World Nuclear News

Steady Energy taps TVO nuclear expertise

11 April 2024

Steady Energy - Finnish developer of the LDR-50 small modular reactor - has signed a collaboration agreement with TVO Nuclear Services related to the development of a nuclear heating plant, initially focusing on the planning of the nuclear facility's operation and safety.

The LDR-50 reactor design (Image: Steady Energy)

TVO Nuclear Services (TVONS) is a consulting company wholly owned by Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), owner of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant.

The agreement gives Steady Energy access to TVO's expertise in the planning and implementation of nuclear power plant projects as well as the operation, maintenance and service life management of the plants.

Steady Energy - which last year was spun out from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland - aims to construct the first of several district heating plants based on its LDR-50 small modular reactor (SMR) technology in Finland by 2030.

"Steady Energy is working on a very interesting project, and we are glad to be involved by offering our expertise in its various areas," said TVONS Managing Director Ari Leppänen. "This allows us to participate in the clean transition also through small modular reactor projects."

"The collaboration agreement with TVONS is a significant opportunity for Steady Energy," said Steady Energy CEO Tommi Nyman. "It will further strengthen our ability to develop and, in time, to construct a small nuclear power plant that is completely based on Finnish design. The agreement also sends a strong message that Steady Energy's project is important for the development of the entire Finnish nuclear energy industry."

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

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

ČEZ highlights benefits of increasing output of existing units

11 April 2024

The modernisation of existing nuclear power units in the Czech Republic has added extra capacity equivalent to the output of a large coal-fired power plant, operator ČEZ has said.

(Image: ČEZ)

The company said that the latest development was Dukovany's third unit achieving a thermal output of 1475 MWt - equivalent to 511 MWe - a 2.3% increase achieved without any increase in fuel consumption or emissions.

The units at the Dukovany nuclear power plant started up between 1985 and 1987 and are VVER-440 reactors, originally rated at 440 MWe. The installed capacity of each of them was increased after a nine-year modernisation programme to 500 MWe in 2009. The units at the Temelin nuclear power plant were also upgraded from 981 MWe to 1086 MWe.

Preparation for the latest capacity increase started in full in 2020 as part of a programme which also included the switch from an 11-month to a 16-month fuel cycle. Preparations included modernisation of some technological and safety systems, with the temperature of the water at the outlet of the reactor increased from 298.4°C to 300.4°C.

ČEZ says it expects the annual production of Dukovany to increase in 2025 by about 300,000 MWh after all the units are modified.

Daniel Beneš, Chairman and CEO of ČEZ Group, said the modernisation of their nuclear power plants had increased capacity by as much as building "a large coal-fired power plant or a smaller nuclear unit". He added that "of course, the absolute priority is safety, we would never take such a step without confirming the safety parameters".

Bohdan Zronek, director of the nuclear energy division, said: "Seemingly small changes in parameters will bring us hundreds of thousands of megawatts of electricity per year. Preparation for increased performance required confirmation of safety analyses, but no large-scale investment was required. The entire project fulfills the task of safely operating all our nuclear units for at least 60 years."

Roman Havlín, director of the Dukovany power plant, said the aim was to increase the outputs of the first and second units later this year and complete the project next year.

Four VVER-440 units are currently in operation at the Dukovany site. Two VVER-1000 units are in operation at Temelín, which came into operation in 2000 and 2002. The Czech Republic uses nuclear power for 34% of its electricity. Its current new nuclear plans include up to four new units, as well as a possible roll-out of small modular reactors.

Digital control system installation begins at Chinese SMR

11 April 2024

Installation of the digital control system has begun at the ACP100 small modular reactor demonstration project at the Changjiang site on China's island province of Hainan, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced.

(Image: CNNC)

The first cabinet of the digital control system system - the 'nerve centre' of nuclear power plant operation - was moved into place at 9.58am on 10 April, and installation and debugging work has now started, CNNC said.

