Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/UN-motion-calls-for%C2%A0Zaporizhzhia-plant-s-return-to

The United Nations General Assembly voted by 99 votes to 9, with 60 abstentions, for Russia to "immediately return the plant to the full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine". Meanwhile the IAEA warns about the impact of the war on the city where most of the nuclear power plant workers live.

Extracts of United Nations resolution

The UN General Assembly resolution "demands that the Russian Federation urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorised personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and immediately return the plant to the full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine to ensure its safety and security and in order for the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct safe, efficient and effective safeguards implementation in accordance with the comprehensive safeguards agreement and additional protocol of Ukraine, consistent with the repeated calls by the General Conference and the Board of Governors of the Agency".

It also "calls upon the Russian Federation, until it returns the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant of Ukraine to the full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine, to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia with timely and full access to all areas at the plant that are important for nuclear safety and security in order to allow the Agency to report fully on the nuclear safety and security situation at the site".

And it calls upon "all parties to the armed conflict to implement fully the 'seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during an armed conflict' and the five concrete principles of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency to help to ensure nuclear safety and security at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant ... urges the Russian Federation to immediately remove all anti-personnel mines placed along the perimeter of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant".

What was Russia's reaction?

Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, was reported by the official Tass news agency as calling it "another nonconsensual, politicised draft [which] will have absolutely no effect on the ground, as the previous ones". The resolution was opposed by nine countries - Belarus, Burundi, North Korea, Cuba, Mali, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria and Eritrea - with the 60 abstaining including India and China.

Continuing IAEA concerns about safety at Zaporizhzhia

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in its latest update on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), said it was concerned about military action in the area and especially its impact on the workers who live in the nearby town of Energodar which has suffered power cuts, water shortages and forest fires over recent days.

The IAEA said it had been told by the operators of ZNPP an attack had damaged an electrical transformer in a sub-station in Energodar as well as shelling which damaged a water pumping station. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: "These latest attacks have not targeted the nuclear power plant directly, as in April. However, continued military activity in the region remains a serious concern and it is essential that the ... plant is protected to ensure nuclear safety and security. The sporadic loss of basic living essentials such as electricity and drinking water is affecting the staff and families at all nuclear power plants and facilities throughout Ukraine, potentially impacting on their ability to perform their important nuclear safety and security work."

The six unit nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022, is located on the frontline of the Russian and Ukrainian forces. There have been IAEA experts stationed at the site since September 2022 as part of efforts to support safety and security measures. They conduct regular walks and inspection of parts of the site, but have "continued to hear explosions and gunfire at various distances from the plant on a near daily basis over the past week".

They also reported that the recent hot weather had led to the level of the cooling pond dropping by about one centimetre a day, falling to below 15 metres for the first time since the Kakhovka dam was destroyed last year.

Elsewhere in Ukraine

The IAEA also has experts stationed at Ukraine's other nuclear power plants - Khmelnitsky, Rivne and South Ukraine, as well as at Chernobyl - and they report that nuclear safety and security is being maintained. The IAEA also says that a further four deliveries of equipment took place over the past week to support Ukraine in maintaining nuclear safety and security - bringing the total number of deliveries to 55 since the war began.

The Rivne nuclear power plant received measurement instruments, Khmelnitsky got filter absorbers, there was nuclear security equipment for State Enterprise USIE Izotop and also power supply units for the radiation monitoring network operated by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Canadian-town-declares-willingness-to-host-reposit

The Township of Ignace in north-western Ontario has become the first community to confirm its willingness to move forward to the next phase of the site selection process to host a deep geological repository for Canada's used nuclear fuel.

Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) launched the process to select a suitable site for the deep geological repository (DGR) for Canada's used nuclear fuel in 2010. By 2012, 22 communities had expressed an interest in learning about the project and exploring their potential to host it. Eleven of those communities went forward to the second phase of NWMO's preliminary assessment process. By the end of 2019, the list of potential host communities had been narrowed down to two: the Revell Site, some 43 km northwest of the town of Ignace, and 21 km southeast of the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation; and the South Bruce Site, about 5 km northwest of Teeswater in the municipality of South Bruce.

Ignace's willingness process provided numerous opportunities for the community to provide input on the project. A multi-phased community engagement programme led by a third-party engagement consultant, With Chéla Inc, included direct dialogue with residents, youth engagement and a community vote open to residents 16 and older. In addition, a volunteer Willingness Ad Hoc Committee considered the results of the engagement activities and provided guidance to Council on the community’s willingness to host the project.

The recommendations to Council outlined that 77.3% (495 participants) voted in favour of becoming a willing host community, whilst 20.8% (133) voted against and 1.9% (12) abstained. With Chéla estimated there were 1035 eligible participants and 660 opted into the process.

At a special meeting on 10 July, Ignace Council unanimously accepted and endorsed a set of recommendations from the Willingness Ad Hoc Committee and passed a resolution addressed to NWMO that indicates that the town is a willing host community for the DGR.

"We are proudly the first community in Canada to be indicating our support and our willingness to continue in the selection process by the NWMO in the potential siting of the DGR project in this area," said Mayor Kim Baigrie. "The residents of the Township of Ignace have spoken loud and clear and we fully respect their direction as a Council, and we clearly have now indicated our support through an official resolution to the NWMO based on the recommendations from our Willingness Ad Hoc Committee members."

"The endorsement by Township Council of this recommendation from the Willingness Ad Hoc Committee in no way, either guarantees that the Township will host a deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel, or that a final decision by the NWMO has been made on the actual siting of this multi-billion-dollar project," Ignace Council noted in a statement. "It simply indicates, through an official resolution to NWMO, that the community of Ignace has undertaken a willingness process and has now agreed to continue to be a potential willing host towards the decision from NWMO slated for later this year."

"We congratulate the Township and its residents for reaching this important step and admire the thought and care that has gone into this process and into shaping what the project could look like in the community," said NWMO Vice-President of Site Selection Lise Morton. "We could not have gotten to where we are today without the leadership and dedication to learning shown by the people of Ignace."

NWMO continues to collaborate with the three other communities involved in the site selection process to understand community willingness to move forward. Discussions are ongoing with Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) in the northwest, Saugeen Ojibway Nation (comprised of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation) and the Municipality of South Bruce in the southwest, which will hold a municipal referendum in October.

NWMO has always said that the project will only proceed in an area with informed and willing host communities, where the municipality, Indigenous peoples, and others in the area are working together to implement it.

The Ignace Council said it respects that a decision by WLON will also be required to proceed if northwestern Ontario is selected to host the DGR.

NWMO is expected to make a final decision on the siting of the DGR by the end of December 2024. Once the final site selection has been made, its safety will be confirmed through a rigorous regulatory review of the repository design and safety case. The regulatory and licensing process is expected to take about 10 years to complete.

Construction of the repository is expected to begin in 2033, with operations beginning in the early-2040s.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/L-T-flags-off-second-steam-generator-for-new-Kaiga

Indian engineering company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has shipped the second steam generator destined for the units 5 and 6 of the Kaiga nuclear power plant in Karnataka State.

A "flagging off" ceremony was held on 12 July by L&T to mark the shipment of the steam generator from its Hazira complex in Gujarat.

Speaking at the ceremony, Anil Parab, whole-time director and senior executive vice president - L&T Heavy Engineering & L&T Valves, said: "L&T Heavy Engineering, as an industry trendsetter, continues to create global benchmarks in delivery of critical nuclear equipment. Eleven-month early delivery of this second steam generator is another example of consistency and resilience even during pandemic and supply chain disruptions. We are fully geared up as the trusted and dedicated partner of the Department of Atomic Energy and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to triple the current installed nuclear power capacity to 100 GWe by 2047."

