Nuclear Energy

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Partnership-for-ARC-100-commercialisation

A trilateral collaboration agreement has been signed to further cooperation between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, ARC Clean Technology and New Brunswick Power with the goal of establishing teaming agreements for global small modular reactor fleet deployment. It follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding last November.

Through the MoU signed last year, the three companies have been exploring collaboration opportunities for the commercialisation of ARC's ARC-100 - an advanced small modular reactor (SMR) - in Canada, South Korea, the USA and other jurisdictions where Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has business operations.

The new collaboration agreement - signed during the Reuters SMR and Advanced Reactor 2024 Conference in Atlanta, Georgia - establishes firm commitments to deliverables, processes and timelines to advance discussions for participation and potential investment in the deployment of ARC units, starting with the commercial demonstration unit in the Canadian province of New Brunswick.

Since 2018, ARC and NB Power have been working together on the development of the ARC-100. In July last year, NB Power, in partnership with ARC, submitted an environmental impact assessment registration document and an application for a site preparation licence for an SMR at the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant site in New Brunswick. The demonstration unit is slated for commissioning by 2029, subject to approvals and licensing. The deployment of the ARC-100 in New Brunswick is part of a joint strategic plan on SMR development and deployment released by the governments of Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Alberta in 2022.

"While we focus our capabilities on technological development for Korea's Innovative SMR (i-SMR) to have the highest level of competitiveness in the world, we are pushing for timely entry into the 4th generation SMR market," said KHNP CEO Jooho Whang. He added that "global cooperation is necessary for accelerating the development and construction of 4th generation SMRs, and the strengths of the leading companies in Canada as well as KHNP will lead to synergy in cooperation".

ARC Clean Technology Canada President and CEO Bill Labbe said: "We are excited to take the next step in formalising our relationship through today’s agreement. ARC is seeing significant growth and interest from multiple heavy industries and global jurisdictions for use of our technology. Together, ARC, KHNP and NB Power will be first movers in the industry with a turnkey solution for commercial deployment."

"Small modular reactors are an important part of NB Power’s strategic plan to meet government mandates to phase out coal by 2030 and achieve net-zero supply by 2035,” added NB Power President, CEO and Chief Nuclear Officer Lori Clark. "The agreement with KHNP and ARC will assist us in deploying the clean energy we need to meet our climate goals and maintain energy security for New Brunswickers. In addition, we are excited about what this could mean for potential future commercialisation opportunities."

The ARC-100 is currently undergoing the second phase of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's pre-licensing Vendor Design Review process, having completed the first phase in 2019.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/South-Bruce-signs-hosting-agreement-with-NWMO

The agreement between the municipality of South Bruce and Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) was signed following a vote by the municipality's council on 1 May. The area is one of two potential host sites for a deep geologic repository selected in a process launched by the NWMO in 2010.

The NWMO is tasked with the safe, long-term management of Canada's intermediate- and high-level radioactive waste, in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come. It is working to identify a suitable site - with informed and willing hosts - for a deep geologic repository for Canada's used nuclear fuel. Over the past 12 years or so, 22 communities that proactively expressed interest in taking part in the process have been narrowed down to two areas: the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area; and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area. Both are in Ontario.

The hosting agreement maps out what happens if South Bruce decides it is a willing host and is selected for the NWMO project. It also sets out how South Bruce would exit the process if it is not a willing host, or if it is willing to host but not selected by the NWMO.

"Throughout the process, council has focused on ensuring the project would meet our community’s shared principles," South Bruce Mayor Mark Goetz said. "This agreement represents our best efforts to do that. It will help people better understand what the project could mean for South Bruce and help them make an informed decision in the referendum."

The municipality is to hold a referendum in October to ask voters if they are willing for South Bruce to declare itself to be a "willing host".

"The Municipality of South Bruce also understands and respects that Saugeen First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation have their own discussions with the NWMO regarding the Project and will express their willingness decision in their own way," the municipality noted.

The Township of Ignace signed a hosting agreement with the NWMO in March

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Cameco-says-outlook-for-2024-remains-solid

CEO Tim Gitzel said the Canadian nuclear fuel company's results for the first quarter of 2024 - with losses of CAD7 million (USD5 million) - were driven by normal quarterly variations, coupled with costs related to its acquisition last year of Westinghouse.

"In the first quarter operational performance was strong across our uranium, fuel services and Westinghouse segments," Gitzel said. "Financial results are in line with the 2024 outlook we provided, which has not changed, and are as expected, reflecting normal quarterly variability and the required purchase accounting and other non-operational acquisition-related costs for Westinghouse."

First-quarter production results were "strong and are on track with our 2024 plans", he said. Attributable uranium production for the quarter was 5.8 million pounds U3O8 (2231 tU), a year-on-year increase of 1.3 million pounds U3O8. The mining operations at McArthur River/Key Lake and Cigar Lake are each expected to produce 18 million pounds U3O8 (on a 100% basis) in 2024.

Cameco closed its acquisition of Westinghouse, in a strategic partnership with Brookfield, last November. Cameco now owns a 49% interest and Brookfield owns the remaining 51%. The company had previously said it expects this to generate a net loss of between CAD170 million and CAD230 million in 2024 due to the impact of the purchase accounting, which requires the revaluation of Westinghouse's inventory and other assets at the time of acquisition, and the expensing of some non-operating acquisition-related transition costs. CAD123 million of the expected net loss for Westinghouse in 2024 was incurred in the first quarter "due to normal variability in the timing of its customer requirements and delivery and outage schedules".

Westinghouse's first quarter "is typically its weakest", Cameco said in its quarterly in-depth management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A) document, with stronger expected performance in the second half of the year, and higher expected cash flows in the fourth quarter, and Gitzel said the company was "delighted" with its acquisition. "It's even better than we thought when we bought it," he told investors. "The potential there in all elements of their business is really good."

Inkai update

Production from the Inkai joint venture in Kazakhstan was slightly down year-on-year, with 1.6 million pounds U3O8 produced this quarter compared with 1.9 million pounds in the same period in 2023 (both on a 100% basis). Inkai’s current production target for 2024 is 8.3 million pounds of U3O8 (100% basis), but procurement and supply chain issues, most notably related to the availability of sulphuric acid, mean this target is tentative.

Cameco said it is working with its closely with JV Inkai and its joint venture partner Kazatomprom to receive its share of production via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which does not rely on Russian rail lines or ports, but warned that delays to deliveries could happen "if transportation using this shipping route takes longer than anticipated".

"To mitigate the risk of transportation delays or production shortfalls, we have inventory, long-term purchase agreements and loan arrangements in place we can draw on," the company said.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Holtec-sets-up-maintenance-and-modification-subsid

US company Holtec International has established a wholly-owned subsidiary aiming to "energise the presently placid business sector of modification and maintenance", with the initial project being the restart of the Palisades plant.

