It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Australian oil and gas company Woodside Energy is selling down its equity stake in its Louisiana LNG project, starting with the sale of a 40 percent stake to U.S.-based investment firm Stonepeak.
Woodside is getting near to a final investment decision on the LNG production and export project, which it acquired in a $900 million takeover of developer Tellurian last October. The cost of implementing the entire five-train facility near Lake Charles, Louisiana is estimated at $27 billion.
The Australian company says that the sale of the 40 percent stake to Stonepeak is timely. Stonepeak is expected to inject $5.7 billion in capital expenditure into the project, covering 75 percent of the project’s capital needs in both 2025 and 2026.
Woodside says that the stake sale reduces its capital expenditure profile and brings the project one step closer to a FID. Talks continue with other potential partners as Woodside aims to sell another 10 percent stake in the project. Its aim is to retain a 50 percent operating stake in the megaproject, which will produce 27.6 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) when complete.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter, subject to a positive FID and the needed regulatory, legal, and other approvals. At that point, Stonepeak is expected to make available $2 billion as part of its capex contribution.
The Louisiana LNG project is being built in four phases. Phase I includes two trains with a capacity to produce 11 MTPA, while Phase II has one train with a capacity of 5.5 MTPA. In December last year, Bechtel was awarded the contract for phases one and two, which are estimated to cost $900 to $960 per tonne of capacity. Construction is already well under way, ahead of a final investment decision.
“The project represents a compelling opportunity to invest in a newbuild LNG export facility nearing FID approval with an attractive risk-return profile and best-in-class partners in both Bechtel and Woodside to construct and operate the asset,” said James Wyper, Stonepeak Senior Managing Director and Head of US Private Equity.
He added the significant additional capacity from the Louisiana LNG project will be central in further propelling the status of the U.S as a leading LNG exporter. The country exported 11.9 billion cubic feet per day of LNG in 2024, remaining the world’s largest exporte
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been under Russian military control since March 2022 and its director has said he expects Russian licences for operation of all units to be obtained by the end of 2027. Ukraine's Energoatom says any talk of restarting the units is a violation of nuclear and radiation safety standards.
(Image: ZNPP)
The current director of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Yuriy Chernichuk, in comments reported by Strana Rosatom said: "Our units have been idle for a long time. Before launching, we will have to carry out a large complex of works to inspect the equipment, repairs, confirm the operability, readiness of the unit for operation."
Russia's nuclear regulator had temporarily recognised Ukrainian nuclear supervision license, he said, but all ZNPP's operations must meet Russian regulations and laws by 2028 for all units.
He said: "We are considering the most realistic option is to first launch units 2 and 6, whose active zones are loaded with Russian-made fuel. All of them were stopped back in September 2022, and since then none of them have operated in generation mode."
One key area of work, he said, was the water supply, following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, which had previously supplied water. He said they were working on various options, including using the Dnieper river as a source "but of course, it will take a certain amount of time to implement them. I will say this cautiously: it is not one day or one month. And I must immediately stipulate that the starting point for the implementation of all the measures that we are discussing will be the end of hostilities and some guarantee of peace and quiet at the Zaporizhzhya NPP and the territory adjacent to it".
He also said that there would need to be work done to restore power lines from the plant and to decide on the customers for the output of the plant, saying it might provide the chance to redirect the capacity of Rostov NPP "to the energy-deficient North Caucasus ... 6000 MW is quite a serious capacity even for such a large country as ours. Naturally, this will require a redistribution of electricity flows".
The most labour-intensive work required would be inspecting, repairing and preparing equipment and the units for operation. The licence for the first unit expires at the end of 2025 so a new licence will be needed from Russia's nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor, even if the unit is in cold shutdown. He also said there were other issues, such as there not being a railway line to the plant for the transport of nuclear fuel.
Ukraine rejects restart planning
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was Ukraine's largest, with six units, before it came under Russian military control in March 2022. It is positioned on the frontline of Russian and Ukrainian forces and its future has reportedly been one of the subjects tackled in talks held recently seeking a potential ceasefire and end to the conflict.
Energoatom, which operates Ukraine's nuclear power plants, has maintained throughout the conflict that the only way to restore safety and security at ZNPP is for an end to the Russian occupation and its return to the control of its legal Ukrainian operator, Energoatom.
Energoatom added: "The technical state of the ZNPP and the conditions created ... such as limited communication lines with the power grid, exhaustion of design service life for fuel and equipment, unqualified unlicensed personnel, non-availability of ultimate heat sink, etc, provide solid grounds to confirm that restarting the plant in its current state is technically impossible."
The company said that the condition of critical safety systems had worsened and said that military presence at, and around, the site "are key risk factors that cannot be ignored".
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has had experts at the plant since September 2022 as part of efforts to minimise safety and security risks, including during periods where there has had to be a reliance on back-up diesel generators when external power supplies have been lost.
In IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi's latest update on the situation, he said agency staff this week "reported hearing military activities at varying distances away from the site. The team continued to monitor nuclear safety and security, conducting a walkdown of the reactor buildings of units 1, 3 and 5 and of the turbine halls of units 1 and 2".
Agency teams at Khmelnitsky, Rivne and South Ukraine nuclear power plants all reported hearing air raid alarms over the past week, and at Chernobyl a drone and a loud explosion was heard on 30 March.
Second German waste repatriation shipment from UK completed
Friday, 4 April 2025
The second of three planned shipments from the UK to Germany of high-level waste in the form of vitrified residues has been completed. The waste has now been delivered to an interim storage facility at the Isar nuclear power plant site.
One of the flasks being unloaded at the port of Nordenham (Image: NTS)
Seven flasks containing the vitrified residues - the radioactive waste has been transformed into a stable glass-like form - travelled by rail from the Sellafield site in Cumbria to the port of Barrow-in-Furness before being loaded on to the Pacific Grebe, a specialist nuclear transport vessel operated by the UK's Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS), which set sail on 26 March.
Having arrived at the northern German port of Nordenham, the flasks were transferred from the ship to railway wagons on 1 and 2 April. The waste was then transported by rail to the Isar federal storage facility, arriving on 3 April.
Over the coming days, the containers will gradually be transferred to the interim storage building. There, they will first be prepared in the maintenance area by the interim storage operator, the federally owned BGZ Gesellschaft für Zwischenlagerung mbH, and then stored.
The waste arrives at Isar site by train (Image: PreussenElektra)
"The storage of the seven containers in the interim storage facility marks the end of a comprehensive project that involved intensive preparation at a high level of security," says Markus Luginger, head of the Isar interim storage facility. "I would like to thank my dedicated team and the institutions involved with whom we prepared the storage."
Germany's Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) issued a licence in April 2023 for the storage of the vitrified waste at the Isar interim storage facility, which is licensed to hold a maximum of 152 casks of high-level radioactive waste and "according to current plans, there will be 28 fewer high-level waste casks there than originally intended, including the casks containing the vitrified waste".
Until 2005, German utilities shipped used fuel from nuclear power plants to La Hague in France and Sellafield in the UK for reprocessing and recycling. The utilities have contractually committed to taking back waste from the reprocessing of their fuel elements abroad. Furthermore, there are international agreements between Germany and the UK that ensure this takeback.
Until 2011, reprocessed waste was sent to the Gorleben interim storage facility in Lower Saxony, where 108 casks of vitrified radioactive waste have been stored, which was "already a large proportion of the total waste to be returned from reprocessing". According to BASE, as part of the Site Selection Act of 2013 to seek a repository for high-level radioactive waste, the remaining vitrified waste abroad was to be stored in interim storage facilities at nuclear power plant sites.
