NUKE NEWZ

Fuel transfer trolley in place at Finnish encapsulation plant

13 February 2024

The transfer trolley for moving used fuel transport casks has been installed at Finnish waste management company Posiva's encapsulation plant under construction at Olkiluoto.

The transfer trolley in place on its rails (Image: Posiva)

The trolley - measuring about five metres by four meters and weighing some 30 tonnes - was manufactured by the French company CSI and delivered to the encapsulation plant in early February.

The trolley has now been moved from the fuel reception hall one floor down and placed on the rails on which it will operate.

The transfer trolley plays both a central and versatile role in the final disposal process, Posiva said. It not only receives the transport casks upon arrival but also transfers, lifts, and inserts them into the docking station. One challenge is that all of this takes place in a rather compact space within the transfer corridor.

The transfer trolley (Image: Posiva)

The fuel transport cask transfer trolley is the first link in the used fuel handling phase. The used fuel is transported to the encapsulation plant from Teollisuuden Voima Oyj's (TVO's) interim fuel storage using a transport cask. A docking preparations station is provided between the reception point and the docking station, where maintenance activities and measures that prepare the cask for docking and undocking are carried out on the cask.

"This is yet another important milestone at the encapsulation plant," said Installation Manager Veijo Ruotanen, who is in charge of the installation of the main equipment at the encapsulation plant. "Having the equipment specifically designed for this purpose ready for operation and in place and installation work progressing at a good pace is a major accomplishment."

The encapsulation plant is part of Posiva's final disposal facility complex. Once the final disposal operation starts, used nuclear fuel will be transported from interim storage to the encapsulation plant where it will be packed into final disposal canisters made of copper and spheroidal graphite cast iron. From the encapsulation plant, the cannisters will be transferred into the underground tunnels of the repository, located at a depth of 400-450 metres, and further into deposition holes lined with a bentonite buffer.

Skanska Talonrakennus Oy, the contractor responsible for construction of the used fuel encapsulation plant, handed over the building - some 72 metres in length and about 40 metres wide - to Posiva at the end of May 2022 for installation of the nuclear systems and commissioning of the process systems of the encapsulation plant.

The site for Posiva's repository at Eurajoki, near the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant, was selected in 2000. The Finnish parliament approved the decision-in-principle on the repository project the following year. Posiva - jointly owned by Finnish nuclear utilities Fortum and TVO - submitted its construction licence application to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy in December 2013. Posiva studied the rock at Olkiluoto and prepared its licence application using results from the Onkalo underground laboratory, which would be expanded to form the basis of the repository. The government granted a construction licence for the project in November 2015 and construction work on the repository started a year later. The repository is expected to begin operations in the mid-2020s.

Finnish firms to be technical advisors for Polish plant

13 February 2024

Fortum and TVO - owners and operators of nuclear power plants in Finland and Sweden - have signed a two-year framework agreement with Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) to provide technical support in the design, engineering and preparation for operation of Poland's first nuclear power plant.

(Image: PJE)

The scope of the framework is to support state-owned PEJ in the development of operation and maintenance processes of the new nuclear power plant in Pomerania. Following a competitive procedure, TVO subsidiary TVO Nuclear Services (TVONS) and Fortum's Nuclear Services have been selected to provide technical support, for example in the licensing and design phase of the plant and assist PEJ in developing its own internal capabilities to become an operator of a nuclear power plant.

"The agreement assumes support in terms of addressing the needs of the future operator starting already at the NPP design stage, in the performance of contracts with the consortium of Westinghouse, as the technology vendor, and Bechtel, as the main contractor, as well as cooperation and exchange of experience in the development of a fuel strategy and radioactive waste management strategy," PEJ said.

TVO and Fortum will also support PEJ in developing a training plan for employees and an action plan covering detailed scopes of tasks executed by the operator.

"Fortum and TVO differ from many other professional service providers in that we have unique experience as owners and users of nuclear power over decades," said Anni Jaarinen, Fortum's director responsible for nuclear power services. "We are satisfied that together we can contribute to Poland's energy breakthrough with strong Finnish nuclear power expertise."

"We appreciate the opportunity to support the customer and utilise our long-term expertise in planning, implementation, operation and life cycle management of nuclear power plant projects, most recently the 1600 MW pressurised water plant Olkiluoto 3," added TVONS CEO Ari Leppänen.

PEJ - a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by the State Treasury - is responsible for the construction project of the first nuclear power plant in Poland.

