Craib added: "It is a testament to the hard work and effort undertaken by all Boss employees over many years to reach today's pivotal milestone, the commencement of mining activities on Honeymoon."

ISL operations began at Honeymoon in 2011, but the mine was put on care-and-maintenance in 2013 by its then-owner Uranium One. Boss acquired the project in 2015. The project is considered one of the world's most advanced uranium development projects that can be fast-tracked to resume production.

In June 2022, the board of Boss Energy approved the final investment decision for the development of the Honeymoon project.

"Since acquiring the Honeymoon Project in December 2015, Boss embarked on a series of technical optimisation studies to improve Honeymoon's position as a globally competitive mining operation in a tier 1 location," Boss said. "The project development is proceeding to plan and remains on time and on budget as Boss moves towards the restart of Honeymoon in a few months' time.

"Our timing is looking ideal, with the uranium market continuing to tighten and the spot price moving up."

Honeymoon is expected to produce 2.45 million pounds U3O8 per year over an 11-year mine life.