NUKE NEWZ

Danish university to create new nuclear research centre

18 January 2024

The Technical University of Denmark is establishing a new interdisciplinary centre that will consolidate and strengthen research in nuclear power technologies.

Bent Lauritzen, who will head the DTU Nuclear Energy Technology (Image: Magnus Møller - DTU)

Although research into nuclear power has been limited in Denmark over the past 40 years, The Technical University of Denmark (Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, DTU) has maintained several research environments that work with nuclear physics and nuclear technologies, thus maintaining professional expertise in the field.

Under the leadership of Bent Lauritzen, a senior researcher at DTU Physics, the new centre - to be named DTU Nuclear Energy Technology - will strengthen the collaboration between relevant research environments, currently located at the departments 0f DTU Physics, DTU Energy, DTU Chemistry and DTU Construct.

DTU Nuclear Energy Technology will ensure that Denmark continues to have strong competencies in the field and cooperate with Danish and international companies working to develop new reactor types, the university said.

The purpose of the new centre will be to: attract and support academic talent to strengthen research in nuclear energy technologies; expand capacities for teaching and supervision of students, including PhD students; create experimental facilities for such areas as characterisation of materials and simulation of new reactor technologies; and strengthen collaboration with Danish and international companies.

"The climate crisis has reached an extent that makes it crucial that we research all technologies that may be relevant in phasing out fossil energy sources," said DTU President Anders Bjarklev. "Regardless of whether nuclear power has a future in Denmark, it is important for DTU to have research in the field because we have an obligation to contribute research-based knowledge to society and our students. Our ambition with the creation of the new centre is to strengthen the part of the research that is specifically aimed at nuclear energy technologies."

DTU noted that the development of nuclear technologies has "advanced significantly", especially over the last 15 years or so. "In addition to the establishment of new, so-called Generation IV power plants as a further development of large, traditional nuclear power plants, work is being done to develop small, modular reactors," it said. "These differ from traditional plants both in terms of size, performance, and structure. A number of universities and companies worldwide - including two Danish startups - are working on developing and commercialising these small modular reactors."

"The technological breakthroughs that are happening in nuclear power these years are hugely interesting in terms of research," Lauritzen said. "New reactor technologies may well turn out to be able to contribute significantly to the world's energy supply, and this is what our research must help clarify. It is crucial that we, as a technical university, are ready to seize new technological opportunities when they arise."

Denmark had three nuclear research reactors, which started up between 1957 and 1960, at the Risø National Laboratory north of Roskilde on the island of Zeeland. DR-1, a 2kWt homogeneous unit from 1957, stopped operating in 2001 and was fully decommissioned in 2006. A 5 MWt pool reactor (DR-2) closed in 1975, and a 10 MWt heavy water reactor (DR-3) closed in 2000. Fuel fabrication facilities for DR-2 and DR-3 were closed in 2002.

The Risø National Laboratory was incorporated into DTU and is now known as the Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy. Although fission research at Risø has stopped, nuclear research (including fusion) still continues and its Hevesy Laboratory houses a cyclotron, which is used for radioactive isotope production.

In 1985, the Danish parliament passed a resolution that nuclear power plants would not be built in the country and there is currently no move to reverse this situation.

Dutch initiative to boost nuclear workforce

17 January 2024

With the Netherlands planning an expansion of its use of nuclear energy, various parties in the Dutch nuclear and education sectors have signed a declaration of intent aimed at boosting vocational education in nuclear technology.

Representatives from the various partners at the signing ceremony (Image: Vonk)

Nuclear power currently has a small role in the Dutch electricity supply, with the 485 MWe (net) Borssele pressurised water reactor providing about 3% of total generation. The plant has been in operation since 1973 and is scheduled to close in 2033. Research is being conducted into keeping the reactor in operation for longer. At the end of 2022, the Dutch government announced the Borssele site as the preferred location for two new power reactors. In addition, the new PALLAS reactor for the production of medical isotopes is under construction.

"For the realisation of all these ambitions, the influx of employees with sufficient knowledge of the nuclear industry needs to be improved and increased," the partners said in a joint statement. "This requires strengthening the relationship between the nuclear sector and educational institutions, in which vocational education plays a crucial role."

