Nuclear Energy

Proposed plant will ‘futureproof’ country’s ability to produce life-saving radioisotopes.

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Ansto) has welcomed what it called a “significant” federal government funding allocation to safeguard the production of life-saving nuclear medicines in Australia by building a new facility at Lucas Heights in Sydney.

During a visit to Lucas Heights, industry and science minister Ed Hisic outlined plans for a new nuclear medicine facility to replace the existing ageing nuclear medicine processing and distribution facility, which was initially constructed in 1959 as a research laboratory.

Neither Ansto or the government gave a figure for the planned investment, although the government announced in 2021 that AUD30m (€18m, $12.8m) would be spent on the facility’s design.

Hisic said the new facility – expected to be completed by the mid-2030s – will be sophisticated and purpose-built to produce and distribute nuclear medicine products to hospitals and medical clinics right around Australia.

Ansto’s acting chief executive officer Prof. Andrew Peele said the funding would “futureproof” Australia’s sovereign capabilities for domestic nuclear medicine manufacturing.

He said the new facility will form a more sophisticated nuclear medicine precinct to enable a seamless manufacturing and distribution chain.

Each week Ansto produces nuclear medicines to enable between 10,000-12,000 procedures at Australian hospitals and medical clinics.

Since the late 1970s, Ansto has produced a variety of nuclear medicines and now supplies around 75-80% of the nuclear medicine used in Australia.

This includes the production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), which is dispatched into Ansto’s Gentech generators, where it decays to become technetium-99 (Tc-99m), the most widely-used radioisotope in nuclear medicine.

Ansto’s Lucas Heights campus is home to a nuclear medicine precinct of three key facilities: the Opal multipurpose research reactor, the Mo-99 manufacturing facility and the nuclear medicine processing and distribution facility.

Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-confirms-tritium-level-far-below-japans-operational-limit-in-second-batch-of-alps-treated-water-released-today

The tritium concentration in the second batch of diluted ALPS treated water, which Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) started discharging today, is far below the country’s operational limit, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts present at the site confirmed.

Japan started discharging the first batch of ALPS treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) on 24 August. It is released in batches and TEPCO began the process to discharge the second batch today.

Just as they did before the discharge of the first batch, IAEA experts stationed at the IAEA Fukushima NPS Office took samples from the second batch of diluted water on 3 October, after it was prepared for discharge. The IAEA’s independent on-site analysis confirmed – as it also did for the first batch - that the tritium concentration in the diluted water that is being discharged is far below the operational limit of 1,500 becquerels per litre.

The IAEA has committed to decades of independent monitoring and assessment at the site and at sea as Japan carries out the water discharge.

All future reports on independent sampling, data corroboration, and analysis activities will be available on the IAEA website.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Australian-government-funding-to-futureproof-radio

The Australian government has officially outlined plans for a new nuclear medicine manufacturing facility at ANSTO’s Lucas Heights campus, replacing an existing facility that is now reaching the end of its operating life. The new facility is expected to be completed by the early to mid-2030s.

Ed Husic, Minister for Industry and Science, said the new nuclear medicine manufacturing facility will ensure Australia's nuclear science and technology organisation can increase manufacturing and introduce cutting edge new medicines for decades to come. "ANSTO's nuclear medicine precinct in Sydney will revolutionise the domestic production of nuclear medicines and improve the lives of thousands of Australians," he said. "Our significant investment in infrastructure is underpinned by ANSTO’s strong track record as Australia’s largest producer of nuclear medicines."

ANSTO produces a variety of nuclear medicines, including molybdenum-99, and now supplies around 75-80% of the nuclear medicine used in Australia. The organisation's Lucas Heights Precinct in Sydney is home to three key nuclear medicine facilities: the OPAL reactor, which began operation in 2006; the Mo-99 Manufacturing Facility, which began full-scale operations in 2019; and a third facility where the nuclear medicines undergo their final production stage for dispatch.

This third building - known as Building 23 - was originally built in the 1950s as a research laboratory. Although it has undergone "extensive renovations and modifications" as it transitioned to become a nuclear medicine manufacturing facility, it is now approaching the end of its useful operating life, according to ANSTO.

Acting CEO for ANSTO Andrew Peele said the new Nuclear Medicine Facility will form a more sophisticated nuclear medicine precinct with a seamless manufacturing and distribution chain. "This new purpose-built facility will ensure ANSTO has the flexibility to adapt to evolving manufacturing technologies and meet the changing needs of the radiopharmaceuticals market, particularly as cancer and other illness diagnosis rates continue to grow," he said. "It will ensure ANSTO can meet the increasing demand for nuclear medicines by hospitals and medical clinics while also leveraging ANSTO's radiopharmaceutical research and development and medical industry collaborations."

The government announced in 2021 that AUD30 million (USD12.8 million) would be spent on the facility's design. The design and implementation of the new facility will be confirmed by an independent review, in line with best practice for major public sector capital works, Husic said. It will also be subject to a tender process.

The new facility is expected to be completed by the early to mid-2030s.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Swedish-nuclear-Government-moves-to-change%C2%A0legisl

A bill to amend Sweden's legislation on nuclear power has been introduced by the country's government in parliament. It aims to remove the current law limiting the number of reactors in operation to ten, as well as allowing reactors to be built on new sites, rather than just existing ones.

"The proposals mean that the provision in the Environmental Code which states that the government may only authorise a new nuclear power reactor if it replaces a permanently closed reactor and is built on a site where one of the existing reactors is located is removed," the government said. "It must be possible to allow more than ten reactors in operation at the same time and in other locations than before. A consequential change is proposed in a provision in the Act on Nuclear Activities which contains a reference to the prohibitions in the Environmental Code."

The changes to the law are proposed to enter into force on 1 January 2024.

In October last year, Sweden's incoming centre-right coalition government adopted a positive stance towards nuclear energy, with the Christian Democrats, the Liberals, the Moderates and the Sweden Democrats releasing their written agreement on policies - referred to as the Tidö Agreement. With regards to energy, the agreement said the energy policy goal is "changed from 100% renewable to 100% fossil-free". In the Tidö Agreement, it is assumed electricity demand of at least 300 TWh in 2045, double the current demand.

The agreement also said necessary regulations should be developed to create the conditions for the construction and operation of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Sweden. In addition, the permitting process for nuclear power plants must be shortened.

In January this year, a formal proposal to amend Sweden's legislation on nuclear power was presented by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari. The proposed legislative amendments were then open for consultation for three months.

The government made a final decision on 28 September to introduce the bill to parliament.

"Access to clean electricity is crucial for Sweden's transition. Through today's decision, we are increasing the pace of the green transition and paving the way for more nuclear power in more places," Kristersson said. "With new nuclear power, we are creating the conditions to reduce emissions."

"Expanding nuclear power is one of the most important climate measures for Sweden," Pourmokhtari added. "We need to double electricity production by the year 2045, and a large part of this needs to come from plannable power. Therefore, the coalition parties are working with full force to remove the obstacles that have previously been raised against new nuclear power."

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch said: "Swedish companies and families must be able to count on clean electricity at competitive prices at all hours of the year. Giving nuclear power the same conditions as other fossil-free power types and thus paving the way for new nuclear power is crucial to rebuilding a robust electricity system throughout the country."

"This is the first of several steps aimed at enabling and facilitating new nuclear power investments in Sweden," noted Tobias Andersson, chairman of the economic committee. "The voters who appointed this government expect new nuclear power reactors and we are determined that it will happen."

Moscow building two VVER reactors at Ganges River site.