One of the flasks at the Isar interim storage facility (Image: BGZ)
The first shipment from the UK, of six flasks each with 28 containers of high-level waste, to Biblis, took place in 2020.
Sellafield Ltd's programme manager Jonathan Clingan said: "Thanks to the excellent work of various teams at Sellafield Ltd, NTS and other partners in the UK and overseas, we have safely delivered the second Vitrified Residue Return to Germany, delivering a key milestone in the UK government's commitment to returning waste to overseas customers."
"Following the successful transport to the Isar site, we are confident that the final transport of reprocessing waste to Brokdorf will proceed just as smoothly," said Guido Knott, Managing Director of PreussenElektra. That shipment is scheduled to take place next year.
France's Orano completed the 13th and final rail shipment from France of vitrified high-level nuclear waste, to Philippsburg, in Germany in November 2024. In total 5310 tonnes of German used fuel was processed at Orano's La Hague plant up to 2008. The inter-governmental agreement governing those operations included a provision that the equivalent in mass and radioactivity of the waste contained in the used fuel elements must be returned to Germany.
Second-last high level waste shipment departs UK for Germany
Friday, 28 March 2025
The second of three planned shipments of high-level radioactive waste has left the Sellafield site in northwest England and is being transported by rail and sea to its destination at the Isar interim storage facility in Germany.
(Image: Sellafield Ltd)
Seven flasks containing the vitrified residues - the radioactive waste has been transformed into a stable glass-like form - travelled by rail to the port of Barrow-in-Furness before being loaded on to Pacific Grebe, a specialist nuclear transport vessel operated by the UK's Nuclear Transport Solutions, which set sail on Wednesday.
The first shipment, of six flasks each with 28 containers of high level waste, to Biblis, took place in 2020.
The waste comes from the reprocessing and recycling of Germany's used nuclear fuel at the Sellafield site, with Nuclear Transport Solutions saying: "Vitrified Residue Returns are a key component of the UK’s strategy to repatriate high- level waste from the Sellafield site, fulfil overseas contracts and deliver on government policy."
According to Germany's Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) the transport licence was approved in December, with the repatriation of German waste a binding requirement under international law.
In its guide to the waste it says that until 2005 German utilities shipped used fuel from nuclear power plants to La Hague in France and Sellafield in the UK for reprocessing: "The resulting liquid waste was then melted down into glass and has since been gradually returned to Germany. The last shipment of this waste from France was returned in November 2024." There is one more shipment planned, after the current one, from the UK to complete the repatriation.
The federal office issued a licence in April 2023 for the storage of the vitrified waste at the Isar interim storage facility, which is licensed to hold a maximum of 152 casks of high-level radioactive waste and "according to current plans, there will be 28 fewer high-level waste casks there than originally intended, including the casks containing the vitrified waste".
According to German nuclear specialist GNS: "The waste is massively shielded from external radiation. In the reprocessing plant, the waste is mixed with liquid silicate glass and poured into cylindrical stainless steel containers, which are then sealed tightly after hardening. These containers, filled with the hardened glass mixture, are called "glass moulds". For transport and storage, the moulds are placed in ... massive, more than 100-tonnes cast iron and stainless steel containers, which have been proven in extensive tests to provide both strong shielding and to be safe under extreme conditions."
Until 2011 reprocessed waste was sent to the Gorleben interim storage facility in Lower Saxony, where 108 casks of vitrified radioactive waste have been stored, which was "already a large proportion of the total waste to be returned from reprocessing". According to BASE, as part of the Site Selection Act of 2013 to seek a repository for high-level radioactive waste, the remaining vitrified waste abroad was to be stored in interim storage facilities at nuclear power plant sites.
"The aim was to avoid giving the impression that Gorleben had already been chosen as the site for a final storage facility during the open-ended search for a repository site. In 2015, the federal government, the federal states and the utility companies agreed to store the remaining radioactive waste in Biblis, Brokdorf, Niederaichbach (Isar nuclear power plant) and Philippsburg," BASE says.
France's Orano completed the 13th and final rail shipment from France of vitrified high-level nuclear waste, to Philippsburg, in Germany in November 2024. In total 5310 tonnes of German used fuel was processed at Orano's La Hague plant up to 2008. The inter-governmental agreement governing those operations included a provision that the equivalent in mass and radioactivity of the waste contained in the used fuel elements must be returned to Germany.
Until March 2011 Germany obtained a quarter of its electricity from nuclear energy, using 17 reactors. Following the Fukushima Daiichi accident eight reactors were closed immediately and the rest were scheduled to be closed by the end of 2022. Following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, there was a brief extension for the last three operating nuclear power reactors - Isar 2, Emsland and Neckarwestheim 2 - but they closed in April 2023.
India sets up committees to propose nuclear acts changes
Friday, 4 April 2025
Minister of State Jitendra Singh has told the Indian Parliament that the process has begun to discuss and propose amendments to the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, to encourage private sector participation in nuclear projects.
An aerial view of India's Parliament (Image: Lok Sabha)
India has plans for a rapid expansion of its nuclear energy capacity - from 7 GW to 100 GW by 2047, with Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech earlier this year promising amendments to the two key bits of Indian legislation.
The Atomic Energy Act has precluded private-sector investment in India's civil nuclear industry and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act has been a stumbling block for overseas nuclear power plant vendors as it gave plant operators unlimited legal recourse to the reactor supplier in the event of a nuclear accident.
Jitendra Singh, minister for science and technology, earth sciences and nuclear energy, has now confirmed to the Indian parliament that the Department of Atomic Energy has set up committees including members from the department itself, the Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, the NITI Aayog public policy think-tank and the Ministry of Law & Justice to discuss and propose the amendments to the two acts.
"The Committee also have to look at the aspect of the waste management, fuel sourcing & handling, decommissioning, implementation of security and safeguards. The activities related to the amendment in the Acts involves various stages of inter-ministerial consultations as well as scientific solution," he said in a 2 April written answer to the Lok Sabha. He said it was "not feasible to give a timeline" for these activities.
Last week India's largest power utility NTPC Ltd - which is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power - invited Expressions of Interest "from interested and capable entities for cooperation in indigenising Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) technology and establishing large-capacity (1000 MW & above) PWR-based Nuclear Power Plants in India on concept to commissioning basis, subject to approval from Government of India".
The target capacity it is looking at is 15 GW. The broad framework for cooperation includes "a commitment to the gradual transfer of key technologies of proposed PWR based nuclear reactors to India, fostering longterm capability building" and "minimum 60% Indigenisation of components for the first reactor unit and progressively increase to more than 95% for the last reactor unit, ensuring a steady transition to self-sufficiency in nuclear technology. This can either be done through an Indian Subsidiary/JV (joint venture) company of the applicant or through tie up with Indian companies".
They are also suggesting a commitment for a lifetime supply of nuclear fuel and the establishment of a fuel fabrication facility under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. The expression of interest also suggests there would be an undertaking for "the operation and maintenance of the nuclear power plant for an initial period of five years post-commissioning, ensuring smooth and efficient performance till NTPC personnel are able to confidently take over".
Holtec SMRs in India?
Meanwhile the USA's Holtec International says the US Department of Energy has authorised it to transfer SMR-300 small modular reactor technology for deployment in India.
The company says the authorisation names two Indian companies - Larsen & Tubro and Tata Consulting Engineers - and Holtec’s own India-based subsidiary, Holtec Asia, as eligible entities for Holtec to share necessary technical information.
Holtec says that "action to add additional GOI-owned (Government of India-owned) entities such as NPCIL, DAE, AERB and NTPC, to the eligible list has been delayed until the matter of assurances needed by the US from India is resolved to both countries' satisfaction".