The digital control system (DCS) system for the ACP100 - referred to as the Linglong One - adopts two domestically-developed platforms: the Dragon Scale platform (safety level) and Dragon Fin platform (non-safety level). The Dragon Scale platform can realise reactor safety control under various working conditions and ensure the safe operation of the nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, the Dragon Fin platform is responsible for operation and management and is an important guarantee for the efficient and economical operation of the nuclear power plant. Between them, the two platforms control hundreds of systems within the nuclear power plants, nearly 10,000 equipment operations and various operating conditions.

The first Dragon Fin platform cabinet that has now been put in place is a plant-wide non-safety control system specially developed by CNNC for large nuclear facilities, such as nuclear power plants. The company said this platform inherits and develops the nuclear power instrumentation and control experience and key technologies accumulated by CNNC over the years, integrating the latest advanced technologies such as data collection, process control, large-scale networking and information management to meet the requirements of high reliability and safety of nuclear facilities.

(Image: CNNC)

"The smooth introduction of the first DCS cabinet in Linglong One, the world's first land-based commercial small modular reactor, marks the transition of DCS to the on-site installation stage, laying the foundation for subsequent work such as the availability of the main control room," CNNC said.

CNNC announced in July 2019 the launch of a project to construct an ACP100 reactor at Changjiang. The site is already home to two operating CNP600 pressurised water reactors (PWRs), while the construction of the two Hualong One units began in March and December 2021. Both those units are due to enter commercial operation by the end of 2026.

First concrete for the ACP100 was poured on 13 July 2021, with a planned total construction period of 58 months. Equipment installation work commenced in December 2022 and the main internal structure of the reactor building was completed in March 2023.

Under development since 2010, the 125 MWe ACP100 integrated PWR's preliminary design was completed in 2014. In 2016, the design became the first SMR to pass a safety review by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Once completed, the Changjiang ACP100 reactor will be capable of producing 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the needs of 526,000 households. The reactor is designed for electricity production, heating, steam production or seawater desalination.

The project at Changjiang involves a joint venture of three main companies: CNNC subsidiary China National Nuclear Power as owner and operator; the Nuclear Power Institute of China as the reactor designer; and China Nuclear Power Engineering Group being responsible for plant construction.

New Chinese reactor begins supplying power

11 April 2024

Fangchenggang unit 4 - the second demonstration Hualong One (HPR1000) reactor at the site in China's Guangxi Autonomous Region - has been connected to the grid, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced.

Fangchenggang units 3 and 4 (Image: CGN)

The company said the 1180 MWe (gross) pressurised water reactor was successfully connected to the grid at 8.29pm on 9 April, "marking that the unit has the power generation capability and has taken another key step towards the goal of commercial operation".

CGN noted that a series of subsequent tests will be carried out to further verify the various performances of the unit with commercial operating conditions. It said the reactor is expected to be put into "high-quality production" in the first half of this year.

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

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

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

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

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

Second CGN Hualong One starts up

09 April 2024

Unit 4 of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi Autonomous Region has attained a sustained chain reaction for the first time, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced. The unit is the second of two demonstration CGN-designed Hualong One (HPR1000) reactors at the site.

Workers in the control room mark the unit's attainment of first criticality (Image: CGN)

China's National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) granted CGN an operating licence for Fangchenggang 4 on 27 February, allowing the loading of fuel into the reactor's core to begin. The fuel loading process was completed on 2 March.

The NNSA subsequently conducted an inspection of Fangchenggang 4 from 26-29 March to assess its readiness for criticality. The regulator announced on 1 April that the start up of the reactor could commence.

CGN said the 1180 MWe (gross) pressurised water reactor reached criticality for the first time at 7.08pm on 3 April, "marking that the unit officially entered the power operation state".

Fangchenggang units 3 and 4 (Image: CGN)

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

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

Hot functional testing of unit 4 began on 25 September last year. These tests involve increasing the temperature of the reactor coolant system and carrying out comprehensive tests to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems are operating as they should. Carried out before the loading of nuclear fuel, such testing simulates the thermal working conditions of the power plant and verifies that the nuclear island and conventional equipment and systems meet design requirements.

