Nuclear Energy

The top section of the cylindrical part of the inner containment building for the third unit at Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear power plant has been installed in place.

The ring-shaped section consists of 12 reinforced concrete blocks and weighs 396 tonnes and measures 6.5 metres high.

The blocks were the first part welded together into a ring structure weighing about 115 tonnes before special consoles were welded on and a circular rail track installed for the circular overhead crane for the reactor building. It was then moved by crawler crane to the site for the installation.

Sergei Butckikh, CEO of Akkuyu Nuclear, said: "The installation of the consoles to which the rail track of the polar crane is attached is usually performed ... after the installation of the tier. With a view of optimising the deadlines of further construction and installation works, we decided to mount the consoles when the tier was still on the ground, and then to mount the already assembled structure in the design position. Russian and Turkish specialists - installers, crane operators, slingers - once again demonstrated the highest level of professional skill and successfully installed a multi-tonnes structure."

The background

Akkuyu, in the southern Mersin province, is Turkey's first nuclear power plant. Rosatom is building four VVER-1200 reactors, under a so-called BOO (build-own-operate) model. According to the terms of the 2010 Intergovernmental Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey, the commissioning of the first power unit of the nuclear power plant must take place within seven years from receipt of all permits for the construction of the unit.

The licence for the construction of the first unit was issued in 2018, with construction work beginning that year. Nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in April 2023. Turkey's Nuclear Regulatory Agency issued permission for the first unit to be commissioned in December, and in February it was announced that the reactor compartment had been prepared for controlled assembly of the reactor - and the generator stator had also been installed in its pre-design position.

The aim is for unit 1 to begin supplying Turkey's energy system in 2025. When the 4800 MWe plant is completed it is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs, with the aim that all four units will be operational by the end of 2028.

The IVV-2M water-moderated research reactor was commissioned in 1966 and has now been given the go-ahead to operate until the end of 2040.

The application to extend its life was submitted by the Institute of Reactor Materials, (JSC IRM), which is part of Russia's Rosatom's scientific division.

According to Rosatom, the IVV-2M research reactor is "designed to solve a wide range of scientific and experimental problems" including materials science research for fuel and innovative materials as well as producing isotopes for use in nuclear medicine and in industry.

The first modernisation of the reactor was carried out in the late 1970s with its capacity increased from 10 MW to 15 MW. After its equipment was upgraded in 2007 the service life was extended to April 2025. Work has been taking place since 2010 on the programme to allow the further life extension.

Ivan Russkikh, chief engineer of IRM, said: "The IVV-2M reactor was commissioned on 23 April 1966, at the height of the deployment of the Soviet nuclear programme, when there was still no clear idea of ​​the real service life of such facilities. A service life of 30 years was set for it, which is why it was necessary to go through the extension procedure."

He added that the recent work included strengthened safety measures - "we replaced the control and protection systems, installed modern 'smart' electronics, updated the radiation monitoring systems, reactor cooling, and coolant purification. Even the spent fuel assemblies storage shaft was modernised".

A joint development project agreement has been signed between Lloyd's Register, Core Power and AP Moller - Maersk to conduct a regulatory assessment study to determine the safety and regulatory considerations for a potential nuclear-propelled containership to undertake cargo operations at a port in Europe.

The joint study will investigate the requirements for updated safety rules along with the improved operational and regulatory understanding that is needed for the application of nuclear power in container shipping. In addition, the study will provide insight for members of the maritime value chain who are exploring the business case for nuclear power to help shape their fleet strategy towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The study will bring together the expertise of technical and professional services organisation and maritime classification society Lloyd's Register, Core Power's experience of developing advanced nuclear energy technology for maritime applications, a leading Port Authority and Maersk's extensive experience in shipping and logistics.

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

"The initiation of this joint study marks the beginning of an exciting journey towards unlocking the potential of nuclear power in the maritime industry, paving the way for emissions-free operations, more agile service networks and greater efficiency through the supply chain," said Lloyd's Register CEO Nick Brown. "A multi-fuel pathway to decarbonising the maritime industry is crucial to ensuring we as an industry meet the IMO's emission reduction targets and nuclear propulsion shows signs of playing a key role in this energy transition."

Last month, Lloyd's Register released a report that concluded nuclear power could transform the maritime industry with emissions-free shipping, whilst extending the life cycle of vessels and removing the uncertainty of fuel and refuelling infrastructure development. However, it said regulation and safety considerations must be addressed for its widespread commercial adoption.

According to the report, the commercial relationships between shipowners and energy producers will be altered as power is likely to be leased from reactor owners, separating the shipowner from the complexities of licensing and operating nuclear technology.

"There's no net-zero without nuclear," Core Power CEO Mikal Bøe said. "A critical key to unlocking the vast potential for nuclear energy to transform how the maritime sector is powered, is the standards framework for commercial insurability of floating nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered ships that would operate in nearshore environments, ports, and waterways. We're immensely pleased to be working with some of Europe's most respected industry participants to set out the conditions for how this can be achieved."

Ole Graa Jakobsen, Head of Fleet Technology at Maersk, added: "Since Maersk launched its energy transition strategy in 2018, we have continuously explored diverse low-emission energy options for our assets. Nuclear power holds a number of challenges related to, for example, safety, waste management, and regulatory acceptance across regions, and so far, the downsides have clearly outweighed the benefits of the technology.

"If these challenges can be addressed by development of the new so-called fourth-generation reactor designs, nuclear power could potentially mature into another possible decarbonisation pathway for the logistics industry 10 to 15 years in the future. Therefore, we continue to monitor and assess this technology, along with all other low-emission solutions."

In December last year, Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc was one of five heads of leading global shipping lines to sign a joint declaration during COP28 in Dubai calling for an end date for fossil-only powered new-builds and urging the IMO to accelerate the transition to green fuels.

At the time, Clerc said the company "wants to accelerate the green transition in shipping and logistics and a crucial next step is to introduce regulatory conditions which ensure that we create the most greenhouse gas emission reductions per invested dollar".

TerraPower has selected Chicago-based engineering company Sargent & Lundy to design a training centre at Kemmerer, Wyoming, for TerraPower’s innovative Natrium reactor demonstration project which will be deployed at the site at the end of this dacade.

TerraPower said in a statement that the planned Kemmerer Training Centre will host all Natrium operation training activities, for both the demonstration project and for future Natrium plants.

The centre will house the Natrium training simulator, laboratories for electrical and instrumentation and control, mechanical and scientific laboratories, training classrooms, and an auditorium.

According to the statement, design of the facility will start immediately, while construction is expected to be completed in the autumn of 2025.

TerraPower, a startup founded by Gates in 2008, broke ground in June 2024 for construction of its first commercial Natrium nuclear plant at Kemmerer, where a coal plant is shutting down.

The Natrium demonstration plant includes three separate project parts: a sodium test and fill facility, the power production or energy island, and the nuclear island with the reactor itself.

First to be built is the test and fill facility, which will be a standalone, non-nuclear building that will provide a testing site for the reactor’s sodium coolant system by receiving, sampling, processing, and storing liquid sodium which will ultimately be delivered to the Natrium reactor.