In March 2018, L&T Special Steels and Heavy Forgings Private Limited - a joint venture between L&T and NPCIL - received an order worth INR4.42 billion (USD52.9 million) from NPCIL to supply forgings for steam generators. These forgings will be used in the manufacture of the critical equipment for six new indigenous 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs), part of the Indian government's plan to construct ten PHWR units.

The Indian cabinet in 2017 approved the construction of ten domestically designed 700 MWe PHWR units using a fleet mode of construction to bring economies of scale as well as maximising efficiency. The first two of these units are Kaiga 5 and 6.

L&T delivered the first steam generator for Kaiga units 5 and 6 in March this year, 12 months ahead of contractual delivery.

Steam generators are heat exchangers used to convert water into steam from heat produced in a nuclear reactor core. In PHWRs, the coolant is pumped, at high pressure to prevent boiling, from the reactor coolant pump, through the nuclear reactor core, and through the tube side of the steam generators before returning to the pump.

L&T says it has "a proven track record of manufacturing more than 42 steam generators for major nuclear power plants across the nation".

Kazakhstan, the world’s largest producer of uranium for nuclear power plants, has announced a significant increase in its mineral extraction tax for uranium.

In a statement on its website on 10 July, Kazakh state uranium mining company Kazatomprom noted that, as a result of the planned uranium tax increase, different companies’ joint ventures and subsidiaries are expected to have different applicable tax rates, starting in 2026.

The new tax rate changes will come in two waves. The first, effective from 1 January 2025, will impose an initial increase from the current 6% to 9%.

Starting in 2026, the tax will take on a more complex and differentiated rate structure based on production volumes and the price of natural uranium concentrate (U3O8).

For production volumes up to 500 metric tonnes, the rate will be 4%, increasing incrementally to a maximum of 18% for volumes exceeding 4,000 metric tonnes.

Additionally, if the price of U3O8 exceeds certain thresholds, an additional rate increase will apply, starting at 0.5% for prices above $70/lb and rising to a maximum of 2.5% for prices above $110/lb.

Kazakhstan's government said the tax increase as part of broader economic reforms aimed at balancing the budget and redistributing wealth more equitably.

“Our minerals extraction tax rates are among the lowest in the world,” economy minister Alibek Kuantyrov said. “I think we can carefully raise it by 10-20 percent.”

Investing News Network said the changes come amid increased government spending in response to global economic pressures and the conflict in Ukraine.

Because of its hardness and its hardiness in the face of high temperatures, silicon carbide has been used for industrial purposes for decades. It has proven its worth as a key component of tiny TRISO fuel particles. But SiC has a weakness—in its pure form it is too brittle for use in structural components, such as 12-foot-long light water reactor fuel cladding tubes.

General Atomics–Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has engineered a solution to produce nuclear fuel cladding using SiC that can withstand extreme temperatures of up to 3,800°F. According to the Department of Energy, which has supported GA-EMS through its Accident Tolerant Fuel program, SiGA cladding is now on track to be fully demonstrated by the end of this decade, with commercialization in early 2030. GA-EMS is preparing for commercialization by continuing its testing program and developing domestic manufacturing capabilities.

A composite: SiGA is made from SiC—a ceramic material made of silicon and carbon in a high-purity crystalline composition. SiC’s advantage lies in its heat resistance, but GA-EMS explains that “its brittleness in pure form limits its use as a structural material. However, it can be significantly toughened to address this brittleness by reinforcing monolithic SiC with SiC fibers (forming a composite known as a ceramic matrix composite, or CMC).”

The fiber “reinforces the material similar to the way steel rebar is used to reinforce concrete,” according to the DOE. The composite can tolerate temperatures up to 3,800°F—roughly 500 degrees hotter than the melting point of zirconium alloys typically used for cladding.

According to the DOE, SiGA cladding also “features a novel sealing technology capable of withstanding pressures far beyond that typical of light water reactor conditions.”

Testing: GA-EMS has created 6-inch-long SiGA rodlets and 3-foot cladding samples to reactor-grade specifications that will undergo irradiation testing at Idaho National Laboratory. Recent work has demonstrated that the process is scalable to full-length 12-foot fuel rods, according to the DOE. Accelerated fuel qualification is underway using research reactors, commercial reactors, and modeling and simulation.

GA-EMS reports that it began working on SiC composites for nuclear fuel cladding applications in 2009. That work has been supported by funding, irradiation testing, and post-irradiation examination support from the DOE’s Accident Tolerant Fuel program, which was established in 2012 to improve the operating performance, economic efficiency, and safety of LWRs with novel fuel technologies—including cladding—and allowing for longer response times at high temperatures in accident situations.

Workers at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site in Washington state recently unloaded a shipment of more than 10,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide delivered to the site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The liquid sodium hydroxide will be the first chemical fed into the plant’s melters to simulate Hanford’s radioactive and chemical tank waste.

“The delivery of sodium hydroxide is an important precursor to several months of testing using simulated waste, known as the cold commissioning phase,” said Mat Irwin, the DOE Office of Environmental Management’s acting assistant manager for the WTP project. “WTP crews will test the waste processing and exhaust treatment systems in the plant’s Low-Activity Waste Facility before introducing actual tank waste into the plant during hot commissioning.”

Prep work: According to the DOE, commissioning of the facility is an important step in preparing to vitrify, or immobilize in glass, 53 million gallons of waste from Hanford’s large underground tanks.

A second, longer-term use of sodium hydroxide will be to treat hazardous liquids coming from the facility’s exhaust treatment system and the system that treats liquids generated during the vitrification process.

The DOE noted that many industries use sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye, as a versatile chemical. However, like other industrial chemicals, it must be treated as a hazardous substance. To ensure its safe handling on site, workers are required to follow strict safety protocols during its use, which includes storing it in an isolated tank at the WTP.

“Our team prepared for this delivery by implementing safety measures to ensure the safe handling, storage, and use of sodium hydroxide on site,” said Rick Holmes, Bechtel National’s principal vice president and general manager for the Waste Treatment Completion Company, the primary subcontractor to Bechtel. Bechtel is charged with the design, construction, and startup of the WTP. “The team’s success marks an important step toward cold commissioning later this year and preparing for the future sustained production of vitrified waste.”

Looking ahead: During future waste treatment operations, treated waste from Hanford’s underground tanks will be fed directly into melters inside the site’s Low-Activity Waste Facility. The waste will be mixed with glass-forming materials and heated, then poured into stainless steel containers for disposal at Hanford’s Integrated Disposal Facility.

US president Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill on 9 July aimed at bolstering the nation’s nuclear power in what supporters describe as a historic win for the sector.

The nuclear legislation, known as the Advance Act, is expected to speed up the timeline for licensing new nuclear reactors and cut fees that companies have to pay to do so.

It covers a range of areas seen as critical to new build and energy security, including reducing regulatory costs for companies seeking to licence advanced nuclear reactor technologies.

It requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to produce a report that considers ways to simplify and shorten the environmental review process for such reactors.

The legislation also calls for the NRC to develop plans for the licensing of microreactors and nuclear facilities at brownfield and retired fossil-fuel energy generation sites.

Another key area addressed by the legislation is strengthening the US’s nuclear energy fuel cycle and supply chain infrastructure.

