Nuclear Energy

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Fuel-loading-begins-at-Indian-fast-breeder-reactor?feed=feed

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the start of fuel loading at the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu. Fast breeder reactors form the second stage of India's three-stage nuclear programme.

The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) has been developed by BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited), a government enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) which was set up in 2003 to focus on fast breeder reactors. Construction of the PFBR began in 2004, with an original expected completion date of 2010.

India has adopted a three-stage nuclear power programme, with the long-term goal of deploying a thorium-based closed nuclear fuel cycle. The first stage involves the use of pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs), fuelled by natural uranium, and light water reactors. The second stage involves reprocessing used fuel from the first stage to recover the plutonium to fuel FBRs. In stage 3, Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWRs) will burn thorium-plutonium fuels and breed fissile uranium-233.

The PFBR will initially use a core of uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, surrounded by a uranium-238 'blanket', with plans to use a blanket of uranium and thorium to "breed" plutonium and U-233 for use as driver fuels for AHWRs.

"In line with the true spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, PFBR has been fully designed and constructed indigenously by BHAVINI with significant contribution from more than 200 Indian industries including MSMEs," the DAE said. "Once commissioned, India will only be the second country after Russia to have a commercial operating Fast Breeder Reactor."

Aatmanirbhar Bharat translates to 'self-reliant India'. MSMEs are micro, small and medium enterprises.

The DAE describes the PFBR as an "advanced third generation reactor with inherent passive safety features" which, since it recycles material recovered from used fuel from the first stage of the programme, "offers great advantage in terms of significant reduction in nuclear waste generated, thereby avoiding the need for large geological disposal facilities".

"Upon completion of the core loading, the first approach to criticality will be achieved, leading to generation of power subsequently," it added.

In January, Modi formally dedicated to the nation the Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (ICGAR) in Kalpakkam, a precursor to large-scale plants for the reprocessing of fast reactor fuel, and in February, he visited the Kakrapar plant in Gujarat for the dedication of the first two Indian-designed and built 700 MWe PHWRs. The second of those units - Kakrapar 4 - was connected to the grid just days later.

A fast breeder test reactor has been in operation at IGCAR since 1985, although it did not reach its full 40 MWt design capacity until 2022.

"The growth of the Indian nuclear power programme is imperative to meet the twin goals of energy security and sustainable development," the DAE said. "As a responsible nuclear power with advanced technology, India remains committed to expand peaceful applications of nuclear technology, both in power and non-power sector, while ensuring the security of nuclear and radiological materials."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Grossi-hopes-nuclear-summit-can-agree-new-financin

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi says one aim of the forthcoming Nuclear Energy Summit for heads of state is to see what "international cooperation mechanisms we can agree" to accelerate the provision of new nuclear in line with the COP28 declaration in December.

Grossi, speaking in a media conference following his report to the Board of Governors of the IAEA, was asked about the aims of the summit, the first such one for heads of state and government, being held in Brussels later this month.

He said "the summit is very important, it indicates how big the change is when it comes to the global discussion on nuclear energy". It had taken 28 UN climate conferences, Grossi added, until the countries taking part in the COP28 gathering had agreed that the provision of nuclear energy should be accelerated as part of a mix with renewables and every low-carbon source of energy.

"The fact that you are now having for the first time in history a summit of heads of state and government on nuclear is not to applaud this, it is to get together and to see what can be done to accelerate it, to carry out this acceleration. It is not an easy thing - you need the financing mechanisms for example, which are not easy," he said in the response to a question from the Chinese media.

"China is a powerful country. It can finance, but many other countries have problems and they still need more nuclear and want more nuclear. So what are the international cooperation mechanisms that we can agree at that level of heads of state and government so that this is accelerated. We have very high expectations of this summit."

His comments about Nuclear Energy Summit 2024 - which is being held on 21 March in Brussels and which he will co-chair with Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo - came after an interview with the London-based Financial Times in which he said he wanted to see multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank funding new nuclear projects, suggesting that past policies to not finance new nuclear was now "out of step" with most of their member countries.

Earlier, in his report to the IAEA Board of Governors, Grossi said the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant "continued to be very precarious", noting that IAEA inspectors at the plant had heard frequent explosions from the site in recent days, and he called for "maximum restraint and strict observance" of the UN-agreed safety principles such as neither side firing at, or from, the nuclear power plant.

He also gave updates on a variety of IAEA initiatives, such as tackling microplastics in marine environments, expanding cancer treatment technology and facilities and also Atoms4Food, which seeks to target food safety and control. He said many member states were backing it, which "gives me confidence we will soon be able to begin its implementation".

Grossi also highlighted the work the IAEA was doing with monitoring Japan's discharge of the ALPS treated water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and, on future deployment of small modular reactors, he said the various working groups involved in the Nuclear Harmonisation and Standardisation Initiative were aiming to finalise their reports by the end of 2024.

He also gave updates on the nuclear programme in Iran, calling on the country to "cooperate fully and unambiguously with the agency", and North Korea, saying there were signs of a site remaining occupied and prepared to support a new nuclear test, which "would be a cause for serious concern ... the Agency continues to maintain its enhanced readiness to play its essential role in verifying the DPRK’s nuclear programme".

In terms of foreign trips he has planned, he said he would be visiting Russia, Iraq and Syria in the next two weeks - with the visit to Damascus aiming "to re-establish a meaningful, constructive dialogue and process to facilitate the clarification of remaining issues from the past".

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Start-up-of-Chinese-industrial-nuclear-steam-proje

Commissioning has begun of China's first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced. The project at the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province will supply steam to a nearby petrochemical plant.

The project is being jointly carried out by CNNC subsidiary Jiangsu Nuclear Power Company and the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industry Base in Xuwei New District, Lianyungang City. In the project, steam will be extracted from the secondary circuits of units 3 and 4 of the Tianwan plant, two Russian-supplied VVER-1000 units. After passing through multi-stage heat exchange, the heat will be transported via an insulated above-ground pipeline to the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industrial Base for industrial production and utilisation.

The construction of the pile foundation for the project began in February 2022, with the pouring of first concrete for the industrial steam facility taking place in May 2022.

"The volume of the project is comparable to the construction of a conventional island of one million kilowatt nuclear power units," CNNC noted. "During the construction of the project, civil work such as the construction of 1689 pile foundations and 57,000 square meters of concrete pouring were completed."

The total length of the long-distance steam supply main line of the Tianwan nuclear power steam energy supply project is approximately 23.36 kilometres. The pipeline network extends from the Tianwan nuclear power plant to the Xuwei Petrochemical Industrial Park, "which is currently the longest transmission path for nuclear energy heat supply". The Tianwan plant is equipped with four steam conversion devices. The industrial superheated steam transmitted out of the nuclear power plant has a pressure of 1.8 MPa and a rated flow rate of 600 tonnes per hour.

CNNC has now said the project has entered the commissioning stage, during which workers will carry out comprehensive commissioning between the nuclear power plant and off-site steam users. This, it said, mainly involves steam pipeline preheating, joint purging, comprehensive testing and other steps.

On 2 March, the steam flow rate in the steam energy supply thermal control room showed that the steam flow reached 280 tonnes per hour and continued to operate stably.

CNNC said the project "is a new way to use nuclear energy to solve the steam demand of the petrochemical industry, reduce comprehensive energy consumption and eliminate environmental pollution."

The facility is expected to supply 4.8 million tonnes of steam annually, which will reduce the burning of standard coal by 400,000 tonnes per year, and the equivalent emission reduction of 1.07 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 184 tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 263 tonnes of nitrogen oxides

It is expected to be officially put into operation in June.

The Tianwan nuclear power plant is owned and operated by Jiangsu Nuclear Power Company, a joint venture between CNNC (50%), China Power Investment Corporation (30%) and Jiangsu Guoxin Group (20%).

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Estonian-nuclear-report-submitted-to-government-fo

The Nuclear Energy Working Group's report backing the adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia has been submitted by the country's Climate Minister Kristen Michal to members of the government.

The report, drawn up after a two-year study, concluded that "although the introduction of nuclear energy requires extensive long-term preparation and resources, with timely planning, adequate funding, political and public support, the introduction of nuclear energy in Estonia is feasible".

It says that the deployment of nuclear energy in Estonia would support the achievement of climate targets and security of supply. The report was published as part of the country's process of following the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) roadmap for nuclear newcomer countries.