The Natrium reactor itself is a 345-MW electric sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt energy storage system that is being designed to flexibly operate with renewable power generators.

TerraPower’s chief executive Cristopher Levesque has said that the company is aiming to start nuclear-related works in 2026 subject to receiving a permit from the US regulator. The plant is expected to be completed by 2029-2030.

The Natrium demonstrator is co-funded by the US Department of Energy under its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) programme.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has appointed a new energy minister, saying there is "plenty of work ... particularly ... regarding our plans to build or not to build a new nuclear power plant".

The newly appointed energy minister, Alexei Kushnarenko, speaking to reporters after the president announced the changes, was quoted by the official Belta news agency as saying: "As far as the Belarusian nuclear power plant is concerned, a group of experts is working on it. I will get actively involved in this work and there is no doubt that I will work out an opinion, which will be presented for consideration."

Previous Energy Minister Victor Karankevich has been appointed deputy prime minister. His successor was previously CEO of gas and fuel distribution corporation Beltopgaz.

Kushnarenko said the ministry would be geared towards ensuring quality power supplies to consumers "because essentially the energy industry is the blood system of the economy, the most important component in the life support of the population", Belta quoted him as saying.

In comments published on the Energy Department's Telegram account, he said: "The main thing that will be emphasised is the progressive development of the country's fuel and energy complex. Everything necessary is in place for this."

The background

The existing Belarus nuclear power plant is located in Ostrovets in the Grodno region. A general contract for the construction was signed in 2011, with first concrete in November 2013. Rosatom began construction of unit 2 in May 2014. There are now six VVER-1200 reactors in operation in total, with four in Russia. The first Ostrovets power unit was connected to the grid in November 2020 and, the energy ministry says, the plant will produce about 18.5 TWh of electricity per year, equivalent to 4.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas, with an annual effect on the country's economy of about USD550 million. The second unit was put into commercial operation on 1 November 2023. Together they are generating about one-quarter of the country's electricity.

The country has been considering the option of a second nuclear power plant, with Karankevich saying in December 2023 that experts were looking into the costs and the requirements for future electricity capacity growth, saying: "We intend to reach 44 billion kWh of electricity in 2025. By 2030 we have to reach 47 billion kWh ... as we decide in favour of the second nuclear power plant or the third unit (at Ostrovet), we have to analyse the year 2040 instead of 2030 or 2035." He said that if a second nuclear power plant was built, Belarus would become a world leader in terms of share of its energy which comes from nuclear.

Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) has been given planning consent to demolish the turbine hall and electrical annexe at the decommissioned Sizewell A Magnox nuclear power plant in Suffolk, England.

"This is fantastic news," said Sizewell A Site Director Alan Walker. "I'd like to thank everyone involved in helping to deliver our mission to decommission Sizewell A site safely, securely and sustainably. The work brings benefits to the local economy and makes a considerable contribution towards achieving strategic NRS targets to reduce ageing buildings to ground level and remove redundant material."

Alan Cumming, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group chief assurance and performance officer, added: "We are committed to decommissioning our sites safely, securely and sustainably - freeing up land which can then be reused to deliver benefits for the local community.

"Demolition of the turbine hall will be a tangible step forward in delivering our mission and I want to thank all those involved for their hard work in getting us to the stage and the incredible progress that has been made to far."

Wendy Heath, senior project manager said: "This is one of the largest programmes of work Sizewell A has seen for many years. It will result in a major skyline change for the community and clear an area the size of a professional football pitch for future use by March 2025."

She noted that the removal of all the redundant equipment from the turbine hall began last year and is expected to be completed by the end of this month. More than 5500 tonnes of metal has been safely taken out and recycled.

Sizewell A's two 210 MWe Magnox gas-cooled reactors operated from 1966 until 2006. Defuelling began in 2009, with fuel removed from the reactors placed in the site's used fuel storage ponds before being packaged in transport containers for shipment to the Sellafield complex for reprocessing. The final flask of fuel was shipped to Sellafield in August 2014. Sizewell A was declared completely fuel free in February 2015. The decommissioning milestone marked the removal of 99% of the radioactive hazard from the former Magnox nuclear power station.

Uranium Energy Corp (UEC) has announced the start up of uranium production at its fully permitted and past-producing Christensen Ranch in-situ leach (ISL) operations in Wyoming.

Production commenced in the previously operated Mine Unit 10 at Christensen Ranch on 6 August, the company said. To date, uranium concentrations in the initial production patterns are meeting expectations and are anticipated to rise in the coming weeks, it noted.

UEC said all planned start-up milestones, including the hiring and training of the initial restart personnel for both the Irigaray Central Processing Plant and Christensen Ranch, have been achieved to ensure a successful ramp-up of uranium production.

Extensive preparations, including the re-installation of equipment, re-attachment of piping and a variety of electrical testing, repairs and upgrades to the existing facilities, were completed at the Christensen Ranch wellfields and satellite processing plant last year.

UEC's board of directors approved restarting the Christensen Ranch operation in January.

Uranium recovered from Christensen Ranch will be processed at the Irigaray plant, located about 15 miles (24 kilometres) northwest of Christensen Ranch. Irigaray has a current licensed capacity of 2.5 million pounds U3O8 (962 tU) per year, with a licence amendment currently under regulatory review that is expected to increase capacity to 4.0 million pounds annually. The Irigaray plant is the hub at the centre of the UEC's Wyoming hub-and-spoke project which includes eleven satellite ISL projects, four of which are fully permitted.

The first shipment of yellowcake is anticipated to occur in November or December this year.

"The Christensen Ranch ISL Mine has successfully restarted and we are in full growth mode with initial recoveries from Mine Unit 10 to be followed with Mine Units 7 and 8 in the coming months," said Donna Wichers, Vice President of Wyoming Operations. "Additionally, we have drilled, cased and completed 55 wellfield patterns to extend Mine Unit 10 that will commence production in 2025. Further production growth is being developed with delineation drilling and monitor well planning at Mine Unit 11."

UEC President and CEO Amir Adnani added: "I am very proud of the Wyoming team who have executed as planned to achieve the restart of production. This is the moment we have been working towards for over a decade, having acquired and further developed leading US and Canadian assets with an exceptional, deeply experienced operations team. Global uranium market fundamentals are solid, with prospects for extraordinary growth in nuclear power and uranium demand."

UEC took ownership of Irigaray and the orebodies in the Wyoming hub-and-spoke operation, including Christensen Ranch, through its 2021 acquisition of Uranium One Americas Inc from Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom. According to information from the US Energy Information Administration, Christensen Ranch and the Irigaray plant - together known as the Willow Creek project - have been on standby since last operating in 2018.

UEC's Wyoming projects contain total measured and indicated uranium resources of 66.198 million pounds U3O8, with total inferred resources of 15.54 million pounds.

California-based liquid metal fast reactor developer Oklo Inc has signed a preferred supplier agreement with steam turbine and generator technology supplier Siemens Energy for the power conversion system of its Aurora 'powerhouse'.

