OPG says goodbye to Pickering 4
Ontario Power Generation's Pickering Unit 4 was permanently shut down as planned at the end of 2024.
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"As the year comes to a close and Pickering Unit 4 is removed from service, we extend our gratitude to the thousands of workers who have contributed to its legacy since 1973. For decades, it has played a vital role delivering safe, reliable, and low-carbon electricity for Ontario," the company said on X.
Unit 4 was the last of the four units together known as Pickering A. The four 500 MWe Candu reactors were laid up in 1997. Units 2 and 3 were subsequently retired, but units 1 and 4 were later refurbished to extend their life expectancy, with unit 4 returning to service in 2003 and unit 1 in 2005. Pickering unit 1 was taken offline and out of service on 30 September 2024.
OPG is planning to refurbish Pickering units 5-8 - together known as Pickering B - laying up the reactors in 2026 and aiming for the refurbished reactors to be back in service by the mid-2030s. It is currently refurbishing four Candu units at its Darlington site with completion expected in 2026.
Ceremony marks first concrete for Pakistan unit
Senior officials from China and Pakistan witnessed the ceremonial start of construction at Chashma unit 5, days after Pakistan's nuclear regulator issued a construction licence for the Hualong One unit.
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The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission applied to the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) for the construction licence in April, along with the Preliminary Safety Assessment Report and licensing submissions covering design and operational aspects of nuclear safety, radiation protection, emergency preparedness, waste management and nuclear security. "After a thorough review and assessment of the licensing submissions and on satisfactory fulfillment of all regulatory requirements in compliance with the relevant national and international standards, PNRA issued the licence" on 26 December, the regulator said. This cleared the way for construction of the unit - for which a ground-breaking ceremony was held in July 2023 - to officially begin.
The concrete-pouring ceremony held on 30 December at the site at Mianwali in Punjab was attended by Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, who said the ceremony marked a "milestone" which reflected the strength of Pakistan-China cooperation and reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to sustainable development and energy security. Nuclear energy already contributes a "significant share of the country's clean and green electricity, reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels and lowering energy costs," he said. "Nuclear energy is not only cost effective, but also dependable".
The ceremony was also attended by Director General of the Strategic Plans Division Yusuf Jamal, Ambassador of China to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, and CNNC Vice President CNNC Zhang Kai.
"Commencement of construction of the most modern and the biggest, C-5 Nuclear Power Plant is another milestone in strategic cooperation between Pakistan and China. The plant will contribute 1200 MW electricity," Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif said on X. "I congratulate PAEC and CNNC on this remarkable achievement."
Pakistan has six operable nuclear reactors, all supplied by China: four CNP-300 pressurised water reactors at Chashma, which were connected to the grid between 2000 and 2017, and two Hualong One units at the Karachi nuclear power plant, connected to the grid in 2021 and 2022. Karachi unit 1, a 100 MWe Canadian pressurised heavy water reactor, operated from 1971 until 2021.
Chashma 5 will be the third Hualong One (HPR1000) reactor to be built in Pakistan. Karachi units 2 and 3 were the first exports of China National Nuclear Corporation's design, which has active and passive safety features including a double-shell containment and reactor filtered venting system, and a 60-year design life. Chashma 5 will also be the largest electricity-producing nuclear power plant in Pakistan with a capacity of 1200 MWe, the PNRA said.
Pakistan signed a USD4.8 billion deal with China for construction of the new unit in June 2023.
Zhangzhou unit 1 enters commercial operation
Unit 1 of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province - the first of six Hualong One (HPR1000) reactors planned at the site - has been put into commercial operation, China National Nuclear Corporation has announced.
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At 00:17 on 1 January, the 1126 MWe (net) domestically-designed pressurised water reactor completed a series of commissioning tests, including a test run lasting 168 hours, CNNC said.
In May 2014, the local government gave approval for Phase I of the Zhangzhou plant, comprising two AP1000 units. The National Nuclear Safety Administration gave approval in December 2015 for the AP1000 units and confirmed site selection in October 2016. Construction of Phase I had originally been expected to start in May 2017. However, CNNC subsequently decided to use the HPR1000 design instead. Two more Hualong One units are planned for Phase II of the plant and a further two proposed for Phase III.
Construction of Zhangzhou 1 began in October 2019, with that of unit 2 starting in September 2020.
In September 2022, China's State Council approved the construction of two further Hualong One units as Phase II of the Zhangzhou plant. First concrete for the nuclear island of unit 3 was poured on 22 February last year, with that for unit 4 following in October.
Workers in the control room of unit 1 (Image: CNNC)
The process of loading 177 fuel assemblies into the core of Zhangzhou 1 began on 12 October following the issuance of an operating licence by China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The reactor achieved first criticality on 20 November and was connected to the grid on 28 November.
CNNC said the start of commercial operation of Zhangzhou 1 "marks a major progress in the mass construction of Hualong One". It plans to construct a total of six Hualong One units at the site. Currently, three further such units are under construction there.
