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Japanese regulator orders reassessment of Fukushima NPP risks
02 June, 2023
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has ordered plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to urgently assess the risks of a possible collapse at unit 1 of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi NPP, and to formulate emergency measures as soon as possible to avoid any radioactive leakage. Videos taken during a robotic probe in March showed that the pedestal of unit 1’s containment vessel, the main supporting structure directly under its core, was severely damaged. The underwater robot found the concrete wall was missing in over half of the pedestal, measuring five metres in internal diameter, leaving the reinforcing bar exposed.

IAEA mission reviews Czech regulatory framework
02 June, 2023
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission said the Czech Republic is committed to maintaining and strengthening its robust regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety. The team also identified areas for possible improvements.

Doosan Enerbility ships pressuriser to ITER
02 June, 2023
South Korean company Doosan Enerbility has shipped a pressuriser to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) under construction at Saint-Paul-les-Durance in southern France. The device was designed and manufactured by Doosan Enerbility under a contract to supply the pressuriser following an international competitive tender in 2020.

IAEA safety mission reports progress at Belleville NPP
02 June, 2023
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) team of experts said Électricité de France (EDF) has strengthened operational safety at France’s Belleville NPP and addressed the findings of the previous IAEA review in 2021.

Rosatom completes concreting of inner containment dome at Akkuyu 1
02 June, 2023
Concreting of the dome of the inner containment (VZO) has been completed at unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP under construction in Türkiye. The IEC ensures the tightness of the reactor building. To maximise the strength of the containment dome, 422 tons of rebar and over 3,200 cubic metres of concrete were laid. It has high fluidity, which allows it to self-compact and completely fill the space of the structure under its own weight, while maintaining high water-holding capacity, reliability, strength and uniformity of the composition.

Small and Advanced Reactors 2024 Call for Papers
01 June, 2023
The fourth annual Small and Advanced Reactors conference is going live! Hosted by Nuclear Engineering International, the event will take place on 7th March 2024 at the Hilton Garden Inn on the Snake River in Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA.

IAEA chief unveils vital guidelines to prevent nuclear accident at Zaporizhia NPP
01 June, 2023
In an address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) listed five basic principles needed to prevent a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP) as military activity increases in the run up to an expected Ukrainian offensive in the region.

Vogtle 3 reaches 100% power
01 June, 2023
US-based Georgia Power says unit 3 at the Vogtle NPP has reached 100% power, marking a major milestone towards commercial operation. “This milestone marks the maximum energy the unit is licensed to produce in the reactor core and is the first time the unit has reached its expected output of approximately 1,100 MWe,” the company notes.

Proxima Fusion raises funds for fusion plant development
01 June, 2023
Munich-based start-up Proxima Fusion says it has completed its Pre-Seed fundraising of €7m ($7.48m) to support fusion power plant development based on the stellarator concept. The fundraising is co-led by Plural and UVC Partners, and joined by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and the Wilbe Group.

COVVI and Atkins plan robotic hand for nuclear sector work
01 June, 2023
UK-based COVVI, which develops prosthetic hands and Atkins (a member of Canada’s SNC-Lavalin Group) have signed an agreement to develop a robotic solution intended to deliver near-human dexterity for use in nuclear environments. The companies will adapt COVVI’s bionic hand, originally developed for people with an upper limb difference. The hand, or ‘end effector’, will be attached to a robotic arm and will enable workers to perform dangerous manipulations remotely, even when a high level of dexterity is required. The product will be integrated into Atkins’ collaborative robotic solutions in the nuclear sector. These include its use in glovebox operations to handle nuclear materials and waste, avoiding the need for operators to place their hands in gloveboxes.

Repair of Argentina’s Atucha II NPP to begin in June
01 June, 2023
Argentina’s nuclear utility Nucleoeléctrica SA (NA-SA) says it expects to begin repairs at the Atucha II NPP in June. In preparation, special tools have been designed and manufactured, and a life-size training facility (mock-up) has been built to train the personnel who will carry out the repairs.

Aecon and ES Fox to support SMR development
01 June, 2023
Canadian construction and infrastructure development company Aecon Group has announced a partnership with ES Fox Limited to support innovative modular fabrication for the delivery of a grid-scale small modular reactor (SMR). The SMR is part of Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG’s) Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP), for which Aecon provides all construction services, including project management, construction planning and execution. Establishment of the supply chain partnership was marked during an event held at ES Fox’s fabrication facility in Port Robinson, Ontario.