Under the agreement, Siemens Energy will supply the power conversion and supporting systems, fostering efficiencies through economies of scale. Oklo said that standardising equipment across its powerhouses is expected to result in cost savings in manufacturing, construction, operations, and maintenance. Utilising shared spare parts across deployment is expected to reduce maintenance downtime, enhance reliability, and improve overall performance, it added.

The signing of the agreement follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two companies in December last year that designated Siemens Energy to potentially become Oklo's preferred supplier for rotating equipment of the power conversion system (conventional island) for the Aurora powerhouse. Under that MoU, Siemens Energy would also be positioned to provide consulting to support Oklo in design work on the conventional island.

Oklo said the signing of the preferred supplier agreement was "a key strategic development in its supply chain management". It added: "This agreement underscores Oklo's ambitions to bring cost-efficient advanced fission technology to market. Building on a previously signed Memorandum of Understanding, this binding agreement marks a crucial step in Oklo's vision to enhance production scalability, cost efficiency, and rapid deployment to meet growing customer demand."

Oklo, founded in 2013, plans to commercialise its liquid metal fast reactor technology in the Aurora powerhouse, a fast neutron reactor using heat pipes to transport heat from the reactor core to a supercritical carbon dioxide power conversion system to generate electricity.

The reactor uses liquid metal as a coolant. Liquid metal's high boiling point allows the reactor to operate at high temperatures without being pressurised. This design enables the use of commonly available alloys, benefiting from existing large-scale supply chains already producing nearly identical parts.

"We prioritise cost in our engineering process to fully leverage the advantages of fast fission technology," said Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte. "Our technology is based on proven designs, allowing us to utilise small, pre-fabricated, and non-pressurised components made from readily available materials and existing supply chains, further reducing costs and complexity."

Oklo has received a site use permit from the US Department of Energy for a prototype unit to be built at the Idaho National Laboratory.

Global Atomic's Dasa uranium project in Niger has not been affected by political developments over the past year and continues to be supported by the Niger cabinet, the company's President and CEO Stephen Roman said in its quarterly results announcement.

"We continue to make significant progress at our Dasa Uranium Project, currently employing over 450 people at site and expecting to increase that number to 900 once plant construction is in full swing," Roman said. "We have an excellent relationship with the government and have the support of their entire cabinet, as they appreciate the jobs and economic benefit that Dasa will create for Niger."

More than 1200 metres of ramp development has been completed since the November 2022 Opening Blast Ceremony, with 7000 tonnes of development ore hauled to surface to date. Mine development is continuing, and raise boring is now under way for the main components of the mine’s ventilation infrastructure.

Earthworks to prepare the site for construction of the Dasa processing plant, as well as expansion of the Dajy Camp to house employees and construction crews, began in the second quarter of the year. The project's acid plant has been fabricated and is now being shipped to the site.

The company said it expects its bank syndicate to approve the debt financing facility for project construction during the third quarter, but is "actively considering funding options and advancing several options in parallel to determine the preferred funding structure" in the event of potential further delays in the approval the facility.

"The Dasa Project is unique as the highest-grade uranium project in Africa and the only greenfield uranium project being actively developed today … This project will get funded and will get built," Roman said.

Earlier this year the government of Niger withdrew GoviEx Uranium's mining rights for the Madouela uranium project and Orano's operating permit for its Imouraren uranium mine, but Global Atomic said that, with the exception of logistics delays, project development has not been affected by the political developments in Niger since July 2023. The government is "very supportive", with Mines Minister Ousmane Abarchi saying during a recent visit that the project is "very important" to the government which wants it to be "the start of new Niger mining practice with expectations on state income, employment and environment management".

The current mine plan has been developed to coincide with the start-up of the processing plant at the beginning of 2026, with a target surface stockpile of 2 to 3 months production available for the processing plant at any time. Processing plant equipment is expected to begin arriving at site in the fourth quarter of this year, with erection of the processing plant and site infrastructure taking place over the following year and processing of ore through the plant expected to begin in January 2026.

The reactor pressure vessel top cover has been hoisted into place at unit 1 of the San'ao nuclear power plant in China's Zhejiang province, while the first steam generator has been installed at unit 8 of the Tianwan plant in Jiangsu province.

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said the vessel cover was installed at San'ao 1 on 6 August in an operation lasting about two hours.

"The successful completion of the first buckling of the reactor pressure vessel cover is another demonstration of the nuclear power construction capabilities of [CNNC subsidiary] CNNC No.5, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent cold test work, and also marks that the construction of the No.1 unit of the CGN San'ao Nuclear Power Project has entered a new stage," the company said.

San'ao 1 is the first of six Chinese-designed HPR1000 (Hualong One) pressurised water reactors planned at the site.

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

The reactor pressure vessel for unit 2, including the top cover, was delivered to the construction site earlier this month.

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

Tianwan steam generator in place

The first of four steam generators was hoisted into place at Tianwan unit 8 on 11 August, CNNC subsidiary China Nuclear Power Engineering Co (CNPEC) announced.

The steam generator is the main equipment of the primary circuit system. Its single unit weight is about 330 tonnes, its length over 14 metres, and its maximum diameter is 4.5 metres.

As a heat transfer device, it is used to transfer the heat in the primary circuit coolant to the feed water of the secondary circuit, so that it can generate saturated steam for driving the steam turbine generator. At the same time, as part of the primary circuit pressure boundary, it bears the pressure of the primary circuit coolant.

The Tianwan nuclear power plant is owned and operated by Jiangsu Nuclear Power Company, a joint venture between China National Nuclear Corporation (50%), China Power Investment Corporation (30%) and Jiangsu Guoxin Group (20%). In June 2018, Russia and China signed four agreements, including for the construction of two VVER-1200 reactors as units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan plant. They are scheduled to be commissioned in 2026-2027.

The steam generators for Tianwan 8 were produced at the Atommash production site in Volgodonsk in southern Russia and travelled thousands of miles - including two months at sea - to the end location on the Chinese coast.

The first drilling by Alligator Energy at its Big Lake Project in South Australia has resulted in the first significant greenfield discovery of uranium in South Australia since 2007, the company said.

The Queensland-based company said the “significant new uranium discovery” is the first proof of concept that significant uranium is present within the Lake Eyre basin sediments that lie above the hydrocarbon-rich Cooper Basin.

“The thickness extent of mineralisation layers ranging up to 20 metres in these discovery holes is impressive for this style of mineralisation,” said chief executive officer Greg Hall.

“The discovery appears to validate the uranium formation model developed by the previous Big Lake geologists from whom Alligator acquired the initial tenement, and we acknowledge their work.”

Alligator owns 100% of the Big Lake project where it is targeting discovery of Australia’s next in-situ recovery uranium field.

Drilling resumed at Big Lake on 8 August after a three-week break due to rain affecting access.

Alligator Energy said last month it had made progress at key uranium projects in Australia, advancing lease applications, exploration drilling, magnetic and radiometric surveying and beginning the inaugural drilling programme at Big Lake.

“The team at Alligator remains exceptionally busy on preparations ahead of the anticipated final approvals for the field recovery trial, our first foray into the Cooper Basin targeting the potential to be a new uranium-bearing basin at Big Lake and finalising plans for our 2024 drilling programme at Nabarlek North,” Hall said.

