Nuclear Energy

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-sees-Belgian-commitment-to-waste-management

Belgium has a robust national infrastructure for the management of radioactive waste and used fuel, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission has said, and recommended the development of consolidated policies for specific waste streams and for decision-making on a geological repository.

Belgium manages high-level waste from its five operating nuclear reactors at the Doel and Tihange plants as well as from the two reactors which have been permanently shut down, along with low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the production and use of radiation sources in medical, industrial and science and research activities.

The Belgian National Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Material management (Ondraf/Niras) manages radioactive waste and used fuel after acceptance, The agency hosted the IAEA's Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation (Artemis) team during their ten-day visit in December.

Artemis team leader Jussi Heinonen, Director at the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) in Finland, said: "The team saw that the responsible organisations in Belgium are strongly committed to the radioactive waste and spent fuel management. They have put in place a waste management system that is well adapted to the current situation and are preparing to take the necessary measures until the end of the life-cycle of their nuclear facilities. Further progress is still needed in the comprehensive coverage of national policies guiding the implementation of the programme."

The recommendations for action by the Belgian government include:

• Formulation of "well-defined national policies on spent fuel management options and the management of radioactive waste from radium production"
• Ensure waste streams that require further processing or have no clear end point should be included in the national programme with proposed management options
• Establish a "comprehensive geological disposal policy for the management of high-level waste and spent fuel and complete the process of establishing safety requirements and a licensing scheme specific to disposal facilities"

The IAEA team also said that "the provision of adequate financial and human resources will be crucial" to ensure timely implementation of policies, such as on a geological repository.

There was also a suggestion that Ondraf/Niras "should focus main resources on solutions that are technically feasible and internationally acknowledged for the long-term management of high-level waste and spent fuel of the Belgian inventory".

There was praise for good practices identified in the approach to centralised management of all radioactive waste by Ondraf/Niras subsidiary Belgoprocess "contributing to the minimisation of radioactive waste, as well as in the approach for remediation of the former Olen radium and uranium production site leading to waste minimisation".

Marc Demarche, Director General of Ondraf/Niras, said: "Belgium values the review and its outcomes in the current framework of our national programme where we have on the one hand significant recent evolutions and progress, in particular concerning the licence for a surface disposal facility, the decision-in-principle for deep geological disposal as well as the launching of the project for radium-bearing waste. But we are also facing important and difficult challenges for continued progress, in particular about the operationalisation of the low-level waste repository or the pursuit of the deep disposal project."

The Artemis review mission took place at the invitation of Belgium. Such missions offer reviews of radioactive waste and used fuel management, decommissioning and remediation programmes. The seven experts in this mission were from Austria, Finland, France, Slovenia, the UK and the USA. As well as Ondraf/Niras, they met with officials from the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC), the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), the Directorate General for Energy, nuclear fuel cycle management organisation Synatom and th Commission for Nuclear Provisions. The final mission report is expected to be provided to the Belgian government in February.

Belgium's nuclear plants account for almost half of the country's electricity production. The country's federal law of 31 January 2003 required the phase-out of all nuclear electricity generation in the country. Under a plan announced by Belgium's coalition government in December 2021, Doel 3 was shut down in September 2022, while Tihange 2 shut down at the end of January 2023. The newer Doel 4 and Tihange 3 would be shut down by 2025. However, a decision was subsequently taken to extend the operation of Doel 4 and Tihange 3, allowing for the retention of 2 GWe of nuclear generation capacity, with agreement reached between the Belgian government and French utility Engie last month on the terms of extending the two units' operation by 10 years and on all obligations related to radioactive waste.

Het Verenigd Koninkrijk wil als eerste West-Europese land de geavanceerde brandstof HALEU gaan produceren. De brandstof, die bestaat uit een vorm van verrijkt uranium, is nodig voor de opwek van energie in de nieuwste generatie kerncentrales.

"Dit zal van cruciaal belang zijn voor de energiezekerheid in binnen- en buitenland", zei de Britse energieminister Claire Coutinho zondag in een verklaring. Voor de nodige investeringen trekt de Britse overheid 300 miljoen pond uit, omgerekend ruim 348 miljoen euro.

De maatregel is ook bedoeld om minder afhankelijk te worden van Rusland. Dat is het enige land waar HALEU op dit moment commercieel verkrijgbaar is.

Het duurt naar verwachting wel nog tot de jaren dertig van deze eeuw voordat de eerste HALEU-fabriek in het noordwesten van Engeland operationeel is. In de Verenigde Staten wordt momenteel al wel HALEU gemaakt in een fabriek van uraniumverrijker Urenco. Maar daar gebeurt dat niet op commerciële schaal.

VK wil kwart van stroom uit kernenergie halen

De Britse overheid heeft zich eerder ten doel gesteld in 2050 een kwart van de stroomproductie te halen uit kernenergie. Op die manier wil het land minder afhankelijk worden van gas en kolen. Ook moet dat de uitstoot van schadelijke broeikasgassen beperken.

Vorig jaar kondigde de overheid ook al nieuwe subsidies aan voor de ontwikkeling van kleinere kernreactoren. Die zouden veel goedkoper en ook sneller om te bouwen zijn.

In meer landen zijn plannen om extra in te zetten op kernenergie. Niet alleen de Britten, maar bijvoorbeeld ook de VS, Frankrijk, Nederland en de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten schaarden zich op de recente klimaattop in Dubai achter een oproep om de hoeveelheid kernenergie in de wereld tegen 2050 te verdrievoudigen.

France is set to build eight new nuclear plants on top of six already announced, the energy minister has said, arguing more reactors are needed to hit carbon reduction targets.

A draft law set to be presented soon recognises that "we will need nuclear power beyond the six first European Pressurised Reactors" (EPRs) announced by President Emmanuel Macron in early 2022, Agnes Pannier-Runacher told Sunday's edition of weekly newspaper Tribune Dimanche.

The bill will include a further eight plants that had until now been discussed as an "option" by the government, Pannier-Runacher said.

By contrast, the text would not include any targets for renewable energy generation by 2030, remaining "technologically neutral", she added.

France is on the lower end of greenhouse gas emissions in the 27-nation European Union, at around 4.7 tonnes per capita in 2020, according to data from Climate Watch.

This is in part thanks to its fleet of 57 nuclear reactors built from the 1970s - some of which required long and costly repairs in recent years.

"The historic nuclear fleet will not last forever," Pannier-Runacher told Tribune Dimanche.

France aims to reduce fossil fuels' share of energy use from more than 60% now to 40% in 2035, which would require "further construction equivalent to 13 gigawatts" of energy from 2026, Pannier-Runacher said.

That matches "the power of eight EPR reactors, without setting in stone any particular technology", the minister added.

Pannier-Runacher suggested that construction of even more than 14 nuclear reactors could be raised in talks with lawmakers once the energy bill reaches parliament.

State energy firm EDF's next-generation EPR has had a rocky start.

Three are online, one in Finland and two in China, after suffering massive construction delays and cost overruns that have also beset projects in Britain and France.

