Vietnam and Russia discuss nuclear energy collaboration

21 June 2024

A memorandum has been signed relating to the construction project for a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology in Vietnam - with discussions also held over the future options of large-scale and small modular reactors in the country.

(Image: www.kremlin.ru)

Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to discuss the proposed centre - which was the subject of an intergovernmental agreement in 2011 - as well as potential cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. The meeting happened ahead of the bilateral summit during President Vladimir Putin's visit to the country.

Likhachev also met Vietnam's Science and Technology Minister Huynh Thanh Dat, with the two signing an interdepartmental memorandum about the plans for the centre, with Likhachev describing the agreement as "a programme document that contains a clear schedule of activities for the development of the project for the period until 2027".

Later, on Friday, Russia's Tass news agency quoted Likhachev as saying he had outlined nuclear energy options to the Vietnamese prime minister - "the entire range of our export supplies, large units, small and medium-capacity plants, and small modular reactors both in onshore and floating versions". All would be accompanied by localisation of suppliers and workforce he said, adding that "we will wait for their decision".

In the leaders' statements to the media after the summit, President Putin said that "a promising area for expanding bilateral cooperation is nuclear energy", while Vietnamese President To Lam said "we also agreed to explore opportunities for stepping up our cooperation on new energy sources and clean energy, as well as facilitate the green transition and sustainable development".

Earlier in the week President Putin visited North Korea, where the two countries agreed a comprehensive strategic partnership which, among other things, included agreeing "to develop cooperation in the area of space exploration, peaceful use of nuclear energy, AI, and IT".

Niger revokes mining permit for Imouraren project

21 June 2024

France's Orano has announced that Nigerien authorities have withdrawn the operating permit for the Imouraren uranium mine, which was issued to its subsidiary Imouraren SA in 2009.

Imouraren (Image: Orano/Maurice Ascani)

Imouraren is about 80 kilometres south of Arlit and about 160 km north of Agadez. First discovered in 1966, it has mineral reserves of over 200,000 tU and is described by Orano as containing one of the largest uranium reserves in the world. Operating company Imouraren SA - owned 66.65% by Orano Expansion and 33.35% by Sopamin and the State of Niger - began excavations in 2012, but development was suspended in 2015 pending more favourable market conditions.

According to recent media reports, Niger's Ministry of Mines did not consider Orano's plans for development of the deposit to meet with the authorities' expectations. It issued a letter to Orano on 11 June saying a notice period will end on 19 June "after which date the company's operating permit will be revoked".

Orano said: "Current market conditions, with a favourable rise in the price of uranium, make it once again possible to consider bringing Imouraren into production. This being the case, and at the authorities' request, Orano had submitted a concrete technical proposal to the State of Niger, enabling this development to take place as quickly as possible. To this end, the infrastructures have already been reopened since 4 June, 2024, to accommodate the construction teams and move the work forward."

However, the ministry has now decided to withdraw the operating permit for Imouraren.

Orano said the decision to withdraw the mining permit could have "a negative impact on the economic, social and societal development of the region".

The company said it "remains willing to keep all channels of communication open with the Niger authorities on this subject, while reserving the right to challenge the decision to withdraw the mining permit before the competent national or international jurisdictions".

Orano currently produces uranium in Niger - which saw a coup take place in July last year - from open-pit operations at SOMAÏR (Société des Mines de l'Aïr), near the town of Arlit. SOMAÏR is 63.4% owned by Orano and 36.66% owned by Sopamin (Sopamin manages Niger's state participation in mining ventures). It is also carrying out remediation of the former COMINAK underground uranium mine, where over 40 years of production came to an end in 2021.

"Engaged in Niger for more than 50 years, Orano together with its partners, through its subsidiaries, contributes to the development of the country's uranium potential and to the development of the regions of Northern Niger," Orano said. "Orano has always been committed to a responsible approach based on partnership and transparency, acting in continuous consultation with the State of Niger and local stakeholders, notably under the ambitious, long-term roadmap defined in the global partnership agreement signed in May 2023."

EU funding Framatome VVER-440 fuel development

21 June 2024

The EUR10 million (USD10.7 million) contribution from the European Union under the Euratom Research and Training Programme targets the "swift and secure development and deployment of a European fuel solution" for VVER reactors.

How a Framatome VVER-440 fuel assembly might look (Image: Framatome)

The SAVE project for VVER0-440 fuel led by France's Framatome brings together 17 stakeholders, including utilities which operate VVER reactors in the European Union (EU) - the Czech Republic's ČEZ, Finland's Fortum, Hungary's MVM Paks and Slovakia's Slovenské Electrárne. The aim is to boost energy security and mitigate fuel supply chain risks.