A declaration of intent has now been signed by industry participants COVRA, EPZ, NRG-Pallas and Urenco and educational institutions Scalda, Horizon College/Regio College, Vonk, ROC van Twente and TU Delft.

The aim is to jointly develop a new nuclear curriculum in order to increase the interest of students for careers in the nuclear sector. The organisations will develop a multi-year plan for cooperation and will jointly explore funding opportunities.

"The collaborating partners will focus on new education packages in the field of nuclear technology and radiation protection, coordinated internship programmes and better career orientation to make students enthusiastic about a career in the nuclear sector," the partners said. "The initiators are of course open to expanding cooperation with other vocational institutions, companies and organisations."

NRG-Pallas and TU Delft are already cooperating on the Nuclear Academy programme, which is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. The programme focuses on strengthening nuclear knowledge and skills in the Netherlands on various levels.

Newcleo consults NTS on transport of MOX

18 January 2024

UK-headquartered innovative reactor developer Newcleo has commissioned Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) to carry out feasibility studies in several areas of nuclear transport requirements, including for the transport of mixed plutonium-uranium oxide (MOX) fuel.

A cutaway of Newcleo's TL-30 reactor design (Image: Newcleo)

As part of this work, NTS will support Newcleo through investigating packaging solutions for nuclear fuel; physical security for nuclear fuel; and transport routing and asset options.

Newcleo's proposed small modular lead-cooled fast reactors would use MOX fuel. Newcleo is planning a 30 MWe lead-cooled fast neutron test reactor in France in 2030, with a 200 MWe first-of-a-kind commercial unit planned for the UK in 2032.

In June 2022, Newcleo announced it had contracted France's Orano for feasibility studies on the establishment of a MOX production plant.

"I am delighted to embark on these studies with NTS, which will cover a range of nuclear materials that are part of the Newcleo fuel cycle, including MOX fuel," said Andrew Murdoch, Newcleo Managing Director, UK Operations. "Newcleo's MOX fuel manufacturing facilities will be located in France, and movement of MOX fuel to our reactor sites, including those in the UK, will need to be managed to the highest standards of safety and security in line with stringent regulation.

"We look forward to collaborating with NTS and benefitting from their significant expertise as we build a new competitive industrial standard for nuclear in the UK and beyond."

NTS - part of the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - oversees three specialist nuclear vessels, a fleet of over 100 locomotives, and a 700+ strong team. It operates Direct Rail Services and Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited, which deliver rail and shipping activities.

"Our work in undertaking a number of feasibility studies for Newcleo is a great example of NTS, as specialists in the transportation of nuclear fuel, using our expertise to advise external partners on how best to address their individual transport challenges," said NTS CEO Seth Kybird. "This collaboration will help to support the delivery of energy ambitions both within the UK and overseas."

UK invests in new neutron facility

17 January 2024

The UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has announced plans for a new neutron measurement facility at its site in Teddington, south-west London. The new accelerator system will be six times as powerful as the one it is replacing.

3D render of the new 2 MV coaxial tandetron particle accelerator to be installed in NPL's neutron measurement facility (Image: NPL)

NPL said the new facility "will play a critical role in the safe and secure operation and continued development of the UK's nuclear energy, defence and fusion research sectors". It will provide "all-important traceability in terms of established safety protocols and stringent regulatory compliance that ensures new-build reactors can help drive the rapid and safe expansion of nuclear power in the UK".

It noted that the new system allows the UK government to continue to "provide an enduring and resilient measurement infrastructure, ensuring that measurements can always be made in the UK with integrity and consistency", as set out in the government's 2022 UK Measurement Strategy for the National Measurement System.

The facility consists of a new particle accelerator and is one of only a few known facilities worldwide that offers precision traceable neutron standards.

The new accelerator system will be a 2.0 MV Coaxial VHC Tandetron manufactured by High Voltage Engineering Europa BV of the Netherlands, the same company that manufactured the current KN3000 Van de Graaff accelerator over 60 years ago.