Kris Singh, Holtec’s CEO, said: "Our SMR-300 checks every box relevant to India's needs and circumstances, such as a standardised design that is seismically competent to be deployed anywhere in India, one that requires only 25 acres of land to house two reactors, one that can be operated using air (in lieu of water) as the 'waste heat sink' in a water-challenged region, and one that can be substantially shop manufactured requiring minimal field erection effort."
Holtec says it plans to adapt the SMR-300 for 50Hz electricity if successful in the UK's small modular reactor selection process, "which will pave the way for use in India and other 50 Hz markets" - 60Hz is used in the USA.
India and the USA signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement (also known as a 123 Agreement) in 2008, after India - which is not a signatory of the international Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty - reached a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Kovvada, in Andhra Pradesh, was earmarked for the construction of six AP1000 pressurised water reactors as long ago as 2016, but contractual arrangements have yet to be finalised.
A techno-commercial offer for Kovvada submitted by Westinghouse in 2016 became invalid following the company's bankruptcy and subsequent takeover by Brookfield Business Partners, Singh told the parliament's upper house on 3 April. The government is waiting for Westinghouse to submit a revised offer, but the company has not yet done so because of "issues related to provisions of the CLND Act", Singh said in the written answer to the Rajya Sabha.
In January the then National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the USA was finalising the necessary steps to remove long-standing regulations that have prevented civil nuclear cooperation between India's leading nuclear entities and US companies
US national labs identified as potential AI sites
Friday, 4 April 2025
The US Department of Energy has announced plans to co-locate data centres and new energy infrastructure on its lands, and identified 16 potential sites it says are uniquely positioned for rapid data centre construction.
Wright made the announcement during a visit to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory campus in Golden, Colorado, his fourth visit to a national laboratory since becoming Energy Secretary earlier this year (Image: DOE/X)
The list of sites is included in a Request for Information to inform possible use of Department of Energy (DOE) land for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure development, which says they are "uniquely positioned for rapid data centre construction, including in-place energy infrastructure with the ability to fast-track permitting for new energy generation such as nuclear". The list includes national laboratories, defence-related sites and the sites of two former federally-owned uranium enrichment plants.
The plans are in accordance with executive orders on Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence and Unleashing American Energy Executive Orders signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump. They were announced by Energy Secretary Chris Wright during a visit to the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) laboratory in Golden, Colorado, who said the global race for AI dominance is "the next Manhattan project".
The DOE said it was seeking input from data centre developers, energy developers, and the broader public to further advance this partnership. The information collected will be used to inform development, encourage private-public partnerships and enable the construction of AI infrastructure at select DOE sites, targeting the start of operation by the end of 2027. The Request for Information also aims to gather information on potential development approaches, technology solutions, operational models, and economic considerations associated with establishing AI infrastructure.
In March, Wright announced actions to ease permitting rules and regulations for construction projects at the national laboratories, which DOE said would accelerate "much-needed critical infrastructure improvement projects" while saving "hundreds of millions" of taxpayer dollars.
The sixteen sites in the RFI are:
Idaho National Laboratory
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Argonne National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
National Energy Technology Laboratory
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Sandia National Laboratories
Savannah River Site
Pantex Plant
Kansas City National Security Campus
Teaming agreement signed for Estonian SMR project
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Estonia's Fermi Energia and South Korea's Samsung C&T Corporation Engineering & Construction Group have signed a teaming agreement to collaborate on the deployment of two BWRX-300 small modular reactors in Estonia.
(Image: Samsung C&T)
Under the teaming agreement - signed in Seoul on 1 April - the cooperation between Fermi Energia and Samsung C&T will focus on key aspects of the project, including the formation of an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) partnership, site constructability review, cost estimation, and financing strategies. The agreement also positions Samsung C&T as a potential EPC Prime Contractor and key commercial partner in the Estonian small modular reactor (SMR) project.
This collaboration builds upon a memorandum of understanding signed between the two companies in November 2024.
As part of the agreement, Fermi Energia and Samsung C&T will work together during the pre-Front-End Engineering Design (Pre-FEED) phase to establish project terms and budget estimates. The Teaming Agreement also outlines plans for a full FEED phase, setting the stage for the regulatory approval and construction process.
The two companies plan to begin full-scale business procedures as early as the second half of this year, and the project aims to be commercially operated in 2035.
"The cooperation extends beyond Estonia, as both parties recognise the broader potential of SMR deployment across Northern Europe," Fermi Energia said. "Through this partnership, Samsung C&T aims to play a key role in at least 10–15 BWRX-300 reactor projects across the region, leveraging economies of scale and minimising project risks."
"We will strengthen our position as a global SMR player along with the successful promotion of Estonia's first SMR project," said Kim Jeong-eun, head of the nuclear power plant sales team at Samsung C&T.
"The signing of this teaming agreement reflects our commitment to preparing for a cost-effective and timely deployment of SMRs in Estonia," said Fermi Energia CEO Kalev Kallemets. "Nuclear energy is not a simple technology, and for a country of Estonia's size, it can only be implemented in cooperation with reliable, democratic partners. South Korea is already an important partner for Estonia in defence equipment manufacturing, and Samsung C&T's experience in nuclear energy and large-scale power construction will be essential for ensuring SMR deployment in Estonia and Northern Europe stays on schedule and within budget."
A visualisation of a two unit BWRX-300 power plant (Image: Fermi Energia)
Fermi Energia was founded by Estonian energy and nuclear energy professionals to develop deployment of SMRs in Estonia. In July 2019, the company launched a feasibility study on the suitability of SMRs for Estonia's electricity supply and climate goals beyond 2030, following a financing round from investors and shareholders.
In February 2023, the company selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment by the early 2030s. GEH's BWRX-300 design is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of GEH's ESBWR boiling water reactor.
In January this year, Fermi Energia submitted an application to Estonia's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to begin the state spatial planning process for a 600 MW nuclear power plant. The municipal councils of Viru-Nigula and Lüganuse have formally agreed to participate in the spatial planning process, with decisions made in September 2023 and March 2024, respectively.
Fermi Energia expects to submit a construction permit application for the proposed plant in 2029, with construction targeted to begin in 2031. The first of two SMRs is set to be operational by the second half of 2035.
The Estonian parliament - the Riigikogu - passed a resolution in June last year supporting the adoption of nuclear energy in the country, paving the way for the creation of the necessary legal and regulatory framework. The parliament based its decision on analysis conducted by the Nuclear Energy Working Group, which concluded that the adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia was feasible.
New agreement enables continued development of Polish plant
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe and the Westinghouse-Bechtel Consortium have agreed the terms and conditions of an Engineering Development Agreement for Poland's first nuclear power plant after a previous agreement expired.
(Image: PEJ)
In November 2022, the then Polish government selected Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. In September 2023, Westinghouse, Bechtel and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) - a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by Poland's State Treasury - signed an 18-month engineering services contract under which Westinghouse and Bechtel will finalise a site-specific design for a plant featuring three AP1000 reactors.
However, that contract expired at the end of March without a new agreement being concluded.
PEJ has now announced that an Engineering Development Agreement (EDA) - the so-called 'bridge agreement' - has been signed, establishing the framework for cooperation between PEJ and the Westinghouse-Bechtel Consortium for the upcoming months.
"The EDA opens the next stage in the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant and enables continuation of project work, which will facilitate obtaining the necessary administrative decisions, licences and permits, etc, and initiate a further phase of in-depth geological surveys at the project site," it said.
