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2024-08-15 21:27:30

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".

2024-06-21 23:21:26

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/EU-funding-Framatome VVE…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/EU-funding-Framatome%C2%A0VVER-440-fuel-development )
The EUR10 million (USD10.7 million) contribution from the European Union under the Euratom Research and Training Programme targets the “swift and secure development and deployment of a European fuel solution” for VVER reactors.
The SAVE project for VVER-440 fuel led by France’s Framatome brings together 17 stakeholders, including utilities which operate VVER reactors in the European Union (EU) - the Czech Republic’s ČEZ, Finland’s Fortum, Hungary’s MVM Paks and Slovakia’s Slovenské Electrárne. The aim is to boost energy security and mitigate fuel supply chain risks.
Nineteen VVER reactors - developed during the time of the Soviet Union and historically reliant on Russian fuel supplies - are currently in operation in the EU, including four VVER-1000 reactors in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, and 15 VVER-440 reactors in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia.
Lionel Gaiffe, senior executive vice president of the Fuel Business Unit at Framatome, said: “Framatome welcomes this EU funding, recognising our efforts and supporting the acceleration of our development to contribute to the diversification and security of fuel supply for VVER reactors. Framatome is the only fuel supplier able to guarantee a 100% sovereign European technology, with a fully European design & product, and manufacturing facilities and a fuel component supply chain located and operated in the EU.”
EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, said: “Research and innovation are essential for the strategic autonomy of the EU. Nuclear fuel is a case in point. The Euratom Research and Training Programme is providing crucial support to our industry in the quest for reliable alternative fuel for reactors in EU Member States and Ukraine that until now needed fuel from Russia to operate.”
The new SAVE (Safe and Alternative VVER European) project follows the Westinghouse-led Accelerated Program for Implementation of Secure VVER Fuel Supply (APIS) project launched in July 2023 to develop safe fuel designs for VVER-440 and next generation fuel designs for VVER-1000 reactors. Many of the EU’s VVER reactors - and Ukraine’s 15 reactors - have been switching from Russian nuclear fuel to the US/Canadian company’s VVER fuels and the aim is to have more diversification of supply.
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2024-06-21 07:16:16

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/South-Korea-plans-SMR-in…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/South-Korea-plans-SMR-industrial-complex )
President Yoon Suk Yeol has announced plans to create a small modular reactor (SMR) industrial hub in the city of Gyeongju in the southeastern corner of South Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province. The government also aims to establish a hub for the hydrogen industry in the province.
Speaking at the 26th people’s livelihood debate meeting, held at Yeungnam University’s Gyeongsan Campus, Yoon described the city as “the high-tech manufacturing innovation hub of Northeast Asia”. He added: "Based on the potential that led to the country’s modernisation, the central government will provide active support so that Gyeongbuk can take a greater leap forward and open a successful regional era.
“For Gyeongbuk to take a leap forward, innovation in industrial structure is more important than anything else. Gyeongbuk previously led South Korea’s exports through its steel and textile industries. Currently, we are discovering and promoting new growth engines, such as hydrogen and bio. The government will firmly support Gyeongbuk’s industrial innovation.”
Yoon announced the government will support the creation of an SMR national industrial complex worth KRW300 billion (USD216 million) in Gyeongju “so that we can preemptively secure the small module reactor and SMR manufacturing technology that is being competitively developed around the world”.
He said the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will create a fund worth KRW80 billion by next year to support the growth of the country’s nuclear power sector.
“We will actively support the construction of infrastructure, including technology development and prototype production, so that Gyeongbuk can clearly grow its SMR manufacturing capabilities and grow into a global SMR manufacturing hub,” Yoon stated.
He also confirmed that construction of units 3 and 4 of the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant in North Gyeongsang Province will “proceed without a hitch so that Gyeongbuk can play a leading role in restoring the nuclear power industry ecosystem and new industrialisation”. Design work for the two APR1400 reactors was suspended in 2017 due to uncertainties about government policy on the construction of new reactors.
In addition, the president announced plans to “grow Gyeongbuk into a hub for the hydrogen industry by supporting the creation of an east coast hydrogen economy industrial belt worth approximately KRW800 billion, connecting Pohang and Uljin”. He noted that a hydrogen fuel cell cluster is currently being built in the Pohang Blue Valley National Industrial Complex, where about 30 fuel cell companies are gathering to promote the local production of hydrogen fuel cells.
Yoon also noted that construction of the KRW400 billion (USD300 million) Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex in Ulchin began in 2022 as part of South Korea’s efforts to promote hydrogen as a future energy source and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. He said the government had decided to exempt the project from preliminary tariffs to “further accelerate the pace of progress in the future”.
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2024-06-20 15:15:24

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Chinese-industrial-nucle…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Chinese-industrial-nuclear-steam-project-commissio )
China’s first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project, at the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China’s Jiangsu province, has entered operation following commissioning tests. The project will supply steam to a nearby petrochemical plant.
The project - known as Heqi-1 - was jointly developed by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) subsidiary Jiangsu Nuclear Power Company and the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industry Base in the Xuwei New District of Lianyungang City.
In the project, steam will be extracted from the secondary circuits of units 3 and 4 of the Tianwan plant, two Russian-supplied VVER-1000 units. After passing through multi-stage heat exchange, the steam will be transported via an insulated above-ground pipeline to the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industrial Base for industrial production and utilisation.
The construction of the pile foundation for the project began in February 2022, with the pouring of first concrete for the industrial steam facility taking place in May 2022.
The Tianwan plant is equipped with four steam conversion devices. The industrial superheated steam transmitted out of the nuclear power plant has a pressure of 1.8 MPa and a rated flow rate of 600 tonnes per hour.
The total length of the long-distance steam supply main line of the Tianwan nuclear power steam energy supply project is about 23 kilometres. The pipeline network extends from the Tianwan nuclear power plant to the Xuwei Petrochemical Industrial Park.
The facility is expected to supply 4.8 million tonnes of steam annually, which will reduce the burning of standard coal by 400,000 tonnes per year, and the equivalent emission reduction of 1.07 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 184 tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 263 tonnes of nitrogen oxides.
CNNC said the start of operation of the steam project “marks that China’s comprehensive utilisation of nuclear energy has expanded from single power generation and meeting urban residents’ heating needs to the field of industrial steam supply”. It added that the Heqi-1 project “is a model of clean steam supply for the national petrochemical industry”.
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2024-06-20 14:57:59