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

Economic benefits of Polish AP1000 deployment highlighted

10 April 2024

The construction of six Westinghouse AP1000 reactors would contribute more than PLN118.3 billion (USD30.2 billion) in GDP for Poland, while their subsequent operation would generate PLN38 billion in GDP annually, an independent study has found.

Westinghouse CEO Patrick Fragman and US Ambasador Mark Brzezinski discussed the new report at a press meeting in Poland (Image: US Embassy in Warsaw)

Poland has set out a pathway to develop new nuclear power, with the aim of building six to nine GWe of nuclear capacity, using pressurised water reactor technology. According to latest Polish Nuclear Power Programme timeline, published in 2020, construction is due to begin in 2026, with commissioning of the first unit targeted for 2033.

In November 2022, the then Polish government selected the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for the country's first nuclear power plant, at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. An agreement setting a plan for the delivery of the three-unit plant was signed in May last year by Westinghouse, Bechtel and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ). The country's Ministry of Climate and Environment in July issued a decision-in-principle for PEJ to construct the plant. The aim is for Poland's first AP1000 reactor to enter commercial operation in 2033.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC (PwC) has produced a report - titled The Economic Impact of a Westinghouse AP1000 Reactor Project in Poland - for Westinghouse and its owners, Brookfield and Cameco.

PwC assessed the jobs, GDP, labour income and tax revenue associated with the AP1000 project arising from both capital expenditures and ongoing operations. It also considered the broader impacts of developing the AP1000 project, focusing on its impact on skills, training and development, support for local industry clusters, contribution to Poland's climate change efforts, and its adherence to high safety standards in power plant operations.

The study projects that the 20-year manufacturing, engineering and construction phase of six AP1000 units will produce more than PLN118.3 billion of GDP impact and more than 204,990 person-years of direct employment in Poland.

Once operational, these units will create a minimum of PLN38 billion in GDP and support 16,300 jobs annually. During a minimum operating period of 60 years, the cumulative undiscounted economic footprint is estimated to be PLN2282 billion in GDP, 978,000 person-years of employment, PLN363 billion in labour income and PLN981 billion in total taxes in Poland, when taking into account direct, indirect, and induced effects. Extended operation would increase these impacts.

The report also says Poland's supply chain can support new global AP1000 deployments, generating an additional PLN1.9 billion in GDP per unit. Additional opportunities will also be available with eVinci microreactor and AP300 small modular reactor deployments in Europe.

Westinghouse also announced the selection of seven Polish suppliers to support the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site and other European projects: Polimex Mostostal Siedlce, Baltic Operator (Grupa Przemyslowa Baltic), Mostostal Kielce, Mostostal Krakow, ZKS Ferrum, Famak and Energomontaz-Polnoc Gdynia.

The company said "the down selection process was conducted in a transparent and competitive manner, considering requirements of quality assurance applicable to nuclear island equipment. This is a part of the process of preparation for the execution phase of the project in Lubiatowo-Kopalino".

"Deploying our AP1000 technology in Poland represents a 100-year partnership between the United States and Poland on energy security," said David Durham, president of Westinghouse Energy Systems. "This study further underlines the significant and long-term economic, human capital and climate benefits that this technology can provide for the country, its people and deeply experienced supply chain. The involvement of leading suppliers like those we announced today will be critical as Westinghouse advances this visionary nuclear power plant project."

Partnership aims to drive forward HTMR-100 SMR in South Africa

10 April 2024

Koya Capital has signed a partnership agreement to work with Stratek Global to secure financing and construction of a ZAR9 billion (USD480 million) first-of-a-kind reactor in South Africa.

A cutaway of the reactor, much of which would be underground (Image: Stratek Global)

The reactor is the Pretoria-developed HTMR-100 which produces 100 MW of heat and 35 MW of electricity and which is derived from the South African Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) programme, which was to have been a small-scale high-temperature reactor using graphite-coated spherical uranium oxycarbide tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel, with helium as the coolant, able to supply process heat as well as generating electricity. South Africa had been working on the PBMR project since 1993, however, in 2010 the government formally announced its decision no longer to invest in the project, which was then placed under 'care and maintenance' to protect its intellectual property and assets.