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Canada Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) are seeking public comments on Bruce Power's Initial Project Description (IPD) for a potential new nuclear power station at its existing site on the shores of Lake Huron.

Bruce Power formally notified Canadian regulators of its intention to launch an Impact Assessment (IA) process for up to 4800 MWe of new capacity at the Bruce site in October last year: the project is known as Bruce C. The Bruce C IPD - which has now been made available by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) - is part of that process. The IAAC and the CNSC are inviting Indigenous Peoples and the public to review the summary of the IPD and to provide feedback by 12 September.

"Bruce Power is evaluating the feasibility of expanding its nuclear fleet, to create an option for future electricity planning," the company said in the IPD. The project description uses a technology-neutral approach through use of a bounding Plant Parameter Envelope, or PPE, as the project basis: the final choice of technology will be made at a future point in time.

The bounding PPE currently includes the available information on four reactor designs: Atkins Réalis's MONARK pressurised heavy water reactor; Électricité de France's European Pressurised Water Reactor (known as the EPR); Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy's Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR); GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300; and Westinghouse's AP1000 pressurised water reactor. With the exception of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor, all these designs are large-capacity reactors.

The Bruce site, 18 kilometres north of the town of Kincardine in Bruce County, is home to eight operating Candu units: units 1-4 are known together as Bruce A and units 5-8 as Bruce B. The new project will be sited within the existing 932-hectare site, with new intake and discharge structures in Lake Huron. Alternative cooling strategies will be evaluated as part of the impact assessment process.

The company withdrew a previous application for up to four new reactors at the site in 2009 to focus on the refurbishment of the existing units, a process known as Major Component Replacement (MCR). The first to undergo the process, Bruce 6, returned to commercial operation last September, and work is progressing ahead of schedule on unit 3. In total, six of the eight units will undergo MCR in a project that will span the next 10 years and add 30-35 years to each plant's operating life.

"While our priority remains the safe, on-schedule completion of our Major Component Replacement projects, completing the IA (Impact Assessment) creates a valuable option for the future, and we are committed to proceeding in this process in a proactive, open, and transparent manner to engage Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and the broader public,” said Bruce Power Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President James Scongack. The company is "uniquely positioned for potential expansion with decades of experience, a well-studied site with space for expansion, and an experienced workforce," he added.

According to the IPD, Bruce Power envisages the Impact Assessment process will take about 3-4 years to complete. Site preparation would then take around three years, from 2028-2031, with construction and commissioning taking around 14 years (2031-2045) with an operational lifespan of 60-100 years dependent on the technology selected.

In February, the Canadian government announced the provision of CAD50 million (about USD36 million) of funding to support pre-development work for the Bruce C project.

A Swedish government study has proposed that state aid be given to companies for investments in new nuclear power following an application procedure. It says a new legislative act should regulate conditions for receiving the support, the support measures, and what an application must contain.

In October 2022, Sweden's incoming centre-right coalition government adopted a positive stance towards nuclear energy. In November 2023, it unveiled a roadmap which envisages the construction of new nuclear generating capacity equivalent to at least two large-scale reactors by 2035, with up to 10 new large-scale reactors coming online by 2045.

On 20 December last year, the government appointed Mats Dillén to produce and submit proposals for models for financing and risk sharing for the construction of new nuclear power reactors. According to the mandate, the proposed models must be designed so that nuclear power with a total output of at least 2500 MWe - equivalent to the output of two large-scale reactors - must be in place by 2035 at the latest.

In designing the financing and risk sharing model, the investigation was required to describe and analyse models that have been used in other countries, mainly focusing on Europe. The proposal must be compatible with current rules on state aid and competition. Furthermore, the investigation shall submit necessary legislative proposals.

Dillén has now presented the findings of the study.

The report says the investigation "identified conditions which give rise to a discrepancy between a private investor's business case for new nuclear power and the socioeconomic equivalent. It is concluded that efficiency reasons give a rationale for the state to support investments in nuclear power".

By analysing the financing models used in other countries, with a focus on European projects, the investigation concludes that: models that allocate most of the risks to the electricity producer provide strong incentives for cost-efficiency but comes with a high capital cost; the trend is for European states to bear more risk in nuclear power projects to reduce the cost of capital and enable investments in new nuclear power; government involvement in nuclear power projects comes with a cost of monitoring; and in designing a financing and risk sharing model, there are potential benefits in using forms of support that have already been approved by the European Commission, for a more efficient state aid assessment process.

Proposed model

The proposed model aims to: provide electricity production at a low cost in relation to the investment cost of new nuclear power; ensure that there are strong incentives for cost-efficiency during the construction phase and to preserve incentives to respond to market price signals during the operational phase; design support measures that address identified market failures; provide a sufficient expected return for private actors to be willing to invest in new nuclear power; and live up to the criteria outlined for state aid approval.

The financing and risk sharing model consists of three main components that lead to a lower cost of capital that facilitates new investments in nuclear power at a low cost. The components are: state loans to finance investments in new nuclear power, which lowers the cost of capital; a two-way contract-for-difference signed between the state and the nuclear power producer; and a risk and gain-share mechanism that gives investors a minimum return on equity.

The investigation proposes that the contract-for-difference for new nuclear is financed by all electricity customers. The cost is expected to amount to under SEK0.02 (USD0.002) per kWh.

"The financing and risk sharing model contains several parameters that need to be determined and regulated in civil law agreements between the state and the project owners," the report says. "Ultimately, the parameters will be decided through negotiations between the state and investors in new nuclear power. At that time more precise cost estimates should be available based on tenders from selected suppliers. Moreover, both model design and parameter values will need to be justified in a future state aid assessment."

The investigation concluded that a new legislative act should regulate conditions for receiving the support, the support measures, and what an application must contain. The act is proposed to enter into force by 6 May 2025.

"Regarding the directive's instructions to propose a timeline and activity plan for implementing the model, as well as highlighting other measures that could reduce costs and shorten permitting and construction processes, the investigation has concluded that these tasks are best handled by other investigations that have been initiated by government," the report adds.

"It is about 40 years since the last nuclear power plant was built in Sweden," it notes. "The first new reactors are expected to be relatively expensive due to the lack of current experience and the need to build up supply chains. The model is intended to finance a nuclear programme of 4000–6000 MW, corresponding to about four large-scale reactors. After that, it is expected that the costs and risks associated with building new nuclear will decrease, and with that the need for government support."

In January this year, Swedish Energy & Industry Minister Ebba Busch announced the appointment of Carl Berglöf as national nuclear power coordinator as the country embarks on a programme to expand its nuclear generating capacity. As part of the role, he will be expected to continuously support the government in following up and analysing how the work with the expansion of nuclear power is progressing and identifying the need for supplementary measures. The assignment must be finalised by the end of 2026.

Czech state-controlled utility ČEZ said its Dukovany-2 nuclear reactor plant will start operating with an increased capacity as the result of an opitmisation programme which began in 2020.

ČEZ said in a statement that the Dukovany-2 VVER/V213 unit will now have an output of 512 MW (gross) compared to the previous capacity of 500 MW.