The Zhangzhou project - with a total investment of over CNY100 billion (USD14 billion) - is owned by CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company, a joint venture between CNNC (51%) and China Guodian Corporation (49%).
CNNC noted that the number of power reactors now in operation under its control has increased to 26, and the installed capacity has increased from 23.75 GWe to 24.962 GWe.
India's NPCIL seeks proposals for privately funded small reactor projects
India's nuclear power operator has issued a Request for Proposals from 'visionary Indian industries' to finance and build a proposed fleet of 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors to help decarbonise Indian industry.
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Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) describes Bharat Small Reactors - or BSRs - as compact 220 MW pressurised heavy water reactors that are tailored for "captive use". Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the July 2024 budget that the government would partner with the private sector to set up BSRs as part of efforts to open up India's nuclear power sector for private investments as part of its efforts to achieve net-zero goals.
BSRs are planned to be set up with private capital, within the existing legal framework and approved business models. According to the Request for Proposals, the industrial party - referred to as the user - will have the right to the plants' electrical output, but the plant assets, "for purpose of operation, will get transferred to NPCIL". The user is expected to use the power for its own captive power requirements, but could sell the electricity to other customers at a tariff determined by the Department of Atomic Energy, subject to Indian law and regulations.
The user would be responsible for all the capital and operating expenditure for the project from pre-project and throughout its "entire life-cycle including reinstating the assets in case of any damage and decommissioning". The project would be constructed by the user under the supervision and control of NPCIL, and transferred to NPCIL for operation on completion of construction.
The announcement of the Request for Proposals comes after Minister of State Jitendra Singh set out the government's vision for BSRs as part of its nuclear power programme in a written answer to the Lok Sabha on 4 December.
"The standard 220 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR), which has a proven safety and performance record, is being upgraded to reduce the land requirement and make it deployable close to the industries for use as a captive power plant. These reactors, termed as Bharat Small Reactors (BSR) are planned to address the decarbonisation needs of industries like steel, aluminium, metals etc. Setting up of 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors is envisaged within the existing legal framework, broadly envisaging provision of land, cooling water and capital by the private entity, with the design, quality assurance and operation & maintenance by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), based
on agreed business models," he said.
"BARC is developing Small Modular Reactor for repurposing of retiring coal-based power plants and catering to power requirements at remote locations in the country."
BARC is the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India's multi-disciplinary national nuclear research centre. Users have until 31 March to submit proposals to the NPCIL.
Work starts on Taiwanese fuel storage facility
A groundbreaking ceremony has been held to mark the long-delayed start of construction of an outdoor dry storage facility for used nuclear fuel at Taiwan's shut down Kuosheng nuclear power plant.
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In November 2010, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) signed a contract with US firm NAC International Inc for the supply of its Magnastor used fuel storage system to the Kuosheng plant. The agreement called for a complete dry storage project solution with 27 Magnastor systems (each of which can hold 87 bundles of used nuclear fuel) and included engineering, licensing, hardware, facility design and construction, and fuel loading operations.
The water and soil conservation plan for the facility was approved by the Council of Agriculture in 2014. After nine years of deliberation, the Construction Site Runoff Wastewater Pollution Reduction Plan was approved by the New Taipei City government in August last year, and the construction start application was approved in November.
Civil construction of the facility is expected to be completed in 2026, pending approval from New Taipei City. Once the government issues a completion certificate, commissioning tests (including cold tests and hot tests) will be conducted, and an operation licence will be applied for from the Nuclear Safety Commission. Taipower expects to obtain the licence in 2027.
Kuosheng unit 1 - a 985 MWe boiling water reactor (BWR) - was scheduled to shut down when its 40-year operating licence expired on 27 December 2021, in accordance with Taiwan's nuclear phase-out policy, but was forced to close six months earlier owing to a lack of storage in the unit's used fuel pool.
Unit 2 of the plant - also a 985 MWe BWR - was taken offline in March 2023 following the expiry of its 40-year operating licence.
The plant's decommissioning plan included the construction of a dry storage facility for used fuel. However, construction of the facility had been delayed by a dispute between Taipower and the New Taipei City government, which is opposed to a permanent used fuel storage facility within its jurisdiction.
"Only after completion and obtaining an operating licence can the core fuel of the reactor be gradually withdrawn, and decommissioning operations can be fully implemented," Taipower said.
Cold hydro testing under way at Slovakia's Mochovce 4
The second stage of cold hydro testing of the primary circuit has begun at Mochovce nuclear power plant's unit 4 in Slovakia.
The cold hydro-testing of unit 4 began in early December, Slovenské elektrárne has said. Cold functional tests are carried out to confirm whether components and systems important to safety are properly installed and ready to operate in a cold condition. The main purpose of these tests is to verify the leak-tightness of the primary circuit and components - such as pressure vessels, pipelines and valves of both the nuclear and conventional islands.
Peter Andraško, deputy director of the Mochovce unit 4 project, said: "Following the successful completion of the inactive functional tests, we are entering the second phase of the inactive tests of the plant commissioning process. These are the so-called staged inactive testing programmes. The first of them is the cold hydrotest of the primary circuit."