Chairman and CEO of Stratek Global, Kelvin Kemm, a former chairman of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, told World Nuclear News last year that thanks to the experience and legacy of the PBMR programme - which was at the start of the pilot plant stage when it was paused - the aim was to have a first HTMR-100 plant built within five years.

The new partnership follows what Stephen Edkins, head of CleanTech at tech consultancy Koya Capital, told Biznews was a period of due diligence which has convinced them of the potential of the technology and they will now work to ensure Stratek Global's project is investor-ready, and to recommend the project to its investors, with a "strong commitment to break ground before the end of the year".

Edkins added: "This collaboration transcends mere reactor construction, it is about establishing a benchmark in clean, dependable energy for Africa and the wider world, and we are thus excited to work alongside Stratek Global in this innovative endeavour. There is a growing realisation that nuclear energy is the best way to address the substantial demand for clean base-load power in Africa and around the world."

Stratek stresses the low cooling-water needs - which vastly increases the numbers of potential sites in Africa and elsewhere - and the reactor's ability to power, for example, a remote mine and community without requiring long-distance power distribution network lines. Differences between the PBMR and the HTMR-100 include the gas outlet temperature being reduced from 940°C to 750°C, and, while the PBMR used a direct helium cycle through the reactor and into the turbines, the HTMR-100 instead takes the heat into a water heat exchanger or steam generator, which produces steam for conventional steam turbines or process heat. This means all the equipment downstream of the heat exchanger can be purchased off-the-shelf, reducing design time and costs.

Romania's SMR site selection process gets IAEA approval

10 April 2024

An International Atomic Energy Agency follow-up mission has concluded that the selection of Doicesti as the site for deployment of small modular reactors complied with the agency's safety standards.

How a NuScale SMR plant could look (Image: NuScale)

The IAEA Site and External Events Design (SEED) follow-up mission's conclusion was announced by Romania's nuclear power company Nuclearelectrica and RoPower Nuclear, the small modular reactor (SMR) project company.

The mission was requested by Nuclearelectrica to independently assess the process against the IAEA's safety standards, before moving on to the next phase of the site evaluation ahead of applying for a site licence at Doicesti, where a thermal power plant will be replaced.

Paolo Contri, mission leader and Head of the External Events Safety Section in the IAEA's Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, welcomed the steps taken to conduct "an objective, feasible and safety-oriented site selection process" and the request for a follow-up mission to the 2022 one was the "best evidence" of a "commitment to safety and to ... minimise the risk that safety issues discovered at a later stage may challenge the smooth and safe project implementation. The experience under development in Romania can be of great value for the nuclear community".

Nuclearelectrica CEO Cosmin Ghita said: "Nuclear projects, regardless of the technology, have one essential thing in common: nuclear safety, and we are keen on developing an exemplary project by using a high-level nuclear safety technology, rigorous site selection, complete and safe site-specific external events consideration. In addition to Romanian experts, we very much appreciate international objective, independent expertise to make sure that all safety-related issues are considered and addressed from the early stages of the project."

Melania Amuza, CEO of RoPower Nuclear, thanked the IAEA and Nuclearelectrica for reviewing the site selection process and said: "We believe we have a solid project, and the current IAEA evaluation gives us even more confidence ... We are also certain that current evaluations, recommendations, and studies will contribute and act as a catalyst for current and future SMR projects."

Romania's SMR project is aiming for 462 MW installed capacity, using NuScale technology with six modules, each with an installed capacity of 77 MW. The SMR project is estimated to create nearly 200 permanent jobs, 1500 construction jobs and 2300 manufacturing and component assembly jobs, as well as facility operation and maintenance jobs over the 60-year life of the facility.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Plant Vogtle: Boon or Bust for the Future of U.S. Nuclear Power?

