Nuclear Energy

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/CNL,-ITM-join-up-to-produce-rare-medical-radioisot

Germany-based radiopharmaceutical biotech company ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) have launched Actineer, a joint venture for the industrial-scale production of actinium-225 (Ac-225).

The joint venture will fulfil unmet global manufacturing and production needs of the "coveted" alpha-emitting radioisotope, the partners said. Actineer intends to advance Ac-225 production and processing technologies to establish short-term production capabilities and significantly boost international supplies, while working long-term towards the construction of a new Actinium Production Facility (APF) - including the development and implementation of the manufacturing process - for large-scale production of the isotope.

CNL will provide the starting material for irradiation and initially manage the production process during the interim scale of radiochemical-grade supplies of Ac-225, which ITM will further process to pharmaceutical grade under Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) specifications. ITM will also be responsible for global marketing, sales, and distribution.

"Targeted alpha therapies based on actinium-225 are gaining increasing importance in addition to the well-established beta emitters such as our highly-pure non-carrier-added lutetium-177," ITM CEO Steffen Schuster said. "Joining forces with CNL provides us the opportunity to extend our therapeutic portfolio as we continue striving to meet the needs of healthcare professionals and cancer patients worldwide."

CNL has previously said it is working to position itself as a world leader and international hub for targeted alpha therapies - or TAT - and for Ac-225 production. It is already collaborating with ITM and other service providers to establish an interim supply of Ac-225 using existing materials handling facilities and supporting infrastructure at the Chalk River Laboratories in a project that aims to deliver significant quantities of the high-demand radioisotope to healthcare professionals and patients before the APF is completed.

CNL President and CEO Joe McBrearty said the organisation - which manages and operates the national laboratory at Chalk River, Ontario, on behalf of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, has already made "significant progress" towards bringing the radioisotope to the world market. "With the launch of Actineer, we are poised to establish a reliable and large-scale supply of Ac-225 that we believe will unlock ground-breaking new cancer treatments," he said.

TAT uses targeted radiopharmaceuticals, created by linking a therapeutic radioisotope to a targeting molecule such as a peptide or antibody that can precisely recognise and bind to tumour cells, enabling the precise delivery of radiation to destroy tumour tissue with minimal impact to healthy surrounding tissue. Ac-225 emits high-energy alpha particles with a short penetration range, and is in particularly high demand for TAT, but research and clinical trials up to now have been hampered by very limited supplies of the isotope.

The joint venture remains subject to further closing conditions which are expected to be satisfied early next year, the partners said.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ITER-director-general-promises-realistic-project

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Director General Pietro Barabaschi has outlined the progress made, and issues faced, by the multinational project as the process of drawing up a revised schedule takes place.

Speaking at the 29th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, he said a new timeline for the multinational project, in Cadarache in southern France, would be presented to the board for approval in the middle of next year.

The pandemic and the emergence of problems with the vacuum vessel sector's welding joint region and corrosion-induced cracks in thermal shield piping have meant that there has been a certainty that a considerable delay to the schedule will be needed, and he said "there is no way whatsoever of course that we're going to have first plasma in 2025 (the existing timeline set in 2016) but frankly speaking I think there was no way even three years ago" that it was going to be met.

Barabaschi said there had been a "change of culture" where they were conscious of the problems faced rather than them being swept "under the carpet" and overall "we are on a good track ... we are now in the process of preparing the new baseline, it will not be good news ... but we will go ahead and we will succeed. I am very sure about that".

In his update after his first year in the role, he said there had been a lot of progress, such as the power supply system being completed and the equipment largely installed for the pulsed-power electrical system, adding that civil works at the site were now 80% complete.

He said that all 19 toroidal field coils had been manufactured and 17 were now on site, with the final two in transport. Of the six poloidal field coils, the largest of which has a 24 metre diameter and weighs 400 tonnes, two are installed and one more is already on-site with the last due to be completed by the end of the year. The cooling water system has been commissioned and the system is operational, while the equipment installation for the cryogenic plant is complete and it has entered the pre-commissioning phase.

However, there have been challenges of first-of-a-kind components, he said - such as the first complete Vacuum Vessel Sector Module which was lifted into the tokamak pit in May 2022 but later had to be removed after "the sector-to-sector welding of Vacuum Vessel sectors was reassessed to be too challenging to perform in-situ, based on the previously identified geometric non-conformities in the field joints" and leakage was also identified in thermal shield cooling piping due to chloride stress corrosion. Repair contracts to address these "non-conformities" have been awarded.

Other issues to be considered in drawing up the revised project timeline, he said, were:

• "Ensuring alignment with ASN, the French nuclear safety regulator, in part by implementing a stepwise approach to safety demonstration" - he did not think it reasonable or possible to have a safety demonstration now to show the regulator that ITER would be safe at the end of its lifetime
• Rethinking the Vacuum Vessel welding sequence
• "Realistic timing for assembly and commissioning .. the previous one was not realistic - it's always aggressive the way we plan, but it should not be surreal"
• Begin testing some Toroidal and Poloidal Field coils
• Switching the First Wall material from beryllium to tungsten and "adjustments to scope of First Plasma, followed by two DT operational phases"

During the session at the conference in London, Barabaschi also outlined issues with finding the right skills and experience for the project when asked about knowledge management.

He said: "One of the biggest challenges we have in fusion is that throughout the construction of ITER a lot of knowledge has been lost - the knowledge about what it takes to integrate a facility like ITER, to design it from scratch, has been lost. I think we need to rebuild the knowledge - the knowledge is available somewhere but it is not consolidated."

By consolidated, he said, he meant to have "good design guidelines" which would be available to members and this would "be one of the most important outputs of ITER - not just the research infrastructure but the design guidelines and guidelines on how to fabricate and what to do and what not to do, the non-conformities, the handling of the non-conformities, these should be made available in a way which is accessible".

Engineers were not as good at consolidating information as scientists in fusion "because scientists publish much more than engineers do", he said, adding that not consolidating information was "a very serious problem and we have to change the culture - it is something we are going to do at ITER, with difficulties, because we will have to get some retired people back on board again, believe it or not" to do it.

ITER is a major international project to build a tokamak fusion device designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy. The goal of ITER is to operate at 500 MW (for at least 400 seconds continuously) with 50 MW of plasma heating power input. It appears that an additional 300 MW of electricity input may be required in operation. No electricity will be generated at ITER.

Thirty-five nations are collaborating to build ITER - the European Union (plus Switzerland) is contributing almost half of the cost of its construction, while the other six members (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the USA) are contributing equally to the rest. Construction began in 2010.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Contract-to-decommission-US-prototype-reactor-re-a

Aptim-Amentum Alaska Decommissioning (A3D) has been awarded a six-year, USD95.5 million contract by the US Army Corps of Engineers to decommission and dismantle the SM-1A reactor in Alaska. The contract had earlier been given to Westinghouse, but A3D contested that decision.

The SM-1A - a single-loop, 20.2 MW (thermal) pressurised water reactor - is located near Delta Junction on the Fort Greely Military Reservation in central Alaska, 225 miles northeast of Anchorage. Based on a prototype for stationary medium-power plants built at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the reactor was designed as a test facility for this type of equipment in an arctic environment. While its primary mission was to supply electrical power and heating steam for utility systems at Fort Greely, it had a secondary mission to study the economics of operating a nuclear-type electrical plant compared with conventional oil-fired systems in a remote area where fuel costs are high and supply lines unusually long.

Construction of the reactor, which used highly-enriched uranium oxide fuel clad in stainless steel, began in 1958, and first criticality was achieved in March 1962. Following its final shutdown in 1972, the reactor was prepared for safe storage, or 'safstor'. This involved the removal of nuclear fuel, minor decontamination, shipment of pre-packaged radioactive waste, encasing some reactor components in concrete and grout, sealing the pressure vessel, and installing warning signs and monitoring devices. Some areas were maintained as restricted areas for radiation safety considerations.

In August 2022, the US Army Corps of Engineers awarded a USD103 million to Westinghouse Government Services (WGS) for the decommissioning, dismantling and disposal work.

However, A3D protested that award to the US Government Accountability Office, claiming that the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) misevaluated the WGS proposal and also failed to engage in adequate, equal discussions with the company. In April, the US Government Accountability Office partially upheld the protest. In its decision it said: "We recommend that the agency eliminate WGS from further consideration for award and make award to one of the remaining firms in the competition, if otherwise proper. In the alternative, we recommend that the agency reopen discussions among the competitors; solicit, obtain and evaluate revised proposals; and make a new source selection decision."

A3D has now received the contract after lowering its bid from USD133.5 million to USD95.5 million.

The work to be performed under this contract includes planning, permitting, and engineering; site preparation; demolition and disposal of facilities, including components from the deactivated and defueled reactor, related wells and utility corridors, plus other ancillary facilities. The contract also includes remediation of contaminated soils, a final status survey, and site restoration.

A3D is a joint venture led by Aptim Federal Services and Amentum Technical Services. Other members of A3D's team include Heritage–M2C1 Joint Venture, a HUBZone small business location in Delta Junction, Alaska; Lynden Logistics; Brice Environmental; Oak Ridge Technologies; ReNuke Services; AECOM Technical Services; and Delta Junction Medical.