The legislation calls on the NRC to improve its ability to qualify and licence accident-tolerant fuels and advanced nuclear fuels that can increase safety and economic competitiveness for existing reactors and the next generation of advanced reactors.

It tasks the NRC with evaluating advanced manufacturing techniques to build nuclear reactors better, faster, cheaper and smarter.

‘Clean Power And Good Union Jobs’

Supporters say the legislation is significant for the nuclear power sector and will help bring more commercial reactors online.

Biden, in a social media post, announced he signed the legislation, saying it would help provide “clean nuclear power and good union jobs”.

“Today is a momentous day for our climate and America’s clean energy future,” said Delaware Democrat senator Tom Carper, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in a written statement.

“This bipartisan law will strengthen our energy and national security, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of new jobs, while ensuring the continued safety of this zero-emissions energy source.”

The Washington-based Nuclear Energy Institute, a lobby group, said: “The passage of the Advance Act allows us to bolster US international competitiveness at this crucial junction, accelerate the domestic deployments of innovative advanced nuclear technologies, and modernize the oversight and licensing of the operating fleet of reactors.”

Scientists at the IAEA are helping local researchers in Cuba find dangerous biotoxins in marine algae that can lead to outbreaks of contaminated seafood.

Ciguatoxins are poisons produced by harmful blooms of microscopic algae, which occur mostly in tropical areas and mainly affect small island developing states. These biotoxins can accumulate in the food chain, especially in larger fish, presenting a risk to humans who consume them.

The symptoms of ciguatera poisoning can range from digestive distress to neurological symptoms such as numbness and weakness.

Each year, outbreaks of these harmful algal blooms (HABs) are responsible for thousands of poisonings all over the globe due to the consumption of contaminated seafood. HABs disrupt the food chain and can kill marine life and sea birds.

Many countries have struggled to detect and manage ciguatoxins in HABs effectively.

To address the ciguatoxin problem, the IAEA has been building capacity for ciguatera monitoring through nuclear and isotopic techniques that can quickly identify biotoxins in seafood and accurately identify outbreaks compared to other methods. The IAEA’s Marine Environment Laboratories help ensure that innovative detection methods can be adopted by the countries most affected by ciguatera.

For instance, the IAEA has arranged training in Cuba on a new approach to use a ‘receptor binding assay’ (RBA) to detect ciguatoxins even in samples containing multiple toxin variants. This equips local scientists with the tools to identify fish at high-risk from ciguatoxin contamination and make informed decisions about seafood safety.

The RBA technology is of particular importance, as it is now used as a recognized regulatory method to certify the safety of seafood, such as shellfish imported to the European Union for consumption.

The transfer of this RBA technology to Caribbean nations has empowered local scientists to monitor marine toxins more effectively. The early detection of harmful algal blooms that produce ciguatoxins has helped Caribbean nations to implement early warning systems for seafood safety. The IAEA has organized international workshops to train scientists from small island developing states in the latest techniques to detect marine toxins and foster global collaboration and knowledge exchange so that even nations with limited resources can better protect their citizens and maintain safe, sustainable fisheries.

The scientific data collected assists member countries in detecting and characterizing biotoxins, which enhances preparedness and response to relevant public health emergencies.

“With the right tools, ciguatera blooms and ciguatoxin outbreaks can be effectively mitigated,” said Alejandro Garcia Moya, Director of the Environmental Studies Centre of Cienfuegos (CEAC). “The IAEA workshops to transfer knowledge on marine toxin monitoring and management techniques are a key aspect in capacity building and strengthening in small islands developing states and consequently have a direct impact on the management of harmful algal blooms and their effects on our marine environments and the people relying on them.” 

“The IAEA has been collaborating with CEAC to enhance ciguatera monitoring in the region using nuclear and isotopic techniques,” said Florence Descroix-Comanducci, Director of the IAEA’s Marine Environment Laboratories. “Our expertise in nuclear science and technology and collaborations with scientific partners are a testament to what collaborative science can achieve.”

Implementation of early warning systems for harmful algal blooms

In 2023, the FAO, IAEA and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission published a technical guide on setting up an early warning system for HABs. The guide, which focuses on managing HABs affecting food safety and security, offers steps for authorities to enhance their current warning systems or build new ones, ensuring safety against threats from toxins in HABs getting into the food chain.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Dominion-considers-deploying-SMR-at-North-Anna

US utility Dominion Energy has issued a Request for Proposals from small modular reactor vendors to evaluate the feasibility of developing an SMR at its North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia.

"While the RFP is not a commitment to build an SMR at North Anna, it is an important first step in evaluating the technology and the North Anna site to support Dominion Energy customers' future energy needs consistent with the company's most recent Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)," Dominion said.

In its 2023 IRP, the company said it plans to continue evaluating the feasibility, operating parameters, and costs of SMRs and will update modeling assumptions related to SMRs in future filings.

"Potential cost reductions relative to the assumptions reflected in the 2023 Plan may be realised as the design of SMRs matures and as anticipated construction schedules are established. Based on updated capital, operating and maintenance costs, continued progress of licensing timelines, and new policy initiatives or legislative changes, it is conceivable that the deployment of SMRs could be further accelerated by the company, with the first SMR being placed in service within a decade," it said.

The issuance of the RFP was announced at an event on 10 July at the North Anna site. Company leaders were joined at the event by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, Virginia State Senator Dave Marsden, Virginia State Senator Mark Peake and Louisa County Board of Supervisors Chair Duane Adams, among other local and state leaders.

Dominion also announced that it intends to seek "rider recovery" of SMR development costs in a filing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission expected later this year. This was enabled by bipartisan legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year. Governor Youngkin ceremonially signed the legislation at the event at North Anna.

The legislation contains cost caps limiting current SMR development cost recovery to no more than USD1.40 per month for a typical residential customer. Dominion anticipates that its initial request will be substantially below that limit.

"For over 50 years nuclear power has been the most reliable workhorse of Virginia's electric fleet, generating 40% of our power and with zero carbon emissions," said Robert Blue, chair, president and CEO of Dominion Energy. "As Virginia's need for reliable and clean power grows, SMRs could play a pivotal role in an 'all-of-the-above' approach to our energy future. Along with offshore wind, solar and battery storage, SMRs have the potential to be an important part of Virginia's growing clean energy mix."

Governor Youngkin added: "The Commonwealth's potential to unleash and foster a rich energy economy is limitless. To meet the power demands of the future, it is imperative we continue to explore emerging technologies that will provide Virginians access to the reliable, affordable and clean energy they deserve. In alignment with our All-American, All-of-the-Above energy plan, small nuclear reactors will play a critical role in harnessing this potential and positioning Virginia to be a leading nuclear innovation hub."

The North Anna site is currently home to two 944 MWe pressurised water reactors, which began commercial operation in 1978 and 1980, respectively. Under their current licences, North Anna units 1 and 2 can continue to operate through 2038 and 2040, although Dominion has applied for 20-year extensions for both units.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/KAERI-completes-upgrade-of-Bangladeshi-research-re

Work to commission the modernised instrumentation and control system of the Bangladesh Training Research Reactor has been completed, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) announced.

KAERI said the project marks the first bilateral cooperation in the nuclear industry between two countries, which have worked together since 2021.

In July 2021, KAERI won a contract worth about USD3.9 million from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) for the modernisation of its Bangladesh Training Research Reactor (BTRR). The project involved the development and replacement of key facilities at BTRR, including the delivery of digital instrumentation and control systems to replace its analog systems.

