Microreactor technology company NANO Nuclear Energy Inc is joining privately owned laser enrichment company LIS Technologies Inc in a collaboration it says will reinvigorate the USA's domestic uranium enrichment and fuel fabrication capabilities and provide NANO Nuclear with uranium hexafluoride to fuel its reactors.

NANO Nuclear said it invested USD2 million into the recently closed LIS Technologies (LIST) USD11.88 million seed round financing.

A strategic agreement between the two companies will see NANO Nuclear and LIST collaborate on advancing LIST's enrichment technology as it continues its development and moves towards the regulatory licensing process, NANO Nuclear said. "LIST will ultimately provide NANO Nuclear with quantities of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) fuel for use in NANO Nuclear's advanced portable microreactors in development and for future sale by NANO Nuclear and LIST to third parties," it said, added that it believes the technology has the potential to be fully developed, licensed and capable of producing commercial quantities of low-enriched and high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel within ten years.

As part of the agreement, NANO Nuclear will develop "supportive capabilities", including deconversion and fuel fabrication facilities, to incorporate LIST's enriched UF6 into an integrated fuel manufacturing process. NANO Nuclear will also collaborate with LIST on joint research and development initiatives.

"The parties intend that LIST will provide NANO Nuclear with enriched UF6 at no cost to be fabricated and sold to customers, with LIST to receive compensation as part of a profit-sharing arrangement to be agreed to between the companies in the future," it said. LIST will also act as NANO Nuclear's preferred supplier of enriched UF6 in future fuel purchasing agreements.

LIST's proprietary laser-based enrichment process uses infrared wavelengths to selectively excite the molecules of desired isotopes to separate them from other isotopes, which it says is energy-efficient and can be deployed with relatively favourable capital and operational costs. It purchased CRISLA, Inc - the developer of the patented advanced laser technology - in August 2023 and describes itself as the only USA-origin and patented laser uranium enrichment company.

"This strategic collaboration with LIST is another important milestone for NANO Nuclear as we believe it provides us with a competitive edge over other advanced reactor companies in the US," NANO Nuclear founder and Chairman Jay Yu said. "The technology being developed by LIST has the potential to reshape the United States' uranium enrichment capabilities and pave the way for the next generation of advanced nuclear reactors to be a carbon-neutral and efficient solution to its growing energy demands."

Christo Liebenberg, CEO of LIST, said: "NANO Nuclear's backing in our oversubscribed financing round is allowing us to rapidly advance along a carefully planned growth strategy to potentially becoming the first true, scalable and commercialised laser uranium enrichment company in the world." Liebenberg added that the strategic collaboration "creates a substantial advantage for both companies and the broader US market, positioning us to capitalise on a novel opportunity".

NANO Nuclear and LIST are "related parties" through certain common ownership and with some officers and directors in common, but the transaction "was reviewed and approved by NANO Nuclear's independent directors who have no role with LIST", the company said.

NANO Nuclear, which is developing the ZEUS solid core battery reactor and ODIN low-pressure coolant reactor, listed publicly in May.

The presidents of Kazakhstan and France say they wish to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and recognised the importance of cooperation in energy, including nuclear, during an official visit by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The visit also included an investment round table and formal meetings between President Tokayev and the heads of Orano and EDF.

The nations have had a bilateral strategic partnership since 2008, and this is the third consecutive year in which Tokayev and French President Emmanual Macron have visited each other: Macron visited Astana in November 2023 and Tokayev visited Paris in 2022.

In a joint declaration, the heads of state said they "welcomed the trust and regular dialogue between the two countries at all levels" and confirmed a "mutual desire to deepen, expand and diversify privileged interstate relations with a view to bringing them to the level of strengthened strategic partnership".

Energy has always been a key sector of cooperation between Kazakhstan and France, Tokayev told French industry leaders at the investment round table, and as a major supplier of oil and uranium to the European Union, Astana is ready to continue to support France's energy sovereignty. Given Kazakhstan's position as the largest producer of uranium in the world, and France's extensive nuclear industry experience, "we could cooperate in the civil nuclear energy", he said.

French company Orano is the 51% owner with Kazakhstan's national atomic company Kazatomprom of the KATCO joint venture, which it describes as the world's largest ISR (in-situ recovery, also known as in-situ leach) mine accounting for about 7% of global uranium production. At a meeting with Orano President and CEO Nicolas Maes, Tokayev stressed the "great potential" for further cooperation between Kazakhstan and Orano and "noted the importance of the partnership that will allow our country to develop high-tech industries while ensuring reliable and safe supply of natural uranium to France".

Tokayev also met with EDF Chairman and CEO Luc Remont to discuss prospects for cooperation in the energy industry. In October, the Kazakh population voted in favour of building a nuclear power plant in a national referendum, and EDF is on the short list of potential nuclear technology suppliers. Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan is considering the possibility of setting up an international consortium as a potential model for the implementation of the project.

Remont confirmed EDF's intention to continue a "mutually beneficial partnership" with Kazatomprom and also made proposals for the implementation of renewable energy projects, according to a report shared by the Kazakh presidency.

Tokayev has invited Macron to pay a state visit to Kazakhstan next year, and also invited French entrepreneurs to take part in the Astana International Forum, which will be held in May.

Seeing nuclear as a flexible energy source - producing electricity, hydrogen and heat with large-scale energy storage - rather than merely as a source of baseload power means it can complement the variability of renewables without the need for back-up natural gas power plants, a new report from the Dalton Nuclear Institute says.

The report, The road to net zero: renewables and nuclear working together, says that such a change could help the UK to achieve its goal of a net-zero power and energy system by 2050, while creating more jobs and lowering the projected costs by up to GBP14 billion (USD17.9 billion).

Zara Hodgson, Director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute, University of Manchester, says in its foreword: "The UK has been highly successful in driving forward the expansion of renewable energy to displace fossil fuel burning power plants ... yet, wind and solar are inherently variable ... the installation of backup natural gas burning power plants and energy storage technologies has so far been the proposed solution to the UK’s changeable island weather, despite drawbacks of high-cost electricity, wasted energy and continued CO2 emissions.

"So we have asked ourselves if the UK should look again at how nuclear electricity and nuclear heat could accelerate the renewable energy technology led transition to net-zero, and also underpin UK leadership in addressing climate change."

The potential fossil-free energy future scenario "to spark further discussion" is for electrification of more than 840 TWh total supply; three-quarters of which is supplied by variable renewable energy, 10% by nuclear plants and 0% from fossil fuels. That would be roughly doubling the current overall supply and also the current UK nuclear output.