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/US-Senate-passes-ADVANCE…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-Senate-passes-ADVANCE-Act )
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 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, by 393 votes to 13 and it now heads to the President for signature.
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 ADVANCE Act will provide the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with the tools and workforce it needs to review new nuclear technologies efficiently, while maintaining the NRC’s critical safety mission and creating thousands of new jobs. With the president’s signature, the ADVANCE Act will become the law of the land and lay the foundation for the safe and successful deployment of the next generation of advanced reactors in the coming decades,” he said.
“This bipartisan piece of legislation will encourage more innovation and investment in nuclear technologies right here on our shores,” Capito - the committee’s Ranking Member - said. “It also directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to more efficiently carry out its important regulatory mission and helps redevelop conventional energy sites for future nuclear energy projects.”
The ADVANCE Act, among other things, directs the 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.
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2024-06-20 01:25:22

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Uranium-recovery-starts-…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Uranium-recovery-starts-at-Finnish-mine )
Finnish mining company Terrafame has begun recovering natural uranium as a by-product of zinc and nickel production at its Sotkamo mine in Talvivaara in the north-east of the country.
Following inspections at the uranium recovery plant and a review of written materials submitted by Terrafame, Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) issued a decision on 17 June stating that the safety requirements set for the use of the facility will be met if the documented procedures are followed. That decision cleared the way for Terrafame to commission the facility.
“With the start of operations, Finland is the only European Union member state that produces uranium,” Terrafame noted.
The Sotkamo mine’s previous owner, Talvivaara Mining Company, had planned to produce uranium at the site and constructed a uranium extraction plant before being declared bankrupt in 2014. The company was subsequently purchased by Terrafame, which is 70%-owned by Finnish Minerals Group, a special-purpose company wholly owned by the State of Finland.
Terrafame submitted its application for large-scale recovery of uranium to the Ministry of Employment and Economic Affairs in October 2017, already having the necessary chemicals permit and environmental permit. The government granted this permit in February 2020. The decision was deemed legally valid under a ruling made by the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland in June 2021.
In December 2017, STUK granted the company permission to recover a small quantity of uranium while experimenting with chemical processes it will use in an actual uranium recovery plant. Under that permit, the company could produce up to 600 litres of process solution containing a maximum of 6 kg of uranium.
Terrafame said its production process enables the low concentration of natural uranium found in the ore to be used as a by-product. The uranium recovered will be transported abroad for further processing, after which it will be used in nuclear fuel.
After the start-up phase, the recovery plant is estimated to operate at full capacity by 2026, when it is expected to produce about 200 tonnes of uranium per year. Terrafame noted that this production capacity corresponds to about nine months of consumption at Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 EPR in Finland. It said the plan is to continue uranium production alongside the production of other metals throughout the operating period, which covers at least the next 30 years.
After the ramp-up phase, the recovery of uranium will increase Terrafame’s annual net sales by approximately EUR30–40 million (USD32-43 million), based on the current market price of uranium, accounting for a few percent of the company’s estimated net sales in the coming years.
“The utilisation of natural uranium in energy production helps in achieving climate goals and building Europe’s energy self-sufficiency,” said Terrafame CEO Seppo Voutilainen. “Thanks to our modern production process, we can recover even more metals cost-effectively.”
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2024-06-20 01:21:00

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Australian-opposition-ou…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Australian-opposition-outlines-its-nuclear-plans )
Leaders of the Australian opposition have confirmed that a future Australian Federal Coalition Government would introduce nuclear energy in the country, and announced seven locations where plants could be built.
Each of the locations announced by Peter Dutton, leader of the Liberal-National Coalition, its deputy leader David Littleproud and Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Ted O’Brien is the site of a power station that has closed or is scheduled to close.
“The Coalition believes Australia must have a balanced energy mix to deliver cheaper, cleaner and consistent 24/7 electricity,” they said. “Ninety per cent of baseload electricity, predominantly coal-fired power stations, is coming to the end of life over the next decade. Nuclear energy for Australia is an idea whose time has come. Today, we are announcing that a future Federal Coalition Government will introduce zero-emissions nuclear energy in Australia, which has proven to get electricity prices and emissions down all over the world, to work in partnership with renewable energy and gas as part of a balanced energy mix.”
Their government would initially develop two projects using either small modular reactors (SMRs) or larger plants such as the AP1000 or APR1400, to be in operation by 2035 if SMR plants are built or 2037 for larger plants if these “are found to be the best option”. These assets would be owned by the Australian government, but would be built and operated in partnership with “experienced nuclear companies”.
The sites identified by the coalition are:
<li>Liddell Power Station (New South Wales)</li>
<li>Mount Piper Power Station (New South Wales)</li>
<li>Loy Yang Power Stations (Victoria)</li>
<li>Tarong Power Station (Queensland)</li>
<li>Callide Power Station (Queensland)</li>
<li>Northern Power Station (South Australia)</li>
<li>Muja Power Station (Western Australia)</li>
The sites in South Australia and Western Australia are earmarked for SMRs only.
“Each of these locations offer important technical attributes needed for a zero-emissions nuclear plant, including cooling water capacity and transmission infrastructure, that is, we can use the existing poles and wires, along with a local community which has a skilled workforce,” the leaders said. Replacing retired or retiring coal plants would avoid much of the spending that would be needed for a ‘renewables-only’ system, including new transmission poles and wires, and host communities would also benefit from high paying, multi-generational jobs and other regional economic benefits.
Australian national science agency CSIRO, in its annual GenCost report, recently estimated the capital cost for Australian deployment of a large-scale nuclear plant to be AUD8665 (USD5775) per kilowatt, and says it is not economically competitive with renewables. Dutton told journalists that the Coalition’s plan would come in cheaper than what he said was the AUD1.2-1.5 trillion price of the current Labor Party-led government’s renewable-based proposals. “Our proposal will cost a fraction of that cost. We’ll have more to say in relation to the cost in due course,” he said.
Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen described the opposition’s plan as “risky”, with no detail, costs or modelling. “It’s too slow, too expensive and too risky for Australia,” he said on X.
Referring to earlier comments by Bowen, Dutton told journalists he would be happy for the next Australian election - which must take place before 27 September 2025 - to be “a referendum on energy, on nuclear, on power prices, on lights going out, on who has a sustainable pathway for our country going forward”.
The Liberal-National Coalition, also known as the LNP, is a long-running alliance of the Liberal Party of Australia, led by Dutton, and the National Party, led by Littleproud.
Local benefits
Colin Boyce is the member of parliament for the electorate of Flynn in Queensland, where one of those sites - the Callide Power Station - is situated. He welcomed the announcement, saying such a project would provide jobs and opportunities to the local community while also providing 24/7 reliable baseload power for Central Queensland.
“Without transitioning to nuclear, the Callide Power Station is set to close in the future and some 250 jobs will leave that economy,” he said.
“The Callide Power Station site offers important technical attributes needed for a zero-emissions nuclear plant, including cooling water capacity and transmission infrastructure, that is, we can use the existing poles and wires, along with a local community which has a skilled and experienced workforce,” he added.
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2024-06-19 20:30:24