PEJ added: "The agreement reached and the compromise worked out provide a solid and sustainable foundation for the continuation of partnership under the project. The Engineering Development Agreement will be signed after completing the governance process. Hence, the planned project work to inform the documents for Poland's first nuclear power plant required by applicable laws continue according to the adopted schedule."
"Today we are one step further in implementing the project of building the first Polish nuclear power plant," said Wojciech Wrochna, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Industry. "The completion of negotiations between Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe and the consortium of Westinghouse and Bechtel is a confirmation of our common determination to implement this undertaking.
"The signing of the so-called bridge agreement opens the next stage of our cooperation, which will allow for the effective implementation of the design process and then the construction of this facility, which is key to energy security."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said: "Negotiations on the bridge agreement with contractors have been completed and I would like to thank Minister Marzena Czarnecka and the team that worked on a better form of agreement. The first piece of good news: we are continuing the construction of the nuclear power plant. The second piece of good news: we have reached an agreement with our American partners in such a way that this agreement is much better from our point of view.
In late March, President Andrzej Duda signed a bill that designates funds from the national budget for the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant. Under the bill, PEJ is set to receive PLN60.2 billion (USD15.5 billion) in public funding between 2025 and 2030. The remaining funding will be obtained from financial institutions, primarily foreign institutions supporting exports originating from equipment suppliers' countries, including export credit agencies, in particular the American export credit agency Export-Import Bank of the United States.
The aim is for Poland's first AP1000 reactor to enter commercial operation in 2033.
Eletronuclear used fuel storage unit gets extended licence
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Brazil's National Nuclear Energy Commission has given an extendable 40-year authorisation for the operation of the Complementary Dry Storage Unit for Spent Fuel at the Angra nuclear power plant site.
(Image: Eletronuclear)
Eletronuclear said the facility, which received its initial operation authorisation in 2021, was designed to accommodate up to 72 of the Holtec Hi-Storm FW dry storage casks, with the capacity to receive fuel until 2045.
In its announcement in the Official Gazette, the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) said assessments had shown there was "sufficient guarantee that the operation ... can be conducted without undue risk to the safety of workers, the public and the environment with regard to the areas of nuclear technical safety, radiological protection and physical protection of facilities and materials".
Eletronuclear said that it welcomed the authorisation as it does not see used fuel as radioactive waste because of the potential to resuse it in the future.
CEO Raul Lycurgo said: "This is an important milestone for Eletronuclear and the Brazilian nuclear sector. It confirms that, with respect to the most stringent safety and efficiency standards, we are ready to ensure the safe storage of spent fuels and continue our commitment to generating clean and sustainable energy for Brazil. The operation of the UAS (Complementary Dry Storage Unit for Spent Fuel) not only ensures the safety of the facilities but also reinforces the role of nuclear energy in the national energy matrix, with the potential for future reuse of used fuels."
Under a turnkey contract signed in 2017, Holtec of the USA supplied Eletronuclear with HI-STORM FW systems and related equipment for dry storage of used fuel from Angra units 1 and 2. Angra 1 is a Westinghouse-designed 609 MWe pressurised water reactor (PWR), while Angra 2 is a Siemens-designed 1275 MWe PWR. The units have different architectures and licensing bases, adding to the complexity of the project. Holtec modified their respective cask handling cranes and equipment for loading the fuel into the multi-purpose canisters and for moving the canisters to the dry storage facility.
The storage facility is designed to receive fuel elements after the cooling process in pools at the plants. They are stored in canisters made of steel and concrete to guarantee safety. It is a system which is used in the USA and is designed to withstand extreme events such as earthquakes and floods.
It includes physical security, radiation and temperature monitoring, an armoured access control centre and a storage warehouse with a technical workshop, designed and constructed by Holtec. The facility was constructed because the storage pools of both units were reaching full capacity.
Nuclearis, DeepGeo agree to collaborate
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
US-based multinational repository developer DeepGeo and Argentina-based reactor technology start-up Nuclearis have signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate the integration of DeepGeo's multinational services as a solution for any wastes generated by Nuclearis's microreactor technologies.
(Image: Nuclearis)
Under the terms of the MoU, the companies will consider technical, legal, regulatory, and financial challenges that may prevent the use of multinational repositories for this purpose. They will also share information and jointly collaborate to promote nuclear energy adoption in emerging markets, particularly in Africa.
DeepGeo noted that this is the first such agreement between a light water reactor vendor and the multinational repositories developer. Nuclearis is now the second reactor technology start-up company to back this innovative waste disposal option, following the signing of a similar agreement in November last year with Danish advanced reactor designer Copenhagen Atomics.
Nuclearis is developing innovative pressurised water microreactors that are multi-functional, providing not only electricity but also heating and supporting industrial applications such as hydrogen production, hydrotreated vegetable oil biofuel, syngas, and biochar. By focusing on sectors that are traditionally difficult to decarbonise, the company aims to contribute to reducing carbon footprints across various industries. Its N1 microreactor design currently under development is expected to be constructed underground and operate without refueling for at least 20 years. At the end of its operational life, the reactor vessel transitions to a decay pool and dry storage solution, eliminating the need for external handling of used fuel.
(Image: Nuclearis)
According to DeepGeo, disposal pathways are less clear for advanced reactor developers that are pursuing novel technologies and business models, such as leasing concepts and providing 'nuclear energy as a service'. Many start-ups, it says, are "not satisfied with the rate of progress on national disposal facilities and cannot afford to bank on them, as investors require strict assurances of sustainable waste management".
Leading international organisations, DeepGeo said, have long recognised that multinational repositories (MNRs) are essential for many established nuclear countries, which face acute challenges in the form of small waste inventories, unsuitable geology, and public opposition. "It is increasingly clear that MNRs can also help facilitate the development of SMRs and advanced reactors," it added.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with Nuclearis, who have demonstrated clear nuclear industry leadership in considering not only their technology but the full nuclear fuel cycle," said DeepGeo President Link Murray. "An innovative nuclear sector needs innovative waste solutions. We are committed to working with all forward-thinking technology and project developers to help make the advanced nuclear future a reality."
"Our partnership with DeepGeo is a pivotal move in solving one of the nuclear industry's most pressing challenges - responsible management of spent fuel," said Nuclearis CEO Santiago Badran. "By working together, Nuclearis and DeepGeo are advancing not only safe and efficient energy generation but also ensuring long-term environmental stewardship. This collaboration represents a crucial step towards sustainable nuclear energy."
Beloyarsk BN-600 fast neutron reactor gets 15-year extension
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Russian nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor has approved a 15-year life extension to 2040 for the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant's unit 3, a BN-600 fast neutron reactor.
(Image: Rosenergoatom)
It follows a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the unit - including the reactor vessel and internal elements and heat exchanger supports - which concluded that the "equipment fully complies with all modern safety standards". The extension to 2040 will take it to 60 years of operation.
A large-scale modernisation programme began in 2009 which included the installation of a second reactor emergency protection system, an emergency dampening system using an air heat exchanger and a back-up reactor control panel. That allowed an extension for 10 and then a further five years to 2025. Further work has been carried out, including the replacement of steam generators and circulating pumps of the first reactor circuit as part of the further 15-year extension process.
Ivan Sidorov, director of Beloyarsk NPP, said: "Power unit 3 of the Beloyarsk NPP is a key link for the future of nuclear energy. It was here that the first assemblies based on used nuclear fuel - MOX fuel - were industrially tested, and now new assemblies are in the active zone to confirm the high quality of fuel and materials for future fourth-generation power units BN-1200M and BREST. Even more important is the invaluable knowledge of our personnel, obtained as a result of the reliable operation of fast neutron reactors."
