Wild horse species returns to the Kazakh steppes

Agence France-Presse
June 10, 2024 


The horses emerge after 20 hours in containers and are the first of 40 to be released into the wild in this vast Central Asian nation over the next five years (Abduaziz MADYAROV/AFP)


After a few hesitant steps following a long flight from Prague, three Przewalski horses galloped off for the first time into the Kazakh steppe -- the native habitat of this endangered species.

The horses emerged after being locked in containers for 20 hours and are the first of 40 which are to be released into the wild in this vast Central Asian country over the next five years.

"We have been waiting for this moment for a very long time," Albert Salemgareyev from the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan told AFP.

"A lot of work has been carried out in recent months in order for the Przewalski horses to come to Kazakhstan."

The project run by the Prague and Berlin zoo is aimed at preserving this species of stockily built horse with large heads which share a common ancestry with modern domestic horses but are genetically different.

Przewalski horses are commonly referred to as one of the world's last breeds of wild horse.

"We know that the Przewalski horses are suited to this steppe," said Salemgareyev.
The horses are capable of resisting harsh winters like the ones in Kazakhstan where temperatures can drop below minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit) and food runs scarce.

The three first specimens -- Zorro, Ypsilonka and Zeta II -- arrived earlier this month. Four more landed in Kazakhstan from Berlin on Thursday morning and were released in the afternoon.

They will initially be under observation in the Golden Steppe nature reserve before being left in the wild.

"This year we will follow their health and see how they acclimatise," Salemgareyev said.

- Perilous journey -

The 5,000 kilometre (3,000-mile) journey -- first by plane to the town of Arqalyk and then by truck along bumpy roads into the heart of the steppe -- was not without risks.

Despite monitoring by experts, one of the horses sat down in his container even before taking off, raising the risk of stopping the blood flow to his legs.

"The journey could have been dangerous so we decided to leave him alone," said Miroslav Bobek, the director of Prague Zoo.

First documented by Russian scientist Nikolai Przhevalsky in 1881, the species was nearly extinct in the 1960s and is still listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Prague Zoo, which has bred the horses since 1932 and keeps the world genealogy book for the species tracking all new births, launched a project to reintroduce them to Mongolia in 2011.

It transported 34 horses on Czech army planes there between 2011 and 2019, before the pandemic halted the project co-funded by zoos from across the globe.

There are now 2,000 Przewalski horses around the world, mainly in China and Mongolia but also in France, Russia and even living in the wild in the Chernobyl exclusion zone between Belarus and Ukraine.

Following the April 1986 Chernobyl disaster, 30 specimens were introduced there in 1998. The population has flourished and is now at 210.

In Kazakhstan, the Przewalski horse is not the only endangered species to have received special attention.

The round-snouted Saiga antelope, once on the brink of extinction, has also seen its population grow to about two million thanks to conservation policies by Kazakh authorities and non-governmental organisations.

str-bk/dt/cad/bp

WORLD NUKE NEWS

National poll shows shift in Australian nuclear opinion

06 June 2024

Australian attitudes towards energy sources have shifted markedly, the 20th edition of the Lowy Institute's annual poll has found, with six in ten now supportive of Australia using nuclear power to generate electricity.

Ryan Neelam, Director of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy at the Lowy Institute, pictured at the launch of the 2024 poll (Image: Lowy Institute)

Asked the question "Do you support or oppose Australia using nuclear power to generate electricity, alongside other sources of energy?", 61% of respondents said they were "somewhat" or "strongly" supportive of Australia using nuclear power to generate electricity, while 37% said they opposed this. Only 2% said they didn't know.

This is the first time the question has been included in the survey, but contrasts with a related question in the 2011 poll when more than six in ten Australians (62%) said they were either "strongly against" or "somewhat against" Australia building nuclear power plants as part of its plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Australia’s federal opposition has announced that, if elected, it would look to introduce nuclear power generation into Australia's energy mix, alongside renewables and other sources of energy, as part of its plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, but this would involve first overturning a moratorium on nuclear energy generation in Australia, the report's authors note.

The poll found "slim to strong majority support" for a range of potential federal government climate-related policies although support has "softened mildly" for options including a more ambitious national emissions reduction target, hosting a UN climate conference, reducing coal exports, and banning new coal mines, and introducing an emissions trading scheme. About six in ten support the idea of reducing Australian coal exports and banning new coal mines from opening in Australia.

Support remained steady for subsidising renewable technologies, and increasing the use of gas, although opinion on renewables is divided. The poll found that 41% think the current federal government's national target for 82% of Australia's electricity to be generated from renewables by 2030 is "about right", 33% think this target is too ambitious, and 25% say it is not ambitious enough.

The poll also asked - for the third consecutive year - about public attitudes to Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines under the 2021 trilateral AUKUS partnership between Australia, the UK and the USA. Public debate about this has grown in Australia, highlighting questions around its strategic merits, future US political commitment to the deal, industrial and workforce capacity, and costs, but the poll found majority public support for the acquisition has "held relatively firm" with almost two-thirds of Australians (65%) remaining in favour. This is similar to the findings of last year's poll, although down from 70% in 2022's poll, shortly after the deal was announced.