Holtec Maintenance & Modification International (HMI) is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is being headed by Christopher Bakken. In its statement announcing the move, Holtec International said the new company's mission was "to meet the time-critical maintenance and modification needs of the world’s operating nuclear power plants with assured performance certainty".

It added: "To provide maximum value to its clients, HMI is poised to introduce cutting edge technologies such as AI-aided preventive maintenance and robot-led crew radiation dose reduction methods at its clients’ plants ... we believe the HMI management model will bring about a vastly improved control of operating costs of nuclear plants and ensure heightened plant reliability, which will support the expected renaissance in nuclear generation around the world."

HMI will operate under its parent company's programmes on nuclear quality assurance, environmental protection, personnel safety assurance, corporate governance and supply management "but will be otherwise autonomous". It will work with Holtec’s Nuclear Power Division "to provide replacement components and systems - reverse engineered as necessary to replace obsolescent items - to meet target outage schedules".

As well as its initial work on the project to restart the 840 MWe Palisades plant, Holtec says that "discussions with other clients in the USA and overseas are under way".

Rick Springman, Holtec’s President of Global Clean Energy Opportunities, said: "With the launch of HMI, we can now provide an integrated capability to meet the operating needs of the scores of SMR-300 plants that we hope to be building in the US and around the world."

Holtec agreed to purchase Palisades from then-owner and operator Entergy in 2018, ahead of the scheduled closure, for decommissioning. The acquisition was completed in June 2022, within weeks of the reactor's closure, and at that time Holtec planned to complete the dismantling, decontamination, and remediation of the plant by 2041. But the company then announced plans to apply for federal funding to enable it to reopen the plant, with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer amongst those pledging support for the move. The State of Michigan's Fiscal Year 2024 budget, signed by Whitmer in mid-2023, provides USD150 million in funding towards the plant's restart. In March, the US Department of Energy Loan Programs Office conditionally committed up to USD1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades for its project to bring the Palisades plant back online. The aim is for Palisades to be back operating by the end of 2025.

Holtec has also said it intends to locate its first two small modular reactor (SMR) units at Palisades. It also has hopes for fleets of its 160 MWe SMRs elsewhere - in Europe in countries including Ukraine, the Czech Republic and the UK.

Results will be used in project to build prototype Step reactor.

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Czech Republic research organisation Centrum Vyzkumu Rez (CVR) have signed a multi-year agreement to enable unique testing of high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes, critical for the development of the UK’s “Step” prototype nuclear fusion energy power plant.

UKAEA will work alongside CVR to deliver the first-of-a kind test rig known as Hi-CrIS (high neutron fluence cryogenic irradiation of superconductors). The rig will provide data on the effect of a fusion-relevant neutron spectrum on superconducting properties of HTS tapes.

HTS tapes will be used in the planned Step prototype plant to confine the fusion plasma which can reach temperatures 10 times hotter than the core of the Sun, or about 150 million °C.

The rig, expected to be operational in 2026, will produce test results to help inform the design and lifespan of Step’s superconducting magnetic components. These components will operate under cryogenic temperatures of about -253 °C and will be subjected to a high flux of high energy neutrons due to their close proximity to the fusion plasma.

The rig will allow samples of HTS tapes to be cooled to the same cryogenic temperatures expected for Step’s superconducting magnets. Maintaining the sample temperature during irradiation, transportation and measurement is critical in understanding how the HTS tapes degrade within their operating environment.

Step, or Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production, is a prototype fusion energy plant that will be built at West Burton in Nottinghamshire, with operation planned for in 2040.

Step is a government-backed programme. The Step plant aims to generate net electricity and demonstrate how the plant will be maintained and produce its own fuel.

The Step programme aims to pave the way to commercial fusion and what the UKAEA called “a virtually limitless supply of low-carbon energy”.

California governor says power needed beyond 2025 to ward off possible blackouts.

A US court has denied a challenge to a licence renewal application extension granted by the federal government for the two-unit Diablo Canyon nuclear power station in California.

Three climate groups – Mothers for Peace, Environmental Working Group, and Friends of the Earth – filed a motion asking for the immediate closure of Diablo Canyon based on it posing an “unacceptable safety risk”.

The groups claimed the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission had ignored risks to the public and the environment.

In an opinion written by US circuit judge Consuelo Callahan, the three-judge panel found that the NRC had not acted arbitrarily nor capriciously. The agency “adequately explained why California’s changing energy needs constitute a special circumstance, and why the record supported its findings of no undue risk to the public health and safety”.

The three groups said following the ruling this week that they would consider asking for an en banc review – a special decision where all judges of a particular court hear a case – of the decision.

The current operating licences for Units 1 and 2, both Westinghouse pressurised water reactors, were set to expire in 2024 and 2025.

Diablo Canyon owner and operator Pacific Gas and Electric is planning to keep Unit 1 operational until 31 October 2029 and Unit 2 until 31 October 2030.

California governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed legislation in 2022 that reversed an agreement between the state, PG&E and environmental groups to retire the facility.

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

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

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/EU-sets-out-terms-for-allowing-Czech-nuclear-state

The European Commission has approved the Czech Republic's proposed public support package for new nuclear - after a series of modifications were made to address their concerns during an inquiry which began in June 2022.

The Czech Republic plans to grant direct price support in the form of a power purchasing contract with a state-owned special purpose vehicle, ensuring stable revenues for the planned new nuclear unit at Dukovany for 40 years, with a subsidised state loan to cover a majority of construction costs as well as a "protection mechanism against unforeseen events or policy changes".

The European Commission (EC), in announcing its decision, said that to "ensure that the aid is proportionate and does not unduly distort the functioning of the electricity market" Czechia had "introduced a remuneration formula akin to a two-way contract-for-difference, which provides revenue stability and limits excess remuneration through a yearly ex-post settlement". This effectively means that if electricity prices are below the agreed level, the nuclear project will receive a subsidy to make it up to the agreed price, and if electricity prices are above the agreed price, the nuclear project would pay money back to the government.

The EC also said the period of direct price support had been cut from 60 years to 40 years and the strike price was being set "on the basis of a discounted cash flow model ensuring that the total aid amount, taking into account the subsidised loan, is limited to the funding gap of the project ... EDU II's shareholders will get a rate of return equal to the market return that investors would require on a similar investment".

There will also be a clawback mechanism lasting for the operational lifetime of the plant to ensure "additional gains generated by the project will be shared with the Czech state" and "to avoid market concentration and remove the risk that the measure provides an advantage to certain electricity consumers, Czechia has committed to ensure that at least 70% of the power output will be sold on the open power exchange - namely, day-ahead, intraday and futures markets - over the entire lifetime of the power plant. The rest of output can be sold on objective, transparent and non-discriminatory terms by way of auctions".

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy, said: "Czechia will support the construction of a nuclear power plant in Dukovany. The Commission’s role is to ensure that the State aid proposed is targeted, proportionate and does not unduly affect the EU energy market. During our investigation Czechia has modified the initial measure and submitted substantial commitments. This has allowed us to approve the aid."