The report said that, assuming construction of a nuclear power plant was privately financed, the budget costs in creating an enabling framework would be about EUR73 million (USD80 million) over a period of up to 11 years.

Climate Minister Michal said: "Estonia is moving towards cleaner and more competitive energy production, renewable energy is cheaper than fossil sources. Nuclear energy can be the next option in the coming decades, with renewable energy capacities growing in the intermediate period, providing a cheaper price for consumers and a resource for industries to export."

If the government and the Riigikogu (parliament), following public consultation, back the adoption of nuclear energy the climate ministry says the next stage would be to start preparing the regulatory and legal framework, training specialists and experts and setting up an authority to oversee the planning of the plant.

Estonia's current domestic electricity generation is dominated by fossil fuels, notably oil shale. The country is seeking to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and is looking at nuclear power as a reliable and low carbon option to diversify its energy mix by 2035 when the country plans its phase-out of domestic oil shale. The report considered the potential of four SMRs, totalling 1200 MW, which would allow capacity for hydrogen production.

An IAEA mission to Estonia reported in October that the country had developed a comprehensive assessment of its nuclear power infrastructure needs to decide whether to launch a nuclear power programme. In February 2023, Estonia's Fermi Energia announced it had selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment in the Baltic country by the early 2030s.

Westinghouse AP1000 unit could begin commercial operation during second quarter.

Unit 4 at the Vogtle nuclear power station in the US state of Georgia has been synchronised and connected to the electric grid for the first time.

Georgia Power, majority owner of the Vogle nuclear station, said grid connection is another major milestone in startup testing for the Westinghouse-supplied AP1000 nuclear power plant, which reached first criticality on 14 February.

The company said operators will continue to raise reactor power for generation of electricity while performing tests at various power levels, ultimately raising power to 100%.

Once all startup testing is successfully completed and the unit is available for reliable dispatch, Vogtle-4 will enter commercial operation, planned for the second quarter of 2024.

Vogtle-4 is the second Westinghouse AP1000 plant at the Georgia site. Vogtle-3 began commercial operation on 31 July 2023.

Vogtle-3 and -4 are the first nuclear units to be built in the US in more than three decades, but have seen cost overruns and delays.

The $14bn (€13bn) original cost of Vogtle-3 and -4 has risen to more than $30bn. The cost for Georgia Power, with a 45% share of the project, will be about $15bn.

Construction of Vogtle-3 began in March 2013 and of Vogtle-4 in November 2013. The in-service date for Vogtle-3 when the project was approved in 2012 was 2016.

In October Georgia Power said the in-service date for Vogtle-4 was being pushed back to 2024 due to a motor fault in one of four reactor coolant pumps.

Not including Vogtle-4, the US has 93 operating commercial nuclear reactors at 55 sites in 28 states. They generate about 18% of the country’s electricity. Vogtle-4 is the only unit under construction.

Georgia Power owns 45.7% of Vogtle, with power companies Oglethorpe owning 30%, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG) Power 22.7% and Dalton Utilities 1.6%.

There are two older reactors at Vogtle that began commercial operation in the late 1980s.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/French-reactor-using-full-core-of-recycled-uranium

Unit 2 of the Cruas-Meysse nuclear power plant in south-eastern France was recently restarted with its first full core of recycled uranium fuel. The move marks a major milestone in France's efforts to revive its domestic uranium reprocessing industry.

Reprocessed uranium (RepU) is derived from used fuel from nuclear reactors that has been processed at Orano's La Hague reprocessing plant. Once enriched, this uranium can be used again to fuel nuclear power reactors.

In France, only the four reactors at the Cruas-Meysse plant in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are certified to use Enriched Reprocessed Uranium (ERU).

Historically, the enrichment process, requiring centrifuges solely dedicated to RepU, was carried out for industrial and economic reasons by Russia's Rosatom at its Seversk site. However, the new geopolitical situation since the onset of the war in Ukraine may lead to a reevaluation of these contracts.

For many years, EDF's Fuel Division has been developing a strategy for the management, recycling and reprocessing of used nuclear fuel assemblies, as well as the diversification of sources of supply, to ensure energy independence and the preservation of natural resources.

On 5 February, Cruas 2 was restarted with its first entirely recycled uranium fuel load.

"A decade-long effort has been made to revive a uranium reprocessing sector, which was suspended in 2013 (and resumed in 2018), and has just reached a historic milestone," Cédric Lewandowski, Senior Executive Vice-President, Nuclear and Thermal at EDF, said on LinkedIn.

He noted: "Reprocessing spent fuel to extract the energy-potential material (which constitutes 96% of the spent fuel's mass composition), namely uranium, for its second use is a circular economy approach that will save 25% of natural resources in the coming decades. Moreover, this sector emits 30% less CO2 than the natural uranium sector and reduces environmental impact."

Fuel containing RepU has the same general characteristics as natural uranium fuels. Worldwide, 75 reactors have used, or currently use, RepU.

Lewandowski said EDF's goal was to be able to reuse RepU in certain 1300 MWe reactors by 2027, aiming for over 30% RepU usage in the French nuclear fleet by the 2030s.

In May 2018, Framatome signed a contract to design, fabricate and supply fuel assemblies using enriched reprocessed uranium to EDF between 2023 and 2032. The fuel assemblies were to be produced at Framatome's facility at Romans-sur-Isère in the Drôme region of France.

EDF studied the possibility of recycling reprocessed uranium in pressurised water reactors in the early 1980s. The utility has demonstrated the use of reprocessed uranium in its 900 MWe power plants. The first enriched reprocessed uranium manufacturing campaign took place at Romans in 1987 on behalf of EDF. Precursor fuel assemblies were loaded into Cruas unit 4 from 1987 to 1990 and a first enriched reprocessed uranium fuel reload was introduced in the same reactor in 1994. EDF used RepU between 1994 and 2013 in the four Cruas reactors, allowing 4000 tonnes of RepU to be recycled.

EDF has made provision to store reprocessed uranium for up to 250 years as a strategic reserve. Currently, reprocessing of 1100 tonnes of EDF used fuel per year produces 11 tonnes of plutonium (immediately recycled as mixed-oxide fuel) and 1045 tonnes of reprocessed uranium converted into stable oxide form for storage.

According to Orano, there are currently nearly 34,000 tonnes of RepU being held in interim storage on the Tricastin site.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IsoEnergy-to-reopen-Utah-uranium-mine

The Saskatoon-based company will reopen underground access at the Tony M uranium mine in Utah during the first half of this year, with the goal of restarting uranium production operations in 2025, should market conditions continue as expected.

This "strategic decision" is underpinned by rising uranium prices, the climate of increasing support and demand for nuclear energy, and the recent announcement by Energy Fuels Inc - with whom IsoEnergy has a toll milling agreement - to restart its uranium circuit at the White Mesa mill, the company said.

Tony M is one of three past-producing, fully-permitted, uranium mines in Utah owned by IsoEnergy, and produced nearly one million pounds of U3O8 during two different periods of operation from 1979-1984 and from 2007-2008. It was acquired by IsoEnergy Ltd on the company's share-for-share merger with Consolidated Uranium Inc, completed last December.

IsoEnergy's announcement comes just over six months after Consolidated Uranium began work towards reopening the underground workings at Tony M. IsoEnergy said it plans to reopen the main decline into the mine and gain underground access by the end of the first half of this year. "This critical step is expected to facilitate the assessment of the mine’s underground conditions, enable direct analysis of the uranium mineralisation in place, and allow for the collection of necessary data required to prepare an efficient mine plan," the company said. "The work programme also includes underground and surface geological mapping of the sandstone-hosted uranium and vanadium mineralisation to allow for more precise extraction plans for inclusion in an updated economic study."

Energy Fuels announced in late December that it plans to restart the uranium circuit at the White Mesa mill in 2025, and IsoEnergy said it intends to deliver ore to the mill in time for the restart of the uranium circuit.

IsoEnergy thinks the timing of the restart is "ideal", given current and near-term uranium market dymamics, CEO and Director Phil Williams said. "With the uranium spot price now trading around USD100 per pound, we are in the very fortunate position of owning multiple, past-producing, fully-permitted uranium mines in the US that we believe can be restarted quickly with relatively low capital costs. Our existing toll-milling agreement with Energy Fuels places IsoEnergy in a unique position to become a conventional uranium producer in the near-term."

