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Completion of Brazil’s Angra 3 still under discussion
Brazilian nuclear utility Eletronuclear (part of state-owned power company Eletrobras) has taken issue with a report from the Court of Auditors of the Union (TCU – Tribunal de Contas da União) which indicated an increase in the energy tariff would follow the eventual entry into operation of unit 3 of the Angra NPP. Eletronuclear said that the data cited in the report were preliminary.
KHNP hosts successful Korea-Czech Nuclear Symposium in Prague
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) hosted the Korea-Czech Republic Nuclear Power R&D Cooperation Symposium at the Marriott Hotel in Prague. The symposium was organised as part of international energy research activities supported by the Korean and Czech ministries of trade, industry, and energy to cooperate with the aim of winning a new nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic. It was attended by more than 40 leading figures and experts in the nuclear energy field from both countries.
Russia aims to accelerate nuclear power plant design using AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) will help reduce the design time of a NPP from five years to several months, according to Ekaterina Solntseva, Director for Digitalization at Rosatom. She told the Open Innovations 2024 forum: “The design of an NPP now takes approximately five years. Our task is to reduce it with the help of AI to several months. When can this be done? We believe that this is unlikely to be possible until 2030. But the 2030-2040 decade will be the period when, I believe, this will be achieved.”
Olkiluoto 3 outage extended again
The first outage of the 1600 MWe EPR at unit 3 of Finland’s Olkiluoto NPP (OL3) will now be extended until 28 April. Initially the outage was supposed to end on 8 April, but owner operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) extended it first to 15 April, then to 20 April. TVO initially said the shutdown of the unit and preparation for the fuel unloading had taken more time than planned. TVO then said more time than was planned is needed for the plant unit’s fuel inspections. TVO now says the reason for the additional eight days is “the new faults found during the outage and technical problems with inspection equipment”.
Hunterston A achieves major milestone in waste storage
The UK Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) says 2,100 tonnes of solid radioactive waste have been retrieved and safely stored at the Hunterston A Magnox NPP in Scotland. NRS are a leading organisation in the UK responsible for the active decommissioning and restoring of Government nuclear sites, to ensure all our futures are more safe, secure and sustainable.
US and Japan to accelerate fusion energy development
During Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s recent visit to Washington, the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Japan Ministry of Education, Sports, Science & Technology (MEXT) announced a “Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Fusion Energy Demonstration & Commercialisation”. This followed talks between US Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk and the Japan’s MEXT Minister Masahito Moryiama.
US GAO report says NRC should consider impacts of climate change
A new report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) stresses the need to address the potential impacts of climate change during the licensing of NPPs. The GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for the US Congress and is responsible for investigating federal government expenditures, was asked to review the climate resilience of energy infrastructure. Its 73-page report, “Nuclear power plants: NRC should take actions to fully consider the potential effects of climate change”, looks at how climate change could affect NPPs and how this could affect the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) actions to address possible risks.
Steady Energy and TVO Nuclear Services to collaborate on nuclear heating
Finland’s Steady Energy, a startup company spun out from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in 2023, and TVO Nuclear Services (TVONS), a consulting company wholly owned by Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) are to collaborate on the development of a nuclear heating plant.
Tepco begins fuel loading at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 7
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) has begun loading nuclear fuel into the reactor at unit 7 the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture after the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA)granted approval. However, the timing of the restart remains uncertain. It is expected to take about two weeks of round-the-clock work to complete the loading of 872 fuel assemblies into the reactor vessel. Tepco will confirm the safety by testing the function of control rods and emergency core cooling systems, among other things, for about a month after the loading.
Westinghouse expands AP1000 supply chain with Bulgaria
US-based Westinghouse Electric Company has signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with 17 Bulgarian suppliers to support planned AP1000 nuclear projects at the Kozloduy NPP site in northern Bulgaria, and other projects throughout the region. Westinghouse said this is a result of ongoing engagement with local suppliers following the Westinghouse Supplier Symposium held in February with Bulgarian companies.