In the report's “Flexible Nuclear” scenario, nuclear energy primarily delivers heat to produce hydrogen and other fuels that are essential to decarbonise the UK, with renewables delivering the bulk of the electricity generation, and when renewable output drops nuclear energy is then diverted to generate electricity for the grid, thus avoiding the need to have new gas-fired power plants designed only to be used to cover times of low renewables output.

The co-authors Juan Matthews, William Bodel and Gregg Butler say that in current official UK modelling, nuclear is seen as a baseload energy source, with gas generation to operate for "only a small percentage of the time" and note that "seemingly cheap sources of electricity become expensive when their capacity factor is reduced" as well as the potential cost of having to curtail energy production at times of maximum generation from renewable sources.

"One method of improving flexibility of nuclear power is to combine it with thermal storage. The higher temperatures produced by some AMRs (advanced modular reactors) make them particularly suited to production of hydrogen and other synthetic fuels, as well as heating for a large range of industrial applications. This potential is further exploited in several AMR conceptual designs that choose to incorporate molten salt thermal storage ... this arrangement of a reactor plus thermal store opens the prospect of broader commercial uptake by end users, through considerable availability of economic, flexible, useful energy output, and should be investigated," the report says.

It explains that the thermal storage concept follows experience with solar thermal power, "where it has been proved effective and economic in countries with abundant sunshine ... molten salts are used to store heat in large, insulated silos, and the molten salts are then run though steam generators or heat exchangers. The cooled molten salt is then stored in separate silos to be used in the next cycle ... alternatively, the heat can be stored in large, insulated masses of cheap solid materials such as sand or gravel which are heated and depleted by molten salts, but this system has a lower thermal efficiency than the two-tank molten salt option ... several AMR conceptual designs include molten salt thermal storage combined with energy conversion plants up to three times the capacity of the reactor system. At times of low electricity demand, energy is directed to the heat store; at times of high demand, this stored heat energy can be converted into electricity along with the reactor’s output. This allows continuous operation of a reactor plant while allowing unrestricted load following, including at very low levels of electricity delivery to the grid".

It recommends that the UK government should prioritise research to enable in-depth investigation of the opportunities to use reactors with thermal storage. It also recommends that government assessments of the impact of new nuclear capacity should recognise and incorporate cogeneration applications and says "government and industry should aim to reduce the need for curtailment of renewable electricity by using cogenerated nuclear heat to power high-temperature electrolysis hydrogen production, in addition to short-term storage", while "planning for future nuclear deployment should envisage an integrated system where nuclear and variable renewables work in harmony through cogeneration and energy storage, while planning around energy (not just electricity) infrastructure delivery should be fully coordinated to best ensure the UK has a functional whole system".

For potential next steps it says "further research and development into thermal energy storage technology is necessary, as the technology’s engineering feasibility is central to achieving the potential economic benefits of the Flexible Nuclear approach".

Zara Hodgson adds: "Our analysis indicates future promise for a flexible, fossil fuel free energy system that integrates the synergistic advantages of renewable energy and cogenerating nuclear energy, as the technologies become deployable in the system from now to 2030, then onto 2040, and finally full implementation by 2050. Capitalising on the flexibility of nuclear energy to contribute more than just low-carbon electricity is a key innovation opportunity for the UK and offers leadership in international net-zero initiatives and enhanced energy security."

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has granted an operating licence for an off-site interim dry storage facility for used nuclear fuel in Mutsu, Aomori prefecture. It is the first such facility in the country.

The Recyclable Fuel Storage Centre has been constructed by Recyclable-Fuel Storage Company (RFS) - a joint venture of utilities Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC).

Tepco and JAPC formed RFS in November 2005 and in March 2007 it applied to the Japanese government for a licence to construct the facility. In August 2010, the joint venture announced that it had received approval from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for the design and construction of the Recyclable Fuel Storage Centre (RFSC). A groundbreaking ceremony for the facility was held that same month.

Construction work of the initial storage building was eventually completed in August 2013. However, in December 2013, new safety standards for nuclear fuel cycle facilities based on the lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident were introduced by Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). RFS was required to conduct further assessments for the facility's ability to withstand earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes and tornadoes. The company submitted its initial design and construction programme document to the NRA in March 2016 and the regulator approved its safety plans for the facility on 11 November 2020.

The facility will store the highly radioactive fuel assemblies from the utilities' boiling water and pressurised water reactors in dry storage casks for up to 50 years until they are reprocessed at the Rokkasho plant, under construction about 50 kilometres away. A mix of recovered uranium and plutonium oxides - where the plutonium is never separated - would then be recycled into fresh mixed-oxide nuclear fuel at the J-MOX nuclear fuel manufacturing plant, alongside Rokkasho.

The RFSC was originally expected to begin operating in July 2012 with an initial capacity of 3000 tonnes of used fuel. RFS plans to later increase this capacity to 5000 tonnes.

RFS applied to the NRA for a pre-use confirmation of the Recyclable Fuel Storage Centre on 10 February 2022.

The NRA today said: "It was confirmed that the pre-operation operator inspection was properly conducted, and that the construction was carried out in accordance with the approval of the design and construction plan and conformed to the technical standards." It accordingly issued a pre-use confirmation certificate to RFS enabling operation of the facility to begin.

"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the people of Aomori Prefecture, including Mutsu City, for their great understanding and cooperation since Mutsu City requested us to conduct a site feasibility study in 2000 and then invited us to host the facility," Tepco said in a statement. "We believe that the interim storage business for spent fuel is important and effective from the perspective of expanding the storage capacity of spent fuel, providing flexibility to the operation of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, and contributing to medium- to long-term energy security."

It added: "We will continue to support RFS so that they can proceed with their interim storage business with safety as their top priority."

On 26 September, Tepco announced that 69 used fuel assemblies from unit 4 of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture had been transported to the Recyclable Fuel Storage Centre.

China has set a target for its nuclear technology application industry to generate annual direct economic output value of CNY400 billion (USD55.7 billion) by 2026.

The target was set in an action plan - titled Three-Year Action Plan for High-Quality Development of Nuclear Technology Application Industry (2024-2026) - which was jointly released on 24 October by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA), the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments.

"Nuclear technology, also known as isotope and radiation technology, and its related industries are characterised by high technology, high efficiency and high quality," the plan says. "The development of nuclear technology application industry is an inevitable trend to adapt to the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, expand the application field of nuclear technology, and promote the high-quality development of the nuclear industry.

"It is an important enabling means to support the transformation and upgrading of various fields of the national economy and improve quality and efficiency."