According to the statement, water temperature at the reactor outlet was increased by about 2°C from 298.4 °C to 300.4 °C, which, under optimal conditions, means a higher electrical output of 12 MW.

There are four VVER/V213 units that have been in commercial operation at Dukovany in the south of the Czech Republic since the mid-1980s.

The units’ initial design gross output was 440 MW each, but a modernisation programme in the early 2000s led to their successful uprate to 500 MW (gross) by 2009.

In April 2024, ČEZ announced Dukovany-3 had reached a record output of 513 MW (gross) for the first time.

The company said a similar capacity increase for Unit 1 is scheduled by the end of 2024, while Unit 4 will follow in 2025.

ČEZ said the Dukovany units have also since 2023 switched to a 16-month refuelling cycle from an 11-month one which also coincided with the introduction of “new-generation” fuel.

In Jan 2024, ČEZ announced plans to invest more than CZK 3.3bn ($140m, €130m) in the Dukovany nuclear power station over the year – about CZK 1bn more than in 2023 with investments primarily aimed at ensuring the station’s four units can continue to operate until around 2047.

Engineering company Rolls-Royce is considering the sale of its small modular reactor subsidiary to inject new funding into the company’s overall business plans, the Sunday Telegraph first reported Aug. 3.

The company is looking to raise hundreds of millions, with a current valuation of £1.6 billion ($2 billion), as it sets its sights on being the first to deploy SMRs in the United Kingdom. Rolls-Royce recently cleared step two of the U.K.’s generic design assessment (GDA)—a competition launched in 2023 to bring SMRs on line in the 2030s.

However, funds at Rolls-Royce SMR are due to run out in early 2025, so Rolls-Royce and its other investors need to decide between putting more money in themselves, selling equity to third-party investors, or both, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

A closer look: The Rolls-Royce SMR design has the capacity to generate 470 megawatts and serve as a baseload power source for decades.

“Each Rolls-Royce SMR ‘factory-built’ nuclear power plant will provide enough clean, affordable, electricity to power a million homes for 60-plus years—delivering energy security, enabling net zero, and making a transformational contribution to the U.K. economy,” said Helena Perry, Rolls-Royce SMR’s safety and regulatory affairs director.

The SMR requires a site that is one-tenth the size of what’s needed for a large-scale nuclear plant, and its pieces would be manufactured in a factory and delivered to the site via truck, train, or barge. Rolls-Royce announced in May its plan to set up a multimillion facility in Sheffield, England, to manufacture and test SMR prototypes.

A reported £280 million has already been poured into Rolls-Royce SMR by investors, including Rolls-Royce itself, as well as BNF Resources, Constellation, and the Qatar Investment Authority.

In addition, £210 million of grant funding has been provided by the U.K. government.

Generic Design Assessment: Nuclear regulators—the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Environment Agency, and Natural Resources Wales (NRW)—launched the U.K.’s SMR program last year.

GDA is a three-step process—initiation, fundamental assessment, and detailed assessment—performed to gauge the safety, security, and environmental protection aspects of a nuclear plant design. The ONR examines the safety and security of the technology while the other regulatory bodies focus on the environment and radioactive waste.

The hope is that GDA will culminate in a design acceptance confirmation from the ONR and a statement of design acceptability from the Environment Agency.

In July, the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) submitted the United Kingdom’s first-ever application for a justification decision for the Rolls-Royce SMR design. While this is a step in the overall process, the NIA’s approval would be based on high-level evaluation and not apply to a specific project.

The UK's Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) said it is carrying out important work on the final capping of legacy disposal trenches and vaults at the Low Level Waste Repository in Cumbria, which are now full and ready for permanent closure.

Capping is a key part of the disposal lifecycle and work is now starting on the Southern Trench Cap Interim Membrane (STIM) which will involve placing a new 10-metre thick membrane, or protective layer, over the legacy disposal trenches. It will also include placing other construction materials to progress towards the final cap.

It will provide an engineered protective cover - comprising of layers of material - over the waste that has been disposed of in the trenches and vaults to permanently protect people and the environment.

Civil engineering firm Graham Construction has been awarded a four-year contract and will start work this month, with major works commencing in February 2025.

NWS - a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - said it has also completed the design of the final cap, the extensive enabling works and the rail transport arrangements that are necessary for procuring, importing and emplacing thousands of tonnes of materials.

"Placing the engineered cap over the legacy radioactive waste disposal facilities at the UK's Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) is a first of its kind activity for the UK," said NWS Repository Site Programmes Director Jonathan Evans. "The capping work is fully integrated with our ongoing disposal operations at the site. We are very pleased the initial work is progressing and we can move forward with this key phase, working collaboratively with Graham Construction."

Graham Contracts Director Alastair Lewis added: "This is the largest nuclear project to date for the business and will continue on from previous works undertaken during the LLWR Scheme. We recognise the critical importance of this work in ensuring the long-term environmental protection provided by the repository and are fully committed to delivering a high-quality solution in partnership with NWS."

The LLWR site has operated safely since 1959. Its role is to ensure that low-level waste generated in the UK is disposed of in a way that protects people and the environment. The repository site receives low-level solid waste from a range of customers, such as the nuclear industry, the Ministry of Defence, non-nuclear industries, educational, medical and research establishments.

NAC International Inc has received certification from the US nuclear regulator for the highly shielded version of its versatile OPTIMUS transport packaging system. This new certificate follows licensing approvals obtained under Canadian and Australian certifications.

The company's OPTIMUS-H system is now approved under the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 10 CFR Part 71 regulation with a certificate of compliance effective from 5 August. It has already been approved under Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) certification CNSC Certificate Number CDN/2098/B(U)F-96 and associated Validation Certificate Number AUS/2021-94/B(U)F in Australia.

NAC's OPTIMUS - for OPTImal Modular Universal Shipping - transport packaging system was developed to provide an adaptable, efficient and economical alternative to non-typical radioactive materials transportation campaigns which are commonly conducted using larger inefficient transport casks. The system features two models - OPTIMUS-H and OPTIMUS-L - which together can accommodate a wide range of contents to support customer packaging requirements.

The OPTIMUS-L packaging is designed and licensed for materials including contact handled-transuranic waste (TRU), low and intermediate-level solid wastes, low-enriched uranium fuel wastes, and other low activity contents that require shipment. First certified by the NRC in 2021, in January this year it became the first high-capacity packaging to receive NRC certification for high-assay low-enriched uranium TRISO fuels.

Both versions use the same containment vessel design, which NAC says enables an integrated waste management approach that leverages standardisation for packaging and shipment of a range of materials. This allows optimisation of content shielding, payloads, and shipping configurations but can also be uniquely tailored for each project. The highly shielded OPTIMUS-H version relies on a 7-inch-thick ductile cast iron outer shield vessel to provide sufficient shielding for a broader range of co-called Type B contents, including Class B and C waste, Greater-than-Class-C (GTCC) waste, remotely handled-TRU waste, used nuclear fuel, and other intermediate-level and high-level waste.

Certification of OPTIMUS-H in the USA expands the packaging options for commercial customers and government programmes who are looking for more versatile and lower-cost solutions to transport nuclear materials safely and efficiently, NAC President and CEO Kent Cole said, with the small size, modular packaging options and greater adaptability of the OPTIMUS packaging systems providing economical choices for transporting a wide variety of waste materials that until now were considered orphaned and stranded wastes.