The work programme at Tony M includes updating and maintenance of existing mine ventilation and other infrastructure, surveying and rehabilitating underground mine workings and ground support as needed, and upgrading and/or replacement of utilities.

IsoEnergy said it is also evaluating plans to restart operations at the Daneros and Rim mines.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Plans-announced-for-pilot-US-nuclear-fuel-recyclin

Orano USA and SHINE Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on the development of a US pilot plant with commercial-scale technology for recycling used nuclear fuel from light water reactors.

Site selection for the pilot facility is expected by the end of this year. The pilot plant concept - expected to recycle 100 tonnes per year of used nuclear fuel, extracting 99% of usable uranium and plutonium - will validate commercial-scale aqueous recycling with integrated non-proliferation measures.

The system is based on SHINE's proven critical separation technology and Orano's methods in operation at its La Hague facility in France, where more than 40,000 tonnes of used nuclear fuel have been reprocessed.

The recovered nuclear material can be made into new fuel for advanced and existing reactor designs, along with using certain critical isotopes for medical and industrial purposes.

"This MoU aligns two innovative companies in the single pursuit of recycling 100 metric tons a year of used nuclear fuel into a valuable resource," said Orano CEO Nicolas Maes. "For this initiative with SHINE, we bring more than 55 years of experience transporting and recycling used nuclear fuel in France and managing used fuel in the US."

"Our goal is to stand up an operational pilot facility by the early 2030s," added SHINE Technologies founder and CEO Greg Piefer. "While this is challenging, our track record with the Chrysalis facility shows that we know how to navigate the complex design, regulatory, and build aspects of 10 CFR part 50 nuclear facilities and do so cost-effectively. The lessons learned in the execution of that project are directly applicable to waste recycling, and uniquely position us for timely delivery on this important national priority.

"This agreement for closing the nuclear fuel cycle launches our company’s planned Phase 3 business along our path to ultimately achieving commercialised fusion energy."

SHINE's Chrysalis production facility, currently under construction in Janesville, Wisconsin, has a goal of creating the largest dedicated medical isotope production capacity in the world. At full capacity, it will produce nearly half of the global demand for molybdenum-99. A second facility planned in Veendam, the Netherlands, is expected to have a similar capacity.

This initial agreement between Orano and SHINE is seen as a first step in a broader coalition of companies focused on developing a national used nuclear fuel recycling industry.

"Two of the biggest challenges for increasing carbon-free nuclear energy are waste disposal and cost," the partners said. "This coalition aims to play a leading role in providing a cost-effective solution to nuclear energy growth by recycling and reusing used nuclear fuel, and by transforming long-lived radioactive waste into shorter-lived or stable materials."

Used nuclear fuel still contains more than 90% of its energy capacity when it is removed from the reactor. Globally, a few countries have chosen to recycle used fuel in what is termed a 'closed fuel cycle'. Although the USA originally developed the technology and began recycling used nuclear fuel in 1963, the programme ceased operation in 1972. Since then, the USA has an 'open fuel cycle', with used nuclear fuel stored in interim facilities at operating or closed nuclear reactor sites around the country for eventual disposal as waste in a future permanent geologic repository.

"Recycling used nuclear fuel into useful products will significantly reduce the mass, volume, and toxicity of the remaining nuclear material for permanent disposal," according to Orano and SHINE. "By helping to solve the used fuel problem, this coalition's new recycling programme will help fission nuclear energy grow and deliver carbon-free energy faster."

"It is time for the US to seriously consider recycling used nuclear fuel," said Orano USA CEO Jean-Luc Palayer. "Working together, SHINE and Orano will extract the valuable material for use in critical industrial applications and in creating new nuclear fuels for existing reactors and future advanced reactors."

South Korea-supplied unit will undergo testing before commercial operation.

Unit 4 of the Barakah nuclear power station in the United Arab Emirates has been started up and will be prepared for connection to the national electricity grid “in the coming weeks”, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation.

Enec, which is responsible for the deployment and ownership of nuclear energy plants in the UAE, said the startup marks the plant’s initial production of heat through nuclear fission.

Once the testing is complete and commercial operations begin, Unit 4 will raise Barakah’s total electricity generation capacity to 5,600 MW, 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 – the first commercial nuclear facility in the Arab world – are already generating more than 30 TWh of electricity.

Barakah-4 is the fourth South Korea-supplied APR1400 at the Barakah station, on the Persian Gulf coast west of the city of Abu Dhabi.

Commercial operation began at Barakah-3 in February 2023. Barakah-1 began commercial operation in April 2021 and Barakah-2 in March 2022.

Enec said: “Each Unit has been started up more efficiently than the previous unit, as institutional knowledge and experience are applied to each subsequent unit. Unit 3 was delivered four months faster than the Unit 2 schedule, and five months faster than the Unit 1 schedule, demonstrating the significant benefit of building multiple units within a phased timeline.”

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Canada-provides-federal-funds-for-Bruce-C-pre-deve

The federal government is providing CAD50 million of funding to support pre-development work to study the feasibility of building 4800 MWe of new generating capacity at the Bruce site in Ontario.

The funding was announced by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson at the Canadian Nuclear Association's CNA 2024 conference, which is taking place in Ottawa, and aligns with the federal government’s Powering Canada Forward plan to build a net-zero economy, as well as the province’s Powering Ontario’s Growth plan.

"Today I am very pleased to announce the federal government is providing CAD50 million to Bruce Power, which will enable the early parts of the process aimed at adding up to 4800 megawatts of new nuclear generation," Wilkinson said.

"This project alone represents more than 25% of the new nuclear capacity required for Ontario to meet its clean energy needs in 2050, as was recommended by Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator's Pathway to Decarbonisation report. And it will help Canada with its ongoing efforts to achieve a clean, reliable and affordable electricity grid.

"Today's announcement is yet another endorsement of Canada's nuclear industry, which will continue to be an important part of our efforts to maintain and strengthen Canada's clean electricity advantage. This is a national conversation, and effort and work amongst provinces, territories, Indigenous leaders, utilities and industry, the private sector, unions, academics and civil society is needed to build that clean, reliable and affordable electric grid in every province and territory in this country."

The Ontario government announced its support for an expansion of the Bruce site - already home to eight - in July. The provincial government's Powering Ontario's Growth plan also includes three additional small modular reactors at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington site.

Bruce Power formally notified Canadian regulators of its intent to launch an impact assessment process for the new capacity, known as Bruce C, in October and recently outlined plans to begin technology evaluation this year.

The multi-year federal impact assessment process including Indigenous and public engagement, environmental and socioeconomic studies, and permitting activities provides a planning tool to evaluate the potential for the Bruce C project. Although no decision has yet been made to advance a new build, Bruce Power says this "no-regret" action is an important step to support future electricity planning and allow faster execution should a decision to proceed be made.

Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck said the federal funding would now enable the company to start the impact assessment process.

"This is indicative of the amazing things that we can do when we work together and we collaborate," he said. "Today's CAD50 million announcement [means] we're thinking big. We're thinking long term. We're thinking about a future that has clean energy everywhere," he said. Having support from both the federal and provincial government "will enable us to turn this into a reality".

"What this CAD50 million also means is we can do things differently in the next 50 years compared to what we did in the last 50 years," he added. "We want an inclusive environment. We want to work with the Saugeen Ojibway nation, our indigenous communities, our municipalities, so that we can not only forge … clean energy generation, but continue to unfold the economic development promises that we made when we started with our refurbishments."

Bruce Power previously applied for a licence to prepare for construction of up to four new reactors - totalling up to 4000 MWe - in 2007, but withdrew its application in 2009 as the company focused on the refurbishment of the existing Bruce A and B units. Those refurbishment projects are generating 22,000 direct and indirect jobs, and CAD3-4 billion in GDP in Ontario and CAD8-11 billion in Canada, Rencheck said. "A new build of 4800 megawatts amplifies that," he said.

Ontario Minister of Energy Todd Smith described the investment as "historic". "New nuclear generation, like the first large-scale nuclear build in a generation at Bruce Power, supported by this investment by the federal government, will ensure we have the reliable, affordable and clean electricity we need to support the next major international investment, the new homes we are building, and industries - like our steel producers - as they grow and electrify."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Could-UK-rejoin-Euratom-in-2028

Hundreds of former staff gathered to mark the achievements of the Joint European Torus (JET) in progressing nuclear fusion. The project has been a positive example of international collaboration, those attending were told, and the European Union hopes the UK will rejoin its Euratom and Fusion4Energy programme from 2028.