By Haley Zaremba - Apr 11, 2024

• The U.S. commits to tripling nuclear power production by 2050, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change.
• 
  
• Despite safety and zero-emissions benefits, building new nuclear reactors faces economic hurdles and public skepticism.
• 
  
• Plant Vogtle's troubled construction highlights the need to learn from past mistakes and innovate for a more affordable and efficient nuclear future.
• 
  

The United States has big plans to expand its nuclear energy industry. The country already boasts the biggest nuclear fleet in the world and is solely responsible for about a third of the world’s total nuclear energy output, and the Biden administration is set on dramatically increasing output over the next decade or so. However, the United States nuclear energy sector has been neglected and underfunded for decades now, and many of the nation’s reactors are scheduled to be retired in the near future. Turning this down-trend around to rapidly expand the sector will be an extraordinarily expensive and difficult endeavor, but experts contend that it’s absolutely essential to make good on climate pledges within or even anywhere close to the agreed-upon time frame. 

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration EIA), the United States was home to 93 operating commercial nuclear reactors at 54 nuclear power plants over 28 states as of August 1, 2023. But that number is set to rise dramatically if the United States makes good on a brand new pledge to triple nuclear power production by 2050. At last fall’s COP28 (otherwise known as the World Climate Action Summit of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change), the United States was one of more than 20 countries that cooperated to launch the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy.

The Declaration marks an important shift in global policy norms, as nuclear gains traction  around the globe. For decades, nuclear energy deployment has dipped in nations around the world – with the notable exceptions of China and South Korea – in the wake of high-profile nuclear disasters like the Three Mile Island accident of 1979, the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, and the Fukushima nuclear accident of 2011. But while these incidents have loomed large in the public consciousness and had an accordingly large effect on public policy, nuclear power actually remains one of the safest forms of power generation in the big picture. And, critically, it yields no carbon emissions.

So nuclear power is safe, it’s a proven technology, and it’s zero-emissions. But there is, of course, a catch. Building new nuclear reactors is really, really expensive. And convincing the public and private sectors to invest in projects of such cost and scope is no easy feat. Nuclear critics say that it’s not economically feasible. Supporters say that it’s necessary, will pay for itself in the long run, and will get cheaper as we get better at building contemporary reactors and build up a more efficient, skilled workforce while we’re at it. 

Right now, this battle is playing out in real time in Waynesboro, Georgia, where a nuclear power plant is finally getting ready to come online after seven years of delays and a near-doubling of the original budget.  Plant Vogtle is the first new nuclear power plant to be built in the United States in decades, and it hasn’t done much to ease the worries of nuclear skeptics. First approved in 2009, it’s still not quite finished. And when it’s done it will be, by some estimates, the most expensive infrastructure project of any kind in U.S. history at a whopping $35 billion. 

The project has been such a bloated disaster that many pundits think it could be make-or-break for the wholesale future of the United States nuclear sector. But there are two ways to interpret the cautionary tale presented by Vogtle: either you think that the lesson is not to build new reactors, or the lesson is to build nuclear reactors better. 

Vogtle was the first newly built nuclear power plant to come online on American soil since 1993 and the first to begin construction since the 1970s. As such, “many of their challenges were either unique to a first-of-a-kind reactor design or a result of the loss of industrial knowledge since the decline of the nuclear industry” states a recent Grist article. This means that the myriad problems that plagued Vogtle might not be an issue in future projects. Plus, now we have a very detailed blueprint of all the things that can go wrong, so we can now mitigate many of those issues. 

“It’s a simple fact that Vogtle had disastrous cost overruns and delays, and you have to stare that fact in the face,” John Parsons, a researcher at MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, was quoted by Grist. “It’s also possible that nuclear, if we can do it, is a valuable contribution to the system, but we need to learn how to do it cheaper than we’ve done so far. I would hate to throw away all the gains that we’ve learned from doing it.”

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com 

Anfield applies to restart Shootaring Canyon mill

10 April 2024

Anfield Energy Inc has submitted its production reactivation plan for the Shootaring Canyon uranium mill to the State of Utah's Department of Environmental Quality. The Vancouver-based company said it is targeting the mill restart for 2026 - it has been on standby since 1982.