Russia has delivered the first batch of nuclear fuel to the Rooppur nuclear power station construction site in Bangladesh.

Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom is general designer and general contractor for the two-unit station, on the eastern bank of the Ganges River about 160 km from the capital Dhaka.

Moscow is supplying two VVER-1200 pressurised water reactor (PWR) units for Rooppur under a general contract signed in 2015.

Rosatom said delivery and receipt of the fuel was marked by a ceremony attended virtually by Russian president Vladimir Putin, Bangladesh’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Rafael Grossi. Rosatom director-general Alexey Likhachev attended the ceremony in person.

Likhachev said: “This day marks a new stage in the development of Russian-Bangladeshi relations. After the delivery of nuclear fuel, Rooppur becomes a nuclear facility, and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh gets the status of a country that possesses peaceful nuclear technologies.”

According to the IAEA, construction of Rooppur-1 began in November 2017 and of Rooppur-2 in July 2018.

According to the IAEA, once operational, the two reactors at Rooppur will generate 2,400 MW of round-the-clock clean electricity.

The agency said the introduction of nuclear power in Bangladesh is about more than just energy. The Rooppur project is at the heart of an ambitious initiative to transform a developing country into a developed economy by 2041, in part by scaling up electricity production, with some 2.7 million homes set to be connected to the grid over the next year alone.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Clean-up-of-Tajik-uranium-legacy-site-completed-ah

Rosatom says that it has completed the work to reclaim the low-grade uranium ore factory and tailings dumps at Taboshar, near the city of Istiklol in the Sughd region of Tajikistan. The company also said Russia and Tajikistan are considering wider cooperation in the nuclear sector.

The Russian-state nuclear corporation said that it has reduced the height of the uranium sand dump from 65 metres to 35 metres and covered it with a 1.5 metre layer of clean soil, and reported that the background radiation on the perimeter of the reclaimed facilities was at normal levels.

It said that three kilometres of road, and power lines, were worked on as part of infrastructure measures to facilitate the work, while at the reclaimed sites, the remains of buildings were dismantled, the protective soil layer added as well as a drainage system. In total, more than 1.2 million cubic metres of soil were moved. A ceremony to mark the end of the work (see picture above) was attended by Sherali Kabir, Tajikistan Minister of Industry and New Technologies, Nikolay Spassky, Deputy Director General of Rosatom and Rajabboy Akhmadzoda, the head of Sughd region of Tajikistan.

The contract for the environmental remediation of the former uranium mining and processing site was signed last September. The agreement was concluded as part of the fulfilment of international obligations in accordance with the international target programme of the CIS countries for the rehabilitation of areas affected by uranium mining industries. The project is financed by the countries participating in the international target programme - Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Central Asia served as an important source of uranium for the former Soviet Union. Uranium was mined for more than 50 years and uranium ore was also imported from other countries for processing, and large amounts of radioactively contaminated material were placed in mining waste dumps and tailing sites. Most of the mines were closed by 1995 but very little remediation was done before or after the closure of the mining and milling operations.

The Taboshar deposit was one of the largest in the former USSR, where active uranium mining was carried out from 1945 to 1965 before being closed in the 1970s.

Kabir said it was the country's first project within the programme for reclamation of territories of states affected by uranium mining production. He said: "All environmental features of the area were taken into account, including the flora and fauna of the area, and the design documentation passed all the necessary state examinations. Russian colleagues approached the implementation of the project with great responsibility in accordance with international standards and norms. In turn, companies and specialists from Tajikistan participating in the project not only contributed to its implementation, but also gained a lot of experience."

Spassky, from Rosatom, which is parent of TVEL, whose Central Design and Technological Institute was the contractor, said: "Innovative methods have been developed to bring uranium heritage sites into a safe state. We have accumulated extremely useful experience in carrying out such work. The living conditions of people across vast territories have been improved, and the preconditions have been created for the growth of the well-being and economy of the region."

Speaking at the ceremony to mark the completion of the work, he also looked ahead to future cooperation beyond reclamation issues, saying Rosatom "has competencies in the field of nuclear medicine, geological exploration and mining of uranium, rare and rare earth metals, scientific research and personnel training. We are now discussing specific joint projects in these areas with our Tajik partners".

According to the Tass news agency, he also told reporters that "if in the future, based on the enormous potential that has been created, based on the human relations that we have established with our Tajik colleagues, if the Tajik side shows interest in nuclear energy, in the construction of a nuclear power plant of large or small capacity of Russian design in Tajikistan ... we will be happy".

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ABS-approves-Korean-SMR-power-barge-design

A design for a floating offshore nuclear power barge from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) and Kepco Engineering & Construction (Kepco E&C) has received approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

Project collaborators include ABS, HD KSOE, KEPCO E&C and the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR).

The floating small modular reactor (SMR) barge is intended to serve as offshore power generation for remote communities and island electrification. HD KSOE provided basic designs for the marine systems, then ABS and LISCR completed design reviews based on class and statutory requirements. Kepco E&C will continue to work on risk assessments for future applications.

As part of the Novel Concept Class Approval process, ABS grants an approval in principle at an early conceptual design phase to assist the client in demonstrating project feasibility to its project partners and regulatory bodies. Approval in principle confirms that the proposed novel concept that includes the new technology complies with the intent of the most applicable ABS Rules and Guides as well as required appropriate industry codes and standards, subject to a list of conditions.

"Modern nuclear technologies are increasingly suggested as a potential solution to lower carbon emissions," said ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Patrick Ryan. "Floating production platforms like this barge from HD KSOE have the possibility to scale more easily than what can be done on land. ABS is proud to apply our research and experience to innovative projects such as this one."

"This barge design not only eliminates the inconvenience of selecting onshore sites by being installed at sea but also offers the advantage of an integrated design for thermal energy production," added Kim Sung-Jun, Director of Future Technology at HD KSOE. "This increases the potential to support the production of eco-friendly ship fuels like ammonia or methanol. Furthermore, HD KSOE has invested USD30 million in the fourth-generation SMR company, TerraPower, and we have plans to accelerate the development of future nuclear-powered ships by establishing an SMR research team."

Kepco E&C Senior Director Moon Young-Tae said: "Kepco E&C developed the APR1400, which received design certification from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2019 and has continuously designed more than 30 nuclear power plants at home and abroad over the past 40 years.

"In addition, we have our own marine SMR, BANDI, and we are making efforts to develop marine SMR technology as well as onshore SMR. Based on our abundant experience in the nuclear power business and accumulated technology, we will actively contribute to decarbonisation for the environment and future generations."

The BANDI-60 - under development since 2016 - is a block-type pressurised water reactor with a power output of 200MWt/60MWe. According to Kepco E&C, the block-type design - in which the main components are directly connected, nozzle-to-nozzle, instead of using connecting pipes - can eliminate the risk of a large-break loss-of-coolant accident and also provides improved operational surveillance and maintenance as compared with the integral type design. The reactor would operate at a temperature of around 325°C. To enhance the safety and performance, Kepco C&E says several advanced design features are adopted such as soluble boron-free operation, an in-vessel control rod drive mechanism, and top-mounted in-core instrumentation.

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) announced in January that it had completed the conceptual design for the CMSR Power Barge - a floating nuclear power plant based on compact molten salt reactors - and obtained an approval in principle for the design from the ABS.

In April last year, SHI and Danish company Seaborg Technologies signed a memorandum of understanding to manufacture and sell turnkey power plants combining SHI's ship-building expertise and Seaborg's compact molten salt reactor. It also covered the development of hydrogen production plants and ammonia plants.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-unveils-nuclear-security-training-centre

The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) new Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre allows participants to learn about the physical protection of nuclear and other radioactive material, as well as detection and response to criminal acts involving nuclear material and facilities.