Preparatory work at the site by A3D is expected to begin later this year, with the team targeting a full mobilisation to the site by mid-2024. The project is expected to be completed by 2029.

"Aptim and our heritage companies have a long history of supporting USACE and the Army Reactor Office (ARO) and have managed numerous decontamination and decommissioning projects across the federal complex," said David Lowe, senior vice president of Aptim's Nuclear Decommissioning business unit. "Our extensive experience performing reactor decommissioning projects for USACE and the ARO enables us to bring advanced innovations and solutions to complete the work safely and effectively at Fort Greely."

SM-1A is one of three deactivated US Army nuclear plants for which the US Army Corps of Engineers is responsible. The others are the MH-1A, which was installed on the former World War II Liberty ship Sturgis to become the world's first floating nuclear power plant, and SM-1 in Virginia. Decommissioning of MH-1A was completed in 2019; decommissioning of SM-1 is under way with completion expected in 2025.

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/prioritizing-childhood-and-cervical-cancer-in-papua-new-guinea

Papua New Guinea has taken important steps to increase access to cancer services since the IAEA carried out its first imPACT Review in 2013 together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). In response to the mission’s assessment and recommendations for cancer control measures, Papua New Guinea is building a new radiotherapy centre due for completion by the end of this year. Further areas for attention include prevention and early-detection efforts (in particular for cervical cancer) and enhancing the national cancer registration and surveillance system, according to the findings of a team of international experts invited to assess the cancer control situation in the country.

The most prevalent form of cancer in Papua New Guinea is currently breast and cervical cancer, followed by oral, liver and prostate cancer. Total cancer cases are expected to increase by 79 per cent by 2040, with mortality expected to increase by 86 per cent. Given the scale of the problem, Papua New Guinea’s Ministry of Health requested a second imPACT Review to assess cancer needs and provide tailored, evidence-based recommendations. The Ministry also indicated Papua New Guinea’s interest in participating in the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, which aims to increase access to radiation medicine for all.

“Our government is proactively addressing cancer as a priority health issue,” said Minister of Health Lino Tom. “Cancer is prioritized under the current National Health Plan (2021-2030), and our goal is to reduce incidence and achieve quality and affordable health care for all by 2030. To do this, we look forward to collaborating with partners such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, World Health Organisation and International Agency for Research on Cancer to strengthen our health service delivery, focusing on prevention and early detection through the support from global cancer programmes such as the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative” he added.

The new imPACT Review mission, carried out from 5 to 12 September 2023, was conducted by a team of 13 international experts nominated by the IAEA, WHO and IARC.

Over the course of the visit, the team held meetings with a wide range of national and international cancer stakeholders, including the National Department of Health, provincial health authorities, the national regulatory body responsible for radiation safety, local United Nations agencies, development partners and civil society organizations. They also visited different public and private hospitals and primary healthcare centres and attended the 57th Annual Medical Symposium of the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea, where they led four sessions on cervical and childhood cancer planning, cancer registration and on key findings from the imPACT Review Mission.

One such finding highlighted the need to integrate childhood cancer care more fully into the new national plan for cancer control.

“Considering its favourable prognosis and potential of life years saved, childhood cancer should be prioritized in national cancer control plans. Focusing on early detection and referral as well as building capacity at referral centres can result in more children being diagnosed and cured of their cancer,” said Jeremy Slone, paediatric oncologist from St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Another recommendation focused on the need for reliable data to support informed decision-making and resource allocation. “A comprehensive cancer registration and surveillance system is essential to evaluate the success of different cancer control strategies,” confirmed Les Mary from IARC.

“The conduct of this Review is very timely, as we expect its findings to inform the development of Papua New Guinea’s new cancer control programme,” said Javier Romero, IAEA Programme Management Officer for the country. “We also look forward to seeing some of our recommendations implemented under the next cycle of projects that are supported by the IAEA,” he added.

The IAEA has been providing Papua New Guinea with assistance in the field of radiation medicine through its technical cooperation programme since 2012, including through the earlier 2013 imPACT Review.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/European-Council-agrees-stance-on-electricity-mark

Following months of negotiations, the European Council has reached an agreement on a proposal to amend the EU's electricity market design, agreeing to include existing nuclear plants in the reform. The agreement could result in France dropping a scheme forcing state-controlled utility EDF to sell a portion of its nuclear energy production to competitors below market-level prices.

The European Council said the reform aims to "make electricity prices less dependent on volatile fossil fuel prices, shield consumers from price spikes, accelerate the deployment of renewable energies and improve consumer protection". The proposal is part of a wider reform of the EU's electricity market design which also includes a regulation focused on improving the EU's protection against market manipulation through better monitoring and transparency.

"The reform aims to steady long-term electricity markets by boosting the market for power purchase agreements (PPAs) generalising two-way contracts for difference (CfDs) and improving the liquidity of the forward market," the European Council said. "The Council agreed that member states would promote uptake of power purchase agreements by removing unjustified barriers and disproportionate or discriminatory procedures or charges. Measures may include among other things, state-backed guarantee schemes at market prices, private guarantees, or facilities pooling demand for PPAs."

The European Council - which is made up of representatives of the governments of EU member states - agreed that two-way CfDs would be the mandatory model used when public funding is involved in long-term contracts, with some exceptions. They would apply to investments in new power-generating facilities based on wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower without reservoir and nuclear energy.

The Council also agreed to remove the temporary nature of capacity mechanisms, support measures that member states can introduce to remunerate power plants in order to guarantee medium and long-term security of electricity supply.

The European Commission adopted the proposals on the reform of the EU's electricity market design on 14 March. However, a dispute between France and Germany over the role of nuclear power in European climate action has dominated negotiations for months.

Under the terms of the agreement, France will now be able to finance the extension of the operation of its existing fleet of reactors with two-way CFDs, in line with the Commission's initial proposal.

Currently, under the so-called Regulated Access to Incumbent Nuclear Electricity (Accès Régulé à l’Electricité Nucléaire Historique, ARENH) mechanism set up to foster competition, rival energy suppliers can buy electricity produced by EDF's nuclear power plants located in France that were commissioned before 8 December 2010. Under such contracts, between July 2011 and December 2025, suppliers can buy up to 100 TWh - or about 25% of EDF's annual nuclear output - at a fixed price of EUR42 (USD47) per MWh. EDF operates 57 reactors in France, with a total capacity of 62.3 GWe, which together provide about 75% of the country's electricity.

Under the agreement reached by the European Council, the ARENH mechanism - which has attributed to lost earnings for EDF - could be replaced by CfDs when it expires at the end of 2025.

The Council's agreement will serve now as a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on the final shape of the legislation. The outcome of the negotiations will have to be formally adopted by the Council and the Parliament.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-reviews-Italy-s-management-of-radioactive-was

Italy is committed to addressing the challenges of safely managing its radioactive waste, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has concluded. The review identified areas for additional efforts.

Italy operated a total of four nuclear power plants starting in the early 1960s but decided to phase out nuclear power in a referendum that followed the 1986 Chernobyl accident. It closed its last two operating plants, Caorso and Trino Vercellese, in 1990. The country also manages radioactive waste from the operation of five research reactors, research laboratories and experimental facilities and from activities in medicine, industry and other uses. The waste is currently stored at temporary storage sites near decommissioned nuclear power reactors and other nuclear facilities.

Plans for waste management include the development of a national repository for the disposal of low- and intermediate-level waste and interim storage of high-level waste. State-owned Societa Gestione Impianti Nucleari SpA (Sogin) was established in 1999 to take responsibility for decommissioning Italy's former nuclear power sites and locating a national waste store. The search for a suitable site is underway.

The IAEA sent an Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation (Artemis) mission to Italy at the request of the government. Artemis missions provide independent expert opinion and advice, drawn from an international team of specialists convened by the IAEA. Reviews are based on IAEA safety standards and technical guidance, as well as international good practices. An Artemis review team - comprising six experts from Canada, the USA, the UK, Slovenia, Lithuania and France, plus three IAEA staff members - concluded the ten-day mission to Italy on 10 October.

The Artemis review team concluded that Italy is aware of the challenges of safely managing the country's radioactive waste and is committed to addressing them.

The team identified areas for improvements, including: a formal approval for the national radioactive waste management programme; the development of a research, development and demonstration programme clearly linked to supporting implementation of the national programme; and the consideration of international experience in resource planning.

"Italy has thoroughly prepared for the Artemis review mission, proactively shared pertinent information and engaged in constructive discussions," said Artemis team leader Paul McClelland, director of waste management and technical support at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. "I am confident that the mission will support Italy in managing nuclear and radiological waste."

"The Artemis peer review has been an excellent forum for the exchange of experiences and lessons learned in an open and transparent manner," said Mariano Cordone, director of the nuclear division at Italy's Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), which hosted the mission. "We are grateful that the review team recognised our efforts so far to establish a well-managed spent fuel and radioactive waste system. We are fully committed to addressing the recommendations and suggestions that have been highlighted, which will make an important contribution to strengthening our capabilities and valuable guidelines for further improvements."

The final report from the review will be provided to MASE in two months.

The IAEA conducted its first Artemis mission, to Italy, in 2017.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Newcleo,-Nuclear-AMRC-collaborate-on-LFR-fabricati

Newcleo has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UK's Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to collaborate on manufacturability, supply chain and development studies for its small modular lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology.

