Biden Administration Proposes New Rules To Curb Gas Flaring

By Charles Kennedy - Nov 29, 2022, 

The Biden administration has proposed a set of new rules aimed at curbing gas flaring on public lands, with the Bureau of Land Management saying these measures would result in $39.8 million in additional royalties for the United States.

Per the proposal, every company applying for an oil and gas drilling permit must submit with it a plan for the minimization of gas flaring. If the BLM deems the plan adequate, it will grant the permit. If not, it can withhold approval.

“The Biden-Harris administration has taken unprecedented action to tackle methane emissions and support a clean energy economy – this proposed rule will bring our regulations in line with technological advances that industry has made in the decades since the BLM’s rules were first put in place, while providing a fair return to taxpayers,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

The BLM noted in its news release that flaring, which causes high methane emissions, has been on the increase over the past few decades, with the period between 2010 and 2020 seeing flaring at levels of an average of 44.2 billion cu ft annually—an amount sufficient to ensure the gas needs of 675,000 homes, according to the BLM .

“The issue is not as cut and dried as this regulation would make it seem as there are many reasons to vent and flare gas, such as safety concerns and connectivity issues,” an official from the Independent Petroleum Association of America told Reuters.

“Of course, it will always be in the best interest of a producer to capture and sell a commodity on the marketplace when at all possible.”

Indeed, the BLM also pointed out in its news release that the rule would benefit oil and gas drillers by effectively increasing their associated gas output as less of it gets flared and wasted.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

Korea develops underwater cutting training simulator

10 November 2022

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has developed a virtual remote dismantling system for use in teaching the use of lasers and plasma to cut underwater reactor vessel internals (RVIs) during the decommissioning of nuclear power plants.

The training simulator for dismantling nuclear reactors (Image: KKIM)

KIMM said the simulator enables operators to simulate underwater laser and plasma cutting and to operate equipment in a condition similar to the actual dismantling environment by "virtualising the remote nuclear dismantling system".

The research team built a database containing the results of underwater laser and plasma cutting experiments and numerical analysis of molten pool behaviour on the basis of the equipment and materials that simulate underwater cutting environment by modeling the RVIs of unit 1 of the Kori nuclear power plant. The 576 MWe pressurised water reactor was permanently shut down in June 2017, becoming the first South Korean reactor to enter decommissioning.

In addition, the KIMM team developed a remote cutting simulation algorithm for an underwater robot, and virtualised radiological elements based on dynamics analysis. The researchers also created a physical environment to perform actual underwater cutting with the development of optimal dismantling process scenario in light of the cutting image of RVIs and radioactivity.

KIMM noted the existing simulator produced in South Korea simulated underwater cutting during nuclear power plant dismantling based on the design of the plant being decommissioned, so it was of limited use in the implementation of physical phenomenon in the event of actual cutting.

The simulator developed by KIMM displays the underwater cutting robot and the cut-out image that occur during the underwater laser and plasma cutting. It is a simulator that implements a physical phenomenon in practice considering the virtualisation of radiological elements and that enables the remote dismantling training of operators.

"Busan Centre in KIMM expects to contribute to establishing the facilities of simulation training for nuclear decommissioning, as the centre is located near the Kori nuclear power plant, so the nuclear decommissioning research institute and our centre can cooperate more effectively," said Jeong Suh, principal researcher at KIMM's Busan Machinery Research Centre. "We will lay the groundwork for the development of the world's best remote dismantling system."

KIMM, founded in 1976, is a non-profit government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science & ICT.

In September 2017, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute announced it had signed contracts with several domestic companies to develop technologies for decommissioning Kori 1. These included Kepco Plant Service & Engineering and Doosan, among others, to develop technologies for dismantling facilities and equipment.

In May 2021, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power applied to the Nuclear Safety & Security Commission for approval to dismantle Kori 1.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

First production from restarted Canadian operations

10 November 2022

The first uranium ore from the McArthur River mine has now been milled and packaged at the Key Lake mill, marking the achievement of initial production as the facilities transition back into normal operations.