In November 2022, the then Polish government selected the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. An agreement setting a plan for the delivery of the plant was signed in May last year by Westinghouse, Bechtel and 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.

Bulgaria and USA sign nuclear cooperation agreement

13 February 2024

The USA and Bulgaria have signed an intergovernmental agreement to cooperate on the development of the European country's civil nuclear programme, including the plan for new units at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

(Image: US Embassy in Bulgaria)

The agreement, signed by US Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs Andrew Light and Bulgarian Minister of Energy Rumen Radev, builds on a 2020 memorandum of understanding.

In addition to creating a working group to support plans to design, construct and commission the new units at Kozloduy, the two countries will also "explore collaboration on research and training programmes and developing Bulgaria's nuclear supply chain resilience".

The agreement also proposes the two countries "work together to promote transparency and public awareness as Bulgaria develops civil nuclear energy as a safe, sustainable, and carbon-free source of energy".

Light said: "This agreement will play a vital role in promoting energy security and decarbonisation for Bulgaria and the region. Together, we will support Bulgaria’s efforts to strengthen all aspects of its civil nuclear power programme, including nuclear safety and security, nuclear fuel supply, and nuclear project development."

Radev said: "This agreement is an expression of our shared vision for the development and role of nuclear energy as a key element in achieving the goals of carbon neutrality. For us, a very important aspect is cooperation in the field of training and the exchange of experience, the exchange of personnel and knowledge, and last but not least, the development of a supply chain in which many Bulgarian companies are actively involved."

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) quoted Radev as saying: "The financial framework for the construction of units 7 and 8 at Kozloduy should not exceed 14 billion (he did not specify if this is USD or EUR) ... the idea is to implement the project entirely on public funds with up to 25-30% self-financing. The rest is to be loan-financed for part of which State guarantees will be furnished."

Five companies have expressed a formal interest in construction of the two new Westinghouse AP1000 reactors planned for the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. When the decision to move ahead with AP1000 units at Kozloduy was given approval by the country's council of ministers in October, the target date for the completion of the first unit was 2033, with the second unit to follow "two or three years after the first one".

Kozloduy units 1-4 were VVER-440 models which the European Commission had classified as non-upgradeable and Bulgaria agreed to close them during negotiations to join the European Union in 2007. Units 5 and 6 feature VVER-1000 reactors that were connected to the grid in 1987 and 1991, respectively. Both units have been through refurbishment and life extension programmes to enable extension of operation from 30 to 60 years

Cylinder shortages hit Centrus HALEU plans

12 February 2024

The US nuclear fuel and services company expects the shortages to be temporary but says it will no longer be able to deliver the anticipated 900 kg of material under the second part of its contract with the US Department of Energy.

The HALEU Demonstration Cascade was activated in October 2023 (Image: Centrus)

Centrus made its first delivery of 20 kg of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) produced at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio, to the Department of Energy (DOE) in November, marking the end of the first phase of a cost-share contract signed in 2022. The company then moved forward to the second phase of that contract - a full year of HALEU production at the 900 kg per year plant.

The contract is part of DOE efforts to ensure the availability of HALEU - uranium enriched to between 5% and 20% uranium-235 - for advanced nuclear fuel for next-generation reactor designs and to build a domestic HALEU supply chain. The material is to remain on site in Piketon in a specially constructed storage facility until it is needed.

DOE is contractually required to provide the storage cylinders needed to collect the output from the Piketon cascade, but "supply chain challenges have created difficulties" for the department in securing the necessary 5B cylinders the entire production year, Centrus said in its Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results, released on 8 February. "Centrus anticipates that the delays in obtaining 5B Cylinders will be temporary, but no longer will deliver 900 kilograms of HALEU UF6 originally anticipated for Phase 2 of the contract, which extends to November 2024," the company said.

Type B cylinders are regulator-certified casks that can maintain shielding from gamma and neutron radiation used for materials including enriched uranium. The Type 30B cylinders are used to transport low-enriched uranium to fuel fabricators cannot be used for HALEU, which is enriched above 5% uranium-235.

Japan demonstrates floating seismic isolation system for SMRs

12 February 2024

A team led by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency has concluded a series of large-scale demonstration tests for an innovative new floating seismic isolation system intended for pairing with small modular reactors to enable siting feasibility, including in areas of high seismicity.