NPL said the upgraded neutron facility addresses a number of current, future and emerging needs in the nuclear sector, including: the characterisation of new instrumentation and detectors required to ensure the UK's nuclear infrastructure and future reactors operate safely and efficiently; providing the expertise and facilities to enable the characterisation of neutron diagnostics, neutronics benchmark and validation experiments and nuclear cross section and decay-data measurement, to support the work at UK-based world-leading fusion research organisations and their supply chains; producing both monoenergetic and thermal neutron fields for UK Defence and Security; and the characterisation and calibration of new area survey instruments and personal dosemeter products to assure the safety of workers within the nuclear sector.

The upgrade has been funded by the former Department for Business for Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) PSRE Infrastructure Fund.

"By extending the UK's capability in neutron standards and device calibration which leads to improved accuracy and direct measurement in place of extrapolated data and therefore helping to accelerate work on advanced nuclear technologies, we are ensuring the UK is leading in this field," said NPL CEO Peter Thompson.

"This is an exciting time for UK nuclear science and this facility is a concrete example of that," added Michael Bunce, Senior Scientist and Technical Lead at NPL. "With this machine we will be able to continue to provide standards to UK and international customers with greater efficiency and reliability whilst extending our research into new areas such as nuclear data measurements in support of fusion."

Last week, the British government launched a roadmap for reaching its ambition for the UK to have 24 GWe of nuclear generating capacity by 2050, representing about 25% of the country's projected electricity demand. The plans include next steps for exploring a large-scale nuclear power plant as well as small modular reactors. The roadmap also includes a government ambition to secure 3–7 GW worth of investment decisions every five years from 2030 to 2044 on new nuclear projects.

Nuclear Minister Andrew Bowie said: "We are reviving our nuclear industry to deliver net-zero and secure our energy independence, with plans to build new large and small-scale reactors. These upgrades to National Physical Laboratory's neutron facility will enable the safe and efficient operation of our new projects, as we ramp up clean and reliable nuclear power."

UEC to restart Wyoming uranium operation

17 January 2024

First uranium production at Christensen Ranch is expected in August after Uranium Energy Corp's (UEC) board of directors approved restarting the fully permitted and past-producing in-situ leach (ISL) operation - the output will be sold at prevailing spot market prices.

Inside the Christensen Ranch satellite plant (Image: UEC)

Uranium recovered from Christensen Ranch will be processed at the fully operational Irigaray Central Processing Plant. Irigaray, with a licensed capacity of 2.5 million pounds U3O8 (962 tU) per year, is the hub at the centre of the company's Wyoming hub-and-spoke project which includes eleven satellite ISL projects, four of which are fully permitted.

First production will be funded with existing cash on the company's balance sheet and, in line with UEC's strategy to remain 100% unhedged, will be sold at prevailing spot market prices, the company said.

"This is the moment we have been working towards for over a decade," UEC President and CEO Amir Adnani said. "Uranium market fundamentals are the best the industry has witnessed, and various supply shocks have accelerated the bull market with recent prices eclipsing the USD100 per pound level.  With this exciting backdrop, we are pleased to announce our production restart in Wyoming."

Initiatives to resume production are also being advanced at the company's South Texas hub-and-spoke platform, he added.

Extensive preparations, including the re-installation of equipment, re-attachment of piping and a variety of electrical testing, repairs and upgrades to the existing facilities, were completed at the Christensen Ranch wellfields and satellite processing plant last year. Work has also progressed on a detailed wellfield startup plan, drilling to identify additional resources, and submittal of an application to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to expand the Irigaray processing plant's licensed capacity to 4 million pounds U3O8 per year.

UEC took ownership of Irigaray and the orebodies in the Wyoming hub-and-spoke operation, including Christensen Ranch, through its 2021 acquisition of Uranium One Americas Inc from Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom. According to information from the US Energy Information Administration, Christensen Ranch and the Irigaray plant - together known as the Willow Creek project - have been on standby since last operating in 2018.

Operations will initially resume at mine units 7, 8 and 10, UEC said. The company will "in the coming months" provide further information on expected volumes for the first year of production, but is currently focused on the hiring and training of additional operations personnel to augment the company's existing team. It anticipates that new hires will be from local communities.