According to the plan, by 2026, China's independent innovation capability in the nuclear technology application industry "will be significantly improved, and the industry field will be further expanded".

It adds: "Focusing on the application of nuclear technology in key directions or fields such as medical diagnosis and treatment, agricultural breeding, food processing, material modification, security inspection and security, we will break through a number of key technologies, build a number of innovation platforms, and cultivate a number of specialised and new enterprises.

"We will strive to achieve an annual direct economic output value of CNY400 billion in the nuclear technology application industry, injecting strong momentum into the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries."

The plan calls for the supply capacity of key isotopes to be "significantly" increased, with the construction of new reactors and the "optimisation and transformation" of in-service reactors. It says that China should "have the ability to independently supply more than three types of radioactive isotopes, develop more than five types of radioactive isotope production technologies, and basically reverse the situation where the supply of key isotope products is controlled by others".

It notes that CNEA is "responsible for the top-level design and overall layout of the development of the nuclear technology application industry", and will coordinate the implementation of this action plan with other departments.

A remote-controlled robot has retrieved a tiny piece of melted radioactive fuel debris it collected from inside one of three damaged reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), which manages the facility north of Tokyo, said the extendable fishing rod-like robot successfully clipped a piece of gravel of about 5mm from the top surface of a mound of molten fuel debris that sits at the bottom of the Unit 2 reactor’s primary containment vessel.

The “telesco” robot returned to an enclosed container for safe storage after workers in full hazmat gear pulled it out of the containment vessel.

An earlier operation to remove a small amount of fuel debris from Unit 2 was cancelled because of technical issues.

Tepco was aiming to retrieve just three grams of fuel debris as part of a demonstration programme for the unprecedented cleanup of the station, which is expected to take decades and cost about 23 trillion yen ($161bn, €145bn).

About 880 tonnes of fuel debris remain in the three reactors that suffered meltdown following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, according to estimates by the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning.

Tepco said that in Units 1, 2 and 3, the fuel and the metal cladding that forms the outer jacket of the fuel rods melted, then re-solidified as fuel debris.

“Fuel debris” refers to this melted fuel and other substances after they cooled and re-solidified.

The core catcher for unit 4 at Egypt's El Dabaa nuclear power plant is expected to be installed by the end of the year. It means all four units will have passed that landmark within little more than a year.

The 6.1-metre diameter core catcher (also known as a melt trap) is a key bit of safety equipment for the VVER-1200 reactor - it is a container in the form of a cone made of thermally resistant steel which in the unlikely event of an emergency will securely hold the melt of the core and not allow radioactive substances to leave the containment of the reactor.

Manufacturing of the core catcher took about 14 months, after which it set sail from the Russian port of Novorossiysk on 28 October and was delivered on 4 November (see picture above). Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) said that installation by Atomstroyexport, part of Rosatom, would begin on 19 November, the ninth anniversary of the signing of the Egypt-Russia intergovernmental agreement on cooperation on building and operating the plant.

The core catcher for unit 4 had been scheduled for installation in 2025, but the project is currently running ahead of schedule. NPPA called it "another major milestone" for the country's first nuclear power plant project.

Alexey Kononenko, director of the El Dabaa NPP construction project, said that the core catchers for the first two units were installed in 2023 and the aim is to have installed the two for units 3 and 4 in 2024. He added: "We are successfully working on the simultaneous construction of all four power units of the first Egyptian NPP, using advanced technologies and modern engineering solutions ... we have moved from individual unique projects to an industrial flow method of construction."

The El Dabaa nuclear power plant project - about 320 kilometres north-west of Cairo - is based on contracts that entered into force on 11 December 2017. The plant will comprise four VVER-1200 units, like those already in operation at the Leningrad and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants in Russia, and the Ostrovets plant in Belarus.

The contracts stipulate that Rosatom will not only build the plant, but will also supply Russian nuclear fuel for its entire life cycle. They will also assist Egyptian partners in training personnel and plant maintenance for the first 10 years of its operation. Rosatom is also contracted to build a special storage facility and supply containers for storing used nuclear fuel.

Work to dismantle the systems and components inside the reactor building has begun at Italy's shut down Caorso nuclear power plant, Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari SpA announced.

Caorso - an 860 MWe boiling water reactor - was closed in 1990 after just 12 years of operation and is now being decommissioned. The plant's decommissioning licence was obtained in 2014.

Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari SpA (Sogin) said workers have already begun tracing the cutting points to dismantle the systems and components into pieces. This work is necessary, it said, to ensure that each element can be easily identified and grouped based on the plant system it comes from and its possible contamination.

The activities carried out so far have included the creation of the construction site electrical system and will continue with the installation of the vehicles for handling the dismantled materials and the setting up of a plant for hot cutting, specifically designed to tackle the most complex components in terms of size and thickness.

The first systems and components to be dismantled will be those located at ground level, Sogin said. This will free up space for the passage of materials from other floors of the reactor building. At ground level there is a confined corridor, called the waste route, created by Sogin, where the cut components will be transferred to the turbine building to be decontaminated, cut and further reduced in volume to facilitate their subsequent management.

The dismantling project is divided into various areas, each of which includes a detailed dismantling plan. This planning ensures compliance with the safety criteria and requirements indicated by the National Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection.

A total of 3400 tonnes of material will be dismantled, of which about 88% will be releasable after the necessary treatment and decontamination operations, while the remaining 12% will be managed as radioactive waste and stored on-site pending transfer to the national repository, once available.

The largest and heaviest module - the CA20 - has been installed at unit 2 of the Xudabao nuclear power plant in China's Liaoning province, China National Nuclear Corporation subsidiary China Nuclear Power Engineering Company Limited has announced.

The CA20 module - 20.7 metres long, 14.2 metres wide and 21 metres high and weighing just over 1000 tonnes - was hoisted into place on 3 November, the company said.

The cuboid-shaped steel module will comprise of plant and equipment for used fuel storage, transmission, the heat exchanger and waste collection, among other things.

"This is another large structural module of unit 2 after the bottom head was hoisted into place on 27 October 2024, laying a solid foundation for the structural construction of the auxiliary plant of the nuclear island," CNPEC said.

The construction of units 1 and 2 of the Xudabao (also known as Xudapu) plant was approved by China's State Council on 31 July last year.

On 6 November last year, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced that the National Nuclear Safety Administration had decided to issue a construction licence for Xudabao units 1 and 2, which will both feature 1250 MWe CAP1000 reactors - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000. A ceremony was held on 15 November at the Xudabao site near Xingcheng City, Huludao, to mark the start of construction of unit 1. Construction of unit 2 began on 17 July this year.