The first EPR in France, at Flamanville in Normandy, is set to come online for testing in mid-2024, EDF said last month - 17 years after construction started and at a cost of €12.7 billion (about R260 billion), around four times the initial budget of €3.3 billion.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/South-African-government-opens-IRP-for-public-comm

The draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2023) setting out how South Africa will seek to ensure security of electricity supply was formally issued by Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe and will be open to public comments until 23 February.

"The purpose of this publication is to solicit public comments on the assumptions, input parameters, scenarios, and observations made," the Department for Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) said on X. "Comments submitted will be considered in drafting the final policy adjusted plan which will map out the future energy mix for the country."

The 52-page document has been published in the South African Government Gazette and considers several scenarios and latest developments in the country's electricity industry, DMRE said. It considers two time horizons: the period up to 2030, focusing on addressing prevailing generation capacity constraints and system requirements to close the supply gap; and the period from 2031 to 2050, focusing on long-term electricity generation planning with pathways to achieve a net zero electricity sector by 2050.

South Africa's previous IRP, published in 2019, recognised the need to retain nuclear power in the country's energy mix and supported utility Eskom in pursuing a licence for the long-term operation of the Koeberg nuclear power plant. The plant's life extension is currently being reviewed by the National Nuclear Regulator, the new document notes.

Over the longer horizon, pathways comprising dispatchable technologies with high utilisation factors - including different combinations of nuclear, renewables, clean coal and gas - will provide security of supply as well as supporting carbon reduction commitments, the report finds.

Firm decisions based on system requirements are "crucial", the plan concludes, but final policy decisions "must be taken on the basis of a longterm decarbonisation trajectory" while improving South Africa's competitiveness and economic growth, the IRP concludes.

The DMRE recently confirmed it intends to start the procurement process for 2500 MWe of new nuclear capacity, with plans to issue requests for proposals by March 2024.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclearelectrica-gets-EU-funding-for-tritium%C2%A0remov

Romania's Nuclearelectrica has secured a loan agreement of EUR145 million (USD159 million) with the European Investment Bank (EIB) towards the completion of what will be Europe's first Tritium Removal Facility, at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant.

As Candu pressurised heavy water reactors age, tritium - an isotope of hydrogen - accumulates in its moderator and heat transport systems. Increased levels of tritium can significantly contribute to personnel dose rates and emissions levels in the environment. Tritium removal technology is designed to capture and process tritium so that it can be properly stored and recycled, thereby reducing environmental impact, personnel exposure levels and enhancing workplace safety.

The Cernavoda tritium removal facility - the world's third, and the first in Europe - will use technology developed by the Romanian National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies, a scientific research and technological development unit under the coordination of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalisation.

The tritium removal facility will include several high-technology areas: liquid phase isotopic separation, cryogenic distillation and high-vacuum operation. The tritium extracted will be stored in secure and safe specialised containers ready for future use.

The loan agreement was announced on 22 December. Cosmin Ghiță, Nuclearelectrica CEO, said: "Cernavoda Tritium Removal Facility will be the world’s third and Europe’s first tritium removal facility and will give Romania the opportunity to become a European hub for tritium production and export - the fuel candidate of future clean fusion reactors. We are happy to implement a Romanian innovative technology, based on years of research and development, a true statement of Romania's leadership in nuclear industry."

EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris said: "The EIB is financing sustainable energy projects worldwide and we are glad to support this project with health, safety and circular economy benefits undertaken by an experienced promoter."

The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and makes long-term finance available for projects pursuing EU policy goals. Its approach to nuclear projects was defined in its Energy Lending Criteria 2013, outlining a technology neutral approach "in line with the European Union’s decarbonisation goal and the objectives of ensuring security of energy supply and competitiveness in an environmentally sustainable, cost-efficient, effective, safe and socially acceptable way".

Cernavoda is the only nuclear power plant in Romania and consists of two 650 MWe Candu-6 reactors. Unit 1 went into commercial operation in 1996 and unit 2 in 2007. Nuclearelectrica plans to extend the operating life of unit 1 to 60 years. Tritium removal facilities are already in operation at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington plant and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power's Wolsong plant, both home to Candu reactors.

In June Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract worth KRW260 billion (USD200 million) with Nuclearelectrica following a public procurement process. The project completion timeline is estimated to be 50 months.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Connection-to-grid-requested-for-Poland-s-first-pl

Polish electricity grid operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE) has determined the parameters required for connecting the country's first nuclear power plant, planned in Pomerania, to the national grid.

Every quarter, PSE updates the list of companies that have applied for a connection to the national grid. According to the latest list, on 7 December Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) received the conditions for the connection to the grid of a nuclear power plant in the Gdańsk area with a capacity of up to 3720 MWe.

The next stage in the process is the conclusion of a connection agreement between PSE and PEJ - a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by the State Treasury. The date of concluding the connection agreement and the date of connecting the power plant to the national grid have not yet been determined.

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.

The Ministry of Climate and Environment in November last year issued a decision-in-principle for the country's second large nuclear power plant. Two South Korean-supplied APR1400 reactors are planned in the Patnów-Konin region.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-icebreakers-help-Northern-Sea-Route-to-rec

A new record for cargo transported via Russia's Northern Sea Route was set in 2023 with existing nuclear icebreakers providing more than 730 vessel support services. Work continues to progress on two more nuclear-powered icebreakers.

The Northern Sea Route (NSR) runs along the north coast of Russia connecting the European and far eastern ports of Russia over a distance of 5600 kilometres. By 21 December, Rosatom reported that 35 million tonnes had been transported, compared with the previous record of 34.1 million tonnes, which was set in 2021.

Vladimir Panov, special representative of the Rosatom State Corporation for Arctic development, noted that in 1987 the record for NSR freight for the Soviet Union was set at 7 tonnes and that 2023's figure was a bounce back from 2022 when there was a 90% drop in transit cargo flow "due to geopolitical factors". He said that this had been reversed with a record set for transit cargo flow, of 2.17 million tonnes, with cargo redirected from the Suez Canal to the Northern Sea Route.

According to a report by Norway's Nord university's High North News, citing Center for High North Logistics data, "strong demand for Russian crude oil in China resulted in record transit cargo on the Northern Sea Route in 2023. More than a dozen shipments delivered 1.5m tons of crude oil from the Baltic Sea to China through the Arctic". It reports that "additional volume came in the form of iron ore, coal and LNG. General cargo and containerised cargo accounted for around 7 percent".

Rosatom says that the distance from Murmansk to Japanese ports is halved by using the NSR rather than the Suez Canal, with the duration cut from about 37 to 18 days. Panov said of the growth of the total cargo: "This contribution will only grow. The Northern Sea Route is defined by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin as one of the strategic development priorities."

Further development of the Northern Sea Route is also due to be on the agenda of a conference in March held at Russia's Chamber of Commerce which, according to the Tass news agency, will focus on the development of the "backbone cities" of the route. It also quoted President Putin as saying in December that the NSR was "becoming more efficient than the Suez Canal" and was becoming more open for ships in different seasons of the year, although the icebreaker fleet will still be needed for a long time, "for more than one decade and this is a great competitive advantage for our country".