Representatives of 45 countries attended the opening ceremony at the 2000 square-metre facility at the agency's Seibersdorf laboratories near Vienna, Austria, paid for by EUR18 million (USD18.9 million) in extra funding from 15 donors and in-kind contributions. Its construction follows what the IAEA says has been an increase in requests for training in nuclear security in recent years, especially since the entering into force in 2016 of the Amendment of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: "Nuclear security is one of the most important areas of our work to make sure that nuclear material never falls into the wrong hands. The international nuclear security centre of excellence is where experts on nuclear security and the physical protection of nuclear material from all over the world will be trained to hone their skills. We are giving countries the tools to do nuclear better, safer and in a secure way."

The centre, which welcomes its first trainees next week, is initially offering 23 different training courses, ranging from the 5-day Basic use and maintenance of handheld detection instruments to the 20-day course Hands-on training on physical protection equipment installation, integration, operation and maintenance.

The new centre has simulated environments, virtual reality tools and advanced software and will provide training on information and computer security, nuclear forensics and major public events as well as hands-on practice on security systems protecting nuclear facilities.

Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security, said: "By building this new centre, the IAEA can offer unique training activities to address existing gaps using specialised up-to-date equipment, computer-based simulation tools and advanced training methods."

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Operations-begin-at-US-chloride-salt-test-system

Southern Company, TerraPower and Core Power have started pumped-salt operations in the Integrated Effects Test (IET) facility at TerraPower's laboratory in Everett, Washington. The IET will be used in the development of the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor.

The IET is a multi-loop test facility that builds off a series of smaller testing campaigns to inform its design. The non-nuclear system is heated by an external power source. Data from operation of the test will be used to help validate the thermal hydraulics and safety analysis codes needed to demonstrate molten salt reactor systems.

The project was initiated by Southern and TerraPower under the US Department of Energy Advanced Reactor Concepts (ARC-15) award, a multi-year effort to promote the design, construction and operation of Generation-IV nuclear reactors. The project team also includes Core Power, the Electric Power Research Institute, Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Vanderbilt University. The programme represents a USD76 million total project investment with a 60%-40% public-private cost share.

Construction and installation of the IET facility was completed in October last year. Since then, the project team has completed mechanical, electrical and controls verification and commissioned all systems. Commissioning employed hot argon and chloride salts to confirm readiness, including filling and flushing of drain tanks and verifying operation of freeze valves - a unique and important component for salt systems.

Chloride salt has now been loaded into the primary coolant salt loops and pumped-salt operations have begun. A multi-month test campaign will provide valuable salt operations data and know-how for the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor programme.

"The Molten Chloride Fast Reactor has the potential to meet the carbon-free needs of hard-to-decarbonise industrial sectors including and beyond electricity," said Jeff Latkowski, TerraPower senior vice president for the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor. "The Integrated Effects Test will help us gather and evaluate data to support the development of our technology, and we are excited to launch pumped-salt operations."

The IET also supports the development and operation of the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment at INL, a proof-of-concept critical fast-spectrum salt reactor. At less than 200 kW, the reactor will provide experimental and operational data.

Both the IET and the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment will inform the design, licensing and operation of an approximately 180 MW Molten Chloride Fast Reactor demonstration planned for the early 2030s time frame.

"Southern Company believes the next generation of nuclear power holds promise in providing an affordable and sustainable net-zero future that includes reliable, resilient and dispatchable clean energy for customers,” said Mark Berry, Southern Company Services senior vice president of research and development. "It's exciting to see each new landmark in the Integrated Effects Test, as it helps our nation rebuild lost molten salt reactor knowledge."

"The start-up of the Integrated Effects Test is a milestone achievement in the development of the first fast-spectrum molten salt reactor, and we are immensely proud to contribute to its success," said Core Power President and CEO Mikal Bøe. "The Integrated Effects Test allows us to collect that crucial last-mile data for a design and build of the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor and takes the team one step closer to a genuinely unique way to do new nuclear that is appropriate for the commercial marine environment."

TerraPower's MCFR technology uses molten chloride salt as both reactor coolant and fuel, allowing for so-called fast spectrum operation which the company says makes the fission reaction more efficient. It operates at higher temperatures than conventional reactors, generating electricity more efficiently, and also offers potential for process heat applications and thermal storage. An iteration of the MCFR - known as the m-MSR - intended for marine use is being developed.

TerraPower is also developing Natrium technology - featuring a sodium fast reactor combined with a molten salt energy storage system - a demonstration plant for which is to be built at Kemmerer in Wyoming.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/TRIGA-fuel-supply-resumes-after-10-year-hiatus

The first shipment of research reactor fuel elements under a nine-year contract between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and TRIGA International has arrived at Pennsylvania State University. Meanwhile, the original developer of the TRIGA research reactor has been awarded a design development services contract in support of a conceptual research reactor design for a new facility at Sandia National Laboratory.

TRIGA International - a joint venture between Framatome and General Atomics (GA) - is the world's only supplier of fuel for TRIGA reactors from its fabrication facility in Romans, France. The facility returned to service last year after undergoing major renovation work, with the DOE providing nearly USD16 million to help upgrade the facility and restore new fuel production. The fuel for Penn State's Breazeale Reactor was delivered on 27 September, the first shipment since 2012.

TRIGA - standing for Training, Research, Isotopes General Atomics - reactors use zirconium-hydride fuel and are primarily used for student training, research projects and isotope production. The DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy provides and coordinates the nuclear fuel elements for the 12 currently operating TRIGA reactors that are located at US universities. The Brezeale Reactor was granted its first operating licence in 1955, and Penn State claims it to be the longest continuously operating university research reactor in the USA.

Kathryn Huff, US assistant secretary for nuclear energy, said the fuel will support Penn State's facility expansion and its role in helping support US nuclear R&D. "This shipment of fuel represents DOE's commitment to our university research reactors that are helping to train the future nuclear energy workforce," she said.

Andrew Read, interim vice president for research at Penn State, said the new fuel supports "new and exciting" growth in the university's nuclear research enterprise. "Through significant investments to the reactor that now allow simultaneous neutron beam operations, as well as a partnership through the Nuclear Science User Facilities program, the university is uniquely positioned to make significant advances in nuclear science, share our knowledge and educate the next generation of nuclear engineers," he said.

Sandia contract

In a separate announcement on 26 September, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) said it has been awarded a contract by Sandia National Laboratories to provide design development services in support of a conceptual research reactor design for a new advanced facility.

"GA-EMS has a rich heritage and extensive expertise in the design, construction, installation, and on-going upgrades and support of a worldwide fleet of TRIGA reactors," GA-EMS President Scott Forney said. "We have long enjoyed a strong working relationship with Sandia and look forward to delivering a new facility conceptual design under this contract to support their experimental, research and development activities going forward."

Sandia currently operates a TRIGA reactor - the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) - at its Albuquerque, New Mexico site. The ACRR was converted in 1978 from a previous research reactor, the Sandia Annular Core Pulse Reactor, which had operated since 1967.

• Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-04/germany-orders-three-old-lignite-plants-to-operate-in-winter

• Without paywall: https://archive.ph/y5804

• Three plants from RWE and LEAG in stand-by to be switched on

• Measure should help nation save gas, economy ministry says

Germany will bring several mothballed coal plants back to the market this winter to ensure that Europe’s largest economy can keep the lights on when demand peaks.