The Czech Republic currently gets about one-third of its electricity from the four VVER-440 units at Dukovany, which began operating between 1985 and 1987, and the two VVER-1000 units in operation at Temelín, which came into operation in 2000 and 2002. It is currently going through a tendering process for four new units, with two more planned at each of the existing plants. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and France's EDF are the two bidders.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/NNSA-collaborates-with-Japan,-Korea-on-research-re

The US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has signed bilateral agreements with Japan and South Korea to cooperate in optimising the nuclear non-proliferation features of their respective research reactor models aimed at export markets.

A Statement of Intent has been signed between NNSA and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT). It was signed in Tokyo on 25 April by NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby and Deputy Minister of MEXT Hiroshi Masuko.

Under the agreement, NNSA and MEXT will collaborate to increase the proliferation resistance of research reactors in emerging nuclear power countries including the Asian region. They will also proceed with efforts to incorporate proliferation resistance concepts in the design stage of the new research reactor at the Monju Site, which will be used for education, training and research.

On 22 April in Seoul, Hruby and Lee Chang-Yoon, vice minister of South Korea's Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology (MSIT) signed a joint statement on collaboration to incorporate proliferation resistance concepts and optimise the design of Korea's export-oriented research reactor pilot.

"The United States and the Republic of Korea expect that this cooperation will contribute to the responsible design and deployment of new research reactors, adhering to the highest standards of nuclear non-proliferation by countries seeking to construct research reactor facilities," NNSA said.

The agreements with Japan and South Korea were signed under the NNSA's Proliferation Resistance Optimization (PRO-X) programme. Launched in 2019, the PRO-X programme aims to provide a framework for evaluating and integrating proliferation resistance into nuclear reactor system (core, fuel and auxiliary facilities) designs that also maintain the safety and peaceful use missions of those systems.

"Japan and Korea have each been fantastic partners to NNSA on nuclear security and non-proliferation issues," Hruby said. "I'm very pleased that, through PRO-X, we can extend this cooperation to future reactors and reactor designs."

"Cooperation to optimise nuclear proliferation resistance will become a representative example of strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation cooperation system between the two countries," Lee said. "We will continue to communicate closely with the US to ensure this."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/UK-s-National-Physical-Laboratory-and-CERN-sign-Mo

The memorandum of understanding will see the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) joining CERN's neutron time-of-flight facility with studies aiming to benefit advanced nuclear reactors, fuel cycles and nuclear fusion.

CERN - the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, based in Switzerland - has the world leading neutron time-of-flight facility (n_TOF) which uses high-intensity neutron beams with a wide energy range to precisely measure neutron-related processes, including neutron-nucleus interactions.

NPL says that at CERN it will "perform accurate cross-section measurements of neutron induced nuclear reactions relevant to the development of new nuclear technologies" and will also seek to study reactions producing hydrogen, tritium and helium in a range of materials. "This data underpins the development of tritium breeding blankets, plasma-facing armour components, and reactor component lifetime against radiation damage, all of which are key to the commercialisation of fusion," NPL said.

The London-based laboratory hopes that there will be "more reliable simulation and operational understanding of next generation fission and fusion reactors" as a result of future experimental programmes at CERN. It will also work closely with Manchester, York, Surrey, Birmingham and Lancaster universities and the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

Professor Paddy Regan, NPL Fellow in Nuclear and Radiation Science and Metrology, said: "The new formal agreement between CERN and NPL regarding the n_TOF collaboration should be a gamechanger in terms of the UK’s neutron research capabilities and impact. In particular, the proposed future international research programmes of relevance to next generation nuclear fission and fusion research are the cutting edge of this work internationally."

CERN, which is based in Geneva, says its mission is to help "uncover what the universe is made of and how it works. We do this by providing a unique range of particle accelerator facilities to researchers, to advance the boundaries of human knowledge". Among its achievements have been the Large Hadron Collider, which started up in 2009, the Higgs boson was discovered in 2012 and it was also the birthplace of the World Wide Web. CERN has 23 Member States, 10 Associate Member States and includes 17,000 people from all over the world, with more than 110 nationalities represented.

Rafael Grossi aims to continue talks on nuclear safeguards.

International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi is planning to visit Iran next week to continue nuclear power safeguards talks with the country, according to AP reports on 1 May.

During his visit, Grossi will take part in Iran’s first International Nuclear Energy Conference, which will be held in Isfahan from May 6-8.

According to AP, Iranian state television has described the conference in Isfahan as an “international conference on nuclear sciences and techniques”. Mohammed Eslami, the head of Iran’s civilian nuclear programme, was quoted as saying on Wednesday that Grossi will attend the conference and meet with him and other officials.

The IAEA has not announced Grossi’s meetings schedules, according to AP.

The trip will follow Grossi’s initial announcement of a potential mission to the country during the UN Security Council in New York on 17 April.

“I hope to put the situation in a higher level of cooperation, as we are getting access, but it could be much better.”

Grossi went to Iran a year ago and signed a declaration of cooperation with the Iranian government, in addition to safeguards work the IAEA is normally doing.

“So, we started the process in March 2023, but it was interrupted. If I return soon, we will discuss how to go to this level of cooperation,” Grossi said.

“The agency does not have information if there is a nuclear weapon programme in Iran, but we are telling them that they are close to a weapon-level of uranium enrichment, so we are asking to cooperate.”

The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre and the Natanz uranium enrichment plant in Iran are the target of US and UN sanctions.

In July 2022, Iran announced plans to build a new nuclear research reactor at the Isfahan site.

Iran also has one commercial nuclear plant in operation and a second under construction at Bushehr, more than 600 km south of Isfahan.

Tehran has also said it is planning to pour first concrete for a third unit at Bushehr.

In February, the official IRNA news agency reported that Iran had started construction of a four-unit nuclear power station with a capacity of about 5,000 MW in its southern coastal province of Hormozgan.

As bill heads to White House, senator says ‘dangerous reliance’ on Moscow must come to an end.

The US Senate voted on Tuesday evening, 30 April, to approve legislation banning the import of enriched uranium from Russia, sending the measure to the White House which has said it supports efforts to block the Kremlin’s shipments of the reactor fuel.

The Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, approved by unanimous consent, would bar US imports 90 days after enactment while allowing temporary waivers until January 2028.

It would also allow for a waiver if “no alternative viable source of low-enriched uranium is available to sustain the continued operation of a nuclear reactor or a United States nuclear energy company”.

President Joe Biden must sign the bill before it becomes law.

The Senate passed the measure by unanimous consent, meaning that no senators objected to it. The House of Representatives passed the bill in December.

Russia provided almost a quarter of the enriched uranium used to fuel the US’s fleet of 94 nuclear plants, making it the number one foreign supplier to the US last year, according to the US Department of Energy.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, Russia has been supplying about 24% of enriched uranium with 12% from Germany and 11% from the UK. The US itself supplies 27%.

