Enrichment operations start at US HALEU plant

12 October 2023

US nuclear fuel and services company Centrus Energy Corp has begun enrichment operations at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. The company said it expects to begin withdrawing high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) product later this month.

The HALEU cascade at the Piketon site (Image: Centrus)

Centrus said the American Centrifuge Plant is the only HALEU facility in the USA licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the first new US-owned, US-technology uranium enrichment plant to begin production since 1954.

"This moment holds great pride - and promise - for the nation," said Centrus President and CEO Daniel Poneman. "We hope that this demonstration cascade will soon be joined by thousands of additional centrifuges right here in Piketon to produce the HALEU needed to fuel the next generation of advanced reactors, low-enriched-uranium to sustain the existing fleet of reactors, and the enriched uranium needed to sustain our nuclear deterrent for generations to come. This is how the United States can recover its lost nuclear independence."

HALEU fuel contains uranium enriched to between 5% and 20% uranium-235 - higher than the uranium fuel used in light-water reactors currently in operation, which typically contains up to 5% uranium-235. It will be needed by most of the advanced reactor designs being developed under the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The lack of a commercial supply chain to support these reactors has prompted the DOE to launch a programme to stimulate the development of a domestic source of HALEU.

Centrus began construction of the demonstration cascade of 16 centrifuges in 2019 under contract with the DOE, and last year secured a further USD150 million of cost-shared funding to finish the cascade, complete final regulatory steps, begin operating the cascade, and produce up to 20 kg of HALEU by the end of this year.

In June, Centrus announced it had successfully completed its operational readiness reviews with the NRC and received approval from the regulator to possess uranium at the Piketon site - the last major regulatory hurdle prior to beginning production.

Since then, Centrus has been conducting final system tests and other preparations so that production could begin.

The company noted it met every required milestone on time and on budget during construction of the cascade and is starting production two months earlier than scheduled under the competitively-awarded, cost-shared contract the company signed with the DOE in 2022.

Centrus said the capacity of the 16-centrifuge cascade is modest - about 900 kilograms of HALEU per year - but with sufficient funding and offtake commitments, the company could significantly expand production. It says a full-scale HALEU cascade, consisting of 120 centrifuge machines, with a combined capacity to produce some 6000 kilograms of HALEU per year, could be brought online within about 42 months of securing the necessary funding. Centrus said it could add a second HALEU cascade six months later and subsequent cascades every two months after that.

Holtec applies to restart shuttered Palisades plant

06 October 2023

The Palisades plant in Michigan could become the first successfully restarted nuclear power plant in the USA following Holtec International's submission of a filing with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to formally begin the process of seeking reauthorisation of power operations at the plant, which was shut down in May 2022.

Palisades (Image: Holtec)

Holtec said the filing follows a series of public meetings with NRC staff to lay out the path to reauthorise the repowering of Palisades within the NRC's existing regulatory framework.

"Our licensing submittal is a significant step in exploring the potential for Palisades to continue contributing to the region’s energy and economic needs, while adhering to the highest safety and regulatory standards," said Jean Fleming, Holtec International Vice President of Licensing, Regulatory Affairs and Probabilistic Safety Analysis. "We understand the importance of nuclear power in our nation's energy mix and the critical role it plays in providing safe, reliable, carbon-free electricity here in Michigan.

"Palisades' safety and operational performance met the industry's highest standards when it was taken offline last year. Its systems and equipment remain well maintained and in excellent material condition. This licensing submittal is the first of a series of submittals intended to return Palisades to full operation."

Palisades, a single-unit power plant, began commercial operation in 1971. Entergy announced in 2016 its plan to close the plant, with the NRC approving in 2021 the transfer of the licence from Entergy to Holtec for the purposes of decommissioning it. The 805 MWe pressurised water reactor was removed from service - after 50 years - by Entergy on 20 May last year, and defuelled by 10 June.

The sale to Holtec completed later that same month and Holtec announced a few days later that it was applying for federal funding to allow it to restart the plant. It was unsuccessful in the first round of the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Civil Nuclear Credit programme but announced in December that it was reapplying. Holtec said it is "working cooperatively with the DOE to move the loan application process forward".

On 31 July, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law the State of Michigan's Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which provides USD150 million in funding for the plant's restart.

Last month, Holtec announced it had signed a long-term power purchase agreement with the non-profit Wolverine Power Cooperative. Under the multi-decade agreement, Wolverine commits to purchasing two-thirds of the power generated from a reopened Palisades, with Wolverine's partner Hoosier Energy purchasing the balance. It also includes a "contract expansion provision" to include one or two small modular reactors that Holtec plans for the site.

Holtec said the repowering of Palisades "will greatly enhance Michigan's carbon-free energy generation, the region's grid reliability and decrease the region's reliance on (expensive) energy imports".

Kelly Trice, President of Holtec Nuclear Generation and Decommissioning, added: "Holtec plans to build up the Palisades site into a mega-clean energy provider to the region with the restarted Palisades power plant as its centrepiece."

US unit cleared to use higher-enriched fuel

03 October 2023

Southern Nuclear has announced it has received authorisation from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to use advanced nuclear fuel enriched up to 6% uranium-235 at Vogtle unit 2. This is the first time a US commercial reactor has been authorised to use fuel with over 5% enrichment.