The partners said the MoU "establishes the foundation of a partnership for exploring a range of technical and business operations, including supply chain readiness assessments, investigation into potential supply chain partners, identification of entities for potential acquisition, modularisation studies, manufacturability and fabrication assessments, material and metallurgy studies, and any other future areas of interest that are in the scope of agreement between the two parties".

The Nuclear AMRC - based at the University of Sheffield and part of the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult - collaborates with companies of all sizes to help them win work in the nuclear sector and bring new technologies to market.

"As an organisation that has consolidated their position at the heart of the UK’s civil nuclear manufacturing industry, we are enthusiastic about this opportunity to work collaboratively alongside the Nuclear AMRC to push forward innovation in nuclear, participating in activities that will play a role in meeting our ambitious plan-to-market," said Newcleo Chairman and CEO Stefano Buono.

He added: "This partnership provides support to the development of our end-to-end industrialisation strategy, as well as our business activities in the UK. This will play a helpful role in our mission of building a new competitive industrial standard in nuclear energy and providing safe solutions to energy and environmental challenges."

Nuclear AMRC CEO Andrew Storer said: "We look forward to working with Newcleo to help bring their advanced modular reactor to market and help them tap into the capabilities of the UK's nuclear supply chain.

"Advanced reactors like Newcleo's have a vital role to play in decarbonising electricity generation and energy-intensive industrial processes, and potential development in the UK will offer significant opportunities for nuclear-ready manufacturers to win work. Our experience in manufacturing innovation and supply chain development will help them achieve their ambitions in the UK and worldwide."

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

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

Earlier this month, Newcleo signed a cooperation and investment agreement with the Tosto Group to advance the industrialisation of Newcleo's reactors. The partners will collaborate on several activities aimed at studying and perfecting manufacturing, fabrication and installation encompassing the whole reactor life, underpinning the technological development of the LFR-AS designs with proven manufacturing and implementation expertise.

Newcleo also recently completed its acquisition of SRS Servizi Ricerche e Sviluppo Srl and of Fucina Italia Srl, jointly referred to as the SRS-Fucina Group. Both based in Italy, SRS and Fucina design and build nuclear systems deploying liquid lead technology.

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

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Bruce-Power-explores-technology-options-for-nuclea

Bruce Power announced it is launching an Expression of Interest (EOI) process to "further understand nuclear technologies that could help meet growing demand for clean electricity and advance decarbonisation efforts in Ontario". In July, the provincial government said it was starting pre-development work to build up to 4800 MWe of new nuclear capacity at Bruce Power's existing site.

The company said the EOI process will provide an opportunity for nuclear technology suppliers to engage and express their interest in participation in the potential Bruce site expansion while enabling Bruce Power and industry partners to evaluate a variety of nuclear energy technologies, "which would leverage Canada's robust nuclear supply chain, ensure the best interests of the ratepayer, include Indigenous community considerations, and increase socioeconomic benefits for the Clean Energy Frontier region of Bruce, Grey and Huron counties".

"Ontario has one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world and as we look to meet increased demand from continued electrification and economic growth in the province, nuclear power will be essential to preserving this advantage," said Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck. "Bruce Power is uniquely positioned for potential expansion, with decades of experience, a well-studied site, significant space for expansion, strong community support and an experienced workforce.

"Canada's nuclear industry supports 76,000 well-paying, highly skilled jobs, generating billions in GDP annually while providing a vital supply of carbon-free electricity to advance our climate targets. As we assess potential expansion options, we will lean on the knowledge and skills of our industry, built through more than a half century of operational experience."

With support from the Ontario government - as outlined in its Powering Ontario's Growth Plan, launched in early July - Bruce Power is in the pre-planning stages of the federally-regulated Impact Assessment (IA) process, which will look at nuclear expansion options on the site. The company noted the IA process includes Indigenous and public engagement and will formally commence with the submission of an Initial Project Description to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada in the coming months.

Bruce Power is located in the traditional and treaty territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation and the harvesting territories of the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Historic Saugeen Métis.

It said it is working with Indigenous-owned Makwa Development on the IA and will look for further procurement opportunities for Indigenous companies through its Indigenous Procurement Policy and Indigenous Relations Supplier Network.

Bruce Power is also collaborating with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to develop a feasibility study for potential future nuclear generation in Ontario, which may leverage information from the EOI.

"As Bruce Power evaluates clean technology opportunities, it will engage with independent, non-profit energy R&D institute EPRI and the Nuclear Innovation Institute, an independent, not-for-profit organisation that provides a platform for accelerating the pace of innovation in the nuclear industry," Bruce Power said.

The Ontarian government has already implemented a plan to meet rising electricity demand in the current decade, but in 2022 IESO issued a report forecasting that the province could need to more than double its electricity generation capacity from today's 42,000 MWe to 88,000 MWe by 2050.

Bruce Power's eight existing Candu reactors already produce about 30% of Ontario's electricity, and the company has said the site has space for "incremental infrastructure development".

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/TVEL-and-Belarus-sign-radwaste-disposal-agreement

Russia's TVEL and the Belarusian Organisation for Radioactive Waste Management have entered into a long-term cooperation agreement covering the creation and development of infrastructure for the final isolation of radioactive waste in Belarus, as well as training personnel for the operation of a near-surface waste disposal facility.

Belarus's first nuclear power plant is currently in the process of being completed by TVEL's parent company Rosatom and the country has established a national Radioactive Waste Management Strategy, which includes the construction of a radioactive waste disposal facility.

Eduard Nikitin, director of decommissioning programs at TVEL, said the agreement "confirmed our bilateral interest in strengthening ties in a wide range of areas and aim to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, the priority of which is radioactive waste management".

He added: "The creation of a radioactive waste disposal facility ... will meet the requirements of the European Union Environmental Taxonomy and contribute to the sustainability of nuclear energy in the country ... and we are ready to share with our colleagues extensive and successful Russian experience in radioactive waste management."

Rosatom and the Belarus Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Andrey Khudyk also signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing cooperation "in the field of waste management, processing and disposal of hazardous waste, environmental monitoring and eliminating accumulated environmental damage".

Khudyk said the country aimed to preserve its "unique natural environment" and said that the partnership with Rosatom on "environmental protection issues, including in the field of hazardous industrial waste management and the elimination of objects of accumulated environmental harm" was a foundation for a low-carbon future.

Andrei Lebedev, Rosatom director overseeing environmental programmes, said the company would bring its skills and experience to the partnership and the creation "of a common position based on the principles of a circular economy, the development and exchange of innovative technological solutions and the creation of human resources".

Belarus's first nuclear power plant at Ostrovets is close to completion. The first power unit was connected to the grid in November 2020 and the second unit's trial connection to the grid happened in May. It says that with both units - Russian VVER-1200 reactors - commissioned the plant will produce about 18.5 TWh of electricity per year, equivalent to 4.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas, with an annual effect on the country's economy of about USD550 million.

Earlier this year, the Belarus Energy Minister Victor Karankevich said the country aimed to put the first stage of a radioactive waste storage facility into operation by 2030.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Navigating-the-Communications-Challenge-of-Nuclear

Public support for nuclear energy continues to grow as a wave of new nuclear plants - large and small - enter service or are planned, and communications strategies need to evolve to match the new outlook, writes Jarret Adams, CEO of Full On Communications.

The past few years have seen the nuclear energy sector go through an extraordinary transformation. From nuclear power plants shutting down prematurely in Europe and the USA, we are now seeing a wave of new plants entering service and next-generation designs such as small modular reactors (SMRs) on the cusp of breaking ground on construction.

The tide has shifted dramatically in favour of nuclear energy, spurring a major shift in growth projections. The industry has shifted from its historical defensive crouch to lean toward the future. This requires a shift in mindset as well as strategy as companies move from development to implementation, from ideas to shovels in the ground.

The secret is that nuclear energy’s comeback story is not just about new technology but about new business approaches and new ways to identify and engage customers, investors, communities, and others. It is about how we beef up how we communicate the industry's advances as part of business models positioning the industry for the future. A host of factors are shaping how we do this.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted how nuclear energy supports energy security as supply disruptions caused global natural gas prices to spike. This has coloured the thinking of energy policymakers and seen them reconsider plans to shut down existing nuclear plants and prompted consideration of building new ones.

Although policymakers previously touted nuclear as part of the long-term solution to reducing emissions, concerns about energy security have made resilience a more immediate concern. While the answer is still nuclear energy, the route to this answer has changed, and the topic is higher on the priority list for nations previously reliant on gas supplies originating in Russia.

Consequently, growth projections for nuclear growth projections have been revised steadily upward, with most predicting a doubling or tripling of global capacity by 2050. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) just raised its growth scenario for 2050 for nuclear energy for the third year in a row because of growing clean energy demands along with concerns about energy security.

"Climate change is a big driver, but so is security of energy supply,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi when the agency announced the new projections.

We have made great progress in recent years building support for nuclear energy. Support for nuclear energy in the USA has risen steadily and has remained at record levels for the past three years, with 76% in favour, according to an annual survey by Bisconti Research.

Nuclear energy’s advantages are drawing new countries to consider using the technology for the first time, as they look to reduce their reliance on fossil fuel imports and pursue their clean energy/net-zero emission goals.