UEC's Wyoming projects contain total measured and indicated uranium resources of 66.198 million pounds U3O8, with total inferred resources of 15.54 million pounds.

First lead-cooled fast neutron reactor's installation under way

17 January 2024

A steel reactor base plate and the lower tier of the containment has been installed in what is being called a landmark moment for construction of the BREST-OD-300 generation IV fast neutron reactor in Russia.

(Image: Rosatom)

The reactor base plate, weighing 165 tonnes, was delivered to the site in two pieces in September 2022 and has been assembled on site. It is designed to equalise the loads on the foundation from the elements of the reactor vessel. The pouring of concrete for the foundation slab was completed in August 2021. The first part of the reactor vessel, the lower tier of the containment, has also been loaded into the reactor shaft.

The lead-cooled BREST-OD-300 fast reactor is part of Rosatom's Proryv, or Breakthrough, project to enable a closed nuclear fuel cycle. The 300 MWe unit will be the main facility of the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex at the Siberian Chemical Combine site. The complex will demonstrate an on-site closed nuclear fuel cycle with a facility for the fabrication/re-fabrication of mixed uranium-plutonium nitride nuclear fuel, as well as a used fuel reprocessing facility.

A fuel production facility and an irradiated fuel reprocessing module are scheduled to be built by 2023 and 2024, respectively, while the BREST-OD-300 reactor is expected to start operation in 2026.

Vadim Lemekhov, chief designer of the BREST-OD-300 reactor unit and the project team, said: "We have started installation of the world’s first lead-cooled fast reactor, the fourth generation reactor BREST-OD-300. Unlike traditional light-water VVER thermal reactors, BREST has an integral layout. Its vessel is not an all-metal structure like the VVER, but a metal-concrete structure with metal cavities to accommodate the primary circuit equipment. The space between the cavities should be gradually filled with concrete filler during construction. In addition, the BREST vessel is larger in size, it can be delivered only in parts, and the final assembly is possible only at the construction site."

Fast reactors such as BREST-OD-300 are able to use secondary products from the traditional reactors' fuel cycle, such as plutonium, for their own fuel, as well as being to produce more potential fuel than they consume. The reactor will provide itself with its main energy component - plutonium-239 - by reproducing it from the isotope uranium-238, Russia's fuel company, TVEL, says. As about 99% of natural uranium is uranium-238, Rosatom says "the introduction of such technologies will increase exponentially the efficiency of natural uranium".

According to the World Nuclear Association information paper on fast neutron reactors, "the BREST fast neutron reactor, of 700 MWt, 300 MWe has lead as the primary coolant, at 540°C, and supercritical steam generators. It is inherently safe and uses a mixed uranium and plutonium nitride fuel... no weapons-grade plutonium can be produced, since there is no uranium blanket - all the breeding occurs in the core ... fuel cycle is quoted at 5-6 years with partial refuelling at about 10 months. The initial cores can comprise plutonium and spent fuel - hence loaded with fission products, and radiologically 'hot'. Subsequently, any surplus plutonium, which is not in pure form, can be used as the cores of new reactors. Used fuel can be recycled indefinitely, with onsite facilities. The nitride fuel has been successfully tested in the BN-600 reactor to a burn-up of 7.4%".

Initial operation of the demonstration unit will be focused on performance and after 10 years or so it will be commercially oriented. The plan has been that if it is successful as a 300 MWe unit, a 1200 MWe (2800 MWt) version will follow - the BR-1200.

Nuclear battery: Chinese firm aiming for mass market production

16 January 2024

Beijing Betavolt New Energy Technology Company Ltd claims to have developed a miniature atomic energy battery that can generate electricity stably and autonomously for 50 years without the need for charging or maintenance. It said the battery is currently in the pilot stage and will be put into mass production on the market.

The BV100 battery (Image: Betavolt)

Atomic energy batteries - also known as nuclear batteries or radioisotope batteries - work on the principle of utilising the energy released by the decay of nuclear isotopes and converting it into electrical energy through semiconductor converters.

Betavolt, which was established in April 2021, says its battery "combines nickel-63 nuclear isotope decay technology and China's first diamond semiconductor (4th generation semiconductor) module to successfully realise the miniaturisation of atomic energy batteries".