Ore is trucked from McArthur River (above) to Key Lake for processing (Image: Cameco)

Persistent weakness in the global uranium market prompted the decision to suspend the two Saskatchewan operations in January 2018 as part of majority owner Cameco's supply discipline. In February this year, following a "notable" market improvement and an increase in long-term contracting activity, Cameco announced plans to restart both operations.

"McArthur River and Key Lake are among the best and most prolific uranium assets on the planet, and after building homes for these pounds in our long-term contract portfolio, we are delighted to have them back in production," Cameco President and CEO Tim Gitzel said. "Market conditions have continued to strengthen since we announced their planned restart, with growing geopolitical uncertainty adding to energy security concerns worldwide, and the ongoing global emphasis on decarbonisation and electrification only gaining momentum."

Critical automation upgrades, maintenance readiness checks, and restaffing, recruitment and training for key positions at both facilities have been undertaken. Some 730 employees and long-term contractors are now working at the mine and mill and further hiring is expected.

Final commissioning activities will continue to ensure target production rates can be met and normal operating conditions are being achieved, Cameco said, but added that the COVID-19 pandemic and related supply chain challenges have the potential to impact the availability of materials, reagents and labour. This could not only impact 2022 production, but could also introduce additional risk in 2023.

McArthur River commenced production in 1999. High-grade ore 600 metres underground is mined using methods including remote control raise boring. The ore is then trucked 80 km south to be milled at Key Lake, itself the site of a former uranium mine.

The restarted operations are expected to produce up to 2 million pounds U3O8 (769 tU) this year. Production of 15 million pounds U3O8 (100% basis) per year is planned from 2024 - 40% below annual licensed capacity.

The return to production is expected to lead to a "significant" improvement in Cameco's future financial performance, the company said: it will allow it to meet more of its sales commitments from lower cost "produced pounds" and it will no longer need to expense care and maintenance costs. However, until a "reasonable production rate" is achieved, the company expects to incur "between $15 million and $17 million per month" in "operational readiness costs", which will be expensed directly to cost of sales.

Cameco is the majority owner and operator of McArthur River (69.8%) and the Key Lake mill (Cameco 83%), with Orano Canada owning 30.2% of McArthur River and 16.7% of Key Lake.

Cameco's Tim Gitzel was a guest on the latest World Nuclear News podcast. You can listen to it below:

 

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Researched and written by World Nuclear News

UK demonstration of borehole sealing technology

29 November 2022

Existing boreholes at the Rosemanowes quarry in Cornwall, southwest England, have been successfully sealed by Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) in a demonstration of the technology it plans to use to seal boreholes drilled during the search to find a suitable location for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) in the UK.

The demonstration of the borehole sealing technology at Rosemanowes (Image: NWS)

The UK search for a suitable site is a nationwide process based on community consent and includes detailed investigations over a number of years. Community Partnerships, which have formed in Mid Copeland, South Copeland, and Allerdale in Cumbria, and Theddlethorpe in Lincolnshire, are engaging in a dialogue with local people to ensure they have access to information about what hosting a GDF might mean.

During the process of exploring if a site is suitable to host a GDF, deep boreholes will be drilled to investigate the geology of the location. NWS will then need to seal these boreholes as part of the site restoration programme to minimise impact on the environment.

NWS is conducting a project - costing more than GBP5 million (USD6 million) - to investigate and demonstrate to regulators its approach for deep borehole sealing.

The latest phase of this project was carried out at the Borehole Test Facility at the Rosemanowes quarry. NWS said the site, formerly a working quarry, now offers access to one of the most comprehensively mapped well systems in the world.

Two pre-existing boreholes in granite - one 2 kilometres deep and the other 300 metres deep - were successfully sealed using an innovative technology called a Downhole Placement System (DPS) tool.

Bentonite clay was used as sealant because of its low permeability and swelling properties, with cement being used for seal support. Commonly found world-wide and used in international waste management programmes, bentonite will also be packed around some GDF waste packages as part of the engineered barrier system that will isolate and contain disposed waste in the UK GDF.

The DPS tool is being tested in different locations with varying rock types and at varying borehole depths. The first successful test was in Sweden in 2018 in a 200-metre borehole, followed by a 300-metre borehole in clay in Harwell, Oxfordshire.