(Image: Southern Nuclear)

The regulatory authorisation means that manufacture of four first-of-a-kind lead test assemblies (LTA) of the next-generation so-called Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) that will use key components from Westinghouse's High Energy Fuel initiative and the EnCore Fuel programme can now begin, Southern Nuclear said. It envisages loading the fuel into the reactor in 2025.

Southern Nuclear signed an agreement with Westinghouse in 2022 to load the four LTAs at Vogtle. The assemblies will feature Westinghouse's trademarked ADOPT uranium dioxide pellets, AXIOM fuel rod cladding and chromium-coated cladding combined with its advanced PRIME fuel assembly design.

ATF is a "game-changing" technology that will advance performance and further strengthen grid reliability, said Southern Nuclear President Pete Sena, who also recognised the regulator for its "thorough yet timely review of this installation to support the future of commercial nuclear power in our country."

Tarik Choho, Westinghouse's President of Nuclear Fuel, said support from members of the US Congress and the Department of Energy (DOE) had been "critical" to the company's ability to advance fuel technology with higher burnup rates. "We are grateful to Southern Nuclear for their trust and look forward to delivering advanced technologies that will bolster the light water fleet and support the low-cost generation of nuclear power in the long term," he added.

ATFs enhance the tolerance of light-water reactor fuel under severe accident conditions, but also offer improvements to reactor performance and economics during normal operations as well as in transient conditions and accident scenarios. Fuel with higher enrichment lasts longer, extending the time between refuelling outages, as well as potentially reducing fuel costs as less fuel assemblies are needed.

But the current existing US licensing approach means it takes a long time to obtain regulatory approval for such fuels. Southern Nuclear - which operates a total of seven units for Alabama Power and Georgia Power including the four units at Vogtle - said it is working alongside the DOE, fuel suppliers and other utilities in a "coordinated, overarching, multi-year effort" in the US Nuclear Energy Institute's ATF Working Group to "expand the regulatory paradigm".

Southern Nuclear installed GE-Hitachi ATF fuel cladding technologies in 2018 at Hatch unit 1 in another ATF "first", with samples subsequently discharged and shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory for further testing in 2020. In 2019, it installed four Framatome-developed GAIA lead fuel assemblies - containing enhanced accident-tolerant features applied to full-length fuel rods - in Vogtle 2.

Southern Nuclear said it received the NRC approval on 1 August.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Orano to expand capacity of French enrichment plant

20 October 2023

The board of directors of Orano has approved an investment of some EUR1.7 billion (USD1.8 billion) to raise the production capacity of the Georges Besse II (GB-II) uranium enrichment plant at the Tricastin site in southern France by more than 30%.

The Georges Besse II plant (Image: Orano)

The project consists of building a further four modules identical to the 14 existing modules "with the same recognised, tried-and-tested technology and with a reduced environmental footprint", the company said. The additional cascades will increase the plant's capacity by 2.5 million separative work units (SWU), the measurement applied to uranium enrichment.

The GB-II centrifuge enrichment plant - which superseded the Georges Besse I gaseous diffusion enrichment plant that ended production in June 2012 - was officially opened in December 2010 and reached its full production capacity of 7.5 million SWU in 2016.

"In the current geopolitical context, the purpose of this increase in enrichment capacities is to strengthen Western energy sovereignty in France," said Orano Chairman Claude Imauven. "Orano's decision responds to requirements expressed by our customers to strengthen their security of supply with production expected to start up as of 2028."

"This project is seeing the light of day thanks to the support of our customers and to the technical and commercial teams from Orano which have been mobilised on the project since March 2022," said François Lurin, senior executive vice president of Orano's Chemistry-Enrichment Business Unit. "With this extension to capacity, the uranium produced on the Orano Tricastin site will allow low-carbon energy to be supplied to the equivalent of 120 million households each year."

He noted "the importance of the support of the Japanese (Japan France Enrichment Investing, a consortium of Japanese utilities) and Korean (Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power) shareholders in the Tricastin enrichment company SETH (Société d'Enrichissement du Tricastin Holding) in the realisation of this project".

Last month, Lurin said the decision to extend capacity follows requests from some US and European customers who are seeking alternatives to Russian sources of supply. "We have been considering various options and we have concluded that the only way to supply additional needs was to build an extension to our existing capacities and the primary choice we would be able to make is to build up an extension on our Tricastin site at GB-II plant," he said in a video interview. He added: "We are happy to say that we would be able to start up production in 2028, with a ramp-up over two to three years up to a nominal production in 2030."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Nuclear companies sign up for space technology missions

20 October 2023

With nuclear technology set to underpin new developments in space travel, NASA has awarded Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation a contract to manufacture and test fuel and develop the design of a nuclear thermal propulsion engine for near-term missions. Separately, Space Nuclear Power Corporation has partnered with Lockheed Martin Corporation and BWX Technologies for the US Space Force/Air Force's JETSON nuclear electric propulsion demonstration project, while Framatome has announced the creation of a new brand, Framatome Space.

A vision of nuclear thermal propulsion being used in space (Image: USNC)

The USD5 million NASA contract announced by USNC on 17 October will see the company manufacture and test the advanced, proprietary fuel it has already developed through internal research and development efforts. Simultaneously, the company will collaborate with its commercial partner, Blue Origin, to mature the design of a nuclear thermal propulsion engine which has been optimised for near-term civil science and cislunar (between the Earth and the Moon) space missions.