Those sales provide an estimated $1bn (€937m) a year to Russia, but Bloomberg reported that replacing that supply could be a challenge and risks raising the costs of enriched uranium by about 20%.

Idaho Republican Jim Risch, one of the bill’s sponsors, said: “America’s dangerous reliance on Russian enriched uranium must come to an end – our national security depends on it.

Helping To ‘Defund Russia’s War Machine’

“With the passage of our legislation, America is taking an important step to spur uranium conversion and enrichment in the US, support advanced nuclear development and energy independence, and end Russian control of the global nuclear fuel supply chain.”

Wyoming Republican John Barrasso, another sponsor, said he has fought for years to end America’s reliance on Russian nuclear fuel.

“Our efforts have finally paid off with passage of our bill to ban these imports once and for all.

“Wyoming has the uranium to replace Russian imports, and we’re ready to use it.

“Our bipartisan legislation will help defund Russia’s war machine, revive American uranium production, and jumpstart investments in America’s nuclear fuel supply chain.”

Russia is also the only commercial source of special highly enriched reactor fuel known as Haleu that is needed for a new breed of advanced nuclear reactors that are under development.

Providers in the US, with federal support, are in the process of producing Haleu. Centrus Energy recently delivered a first batch of Haleu fuel to the US Department of Energy (DOE), finalising the first phase of a domestic manufacturing demonstration process.

Reactors could help Asian country’s net zero transition.

Thai power company Global Power Synergy Public Company Limited (GPSC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Denmark’s Seaborg Technologies to explore the potential deployment of Seaborg’s compact molten salt reactor (CMSR) floating “power barge” in Thailand.

Under the MoU, GPSC and Seaborg will assess how the CMSR power barge could be used in Thailand to support the Southeast Asian country’s transition to net-zero.

The study – expected to take about four years to complete – is intended to explore the use of electricity generated from Seaborg´s Power Barge to feed directly into the grid and to explore the potential use of the steam generated during operations.

Thailand has no commercial nuclear plants, but the US said in 2022 it was planning to help the government build capacity for the deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies.

Seaborg’s design is for modular CMSR power barges equipped with between two and eight 100 MW CMSRs, with an operational life of 24 years. In a CMSR reactor, the fuel is mixed with molten fluoride salt, which also acts as a coolant. According to Seaborg, this provides significant safety benefits.

Seaborg has signed a number of agreements for the potential deployment of its nuclear power barges and recently submitted a proposal to offer the technology for a first nuclear facility in Sri Lanka.

Last year Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries of South Korea announced a consortium with Seaborg to develop floating nuclear plants using Seaborg’s CMSR technology.

Floating nuclear plants are seen as a potential method of providing power to isolated regions and also for industry, mines, armed forces and disaster relief. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, they can be built in a factory, assembled in a shipyard and transported to a site, all of which may help to speed up construction and keep costs down.

The agency has said Canada, China, Denmark, South Korea, Russia and the US are each working on marine small modular reactor designs with some in advanced development.

In May 2020, Russia began commercial operation of what is so far the world’s only floating nuclear power station, the Akademik Lomonosov, docked at the port town of Pevek in Russia’s far east Chukotka autonomous district.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-s-role-in-reaching-climate-targets-recogni

The Group of Seven (G7) nations have committed to support the use of nuclear energy in those countries that opt to use it, a communique released at the end of the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Turin, Italy, says.

"Those countries that opt to use nuclear energy or support its use recognise its potential as a clean/zero-emissions energy source that can reduce dependence on fossil fuels to address the climate crises and improve global energy security," the document states.

"These countries recognise nuclear energy as a source of baseload power, providing grid stability and flexibility, and optimising use of grid capacity, while countries that do not use nuclear energy or do not support its use prefer other options to achieve the same goals, taking into account their assessment of associated risks and costs of nuclear energy."

The ministers noted the declaration issued by 25 countries during the COP28 climate conference in Dubai in December last year, setting a goal to triple global nuclear generating capacity by 2050. The communique said the ministers "recognise that, for countries that opt to use it, nuclear energy will play a role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, supporting the transition to net-zero and ensuring energy security, while other countries choose other energy sources to achieve these goals".

The ministers also said that new reactor designs - including advanced and small modular reactors - "could bring in the future additional benefits such as improved safety and sustainability, reduced cost of production, reduced project risk, waste management improvement, better social acceptance, opportunities for industry by providing at the same time energy, high temperature heat, hydrogen".

They committed to support multilateral efforts to strengthen the resilience of nuclear supply chains and to continue the cooperation for building a robust nuclear supply chain in the framework of G7 and of the Nuclear Energy Working Group established in Sapporo.

The ministers noted that G7 leaders remain committed to reducing reliance on civil nuclear-related goods from Russia and the ongoing efforts by countries that operate Russian-designed reactors to make progress in securing alternative nuclear fuel contracts and to reduce dependencies related to spare parts, components and services.

They also said they would promote research and development initiatives on innovative nuclear power technologies "for those countries that opt to use nuclear energy or support its use".

The communique added that the G7 will "promote the responsible deployment of nuclear energy technologies including for advanced and small modular reactors, including microreactors, and work collectively to share national best practices, including for responsible waste management, enable greater access to project financing tools, support sectorial collaboration, designing licensing procedures and strengthening coordination on development of commercial projects among interested G7 members and third markets".

The ministers said: "We underscore the importance for all countries and their respective people of upholding the highest standards of safety, security, and safeguards and non-proliferation, particularly as more countries adopt nuclear power as part of their energy mix."

Speaking at a joint press conference following the ministerial meeting, which he presided over, Italy's Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said: "When it comes to nuclear energy ... our seven countries indicated in the communique that we will proceed together in order to promote further research and ensure that the conditions are in place to promote the use of nuclear energy, which is a clean form of energy."

He added, without naming Germany: "This is something that is not binding. Obviously, we are aware that in the G7 there is a country that currently does not want to pursue the development of nuclear energy."

The ministers' statement came following a call by the nuclear industry for G7 governments to embrace nuclear deployment as a strategic priority, by maximising use of existing nuclear power plants and setting clear plans for further deployment that would fulfil the targets they set at COP28, to triple global nuclear capacity.

The statement was signed by the heads of Associazione Italiana Nucleare, Canadian Nuclear Association, Groupement des Industriels Français de l'Energie Nucléaire (Gifen), Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Nuclear Energy Institute, Nuclear Industry Association, Nucleareurope and World Nuclear Association.

The G7 is an informal forum that brings together Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the USA. The European Union also participates in the group and is represented at the summits by the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Lufeng-5-inner-dome-hoisted-into-place

The inner containment dome has been installed at unit 5 of the Lufeng nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province. It is the first of two HPR1000 (Hualong One) under construction at the site, where four CAP1000s are also planned.