The Xudabao project was originally expected to comprise six CAP1000 reactors, with units 1 and 2 in the first phase. However, with a change in plans, construction of two Russian-supplied VVER-1200 reactors as Xudabao units 3 and 4 began in July 2021 and May 2022, respectively. These units are expected to be commissioned in 2027 and 2028.

The Xudabao plant is owned by Liaoning Nuclear Power Company Ltd, in which CNNC holds a 70% stake with Datang International Power Generation Company holding 20% and State Development and Investment Corporation owning 10%.

The first of two demonstration Guohe One (CAP1400) reactors at Huaneng Group's Shidaowan site in China's Shandong province has been connected to the grid. The 1400 MWe pressurised water reactor design is intended to be deployed in large numbers across the country, as well as for export.

The CAP1400 is an enlarged version of the CAP1000 PWR developed from the Westinghouse AP1000, with consulting input from the USA-based company.

Research and development for Guohe One began in 2008. In December 2009, the State Nuclear Plant Demonstration Company – a 55-45% joint venture company by State Power Investment Corp (SPIC) and China Huaneng Group – was set up to build and operate two demonstration unit of the CAP1400 at Huaneng's Shidaowan site at Rongcheng. SPIC officially launched the CAP1400 reactor design in September 2020.

Construction of unit 1 started in June 2019 and unit 2 in April 2020. The reactor design is expected to take 56 months to build, with later units coming down to 50 months.

The National Nuclear Safety Administration issued an operating license for the first Guohe One demonstration reactor in late July this year.

Speaking at a press conference on 31 October, Dong Wancheng, deputy director of the Development Planning Department at the National Energy Administration (NEA), announced that the first CAP1400 unit at Shidaowan had been successfully connected to the grid.

The reactor will now undergo gradual power ascension testing and trial operation verification before officially entering commercial operation.

"After it is put into operation, the annual power generation will be 11.4 billion kilowatt-hours, which can meet the electricity needs of more than 11 million residents and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9 million tonnes per year," NEA noted.

It added: "Since 2022, several CAP series third-generation nuclear power units under the State Power Investment Corporation have been approved to start construction, and this series of nuclear power models will usher in a peak period of construction in the next few years."

In May 2016, the CAP1400 design successfully passed the International Atomic Energy Agency's Generic Reactor Safety Review. This review is not a clearance process but a review of the quality of the safety documents identifying strengths, weaknesses and gaps. International use of the CAP1400 is still dependent on meeting country-specific standards and requirements, but passing the IAEA safety review will make this process easier.

China has completed pouring concrete over the outer dome of the containment building for the Zhangzhou-2 nuclear power plant under construction in Fujian province, southeastern China.

According to the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA), the move marked the completion of the main structure and paves the way for cold functional testing at the plant.

Zhangzhou-2 is a domestic 1,126-MW HPR1000, or Hualong One, pressurised water reactor (PWR).

Construction began in September 2020 and the unit is scheduled for commercial operation in 2025, according to earlier reports.

There are three other Hualong One PWRs under construction and commissioning at the site. Last month, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said it started fuel loading at Zhangzhou-1.

Construction of Zhangzhou-3 and -4 began in Feb 2024 and Sep 2024.

The Hualong One is an indigenous, three-loop pressurised water reactor. It incorporates elements of CNNC’s ACP1000 and China General Nuclear’s ACPR1000+ reactor designs.

It is Beijing’s domestic flagship reactor technology, with 17 of the 28 reactor units under construction in China being of the Hualong One design. There are also two Hualong One plants in operation outside China, both in Pakistan at the Kanupp nuclear station, also known as Karachi.

Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Westinghouse and Kozloduy NPP - New Builds have signed an engineering contract for new capacity at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Dimitar Glavchev, speaking at the signing ceremony, said: "Bulgaria has 50 years of experience in the safe and secure operation of nuclear facilities. Today, we are building on this experience. Our work with the undisputed leaders Westinghouse and Hyundai on this project is a serious step towards the implementation of one of the government's main priorities related to the development of nuclear energy."

Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov said: "The development of nuclear energy in strict compliance with international standards for safety and environmental protection is one of the main priorities of the government. Our consistent efforts and active work together with our partners at Westinghouse and Hyundai in fulfilling this priority have led to today's result - the signing of an engineering contract for the new facilities. This is a key stage that makes the process irreversible."

He added that signing the contract meant that schedule and finance details would be firmed up within 12 months for the new capacity.

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

The aim is for the first new Westinghouse AP1000 unit - unit 7 at Kozloduy - to be operational in 2035 and the second one - unit 8 - to be operational in 2037. The 2300 MWe capacity of the two new units would exceed the 1760 MWe capacity of the closed first four units. The Bulgarian government has also said that further units will be needed to replace units 5 and 6 by 2050.

The US energy regulator’s rejection of a special deal that would have allowed an Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centre to use more power from a nuclear power station will have a chilling effect on economic development in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Jersey, the station’s operator has said.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Ferc) commissioners voted 2-1 against a proposal that would have increased the amount of power supplied to an Amazon data centre next to the Susquehanna nuclear facility owned by Talen Energy.

The commissioners said the plan, which was an amendment filed by the regional grid operator on behalf of the parties, did not adequately prove why the special contract should be allowed under federal rules.

The plan would set a precedent and the issues should be reviewed more closely, they said.

Ferc chairman Willie Phillips dissented, saying that the grid operator addressed reliability issues and called the order “a step backward” for both electricity reliability and national security.

Talen believes Ferc erred and “we are evaluating our options” with a focus on commercial solutions. “We believe this ISA [interconnection service agreement] amendment is just and reasonable and in the best interest of consumers.”

In March, AWS paid Talen $650m (€596m) for a 960-MW data centre campus next to the Susquehanna station in Pennsylvania, and signed a long-term agreement to buy power from the plant.

The data center, Cumulus Data Assets, sits on a 1,200-acre (485 hectares) campus in Pennsylvania and is directly powered by the adjacent Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, which generates 2.5 gigawatts of power.

Talen Energy subsidiary Cumulus Data completed construction on the first building at the nuclear-powered data centre campus in January 2023.

In June, PJM Interconnection, which operates the eastern US grid, serving more than 65 million people, sought approval from Ferc to increase the amount of power used onsite to from 300 MW to 480 MW.

Utility owners American Electric Power and Exelon filed a complaint opposing the move, arguing that it could threaten grid reliability and raise customer rates.

Talen said its co-location arrangement with Amazon would bring service to the customer quickly and without expensive transmission upgrades necessary to serve large-load demand.