An order to allow the renewed activation of units belonging to RWE AG and LEAG was passed by the cabinet on Wednesday, according to an economy ministry release. The move should help save gas and prevent supply shortages in the upcoming heating season, it said.

Last year’s energy crisis forced the country to lean more heavily on burning coal to produce electricity after Russia curbed its pipeline gas supplies to the country. The phase-out of Germany’s last remaining nuclear reactors in the spring is set to limit power supply even further this winter, leaving it in a potential tight spot without additional support.

Reactivating coal plants risks boosting carbon dioxide emissions at a time when the country is struggling to move closer toward its climate goals. The government is in the process of building out additional liquefied natural gas infrastructure to fill the power gap, and plans to build new gas-powered plants that can later be converted to hydrogen.

The economy ministry said that Germany’s climate targets and its goal to phase out coal ideally in 2030 instead of 2038 remained unaffected by the decision. It promised to evaluate the additional carbon emissions caused by the reactivation of coal plants, and to propose compensatory remedies by next summer. The cabinet also passed a row of climate measures that should help bring the country closer to its emissions-reduction target of 65% by the end of the decade, compared to 1990-levels.

The decision for this winter affects two coal blocks from RWE’s Niederaußem plant — blocks E and F — as well as the Neurath plant’s block C. In the east of the country, LEAG is expected to bring blocks E and F of its Jaenschwalde lignite plant back online. The facilities were operational last winter, put on stand-by in July, and can now be fully reactivated until March 2024 the latest.

Separately, a decision to prolong operations of two RWE lignite units, Neurath D and E, until spring 2025 is still pending.

Source: https://www.ft.com/content/8a57f1be-20cb-4632-aecd-1a68f5211057

Nuclear power disagreements between Paris and Berlin have halted progress on EU electricity market reform.

Germany is seeking a “grand bargain” with France to resolve their current stand-off over nuclear power and help unblock a sweeping reform of the EU’s electricity market.

“We are working towards a larger compromise on energy issues,” said Sven Giegold, state secretary at the German economy and climate ministry, of the talks between Germany, France and its EU partners. “We need a grand bargain,” he told the Financial Times, adding that it could cover several aspects of energy policy, not just the nuclear issue.

Giegold, a politician from the Green party that has historically opposed nuclear energy, said that all parties agreed on the “need to decarbonise, bring down energy prices and invest more in our common energy infrastructure and in new generating facilities”.

“We believe we should have a larger compromise,” he said “But we are not there yet.”

The comments are likely to be viewed with scepticism in Paris where officials have been negotiating for months with their German counterparts over a proposed EU electricity market reform.

Paris and Berlin diverge over critical aspects of the reform, including how nuclear energy will be priced, the extent to which the sector can be subsidised and how to pay for future investments. France has been lobbying aggressively for its large state-owned nuclear fleet, saying that it is key to helping meet emissions cutting targets and should not be penalised in new EU rules.

Beyond the details of the legislation, French officials said the negotiations were being affected by something deeper: German fears that France would gain a competitive edge with cheap nuclear energy to the disadvantage of German manufacturers.

German officials have said that France is seeking to bend EU state aid rules and obtain an exception by which it can subsidise electricity prices to the detriment of the single market. France refutes the criticism, saying it would still be subject to Brussels’ oversight to prevent anti-competitive behaviour.

The EU first unveiled plans to reform its electricity market in March, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine pushed up energy prices to record highs last year. The aim is to create a stable market that can cope with future supply shocks while providing more predictable prices for companies and households. Adding to the sense of urgency in adopting the reform are fears that steep energy costs make it harder for the EU to compete with the US and China.

French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet several times this month with energy high on the agenda. Officials are hoping for a breakthrough ahead of a wider meeting of EU energy ministers in mid-October.

One key sticking point in negotiations is the inclusion of a mechanism known as “contracts for difference”, which have typically been used to incentivise new renewable projects by providing a minimum price guarantee. They also allow governments to recoup excessive revenues if prices jump past a given level.

France wants to be able to use CFDs on electricity generated from its existing nuclear power plants, as well as new ones.

Germany is resistant to that idea. Giegold said Berlin saw the CFDs “mainly reserved for new investment and not for already depreciated installations. For us, this is a tool to support new investment, regardless of the form of energy”.

German officials worry that France will distribute the revenue from its nuclear CFDs to all consumers via a special fund or through the state budget, bypassing state aid controls.

In a recent speech, Macron signalled his willingness to go it alone to “take back control of electricity prices”, a phrase French officials said afterwards was intended as a message to Germany.

In an attempt to break the deadlock, Germany has proposed that CFDs can occasionally be used for existing nuclear plants, such as when new investments are made to extend the lifespan of the reactor. But it said the revenues from the CFDs must be proportionate to the amount invested.

A similar proposal was tabled by the European parliament in July.

Officials in Paris may be open to such an approach but want to be able to use CFDs more extensively across a bigger proportion of the output from its nuclear reactors. On Tuesday, France tabled its own counterproposal along with eight other pro-nuclear countries including Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland.

The Spanish government, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, has put forward three potential compromises, including one that would delete the contentious CFD article altogether.

Nicolás González Casares, a Spanish socialist MEP who negotiated the EU parliament’s position, defended the CFD provision and said any attempts to scrap it would prompt “strong opposition” from the parliament.

“It is a crucial instrument for decoupling gas prices from electricity prices, passing on the lower prices of renewables to consumers and reducing volatility in the electricity market,” he said.

González Casares added that it was “urgent” that France and Germany did not “waste any more time” hashing out a deal so that negotiations could start with the parliament. Otherwise, the reforms risked not being passed before EU-wide elections in June next year.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Dome-installed-at-second-San-ao-unit

The dome of the containment building has been installed at unit 2 of the San'ao nuclear power plant, China General Nuclear (CGN) has announced. It is the second of six Chinese-designed HPR1000 (Hualong One) pressurised water reactors planned at the site in China's Zhejiang province.

The dome - weighing about 238 tonnes and measuring 45 metres in diameter - was hoisted into place at 10.26am on 28 September, CGN said. It noted the milestone marks the completion of the civil construction stage and the start of the equipment installation stage of the unit's construction.

In May 2015, the National Energy Administration approved the project to carry out site protection and related demonstration work at San'ao. On 2 September 2020, the executive meeting of the State Council approved the construction of units 1 and 2 as the first phase of the plant. China's National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a construction permit for the two units on 30 December that year and first concrete for unit 1 was poured the following day. The dome of unit 1 was installed on 3 November 2022.

The first concrete for San'ao 2 was poured on 30 December 2021.

San'ao 1 and 2 are scheduled to begin supplying electricity in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

CGN said the San'ao plant is the first nuclear power project in China's Yangtze River Delta region to adopt the Hualong One reactor design.

Once all six units at San'ao are put into commercial operation, the annual power generation capacity will reach 52.5 billion kWh, which can reduce standard coal consumption by almost 16 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by 43.69 million tonnes per year, it added. The plant will "provide a steady stream of clean electricity for the sustainable development of the Yangtze River Delta region", CGN said.

The San'ao project marks the first Chinese nuclear power project involving private capital, with Geely Technology Group taking a 2% stake in the plant. CGN holds 46% of the shares of the project company Cangnan Nuclear Power, with other state-owned enterprises holding the remainder.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Helen,-Steady-Energy-partner-for-Finnish-SMR-deplo

Finnish energy firm Helen has signed a letter of intent with Steady Energy - developer of the LDR-50 small modular reactor (SMR) - with the aim of enabling an investment in a small-scale nuclear power plant for the production of district heating.

