Costs of new nuclear need addressing, says Wood Mackenzie

18 May 2023

With nuclear generating capacity set to increase by 280 GWe by 2050, the biggest economic hurdle to the uptake of the latest large reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs) is cost, according to independent energy research consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

(Image: Wood Mackenzie)

"Wood Mackenzie believes nuclear should play a central role in decarbonisation for many countries," the company said. "Under our base case, nuclear capacity expands 280 GW by 2050. Under our Global Pledges Scenario, consistent with a 2°C warming pathway, a tripling of nuclear capacity is required."

However, in its new report - titled The nuclear option: Making new nuclear power viable in the energy transition - Wood Mackenzie says that high costs are "arguably the biggest impediment to a nuclear renaissance".

According to its estimates, conventional nuclear power currently has a levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) "at least four times that of wind and solar".

"Investors and policymakers need to think holistically in evaluating and comparing nuclear costs with those of other technologies," the report says. "LCOE is just one metric for quantifying the competitiveness of generation technologies. Typically, LCOE does not take into account additional grid costs and these can often increase the relative cost of wind and solar compared with baseload energy sources, including nuclear.

"Even so, the nuclear industry will have to address the cost challenge with urgency if it is to participate in the huge growth opportunity that low-carbon power presents. At current levels, the cost gap is just too great for nuclear to grow rapidly".

(Image: Wood Mackenzie Energy Transition Service)

Wood Mackenzie says SMRs will play a small part in the power market through to 2030, "largely because high costs are holding back deployment, the decade is already passing by, and construction timelines mean at best only a few plants will be built". It notes industry estimates of first of a kind (FOAK) SMR costs of USD6000-8000 per kilowatt. "Wood Mackenzie analysts expect that FOAK costs will be at the high end of this range, and could be even higher, as developers build out early-stage projects," according to the report.

There are only six potential FOAK SMR projects in the pipeline between 2023-2030, ranging in size from 80 MW to about 450 MW, it notes. The amount of FOAK SMR investment remains uncertain and will be influenced by multiple factors, such as financing terms, commodity costs, uranium availability and the political will to see projects succeed.

According to Wood Mackenzie, at least 10-15 projects - between 3000 and 4500 MW of capacity for a standard 300 MW SMR - need to be under development between 2030 and 2040 to support lower SMR costs.

The report says there are four key aspects of expanding nuclear that need greater focus: policymakers need to set out clear rules for planning, permitting, regulation and safety; expanding uranium supply and processing would help promote long-term price stability and availability; developers need to establish and refine their skillset; and offtake agreements will need to be more creative than ever.

"Governments, developers and investors must work collaboratively to establish a new ecosystem for nuclear to flourish," the report says. "Expanding public support for nuclear will be critical to expanding investment; voters will need to embrace the value proposition of nuclear for it to have a social licence to operate. This is not as unrealistic as it sounds: today's nuclear industry grew out of the energy security concerns and high commodity prices of the 1970s - similar market dynamics to those we face today."

David Brown, Director, Energy Transition Service at Wood Mackenzie, and lead author of the report, said: "The nuclear industry will have to address the cost challenge with urgency if it is to participate in the huge growth opportunity that low-carbon power presents. At current levels, the cost gap is just too great for nuclear to grow rapidly."

Private sector investment essential for SMR deployment, Indian think-tank says

18 May 2023

Successful deployment of small modular reactor (SMR) technology must leverage private sector investment, a new report by the Indian government's NITI Aayog public policy think-tank has found.

The report was launched at a G20 event in Mumbai (Image: NITI Aayog)

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) co-authored the document, A Report on the role of small modular reactors in the energy transition, with India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and integrated engineering consultant Tata Consulting Engineers Limited (TCE). The report was released at the International Seminar on the Role of Small Modular Reactors in the Energy Transition, part of the 3rd Energy Transitions Working Group held in Mumbai from 16-17 May under India's G20 presidency.

"As the world transitions towards sustainable energy, harnessing potential of nuclear power through Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) can pave the way for a cleaner and brighter future. By prioritising research and development in this sector, the global community can help address vital issues such as climate change and energy security. SMRs offer a flexible solution for meeting energy needs," India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said in a message published in the report. "Release of this report during India's G20 presidency can enable fruitful dialogue on SMRs and contribute towards global efforts to build a sustainable and resilient energy system for all with greater participation of private players."