Nineteen VVER reactors - developed during the time of the Soviet Union and historically reliant on Russian fuel supplies - are currently in operation in the EU, including four VVER-1000 reactors in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, and 15 VVER-440 reactors in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia.

Lionel Gaiffe, senior executive vice president of the Fuel Business Unit at Framatome, said: "Framatome welcomes this EU funding, recognising our efforts and supporting the acceleration of our development to contribute to the diversification and security of fuel supply for VVER reactors. Framatome is the only fuel supplier able to guarantee a 100% sovereign European technology, with a fully European design & product, and manufacturing facilities and a fuel component supply chain located and operated in the EU."

EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, said: "Research and innovation are essential for the strategic autonomy of the EU. Nuclear fuel is a case in point. The Euratom Research and Training Programme is providing crucial support to our industry in the quest for reliable alternative fuel for reactors in EU Member States and Ukraine that until now needed fuel from Russia to operate."

The new SAVE (Safe and Alternative VVER European) project follows the Westinghouse-led Accelerated Program for Implementation of Secure VVER Fuel Supply (APIS) project launched in July 2023 to develop safe fuel designs for VVER-440 and next generation fuel designs for VVER-1000 reactors. Many of the EU's VVER reactors - and Ukraine's 15 reactors - have been switching from Russian nuclear fuel to the US/Canadian company's VVER fuels and the aim is to have more diversification of supply.

 

Construction of Pallas foundation pit progresses

21 June 2024

The installation of 380 foundation piles - each 33 metres in length - has been completed in the construction pit for the Pallas research reactor in Petten, the Netherlands. Pallas is planned to replace the existing High Flux Reactor.

The construction pit for Pallas (Image: Pallas)

The Foundation Preparation Pallas-reactor applied in June 2022 to the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS) for a permit to construct and operate the Pallas reactor. ANVS granted a construction licence in mid-February last year. Preparatory work on the foundation began in May 2023. This work is being carried out by Belgian construction firm BESIX, which was awarded a contract in November 2022.

To create the construction pit, a hole of about 50 metres by 50 metres and 21 metres deep is being dug in several phases. To do this, 30 trenches measuring one-and-a-half metres wide have been dug, into which concrete has been poured to create the so-called "diaphragm walls". The diaphragm walls are anchored with 380 bored piles placed within them. A ring beam has been placed around the top part of the walls to connect the walls together.

Activities have started in the construction pit itself, such as reinforcing the diaphragm walls with 162 drilled steel pipes with 15 anchor cords. The anchors are between 48 and 64 meters long and are attached to the ground using a grout mixture.

The construction pit has been filled with water up to groundwater level to balance groundwater pressure.

In the next step, a layer of gravel will be applied at the bottom of the excavated pit to allow for a good quality concrete pour for the foundation of the reactor.

In a final step, 48,000 cubic metres of water will be pumped out of the construction pit.

"So far, the works have progressed smoothly thanks to the successful collaboration of NRG-Pallas, ICHOS (the main designer) and BESIX (the contractor for Pit & Foundation phase)," the Foundation Preparation Pallas-reactor said.

The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2024 and the cofferdam will be ready for the next phase, the actual construction of the reactor.

Although funding has been allocated in the coming years for the construction of the Pallas reactor, the Dutch government has yet to make a final decision on its construction. Construction will be able to go ahead if the Dutch parliament does not object to the creation of a new state-owned company and if the European Commission approves the public investment.

Former Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Ernst Kuipers instructed the Pallas foundation not to take any irreversible steps, but to continue with the preparations for the project in the meantime to avoid unnecessary delays.

In January 2023, Pallas launched a tender procedure for the construction of the Pallas reactor and surrounding buildings under EU public procurement rules. Three pre-qualified candidates were selected to submit offers. In December, Spanish construction firm FCC Construcción was contracted to build Pallas.

The Pallas research reactor is to be built at Petten to replace the existing High Flux Reactor (HFR). The 45 MW HFR started operating in September 1960, since when its use has largely been shifted from nuclear materials testing to fundamental research and the production of medical radioisotopes. The reactor - operated by NRG on behalf of the European Union's Joint Research Centre - has for a long time supplied about 60% of Europe's and 30% of the world's use of medical radioactive sources.

Pallas will be of the "tank-in-pool" type, with a thermal power of around 55 MW, and able to deploy its neutron flux more efficiently and effectively than the HFR.

Chinese industrial nuclear steam project commissioned

20 June 2024

China's first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project, at the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province, has entered operation following commissioning tests. The project will supply steam to a nearby petrochemical plant.

(Image: CNNC)

The project - known as Heqi-1 - was jointly developed by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) subsidiary Jiangsu Nuclear Power Company and the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industry Base in the Xuwei New District of 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 steam 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 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.