This latest contract will see nuclear thermal propulsion "move from the paper phase into hardware", Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) said. The effort will build on the foundations laid by NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's DRACO - short for Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations - programme, which aims to demonstrate a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) system in orbit by 2027.

Vishal Patel, USNC programme manager for Nuclear Propulsion, said the coming months will be a "critical and exciting" time for NTP, which still needs significant development before it is ready to be deployed to move "real" payloads in space. "This next year will get us prepared for operational missions achieving higher performance after the DRACO demonstration," he said.

USNC earlier this year delivered uranium nitride-coated uranium oxycarbide tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel to NASA's Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion programme. This latest contract builds on that delivery, with USNC manufacturing fuel assemblies for testing in prototypic conditions. The company will also build and test critical safety systems for the NTP engine, which is a prerequisite for eventual testing of the integrated nuclear system at a DOE site, USNC Chief Scientist for Advanced Technologies Michael Eades said.

SpaceNukes joins JETSON

The JETSON - Joint Emergent Technology Supplying On-orbit Nuclear Power - nuclear electric propulsion demonstration project was launched in January when the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)/Space Vehicle Directorate issued solicitations to industry for high and low-power spacecraft concepts and designs using nuclear fission, rather than solar panels, for propulsion. On 3 October, the AFRL awarded Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse Government Services and Intuitive Machines LLC separate contracts totalling over USD53 million to develop the technologies and spacecraft concepts.

Space Nuclear Power Corporation (SpaceNukes), which is commercialising Kilopower space fission reactor technology under licence from Los Alamos National Laboratory, announced on 16 October that it has partnered with Lockheed Martin Corporation and BWX Technologies for the JETSON project. Lockheed Martin-Space is to provide the spacecraft portion of the work; SpaceNukes will design and guide the assembly of the nuclear reactor power system which will provide electrical power to the spacecraft; and BWX Technologies will "bring their extensive experience in reactor development and manufacturing to ensure the reactor design is fit for the purpose," SpaceNukes said.

SpaceNukes co-founder and CEO Andy Phelps said the New Mexico-based company has already taken the Kilopower design to "much higher" power levels than the 1 kWe reached in the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (also known as KRUSTY) demonstration carried out at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2017-2018.

"The potential of fission power in space is immense and the US must start with a small step to create the expertise and infrastructure needed to provide truly astounding and game-changing capabilities," he said.

Framatome joins space race

Framatome has announced the creation of Framatome Space, which it said is putting the French company's 65 years of nuclear and industrial expertise at the service of the space industry. The company is already supporting the French Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and Ariane Group with a feasibility study on an nuclear thermal propulsion engine and earlier this year announced plans with USNC to form a joint venture to manufacture TRISO particles on a commercial scale.

"Framatome is proud to be part of the new age of space travel. We already supply the space industry with domes for the tanks of launchers and hafnium for the hardened alloys for spacecraft. With the creation of Framatome Space we are taking things to the next level," CEO Bernard Fontana said. "The space industry is looking to nuclear to facilitate faster and more efficient missions. Who better than Framatome, with over six decades of experience and expertise in nuclear power, to contribute to the next giant leap for mankind?"

Vice President, Strategy at Framatome and Framatome Space Grégoire Lambert said the company is ready to play a "decisive role" in the future of space exploration. "We firmly believe that nuclear is a game changer to provide the amount of energy needed by any development," he said.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

LED lights developed specifically for nuclear facilities

23 October 2023
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Whitecroft Lighting has supplied LED lighting to the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant project in Somerset, UK - its first nuclear energy lighting contract. The company says that through the contract it has developed a new, specialist LED lighting solution for the nuclear energy sector.LEDs in Whitecroft's testing facility (Image: Whitecroft Lighting)

Manchester-based Whitecroft Lighting - part of Sweden's Fagerhult Group - said it took about six years to research, collaborate, custom test and deliver the first LED lighting "proven to be optimised for the needs of the nuclear industry".

"As a result, LED lighting has been written into the specification for Hinkley Point C (HPC) – the first time LEDs have been included in a nuclear power project," the company said.

It noted that although low-energy LED lighting has become the new industry standard across most markets, the technology was still to be proven for lighting nuclear energy facilities, which to-date has mainly used traditional fluorescent lighting. With the support of the Hinkley Supply Chain, Whitecroft Lighting was encouraged to work with the project to try and find an energy-saving lighting solution.

"Fluorescent lighting is essentially a 1930s technology and much of it is set to be phased out by new industry standards over the coming years," said Tony Male, Whitecroft Lighting's Regional Sales Manager, Wales and West. "EDF was keen that HPC benefited from the energy saving benefits of LEDs where appropriate, and its preference was to use a UK lighting manufacturer. Whitecroft not only saw this as an opportunity to be part of one of Europe's largest infrastructure projects, but to also break new ground for lighting and set new standards for the nuclear energy industry for years to come."

The company said innovating to the unique standards of nuclear energy meant tackling a new set of engineering and environmental challenges as well as safety considerations. The LEDs and the electronics which supported them had to be proven to meet HPC's stringent safety standards.