For many, smaller plants such as SMRs are better suited to their budgetary constraints and existing infrastructure, and now advanced nuclear designs are expanding the range of applications that plants can meet, such as desalination, industrial heat and charging electric vehicles, as well as simply replacing fossil-fired power plants to make electricity.

As small modular and advanced reactors move toward starting construction in North America and Europe, with plans of entering service around 2030, how will they navigate these next steps?

Meanwhile, there is still interest in large nuclear plants in countries with strong electricity demand growth. Recent completions of large plants in Finland, UAE, USA and elsewhere have buoyed expectations of signing new supply agreements.

But large or small, developers will need to ensure enduring policy landscape, secure investment, complete engineering work, construction plans, sign supplier agreements, gain regulatory approvals and engage with potential host communities for the plants. Achieving all these things requires effective communication and engagement activity, over significant timescales. That in turn requires an in-depth understanding of these stakeholders, their concerns, their influencers and their constraints.

At Full On Communications, we have observed this evolution firsthand. Nuclear industry colleagues have begun to recognise that communication is no longer simply press releases and a website. Successful engagement requires integrated planning and implementation to make real connections, build trust and foster mutual understanding.

Shifting from dogmatic insistence backed with data and diagrams, to a two-way dialogue, predicated on listening first and then responding empathetically, is key. Sometimes this may be face-to-face and sometimes virtually via webinars and channels such as social media.

The role of trusted independent voices in these discussions is also critical - be they technical experts or trusted representatives within a stakeholder group.

Alongside technological developments, we have responded to this shift in the industry’s thinking and reflected on how our work has broadened from traditional communications advice to a more multi-faceted art form. With this coordinated array of activities, we can better connect with stakeholders and explain how nuclear energy contributes to making people's lives better.

And we have seen some important successes along the way. With the wind at its back, nuclear energy is poised to play a much larger role in solving our energy and climate challenges. That is why expanding our scope to communicate in a more holistic sense about the business of nuclear energy is critical to navigating the way forward.

U supply agency also warns of continued dependence on Moscow for VVER nuclear fuel.

About 97% of natural uranium supplied to the EU in 2022 came from overseas with deliveries from Russia decreasing by 16% as the bloc implemented efforts to reduce its dependency on Moscow.

Data in the annual report* of the Euratom Supply Agency (ESA), the body responsible for the supervision of uranium supply and demand in the EU, shows that four countries provided more than 91% of all natural uranium supplied to the EU in 2022.

Kazakhstan, Niger and Canada were the top three countries delivering natural uranium, providing 74.19% of the total. Kazakhstan’s share was 26.82%, Niger’s 25.38% and Canada’s 21.99%. Russia followed, with a 16.89% share, which included natural uranium contained in enriched uranium products.

Deliveries of uranium from Australia and Russia dropped by about 82% and 16% compared to 2021.

The fall in deliveries was compensated by a strong increase in deliveries mainly from Kazakhstan and Canada, which rose by about 14% and 50%.

Other countries like Uzbekistan, South Africa, and Namibia increased their deliveries by very large margins, but from a low starting point. Uzbekistan’s total share of deliveries was just 3.76% and that of South Africa and Namibia combined, 2.23%

Natural uranium produced in Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries – Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – accounted for 47.47% of natural uranium delivered to EU utilities.

CIS deliveries amounted to 5,565 tonnes of uranium (tU), including re-enriched tails, which is 1.7% more by weight than 2021.

Natural uranium originating in non-CIS countries accounted for 6,159 tU, a drop of more than 5% compared with 2021.

Ukraine Invasion Disrupts Supply System

The report says the functioning of the nuclear market was profoundly affected by major geopolitical developments in Europe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has severely disrupted the global supply system for all sources of energy and has jeopardised the EU’s security of supply for nuclear materials and services and aggravated dependence issues.

In response to the invasion, the EU decided to phase out or reduce its dependence on Russia, including in nuclear fuel supplies.

Despite the fall in natural uranium deliveries from Russia, ESA said that utilities operating Russian-designed VVER nuclear plants have been increasing their fuel stocks to tide them over until alternative fuel is available and licensed. This has led to an increase in the conversion and enrichment services delivered from Russia by 30% and 22% respectively year on year.

As regards conversion services, 37.34% of EU requirements were provided by France-based Orano Conversion, followed by Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom (22.35%), Canada’s Cameco (21.16%), and ConverDyn (16.30%) of the US.

Sixty two percent of enrichment services to EU utilities originated in, from two EU-based companies, France’s Orano and Urenco, operating facilities in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK. The remaining services were provided by non-EU sources. Deliveries of separative work from Russia to EU utilities accounted for 30% of total deliveries.

“Dependence on a single design and supplier of fuel for VVER reactors remains a significant vulnerability to the security of supply,” the report warns.

VVER Operators Aim To Shun Russia

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, operators of VVER plants in Europe have been looking to diversify nuclear fuel supplies away from Tvel, the fuel wing of Rosatom.

In July, a consortium led by Westinghouse was chosen by the EU to develop and deliver a “secure, fully European” nuclear fuel supply for VVER plants.

There are over 30 reactors of the VVER-440 and VVER-1000 design operating in the EU and in Ukraine.

The ESA said that in the medium and long term, EU utilities’ demand for both natural uranium and fuel fabrication and related services faces an increased risk related to the Russian supply and connected to the new geopolitical situation.

“Clear political and policy decisions at both EU and member state level are needed to address the supply vulnerabilities identified in the interests of both power and non-power uses of nuclear energy,” the report says.

The weighted average of U3O8 prices paid by EU utilities for uranium delivered under spot contracts was $55.59/lb U3O8. The weighted average of U3O8 prices paid by EU utilities for uranium delivered under multiannual contracts was 41.02/lb U3O8.

Gross electricity generation from nuclear plants in the 27 EU countries in 2022 reached 609.2 TWh, accounting for 21.5% of total production. The output of nuclear power plants was 16.7%, or 122.5 TWh, lower than in 2021.

• The report is based on information that the utilities or their procurement organisations provided in an annual survey.

'We should prepare conditions to deploy not one or two plants, but dozens’.

French small modular reactor (SMR) developer Nuward is hoping to start construction of a demonstrator plant as early as 2030, according to Renaud Crassous, the company’s executive director.

Crassous told NucNet that Nuward is considering already existing nuclear sites in France to deploy a pilot 340-MW SMR. He said he could not disclose an exact location at this stage.

Nuward will be a Generation III pressurised water reactor plant combining two 170- MW reactor modules for a total output of 340 MW. One of the main characteristics of the plant will be the integration of proven PWR technology into a compact modular configuration.

The project is being led by Nuward, a subsidiary of France’s EDF set up in March 2023. Nuward also involves the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), French industrial group Naval Group, reactor design and maintenance company TechnicAtome, nuclear company Framatome and engineering company Tractebel.

The Nuward SMR is in the basic design phase, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2026 or in early 2027, according to Crassous.

This phase aims to bring the design of the SMR to maturity and includes describing all the equipment and specifications for each part of the plant.

Crassous said that earlier this year, Nuward completed a conceptual design for the plant covering the initial idea and engineering concept, and submitted a safety report to the French regulator, a move he described as a “milestone” since it marks the start of the prelicensing phase. Results of the regulatory review are expected in 2024.

Cost Aims To Be ‘Competitive With Coal And Gas’

In terms of projected costs, Crassous did not disclose details but said Nuward wants to be competitive with coal and gas-fired power in the range of €50 to €100 per MWh of baseload production

“So, our target is to be better than coal and gas and this will not be easy because I am sure that the first-of-a-kind SMR of all developers will be relatively expensive,” he said.

“It is the rationale of SMRs [modularity] and the economies of the series effect which will lead to competitiveness.”

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the “series effect” results in economies through the standardisation of factory production and feedback from the onsite deployment of several identical plants.

First concrete for a pilot Nuward plant is slated to be poured in 2030, marking the formal start of construction, Crassous said.

“We still need to demonstrate it is possible to deploy SMRs in series,” he said and added: “It is a classical chicken and egg dilemma.”

“We will manage to do it only if we have a perspective for series, not only with the one first of a kind demonstrator. We should prepare conditions to deploy not one or two SMRs, but dozens.”

“We need to be transparent about the stage of design, about the uncertainties and provide clarity to stakeholders about the state of the technology, the supply chain bottlenecks.”

Nuward wants to mobilise knowhow in the French and European nuclear industries to speed up the development of its SMR pilot project, Crassous said.

Experience and supply chains from EPR projects in France, Finland and the UK will play a role in these efforts. Crassous said Nuward decided in 2021 to open its supply chain to European participants and form partnerships across the continent to make Nuward a Europe-based project.

The Challenges To Deployment

Asked about challenges to deployment, Crassous said standardisation and harmonisation of licensing requirements across various countries and potential markets could be improved

“If one has to redesign the reactors when deploying to another country, one will have serious difficulties to achieve a series effect,” he said.

“To make a perfect reactor acceptable to everyone and everywhere is likely impossible and will be very costly” he said, adding that trying to find a middle ground acceptable to everybody is the way forward.

Nuward’s efforts include talks with several European nuclear safety authorities – Finland, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Poland and the Netherlands - for a joint early review of their SMR design, led by the French regulator ASN.