The industrial steam facility at Tianwan (Image: CNNC)

The total length of the long-distance steam supply main line of the Tianwan nuclear power steam energy supply project is about 23 kilometres. The pipeline network extends from the Tianwan nuclear power plant to the Xuwei Petrochemical Industrial Park.

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.

CNNC said the start of operation of the steam project "marks that China's comprehensive utilisation of nuclear energy has expanded from single power generation and meeting urban residents' heating needs to the field of industrial steam supply". It added that the Heqi-1 project "is a model of clean steam supply for the national petrochemical industry".

South Korea plans SMR industrial complex

20 June 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol has announced plans to create a small modular reactor (SMR) industrial hub in the city of Gyeongju in the southeastern corner of South Korea's North Gyeongsang Province. The government also aims to establish a hub for the hydrogen industry in the province.

Yoon addressing the people's livelihood debate forum (Image: Presidential Office)

Speaking at the 26th people's livelihood debate meeting, held at Yeungnam University's Gyeongsan Campus, Yoon described the city as "the high-tech manufacturing innovation hub of Northeast Asia". He added: "Based on the potential that led to the country's modernisation, the central government will provide active support so that Gyeongbuk can take a greater leap forward and open a successful regional era.

"For Gyeongbuk to take a leap forward, innovation in industrial structure is more important than anything else. Gyeongbuk previously led South Korea's exports through its steel and textile industries. Currently, we are discovering and promoting new growth engines, such as hydrogen and bio. The government will firmly support Gyeongbuk’s industrial innovation."

Yoon announced the government will support the creation of an SMR national industrial complex worth KRW300 billion (USD216 million) in Gyeongju "so that we can preemptively secure the small module reactor and SMR manufacturing technology that is being competitively developed around the world".

He said the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will create a fund worth KRW80 billion by next year to support the growth of the country's nuclear power sector.

"We will actively support the construction of infrastructure, including technology development and prototype production, so that Gyeongbuk can clearly grow its SMR manufacturing capabilities and grow into a global SMR manufacturing hub," Yoon stated.

He also confirmed that construction of units 3 and 4 of the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant in North Gyeongsang Province will "proceed without a hitch so that Gyeongbuk can play a leading role in restoring the nuclear power industry ecosystem and new industrialisation". Design work for the two APR1400 reactors was suspended in 2017 due to uncertainties about government policy on the construction of new reactors.

In addition, the president announced plans to "grow Gyeongbuk into a hub for the hydrogen industry by supporting the creation of an east coast hydrogen economy industrial belt worth approximately KRW800 billion, connecting Pohang and Uljin". He noted that a hydrogen fuel cell cluster is currently being built in the Pohang Blue Valley National Industrial Complex, where about 30 fuel cell companies are gathering to promote the local production of hydrogen fuel cells.

Yoon also noted that construction of the KRW400 billion (USD300 million) Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex in Ulchin began in 2022 as part of South Korea's efforts to promote hydrogen as a future energy source and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. He said the government had decided to exempt the project from preliminary tariffs to "further accelerate the pace of progress in the future".

Australian opposition outlines its nuclear plans

19 June 2024

Leaders of the Australian opposition have confirmed that a future Australian Federal Coalition Government would introduce nuclear energy in the country, and announced seven locations where plants could be built.

Dutton (left) and Littlechild annonce the coalition's energy policy (Image: David Littleproud/Facebook)

Each of the locations announced by Peter Dutton, leader of the Liberal-National Coalition, its deputy leader David Littleproud and Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Ted O'Brien is the site of a power station that has closed or is scheduled to close.

"The Coalition believes Australia must have a balanced energy mix to deliver cheaper, cleaner and consistent 24/7 electricity," they said. "Ninety per cent of baseload electricity, predominantly coal-fired power stations, is coming to the end of life over the next decade. Nuclear energy for Australia is an idea whose time has come. Today, we are announcing that a future Federal Coalition Government will introduce zero-emissions nuclear energy in Australia, which has proven to get electricity prices and emissions down all over the world, to work in partnership with renewable energy and gas as part of a balanced energy mix."

Their government would initially develop two projects using either small modular reactors (SMRs) or larger plants such as the AP1000 or APR1400, to be in operation by 2035 if SMR plants are built or 2037 for larger plants if these "are found to be the best option". These assets would be owned by the Australian government, but would be built and operated in partnership with "experienced nuclear companies".

The sites identified by the coalition are:

• Liddell Power Station (New South Wales)
• Mount Piper Power Station (New South Wales)
• Loy Yang Power Stations (Victoria)
• Tarong Power Station (Queensland)
• Callide Power Station (Queensland)
• Northern Power Station (South Australia)
• Muja Power Station (Western Australia)

The sites in South Australia and Western Australia are earmarked for SMRs only.