"Each requirement encouraged Whitecroft Lighting's custom design team into new areas of creativity and collaboration, and in many ways, these testing regimes are as innovative as the final product," Male said. "After multiple layers of testing, we eventually demonstrated that we could deliver a viable LED solution for the zones covering around 90% of HPC's estate."

As a result, Whitecroft initially agreed to supply around 40,000 LED luminaires across a broad range of buildings and facilities. These include specialist environments, such as the generation halls and more standard areas, including the command building. The first batch of specialist LEDs were delivered to HPC in May, with further large consignments of luminaires and other hardware to be made over the duration of the plant's ongoing construction.

"The unique LED luminaires manufactured for HPC by Whitecroft will be around 40% more energy efficient than traditional fluorescent lighting, so enabling LEDs to be written into the HPC specification is a ground-breaking moment for the lighting and nuclear industry," Male said. "Over the 40,000 LED luminaires supplied, the saving will equate to around 11,200 KWh each day - the equivalent of around 3000 average family sized homes.

"The exciting legacy for this investment in research and development is that nuclear energy projects across Europe can now be able to share in the benefits of the high quality and energy efficient lighting previously not available for nuclear zones."

Hinkley Point C will be the first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK in more than 20 years and will provide about 7% of the country's electricity. The first of its two EPR reactors is scheduled to be connected to the grid in 2027 and the second in 2028.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Fuel loading begins at Kakrapar 4

23 October 2023

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd started loading the first fuel into the core of the pressurised heavy water reactor unit on 20 October, after receiving permission from India's Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

India's Department of Atomic Energy marked the start of inital fuel loading at Kakrapar 4 on social media (Image: DAE)DAE

Kakrapar 4 - also referred to as KAPP-4 - is one of two Indian-designed 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) being built at the site in Gujarat. Kakrapar 3 (KAPP-3) entered commercial operation earlier this year, having reached initial criticality in mid-2020.

India's Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) said it had issued permission for fuel loading to begin "based on satisfactory outcome of the requisite safety review".

Kakrapar 3 and 4 are the first of sixteen 700 MWe PHWRs planned for construction in India. Two units are already under construction at Rajasthan units 7 and 8. Site work has also begun for the first of four planned units at Gorakhpur in Haryana.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) said: "With the successful and stable operation of KAPP-3, the capability of NPCIL in setting up of indigenous reactors of PHWR technology of this size is validated and paves the path for early completion of the remaining 14 reactors."

The Indian government has sanctioned the construction of ten further 700 MWe PHWRs to be built in "fleet mode" by the end of 2031. These are: Kaiga units 5 and 6 in Karnataka; Gorakhpur units 3 and 4 in Haryana; Chutka units 1 and 2 in Madhya Pradesh; and Mahi Banswara units 1 and 2 and units 3 and 4 in Rajasthan.

Four Russian-supplied 1000 MWe VVER pressurised water reactors are under construction at Kudankulam, and a 500 MWe prototype fast breeder reactor is also under construction at Kalpakkam near Madras.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

SMRs would provide economic boost to Ontario, says report

23 October 2023

The construction and operation of four small modular reactors (SMRs) by Ontario Power Generation at its Darlington site will contribute about CAD15.3 billion (USD11.2 billion) to Canada's GDP, including CAD13.7 billion to Ontario's GDP, according to a report by the Conference Board of Canada. The units will create and sustain 2000 jobs each year in Canada over the next 65 years, it says.

The Darlington plant site (Image: OPG)

"There is now an increasing need for investing in stable and reliable energy resources, such as commercial-scale SMR technology," the report says. "The deployment of more nuclear power in Ontario is a major investment decision. It is therefore important to understand the potential economic benefits for the province and the country of investing in new nuclear power generation."

Conference Board of Canada partnered with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to analyse the economic impact and fiscal benefits of building and operating four SMRs within Ontario.

It found the SMRs would have a substantial positive impact on the Ontario and Canadian economies, with Ontario reaping 89% of the economic benefit associated with the project.

Each SMR built would increase GDP by nearly CAD3.8 billion and provide 500 jobs annually over the 65-year period. In addition, the amount of tax revenues accruing to all levels of government is expected to be about CAD4.9 billion over the next 65 years, which includes plant construction and operations. The expected number of jobs created by the project will be about 113,161 provincially and 128,431 nationally.

"The economic impact, or the ratio of increased GDP to spending (the 'economic multiplier') is 0.82 – each dollar spent would increase Canadian GDP by CAD0.82 across the total lifespan of the technologies," Conference Board of Canada found.

On 31 October last year, OPG submitted an application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) for a licence to construct a GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) BWRX-300 at the Darlington site. This licence is required before any nuclear construction work on the SMR can begin. However, site preparation work is already under way at the site. OPG expects to make a construction decision by the end of 2024. Construction of the unit is scheduled to be completed by late 2028, with the supply of power to the grid set to start in 2029.

The Ontario government announced in July it is working with OPG to begin planning and licensing for three additional BWRX-300 reactors at Darlington. Subject to Ontario Government and CNSC regulatory approvals on construction, the additional SMRs could come online between 2034 and 2036. This timing would allow OPG to apply learnings from the construction of the first unit to deliver cost savings on subsequent units, the government noted. Building multiple units will also allow common infrastructure such as cooling water intake, transmission connection and control room to be utilised by all four units instead of just one, reducing costs even further.