The nuclear power plant operates units with fast neutron reactors with sodium coolants - the BN-600, connected to the grid in 1980, and BN-800, connected to the grid in 2015, are the world's largest such power units. The life extension will mean the unit can generate an extra 60 billion kWh of electricity.
The sodium-cooled BN-series fast reactors are part of Rosatom's Proryv, or 'Breakthrough', project to develop fast reactors with a closed fuel cycle whose mixed oxide (MOX) fuel will be reprocessed and recycled. As well as its generating capacity unit 3 is seen as strategically important in terms of testing technical solutions for future fast reactors such as the BREST-OD-300 fast reactor with lead coolant and the BN-1200 planned for Beloyarsk.
Italian government eyes investment in Newcleo
Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Innovative reactor developer Newcleo said it has "deep appreciation" for the Italian government's "strategic interest and support for the company" after two ministers said the government plans to invest in the company as part of the country's reintroduction of nuclear energy.
Minister Urso (right) visited Newcleo's joint research centre at ENEA-Brasimone earlier this month (Image: Newcleo)
Following talks on the development of new-generation nuclear power, a joint statement was issued by Italy's Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso.
"The two ministers confirmed their full agreement on the government's strategic interest in Italy's active participation in the development of innovative technologies in the sector, with a particular focus on the projects promoted by Newcleo, a leading Italian company in the design of advanced third-generation and fourth-generation reactors," it said.
It continued: "In fact, the government intends to provide concrete support to strengthen the national industrial supply chain dedicated to innovative nuclear energy, recognising its fundamental importance in guaranteeing the country's energy security, environmental sustainability and technological competitiveness."
According to a Reuters report, the government "could invest, through one or more state-controlled entities, as much as EUR200 million (USD216 million) in Newcleo".
Paris-headquartered Newcleo said that it welcomes the interest shown, adding: "We are pleased that the government intends to strengthen Italy's industrial position in this sector through concrete support for our company."
According to Newcleo's delivery roadmap, the first non-nuclear pre-cursor prototype of its lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) is expected to be ready by 2026 in Italy, the first reactor operational in France by the end of 2031, while the final investment decision for the first commercial power plant is expected around 2029.
Earlier this month, Newcleo announced it is to collaborate with Italian designer, manufacturer and installer of machinery and plants for the iron and steel industry Danieli Group on integrating Newcleo's LFRs with Danieli's steelmaking technology.
In late February, Italy's Council of Ministers approved a draft law calling for the government to adopt a series of legislative decrees to create the legal framework for the reintroduction of nuclear power, which was phased out following a referendum in 1987. The government said the text is aimed at "the inclusion of sustainable nuclear and fusion in the so-called 'Italian energy mix' and intervenes organically from an economic, social and environmental perspective, within the framework of European decarbonisation policies with a time horizon of 2050, consistently with the objectives of carbon neutrality and security of supply".
The draft law has been submitted to parliament for final approval.
March 29, 2025 Jean-Francois Belanger, assistant professor at the Royal Danish Defense College, explains why he says Canada should take advantage of its resources that are already enough to develop nuclear weapons.
Amid a changing global security landscape and ongoing sovereignty taunts from U.S. President Donald Trump, one military expert says Canada may need to reconsider its position on nuclear weapons.
In the current geopolitical environment, Canadians need to start thinking about “difficult questions” around national security, Jean-François Bélanger, assistant professor of Military Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said in a Tuesday interview with BNN Bloomberg.
“What does it mean when our Number 1 ally in the first place decouples from European security and also mentions that they’re tired of paying for Canadian security collaboration, and on the other hand threatens annexation?” he said.Trade War coverage on BNNBloomberg.ca
Bélanger argued that there may come a time when Canada can no longer rely on more powerful military allies for protection, and that creating a nuclear weapons program of its own may be a necessary deterrent against the threat of foreign aggression.
He said developing nuclear capability does not necessarily need to happen now, but Canada should be thinking about “shoring up” its nuclear latency “to the point where if we are in need and if we decide (to) as a nation… we’ll be ready to go.”
‘Bordering on the absurd’
Canada pursuing nuclearization in any way would be “bordering on the absurd as an undertaking,” Paul Meyer, adjunct professor of international studies at Simon Fraser University and a former Canadian diplomat, told BNNBloomberg.ca.
“There’s a whole series of obstacles that would be in the way of any government that wanted to go down that road, not to mention that I think no government would want to do it,” he said in an interview on Thursday.
“We have a long-standing legal obligation as a state party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) never to develop or acquire nuclear so it would mean a withdrawal from that treaty if we were going to pursue a nuclear program.”
Meyer, former chair and current director of the Canadian Pugwash Group, noted that to date, the only country that has ever withdrawn from the NPT is North Korea, “so I don’t think you’d want to be in that company,” he said.
Bélanger acknowledged that Canada would be in violation of the NPT, which it signed in 1968, were it to pursue nuclearization, however he argued that other nations with nuclear ambitions seem to be taking advantage of an opening “window of opportunity.”
“And when I say window of opportunity, I don’t necessarily mean something positive. There’s a drive for the acquisition of nuclear weapons in the world at the moment,” he said, noting that the global consensus around non-proliferation may be fading.
Bélanger pointed to nations such as Poland and Germany, where nuclear deterrence has become a talking point recently as the U.S. distances itself from its European allies, while South Korea “is talking about outright nuclearization.” NPT under ‘increased stress’
Meyer said the viability of the NPT has indeed come under “increased stress” in the last decade or so, particularly because of Russia’s ongoing territorial ambitions in Ukraine.
“Russian aggression against Ukraine has caused second thoughts in some capitals about possessing nuclear weapons as a deterrent, and obviously, if they’ve gone in that direction, that weakens this norm of non-proliferation,” he said.
“(U.S. President) Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal was also a case of irresponsible action that sets back the non-proliferation ideal, so that is unfortunate to say the least.”
Bélanger argued that these developments may eventually change the nature of the NPT, as well as defence partnerships like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“Is NATO as an alliance going to rethink things or at least are our European allies going to be rethinking their stance on non-proliferation? If that happens, how does Canada position itself in that discussion?” he said.
“Because we don’t have the options that the Europeans have. I don’t think it’s credible to ask the U.K. and France for extended deterrence or the nuclear umbrella… Canada in this case would be left to its own design.”
Bélanger said that if Canada was subjected to, for example, Russian aggression in the Arctic, or if the trade war with the U.S. escalated to the point of armed conflict, Canada’s European allies would likely be too “bogged down” with their own security concerns to provide meaningful aid.
“Am I saying that the probability is that (these scenarios) are going to happen? No. Is it going to happen tomorrow morning? No,” he said.
“But we’re in a world now where we actually need to look at the chance that something like this could happen.”
Meyer said any movement away from the long-established global norm of non-proliferation would have “profound repercussions.”
“It’s a troubled picture for those that believe in the overall wisdom of maintaining an international security regime with a strong norm of nuclear non-proliferation and an impetus to, at some point, achieve a world without nuclear weapons,” he said.
Podcast: Canada's leading role in life-saving medical isotopes
Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Bruce Power's Chief Operating Officer James Scongack is also Chairman of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council and, as he explains, the country is aiming to grow its leadership role in nuclear medicine.
He outlines the life-saving diagnostics and treatments that now exist thanks to isotopes produced in Canada's Candu reactors, research reactors and cyclotrons, and talks about the new trials and treatments which are emerging.
The Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council has recently signed an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency's Rays for Hope campaign and aims to help provide nuclear medicine's diagnostics and treatments to those parts of the world where people do not currently have access. This is one of the drivers he sees for huge demand growth in the years ahead.
For those who may say that producing isotopes is the equivalent of a 'side hustle' for a nuclear power plant, Scongack says it might be "1% of the cashflow, but it's 50% of our contribution" in terms of tackling some of the greatest challenges that communities and society are facing.
Scongack also talks about progress at Bruce Power, where the modernisation programme is adding extra capacity equivalent to that which would be provided by building three small modular reactors. There's also an update on Bruce C.
Scongack, who sees a bright future for nuclear energy in general, says that communicating positive stories is key. He presents the Canadian Nuclear Isotopes Council's own podcast - called Isotopes for Hope- helping to spread the news about what he calls a "real hidden gem of what our industry around the world does". For instance, Canada supplies about half of the world's cobalt-60 which is used to sterilise about 40% of the world's single-use medical devices.
Co-60 is made by irradiating rods of cobalt-59 inside a Candu pressurised heavy water reactor for up to three years (Image: Bruce Power)
With other Candu reactor countries also producing, or planning to do their bit to help meet global demand, he says that the challenge for the future is to ensure that, as with producing energy "the world is counting on us ... when someone turns their light switch on at home, they expect the light to turn on, and when an oncologist is ready to give a patient cancer treatment, we need to make sure they have the isotopes that they need to provide that patient with the best chance of success".
Listen and subscribe on all major podcast platforms:
Episode credit: Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production
Minister announces funds for new reactor as Safari-1 turns 60
Thursday, 27 March 2025
As South Africa's Safari-1 research reactor marks its 60th anniversary, Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientso Ramokgopa has announced a budget allocation of ZAR1.2 billion (USD66 million) towards a new multipurpose reactor at Pelindaba.
Ramogkopa pictured at Safari-1's 60th anniversary celebration (Image: Necsa/X)
Addressing the celebrations held by the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA) on 25 March, Ramokgopa said the ZAR1.2 billion is included in the government's 2025 budget, which is currently awaiting final parliamentary approval.
Safari-1 is a tank-in-pool research reactor which reached first criticality in 1965 with a capacity of 6.67 MWt. Over its 60 years of operation it has undergone various power uprates and been converted to use low-enriched uranium fuel and low-enriched uranium targets for isotope production. Today, it has a licensed operating power of 20 MWt and is one of the world's major commercial producers of medical and industrial radioisotopes. It is also used for activation analyses, material modification (such as the neutron transmutation doping of silicon for the semi-conductor industry) and provides support services such as neutron radiography and neutron diffraction for both industry and research.
Safari-1 is currently licensed to operate until 2030, and could be a sustainable operational irradiation facility beyond that date, pending an engineering assessment supported by ageing management programme, according to Necsa.
The South African cabinet approved the construction of the Multipurpose Reactor to succeed the Safari-1 research reactor, in 2021. Necsa released a Request for Information for the new reactor the following year, to allow a good lead-time for procurement and construction so that the radioisotope production and the other functions currently fulfilled by Safari-1 can continue without interruption.
Ramokgopa acknowledged that the allocation in this year's budget will not be sufficient, on its own, to fund the project, adding that Necsa must also find support from other quarters. ZAR1.2 billion "is not going to get us to where we want to be" but national financing is constrained, he said, "so we must find bespoke financing, we must find partners, who will not just bring money, but technological know-how, and when we bring it together with ours, the sum is greater than the whole of its parts".
And a national contest will be held to choose a name for the new reactor. "We will not call it the MPR … we must give it a name," he said. "Because South Africans must own Necsa. South Africans must know what nuclear is. South Africans must know what these possibilities are. So we will run this contest [to choose a name for the reactor] so that South Africans can embrace it, and know that it is their's."
Safari-1's contribution over its 60 years of operations has been "profound", saving up to 10 million lives in more than 60 countries, World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León said in an address to the Necsa celebration. The know-how and experience from the reactor's exemplary operations have also been a driving force that will continue to support South Africa's nuclear sector, she said. "Energy demand at a global level continues to increase, because it is an essential enabler for prosperity, growth and quality of life, and this is particularly important in Africa, where we still have 600 million people with zero access to energy. Nuclear energy can be a game-changer in Africa, providing abundant, affordable, 24/7 carbon-free energy that will be able to propel the entire industry forward," she said.
German nuclear association calls for restart of reactors
Thursday, 27 March 2025
German nuclear technology association Kerntechnik Deutschland e.V. says that restarting the country's nuclear power plants "offers a safe, economically viable and climate-friendly alternative to the current energy policy". It says that up to six shut down reactors could technically resume operation.
Unit 2 of the Isar plant was one of the last units to shut down (Image: PreussenElektra)
In August 2011, the 13th amendment of the Nuclear Power Act came into effect, which underlined the political will to phase out fission nuclear power in Germany. As a result, eight units were closed down immediately: Biblis A and B, Brunsbüttel, Isar 1, Krümmel, Neckarwestheim 1, Phillipsburg 1 and Unterweser. The Brokdorf, Grohnde and Gundremmingen C plants were permanently shut down at the end of December 2021. The country's final three units - Emsland, Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 - shut down in April 2023. All the units are now at various stages of decommissioning.
The expansion of renewable energy, which was to compensate for the closure of the reactors, has varied greatly between individual federal states, with the expansion of wind energy particularly progressing very slowly in Bavaria. The expansion of power line capacities and the transmission grid in southern Germany has also not progressed as quickly as planned. Meeting German electricity demand has therefore required fossil energy sources or imports (of mainly French nuclear power).
"Our electricity costs are no longer competitive in an international comparison and are threatening the existence of our economy," according to Kerntechnik Deutschland e.V. (KernD). "It is no longer economically viable to finance and implement an infrastructure (grid, storage and backup) that is largely based on renewable energies."
It adds: "If the proportion of volatile energy sources in the German energy mix continues to increase, the need for electricity imports or self-generated fossil electricity will intensify. This is a vicious circle that will lead to disastrous dependencies."
KernD notes that the continued operation of coal-fired power plants has led to significantly higher CO2 emissions than planned, and the timetable for phasing out coal is unrealistic under the current framework conditions.
"The recommissioning of nuclear power plants in Germany is this pragmatic, economical and socially sensible solution," it says. "Up to six shut-down nuclear power plants could be brought back online in just a few years - without compromising on nuclear safety."
It noted: "Depending on the dismantling status, individual nuclear power plants can be put back into operation in the near future." Earlier this month, KernD said that between EUR1 and EUR3 billion (USD1.1-3.3 billion) in investments would be needed per nuclear power plant restart, depending on the dismantling status.
The recommissioning of those plants is based on the existing power plant structures, the association said. This enables rapid availability - within 3-5 years - of large installed baseload capacity. The continued operation of nuclear power plants enables the rapid phase-out of coal-fired power generation without jeopardising security of supply, it adds. "In fact, nuclear power plants are the ideal complement to renewable energies to compensate for their volatility. Nuclear energy therefore also supports the further expansion of wind and solar energy in the long term."
"It is high time to make the right decision now for a stable and sustainable energy policy. Because deindustrialisation, excessively high electricity prices, dependence on electricity imports and the uncertain supply situation must end now," KernD said. "KernD is offering the new federal government the opportunity to take the future into its own hands and stop the deindustrialisation of Germany. KernD's member companies are on hand with expertise and energy to help."
KernD's members include organisations from all sectors and fields of application of nuclear technology: manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, universities and research institutes and trade associations. Its members include Framatome, GNS, Nukem Technologies, Orano, Urenco and Westinghouse.