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Containment-dome-install…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Containment-dome-installed-at-Xudabao-4 )
The dome has been hoisted into place on the reactor building of unit 4 at the Xudabao nuclear power plant in a single stage process, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced. The process has only been used once before - at unit 3 of the same plant.
The hemispherical structure - with a diameter of 44 metres and a height of 22 metres - was put in place on top of the containment building in a process lasting just over three-and-a-half hours. The dome hoisting included the steel lining structure and support cage, all penetrations, reinforcement plates, internal steel structures, equipment supports and hangers, spray systems, lighting systems, hydrogen removal devices, heat exchanger equipment, detection equipment and other equipment, with a total weight of 655 tonnes.
“Unlike the traditional installation of the dome in two stages, the one-stage lifting technology significantly streamlines the process and reduces the time of this work,” said Alexei Bannik, Vice President for Projects in China and Advanced Projects of JSC Atomstroyexport. “The dome pre-assembled on the ground was lifted by crane on the reactor building.”
In June 2018, Russia and China signed four agreements, including for the construction of two VVER-1200 reactors at the new Xudabao (also known as Xudapu) site in Liaoning province. Agreements signed in June 2019 included a general contract for the construction of Xudabao units 3 and 4, as well as a contract for the supply of nuclear fuel. Rosatom is designing the nuclear island, supplying key equipment, as well as providing field supervision, installation supervision, and commissioning services for the supplied equipment. Turbine generators and balance of plant will be supplied by China.
Construction of Xudabao unit 3 began in July 2021, with that of unit 4 starting in May 2022. The dome of unit 3 was installed in July last year, using the one-stage lifting technique for the first time
Following the installation of the dome on unit 4, CNNC said: “Xudabao nuclear power units 3 and 4, a national key energy project, have all entered the equipment installation stage, laying the foundation for further high-quality and steady advancement of project construction.”
The two units - scheduled to be commissioned in 2027 and 2028, respectively - are expected to generate more than 18 billion kWh of electricity per year, equivalent to saving about 6.4 million tonnes of coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 18.9 million tonnes per year.
Two CAP1000 reactors - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 - are planned for units 1 and 2 of the Xudabao plant. Construction of unit 1 began in November 2023.
The Xudabao plant is owned by Liaoning Nuclear Power Company Limited, a joint venture between CNNC (70%), Datang International Power Generation Company (20%) and State Development and Investment Corporation (10%).
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2024-06-19 19:31:25

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/First-fuel-delivered-for…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/First-fuel-delivered-for-new-Kursk-nuclear-power-p )
The first of the freshly delivered fuel assemblies is expected to be loaded into Kursk II’s unit 1 later this year.
Kursk II is a new nuclear power plant in western Russia, about 60 kilometres (37.5 miles) from the Ukraine border, that will feature two VVER-TOI reactors, the latest version of Russia’s large light-water designs. They have upgraded pressure vessels and a higher power rating of 3300 MWt that enables them to generate 1300 MWe gross.
Construction of the first unit began in 2018, its polar crane was installed in October 2021 and the reactor vessel was put in place in June 2022. Concreting of the outer dome of the first unit was completed in August 2023.
Alexander Uvakin, director of the Kursk NPP, said: “The delivery of fuel shows that the VVER-TOI project has reached a key stage of construction and shows a high degree of readiness of the first power unit.”
He said that cold and hot tests would start in the near future - which would then be followed by the beginning of the physical start-up stage.
The six fuel assemblies were delivered to the site by specialised rail transport - the arrival of the first nuclear fuel to a site is always a significant moment in the construction of a nuclear power plant.
Rosatom said the TVS VVER-TOI nuclear fuel has been developed based on that for VVER-1000 and VVER-1200 reactors, with the design of the fuel cassettes providing “increased fuel loading, increased thermal reliability and more effective control of the reactor core during operation to improve the technical and economic characteristics of the nuclear power plant”. There will be 163 fuel assemblies when fully loaded, and 313 fuel elements in each fuel assembly. The fuel cycle during operation will be 18 months.
All four units at the existing Kursk nuclear power plant are scheduled to have shut by 2031. The first unit was shut down after 45 years of operation in December 2021. The original design life for the four RBMK-1000 reactors at the plant was for 30 years but had been extended by 15 years following life extension programmes.
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2024-06-18 23:02:48