The nuclear-powered icebreakers play a key role in the development of the shipping route and there is currently a construction programme 'Project 22220' to build a new fleet. As part of this, the second RITM-200 reactor unit was delivered to the Baltic Plant in St Petersburg on 22 December, to be installed on the Chukotka, which is due to be delivered in 2026. The reactor weighs 147.5 tonnes, is 7.3 metres high and 3.3 metres in diameter - the RITM-200 installation includes two reactors with a thermal power of 175 MWt each, which deliver 60 MW at the propellers via twin turbine generators and three motors.

Igor Kotov, head of manufacturers Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division, said: "The arrival of the tenth RITM-200 reactor unit at the Baltic Plant is a significant event for the Mechanical Engineering Division of Rosatom. Now all the newest generation universal nuclear icebreakers being built at this shipyard are equipped with the most modern installations that will allow the icebreaker fleet to work more efficiently and transport even more cargo along the Northern Sea Route."

The fourth of the Project 22220 icebreakers - the Yakutia - is also currently under construction at the site. In November its mast, which is 18.6 metres tall and weighs about 76 tonnes, was loaded on to the vessel, which led to it reaching its final height of 59.3 metres. It is slated for service later this year, when it will follow the Artika, Sibir and Ural.

Andrey Tenitsky, adviser to the director general of FSUE Atomflot, said that there had been a notable lowering of the average age of people working for Rosatomflot: "Young people are attracted to work on new universal nuclear icebreakers: modern domestic equipment, unique technologies and reliability. But there is also noticeable career growth on these ships. For example, on Project 22220 nuclear-powered ships there are two captains who have not yet turned 42 years old."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Canadian-collaboration-to-explore-isotope-producti

The Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) and nuclear innovation company Nuclear Promise X (NPX) will explore the feasibility of using Canadian nuclear reactors to produce plutonium-238 (Pu-238) for use in deep space exploration.

The study for the Canadian Space Agency will look at how Canada's existing reactors can be used to irradiate neptunium-237 to produce Pu-238, and all costs associated with production, shipment, and extraction of the energy source. The goal will be to understand if it is economically feasible for Canada's reactors to add Pu-238 to their existing isotope production portfolio, leveraging the medical isotope production infrastructure which is already in place.

CNIC members will evaluate the feasibility of production and level of capability, with NPX providing overall project management and engineering.

NPX CEO Bharath Nangia said the company looks to operate "in the intersection" of nuclear energy and innovation. "This is going to be a rewarding and creative project, that has the potential to add a lot of value," he said.

Radioisotope power systems fuelled with Pu-238 have been used in space missions since the early 1960s, using the heat from the radioactive decay of the isotope to provide power and heat continuously over long, deep space missions. Such systems have been used in missions including the Voyager and Pioneer spacecraft, as well as the Perseverance rover. However, supplies of Pu-238 are limited. The US Department of Energy restarted production of the isotope in 2015 after a gap of some 30 years, but Russia - which had previously also supplied the isotope - ceased production in 2009. The European Space Agency is considering the use of americium-241 derived from civil plutonium stockpiles as an alternative.

The CNIC is an independent organisation of representatives from the Canadian health sector, nuclear industry and research bodies, which was established in 2018 to advocate for Canada's role in the production of the world's radioisotope supply. CNIC Chair James Scongack said the study aligns with the organisation's Isotopes for Hope Campaign, launched in 2023. "Together our companies working with NPX hope to demonstrate another example of why radioisotopes are so important to modern society," he said.

Carl Berglöf has already warned that legislation will be needed to reestablish supply chains and develop skills.

Sweden has appointed a national nuclear power coordinator as part of its efforts to speed up the expansion of new nuclear power and introduce measures needed for the construction of up to 10 new reactors

Energy and industry minister Ebba Busch has announced the appointment of Carl Berglöf, who will support the government in its work to deploy new nuclear power plants.

Berglöf, who is secretary general of the Swedish Atomic Forum (Safo) told NucNet in an interview recently that the Swedish government’s plans for up to 10 new nuclear plants reflect its recognition of the crucial role reactors can play in achieving energy security and climate targets.

But he warned that after decades without any new build, legislation will be needed to reestablish supply chains and develop skills.

He said addressing the challenge of an ambitious new-build programme will also need legislation on financing mechanisms and collaboration between the government and the private sector to share the risks inherent in major infrastructure projects such as nuclear plants.

The government said decisions need to be made on how the expansion can be carried out at the pace needed to meet a growing need for electricity and a robust and resilient energy supply.

Massive Build-Out Planned By 2045

“The coordinator will be a point of contact for stakeholders and actors in the area and will cooperate with them in order to increase the rate of establishment of new reactors,” the government said.

The government has said it is aiming to build the equivalent of two new conventional nuclear reactors by 2035 to meet rising demand for clean power from industry and transport and was prepared to take on some of the costs.

By 2045 the government wants to have the equivalent of 10 new reactors, some of which are likely to be small modular reactors (SMRs), Busch said.

According to Busch, the government is planning a “massive build out” of new nuclear power by 2045.

In a recent report, the Swedish National Audit Office warned of potential obstacles to new capacity, saying the government and the state authorities have not implemented efficient measures for the electricity system to develop in line with the overall goal of energy policy. “Delayed action, short-termism and poor impact analyses are the biggest shortcomings,” the report said

One of the issues Sweden faces is finding the right mix of large-scale nuclear power plants and SMRs, Berglöf said. He said the two technologies are not in competition but would complement each other.

PM Says New Nuclear Is Key Goal

Prime minister Ulf Kristersson has made expanding nuclear power generation a key goal for his right-wing government, seeking to reverse a process of gradual closures of several reactors in the past couple of decades that has left the country relying more heavily on renewable but sometimes less predictable energy.

He announced last year that Sweden is preparing legislation to allow the construction of more nuclear power stations.

In December Sweden’s parliament approved a bill allowing more commercial nuclear power reactors to be built than previously planned, scrapping the previous cap of.

The new laws will also allow construction of nuclear reactors at sites other than existing ones.

Sweden’s six existing nuclear plants are at Ringhals, Forsmark and Oskarshamn. According to International Atomic Energy Agency data, nuclear energy provided about a third of the country’s electricity generation in 2021.

Swedes have debated nuclear power for decades, but the energy source has garnered popular support recently amid the Ukraine war and concerns over energy prices and energy security.

Ultra-large nuclear vessel designed to achieve zero emissions, says Beijing.

China has unveiled plans for a nuclear-powered container ship expected to be the largest ever built, powered by a thorium reactor and boasting a load capacity of 24,000 standard containers.

Jiangnan Shipyard, a division of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), said the KUN-24AP, featuring a thorium-based Generation IV molten salt reactor, would prove safer and more efficient than the uranium reactors currently used to power warships.

China has an abundant supply of thorium meaning that it could be a cost-effective low-carbon alternative for shipping and other industries.

CSSC said in a social media post: “This type of ship has high safety because the reactor operates at high temperatures and low pressure, meaning it can avoid in principle core melting.