Elena Righi, head of Euratom research, recalled her own years working at JET, in Culham, near Oxford, in the UK, saying it "exemplifies the power of European and international scientific collaboration at its best". She added that it had been the foundation of collaborations such as its successor, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is under construction in France.

The UK announced in September 2023 - following negotiations after the Brexit transition period and delays imposed on it taking part as an associate member - that it had decided not to associate to Euratom Research & Training, and via that, ITER or the Fusion4Energy programme. Instead the UK government announced its own nuclear fusion programme, with GBP650 (USD820 million) of funding.

Righi, speaking as a European Commission representative, said that the UK's decision to leave had been met with regret by the European Commission and the EU's Council of Ministers. She added that "for the next period, starting in 2028, the EU institutions call emphatically for the UK to participate ... this will allow a truly European fusion community to continue its integrated efforts and to resolve the current ambiguous participation of the UK Atomic Energy Authority to Eurofusion and enable the UK's full integration in the construction, and operation eventually, of ITER".

The UK's Minister for Nuclear, Andrew Bowie, whose speech followed Righi's, did not address the 2028 suggestion, but said the UK was "continuing to work with our partners in Europe and around the world on this journey ... indeed our GBP650 million fusion future study sets out how we plan to build new relationships in this field, over the coming months and years, including supporting the international efforts at ITER".

Bowie cited Stephen Hawking as having said in 2016 that the one single thing that could transform society for the better was fusion, adding: "JET has brought us closer to making that vision a reality by uniting the best scientific minds in Europe for four decades and delivered breakthrough after breakthrough."

Asked whether the UK was considering the possibility of rejoining Euratom for a future programme of work, such as from 2028, a UK government spokesman told World Nuclear News: "We are investing up to GBP650 million through to 2027 to deliver an alternative programme to Euratom research and training called Fusion Futures. Fusion Futures gives the UK the best opportunity to deliver our fusion strategy - driving job creation and growth in our world-leading fusion sector. This approach is backed by the UK fusion industry and international collaboration remains a key component of the UK’s Fusion Strategy. The UK remains open to collaboration with international partners including the EU."

JET was a European project built and used collaboratively by European researchers, with the UK site selected in the 1970s and a foundation stone laid in 1979. It was a tokamak fusion system with a doughnut-shaped vacuum chamber where, under the influence of extreme heat - 10 times hotter than the sun - and pressure, gaseous hydrogen fuel becomes a plasma. The charged particles of the plasma can be shaped and controlled by massive magnetic coils placed around the vessel to confine the hot plasma away from the vessel walls. It was the only tokamak fusion machine in operation capable of handling tritium fuel, and was a key device in preparations for the multinational ITER fusion research project which is currently under construction in southern France.

JET is now owned, and in recent years has been operated by, the UKAEA, and used by scientists from 28 European countries to conduct research into the potential for carbon-free fusion energy in the future through work coordinated by the EUROfusion consortium. It was up and running for more than 40 years, and set records right up until its last round of deuterium-tritium experiments at the end of 2023 when high fusion power was consistently produced for 5 seconds resulting in a ground-breaking record of 69 megajoules, using only 0.2 milligrams of fuel, exceeding the previous world record it set in 2021, when it produced 59 megajoules over 5 seconds.

In his speech to the past and present scientists and staff gathered at the celebration event, UKAEA CEO Ian Chapman said: "There is no doubt that JET is the most important fusion experiment there has ever been and it has left an indelible mark on history - without JET the fusion field would not be where it is today - ITER would not have been agreed, would not be happening, we would not have the confidence to move forward to power plants. But JET is just metal and concrete. It's the people that made JET what it is."

Work at the site, since its retirement, has now turned to repurposing and decommissioning - a process which is expected to last until 2040, and which, Chapman notes, will see JET continuing to pave the way for future fusion projects.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Canadian-AP1000-deployment-could-bring-billions-in

The deployment of four AP1000 units in Ontario could have an impact of more than CAD28.7 billion (USD21.2 billion) on Canada's GDP during the manufacturing, engineering and construction phase alone, an independent study has found.

The Economic Impact of a Westinghouse AP1000 Reactor project in Canada, was prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC (PwC) and released at the Canadian Nuclear Association's CNA 2024 conference in Ottawa. It was produced for Westinghouse - developer of the AP1000 pressurised water reactor technology - and its owners, Brookfield and Cameco, to assess the "economic and broader benefits of Westinghouse's potential investment in Canada, in association with the deployment of AP1000 technology".

According to the report, Westinghouse "is seeking to install four AP1000 units in Ontario". The report uses Westinghouse's estimates of capital expenditures, operating expenditures and revenues associated with manufacturing, engineering, installing and operating such a project, as well as primary and secondary research conducted by PWC.

Once operational, the units would create an additional CAD8.1 billion in GDP and support more than 12,000 jobs annually, the report found. As well as helping Canada achieve its emission reduction plans, the project would also open up new opportunities for Canadian suppliers: with Westinghouse planning to make local procurement a key part of its investment policy and with the majority of total capital expenditure on the project expected to be spent in Canada.

Westinghouse has been expanding its engineering base in Canada in support of new nuclear projects, including the opening this year of a new engineering hub in Kitchener, Ontario, the report notes, and Canada is now the third largest engineering centre for the AP1000. An AP1000 project in Ontario will leverage and grow the existing supply chain, and the use of these Canadian suppliers to support the construction of AP1000s elsewhere could support an impact of CAD880 million for Canada for each AP1000 unit built around the world.

"Our globally-deployed AP1000 reactor fleet is a licensed and proven technology that provides exceptional availability and economics across the world," said Westinghouse Energy Systems President David Durham. "This report highlights that our technology and company - with strategic investments, a growing employee base and Canadian ownership - is well suited to meet Canada’s energy needs for generations to come."

The AP1000 project in Ontario would also develop human capital through training and education, and growing Canada's nuclear supply chain would drive greater economies and scale for deployment of additional Westinghouse technologies such as the AP300 small modular reactor and the eVinci microreactor, Westinghouse said.

Five AP1000 reactors are currently fully operational - four in China and one at the Vogtle site in the USA - with the second Vogtle unit, Vogtle 4, expected to be in-service later this year. The design has been selected for deployment in Poland and Ukraine, and is under consideration at multiple other sites in Central and Eastern Europe, the UK and USA.

Canada currently generates around 15% of its electricity from nuclear energy from 19 Candu pressurised heavy water reactors, 18 of which are located at three sites in Ontario. The AP1000 was submitted for possible construction at one of those sites - Ontario Power Generation (OPG's) Darlington - as long ago as 2009, but the provincial government decided in 2013 to defer future construction plans.

OPG announced in 2020 that it was to resume planning activities for new nuclear at the Darlington site, where it now plans to build four BWRX-300 small modular reactors, the first of which is pencilled in for operations in 2029. As well as supporting plans for SMRs at Darlington, the Ontario government is supporting pre-development work for potential new large-scale nuclear development at Bruce Power as part of its plan to meet electricity demand and reduce emissions by supporting the electrification of the province's economy.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/PEJ-seeks-insurance-for-Polish-nuclear-power-plant

Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), which is responsible for the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant, has joined the Mutual Insurance Association (TUW) of the Polish Mutual Insurance Institution (PZUW). It said the move is an important step toward providing insurance coverage for the project.

In November 2022, the then Polish government selected the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. An agreement setting a plan for the delivery of the plant was signed in May last year by Westinghouse, Bechtel and PEJ. The country's Ministry of Climate and Environment in July issued a decision-in-principle for PEJ to construct the plant. The aim is for Poland's first AP1000 reactor to enter commercial operation in 2033.

"Insuring the project, which is strategic for Poland and its energy security, is one of the conditions for its execution," PEJ noted. "The range of insurance contracts used in this type of investment project is very wide. They include construction and assembly work, as well as, for example, transportation or civil liability. Having adequate insurance coverage protects the interests of both the investor and the general contractor, and is required by the institutions that finance the investment project as a condition for obtaining debt financing."