"The aim of this research project is to demonstrate the process we plan to use for sealing deep boreholes during future investigations into potential sites for a geological disposal facility," said Simon Norris, principal research manager at NWS and project technical lead. "We want to show that we have the necessary toolkit of approaches, procedures, and equipment to seal any boreholes we may construct in the GDF siting process, and this research was a step closer to achieving this goal."

A GDF comprises a network of highly-engineered underground vaults and tunnels built to permanently dispose of higher activity radioactive waste so that no harmful levels of radiation ever reach the surface environment. Countries such as Finland, Sweden, France, Canada and the USA are also pursuing this option.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Studsvik to develop UK metal treatment facility for Westinghouse

01 December 2022

Westinghouse Electric Company has signed a technology license agreement with Sweden's Studsvik to develop a contaminated metallic waste recycling and treatment facility at its Springfields site in Lancashire, UK.

The agreement was signed by Kirsty Armer, Vice President of Westinghouse Environmental Services UK (left), and Mikael Karlsson, Business Areas President, Waste Management Technology of Studsvik (Image: Westinghouse)

Westinghouse said innovative and carbon-neutral solutions are required to process the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of contaminated metals expected from nuclear decommissioning projects globally. "The ability to clean, melt and recycle metals is recognised as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to disposal," it added.

The Springfields Melter for Advanced Recycling and Treatment (SMART) facility will feature a metal melter as the core technology, to clean, treat and recycle contaminated metals and large components. The agreement provides access to Studsvik's proven melting technology experience and know-how in the field of metallic treatment, significantly enhancing the design and operation of the new facility.

The goal of the SMART facility is to recycle around 90% of the processed metals for re-use in the open market.

Westinghouse said the SMART facility forms part of its development of a wider nuclear material management hub at its Springfields site and expands its global decommissioning and waste management market offerings.

"We look forward to supporting Westinghouse in delivering this new melting facility which will deliver significant benefits to the environment through the recycling of contaminated metals," Karlsson said. "The combined experience of Studsvik and Westinghouse in decommissioning and waste treatment will ensure that the Metal Treatment Facility in the UK will provide an efficient and economical option for contaminated waste treatment."

"Bringing together the Westinghouse capabilities and existing infrastructure at our Springfields site, with the metals treatment expertise of Studsvik, will create a sustainable solution for contaminated metals for our customers and bring long-term jobs and investment to the Lancashire region," Armer added.

Nyköping-based Studsvik's business focus areas are fuel and materials technology, reactor analysis software, decontamination and radiation protection as well as technical platforms for handling, conditioning and volume reduction of radioactive waste. The company offers a technology license transfer of its patented waste treatment technologies. This transfer allows the recipient to build, own and operate their own waste management treatment facility using Studsvik's proven technology.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Defects found in two key components of ITER's tokamak

22 November 2022

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project has announced defects have been discovered in the thermal shields and vacuum vessel sectors and warned that the consequences on schedule and cost "will not be insignificant".

The decision was taken to lift the module already installed in the machine pit and disassemble it in order to proceed with the repairs (Image: ITER)

The director general of ITER, Pietro Barabaschi, said: "If there is one good thing about this situation, it is that it is happening at a moment we can fix it. The know-how we are acquiring in dealing with ITER's first-of-a-kind components will serve others when they launch their own fusion ventures. It is in ITER's nature and mission, as a unique and ambitious research infrastructure, to go through a whole range of challenges and setbacks during construction. And it is therefore our task and duty to promptly inform the engaged scientific community so that they will take precautions when dealing with the same type of assemblies."

ITER is a major international project to build a tokamak fusion device in Cadarache, France, designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy. The goal of ITER is to operate at 500 MW (for at least 400 seconds continuously) with 50 MW of plasma heating power input. It appears that an additional 300 MWe of electricity input may be required in operation. No electricity will be generated at ITER.

Thirty-five nations are collaborating to build ITER - the European Union is contributing almost half of the cost of its construction, while the other six members (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the USA) are contributing equally to the rest. Construction began in 2010 and the original 2018 first plasma target date was put back to 2025 by the ITER council in 2016.

