You searched for

NuScale Power announces first quarter 2024 financial results
15 May, 2024
NuScale says it has implemented a series of strategic initiatives “to better align resources with the Company’s primary objective of transitioning towards commercialisation and revenue-producing commercial contracts”. These actions further long-term financial stability by generating $50 to $60m in annualised savings, starting in the second quarter of 2024.

OKG and Hynion sign contract for hydrogen supply
15 May, 2024
Uniper-owned OKG has signed a contract to supply Hynion's hydrogen gas stations. The hydrogen gas comes from OKG's hydrogen plant, which was established as early as 1992 to be used to cool generators at units 1-3 of Sweden’s Oskarshamn NPP to reduce the risk of stress corrosion cracking of the reactor piping by reducing the amount of free oxygen in the coolant.

ORNL begins examination of GE Vernova's advanced nuclear fuel
15 May, 2024
US Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) recently started examining several new fuel rods developed by GE Vernova’s Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF). The rods were shipped to the lab from a commercial NPP after completing six years of irradiation. The results from the experiments will be used to support the commercial deployment of high burn-up fuels before the end of the decade.

China achieves breakthrough in nuclear valve technology
15 May, 2024
A stabiliser pilot safety valve engineering prototype jointly developed by China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC’s) China Nuclear Power Research & Design Institute and CNNC's Sufa Technology Industrial Company (STIC) has completed seismic identification testing STIC reported. It also passed on-site examination by the Nuclear & Radiation Safety Centre of the National Nuclear Safety Administration and the Nuclear Equipment Safety & Reliability Centre of the Institute of Mechanical Science.

Thermal Engineering International (USA), Inc., a Babcock Power Subsidiary, receives ASME-BPVC Section III Division 1 N, NPT, NS and NA certifications
15 May, 2024
Joplin, MO— Thermal Engineering International (USA) Inc. (TEi) proudly announces the reception of Certificates of Authorization pursuant to Section III Division 1 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC). These certificates authorize TEi's Joplin, MO facility to design and fabricate nuclear safety-related components and appurtenances.

Navarro and Deep Isolation team up to advance nuclear waste disposal solutions
15 May, 2024
US Navarro Research & Engineering, and Deep Isolation have entered into a strategic partnership to advance the safe disposal of high-level nuclear waste in deep geologic boreholes. Navarro and Deep Isolation will jointly develop strategies to demonstrate the feasibility of Deep Isolation’s solutions for disposal of high-level waste (HLW) in the US and abroad.

Genkai mayor agrees to site survey for Japan’s final radioactive waste disposal facility
15 May, 2024
The Mayor of Genkai in Japan’s Saga Prefecture, Shintaro Wakiyama has agreed to the central government’s request to conduct a “literature review” for selection as a final disposal site for radioactive waste. A literature review is the first of three steps in the process that will take more than 20 years to select a suitable site. Once a municipality accepts the literature review, it can receive a central government grant of up to JPY2bn ($12.85m). The review will be conducted by the Nuclear Waste Management Organisation of Japan (NUMO). This will involve studying geological and other data over a period of about two years.

NorthStar to take over decommissioning of Vallecitos Nuclear Centre
15 May, 2024
US NorthStar Group Services has agreed to accept transfer of ownership of the GEH Vallecitos Nuclear Centre, in California, from GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) for nuclear decontamination, decommissioning, and environmental site restoration. The deal should close after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approves the transfer including licence transfer from GEH to NorthStar and all other conditions.

CPS Energy increases share in South Texas Nuclear Project
15 May, 2024
CPS Energy has entered into an agreement to acquire an additional 2% ownership of the South Texas Nuclear Project (STP) from US Constellation, bringing CPS Energy’s ownership of STP to 42%. Constellation’s ownership will be reduced to 42%, and Austin Energy’s ownership will remain at 16% following the transaction. CPS Energy also entered into a long-term Purchase Power Agreement (PPA) with Constellation for an additional 200 MW of firm capacity that will be available for CPS Energy customers by the summer.

China and France increase nuclear energy cooperation
15 May, 2024
During his recent visit to France, Chinese President Xi Jinping advocated increased cooperation in a number of areas, including "nuclear energy, innovation and finance". French President Emmanuel Macron said France was "ready to step up cooperation with China" in areas including "nuclear energy for civilian use". The visit coincided with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France.