The Sydney-headquartered independent, nonpartisan international policy think-tank describes its annual poll as the leading tracking survey on Australian foreign policy, providing a reliable vehicle for understanding Australian attitudes towards a wide range of foreign policy issues, while being independent and methodologically rigorous. The 2024 poll reports the results of a national survey of 2028 adults across Australia between 4 and 17 March. It was conducted by the Social Research Centre, using the Life in Australia probability-based online panel, and has a margin of error of 2.2%. The probability basis of the Life in Australia sampling method means results are generalisable to the national population.

The latest report, and the archive of past issues, are available on the Lowy Institute's website.

Grossi suggests Zaporizhzhia will not be restarted during conflict

07 June 2024

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi says there "was an understanding" that Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant's units "would not be restarted as long as nuclear safety and security remained in jeopardy due to the conflict".

(Image: Ukraine's Ministry of Energy)

Grossi, whose comments followed talks held with Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev in Kaliningrad last week, added: "In these circumstances (of conflict), operating this major nuclear plant would not be advisable."

The six-unit Zaporizhzhia plant has been under the control of Russian military forces since early March 2022, and all its units are in cold shutdown. It is situated on the frontline of the war and, as well as parts of the site suffering some direct damage, it has had to rely on emergency diesel generators for short periods on a number of occasions when it lost access to off-site power. Power is required for some essential safety functions.

Grossi's latest update on the situation in Ukraine came after a meeting on Thursday with Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, Energoatom boss Petro Kotin and the head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, Oleg Korikov, where they discussed issues including the situation at Zaporizhzhia and also the impact of attacks on the energy infrastructure in Ukraine.

Grossi said the impact was wider than on just the Zaporizhzhia plant, saying "it is also a wider concern in the current circumstances, where a loss of off-site power event has the potential to be even more serious given the higher nuclear fuel temperatures for reactors in operation in Ukraine. We are continuing to follow the situation very closely in this regard, as I also informed Minister Halushchenko in today’s meeting".

He said that a year after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, which had helped supply cooling water for the plant, the IAEA teams at Zaporizhzhia had visited the cooling pond and "observed that its height was almost 1.5 metres below the level before the dam was destroyed". The plant now gets the cooling water it needs for the units, while they are shut down, from 11 newly built groundwater wells.

The operators of the plant told the IAEA team that all four on-site radiation monitoring stations are operational, but three of the 14 off-site stations remain damaged as a result of military activity in 2022, and that manual radiation monitoring measurements are also carried out with "plans to purchase new radiation monitoring stations consistent with the regulations of the Russian Federation, and a mobile radiation measurement laboratory for use in case of a nuclear or radiological emergency".

In its report on the meeting, Ukraine's Energy Ministry said Halushchenko had outlined the situation in the country's energy system as a result of Russian targeting of the infrastructure including substations and reported that about 9 GW of capacity had been lost. "Planned repairs are currently under way at power units of nuclear power plants in order to start up all available nuclear generation capacities in winter. This is a matter of our survival, therefore it is very important to ensure the safety of their operation," Halushchenko said.

The IAEA said that its teams at Ukraine's other nuclear power plants - Rivne, Khmelnitsky and South Ukraine - had reported safety and security was being maintained "despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms on several days over the past week".

EBRD Chernobyl funding plan ratified by Ukraine's parliament

06 June 2024

Members of Ukraine's parliament have backed a law approving the framework agreement between Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for funding aimed at projects to boost safety measures at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site and exclusion zone.

An aerial view of the Chernobyl site (Image: SSE ChNPP)

The ratification of the framework agreement allows for the creation of a mechanism for managing the activities of the International Chernobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA), which include the work on making safe and dismantling the unstable structures of the original shelter built at pace after the 1986 accident. The operator of the Chernobyl site (SSE ChNPP) added: "It is also important that these projects will be aimed at eliminating the damage caused by the invasion of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, in particular, at restoring safe conditions at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, in the exclusion zone, as well as at other nuclear installations and radioactive waste management facilities in Ukraine."

Speaking in the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) Ukraine's Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Ruslan Strilets, said that following the start of the war, Ukraine had asked for the structure of the fund to be changed and already 18 countries had contributed EUR14 million (USD15.2 million), with an expectation that the amount would double once the law was ratified. The funds will be used "to restore equipment lost during the occupation ... improve conditions for employees who work in difficult conditions today, and purchase the necessary fire-fighting equipment to ensure the preservation of valuable ecosystems".

The ICCA was established in November 2020 by the EBRD at the Ukrainian government's request to support a comprehensive plan for Chernobyl. The EBRD said its remit has been widened since the start of the war in 2022 "to support the restoration of nuclear safety, security and decommissioning abilities" within the exclusion zone and also "permits activities across the nuclear sector in Ukraine in support of nuclear safety". The first grant agreement was signed in March 2023 to support the restoration of fire safety within the exclusion zone, as well as work to support a safety analysis of the shelter, and to support restoration of the transport infrastructure and New Safe Confinement operations.

A second grant agreement was signed in February and provides for, among other things, the completion of pre-design activities of the New Safe Confinement and the on-going dismantling of the unstable structures within it, as well as the procurement of vehicles and equipment for "reliable and safe operation of the New Safe Confinement shelter facility ... there will also be inspection of the deaerator stage and engine room protruding beyond the boundaries of the fence contour of the New Safe Confinement".