Shootaring Canyon (Image: Anfield Resources)

The plan outlines an increase in mill throughput capacity to 1000 tonnes of ore per day from 750 tonnes per day and an increase in annual uranium production capacity to 3 million pounds (1154 tU) from 1 million pounds (385 tU). The Shootaring mill is one of only three licensed, permitted and constructed conventional uranium mills in the USA.

"The plan addresses the updating the mill's radioactive materials licence from its current standby status to operational status and the increasing of both throughput capacity and the tripling of licensed production capacity," the company said. "Following approval of the reactivation plan and mill refurbishment, Anfield will be able to both recommence uranium production and start vanadium production in 2026 - joining a select group of North American and US uranium producers meeting the resurgence in uranium demand."

Anfield acquired the Shootaring Canyon mill in 2015. The conventional acid-leach facility had been owned by  Uranium One since 2007, but the Canadian-based and Russian-owned company's mining operations are focused on in-situ leach production methods. The mill - built in 1980 - commenced operations in 1982 and operated for about six months, before operations ceased due to the depressed price of uranium. During its period of operation, it produced and sold 27,825 pounds of U3O8. Surface stockpiles at the facility include an estimate of 370,000 pounds of U3O8 at an average grade of 0.147%. Anfield agreed in August 2014 to acquire the mill plus a portfolio of uranium assets from Uranium One in a deal worth USD5 million.

Anfield said early-stage refurbishment of Shootaring will take place during the review of the restart application, preparing the company to complete refurbishment as soon as the restart application is approved.

"We at Anfield are very proud of achieving the important milestone of submitting the production restart application for Shootaring," said Anfield CEO Corey Dias. "This is an achievement which has taken close to 18 months of engineering and design input to complete and caps a decade of methodical and strategic progression in asset development.

"Since acquiring the Shootaring Canyon mill in 2015, we have maintained the facility, waiting for the right market conditions to return the mill to production status. With uranium reaching highs of greater than USD100 per pound earlier this year, and a global environment in which demand is expected to continue outstripping supply, we believe this is the ideal time to advance our uranium assets to production."

Licensing and testing progress for innovative thorium-based fuel

10 April 2024

Days after announcing the start of accelerated irradiation testing and qualification of its patented ANEEL thorium and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel at Idaho National Laboratory, Clean Core Thorium Energy announced it has completed the first phase of the Canadian nuclear regulator's pre-licensing review process.

Clean Core's management team and the INL project team pictured in front of the ATR (Image: Clean Core)

ANEEL has been developed for use in pressurised heavy water reactors and Candu reactors (its name is taken from Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life). The company says it can offer significantly improved performance with existing proven heavy water reactor systems by leveraging thorium's "inherently superior" nuclear, thermal and physical properties while retaining the same external dimensions and configuration design as in currently used natural uranium fuel bundles. It can be used to replace current fuel bundles, without any significant modifications to the reactor, to reduce life-cycle operating costs and waste volumes, increase safety and accident tolerance, and result in additional proliferation resistance, the company claims.

ANEEL is the first thorium-based fuel for Candu reactors to successfully complete the first phase of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) pre-licensing process for new fuel designs, Clean Core said.

The Vendor Design Review (VDR) process has included submissions across nine focus areas, building a licensing basis and safety case for the fuel. The pre-licensing process has provided an opportunity for Clean Core to demonstrate understanding and compliance with Canadian licensing requirements and seek detailed feedback ahead of a formal licence application, the company said.

The regulator concluded that the company "generally understands and has correctly interpreted the high-level intent of the CNSC's regulatory requirements as applicable to fuel design and qualification", Clean Core said. The executive summary of the assessment report will be made publicly available by the CNSC in the near future.

"The work performed through the VDR and our engagements with the CNSC highlights Clean Core's regulatory and commercial readiness. This is a critical step forward for our ANEEL fuel technology and in advancing nuclear power generation across Canada and globally,” Clean Core CEO and founder Mehul Shah said.

Testing begins

The completion of Phase 1 of the Canadian VDR comes as irradiation testing and qualification of the fuel is about to begin in the Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in the USA. This follows Clean Core's signature in 2022 of a strategic partnership project agreement with INL.