"Being the first North American mover of this innovative technology positions Ontario as a world leader in nuclear and a welcoming destination for new business," said OPG President and CEO Ken Hartwick. "Our plan to construct four new reactors at Darlington will also generate opportunities across Ontario and Canada as suppliers of nuclear components and services have an opportunity to expand to serve the growing SMR market here and abroad."

Bruce Power to start impact assessment process for Bruce C

23 October 2023

Bruce Power has formally notified Canadian regulators of its intent to launch an Impact Assessment (IA) for potential new nuclear generation on the Bruce Power site.

Room to grow: Bruce's existing site has ample space for more capacity (Image: Bruce Power)

Days after announcing the launch of an Expression of Interest process to explore technology options for up to 4800 MWe of new nuclear capacity at its existing site, the company submitted a letter of intent to the heads of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) providing "a formal notice of Bruce Power's intent to submit an application for a Licence to Prepare Site and commence an Impact Assessment".

"The company is advancing this process in a proactive, open and transparent manner in order to engage Indigenous peoples, our communities and the public early in the process as a planning tool to meet Ontario's long-term energy needs," said Bruce Power’s Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice-President of Operational Services James Scongack.

Bruce Power previously applied for a licence to prepare for construction of up to four new reactors - totalling up to 4000 MWe - in 2007, but withdrew its application in 2009 as the company focused on the refurbishment of the existing Bruce A and B units. The company says the return to service of the four Bruce A units after being laid up in the late 1990s was "one of the largest greenhouse gas reduction initiatives in the world", leading to 70% of the energy needed for the province to phase out coal-fired generation entirely in 2014."The goal is to build on this success," the company said.

The start of pre-development work for up to 4800 MWe at the Bruce site is a key part of the province's long-term electricity framework, Powering Ontario’s Growth, which was launched in July. The additional capacity - referred to as Bruce C - would complement the eight existing reactors at the Bruce A and B generation facilities, the company said.

In its letter to the regulators, Bruce Power says the site was selected "given its unique and strong characteristics" and is a well-studied site supported by "decades" of previous approvals. There is "ample" space on the 932 hectare site, connections to existing transmission corridors, and the support of a skilled workforce and an engaged and supportive local community.

"Canada is at an important juncture, we will only be able to address climate change, advance a net zero future and grow our economy through investment in long-term clean electricity infrastructure," it went on. "By starting early and engaging in pre-development work, it will place Canada in a strong position to be successful and inclusive while tackling these challenges. This approach will result in greater long-term certainty so we can address the challenges ahead together."

Bruce Power explores technology options for nuclear expansion

18 October 2023

Bruce Power announced it is launching an Expression of Interest (EOI) process to "further understand nuclear technologies that could help meet growing demand for clean electricity and advance decarbonisation efforts in Ontario". In July, the provincial government said it was starting pre-development work to build up to 4800 MWe of new nuclear capacity at Bruce Power's existing site.

The Bruce site (Image: Bruce Power)

The company said the EOI process will provide an opportunity for nuclear technology suppliers to engage and express their interest in participation in the potential Bruce site expansion while enabling Bruce Power and industry partners to evaluate a variety of nuclear energy technologies, "which would leverage Canada's robust nuclear supply chain, ensure the best interests of the ratepayer, include Indigenous community considerations, and increase socioeconomic benefits for the Clean Energy Frontier region of Bruce, Grey and Huron counties".

"Ontario has one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world and as we look to meet increased demand from continued electrification and economic growth in the province, nuclear power will be essential to preserving this advantage," said Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck. "Bruce Power is uniquely positioned for potential expansion, with decades of experience, a well-studied site, significant space for expansion, strong community support and an experienced workforce.

"Canada's nuclear industry supports 76,000 well-paying, highly skilled jobs, generating billions in GDP annually while providing a vital supply of carbon-free electricity to advance our climate targets. As we assess potential expansion options, we will lean on the knowledge and skills of our industry, built through more than a half century of operational experience."

With support from the Ontario government - as outlined in its Powering Ontario's Growth Plan, launched in early July - Bruce Power is in the pre-planning stages of the federally-regulated Impact Assessment (IA) process, which will look at nuclear expansion options on the site. The company noted the IA process includes Indigenous and public engagement and will formally commence with the submission of an Initial Project Description to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada in the coming months.

Bruce Power is located in the traditional and treaty territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation and the harvesting territories of the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Historic Saugeen Métis.

It said it is working with Indigenous-owned Makwa Development on the IA and will look for further procurement opportunities for Indigenous companies through its Indigenous Procurement Policy and Indigenous Relations Supplier Network.

Bruce Power is also collaborating with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to develop a feasibility study for potential future nuclear generation in Ontario, which may leverage information from the EOI.

"As Bruce Power evaluates clean technology opportunities, it will engage with independent, non-profit energy R&D institute EPRI and the Nuclear Innovation Institute, an independent, not-for-profit organisation that provides a platform for accelerating the pace of innovation in the nuclear industry," Bruce Power said.

The Ontarian government has already implemented a plan to meet rising electricity demand in the current decade, but in 2022 IESO issued a report forecasting that the province could need to more than double its electricity generation capacity from today's 42,000 MWe to 88,000 MWe by 2050.