The 106-page report looks at the role of SMRs in the energy transition, the status of technology development, readiness of supply chains, initiatives to harmonise SMR regulation and the international licensing process, and preparation for international safeguards, as well as the need to de-risk SMR projects to attract investment from private players.

The SMR industry is currently at an "evolution stage" as it faces the challenges of technology demonstration, special material availability, special manufacturing techniques, project funding requirements and regulatory harmonisation, the report says, but these challenges - and the need for SMRs to help reach net-zero goals - mean it is "essential" to establish an "SMR ecosystem".

Standardisation of designs, components and modules will facilitate large-scale adoption of SMRs, and existing safety assessment methodology can be updated for the concept of multi-module designs and emergency planning zones of SMRs, it finds, but financing "remains one of the critical challenges against accelerated development and deployment of SMRs". A high degree of uncertainty in SMR costs - which is to be expected in first-of-a-kind plants, which are also likely to see only partial benefits from modularisation and standardisation compared with later plants - means there is limited private investment in the sector.

Attracting private sector financing for SMRs will be hard without initial support from government, the report notes, but low-cost finance, green finance and incorporation of nuclear into green taxonomies can improve the economics of SMR projects. De-risking SMR projects and establishing attractive financing frameworks is "pivotal" for incentivising private investors, it says. "It has been observed that venture capital is a poor fit for the 'hard' SMR sector. Hence, the public and private sectors must work together to identify alternative sources of early-stage finance."

India's 22 operable nuclear power plants currently generate only about 3% of the country's electricity needs, but the country has confirmed plans for 21 new reactors (including 8 under construction and one - Kakrapar 3 - which has been grid-connected but is not yet in commercial operation).

NITI Aayog has previously said the government should consider SMRs in addition to these plants to help the country reach its energy needs and net-zero goals, and in 2022 Minister of State Jitendra Singh called for the country's private sector companies and start-ups to take part in the development of SMR technology at a workshop held by the think-tank. However, India's 1962 Atomic Energy Act prohibits private control of nuclear power generation and although the act was amended in 2016 to allow Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd to form joint venture companies with other Indian public sector units, this does not extend to private sector companies, nor does it allow direct foreign investment in nuclear power, apart from the supply chain.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Year-round navigation of eastern part of Northern Sea Route planned for 2024

18 May 2023

Russia's plans to rapidly expand the Northern Sea Route will ultimately need up to 100 Arctic-class vessels and 15 floating power units, and a "truly historic decision" had been taken "to launch year-round navigation in the eastern part of the Northern Sea Route early next year", according to Rosatom's director general.

China and India are said to be interested in the northern route's options (Image: Rosatomflot)

In a government meeting to discuss goods and services chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin, much of the focus was on the potential of the Northern Sea Route and the role of nuclear-powered vessels, notably the newly developing fleet of ice-breakers.

Putin said: "The Northern Sea Route is opening, this is obvious. Colleagues just spoke about climate change, like it or not, this is happening." He added that other countries were keen to be involved in the development of the route, which he called a strategic priority for Russia.

Development of the Northern Sea Route sees cargo vessels travelling through Arctic waters from northern Europe to east Asia and facilitating year-round passage is the prime mission of Russia's nuclear icebreaker fleet. As well as icebreakers, there is also a need for barge-based floating nuclear power plants to power the development of Arctic ports.

Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, Alexei Chekunkov, said that cargo traffic on the Northern Sea Route had grown from 4 million tonnes in 2014 to 34 million tonnes in 2022 and had "already become a key transport corridor for the export of oil, liquified natural gas, mineral fertilisers, metals and other high value-added products to world markets ... the volume of production of such products will increase significantly in the coming years ... the task is to ensure a carrying capacity of 100 million tonnes by 2026 and 200 million by 2030".

The ministry had, with Rosatom, launched the regular route from Murmansk to Kamchatka in 2022 with a subsidised tariff - with loads rapidly jumping from 15% on the first journey to 90%. This year there would be three trips and the number of ports was being increased from 4 to 11 and the route extended to Vladivostok.

He said that while "unfriendly states" were rethinking their previous plans to use the route "we are seeing growing interest in using the route from China, India and countries in southeast Asia". He outlined the investment needed in developing the route but said it "will bring significant additional revenues to the state which will create a new quality of life in the Russian Arctic".

Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev said that European sanctions on Russian oil and oil products had been a challenge "but also opened a new window of opportunity ... we are working on redirecting Russian oil from the Baltic ports to the Northern Sea Route ... thanks to the Northern Sea Route it became possible to transfer many maritime activities from west to east".

He said that the scale of development of the route required a sharp increase in the Arctic maritime fleet, saying there were currently 30 vessels in operation and 33 more under construction while "the construction of four floating nuclear power plants continues", adding that interest in them "both in Russia and in the world is constantly growing".

As well as five nuclear icebreakers "it is necessary to make a decision this year to start building four more non-nuclear floating power units - in total we will need up to 100 Arctic-class vessels as well as at least 15 floating power units", Likhachev said. "The staffing issue is very important. Taking into account the required number of vessels, by 2030 alone we will need at least 7500 seafarers, this includes the needs of the nuclear icebreaker fleet of at least 1500," added Likhachev.

He added that the plan was "to launch year-round navigation in the eastern part of the Northern Sea Route early next year. This is a truly historic decision, important for the development of the entire Arctic and of particular importance, of course, for the economy of our country".

The third of Russia's Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreaker vessels, the Ural, took its first working journey in December 2022. The vessels which have twin RITM-200 reactors are 173 metres long and designed to break through 2.8-metre-thick ice at up to 2 knots. The wide 33-metre beam at the waterline is designed to match the 70,000 tonne ships they are designed to clear a path for.

Arktika was the first Project 22220 ship, with those following known as series vessels. The Sibir entered service in January 2022. Two more of the ships are under construction: the Yakutia and the Chukotka, which are slated for service in 2024 and 2026, respectively.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

SCI-FI-TEK

Consortium Of Japanese Companies To Back Promising Fusion Startup

By ZeroHedge - May 18, 2023

• 16 companies in Japan, including Mitsubishi Corp. and Kansai Electric Power Co. are investing in a new nuclear fusion startup.
• 
  
• Funds from the investment are going to be put toward "enabling stable operation of a fusion reactor",
• 
  
• The goal is to have a small-sized reactor built in Japan by 2024.

16 companies in Japan, including Mitsubishi Corp., Kansai Electric Power Co. and one government affiliated fund, are readying a $73.6 million investment in a startup working to commercialize fusion power. 

Tokyo-based Kyoto Fusioneering was founded in 2019 by researchers from Kyoto University, according to Nikkei, who calls the company "the most successful startup in Japan working with fusion-related technology."

The ultimate goal is to move toward implementing and developing fusion, which makes heat by combining hydrogen atoms to make helium. Fuels that can be used for fusion can be drawn from seawater and are "practically inexhaustible", the report says. 

This means that if fusion can be perfected, it could be a large step to moving the planet to a carbon-free future. The startup uses "plasma-heating equipment called gyrotrons" which help create nuclear fusion reactions.

Source: Nikkei

Kyoto Fusioneering is seen as the world leader in the development of gyrotrons. 

Nikkei notes that Mitsui & Co., J-Power, Inpex and 10 other companies, including MUFG Bank and JIC Venture Growth Investments, a government-affiliated fund have also all invested with the company. 

Funds from the investment are going to be put toward "enabling stable operation of a fusion reactor", with goals of having a small scale reactor built in Japan by 2024. The company also plans on bolstering its engineers and furthering testing on its gyrotrons to see if they can perform over extended periods. 

The company hopes to be the first to commercialize such a process, the report says. Recall, the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in the U.S. said in 2022 that they had also succeeded in creating a fusion reaction that produced more energy than it consumed, the report says. 

Even U.S. companies like Microsoft are already starting to secure contracts with fusion energy companies for power. Microsoft's contract is with a company called Helion Energy and starts in 2028. 

Fusion supply chain needs confidence to invest, says FIA

17 May 2023

A primary challenge facing the companies commercialising fusion technology is building a supply chain, according to the Fusion Industry Association (FIA). Fusion developers are set to spend potentially trillions of dollars in a mature fusion industry, it says, but suppliers are reluctant to invest without committed orders.

(Image: FIA)

In its new report - titled The Fusion Industry Supply Chain: Opportunities and Challenges - the FIA says: "For the most part, the fusion industry agrees the capabilities exist to build the fusion power systems of this decade, even as significant engineering, materials, and technology hurdles remain to get to cost-competitive and reliable power plants. Today's construction needs, and even the design of pilot plants, will rely on a small workforce and a few specialist firms.