The original shelter over the destroyed unit 4 at Chernobyl was constructed in a matter of just months, and the international Shelter Implementation Plan in the 1990s had three phases - firstly to stabilise it and secondly to build a larger secure construction to enclose it - the New Safe Confinement (NSC) which was completed in 2017 to pave the way for the dismantling and decommissioning stage.

According to World Nuclear Association, the hermetically sealed NSC "will allow engineers to remotely dismantle the 1986 structure that has shielded the remains of the reactor from the weather since the weeks after the accident. It will enable the eventual removal of the fuel-containing materials in the bottom of the reactor building and accommodate their characterisation, compaction, and packing for disposal. This task represents the most important step in eliminating nuclear hazard at the site - and the real start of dismantling."

EBRD adds that "over the longer term ICCA will focus on support for sustainable site infrastructure and longer term safe operation of decommissioning infrastructure within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, in particular those facilities which were supported through long term international collaboration. The impact of the Russian war against Ukraine will need to be assessed on an ongoing basis, but it is clear that the capacity for stable site operations has been severely undermined, and the challenges for Ukraine to continue safe decommissioning of one of the world’s most challenging nuclear facilities will be immense".

The New Safe Confinement is the largest moveable land-based structure ever built - with a span of 257 metres, a length of 162 metres, a height of 108 metres and a total weight of 36,000 tonnes equipped - and with a lifetime of 100 years has been designed to allow for the eventual dismantling of the ageing makeshift shelter from 1986 and the management of radioactive waste. It has also been designed to withstand temperatures ranging from -43°C to +45°C, a class-three tornado, and an earthquake with a magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale.

The EBRD is owned by 73 countries from five continents, and the European Union and the European Investment Bank. It was created in 1991 "to create a new post-Cold War era in central and eastern Europe".

IAEA calls for Iran's 'unambiguous' cooperation

06 June 2024

The board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has adopted a resolution calling on Iran to fully cooperate with the agency, including giving it access to locations and material for nuclear safeguards verification activities.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi addressing the agency's board of governors (Image: D Calma / IAEA)

The resolution - drafted by France, Germany and the UK (referred to as the E3) - was adopted by the 35-country board of governors on 5 June with 20 represented countries in favour, two against (China and Russia), and 12 abstentions.

The resolution calls on Iran to "provide sufficient cooperation with the agency and take the essential and urgent actions as decided by the board in its November 2022 resolution, to resolve safeguards issues which remain outstanding despite numerous interactions with the Agency since 2019".

It also calls on Iran to "reverse its withdrawal of the designations of several experienced agency inspectors which is essential to fully allow the agency to conduct its verification activities in Iran effectively".

The resolution says that a continued failure by Iran to provide "the necessary, full and unambiguous cooperation" with the IAEA to resolve all outstanding safeguards issues, "may necessitate the production, by the Director General, of a comprehensive and updated assessment on the possible presence or use of undeclared nuclear material in connection with past and present outstanding issues regarding Iran's nuclear programme, based on the information available".

In his opening statement to the IAEA board of governors on 3 June, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi presented his latest report on verification and monitoring in Iran.

"You will note that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium continues to increase, including that enriched up to 60%," he told the board. "The agency has lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the production and inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate. It has been more than three years since Iran stopped provisionally applying its Additional Protocol and therefore it is also over three years since the agency was able to conduct complementary access in Iran."

Grossi said there has been no progress in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues. Iran, he said, has not provided the IAEA with "technically credible explanations" for the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at the Varamin and Turquzabad sites. In addition, it had not informed the agency of the current location(s) of the nuclear material and/or of contaminated equipment.

"These outstanding safeguards issues stem from Iran's obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and need to be resolved for the agency to be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful," Grossi said. "Further public statements made in Iran regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and possible changes to Iran's nuclear doctrine only increase my concerns about the correctness and completeness of Iran's safeguards declarations."

In a statement, Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna said: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has so far rendered its full cooperation under the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement to the agency. It has to be re-emphasised that all Iran's nuclear material and activities have been completely declared and verified by the agency.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran rightfully expects that the agency conducts its reporting on verification activities in Iran based on the principles of impartiality, professionalism and objectivity."

The E3 welcomed the adoption of the resolution by the IAEA board of governors. In a joint statement, they said the resolution "responds to Iran's persistent refusal to cooperate in good faith with the IAEA to clarify outstanding issues relating to undeclared nuclear material detected at multiple locations in Iran.

"If Iran meaningfully cooperates with the agency, and the Director General is able to report that the unresolved safeguards issues are no longer outstanding, the board could then close its consideration of this matter. We hope Iran takes this opportunity to resolve these outstanding matters so that no further board action is necessary."

Construction of Finnish pilot SMR plant to start in 2025

06 June 2024

Steady Energy said it is set to start construction of its first LDR-50 district heating reactor pilot plant in Finland next year, with potential sites including the Finnish capital Helsinki and two other cities.

A multiple LDR-50 unit plant (Image: Steady Energy)

The pilot plant will serve as a full-scale, operational model of the Finnish-designed small modular reactor (SMR). Unlike the actual power plant, the pilot unit will use an electric element to produce heat inside the reactor capsule instead of nuclear fuel. The main purpose is to test operational features and to establish the necessary supply chains with various manufacturers to construct actual plants.