France’s EDF, Nuward’s parent company, has an ambitious nuclear new-build programme focused on deploying up to 6 + 8 new EPR reactor units domestically by the mid-2040s. The company has also been looking for overseas new-build contracts including in Poland, the Czech Republic, the UK, India and Kazakhstan.

Crassous said he does not see a potential competition between EDF’s flagship EPR project and Nuward’s SMR development. He said SMRs can play “a complementary role” to large-scale baseload units.

SMRs could address different needs on the reactor market, for example in places where large-scale is inapplicable due to grid restrictions, spatial limitations, or scarce financing availability, he said.

“SMRs are needed to extend the possibilities of using civil nuclear energy to tackle climate change and fill economic needs,” Crassous said.

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/fao-iaea-joint-statement-seeking-to-support-food-security-in-member-states-through-atoms4food-initiative

We find ourselves in an unprecedented time, where hunger and malnutrition are on the rise, posing a threat to humanity.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report unveiled that in 2022, between 691 and 783 million people across the globe experienced hunger. This number represents an alarming increase of 122 million more people facing hunger in 2022 compared to 2019, before the global pandemic. Africa remains the worst-affected region with one in five people facing hunger on the continent, more than twice the global average and disproportionately affecting women and people living in rural areas.

Food and agriculture are still facing significant challenges that must be addressed if we are to achieve our mission to eradicate hunger and poverty, and ensure the sustainability of agrifood systems. Global food security faces mounting pressures due to the escalating demands on natural resources and risks associated with the impacts of the climate crisis, both of which threaten the overall sustainability global agrifood systems.

The urgency of agrifood systems transformation is now irrefutable. Achieving an expanding, stable, and secure food supply capable of meeting the challenges requires more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Science, technology and innovation (STI) is indispensable for achieving a world free from hunger and malnutrition. STI has the capacity to address the four dimensions of food security, including food availability, accessibility, utilization and stability, as well as affordability.

The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture is unique in the UN System, combining complementary mandates, common objectives, joint programming, co-funding and coordinated management. Leveraging its associated laboratories, it serves as a powerful example of interagency cooperation within the UN family, demonstrating remarkable synergy in action.

To further strengthen the strategic partnership between FAO and IAEA, the two organizations jointly launched the flagship initiative on food security – Atoms4Food.

The Atoms4Food Initiative seeks to provide Member States with ground-breaking solutions, tailored to their specific needs and circumstances, by harnessing the advantages of nuclear techniques along with other advanced technologies.

The Initiative will focus on the role of these technologies as drivers of agrifood systems transformation in various areas, including cropping systems, livestock productivity, natural resource management, and food safety, in order to adapt to a rapidly changing climate and anthropogenic impacts, to better support Member States to achieve the SDGs.

Partnership and collaboration will be the cornerstone for implementing the Initiative. Collaborating with traditional and non-traditional partners , including other UN Agencies, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), International Financial Institutions, development agencies, foundations, industry, national academia and research institutions, and other relevant partners, will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the Initiative’s outcomes.

Together, and with Atoms4Food adding a new impetus, FAO and IAEA remain committed to elevate their long-standing strategic partnership towards achieving common goals, seeking to foster a multi-disciplinary approach to develop a holistic Action Plan addressing the challenges to food security and expediting progress towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/innovation-breakthroughs-atoms4food

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

It's good to be with you at this very important World Food Forum, 2023. I want to thank Director-General Qu Dongyu for inviting me to launch, here today, the IAEA/FAO joint initiative, Atoms4Food.

It fits well into the theme of “Innovations Breakthroughs” because it is a concrete, action-oriented response to our shared goals of eradicating poverty, ending hunger and malnutrition, fighting climate change and adapting to its consequences.

Before I explain what Atoms4Food is all about, I would like to say a few words about the IAEA and FAO’s indispensable collaboration.

The FAO is one of our closest partners. For almost 60 years, the two organizations have run the FAO/IAEA Centre for Nuclear Techniques.

Our collaboration is exemplified by complementary mandates, common targets, joint programming, co-funding and coordinated management.

FAO and IAEA staff are based at the IAEA’s Headquarters in Vienna and work on cutting-edge research at our unique laboratories in nearby Seibersdorf.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I do not need to repeat the dire statistics about food insecurity and climate change that others have already elaborated on. The bottom line is this: We need to use every tool we have to grow more highly-nutritious food in an environmentally sustainable way.

Nuclear techniques and applications are powerful tools with which we can do just that, and Atoms4Food will maximize their positive impact.

Ensuring food security and healthy diets amid a variety of shifting challenges and the enormous burden of climate change is a complex endeavour with many moving parts.

It requires a multi-disciplinary approach that is in harmony with other global initiatives, such as the One Health Approach and FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative.

And it must be based on careful assessment of prevailing capacities and needs amid a true partnership with Member States.

In very close collaboration with each of our partner countries, Atoms4Food will provide seven specific services:

1. The Atoms4Food Assessment Mission will map out a country’s status, needs and activities to determine priorities and develop tailor-made solutions.

2. The Atoms4Food crop variety improvement service will use plant mutation breading to develop better crop varieties based on an assessment of the country’s major crops, agricultural zones, diseases and pests, farmer and consumer preferences, and prevailing gaps in capacities.

3. The Atoms4Food soil and water management, and crop nutrition service will use the precision of nuclear and isotopic science to gather information about soil fertility, major crops, and their average yield. We’ll look at the availability of fertilizer and water irrigation systems, as well as the farming practices used for each crop.

Getting the balance right here, can vastly improve yields.

4. The Atoms4Food animal production and health service will develop carefully calibrated nutritional packages to improve animal production. This will be done following a country assessment of the current epidemiological situation of animal diseases; interventions and services already in place; and gaps that still need to be filled.

5. The Atoms4Food insect pest control service will use approaches such as the Sterile Insect Technique to reduce the populations of harmful pests that destroy crops and carry diseases. It will be informed by a careful assessment of the pest and control situation in the country. This technique already has a long history of proven results.

6. The Atoms4Food food safety and control service will assess and widen the capacity of a county to use tools like food irradiation technology to improve the longevity and safety of food for domestic consumption and exports.

7. The Atoms4Food public health nutrition service will support countries in assessing and improving the nutritional value of foods and diet quality by using stable isotope techniques.

Dear colleagues,

This is Atoms4Food!

Atoms4Food aims for Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. The FAO and IAEA are ready. We will be delivering it on the ground very soon.

I call upon all those in a position to support us, to do so. Atoms4Food is action, not words. It is less hunger, less poverty, with dignity and equality for all.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Reactor-vessel-in-place-at-Tianwan-7

The reactor vessel has been installed at unit 7 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province. Russia is constructing two VVER-1200 reactors as units 7 and 8 of the plant.

Weighing 334.2 tonnes and with a length of 12 metres, the reactor vessel was installed in the design position within the unit's reactor building on 16 October, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom announced.

The reactor vessel was delivered to the construction site in early August after a two-month journey by sea from Russia. The vessel's delivery came the day after four steam generators were delivered. Before installation, the equipment passed incoming inspection in accordance with regulatory requirements.

In April, Rosatom reported that the reactor vessel and steam generators had set off from the production site at the same time as a similar set for India's Kudankulam 5 - which it said was the first time two sets of such equipment had been shipped at the same time from one production site. The delivery route was by road from Atommash, in the Volgodonsk area of Russia, to a specialised factory berth before being moved by barge to St Petersburg before travelling by sea to China and to India.

Rosatom said that now the reactor vessel has been installed at Tianwan 7, specialists will next install the main circulation pumps, steam generators and the main circulation pipeline.

"In accordance with contractual obligations, as part of the installation of the reactor vessel, the Russian side provides technical support to Chinese specialists," said Alexei Bannik, Vice President for Projects in China and Advanced Projects of JSC Atomstroyexport. "Upon completion of the installation of all large-sized equipment, Russian engineers and builders will have to carry out supervision of installation and supervision of commissioning of the equipment of the nuclear island of power unit No.7."

The Tianwan plant is being built by Russia's Rosatom - in June 2018, Russia and China signed four agreements, including for the construction of two VVER-1200 reactors as units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan plant. They are scheduled to be commissioned in 2026-2027.

In het kort

• De geraamde kosten voor het aansluiten van windparken op zee zijn enorm hard gestegen het afgelopen jaar.
• Daardoor zijn consumenten in de toekomst een stuk duurder uit.
• Demissionair minister Jetten poogt de stijging te beperken door windparken een langere levensduur te geven, waardoor afschrijvingen lager worden.

Stroom wordt mogelijk een stuk duurder door tegenvallende hoge kosten voor de aansluiting van grote windparken op zee. Dat schrijft demissionair minister van Klimaat, Rob Jetten, maandag aan de Tweede Kamer. In een berekening van vorig jaar kwamen de verwachte kosten voor de periode van 2032 tot 2057 op €2 mrd per jaar, maar na een nieuwe raming blijkt dat €3,6 mrd per jaar te worden. Daarmee komen de aansluitingskosten voor alle windparken op zee die voor 2031 gepland zijn op €90 mrd te liggen, €40 mrd hoger dan vorig jaar geraamd. Hierdoor zal de energierekening op termijn ‘substantieel’ kunnen gaan stijgen.