“But our direct-connect configuration is just one of several commercial solutions to the demand of large loads, and we are exploring other solutions as we move forward,” a statement said.

It said: “The data centre economy will require an all-of-the-above approach to satisfy the increased demand, including co-location such as Talen’s arrangement with AWS, hybrids that co-locate primary power behind the meter while using grid power for back-up, and front-of-the-meter connections to utility transmission. Talen looks forward to the continued dialogue.”

The federal order came on the heels of a day-long Ferc technical conference on the topic, which discussed the merits and challenges of co-locating data centres with existing power plants, also dubbed “behind-the-meter” demand.

Nuclear will play an important role in the UK achieving a clean power system by 2030 and beyond with life extensions for the current fleet and a new generation of nuclear plants, according to independent energy system planner and operator, the National Energy System Operator (NESO).

NESO has released a comprehensive and independent analysis of how to achieve Clean Power in 2030. This advice was commissioned in August by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.

The analysis shows that overall systems costs should not increase for a clean power system. Other factors could reduce electricity bills in 2030, including a reduction in legacy policy costs (as contracts expire) and energy efficiency improvements. Government policy decisions could also reduce bills by 2030.

"Our clean power pathways see Great Britain become a net exporter of power and reduce the share of unabated gas generation to below 5%," the report says. "All our pathways involve early electrification of heat, transport and industry. A reductionist approach that slows down electrification to lessen the challenge of clean power would undermine the core objectives of cutting energy costs and supporting net-zero.

"Our clean power pathways see a four-to-fivefold increase in demand flexibility (excluding storage heaters), an increase in grid connected battery storage from 5 GW to over 22 GW, more pumped storage and major expansions in onshore wind (from 14 GW to 27 GW) and solar (from 15 GW to 47 GW) along with nuclear plant life extensions."

NESO says nuclear power will play an important role in achieving a clean power system by 2030 and beyond into the 2030s, when a new generation of nuclear plants can help replace retiring capacity and meet growing demand as the economy electrifies.

Most of the UK's existing reactors are due to retire before 2030 and these are currently being considered for life extension. A new plant is also under construction at Hinkley Point C.

"In combination, we assume these see a reduction in Great Britain's nuclear capacity from 6.1 GW in 2023 to 3.5-4.1 GW in 2030, with scope for more new build beyond 2030," NESO said. "Our baseline assumption includes Sizewell B, one unit at Hinkley Point C and a lifetime extension of one AGR unit."

It notes that small modular reactors (SMRs) could be constructed and put into operation by 2030. "Should that be possible, it could compensate for any shortfall should plant life extensions not proceed as we have assumed and/or if Hinkley Point C does not begin generation until after 2030.

"If SMRs can be built in addition to our other assumptions, that could compensate for under-delivery elsewhere in the clean power programme. Beyond 2030, it is clear that SMRs and/or other large nuclear projects provide solid base generation that delivers a large contribution to clean power. There is also the opportunity for these plants to provide heat."

NESO says that delivering Clean Power by 2030 requires "swift action from industry, regulators, government, and NESO, necessitating significant changes in approach. The right supply, demand, networks and flexibility all need to be developed. A key challenge will be making sure all deliver simultaneously, in full and at maximum pace, in a sustainable way to set Great Britain on the right path beyond 2030".

"There's no doubt that the challenges ahead on the journey to delivering clean power are great," said NESO CEO Fintan Slye. "However, if the scale of those challenges is matched with the bold, sustained actions that are outlined in this report, the benefits delivered could be even greater.

"A clean power system for Great Britian will deliver a backbone of home-grown energy that breaks the link between volatile international gas prices; that is secure and affordably powers our homes and buildings; that decarbonises the transport that we take to school and work; that drives the businesses of today and catalyses the innovations of the future."

Government will now consider the advice in developing its clean power action plan later this year.

Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, welcomed NESO's recognition of nuclear's role in helping the UK achieve a clean energy system.

"Ramping up baseload nuclear – including delivering Sizewell C, a fleet of small modular reactors and a new project at Wylfa – is particularly important during the still, cloudy periods like we're seeing this week when there's no other option than to burn lots of dirty, expensive gas," he said.

"For the system operator to be able to do their job there needs to be enough firm, clean power on the grid, both to keep the lights on and to protect consumers from paying inflated prices for the electricity they rely on."

A consortium led by Belgian engineering firm Tractebel has completed the European Space Agency-commissioned RocketRoll project on nuclear electric propulsion for space exploration. The consortium has defined a comprehensive technology roadmap to equip Europe with advanced propulsion systems capable of undertaking long-duration missions.

The RocketRoll project - or 'Preliminary European Reckon on Nuclear Electric Propulsion for Space Applications' - brought together leading stakeholders in aerospace and nuclear within a consortium led by Tractebel that includes the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), ArianeGroup, Airbus and Frazer Nash. It also included researchers from the University of Prague, the University of Stuttgart and engineers from OHB Czechspace and OHB System in Bremen.

The partners studied the feasibility of an electric nuclear propulsion (NEP) system where the electricity produced by a nuclear power reactor powers electric ion thrusters - ionising a gas and accelerating the ions produced, which are then ejected to generate thrust. This method's thrust is lower but continuous, and with far greater fuel efficiency it has higher speeds and could cut 60% off the Mars travel time of traditional chemical rockets.

"Thanks to its huge energy density, NEP offers disruptive advantages in terms of speed, autonomy, and flexibility," Tractebel said. "This innovative propulsion technology has the potential to transform space exploration and space mobility by enabling longer-duration missions, potentially shaping the future of interplanetary exploration."

The RocketRoll project, which started more than a year ago and concluded last month, has now submitted a technology roadmap to develop an NEP system, including a candidate design for a demonstrator spacecraft that could flight test NEP systems for deep space missions by 2035.

"I am proud to lead such an important initiative in nuclear electric propulsion, which could enable exploration and in-space logistics in Earth Orbit and beyond on a scale that neither chemical nor electrical propulsion could ever achieve," said Brieuc Spindler, Space Product Owner, Tractebel. "I am committed to navigating the intricate technical and strategic challenges ahead. By leveraging its nuclear expertise and innovative solutions, Tractebel helps advance space technologies and push the boundaries of the final frontier's exploration."

Currently, European space missions depend on external sources for nuclear capabilities. Tractebel says its strategy is to engineer a range of nuclear power solutions, from radioisotope to fission systems, while also contributing to developing a European value chain for nuclear solutions in space applications.