The 3 MW TRIGA Mark-II research reactor achieved its first criticality on 14 September 1986. The reactor has been used for manpower training, radioisotope production (iodine-131), and various R&D activities in the field of neutron activation analysis, neutron radiography and neutron scattering.

"The BTRR project has been the cornerstone to the nuclear cooperation between Korea and Bangladesh, and now we expect today's accomplishment will help further advancing the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technologies in the country," said KAERI Executive Vice President In-Cheol Lim.

In May 2022, KAERI signed a memorandum of understanding with BAEC for technological cooperation in nuclear research and development. Under the MoU, the main areas for cooperation include the development, utilisation and upgrade of research reactors, the production and application of radioisotopes, development of radiation technology, neutron science and the management of radioactive wastes.

KAERI has also been active in promoting the development and use of research reactors globally. In 2009, a KAERI-led consortium won the construction project of the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR), Korea's first nuclear reactor export. From planning and engineering to start up test, KAERI played a leading role in the successful completion of the project.

In June this year, the KAERI-led consortium also finished the capacity upgrade of a research reactor and installation of a cold neutron source at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The so-called OYSTER (Optimised Yield - for Science, Technology & Education - of Radiation) project started in 2014 and marked Korea's first export of nuclear reactor technology to Europe. Previously, KAERI was also involved in upgrade and refurbishment of research reactor in Greece, Thailand and Malaysia.

Building upon the years-long experience and expertise, KAERI is also collaborating with US partners in ensuring proliferation resistance of research reactors, especially in emerging countries. Earlier this year, the Korean government signed an MoU with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) for the Proliferation Resistance Optimization (Pro-X) Programme. Under the cooperation framework aiming at integration of proliferation resistance into nuclear reactor design, KAERI will work closely with NNSA to optimise the institute's export-oriented reactor designs, contributing to strengthening the non-proliferation regime in the field of research reactors.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/President-Biden-signs-ADVANCE-Act-into-law

The bipartisan Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act aims to incentivise and support the development and deployment of new advanced nuclear technologies, including measures to streamline the regulatory approvals process.

The ADVANCE Act at a glance

The ADVANCE Act, among other things, directs the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to look for ways to speed up its licensing process for new nuclear technology. It will reduce regulatory costs for companies seeking to license advanced nuclear reactor technologies, as well as creating a "prize" to incentivise the successful deployment of next-generation reactor technologies. It will also direct the NRC to enhance its ability to qualify and license accident-tolerant fuels and advanced nuclear fuels.

The act will also support the development of advanced nuclear reactors in other countries, empowering the NRC to lead in international forums to develop regulations for advanced nuclear reactors, and directing the US Department of Energy to improve its process for approving the export of US technology to international markets, while maintaining strong standards for nuclear non-proliferation.

Streamlining the regulatory process, with international cooperation and collaboration between stakeholders, is widely seen as a key factor to the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors and advanced nuclear fuels at the scale required to tackle climate change and energy security concerns.

The legislation's progress

The act was introduced in the Senate in March 2023 by Senators Shelley Moore Capito, Tom Carper and Sheldon Whitehouse, with co-sponsors including John Barrasso, Cory Booker, Mike Crapo, Lindsey Graham, Martin Heinrich, Mark Kelly and Jim Risch. It was passed by the Senate on 18 June as part of the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S. 870), by 88 votes to 2. The act was passed by the House earlier in May this year, by 393 votes to 13.

Carper, who is chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, described the passage of the act - with overwhelming bipartisan support - as a "major victory" for the climate and US energy security.

The last stage of the process was the US President signing the act into law, with President Joe Biden doing so on Tuesday, posting a photo on social media outlet X with the message: "Earlier, I signed the ADVANCE Act, a bipartisan win for American energy security, innovation, and achieving economy-wide, net-zero emissions by 2050. Clean nuclear power and good union jobs. That's what the ADVANCE Act will help deliver."

Carper called it a "momentous day for our climate and America's clean energy future ... this bipartisan law will strengthen our energy and national security, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of new jobs, while ensuring the continued safety of this zero-emissions energy source. I’m thankful to each of my colleagues who helped write and pass this bill and to President Biden for signing it into law”.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/India-and-Russia-explore-further-nuclear-energy-pr

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have said deepening cooperation in the nuclear energy field was a priority and agreed on discussions to allocate a site for a new VVER-1200 nuclear power plant in India.

During a tour of the Atom Pavilion in Moscow, the two leaders, pictured above, saw details of a range of different nuclear energy technologies and projects, including nuclear-powered ice breakers and floating nuclear power plants which, according to the Tass news agency, Putin said can eventually "replace the oil produced around the world". The news agency also reported Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev as having told Modi that Russia could offer small nuclear power stations to India with "very deep localisation - we can transfer the whole construction part to you".

There were also discussions about the non-energy applications of nuclear technologies including water desalination, irradiation of seeds and food products as well as the possibilities of growing the transport of goods along the Northern Sea Route, which relies on the nuclear-powered icebreakers.

The text of the leaders' joint statement

"The parties noted the importance of cooperation in the field of the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as an essential component of the strategic partnership. They welcomed the progress made in the construction of the remaining power units of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and agreed to adhere to the existing schedule, including delivery dates for equipment. Both sides emphasised the need for further discussions on the allocation of a second site in India in accordance with previously concluded agreements. The parties agreed to continue technical consultations on the implementation of the project for the construction of a new nuclear power plant of the Russian design with a VVER-1200 reactor plant, localisation of equipment and joint production of nuclear power plant components, as well as on issues of coordination of activities in third countries. The parties confirmed their intention to expand cooperation in the field of the nuclear fuel cycle, ensuring the life cycle of the Kudankulam NPP and non-energy applications of nuclear technologies."

The background

India has large-scale expansion plans for nuclear energy and earlier this year Union Minister Jitendra Singh said it planned to increase its installed nuclear generating capacity from the current 7480 MWe to 22,800 MWe by 2031-32. It has a mix of technology, including indigenous designs and others from across the world.

Kudankulam is home to two operating Russian-supplied VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors which are owned and operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. Four further VVERs are under construction: work started on units 3 and 4 in 2017, and on units 5 and 6 in 2021 and the plan is to complete construction by 2027. A fourth phase comprising two VVER-1200 reactors - Kudankulam 7 and 8 - has been proposed. There have also been talks about a further nuclear power plant in the country which would feature up to six Russian units, with Tass reporting that India had said in 2021 it would identify a suitable site.

What next?

According to the Tass news agency, Likhachev told the Rossiya-24 TV news channel: "We are currently developing the agenda of further cooperation. As we have tested each other and constructed very efficient relations in the present generation, the so-called 3+, we would like to move toward the fourth generation together." He said these included fast-neutron reactors, further modification and development of its VVER technology and fuel cycle closure.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/AtkinsRealis-to-design-fusion-plant-for-Type-One-E

US fusion energy developer Type One Energy has selected Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRéalis to develop the pre-concept design for its Fusion Pilot Plant, which will use stellarator technology to demonstrate its potential to generate clean, safe and affordable power from fusion energy.

AtkinsRéalis said its UK-based fusion team will work alongside US capabilities and expertise to provide multi-disciplinary engineering services, to develop the full plant requirements, pre-conceptual facility designs, and a preliminary site layout. Working in close collaboration with Type One Energy, AtkinsRéalis will integrate established project delivery solutions alongside novel fusion technologies, seeking to de-risk the delivery of the fusion plant while optimising cost.