 ANEEL fuel experiment capsules being staged at the ATR (Image: Clean Core)

As part of that agreement, INL has received more than 300 ANEEL fuel pellets fabricated by Texas A&M University's Department of Nuclear Engineering under INL's quality assurance requirements. INL has developed the irradiation test plan, performed pre-irradiation characterisation of the fuel pellets, designed and fabricated the experiment hardware and test trains, assembled the test trains, and finally inserted the experiment into the ATR.

The CCTE-ANEEL-1A irradiation experiment is to begin this month and achieve burnup targets of up to 60 GWd per tonne. As each planned burn-up target is achieved, the test capsules containing irradiated ANEEL pellets will be sent to INL's Materials and Fuels Complex for destructive and non-destructive post-irradiation examination.

"Irradiating homogeneously blended thorium and uranium oxide in ATR is a first-of-a kind experiment for INL and the US DOE,", said Michael Worrall, a nuclear engineer at INL and Principal Investigator for the CCTE-ANEEL-1A experiment. "We are excited to see the potential of the ANEEL fuel technology and what the future of this technology holds."

The ATR is a pressurised water test reactor which operates at very low pressures and temperatures compared to a large commercial nuclear power plant to produce large-volume, high-flux thermal neutron irradiation in a prototype environment. The one-of-a-kind reactor can be used to study the effects of intense neutron and gamma radiation on reactor materials and fuels.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

SCI-FI-TEK 

Japan and USA form strategic partnership for fusion

11 April 2024

The new partnership brings together the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to work to accelerate the demonstration and commercialisation of fusion energy. The announcement was made during a visit by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the USA.

(Image: DOE)

Announced by US Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk (pictured above left), and Japan's Minister of Education, Sports, Science and Technology Masahito Moriyama (pictured above, right), the partnership intends to focus on advancing the US Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy and Strategy for International Partnerships in a New Era of Fusion Development, as well as the Japan Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy.

It will leverage a long history of Japan-US collaborative activities in the area of fusion covered by the Coordinating Committee on Fusion Energy (CCFE), which was established in 1979 and is currently implemented under a 2013 intergovernmental agreement. The two countries are also both participants in the ITER multinational fusion project.

The partnership is expected to further develop complementarity between US and Japanese resources and facilities in fusion, including those in universities, national laboratories and private companies in the respective countries. It will focus on six pillars:

• Address the scientific and technical challenges of delivering commercially viable fusion energy for various fusion systems
• Explore opportunities for shared access and/or development of facilities required for fusion research and development
• Promote the international harmonisation of regulatory frameworks and codes and standards, including leveraging of rule-making efforts by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as ongoing discussions under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Agile Nations Fusion Energy Working Group
• Identify and support the development of resilient global supply chains that facilitate commercial fusion deployment
• Support public engagement with communities to facilitate a social licence for deploying fusion energy and to support an equitable clean-energy transition
• Promote skills development to ensure the people and talent growth necessary for the robust, inclusive and diverse workforce required by the fusion sector in the next decade and beyond.

 

Joint statement

In a joint statement issued during the official visit, Kishida and US President Joe Biden said Japan and the USA, through the strategic partnership, "are further leading the way in developing and deploying next generation clean energy technology, including fusion energy development".

They reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the global transition to zero-emissions energy, and outlined steps they are taking towards this goal, including the launch of a new high-level dialogue on how the two countries implement their respective domestic measures and maximise their synergies and impacts.

According to a White House factsheet on the official visit, as well as the fusion initiative, the two nations "acknowledge the need to expand and modernise power grids and energy infrastructure" to support clean energy and "look to expand the use of market-based power purchase agreements by companies and industries to assist access to clean energy, including from both large nuclear reactors and advanced and small modular reactors (A/SMRs), as they attempt to meet their own decarbonisation goals and drive innovation in power intensive industries such as Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, and data centres".

"The United States applauds the prime minister’s plan to restart nuclear reactors to meet its 2030 decarbonisation goals," the factsheet notes. "Our two countries acknowledge the transformational opportunities presented through our continued cooperation on A/SMRs, and affirm our continued partnership on joint efforts both bilaterally and multilaterally to deploy A/SMRs this decade.