The pilot investment is estimated to be about EUR15–20 million (USD16–22 million). Steady Energy said final evaluations of potential sites are under way, with a decision expected by the end of summer. Following this, detailed planning and tendering for construction will commence. After the testing phase, the facility will be used for training and research purposes.

Currently, the proposed locations for the pilot plant include: Salmisaari caves in central Helsinki; Huuhanmäki caves in Kuopio, the regional capital of North Savo in eastern Finland; and the power plant sites at Kymijärvi and Teivaanmäki in Lahti, a regional capital in southern Finland.

Steady Energy - which was spun out in May 2023 from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland - expects the construction of the first operational LDR-50 district heating plant to begin by 2028, with the first unit expected to be operational by 2030.

Last December, the company signed a letter of intent with municipal energy company Kuopion Energia in Eastern Finland that includes an option for the construction of up to five district heating reactors starting in 2030. That agreement followed a letter of intent signed in October between Steady Energy and Helsinki's energy company Helen for the construction of up to 10 SMRs for district heating.

In Finland, more than half of the energy used for heating comes from district heating, which is mostly produced with fossil fuels, peat and biomass. Utilities are seeking ways to swiftly transit away from combustion-based heat production to new and innovative low emission alternatives such as SMRs.

Steady Energy noted that a "significant milestone towards emission-free heating" was achieved in February 2024 when the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority removed the distance-based safety zones for new nuclear plants. This change allows SMRs to be located near residential areas.

"Given that district heating plants need to be situated close to urban areas, current city centres often house large coal, peat, gas and oil power plants," the company said. "Replacing these with container-sized small nuclear units will free up valuable land for residents in the heart of cities."

"While Finland has made great progress in green electricity production, we still heat our cities with fossil fuels and biomass," said Steady Energy CEO Tommi Nyman. "Heating a large city can require a log pile the size of a football field each day. Replacing this with a small, emission-free nuclear power plant that can be installed underground will eliminate the endless lines of fuel trucks and radically reduce local air pollution."

The LDR-50 district heating SMR - with a thermal output of 50 MW - has been under development at VTT since 2020. Designed to operate at around 150°C and below 10 bar (145 psi), Steady Energy says its "operating conditions are less demanding compared with those of traditional reactors, simplifying the technical solutions needed to meet the high safety standards of the nuclear industry". It noted that its reactors are affordable enough for municipal utilities to invest in independently.

The LDR-50 reactor module is made of two nested pressure vessels, with their intermediate space partially filled with water. When heat removal through the primary heat exchangers is compromised, water in the intermediate space begins to boil, forming an efficient passive heat transfer route into the reactor pool, the company said. The system does not rely on electricity or any mechanical moving parts, which could fail and prevent the cooling function.

Guinea signs floating nuclear power plants MoU with Russia

07 June 2024

The Republic of Guinea and Rosatom have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the development of floating power units to supply electricity to the African country.

How a floating power unit might look (Image: Rosatom)

The signing took place during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, with the cooperation set to include the two sides exploring how the implementation of the sea-based units would work and the terms and conditions.

Vladimir Aptekarev, Deputy Head of Rosatom's Mechanical Engineering Division, said: "The cooperation involves joint work on developing a power supply solution both to industrial and domestic consumers in the Republic of Guinea, by deploying floating nuclear power units with RITM-200 reactors, which have already proven efficient ... The power supply issue in the African region is urgent, and our main task is to provide a fast, reliable and environmentally-friendly solution for our partners."

He added that the agreement "demonstrates the high global interest in our technology".

The floating power units developed by Rosatom are based on the RITM-200 reactors which have been used for the latest generation of nuclear-powered icebreakers. The first floating power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, in the Chukotka region, was launched in 2020 and provides 70 MWe, plus heat, to the nearby coastal areas.

Under a contract signed in 2021, Rosatom's Machine Engineering Division is supplying four floating power units (FPUs), each with a capacity of up to 106 MW of electric power, for the Baimsky Mining and Processing Plant. Three of the FPUs will be primary units, while the fourth will serve as a backup and the project is designed to be the first "serial" reference for floating power units and the world’s first experience in electrification using a floating power unit for mineral extraction projects.

In a question and answer interview for World Nuclear News last month. Aptekarev said 100 MW floating power units were being developed for export "with enhanced technical and economic performance suited for relatively warm climates" adding that negotiations were "in progress with several countries across different regions of the world, with some negotiations already resulting in signed agreements". He explained that the business model is not to sell the floating power units, but instead to sell the electricity generated from them, with Power Purchase Agreements of up to 60 years. The refuelling interval is expected to be between 7 and 10 years.

Burkina Faso signs fresh nuclear-focused MoUs with Russia

06 June 2024

Memorandums of understanding (MoUs) covering education and training, infrastructure development and public opinion have been signed in the next stage of Burkina Faso and Russia's cooperation on peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

(Image: Strana Rosatom)

The MoUs were signed by Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev and Burkina Faso's Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries, Yacouba Zabre Guba, on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

They set out a framework for interaction covering education and training in the field of nuclear energy, the assessment and development of nuclear infrastructure and also cooperation concerning the forming of positive public opinion on nuclear energy.