The company's team of scientists developed a unique single-crystal diamond semiconductor that is just 10 microns thick, placing a 2-micron-thick nickel-63 sheet between two diamond semiconductor converters. The decay energy of the radioactive source is converted into an electrical current, forming an independent unit. Betavolt said its nuclear batteries are modular and can be composed of dozens or hundreds of independent unit modules and can be used in series and parallel, so battery products of different sizes and capacities can be manufactured.

The composition of a nuclear battery (Image: Betavolt)

Betavolt says its batteries can meet the needs of long-lasting power supply in multiple scenarios such as aerospace, AI equipment, medical equipment, micro-electromechanical systems, advanced sensors, small drones and micro-robots. "If policies allow, atomic energy batteries can allow a mobile phone to never be charged, and drones that can only fly for 15 minutes can fly continuously," it said.

The first battery that the company plans to launch is the BV100, which it claims will be the world's first nuclear battery to be mass-produced. Measuring 15mm by 15mm and 5 mm thick, the battery can generate 100 microwatts, with a voltage of 3V. The company plans to launch a 1-watt battery in 2025.

Betavolt says its atomic energy battery is "absolutely safe, has no external radiation, and is suitable for use in medical devices such as pacemakers, artificial hearts, and cochleas in the human body". It adds: "Atomic energy batteries are environmentally friendly. After the decay period, the nickel-63 isotope as the radioactive source turns into a stable isotope of copper, which is non-radioactive and does not pose any threat or pollution to the environment."

The company plans to continue research on using isotopes such as strontium-90, promethium-147 and deuterium to develop atomic energy batteries with higher power and a service life of 2-30 years.

Lotus eyes 2025 for Kayelekera restart

16 January 2024

Lotus Resources has entered the final phase of planning to restart the Kayelekera uranium mine in Malawi in late 2025. The Australian company is also working to optimise resources at Letlhakane in Botswana, with a resource update planned for the first half of this year.

Kayelekera (Image: Lotus)

Managing Director Keith Bowes said the company is focused on restarting Kayelekera "as soon as practicable" to benefit from "strong and increasing" uranium prices. "As such, Lotus is testing the market for debt and is focused on undertaking the necessary planned activities to prepare Kayelekera for a potential restart of production in late 2025 when the supply gap for the nuclear utilities is forecast," he said.

This target date will depend on a number of conditions being met and the successful conclusion of various actions before or as part of a final investment decision (FID), the company said. These include: finalising financing and offtake for the project; signing a power supply and power implementation agreement with Malawian electricity utility ESCOM; a front-end engineering and design programme leading directly into the detailed engineering design phase for the execution of the restart plan, which will amongst other things enable a budget to be prepared for the restart and validate timelines; and the completion of negotiations on a mine development agreement and associated fiscal regime with the Government of Malawi.

These workstreams have been prioritised so that an FID can be made as soon as possible, the company said.

Kayelekera, which is 85% owned by Lotus, has a current resource of 51.1 million pounds U3O8 (19,655 tU). The project, which Lotus acquired from Paladin Energy in 2020, produced around 11 million pounds U3O8 between 2009 and 2014, when it was placed on care and maintenance.

Letlhakane update
 

Work at Letlhakane - acquired through Lotus's 2023 merger with A-Cap Energy - will aim to determine if a more effective processing route can be identified to improve the project economics of the 2015 feasibility study, which had envisaged a heap leach process. This will include updating the Letlhakane mineral resource model and undertaking preliminary test work to determine the potential of upgrading Letlhakane ore, Bowes said.

"While Letlhakane is considered the longer term asset, Lotus remains focused on restarting the Kayelekera Project as soon as practicable to benefit from the current strong and increasing uranium prices. As such, Lotus is testing the market for debt and is focused on undertaking the necessary planned activities to prepare Kayelekera for a potential restart of production in late 2025 when the supply gap for the nuclear utilities is forecast," he added.

Newcleo and Naarea launch Gen-IV partnership

16 January 2024

France's Naarea and the UK-headquartered Newcleo have announced a strategic and industrial partnership designed "to support all players in their industrial, technological, scientific and regulatory development" of Generation IV fast neutron reactors.

