NUKE NEWZ

Russia says it’s working with China to put nuclear plant on moon

Bloomberg News

The head of Russia’s space agency said it’s working on plans with China on ways to deliver and install a nuclear power plant on the moon by 2035.

“Today we are seriously considering the project,” Yury Borisov, general director of Roscosmos, said during a Tuesday lecture to students, according to the Interfax news service. 

Borisov said the power plant would need to be built by robots. 

In 2021, Russia and China presented a road map for building a scientific station on the moon by the end of 2035. According to a Tass news service report, the plan for the project includes technical lunar rovers for research, a jumping robot and several smart mini-rovers designed to explore the surface of Earth’s satellite.

Borisov also said Russia was against the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, echoing President Vladimir Putin who earlier denied U.S. allegations about the Kremlin’s plans for such arms. 

“Of course, space should be free of nuclear weapons,” Borisov said according to Interfax.  

Grossi hopes nuclear summit can agree new financing mechanisms

04 March 2024

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi says one aim of the forthcoming Nuclear Energy Summit for heads of state is to see what "international cooperation mechanisms we can agree" to accelerate the provision of new nuclear in line with the COP28 declaration in December.

(Image: Dean Calma/IAEA)

Grossi, speaking in a media conference following his report to the Board of Governors of the IAEA, was asked about the aims of the summit, the first such one for heads of state and government, being held in Brussels later this month.

He said "the summit is very important, it indicates how big the change is when it comes to the global discussion on nuclear energy". It had taken 28 UN climate conferences, Grossi added, until the countries taking part in the COP28 gathering had agreed that the provision of nuclear energy should be accelerated as part of a mix with renewables and every low-carbon source of energy.

"The fact that you are now having for the first time in history a summit of heads of state and government on nuclear is not to applaud this, it is to get together and to see what can be done to accelerate it, to carry out this acceleration. It is not an easy thing - you need the financing mechanisms for example, which are not easy," he said in the response to a question from the Chinese media.

"China is a powerful country. It can finance, but many other countries have problems and they still need more nuclear and want more nuclear. So what are the international cooperation mechanisms that we can agree at that level of heads of state and government so that this is accelerated. We have very high expectations of this summit."

His comments about Nuclear Energy Summit 2024 - which is being held on 21 March in Brussels and which he will co-chair with Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo - came after an interview with the London-based Financial Times in which he said he wanted to see multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank funding new nuclear projects, suggesting that past policies to not finance new nuclear was now "out of step" with most of their member countries.

Earlier, in his report to the IAEA Board of Governors, Grossi said the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant "continued to be very precarious", noting that IAEA inspectors at the plant had heard frequent explosions from the site in recent days, and he called for "maximum restraint and strict observance" of the UN-agreed safety principles such as neither side firing at, or from, the nuclear power plant.

He also gave updates on a variety of IAEA initiatives, such as tackling microplastics in marine environments, expanding cancer treatment technology and facilities and also Atoms4Food, which seeks to target food safety and control. He said many member states were backing it, which "gives me confidence we will soon be able to begin its implementation".

Grossi also highlighted the work the IAEA was doing with monitoring Japan's discharge of the ALPS treated water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and, on future deployment of small modular reactors, he said the various working groups involved in the Nuclear Harmonisation and Standardisation Initiative were aiming to finalise their reports by the end of 2024.

He also gave updates on the nuclear programme in Iran, calling on the country to "cooperate fully and unambiguously with the agency", and North Korea, saying there were signs of a site remaining occupied and prepared to support a new nuclear test, which "would be a cause for serious concern ... the Agency continues to maintain its enhanced readiness to play its essential role in verifying the DPRK’s nuclear programme".

In terms of foreign trips he has planned, he said he would be visiting Russia, Iraq and Syria in the next two weeks - with the visit to Damascus aiming "to re-establish a meaningful, constructive dialogue and process to facilitate the clarification of remaining issues from the past".

AFCONE and DeepGeo launch African nuclear initiative

05 March 2024

The African Commission on Nuclear Energy and DeepGeo have signed a partnership agreement which could see multinational deep geological repositories hosted in Africa, with a proportion of the income used to facilitate nuclear energy deployment.