The steel dome - measuring 45 metres in diameter and almost 14 metres in height, and weighing about 238 tonnes - was raised using 1600-tonne crawler crane and placed on top of the walls of the double containment structure. An outer dome will subsequently be installed over the inner one.

The dome is located on top of the nuclear island. Its main function is to ensure the integrity and leak tightness of the reactor building, and it plays a key role in the containment of radioactive substances.

The hoisting process for the inner dome, which began at 8.08am on 29 April, was completed in 1 hour and 8 minutes, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced.

CGN said the milestone "marks the full transition of another Hualong One nuclear power unit from the civil construction stage to the equipment installation stage".

The construction of Hualong One reactors as units 5 and 6 at the Lufeng plant was approved by the State Council in April 2022.

First concrete for unit 5 was poured on 8 September 2022, with that for unit 6 following on 26 August last year. Units 5 and 6 are expected to be connected to the grid in 2028 and 2029, respectively.

The proposed construction of four 1250 MWe CAP1000 reactors (units 1-4) at the Lufeng site was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission in September 2014. However, their construction has yet to receive State Council approval. The CAP1000 design is the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000.

According to CGN, once all six units are in operation, the Lufeng plant will generate about 52 TWh, which will reduce standard coal consumption by almost 16 million tonnes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 42 million tonnes.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/KHNP-and-EDF-submit-updated-bids-for-four-new-Czec

ČEZ and its Elektrárna Dukovany II subsidiary has received binding bids from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and France's EDF for the construction of four new nuclear units in the Czech Republic.

The French and South Korean bidders, plus Westinghouse, had submitted binding bids in October for a fifth unit at the Dukovany nuclear power plant and non-binding offers for up to three more units - a sixth at Dukovany and two at the Temelin nuclear power plant. But in February the Czech government announced it was changing the tender to be binding offers for four new units, with Westinghouse not included because it "did not meet the necessary conditions".

Prime Minister Petr Fiala explained at the time that the decision to have binding offers for all four units was the result of the original tender suggesting that contracting for four units, rather than having separate processes, could have a 25% benefit in terms of costs.

Elektrárna Dukovany II (EDU II) will now assess the two offers - using a system based on International Atomic Energy Agency recommendations - from an economic, commercial and technical point of view and submit an evaluation report to the Czech government's trade and industry ministry. The aim is to finalise contracts ready for signing by 31 March 2025. The target date for start of trial operation of the first new unit is 2036, with commercial operation in 2038.

EDF is proposing its EPR1200 reactor, KHNP is proposing its APR1000 - both companies have stressed their agreements with Czech suppliers to localise work if selected.

EDF said its Updated Initial Bid Supplement "covers the supply of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning activities ... the offer also covers the design and implementation activities for nuclear fuel and delivery of fuel assemblies for this programme".

Its proposal would also see Framatome, GE Steam Power and Bouygues Travaux Publics involved in the project which would have "a tailor-made Czech localisation process, enhancing economic value and skills development for the Czech Republic", with nearly 300 Czech companies identified already.

Luc Rémont, Chairman and CEO of EDF Group said: "By opting for a fleet approach with our European technology (EPR 1200), ČEZ and EDU II will secure a European partner committed to delivering the best technology with the best long-term benefits for the Czech industry and economy. The technological and industrial alignment between Paris and Prague that we propose holds the potential to reshape Europe’s new nuclear industry for generations to come."

KHNP CEO Jooho Whang delivered the company's binding offer, saying: "With successful projects in Korea and the United Arab Emirates, KHNP has proven that it builds on time, with quality and at the agreed price. We believe that KHNP is the best option for the Czech Republic in terms of timely completion of the first reactor by 2036 and energy security."

KHNP said the APR1000 reactor had already received European certification and said it had been designed "specifically for export to European countries and has been localised to meet European conditions and comply with requirements based on the latest International Atomic Energy Agency and Western European Nuclear Regulators Association standards".

It said that cooperation with Czech companies was a long-term priority, with more than 200 potential Czech suppliers identified and 50 memorandums of understanding signed, adding "KHNP is the only bidder counting on a Czech company for the delivery of the turbine, which is one of the most important and largest components in the nuclear power plant".

Also on Tuesday, the European Commission announced it had approved, under EU state-aid rules, the Czech government's support of the construction of the new nuclear. The Commission had opened its investigation in June 2022 and said that the proposals had been modified to take account of concerns during the process and the Commission "concluded that the aid is appropriate to achieve the objectives pursued, as well as proportionate as it is limited to the minimum necessary, while the competition distortions caused by the measure are minimised".

The Czech Republic currently gets about one-third of its electricity from the four VVER-440 units at Dukovany, which began operating between 1985 and 1987, and the two VVER-1000 units in operation at Temelín, which came into operation in 2000 and 2002. As well as the plans for the four new units, the country also has developing plans for small modular reactors.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Thailand-considers-deployment-of-Seaborg-power-bar

Thai innovative and sustainable power company Global Power Synergy Public Company Limited (GPSC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Denmark's Seaborg Technologies ApS to explore the potential deployment of the compact molten salt reactor (CMSR) Power Barge in Thailand.

The MoU was signed at Denmark's embassy in Bangkok on 24 April by GPSC President and CEO Worawat Pitayasiri and Seaborg CEO Klaus Nyengaard.

Under the MoU, GPSC - a subsidiary of Thai state-owned oil and gas company PTT Group - and Seaborg will assess how the CMSR Power Barge could be utilised in Thailand to support the country's transition to net-zero. They will use the assessment to scope an initial project where the commercial deployment of the CMSR Power Barge is feasible and commercially viable.

The study - expected to take about four years to complete - is intended to explore the use of the carbon-free electricity generated from Seaborg´s Power Barge to feed directly into the grid, as well as explore the potential use of the steam generated during operations.

Once the project has matured to investment-ready, both parties intend to attract foreign direct investments to realise the project. Based on the results of the studies, further collaboration, such as the development and deployment of a CMSR Power Barge with a capacity of between 200 MWe and 800 MWe, will be considered.

"GPSC is taking a leading role in exploring nuclear SMR technology in Thailand, and we are very excited to work with them," Nyengaard said. "Our expertise in nuclear will support GPSC development to strictly comply with the international requirements and both parties could exchange best practices for the joint feasibility. On top, we see new nuclear as a great addition to the Thai energy mix in transforming the future of energy in Thailand, setting a great example for newcomer countries to nuclear."

Seaborg's design is for modular CMSR power barges equipped with between two and eight 100 MWe CMSRs, with an operational life of 24 years. Instead of having solid fuel rods that need constant cooling, the CMSR's fuel is mixed in a liquid salt that acts as a coolant, which means that it will simply shut down and solidify in case of emergency. However, the low-enriched fluoride fuel salt is not yet commercially available, so Seaborg recently announced the initial power barges will be fuelled with low-enriched uranium (LEU).