According to the letter of intent, Helen and Steady Energy will launch a planning process with the objective of concluding a pre-investment agreement concerning nuclear heat production within the next six months.

Valid from 2024 to 2027, the agreement would include promoting the reform of the Finnish Nuclear Energy Act, applying for a siting licence and a technological permit, and fixing the contract price of the plant. It would also enable Helen to procure up to ten reactor units with an output of 50 MW from Steady Energy.

"The current letter of intent is Helen's first tangible step towards small-scale nuclear power," noted Helen CEO Olli Sirkka. "We want to be involved in introducing nuclear heat production in Finland and building the prerequisites for such production in cooperation with Steady Energy and other energy industry operators, decision-makers and authorities.

"District heating produced with SMR plants is a particularly interesting solution for Helen as its district heating network, spanning 1400 kilometres, is one of the longest in the Nordic countries. Decarbonising the entire network would be a significant climate action on a national scale."

Helen is the first energy company to engage in cooperation with Steady Energy.

"The letter of intent is an important milestone for Steady Energy," the company's CEO Tommi Nyman said. "It sets us up to implement Finnish technology in the 2020s with the potential to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of Finland by 8%, as district heating would no longer be produced by burning. Our goal is to launch a new clean-energy export product and enter the global heating market, where the emission reduction potential is even more significant, even gigatons. We are proud to have Helen join us in this important work for Finland and for the prevention of climate catastrophe."

The partners noted that the legislative work in Finland concerning SMRs remains unfinished and requires cooperation between various authorities. The Finnish government is committed to promoting the implementation of heat-producing SMRs, and Helen and Steady Energy together with other energy companies offer "a tangible path" to achieving the targets set out in the government programme.

Steady Energy - which was spun out earlier this year from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland - aims to build the world's first district heating plant featuring its LDR-50 SMR by 2030.

The LDR-50 district heating SMR - with a thermal output of 50 MW - has been in development at VTT since 2020. Designed to operate at around 150°C and below 10 bar (145 psi), Steady Energy says its "operating conditions are less demanding compared with those of traditional reactors, simplifying the technical solutions needed to meet the high safety standards of the nuclear industry".

The LDR-50 reactor module is made of two nested pressure vessels, with their intermediate space partially filled with water. When heat removal through the primary heat exchangers is compromised, water in the intermediate space begins to boil, forming an efficient passive heat transfer route into the reactor pool, the company said. The system does not rely on electricity or any mechanical moving parts, which could fail and prevent the cooling function.

Helen - which produces heat, electricity and cooling in power plants and heating plants in different parts of Helsinki - is aiming for carbon-neutral energy production by 2030.

In November 2022, it announced a joint study with Finnish utility Fortum - operator of the Loviisa nuclear power plant - to explore possible collaboration in new nuclear power, especially SMRs. The companies formed a study group to explore possible synergy benefits for the two firms.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-unit-cleared-to-use-higher-enriched-fuel

Southern Nuclear has announced it has received authorisation from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to use advanced nuclear fuel enriched up to 6% uranium-235 at Vogtle unit 2. This is the first time a US commercial reactor has been authorised to use fuel with over 5% enrichment.

The regulatory authorisation means that manufacture of four first-of-a-kind lead test assemblies (LTA) of the next-generation so-called Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) that will use key components from Westinghouse's High Energy Fuel initiative and the EnCore Fuel programme can now begin, Southern Nuclear said. It envisages loading the fuel into the reactor in 2025.

Southern Nuclear signed an agreement with Westinghouse in 2022 to load the four LTAs at Vogtle. The assemblies will feature Westinghouse's trademarked ADOPT uranium dioxide pellets, AXIOM fuel rod cladding and chromium-coated cladding combined with its advanced PRIME fuel assembly design.

ATF is a "game-changing" technology that will advance performance and further strengthen grid reliability, said Southern Nuclear President Pete Sena, who also recognised the regulator for its "thorough yet timely review of this installation to support the future of commercial nuclear power in our country."

Tarik Choho, Westinghouse's President of Nuclear Fuel, said support from members of the US Congress and the Department of Energy (DOE) had been "critical" to the company's ability to advance fuel technology with higher burnup rates. "We are grateful to Southern Nuclear for their trust and look forward to delivering advanced technologies that will bolster the light water fleet and support the low-cost generation of nuclear power in the long term," he added.

ATFs enhance the tolerance of light-water reactor fuel under severe accident conditions, but also offer improvements to reactor performance and economics during normal operations as well as in transient conditions and accident scenarios. Fuel with higher enrichment lasts longer, extending the time between refuelling outages, as well as potentially reducing fuel costs as less fuel assemblies are needed.

But the current existing US licensing approach means it takes a long time to obtain regulatory approval for such fuels. Southern Nuclear - which operates a total of seven units for Alabama Power and Georgia Power including the four units at Vogtle - said it is working alongside the DOE, fuel suppliers and other utilities in a "coordinated, overarching, multi-year effort" in the US Nuclear Energy Institute's ATF Working Group to "expand the regulatory paradigm".

Southern Nuclear installed GE-Hitachi ATF fuel cladding technologies in 2018 at Hatch unit 1 in another ATF "first", with samples subsequently discharged and shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory for further testing in 2020. In 2019, it installed four Framatome-developed GAIA lead fuel assemblies - containing enhanced accident-tolerant features applied to full-length fuel rods - in Vogtle 2.

Southern Nuclear said it received the NRC approval on 1 August.

IAEA highlights recent completion of reactor projects in China, Russia and US.

New industrial techniques are driving down construction times and undermining the common argument against nuclear power stations that they take too long to build, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

According to the agency, three recent large-scale nuclear projects took between six and 10 years to build with modular construction techniques, lessons learned from previous projects and early engagement with the regulator all crucial to progress.

The three projects were Fuqing-5 and -6 in China, Leningrad 2-2 in Russia and Vogtle-3 and -4 in the US. All five plants are advanced pressurised water reactors, but differ from previous generations of reactors by using passive or inherent safety systems, having an element of design standardisation and using elements of modular construction, making them faster and cheaper to build.

Modular technology was key to cutting construction times for Fuqing-5 and -6, which used China’s indigenous Hualong One, or HPR1000, technology.

According to Jia Yuqiang, chairman of the Fuqing power station, lifting the steel liner in sections, rather than as a single object, reduced construction times by about 70 days and made the installation of this section of the reactor safer and easier.

During the installation of the pressure valve, an often lengthy and difficult process, 3D measurement technology improved quality and put the project four days ahead of schedule.

Many of the time saving initiatives used at Fuqinq were responses to the experience of building other nuclear power plants. “The Hualong One project was built through independent innovation based on summarising China’s nuclear power construction experience,” Yuqiang said.

‘Open Top’ Technique Gives Leningrad ‘Head Start’

The building of Leningrad 2-2 was also informed by analysis and feedback from Leningrad 2-1, completed in 2018, and other reactors. Alexander Katsman, deputy director-general for new units commissioning at Russia’s state nuclear operator Rosenergoatom, said this knowledge helped shorten the schedule and testing of Unit 2 by 27 days.

At Unit 2, the construction team used an “open-top” technique which saw the installation of large reactor components through a temporary roof opening in the unfinished reactor building, giving the project a head start on its installation and welding phase. Parallel welding of all four loops of the coolant system further reduced timescales by 19 days.