Bruce Power's eight existing Candu reactors already produce about 30% of Ontario's electricity, and the company has said the site has space for "incremental infrastructure development".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Argentina’s copper export plans opposed by environmentalists

Local communities worry that Glencore's open-pit copper mine, MARA, will harm nearby glaciers. However, Argentina's next president may promote it.

Julián Reingold

October 18, 2023

The Aconquija snowed mount surrounding Andalgalá, Catamarca, where Glencore’s copper mining project MARA is located.

 Credits: Sabrina Pozzi

In August, Argentina’s presidential primary elections gave the lead to far-right and libertarian candidate Javier Milei, who wants to install an investment regime focused mostly on mining. Runner-up Patricia Bullrich, from the centre-right coalition, has a similar view for the economy. In third place landed the centre-left candidate Sergio Massa, currently economy minister, who believes mining offers the country a great development possibility: lithium has a window of opportunity of five to seven years and then it will become “just another commodity”; copper is “much more important for the future of Argentina”.

The country has the same mineral resource potential as Chile yet exports around 16 times less minerals by value than its neighbour: $3.86bn (1.35trn pesos) versus $60.2bn in 2022. One of the elements missing in this equation is copper, which Argentina has not exported since the closure of the La Alumbrera mine in 2018.

Part of the infrastructure of La Alumbrera underpins a new project: MARA (Minera Agua Rica – Alumbrera). This is expected to be three-times bigger than the closed mine. It is one of six pending large-scale copper projects in Argentina, which could together produce more than 1.2 million tonnes (mt) of copper per year before the next decade, as companies behind these projects eye a new copper industry built on demand brought about by the global energy transition. Copper demand is expected to increase by more than 40% over the next two decades.


On 31 July, Glencore International and Pan American Silver announced an agreement for Glencore to acquire Pan American’s 56.25% stake in the MARA open-pit mining project. When the transaction was completed on 20 September, Glencore became the sole owner and operator of MARA, which it expects to become a top 25 global copper producer. Glencore expects it to produce more than 200,000 tonnes of copper per year in its first ten years of operation.

The location of the Alumbrera and MARA projects and nearby towns in Catamarca.

 Credit: MARA.

Argentina’s copper potential

MARA is located in the Catamarca province of Argentina and, according to Glencore, has proven and probable mineral reserves of 5.4 million tonnes of copper and 7.4 million ounces of gold contained in 1.105 billion tonnes of ore. It is expected to remain productive for 27 years.

In 2020, the raw copper trade was worth $14.4bn, and the central Andes region – Chile, Peru and Argentina – is estimated to hold 1.03 billion tonnes of copper reserves, or 40% of the world’s total.

Currently, the geological mining potential of copper in Argentina is underexploited: the start up of four of the most advanced projects – including MARA – with a combined average annual capacity of 693,000 tonnes, would place the country among the top ten producers with close to 3% of the global supply.

The current Argentine Government has made mining one of the country’s 11 “Missions” in its Productive Argentina 2030 agenda, a national development programme.

Glaciers versus mining

However, Argentina’s mining projects are not without their detractors. Open-pit mining involves the excavation of large quantities of waste rock – material not containing the target mineral – in order to extract the desired mineral ore, which is then crushed into finely ground tailings for processing with various chemicals and separation to extract the final product.

According to the government’s 2030 Agenda, mining can only be carried out in line with international standards, including an adequate socio-environmental governance framework that ensures broad participation and strict care for the environment.

In practice, MARA still needs a positive environmental impact assessment before it can formally begin operations, and one potential obstacle to that is Argentina’s National Glaciers Law, which seeks to protect these formations across the country. Another is local opposition to the project from residents who argue that the mining industry is polluting them without bringing benefits.

Catamarca was the site of Argentina’s first mega-mining project, Bajo La Alumbrera, which opened in 1997, notes Debora Cerutti, a researcher at the National Council of Science and Technology in Argentina.

“The towns of Catamarca in the region where MARA is trying to settle today are not a sacrifice zone,” Cerutti says. Despite the government and business discourse, Catamarca has industries other than mining: cattle, as well as vines, olives, quince and cotton – among others – are grown in its oases.

In addition, there were at least four publicly recognised mineral transport spills between 2004 and 2006, along the 315km long duct that transports mud, acid and diluted ore towards the port in Rosario for export, polluting the watershed system surrounding the Vis Vis community. Worries about water pollution have also created resistance to open-pit mining megaprojects in Chubut, a vast desert province that has only one river.

Presidential frontrunner Milei has proposed the appropriation of water channels by private interests. Centre-left candidate Massa has said “whoever pollutes a river has to go to prison”.

The MARA project is 1,500m below the level of and at least 2km away from the nearest glaciers, Marcelo Murua Palacio, Minister of Mining for Catamarca, told Energy Monitor in an interview. That is according to a first inventory under the National Glaciers Law by the Argentine Institute of Nivology, Glaciology and Environmental Sciences, which has advanced its work at a slow pace due to Argentina’s federal regime.

“Therefore, it is impossible for it [MARA] to have an impact [on the glaciers], since the water flows towards the lower zones, and not upwards,” he explained. In a next step, “geoforms” identified as potential glaciers must be confirmed as such, he added. For that, they must have a temperature of below zero degrees for at least two consecutive years, he said.