Rosatom said that as part of the agreements there would be links between educational institutions, training of teachers and student exchange programmes. On public opinion there would be activities aimed at raising public awareness of the benefits of non-energy applications of nuclear technology in areas such as medicine and agriculture.

The MoUs build on those signed in October 2023 and in March this year which set out a roadmap for the development of cooperation between the two countries with the aim of implementing both nuclear energy projects and using nuclear technology to benefit medicine and agriculture in Burkina Faso.

The signing took place on the same day that Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was visiting Burkina Faso for talks. Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore said at a press conference after their discussions that the cooperation "is a positive factor that will allow us to further develop infrastructure in this direction", and said that developing the energy sector was a top priority for the country, the Russian Tass news agency reported.

Takahama units cleared for extended operation

29 May 2024

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved the operation of units 3 and 4 at Kansai Electric Power Company's Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture for a further 20 years. Both reactors are currently in operation and will reach their 40th anniversaries in January and June of 2025, respectively.

Takahama units 3 and 4 (Image: Kansai)

Under regulations which came into force in July 2013, Japanese reactors have a nominal operating period of 40 years. One extension to this - limited to a maximum of 20 years - may be granted, requiring amongst other things, a special inspection to verify the integrity of reactor pressure vessels and containment vessels after 35 years of operation.

The Takahama plant is home to four reactors. Takahama 1 and 2 - both 780 MWe (net) pressurised water reactors (PWRs) - entered commercial operation in 1974 and 1975 respectively, while units 3 and 4 - 830 MWe PWRs - both began commercial operation in 1985. Takahama 1 and 2 became the first Japanese units to be granted a licence extension beyond 40 years under the revised regulations.

In November 2022, Kansai announced it planned to apply for regulatory approval to extend the operating life of Takahama units 3 and 4 by a further 20 years. The company said it had carried out special inspections and evaluations of the two units, and had not found any issues likely to cause problems if the operating period were to be extended to 60 years. It also announced plans to replace the steam generators at the two units during scheduled outages, from June to October 2026 for unit 3 and October 2026 to February 2027 for unit 4.

Kansai applied to the NRA for the operating extension in April 2023.

The NRA has now approved the extension, making Takahama 3 and 4 the seventh and eighth Japanese reactors to be permitted to operate beyond 40 years.

"We will continue to strive to improve the safety and reliability of our nuclear power plants and utilise nuclear power generation as an important source of energy, with the understanding of local residents and others," Kansai said.

In December 2022, the NRA approved a draft of a new rule that would allow reactors to be operated for more than the current limit of 60 years. Under the amendment, the operators of reactors in use for 30 years or longer must formulate a long-term reactor management plan and gain approval from the regulator at least once every 10 years if they are to continue to operate. The new policy will effectively extend the period reactors can remain in operation beyond 60 years by excluding the time they spent offline for inspections from the total service life.

The legislation was approved by Japan's Cabinet in February and enacted in May 2023. It comes into effect in June 2025. Under the new policy - which describes nuclear power as "a power source that contributes to energy security and has a high decarbonisation effect" - Japan will maximise the use of existing reactors by restarting as many of them as possible and prolonging the operating life of aging ones beyond the current 60-year limit. The government also said the country will develop advanced reactors to replace those that are decommissioned.

SMR developers enlist French nuclear expertise

29 May 2024

Thorizon of the Netherlands has signed a cooperation agreement with France's EDF R&D to advance the Thorizon One molten salt reactor design. Meanwhile, Blue Capsule has signed a partnership agreement with the French Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission, from which it was spun off, for the development of its small modular reactor.

How the Thorizon One plant could look (Image: Thorizon)

Thorizon - a spin-off from NRG, which operates the High Flux Reactor in Petten - is developing a 250 MWt/100 MWe molten salt reactor (MSR), targeted at large industrial customers and utilities. Thorizon aims to construct a pilot reactor system before 2035.

MSRs use molten fluoride salts as primary coolant, at low pressure. They may operate with epithermal or fast neutron spectrums, and with a variety of fuels. Much of the interest today in reviving the MSR concept relates to using thorium (to breed fissile uranium-233), where an initial source of fissile material such as plutonium-239 needs to be provided. There are a number of different MSR design concepts, and a number of interesting challenges in the commercialisation of many, especially with thorium.

The molten salt fuel adopted by Thorizon uses a combination of long-lived elements from reprocessed used nuclear fuel and thorium. The reactor will be able to recycle long-lived waste from existing nuclear facilities. The Thorizon One concept is unique in that the core is composed of a set of cartridges that is replaced every five to ten years. This, the company says, overcomes two molten salt design obstacles: material corrosion and handling of used fuel volumes.

Under the new agreement, EDF R&D will review Thorizon's neutronic core calculations and conduct scenario analyses to determine how the Thorizon One could help to close the fuel cycle in the European reactor fleet.

Thorizon said it will "benefit from EDF's expertise as the French leader in electricity production, and in particular from the recognised skills of its R&D researchers". 

"The R&D team covers all disciplines from neutronics and fuel to safety and construction," said Bernard Salha, EDF R&D Director and EDF Group Chief Technical Officer. "We are actively supporting several start-ups in the France 2030 programme. The cartridge-based approach of Thorizon is interesting and promising."