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Saskatchewan-to-evaluate…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Saskatchewan-to-evaluate-Westinghouse-reactor-tech )
Saskatchewan Power Corporation, Westinghouse Electric Company and Cameco Corporation will evaluate the potential deployment of Westinghouse nuclear reactor technology - and a Saskatchewan-based nuclear supply chain - for Saskatchewan’s future clean power needs.
A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the three companies will see them explore technical and commercial pathways to deploy Westinghouse’s reactor technology, including the advanced AP1000 reactor and AP300 small modular reactor (SMR) for long-term electricity supply planning. It also includes the evaluation of a nuclear supply chain to support nuclear energy projects, including fuel, and identifies opportunities to collaborate on nuclear research, development and workforce training in partnership with Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions.
Saskatchewan’s government identified development of SMR technology as a goal for growth in its 2019 development roadmap, and in August 2023 the Canadian government approved up to CAD74 million (USD55 million) in federal funding for SMR development in the province, to be led by electric utility Saskatchewan Power Corporation (SaskPower). SaskPower expects to make a final investment decision in 2029, and intends to use Saskatchewan-produced uranium in any reactor constructed in the province.
In 2022, SaskPower announced it had selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment in the province in the mid-2030s after an evaluation of three SMR technologies: the BWRX-300, X-energy’s Xe-100 and Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR. At the time, SaskPower said its selection of the same technology already selected by Ontario Power Generation for deployment at its Darlington New Nuclear Project in Ontario would help enable a pan-Canadian, fleet-based approach to SMR deployment, as well as lowering risk for regulatory, construction and operating costs.
“Leveraging knowledge from organisations that have significant expertise in the nuclear industry is critical to ensure we make responsible, informed decisions around our power future,” SaskPower President and CEO Rupen Pandya said on the announcement of the new MoU. Collaboration on nuclear fuel supply and evaluating various technologies “will only serve to enhance” the company’s SMR development work and future planning, Pandya added.
Westinghouse reactor technology was not included in SaskPower’s earlier evaluation exercise, which took place before the May 2023 launch of the AP300 SMR. The design is based on the licensed and operating AP1000 pressurised light water technology. Westinghouse is one of six SMR suppliers shortlisted in October 2023 to bid for support from the UK government, and the company has also signed an agreement with Community Nuclear Power Limited for the construction of four AP300 units in what would be the UK’s first privately-financed SMR fleet.
“Our globally deployed advanced AP1000 reactor provides demonstrated superior economic performance and availability, and our AP300 small modular reactor is based on this proven and licensed technology,” said Patrick Fragman, Westinghouse president and CEO. “We look forward to helping SaskPower bring carbon-free electricity to Saskatchewan for generations to come.”
Tim Gitzel, president and CEO of Saskatoon-based Cameco, said decarbonising Saskatchewan’s power grid is an “ambitious and important” future goal for the province. “Cameco has a proud history and a significant presence in Saskatchewan, from our world-class uranium operations to our large and growing provincial workforce to our long-standing partnerships with northern Indigenous communities,” he said.
Cameco, one of world’s largest providers of nuclear fuel, acquired Westinghouse in 2023 in a strategic partnership with Brookfield Asset Management and its affiliate Brookfield Renewable Partners and institutional partners.
SaskPower has identified two potential sites for an SMR plant to begin detailed site analysis ahead of a final site selection in 2025. Both sites are in the Estevan area in the south-east of the province.
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2024-06-18 22:54:35

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/South-Korea-seeks-site-f…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/South-Korea-seeks-site-for-underground-research-fa )
A call for proposals has been released by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) for candidate sites to host an underground laboratory for research into high-level radioactive waste disposal.
The underground research facilities will be used for conducting studies on rock mass properties and disposal system performance 500 metres underground - a depth similar to that of disposal repositories. MOTIE and KORAD noted the research facility will be built at a site entirely separate from high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities, with no radioactive waste or used nuclear fuel being taken inside the area, and is for research purposes only.
The underground facilities will focus on specialised manpower training and development of disposal technologies suitable for the domestic geological environment, while also providing the public with the opportunity to experience an environment similar to that of an actual high-level waste disposal facility. Technologies developed in the facility will be used in the process of site selection, construction, and management of the high-level waste repository.
The call for site proposals was issued in accordance with the radioactive waste management technology development measures specified in the Korean government’s second high-level radioactive waste management basic plan (released in December 2021) and the High-Level Radioactive Waste R&D Roadmap (published in February 2024), MOTIE and KORAD noted.
They will be holding a briefing on 25 June to explain the site selection process to interested local government bodies. Letters of intent and site proposals, respectively, must be submitted by 19 July and 2 August, to KORAD.
A site evaluation committee under KORAD will evaluate the site proposals submitted by local governments in terms of geological suitability and against eight criteria with the aim of completing the selection process by the end of the year.
Construction is to start in 2026 with completion scheduled for 2032. The operation period will be about 20 years, starting from 2030.
MOTIE and KORAD noted that the USA, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, France, and Japan have in the past operated or are currently operating such underground laboratories.
In Korea, used fuel is currently stored on each nuclear power plant site pending construction of a centralised interim storage facility, which is planned to be operational by 2035. A final repository is expected to be operational by the mid-2050s.
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2024-06-18 22:34:48

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Eletronuclear-wins-appea…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Eletronuclear-wins-appeal-over-Angra-3-works )
Brazil’s Eletronuclear has announced it has won its appeal in the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice, removing an embargo on work to complete Angra 3.
The much interrupted works on the third unit at the Angra nuclear power plant in Brazil, have been halted after disputes with the municipality of the City of Angra dos Reis over agreements relating to “environmental compensation” payments and also changes relating to the granted planning permission.
The embargo was imposed on the work in April 2023. In a statement published on its website, state-owned Eletronuclear said that the court had agreed to lift the embargo and that it “reaffirms that it strictly follows all construction projects approved by the competent national and international bodies, guaranteeing the safety of the construction and future operation of the plant” and “reaffirms its commitment to maintaining an open dialogue with the City of Angra dos Reis to advance the company’s priority projects, which generate positive consequences for the entire local population”.
Angra 3 - a long story
Brazil has two reactors - Angra 1 and Angra 2 - which generate about 3% of the country’s electricity. Work on the Angra 3 project - to feature a Siemens/KWU 1405 MW pressurised water reactor - began in 1984 but was suspended two years later, before construction began. The scheme was resurrected in 2006, with first concrete in 2010. But, amid a corruption probe into government contracts, construction of the unit was halted for a second time in 2015, when it was 65% complete. It resumed again in November 2022 - at the time of the project’s revitalisation, Eletronuclear’s aim was to start operations by the end of 2026. However, work halted again in April 2023.
What next?
On the same day that Eletronuclear announced its success in the court, it also announced that it had unilaterally terminated its construction contract with the Ferreira Guedes, Matricial and ADtranz consortium that was signed in February 2022 for restarting Angra 3 civil works.
The scope of that work has been included as an option in Eletronuclear’s recent month-long public consultation on the terms of a proposed tender to complete the works at Angra 3. This is planned to be an international, competitive process for “the execution of works and services aimed at completing the Angra 3 Project, which will cover the remaining services of engineering, procurement, construction, assembly, installation and support for the commissioning of the nuclear plant”, run by Eletronuclear with support from the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES).
There is also a study being drawn up by BNDES which is expected to provide a suggested likely price of electricity for Angra 3 when completed - earlier this year a Federal Audit Court analysis suggested that “charges to consumers will be much higher if the construction of Angra 3 continues than if the project is abandoned”. Eletronuclear rejected that analysis and said “the price of electrical energy produced by Angra 3 will certainly be competitive for a clean, non-polluting (not producing greenhouse gases), safe, reliable, constant” power source. It added that a recent study suggested that for every BRL1 billion (USD194 million) invested in the nuclear generation sector, BRL3.1 billion is generated in the production chain, generating 22,500 jobs in Brazil, 17,500 of which in the State of Rio de Janeiro.
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2024-06-18 22:19:45

