World Nuclear News

Fukushima Daiichi water to be discharged into sea

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 13:27:57 GMT

The Japanese government today announced its formal decision that the treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi site will be discharged into the sea. Tokyo Electric Power Company is expected to start discharging the mildly-radioactive water in 2023 in line with international standards and regulations.

Cameco buoyed by global interest in nuclear

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 15:26:39 GMT

Canadian uranium producer Cameco is "bullish about the future" thanks to growing interest from around the world in nuclear energy as a reliable, sustainable and low-carbon source of electricity, President and CEO Tim Gitzel said today during the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle forum, which is being held this week by the US Nuclear Energy Institute and World Nuclear Association.

USA preparing to lead advanced nuclear fuel supply, says Korsnick

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 14:12:11 GMT

There is bipartisan support in the USA for the country to be the world's leading supplier of fuel for advanced reactors, Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, said today during the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle forum, which the NEI is co-hosting this week with World Nuclear Association.

USA awards space propulsion contracts

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 11:50:31 GMT

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded contracts for the first phase of its Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations programme to demonstrate a nuclear thermal propulsion system above low Earth orbit in 2025. General Atomics will carry out reactor development work, while Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin will develop spacecraft concept designs.

Russia's tallest cooling tower enters next construction phase

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 10:27:45 GMT

Concreting of the cooling tower at the first unit of the Kursk II nuclear power plant in western Russia has started. At a height of 179 metres, the structure will be the tallest cooling tower in Russia. It is expected to be fully completed by 2024.

Hunterston B cleared for six months of operation

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 09:50:26 GMT

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation has today provided EDF with permission for Reactors 3 and 4 at the Hunterston nuclear power plant in North Ayrshire, Scotland to return to service for a limited period of operation. This will be the power station’s final period of operation before moving into the defueling phase.

Nuclear power can help raise climate ambitions

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 12:35:33 GMT

Policymakers who ignore nuclear energy are not serious about meeting climate goals, delegates said at an Atlantic Council webinar last week. The first in the Raising Ambitions series, the event highlighted the attributes of this clean source of electricity and heat ahead of the Leaders’ Climate Summit, which the US Administration is hosting on 22-23 April.

Plant upgrades ensure continued TRIGA fuel supply

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 14:45:25 GMT

A major renovation project has been completed at TRIGA International's fuel fabrication facility in Romans-sur-Isère, southeastern France. The facility is the only supplier of uranium-zirconium hydride fuel for use in TRIGA-type research reactors. The upgrades will ensure the continued operation of 36 such reactors around the world.

Canadian uranium mine and mill to resume operation

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 11:58:33 GMT

Cameco has announced plans to restart production later this month at its Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, which was suspended in December last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Orano Canada said it will resume production at its McClean Lake uranium mill, where ore from Cigar Lake is processed.

TAE reaches 'hot enough' plasma milestone

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:36:27 GMT

TAE Technologies, the California, USA-based fusion energy technology company, has announced that its proprietary beam-driven field-reversed configuration plasma generator has produced stable plasma at over 50 million degrees Celsius. The milestone has helped the company raise USD280 million in additional funding.

Estonia to assess adoption of nuclear energy

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:07:07 GMT

The Estonian government yesterday formally approved the formation of a nuclear energy working group (NEPIO) tasked with analysing the possibility of introducing nuclear energy in Estonia. Headed by Environment Minister Tõnis Mölder, the NEPIO will present its conclusions and proposals to the government by September 2022 at the latest.

Fennovoima maintains 2021 goal for Hanhikivi construction licence

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 15:09:09 GMT

Significant progress was made last year with work to obtain a construction licence for the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant in Finland, Fennovoima said in its 2020 Annual Report, released yesterday. It still expects to receive the licence by the end of 2021 despite a "challenging" schedule.

Russia transports first RPV for Kursk VVER-TOI plant

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 14:45:34 GMT

The Volgodonsk branch of Russia's AEM-Technology JSC has dispatched the first-ever reactor pressure vessel for the VVER-TOI (typical optimised, with enhanced information) reactor design. The RPV is being transported to the construction site of the Kursk II nuclear power plant, which will be the first to use the new design. Hydraulic testing of the RPV for the first Kursk II unit was completed in December last year.

NGOs call for nuclear's inclusion in EU taxonomy

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 15:01:07 GMT

A group of 46 non-governmental organisations from 18 countries has written to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, calling for the inclusion of nuclear energy in the EU taxonomy for sustainable investments. The exclusion of nuclear, they say, would promote a strategy that is "clearly inadequate" to decarbonise the region's economy.

Framatome to provide outage services to Dominion fleet

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:15:41 GMT

Framatome recently signed a "multi-million dollar" contract with US utility Dominion Energy to support the long-term operation of its nuclear power plant fleet. The five-year contract covers nuclear power plant outage and maintenance work, including steam generator services, refuelling services and inspections.

