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Japan and US strengthen ties on nuclear energy
During Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s recent state visit to Washington during talks with President Joe Biden, bilateral cooperation was strengthened on defence and security; space; advanced technology & economic cooperation; diplomacy & development; and people-to-people ties. The lengthy fact sheet listing these agreements included a short section on nuclear energy in the context of “Deepening Energy Cooperation”.
HEU removed from Japanese critical assembly ahead of schedule
The US Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said Japan and the US had removed all highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)’s Japan Materials Testing Reactor Critical Assembly (JMTRC) two years ahead of schedule.
Grid connection for Fangchenggang 4
Unit 4 at China’s Fangchenggang NPP in the Guangxi Autonomous Region has been connected to the grid, according to China General Nuclear (CGN). The unit is the second of two demonstration Hualong One (HPR1000) reactors (units 3&4) at the site. The Fangchenggang plant will eventually house six reactors. Phase one (units 1&2) are CPR-1000 units which began commercial operation in 2016. Units 5 and 6 are expected to be Hualong One reactors.
ČEZ increases efficiency at Dukovany
Czech power company ČEZ reported that unit 3 at the Dukovany NPP for the first time had achieved a heat output of 1,475 MWt, which is 2.3% more than before and corresponds to an output of 511 MWe under optimal climatic conditions. The increase, which the power engineers achieved safely without any increase in fuel consumption or emissions, corresponds, for example, to three times the power of the hydroelectric power plant at the foot of the Brno dam. As a result, the annual production of the Dukovany NPP should increase by approximately 300,000 MWh next year after modifications to all four units.
Japan informs IAEA about corrosion of Fukushima water tanks
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it has been informed by Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), operator of the Fukushima Daiichi NPP, that localised corrosion and flaking of paint had been discovered on three tanks used to store treated contaminated water at the site.
Installation of digital control system underway at China’s AC100 SMR
A digital control system (DCS) is being installed at the ACP2100 small modular reactor (SMR) demonstration project, also known as the Linglong One, at the Changjiang site in Hainan province. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said the first DCS has been put in place allowing installation and debugging work to begin.
Licence issued for fuel fabrication plant supporting Brest-OD-300 fast reactor
Russia’s Federal Service for Ecological, Technological & Nuclear Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) has issued a licence to the Siberian Chemical Combine (SCC – part of Rosatom fuel company TVEL)) for operation of module for fabrication and refabrication of nuclear fuel (MFR) at the pilot demonstration power complex (ODEK – Opitno Demonstratsionovo Energo-Kompleks).
Zaporizhia switches unit 4 to cold shutdown
Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP) announced on its official Telegram channel that unit 4 had been transferred to “cold shutdown”. Previously it was the only one of the plant’s six units to be maintained in hot shut down to provide heat to the plant itself and to the nearby operators’ town of Energodar. The plant noted that cold shutdown “is the safe state of the reactor when it is shut down at low pressure and low temperature of the cooling water”. At the same time, the residual heat removal system and the auxiliary cooling system continue to operate.
Diamondback Energy to purchase energy from Oklo SMRs
US Oklo has signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with oil and gas producer Diamondback Energy to enter into a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The proposed agreement focuses on engaging Oklo’s Aurora powerhouses to supply electricity to Diamondback’s operations in the Permian Basin. According to the terms of the LOI, Oklo intends to license, build, and operate powerhouses capable of generating 50 MW of electric power to Diamondback E&P, a wholly owned subsidiary of Diamondback near Midland, Texas.
Iran reviews nuclear achievements
The President of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami said Iran had unveiled 150 scientific and technological achievements in the nuclear industry in the previous Iranian calendar year, which ended on 19 March. He made the remarks at a ceremony to mark the national Nuclear Technology Day.