"It is a pleasure to work with the EDF team which has more experience in nuclear than any company across the globe," added Thorizon CEO Kiki Lauwers. "Thanks to EDF R&D, start-ups like us benefit from access to unique industry experts that can very quickly spot the strengths and areas for improvements in our design. We hope we can continue to work with the EDF R&D team on the realisation of our technology in the future. We believe all solutions are needed to empower the energy transition and the Thorizon One can be a great compliment to the existing and planned nuclear fleet."

Horizon says its ambition is to develop an MSR that "can be realised rapidly and smartly, is 'walk-away' safe, and takes a first step towards circularity by using long-lived nuclear waste as a fuel source". The company aims to build a non-nuclear molten salt demonstrator in the short-term and finalise the detailed design to start building a first-of-a-kind Thorizon One reactor by 2030.

Decarbonising industry

Blue Capsule - a spin-off from France's Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) - has announced the signing of a partnership agreement with the CEA for the development of its small modular reactor (SMR) that will supply heat and power to industry.

An illustration of a plant comprising six capsules (Image: Blue Capsule)

Aix-en-Provence-based Blue Capsule is developing a sodium-cooled, high-temperature SMR which can provide 150 MW of heat at 700°C, along with high-temperature steam and electricity. The company aims to decarbonise industrial sites used for ammonia and soda ash production, with subterranean capsules co-located onsite, close to demand.

Under the new agreement - with financial support from French public investment bank Bpifrance - CEA's support for Blue Capsule will extend to fields such as equipment and components, materials, calculation codes and TRISO-based fuel.

"France's leadership in the fields of nuclear energy and low-carbon solutions is creating big opportunities for industry right across the country," said Blue Capsule's reactor architect Domnin Erard. "And for Blue Capsule, collaboration with the French nuclear sector is front and centre of our strategy.

"This vital partnership with the CEA means that Blue Capsule benefits from world-class expertise across the board. It lays the foundations for our future industrial cooperation with the French nuclear supply chain, for manufacturing and assembling Blue Capsule units.

"It all comes down to cutting industrial CO2 emissions and of course the re-industrialisation of communities in France and beyond. For our part, we'll do everything we can to help achieve that objective."

Blue Capsule is planning to build a proof-of-concept sodium loop and a non-nuclear prototype by 2030. The company's first-of-a-kind SMR is scheduled for construction by 2035 and is set to be built in France.

First Westinghouse fuel loaded at Bulgaria's Kozloduy


29 May 2024

Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev was among those marking the loading of Westinghouse VVER fuel into the country's Kozloduy nuclear power plant's unit 5, part of its supply diversification process.

From left to right: Aziz Dag, Senior Vice President, Global BWR and VVER Fuel Business, Westinghouse; Valentin Nikolov, CEO, Kozloduy NPP, Dimitar Glavchev, Bulgarian Prime Minister; Vladimir Malinov, Minister of Energy; H.E. Kenneth Merten, US Ambassador to Bulgaria (Image: Westinghouse)

Glavchev called it an important day in the development of the Bulgarian nuclear energy industry, marking a break from its past reliance on Russia for fuel for its two reactors. He noted that discussions with Westinghouse began in 2009.

"It's always good to have a choice. Diversification provides us with exactly that - a choice that gives better opportunities with 100% safety and security," Glavchev said.

Westinghouse signed a 10-year supply contract in December 2022 and is supplying its RWFA VVER-1000 fuel design, which the American company has been supplying to several Ukrainian plants over the past decade.

Valentin Nikolov, Executive Director of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, said: "This is a key element of our strategy as we strive to maintain the high performance of our plant and ensure safe, reliable and affordable energy for Bulgaria and the region."

Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel, said: "Kozloduy celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and we are pleased to contribute to our customer’s fuel supply diversification with this first reload. We are looking forward to building on this long-term partnership as we also make significant progress with Kozloduy NPP on the opportunity to build two Westinghouse AP1000 units at this site.”

The Kozloduy nuclear power plant is in the northwest of Bulgaria on the Danube River and provides about 34% of the country's electricity. It features two VVER-1000 units currently in operation, which have both been through refurbishment and life extension programmes to enable extension of operation from 30 to 60 years. Unit 5 was connected to the grid in 1987 and unit 6 in 1991.

As well as the fuel supply agreement with Westinghouse for unit 5, Kozloduy also signed an agreement with France's Framatome to supply fuel for unit 6.

Hungary and Belarus sign roadmap for nuclear energy cooperation

29 May 2024

Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto have held talks and agreed on the next steps in cooperation over their nuclear energy plants.

The talks took place at the foreign ministry in Belarus (Image: Belta)

According to the energy ministry in Belarus, the roadmap covers deepened cooperation relating to the Russian-built nuclear power plants featuring VVER-1200 units in the two countries as well as wider energy issues.

The official Belta news agency in Belarus said the agreement "defines the main areas of joint work of Belarusian and Hungarian nuclear scientists for 2024-2025, including in the field of personnel training, scheduled maintenance and radioactive waste management". The roadmap is a follow-up to the memorandum of understanding concluded in April 2023 between the two countries.