The vacuum vessel thermal shields are about 20 mm thick and contribute to insulating the superconducting magnet system operating at 4K, or minus 269°C. ITER said that in November 2021 helium tests detected a leak on an element of the vacuum vessel thermal shield that had been delivered in 2020. The cause was found to be stress caused by the bending and welding of the cooling fluid pipes to the thermal shield panels "compounded by a slow chemical reaction due to the presence of chlorine residues in some small areas near the pipe welds".

This had caused "stress corrosion cracking", ITER said, "and over time, cracks up to 2.2 mm deep had developed in the pipes".

A total of approximately 23 kilometres of piping are welded to the surface of the thermal shield panels. An example of the piping on a vacuum vessel thermal shield panel is clearly visible in this photo, which shows a vacuum vessel module in pre-assembly tooling (Image: ITER)

Investigative techniques (high-resolution CT scanning, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, and metallographic observation) revealed cracks in thermal shield cooling pipes such as the ones pictured here, 2.2 mm deep and crossing the full width of the pipe (Image: ITER)

Although this might have been a one-off problem, it could also have affected all thermal shield components, with Barabaschi saying they had to assume it was a wider problem, explaining: "The risk is too high and the consequences of a leaking thermal shield panel during operation are too dire."

He said that it would be too difficult to fix the issue on the assembled module in the pit so "we have to lift out the installed module and disassemble it in order to proceed with the repairs. We are exploring different possibilities, from on-site repair to re-manufacturing in an outside facility, possibly with different pipe attachment options."

The issue discovered with the vacuum vessel sector was that when the component's four individual segments were welded together the "deviations from nominal dimensions were more substantial than the specified limit in different locations on the component’s outer shell", explained ITER. "These dimensional non-conformities modified the geometry of the field joints where the sectors are to be welded together, thus compromising the access and operation of the bespoke automated welding tools."

There had been plans to fix the issue in the assembly pit, but Barabaschi said that "the thermal shield issue has now changed the perspective … as we need to disassemble the module to fix the thermal shield piping, the question of whether or not to repair the vacuum vessel sector in the pit becomes irrelevant. We have no other solution but to remove it".

Repair strategies are being refined at the moment with assessments of the impacts on timings and costs being drawn up and vacuum vessel assembly put on hold. ITER told World Nuclear News in July that it was already planning to revise its schedule, which most recently had been for first plasma in 2025 and the start of deuterium-tritium operation in 2035. That revision to timings was partly blamed on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Longtime director general of the project, Bernard Bigot, died in May and the revision was said not likely to be agreed until April 2023 - to allow time for the new director general to be appointed and decide on the timetable revision. 



The ITER council, which features respresentatives from the countries involved in the ITER project, met in a hybrid format on 16 and 17 November (picture, above, supplied by ITER) and urged for the necessary repair work to start as soon as possible. The council also urged "the ITER Organisation and Domestic Agencies to work together to ensure an appropriate project-wide quality culture to prevent any recurrence of such issues". ITER said that the council members also reaffirmed their strong belief in the value of the ITER mission, and resolved to work together to find timely solutions to facilitate ITER's success.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

KHNP, Candu Energy to cooperate in decommissioning

25 November 2022

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and SNC-Lavalin subsidiary Candu Energy will see the two companies cooperate in areas such as decommissioning waste and digital twins, and work together on a system to exchange technology, information and experience.

The MoU was signed at SNC-Lavalin's headquarters in Canada on 21 November (Image: KHNP)

KHNP said it is increasing its capacity to dismantle nuclear power plant: Korea's oldest reactor, Kori 1 - a 576 MWe pressurised water reactor - closed in June 2017 after 40 years of service, having had a ten-year licence extension, and Wolsong 1, the country's first Candu 6 unit, was taken offline in May 2018 and declared closed in December 2019.

KHNP is planning to carry out "immediate dismantling" of Wolsong 1 - rather than delayed decommissioning, when dismantling is not carried out until more than 60 years after the reactor has shut - and said this would be a world first for a commercial heavy water reactor.