"But, in the next decade and beyond, moving to mass-scale, low-cost production and assembly of fusion power plants will require investment from suppliers in new facilities and will need new companies to enter the supply chain."

The report - which surveyed 26 private fusion companies - calculated that the fusion supply chain was worth over USD500 million in 2022. Spending by fusion developers is expected to increase to over USD7 billion by the time they build their first-of-a-kind power plant.

While most of the materials and components (such as concrete, steel and power electronics) for commercial fusion power plants will be met through already existing supply chains, there are a limited set of supply chain needs that are unique to the fusion industry, the report notes. These are mostly specialised manufactured components, such as high-powered magnets, laser components, heat management technologies, advanced materials, high powered semiconductors and fusion fuel. Needs also include specialist contractors to help make parts, as well as legal services.

"In the next decade and beyond, moving to mass-scale, low-cost production and assembly of fusion power plants will require investment from suppliers in new facilities and will need new companies to enter the supply chain," the FIA said. "The difference between building one or two pilot plants and building the hundreds of power plants that companies suggest a fully-realised fusion industry would look like will take a state-change in both the companies and the supply chain themselves."

However, there are signs that some suppliers may not be ready to scale ahead of demand, the report notes. More than half of fusion companies (58%) say suppliers need to invest now to meet scaling ambitions, yet 70% said their suppliers see building the capacity to meet future demand as too risky without committed orders.

The report makes several recommendations to address supplier reluctance. These include: increasing investment, both public and private, into fusion to give confidence about the necessity of supplier scale; experimenting with risk-sharing financing to enable suppliers to invest in new capacity - such as through fusion investors making investments in key suppliers; creating online networks and an annual supplier event, to help communication and awareness between fusion companies and suppliers; and deploying standardisation and regulation to bring more certainty to the supply chain and confidence to make long-term investments.

"The projected growth of the fusion industry creates a huge business opportunity for current and new suppliers," said FIA CEO Andrew Holland. "It is clear that more long-term certainty is needed - through a mix of finance, regulation, risk-sharing mechanisms, and more communication – so suppliers are prepared to scale ahead of industry need.

"The fusion supply chain has a unique advantage as it is not reliant on rare materials only found in unstable countries, but on high quality manufacturing and specialist components that come from open economies. With appropriate private and public investment, fusion energy will one day provide a sustainable, reliable, and abundant form of clean energy to communities around the world."

The Fusion Industry Association is a US-registered non-profit independent trade association for the international nuclear fusion industry. Founded in 2018, it is headquartered in Washington, DC.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Alliance calls for greater European support for nuclear

17 May 2023

Nuclear could provide up to 150 GWe of generating capacity by 2050 in the European Union, according to a statement issued by 16 European countries following a meeting in Paris with European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson. The so-called Nuclear Alliance called on the European Commission to recognise nuclear energy in the EU's energy strategy and relevant policies.

The European Commission building in Brussels (Image: Dimitris Vetsikas/Pixabay)

France's Minister for Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, brought together her counterparts from member countries of the Nuclear Alliance on 16 May at the Ministry for Energy Transition. A total of 16 countries were represented. In addition to the host country, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Sweden, plus Italy with observer status, were represented. The UK was present as a guest country.

"Created on the initiative of France, the Nuclear Alliance aims to bring together all the countries of Europe wishing to rely on nuclear energy, alongside renewables, to carry out their energy transition," the ministry said.

This was the third meeting of the alliance, following the first meeting in Stockholm on 28 February and the second in Brussels on 28 March.

Discussions at the Paris meeting were structured around two round tables: the first on how to build an independent European nuclear supply chain; the second on the needs implied by the revival of the European nuclear industry, particularly in terms of skills and innovation.

During the meeting, participants emphasised the key contribution of nuclear energy, as an addition to renewable energy, to decarbonise Europe's energy production and collectively reach climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest.

They discussed the need to ensure that for nuclear energy and radioisotopes, Europe keeps reducing its dependencies on Russian suppliers and the need to guarantee the security of supply of nuclear materials, particularly nuclear fuel, for power and non-power uses. The participants reiterated the importance of working together and with the EU Commission, and supporting the objectives of like-minded international efforts such as through the G7, to achieve this objective by bringing about a strong European nuclear industry.

At the end of the meeting, the member countries of the Nuclear Alliance signed a joint statement calling for a European action plan to develop cooperation around nuclear power, especially in terms of skills, innovation, safety, dismantling and waste standards.