“The ultra-large nuclear container ship is designed to truly achieve ‘zero emissions’ during the ship’s operating cycle,” CSSC said.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said China got its first experimental thorium-based molten salt reactor running earlier this year. The newspaper said most countries have abandoned efforts to develop thorium reactors because of the complexity of the technology.

China has released little information about the reactor possibly because of its military applications, the Post said.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, China announced the completion of the reactor in August 2021.

Built in the middle of the Gobi Desert in the country’s north, the reactor had been undergoing testing.

If the experiment proves successful, Beijing plans to construct another reactor potentially capable of generating electricity for more than 100,000 homes, the IAEA said.

‘Thorium More Abundant, Efficient’

China is not alone in its intentions to reap thorium’s unique properties. In the past, India, Japan, the UK, the US and other countries have demonstrated enthusiasm for research into the possible application of thorium in nuclear power. The appeal of this metal is its potential to be a more abundant and efficient substitute for uranium, the dominant nuclear fuel.

Christopher Wiernicki, chairman and chief executive of classification society the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), said in a magazine article last year that nuclear energy has the potential to be “a disruptor” for the marine industry, transforming not only vessel operations but entire supply chains and the entire “ship-to-port interface” by providing electricity to land-based or port-related marine services, an industry leader said.

He said third and fourth generations nuclear reactors hold much promise for shipping and the advantages stretch beyond zero-carbon operations.

An ABS study showed that the adoption of advanced nuclear reactors onboard a large containership would eliminate the need for refuelling of the vessel during its entire 25-year lifespan.

Wiernicki said the study showed why the industry cannot afford to ignore the vast potential offered by nuclear propulsion both in terms of emissions reduction and operational efficiency.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Idaho-researchers-develop-reactor-digital-twin

A virtual replica of Idaho State University's (ISU's) AGN-201 research reactor, developed in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), is claimed to be the world's first nuclear reactor digital twin.

Digital twins are virtual models of real-life assets, such as complex infrastructure, machines or buildings. By modelling nuclear reactors, digital twins allow researchers to understand how certain changes affect the entire system, without making an irreversible change to the physical reactor itself. According to INL, digital twins could save nuclear energy researchers time and money, especially as new, innovative reactors come online.

The AGN-201 digital twin receives real-time data from the actual reactor, then uses machine learning to anticipate its performance. With the digital twin, researchers can interact with the real-world reactor in mixed reality by monitoring data.

"Someday, digital twins of nuclear reactors could allow operators to control the reactor remotely," INL said.

The project began in August 2022 after INL digital engineer Ryan Stewart, an ISU graduate, recommended using the AGN-201 reactor for some of the team's planned demonstrations. The reactor was considered an ideal test bed for this project because it is simple compared with commercial power reactors.

ISU students installed data acquisition equipment in the reactor and developed operation scenarios to test the reactor twin - gaining a unique opportunity to take part in cutting edge research. The lab provided much of the digital engineering support, including data acquisition, cloud streaming, machine learning and mixed reality.

The lab's team presented these results to US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm in May last year.

"The benefits of a nuclear reactor digital twin are enormous," said INL Digital Engineering Manager Christopher Ritter. "Digital twins provide a comprehensive understanding of nuclear fuel cycle facility operations, strengthening nuclear security and non-proliferation efforts."

The AGN-201 reactor - developed in the late 1950s by Aerojet General Nucleonics - began operating at ISU in 1965. This low-power (up to 5 Wt) research reactor is commonly used for both academic and industrial research/experiments, as well as for various testing and training purposes. It is one of five such reactors still operating in the world, two others of which are also in the USA.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Indian-PM-dedicates-demonstration-reprocessing-pla

The Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP) is a precursor to large-scale plants for the reprocessing of fast reactor fuel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ceremonially dedicated the DFRP, at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam, to the nation on 2 January.

The facility - which has cost INR400 crore (about USD48 million - 1 crore is 10 million) to develop - is the first industrial-scale plant in the world that is capable of handling both carbide and oxide spent fuels from fast reactors, according to India's Department of Atomic Energy. The Indian-designed facility will serve as a precursor to large-scale commercial fast reactor fuel reprocessing plants.

Fast reactors are part of India's vision for a closed nuclear fuel cycle and making use of its abundant reserves of thorium. IGCAR is home to the MWt Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), in operation since 1985. Work on a 500 MWe prototype fast breeder reactor - the PFBR - began at Kalpakkam in 2004; in August last year, Minister of State Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha that the unit was undergoing "integrated commissioining".

In 2017, IGCAR awarded Hindustan Construction Company a contract worth INR 7.64 billion to construct the Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Facility (FRFCF) to reprocess used fuel from the PFBR.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-update-on-situation-at-Zaporizhzhia-nuclear-p

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says a new system to ensure an immediate supply of back-up electricity if the main external line fails is a significant safety development - but has also outlined a list of areas of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant its experts want to inspect.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that frequent external power cuts - there have been eight since August 2022 - remained a "source of serious concern for safety and security" because electricity is required to cool its reactors and other essential functions.

The plant, on the frontline of Russian and Ukrainian forces, has just the one remaining 750 kV line, with one 330 kV back-up power line. But since mid-2023, the IAEA says, the back-up line has needed manual intervention to become operational. The IAEA says that work has now been carried out at the plant on back-up electrical transformers which, Grossi said: "Means that if the main power supply through the 750 kV switchyard is lost, the back-up line will automatically be able to provide electricity to the plant without manual, and hence delayed, intervention, provided it remains operational."

He added: "This is a significant development, as it enables independence and redundancy in the site’s power supply scheme, even though the overall off-site power situation ... remains extremely fragile. This solution will only be effective if the 330 kV power line remains available, which, as we know from experience, is far from guaranteed."

In the first update of the new year, the IAEA also detailed its requests for more access at the site, which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022. It said its experts stationed at the plant were still awaiting access to the rooftops of reactors which had been planned for 19 December, and it said "access to some parts of the ZNPP’s turbine halls continues to be restricted, including those areas of reactor units 3, 4 and 6 over the past week".

For the past two weeks, the agency says, its team has not been allowed to access the reactor halls of units 1, 2 and 6 - "the first time that IAEA experts have not been granted access to a reactor hall of a unit that was in cold shutdown".

They are also awaiting the maintainance schedule for 2024 and are "closely following developments" regarding boric acid deposits they observed during a walkdown in the containment building of unit 6, which the plant operators said was the result of a leak in one of the boric acid storage tanks. The IAEA said: "This type of leak can occur during the operation of a plant. However, this kind of event requires proper and timely attention, investigation and response from the operator, to prevent further and potentially more severe safety implications."

Progress continues on the installation of four more mobile diesel boilers at the site, to help generate additional steam for various nuclear safety functions. The plant currently has nine mobile boilers, of which at least eight have been operating, providing additional heating during the winter. Five of the six reactors at the nuclear power plant are in cold shut down, with one remaining in hot shutdown, where it produces heat for the plant and the nearby town of Energodar where most of the staff live.