Hungary's Paks II project was launched in early 2014 by an intergovernmental agreement between Hungary and Russia for two VVER-1200 reactors to be supplied by Rosatom, with the contract supported by a Russian state loan to finance the majority of the project. The construction licence application was submitted in July 2020 to build Paks II alongside the existing Paks plant, 100 kilometres southwest of Budapest on the banks of the Danube river. The construction licence was issued in August 2022 and a construction timetable agreed last year which set out plans to connect the new units to the grid at the beginning of the 2030s.

The Belarus nuclear power plant has two VVER-1200 reactors and is located in Ostrovet in the Grodno region. A general contract for the construction was signed in 2011, with first concrete in November 2013. Construction of unit 2 began in May 2014. The first power unit was connected to the grid in November 2020, with the second unit put into commercial operation in November 2023.

According to the foreign minister in Belarus, one of the areas discussed was attracting people who worked on the nuclear construction project in Belarus to work on the Hungarian one. The Reuters news agency reported that Szijjarto told a media briefing: "Of great importance is the agreement signed here today on nuclear energy cooperation, which allows us to use the experiences Belarus gained here while constructing reactors with a similar technology."

Russia set to build SMR nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan

28 May 2024

An agreement between Uzbekistan and Russia will see a six-unit small modular reactor nuclear power plant built in the Jizzakh region of Uzbekistan, with construction work due to begin as early as this summer.

The protocol amended the Intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in the construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, expanding the cooperation to include the construction of a small nuclear power plant (Image: Rosatom)

The contract was signed during a state visit to Uzbekistan by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The plan is for a site with a total capacity of 330 MW, comprising six 55 MW reactors. Russian state corporation Rosatom will be the general contractor, with local companies involved in the construction process.

Director of Uzbekistan's nuclear development agency, Uzatom, Azim Akhmedkhadjaev said: "According to forecasts, the demand for energy resources in Uzbekistan will almost double by 2050. It is evident that for the stable operation of the energy system and economic development, our country must ensure a base-load power source in addition to renewable energy sources. We are witnessing a global increase in interest in new nuclear projects, both in large-capacity power plants and small modular reactors. We believe that expanding cooperation with Rosatom will strengthen our energy sector with advanced nuclear energy technologies."

The site has already been through a number of required approval steps for suitability and safety "which will significantly shorten the project implementation timelines", Rosatom said.

There are more than 80 different designs of small modular reactors (SMRs) in development. They are generally defined as nuclear power units with a capacity of up to 300 MWe, with modular technology using module factory fabrication, pursuing economies of series production and shorter construction times.

Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev said: "Rosatom has confirmed its undisputed global leadership in nuclear energy by signing the first-ever export contract for the construction of a small nuclear power plant. This is not just a preliminary agreement; we are starting construction this summer."

The Uzbekistan project is based on the RITM-200N water-cooled reactor, which is adapted from the nuclear powered icebreakers' technology, with thermal power of 190 MW or 55 MWe and with an intended service life of 60 years. The first land-based version is currently being built in Yakut in Russia, with the launch of the first unit expected to take place in 2027. Rosatom says that its combination of active and passive safety systems mean the SMR plants will achieve the highest possible safety standards.

In 2017, Uzbekistan signed an agreement with Russia to construct two VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors and, following the signing of the SMR plant agreement on Monday, Rosatom's Likhachev said, in an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel, that there were still proposals for building a large nuclear power plant - with a capacity of around 2.5 GW - in Uzbekistan.

Jacobs to assist in development of UK-Japanese HTGR

28 May 2024

The UK's National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) has appointed engineering group Jacobs to help in the development of a high temperature gas reactor design that it is developing in partnership with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.

From left to right: Jacobs Vice President Andy White, JAEA President Masanori Koguchi and NNL CEO Paul Howarth (Image: Jacobs)

As NNL's multi-discipline design consultant, Jacobs will review the initial designs and delivery plans for the high temperature gas reactor (HTGR). The company will: help develop cost and schedule estimates as part of a broader investment case submission to HM Treasury; review market demand and end-use cases for HTGR technology; carry out a detailed engineering design review to ensure regulatory compliance; and support engagement with UK regulators.

"We will deploy our deep experience and knowledge of nuclear reactor technology to help deliver a power plant with the potential to contribute to one of the most challenging aspects of energy transition - the decarbonisation of heavy industry such as steel and cement production," said Jacobs Vice President Andy White.

In September 2023, NNL and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of HTGRs, as well as a memorandum for collaboration on the next stage of the UK HTGR Demonstration Reactor programme.

In December 2022, the UK government announced funding of GBP60 million (USD77 million) for research into HTGRs, a type of advanced modular reactor (AMR), aimed at helping to get a demonstration project up and running by the end of the decade. Following an initial call for evidence, the focus for the AMR R&D programme was placed on HTGR technology last year.

Phase A of the AMR R&D programme led to six successful bidders for pre-FEED (Front End Engineering Design) studies for reactor demonstration and fuel demonstration. Phase B is described as "an open, competition-based programme designed to produce up to two HTGR FEED mature enough to enter regulatory review, carry out associated research and development activities, and produce robust delivery plans for a potential Phase C". Phase B will conclude in February 2025. Phase C will see the licensing, construction and operation of an HTGR in the early 2030s.