According to the European Space Agency: "NEP would enable exploration and in-space logistics in Earth Orbit and beyond on a scale that neither chemical nor electrical propulsion could ever provide. The ultimate raison d'être of NEP is to explore beyond Mars orbit where solar power is limited.

"In addition, NEP could have strong synergies with other space application. For instance, nuclear power could be used on the Moon or Mars surface to power future habitats or robotic exploration of the solar system, or in space for other purpose than propulsion."

The International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that "a small water leakage was detected from an impulse line - essentially a small pipe - connected to" Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant's first unit’s primary circuit, with repairs taking place and no "immediate issue for nuclear safety".

According to the update from the IAEA, the repairs required the pressure in the primary circuit to be decreased to atmospheric levels and the operators of the plant - which has been under Russian military control since March 2022 - told them on Thursday the welding work had been completed and radiography checks of the welds were on-going.

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: "The agency will continue to follow this issue closely, although we don’t see any immediate issue for nuclear safety. In general, we have identified regular equipment maintenance - which is vital to ensure sustainable nuclear safety and security - as a challenging area for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant during the conflict."

All six of Zaporizhzhia's units have been in cold shutdown and, following this shutdown for maintenance, unit 1 is expected by the IAEA to be put back into cold shutdown.

The operators of the plant said on Telegram that a "microcrack in the pipeline was discovered and promptly eliminated", and after testing has confirmed the successful repair "it will be put into operation". The update added that radiation levels at the plant and surrounding area was unchanged.

The IAEA has had experts stationed at the Zaporizhzhia plant for more than two years, seeking to protect nuclear safety and security at the site, which is close to the frontline of the Ukrainian and Russian forces. The IAEA says the current team at the plant "continue to hear explosions daily, although no damage to the plant was reported".

There are also IAEA teams at Ukraine's three other operating nuclear power plants, with those at Khmelmnitsky reporting that drones had flown within 400 metres of the plant. Grossi said: "Frequent reports of drones flying near nuclear power plants continue to be a source of deep concern for nuclear safety and security. As we have stated repeatedly, any military activity in the vicinity of nuclear power plants represents a potential risk."

Holtec International said it repaired 125 damaged used fuel assemblies as part of the successful completion of its recent loading campaign of 480 used nuclear fuel assemblies into 15 HI-STORM FW dry storage casks at Angra unit 2 in Brazil.

Holtec said its team would return in early 2025 to load 75 damaged fuel containers from the Angra 1 site into 18 HI-STORM FW systems, also at the Complementary Dry Storage Unit for Spent Fuel (UAS).

Under a turnkey contract signed in 2017, Holtec of the USA supplied Eletronuclear with HI-STORM FW systems and related equipment for dry storage of used fuel from Angra units 1 and 2. Angra 1 is a Westinghouse-designed 609 MWe pressurised water reactor (PWR), while Angra 2 is a Siemens-designed 1275 MWe PWR. The units have different architectures and licensing bases, adding to the complexity of the project. Holtec modified their respective cask handling cranes and equipment for loading the fuel into the multi-purpose canisters and for moving the canisters to the dry storage facility.

PK Chaudhary, President of Holtec’s Nuclear Power Division with direct responsibility for Projects, Manufacturing & Supply Chain, said: "We thank Eletronuclear's team for their exemplary support for the Angra 2 used fuel storage campaign. We are gratified to see our innovative spent fuel storage solutions play a critical role at the Angra Nuclear Station. We look forward to a repeat success when our team returns to load used fuel at Angra 1 in early 2025."

The storage facility is designed to receive fuel elements after the cooling process in pools at the plants. They are stored in canisters made of steel and concrete to guarantee safety. It is a system which is used in the USA and is designed to withstand extreme events such as earthquakes and floods.

It includes physical security, radiation and temperature monitoring, an armoured access control centre and a storage warehouse with a technical workshop, designed and constructed by Holtec. The facility was constructed because the storage pools of both units were reaching full capacity. It is designed to hold up to 72 modules, with the capacity to receive used fuel until 2045.

Holtec said it used its Fuel Repair Device (FRD) to repair the damaged used fuel assemblies, technology which it used for the first time during refuelling at its Indian Point Nuclear plant in the USA last year. It says that its system renders a damaged fuel assembly that cannot be handled by normal means into one that can be handled in a normal manner using the plant’s existing fuel handling tooling and is "the only fuel repair technology available in the industry that involves no welding or introduction of any foreign material in the fuel pool".

Holtec says that in 2025 at Angra 1 it will load 18 HI-STORM FW systems with 75 damaged fuel containers and used fuel will be stored in MPC-37 canisters, each of which can contain 37 PWR used fuel assemblies.

Leadership of the UK's STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) programme has transitioned to UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

The establishment of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS) as a new delivery body for the UK's fusion programme was announced in February 2023 by then Science Minister George Freeman.

UKIFS will lead a public-private partnership that will design, build and operate the STEP prototype fusion plant at the West Burton power plant site in Nottinghamshire, England. The West Burton site was selected to host STEP in October 2022.

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) - which carries out fusion energy research on behalf of the government - said it will continue to be STEP's fusion partner, working alongside two industry partners – one in engineering and one in construction – to spearhead the development of a UK-led fusion industry.

"A major procurement exercise is currently under way to select STEP's strategic, long-term industry partners, with the shortlist expected to be announced by the end of the year," the UKAEA said.

"The launch of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions demonstrates significant progress and commitment to developing fusion as a viable clean energy source, and also to creating a UK-led fusion industry," said Paul Methven, CEO of UKIFS and Senior Responsible Owner for STEP. "STEP is a national endeavour with global impact, and we will continue to work closely with public and private sector partners to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of a revolutionary sustainable new energy source that will drive economic growth."

Ian Chapman, CEO of UKAEA, said: "UKIFS brings together an experienced team dedicated to translating decades of fusion research into a functioning prototype plant that will be capable of supplying low-carbon, safe, and sustainable energy to the grid. UKIFS will integrate partners in a national endeavour to build STEP as well as focussing on delivering enormous social and economic benefits to the UK, especially for the East Midlands region where the plant will be built."

The aim for the first phase of work on STEP is to produce a 'concept design' by the end of this year. The UK government is providing GBP220 million (USD285 million) of funding for this part. The next phase of work will include detailed engineering design, while all relevant permissions and consents to build the prototype are sought. The final phase is construction, with operations targeted to begin around 2040. The aim is to have a fully evolved design and approval to build by 2032, enabling construction to begin. The demonstration plant is due to begin operating by 2040.