PEJ said well-designed insurance reduces project risks. "First of all, it protects against the financial consequences of contingencies that may possibly occur during the construction process on this type of project."

With a view to insuring nuclear investment projects in Poland, the TUW PZUW entered into a strategic cooperation in 2023 with the UK's Nuclear Risk Insurers (NRI). PEJ said the agreement with NRI, which protects civilian nuclear facilities in the UK and is involved in more than 300 similar projects worldwide, gives it access to know-how, as well as internships and training.

Owned by the PZU Group, Poland's largest mutual insurance association has simultaneously launched an initiative to create a nuclear insurance pool, a consortium of Polish insurers that will provide coverage for nuclear power in the country.

"Joining Mutual Insurance Association of the PZUW is an important element in building the company's insurance strategy for the construction and operation phase of Poland's first nuclear power plant," said Wojciech Rosiński, director of PEJ's Finance Division. "Accession to the TUW PZUW will allow us, as an investor, to gain access to specialised nuclear insurance offered on the market."

"What unites us is taking on ambitious challenges," added TUW PZUW President Rafał Kiliński. "The aim of the project to build the nuclear power plant is to ensure Poland's energy security, and our ambition is to participate in providing insurance coverage for this project. That is why we are glad that a company as important to the energy transition as Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe has become a member of our mutual insurance association."

Planned work on EPR includes refuelling and leak tests.

The Olkiluoto-3 nuclear power plant in Finland – the first of its type in Europe – will be disconnected from electricity production on 2 March for its first annual outage, owner and operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj said.

Regular electricity production began at the 1,600 MW EPR unit one year ago with full commercial operation on 1 May. TVO said the planned outage is expected to last 37 days.

The lengthy duration is due to the technical characteristics of the plant type and the large number of periodic tests and maintenance activities to be carried out during the outage, TVO said.

“As OL3 is the largest nuclear power plant unit in Europe, there is a considerable number of components and equipment that need to be serviced.” The plan for the Olkiluoto-3 outage includes some 1,900 different activities with almost 6,500 work phases.

In comparison, the work list for the annual outage at Olkiluoto-2, an 890 MW boiling water reactor unit that began commercial operation in 1982, shows about 550 activities with 1,200 work phases.

The Olkiluoto-3 outage will include refuelling, preventive maintenance on the protection system, software upgrades in the instrumentation and control (I&C) systems, leak-tightness tests on the containment isolation valves and the maintenance of the pressuriser safety relief valves.

The Generation III EPR was designed in France, where an EPR is nearing operation at Flamanville-3, a project that has seen delays and cost overruns.

Two other EPR units in China have already begun commercial operation. Taishan-1 in China was the first EPR unit to begin commercial operation, in December 2018. A second EPR at Taishan began commercial operation in September 2019.

In the UK there are two EPRs under construction at Hinkley Point C, where there have also been delays and significant cost overruns.

New units could more than 12,000 jobs annually.

The manufacturing, engineering and construction phase of four AP1000 nuclear power units could generate more than CAD28.7bn (€19.5bn, $21bn) of gross domestic product (GDP) impact for Canada and over 125,000 person-years of employment, a report has shown.

Once operational, the units would create an additional CAD8.1bn in GDP and support more than 12,000 jobs annually, according to the report.

The report, produced for US-based AP1000 supplier Westinghouse by PricewaterhouseCoopers, outlines the “significant economic impact” for Canada by deploying four AP1000 reactor units in the province of Ontario.

The PwC report also concludes that AP1000 technology can help Canada meet its emission reduction plan and support deployment of the technology around the world. Each new reactor installed globally can provide up to CAD880m of GDP impact in Canada.

Canada has a fleet of 19 commercial nuclear power plants that provide about 14% of its electricity generation. Major projects have begun to extend the lifetime of reactors at the Bruce, Darlington and Pickering stations, all in Ontario.

At the Vogtle site in the US state of Georgia, one AP1000 unit began commercial operation in July 2023 and is producing power for the grid, while a second unit recently achieved first criticality with commercial operation projected during the second quarter of 2024.

Four AP1000 reactors – two at Sanmen and two at Haiyang – are operating in China with eight additional reactors under construction.

Last year Ontario said it plans to build three new small modular reactors (SMRs) to help meet rising electricity demand.

The Ontario government is working with utility Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to start planning and licensing the reactors at the Darlington nuclear site, where site preparation has begun for Canada’s first grid-scale SMR.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsframatome-to-collaborate-with-terrapower-on-equipment-for-natrium-reactor-11554223

Framatome US Government Solutions has announced a design phase award for the Ex-vessel Fuel Handling Equipment Project for US TerraPower’s Natrium reactor.

The Natrium technology is a TerraPower and GE-Hitachi technology featuring a 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system. Along with PacifiCorp and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, members of the demonstration project team include engineering and construction partner Bechtel, Energy Northwest, Duke Energy and nearly a dozen additional companies, universities and national laboratory partners. In October 2020, the US Department of Energy (DOE), through its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Programme (ARDP), awarded TerraPower $80m in initial funding to demonstrate the Natrium technology.

Earlier in February TerraPower selected five suppliers including Framatome, to support the Natrium Reactor Demonstration Project in Kemmerer, Wyoming. TerraPower said, when completed, the Natrium plant will be a full commercial operating. The other four suppliers are GERB Vibration Control Systems, Thermal Engineering International, Hayward Tyler and Teledyne Brown Engineering.

The customized equipment to be supplied by Framatome consists of two separate rail-mounted machines used to perform refuelling and related core component transfer activities. Automated and remote functionality enhances the safety and performance of the refuelling operations during scheduled outages and maintenance.

Tara Neider, senior vice president and project director for the Natrium Reactor Demonstration Project said this equipment project is an important milestone for advancing the Natrium reactor design. “The breadth of Framatome’s expertise and depth of its operating experience provides certainty and strengthens our diverse supply chain needed to bring this unique technology to market.”

Craig Ranson, Executive Vice President of the Installed Base Business Unit at Framatome in North America said: “We are developing and delivering technological modules for advanced and small modular reactors, collaborating closely with TerraPower and other industry leaders that are advancing nuclear energy capabilities,”

The fuel handling equipment will be designed jointly by Framatome and American Crane, based on a long history of providing upgrades and new fuel handling equipment for plants in the US NPP fleet. The design phase of the project will be executed at Framatome’s Operational Center of Excellence in Lynchburg, Virginia, and will be finalised for fabrication by July 2025.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Remote-handling-upgrades-to-aid-decommissioning-of

The Remote Handling Control Room at the Joint European Torus in Culham, near Oxford in the UK, has undergone a significant upgrade, making it one of the most advanced robotics and remote handling systems in the world.

The Joint European Torus (JET) concluded its plasma operations at the end of December 2023. The tokamak fusion system has moved to the next phase of its life cycle for repurposing and decommissioning, representing an opportunity to develop new technologies and skills.

The Remote Handling Control Room upgrades include a complete overhaul of MASCOT, a highly dextrous remote manipulator with haptic feedback, which allows the operator to feel every action from carrying a new component to tightening a bolt.

The critical testing of the inside of the tokamak is now under way and will continue throughout Spring and Summer of 2024, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) said. This process involves retrieving 60 key samples for further scientific analysis.

The remote handling operators will be responsible for eventually removing more than 4000 individual tiles and components from JET's inner vessel, including some that weigh several hundreds of kilogrammes.

"The Remote Handling System is absolutely fundamental to the repurposing and decommissioning of JET," said Steve Gilligan, the Programme Sponsor and Head of Decommissioning and Handling. "Due to safety precautions, personnel have not been able to enter the tokamak for over 30 years. Further, JET's plasma operations over the last few years have made it a particularly challenging environment to work with.

"We have refurbished the system so that it's fit for the future. This has taken huge effort, more than 400,000 hours have been invested in its upgrade, which includes research and development, installation, testing, commissioning and training."

JET was a tokamak fusion system with a doughnut-shaped vacuum chamber where, under the influence of extreme heat and pressure, gaseous hydrogen fuel becomes a plasma. The charged particles of the plasma can be shaped and controlled by massive magnetic coils placed around the vessel to confine the hot plasma away from the vessel walls. It was the only tokamak fusion machine in operation capable of handling tritium fuel, and was a key device in preparations for the multinational ITER fusion research project which is currently under construction in southern France.