DeepGeo's Murray (left) and AFCONE's Agboraw, at the Africa Energy Indaba conference (Image: AFCONE/DeepGeo)

The African Nuclear Energy Funding Initiative agreement will see DeepGeo introduced to African financial institutions and gain enhanced access to African decision-makers, while the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) "will benefit from a portion of the future proceeds (from any deep geological repository) and will immediately start work on establishing a template for regional nuclear governance that will facilitate nuclear energy deployment and the use of shared fuel-cycle facilities across the continent".

The provision of deep geological repositories for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste has been seen as a way of smoothing the path to new nuclear, but as DeepGeo says: "Until now few countries have been willing to host these facilities and previous initiatives have failed to gain the necessary public acceptance." The US-based company says it is working with "several African governments that have expressed potential willingness to host such facilities".

The partnership agreement aims to support the development of African financial institutions and their ability to invest in nuclear energy projects and "the goal is to eventually achieve nuclear autonomy for Africa, supporting regional nuclear fuel-cycle facilities, research and medical facilities and a domestic supply chain".

AFCONE Executive Secretary Enobot Agboraw said the agreement "offers the chance for African nations to leapfrog the established nuclear status quo, to collaborate as equal partners, and to take the development of nuclear power in Africa into their own hands".

DeepGeo President Link Murray said: "We are incredibly grateful and humbled to be able to support AFCONE in its historic mission to bring affordable, clean nuclear energy to Africa. We are honoured to be invited to participate in AFCONE's vision of peace, power, prosperity."

The agreement includes an example of possible financing, suggesting that a "conservative" estimate of an annual intake of 2000 tonnes of used nuclear fuel, priced at USD1 million per tonne, could generate annual income of USD2 billion, facilitating a 1% royalty payment to AFCONE of USD20 million, an investment of 20% of annual revenue - USD400 million - into a DeepGeo Trust for an African Nuclear Ban

Talen sells carbon-free data centre to Amazon cloud company

05 March 2024

Talen Energy Corporation has announced the sale of its 960 MW Cumulus data centre campus in northeast Pennsylvania to Amazon Web Services, with a long-term agreement to provide power from Talen's Susquehanna nuclear power plant.

Susquehanna (Image: Talen Energy)

The Cumulus campus is directly connected to the two-unit nuclear power plant. The data centre's four substations have a total potential 960 MW of redundant capacity, including 200 MW that is currently associated with the Nautilus cryptocurrency facility, in which Talen will retain its 75% interest. A further 240 MW of redundant capacity for data centres is expected to be ready this year. The campus features a "robust and redundant" fibre network.

In addition to the USD650 million for the sale of all of Cumulus's tangible and intangible assets - which is to be paid in stages (USD350 million on closing and USD300 million to be released on the attainment of development milestones later this year), Talen will receive additional revenue from Amazon Web Services (AWS) related to sales of Susquehanna's energy to the grid.

AWS plans to develop a 960 MW data centre at the site and has minimum contractual power commitments ramping up in 120 MW increments over several years, starting in 2025. Each step up in capacity commitment is at a fixed price for an initial 10 years, after which it will be based on a fixed margin above prevailing prices. AWS will have a one-time option to cap commitments at 480 MW and has two 10-year extension options, which are tied to the renewals of the two nuclear units' licences in 2042 and 2044.

"We are pleased today to have sold our Cumulus data centre campus, unlocking significant value for Talen," said Talen President and CEO Mac McFarland. "This transaction provides an attractive return on Talen's investment and vision in building Cumulus, and creates value through the sale of clean carbon-free power from our top-decile Susquehanna nuclear plant."

"Power demand is growing for the first time in years, and AI and data centres are at the heart of that growth," McFarland said. "Data from the International Energy Agency suggests that energy demand from data centres, AI and cryptocurrencies could more than double over the next three years." In the US alone, studies suggest that could mean an extra 38 GWe of additional demand by 2028, he said. "Reliable power is scarce - and reliable, carbon-free power even more so."

The transaction will benefit the wider community by creating jobs and catalysing economic development as well as strengthening the Susquehanna plant itself as a major employer and significant tax payer, McFarland said.