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Extended-operation-consi…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Extended-operation-considered-for-Swedish-reactors )
The owners of Sweden’s Forsmark and Ringhals nuclear power plants are to assess the possibility of extending the operating lifetime of the plants’ reactors from 60 to 80 years. This would enable their continued operation into the 2060s.
The Forsmark plant has three boiling water reactors which began supplying power between 1980 and 1985. The units have an annual production of about 25 TWh of electricity. Vattenfall owns 66% of Forsmarks Kraftgrupp. Mellansvensk Kraftgrupp owns 25.5%, with Fortum as the largest shareholder, and Uniper (Sydkraft Nuclear Power) owns 8.5%.
Ringhals has two pressurised water reactors that were connected to the grid in 1980 and 1982 and generate 17 TWh per year. Vattenfall owns 70.44% and Uniper (Sydkraft Nuclear Power) 29.56% of Ringhals AB.
The owners of the two plants have decided to launch an in-depth investigation into extending the operation of the five units for a further 20 years. The study will include more detailed cost calculations and an analysis of identified risks in terms of expertise and suppliers, among other things. After this, a final investment decision can be made. Most of the necessary investments are planned to take place in the 2030s, Vattenfall noted.
“The preliminary study that has been carried out shows that it is efficient to utilise investments that have already been made and that contribute to a low-carbon emissions electricity system," said Björn Linde, CEO of Forsmark Kraftgrupp AB and Ringhals AB. “Extending the operating time of existing reactors does not entail any complex licensing processes and we also believe that the additional nuclear waste can be accommodated within the system for nuclear waste from existing reactors.”
To extend the operating time, investments of an estimated SEK40-50 billion (USD3.8-4.8 billion) are being made to replace or renovate systems and components. Technical needs include maintenance, refurbishment or replacement of components such as turbines, condensers, generators, as well as modernisation of control and monitoring systems. Investments are also required in switchyards and power lines, plant buildings and other infrastructure.
“Extending the operating life of the five reactors at Forsmark and Ringhals by 20 years could provide a total of more than 800 TWh of fossil-free electricity, which is roughly equivalent to today’s Swedish electricity consumption for six years,” Vattenfall said.
“Nuclear power will play an important role in Swedish fossil-free electricity production for many decades and it is therefore of the utmost importance to invest not only in new nuclear power, but also in our existing reactors,” said Torbjörn Wahlborg, senior executive vice president of Generation in the Nordic region at Vattenfall. “After the extensive modernisations that have been carried out in the past, we see good prospects for extending the operating life up to 20 years.”
Fortum said the decarbonisation of society and industry in accordance with climate goals “requires a reliable, competitive and fossil-free electricity system that can meet the sharp increase in electricity demand in the coming decades. Along with growing wind and solar power and the new flexibility required by the system, nuclear power plays an important role in this transition now and in the future.”
Uniper said that, as a minority owner in the units, it supports the review into the possible extension of the Ringhals and Forsmark reactors. “It is probably the most cost-effective way to secure fossil-free power for a long time to come - and an enabler for new facilities,” it said.
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2024-06-17 22:04:45

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/IAEA-assesses-long-term-…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-assesses-long-term-safety-at-Angra-1 )
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has completed a review of long-term operational safety at unit 1 of the Angra nuclear power plant in Brazil.
The Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation (SALTO) mission was requested by Eletronuclear, the owner and operator of the Angra plant. Two IAEA pre-SALTO missions in 2013 and 2018, followed by a pre-SALTO follow-up in 2022, were previously conducted to review the long-term safety of the unit.
The 640 MWe pressurised water reactor was first connected to the grid in 1982. It entered commercial operation in 1985 and its current operating licence expires in December this year. Eletronuclear submitted a licence renewal application to the Brazilian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (CNEN) in 2019 to extend its operating lifetime from 40 to 60 years.
A SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long-term operation of nuclear power plants. SALTO missions complement IAEA Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) missions which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. SALTO peer reviews can be carried out at any time during the lifetime of a nuclear power plant, although according to the IAEA the most suitable time lies within the last ten years of the plant’s originally foreseen operating period. SALTO and OSART reviews are carried out at the request of the IAEA member country in which the review is to take place.
During the ten-day SALTO mission from 4 to 13 June, the team reviewed the plant’s preparedness, organisation and programmes for safe long-term operation. The mission was conducted by a twelve-person team comprising experts from Argentina, Bulgaria, Finland, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and the USA, as well as two IAEA staff members.
“The team noted the progress in measures taken by the operator to ensure the safe LTO of the plant,” said Gabor Petofi, team leader and IAEA Senior Nuclear Safety Officer. “The professionalism, openness and receptiveness for improvements to meet and move beyond the IAEA safety standards in operation are commendable.”
He added that “most of the ageing management and LTO activities are already in alignment with IAEA Safety Standards. We encourage the plant to address the review findings and proceed with the implementation of all remaining activities for safe LTO”.
The team provided recommendations to further enhance the preparations for safe LTO, including for the plant to consider: consistently addressing and implementing all ageing management programme attributes for civil structures; improving the process of temporary design modifications for LTO; and implementing a comprehensive equipment qualification programme.
“Eletronuclear is strongly committed to satisfy all regulatory requirements and implement all possible improvements that can be derived from international best practices and IAEA Safety Standards,” said Abelardo da Cruz Viera, Angra Unit 1 plant manager. “The SALTO findings will help us ensure a safe and reliable completion of LTO activities and improve performance for the next cycle of operation of the plant.”
The team provided a draft report to the plant management and CNEN at the end of the mission. A final report will be submitted to plant management, CNEN and the Brazilian government within three months.
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2024-06-17 21:49:09