Martin Mráz, director of completion and commissioning of systems at Mochovce unit 4, said: "A small revision, a hot hydro test and a large revision will follow, which will end the inactive tests. Once the fuel loading application is approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic, we will load nuclear fuel into the reactor and start active tests."
Construction of the first two VVER-440 units at the four-unit Mochovce plant started in 1982. Work began on units 3 and 4 in 1986, but stalled in 1992. The first two reactors were completed and came into operation in 1998 and 1999, respectively, with a project to complete units 3 and 4 beginning ten years later.
Mochovce 3 entered commercial operation in October 2023 and unit 4's schedule has been to follow about two years behind unit 3. Each of the units will be able to provide 13% of Slovakia's electricity needs when operating at full capacity
In Quotes: What to watch out for in 2025
What are the main priorities, the key events and the likely big developments in new nuclear capacity in 2025? Here's an edited transcript of World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León's World Nuclear News podcast interview.
You can hear the full episode, including the review of 2024, below. The section looking ahead to 2025 begins from 31 minutes in.
What do you think are the main priorities for the year ahead?
One of the things that has been keeping me a little bit awake at night is to make sure that we, the global nuclear industry, make the most of the perfect alignment of the stars that we are seeing right now. We haven't seen this ever perhaps, or not in many decades. I keep saying this, but the time is truly now. If we as an industry don't get ready to invest in ourselves, whether it is the supply chain or workforce or everything else, then when will we do this? In the nuclear industry we are still a little bit conservative - we know what we've done for five decades and it's worked really well, so perhaps we are not quite ready to do something different.
So to me that's what we really need to do - to make the most of the moment and have some early wins, some early successes that carry on the momentum to deliver on all these promises.
In terms of planned events what do you think are the key ones?
It is going to be a very, very busy year. In every continent people are very interested in talking about nuclear. Of course, I think that everybody is looking at COP30 as an important event. This will be in November 2025 in Brazil. The reason I think COP30 will be particularly important is that countries will need to present their revised National Determined Contributions. This is where many countries need to assess whether what they have put in their future energy plans to reach their climate targets is realistic, and whether they are going to be able to do it. So COP30 will be very important. But there are many moments to COP30 and there are many regions and countries working hard for that.
I'm looking forward to India Energy Week, in February 2025. India is, of course, a huge country with a huge population, so what India does when it comes to energy is going to be very important. India has enormous plans for moving forward with nuclear, not only domestically, but also with a view to potential exports. So we are looking at a lot of nuclear focus in India in 2025, but there are also many other moments in the coming year.
This year will see the 50th World Nuclear Symposium in September in London. For us at World Nuclear Association, and for the global nuclear industry, I think this is going to be a very momentous occasion. We are looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary, but also setting the stage for the next 50 years and for what the nuclear industry is going to deliver. So that would be very important. There will also be our first World Nuclear Supply Chain conference that will take place in May in Warsaw in Poland, which is well timed because, as I said, it is essential that we as an industry get our act together. We are aiming for the conference to figure out what is needed from a policy point of view, from a financing point of view, from an industry point of view. We want to make sure this conference becomes a moment in which the industry can work together and figure out together what's needed to really develop the supply chain and the workforce.
Another key milestone will be World Nuclear University's Summer Institute, which goes from strength to strength, taking place in China in June and July. And, of course, in April we will have our World Nuclear Fuel Cycle conference, which this year will be in Montreal, Canada. That not only is a beautiful location, but clearly when we are talking about the fuel cycle in Canada, North America, this is going to be a very important moment given the global complexities in the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle.
And what new capacity can we look forward to?
I think in 2025 we will get a few additional Chinese reactors starting operation - the industry there is moving forward on many fronts in terms of large reactors and their first small modular reactor. We will also see Turkey starting up their first reactor and I think we will see Bangladesh, perhaps even this year producing [nuclear] electricity. So those are going to be big moments - it will be great to have these new countries in the global nuclear family.
I really hope that we see progress accelerating in the UK on new nuclear projects, both large reactors and SMRs. It is a very important market and it would set the right precedent so I think it's very important to make sure that all those projects are moving forward. There are many things happening across Europe - Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary. These are projects that are actually happening, so we will see actual milestones being completed in the next year that will take us in the right direction.
A busy year ahead and that's without considering the impact of elections
Yes, I think that it's going to be very interesting to see in the year ahead in the US the new President Trump government's policies when it comes to, not only nuclear energy, but also the fuel cycle. I don't think that we expect wild changes, I think that in the US there is clear bipartisan support for nuclear energy so it may be just tweaking some of the things that they are doing. But clearly, we know that US policies will have a lot of impact everywhere else in the world, yes. (And referring to mention of elections due in Germany and Australia) Yes, there could be many interesting opportunities for nuclear, perhaps, in the coming years.
You can read about the review of 2024 from the same interview here:
Podcast: Nuclear energy's key moments in 2024
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