In September last year, Indonesian power company Pertamina NRE signed an MoU with Seaborg to investigate the deployment of Seaborg's CMSR Power Barge in Indonesia.

The timeline for Seaborg, which was founded in 2014, is for commercial prototypes of its CMSR to be built in 2026 with commercial production of Power Barges beginning from 2028.

Fuel production agreement

On 6 March, Kepco Nuclear Fuel (KNF), GS Engineering & Construction and Seaborg signed an agreement for the feasibility study of CMSR nuclear fuel production development. This agreement follows the MoU for CMSR Nuclear Fuel Production between KNF, Seaborg and GS E&C, which was signed last June.

The new agreement will facilitate a joint feasibility study, enabling all parties to determine the project's scope and timeline for establishing fuel salt production in accordance with their respective roles and collaborative endeavours.

"KNF possesses unique technology, enabling us to access future-growth technologies and pave the way for market expansion into Europe," said KNF President & CEO Choi Ik-Soo. "Moving forward, we are committed to advancing nuclear fuel technology through ongoing research and development, while expanding our presence in international markets. Our ultimate goal is to establish ourselves as a prominent global player in the nuclear fuel industry, fostering future growth and innovation."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Work-begins-on-reactor-vessel-for-Paks-II-project

The mayor of Paks in Hungary was among those present in Russia to see the start of forging of blanks for the reactor vessel of the first unit at the Paks II nuclear power plant, which Rosatom is building.

The mayor, Peter Szabo, and the CEO of Paks II, Gergely Jakli, saw the start of production at the AEM-Spetsstal plant in St Petersburg.

Jakli said: "We are working to ensure that the new power units of the Paks NPP can be connected to the grid by the early 2030s. Work for this is being carried out in parallel both at the construction site in Paks and several thousand kilometres from Hungary ... it is important for us that after the start of casting we can now see up close the initial stages of manufacturing the shells of the reactor vessel."

Vitaly Polyanin, vice-president of Atomstroyexport JSC and director of the Paks II construction project, said that at the Paks II site work continues to strengthen the soil prior to the development of the pit. "By the end of 2024 we plan to reach first concrete ... in parallel with this, a lot of work is being done to manufacture the main equipment for the future nuclear power plant - a melt localisation device has already been produced, today the production of blanks for the reactor vessel of power unit 5 has begun, and ahead are blanks for steam generators, pressure compensators, safety system tanks and other products of the primary circuit of the nuclear power plant. nuclear power plant islands. The manufacture of equipment for the primary circuit of the nuclear island is planned in 2028 and 2029, and by then the main construction work will have already been completed."

The Paks II project was launched in early 2014 by an intergovernmental agreement between Hungary and Russia for two VVER-1200 reactors to be supplied by Rosatom, with the contract supported by a Russian state loan to finance the majority of the project. The construction licence application was submitted in July 2020 to construct Paks II alongside the existing Paks plant, 100 kilometres southwest of Budapest on the banks of the Danube river. The construction licence was issued in August 2022 and a construction timetable agreed last year which set out plans to connect the new units to the grid at the beginning of the 2030s.

The Paks II development company said the work was a key part of aiming for that 2030 target, adding: "The rings that make up the reactor vessel and the bottom of the vessel, are formed under about 12,000 tonnes of pressure during forging. The final mass of this piece of equipment is around 330 tonnes, its height is more than 11 metres, its diameter is 4.5 metres and its maximum wall thickness is 285 millimetres."

It added: "The VVER-1200 reactor vessel will not only be tested by the continuous neutron flux, but will also have to withstand temperatures of 300 degrees Celsius and pressures of 162 bar for a guaranteed 60 years. Thanks to its advanced composition and production technology, the reactor vessel might last up to 100 years."

The existing four units at Paks are VVER-440 reactors that started up between 1982 and 1987 and they produce about half of the country's electricity. Their design lifetime was for 30 years but that was extended in 2005 by 20 years to between 2032 and 2037. In December 2022, the Hungarian Parliament approved a proposal to further extend their lifespan, which means the plant could keep operating into the 2050s.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/GEH-launches-supplier-group-to-support-SMR-deploym

BWXT Canada Ltd is the first company to join GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's group of qualified supply chain companies to advance the global deployment of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR).

GEH, the nuclear business of GE Vernova, said it is setting up the supplier group to help ensure a reliable, cost effective and innovative process for the manufacture and commercialisation of the 300 MWe boiling water reactor design. Suppliers who meet pre-defined criteria, customer requirements and demonstrate a willingness to invest in BWRX-300 supply chain capabilities are eligible for selection to the group.

The first company to join the group is BWXT Canada Ltd, which has already been contracted for engineering of the BWRX-300 reactor pressure vessel for Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) Darlington New Nuclear Project. BWXT recently announced an investment of CAD80 million (USD59 million) in its nuclear equipment manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Ontario.

"Supplier collaboration is expected to help build capacity and support cost reduction, project schedule goals and scalability as we deploy the BWRX-300 globally," GEH President and CEO Jay Wileman said. "We applaud BWXT Canada for standing firmly behind the BWRX-300 by making commitments and investing in its facilities and supply chain to be best positioned to compete for projects, further bolstering Ontario's nuclear supply chain."

President of BWXT Commercial Operations John MacQuarrie said the anticipated global demand for nuclear power was a significant factor in the company's decision to expand the manufacturing facility where large and heavy nuclear components are designed and made. "Our plans to increase the site's manufacturing capacity by 50% for large components and to invest in advanced manufacturing equipment over the next few years will further position our business to help deliver the BWRX-300 and other reactor technologies for our customers around the world," he added.

OPG, GEH, AtkinsRéalis and Aecon Construction Group last year signed a contract to build the first BWRX-300 at OPG's Darlington site, with the aim of completing construction of the unit by late 2028 and supplying power to the grid in 2029. Three further BWRX-300s are envisaged at Darlington.

The reactor, which leverages existing nuclear fuel and the design and licensing basis of the ESBWR boiling water reactor, is undergoing the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation's the Generic Design Acceptance process, for which it has received GBP33.6 million (USD42.7 million) of support under the UK government's Future Nuclear Enabling Fund. The Polish government has also announced decisions-in-principle supporting the construction of 24 BWRX-300 units at six sites.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Commercial-operation-marks-completion-of-Vogtle-ex

Georgia Power has announced the start of commercial operations at the second of the two AP1000 units built as an expansion of the existing two-unit Vogtle plant. The plant is now the largest generator of clean energy in the USA.

Vogtle 4 reached first criticality in February and was connected to the grid in March, following Vogtle 3 which entered commercial operation in July 2023. They are the first new nuclear units to be constructed in the USA in more than 30 years.

The construction of Vogtle units 3 and 4 was originally approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) as part of Georgia Power's Integrated Resource Plan process in which regulators analyse and discuss the company's plans on how it will continue delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy for millions of customers over a 20-year planning horizon. Construction of the two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors began in 2013.