"Our two countries plan to launch the Fukushima Daiichi Decommissioning partnership with Tokyo Electric Power Company and US national laboratories to deepen research cooperation for the steady implementation of decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, especially for fuel debris retrieval. Recognising the important role of nuclear energy to both accelerate the energy transition and enhance energy security, the United States and Japan also resolve to promote public-private investment in enriched uranium production capacity free from Russian material."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

EU Probe Finds No Added Suicide Risk Linked to Novo’s Wegovy and Ozempic

Naomi Kresge, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- The European Union’s drug regulator found no added risk of suicide or self-harm for people taking a popular new class of weight-loss and diabetes medicines that includes Novo Nordisk A/S’s Wegovy and Ozempic.

The evidence doesn’t support a causal link between the drugs and suicidal and self-harm thoughts and actions, a European Medicines Agency risk assessment committee said Friday. The regulator analyzed health records of people who had taken the drugs. Drugmakers will keep monitoring closely, the EMA said. 

The EMA started investigating the issue in July after reports of suicidal thoughts from people who had been taking the medicines, which slow the movement of food through the gut but are also thought to have a broader impact that includes the brain neurotransmitter dopamine. 

The review focused on glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, drugs, which are among the pharma industry’s hottest sellers. 

Novo Nordisk shares rose 1.7% in Copenhagen.

The review did not include Eli Lilly & Co.’s Mounjaro and Zepbound, two versions of the same drug sold for diabetes and weight loss, which works differently. 

GLP-1 drugs have been prescribed for diabetes for more than 15 years although their use for weight loss is more recent. The EMA investigation also included the active ingredients in older treatments like Lilly’s Trulicity and AstraZeneca Plc’s Byetta. 

Read more: EU Widens Probe of Suicide Risks Linked to Weight-Loss Drugs 

 

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Loblaw launching No Name Mobile cellphone plans at all No Frills stores

Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press

Loblaw Cos. Ltd. is launching low-cost cellphone plans under its No Name brand, offering prepaid mobile sim cards for purchase at all No Frills locations across the country within the coming weeks.

The company says its new No Name Mobile cellphone plans are powered by its PC Mobile carrier, which has been around since 2005 and runs on Bell Canada's network. 

“No Name Mobile is here to show Canadians that quality mobile plans don’t need to cost more," said Loblaw spokeswoman Catherine Thomas in an emailed statement.

"No Name is known for quality without sacrifice — giving customers freedom and flexibility in their mobile plans, without the frills."

The launch was first reported by MobileSyrup.

Unlike PC Mobile, which offers both 5G and 4G data speeds, No Name Mobile's website says its plans only include 4G.

No Name Mobile offers four plans at the same price as PC Mobile, but with five more gigabytes of monthly data — 25 gigabytes for $29, 55 gigabytes for $34, 80 gigabytes for $40 and 105 gigabytes for $50.

Each of those plans is eligible for an extra five-gigabyte bonus when subscribers sign up to automatically top up their accounts each month.

It also offers a pair of additional plans cheaper than PC Mobile's offers. Customers can buy one gigabyte of data — or two with the top-up bonus — for $19 per month, and four gigabytes of data — or five with the bonus — for $24.

All plans include unlimited calling Canada-wide and to the U.S., Canada-wide and international texting, along with call display, three-way calling, voice mail, call waiting and call-forwarding features.

Once a sim card is purchased, customers can pick and activate their plans through No Name Mobile's website or by phone.

Another difference between No Name Mobile and PC Mobile is that the former does not have promotional offers tied to Loblaw's PC Optimum loyalty program.

PC Mobile's website notes that customers of any of its four plans earn 20,000 PC Optimum points after two months of service and receive up to 10 per cent of the value of every top-up in points.

Thomas said Loblaw could not provide statistics on the number of subscribers to PC Mobile, but that "these programs are designed to meet the needs of the 10 per cent of the Canadian population that want a prepaid option."

Neither carrier offers international roaming in the U.S. or elsewhere, according to their websites.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2024.

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