Carsten Haferkamp, managing director of Framatome GmbH and deputy chairman of KernD, said: "The decision on restarting nuclear power plants rests with the federal government, which must create the necessary framework. One thing is certain: electricity from nuclear power plants is an important pillar for reducing CO2 emissions in the short term and strengthening the competitiveness of the economy through low electricity costs."
President signs bill on funding for Polish nuclear power plant
Thursday, 27 March 2025
President Andrzej Duda has signed a bill that designates funds from the national budget for the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant. Under the bill, Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe is set to receive PLN60.2 billion (USD15.5 billion) in public funding between 2025 and 2030.
How the plant in Pomerania could look (Image: PEJ)
In November 2022, the then Polish government selected Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. An agreement setting a plan for the delivery of the plant was signed in May last year by Westinghouse, Bechtel and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) - a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by Poland's State Treasury. The Ministry of Climate and Environment in July issued a decision-in-principle for PEJ to construct the three-unit plant. The aim is for Poland's first AP1000 reactor to enter commercial operation in 2033.
The total investment costs of the project are estimated to be about PLN192 billion (USD49 billion).
In September last year, the Polish government announced its intention to support this investment through: an equity injection of about PLN60.2 billion covering 30% of the project's costs; state guarantees covering 100% of debt taken by PEJ to finance the investment project; and a two-way contract for difference (CfD) providing revenue stability over the entire lifetime of the power plant of 60 years.
President Duda has now signed a bill that "provides for the provision of investment financing in the amount of PLN60.2 billion as part of the recapitalisation of the PEJ company by the State Treasury in the years 2025-2030. The remaining amount will be obtained from financial institutions, primarily foreign institutions supporting exports originating from equipment suppliers' countries, including export credit agencies, in particular the American export credit agency Export-Import Bank of the United States.
"The investment in the scope of [the first plant] is to be financed by 30% from equity capital and 70% from foreign capital. It was assumed that external financing will be incurred after the owner's own contribution has been made in full, in accordance with the equity first principle," a presidential statement said.
The act introduces reporting obligations regarding the use of public support in a given year. An appropriate report will be submitted by PEJ to the Plenipotentiary, and the Plenipotentiary will submit information in this regard to the Council of Ministers.
In December 2024, the European Commission launched an investigation into whether the planned public support for Poland's first nuclear power plant complies with EU rules on state aid. It has yet to give its approval.
Framatome awarded I&C upgrade work at Swiss plant
Thursday, 27 March 2025
Framatome has been selected by Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG to modernise instrumentation and control systems at the Leibstadt nuclear power plant in Switzerland. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
The Leibstadt plant (Image: KKL)
Instrumentation and control systems - or I&C - coordinate the operation of all the components that make up a nuclear power plant, such as motors, pumps or valves, allowing plant personnel to monitor the status of the plant effectively and supporting safe and reliable power generation through controlling the plant processes.
The modernisation project at Leibstadt is part of Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG's (KKL's) ongoing investments at the plant. This investment includes the complete replacement of the safety I&C for the engineered safety functions that will also achieve significant improvements in plant operation and availability, in addition to an ease of maintenance in the future.
Framatome said it will implement the I&C modernisation at Leibstadt based on the latest generation of its digital TELEPERM XS technology, which has been installed or is currently being installed in 92 reactors in 17 countries worldwide.
"Framatome is honoured to once again partner with KKL on this significant I&C modernisation project," said Frédéric Lelièvre, senior executive vice president of Framatome's Sales, Regional Platforms and Instrumentation and Control Business Unit. "This modernisation will not only help improve the safety and efficiency of Switzerland's most powerful nuclear plant, but also reinforce our shared commitment with KKL for their extended safe operations at Leibstadt."
Leibstadt features a single BWR built in the early 1980s. The plant produces 1165 MWe for six utilities with various stakes and provides electricity for two million households. Since 1984, KKL has invested a total of around EUR1.5 billion (USD1.6 billion) in the modernisation and maintenance of the plant. A further EUR1 billion is planned for renovations in the coming years to ensure safe, reliable and economical electricity generation until at least 2045.
Japan, Korea develop prototype nuclear batteries
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has developed what it says is the world's first "uranium rechargeable battery" and that tests have verified its performance in charging and discharging. Meanwhile, South Korean researchers have developed a prototype betavoltaic battery powered by the carbon-14 isotope.
The uranium battery concept (Image: JAEA)
The uranium storage battery utilises depleted uranium (DU) as the negative electrode active material and iron as the positive one, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) said. The single-cell voltage of the prototype uranium rechargeable battery is 1.3 volts, which is close to that of a common alkaline battery (1.5 volts).
The battery was charged and discharged 10 times, and the performance of the battery was almost unchanged, indicating relatively stable cycling characteristics.
"To utilise DU as a new resource, the concept of rechargeable batteries using uranium as an active material was proposed in the early 2000s," JAEA noted. "However, no studies were reporting the specific performance of the assembled uranium rechargeable batteries."
It added: "If uranium rechargeable batteries are increased in capacity and put to practical use, the large amount of DU stored in Japan will become a new resource for output controls in the electricity supply grid derived from renewable energy, thereby contributing to the realisation of a decarbonised society."
According to JAEA, there is currently about 16,000 tonnes of depleted uranium stored in Japan and some 1.6 million tonnes stored worldwide.
JAEA said it is now aiming to increase the capacity of uranium storage batteries (the amount of electricity they can store) by circulating the electrolyte.
"Specifically, we will be examining whether it is possible to increase capacity by increasing the amount of circulating electrolyte and the concentration of uranium and iron, and what the optimal materials are for the electrodes and membranes that make up the storage battery," JAEA said. "If we are successful in increasing the capacity of uranium storage batteries and put them to practical use and implemented in society using depleted uranium stored in Japan, we can expect them to play new roles such as adjusting supply and demand for mega solar power plants."
It says the need for rechargeable batteries has been increasing in recent years with an increase in the introduction of renewable energy sources. Power generation from solar, wind, and other sources is affected by weather conditions and has the instability of fluctuating power generation. To stabilise the power supply in this situation, output controls via energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries are necessary, and the development of new energy storage technologies is attracting attention.
Batteries to last a lifetime
South Korean researchers are considering radiocarbon as a source for safe, small and affordable nuclear batteries that could last decades or longer without charging.
Su-Il In, a professor at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, will present his results at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society, being held 23-27 March. The research was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, as well as the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology Research & Development Programme of the Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology of Korea.
With the increasing number of connected devices, data centres and other computing technologies, the demand for long-lasting batteries is increasing. However, In says that the performance of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is "almost saturated". His team is therefore developing nuclear batteries as an alternative to lithium.
The researchers have produced a prototype betavoltaic battery with carbon-14, an unstable and radioactive form of carbon, called radiocarbon. "I decided to use a radioactive isotope of carbon because it generates only beta rays," said In. Moreover, a by-product from nuclear power plants, radiocarbon is inexpensive, readily available and easy to recycle. And because radiocarbon degrades very slowly, a radiocarbon-powered battery could theoretically last for millennia.
(Image: Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology)
To significantly improve the energy conversion efficiency of their new design, the team used a titanium dioxide-based semiconductor, a material commonly used in solar cells, sensitised with a ruthenium-based dye. They strengthened the bond between the titanium dioxide and the dye with a citric acid treatment. When beta rays from radiocarbon collide with the treated ruthenium-based dye, a cascade of electron transfer reactions, called an electron avalanche, occurs. Then the avalanche travels through the dye and the titanium dioxide effectively collects the generated electrons.