"This programme of work is the first step in a strategic partnership with Type One Energy as they commercialise their technology and progress the potential of fusion to power the US' energy transition," said Jason Dreisbach, director of advanced energy technologies at AtkinsRéalis. "With our global fusion expertise, we are uniquely positioned to support the transition of Type One Energy's fusion technology into a commercially viable and sustainable source of energy to power a net-zero future."

"We selected AtkinsRéalis because of its subject matter expertise across multiple disciplines, including engineering, planning, and deployment, as well as its accumulated knowledge and market presence in the emerging fusion technology space," said Type One Energy’s Vice President of Global Partnerships and Supply Chain Management Gregg Schneider. "We believe that developing long term business and functional level relationships will serve both parties as additional work scopes are contemplated over the next decade."

In February, Type One Energy announced plans to build Infinity One - its stellarator fusion prototype machine - at Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA's) Bull Run Fossil Plant in Clinton, Tennessee. The project is the result of a tri-party memorandum of understanding signed in 2023 between TVA, Type One Energy and the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in which the partners expressed an interest in the successful development and commercialisation of economic and practical fusion energy technologies.

The construction of Infinity One could begin in 2025, following the completion of necessary environmental reviews, partnership agreements, required permits, and operating licenses, Type One Energy noted. It will allow the company to verify important design features of its high field stellarator Fusion Pilot Plant, particularly those related to operating efficiency, reliability, maintainability, and affordability.

Type One Energy's Infinity One is a stellarator fusion reactor - different to a tokamak fusion reactor such as the Joint European Torus in the UK or the Iter device under construction in France. A tokamak is based on a uniform toroid shape, whereas a stellarator twists that shape in a figure-8. This gets round the problems tokamaks face when magnetic coils confining the plasma are necessarily less dense on the outside of the toroidal ring.

Type One Energy said it "applies proven advanced manufacturing methods, modern computational physics, and high-field superconducting magnets to develop its optimised stellarator fusion energy system".

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Aalo-prepares-for-US-licensing-of-microreactor

Aalo Atomics has submitted a pre-application regulatory engagement plan (REP) with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its Aalo-1 microreactor, detailing the planned pre-licensing application interactions with the regulator.

An REP helps reactor developers' early interactions with NRC staff and can reduce regulatory uncertainty and add predictability to licensing advanced technologies. There is no regulatory requirement for an REP, and the guidelines note that the topics and appropriate level of detail a prospective applicant would wish to include are entirely voluntary and should be agreed upon in discussions between the applicant and NRC staff.

Austin, Texas-headquartered Aalo said: "By setting expectations, building trust, and addressing the NRC's questions and concerns early on, we aim to create a safe, socially acceptable, and commercially viable Aalo-1 reactor for the Idaho Nuclear Project."

The company said that initially, this project will feature seven independent Aalo-1 reactors, potentially expanding to an additional seven reactor units.

"Once we get the green light and start construction, this will be the highest number of nuclear reactors at a single site in the US - a game-changer for small reactor clusters," Aalo said. "This plant will help our partner utility provide affordable, reliable electricity to meet current and future energy and sustainability needs. We aim to have it up and running by 2029."

In May, Aalo announced it had completed the conceptual design of the Aalo-1 - a factory-fabricated 10 MWe sodium-cooled microreactor that uses uranium zirconium hydride (UZrH) fuel elements. It plans to construct a full-scale, non-nuclear prototype of the reactor that will be used to test and refine its technology, ensuring that Aalo-1 meets its technical, regulatory, and economic targets.

The company also said in May that it had signed a siting memorandum of understanding with the Department of Energy (DOE), marking the first step towards deploying its first Aalo-1 reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site in Idaho. "While not yet confirmed, Aalo intends to leverage this siting MoU towards locating the first Aalo-1 reactor at the Central Facilities Area site within INL, a location chosen to collocate with newly constructed megawatt-scale electrolysers, and INL's upcoming hydrogen motorcoach fleet," Aalo said.

It plans to submit a combined construction and operating licence application (COLA) for the project in 2026.

In December last year, Aalo was among the first FY2024 recipients announced for GAIN vouchers. The federally funded vouchers aim to accelerate the innovation and application of advanced nuclear technologies by providing companies access to the extensive nuclear research capabilities and expertise of the US Department of Energy's national laboratory complex.

GAIN - Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear - is an initiative launched in 2016 by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy which helps businesses overcome critical technological and commercialisation challenges of nuclear energy technologies through a voucher system, giving stakeholders access to the DOE's R&D facilities and infrastructure to support the cost-effective development of innovative nuclear energy technologies. All awardees are responsible for a minimum 20% cost-share, which could be an in-kind contribution.

Aalo was awarded GAIN vouchers to collaborate with INL to evaluate modelling and simulation capabilities for the fuel and core system of the Aalo-1 microreactor, which is inspired by INL's planned MARVEL microreactor.

An analysis of the LDR-50 low-temperature nuclear district heating reactor, developed by Steady Energy, indicates that “significant reductions in CO2 emissions can be achieved by replacing fossil heating fuels with nuclear energy [district heating].” The study, conducted by researchers from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and published in the journal Energies, describes carbon footprint reductions and other environmental benefits derived from the LDR-50, which Steady Energy hopes to introduce in Finnish and other European district heating markets by the 2030s.

Objective and methods: VTT researchers Laura Sokka, Heidi Kirppu, and Jaakko Leppänen note in the study that “while the carbon footprint of conventional electricity-producing reactors is known to be small, there have been no comprehensive studies on the emission reduction potential when the technology is applied to the heating sector.” They continue, saying their paper “aims to fill this knowledge gap by means of life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis. The carbon footprint of the LDR-50 heating plant is evaluated, and compared to conventional heating fuels, direct electric heating, and heat pumps.”

The researchers evaluated the carbon footprint of heat that is produced with the LDR-50, as well as other adverse environmental impacts that occur during the life cycle of the reactor’s production, including during construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning. According to a VTT press release, the LCA methodology used in the evaluation, “takes into account the energy and material streams of the different phases of the life cycle, together with the associated emissions. LDR-50 specific parameters were used as input data for evaluating the contributions from the fuel cycle. Since the technology is still under development, estimates for plant construction and the different stages of operation were based on conventional nuclear power plant technology.”

Carbon findings: The VTT analysis estimated that the specific emissions for heat produced by the LDR-50 is 2.4 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour. Compared with other district heating fuels—such as coal, natural gas, peat, and various biofuels—emissions from the nuclear reactor is the lowest. For comparison, emissions for natural gas and hard coal are 282 grams of CO2 per kWh and 515 grams of CO2per kWh, respectively.

In a comparison with direct electric heating and heat pumps, the study found that the carbon footprint of the nuclear reactor was comparable to heating with heat pumps in those countries considered to have a “clean” electricity mix, such as Sweden and France. The nuclear carbon footprint is “significantly lower when compared to grids with a large share of fossil production,” such as Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

Other effects: The study compared the other adverse environmental effects of nuclear district heating and conventional heating fuels for 12 impact categories in order “to avoid problem shifting, as adverse effects on land use or biodiversity, for example, are often overshadowed by small carbon footprint.” In most categories, the environmental impact of nuclear-based district heating is significantly below the average. Researchers also found that even with the negative environmental impacts of uranium mining and milling included in the analysis, the impact per produced amount of heat is small with the nuclear option, compared with the alternatives.

Conclusions: The VTT study concluded by stating that “results of the analysis show that the life cycle CO2 emissions [of the LDR-50] are low, although there are still significant uncertainties related to the construction phase, due to missing data.” In addition to finding that reductions in CO2 emissions can be achieved by replacing fossil heating fuels with nuclear energy, the study concludes that the LDR-50 reactor technology is “a viable option alongside biofuels and heat pumps” because the “overall environmental impacts are low, and the [reactor] production does not compete for low-carbon electricity or scarce natural resources.”