Cerruti argues that the lay of the land is not quite so clear cut. “The mining experts maintain that there are no glaciers in the area where it [MARA] will operate, but they do not consider that there are also ‘rock glaciers’, which often go unnoticed, and are extremely important for the [local] water balance,” she told Energy Monitor.
The location of the MARA project amid the mountains, glaciers and water courses of Catamarca. Credit: MARA.
Anti-mining protests

On 15 December 2009, environmentalists in Andalgalá formed the El Algarrobo Assembly and blocked the passage of trucks with mining supplies and machinery bound to begin the exploration of the MARA project. This was in response to the disclosure of classified information, which revealed that the Catamarca Government had agreed to the possibility of expropriating homes to advance mining activity.

In 2016, Argentina’s Supreme Court ruled that the MARA project is “illegitimate” given its location next to a river that provides local residents with drinking water, says Rosita Farias, a retired former teacher and activist from Andalgalá. However, in December 2020, the local government tried to cancel the 2016 Supreme Court Ruling. MARA now operates with the endorsement of the government and the provincial justice of Catamarca.

Mariana Katz, a lawyer from the NGO Peace and Justice Service who has led the Andalgalá case since 2012, told Energy Monitor that a new chapter began in 2020 when MARA’s owners and the state company Agua de Dionisio Mining Deposits presented a new environmental impact assessment with a view to commencing advanced mineral exploration in the area and eventually obtaining authorisation for exploitation of the deposit.

Local activist Eduardo Villagra says: “During a peaceful protest against MARA in 2021, infiltrators unleashed violence against the security forces and burned down the office of the project’s former owner, Yamana Gold.” Villagra was illegally detained for more than 14 days together with 12 other people.

The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, at the end of its visit to Argentina in February 2023, urged the competent authorities to guarantee the right to defend human rights throughout the country and to create mechanisms for the protection of defenders.
“In the early 1990s we didn’t know anything about mega-mining, so we welcomed it in Catamarca with the promise of progress that never came,” says Sergio Martínez. Credit: Julián Reingold

Since the MARA project began, the inhabitants of Andalgalá say they have detected a greater presence of iron, aluminium and fluoride in their drinking water.

However, Catamarca Mining Minister Murua Palacio says mining projects also benefit local communities. “We demand 70% of local employment in each project, including subcontractors. For every $10 that enters through direct foreign investment in mining, $8 remains in Argentina, whether in royalties, salaries, input payments or national taxes,” he told Energy Monitor.

In response to a question about mining companies’ social licence to operate, he said: “We also have the door open for dialogue, making a lot of information available to the community so that they can better evaluate it and place it in the hands of technicians [experts] who they deem pertinent.” He declined to comment on the alleged contamination of local drinking water or repression of local protests.

Glencore also declined Energy Monitor’s requests for comment on the MARA project.
In July 2023, the people of Andalgalá marched for the 700th time in the Walks for Life, a weekly protest that began in 2009. Credit: Marianela Gamboa.
What next for copper in Argentina?

Andalgalá and other communities are unconvinced by the narrative that mining will bring development and wealth. Yet Catamarca remains one of the poorest provinces in Argentina and its government considers mining one of the few opportunities it has for development. As per article 124 of the National Constitution, the province is the sole owner of its natural resources. Governor Raúl Jalil is aiming to remain in power with the narrative that mining is an opportunity.

Murua Palacio looks to Australia as an example of good practice, with an authority for mining applications that evaluates projects and grants exploration licences, generally for periods of one-to-six years. “We want mining properties to be in the hands of people who, within the time they are given, want to invest to develop them, not just to speculate,” he says.

Sergio Martínez, from the El Algarrobo Assembly, says its goal is to “let foreign investors know that their investments here do not bring development to our towns”. “We are not going to give them the social licence they need,” he says.

Currently, Katz is preparing an extraordinary federal appeal before the Argentine Supreme Court for it to address the impact of mining on water resources and violations of human rights in Andalgalá. She is also preparing a request to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to analyse the conflict and determine whether the Argentine state has violated any citizen’s rights, in order to process a new international claim.

Whoever wins Argentina’s presidential election on 22 October will have their work cut out for them to turn the country’s mineral resources into reality.
The Aconquija snow-capped mountain behind Eduardo Villagra, Ana Chayle and Martínez in the centre of Andalgalá. Credit: Julián Reingold.

Ionic wins licence in Uganda for rare earth elements mining

The Makuutu project has a mineral resource estimate of 532 million tonnes at 640 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides.

October 20, 2023

The licence was granted after an update to Uganda’s Mining and Minerals (Licencing) Regulations 2023 law. 

Credit: Joaquin Corbalan P/Shutterstock.com.

Australian mineral exploration company Ionic Rare Earths has secured a large-scale mining licence from the Ugandan Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM) for the Makuutu heavy rare earth project.

The licence was secured by Rwenzori Rare Metals, a company in which Ionic Rare Earths owns a 51% interest, while Rare Earth Elements Africa (REEA) holds a 42% stake. Ugandan Partners holds the remaining 7% stake.

Rwenzori holds a 100% stake in the Makuutu project, which covers around 298km² and includes six licences.