Amazon subsidiary AWS describes itself as the world's most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud, offering some 200 services for a wide range of technologies, industries and use cases.

The Susquehanna plant, in Salem Township, comprises two boiling water reactors and is 90%-owned and operated by Talen subsisidiary Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC. Allegheny Electric owns 10% of the 2475 MWe plantk and a similar annual amount to a trust for general African Economic Development and "a one time equity grant to AFCONE of 5% of DeepGeo's African subsidiaries, made upon customer cumulative intake of 4000 tonnes would provide endowment capital to AFCONE".

The agreement also states that the parties will "encourage African newcomer/embarking countries to develop their nuclear power programmes using a multilateral approach ... which would entail common regulatory frameworks, joint development of infrastructure issues and sustainability requirements, capacity development, joint ownership and joint operation. This will reduce financial risk, facilitate financing, reduce political and proliferation risks, and expedite the completion of the projects. The Parties will promote public awareness, capacity building, community and stakeholder engagement, realising that obtaining a social licence is necessary for the successful implementation of nuclear projects."

The first phase of the plan is to: establish a taskforce of leading global regulators and legal experts to work to develop a regionally harmonised framework for nuclear governance and regulation; begin a project to harmonise regulations for the back-end of the fuel cycle and to create a joint team within 30 days to undertake outreach to potential customers and funders "with the goal that, within a year's time, it would enable DeepGeo to provide capital in support of building African nuclear energy infrastructure".

The African Union established AFCONE in November 2010, following the entry into force of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (The Treaty of Pelindaba) in July 2009, which required the parties to establish a commission for the purpose of ensuring states' compliance with their treaty obligations and promoting peaceful nuclear cooperation, both regionally and internationally. The headquarters of AFCONE is in Pretoria, South Africa. AFCONE is financed by States Parties assessed contributions, as well as extrabudgetary funding.

Viaro partners with Newcleo to decarbonise oil and gas assets

05 March 2024

Innovative reactor developer Newcleo and London-based independent upstream energy company Viaro Energy Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding outlining a framework for planned collaborative activities to deploy Newcleo's lead-cooled fast reactors to decarbonise Viaro's oil and gas sites.

Following the completion of feasibility studies, the companies plan to establish a joint venture for the deployment of UK-headquartered Newcleo's 200 MWe lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs) at chosen sites within Viaro's portfolio, assessing both existing assets and prospective acquisitions in which Viaro is currently engaged.

"The technology will contribute to net-zero goals by maximising the benefits of advanced modular reactors for cogeneration, combined heat and power and off-grid application," the companies said.

Viaro has also directly invested in Newcleo by way of acquiring shares in its latest capital raise.

Newcleo's proposed small modular LFRs 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.

"This is an exciting partnership and demonstrates the potential for Newcleo's technology to support industrial decarbonisation," said Newcleo Chairman and CEO Stefano Buono. "The transition to net-zero will only be achieved by decarbonising not only the energy, transport and heat sectors but also energy intensive and 'hard to abate' heavy industries.

"Our technology means that, for the first time, nuclear reactors will provide decentralised, baseload, low-carbon energy to customers with enhanced safety and security of supply. Viaro's pragmatic and forward-looking approach will help them to blaze a trail towards lower-carbon operations in the oil and gas sector and we are delighted to be partnering with them and to provide energy solutions to make their aims a reality."

Viaro Energy CEO Francesco Mazzagatti added: "The partnership with Newcleo is a major milestone in our strategy to exemplify the only economically viable approach to the energy transition by investing in both energy security and long-term net-zero goals.

"We are proud to spearhead decarbonisation efforts in the oil and gas sector through the implementation of Newcleo's clean nuclear energy technology into our operations."

Vistra completes Energy Harbor acquisition

05 March 2024

The acquisition sees Vistra become the owner of the second-largest competitive nuclear fleet in the USA and the largest competitive power generator in the country.

US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff pictured at Vistra's Comanche Peak plant in 2021 (Image: NRC)

The combined company's installed generation capacity of around 41,000 MWe includes four nuclear facilities totalling more than 6,400 MWe, generating enough zero-carbon baseload electricity to power 3.2 million homes according to Vistra. It also lays claim to the second-largest energy storage capacity in the country at 1,020 MWe, including the world's largest battery energy storage facility, and a growing portfolio of solar assets, including some 340 MWe already online.
 