Speaking of the construction of Vogtle-3 and 4, the US’s first new nuclear power plant project for several decades, Steve Kuczynski, chief executive officer of Southern Nuclear said one lesson his company had learnt as a plant owner and operator was that, to drive the schedule forward, the owner needs to be in control of the construction phase from the start. “Many projects don’t start that way, but they all end that way,” Kuczynski said.

He recommended early and frequent engagement with the regulator, stressed the importance of using contractors with a proven track record, and the alignment and proper sequencing of incentive and milestone payments.

According to the International Energy Agency, nuclear power capacity needs to at least double by 2050 to achieve global climate goals. Hitting that target will require refurbishing, preserving and prolonging existing capacity, adding new capacity to the grid and rapidly extending nuclear power’s contribution beyond electricity to hard to abate sectors such as industry and transportation.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-regulator-approves-transfer-of-licences

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the transfer of the licences for three operating nuclear power plants and their associated used fuel storage facilities from Energy Harbor Nuclear Corporation to Vistra Operations Company LLC.

In March, Irving, Texas-based Vistra Corporation announced that it had executed a definitive agreement with Energy Harbor Corporation under which Energy Harbor will merge with and into a newly-formed subsidiary of Vistra. The transaction will combine Energy Harbor's nuclear and retail businesses with Vistra's nuclear and retail businesses and Vistra Zero renewables and storage projects under a newly-formed subsidiary holding company, referred to as Vistra Vision.

Energy Harbor currently operates the two-unit Beaver Valley nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, as well as the single-unit Davis-Besse and Perry plants in Ohio. Vistra operates the Comanche Peak plant and its used fuel storage facilities in Texas.

The NRC, following a review of the licence transfer application, has now concluded that Vistra is financially and technically qualified to conduct the activities authorised by the licences. The NRC staff also concluded that Vistra satisfies the NRC's decommissioning funding assurance requirements, and that the facilities are not owned, controlled, or dominated by a foreign entity.

"This is an important step in the acquisition process and is evidence of Vistra's strong technical and financial qualifications, as we have demonstrated over the past 30+ years with our Comanche Peak nuclear power plant," said Vistra president and CEO Jim Burke. "We are excited about this opportunity to invest in nuclear power, which plays a critical and unique role in our nation's responsible energy transition as a baseload, carbon-free source of power."

Vistra said the NRC's "thorough and timely" review of the licence transfer application brings the transaction closer to completion. To finalise the acquisition, Vistra awaits a decision from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on its request for approval of the transaction.

Vistra continues to target closing the transaction before the end of the year.

At closing of the transaction, Energy Harbor will merge with and into a subsidiary of Vistra, thereby becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Vistra Vision. Total compensation will consist of USD3 billion cash and a 15% equity interest in Vistra Vision. In addition, Vistra Vision will assume about USD430 million of net debt from Energy Harbor in the transaction. Vistra will not acquire Energy Harbor's legacy conventional generation fleet, which Energy Harbor has agreed to sell to third parties.

The combination of Energy Harbor's and Vistra's nuclear assets will create "the second-largest competitive nuclear fleet in the country with four nuclear plants totaling more than 6400 MW," Vistra said. "This fleet provides critical, zero-carbon baseload generation that produces enough electricity to power 3.2 million US homes."

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Romania-sets-out-roadmap-for-licensing-of-NuScale

Romania's National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) has approved the Licensing Basis Document for the NuScale VOYGR-6 small modular reactor power plant.

Following a comprehensive evaluation, CNCAN issued the official approval letter in August 2023, as confirmation of the Licensing Basis Document conformity with the national regulatory requirements, utility Nuclearelectrica said. It said the approval "represents a key milestone of the SMR project, which will facilitate the implementation of the licensing process for all the stages of the NuScale power plant in Romania".

The Licensing Basis Document (LBD) establishes the licensing requirements for the six-module power plant project, the applicable domestic and international regulatory documents, codes and standards, as well as the project characteristics that ensure the fulfilment of the nuclear safety requirements and criteria.

The LBD maps out the licensing basis of the reference design in the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Design Certification for NuScale's Standard Plant Design and the correspondence with the Romanian licensing requirements and nuclear safety regulations issued by CNCAN in order to establish the authorisation framework for all the stages of development of the proposed nuclear power plant project.

Furthermore, the LBD enables the transition towards the next stages of the project, as it establishes the foundation to initiate the second phase of the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study. CNCAN's approval of the Licensing Basis Document provides a licensing plan to meeting critical milestones of the project – siting, construction, commissioning and operation.

NuScale Power and RoPower Nuclear - owned jointly by Romania's Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power & Gas - are currently conducting a FEED phase 1 study to analyse the preferred site of the first VOYGR-6 SMR power plant, which is a former coal plant in Doicesti in Romania. New funding announced in May will support the phase 2 study which also initiates the process of securing authorisations and licenses for the project.

"The approval of the LBD by CNCAN, following a complex and thorough assessment process specific to a nuclear regulator, reveals NuScale's strong commitment and high responsibility level towards regulatory compliance and project timeline," said Nuclearelectrica CEO Cosmin Ghita. "For us, at Nuclearelectrica, it is a further, independent confirmation of a solid, safe and reliable SMR technology and a further motivation to continue the deployment of a SMR technology project that will reshape the role of nuclear energy in the economy."

John Hopkins, President and CEO of NuScale, added: "This is an important step forward in our journey to bringing our clean, reliable technology to Romania to help power the country. As the first and only SMR technology to be approved by the US NRC, we are proud to see another endorsement of our design's superior safety case by the Romanian National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control."

The NuScale Power Module on which the VOYGR nuclear power plants are based is a pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single 77 MWe unit. The company offers a 12-module VOYGR-12 power plant capable of generating 924 MWe as well as the four-module VOYGR-4 (308 MWe) and six-module VOYGR-6 (462 MWe) plants and other configurations based on customer needs.

In 2021, NuScale Power and state-owned nuclear power corporation Nuclearelectrica signed a teaming agreement to deploy a 462 MWe NuScale VOYGR-6 power plant in Romania by the end of the decade. In June last year, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to begin conducting engineering studies, technical reviews, and licensing and permitting activities for the project.

'We’re excited to witness start of long-awaited historical shift in uranium market’.

Kazakhstan’s state uranium company Kazatomprom, which for the last few years has restricted its own output in order to stabilise prices, will end such cuts in 2025 and thus significantly increase production.

“Kazatomprom remains committed to its market-centric strategy and its disciplined approach to production and sales, and we’re excited to witness the start of a long-awaited historical shift in the uranium market,” Dastan Kosherbayev, chief commercial officer of Kazatomprom, said in a statement.

“As we are seeing a clear sign that the industry has entered into the new long-term contracting cycle, driven by the recognition of the restocking needs, Kazatomprom, with its best-class and lowest cost mines, is absolutely prepared to respond to these improving market conditions.”

For seven years including 2023, the company has produced 20% less than its contracts with the Kazakh government allowed, with this year's output seen at 20,500-21,500 tonnes.

In 2024, Kazatomprom said it would stick to its plan to produce 10% below the contract maximum, or 25,000-25,500 tonnes, while with no restrictions in 2025, production is expected to grow to 30,500-31,500 tonnes, the company said.

“Our intention to return to a 100% level of Subsoil Use Contracts production volumes in 2025 is primarily driven by our strong contract-book and already growing sales portfolio against conservative 2023-2024 production scenario,” Kosherbayev said.

The spot price of uranium has more than doubled over the past three years, although it is still well down from a peak of $140/lb in 2007.