IAEA teams stationed at Ukraine's other nuclear sites of Rivne, Khmelnitsky, South Ukraine power plants and Chernobyl "continue to report that nuclear safety and security is being maintained, despite wide-ranging missile attacks on Ukraine in the past week, which forced the IAEA experts at the Khmelnitsky NPP to take shelter three times". Those stationed at the Rivne plant were informed that a cruise missile flew close to the plant on 29 December.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/New-wetland-proposed-near-Hinkley-Point-C

EDF Energy is proposing the creation of more than 800 acres (324 hectares) of saltmarsh on the River Parrett in Somerset, UK, as an alternative to the proposal for 280 underwater speakers to produce an acoustic fish deterrent at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant.

Plans for the saltmarsh - proposed to keep some fish species away from the power station's cooling water system - are being developed with Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and the Environment Agency.

EDF Energy said the proposed saltmarsh - at Pawlett Hams near Bridgwater - would create a new habitat for fish and animals, improve local water quality and help prevent flooding.

It said creating saltmarsh is a proven way to increase and protect biodiversity. It will help fish by providing breeding grounds and provide food and shelter for birds and animals. Tidal marsh also filters and cleans water, prevents floods and locks away carbon "in one of our most effective weapons in the fight against climate change".

Steart Marshes, opposite the proposed new wetland, was created nine years ago and is now teeming with birds, fish and wildlife, and is a popular place for recreation, EDF Energy noted.

The creation of the new habitat to help protect fish populations replaces a proposal to install an acoustic fish deterrent system. This system would use 280 speakers to continuously make loud noises during the plant's planned 60-year operation. The impact of such systems on porpoises, seals, whales and other species is unknown, the company said, adding that independent studies showed it would offer a very small potential benefit to protected fish species. It would also risk the safety of divers in the fast-flowing tides of the Bristol Channel.

The new saltmarsh is one of a number of proposed measures to help wildlife and the environment around the Severn estuary. These include the planting of seagrass and kelp, developing native oyster beds and removing weirs on three rivers to help migrating fish to reach their breeding grounds.

The proposals for habitat creation and other changes to Hinkley Point C's design - such as alterations to the way the plant will store used nuclear fuel - will be included in a public consultation launching on 9 January.

"The new wetland would be a fantastic place for wildlife and a beautiful place to visit," said Chris Fayers, head of environment at Hinkley Point C. "Using natural and proven ways to improve the environment is better than creating 60 years of noise pollution with a system that is untested far offshore in the fast-flowing waters of the Severn.

"Hinkley Point C is one of Britain's biggest acts in the fight against climate change and its operation will provide significant benefits for the environment."

Hinkley Point C will be the first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK in more than 20 years and will provide about 7% of the country's electricity. Construction of the plant began in December 2018. The first of its two 1630 MWe EPR reactors is scheduled to be connected to the grid in 2027 and the second in 2028.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsfortum-plans-tender-for-loviisa-fuel-supplier-11409055

Finland’s Fortum Power & Heat Oy has submitted a report on future fuel procurement for the Loviisa NPP to the Ministry of Labour & Trade. The submission of the report was one of the permit conditions imposed when the government granted Fortum's two Loviisa units until the end of 2050. Fortum was required to submit a report to the Ministry by the end of 2023 on how it will handle the procurement of fresh fuel in the future. The purpose of the permit condition is to ensure that the fuel supply for Loviisa would no longer rely solely on the Russia’s TVEL.

Loviisa NPP comprises two Soviet designed VVER-440 units, which were commissioned in 1977 and 1980 and initially received fuel from Russia. In 1996-98 a fuel assembly design – NOVA E-3 (fixed assembly) and NOVCA (follower) – was developed in a programme involving BNFL (UK), 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 – in Springfields, UK, was completed and the fuel was delivered for insertion in Loviisa unit 2. 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.

Loviisa’s current fuel agreement with the 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.

Fortum had announced in November 2022 that it had signed an agreement with Westinghouse Electric Company to deliver a new fuel type for Loviisa. However, the introduction of new fuel is a multi-year project that requires regulatory approvals. Efforts to develop new design VVER-440 fuel 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.

According to its report to the Ministry, Fortum will tender for fuel production after 2027/2030. Meanwhile the agreement with Westinghouse and the fresh TVEL fuel in stock will ensure Loviisa’s fuel supply. In addition, Fortum announced that it is investigating the possibilities of another Western fuel supplier developing VVER-440 fuel in order to improve the security of fuel supply and strengthen competition. Most likely this could be France’s Framatome, which recently signed a fuel supply agreement with Hungary, which also operates VVER-440s. The Ministry said it will continue to monitor the availability of fuels.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Ulba-FA-completes-fuel-production-qualification-pr

Technology holder Framatome has confirmed Kazatomprom has completed the qualification process for the production of AFA 3G type A fuel assemblies at the Ulba-FA LLP plant, which produces nuclear fuel for Chinese nuclear power plants. Production of type A assemblies is expected to begin this year.

The Kazakh national atomic energy company has released an image of a document signed by Framatome Senior Executive Vice President Lionel Gaiffe, dated 18 December 2023, confirming that the plant, a Kazakh-Chinese joint venture, "has been formally evaluated and successfully passed all conditions" and is qualified to manufacture AFA 3G A fuel assemblies.

The 200 tU Ulba-FA fuel assembly plant, which uses Framatome fuel assembly manufacturing technology and equipment manufactured in China, France and the USA, began operations in November 2021 and delivered its first batch of fresh fuel to China General Nuclear subsidiary CGNPC-URC in 2022.

Work on the qualification of fuel assembly production started in March 2023 and was implemented in four stages, Kazatomprom said. The qualification allows the plant to produce AFA 3G type A fuel assemblies, in addition to AFA 3G AA fuel assemblies, thus expanding the product line, it added. The company said it plans to commission industrial production of AFA 3G type A fuel assemblies and supply a batch to China this year.

Ulba-FA LLP is a joint venture of Kazatomprom subsidiary UMP JSC and CGNPC-URC.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/UK-Korean-partnership-to-develop-nuclear-powered-c

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Lloyd's Register, Zodiac Maritime, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) and Kepco Engineering & Construction for the development of nuclear-propelled ship designs, including bulk carriers and container ships.

Under the joint development project, HD KSOE and Kepco E&C will provide designs for future vessels and reactors while Lloyd's Register will assess rule requirements for safe operation and regulatory compliance models.

The partners will work to address the challenges involved with nuclear propulsion, such as applying existing terrestrial nuclear technology to ships, and the project will enable shipping company Zodiac to evaluate ship specifications and voyage considerations around nuclear technology.

"The move comes as the shipping industry looks more closely at nuclear as a future marine fuel in the context of the energy transition and decarbonisation targets," Lloyd's Register said.

The shipping industry consumes some 350 million tonnes of fossil fuel annually and accounts for about 3% of total worldwide carbon emissions. In July last year, the shipping industry, via the International Maritime Organization, approved new targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions, aiming to reach net-zero emissions by or around 2050.

