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X-energy awarded federal tax credit for TRISO fuel facility
25 April, 2024
US-based X Energy has been awarded $148.5m in tax credit for the construction by its wholly-owned subsidiary, TRISO-X, of a first-of-a-kind advanced nuclear fuel fabrication facility (TX-1) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The award is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and is part of the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit programme jointly administered by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Department of the Treasury, and Internal Revenue Service.

UK and Japan strengthen collaboration on HTGR fuel
25 April, 2024
The UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) have signed a memorandum of collaboration (MOC) on coated particle fuel for use in high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs).

Uzbekistan progresses plans for NPP construction
25 April, 2024
Rosatom and Uzbekistan nuclear utility Uzatom are working on a contract for the construction of a NPP in Uzbekistan. Rosatom is also ready to offer Uzbekistan options for low-power NPPs. “Rosatom and the Uzatom agency are working on a draft general contract for the construction of nuclear power plants; this is an extensive and multifunctional work, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ministry of Industry & Trade Denis Manturov said on the sidelines of the international exhibition, Innoprom – Central Asia. “At the same time, Rosatom is ready to offer additional proposals to Uzbekistan, including for low-power nuclear power plants.”

Ghana and China to co-operate on HPR 1000 nuclear project
25 April, 2024
Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) Overseas Limited signed a cooperation and framework agreement on the margins of the 26th World Energy Congress in Rotterdam for the construction of a HPR-1000 (Hualong One) Nuclear Power Project and the upgrade of Ghana’s grid. Ghana restructured its nuclear programme in 2008 to meet the expected increase in energy demand. Nuclear Power Ghana was established in 2018 as the Owner/Operator of Ghana’s first proposed NPP.

IAEA submits report on nuclear energy to G20
25 April, 2024
The IAEA has submitted a report to the G20 on nuclear energy’s role in achieving energy security and climate change goals. The Agency has launched its participation with the G20 (Group of Twenty) under the Presidency of Brazil as an invited organisation in the Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) ahead of the next G20 leaders' summit, in Rio de Janeiro in November. The IAEA report laid out how policy shifts and better access to financing mechanisms are essential for nuclear power deployment to scale up to the level needed for the world to reach net zero by 2050. This was the first time the IAEA had made a presentation to the G20 on issues related to nuclear power, following on from successful prior engagements on the value of nuclear techniques for fighting plastic pollution.

Taking Non-destructive Evaluation to the next generation
25 April, 2024
Non-destructive Evaluation (NDE) is widely used in the nuclear power industry for routine maintenance, asset management and in-service assessments. The NDE industry is constantly evolving its tools and techniques with the integration of new and emerging automation technology.

Idaho National Laboratory’s future focus
24 April, 2024
For more than 70 years the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been at the forefront of reactor research and continues to pioneer novel designs and fuels to power them. Dr Jess C. Gehin, Associate Laboratory Director of Nuclear Science & Technology tells NEI about the cutting edge of nuclear research.

CA01 'super module' installed at Lianjiang 1
24 April, 2024
The CA01 super module has been installed at unit 1 of the Lianjiang NPP in China’s Guangdong Province, according to the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI). The 1,066-tonne concrete and steel CA01, which houses the main components of the power unit, is 27 metes long, 29 metres wide and 24 metres in height. It consists of 47 cells in which the reactor vessel, steam generators and other components of the power unit will be located. As such large components cannot be transported using available modes of transport, it was assembled at the plant site. Lifting the module into place took 3 hours and 18 minutes. In November 2023, another large module, the CA20 was installed at this unit.

Framatome and KHNP to assess feasibility of medical isotope production at Wolsong
24 April, 2024
France’s Framatome and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to demonstrate the feasibility of producing non-carrier added lutetium-177 (Lu-177) at South Korea’s Wolsong NPP. Framatome and KHNP will jointly perform this technical assessment at the plant using Framatome’s isotope production technology. This has been successfully implemented on a commercial production level at the Bruce Power NPP in Canada.

Westinghouse fuel licensed for use at Kozloduy
24 April, 2024
Bulgaria’s Nuclear Regulatory Agency (AYaR - Agentsiyata za Yadreno Regulirane) has licensed the use of Westinghouse fuel for unit 5 of the Kozloduy NPP. Loading of the new fuel, which has already been delivered to the site, will begin during the next scheduled repair and maintenance outage, due to begin at the end of April. The first 42 cartridges of the new American fuel arrived at Kozloduy NPP by ship from Sweden, where they were manufactured.