The new battery also has radiocarbon in the dye-sensitised anode and a cathode. By treating both electrodes with the radioactive isotope, the researchers increased the amount of beta rays generated and reduced distance-related beta-radiation energy loss between the two structures.
During demonstrations of the prototype battery, the researchers found that beta rays released from radiocarbon on both electrodes triggered the ruthenium-based dye on the anode to generate an electron avalanche that was collected by the titanium dioxide layer and passed through an external circuit resulting in usable electricity.
These long-lasting nuclear batteries could enable many applications, says In. These include powering implants, remote applications, and satellites. For example, a pacemaker would last a person's lifetime, eliminating the need for surgical replacements.
However, this betavoltaic design converted only a tiny fraction of radioactive decay into electric energy, leading to lower performance compared to conventional Li-ion batteries. In suggests that further efforts to optimise the shape of the beta-ray emitter and develop more efficient beta-ray absorbers could enhance the battery's performance and increase power generation.
A review of the feasibility studies submitted by EDF, Westinghouse and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power for two new reactors in the Netherlands suggests that all three designs would meet necessary safety requirements, the country's nuclear regulator announced. Last week, KHNP indicated it is withdrawing from the technology selection process.
The Borssele nuclear power plant (Image: Amentum)
In December 2021, the Netherlands' new coalition government placed nuclear power at the heart of its climate and energy policy. Based on preliminary plans, two new reactors will be completed around 2035 and each will have a capacity of 1000-1650 MWe. The two reactors would provide 9-13% of the country's electricity production in 2035. The cabinet announced in December 2022 that it currently sees Borssele as the most suitable location for the construction of the new reactors.
EDF of France, KHNP of South Korea and Westinghouse of the USA were contracted by the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth (KGG) to conduct feasibility studies into the construction of their respective reactors - the EPR, APR-1400 and AP1000 - in the Netherlands.
The studies were to consider whether their designs comply with Dutch legislation and regulations, whether they can be fitted into the preferred location at Borssele, and to develop a more detailed estimate of the costs and time required to build the two new units. The possible impact on the environment was also highlighted in the studies. In November, Amentum of the USA was selected to review and advise on the studies submitted by the three potential reactor vendors.
The country's Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS) has now released its conclusions of the review of the studies. It notes that it reviewed the APR-1400 design before KHNP said it would withdraw. ANVS said that, "when it comes to safety", it is feasible any of the three designs could be built in the Netherlands.
"These companies have tested their designs against our guidelines for Safe Design and Safe Operation of Nuclear Power Plants (VOBK)," ANVS said. "In doing so, they have identified a number of points where their design deviates from the literal text of the VOBK and have provided substantiation that the underlying safety objectives are being achieved."
The ANVS uses the VOBK as a reference framework for the design assessment in the run-up to the licensing procedure. "Following recommendations from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the recent evaluation of the Nuclear Energy Act and the results of this self-evaluation, the ANVS has decided to revise the VOBK to better align it with the international state-of-the-art, to harmonise it more internationally and to make it less technology-dependent," it said.
Findings on each design
ANVS notes that Westinghouse's AP1000 relies heavily on the use of passive systems for safety management. "In a possible licensing procedure, it must still be proven in detail that the passive systems and principles are also sufficiently reliable in practice to guarantee safety in all accident scenarios," it said. "This will be an extensive point of attention for the ANVS during the design assessment." In addition, it says the safety file of the AP1000 is largely based on compliance with prescriptive US standards, while in the Netherlands, targeted legal standards apply. "This system requires the applicant to demonstrate in detail that these objectives are achieved with the design. This entails a risk of a longer lead time because the applicant will have to rewrite the safety documentation extensively. In addition, there are risks for the licensing because in the American frameworks, different choices are sometimes made than in the IAEA framework or EU context."
Regarding EDF's EPR, ANVS notes that the design has been based on Western European norms and standards from the start of the design phase. "The many (safety) systems make the design robust but also complex," it said. "This poses challenges for both the permitting and (supervision of) the construction in terms of the amount of work and maintaining a good overview." However, it said that as the reactor is already in operation or under construction in Finland, France and the UK, it "has the advantage that the ANVS will be able to rely as much as possible on European colleague authorities when assessing the design". It notes that EDF is now focused on developing the EPR2 design, so EDF "must ensure that this does not detract from the quality of the design that is offered to the Netherlands".
Although KHNP has now withdrawn its APR-1400 design, ANVS said the design "appears to meet the expectations that (Western) European countries, including the Netherlands, have for nuclear power plants". It added that KHNP's intention to rely heavily on the supply of components from South Korea "entails challenges with regard to the on-site quality assurance assessment and supervision by the ANVS during manufacturing".
ANVS concludes: "Based on the self-evaluations as carried out by the designers, the ANVS sees no reason to assume that one of these designs could not be licensed in the Netherlands. As far as safety is concerned, there is therefore no reason to exclude a design from participation in the tender or to require adjustments to the standard design in the context of this process."
The regulator said the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth "can use this information for the tender to ultimately come to the choice of a company that can start building in the Netherlands.
"Naturally, before a permit is granted, ANVS will very carefully assess whether the design complies with Dutch legislation and regulations, whereby the applicant will have to provide much more information about the design and the safety analyses than is currently available in the self-assessments," ANVS said. "Only once the location is known will it be possible to consider the location-specific safety aspects that play a role at that location."
Eighth NuScale SMR simulator opened
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
NuScale Power Corporation has announced the opening of an Energy Exploration Centre at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. The centre will augment undergraduate courses through the integration of hands-on experiences that complement theoretical concepts.
(Image: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
Installed in February, the Energy Exploration (E2) Centre at the Jonsson Engineering Center - a hub of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's School of Engineering on its Troy campus - offers users a hands-on opportunity to apply nuclear science and engineering principles through simulated, real-world nuclear power plant operation scenarios. The E2 Centre employs state-of-the-art computer modeling to simulate a NuScale VOYGR-12, 924 MWe, small modular reactor (SMR) plant powered by 12 NuScale Power Modules.
The E2 Centre at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) was co-funded by a grant from the US Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy University Programs.
"We are proud to join with the faculty and students at RPI to open this NuScale E2 Centre aimed at showcasing the importance of nuclear energy," said NuScale President and CEO John Hopkins. "We hope that this learning facility will foster collaborative problem-solving and creative solutions that inspire future energy pioneers and equip a nuclear-ready workforce."
"Having a high-quality simulator on campus will provide our students with exciting learning opportunities in the design, operation, and control of modern, small modular reactors," said Shekhar Garde, dean of the RPI School of Engineering. "This capability adds to the growing strength of RPI's School of Engineering in augmented, virtual, and digital technologies for education, where students can learn about everything from atoms to galaxies, and work on designing new drugs, airplanes, and, now, nuclear reactors."
"These new learning opportunities will provide students with a comprehensive education, bridging theory with practice and preparing them to understand, implement, and comply with reactor operation safety regulations in line with nuclear industry standards," added Shanbin Shi, assistant professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering.
Since November 2020, NuScale has unveiled eight E2 Centres with university partners, including RPI; Oregon State University; Texas A&M University; Idaho State University; University Politechnica in Bucharest, Romania; Seoul National University in South Korea; the Ohio State University; and Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in Accra, Ghana.
The NuScale Power Module on which the VOYGR nuclear power plants are based is a pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single 77 MWe unit. The company offers a 12-module VOYGR-12 power plant is capable of generating 924 MWe as well as the four-module VOYGR-4 (308 MWe) and six-module VOYGR-6 (462 MWe) plants and other configurations based on customer needs.
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