"Lloyd's Register believes there is huge opportunity for nuclear technology to support the maritime energy transition and provide long-term low- or zero-carbon fuel supply security." said Sung-Gu Park, President North East Asia at Lloyd's Register. "We have been assessing nuclear's potential over many decades and we are delighted to partner with Zodiac, HD KSOE and Kepco on this R&D project for nuclear-propelled ships."

"The shipping industry is on an exciting but challenging journey as we transition towards a zero-carbon future," said Stavros Hatzigrigoris, New Buildings Director at Zodiac Maritime. "There is clearly great potential for nuclear technology to play a key part in achieving this mission, but the industry is only in the early stages of putting nuclear power to the test."

"As leading companies in the shipbuilding and nuclear industry, HD KSOE and Kepco E&C are collaborating on the design of a nuclear propulsion ship," Sang-Min Park, Senior Vice President (Green Energy Technology) at HD KSOE and Beom-Seo Park, Executive Senior Vice President at Kepco E&C said in a joint statement. "A nuclear propulsion ship emits no carbon, and its paramount goal is to be designed with a life cycle cost of less than half that of carbon neutral ships."

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newspower-transformer-equipment-delivered-for-leningrad-78-11408494

Russian nuclear utility Rosenergoatom has delivered equipment for the 110/10 kV transformer substation for units 7&8 of the Leningrad NPP under construction at Sosnovy Bor in the Leningrad Region. The equipment comprises a stationary power three-phase transformer weighing more than 40 tonnes. Next year, it will provide power for the welding machines, compressors, lighting devices, tower cranes and other equipment for the start of large-scale construction of the two units.

Currently, the equipment is undergoing an input control procedure. After confirming the quality of its manufacture and compliance with the project, the transformer will be transferred to the installation site and installed on a specially prepared foundation. There it will be enlarged, supplemented by a cooling system, installed relay protection and automation equipment, as well as other elements. After completion of all electrical and commissioning work, specialists will perform individual and comprehensive transformer tests to confirm its readiness for operation.

Currently Leningrad NPP has four units in operation – units 3&4 with Soviet RBMK-1000 reactors, as well units 5&6 with new VVER-1200 units (also known as Leningrad-II 1&2). Units 5&6 replaced units 1&2 with RBMK-1000 reactors, which were decommissioned in 2018 and 2020. New VVER-1200 units (7&8) will replace units 3&4. They are scheduled to be put into commercial operation in 2030 and 2032.

Builders are now completing work on two buildings related to the transformer substation for closed distribution devices 110 kV and 10 kV for units 7&8. This involves laying the external water supply & sewage networks and fire water supply networks as well as mounting the grounding and protection system. To connect the substation with other distribution devices more than 27 kilometres of high voltage cable is being laid.

According to Evgeniy Milushkin, Deputy Director for Capital Construction and Head of the Capital Construction Department of Leningrad-II, the 110/10 kV transformer substation will be put into operation in the first quarter of 2024 when the main stage of the construction of units 7&8 begins.

This will involve work on 150 buildings and structures, primarily for the nuclear and turbine islands. “The substation will be involved at the stage of commissioning, during testing of equipment and technological systems. After units 7&8 are put into operation, the 110/10 kV transformer substation will be on reserve duty. In the event of a precarious situation and the loss of basic and backup power supply, its equipment will almost instantly begin operation and provide power for the equipment,” he said.

To date, logging operations and vertical layout of the area have been completed at the construction site and foundations laid for the boiler houses for the nuclear and turbine islands of unit 7. Construction licences have been issued for units 7&8. First concrete for the foundation slab under the reactor building of unit 7 is planned for March 2024. Two new concrete plants are being installed in addition to the two existing ones. Together they will produce more than 1m cubic metres of concrete – for the two new units.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsindia-and-russia-agree-to-expand-kudankulam-11408394

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, during a five-day visit to Russia, signed agreements with Russia for additional units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The agreement was signed following a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ministry of Industry & Trade Denis Manturov.

Kudankulam NPP, being constructed with Russian assistance, will comprise six units with VVER-1000 reactors. Work began following an intergovernmental agreement between India and Russia signed in 1988. Units 1&2 (Phase I) are already in operation and work is underway to build units 3-6 (Phases II and III). Units 1&2 began operation in 2016. The general framework agreement with Rosatom on the construction units 3&4 was signed in 2014 and, in 2017, the engineering division of Rosatom and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) signed an agreement on the construction units 5&6. Work on units 5&6 began in 2021 and the NPP is expected to be operating at full capacity by 2027. The roadmap for nuclear cooperation between Russia and India provides for the construction of a total 12 units in India, including 4-8 at Kudankulam.

"Today, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, we signed some important agreements pertaining to future units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Project," Jaishankar told a meeting with the Indian community in Moscow. "Russia is a special partner in various fields," he said, listing defence, the nuclear sector and space as the main sectors. "“Interaction in these areas is carried out with those with whom there is a high level of trust. This … reflects the quality of relations.” During the meeting with Manturov ageements were also signed relating to co-operation in the fields of medicine and pharmaceuticals. Jaishankar also said that the two sides expected to meet by the end of January 2024 to start negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

Responding to a question about a payment problem between Russia and India, he said that “in an unusual situation, we are finding ways in which the banks can deal with each other”. He advised those who were unsure about what was happening to “hold back”. However, those with banking expertise and do business with Russia “can educate people about good banks and safe routes”.

He posted on “X” that the special and privileged strategic partnership with Russia reflects the experiences and sentiments of the last 75 years. He urged the Indian community to contribute to the “deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation” and to promote “close ties with Russia in a multipolar world”.

The Hindustan Times, citing “sources” said India and Russia had also discussed cooperation in the field of small modular reactors (SMRs). According to the newspaper, Moscow is ready to share technologies for developing a SMR with a capacity of 75-300 MWe. Both sides also insisted on the early commissioning Kudankulam 3&4 and the simultaneous acceleration of work on units 5&6..

Jaishankar also had talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov focusing on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) – a freight project linking India and Russia via several central and west Asian countries. Lavrov told reporters that it will be implemented in the near future. He said the corridor will develop because of a decline in “Western economic clout” which will result in emerging economic powers developing new trade infrastructure to meet their needs. Jaishankar said the corridor will not only benefit India and Russia but also help in the transport and development of countries that the corridor will pass through as well as the global economy. He added that India “will certainly give it the highest priority”.

INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route and will connect India and Russia while connecting Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Central Asian nations and Europe. Current members include India, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, with Bulgaria as an observer. Turkmenistan is expected to join.

The Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India said that INSTC is 30% cheaper and 40% shorter than the current traditional routes and would increase bilateral trade between India-Russia, India-Iran and other INSTC members. It would certainly make the transport of large nuclear equipment easier and quicker. The route joins Mumbai to Moscow and St Petersburg via Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e-Anzali and Astrakhan, and includes important seaport cities in the Arabian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea and the Black Sea.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/China-approves-construction-of-four-new-reactors?feed=feed

The construction of two Hualong One reactors at each of the Taipingling and Jinqimen sites was approved by China's State Council at a 29 December meeting. Meanwhile, various milestones have been reached in the construction of other Chinese units.