Newcleo's chairman and CEO (Image: Newcleo)

The companies say that the partnership will be open to others to join and said it will focus on key areas where there are common interests, such as gaining access to the used nuclear fuel from conventional nuclear reactors that their Gen-IV reactors are designed to use as part of their efforts to close the fuel cycle.

Other areas of cooperation are the development of a joint research and development platform for areas such as heat exchangers and materials, and working together to unlock financing and funding for both the research and for the fuel cycle infrastructure that will be required.

They also propose to cooperate on the industrial development front with regulators and on "providing access to scientific computing tools particularly for safety demonstrations, making test centre sites available for future prototypes and developing and implementing shared test facilities".

Newcleo is planning a 30 MWe lead-cooled fast neutron test reactor in France in 2030, with a 200 MWe first-of-a-kind commercial unit planned for the UK in 2032. Naarea is developing a 40 MWe/80 MWt molten salt fast neutron reactor with a target of 2027 for a prototype and by 2030 for construction of a manufacturing facility and launch of series production.

Stefano Buono, Newcleo chairman and CEO, said that by joining forces the two companies were "further encouraging the development and deployment of Gen-IV nuclear technology in Europe. This collaboration reinforces our shared commitment to innovation and sustainability in the nuclear sector".

Jean-Luc Alexandre, chairman and founder of Naarea, said the two firms were "creating momentum to accelerate their development by providing a joint and coordinated response to the demands of public authorities for a unified voice to express common needs. Our two companies want to simplify the work of public authorities and ultimately promote the development and deployment of Gen-IV nuclear power in Europe, against a backdrop of strong global competition".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

SMR completes Canadian design review milestones

18 January 2024

Canadian regulators have concluded that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing the Xe-100 small modular reactor, X-Energy Reactor Company has announced.

The Xe-100 (Image: X-energy)

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) vendor design review (VDR) of the Xe-100 began in 2020, combining the first two phases of the VDR process. A VDR takes place during the design process, while the design is still evolving, to provide early feedback, so that potential regulatory or technical issues can be identified and resolved, particularly those that could result in significant changes to the design.

The CNSC has now concluded that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing the Xe-100, an outcome that X-energy says increases confidence in proceeding with formal licence applications in Canada.

"The completion of the pre-licensing milestone underscores the regulatory and commercial readiness of the Xe-100 and demonstrates the opportunity to bring our advanced high-temperature gas reactor technology to the Canadian market," said X-energy CEO Clay Sell.

The VDR process has seen the submission of more than 400 technical documents and white papers across 19 focus areas and provides an opportunity for the reactor developer to demonstrate understanding and compliance with Canadian licensing requirements and seek detailed feedback ahead of a formal licence application.

The CNSC said in its summary of the review it had concluded that X-energy "understands and has correctly interpreted the intent of regulatory requirements for the design of nuclear power plants in Canada". The review did identify some technical areas requiring further development "in order for X-energy to better demonstrate adherence to CNSC requirements", it said.

Some of these will be addressed in a Phase 3 VDR, which allows the vendor to follow up on certain aspects of Phase 2 findings, the regulator said. In this phase, a vendor may seek further information from the CNSC about Phase 2 topics and it may also ask the regulator to review activities taken by the vendor towards the reactor's design readiness, following the completion of Phase 2. X-energy said it plans to proactively continue working with CNSC in pursuit of Phase 3 VDR in the future.

The Xe-100 is an 80 MWe high-temperature reactor that can be scaled into a 'four-pack' 320 MWe power plant, fuelled by the company's proprietary TRISO-X tri-structural isotropic particle fuel. Initial deployment of the Xe-100 at US chemical company Dow's Seadrift facility in Texas and a new commercial facility to manufacture TRISO-X is receiving support from the US Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. X-Energy has also signed a joint development agreement with utility Energy Northwest for the deployment of up to 12 Xe-100 small modular reactors in central Washington State.

Agreement to advance SMRs in Alberta

16 January 2024

The agreement between North American power producer Capital Power Corporation and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will see the two companies work together to examine the feasibility of developing grid-scale small modular reactors (SMRs) in the province, including possible ownership and operating structures.