Testing of the FSIS (Image: JAEA)

The series of tests - which ran from 29 January to 9 February - used a 1/15-scale mockup of the structure of a small modular reactor (SMR) plant design (measuring 9 metres in length, 3 metres wide and 5 metres high) floating in a water tank mounted on the world's largest shaking table, operated by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

NIED and IHI Corporation, a major nuclear equipment vendor, cooperated with Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in the testing. The seismic waves input to the shaking table are based on some of the largest earthquakes observed, including the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Multiple accelerometers installed on the floating body and in the surrounding water pool measure the characteristic response of the floating seismic isolation structure and demonstrate its seismic isolation performance.

Japan's proprietary floating seismic isolation system (FSIS) technology is focused on the use of a series of air cavities for seismic response damping and associated orifices for energy dissipation of seismic motion as seismic isolators in a structural platform paired to the base of an SMR plant that floats in a water pool. JAEA says it is a passive system with design adaptable to a broad range of site seismic conditions and capable of reducing the seismic response of the paired SMR in the horizontal and vertical directions.

A schematic showing the pairing of the FSIS technology with an SMR (Image: JAEA)

JAEA claims the system provides such effective and omnidirectional seismic isolation that it is expected to yield increases in design margin and enhanced design standardisation for an SMR because the seismic damping will permit a single reactor/seismic isolation pairing design to be safe against seismic hazards even for sites with challenging seismic design conditions.

"The FSIS paired reactor plant is supported by buoyancy while the isolators of the cavities and orifices resist seismic load," JAEA said. "The effective and relatively simple concept is intended to greatly enhance both safety and reliability for the paired SMR."

The tests are part of a national project funded by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry through its nuclear energy innovation programme (NEXIP). In parallel, the project is evaluating specific safety and regulatory approaches to pairing of the FSIS and SMR plant concepts in cooperation with industry partners. The data acquired in the current tests will be used for validation of the seismic design and safety analysis methods for the FSIS-paired SMR concepts.

JAEA and its industry partners have begun pre-application engagement with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) with the expectation that JAEA's industry partners will eventually submit a Standard Design Approval application for an SMR design paired with the FSIS. The current test will provide supporting data for the regulatory engagement. The NRC observed the tests in progress and audited quality assurance program for the FSIS testing.

The FSIS is potentially deployable with reactors of any type and with a plant containing single or multiple reactor units, JAEA said. The FSIS paired SMR design concept as described by the JAEA will withstand the terrestrial ground accelerations associated with high seismic risk zones that may not be suitable for conventional nuclear plant construction.

"Nuclear energy is expected to play a key role of decarbonisation in many countries," JAEA said. "Offering the FSIS will enable potential deployment of SMRs in Japan and elsewhere, where challenging seismic conditions would otherwise limit siting availability for new builds."

In February last year, Japan's Cabinet approved a policy that calls to develop and construct "next-generation innovative reactors." Under the new policy, Japan will also collaborate with overseas projects by maintaining and strengthening domestic supply chains and contributing Japan`s technology and expertise.

Naarea and Thorizon team up on molten salt reactors

12 February 2024

Naarea of France and Thorizon of the Netherlands have signed a strategic partnership agreement to advance the development of molten salt reactors (MSRs) in Europe.

The signing of the partnership (Image: Thorizon)

Both Naarea and Thorizon envision MSRs as key enablers to a stable, carbon-free and future-proof energy system. In this context, the two companies have decided to join forces to accelerate the development of MSRs in Europe.

The partnership aims to create the best conditions to: pool resources for safety and security demonstrations and chemical, industrial and strategic knowledge in molten salt technology; develop shared laboratories and test facilities; secure access to reprocessed fuel materials needed for molten salt fuel synthesis; provide the market with a range of complementary energy solutions with a common technology basis; and increase political and public support for MSR technology.

Together, both companies work for optimal modularity in their design: Naarea through modular manufacturing, Thorizon through its modular core made of molten salt cartridges produced offsite. This collaboration will ensure a complete cooperation in the development of their two technologies and their specific features.

Naarea - formally established in November 2021 - says its ultra-compact molten salt fast neutron reactor uses "the untapped potential of used radioactive materials, and thorium, unused mining waste". Once it develops the XSMR reactor design, the company intends to target applications in areas such as transportation, agriculture and smart buildings. Naarea says that, because of the compact size of its reactor and because there is no need for it to be grid-connected, the XSMR can "be deployed as close as possible to regions, to match energy demand as closely as possible and allow the control of security of supply, at the service of industries and communities". It expects the first units of XSMR - which can generate 80 MWt/40 MWe - to be produced by 2030.