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-study-examines-feasibility-of-coal-to-nuclear-c

A study by researchers at the University of Michigan ranks the feasibility of converting 245 operational coal power plants in the USA into advanced nuclear reactors, providing valuable insights for policymakers and utilities to meet decarbonisation goals.

In 2022, coal-fired power plants accounted for nearly 20% of total energy generation in the USA, resulting in the emission of 847 million metric tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 55% of the country's total CO2 emissions from the power sector.

Coal power plants (CPPs) are being phased out in many countries, including the USA. Utilities across the nation have incorporated the transition from coal-fired generation to cleaner energy resources into their Integrated Resource Plans. Furthermore, several utilities have set a goal to retire all CPPs within the next 15 years.

As part of this transition, there is a need to repurpose retired CPPs to alternative clean sources - one possibility is nuclear energy, which can generate the same stable base load of energy as coal but with zero carbon emissions, the study says.

Rather than establishing new sites, transitioning operational CPPs to nuclear plants can save time and money by using existing equipment like transmission lines and power system components. Surrounding communities also stand to benefit from the transition, retaining jobs and tax bases as coal plants are phased out.

The new University of Michigan study systematically evaluates the potential for coal-to-nuclear (C2N) energy transitions in the USA using the Siting Tool for Advanced Nuclear Development (STAND). Developed by the University of Michigan, National Reactor Innovation Center in Collaboration, Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, STAND enables users to input socioeconomic factors, safety, and proximity parameters to select potential advanced nuclear reactor development sites.

"The tool's ability to evaluate multiple sites simultaneously while balancing a suite of objectives offers a more scalable and robust analysis than previous studies, which focused on a few specific plants," the researchers noted.

The 245 operational coal plants studied were classified into two different groups based on their nameplate capacity. "Since advanced nuclear reactors are divided into various classes, such as microreactors, medium-scale reactors, and small modular reactors, it is necessary to categorise coal plants accordingly to match their capacity for a smooth transition to nuclear power," the study says.

Results revealed a broad spectrum of suitability levels and tradeoffs across different locations, highlighting both the feasibility and complexity of transitioning from coal to nuclear capacity. For the smaller electric capacity group, the feasibility score ranged from 51.52 to 84.31 out of 100 with a median of 66.53. The larger electric capacity group ranged in feasibility scores from 47.29 to 76.92 with a median of 63.97.

The R M Schahfer coal plant in Indiana emerged as the most feasible smaller electric capacity site, generating 1000 MWe or less, while the AES Petersburg plant in Indiana was top-ranked among the larger electric capacity sites, having generation capacity greater than 1000 MWe.

"The analysis conducted by STAND can benefit energy modelers, stakeholders, policymakers, utilities, and energy industries in making informed decisions," the study concludes. "It provides a top-down approach to assessing the potential for C2N transition in different coal sites. However, it is essential to emphasise that further on-site geological investigations, environmental assessments, and community engagement processes are necessary before finalising decisions related to reactor licensing."

"My hope is that this work, which looks at the potential for coal-to-nuclear transitions in a very granular way, for each coal plant across the country, can inform the national and state-level conversations that are unfolding in real time," said Aditi Verma, assistant professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences at University of Michigan and senior author of the study.

The study - published in Energy Reports - was sponsored by the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, funded through the Nuclear Energy University Program.

The possibility of replacing coal power plants with nuclear capacity is being actively explored in the USA and elsewhere. TerraPower in 2021 announced plans to build a demonstration unit of its Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor at a retired coal plant site in Wyoming; in 2022, the the Maryland Energy Administration announced its support for work to evaluate the possibility of repurposing a coal-fired electric generating facility with X-energy’s Xe-100 small modular reactor; and Holtec International recently said it is considering coal plant sites as possible locations for its SMR-160 with plans to bring the first unit online as early as 2029. In Poland, NuScale is exploring with energy company Unimot and copper and silver producer KGHM possibilities for its reactors to replace coal-fired power plants.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Construction-of%C2%A0Leningrad-7-running-ahead-of-sched

Rosatom says that the work on the reactor building is currently running two and a half months ahead of schedule, with concreting of the foundation completed.

About 400 people are involved in construction work at the site of what will be the Leningrad nuclear power plant's seventh and eight units. Those at unit 7 are preparing for concreting the foundation slabs for the nuclear island buildings, excavating a pit for the turbine island, and constructing a pile field for the fourth cooling tower.

Konstantin Khudyakov, from Leningrad NPP, said: "The recipe for a durable and strong foundation for the reactor building is simple: high-quality initial ingredients included in the concrete mix and their correct proportions, non-stop pouring of the concrete mix and proper care of the concrete until it has completely hardened and cured. It is also important that the work is carried out by highly qualified construction personnel. We strictly followed all these requirements, so we are confident that testing the lower part of the finished foundation using non-destructive testing methods will prove its high quality and strength."

The next stage is to reinforce and concrete the upper part of the reactor building foundation, adding 1.5 metres to its thickness, with the foundation expected to be fully complete in the Autumn and the construction of the reactor building's internal containment and the construction of internal floors will begin.

Rosenergoatom Director General Alexander Shutikov said construction of the reactor building was currently two and a half months ahead of schedule. He said that the reactor building had a 65-month construction timeline but added that, given the experience from units 5 and 6, and the "availability of the necessary materials, equipment, documentation and personnel ... [we] have every chance of finishing earlier".

The background

The Leningrad nuclear power plant is one of the largest in Russia, with an installed capacity of 4400 MWe, and provides more than 55% of the electricity demand of St Petersburg and the Leningrad region, or 30% of all the electricity in northwest Russia.

Leningrad 1 shut down in 2018 after 45 years of operation. Leningrad 2, also a 1000 MWe RBMK unit, started up in 1975 and was permanently shut down in November 2020. As the first two of the plant's four RBMK-1000 units shut down, new VVER-1200 units started at the neighbouring Leningrad II plant. The 60-year service life of these fifth and sixth units (also known as Leningrad II-1 and Leningrad II-2) secures power supply until the 2080s. Units 7 and 8 will replace units 3 and 4 as they are shut in the coming years.

The pouring of the first concrete for unit 7 in March marked the start of the main phase of construction of the new power unit, which is expected to generate power for 60 years, with the possibility of a 20-year extension. The foundation slab consists of about 5500 cubic metres of concrete.

Heysham B is on track to become the UK’s most productive nuclear power station after producing 300 TWh of electricity, enough to power every home in the northwest of England for 25 years, owner and operator EDF Energy said.

The only nuclear site in the UK to have produced more is Hinkley Point B in Somerset which ended generation in July 2022 on 311 TWh.

Heysham B, which has two units, is one of seven advanced gas-cooled reactor (GCR) stations that were designed and built as a fleet several decades ago and which together have operated alongside coal, then gas and more recently wind and solar sources, EDF Energy said.

Heysham B-1 and B-2 are both 620 MW GCRs. Both units began commercial operation in 1989.

When EDF took over the UK’s nuclear fleet in 2009, Heysham B was due to stop generating in 2023 after 35 years of operation.

Its current end of generation date is March 2028, but EDF’s ambition is to generate further, subject to plant inspections and regulatory approvals.