In addition to securing nuclear power plant dismantling capabilities, the MoU will also serve as an opportunity to advance into the overseas decommissioning market, it said.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

NRC issues GEH renewed used fuel storage facility licence to 2042

02 December 2022

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued the licence to GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy America (GEH)  for the "possession, transfer and storage of radioactive material" at the Morris Operation Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) in Illinois.

(Image: Pixabay)

In an announcement published in the US Federal Register on 28 November, the NRC said the "licensee's application for a renewed licence complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the NRC's rules and regulations".

The subsequent renewed licence will last to 31 May 2042. The application to renew the current licence was submitted in June 2020 and the NRC said that it had received "no request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene".

The NRC said that a safety evaluation report had concluded that the ISFSI would continue to meet the required regulations and "NRC staff also prepared an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact for the subsequent renewal of this licence" and concluded that the renewal of the licence "will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment".

In its environmental impact assessment, published on 17 November, the NRC said: "Approval of the proposed action is not expected to result in changes to current ISFSI operations. Routine operation of the ISFSI is largely passive; activities include continuation of existing monitoring and maintenance activities for the wet storage basins, which are inside a building. The proposed action would not result in any changes in water use or in the types, characteristics, or quantities of radiological or nonradiological air effluents or wastes.

"GE Hitachi would continue to operate onsite sanitary wastewater lagoons in compliance with its state-issued permit and would manage the radioactive wastewater system and solid radioactive wastes generated from ISFSI operations in accordance with NRC regulations. No wastewater would be discharged from the property. As a result of these continued ISFSI activities, no significant radiological or non-radiological environmental impacts are expected."

It also considered the impact of not issuing the renewal licence and said that this option would mean GEH still having to maintain storage at the ISFSI until such time as it could be transferred to another ISFSI and then decommission Morris Operation ISFSI. The NRC determined "that shipment of the spent fuel to a commercial reprocessing facility, a Federal repository, or an interim storage facility is not a reasonable alternative to renewing the licence because these facilities are not available in the United States as of the date of the EA".

The Morris Operation, where used fuel from the Connecticut Yankee, Cooper, Dresden, Monticello and San Onofre plants is stored, is the only licensed away-from-reactor wet used fuel storage facility in the USA.

The Morris ISFSI was originally designed as a fuel reprocessing plant, but the 300 tonne per year plant was declared inoperable in 1974. According to the American Nuclear Society, the NRC issued the Morris facility its first 20-year licence as an ISFSI in 1982. This was renewed for a second 20-year term in 2000.

The NRC says "continued storage of the spent fuel and continued operation of the ISFSI is necessary because Congress has not yet established a permanent national repository, and no facility is yet available for monitored retrievable storage".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Collaborators to develop SMR-based hydrogen production concept

01 December 2022

NuScale Power, Shell Global Solutions and research participants including Idaho National Laboratory, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), Fuel Cell Energy, FPoliSolutions, and GSE Solutions will develop a clean hydrogen production system for use in small modular reactor (SMR) power plants.

(Image: Pixabay)

A newly signed collaboration agreement provides for a two-phase project to develop and demonstrate a concept for an economically optimised integrated energy system (IES) for hydrogen production using electricity and process heat from a NuScale VOYGR SMR plant.

NuScale's SMR technology is based on the NuScale Power Module, a pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single unit generating 77 MWe. Plants based on the module are known as VOYGR, and are scalable to meet customer needs. NuScale's 12-module offering, the VOYGR-12 power plant, is capable of generating 924 MWe.

The flexibility of the technology means NuScale SMRs could help balance and stabilise power grids dominated by renewable energies by producing hydrogen, the company said. Hydrogen could be used as an end-product at times when energy demand is high and renewable energy production is low, or as a stored energy source to be processed through a reversible solid oxide fuel cell (RSOFC) for electricity generation.

"Hydrogen has been identified as a pathway for global decarbonisation and NuScale's SMR technology complements this goal through low carbon hydrogen production," NuScale President and CEO John Hopkins said.

A NuScale control room simulator will be modified to evaluate the dynamics of the IES and will include models for the solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) system for hydrogen production, in addition to a RSOFC for electricity production. The research will consider the number of NuScale Power Modules needed for use in SOEC hydrogen production and the quantity of hydrogen stored for electricity production. In addition, local economic factors from the UAMPS Carbon Free Power Project - a plant based on six VOYGR modules, generating 462 MWe, which is to be built near Idaho Falls, Idaho - will be assessed.