Thorizon - a spin-off from NRG, which operates the High Flux Reactor in Petten - is developing a 250 MWt/100 MWe MSR, targeted at large industrial customers and utilities. The Thorizon concept is unique due to its patented cartridge-based core. Thorizon aims to construct a pilot reactor system before 2035.

"This strategic molten salt cooperation completes the recent strategic and industrial partnership launched by Naarea and Newcleo to optimise, thanks to fast neutrons technologies, the re-use of spent fuel from conventional reactors, ensuring complete closure of the fuel cycle," the partners said in a joint statement. "It also complements Thorizon's partnership with Orano to develop a production process for the re-use of spent fuel."

"This strategic industrial partnership will help speed up the development of molten salt and will create the conditions to build a European champion alliance in fast neutrons molten salt technology for the benefit of decarbonising urgently our planet," said Naarea founder and CEO Jean Luc Alexandre. "I'm grateful to say that this collaboration will offer new perspectives on recycling spent fuels from conventional reactors. Thorizon has extensive expertise and has been working on their technology for many years, which is a strong asset for our partnership."

"Building an innovative reactor is not something you can do on your own, this requires strong partnerships and strong teamwork," added Thorizon CEO Kiki Lauwers. "We opened an office in Lyon to connect to the rich nuclear experience and expertise in France. Now, with this partnership with Naarea, we can leverage the French and Dutch ecosystems ... I see a mutual commitment to bring the molten salt reactor to the market urgently and a strong willingness and open mindset to share knowhow to advance this course."

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

Akkuyu's first unit hits fresh landmarks

12 February 2024

The reactor compartment of Akkuyu nuclear power plant unit 1 in Turkey has been prepared for controlled assembly of the reactor - and the generator stator has also been installed in its pre-design position.

All four units are under construction at Akkuyu (Image: Rosatom)

Turkey's Nuclear Regulatory Agency issued permission for Akkuyu's first power unit to be commissioned in December and Rosatom says that a "clean area" has been established, with all construction materials removed and personnel access limited, which will now be in place for the lifetime of the unit

Sergei Butckikh, first deputy CEO of Akkuyu NPP, said: "There is currently active preparation for controlled assembly of the reactor - the clean area's ... creation means completion of general construction works in the containment of the reactor building ... we are commencing the installation of reactor components for loading dummy fuel assemblies and the cold-and-hot run-in phase."

Meanwhile, the generator stator and the base of the generating system are being installed in the turbine hall. The turbine generator stator weighs 430 tonnes, is 12 metres long with a 4.2 metre diameter, and Rosatom says it is the heaviest piece of equipment in the plant. A hydraulic rigging system was used, and a rail track built, as part of the process of transporting it to its design position. Pumps, pipelines and other equipment are also being installed in the turbine hall.

Alexei Likhachev, director general of Rosatom, who visited the site with Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, said: "The construction readiness of the first block is more than 90%. All equipment of the nuclear island has been installed. The installation of the stator and the base of the generating system is under way in the turbine room."

Akkuyu, in the southern Mersin province, is Turkey's first nuclear power plant. Rosatom is building four VVER-1200 reactors, under a so-called BOO (build-own-operate) model. According to the terms of the Intergovernmental Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey, the commissioning of the first power unit of the nuclear power plant must take place within seven years from receipt of all permits for the construction of the unit.

The licence for the construction of the first unit was issued in 2018, with construction work beginning that year. Nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in April 2023, with Likhachev saying that the aim was to carry out a physical start-up in 2024. The 4800 MWe plant is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs, with the aim that all four units will be operational by the end of 2028.

Kakrapar 4 gets go-ahead to increase power

12 February 2024

The Indian regulator has given the go-ahead for the 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) to move to the next stage of commissioning and increase power to 50%. The unit reached first criticality in December.

The Kakrapar site is also home to two operating 202 MWe PWHR, seen here on the right (Image: DAE GODL-India)

"The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) issued Permission for the Phase-C Commissioning stage of Kakrapar Atomic Power Project Unit-4 (KAPP-4) on February 09, 2024, after a satisfactory Safety Review," the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board said. The permit is valid until 30 June.

Phase-C commissioning will see the power of the reactor gradually increased in three stages as the reactor undergoes testing. The first stage - C-1 - allows the unit to increase power to 50%. Phase C-2 will allow the power to be increased to 90%. The final stage will allow the power to be increased to 100%. Regulatory permission will be required to move from one stage to the next.

KAPP 4 is an Indian-designed and built 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor and is the second in a series of sixteen units such units, the first of which - Kakrapar unit 3 - was declared in commercial operation in mid-2023.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News