EDF manages the UK’s eight nuclear power station sites, five that are generating (Hartlepool, Heysham A, Heysham B, Sizewell B and Torness) and three that are defueling, the first stage of decommissioning (Dungeness B, Hinkley Point B and Hunterston B).

According to International Atomic Energy Agency data, the UK has nine commercial nuclear plants that produce around a 12.5% share of electricity production. There are two new EPR plants under construction at Hinkley Point C.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nukem-Technologies%C2%A0acquisition-agreement-signed-by

Japan's Muroosystems Corp has signed an acquisition agreement for Nukem Technologies Engineering Services, which specialises in decommissioning, waste management and engineering services.

The Germany-based company was bought by Russia's Atomstroyexport in 2009 for a reported EUR23.5 million (USD25.5 million). The proposed terms of the current acquisition contract, which was signed on 29 May, has not been disclosed.

Nukem said that the decision to sell was taken in 2022 "in view of the difficult geopolitical situation and the challenges involved in continuing the company under a Russian owner. Since then, intensive negotiations have been held with potential buyers who recognised the enormous potential of Nukem, both in terms of its products and its highly qualified team".

In a statement posted on its website, Nukem said the takeover by a Japanese investor "marked a new beginning" and gives it "the opportunity to return to the markets that were no longer accessible due to the previous ownership structure". It added that as part of the process "all necessary approvals for the transaction will be obtained and obligations to third parties will be diligently fulfilled".

In quotes

Thomas Seipolt, managing director of Nukem, said: "We are delighted to have found a partner in the new owner who not only wants to continue Nukem's established business, but also to expand it - both in terms of new markets and new technologies such as nuclear fusion. We are confident that we can shape a successful future together and would like to thank our customers and partners for their trust."

Nobuaki Ninomiya, executive director at Muroosystems, said: "The completion of this capital transaction is scheduled for mid-August this year, and Muroosystems Corp is excited to embark on this new journey with Nukem. We anticipate that the fusion of German and Japanese professionalism will create new synergies in the nuclear decommissioning and nuclear markets across Europe, Japan and other Asian countries."

The background

Nukem was founded in Germany in 1960, originally with the goal of designing and manufacturing nuclear fuel elements. Political and policy changes over the years led to a broader direction and in 2006 its business activities in the field of decommissioning, management of radioactive waste and engineering technology were concentrated in the Nukem Technologies subsidiary. This was bought by Russia's Atomstroyexport in 2009 and transferred in 2019 to TVEL, which is the fuel division of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom. Its projects in recent years have included Lithuania's Solid Waste Retrieval Facility and its Solid Radioactive Waste Management and Storage Facility.

In April it filed for insolvency under self-administration and was under creditor protection, saying the challenges the company was facing were "attributable to the deteriorating business environment due to the ownership structure following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022" and said at that time that efforts at a sale could not be finalised "mainly due to legal uncertainties related to the Russian ownership and the permissibility of such an acquisition".

Muroosystems is based in Tokyo and was established in 2006. According to the press statement announcing the acquisition "It focuses on IT solutions centred around decentralised data centres and engages in power development projects primarily based on renewable energy".

State regulators will study the economic and technical feasibility of adding advanced nuclear technology in Florida.

The directive was included in a sweeping energy bill, House Bill 1645, passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Florida Public Service Commission must issue a report to the governor and legislative leaders by April 1, 2025, with findings and recommendations to support new nuclear in the state—specifically including military bases.

“Recognizing the evolution and advances that have occurred and continue to occur in nuclear power technologies, the Public Service Commission shall study and evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of using advanced nuclear power technologies, including small modular reactors, to meet the electrical power needs of the state,” House Bill 1645 reads.

Federal plans: The Biden administration launched an initiative in June to solicit advanced nuclear energy projects to be commissioned at military bases by 2030. The U.S. Army hopes to site two microreactors capable of providing 100 percent of critical load power.

To meet the rising demand and to provide security and resiliency to military bases, “there is no better high-density [power] source that can keep the lights on on a bad day, for a long time, under all circumstances,” said Rian Bahran, assistant director for nuclear strategy and technology in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The military is hoping to build microreactors that produce between 3 MW-10 MW of power, and it issued a request for proposals in June.

Florida plans: The public utilities commission has scheduled a workshop on September 5, with input from the state’s Division of Emergency Management and Department of Environmental Protection, to begin its study of bringing new nuclear to Florida.

Nuclear accounts for about 13 percent of Florida’s electricity, according to a state House analysis, with Florida Power & Light operating the St. Lucie and Turkey Point plants.

But the state has not added any nuclear plants since the 1970s and 1980s. Also, Duke Energy Florida decided in 2013 to permanently shut down a Crystal River nuclear plant that had sustained damage in a containment building.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Kansai-gets-go-ahead-for-Takahama-units-operation

Kansai Electric Power Company has been given prior consent by Fukui Prefecture and Takahama Town for the steam generator replacement plan for Takahama nuclear power plant units 3 and 4.

Kansai issued a statement thanking the authorities for their understanding regarding plans for a 20-year extension for the two units and said: "We will continue to strive to further improve the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants, with the understanding of the local community and everyone else."

The application for prior consent for replacement of the two units' steam generators was submitted in November 2022, and following the granting of prior consent, the company said: "We will continue to promote this plan with the understanding of local residents and others, and strive to further improve the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants."

Also on Tuesday, Kansai said Fukui Prefecture and Takahama Town had given approval to proceed with an application for the replacement of the reactor internals for units 1 and 2. Kansai said: "We plan to apply for reactor installation change permission to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) as soon as preparations are complete."

Under regulations which came into force in July 2013, Japanese reactors have a nominal operating period of 40 years. One extension to this - limited to a maximum of 20 years - may be granted, requiring among other things, a special inspection to verify the integrity of reactor pressure vessels and containment vessels after 35 years of operation.

The Takahama plant is home to four reactors. Takahama 1 and 2 - both 780 MWe (net) pressurised water reactors (PWRs) - entered commercial operation in 1974 and 1975 respectively, while units 3 and 4 - 830 MWe PWRs - both began commercial operation in 1985. Takahama 1 and 2 became the first Japanese units to be granted a licence extension beyond 40 years under the revised regulations. In May, the NRA approved the operation of units 3 and 4 for a further 20 years.

In its November 2022 announcement about seeking to apply for the extension for units 3 and 4, Kansai also announced plans to replace the steam generators at the two units during scheduled outages, from June to October 2026 for unit 3 and October 2026 to February 2027 for unit 4.

The current rules covering operating lifetimes of nuclear power plants in Japan are set to change next year after the NRA in 2022 approved a draft of a new rule that would allow reactors to be operated for more than the current limit of 60 years. Under the amendment, the operators of reactors in use for 30 years or longer must formulate a long-term reactor management plan and gain approval from the regulator at least once every 10 years if they are to continue to operate. The new policy will effectively extend the period reactors can remain in operation beyond 60 years by excluding the time they spent offline for inspections from the total service life. The legislation was approved by Japan's Cabinet in February and enacted in May 2023. It comes into effect in June 2025.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Balakovo-steam-generators-prepared-for-dismantling

Workers at Russia's Balakovo nuclear power plant have removed the first of four used steam generators from a storage facility and prepared it to be transported for dismantling and disposal.

The participants in the pilot project for the transportation and disposal of used steam generators of the PGV-1000 M type were the plant itself, FSUE RADON, OOO OKB Spetstyazhproekt and the Balakovo branch of JSC Atomenergoremont (Rosatom's Electric Power Division).