"Both the OPTIMUS-L and OPTIMUS-H packaging systems are now licensed in the USA and Canada and deployed commercially," he said. "This allows NAC and OPTIMUS to support a wide variety of packaging and transportation projects in North America and abroad."

NAC has delivered 22 OPTIMUS-L and nine OPTIMUS-H systems to support North American packaging and transportation projects since it launched the system in 2020, with OPTIMUS-H having been deployed in Canada to support a major CANDU used fuel transportation campaign.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Russian forces appeared to have started a fire in one of the cooling towers of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station that it has occupied since the early days of the war, although Moscow immediately blamed Kyiv for the incident and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had been told there was a drone attack.

“Radiation levels are within norm,” Zelenskiy said on social media platform X on Sunday evening, 11 August.

Zelenskiy accused Russia of using its control of the site “to blackmail Ukraine, all of Europe, and the world”.

He said in his post: “We are waiting for the world to react, waiting for the IAEA to react. Russia must be held accountable for this. Only Ukrainian control over the Zaporizhzhia NPP can guarantee a return to normalcy and complete safety.”

A Ukrainian official in Nikopol, about 200 km north of the nuclear station, added on messaging service Telegram that according to “unofficial information”, the fire was caused by setting fire to “a large number of automobile tyres” in a cooling tower.

Late on Sunday night, Russia’s state-run Tass news agency cited state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom as saying that the main fire had been extinguished, while Russian and Ukrainian authorities said one of the cooling towers appeared to have been damaged.

Video and pictures showed smoke dramatically billowing from one of the station’s cooling towers. Tass said the fire was at cooling tower number one, of two. It said the cooling tower was not in use.

All six nuclear reactors at Zaporizhzhia are in cold shutdown, which means the fuel is almost cold and operators do not need to constantly run the primary cooling pumps at the same level to circulate cooling water. Cold shutdown means the fission reaction is slowed significantly or halted completely and the risk of any radiological incident minimised.

Russia said on an official Telegram feed that the fire had been started by the Ukrainian armed forces. It said the fire had been localised and there was no threat to the functioning of the station.

The IAEA said in a statement emailed to NucNet at 22:00 Central European Time on Sunday that its experts at Zaporizhzhia saw thick dark smoke coming from the northwestern area of the facility, after hearing multiple explosions throughout the evening.

The agency said the team was informed that an alleged drone attack on one of the plant’s cooling towers took place on Sunday. There is no impact on nuclear safety, IAEA director-general Rafael Grossi confirmed.

IAEA Says No Risk Of Elevated Radiation Levels

The IAEA team reported hearing an explosion at the same time the Zaporizhzhia plant informed them that a drone had allegedly struck one of the plant’s two cooling towers.

In order to ascertain the extent and possible cause of this event, the IAEA is requesting immediate access to the cooling tower to assess the damage.

Zaporizhzhia has two cooling towers at the northern side of the cooling pond, outside the nuclear station’s perimeter. Cooling towers are used during power operation of the plant. Their damage does not directly impact the safety of the six units in shutdown. However, any kind of fire on the site or in its vicinity represents a risk of spreading the fire also to facilities essential for safety, the IAEA said.

The plant confirmed to the IAEA team that there is no risk of elevated radiation levels as there is no radioactive material in the vicinity of the alleged attack area. The team independently verified the radiation levels and confirmed it remained unchanged.

Grossi said that any military action taken against the plant represents a clear violation of the concrete principles for protecting the facility, which were established at the United Nations Security Council in May last year.

“These reckless attacks endanger nuclear safety at the plant and increase the risk of a nuclear accident. They must stop now,” Grossi said.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and Business Development Bank of Canada have announced a lead investment of CAD10 million (USD7.3 million) each in Canadian private fusion developer General Fusion. Meanwhile, the US Department of Energy has awarded USD4.6 million in 17 awards to fund public-private partnerships for fusion research.

The financing provided by CNL - Canada's premier nuclear science and technology organisation - and the Business Development Bank of Canada's investment arm, BDC Capital - Canada's bank for entrepreneurs - will enable General Fusion to continue advancing its innovative Magnetised Target Fusion (MTF) technology to provide clean fusion energy to the grid by the early to mid-2030s.

In addition to the lead investments, the first closing of this financing also includes investment from Hatch, a Canadian headquartered consultancy firm specialising in the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors, and other company shareholders. This financing brings the total public and private investment into General Fusion's LM26 programme to over CAD71 million since its launch in 2023.

To fast track its progress towards commercialisation, General Fusion is advancing its Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) demonstration programme in Richmond, British Columbia. This machine is designed to achieve two transformational milestones for fusion energy, temperatures of over 100 million degrees Celsius (10 keV) and scientific breakeven equivalent, using the company's MTF technology.

General Fusion's MTF approach involves injecting hydrogen plasma into a liquid metal sphere, where it is compressed and heated so that fusion occurs. The heat from the fusion of the hydrogen atoms is transferred into the liquid metal. This enables fusion conditions to be created in short pulses rather than creating a sustained reaction, which "avoids the pitfalls of other approaches that require expensive superconducting magnets or high-powered lasers," according to the company.

General Fusion plans to construct its Fusion Demonstration Plant (FDP) at the UKAEA's Culham Campus near Oxford, England. The plant will be used to prove the viability of the MTF technology and is a 70%-scaled version of the commercial pilot plant. However, the plant will not be used to produce power. The FDP will cycle one plasma pulse per day, and will use deuterium fuel, whereas the commercial pilot plant will use deuterium-tritium fuel and will cycle up to one plasma pulse per second. The FDP is expected to be commissioned in 2026 and fully operational by early 2027.

CNL and General Fusion have already been working together to advance the design of General Fusion's power plant. That work has included analysis by CNL of tritium breeding technologies and tritium management facilities. Tritium is a primary component of fusion fuel. More recently, the teams collaborated on research related to the fusion machine, balance of plant, and power conversion system for General Fusion's MTF machine design.

CNL President and CEO Jack Craig said: "CNL and General Fusion share the same vision - to unlock fusion's tremendous potential as a transformative, clean energy future in Canada in order to fight climate change and maintain our energy security. We are proud to invest in such an innovative Canadian company, applying our unique capabilities and expertise within Canada's national nuclear laboratory to help bring their technology to life, and secure these environmental and economic benefits to Canada."

US funding awards

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced it has awarded USD4.6 million in 17 awards to US businesses via the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) programme.

The aim of INFUSE is to accelerate fusion energy development in the private sector by reducing impediments to collaboration between business and national laboratories or universities. DOE said the "overarching objective is to ensure the nation's energy, environmental, and security needs by accelerating foundational research to advance economical, innovative fusion technologies".

Projects for this round of funding include research in materials science, modelling and simulation, as well as enabling technologies to help move toward the ultimate goal of economical fusion energy.

The 17 projects were selected via a competitive peer review process managed by the INFUSE leadership team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The programme solicited proposals from the fusion industry and selected projects for one or two-year awards, all with budgets ranging between USD100,000 and USD500,000 each.