Het kabinet wil na 2031 de capaciteit uitbouwen naar 70 GW in 2050. De kosten voor de aansluiting van die extra 49 GW zitten nog niet in deze kostenraming. Hoger uit door uitsluiten China

De hogere kosten vertalen zich in gemiddeld €0,038 hogere kosten per getransporteerde kilowattuur (kWh) over het net op zee. Dat is iets meer dan 10% van de stroomprijs die iemand met een dynamisch stroomcontract dinsdag betaalt.

De enorme kostenstijging is te wijten aan een reeks factoren, waaronder gestegen grondstoffenprijzen, personeelskosten en het uitsluiten van leveranciers uit risicolanden. Vorig jaar bepaalde het kabinet dat Chinese partijen niet meer mogen meedingen in aanbestedingen van netbeheerder TenneT voor de aanleg van essentiële delen van het elektriciteitsnetwerk. Volgens minister Jetten levert hun deelname te grote risico's voor de staatsveiligheid op. Daardoor is TenneT duurder uit, maar hebben de projecten wel ‘een positieve impact op de Europese en Nederlandse waardeketens’.

Hogere rentes spelen parten

Vooral de financieringskosten in de vorm van hogere rentes spelen TenneT parten. ‘Dit is de belangrijkste oorzaak voor de gestegen jaarlijkse kosten’, schrijft de minister. ‘De toezichthouder Autoriteit Consument & Markt gebruikt de rentes op de kapitaalmarkt om te bepalen wat de financieringskosten zijn van TenneT. In de geactualiseerde kostenraming wordt aangenomen dat de financieringskosten structureel hoger blijven.’

Daarbovenop komen nog hogere kosten voor de exploitatie van het elektriciteitsnetwerk. De operationele kosten (onderhoud, zogeheten netverliezen en de niet-beschikbaarheid van het net) zijn hoger ingeschat door de bijgestelde schattingen van toekomstige elektriciteitsprijzen en de gestegen inflatie. Toekomstige elektriciteitsprijzen werken namelijk door in de vergoedingen die TenneT moet betalen voor netverliezen en in gevallen dat het net niet beschikbaar is. Deze operationele kosten hebben volgens Jetten een relatief kleine impact op de gestegen jaarlijkse kosten. Bouw van nieuwe windparken ‘niet in gevaar’

De minister zegt in gesprek te zijn met netbeheerder TenneT om de doorwerking van de hogere kosten in het nettarief te drukken. Ook voor de windparken die na 2031 moeten worden gebouwd. ‘Gelet op de huidige en mogelijke toekomstige investeringen, is het van belang dat de aanleg van het op zee voor Nederland ook betaalbaar blijft’, aldus Jetten.

Hij ziet een vijftal mogelijkheden. Eén daarvan is het ‘optimaal benutten van het net op zee’, waarbij de vergunningen voor de windparken voor veertig jaar worden verleend. Een andere mogelijkheid, mogelijk vanaf 2030, is het omzetten van de opgewekte energie in waterstof, waarvoor minder investeringen nodig zijn. In hoeverre deze oplossingen daadwerkelijk de kosten zullen drukken, is nog onduidelijk.

Jetten verwacht niet dat de hogere kosten en rentelasten windparkexploitanten zullen afschrikken waardoor de bouw van nieuwe windparken in gevaar komt. In het Verenigd Koninkrijk mislukte vorige maand een grote aanbesteding voor hernieuwbare energie en bracht geen enkel bedrijf een bod uit om een groot windpark in zee te bouwen. Ook trok Vattenfall zich terug uit een al vergund project. In de VS kampen offshore windparkontwikkelaars met soortgelijke problemen. De eerstvolgende Nederlandse tender is voor IJmuiden Ver begin 2024.

‘Door de vormgeving van de Nederlandse vergunningverleningsprocedures acht ik de kans op het mislukken van de vergunningverlening klein’, schrijft minister Jetten. Als reden noemt hij dat windparkontwikkelaars worden ‘beloond’ voor het investeren in maatschappelijke doelstellingen op het gebied van ruimtelijke inpassing, zoals ecologie, de inpassing in het energiesysteem en maatschappelijk verantwoorde productie. ‘Bij het doen van een financieel bod kunnen ze voldoende rekening houden met hun businesscase’, stelt Jetten.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Canadian-provinces-announce-collaborative-coal-pha

The Government of Canada has announced nearly CAD20 million (USD15 million) in federal funding to support the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to help enable a phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030. The funding includes CAD7 million to support pre-development work for a small modular reactor at Point Lepreau in New Brunswick.

Canadian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc, and Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Honourable Sean Fraser, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables of Nova Scotia Tory Rushton and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs on 16 October have agreed a Joint Policy Statement on Developing and Transmitting Clean, Reliable and Affordable Power in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, outlining a two-track collaborative programme to reach these goals.

Under the first track of work, the provincial and federal governments will identify the necessary investments to support the phase-out of coal-fired electricity by 2030, and the transition to clean energy. Under the second track of work, the parties agreed to "confirm and advance areas of critical importance and cooperation on the path to net-zero electricity by 2035". These include SMRs in New Brunswick and offshore wind in Nova Scotia. Both provinces will work on batteries and renewables integration, solar, hydrogen-capable/flex fuel generators, and smart grid management tools.

Alongside the joint policy statement, the Government of Canada said it will provide federal funding of CAD11.5 million to Nova Scotia Power to improve grid system monitoring and automation to support the innovation and transformation needed for that province to adopt clean generation and manage its transition off coal; CAD7 million to support pre-development of ARC Clean Technology Canada's SMR at Point Lepreau in New Brunswick; and CAD2 million to help explore the feasibility of converting the Belledune coal-fired Generating Station in New Brunswick from coal to sustainably sourced biomass, plus a CAD978,945 investment to help the Belledune Port Authority undertake site preparedness studies to establish an industrial green hub.

"Canada's commitment to decarbonising our electricity grid is foundational to address the global fight against climate change and to seize the economic opportunities associated with the transition to a clean grid from coast to coast to coast," Wilkinson said. "Today's investments will help drive clean electricity development for Nova Scotians and New Brunswickers and establish a pathway to achieve a clean, reliable and affordable electricity system for generations to come."

"It is important to realise that none of this will be possible without substantial federal funding, and I look forward to future commitment in that regard," said Higgs.

The ARC-100 - a 100 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor - has been selected for a demonstration project at NB Power's existing Point Lepreau nuclear power plant site as part of a joint strategic plan for SMR deployment by the provincial governments of Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Alberta. The demonstration unit is slated for commissioning by 2029, subject to approvals and licensing. The Belledune Port Authority has also previously expressed interest in using SMRs as part of a green energy hub.

Advanced nuclear fuel technology company Lightbridge Corporation is collaborating with Romania's Institutul de Cercetări Nucleare Pitești to perform an engineering study to assess the compatibility and suitability of its Lightbridge Fuel for use in Candu pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs).

Lightbridge said the assessment will cover key areas including mechanical design, neutronics analysis, and thermal and thermal-hydraulic evaluations. The findings from the engineering study will play an important role in guiding future economic evaluations and navigating potential regulatory licensing-related issues, it added.

The company says its proprietary Lightbridge Fuel technology - which features metallic fuel rods with a helical multi-lobe design - can significantly enhance reactor safety, economics, and proliferation resistance for existing light water reactors and PHWRs. It is also developing Lightbridge Fuel for small modular reactors "to bring the same benefits plus load-following with renewables on a zero-carbon electric grid".

"Today's announcement is an important step for Lightbridge," Seth Grae, President and CEO of Lightbridge said. "This engineering study will help us assess the viability of using Lightbridge Fuel in a Candu reactor, which will help guide our commercialisation pathway in determining the types of reactors that we prioritise.

"The distinctive design of Candu reactors, such as the smaller dimensions of Candu fuel rods and shorter irradiation time of the fuel in the core as well as their unique refueling process, highlight their potential appeal. Positive confirmation from this engineering study potentially will provide us with the opportunity to expedite our commercialisation timelines."

"We are pleased to collaborate with Lightbridge on this engineering study to investigate the advantages of using Lightbridge’s innovative nuclear fuel in Candu reactors," added Daniela Diaconu, Scientific Deputy Director of ICN Pitești, a subsidiary of Regia Autonoma Tehnologii pentru Energia Nucleara (RATEN). "This engineering study is in line with our mission of supporting the development of technologies that ensure national scientific and technical support in the field of nuclear power and contributes to sustaining international cooperation."

RATEN also promotes the development and application of nuclear technologies in medicine, industry or agriculture, adding an important contribution to increasing the standard of living for the benefit of citizens.

Cernavoda is the only nuclear power plant in Romania and consists of two 650 MWe PHWRs. Unit 1 went into commercial operation in 1996 and unit 2 in 2007. Most of the work on units 3 and 4 - like units 1 and 2, Candu-6 reactors - was done in the 1980s prior to the fall of the government of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.

Lightbridge's metal nuclear fuel technology has been developed with support from the US Department of Energy (DOE) through its Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) programme. This programme provides the nuclear community with access to technical, regulatory, and financial support to help bring innovative technologies to commercialisation while ensuring the continued safe, reliable, and economic operation of the existing US nuclear fleet. It does this by awarding vouchers which give advanced nuclear technology innovators access to the research capabilities and expertise available across the DOE's national laboratory complex.

