World Nuclear News

Fast reactor developer licensed to build

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:50:15 GMT

Russia's AKME-Engineering is now licensed to provide construction services for nuclear power plants, in preparation for the construction of a pilot heavy metal-cooled reactor.

Korean nuclear plants renamed

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:06:31 GMT

Two South Korean nuclear power plants - Yonggwang and Ulchin - have been renamed in response to pressure from local fishermen who claimed that problems at the plants had damaged the image of their traditional catches.

UK nuclear R&D projects secure funding

Ektron Support — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:42:25 GMT

A project to develop robotic snakes fitted with lasers for use in nuclear power plants, as well as one to produce cast reactor coolant pumps, are among those that will benefit from recently announced funding from the UK government.

JAEA head resigns following Monju lapses

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:35:16 GMT

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) president Atsuyuki Suzuki has resigned after the country's nuclear regulator blocked the restart of the Monju prototype fast breeder reactor due to inspection deficiencies.

Gift of salt for Czech research program

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:04:30 GMT

A Czech nuclear research institute has received a shipment of fluoride salt from the US Department of Energy. The Řež research institute is conducting studies into the use of the salt as a coolant in high-temperature nuclear reactors.

Dounreay waste retrieval deal

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:59:45 GMT

UK-based engineering company James Fisher Nuclear has won a £5 million ($7.6 million) contract for the retrieval and processing of radioactive waste from a 65-metre deep shaft and a wet silo at the Dounreay site.

Regulator OKs Belgian reactor restart

Warwick Pipe — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:24:34 GMT

Belgian reactor operator Electrabel is preparing to restart units at Tihange and Doel after national nuclear regulators confirmed that crack-like indications discovered in the reactors' pressure vessels are of no safety significance.

Garoña licence renewal option sought

Warwick Pipe — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:31:03 GMT

Spanish utility Nuclenor has requested a partial revocation of a ministerial order allowing an extension to the operating licence application deadline for the shut Garoña nuclear power plant, enabling a possible restart.

Westinghouse, SNPTC join forces for SMR

Warwick Pipe — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:28:41 GMT

Westinghouse and China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) will work together to develop a small modular reactor (SMR) design licensable in both the USA and China.

Public comment on French waste disposal

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:16:49 GMT

Plans for the Cigéo facility to dispose of radioactive waste at Bure in France have reached the stage of final public consultation.

Contract to lay out new Wylfa plant

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:50:21 GMT

Work to develop the design of Horizon Nuclear Power's proposed new plant at Wylfa in the UK is set to start.

Industry calls for decarbonisation focus

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:14:08 GMT

Europe faces a "lost decade" in low carbon development, the continent's electricity industry association Eurelectric has warned, due to signals that detract from the ultimate goals of energy policy.

CGNPC renamed to reflect expansion

Warwick Pipe — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:12:07 GMT

China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPC) has changed its name to China General Nuclear Power Group to reflect the group's ambitions to grow outside of Guangdong and China itself.

New US uranium site in production

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:21:05 GMT

Uranium production has begun at North Butte, a satellite facility to Cameco's Smith Ranch-Highland in situ leach uranium project in Wyoming, in a step described as a significant milestone for the company's US operations.

New cover for fuel removal at Fukushima Daiichi 1

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:02:39 GMT

A four-year process is planned to rebuild the cover over Fukushima Daiichi 1, equipping it to remove used reactor fuel still stored there.

International tie-up bolsters AP1000 supply chain

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:54:44 GMT

Westinghouse and China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corp have formed a joint venture to develop the global AP1000 supply chain.

German demolition plans revealed

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:16:44 GMT

EnBW Kernkraft has formally applied to the state of Baden-Wurttemberg for permission to decommission and demolish two nuclear units forced to close by German politicians in response to the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Futaba access restrictions relaxed

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:25:19 GMT

Residents will be able to repair tsunami damage in the town of Futaba after the Japanese government decided to prepare for the removal of parts of the town from the Fukushima evacuation zone.

Building steam in Chinese nuclear

Jeremy Gordon — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:02:08 GMT

Steam generators have been installed at new nuclear power reactors in Ningde and Fangjiashan in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces respectively.

Dounreay raffinate prepared for disposal

Warwick Pipe — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:10:21 GMT

Most of the highly active liquid waste produced from the reprocessing of Material Test Reactor fuel at the UK's Dounreay site has now been cemented into drums ready for disposal.