Energy Harbor's nuclear fleet comprises the two-unit Beaver Valley nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, as well as the single-unit Davis-Besse and Perry plants in Ohio. Vistra operates the Comanche Peak plant and its used fuel storage facilities in Texas.

"Today's closing represents our commitment to leading a responsible transformation of the country's energy supply to greener energy sources through the expansion of our zero-carbon generation portfolio while continuing to prioritise reliable and affordable electricity for the customers we serve," Vistra President and CEO Jim Burke said. "We now own the second-largest competitive nuclear fleet in the US, complementing our existing reliable, flexible, and dispatchable generation assets and our leading retail business."

Texas-based Vistra announced in March that it had executed a definitive agreement with Energy Harbor Corporation on the transaction to combine Energy Harbor's nuclear and retail businesses with Vistra's nuclear and retail businesses and Vistra Zero renewables and storage projects under a newly-formed subsidiary holding company. The new subsidiary, Vistra Vision, will continue to be operated on an integrated basis with the company's dispatchable and reliable fossil fleet, now known as Vistra Tradition.

The combined company's headquarters will be in Irving, Texas

Estonian nuclear report submitted to government for decision

04 March 2024

The Nuclear Energy Working Group's report backing the adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia has been submitted by the country's Climate Minister Kristen Michal to members of the government.

The Estonian Parliament will now consider the nuclear recommendation (Image: Estonian Riigikogu)

The report, drawn up after a two-year study, concluded that "although the introduction of nuclear energy requires extensive long-term preparation and resources, with timely planning, adequate funding, political and public support, the introduction of nuclear energy in Estonia is feasible".

It says that the deployment of nuclear energy in Estonia would support the achievement of climate targets and security of supply. The report was published as part of the country's process of following the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) roadmap for nuclear newcomer countries.

The report said that, assuming construction of a nuclear power plant was privately financed, the budget costs in creating an enabling framework would be about EUR73 million (USD80 million) over a period of up to 11 years.

Climate Minister Michal said: "Estonia is moving towards cleaner and more competitive energy production, renewable energy is cheaper than fossil sources. Nuclear energy can be the next option in the coming decades, with renewable energy capacities growing in the intermediate period, providing a cheaper price for consumers and a resource for industries to export."

If the government and the Riigikogu (parliament), following public consultation, back the adoption of nuclear energy the climate ministry says the next stage would be to start preparing the regulatory and legal framework, training specialists and experts and setting up an authority to oversee the planning of the plant.

Estonia's current domestic electricity generation is dominated by fossil fuels, notably oil shale. The country is seeking to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and is looking at nuclear power as a reliable and low carbon option to diversify its energy mix by 2035 when the country plans its phase-out of domestic oil shale. The report considered the potential of four SMRs, totalling 1200 MW, which would allow capacity for hydrogen production.

An IAEA mission to Estonia reported in October that the country had developed a comprehensive assessment of its nuclear power infrastructure needs to decide whether to launch a nuclear power programme. In February 2023, Estonia's Fermi Energia announced it had selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment in the Baltic country by the early 2030s.

Fuel loading begins at Indian fast breeder reactor

04 March 2024

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the start of fuel loading at the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu. Fast breeder reactors form the second stage of India's three-stage nuclear programme.

Modi was briefed about features of the reactor during his tour to the PFBR site (Image: Narendra Modi)

The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) has been developed by BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited), a government enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) which was set up in 2003 to focus on fast breeder reactors. Construction of the PFBR began in 2004, with an original expected completion date of 2010.

India has adopted a three-stage nuclear power programme, with the long-term goal of deploying a thorium-based closed nuclear fuel cycle. The first stage involves the use of pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs), fuelled by natural uranium, and light water reactors. The second stage involves reprocessing used fuel from the first stage to recover the plutonium to fuel FBRs. In stage 3, Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWRs) will burn thorium-plutonium fuels and breed fissile uranium-233.

The PFBR will initially use a core of uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, surrounded by a uranium-238 'blanket', with plans to use a blanket of uranium and thorium to "breed" plutonium and U-233 for use as driver fuels for AHWRs.