IAEA reports enhanced safety at Dutch research reactor
24 April, 2024
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Integrated Safety Assessment for Research Reactors (INSARR) team said the operator of the Hoger Onderwijs Reactor (HOR) in the Netherlands has enhanced safety since a previous review mission in September 2021. The team also found the need to address recommendations related to operational radiation protection and commissioning, following major modifications to the research reactor.

EDF report on Hinkley Point C project emphasises training
24 April, 2024
A recent report by EDF, Hinkley Point C Socio-Economic Impact Report 2024, says 7,885 people have already trained at Centres of Excellence for welding, mechanical, electrical and construction skills, with 1,307 currently in training as a result of the Hinkley Point C construction project. The 23-page report notes that 1,320 apprentices have been trained so far, in areas including hospitality, accountancy and project management. EDF adds that productivity for the nearby town of Bridgwater is now 10% higher than other surrounding towns.

Russia develops new generation of radiation-resistant cameras for NPPs
24 April, 2024
Roselectronics, part of Russian State Corporation Rostekh, has developed a new generation of industrial television systems with high radiation resistance. They are designed to control technological processes in the reactor zone, as well as visual monitoring of its condition. This is necessary to maintain the operability of the key element of the nuclear power plant and prevent emergency situations. Experimental samples will be tested until the end of 2024.

South Korea and US to cooperate on research reactor proliferation resistance
24 April, 2024
South Korea is to co-operate with the US in optimising nuclear proliferation resistance in its research reactors for export. A joint statement issued by the Korean Ministry of Science & ICT and the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said the two countries plan to collaborate on designing research reactors and associated facilities developed by Korea under NNSA's Proliferation Resistance Optimization-X (PRO-X) programme.

CNSC approves environmental assessment for SMR at Darlington
24 April, 2024
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has announced the Commission’s decision that the existing environmental assessment for the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) is applicable to the General Electric Hitachi BWRX‑300 reactor, the reactor technology selected by Ontario Power Generation (OPG). “It is important to note that this decision does not authorise the construction of a BWRX‑300 reactor for the DNNP,” CNSC said. “The Commission will hold a future public hearing to consider OPG’s application for a licence to construct one BWRX‑300 reactor at the Darlington nuclear site.”

China starts mass production of carbon-14 isotope
24 April, 2024
China has started the mass production of carbon-14 at a commercial nuclear reactor, according to the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The carbon-14 isotope (C-14) was produced by the Qinshan NPP in Zhejiang province, which is operated by a CNNC subsidiary, Qinshan plant general manager Shang Xianhe told Xinhua, according to the Chinese State Council Information Office. “It is expected that about 150 curies of carbon-14 isotopes can be produced annually,” said Shang. He expects that C-14 output should be able to "completely meet the market demand" of China ending China’s near-total reliance on imports of the isotope.

Framatome to start production of innovative fuel for German research reactor
24 April, 2024
Framatome and Germany’s Technical University of Munich (TUM) have signed a cooperation agreement to establish an industrial manufacturing process for molybdenum-uranium (U-Mo) monolithic fuel for TUM’s Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) research reactor in Germany. This low-enriched fuel will benefit from the highest uranium fuel density ever realised in Europe for research reactor operations.

Sheffield Forgemasters granted ASME status
23 April, 2024
UK-based Sheffield Forgemasters has been awarded a strategic nuclear qualification, which the company says positions it to support development and delivery of the next generation of civil NPPs. The nuclear qualification came after an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section III Division I NCA 3300 (NCA 3800), NCA 4000 and NQA-1 Code survey and audit, recommended it for Material Organisation (MO), and welding (NPT) accreditations.

Engineering and geological research completed for Yakutia SMR
23 April, 2024
Russian company Orgenergostroy has completed a complex of engineering and geological surveys to develop design documentation for the construction of a low-power NPP (ASMM - Atomnoi Stantsii Maloi Moshnosti) in the village of Ust-Kuyga in Yakutia. This project is the first ground-based low-power NPP in Russia based on the latest RITM-200N reactor plant. The RITM-200 reactor unit was previously used on atomic icebreakers and nuclear submarines, and has been adapted for use in a low-power NPP on land.

Ongoing drone attacks heighten concerns over nuclear safety at Zaporizhia NPP
23 April, 2024
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its latest update on the Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP) said it was informed about a further attempted drone attack on the plant’s training centre, which caused no damage or casualties. It was the third reported attack targeting the training facility recently, following two such incidents the previous week. ZNPP told the IAEA team stationed at the site that the drone had been “neutralised”, without giving further details. The IAEA team heard an explosion at the same time that ZNPP subsequently reported the attempted drone attack took place. The team was denied access to the training centre just outside the ZNPP site perimeter to assess the incident, with the plant citing potential security risks.