"Nuclear power may provide up to 150 GW of electricity capacity by 2050 to the European Union (vs roughly 100 GW today)," the statement says. "This represents the equivalent of up to 30 to 45 new-build large reactors and small modular reactors in the EU and such new projects would also ensure that the current share of 25% electricity production be maintained in the EU for nuclear energy."

It added: "In terms of impact on jobs and growth, the European nuclear sector expects to create in the EU, by 2050, 300,000 additional, new direct, indirect and induced jobs. Taking into account retirements, the nuclear energy sector would recruit more than 450,000 employees in the EU over the next 30 years, including more than 200,000 highly skilled people."

The ministers and high-level representatives agreed "to work together on a road map to deepen their cooperation and trigger the involvement of the European Union in the field of nuclear energy". This includes "promoting better conditions for the development and deployment of new nuclear energy capacity in the EU, including better access to financing".

"This third meeting of the member countries of the Nuclear Alliance has led to great progress," said Pannier-Runacher.

"This meeting shows that an ever-growing number of Member States recognise that if we want to decarbonise our economy in a sustainable and affordable way, then the EU needs to support the development of both nuclear and renewables," said Yves Desbazeille, Director General of Brussels-based trade association Nucleareurope. "Too much time has been wasted on pitching one technology against another. Demand for low-carbon electricity is expected to massively increase over the coming years. So, the EU now needs to move forward with pragmatic and technology neutral policies which focus on achieving our goals: decarbonisation, security of supply and affordability."

Nuclear energy generates electricity in 14 of the 27 EU Member States, and currently provides 25% of Europe's electricity and 50% of its low carbon electricity.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Westinghouse, Ansaldo progress with LFR development 

18 May 2023

As part of their collaboration to develop a next generation nuclear power plant based on Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) technology, Ansaldo Nucleare and Westinghouse have completed the first testing campaign at the Passive Heat Removal Facility (PHRF) at Ansaldo's facility in Wolverhampton, UK.

The Passive Heat Removal Facility (Image: Ansaldo Nucleare)

The two companies signed a cooperation agreement in October 2022 to develop LFR technology. The agreement will see the two companies advance a "common design to maximise synergies, combine experience in design, testing and licensing and align respective partner and supply chain organisations". At the time, the partners said the agreement "builds upon development activities already under way in the UK, USA, Italy and Romania where more than ten state-of-the-art, lead-based test facilities are being installed".

The testing campaign at Ansaldo's PHRF was performed under a contract within Phase 2 of the Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) programme partially funded by the UK's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which was awarded to Westinghouse with Ansaldo Nucleare as the main supplier.

As part of this contract, Ansaldo Nucleare led the design, purchase, installation and commissioning of two state-of-the-art experimental facilities to support Westinghouse's LFR technology - the Versatile Loop Facility and the Passive Heat Removal Facility.

"These test facilities are a key asset for collecting experimental data supporting accelerated development of LFR technology," Ansaldo said.

"With this milestone we have added another important element to the future of Generation IV reactors," said Ansaldo Nucleare CEO Riccardo Casale. "Together with the UK subsidiary Ansaldo Nuclear Ltd, Ansaldo Nucleare remains at the forefront of Westinghouse Lead Fast Reactor development: a fruitful collaboration we can only be proud of."

"Moving into the testing phase utilising these large-scale test facilities clearly demonstrates the maturity of the reactor development project that Westinghouse and Ansaldo Nucleare are advancing," said Mark Urso, interim Chief Technology Officer of Westinghouse. "Our project goes beyond design and modeling activities, and includes hands-on activities contributing to enhancing our practical knowledge of LFR technology."

World Nuclear Association says LFRs are "a flexible fast neutron reactor which can use depleted uranium or thorium fuel matrices, and burn actinides from LWR fuel. Liquid metal (Pb or Pb-Bi eutectic) cooling is at atmospheric pressure by natural convection (at least for decay heat removal). Fuel is metal or nitride, with full actinide recycle from regional or central reprocessing plants. A wide range of unit sizes is envisaged, from factory-built 'battery' with 15-20 year life for small grids or developing countries, to modular 300-400 MWe units and large single plants of 1400 MWe".

According to Westinghouse, its LFR is "a medium-sized, passively safe modular reactor being developed to reduce front-end capital cost and generate flexible and cost-competitive electricity. The LFR achieves new levels of energy affordability by adopting innovative design features to simplify and compact the plant, while enhanced construction modularity shortens the construction schedule".