The technical objectives of STEP are: to deliver predictable net electricity greater than 100 MW; to innovate to exploit fusion energy beyond electricity production; to ensure tritium self-sufficiency; to qualify materials and components under appropriate fusion conditions; and to develop a viable path to affordable lifecycle costs.

US-based company Amentum has been awarded a contract worth an estimated EUR5.5 million (about USD6 million) to consult for the first-of-a-kind dismantling of steam drum separators at units 1 and 2 of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania.

The seven-year contract with Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) will be implemented under International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Yellow Book Conditions, administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and funded by European Commission grants.

Lithuania assumed ownership of the two RBMK-1500 units - light-water, graphite-moderated reactors, similar to those at Chernobyl - in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It agreed to shut down the Ignalina plant as a condition of its accession to the European Union, with unit 1 shutting down in December 2004 and unit 2 in December 2009. The reactors are expected to be fully decommissioned by 2038, with most of the cost of the decommissioning being funded by the European Union via the EBRD and other funds.

Amentum said it will provide consultancy services to support INPP's Project Management Unit and carry out the duties of FIDIC Engineer for the dismantling contract. It will help INPP to manage the removal of the steam drum separators, which are large drums installed over the graphite core to divert steam to the turbines. The Project Management Unit will oversee the design and safety justification for dismantling and fragmentation of the drums and associated equipment. These are located in the plant’s radiologically contaminated primary circuit.

"We will deploy our extensive nuclear decommissioning and waste management experience from the UK, France, Czechia and Slovakia to this ground-breaking project,” said Andy White, who leads Amentum Energy & Environment International.

Amentum was created in early 2020 from the spin-off of US-based global infrastructure firm AECOM's Management Services business. Through its heritage firms, Amentum has been working at Ignalina for more than 20 years on projects including the delivery of the New Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility and other facilities required for decommissioning.

In September, Amentum completed a merger with Jacobs Solutions Inc's Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence government services businesses to form an independent, publicly traded company called Amentum Holdings, Inc. The combination was described by Amentum CEO John Heller as transformational for the company, forming a "global leader in advanced engineering and innovative technology solutions".

Global Atomic said it anticipates securing a project financing loan from a US development bank by early in the first quarter of 2025 to advance its Dasa uranium project in Niger.

The Canada-based company reported that in recent discussions, the bank confirmed its intention to approve a $295m (€271m) debt facility, which would cover 60% of the project’s projected costs.

Dasa is the highest-grade uranium deposit in Africa, surpassed only by grades found in Canada’s Athabasca Basin, and is scheduled to achieve commercial production in early 2026.

“The approval timelines outlined by the bank support yellowcake deliveries in 2026 as anticipated in the four offtake agreements we have in place with American and European nuclear power utilities,” said Global Atomic president and chief executive officer Stephen Roman.

“To help fund the continuing development of Dasa until the bank funds are available, earlier this month we raised CAD40 million [€26m, $29m] in an oversubscribed public offering.”

In addition to the unnamed development bank, Global Atomic is in discussions with parties regarding potential joint venture investment in the Dasa Project and other financing solutions, the company said.

According to Global Atomic, earthworks and civil engineering are progressing in preparation for the installation of plant equipment, components of which are now arriving at the site.

In August it emerged that the US development bank postponed a scheduled July presentation about the Dasa project to its credit committee, with Global Atomic saying it would move to “finalise other financing discussions” if there were further delays.

The Nigerien government has pledged its full support for the Dasa project, but other uranium developers in Niger faced major setbacks this past summer.

In June, Niger’s ruling military junta, which came to power following a coup in July 2023, revoked the operating licence of French company Orano at the Imouraren mine, which sits on one of the biggest uranium deposits in the world.

Orano said last week it would halt its uranium production in Niger from 31 October, citing a “highly deteriorated” situation and its inability to operate.

In July, Canada-based GoviEx Uranium said the junta had withdrawn its licence for the Madaouela uranium mine, dealing a major blow to the development of one of the world’s largest uranium projects.

The coup led the US to suspend government funding for Dasa. Still, the company managed to raise CAD15m in January and CAD20m in July by selling stock.

Nuclear energy - including the nuclear supply chain - is at the core of the Government of Ontario's plans to build critical infrastructure and spur economic growth set out in its latest economic statement.

The 2024 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: Building Ontario for You was released by Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy, who said the province's fiscal position had improved since the 2024 Budget which was released in March. The minister said the province - which is supporting both nuclear new-build and the refurbishment of existing units - will "continue investing responsibly to support Ontario’s growth and rebuild Ontario’s economy to make our province the best place to live, work and raise a family".

Nuclear already provides more than 50% of the province's power, and Ontario is building on its "nuclear advantage" to meet growing electricity demand, the review says. The government is working with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to start planning and licensing for three additional small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Darlington New Nuclear project, in addition to the first phase plant, for which site preparation is already under way. It is also working with Bruce Power on pre‐development work for the first large‐scale nuclear build in more than three decades in Canada.

The Ontario government is also supporting OPG's plans to refurbish units 5-8 at the Pickering nuclear power plant, as well as ongoing refurbishment projects at OPG's Darlington and Bruce Power's Bruce plants.

It has also introduced the Ontario Sustainable Bond Framework, enabling Green Bonds to fund environmentally beneficial projects, including nuclear energy.

Supply chain

"Ontario’s expansion of nuclear energy is cementing the province’s position as a global leader in new nuclear technologies, creating new export opportunities that will drive economic growth," the review notes, highlighting recent trade missions to Romania and France, which have secured "significant deals totalling CAD360 million that will leverage the province’s nuclear expertise to create jobs for Ontario workers and grow its nuclear supply chain". (CAD360 million is about USD259 million.) OPG and other Ontario nuclear supply chain providers had previously signed major agreements worth around CAD1 billion to export nuclear products and services to other countries, including Poland, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

In addition, it is "leveraging the expertise of OPG and its subsidiary Laurentis Energy Partners to support a new collaboration agreement with SaskPower in the deployment of a small modular reactor in Saskatchewan". This would also create more jobs for the Ontario economy, the review says.

Earlier in October, Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator issued an updated forecast projecting that power demand in the province will increase faster than previously expected over the next 25 years, with annual consumption rising from 151 TWh in 2025 to 263 TWh in 2050. This accelerated pace of demand growth is primarily due to the industrial sector, including additional electric vehicle supply chain manufacturing, and energy-intensive data centres, as well as an increasing population and focus on electrification.

Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) said the government's new vision document "reinforces the importance of several IESO initiatives under way to meet the growing needs of the province, such as the competitive procurement of new electricity generation and expanding energy efficiency programs that will help keep electricity affordable for all Ontarians".