At the meeting of the Standing Committee of the State Council, chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, approval was granted for units 3 and 4 at China General Nuclear's (CGN's) existing Taipingling nuclear power plant in Guangdong province, as well as units 1 and 2 at China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC's) new Jinqimen nuclear power plant in Zhejiang province.

The Taipingling plant will eventually have six Hualong One reactors. The construction of the first and second units began in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Unit 1 is scheduled to start up in 2025, with unit 2 following in 2026.

Cold functional tests began at Taipingling 1 on 22 December, CGN announced. The tests mark the first time the reactor systems are operated together with the auxiliary systems. Cold functional tests are carried out to confirm whether components and systems important to safety are properly installed and ready to operate in a cold condition. The main purpose of these tests is to verify the leak-tightness of the primary circuit and components - such as pressure vessels, pipelines and valves of both the nuclear and conventional islands - and to clean the main circulation pipes.

Units 1 and 2 of the Jinqimen plant - which CNNC notes have been included in the national plan and have undergone a comprehensive safety assessment review - have also been approved. CNNC subsidiary CNNC Zhejiang Energy Co Ltd will be responsible for project investment, construction and operations management of the new plant.

On 31 July last year, China's State Council approved the construction of six nuclear power units: units 5 and 6 of the Ningde plant in Fujian Province; units 1 and 2 of the Shidaowan plant in Shandong Province; and units 1 and 2 of the Xudabao plant in Liaoning Province. The latest approvals bring the total number of nuclear power projects approved in 2023 to ten, the same number approved in 2022.

Construction milestones

The Hualong One design features a double-layered containment structure. The main function of the containment building is to ensure the integrity and leak tightness of the reactor building, and it plays a key role in the containment of radioactive substances.

CNNC announced that the inner dome of the containment building of unit 4 at the Changjiang plant in Hainan province and the outer dome of unit 2 at the Zhangzhou plant in Fujian province were hoisted into place on 27 and 28 December, respectively.

Meanwhile, the reactor pressure vessel of unit 3 of the Sanmen plant in Zhejiang province was hoisted into place on 25 December. The "open-top method" was used, which involved using a 2600-tonne crane to install the vessel - weighing more than 271 tonnes - prior to the dome of the containment building being hoisted into place.

The first safety-related concrete was poured for the nuclear island of Sanmen 3 on 28 June, marking the official start of its construction. Phase II (units 3 and 4) of the Sanmen plant - which already houses two operating Westinghouse AP1000 units - will comprise two CAP1000 reactors, the Chinese version of the AP1000. The units are scheduled to start up in 2027 and 2028, respectively.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Estonian-report-backs-nuclear-s-climate-goals-pote

The Estonian government's Nuclear Energy Working Group has concluded that introducing nuclear energy to the country would help to meet climate goals and increase energy security, with small modular reactors (SMRs) deemed to be the most suitable for the country.

The conclusion of the group's two-and-a-half-year study has been published as part of the country's process of following the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) roadmap for nuclear newcomer countries. According to the country's Ministry of Climate, the government and the Riigikogu parliament will soon begin discussing the potential launch of a nuclear energy programme.

The announcement, with a link to the published report, said: "The introduction of nuclear energy in a country with no previous experience requires years of preparation, and it would take 9-11 years to start producing electricity from the nuclear power plant. If it is decided to start using nuclear energy, the next step in Estonia should be the preparation of the legal framework, the development of competences and the process of choosing a location for a nuclear power plant."

Antti Tooming, the head of the nuclear energy working group and the deputy chancellor of the Ministry of Climate, said "nuclear energy has the potential to ensure a stable energy supply in Estonia for future generations" but warned that it "must not harm the addition of renewable energy production and storage capacities or cause the emission reduction to be postponed".

The report says that if the construction of the nuclear power plant is privately financed, the initial state budget costs in creating an enabling framework would be about EUR73 million (USD80 million) over a period of up to 11 years, but, the ministry reports, "the introduction of nuclear energy would bring additional revenues to the state, primarily in the form of higher tax receipts and the revival of economic activity, which would likely exceed the costs of creating and maintaining the national framework already at the construction stage of the nuclear power 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.

IAEA says country is fastest expanding nuclear power generator in world.

China has approved the construction of four new nuclear power plants as it pushes ahead with ambitious plans to increase its installed reactor capacity to 70 GW (gross) by 2025, up from about 53 GW today.

The State Council granted approval for Units 3 and 4 at China General Nuclear’s existing Taipingling nuclear power station in Guangdong province, southern China, and for Units 1 and 2 at China National Nuclear Corporation’s new Jinqimen nuclear power station in Zhejiang province, eastern China.

Press reports in China said the approvals, which came late last month, brought the number of green-lit nuclear plants in China in 2023 to 10, the same number approved in 2022.

The Taipingling nuclear station will eventually have six indigenous Hualong One, or HPR1000 pressurised water reactor plants. The construction of the first and second units began in 2019 and 2020 with Unit 1 scheduled to start up in 2025 and Unit 2 in 2026.

In July, China’s State Council approved six new nuclear units to expand three existing stations in Shandong province, Fujian province and Liaoning province.

The state-run China Daily said the six approved units were units 5 and 6 of the Ningde nuclear station in Fujian province, southeast China; units 1 and 2 of the Shidao Bay station, also known as Shidaowan, in Shandong province, eastern China; and units 1 and 2 of the Xudabu (also Xudapu or Xudabao) station in Liaoning province, northeast China.

According to International Atomic Energy Agency data, China has 55 nuclear plants in commercial operation and 23 under construction, not including the four that have now been approved. In 2022 the nuclear fleet provided about 5% of the country’s electricity production.

Over the past decade China has added 37 nuclear reactors, according to the IAEA. During that same period the US, which leads the world with 93 reactors, added two.

The IAEA says China is the fastest expanding nuclear power generator in the world.

Beijing is trying to curb its reliance on coal, which pollutes the air and is hard to transport from the coal mines in the west and north of the country to the economically developed southeast coast, where China is building most of its reactors. With nuclear, it plans to increase energy security, lower its reliance on coal and oil and limit CO2 emissions while keeping up with its economic growth, the IAEA said.

Figure represents highest production volume in facility’s history.

The Olkiluoto nuclear power station in Finland, boosted by commercial operation of a third reactor, produced 24.67 TWh of electricity in 2023, or 31% of the electricity consumed in the country, station owner and operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) said.

TVO said this is the highest production volume in the history of Olkiluoto and due largely to the fact that a third unit, a 1,600 EPR, began commercial operation in May.

Since it began regular electricity production in April, Olkiluoto-3 has been offline for less than four days, TVO said. The downtime was largely the result of two turbine trips in November, one of which resulted from a fault in the protection system’s measuring instrument, and the other from a turbine trip lock occurring during a nearby fault test.

The Olkiluoto-3 plant had already produced 1.9 TWh of electricity while undergoing test production in 2022, TVO said.

Despite 2023 not being a full production year, Olkiluoto-3 produced 10.37 TWh of electricity, representing 42% of the total production volume from Olkiluoto.