Lightbridge has twice been awarded GAIN vouchers to support the development of Lightbridge Fuel, and has a long-term strategic partnership with Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

In December 2022, Lightbridge signed two "umbrella" agreements - a Strategic Partnership Project Agreement and a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement - with Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, DOE's operating contractor for INL, with an initial duration of seven years.

The initial phase of work under the two agreements will culminate in irradiation testing in INL's Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) of fuel samples using enriched uranium supplied by DOE, providing performance data for Lightbridge's delta-phase uranium-zirconium alloy. This data will support fuel performance modelling and regulatory licensing efforts for the commercial deployment of Lightbridge Fuel, the company said.

Subsequent phases of work under the two umbrella agreements will include post-irradiation examination of the irradiated fuel samples, loop radiation testing in the ATR, and post-irradiation examination of one or more uranium-zirconium fuel rodlets, as well as transient experiments in INL's Transient Reactor Test Facility.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/MBIR-reactor-block-roof-completed

Construction of Russia's MBIR multipurpose sodium-cooled fast neutron research reactor has reached a fresh milestone with the installation of the building's dome.

The work took place over five months using a crane with a lifting capacity of 750 tonnes to install 22 arches, each with a span of 38 metres and weighing 74 tonnes, Rosatom said.

Alexander Tuzov, director of the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR), said: "The construction of the MBIR reactor complex is another important step towards providing the domestic nuclear industry with a modern and technologically advanced research infrastructure for several decades to come. At MBIR they will conduct experiments not only in the interests of nuclear energy, but also for all other industries that use nuclear technologies - from medicine to space."

Gennady Sakharov, Director for Capital Investments, State Construction Supervision and State Expertise of the Rosatom State Corporation, said work continued on schedule and the completion of the roof "makes it possible to begin installing the main process equipment and performing special installation and finishing work".

Being built at the site of RIAR at Dimitrovgrad, in Russia's Ulyanovsk region, MBIR had the last major installation that required an open top - its reactor vessel - set in place in January. It will be the most powerful research reactor in the world, at 150 MWt. It will be a multi-loop research reactor capable of testing lead, lead-bismuth and gas coolants, and running on MOX (mixed uranium and plutonium oxide) fuel. RIAR intends to set up on-site closed fuel cycle facilities for the MBIR, using pyrochemical reprocessing it has developed at pilot scale.

The MBIR is scheduled to begin operation in 2027 and replace the BOR-60 experimental fast reactor that started operations at RIAR's site in 1969. It will have a design life of 50 years and "will expand the study of dual-component nuclear energy technologies and closing the fuel cycle, and will also help accelerate and justify the creation of safe Generation IV nuclear power plants". Rosatom calls it "the most important project for the long-term development of the experimental base of the domestic nuclear industry, which will ensure Russia’s leadership in the development of innovative reactor technologies for the next half century".

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Energy-start-up-of-Mochovce-3-completed

Slovenské elektrárne has announced that the new Mochovce 3 unit has successfully completed a 144-hour demonstration run at full reactor power - and been welcomed into their nuclear fleet.

The commissioning process for the new unit has lasted for more than a year with hundreds of safety tests taking place and the power has been gradually increased. The final step in the process was to run non-stop for six days and nights at full power to show it was ready for safe operation.

Branislav Strýček, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Slovenské elektrárne, said: "The third unit is an important pillar of our efforts to ensure a stable and safe supply of electricity for Slovakia ... and help us fulfil our obligations in the field of climate change. Our goal is to continue investing in the technologies of the future in order to ensure a sustainable future for people in Slovakia and Europe."

Juraj Krasňanský, director of completion and commissioning of Mochovce 3 and 4, said that it was the first new nuclear block launched in Slovakia for more than 20 years. He said that some of those involved had experienced putting units into operation during the days of the former Czechoslovakia: "It is important that we pass the baton to the next generations and maintain the knowledge necessary for the energy security of our country."

Martin Mráz, director of Mochovce, said: "With the completion of unit 3 commissioning, we welcome a new unit to our nuclear fleet. The power plant successfully passed demanding tests, including disconnection from the power system at full power ... we are already preparing for its first planned shutdown and normal operational activities."

The scale, and length, of the testing process is designed to prioritise safety at all stages and reflects the size of the new plant - with 1400 rooms, 100,000 bits of equipment, 5500 kilometres of cables and 175 kilometres of pipes.

Construction of the first two VVER-440 units at the four-unit Mochovce plant started in 1982. Work began on units 3 and 4 in 1986, but stalled in 1992. The first two reactors were completed and came into operation in 1998 and 1999, respectively, with a project to complete units 3 and 4 beginning ten years later. Unit 4's schedule has been to follow about one or two years behind unit 3. Each of the units will be able to provide 13% of Slovakia's electricity needs when operating at full capacity.

Slovenské elektrárne noted that since being connected to the grid on 31 January this year, Mochovce 3 has, during tests, supplied 1.2 million megawatt hours, sufficient to cover the average annual consumption of about 500,000 Slovak households.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-to-be-part-of-US-clean-hydrogen-hubs

US President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm have announced seven regional clean hydrogen hubs that will share USD7 billion in federal funding to accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of low-cost, clean hydrogen. Nuclear energy features in the plans of several of them, including a large nuclear-powered clean hydrogen production facility at Constellation's LaSalle plant in Illinois.

The seven hubs will be funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to kickstart a national network of clean hydrogen producers, consumers, and connective infrastructure while supporting the production, storage, delivery, and end-use of clean hydrogen, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). Known as H2Hubs, it is expected that they will collectively produce 3 million tonnes of hydrogen annually, reaching nearly a third of the 2030 US hydrogen production target and lowering emissions from hard-to-decarbonise industrial sectors, and resulting in a reduction of 25 million tonnes of end-use carbon emissions each year.

The selected hubs, their regions and the amounts they are to receive are:

• Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub (Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) covering Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey), which plans to develop renewable hydrogen production facilities from renewable and nuclear electricity using both established and innovative electrolyser technologies (up to USD750 million)
• Appalachian Hydrogen Hub (Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) covering West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania), which will leverage natural gas to produce low-cost clean hydrogen and permanently and safely store the associated carbon emissions (up to USD925 million)
• California Hydrogen Hub (Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) covering California) which will leverage clean energy technology to produce hydrogen exclusively from renewable energy and biomass and provide a blueprint for decarbonising public transportation, heavy duty trucking, and port operations (up to USD1.2 billion)
• Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub (HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub covering Texas), which plans large-scale hydrogen production through both natural gas with carbon capture and renewables-powered electrolysis (up to UDS1.2 billion)
• Heartland Hydrogen Hub (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota) plans to use regional energy resources - including nuclear - to help decarbonise fertiliser production, decrease the regional cost of clean hydrogen, and advance the use of clean hydrogen in electricity generation and for cold climate space heating (up to USD925 million)
• Midwest Hydrogen Hub (Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) covering Illinois, Indiana, Michigan) plans to produce hydrogen by leveraging energy sources including renewable energy, natural gas, and nuclear energy to enable decarbonisation through strategic hydrogen uses including steel and glass production, power generation, refining, heavy-duty transportation, and sustainable aviation fuel (up to USD1 billion)
• Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNW H2 covering Washington, Oregon, Montana) plans to produce clean hydrogen exclusively from renewable sources through an anticipated widescale use of electrolysers, which will play a key role in driving down electrolyser costs, making the technology more accessible and reducing the cost of hydrogen production (up to USD1 billion)

The announcement is one of the largest investments in clean manufacturing and jobs in history, the White House said, with the federal investment being matched by recipients to leverage a total of nearly USD50 billion to strengthen local economies, create and maintain high-quality jobs and slash emissions.

"Unlocking the full potential of hydrogen - a versatile fuel that can be made from almost any energy resource in virtually every part of the country - is crucial to achieving President Biden's goal of American industry powered by American clean energy, ensuring less volatility and more affordable energy options for American families and businesses," Granholm said.

Integral nuclear

Constellation Energy, which earlier this year began operating a first-of-its-kind 1 MW demonstration scale, nuclear-powered clean hydrogen production facility at the Nine Mile Point nuclear power plant in New York state, is a major participant in the MachH2 hub. The company said it will use a portion of the hub funding to build the world's largest nuclear-powered clean hydrogen production facility at its LaSalle Clean Energy Center in Illinois.

The facility will cost an estimated USD900 million, a portion of which will be offset by the MachH2 award, Constellation said, and will employ lessons learned from from Nine Mile Point. The project will produce an estimated 33,450 tonnes of clean hydrogen per year and create thousands of "good-paying" jobs.

Constellation President and CEO Joe Dominguez said tax credits such as those contained in the Inflation Reduction Act - allowing hydrogen production using carbon-free power from existing nuclear power plants - are vital if such projects to go ahead. "Today's award is proof positive that DOE and the administration want existing nuclear energy to play a vital role in jumpstarting domestic hydrogen production and we look forward to final Treasury Department guidance," he said.

Xcel Energy, part of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub, said it expects to receive a large portion of the federal award, subject to negotiations. In its application, the company proposed investing up to USD2 billion over a decade for clean hydrogen-producing equipment and infrastructure and plans to use its existing and future nuclear, solar and wind resources in the Upper Midwest to produce hydrogen to blend into power generation, existing natural gas distribution systems, and agricultural and industrial applications. The company owns and operates two nuclear power plants in the region, a single boiling water reactor at Monticello and two pressurised water reactors at Prairie Island.