"It's an exciting time to be a Georgian as our state continues to grow and thrive, with new demand for more clean energy each year," said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. "The new Vogtle units are a key piece of our strategy to meet the energy needs of our customers not only tomorrow, but 20 years from now."

The plant is operated by Southern Nuclear on behalf of co-owners Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities. Georgia Power is a subsidiary of Southern Company.

Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company, described the completion of the expansion of the Vogtle nuclear plant is a "hallmark achievement" for Southern Company, the state of Georgia and the entire USA. "Working with our partners across government, industry, labour and beyond, we have added new nuclear generation to the diverse energy resources that enhance the reliability, resiliency and affordability of our system as we work to achieve our goal to be net zero by 2050. These new Vogtle units not only will support the economy within our communities now and in the future, they demonstrate our global nuclear leadership," he said.

Plant Vogtle has provided billions of dollars of positive economic impact for Georgia and local communities, Georgia Power said. The new units have created 800 permanent jobs, in addition to over 9000 on-site jobs at the peak of construction.

Vogtle 1 and 2 have been in commercial operation since 1987 and 1989 respectively, and are currently licensed for a 60-year operating life.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Construction-starts-of-second-Lianjiang-unit

The first safety-related concrete has been poured for the nuclear island of unit 2 at the Lianjiang nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province. It is the second of two CAP1000 units planned as the initial phase of the plant, which will eventually house six such reactors.

State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) said the first concrete was poured at 11.56am on 26 April. It expected to pour a total of about 6615 cubic metres of concrete over a 57-hour period.

The construction of the first two 1250 MWe CAP1000 reactors at the Lianjiang site was approved by China's State Council in September 2022. Excavation works for the units began in the same month, with the pouring of first concrete for the foundation of unit 1 completed at the end of September last year. Lianjiang unit 1 is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2028.

The CAP1000 reactor design - the Chinese version of the AP1000 - uses modular construction techniques, enabling large structural modules to be built at factories and then installed at the site.

Once all six CAP1000 units at the site are completed, the annual power generation will be about 70.2 TWh, which will reduce standard coal consumption by more than 20 million tonnes, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 52 million tonnes, sulphur dioxide by about 171,000 tonnes and nitrogen oxides by about 149,000 tonnes.

SPIC noted the Lianjiang project is the first nuclear power project it has developed and constructed in Guangdong province. It will also be the first nuclear power project in China to adopt seawater secondary circulation cooling technology, as well as the first to use a super-large cooling tower.

With a total installed nuclear power capacity of 8.09 GWe, SPIC is one of the three largest nuclear power investment, construction and operators in China. It has reactors in operation, four units under construction and a number of preliminary nuclear power project sites.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Italy-sees-role-for-nuclear-in-hitting-climate-goa

Italian Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said he hopes there can be a discussion based on science about the renewed role of nuclear, specifically small modular reactors, in the country's future.

Pichetto was speaking at an Atlantic Council event on The role of nuclear in the energy transition, on Sunday, ahead of the G7 ministerial meeting taking place in Italy at which he is heading the energy ministers' talks.

He said that Italy currently gets one-third of its energy from renewables and two-thirds from fossil fuels, and it had the aim of reversing those proportions by 2030. But he also said that "we must consider the use of nuclear in the short and medium term" because its contribution would help meet the 2050 net-zero target.

The minister said he was specifically talking about small modular reactors (SMRs) and referenced the research and development funding the government had put into both their development and into nuclear fusion. He also noted the countries which, at COP28, had backed the goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity.

Pichetto, who spoke in Italian with a translator summarising his words in English, said that as well as the environmental benefits of new nuclear power, it would also help "to shield" Italy from the impact of geopolitical events. It was also confirmed that Italy is taking part in the European industrial alliance to develop SMRs. The minister added that he hoped Italy could have a "constructive and scientific discussion and not an ideological one" on the nuclear energy subject.

Italy operated a total of four nuclear power plants starting in the early 1960s but decided to phase out nuclear power in a referendum that followed the 1986 Chernobyl accident. It closed its last two operating plants, Caorso and Trino Vercellese, in 1990.

In late March 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Italian government approved a moratorium of at least one year on construction of nuclear power plants in the country, which had been looking to restart its long-abandoned nuclear programme.

The public mood has changed since then, and in May 2023, the Italian Parliament approved a motion to urge the government to consider incorporating nuclear power into the country's energy mix. In September, the first meeting was held of the National Platform for a Sustainable Nuclear, set up by the government to define a time frame for the possible resumption of nuclear energy in Italy and identify opportunities for the country's industrial chain already operating in the sector.

There are a variety of emerging plans for nuclear energy in Italy, including Edison last October announcing its ambition to construct two nuclear power plants based on EDF's SMR technology between 2030 and 2040 "if the conditions are created for its return to Italy".

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-industry-calls-for-continued-G7-support

Representatives of the nuclear industry have issued a statement calling for Group of Seven (G7) governments to embrace nuclear deployment as a strategic priority, by maximising use of existing nuclear power plants and setting clear plans for further deployment that would fulfil the targets they set at COP28, to triple global nuclear capacity.

The statement was signed by the heads of Associazione Italiana Nucleare, Canadian Nuclear Association, Groupement des Industriels Français de l'Energie Nucléaire (Gifen), Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Nuclear Energy Institute, Nuclear Industry Association, Nucleareurope and World Nuclear Association.

It was presented to Italy's Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, at an event held alongside the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Turin, Italy. Fratin is President of the G7 for Climate, Energy and Environment.

The associations said they are committed to "ensuring safe and secure operation of nuclear facilities to provide always-on, affordable, clean low-carbon electricity and heat; to complement renewables in the pursuit of achieving net-zero in electricity generation; to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, such as heavy industry, and to provide high-quality long-term jobs that drive economic growth."

They noted that nuclear energy's role to support climate change mitigation was "unanimously agreed" in COP28's Global Stocktake, and 25 countries demonstrated greater ambition, setting a goal to triple nuclear capacity globally by 2050 in a declaration during COP.

In March, at the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, more than 30 countries, including six of the G7, re-emphasised that nuclear energy has a key role to play to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure energy security and industrial competitiveness.

"We applaud the recognition and support expressed for nuclear energy as a strategic global asset at the G7 meeting in Sapporo in 2023, and the actions that have been taken since," they added.

"We urge G7 governments to set out clear plans for nuclear energy deployment that would fulfil the targets they set at COP28 and to demonstrate their commitment to nuclear energy, giving clear signals to markets and investors," the industry statement says. "We therefore encourage governments to help maximise the use of existing nuclear power plants, including by extending the operating period of reactors and restarting those that have shutdown, where feasible."

The industry calls for G7 governments to accelerate the deployment of new nuclear facilities based on proven designs, and accelerate the development, demonstration, and deployment of new nuclear technologies, including new large reactors as well as small modular reactors and advanced modular reactors, to achieve net-zero in electricity generation, and help decarbonise non-grid, hard-to-abate sectors, such as heat supply for heavy industry, hydrogen production and the manufacturing of synthetic fuels.