INL produces fuel rod sample for Lightbridge
14 May, 2024
“Lightbridge has achieved a significant milestone under our strategic partnership project agreement at Idaho National Laboratory (INL),” said Lightbridge Corporation President and CEO Seth Grae. INL has demonstrated the production of a partial-length rod sample using an alloy of depleted uranium and zirconium. INL and Lightbridge will work together to analyse the extruded rod to confirm the extrusion process parameters prior to performing additional extrusions using an alloy of depleted uranium and zirconium materials later this year. “Next year, we plan to produce coupon samples for irradiation testing in the Advanced Test Reactor at INL using an alloy of enriched uranium and zirconium,” Grae noted. The extrusion process involves pressing a metallic alloy billet through a die.

South Korea begins process to decommission Kori 1
14 May, 2024
South Korea’s now-retired Kori NPP unit 1 in Busan is now undergoing a decontamination process in the run up to dismantling. After some 40 years of service starting April 1978, Kori 1, South Korea’s oldest reactor, was permanently closed in June 2017.

Fortum begins pilot hydrogen production in Loviisa
14 May, 2024
Fortum plans to build a hydrogen production pilot plant in Loviisa. The plant will be located in the Källa area near Fortum's Loviisa NPP on land owned by Fortum. The construction of the plant will begin in summer 2024 and it is planned to be commissioned by the end of 2025.

First steam generator arrives at Hinkley Point C
14 May, 2024
The first of eight 520-tonne steam generators manufactured by Framatome has been delivered to the UK’s Hinkley Point construction site after arriving by sea and road. The steam generator travelled the final four miles by road transporter after arriving from Avonmouth at Combwich Wharf on the River Parrett in Somerset.

EDF secures 'green' financing for extended operation of reactors
14 May, 2024
EDF has signed green bank loans for a total some €5.8bn ($6.3bn), partly in dollars and partly in Japanese yen, with a maturity of 3-5 years. The funding, which will be used to finance the life extension of its existing nuclear fleet in France, is in line with EDF’s Green Financing Framework and is aligned with the European taxonomy. In July 2022, the European Parliament voted to include certain nuclear and gas activities within the European Union's list of officially approved "green" investments.

Angra 1 lifetime extension procedures progressing
14 May, 2024
Brazil’s nuclear utility Eletronuclear (part of Eletrobras) expects to complete all the steps required to get approval for extended operation of unit 1 at the Angra NPP. Eletronuclear's Long Term Operations (LTO) programme is designed to enable continued operations at Angra 1 until the end of 2044. The current operating licence is valid to December 2024.

Roof installed on turbine hall at Akkuyu 2
14 May, 2024
Installation of the roof on the turbine hall has been completed at unit 2 of the Akkuyu NPP under construction in Türkiye. The operation took just over three months. The roof of the turbine hall consists of nine enlarged truss blocks with a total weight of 1142 tonnes. Each assembly, weighing 95-175 tonnes and 61 meters long, was undertaken simultaneously on two specially made stocks, and a heavy Liebherr 13000 crawler crane was used for installation.

Hungary and China sign nuclear energy cooperation agreement
14 May, 2024
During Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Hungary – the third stop in his five-day visit to Europe after France and Serbia – a memorandum of understanding on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy was signed by the China Atomic Energy Authority and Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was one of 18 agreements covering a range of subjects.

Fuel loading begins at Flamanville 3
14 May, 2024
EDF teams have begun loading fuel assemblies into the EPR reactor vessel of unit 3 at France’s Flamanville NPP, just a day after the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN) authorised commissioning of the unit. The loading of 241 fuel assemblies will last several days. EDF will then proceed with the start-up, control and testing operations, over several months, in close co-operation with and under the control of ASN. Grid connection is planned for the summer. ASN confirmed that it will continue to monitor Flamanville-3. This monitoring will look primarily at whether the safety circuits are operating correctly during the staged increase in operational power to 25% and then 80% of the unit’s total capacity.

TerraPower advanced reactor on schedule but fuel remains a concern
14 May, 2024
US TerraPower says it is confident its first Natrium advanced reactor will be built by 2030. Construction plans and licensing is proceeding as planned, but fuel supply remains a concern, the company said, according to a Reuters report.