Located 40km from Jinja and 120km from the Ugandan capital city of Kampala, the project has a geology that hosts heavy rare earth oxides (HREO). These metal oxides can be extracted using rudimentary mining and processing methods.

The project is said to have a current mineral resource estimate of 532 million tonnes at 640ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO), with a cut-off grade of 200ppm total rare earth oxides minus cerium (TREO-CeO₂).

Stage one of the mining licence covers an area set for Ionic’s mining licence that constitutes 44km² of Makuutu’s tenements covering 298km² of land.

Ionic also released a positive feasibility study earlier this year and has received approval to build a demonstration plant at the project.

Ionic Rare Earths managing director Tim Harrison said: “We are pleased with the announcement today that the DGSM has officially approved for granting the large-scale mining licence TN03834 over RL 1693, which now completes all regulatory approvals on the award of the mining licence for the Makuutu heavy rare earth project.

“This is a vital step for Ionic Rare Earths and Rwenzori, and in mining, refining, and recycling heavy rare earths critical for the energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and defence.”

Harrison added: “This announcement reinforces the Makuutu project as one of the world’s largest and most advanced development-ready heavy rare earth element assets, and we look forward to progressing the next steps and commissioning our Demonstration Plant at Makuutu.”

Grupo Mexico being pushed to resume cleanup of 2014 mine spill

Bloomberg News | October 19, 2023 |

Aerial view of the 2014 spill at the Buenavista del Cobre mine.

(Image by @Noti_SONORA, Twitter).

The mining-to-rail conglomerate controlled by Mexican billionaire German Larrea once again finds itself under pressure to extend restoration efforts after a mine spill nine years ago.


On Friday, a group of activists, miners, academics and residents are scheduled to attempt to block roads to push Larrea’s Grupo Mexico to do more more to repair damage from one of the country’s worst ecological disasters.

That follows accusations from government officials earlier this month that the 2014 toxic spill into a river in Sonora state was caused by negligence, with restoration efforts falling short.

The company says the remediation was successful and supported by scientific studies and authorities, with the supposed findings of tests presented by the government “lacking any causal link with the event that occurred in 2014.” The Company declined to comment further when contacted by Bloomberg.

It’s the latest twist in Larrea’s tense relationship with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which has included the seizure of railway lines in a move that rattled business confidence.

But just as Grupo Mexico later received a rail concession extension in an easing of tensions, AMLO, as the president is known, said Wednesday that the company would be able to keep its mining licenses if it agreed to clean up the contamination and care for victims. Speaking to reporters, AMLO said the firm had requested dialog with the government.

In the meantime, protesters will block roads and take over facilities at the Buena Vista del Cobre mine site on Friday as a way to pressure authorities, union leader Heriberto Verdugo told reporters on Wednesday.

(By James Attwood)

Rio Tinto, Aboriginal group sign first solar deal for WA iron ore region

Reuters | October 20, 2023 |

Iron ore production in the Pilbara region of Australia began in the mid-1960s. Credit: Rio Tinto.

Rio Tinto has signed an initial agreement with the Yindjibarndi people and Philippines’ ACEN to look at options to develop green energy supplies for its operations in the world’s biggest iron ore region.


The project in Western Australia’s Pilbara district comes as part of Rio’s $3 billion plan to decarbonize its iron ore business. It is the first for Yindjibarndi Energy, a partnership between the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation and a ACEN Corp, the listed energy platform of the Ayala Group.

The deal comes as Australia’s Indigenous groups are taking equity stakes in the growing renewable energy industry, and as ACEN grows its footstep outside its home base in Southeast Asia.

As a first step, the group is looking to build a 75-100 megawatt solar array, for which an investment decision will be due by the end of next year. Construction is expected to take 12-18 months.

“This arrangement would see renewable power on Yindjibarndi connecting to our private network,” Simon Trott, Rio Tinto’s iron ore division chief, told media in Port Dampier.

In its second phase, the group will look at battery power and wind projects, which Yindjibarndi Energy plans to supply the region. Rio has already identified some potential locations for wind to supplement its renewable energy network during the night.

Rio Tinto, which accounts for 1% of global emissions mostly due to the steel-making emissions of its customers, is looking to build 600-700 megawats of solar power to displace gas as part of its decarbonization of its iron ore business.

It is targeting a 50% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 from a 2018 baseline of 32.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Rio has walked back an initial target of a 15% reduction in emissions by 2025 and its targets are behind peer Fortescue, which plans to reach net zero scope 3 emissions by 2040.

The green energy developments allow YAC to take into account cultural heritage sites, river systems, water ways and other important places when they are choosing renewable sites, said YAC CEO Michael Woodley.

Western Australia’s Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation struck a deal with ACEN in July to develop up to 3 gigawatts of renewable energy, giving YAC a 25%-50% stake in projects developed on their native title land and preference to community businesses for contracts.

Aboriginal groups have so far had limited say in mega-projects rolled out across Indigenous lands. Some have at times eroded or destroyed traditional landscapes, including the demolition by Rio Tinto of sacred rock shelters at Juukan Gorge three years ago.

“It’s about taking respectful use of Yindjibarndi country and providing green electrons to the community, to Rio Tinto, to other business, primarily to help with Pilbara decarbonization then electrification,” said Yindjibarndi Energy CEO Craig Ricato.

(By Melanie Burton; Editing by Lincoln Feast)