"Clean fuels are a critical component of enabling economy-wide decarbonisation. The Heartland Hydrogen Hub is a game-changing initiative that demonstrates how we're accelerating the development of the next generation of clean energy technology with significant benefits for our customers and the environment," said Xcel Energy Chairman, President and CEO Bob Frenzel.

Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, said the announcement was a "pivotal starting point" for nuclear energy's integral role in achieving clean hydrogen goals. "We are thrilled to see nuclear energy included in these hydrogen hub announcements," she said.

"With 93 existing nuclear reactors already responsible for nearly half of the nation’s carbon-free electricity, the potential for nuclear energy to shape our clean hydrogen future is immense. For instance, just ten of our existing reactors could produce approximately 1.5 million tons of clean hydrogen annually, equivalent to 15% of the total clean hydrogen required in the United States by 2030 to put us on track for net-zero by 2050. A clean hydrogen future is going to need nuclear," she added. "Continued investments in both our current and future nuclear fleet are essential to harness nuclear's potential to significantly advance clean hydrogen objectives."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Sweden-and-UK-agree-to-enhance-cooperation-in-nucl

A strategic partnership has been signed between the UK and Sweden aimed at "reinvigorated and deepened cooperation across the bilateral relationship, including on security and defence, innovation, science, energy and climate, people to people and trade and investment". It includes cooperation on nuclear reactor technologies, including small modular reactors, and diversifying nuclear fuel supplies.

Signed on 13 October during a meeting between Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the strategic partnership followed a visit by Kristersson to London on 19 June. During that visit, Kristersson and Sunak agreed to draft and sign a strategic bilateral partnership agreement by the end of the year.

In the document, the UK and Sweden say they will work to promote higher international ambitions on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and target joint cooperation to limit warming to 1.5℃. "Together, we will accelerate action in the energy sector to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with our respective national targets, including solutions for security of energy supply, civil nuclear energy, hydrogen in industrial decarbonisation and energy storage, as well as heating and cooling."

The partners said they will collaborate on civil nuclear and renewable energy technology and other research areas contributing to the transition to a green economy.

"Both governments acknowledge the importance of existing and new nuclear energy plants and the potential for new and emerging nuclear energy technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs) to be developed in shaping the future of the civil nuclear sector and achieving net-zero in accordance with our respective national targets," the agreement says. "The United Kingdom and Sweden will establish a dialogue on civil nuclear cooperation, including advanced nuclear technologies. This dialogue will facilitate sharing of learning, insights and experiences on new nuclear deployment, including regulatory cross assessment, financing and funding models, siting, plant operation, nuclear skills and supply chains."

The UK and Sweden will explore further opportunities for collaboration on fusion energy.

Both countries said they recognise the importance of regulatory exchange in enabling the deployment of SMRs and support the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority's commitment to cooperate and exchange information on matters of civil nuclear regulation. "Both sides will support, where appropriate, sharing of information and best practice in multilateral fora, including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency."

The UK and Sweden also said they will explore opportunities to "drive divestment from Russian nuclear fuel supply and support other countries to divest". Both countries agreed to "support resilient nuclear fuel supply chains for the benefit of our respective fleets, including existing reactors and new build projects".

The Swedish government noted the strategic partnership with the UK is a political declaration of intent in line with Sweden's obligations under EU law.

De kosten om windenergie van zee naar land te krijgen, vallen de komende decennia veel hoger uit dan verwacht. Gevreesd wordt dat huishoudens daardoor meer moeten betalen om stroom geleverd te krijgen. Dat meldt demissionair minister Rob Jetten van Klimaat en Energie.

De komende decennia moet steeds meer elektriciteit van windparken op zee komen. Een deel van die parken is al aangelegd, terwijl andere parken nog in ontwikkeling zijn.

De stroom die daar wordt opgewekt moet via lange kabels aan land komen, waar zogeheten landstations deze stroom ontvangen en verder verspreiden. Netbeheerder TenneT is het bedrijf dat verantwoordelijk is voor de aanleg en het onderhoud van dit transportnetwerk.

De kosten hiervan zouden volgens eerdere berekeningen de komende decennia 2 miljard euro per jaar zijn. Maar volgens nieuwe berekeningen vallen ze een stuk hoger uit: 3,6 miljard euro per jaar. Dat komt neer op een bedrag van bijna 4 cent per kilowattuur.

Deze kosten kunnen in de toekomst voor rekening komen van huishoudens via de nettarieven. Dit zijn tarieven die huishoudens betalen om energie geleverd te krijgen. Een gemiddeld huishouden verbruikt 2.800 kilowattuur stroom per jaar.

Duurder personeel en hogere rentes

Dat de kosten hoger zijn dan aanvankelijk gedacht, heeft verschillende oorzaken. Zo zijn grondstoffen en personeel duurder geworden. Ook zijn rentes gestegen, waardoor TenneT meer rente moet betalen voor leningen die nodig zijn om al die werkzaamheden te financieren.

Minister Jetten wil kijken of hij de kosten kan drukken. Hij hoopt dit te doen door de kabels, platformen en stations ook te gebruiken voor zonne-energie die op zee opgewekt wordt. Dit verlaagt de kosten per kilowattuur. Ook wil Jetten de opbrengsten van windenergie gebruiken om de transportkosten lager te houden.

De bewindsman voegt eraan toe dat de werkelijke kosten uiteindelijk lager uit kunnen vallen, bijvoorbeeld als de rente weer daalt.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Full-government-support-for-Niger-uranium-project

The Government of Niger has confirmed its "full support" for Global Atomic Corporation's Dasa uranium project, the company has said. The project is still pencilled in to make its first yellowcake deliveries in 2025 and remains unimpaired by a recent US decision to put a hold on US Development Bank financing following the coup that took place in Niger earlier this year.

The US State Department on 10 October officially designated the events in the African republic at the end of July 2023 as a coup d’état. Most US assistance to the government of Niger, with the exception of humanitarian, food and health assistance, has now been suspended pending action by Niger to return to "democratic governance". This includes US Development Bank financing.

Toronto-headquartered Global Atomic, which is developing the high-grade uranium deposit 105km south of the established uranium mining town of Arlit, said it has been "engaged in contingency planning with parties interested in non-dilutive financing options at the operating level" from groups interested in buying uranium from the mine.

Existing uranium offtake agreements with utilities are unaffected by the State Department decision, the company said, and the company has "no immediate need to finance" as it has sufficient cash on hand for the next 12 months. The company recently announced its third offtake agreement - for the sale of up to 3.5 million pounds U3O8 (1346 tU) from the project to a North American utility beginning in 2026 - and said it has received additional Requests for Proposal for uranium offtake agreements from utilities. Nearly 1.5 million pounds U3O8 per year over the first five years of the mine's operation, representing nearly 30% of scheduled production, are now contracted under such offtake agreements.

"The Government of Niger has confirmed its full support for the Dasa Project and recognises it’s a new mine that will benefit the Republic of Niger by creating new jobs and opportunities for local business and revitalise the northern region of the country," Global Atomic President and CEO Stephen Roman said. “The Government has offered its encouragement in the development of Dasa and all support required to accelerate construction and the start of mining operations.”

Logistics issues regarding importing goods into Niger are being addressed by the government, which has recently given full approval for the transport of goods via ports in Ghana and Togo and overland via Burkina Faso, the company added. Internal flights are expected to be restored shortly.

Mine excavation began at Dasa in 2022, and the project's 2021 Phase 1 Feasibility Study estimates yellowcake delivery to utilities to begin in 2025. A revised mine plan for Dasa that will integrate recently updated mineral resource figures is nearing completion and will form the basis of a revised feasibility study to be completed in the first half of 2024, the company said.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Rosatom-expands-cooperation-in-West-Africa

Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has signed a memorandum of understanding with Burkina Faso and another with Mali on cooperation in the field of the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The agreements were signed on 13 October in Moscow on the sidelines of the 6th Russian Energy Week Forum.

An MoU on cooperation was signed between Rosatom and Burkina Faso's Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries. It was signed by Rosatom Deputy Director General Nikolay Spassky and Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries Simon-Pierre Bussim.

Rosatom noted the MoU is "the first document in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy between Russia and Burkina Faso". It said the MoU creates the basis for establishing cooperation in a wide range of areas, including approaches to the creation of nuclear generation, non-power applications of nuclear energy in industry, agriculture and medicine, the development of Burkina Faso's nuclear infrastructure and increasing public awareness of nuclear technologies.

Spassky also signed an MoU with Bintou Camara, Mali's Minister of Energy and Water Resources.

The memorandum outlines both priority tasks and tools for interaction, as well as areas for joint work of mutual interest. These are the development of Mali's nuclear infrastructure, increasing public awareness of nuclear technologies, fundamental and applied research, the use of radioisotopes, nuclear, radiation and physical safety, personnel training, nuclear research facilities and nuclear energy. There is an agreement to exchange technical visits.

"Russia is actively developing cooperation with foreign countries," Rosatom said. "Despite external restrictions, the domestic economy is increasing its export potential, supplying goods, services and raw materials around the world. Rosatom and its divisions take an active part in this work."