On 18 July last year, the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) announced that a team comprising NNL and JAEA was selected as one of the project entities to implement the Phase B reactor project. They received funding of GBP31 million. In parallel, DESNZ also announced that Phase B will also push the development of an advanced fuel required for AMRs, through the Coated Particle Fuel (CPF) - Step 1 Programme. NNL, working with JAEA, has been selected by DESNZ to deliver this fuels programme which will build expertise, knowledge and collaboration on coated particle fuel fabrication and scale-up activities.

"This is a groundbreaking project," said NNL VP for Government and New Build Emma Vernon. "We are looking forward to working together on the development of the UKJ-HTR design, through this phase of the DESNZ competition, which will help UK industry to adapt to a changing world and take a step closer to achieving our net-zero goals."

The governments of the UK and Japan expect HTGRs to contribute to the decarbonisation through the supplement of hydrogen and high-temperature steam to the processing, steelmaking and chemical industries, considered difficult to decarbonise, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. JAEA is collaborating with NNL to demonstrate Japanese HTGR technology outside of Japan and to promote its social implementation with the aim of returning the decarbonisation technology to Japan.

Second CGN Hualong One completes commissioning tests

28 May 2024

Unit 4 of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi Autonomous Region has entered commercial operation, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced. The unit is the second of two CGN-designed demonstration Hualong One (HPR1000) reactors at the site.

(Image: CGN)

The 1180 MWe (gross) pressurised water reactor completed a 168-hour trial test run at 8.00am on 25 May, "officially meeting the conditions for commercial operation", CGN said.

First concrete was poured for the nuclear island of Fangchenggang unit 3 - 39% owned by Guangxi Investment Group and 61% by CGN - in December 2015, while that for unit 4 was poured a year later. Unit 3 was originally expected to start up in 2019, with unit 4 scheduled to start up in 2020. Both their start-ups were subsequently postponed until 2022.

However, in January 2022, CGN announced that the start-up of Fangchenggang 3 and 4 had been put back again due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unit 3 achieved first criticality - a sustained chain reaction - on 27 December 2022 and was synchronised with the grid on 10 January 2023. It entered commercial operation on 25 March last year.

China's National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) granted CGN an operating licence for Fangchenggang 4 on 27 February this year, allowing the loading of fuel into the reactor's core to begin. The fuel loading process was completed on 2 March. The reactor reached first criticality on 3 April and was connected to the grid six days later.

Fangchenggang unit 4 (Image: CGN)

CGN said the commissioning of unit 4 "marks the full completion of CGN's Hualong One demonstration project".

"The commissioning of unit 4 of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant has further verified the safety, maturity and advancement of CGN's Hualong One technology, and accumulated valuable experience that can be used as a reference and replicated for the mass construction of Hualong One," said Cai Zhen, chairman of Guangxi Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Company.

The Fangchenggang plant is planned to house six reactors. The first phase comprises two CPR-1000 units which were put into commercial operation in 2016. Units 5 and 6 are expected to feature Hualong One reactors.

CGN noted that, with Fangchenggang unit 4 now in commercial operation, the number of power reactors in operation it manages (including associates) has increased to 28 units and the installed capacity of nuclear power generating units in operation has increased from 30,568 MW to 31,756 MW.

The first two units of China National Nuclear Corporation's version of the Hualong One design at the Fuqing plant in Fujian province have both already started up. Unit 5 entered commercial operation on 30 January 2021, with unit 6 following on 25 March 2022.

Fuel loading completed at France's Flamanville 3 EPR

24 May 2024

The process of loading fuel assemblies into the core of the Flamanville 3 EPR reactor in France has been completed ahead of its start-up. The 1650 MWe (gross) pressurised water reactor is expected to reach 100% output before the end of the year.

he Flamanville EPR (Image: Alexis Morin and Antoine-Soubigou/EDF)

In a 22 May LinkedIn post, manager of the Flamanville 3 project Alain Morvan said: "Fuel loading into the Flamanville EPR reactor vessel is now complete ... since 8 May, the 241 fuel assemblies, each approximately 5 metres high and weighing nearly 800 kg, were transferred one by one under water, through the transfer channel which makes the link between the fuel storage pool and the reactor pool where the vessel is located.

"The handling of the fuel assemblies was carried out with the greatest rigour by the EDF teams; the Framatome teams ensured the neutron monitoring of the reactor core; and those from REEL ensured the proper functioning of all the machines used for these operations. Loading the reactor concludes the first stage of start-up."

Morvan said the reactor vessel will shortly be closed, after which the temperature and pressure in the primary circuit will then gradually be increased to 303°C and 155 bars, respectively, when it will attain 'hot shutdown' conditions.

The first nuclear reaction - referred to as 'divergence' - will be carried out in the coming weeks, he added. The reactor will then gradually increase power to 25% capacity, at which point the unit will be connected to the electricity grid. The EPR will continue to increase output in stages, reaching 100% capacity before the end of the year. "During these several months of exciting tests, numerous checks will be carried out to test around 1500 safety criteria," Morvan noted.

Construction work began in December 2007 on the third unit at the Flamanville site in Normandy - where two reactors have been operating since 1986 and 1987. The dome of the reactor building was put in place in July 2013 and the reactor vessel was installed in January 2014. The reactor was originally expected to start commercial operation in 2013.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News