It said the use of lead as coolant, with a boiling point exceeding 1700°C, allows for high-temperature operation at atmospheric pressure without coolant boiling concerns. This increases thermodynamic efficiency, reduces capital cost and facilitates achieving inherent safety compared with pressurised systems.

"The LFR has the ability to go beyond baseload electricity generation by utilising a thermal energy storage system for load leveling," it adds. "Its high-temperature capabilities make it capable of addressing a broad range of applications such as combined heat and electricity, as well as water desalination in captive markets."

Westinghouse to supply new steam generators for Surry nuclear plant

17 May 2023

Westinghouse Electric Company has signed a contract with Dominion Energy to design, engineer and manufacture six replacement steam generators for Surry nuclear power station in Virginia in the USA.

The Surry units began commercial operation in the early 1970s (Image: Dominion)

The deal anticipates the steam generators being delivered from 2028 for installation beginning in 2029. The replacements support Dominion's Subsequent Licence Renewal programme to extend the lifetime of Surry units 1 and 2 into the 2050s. It follows a 2021 contract between Dominion and Westinghouse for a major Instrumentation & Control upgrade.

The steam generators will be fabricated at Westinghouse's facility in Monfalcone, Italy, and are based on the company's original F-Series units, with "multiple enhancements to maintain an industry leading best in-service performance".

Dan Stoddard, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer at Dominion, said: "Our long-term partnership with Westinghouse supports our efforts to extend Surry’s nuclear energy production for decades to come. Our Surry nuclear station operates year-round at more than 93% capacity, providing our customers with around-the-clock clean, reliable, and affordable energy."

Dan Sumner, president of operating plant services for Westinghouse, said: "These industry-leading steam generators will help Dominion deliver safe and efficient nuclear energy into the middle of the 21st century. We are proud to continue supporting Dominion’s modernisation efforts."

In 2021, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved an application by Dominion Energy for a 20-year extension to the operating licences of the two Surry units, enabling the pressurised water reactors to each operate for 80 years, until 2052 and 2053 respectively.

Surry 1 began commercial operation in 1972 and Surry 2 in 1973, and were originally licensed to operate for 40 years. The units' licences were renewed for 20 additional years of operation in March 2003 before the subsequent renewal. They provide carbon-free energy for 420,000 homes.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Canadian-US cooperation on management of used fuel

17 May 2023

Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) and the US Department of Energy have signed a Statement of Intent to cooperate on used nuclear fuel management.

The signing of the Statement of Intent (Image: NWMO)

The agreement was signed at Canada's Embassy in Washington, DC, by NWMO President and CEO Laurie Swami and Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the DOE Kathryn Huff.

The Statement of Intent will foster information sharing on a consent-based siting process, science and technology programmes, engagement activities and joint technical studies. It also lays the groundwork for a programme of exchanges and visits, enabling NWMO and DOE leaders to learn from each other through hands-on experiences in each other's organisations.

At a ceremony to mark the signing of the agreement, NWMO and DOE leaders committed to implementing the agreement and expanding cooperation through the specific, standalone agreements that the Statement of Intent permits.

"The agreement reflects the US and Canada's shared commitment to safely managing used nuclear fuel, including that from small modular reactors," NWMO said.

In March, Natural Resources Canada and the US DOE released a joint statement saying: "As global leaders in advanced nuclear technologies, we have a responsibility to ensure that the global adoption of advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors, continues to be safe and secure and in accordance with non-proliferation obligations.

"Consent-based siting for the long-term management of radioactive waste is part of our common vision and foundational to building trust and support for nuclear energy. We intend to work closely with emerging nuclear markets to promote the accelerated use of advanced nuclear power globally, while ensuring the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and non-proliferation."

The NWMO is charged with implementing Canada's plan for the safe, long-term management of used fuel, known as Adaptive Phased Management, and launched the site selection process in 2010. The selected site must have the support of "informed and willing" hosts and NWMO is working to ensure that the chosen location will be safe and secure.

By 2012, 22 communities had expressed an interest in learning about the project and exploring their potential to host it. Eleven of those communities went forward to the second phase of the NWMO's preliminary assessment process. By the end of 2019, the list of potential host communities had been narrowed down to two: the Revell Site, some 43 km northwest of the town of Ignace, and 21 km southeast of the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation; and the South Bruce Site, about 5 km northwest of Teeswater in the Municipality of South Bruce. The preferred site is expected to be announced in late-2024.

