You searched for

IAEA General Conference: Three more countries commit to safe, secure and peaceful application of nuclear technology
29 September, 2023
At the annual Treaty Event on the sidelines of the 67th regular session of the IAEA General Conference, three more countries pledged their commitment to nuclear safety, security, and the peaceful use of nuclear technology. Belarus, Egypt, and Zimbabwe all deposited legal instruments to become a party to various multilateral treaties under IAEA auspices. These cover a spectrum of subjects aiming to bolster global nuclear safety and security as well as enabling the development of nuclear science and technology.

Rosatom ships third RPV to Akkuyu
29 September, 2023
The third reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for the Akkuyu NPP under construction in Türkiye has been shipped from the production site of Rosatom's mechanical engineering division in Volgodonsk. This is the fifth RPV shipped from the facility this year – a record for Russia’s domestic nuclear engineering industry.

US DOE awards more GAIN vouchers
29 September, 2023
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative has awarded two vouchers to NuScale Power and Metatomic Energy to support development of their small modular reactor (SMR) and used nuclear fuel conversion technologies. DOE says the two companies will leverage the expertise and research capabilities at Oak Ridge and Savannah River national laboratories (ORNL and SRNL) to advance their projects toward commercialisation.

EDF Group creates new UK engineering subsidiary
28 September, 2023
EDF says it has created EDF EPR Engineering UK to strengthen its nuclear engineering presence in the UK and optimise its project performance. EDF EPR Engineering UK incorporates teams already present in the UK from EDF Group, including EDF SA, Framatome, Edvance and EDF Energy as well as its partners. EDF EPR Engineering UK is a 100% subsidiary of Edvance (itself a subsidiary of EDF and Framatome).

Grossi opens IAEA General Conference
28 September, 2023
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who has been reappointed for a second four-year term as Director General beginning December 2023, in his opening address to the 67th General Conference, referred to US President Dwight D Eisenhower’s ‘Atoms for Peace’ speech in 1953. He noted that his vision has become an important, active part of the IAEA’s contribution towards international peace and security and furthering sustainable development. “The IAEA is the operational instrument of this noble cause,” Grossi said.

Microgrids & small reactor deployment
28 September, 2023
A new report from Idaho National Laboratory (INL) presents a detailed cost and characteristics model for the deployment of small reactors in microgrid settings. The model can be used for analysing multiple scenarios to establish cost-competitive and zero carbon microgrids.

Water supply for Zaporizhia nears solution
27 September, 2023
Ukraine’s Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP) has completed drilling ten groundwater wells, bringing the plant closer to having a longer-term solution for the provision of cooling water to the shutdown reactors after destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

Restoration progress at Zorita plant site
27 September, 2023
Spain’s decommissioning and waste management company Enresa has completed restoration work at the site of the José Cabrera NPP (Almonacid de Zorita) in Guadalajara following demolition of the containment building. The plant is the first to be fully dismantled in Spain. Demolition of the last remaining large building at the plant, the 30-metre-high turbine building made of reinforced concrete, was completed in June 2022.

Nuclear groups suggest staged approach to increase regulatory efficiency
27 September, 2023
A new joint report from World Nuclear Association (WNA), the US-based Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the Canadian Nuclear Association (CAN) proposes regulatory steps which could minimise the time and cost for large-scale deployment of a fleet of standardised reactor designs acceptable in multiple countries.

Final testing of new US railcar for used fuel transport
27 September, 2023
The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently completed a 1,600-mile round-trip journey from Colorado to Idaho as final testing of the specialised Atlas railcar designed to safely and securely transport commercial used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. DOE says Atlas could be cleared for operational use before the end of the year.

IAEA sees operational safety commitment at Penly
27 September, 2023
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) team of experts concluded an 18-day mission to the Penly NPP in France at the request of the French Government. IAEA said that the operator of units 1&2 at the Penly NPP has demonstrated a commitment to operational safety. The team also encouraged the operator to continue improvements in areas such as the implementation of maintenance work.

New nuclear energy in Singapore
27 September, 2023
Establishing a nuclear plant in a densely populated country like Singapore poses unique challenges and risks. Nonetheless, nuclear energy is being considered as a net zero option for Singapore due to its high-capacity factor and reliable power generation. How can the risks be managed?

Temelín switches to 18-month fuel cycle
26 September, 2023
Czech power utility ČEZ says unit 2 of the Temelín NPP, during its current outage, is transitioning from a 12-month to an 18-month fuel cycle as part of a wider programme to increase efficiency and move towards a 60-year operating life.

IAEA says Greece committed to safe radwaste management
26 September, 2023
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation (ARTEMIS) mission said that Greece has established a good basis to ensure and enhance the safety of radioactive waste management. The review identified areas for additional efforts, for example, improving stakeholder involvement and securing adequate human resources for the safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste.

Ghana selects potential sites for first NPP
26 September, 2023
Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) has selected Nsuban and Obotan as two potential sites to host its first NPP. Detailed technical assessments are being concluded to determine the preferred sites to host the 1,000 MWe plant by 2030. However, it is believed that Nsuban in the Western Region is the preferred location, while Obotan in the Central Region will serve as a backup site. Four sites were initially selected for the construction of plant.

IAEA samples second batch of ALPS treated water
26 September, 2023
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) independent sampling and analysis of the second batch of ALPS treated water prepared for discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) confirms the tritium level reported by Japan.

Alberta supports study on SMRs
26 September, 2023
Canada’s provincial government of Alberta will invest CAD7m ($5.1m) into a study by oil and gas producer Cenovus Energy on how small modular reactors (SMRs) could be used for future oilsands operations. Rebecca Schulz, Alberta’s Minister of Environment & Protected Areas, told a news conference at the World Petroleum Congress in Calgary that this is “just another example of how industry dollars are being reinvested back into industry to support innovation in emissions reduction”.

INB completes first stage of decommissioning in Caldas
26 September, 2023
Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (INB) says it has completed the first stage of demolition of buildings at the Unit for Decommissioning of Caldas (UDC) in southern Minas Gerais, which is currently undertaking clean-up of a former uranium mine. Altogether 12 buildings were demolished at the industrial plant comprising 1,900 square metres of disused structures. The cooling tower was the last structure demolished in early September. According to INB, the area where the buildings were located will be restructured using local soil.

Poland receives positive environmental decision on planned NPP
26 September, 2023
Polish utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowy (PEJ) has received a decision from the General Director for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ - Generalnej Dyrekcji Ochrony Środowiska) on the environmental conditions for the construction of Poland’s first NPP in the province of Pomerania. PEJ submitted the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the first plant to GDOŚ in March 2022 and in August 2023 applied to the Pomeranian Voivode (Governor), Dariusz Drelich, for a siting decision.

BWXT and Crowley consider microreactors for shipping
26 September, 2023
US-based BWX Technologies’ (BWXT’s) Advanced Technologies subsidiary and logistics, marine & energy solutions company Crowley have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a ship concept that could use a microreactor to generate energy for defence and disaster needs.