The associations said G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers must take decisive action by: establishing optimum conditions through consistent and coherent long-term policies that enable the extension of the operating life of existing reactors and facilitate fleet deployment of nuclear technologies; providing clarity to investors on the funding and investment recovery mechanisms available for nuclear projects; ensuring ready access to national and international climate finance mechanisms for nuclear development; ensuring that multilateral financial institutions include nuclear energy in their investment portfolios; clearly and unambiguously labelling nuclear energy and the associated fuel cycle as a sustainable investment; and promoting development of the supply chain commensurate with expansion targets and continue investment in nuclear research.

"Nuclear energy holds immense promise for the world, and the G7 should embrace nuclear deployment as a strategic priority in the years to come," the statement ends.

The G7 is an informal forum that brings together Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the USA. The European Union also participates in the group and is represented at the summits by the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.

The G7 Ministerial Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment is being held in Turin on 28-30 April and "aims to identify coherent, complementary and interconnected actions to address the ongoing climate, energy and environmental crisis, with a special focus on the most vulnerable areas and populations".

Speaking from the event, World Nuclear Association Director General Dr Sama Bilbao y León, praised the Italian government's "recognition of nuclear’s role to support climate change mitigation and deep decarbonisation of the entire economy. As an industry we also recognise the role of Italian companies, and indeed of companies from all G7 countries, supporting an acceleration in nuclear development and deployment globally".

Unconfirmed report says construction could start as soon as this year.

The United Arab Emirates is planning to launch a tender shortly for the construction of a new nuclear power plant station that would double the number of the Gulf state’s commercial nuclear power reactors, Reuters reported.

Reuters said three sources familiar with the matter said the UAE plans to seek bids this year, potentially within the next few months, to build four new reactors.

The sources said the UAE aims to award the tender and start construction as soon as this year so that the new facility would be operational by 2032 in order to meet projected energy needs.

The tender would be open to any potential bidders, including US, Chinese and Russian firms, the sources said, adding that South Korea would not be treated as a preferred bidder.

South Korea provided four of its APR1400 units for the Barakah nuclear station, on the Persian Gulf coast west of the city of Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Barakah is the first commercial nuclear power facility in the Arab World.

Units 1, 2, and 3 at Barakah are all commercially operational while Unit 4 was recently connected to the national grid and has started generating electricity, with full commercial operation approaching.

Once commercially operational, Unit 4 will raise Barakah’s total electricity generation capacity to 5.6 GW, equivalent to 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs, delivering more than 40 TWh of electricity per year.

The three commercially operating Units at Barakah are already generating more than 30 TWh of electricity, or just over 12% of the UAE’s electricity production.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Barakah nuclear power station is already the largest single generator of electricity and the largest source of clean electricity in the region.

The UAE has said it wants to use nuclear power as the main source for generating non-hydrocarbon-based electricity.

Most of the energy produced in the UAE is from natural gas and oil. The country is also a major exporter of oil and gas with natural gas accounting for 63% of total energy supply in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency.

Sector wants decisive action on ‘consistent and coherent long-term policies’.

The Brussels-based nuclear industry trade association nucleareurope has joined other industry groups to call for G7 governments* to help maximise the use of existing nuclear power plants and set out clear plans for nuclear energy deployment.

“Last year the nuclear alliance of the EU member states set the ambitious target of having 150 GW of installed nuclear capacity in the EU by 2050,” nucleareurope director-general Yves Desbazeille said in a statement that was also signed by Associazione Italiana Nucleare, Canada Nuclear Association, Groupement des Industriels Français de l’Energie Nucléaire, Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Nuclear Energy Institute, Nuclear Industry Association and the World Nuclear Association.

“This was followed by the declaration at Cop28 which called for a tripling of nuclear capacity globally,” Desbazeille said. “Industry and governments now need to work together in order to translate these targets into reality, as highlighted in this statement.”

The industry statement called on G7 climate, energy and environment ministers, who are meeting for two days in Turin, Italy, to take decisive action including “consistent and coherent long-term policies” for the extension of the operating life of existing reactors and the deployment of nuclear technologies.

The group called for clarity for investors on the funding and investment recovery mechanisms available for nuclear projects and “ready access” to national and international climate finance mechanisms for nuclear development.

The statement said the nuclear industry wants the G7 to ensure that multilateral financial institutions include nuclear energy in their investment portfolios and that nuclear energy is clearly and unambiguously labelled as a sustainable investment.

It urged G7 ministers to promote development of the supply chain commensurate with expansion targets and continue investment in nuclear research.

The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political and economic forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. Representatives from the European Union also attend G7 meetings.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Framatome-launches-expansion-of-Lynchburg-site

Framatome has broken ground on a USD50 million expansion of its Operational Center of Excellence in Lynchburg, Virginia, which provides specialised training and tooling to service and maintain North America's nuclear power plant fleet and develops solutions for advanced and small modular reactors.

The project includes expanding the site to accommodate more than 500 new employees, refurbishing its nuclear training centre to support the next generation of small and advanced reactor technologies, modernising existing office spaces and conference rooms, and increasing capacity for an innovation and design school.

The Mill Ridge Road site is the hub of Framatome's Installed Base Business Unit in North America. This facility includes the 2500-square-metre non-contaminated Technical Training Center and the Outage Control Center. The site also serves as the primary location of the Installed Base engineering organisation.

The company said its expansion of the Mill Ridge Road facility is also complemented by modernisations to its facilities on Old Forest Road and Mount Athos Road.

The Old Forest Road site is Framatome's main facility in Lynchburg, hosting corporate support functions and engineers assisting the Fuel and Instrumentation and Control (I&C) Business Units. It is also home to the Nuclear Parts Center and the industry’s SAFER emergency response control centre.

The Mount Athos Road site has four service centers: the Pump & Motor Service Center; the Contaminated Refurbishment Center; the Chemistry & Materials Center; and the Outage Equipment Support Center.

"These investments build on over half a century of collaboration from local and state leaders and support US utilities," Framatome said. "They are critical for the sustainability of the existing fleet and the advancement of nuclear energy."

"Today's groundbreaking embodies the heart of Framatome's vision of high-performing people and technologies for safe and competitive nuclear power plants in the US and worldwide," said Catherine Cornand, senior executive vice president of Framatome's lnstalled Base Business Unit. "Continuous development of our facilities and our teams' skills represent our commitment to customers and the nuclear industry as we stand ready to meet the world's growing clean energy demand."

Craig Ranson, executive vice president of the lnstalled Base Business Unit at Framatome in North America, added: "The journey to a sustainable energy future is a collective endeavour that requires passion and commitment from our employees, as well as unwavering support from communities and government officials. Today is a significant milestone in our growth fueled by government investment and inspired by the need for carbon-free energy solutions."