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Preparatory-activities-b…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Preparatory-activities-begin-at-Imouraren )
Orano has restarted preparatory work for the Imouraren uranium mine in Niger where the company has previously said it intends to carry out an in-situ leach pilot programme - but press reports suggest the Nigerien mining ministry might be about to revoke the operating permit for the project.
Imouraren is about 80km south of Arlit and about 160km north of Agadez. First discovered in 1966, it has mineral reserves of over 200,000 tU and is described by Orano as containing one of the largest uranium reserves in the world. Operating company Imouraren SA - owned 66.65% by Orano Expansion and 33.35% by Sopamin and the State of Niger - was awarded an operating permit to mine the deposit in 2009 and excavations began in 2012, but development was suspended in 2015 pending more favourable market conditions.
The joint venture is now looking into the possibility of using in-situ leach methods to bring it into production and Orano has previously said it would begin a pilot programme this year with a view to making an investment decision in 2028 if feasibility is confirmed.
An Orano spokesperson, quoted by AFP, has now said infrastructure at the site has been reopened to accommodate the construction teams and move the work forward.
Orano currently produces uranium in Niger from open-pit operations at SOMAÏR (Société des Mines de l’Aïr), near the town of Arlit. SOMAÏR is 63.4% owned by Orano and 36.66% owned by Sopamin (Sopamin manages Niger’s state participation in mining ventures). It is also carrying out remediation of the former COMINAK underground uranium mine, where over 40 years of production came to an end in 2021.
But Bloomberg has reported Niger’s mining ministry has now said Orano’s plans for development of the deposit do not meet with the authorities’ expectations, citing a letter which said a notice period will end on 19 June “after which date the company’s operating permit will be revoked”. The letter, dated 11 June, has reportedly been confirmed by a spokesman for the military junta which has been in power in Niger since June 2023.
Earlier this month, Russian atomic company Rosatom and Orano both denied press reports alleging that the Russian company was planning to take over Orano’s assets in Niger. “Rosatom has no plans to acquire uranium mining assets in Niger that are owned by Orano,” Rosatom’s press service told TASS in response to press reports, with Orano telling Bloomberg it was unaware of any discussions between Niger and Russian entities.
Orano said today it has no additional comment on reports about the Imouraren permit.
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2024-06-17 21:27:32

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Verdict-on-EDF-and-KHNP-…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Verdict-on-EDF-and-KHNP-bids-being-considered-by-C )
ČEZ has submitted to the Czech government its evaluation of the bids received from France’s EDF and South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power for the construction of a new nuclear power plant at Dukovany.
The evaluation, carried out by ČEZ’s wholly-owned subsidiary Elektrárna Dukovany II, includes a suggested preferred supplier for new nuclear units, although the recommended choice has not been made public.
Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela said: “I can confirm that we have received the evaluation report from ČEZ Group. The government now has an opportunity to express its opinion on the report from the perspective of national security interests. We will announce the selection of the preferred contender in July and inform about how we will use the option for the construction of additional nuclear units in Dukovany and Temelín.”
The head of ČEZ’s New Energy Division, Tomáš Pleskač, said that financial, commercial and technical aspects of the EDF and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) bids were scrutinised by more than 180 experts during an evaluation process which followed the steps recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency: “All price inputs and risks have been quantified. Both offers were compared according to the same criterion, namely to the price per one megawatt hour generated, at which each contender’s new unit would generate electricity.”
The aim is for the contracts to be finalised this year and signed by the end of March 2025. According to ČEZ the door is not necessarily closed on the bidder who is not selected, saying that if, during the contract being drawn up, the details “significantly diverge from the bid submitted, the bidder ranking second may be asked to enter negotiations”.
The target for test operation of the first new unit is 2036.
Last month the European Commission approved the Czech Republic’s proposed public support package for new nuclear - it plans to grant direct price support in the form of a power purchasing contract with a state-owned special purpose vehicle, ensuring stable revenues for 40 years, with a subsidised state loan to cover a majority of construction costs as well as a “protection mechanism against unforeseen events or policy changes” and with a clawback mechanism to ensure “additional gains generated by the project will be shared with the Czech state”.
The Czech Republic currently gets about one-third of its electricity from the four VVER-440 units at Dukovany, which began operating between 1985 and 1987, and the two VVER-1000 units in operation at Temelín, which came into operation in 2000 and 2002.
The current tender for new nuclear was originally for a binding offer for one new unit at Dukovany and non-binding offers for up to three more - a sixth at Dukovany and two at Temelín. But in February the Czech government announced it was changing the tender to binding offers for up to four new units, citing the cost savings per unit if they were not procured on a unit-by-unit basis.
EDF is proposing its EPR1200 reactor, KHNP is proposing its APR1000 - both companies have stressed their agreements with Czech suppliers to localise work if selected.
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2024-06-17 14:58:58