The used steam generators at the Balakovo plant - each weighing 322 tonnes - have been kept in a special storage facility for more than 30 years. Immediately after their removal from the power unit, they were chemically washed inside and decontaminated outside. Lead shot was poured into the connectors of the primary circuit to act as a biological protection. All connectors were plugged and welded, after which a protective paint and varnish coating was applied to the steam generators.

To implement the innovative project, a set of design programmes and solutions for the extraction of oversized metal equipment was developed, and a package of organisational documentation for its equipment and transportation, processing and disposal was prepared. Also, during the project in Balakovo, the bottom of the Volga River was dredged and the berth from which the steam generators will be transported on a barge was strengthened.

"To clear the way for removing the steam generators from the cells where they had been standing for a long time, the storage wall was dismantled," said Evgeny Poryadchenko, Deputy Head of the Reactor Equipment Repair Shop at Balakovoatomenergoremont. "Then the extracted equipment was placed on rails and delivered to the Balakovo NPP heavy equipment site. Using the SBL portal system, each steam generator was moved to a 14-axle platform with air suspension for transportation to the Volga berth."

"Each steam generator that we extracted from the storage facility underwent a thorough radiation inspection and sealing," noted Dmitry Izotov, Deputy Chief Engineer for Radiation Protection at Balakovo NPP. "The equipment is absolutely safe, it can be transported unpackaged by road and water transport."

Within the framework of the project, it is planned to send three more PGV-1000 M steam generators from the Balakovo plant for disposal.

Rosenergoatom noted that a significant portion of the metal remaining after processing of the components is planned to be reused in industrial production.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/EDF-pulls-out-of-British-SMR-competition

While other shortlisted vendors have submitted bids for their respective small modular reactor (SMR) designs, EDF has withdrawn its Nuward model from Great British Nuclear's SMR selection contest.

The UK aims to grow nuclear energy capacity to 24 GW by 2050, with a mix of traditional large-scale power plants and SMRs. Last year, the 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. In October, EDF, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), Holtec, NuScale Power, Rolls-Royce SMR and Westinghouse were invited to bid for UK government contracts in the next stage of the process.

In early June, the deadline for submitting bids was delayed by two weeks, from 24 June to 8 July, four days after the general election that led to a change from a Conservative to Labour government in the UK. The deadline delay was believed to be at the request of one of the bidders rather than relating to the election.

An EDF spokesperson told World Nuclear News the company had decided "to pull out of the SMR competition due to incompatibility between the level of commitment and the time schedule required by GBN and the level of maturity of the Nuward SMR".

The move comes just days after EDF announced it planned to do further work to optimise the design of its Nuward SMR, focusing on existing and proven technologies. That decision followed feedback from potential European customers and was taken in order to guarantee project deadlines and budgets would be met. EDF did not say whether the reactor's redesign would have an impact on the Nuward project's budget and timeline.

Bid submissions

GEH announced it submitted its tender response by providing documentation in support of its BWRX-300 SMR technology.

"We have entered this competition with a proven track record of progressing SMR reactor technology internationally, a fuel that is already licensed and in operation, and a reactor designed for manufacture," said Andy Champ, GEH UK Country Leader. "Our BWRX-300 has evolved from proven, simple, boiling water reactor technology and is not just smaller, but through innovation even further simplified. We believe this uniquely positions us to reliably deliver an SMR with the most value for money and along with our strategic investment partners, be a valuable partner to the UK Government as it strives to reach its net-zero target by 2050.

"We have a strong and growing team here in the UK, and we are confident that our SMR represents the lowest risk and highest reward choice for Great British Nuclear. We look forward to the outcome of the competition and the opportunity to play a pivotal role in helping to deliver not just Great British Nuclear's ambitions, but also the new Government's mission to make the UK a green energy superpower."

In a LinkedIn post, Rolls-Royce SMR said it too had submitted its tender response to GBN. "This is an extremely exciting time for Rolls-Royce SMR which stands ready to move rapidly to the next phase," the company said. "Selection by GBN before the end of the year will unlock supply chain investment, job creation and enormous opportunities to export this unique product to countries around the world that are seeking to strengthen their energy security with a long-term, low-carbon solution."

Also on LinkedIn, Holtec announced it had submitted its tender, noting its proposal "is strengthened by the collaboration with our esteemed partners, including Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Holtec is uniquely positioned to serve as the vehicle for US, UK, and South Korean strategic cooperation".

It added: "The stakes have never been higher for SMR-300 joint deployment to provide UK energy security. We look forward to the opportunity to partner with Great British Nuclear and to playing a pivotal role in the ongoing evolution of the UK nuclear industry."

NuScale said in a post on X that it had submitted a tender response for its VOYGR SMR. "With the only SMR tech that has completed R&D, secured regulatory approvals, and begun manufacturing, we are ready to deploy reliable, clean nuclear power in the UK," it said.

The other technology provider in the contest is Westinghouse, with its AP300 SMR. It submitted an application to the UK's Department of Energy Security and Net Zero in February for approval to enter the Generic Design Assessment, which allows regulators to assess the safety, security and environmental implications of new reactor designs, separately from applications to build them at specific sites.

The background

In an interview earlier this year for the World Nuclear News podcast, GBN Chairman Simon Bowen said the planned timeline was for the SMR selection shortlist to be cut to around four after the submission of responses to the tender, with the goal of placing contracts by the end of the year with two or three technology providers - this would be for co-funding the technology all the way through to completion of the design, regulatory, environmental and site-specific permissions process, and the potential to place a contract for the supply of equipment. Each selected technology would have an allocated site with the potential to host multiple SMRs.

The aim is then for a final investment decision to be taken in 2029.

It is not yet clear what impact the change of government might have on the selection process, although the in-coming Labour Government has been pro-nuclear energy and said in its election manifesto it would "end a decade of dithering that has seen the Conservatives duck decisions on nuclear power. We will ensure the long-term security of the sector, extending the lifetime of existing plants, and we will get Hinkley Point C over the line. New nuclear power stations, such as Sizewell C, and small modular reactors, will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs".

Armenia and the US have “entered a very substantive stage” of discussions about the possibility of building a new nuclear power station, according to the secretary of Armenia’s security council, Armen Grigoryan.

“We are discussing the legal framework without which we cannot advance,” Grigoryan told a conference in Yerevan, according to local press reports. “At the moment, I can say that the ball is in the US’s court.”

Grigoryan said Armenia expects that the internal procedures in the US will be completed, “after which we will begin to work”.

He said Yerevan is trying to diversify economic relations with international partners to enhance energy security.

In May 2023, Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that his country’s single nuclear power plant, the Russia-supplied Armenian-2, will be shut down in 2036, but affirmed his support for negotiations to find a partner to build new nuclear units.

In an address to the Armenian parliament, Pashinyan said negotiations were underway with several partners, including from Russia and the US, on the construction of a new nuclear power plant to replace capacity that will be lost from the closure of the 416 MW Armenian-2.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Armenian-2 provides about 28% of the country’s electricity generation.

Armenian-2, at Metsamor, 30km outside of the Armenian capital of Yerevan, began commercial operation in 1980. It was shut down after a major earthquake struck the region in 1988 and remained offline until 1995, when it was reopened in an independent Armenia then struggling to meet demand for electric power.

The VVER-440 pressurised water reactor unit had an initial operating lifetime of 30 years starting in 1996 and set to expire in 2026. In March 2023, Armenian authorities granted an extra 10 years of operation until 2036 subject to maintenance works.

The prime minister’s comments suggest there will be no more extensions to its working life with 2036 established as a hard deadline for its retirement.