Market consultant TradeTech said the spot price has hit $65.50/lb U3O8 – the highest level in more than 12 years – as tight near-term supplies lead sellers to increase offer prices.

Investment company Sprott said the nuclear sector has been boosted by a steady flow of good news, including new-build announcements in China, the start of commercial operation at Vogtle-3 in the US and planned reactor restarts in Japan. South Korea, Canada and the UK are all planning major nuclear investments, Sprott said.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Framatome-to-commercialise-digital-twin-based-diag

Framatome has been awarded a USD1 million contract for the second phase of the digital twin-based Diagnostics for Nuclear Auxiliary Systems project to commercialise automated diagnostic technology for nuclear plant auxiliary systems, which it says will lead to savings in operation and maintenance (O&M) costs for the current light-water reactor fleet.

The company is working in partnership with EDF subsidiary Metroscope on the project, which will apply Metroscope digital twin technology to an auxiliary system to demonstrate O&M savings at an operating light-water reactor plant. The objective is to demonstrate the value of the technology and quantify the return on investment for expanding to more plants after project completion, Framatome said. Framatome will be responsible for overall project management and development of the digital twin model for the auxiliary system, and Metroscope will support the project with co-leadership, product advancement and plant integration.

The first phase of the project focused on the application of digital twin technology to a high-temperature gas reactor auxiliary system using input data from the Natural Convection Shutdown Heat Removal Test Facility at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. The second phase will build on this, and on proven Metroscope diagnostic technology which is already in use at more than 60 nuclear plants, Framatome said.

"The successful commercialisation of this technology will be instrumental in developing additional cost-effective solutions available for nuclear plant operations today and prepares us for the next generation of advanced reactor designs," said Framatome North America CEO Katherine Williams.

The project is sponsored by the DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) under the GEMINA (Generating Electricity Managed by Intelligent Nuclear Assets) programme. GEMINA aims to develop digital twin technology for advanced nuclear reactors and transform operations and maintenance systems in the next generation of nuclear power plants.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/UK%C2%A0SMR-selection-contest-Six-companies-into-next

EDF, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC, Holtec Britain Limited, NuScale Power, Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Limited are now to be invited to bid for UK government contracts in the next stage of the process.

The UK government has plans to expand nuclear energy capacity to 24 GW by 2050, with a fleet of small modular reactors (SMRs) a key part of that strategy. Earlier this year the government, and the new Great British Nuclear (GBN) arms-length body set up to help deliver that extra capacity, began the selection process for which SMR technology to use.

There are more than 70 different designs of SMRs around the world at different stages of development, and it is not known how many of them put themselves forward for selection, which GBN said was judged on being "the most able to deliver operational SMRs by the mid-2030s". The aim is for a final investment decision to be taken in 2029.

It says that the next stage of the contest will be launched "as soon as possible where the successful companies will shortly be able to bid for government contracts ... the ambition is to announce in Spring 2024 which of the six companies the government will support, with contracts awarded by Summer 2024. This timetable aims to make this competition the fastest of its kind in the world".

UK Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said: "Small modular reactors will help the UK rapidly expand nuclear power and deliver cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy for British families and businesses, create well-paid, high-skilled jobs, and grow the economy. This competition has attracted designs from around the world and puts the UK at the front of the global race to develop this exciting, cutting-edge technology and cement our position as a world leader in nuclear innovation."

Gwen Parry-Jones, CEO of Great British Nuclear said: "These companies will now be able to prepare for the next stages of the competition, aiming for a final contract agreement in the summer, potentially benefiting from significant support from the public purse. This is a hugely exciting day for the nuclear industry. For companies who were not successful in this initial process, the next opportunity could be the government’s consultation on alternative routes to market for nuclear technologies which is due to be launched soon. This will look at how to support newer technologies so that Britain can benefit from them as well."

The companies selected reacted with delight. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's President and CEO Jay Wileman said: "We are pleased that our SMR technology has reached the next stage of Great British Nuclear’s competition. We believe that our SMR, the BWRX-300, is an ideal solution for the UK’s energy security and decarbonisation goals. Customers in Canada, the US and Poland are investing in our technology and this global collaboration is helping accelerate its deployment. We look forward to continuing to develop a robust UK supply chain and to continuing our work with Great British Nuclear as we enter the next phase of the competition."

Rolls-Royce SMR CEO Chris Cholerton, said: "The Rolls-Royce SMR is a British solution to the global energy security and decarbonisation challenge. We welcome our shortlisting and are eager to build on this progress, moving quickly to the next stage where we can work to agree a contract and help the government reach its ambition to deliver up to 24 GW of nuclear power by 2050. We have the only SMR technology in a European regulatory approval process, putting us almost two years ahead of any of our competitors. Securing a domestic contract is vitally important to unlock the enormous global export potential of our clean energy technology."

Westinghouse Electric Company President and CEO Patrick Fragman said: "Congratulations to Great British Nuclear on their swift progress. We are proud to provide our proven, advanced AP300 SMR technology to build a more secure, cleaner energy future. Westinghouse will leverage our deep UK and global nuclear heritage, expertise and delivery in support of the UK’s net-zero and energy security ambitions. We look forward to this opportunity to demonstrate that the AP300 SMR is the best option for the UK."

NuScale's VOYGR SMR is the only one so far to have been certified by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and it says it is being considered in more than 10 countries around the world. It describes its design as "based on proven pressurised water-cooled reactor technology, and was developed to supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, commercial-scale hydrogen production and other process heat applications".

Holtec's 160 MWe SMR is a pressurised light-water reactor using low-enriched uranium fuel. The design has completed the first phase of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's three-phase pre-licensing vendor design review and is undergoing pre-licensing activities with the US NRC. Holtec has also applied for a Generic Design Assessment of the SMR-160 in the UK. Among the countries it is being considered is Ukraine, with a cooperation agreement signed earlier this year with a target date of supplying power by March 2029, and potentially up to to 20 SMRs eventually across the country.

EDF is currently constructing the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK, the first new nuclear power plant in the country for decades. It is also planning to construct an "identical" plant at Sizewell C, with a financial investment decision awaited. The company's SMR is Nuward, which is "based on proven pressurised water reactor technology alongside key technological innovations". It says it will have a 40-month construction time and has a goal of first concrete on its first plant in France in 2030. It has begun prelicensing in France and has also held a joint early regulatory review of its design with regulators from France, the Czech Republic and Finland.

Great British Nuclear said earlier this year that it expected "up to four" technologies to be selected for support to pursue a project through Final Investment Decision to construction and operation, with the support including "funding to support technology development site-specific design, a close partnership with Great British Nuclear which will be ready and able to provide developer capacility" and support in accessing sites.

‘Door remains open’ for new communities to join.

UK government body Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) has decided not to take Allerdale in Cumbria, northwest England, further in the UK’s geological disposal facility (GDF) siting process due to limited suitable geology.

NWS said it had been engaging with the Allerdale community about the potential for hosting a disposal repository for the UK’s most radioactive waste.

As part of this process NWS obtained existing data and undertook assessments to understand if six siting factors – safety and security, community, environment, engineering feasibility, transport and value for money – could be supported if a GDF were sited in Allerdale.

“Following a comprehensive and robust evaluation of information it was concluded only a limited volume of suitable rock was identifiable and the geology in the area was unlikely to support a post closure safety case,” a statement said.

“NWS has therefore taken the decision not to take Allerdale further in the search for a suitable site to host a GDF.”

NSW said finding a suitable site and a willing community, along with securing the necessary consents and permits, could take about 15 years.