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/China-to-supply-Banglade…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/China-to-supply-Bangladesh-with-irradiation-plant )
China Isotope & Radiation Corporation (CIRC) has won a contract to construct a gamma irradiation facility at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA).
CIRC - a subsidiary of China Baoyuan Investment Company Ltd, which is itself part of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) - noted that it marks the “first such project commissioned by a foreign government institution to CIRC and the first overseas EPC project won by CIRC”. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
The irradiation facility has a design capacity of more than one million curies and is mainly designed to disinfect and sterilise bacteria on foods, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, conduct quarantine inspections and extend the shelf life of relevant products.
CIRC noted that irradiation is a mandatory requirement for the export of relevant products and “boasts tremendous market potential” in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries and regions.
“The successful bid for the irradiation station project in Bangladesh is the result of coordinated efforts taken by the CIRC and other subsidiaries of the CNNC to further strengthen their collaboration and complement each other in their overseas development,” CNNC said. “It is expected to produce positive demonstration effects in the BRI countries of South Asia, help CNNC enhance its international influence, and advance the cooperation in all industrial chains for better results.”
CIRC is the largest nuclear enterprise in the aspects of research and development, manufacture, distribution and service of nuclear products in China. It is mainly engaged in research and application of radioisotope and radiation technology, covering radioisotope preparation by nuclear reactor and cyclotron, radiopharmaceuticals, radioactive sources, radiation engineering and processing, etc. CIRC has three radiopharmaceutical manufacturing and research bases, located in Beijing, Chengdu and Shenzhen.
BINA was established in July 1972 and conducts research in the areas of: crop improvement through induced mutation; biotechnology; soil management and biofertilisers; irrigation and water management; pest management; physiological aspects of crop productivity; crop management; improvement of horticultural crops; technology transfer and impact assessment; and socio-economic research.
BINA has so far succeeded in developing and releasing 125 modern varieties of 19 important crops by using nuclear techniques and these varieties are now making significant contributing to raise the agricultural productivity of Bangladesh. It has also been able to identify nine rhizobial inocula for fixing higher biological nitrogen in soils to increase the seed yield of bean, pulses and oil crops.
Russia is constructing Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant at Rooppur, 160 kilometres from the capital Dhaka. It features two Russian VVER-1200 reactors. Construction of the first unit began in November 2017, with the start of construction of the second unit following in July 2018. The first unit is scheduled to be commissioned later this year.
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2024-06-14 18:34:45

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Nuclear-power-plant-prop…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-power-plant-proposed-for-north-eastern-Nor )
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 county of Finnmark. The company said it marks the first step in the formal process to establish a nuclear power plant there.
In April last year, the municipality of Vardø in Finnmark proposed nearby Svartnes as a possible site for a nuclear power plant to Norsk Kjernekraft, which aims to build, own and operate SMR power plants in Norway in collaboration with power-intensive industry. Vardø municipality and Norsk Kjernekraft entered into an agreement to prepare a report with proposals for a study programme in June 2023.
In collaboration with Vardø, Norsk Kjernekraft has mapped the energy situation in Finnmark, and considered the local conditions at Svartnes. Based on this, a nuclear power plant is proposed with a capacity of up to 600 MWe and an annual output of up to 5 TWh - “enough to triple the power supply in Finnmark”.
Norsk Kjernekraft said the report it has now submitted to the Ministry of Energy “describes local conditions for the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant at Svartnes outside Vardø, and which topics will be described in a future impact assessment. The available information suggests that the location is suitable for the purpose.”
The scope of the proposed study programme is limited to assessing what effects construction, operation and decommissioning of the power plant can have for society and the environment. Once the proposal has been approved by the ministry, an environmental impact assessment can start.
The report says Vardø is an urban community with “a good public service offer and varied working life”, and that it is therefore possible to attract the high number of employees necessary for construction and operation of the plant. Other advantages at Vardø are that there are already power lines and a substation where, combined with good road connections, ports, large areas available for both the power plant and power-intensive industry, ample access to cooling water, stable ground conditions and local political support for nuclear power. “In addition, a nuclear power plant in the far east of the country will emphasise Norway’s willingness to assert sovereignty,” it adds.
Norsk Kjernekraft notes that, due to limited network capacity in Vardø, it will consider alternative locations in Finnmark before the impact assessment begins.
The report says that electricity is currently generated in Finnmark using hydro plants and wind turbines. “In periods of low wind, Finnmark is dependent on supply of power from other parts of Norway and from Finland,” it says. “The nuclear power plant will produce electricity completely independently of the weather, thereby providing a significant improvement in the reliability of the power supply throughout north Scandinavia, as well as helping to cover the expected power demand.”
“The purpose of this notice is to inform the relevant authorities and other stakeholders that the construction of a nuclear power plant in Vardø is considered, and to invite other municipalities to report their interest in investigating alternative locations in their municipalities,” Norsk Kjernekraft said.
The company said it intends to utilise a significant part of the excess heat from the plant “as an input factor for industrial companies, food production, district heating and others”. It said the power plant can enable the establishment of local industry, for example within data centres, hydrogen production, mineral extraction, green shipping and food production.
Norsk Kjernekraft CEO Jonny Hesthammer commented: “A nuclear power plant in Vardø will give Finnmark access to large amounts of stable power, create hundreds of jobs and provide light in the houses in a strategically important part of our country. In addition, it will help assert Norwegian sovereignty and ensure Norwegian presence. This report will be an important part of the knowledge base for the government’s announced investigation into nuclear power in Norway.”
“This is a right and important step to meet future energy needs,” added Vardø mayor Tor-Erik Labahå. “A nuclear power plant in Vardø will build the community in the far north-east of Norway, and it will be able to supply new industry in the entire Eastern Finnmark region.”
In November, Norsk Kjernekraft submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Energy for an assessment into the construction of an SMR power plant based in the municipalities of Aure and Heim in south-western Norway. In April this year, it initiated work on the impact assessment of a plot of land in Øygarden municipality, west of Bergen, to assess the possibility of establishing a nuclear power plant comprising up to five SMRs.
A new company, Halden Kjernekraft AS, has also been founded by Norsk Kjernekraft, Østfold Energi and the municipality of Halden to investigate the construction of a nuclear power plant based on SMRs at Halden, where a research reactor once operated.
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2024-06-14 17:44:24