JET was a European project built and used collaboratively by European researchers. It is now owned, and in recent years has been operated by, the UKAEA, and used by scientists from 28 European countries to conduct research into the potential for carbon-free fusion energy in the future through work coordinated by the EUROfusion consortium. The tokamak's first deuterium-tritium experiments took place in 1997.

JET's final experiments using deuterium and tritium fuel were conducted over seven weeks from August to October last year, ahead of its retirement following its final pulse in December. During those experiments, JET produced the largest amount of energy achieved in a fusion experiment, breaking its own record set in 2021.

Following its retirement JET moves on to repurposing and decommissioning, a process expected to last until about 2040.

South Korea wants to diversify its supply of enriched uranium.

South Korean nuclear power company Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Centrus Energy Corp, a US-based nuclear fuel and services supplier, signed on 26 February a letter of intent in Washington DC to “to ensure stable nuclear fuel supply,” the two companies said in a statement.

The letter of intent, “based on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last April 2023” by the two companies “outlines substantive business objectives to enhance uranium resource security and nuclear cooperation between KHNP and Centrus”,the two companies said in the statement.

Through the letter of intent, KHNP “aims to diversify the supply of enriched uranium used as nuclear fuel to enhance fuel supply stability.

Additionally, KHNP expects to strengthen nuclear cooperation between South Korea and the US by establishing strategic relationships with Centrus, which is working to re-establish a robust uranium enrichment capacity in the United States, the two companies added.

Centrus noted in the statement that it is the only company in the US to have obtained a production licence from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for high-assay low-enriched uranium (Haleu), which is used as fuel for many advanced reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs).

In November 2023, Centrus succeeded in the initial production of 20 kg of Haleu at its facility in Piketon, Ohio, “demonstrating its technological and production capabilities for the US Department of Energy.

As a result of cooperation with Centrus, KHNP has opened the possibility of securing fuel for future reactors as well as for existing commercial reactors”, the two companies added in the statement.

Through the signing of the letter of intent, the two companies will also “engage in concrete discussions regarding stable nuclear fuel supply and plan to continue exploring business opportunities in the nuclear sector by expanding the future nuclear fuel supply chain”, they also said in the statement.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newssouth-korea-allocates-3-billion-for-nuclear-energy-rd-11554107

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to spend more than KRW4,000bn ($3bn) on nuclear energy research and development projects during his five-year term, which ends in 2027. This affirms his commitment in July 2022 to reverse the nuclear phase-out policy of his predecessor. He set a goal of planning nuclear power projects that would earn the domestic nuclear energy industry a total of KRW3,300bn and agreed to extend KRW1,000bn in special loans for wider nuclear industry support.

"This year will mark the first year of the nuclear energy industry's fresh leap forward," Yoon said during the 14th government-public debate on the nuclear power industry held in Changwon at the office of the South Gyeongsang Province. Changwon is a key industrial hub for Korea’s nuclear sector and is also home to Doosan Enerbility, the country’s major nuclear reactor developer.

Yoon added that his administration will introduce a special law to boost the Korea’s nuclear energy industry, in part to support advanced technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs). Before the end of 2024, the government will also draw up a long-term nuclear energy blueprint, emphasising the key role of the nuclear industry in achieving net zero by 2050.

Tax benefits will be offered for nuclear energy-related facility investment and research projects through amended legislation. "Large-scale power generation to produce quality electricity is needed to nurture high-tech industry," Yoon said. "Without nuclear power, no cutting-edge technology will be possible."

Further measures are planned to extend the operating life of 10 nuclear power reactors by 10 years. Unit 2 at the Kori NPP in Busan was shut down in April 2023. Two reactors – Kori 1 and Wolsung 1 – were shut down as part of the previous Moon administration’s nuclear phase-out policy. Nine more are due to cease operation before 2029. These 10 reactors represent around a third of the total. Construction of two more nuclear reactors -- Shin Hanul 3 and 4 -- will no longer be suspended.

Yoon also spoke about his success in reviving the domestic nuclear energy industry in the wake of the phase-out. He noted that the industry had won a total of KRW4,000bn in tenders since May 2022, six time more than during the former Moon administration. These include a KRW3,000bn commercial nuclear project at El-Daaba in Egypt and a KRW260bn tritium removal facility project in Romania.

During the policy debate, Yoon said the nuclear phase-out policy was "ideological and unscientific” and “was being implemented recklessly” to the detriment of the local nuclear energy industry. Also at the debate, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said South Korea is seeking a to win bids for overseas nuclear reactor construction projects in the Czech Republic and Poland.

South Korea has 25 nuclear power reactors with a total capacity of 24.7 GWe at the end of 2023. According to the state-run utility Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, in 2022, these plants generated nearly 30% of all electricity, up from 23% in 2018.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsslovakia-hosts-westinghouse-sponsored-vver-nuclear-fuel-forum-11554179

Slovak power utility Slovenské Elektrárne (SE) hosted a two-day forum, the 5th annual VVER Fuel Forum in Bratislava. The forum on nuclear fuel for VVER 440 and VVER 1000 reactors, which was sponsored by Westinghouse, was attended by representatives of utilities that are potential customers for Westinghouse VVER fuel. These included Ukraine’s Energoatom, Finland’s Fortum, the Czech Republic’s CEZ, Bulgaria’s JE Kozloduy, and Hungary’s nuclear plant operator MVM Paks. The participants exchanged experiences on the procedure for implementing fuel from Westinghouse for operating VVER-440 and VVER-1000 reactors.

Branislav Strýcek, SE Board Chairman & General Director said SE was currently “going through the preparation of the documentation in Slovakia for new VVER-440 fuel and expect to finish the licensing process by 2026-2027”.

Westinghouse gave detailed briefings on fuel licensing, design enhancements of its NOVA E-6 VVER-440 fuel, fabrication plant upgrades, delivery and operations. This is a modification of a 1996-98 a fuel assembly design – NOVA E-3 (fixed assembly) and NOVCA (follower) developed in a programme involving BNFL (UK – which later took over Westinghouse)), IVO (Finland) and PAKS (Hungary). The programme included extensive testing and qualification of the new design. In June 1998, the manufacturing of five Lead Test Assemblies – four fixed and one follower assembly – at Springfields, UK, was completed and the fuel was delivered for insertion at unit 2 of Finland’s Loviisa NPP. Between 2001 and 2007, BNFL/Westinghouse delivered a total of 741 VVER-440 fuel assemblies to the Loviisa NPP in Finland which were manufactured by Enusa in Spain.

The NOVA E-3 and NOVCA designs were integrated into the Westinghouse fuel product portfolio, and all the intellectual property for the VVER-440 fuel was transferred from BNFL to Westinghouse in 2005-2006. However, in 2007 Loviisa decided to switch back to Russian fuel. After failing to extend the Loviisa fuel contract and failing to win any other VVER-440 delivery contracts, Westinghouse decided to withdraw from the market in 2008, and closed down the supply chain and design development of the VVER-440 design.

Efforts to develop new design VVER-440 fuel had restarted in 2014 in face of the demand for increased security of energy supply in Europe. Westinghouse, in a consortium comprising nine organisations, applied for a Euratom funded programme for diversification of the VVER fuel market in Europe, and was granted €2m ($16.5m) in 2015 to launch the ESSANUF programme, which ran until 2017. Development continued and in early 2023, Westinghouse and Enusa agreed to manufacture VVER-440 fuel using their factories at Västerås, in Sweden, and Juzbado (Salamanca), in Spain. The following September the first test assemblies were loaded at Ukraine’s Rivne NPP.

As leader of the current European Union-funded APIS project (Accelerated Program for Implementation of secure VVER fuel Supply), Westinghouse presented to the forum information on next-generation fuel design development and a harmonised approach for VVER fuel licensing. Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel said there were many achievements in the past years and still a lot of work ahead. “As the only European VVER fuel manufacturer, we are committed to delivering what is required by our customers.”

Stefano Ciccarello, Acting Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency. recommended expediting the ongoing fuel diversification efforts in the context of the REPower EU Plan launched in May 2022 and the global energy disruption caused by Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.

Olexandr Depenchuk, Director for Nuclear & Radiation Safety at Energoatom, told the forum: “In Ukraine, we started the licensing process for the Westinghouse VVER-440 fuel in 2022 and, thanks to great cooperation, we successfully completed it within 1.5 years. We received the first fuel load for Rivne unit 2 last September, ahead of the originally planned schedule. Our two units will be operating later this year with the new fuel, which has been performing well after six months."