"We are pleased to join this collaboration, which is in line with our efforts to explore technologies that have the potential to enable decarbonisation and support the energy transition," said Dirk Smit, Vice President of Research Strategy at Shell.

Anglo-Dutch company Shell, now headquartered in London, is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. Its Renewables and Energy Solutions business focuses on finding commercial ways to meet energy needs from solutions including hydrogen, renewable and low-carbon sources such as wind, solar and natural gas and decarbonisation options including nature-based solutions and carbon capture and storage.

Last month, at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, NuScale announced it had joined the United Nations 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact, a global community of organisations collaborating to develop solutions that enable access to 24/7 carbon-free energy. "It cannot be emphasised enough - decarbonisation is a global movement that requires cross-collaboration," Hopkins said at the time.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

First Light teams up with CNL on tritium production

30 November 2022

The UK's First Light Fusion plans to build a 60 MW pilot power plant based on its unique projectile fusion technology to prove the integrated engineering for electricity generation and the production of tritium. It has partnered with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) to design a system for extracting tritium from the reactor.

How a First Light Fusion plant could look (Image: First Light Fusion)

Oxford, England-based First Light Fusion said the proposed pilot plant is expected to cost about USD570 million to develop and will produce about 2 kilograms of excess tritium per year. It said the plant has been designed to minimise the barriers to a first-of-a-kind commercial power plant, while reducing overall costs and engineering risk, and accelerate the development of a secure supply of tritium, by enabling a revenue-generating pilot plant with less stringent engineering requirements.

One of the key features of deuterium-tritium fueled fusion power plant designs is the ability to purposely produce tritium in the reactor, which is then used as reactor fuel.

First Light's inertial confinement approach aims to create the extreme temperatures and pressures required for fusion by compressing a target using a hypervelocity projectile. Its plant design avoids the three biggest engineering challenges of fusion: preventing neutron damage, producing tritium, and managing extreme heat flux.

The company said its 'liquid lithium wall' approach, inside the reactor chamber where the fusion reaction will take place, gives it an inherent advantage in tritium production. The fusion reaction is surrounded by liquid lithium, allowing tritium self-sufficiency to be easily reached, and making it possible to design for excess tritium production.

First Light has entered into a collaboration agreement with CNL for the preliminary design of a system capable of extracting tritium from the First Light reactor, as well as the development of tritium processing and storage options. Under the agreement, CNL will choose two major tritium extraction candidate techniques on which system size and tritium inventory calculations, and assessments of safety and technological risks, will be performed.

CNL said the tritium extraction system represents an essential part of tritium control in a fusion fuel cycle, and is a key factor in harvesting the tritium and limiting tritium permeation into the coolant. "This is of fundamental significance for reactor licensing and safety, and demonstrates the fusion reactor self-sufficiency in terms of tritium production and consumption," it said. CNL will also prepare recommendations for future laboratory work that could lead to the production of testing equipment used to validate the systems in a laboratory environment.

"A First Light commercial power plant, based on our unique projectile approach, will avoid some of the biggest engineering barriers to that of other fusion approaches, including the production of tritium," said Nick Hawker, Co-founder and CEO of First Light Fusion. "Our design will allow tritium self-sufficiency, and CNL will support us with the initial design of a system capable of extracting tritium."

"CNL has a long and extensive history in the development of technologies and systems to safely manage tritium, given their presence in CANDU reactors here in Canada," said Ian Castillo, Head of CNL's Hydrogen & Tritium Technologies Directorate. "With the growing momentum and interest in fusion as a source of carbon-free electricity, we are increasingly leveraging these capabilities to help advance fusion reactor designs and technologies towards deployment."

In addition to working with CNL, First Light Fusion is also working with Spanish engineering giant IDOM on the design of its fusion reactor chamber. This chamber will include the unique liquid lithium wall, which will absorb the neutrons caused by the reaction caused by the impact of the projectile into the target, or fuel.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News