TVO said 2023 was “a solid year” for the two older Olkiluoto units, both 890-MW boiling water reactor units that began commercial operation in 1979 and 1982.

Olkiluoto-1 produced 7.42 TWh of electricity and Olkiluoto-2 6.87 TWh.

Olkiluoto-1 produced slightly more electricity than in previous years, but at Olkiluoto-2 production was reduced by a leak detected in the cooling system of the water-cooled generator in August 2023. This resulted in the plant being taken offline for 17 days for replacement of the rotor of the generator.

In 2022 the two units that were operating at Olkiluoto produced 16.4 TWh – up from 14.4 TWh in 2021.

All three Olkiluoto units are in operation with a combined power output of about 3,380 MW, said Marjo Mustonen, senior vice-president of electricity production at TVO.

TVO said it has spent “tens of millions of euros” on the modernisation of Olkiluoto-1 and Olkiluoto-2. In 2023, about €60m ($65m) was invested in maintenance and modification.

TVO is considering extending the operating licences and increasing the capacity for Olkiluoto-1 and Olkiluoto-2. TVO said a final decision on licence extensions and uprates would be made once an environmental impact assessment is complete. Both units are licensed until 2038.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsrussias-kola-npp-may-extend-operation-of-units-12-until-2038-11406843

The Director of Russia’s Kola NPP Vasily Omelchuk told a press conference that Kola NPP in the Murmansk region is considering the possibility of extending operation of units 1&2 until 2038 although they had been expected to close in 2033-2034. "The first and second units of the Kola NPP will operate until 2033-2034, but there is an order from the government to consider the possibility of extending their operating life,” he said. “According to our estimates, it is likely that this can be done for a short time, of course, without compromising security. We have set ourselves the task of considering the extension and justification of the first unit until 2038. But we’re not yet able to say whether it is possible.

Kola NPP, with four VVER-440 reactors, was the first nuclear power plant to be built in the harsh climatic conditions of the Arctic. Today it transmits electricity through five power transmission lines, providing reliable power supply to the northern part of the Republic of Karelia, where most of the region's large industrial enterprises are located, as well as more than 50% of consumers on the Kola Peninsula. Unit 1 began operation in 1973 and unit 2 in 1974. Units 3&4 began operation in 1981 and 1984.

Omelchuk noted that the decommissioning of the two units can be synchronized with the launch of the new Kola-II station, which is scheduled to begin work by 2035. Kola-II will be the world's first NPP with a spectrally regulated reactor. Kola-II will be constructed a few kilometres from the existing plant near the town of Polyarnye Zori. It will host two VVER-600 reactors with spectral regulation. The reactors will be able to reuse nuclear fuel and, working in conjunction with fast neutron reactors, will make it possible to close the nuclear fuel cycle.

Source: https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsspains-new-radwaste-plan-supports-nuclear-phase-out-11406788

Spain’s Council of Ministers has approved the seventh General Plan for Radioactive Waste (PGRR - Plan General de Residuos Radiactivos), proposed by the Ministry for Ecological Transition & Demographic Challenge, which sets the roadmap for treatment of wastes from NPPs. This plan, approval of which was delayed for some years, is essential to support Spain’s nuclear phase out plans but slightly extends their operation. Spain now intends to close its five operating plants starting in 2027 with a completion date of 2035.

Spain currently has seven operating reactors at five NPPs. These include two pressurised water reactors (PWRs) at Almarez NPP (Extremadura), two PWRs at Ascó NPP (Tarragona), one boiling water reactor at Cofrentes NPP (Valencia), one PWR at Vandellós NPP (Tarragona) and one PWR at Trillo NPP (Guadalajara). Together they generate around 20% of Spain’s electricity. Power utilities Endesa, Iberdrola and Naturgy all have shares in the NPPs. In addition, there are two other plants undergoing decommissioning – José Cabrera and Santa María de Garoña. The closure will begin Almaraz 1 in November 2027 followed by unit 2 in October 2028. Then Ascó, Cofrentes, Vandellós and Trillo will close in sequence by 2035.

Closure of the plants will entail a complex process of dismantling the facilities and the subsequent management of radioactive waste. The very low, low and intermediate activity waste will go to the El Cabril storage facility in the province of Córdoba, which will need to be expanded. However, the disposal of high-level waste and used fuel had been problematic. The basic priority objective of the Sixth General Radioactive Waste Management Plan, prepared by the National Radioactive Waste Company (Enresa) and approved by the Council of Ministers in 2006, was the setting up of a Centralised Temporary Storage Facility (ATC - Almacenamiento Temporal Centralizado) for used fuel and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) until a final repository has been constructed.

The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CNS - Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear) approved the basic conceptual design of the ATC without identifying a specific location. Subsequently the government of Mariano Rajoyin 2011 appointed Villar de Cañas, in Cuenca as the site for the ATC. However, this was frozen in 2018 by the government of Pedro Sanchez after €90m ($99.5m) had already been spent on the project.

The seventh PGRR abandons the ATC concept in favour of constructing seven storage facilities – one at each of the five operating nuclear plants in addition to two at the closed plants of Garoña and José Cabrera. These are considered as a temporary solution until a Deep Geological Repository (AGP - Almacén Geológico Profundo) is available in the 2070s.

The new plan establishes the government's policy on radioactive waste management, including used fuel, and the dismantling and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. According to the Government in a press release, the PGRR underwent a long process starting in 2020 with the dissemination of a draft plan. It is the first PGRR to undergo a strategic environmental assessment – which also includes a phase of consultation and public information – and a report from the CNS and local communities, in order to guarantee broad participation, consensus and social support.

It is in line with the National Integrated Energy & Climate Plan (PNIEC - Plan Nacional Integrado de Energía y Clima) 2021-2030, that sets the roadmap for Spain to meet the European climate and energy objectives. This is in line with the Protocol for nuclear phaseout signed in 2019 between Enresa and its shareholders (the Centre for Energy, Environmental & Technological Research (Ciemat - Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas) and the State Society for Industrial Participations (SEPI - Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales) along with the plant owners Endesa, Iberdrola and Naturgy.

The Plan envisages:

• Closure of NPPs between 2027 and 2035 – According to the 6th PGRR, the final shutdown would have occurred between 2021 and 2028.
• Start of the dismantling of NPPs three years after their closure, except Vandellós I, whose last phase will be carried out from 2030.
• Continued operation of the El Cabril storage centre until dismantling of the plants if completed.
• Continuity of actions to expand the capacity of Individual Temporary storages (ATIs - Almacenes Temporales Individualizados) for used fuel at NPPs until dismantling is completed.
• Construction of seven Decentralised Temporary Storages (ATDs - Almacenes Temporales Descentralizados) at plant sites for used fuel and HLW, until their transfer to final storage. The ATD will comprise its ATI plus a new complementary installation or additional measures, which allow carrying out the maintenance operations of the storage containers.
• Definitive storage of used fuel and HLW in a AGP.

The PGRR foresees future costs of €20.22bn that, in accordance with the polluter pays principle will be covered by the Fund to finance the activities of the PGRR, managed by Enresa funded by the nuclear facility owners.