In Finland, Fortum is now pursuing mechanical operating experiences with the new fuel type, after a test assembly manufactured by Westinghouse was loaded into the unit 2 of the Loviisa NPP last year. Loviisa NPP comprises two Soviet designed VVER-440 units, which were commissioned in 1977 and 1980 and initially received fuel from Russia. Loviisa’s current fuel agreement with Russia’s TVEL is valid until the end of the current operating licences of the plants two units in 2027 and 2030. In spring 2022, Fortum applied for a new operating licence for both units until 2050, and announced that a tendering process would be arranged for fuel supply for the next operating licence period.

“The changes done to the design of the VVER-440 fuel we originally used in Loviisa in the early 2000s improved the fuel behaviour and performance,” said Iiro-Ville Lehtinen, Fortum Project Manager. “We are currently reviewing the licensing and manufacturing documentation of the first new fuel deliveries and expect this work to be ready this summer.”

Rostislav Štaubr, Head of Nuclear Fuel Procurement at CEZ told the forum that Westinghouse will deliver the first batch of VVER-440 fuel assemblies to the VVER-440 units at the Dukovany NPP at the end of this year. The deliveries of VVER-1000 fuel for Temelín will follow a few months after Dukovany, as mutually agreed based on the refuelling schedule,” he said.

Svilena Nikolova, Head of the Legal & Commercial Department at Bulgaria’s Kozloduy NPP said the diversification that has been obtained in terms of nuclear fuel supply is of great importance for the power plant. “As Kozloduy celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, we will also receive the first load of new VVER-1000 fuel from Westinghouse for our unit 5.”

Neither Westinghouse nor SE reported any comments from representatives of Hungary’s Paks NPP. Although the possibility of using nuclear fuel from suppliers other than Russia’s TVEL at the Paks was legally enshrined in Hungary’s legislation at the end of 2023, the plant currently only uses nuclear fuel supplied by Rosatom enterprises. During discussions on the new legislation, State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy Attila Steiner noted that there is currently no alternative to Russian fuel for the four VVER-440 reactors at Paks.

The Hungarian government has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to abandon it as long as it can be supplied reliably. Speaking at the meeting, which was broadcast on the parliament website, Steiner noted that only Rosatom enterprises can now produce fuel assemblies for those units, so Hungary is interested in ensuring that they are not subject to sanctions. At the same time, he confirmed that, in accordance with the general policy of the European Union, Hungary will strive to diversify its energy supplies including nuclear energy.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsrussias-multi-purpose-fast-research-reactor-to-launch-in-2027-11554106

The physical launch of Russia’s multi-purpose fast neutron research reactor MBIR (Mnogotselevoi Bistrii Issledovatelskii Reaktor) under construction at the Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (NIIAR) in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk region, is officially scheduled for launch in 2027. In 2028 it will begin supplying electricity to the site and a pilot programme is planned.

The 150MWt multi-purpose sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor will be the world’s largest facility of its kind. It is expected to provide the nuclear industry with a modern and technologically advanced research infrastructure for the coming 50 years. Its unique technical characteristics will make it possible to solve a wide range of research problems to support the development of new competitive and safe NPPs, including fast reactors based on closing the nuclear fuel cycle. Research time needed at the new reactor will be several times less in comparison with currently available installations.

Work started in September 2015. The entire reactor complex – comprising 16 hectares – will consist of 53 facilities and 220,000 cubic metres of concrete will be used on its construction. Two thousand people and about 100 units of construction equipment are involved in the construction, including heavy caterpillar cranes with a carrying capacity of 1,350 tonnes. In 2023, the reactor vessel was installed and the reactor building dome was lifted into place.

“The pace of construction of this facility is simply amazing, said Vladimir Troyanov, Scientific Director at the AI Leipunsky Institute of Physics & Power Engineering (IPPE – part of Rosatom) in Obninsk. “The reactor complex, many auxiliary buildings have almost been erected. The pace of construction today is such that at the end of 2026 a physical launch will be possible."

Rosatom is constructing MBIR as part of the second federal project. “Creation of a modern experimental benchmarking base for the development of dual-component nuclear energy technologies with a closed nuclear fuel cycle”. The project is being implemented within the framework of the programme “Development of equipment, technologies & scientific research in the field of nuclear energy use in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2024" (RTTN - Razvitiye Tekniki Teknologii i Nauchnikh).

The RTTN programme was developed together with the Kurchatov Institute Research Centre, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Ministry of Science & Higher Education. It includes the development of new advanced technologies and materials, samples of new equipment, technical re-equipment, construction of unique complexes and infrastructure facilities in the field of nuclear energy and control of thermonuclear fusion reactions, as well as low-power nuclear plants. In 2022 it was extended until 2030.

MBIR will replace the BOR-60 experimental fast reactor that has been in operation at NIIAR since 1969 and has been widely used for research by scientists worldwide. BOR-60 is due to close in 2025. The density of neutron flux in the MBIR will be twice that of the BOR-60 MBIR will be used for materials testing for Generation IV fast neutron reactors. It will be capable of testing lead, lead-bismuth and gas coolants and will enable reactor and post-reactor experiments, perfecting technologies for the production of isotopes and modified materials.

The MBIR reactor will have three full-time cooling circuits: two sodium and one steam-water. The steam turbine circuit will be equipped with a steam turbine unit. This will not only allow innovative research, but also provide electricity and heat to NIIAR and the residents of Dimitrovgrad.

MBIR will include several loop experimental installations with special devices, within which it will be possible to create conditions different from those of the MBIR core. They will make it possible to simulate the conditions of radiation, implemented in various types of reactors with various neutron spectra, coolants and fuel compositions. MBIR will provide the ability to test a wide range of technologies needed to create new generation reactors. It will be possible to test both device diagrams, control methods and operating modes of reactors, including emergency handling, and types of fuel, coolants and structural materials.

Some of MBIR’s in vitro and irradiation channels will be used for production. Vertical channels will be used for neutron alloying of silicon, including large ingots for the electronic industry. Horizontal channels will offer neutron beams enabling research laboratories to solve applied and fundamental problems. MBIR will provide testing capabilities for any industry that uses nuclear technology. These can be fundamental neutron-physical studies, experiments on space programmes, medical, material science and many other applied tests.

MBIR will be the basis of an international research centre (ICC MBIR). Partner countries interested in the development and implementation of fast neutron reactors and the closure of the nuclear fuel cycle will be involved in its work. Scientists from all over the world will be invited to conduct their research programmes at the site.

The involvement of a wide number of participants representing various scientific and technical schools will create a synergistic effect for all project partners. According to Rosatom, the opening of such an international research centre will contribute to the promotion of future nuclear energy technologies in the world market and the formation of a broad international collaboration for the development of nuclear science and technology. The estimated life of MBIR is 50 years.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/UK-research-reactor-fully-decommissioned

The Imperial College Reactor Centre in Ascot, England, has become the first reactor site to be fully decommissioned in the UK under modern regulatory controls, the country's Office for Nuclear Regulation has announced.

The 100-kilowatt CONSORT reactor at Imperial College London's Silwood Park Campus in Berkshire began operations in 1965 and was shut down in 2012 due to increasing costs and a lack of research, educational, training and commercial use. Defueling was completed in 2014 and 31 fuel elements were removed and transported to Sellafield in Cumbria for interim storage pending reprocessing.

Imperial College applied to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) in January 2015 to begin a decommissioning project that would involve the removal of all radiological and non-radiological waste and the demolition of the reactor centre to enable the site to be de-licensed. The ONR granted consent for the decommissioning of the reactor in August 2015.

Decommissioning of the reactor and surrounding bioshield was completed in February 2020, and the demolition of all building structures, removal of the base slab and below ground services finished in April 2021.

A year later, the ONR formally revoked the nuclear site licence of the Imperial College Reactor Centre (ICRC), saying it was satisfied that there was "no danger" and had "ceased to be any danger" from ionising radiation resulting from activities on the site.

ONR inspectors have studied the Silwood Park site's final Environmental Management Plan in recent months and are content that the concluding decommissioning work, including asbestos surveillance and landscaping, has been completed.

The Imperial centre is only the third UK reactor site in history to be fully decommissioned, and its land has now been returned for re-use.