UAE's first nuclear unit starts commercial operation

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 12:47:10 GMT

Barakah unit 1 entered commercial operation today, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation has announced. The unit, which is operated by Nawah Energy Company, has been the single largest electricity generator in the UAE since reaching 100% power in early December. ENEC said the 1400-megawatt unit, which is in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, is now providing "constant, reliable and sustainable electricity around the clock". As a result, ENEC says it is "now leading the largest decarbonisation effort of any industry in the UAE to date".

Japan's JGC invests in NuScale Power

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:31:52 GMT

Japanese engineering, procurement, and construction firm JGC Holdings Corporation has agreed to invest USD40 million in small modular reactor developer NuScale Power. It will also partner with Fluor Corporation - NuScale's majority investor - on the deployment of NuScale power plants.

Partnership formed for advanced reactor deployment in Washington State

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 13:30:07 GMT

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Energy Northwest, Grant County Public Utility District and X-energy to form a partnership to support the development and commercial demonstration of the USA's first advanced nuclear reactor. The TRi Energy Partnership aims to construct a plant based on X-energy's Xe-100 reactor design at Energy Northwest's existing Columbia site in Washington.

Ministers gear up for COP26

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 19:33:25 GMT

The post-COVID economic recovery and the clean energy transition present a huge opportunity from which all nations can benefit, delegates at the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit agreed. Over 40 countries, covering more than 80% of global GDP, population and carbon emissions, took part in the event on 31 March to identify how to work together to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. They included the USA, which re-joined the 2015 climate accord earlier this year.

Study highlights benefits of SMRs to Canadian industries

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 15:09:53 GMT

Small modular reactors are well-equipped to drive cost-efficient decarbonisation of Canada's heavy industries, research conducted by EnviroEconomics and Navius Research on behalf of the Canadian Nuclear Association has concluded. The research studied the economic and climate implications of employing SMRs in Canada's high-emitting industrial sectors.

US scientists introduce new fusion reactor concept

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 14:34:22 GMT

Scientists at the US Department of Energy's DIII-D National Fusion Facility have released a new concept for a compact fusion reactor design they say can help define the technology necessary for commercial fusion power. The Compact Advanced Tokamak concept enables a higher-performance, self-sustaining configuration that holds energy more efficiently, allowing it to be built at a reduced scale and cost.

US President includes nuclear in American Jobs Plan

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 14:01:10 GMT

US President Joseph Biden yesterday announced a USD2 trillion jobs, infrastructure and clean energy plan to reshape the country's economy. Among the proposed investments to tackle climate change, the American Jobs Plan calls for funding for the development of advanced nuclear reactors and for a clean electricity standard to leverage and incentivise more efficient use of the USA's existing fleet of reactors.

Niger uranium mine ends operations after 47 years

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 12:27:12 GMT

Production at the Cominak uranium mine at Akouta in Niger came to an end yesterday after over 40 years of operations during which it produced more than 75,000 tU. The mine has now entered the remediation phase, which will also include action to address the impact of the mine's closure on its employees and on local communities. Cominak's board of directors announced in October 2019 that the mine would close this month due to depletion of its resources.

IEA unveils 7 key principles for net zero

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 10:57:41 GMT

The International Energy Agency has published Seven Key Principles for Implementing Net Zero to ensure "dramatic acceleration of progress towards clean growth and resilience". The document, which has so far been welcomed by 20 countries, was published following the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit yesterday.

Construction starts on second phase of Changjiang plant

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:40:31 GMT

First concrete has been poured today for the basemat of unit 3 at the Changjiang nuclear power plant in China's Hainan province. The move came after the National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a construction licence to China Huaneng Group for the construction of units 3 and 4 at the site. The Hualong One units will be the first large pressurised water reactor project in which Huaneng will hold a controlling stake.

Viewpoint: The global impact of Barakah

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 14:04:08 GMT

The United Arab Emirates has shown it is possible to build a new civilian nuclear energy programme from scratch within little more than a decade. Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, describes the significance of this feat for the global nuclear industry.

Bruce commits to net-zero operations by 2027

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:32:21 GMT

Bruce Power has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from its site operations by 2027, building on its previously announced NZ-2050 plan. The company says it is the first nuclear operator in North America to announce such an ambitious commitment.

Grossi: Nuclear already plays key role in decarbonisation

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:24:45 GMT

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi today outlined three ways that nuclear power facilitates efforts towards net-zero emissions. Speaking to delegates at the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit, Grossi said nuclear energy is a longstanding source of low-carbon electricity, has innovative solutions for further decarbonisation, and it enables renewable energy to be more effective.

Doosan to supply I&C system for Xudapu 3 and 4

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 13:28:00 GMT

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction has been awarded its first contract for nuclear power instrumentation and controls in the Chinese nuclear market. The South Korean company signed a contract with China Techenergy Company on 29 March to supply an Industrial Anti-seismic Protection System for units 3 and 4 of the planned Xudapu nuclear power plant in China's Liaoning province.

Canadian partnership to explore nuclear fuel recycling

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 12:23:29 GMT

Ontario Power Generation's Centre for Canadian Nuclear Sustainability and Moltex Energy are to collaborate on a project to demonstrate the technical viability of recycling used fuel from Candu reactors. OPG is providing CAD1 million (USD800,000) in funding for the project.