"In line with the true spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, PFBR has been fully designed and constructed indigenously by BHAVINI with significant contribution from more than 200 Indian industries including MSMEs," the DAE said. "Once commissioned, India will only be the second country after Russia to have a commercial operating Fast Breeder Reactor."

Aatmanirbhar Bharat translates to 'self-reliant India'. MSMEs are micro, small and medium enterprises.

The DAE describes the PFBR as an "advanced third generation reactor with inherent passive safety features" which, since it recycles material recovered from used fuel from the first stage of the programme, "offers great advantage in terms of significant reduction in nuclear waste generated, thereby avoiding the need for large geological disposal facilities".

"Upon completion of the core loading, the first approach to criticality will be achieved, leading to generation of power subsequently," it added.

The Prime Minister's 4 March visit included a tour of the reactor vault as well as the control room (Image: DAE)

In January, Modi formally dedicated to the nation the Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (ICGAR) in Kalpakkam, a precursor to large-scale plants for the reprocessing of fast reactor fuel, and in February, he visited the Kakrapar plant in Gujarat for the dedication of the first two Indian-designed and built 700 MWe PHWRs. The second of those units - Kakrapar 4 - was connected to the grid just days later.

A fast breeder test reactor has been in operation at IGCAR since 1985, although it did not reach its full 40 MWt design capacity until 2022.

"The growth of the Indian nuclear power programme is imperative to meet the twin goals of energy security and sustainable development," the DAE said. "As a responsible nuclear power with advanced technology, India remains committed to expand peaceful applications of nuclear technology, both in power and non-power sector, while ensuring the security of nuclear and radiological materials."

Start up of Chinese industrial nuclear steam project begins

04 March 2024

Commissioning has begun of China's first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced. The project at the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province will supply steam to a nearby petrochemical plant.

The industrial steam facility at Tianwan (Image: CNNC)

The project is being jointly carried out by CNNC subsidiary Jiangsu Nuclear Power Company and the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industry Base in Xuwei New District, Lianyungang City. In the project, steam will be extracted from the secondary circuits of units 3 and 4 of the Tianwan plant, two Russian-supplied VVER-1000 units. After passing through multi-stage heat exchange, the heat will be transported via an insulated above-ground pipeline to the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industrial Base for industrial production and utilisation.

The construction of the pile foundation for the project began in February 2022, with the pouring of first concrete for the industrial steam facility taking place in May 2022.

"The volume of the project is comparable to the construction of a conventional island of one million kilowatt nuclear power units," CNNC noted. "During the construction of the project, civil work such as the construction of 1689 pile foundations and 57,000 square meters of concrete pouring were completed."

The total length of the long-distance steam supply main line of the Tianwan nuclear power steam energy supply project is approximately 23.36 kilometres. The pipeline network extends from the Tianwan nuclear power plant to the Xuwei Petrochemical Industrial Park, "which is currently the longest transmission path for nuclear energy heat supply". The Tianwan plant is equipped with four steam conversion devices. The industrial superheated steam transmitted out of the nuclear power plant has a pressure of 1.8 MPa and a rated flow rate of 600 tonnes per hour.

CNNC has now said the project has entered the commissioning stage, during which workers will carry out comprehensive commissioning between the nuclear power plant and off-site steam users. This, it said, mainly involves steam pipeline preheating, joint purging, comprehensive testing and other steps.

On 2 March, the steam flow rate in the steam energy supply thermal control room showed that the steam flow reached 280 tonnes per hour and continued to operate stably.

CNNC said the project "is a new way to use nuclear energy to solve the steam demand of the petrochemical industry, reduce comprehensive energy consumption and eliminate environmental pollution."

The facility is expected to supply 4.8 million tonnes of steam annually, which will reduce the burning of standard coal by 400,000 tonnes per year, and the equivalent emission reduction of 1.07 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 184 tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 263 tonnes of nitrogen oxides

It is expected to be officially put into operation in June.

The Tianwan nuclear power plant is owned and operated by Jiangsu Nuclear Power Company, a joint venture between CNNC (50%), China Power Investment Corporation (30%) and Jiangsu Guoxin Group (20%).

Researched and written by World Nuclear News