Dey (standing), Hartwick, Neudorf, Smith and Jean at the announcement in Edmonton (Image: X/@CapitalPower)

The feasibility assessment will be completed within two years. At the same time, work will continue on the next stages of SMR development, the companies said. The commitment agreement advances the joint strategic plan for the deployment of SMRs released in 2022 by the governments of Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.

Capital Power President and CEO Avik Dey said SMR technology would provide an important source of safe, reliable, flexible, affordable and clean base load electricity for the province. The agreement lays the foundation for a long-term strategic partnership, he said at the livestreamed announcement. The company is looking to deploy its first SMR unit between 2030 and 2035.

Capital Power operates some 7600 MWe of generating capacity at 30 operations in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario and 10 US states, including fossil fuel, solar, wind, waste heat and landfill gas facilities.

OPG is building what it describes as North America's first fleet of SMRs at its Darlington New Nuclear site in Ontario, where the construction of the first of four GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 SMRs is expected to be completed by the end of 2028 with the unit online by the end of 2029. A 300 MWe SMR unit would be "right-sized" for Alberta's electricity market, Dey said, and leveraging Ontario's experience in nuclear will help to accelerate opportunity in Alberta.

OPG CEO Ken Hartwick said the company expects to complete the regulatory process to obtain the licence to construct the new plants at Darlington, giving it sufficient information to be able release cost numbers for all four Darlington SMR units, by early 2025. The first Darlington unit will be "a little more expensive" but subsequent units are expected to be less expensive, he said: "We anticipate someone like Capital being able to utilise our learnings so they get the benefit of a lower cost to build."

Alberta's Minister of Affordability and Utilities Nathan Neudorf said SMRs "have the potential to play a major role in the province’s search for the right energy mix to supply clean, reliable and affordable electricity" and the partnership is "an exciting and important step forward in our efforts to decarbonise the grid while maintaining on-demand baseload power".

Whether SMR units would be located at one location, or several, would the considered during the feasibility stage, Neudorf said, but an "attractive" quality of SMR technology is the ability to do both, with units grouped together or deployed singly in more remote locations.

Last year, Alberta announced a CAD7 million (USD5 million) investment in a multi-year study of the deployment of SMRs for the province's oil sands operations. Alberta Minister of Energy and Minerals said SMRs "are a critical component of the clean power generation supply mix and hold promise for the oil sands".

The announcement came two days after extreme cold resulting in high power demand put the Alberta grid at a high risk of rotating power outages, prompting the Alberta Emergency Management Agency to ask residents to limit their electricity use to essential needs only.

Ahead of the announcement, Ontario Minister of Energy took to social media from Alberta's capital city, Edmonton. "With temperatures near minus 45 over the weekend - even colder in some parts of Alberta - and virtually no wind or solar showing up on the grid, Alberta issued electricity advisory asking its residents to conserve electricity to avoid brownouts," he said in a video on X. "I look forward to exporting Ontario's nuclear expertise to provinces and states and jurisdictions around the world looking for energy autonomy and energy security, and that includes our friends here in Alberta."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

China’s CBC increases stake in Bolivia lithium mining

Reuters | January 17, 2024 

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. Stock image.

The Chinese consortium CBC, which includes battery giant CATL, and Bolivia signed a deal on Wednesday, deepening their cooperation in one of the world’s largest lithium reserves.


As Bolivia seeks with China to increase its contribution to the battery production chain, the country’s President Luiz Arce also said Bolivia this month could launch a new international tender.

“As a country, we want to participate in the entire production chain, not just in mining,” he said.

The latest agreement adds to a previous deal with Bolivian state-owned lithium company in January 2023, when CBC agreed to invest more than $1 billion to start processing Bolivian lithium with the installation of two industrial direct lithium extraction (DLE) plants.

The second agreement provides for a further $90 million investment and expands CBC’s participation in the emerging lithium industry in Bolivia, which is home to the Uyuni salt flat, one of the largest lithium reserves.

Speaking at the government palace in La Paz, Karla Calderon, president of YLB, said the agreements covered development of a pilot plant with initial production capacity of 2,500 metric tons per year. The plan was for “a future industrial plant with a capacity of 25,000 metric tons per year,” he said, without giving a date for the expansion.