"For more than two decades, the NWMO has demonstrated our commitment to engaging with communities, conducting scientific research and developing innovative technologies for safely managing used nuclear fuel over the long term, which we are eager to share with our international partners," Swami said.

The US DOE is working to create a consent-based approach to siting an interim storage site for US used nuclear fuel. The move represents a restart of the federal programme after plans for a repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada were dropped in 2009.

"As the US develops our consent-based siting process, we need to hear from diverse perspectives to build a stronger approach - and that includes lessons learned from our colleagues in Canada," said Huff. "Sharing information and collaborating will bring a sustainable, clean energy future closer to reality."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Australia hands out critical minerals grants

Reuters | May 18, 2023 | 

Nickel sulphate testwork (Image IGO)

Australia has rolled out a series of grants to critical minerals companies hoping to speed up the development of a battery chemical industry and will soon announce details of a national industry strategy, its resources minister said on Thursday.


Australia is pushing to reap more value from its mineral wealth and become a leading supplier of battery chemicals. It already supplies around half of the world’s lithium and is rich in other minerals critical to the energy transition like rare earths, nickel, manganese and graphite.

Resources Minister Madeleine King said that the total A$50 million ($34 million) in grants will help develop the next stage of battery processing and advanced manufacturing for aerospace, medical, energy and defense applications.

“The grants will support Australia’s new Critical Minerals Strategy, to be released shortly and which will outline how Australia can capture the significant opportunity of growing its critical minerals processing sector,” King said in a statement.

Market participants are keenly awaiting Australia’s critical minerals strategy as other jurisdictions such as Canada, the European Union and the U.S. rush to win market share in a processing industry expected to be worth $1 trillion by 2025.

Australia awarded seven companies grants of around A$5 million each and smaller grants to six others.

“While we celebrate the support, our view is the government needs to step up its efforts if it wants Australia to be a cornerstone in metal supply for the energy transition,” said analyst Tim Hoff of broker Canaccord.

“It’s a good start, but to put it in context China has invested $29 billion in its supply chain for batteries and clean tech.”

Grant winners included Australia Energy Storage Solutions which is setting up Australia’s first precursor cathode active materials (PCAM) manufacturing plant in Western Australia.

PCAM, in which Australia has identified a competitive edge, is created from mixtures of battery chemicals in the step immediately before battery cell production.

IGO Ltd won a grant to support its plans to produce nickel-cobalt-manganese PCAM, while gold producer Evolution Mining Ltd was given funds for a project to retrieve cobalt from mine waste.

Other grant winners included graphite producers International Graphite Ltd and Ecograf and rare earths developers Northern Minerals and Australian Strategic Minerals.

($1 = 1.4743 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Sonali Paul)

Pyrite: A Natural History of Fool's Gold

BOOK
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David Rickard
Published:
25 June 2015

Abstract

Most people have heard of pyrite, the brassy yellow mineral sometimes known as fool's gold. Pyrite behaves like stone and shines like metal, and its dual nature makes it a source of both metals and sulfur. Despite being the most common sulfide mineral on the earth's surface, pyrite's bright crystals have attracted the attention of many different cultures, and its nearly identical visual appearance to gold has led to tales of fraud, trickery, and claims of alchemy. Pyrite occupies a unique place in human history: it became an integral part of mining culture in America during the 19th century, and it has a presence in ancient Sumerian texts, Greek philosophy, and medieval poetry, becoming a symbol for anything overvalued. In Pyrite, geochemist and author David Rickard blends basic science and historical narrative to describe the many unique ways pyrite is integral to our world. He explains the basic science of oxidation, showing us why the mineral looks like gold, and inspects death zones of present oceans where pyrite-related hydrogen sulfide destroys oxygen in the waters. Rickard analyzes pyrite's role in manufacturing sulfuric acid and discusses the significant appearance of the mineral in literature, history, and the development of societies. The mineral's influence extends from human evolution and culture, through science and industry, to our understanding of ancient, modern, and future earth environments. Energetic and accessible, Pyrite is the first book to show readers the history and science of a mineral that helped make the modern world.

https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190203672.001.0001
Online ISBN:
9780197559482
Print ISBN:
9780190203672
Publisher:
Oxford University Press