The assessment of three other potential sites is continuing and “the door also remains open” for new communities to join the process, it added.

The three potential sites still being assessed are Cumbria, Mid-Copeland and South-Copeland in Cumbria and Theddlethorpe in Lincolnshire, eastern England.

Nuclear power plays an “important role” in achieving the climate targets, representatives from 20 states agree. France says that global generation capacity must triple to carbon neutrality.

A two-day conference on nuclear energy ended in Paris on Friday. Organized by the French Ministry of Energy and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), an intergovernmental institution within the OECD, the delegations of 20 states in a joint declaration underlined the “important role” that nuclear energy is already playing today for achieving the climate targets and that could become even greater with a view to the 1.5 degree target. “This ambitious goal can be achieved by continuing existing nuclear power plants under the highest safety standards and the large-scale construction of new nuclear power plants,” says the declaration, which, alongside EU states such as France, Poland and the Netherlands, the USA, Great Britain and Japan, among others. Germany is not one of them.

In addition to greater energy efficiency, the maximum use of all emission-free and low-emission energy sources, including nuclear energy and renewable energies, is needed to create energy security and prosperity, the declaration continues. Nuclear energy, which covers around 10 percent of global electricity consumption, is safe, affordable and available, and it creates jobs and growth. The states committed themselves to promoting cooperation in the regulation, improvement of supply chains, waste disposal, financing and research and development of new types of reactors.

“Ediate treating core energy and renewable energy”

“It is the first time in 13 years that so many high-ranking delegates are attending an event of the (NEA)," said France’s Minister of Energy, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, satisfied. The global capacity to generate nuclear energy must triple by 2050 in order to become CO2-neutral, she said in an interview with the newspaper “Les Echos” on the basis of figures from the OECD institution – and stressed that in addition to the recently established Alliance for Nuclear Energy within the EU, which includes 14 member states, other states are taking up this challenge.

The conference in Paris is also an answer to Russia, which continues to provide nuclear solutions through developing countries to offer nuclear solutions. With a view to the 14-state alliance, she stressed that it was about “building an agenda for the next European Commission”, which in particular supports the reactivation of the Euratom Treaty and the commitment to treat nuclear energy and renewable energies in all European texts. The French EU Commissioner for the EU Thierry Breton recently advocated that nuclear energy be supported by the European Investment Bank.

• Source: https://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/cnt/dmf20231001_37123748
• Zonder paywall: https://archive.ph/Vjj0I

Grote ronde zuiverwitte schoorstenen torenen hoog boven het horizon uit in de Schermer: een kernreactor in de gemeente Alkmaar. ,,Nee. Het is niet gezegd dat het in de Schermer komt. Het hoeft ook echt niet massaal te zijn. Maar klopt, dat kan wel een goed tegenargument zijn tegen kerncentrales’’, geeft Victor Kloos aan van de politieke partij OPA.

OPA verkent kernenergie in Alkmaar. Kloos’ partij wilde eerst donderdag een voorstel doen bij de gemeenteraad om te laten onderzoeken of kernenergie en een mini-kernreactor iets voor Alkmaar zijn. OPA besluit nu even een klein stapje terug te doen. Het was voor OPA zelf ook iets te snel.

De OPA-mensen willen eerst zelf weten waar ze het over hebben: is dit een luchtkasteel of niet? En of er wel voedingsbodem is voor het idee in Alkmaar, zegt Kloos. ,,Het is een moeilijk onderwerp, we willen het zorgvuldig aanpakken. Niet slechts een motie (voorstel bij de gemeenteraad, red.) erover indienen.’’

Kloos denkt aan het organiseren van bijeenkomsten in het najaar om de Alkmaarder erover te raadplegen en informeren. Hoe dat precies vorm gaat krijgen, moet nog blijken.

Ook speelt mee dat het niet in het verkiezingsprogramma van OPA staat, geeft hij aan. Hij wil zijn achterban niet zomaar overvallen met dit plan. ,,We zijn toch een praktische partij. En het is ook niet 1-2-3 geregeld. ’’

Hij bekent. ,,Zo diep zit ik ook nog niet in de materie. Daarom moeten we zorgvuldig kijken naar wat de voordelen en nadelen zijn.’’

Inspiratie

De inspiratie voor het idee is een voorstel, slechts een motie, in Woerden. Bijna een jaar geleden stemde de gemeenteraad daar vóór een onderzoek naar een mini-kernreactor in Woerden.

Kloos: ,,Daar werd ik heel enthousiast van. In eerste instantie wilde ik gewoon copy paste doen, maar nu doen we toch eerst een stapje terug.’’

Enthousiast werd-ie van de gedachte dat kleine kerncentrales kant en klaar ontwikkeld kunnen worden en dat zo’n centrale even veel energie levert als 27.000 ’kleine’ windturbines.

Hij oppert dit alternatief te midden van de soms vurige Alkmaarse discussie over boerderijmolens. De Schermer, Alkmaar en de politiek bakkeleien over een boerderijmolen bij één melkveehouder in Grootschermer en er wordt geschermd over nieuw molenbeleid.

OPA’s grote vrees is dat de gemeente straks vol staat met windturbines. En dus kijkt de partij naar alternatieven zoals kernenergie.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Podcast-World-Nuclear-Symposium-2023-special-repor

The Nuclear Fuel Report, financing, recruitment, plant life optimisation and the Net Zero Nuclear launch all feature in this round-up of the high-level panel discussions held at the industry's global gathering in London.

The annual World Nuclear Symposium, held in September, featured sessions on a variety of the big issues currently facing the sector. This special edition of the World Nuclear News podcast brings you reports on, and highlights from, the event:

The topics covered, in order:

• The launch of the Net Zero Nuclear campaign
• Publication of World Nuclear Association's Nuclear Fuel Report
• Recruitment and expanding the nuclear workforce
• How nuclear can decarbonise different industries
• Optimising plant life performance
• Investing in and financing of nuclear

We hear from, in order of appearance:

• Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of World Nuclear Association
• Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency
• Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation
• Malcolm Critchley, President and CEO ConverDyn
• Chris Frankland, Director of Sales and Marketing, Nuclear Fuels Corporation
• Jeanne Tortorelli, Director of Nuclear Fuel Supply at Constellation Energy Generation
• Tamer Albishawi, Chief Nuclear Officer at Hinkley Point C
• Callum Thomas, Chairman of Thomas Thor
• Grace Stanke, Nuclear Engineering Student, Nuclear Advocate and Miss America
• Charlotte Griffiths, Sustainable Energy Division of the UN Economic Commission for Europe
• Todd Noe, Director of Nuclear Technologies Strategy at Microsoft
• Mikal Bøe, Chairman and CEO Core Power
• Naoki Chigusa, CEO of World Association of Nuclear Operators
• Vinod Kumar, Station Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited's Kaiga 3 and 4
• Catherine Cornand, Senior Executive Vice President Framatome
• Chris Cunningham, Vice President Nuclear Projects at Ontario Power Generation
• Wolfgang Denk, Managing Director, Swissnuclear
• Keisuke Sadamori, Director Energy Markets and Security, International Energy Agency
• Iain Smedley, Global Chairman of Banking, Barclays
• Kevin Kelly, CFO Bruce Power
• Julien Bocobza, Partner, White & Case LLC
• Sophie Macfarlane-Smith, Head of Customer Engagement Rolls-Royce SMR
• Thomas Branche, Senior Vice President for Engineering, Assystem
• Rumina Velshi, President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
• Erick van Egeraat, Architect
• Tim Gitzel, President and CEO Cameco