Twin research reactor contract for Invap

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:43:48 GMT

Nuclear technology firm Invap will construct two research reactors, one in Brazil and one in Argentina, under a contract signed with the two countries.

I&C collaboration celebrates China first

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:12:05 GMT

The first digital instrumentation and control (I&C) system developed jointly by Mitsubishi Electrical Corporation of Japan and China Techenergy Corporation has entered commercial operation.

New nuclear development council for Vietnam

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:45:56 GMT

Vietnam is to set up a new National Council for Atomic Energy Development, tasked with identifying strategies and priorities for the development of nuclear energy in the country.

New backup generators for Olkiluoto

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:24:50 GMT

Nine new backup generators will be delivered to the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in what owners TVO are describing as the largest ever individual modification of the plant. These are to be supplied and installed by Wärtsilä over the period 2016 to 2020.

Simulator upgrade for Chinese plant

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:15:44 GMT

L3-MAPPS will add a severe accident module to the full scope simulator of China's Ling Ao Phase II nuclear power plant.

Kundankulam's public interest ruling

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:17:37 GMT

A panel of two judges at India's Supreme Court has concluded that the Kudankulam nuclear power plant is vital for the country's economic growth and dismissed widespread public apprehension at the project as having 'no basis'.

Backloading's back

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:27:36 GMT

Support for the ailing European carbon market has continued with a joint letter from nine EU member states urging another attempt to put through 'backloading' measures as well as structural reform by the middle of this year.

Kewaunee enters retirement

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:33:38 GMT

Electricity generation at Dominion's Kewaunee nuclear power plant in Wisconsin ended today after almost 40 years of operation.

First selection of Atmea1 nuclear reactor

Jeremy Gordon — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:25:17 GMT

Turkey stands to be the first country to use the Atmea1 reactor design by Areva and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. An accord signed today could see four of the units deployed at Sinop in the early 2020s.

Pocket atomic clock

Jeremy Gordon — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:53:10 GMT

London watchmaker Hoptroff has produced the world's first watch true atomic-clock accuracy.

Harris expansion plans put on hold

Warwick Pipe — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:45:44 GMT

Duke Energy has suspended plans to construct two new reactors at its existing Shearon Harris plant in North Carolina due to slower growth in electricity demand than previously expected.

Cameco awaits market pick-up

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:27:51 GMT

Canada's Cameco expects the restart of Japanese reactors and the signing of long-term supply contracts to kick-start the stagnant uranium market. The company saw net earnings drop 93% in the first quarter of 2013.

UAE, Japan sign up for nuclear cooperation

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:20:37 GMT

A cooperation agreement on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy signed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Japan clears the way for the transfer of nuclear materials, technology and related items between the two countries.

Isotope reactor steps up to the plate

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:38:23 GMT

Belgium's BR2 reactor is to run an additional production cycle to guarantee supplies of vital medical isotopes while the Netherlands' HFR reactor remains out of action due to unforeseen problems.

Repository wins environmental recognition

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:43:47 GMT

A geologic radiological waste disposal site in New Mexico has been honoured for its environmental stewardship efforts.

NINA falls foul of foreign ownership law

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:06:29 GMT

Plans for two new reactors at the South Texas Project (STP) are facing a new hurdle after US regulators determined that licence applicant Nuclear Innovation North America (NINA) does not meet statutory requirements on foreign ownership.

Fuel cycle roundup #7

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:24:56 GMT

• Pinon Ridge licence re-issued
• Approval for Lost Creek dryers
• Gas Hills resource estimate
• Denison completes on Fission

Regulatory approval for Fessenheim 2 upgrades

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:12:17 GMT

French nuclear regulators have prescribed a program of works to be carried out at Fessenheim 2 to allow France's second-oldest nuclear unit to continue to operate beyond its third ten-yearly inspection.

Ontario's energy transition

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:03:05 GMT

Air quality in Canada's Ontario province has improved dramatically in recent years, simultaneously with the ramping up of nuclear power and the phase-out of coal.

New steam generators arrive at Prairie Island

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:18:03 GMT

Areva has delivered two replacement steam generators for use in Xcel Energy's Prairie Island nuclear power plant in Minnesota.