"Each of these locations offer important technical attributes needed for a zero-emissions nuclear plant, including cooling water capacity and transmission infrastructure, that is, we can use the existing poles and wires, along with a local community which has a skilled workforce," the leaders said. Replacing retired or retiring coal plants would avoid much of the spending that would be needed for a 'renewables-only' system, including new transmission poles and wires, and host communities would also benefit from high paying, multi-generational jobs and other regional economic benefits.

Australian national science agency CSIRO, in its annual GenCost report, recently estimated the capital cost for Australian deployment of a large-scale nuclear plant to be AUD8665 (USD5775) per kilowatt, and says it is not economically competitive with renewables. Dutton told journalists that the Coalition's plan would come in cheaper than what he said was the AUD1.2-1.5 trillion price of the current Labor Party-led government's renewable-based proposals. "Our proposal will cost a fraction of that cost. We’ll have more to say in relation to the cost in due course," he said.

Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen described the opposition's plan as "risky", with no detail, costs or modelling. "It's too slow, too expensive and too risky for Australia," he said on X.

Referring to earlier comments by Bowen, Dutton told journalists he would be happy for the next Australian election - which must take place before 27 September 2025 - to be "a referendum on energy, on nuclear, on power prices, on lights going out, on who has a sustainable pathway for our country going forward".

The Liberal-National Coalition, also known as the LNP, is a long-running alliance of the Liberal Party of Australia, led by Dutton, and the National Party, led by Littleproud.

Local benefits

Colin Boyce is the member of parliament for the electorate of Flynn in Queensland, where one of those sites - the Callide Power Station - is situated. He welcomed the announcement, saying such a project would provide jobs and opportunities to the local community while also providing 24/7 reliable baseload power for Central Queensland.

"Without transitioning to nuclear, the Callide Power Station is set to close in the future and some 250 jobs will leave that economy," he said.

"The Callide Power Station site offers important technical attributes needed for a zero-emissions nuclear plant, including cooling water capacity and transmission infrastructure, that is, we can use the existing poles and wires, along with a local community which has a skilled and experienced workforce," he added.

Uranium recovery starts at Finnish mine

19 June 2024

Finnish mining company Terrafame has begun recovering natural uranium as a by-product of zinc and nickel production at its Sotkamo mine in Talvivaara in the north-east of the country.

Terrafame's uranium recovery plant (Image: Terrafame)

Following inspections at the uranium recovery plant and a review of written materials submitted by Terrafame, Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) issued a decision on 17 June stating that the safety requirements set for the use of the facility will be met if the documented procedures are followed. That decision cleared the way for Terrafame to commission the facility.

"With the start of operations, Finland is the only European Union member state that produces uranium," Terrafame noted.

The Sotkamo mine's previous owner, Talvivaara Mining Company, had planned to produce uranium at the site and constructed a uranium extraction plant before being declared bankrupt in 2014. The company was subsequently purchased by Terrafame, which is 70%-owned by Finnish Minerals Group, a special-purpose company wholly owned by the State of Finland.

Terrafame submitted its application for large-scale recovery of uranium to the Ministry of Employment and Economic Affairs in October 2017, already having the necessary chemicals permit and environmental permit. The government granted this permit in February 2020. The decision was deemed legally valid under a ruling made by the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland in June 2021.

In December 2017, STUK granted the company permission to recover a small quantity of uranium while experimenting with chemical processes it will use in an actual uranium recovery plant. Under that permit, the company could produce up to 600 litres of process solution containing a maximum of 6 kg of uranium.

Terrafame said its production process enables the low concentration of natural uranium found in the ore to be used as a by-product. The uranium recovered will be transported abroad for further processing, after which it will be used in nuclear fuel.

After the start-up phase, the recovery plant is estimated to operate at full capacity by 2026, when it is expected to produce about 200 tonnes of uranium per year. Terrafame noted that this production capacity corresponds to about nine months of consumption at Finland's Olkiluoto 3 EPR in Finland. It said the plan is to continue uranium production alongside the production of other metals throughout the operating period, which covers at least the next 30 years.

After the ramp-up phase, the recovery of uranium will increase Terrafame's annual net sales by approximately EUR30–40 million (USD32-43 million), based on the current market price of uranium, accounting for a few percent of the company's estimated net sales in the coming years.

"The utilisation of natural uranium in energy production helps in achieving climate goals and building Europe's energy self-sufficiency," said Terrafame CEO Seppo Voutilainen. "Thanks to our modern production process, we can recover even more metals cost-effectively."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News