"This is a highly significant achievement and milestone in UK nuclear decommissioning history and testament to all the hard work that has been put in at the Imperial College Reactor Centre to reach this final end state," said Ian Phillips, ONR's Head of Safety Regulation for Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste Sites. "It represents the conclusion of a 65-year journey for the ICRC which can now be recognised as the country's first ever fully decommissioned reactor site under modern regulatory controls - a fantastic accomplishment."

Trevor Chambers, former Head of the Imperial College Reactor Centre, added: "Imperial College London is indebted to the Reactor Centre team who provided deep technical and operational oversight throughout the project, as well as support contractors and the site Nuclear Safety Committee for their dedication.

"Releasing the site from regulatory control has created a recreational space at the heart of Imperial's Silwood Park eco-campus, which may now be used without restriction by staff and students at the forefront of biodiversity science and policy.

"Imperial continues to look to the future, with our Centre for Nuclear Engineering providing research and study opportunities to meet the world's growing energy needs while reducing carbon emissions."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Fangchenggang-4-receives-operating-licence

China's National Nuclear Safety Administration has granted an operating licence for unit 4 of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi Autonomous Region. The unit is the second of two demonstration China General Nuclear-designed Hualong One (HPR1000) reactors at the site.

Obtaining the licence is "an important step towards high-quality production and commercial operation", China General Nuclear (CGN) said, adding that the loading of fuel into the 1180 MWe (gross) pressurised water reactor's core "is about to start".

First concrete was poured for the nuclear island of unit 3 - 39% owned by Guangxi Investment Group and 61% by CGN - in December 2015, while that for unit 4 was poured a year later. Unit 3 was originally expected to start up in 2019, with unit 4 scheduled to start up in 2020. Both their start-ups were subsequently postponed until 2022.

In January 2022, CGN announced that the start-up of Fangchenggang 3 and 4 had been put back again due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unit 3 achieved first criticality - a sustained chain reaction - on 27 December 2022 and was synchronised with the grid on 10 January 2023. It entered commercial operation on 25 March.

Hot functional testing of unit 4 began on 25 September last year. These tests involve increasing the temperature of the reactor coolant system and carrying out comprehensive tests to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems are operating as they should. Carried out before the loading of nuclear fuel, such testing simulates the thermal working conditions of the power plant and verifies that nuclear island and conventional equipment and systems meet design requirements.

CGN has confirmed that unit 4 is expected to be put into operation in the first half of this year.

The Fangchenggang plant is planned to house six reactors. The first phase comprises two CPR-1000 units which were put into commercial operation in 2016.

The first two units of China National Nuclear Corporation's version of the Hualong One design at the Fuqing plant in Fujian province have both already started up. Unit 5 entered commercial operation on 30 January 2021, with unit 6 following on 25 March 2022.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Australian-miners-provide-updates-on-past-and-futu

Uranium production from Olympic Dam could increase in future as BHP considers expanding copper production at the mine in South Australia. Meanwhile, Energy Resources of Australia said it will need to raise more funds in 2024 to cover expenditure on the rehabilitation of the former Ranger uranium mine.

Olympic Dam is the world's largest single uranium resource, with well over one million tonnes of uranium resources, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency and OECD's joint reference work, the 'Red Book'. Uranium is produced as a by-product of copper and gold at BHP's multi-metal mine.

Higher average realised prices for copper, uranium, gold and silver had an impact of USD100 million on the company's Copper South Australia operations, BHP said in its financial results announcement on 20 February.

BHP shelved plans to expand Olympic Dam in 2020, deciding instead to invest in the existing infrastructure at the underground mine. Now, it says it is "assessing options" for a new two-stage smelter, with a final investment decision expected "between FY26 and FY27". Furthermore, "exploration success" has included multiple copper intersects beneath Olympic Dam in a region known as OD Deeps. "This operational performance, coupled with the significant resource base, provide a solid foundation on which to study further value realisation, including the potential to grow annual copper production at Copper South Australia to above 500 ktpa," the company said.

Such expansion could bring "sizeable expected synergies", the company said in its results presentation, with potential future growth in the production of gold, silver and uranium.

Ranger rehabilitation

Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) spent AUD211 million (USD138 million) on rehabilitation work at the former Ranger uranium mine in 2023, and expects to spend about AUD1.2 billion on rehabilitation activities up until the end of 2027, the company said in its year-end 2023 results announcement which was released on 27 February.

More than 35 years of uranium production operations at Ranger, in Australia's Northern Territory, came to an end in January 2021 when the final uranium was produced from stockpiled ores: mining operations at the site ended in 2012. The last uranium oxide from the Ranger Project Area was sold in 2022, making 2023 the first year in which the company saw no revenue from the sale of uranium, The company's net loss after tax of AUD1.6 billion reflected "an increase to the rehabilitation provision and the cessation of sales of uranium oxide inventories", it said.

The company said it expects it will require further funding in the second half of 2024 for the first tranche of estimated rehabilitation expenditure. "ERA will engage with Rio Tinto and other shareholders in relation to a material equity raise in 2024," it said.

Post-2027 and activities and estimates of their costs remain highly uncertain, the company said. ERA majority owner Rio Tinto "has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the rehabilitation of the Ranger Project Area is successfully achieved to a standard that will establish an environment similar to the adjacent Kakadu National Park".

Progressive rehabilitation of the Ranger Project Area continued during the year. Capping of Pit 3 - which involves placing waste rock above the tailings in the mined-out pit of the Ranger 3 orebody - remains a critical path activity: an application for approval to backfill Pit 3 was resubmitted to the Northern Territory governing agency during the September 2023 quarter, and final approval is expected "in the later part of quarter 1, 2024".

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsnew-study-reveals-potential-for-reduction-in-high-level-nuclear-waste-volumes-11552413

US-based nuclear waste storage and disposal company Deep Isolation has completed a study for Shine Technologies, which is developing solutions to recycle used nuclear fuel by designing facilities to reduce the volume of waste requiring deep geologic disposal.

The study was an initial scoping assessment of the costs of disposing of the byproducts of a pilot used fuel recycling facility that would extract and enable reuse of valuable components while separating fission products that require geologic disposal. The purpose of the study was to assess the cost, feasibility, and fundamental characteristics of deep borehole disposal repositories for these long-lived waste forms using Deep Isolation’s advanced, flexible, and patented designs.

The collaborative work suggests that the recycling facility would reduce the total volume of waste going to a deep geologic repository by more than 90% compared with directly disposing of used fuel assemblies, allowing room for additional optimisation on the design and cost of the facility.

“This study is an important step toward understanding the tremendous potential for optimisation in nuclear waste disposal volume and cost reductions,” said of Shine Technologies Chief Technology Officer Ross Radel. He added that it also helps demonstrate important social and economic benefits from the deployment of the company’s recycling technologies. “It’s validation that our planned approach to nuclear waste recycling is foundational to our mission of creating a safer, healthier and cleaner world.”

Dr Ethan Bates, Director of Systems Engineering for Deep Isolation and lead on the study, said the results highlight “the design flexibility and advantages of deep borehole disposal in terms of modularity and potential to accept a wide range of radioactive wastes.”

According to Deep Isolation CEO Elizabeth Muller, the collaboration between Deep Isolation and Shine Technologies shows “the massive potential for driving cost out of the nuclear fuel cycle through innovation”. She added: “Shine’s pilot recycling facility will unlock new power generation out of spent nuclear fuel from traditional nuclear power plants, significantly reducing the volume of high-level waste that requires geologic disposal. And Deep Isolation’s borehole technology reduces the cost of that disposal itself.”

Shine Technologies describes itself as a fusion company. It has detailed a four-phased approach “to produce meaningful outcomes at each stage as we work toward fusion energy”. These phases are: inspection (using neutron generation to take images and test durability of high-performing components, ensuring their integrity); production (of medical isotopes); nuclear waste recycling (making fission power a more environmentally and socially friendly option); and generation (producing economically viable power with fusion).

Shine says: “As today’s fusion company, we're deploying and scaling fusion technology now that we hope will one day lead to powering the world. Each step of the way, we're mastering more immediate applications of fusion – like inspecting industrial components through neutron imaging and producing cancer-fighting medicine. These applications create tremendous social and economic value and are the building blocks for our future goals: recycling nuclear waste and generating on-demand, carbon-free energy through fusion.”