"The selections today showcase our continuing commitment to the fusion industry in the US and our goal to share widely unique capabilities at national laboratories and US universities," said DOE Associate Director of Science for Fusion Energy Sciences Jean Paul Allain. "Partnering with businesses and working together is a win-win for our fusion industry, the DOE, and the nation."

The USA has set a goal of enabling a fusion pilot plant, led by the private sector, on a decadal timescale as the country moves toward a net-zero economy by 2050.

Westinghouse has produced the first of its nuclear fuel pellets that contain higher enrichment levels than what is currently used in commercial reactors. The Low Enriched Uranium Plus (LEU+) Advanced Doped Pellet Technology (ADOPT) fuel pellets are aimed at boosting both the performance and safety of nuclear power plants.

LEU+ ADOPT fuel contains up to 8% by weight uranium-235 (U-235) and additives that improve the safety performance of the fuel compared with standard uranium dioxide. Compared with the standard 3-5% U-235 enrichment used in low-enriched uranium, LEU+ ADOPT allows the generation of more power with fewer replacement bundles within the reactor core, offering improved nuclear fuel cycle economics for operating reactors.

The first LEU+ ADOPT fuel pellets have now been pressed at Westinghouse's Springfields fuel manufacturing facility in Lancashire in northwest England, UK.

The company said the milestone was achieved in partnership with US utility Southern Nuclear and the support of the US Department of Energy (DOE).

The pellets were made from a higher enriched uranium oxide powder that was prepared by DOE's Idaho National Laboratory and marks the first time DOE material has been used to support the increased enrichment of a commercial uranium oxide fuel above 5%.

The first LEU+ ADOPT fuel pellets will now be fabricated into pins and included in four lead test assemblies in the UK before being shipped to the USA for irradiation testing at unit 2 of Southern Nuclear's Vogtle plant in Georgia next year.

In March 2023, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) gave approval for the use of Westinghouse's ADOPT fuel pellets in pressurised water reactors in the USA. In October, Southern Nuclear announced it had received authorisation from the NRC to use advanced nuclear fuel enriched up to 6% U-235 at Vogtle unit 2. This is the first time a US commercial reactor has been authorised to use fuel with over 5% enrichment.

According to Westinghouse, "demand for LEU+ ADOPT fuel in the range of 5-10%, enrichment which reduces the number of outages needed in nuclear plants, is expected to grow significantly in the coming years due to the increased demand for carbon-free electricity".

"The first production of LEU+ ADOPT fuel is a key step for achieving longer fuel cycles and reducing operational costs in the nuclear fuel industry," said Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel President Tarik Choho. "This significant milestone, which is part of our EnCore Accident Tolerant Fuel programme, will help us provide safer, more economical, reliable, clean energy to our customers across the world."

ADOPT fuel is one of several accident tolerant fuel concepts being supported through DOE's Accident Tolerant Fuel programme to deliver new fuel pellet and cladding designs that could be commercialised before the end of the decade.

As work progresses at the site for Ontario Power Generation's Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP), a massive tunnel boring machine that will be used in site preparations has been named Harriet Brooks in honour of Canada’s first female nuclear physicist.

The highly specialised excavating machine, also known as a 'mole', is being manufactured in Europe and will be used to drill the condenser cooling water tunnel path. Although it is not expected to be on site until next summer, DNNP's team has already completed a retaining wall for the machine's launch shaft.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) announced in March that early phase works for the Darlington New Nuclear Project to construct the first of up to four BWRX-300 SMRs had been completed on time and on budget, clearing the way for the main site preparation work to begin. This summer has seen drilling begin for the reactor building shaft retaining wall. Work has begun on the on-site fabrication and pre-assembly buildings where components for the plant will be fabricated. OPG has shared a video update of progress at the site.

The first part of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's hearings on OPG's application for a licence to construct the first unit is to take place this September, with the second hearing in January. Pending regulatory approval, OPG has previously said the project will be ready for nuclear construction work to begin in 2025. The first SMR unit is expected to be in commercial operation by the end of 2029, with the rest of the units expected to come online in the mid-2030s.

Harriet Brooks

After more than 100 name submissions and a vote for the best, the team settled on Harriet Brooks as the name of the new tunnelling machine. (A previous tunnel boring machine used to create a 10.2-kilometre-long tunnel to increase generating capacity at the Sir Adam Beck hydro complex in Niagara Falls was known as Big Becky in honour of Sir Adam Beck, the first chairman of OPG predecessor company the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario.)

Harriet Brooks was the first woman to receive a master’s degree from Montreal's McGill University in 1901. Brooks discovered that one element could change into another element through radioactive decay and - while she was still a student - was one of the first people to discover the radioactive gas radon. She worked under Ernest Rutherford and Marie Curie, and held a variety of university positions, including at McGill and Barnard College in the USA, as well as working with JJ Thomson at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, England.

The main decline at the Tony M mine in Utah was successfully reopened on 26 July, and work has begun to rehabilitate the underground workings.

Initial observations of underground conditions indicate that the main decline and underground equipment shops are in good condition, IsoEnergy Ltd said. Rehabilitation of the underground, including scaling, installation of ground support and ventilation systems, is expected to take 8 to 10 weeks depending on the ground conditions encountered.

The underground rehabilitation work is being carried out by Tomcat Mining. IsoEnergy is also working with international mining consulting firms SRK Consulting Ltd, on the design and implementation of the ventilation plans, and Call & Nicholas Inc, on the design and implementation of the ground control plans.

As sections of the underground are made safe for entry, it is expected that exploration and geological work will begin to map out the orebody from underground. IsoEnergy is also in the process of contracting a surveying company to complete a LiDAR survey of the complete underground at Tony M. This will be the first time any such survey has been completed at the mine and will be an important tool in future mine planning.

The Saskatoon-based company has been working towards reopening the Tony M underground for access over the course of the last year. Site communications have been re-established, and electrical systems have been upgraded and refurbished where necessary, including the installation of "at least" one new generator meeting the US Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 4 emission standards, it said. Several new fans have been installed and will continue to be installed as part of the rehabilitation, and several existing fans are to be refurbished.

The company announced last February its strategic decision to reopen the past-producing mine during the first half of this year, with the aim of restarting uranium production operations in 2025, depending on market conditions. Energy Fuels Inc's White Mesa - the only currently operational conventional uranium mill in the USA - is within trucking distance to Tony M, and IsoEnergy has a toll-milling agreement which guarantees it access to the mill's capacity.

IsoEnergy CEO and Director Philip Williams said: "The reopening of underground at Tony M is an important step in restarting production and establishing IsoEnergy as a near-term uranium producer. Long-term uranium prices have nearly doubled, from USD41/lb U3O8 to USD79/lb U3O8, since we acquired the Tony M, Daneros and Rim Mines in Utah, and with the exceedingly positive global outlook for nuclear power we expect that trend to continue. We believe that proven producing assets in tier one jurisdictions, like Tony M, will be highly coveted by end users making this an ideal time to pursue a restart."