CBC representative Qinghua Zhou said the pilot had “important strategic significance for both parties”.

“CBC will use its advanced technology and experience to carry out the pilot tests, making Bolivia an important global centre of the lithium battery industry chain,” he said.

Bolivia has also signed agreements with two Chinese companies, CBC and Citic Guoan, and one Russian company, Uranium One Group, to build industrial facilities for the production of lithium carbonate.

An agreement has also been signed with India’s Altmin to develop the technology of cathode materials for lithium batteries.

(By Daniel Ramos and Steven Grattan; Editing by Barbara Lewis)

First Quantum submits copper mine preservation plan to Panama government

Reuters | January 17, 2024 | 

Aerial view of Cobre Panama mine. (Screenshot from First Quantum video | YouTube.)

Canadian miner First Quantum has delivered an initial preservation and management plan to the Panamanian trade ministry regarding its lucrative copper mine in the country, the miner’s Panamanian unit said on Wednesday.


The plan takes into account the “abrupt and unusual” cessation of operations before the end of the Cobre Panama mine’s useful life, it said in a statement, noting that the plan will be updated as conditions evolve.

The miner’s Toronto-listed shares slid after the announcement, falling 4.2% in morning trading.

First Quantum is dealing with the fallout of the Panamanian government’s decision in December to halt production at the mine following public protests, which accounted for more than 40% of the company’s annual revenue and is considered one of the biggest and newest copper mines in the world.

The month before, the country’s Supreme Court ruled that First Quantum’s contract to operate in Panama was unconstitutional.

Since the blow to its revenue, First Quantum has been looking at ways to shore up its finances. The company has said that it is exploring sales of smaller mines and looking to bring strategic equity partners for its large mines.

First Quantum on Wednesday said the preservation plan at the mine in Panama entailed costs estimated at “tens of millions of dollars a month.”

It added that it would retain around 1,400 employees at the site to carry out the preservation plan, but that “later there would inevitably be other reductions in the number of workers.”

Cobre Panama had previously requested to lay off thousands of workers at the site and on Tuesday offered voluntary retirement to more than 1,500 staff.

First Quantum said that the plan required “free and uninterrupted transit” by road and at a nearby port to deliver supplies to the site. Access to the mine has been strangled by protests and blockades in recent months.

(By Elida Moreno, Mrinalika Roy and Kylie Madry; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle and Mark Porter)


First Quantum offers voluntary retirement to over 1,500 Panama mine staff

Reuters | January 16, 2024 

A Cobre Panama worker. (Image by Cobre Panama).

First Quantum Minerals, opens new tab on Tuesday offered voluntary retirement to more than 1,500 employees at its key Panama mine, a day after announcing a major restructuring to conserve cash, which included suspension of dividends.


The Canadian miner is dealing with the fallout of the Panama government’s decision in December to halt production at Cobre Panama mine following public protests, which accounted for more than 40% of the company’s annual revenue and is considered one of the biggest and newest copper mines in the world.

Because of the closure of the mine, Cobre Panama in December requested government authorization to lay off more than 4,000 of its employees.

Tuesday’s retirement offer is the second such plan announced by the company in Panama, and a total of 2,900 employees have now accepted the scheme, the company said.

The copper-gold miner had also announced job cuts in its nickel mine in Ravensthorpe at western Australia on Monday.

Since the big blow in Panama, First Quantum has been looking at ways to shore up its finances. The company has said it is exploring sale of smaller mines and looking to bring strategic equity partners for its large mines.

Reuters reported this month that First Quantum is in talks with it biggest shareholder Jiangxi Copper Co, opens new tab about selling stakes in its Zambian mines.

Scotiabank Global Equity Research said in note that First Quantum’s guidance on its restructuring and production remains neutral for the shares and it counts elevated geopolitical risks in Panama and Zambia as key risks for the company.

First Quantum shares closed with 1.27% gain at the end of trading at the Toronto Stock Exchange, while the benchmark index closed down by 0.54%.

(By Divya Rajagopal; Editing by Marguerita Choy)