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/IAEA-reports-mine-explos…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-reports-mine-explosion-close-to-Zaporizhzhia )
As the International Atomic Energy Agency completed the 20th rotation of its experts at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi says they continue to report hearing explosions nearby.
In his latest update on the situation at the six-unit nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022, Grossi said agency staff had “confirmed with the plant that one of the mines located next to the cooling pond area exploded on 11 June. There were no physical damage or casualties from the explosion and the cause of the explosion was not shared with the IAEA team”.
“This latest explosion, so close to the plant, is of grave concern and is aggravating an already fragile situation … nuclear safety and security of the ZNPP cannot be compromised,” he said.
Ahead of a Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine, Grossi met Switzerland’s Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis to brief him on the work the IAEA is doing to try reduce the risk of a nuclear accident during the war and to urge the summit to “strengthen and support the unique, independent, and technical role of the IAEA”.
Over the past week, the update says, IAEA staff visited an electrical substation in nearby Energodar which, according to those running the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, was damaged by shelling on 8 June. They also witnessed a successful test of safety systems at unit 2 and observed “the real-time monitoring system of the storage casks, containing spent fuel from all six reactors, at the ZNPP dry spent fuel storage facility”.
An emergency drill was held on 15 May and the IAEA team has been told the drill achieved its goals and “identified several valuable lessons … an action plan is being implemented to address the areas identified for improvement during the drill”.
Since the destruction of the Kakhovka dam a year ago, the need to supply enough cooling water to the Zaporizhzhia plant has continued to be an issue. The IAEA team were informed that the operators of the plant have installed a submersible pump near the isolation gate of the discharge channel of the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant, which can pump water to the cooling pond, which is also being fed by 11 groundwater wells.
The IAEA teams at the three other Ukrainian nuclear power plants - Khmelnitsky, Rivne and South Ukraine - also rotated this week.
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2024-06-14 17:39:01

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Uranium-production-resum…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Uranium-production-resumes-at-Texas-project )
The start-up of production at Alta Mesa - a joint venture of enCore Energy and Boss Energy - sees enCore become the only US uranium producer with multiple production facilities currently in operation and is the second start-up in eight weeks for Boss Energy. The first shipment of yellowcake is expected in 60-90 days’ time.
The previously producing in-situ leach project comprises the fully licensed and constructed Alta Mesa Uranium Central Processing Plant (CPP) and wellfield, and was acquired by enCore from Energy Fuels Inc in February 2023 for USD120 million. In December, the company entered into an agreement with Australia’s Boss Energy which saw Boss acquiring a 30% stake. It is operated by enCore.
EnCore CEO Paul Goranson said the company has advanced the project from acquisition to the completion of upgrades, wellfield installation and production within fifteen months. Alta Mesa is the company’s second producing asset to come online: the Rosita CPP, also in South Texas, resumed production in late 2023 after being offline since 2008, and shipped its first uranium in March.
“Our strategy at Alta Mesa is to initiate phased ramp-up from the wellfield located in Production Authorisation Area 7 (PAA-7), increasing production progressively and consistently as additional injection and recovery wells are systematically tied into the production lines,” Goranson said. “As we continue to increase production from PAA-7, work has commenced on the second new wellfield at Production Authorisation Area 8 with a goal of achieving full operational capacity by 2026. We are very pleased with our initial early production providing enCore with a second revenue source as we continue to build out the Alta Mesa Project.”
The Alta Mesa CPP has a total processing capacity of 1.5 million pounds U3O8 (577 tU) per year with additional drying capacity of 0.5 million pounds. It produced nearly 5 million pounds U3O8 between 2005 and 2013, when production was curtailed due to low uranium prices.
Currently, oxygenated water - used to extract uranium from the orebody - is being circulated in the wellfield through injection or extraction wells plumbed directly into the primary pipelines feeding the CPP. Expansion of the wellfield will continue with production to steadily increase from the wellfield as expansion continues through 2024 and beyond, enCore said.
In April, Boss Energy’s Honeymoon project in South Australia produced its first drum of uranium in more than a decade, and Managing Director Duncan Craib said the start of production at the Alta Mesa Project is another key milestone in the company’s strategy to be a global uranium supplier with a diversified production base in tier-one locations.
“With operations now ramping up at both Honeymoon and Alta Mesa, we are on track to hit our combined nameplate production target of 3 million pounds of uranium per annum," he said. “Our timing could hardly be better given the increasingly tight supply and demand fundamentals in the uranium market.”
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2024-06-14 14:45:34

Source: [world-nuclear-news.org/…/Nuclear-industry-sets-ex…](https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-industry-sets-expectations-of-next-Europea )
Leaders from across the European nuclear industry have published a manifesto outlining their priorities for the new European Commission. Nuclear energy, they note, plays a crucial role in providing the EU with secure and affordable energy.
Between 6 and 9 June, EU citizens voted to elect the 720 members of the next European Parliament. The new European Commission and its new President will shortly be elected.
The manifesto notes the Nuclear Alliance of the EU Member States who have committed to expanding their use of nuclear energy has recognised that nuclear could provide up to 150 GW of electricity capacity by 2050 in the EU, compared with about 100 GW currently. This commitment aligns with the Net Zero Nuclear initiative, launched in November last year during COP28, which aims to triple the world’s nuclear energy capacity by 2050.
More recently, this support for the sector has also been echoed by the European Commission during the Nuclear Energy Summit in March, and with the launch of the European Industrial Alliance for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), as well as by the European Parliament’s adoption of an Own Initiative Report on SMRs.
“We have to build on this acknowledgement,” the manifesto says. "For the EU to achieve a net-zero future for our society, it is imperative to fully support the pivotal role of nuclear energy alongside renewable energy sources.
“We encourage European institutions to develop an ambitious strategy to accelerate the decarbonisation and electrification of Europe’s industry. This strategy should acknowledge the significant role that nuclear energy plays in enhancing the EU’s strategic autonomy.”
In the manifesto, nuclear industry leaders call on policymakers to: treat all net-zero technologies equally; implement consistent and coherent policies which facilitate the deployment of nuclear; allow nuclear to access EU funds and finance; include the nuclear fuel cycle as an enabling activity under the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy; ensure that low-carbon technologies are not discriminated against in taxation policies; enable innovative nuclear technologies to access EU funds beyond the Euratom programme and provide greater support for nuclear research; and support and invest in the development of a skilled nuclear workforce.
“The challenges are significant but not impossible to overcome if the European institutions, EU Member States’ governments and the whole nuclear community collaborate closely to meet them,” the manifesto says. "The European nuclear industry is fully committed to fulfil its role.
“It is time to turn words into actions. Together we can make a difference.”
Yves Desbazeille, director general of nuclear trade body Nucleareurope, added: “Nuclear is a clean and sustainable technology which is why it essential the next Commission treat nuclear on an equal footing with other fossil free technologies. Our expectation is that future policy proposals will focus on goals - decarbonisation, competitiveness, energy sovereignty - rather than on specific technologies.”
Nuclear energy generates electricity in 14 of the 27 EU Member States, and currently provides 25% of Europe’s electricity and 50% of its low carbon electricity.
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