The fully-permitted mine is in Garfield County and is about 66 miles (107 km) from the town of Blanding. It produced nearly one million pounds of U3O8 during two different periods of operation from 1979-1984 and from 2007-2008. It was acquired by IsoEnergy on the company's share-for-share merger with Consolidated Uranium Inc, completed last December. Tony M's current NI 43-101 estimated resources stand at 6.606 million pounds U3O8 (2541 tU) of indicated resources and 2.218 million pounds U3O8 in the inferred resources category.

UK-headquartered innovative reactor developer Newcleo and Slovak nuclear engineering and services firm VUJE have signed a cooperation agreement to establish closer collaboration on developing advanced modular reactor technologies and advanced fuel cycle solutions in the Slovak Republic.

The agreement aims to foster closer cooperation between nuclear experts from both companies, focusing on Newcleo's lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology and mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel.

Specific areas of cooperation may include the assessment of deploying Newcleo's LFR technology in Slovakia, exploring fuel cycle solutions to potentially re-use Slovakia's used nuclear fuel inventory, collaborating on research and development activities and developing skills and capabilities in advanced nuclear technologies.

"Slovakia has more than 50 years of nuclear tradition, know-how, and human capital in highly-skilled experts, and VUJE has been the cornerstone of nuclear in this field," said Newcleo CEO Stefano Buono. "We aim to partner with VUJE on further technical development of advanced nuclear reactors which can make use of spent nuclear fuel. This cooperation agreement could further accelerate our R&D and engineering activities in Europe.

"I am convinced that this cooperation can bring us closer to a role model solution for many European countries to decarbonise their electricity production effectively and provide a sustainable solution to their stocks of spent nuclear fuel."

VUJE CEO Matej Korec added: "VUJE, as the Slovak market leader in nuclear energy and services, is keen to cooperate on further development of state-of-the-art nuclear technologies. We believe advanced modular reactor technologies and closing the fuel cycle have great potential for the future of nuclear energy in Slovakia and Europe. By participating in Newcleo's plans, we hope to help the technology become available sooner."

This agreement is the first entered into by Newcleo's recently established Slovak subsidiary, Newcleo sro.

In December last year, Newcleo signed a memorandum of understanding with Slovakia's Ministry of Economy and state-owned radioactive waste management company JAVYS to explore collaboration opportunities and further develop advanced modular reactor technologies.

Newcleo said its LFR AS-30 reactor design has been optimised over the last 20 years leading to the concept of an ultra-compact and transportable 200 MWe module with improvements in energy density compared with other technologies. Costs are kept low by means of simplicity, compactness, modularity, atmospheric pressure operation and elevated output temperature.

The first step of Newcleo's delivery roadmap will be the design and construction of the first-of-a-kind 30 MWe LFR to be deployed in France by 2030, followed by a 200 MWe commercial unit in the UK by 2033.

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

Norsk Kjernekraft has submitted a proposal to Norway's Ministry of Energy for an assessment into the construction of a power plant based on multiple small modular reactors (SMRs) in the municipality of Øygarden, west of Bergen.

"With this, the first step in the formal process to establish a nuclear power plant in Øygarden has been initiated," the company said.

The proposed location is an area of up to 101 hectares (250 acres) at Buneset, 600 metres south of the transformer and the gas processing plant at Kollsnes. The location is said to be well suited for utilising existing and planned network infrastructure in the Bergen area. The power plant will enable the electrification of oil and gas installations, the establishment of new industry and safeguarding security of supply.

The site is owned by landowner and former mayor of Øygarden, Rolv Svein Rougnø. Rougnø earlier entered into a letter of intent with Norsk Kjernekraft and the agreement outlines that the site can be acquired for use in the construction of SMR power plants.

Norsk Kjernekraft said the site has space for five SMRs, each with a generating capacity of 300 MWe. This means that the site has the potential for generating 12.5 TWh per year, corresponding to almost 10% of Norway's current total electricity consumption.

The scope of the proposed study programme submitted to the Ministry of Energy is limited to assessing what effects construction, operation and decommissioning of the power plant can have for society and the environment.

The report describes the location in question and explains how the nuclear power plant will contribute to fulfilling local, regional and national ambitions and obligations in the field of energy and climate. In addition, local conditions for the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant at Buneset in Øygarden are described, and which topics will be described in a future impact assessment.

The ministry will send the report out for consultation, and then the municipality, residents and industry will be able to make their comments. If approved by the ministry, the report and input will form the basis for an impact assessment.

Norsk Kjernekraft noted that Vestland county, in which Øygarden is located, is the region in Norway with the highest greenhouse gas emissions. Large projects are planned for new power consumption in the county, among other things to electrify oil and gas installations. Øygarden municipality already has a large power deficit, and this will increase as a result of planned electrification projects and the establishment of new industry.

"This marks yet another important milestone for Norsk Kjernekraft, and it is the third notification sent to the Ministry of Energy," said the company's CEO Jonny Hesthammer. "Previous notifications have included Aure and Heim municipalities, as well as Vardø municipality. A nuclear power plant in Øygarden will make it possible to electrify oil and gas installations on land and offshore. In addition, it will enable new power-intensive industry, and improve the utilisation of the power grid in Western Norway.

"The power plant will produce electricity regardless of the weather, thereby improving security of supply throughout the country. This report will also be an important part of the knowledge base for the government's announced investigation into nuclear power in Norway."

In June, the Norwegian government announced the appointment of a committee to conduct a broad review and assessment of various aspects of a possible future establishment of nuclear power in the country. It must deliver its report by 1 April 2026.

The third and final tier of the reactor containment structure has been installed at the construction site of the BREST-OD-300 lead-cooled fast neutron reactor at the Siberian Chemical Combine site in Seversk, in the Tomsk Region of Russia.

The containment structure of the reactor consists of three assembly blocks installed in the design position in the reactor shaft. The steel reactor base plate and lower tier of the containment were installed at the turn of the year, while the second tier was hoisted into place in April.

With the installation of the third tier, the total mass of the structure is 429 tonnes, and its height is 17 metres.

Workers will now assemble the cooling system pipelines, drying system and intermediate shell. The cavity of the enclosing structure will then be filled with heat-resistant concrete.

According to Rosatom: "The containment structure is the outer part of the reactor vessel. It provides retention of heat-insulating concrete, forming an additional localising barrier of protection, which surrounds the boundary of the coolant circuit. On its surface, the temperature should not exceed 60°C, and the radiation background is actually equal to the natural background."

The BREST-OD-300 fast reactor is part of Rosatom's Proryv, or Breakthrough, project to enable a closed nuclear fuel cycle. The 300 MWe unit will be the main facility of the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex at the Siberian Chemical Combine site. The complex will demonstrate an on-site closed nuclear fuel cycle with a facility for the fabrication/re-fabrication of mixed uranium-plutonium nitride nuclear fuel, as well as a used fuel reprocessing facility.

The target for the BREST-OD-300 reactor is to start operation in 2026.

Initial operation of the demonstration unit will be focused on performance and after 10 years or so it will be commercially oriented. The plan has been that if it is successful as a 300 MWe (700 MWt) unit, a 1200 MWe (2800 MWt) version will follow - the BR-1200.