AtkinsRéalis company Candu Energy Inc has announced it is entering into a special project with Canadian nuclear regulators to plan for a Pre-Licensing Design Review of the new Candu Monark reactor's suitability to be licensed and built in Canada.

The 1000 MW Candu Monark, a Generation III+ reactor with the highest output of any Candu technology, was unveiled in November 2023. The conceptual design phase of the reactor was completed in September, and AtkinsRéalis plans to complete the preliminary engineering by 2027.

"Reactor development is a key differentiator for us as we have the exclusive licence to deploy one of only a few large reactor technologies available worldwide, and so we have extensive experience navigating the nuclear licensing process in Canada," said Joe St Julian, AtkinsRéalis President, Nuclear. "As the world enters a nuclear market super-cycle with estimated demand for 1,000 new reactor builds, we remain on track to complete the Candu Monark's design by 2027, positioning the first Candu Monark new build to begin as early as 2029 and be completed by the mid-2030s."

The special project will familiarise Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) staff with the design and allow them to provide feedback on what will be needed in a future pre-licensing design review.

The CNSC's optional vendor design review (VDR) process enables CNSC staff to provide feedback to a vendor early on in the design process. Such a review aims to verify, at a high level, that Canadian nuclear regulatory requirements and expectations, as well as Canadian codes and standards, will be met as well as helping identify, and potentially resolve, any fundamental barriers to licensing for a new design in Canada. AtkinsRéalis said it believes completion of a VDR was an added measure that offers predictability to a purchasing utility.

A typical VDR includes three phases, but since the Candu Monark's design heavily leverages the platform of past Candu reactor models which have fully completed all three phases of the regulator's VDR, as well as those that have already been licensed and built, the company said it has asked the CNSC to consider two possible types of pre-licensing design review: either a VDR, or a preliminary regulatory design assessment.

The special project between the CNSC and AtkinsRéalis will see the regulator's experts develop a schedule and estimate for both a VDR and a preliminary regulatory design assessment, reflecting the impact of the range of improvements and modernisations made to Candu Monark technology, their variance to past Candu designs that have already gone through all three VDR phases, and any relevant changes to regulatory requirements and expectations.

"AtkinsRéalis will then be able to evaluate which of these pathways will be most suitable in supporting the Candu Monark design programme, with the goal of seeking rigorous review and feedback on the Candu Monark's design in support of ensuring that any eventual Candu Monark new build project can be undertaken with confidence in the licensing costs and timeline," the company said.

The American Bureau of Shipping has released its latest report into the potential of advanced nuclear technology for maritime applications, with a study of a small modular reactor on a standard liquefied natural gas carrier.

The report notes that large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier vessels are increasing in demand as the international LNG trade remains important for global energy security. LNG is stored on board in large cryogenic tanks that maintain natural gas (primarily methane) in a liquid state around -165°C. The typical energy demand for LNG carriers is between 30 to 75 MW.

The scope of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) study - titled Pathways to a low carbon future: LNG carrier nuclear ship concept design - was to consider and discuss a standard LNG carrier design using nuclear power for propulsion and other primary energy needs. A conceptual future zero-emissions LNG carrier is presented to illustrate how one type of advanced nuclear fission technology may be applied for shipboard power in the future, with an emphasis on what aspects of ship and reactor design may require further investigation to guide the development of the integrated technology and regulatory framework.

The transformational impact of a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) on the design, operation and emissions of a 145,000-cubic-metre LNG carrier design was modeled by ABS and Herbert Engineering Corporation. ABS said the study was designed to help industry "better understand the feasibility and safety implications of nuclear propulsion and to support future development projects".

The study shows a nuclear-propelled LNG carrier would have specific design features, with reactors placed at the rear of the vessel (to shield the cryogenic cargo from the thermal load of the reactor compartment) and batteries forward of the location occupied by fuel tanks on current vessels and a reinforced hull. Given design constraints, the HTGR technology would only be suitable for larger LNG carriers.

"The study provides ABS and the industry important information on heat and energy management, shielding, weight distribution, and other design features for an LNG carrier with nuclear propulsion," ABS said. "This will assist the identification of design issues that will inform future Rules development. The study also found the HTGR technology allowed faster transit speeds and offers zero-emission operations. There would also be no requirement to refuel, although the HTGR technology would need replacing approximately every six years."

ABS said the benefits from nuclear propulsion include decarbonised high-power availability, reduced or eliminated bunker costs, and associated reduced bunker time in port.

"Nuclear power would be an ideal means of drastically abating shipping emissions, but significant hurdles remain in public perception and international regulations before this can be achieved," it adds.

"While this technology is well understood on land, adapting it for marine application is in its infancy," noted ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Patrick Ryan. "However, this study and the other research we have carried out clearly highlight its significant potential to address not only shipping's emissions challenge but to deliver a range of other operational advantages to the industry. ABS is committed to helping the industry evaluate its suitability for use in a range of use cases and LNG carriers is just one of a range of potential applications we are exploring."

In August 2022, ABS announced it had been awarded a contract by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to research barriers to the adoption of advanced nuclear propulsion on commercial vessels. Working with support from DOE's National Reactor Innovation Center, based at Idaho National Laboratory, ABS is developing models of different advanced reactor technologies for maritime applications and developing an industry advisory on the commercial use of modern nuclear power.

In July last year, a study commissioned by ABS explored the potential of advanced nuclear reactor technology for commercial marine propulsion. ABS commissioned Herbert Engineering Corporation to carry out a study designed to help the shipping industry better understand the feasibility and safety implications of nuclear propulsion and to support future development projects. The study modelled the impact of nuclear propulsion on the design, operation and emissions of a container vessel and a Suezmax tanker.

Great British Nuclear (GBN) has issued an “invitation to negotiate” to the four companies that were chosen for the shortlist of the UK government’s small modular reactor (SMR) selection process.

GBN, the public body set up to drive the delivery of new nuclear energy projects in the UK, said that after these negotiations are concluded, the companies will be invited to submit final tenders, which GBN will then evaluate.

A final decision on which technologies to select will be taken in the spring. GBN said it will provide further updates in due course.

The four companies remaining in the process are GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy International, Holtec Britain Ltd, Rolls Royce SMR Ltd and Westinghouse Electric Company UK.

The two companies that were on an initial list of six, but were not included in the list of four, were EDF and US-based NuScale Power.

French state-owned utility and nuclear operator EDF said in July that it had pulled out of the competition after deciding to shift away from its indigenous Nuward technology to a design based on proven technology only.

The UK government gave no reason for NuScale’s failure to make the list of four. In November 2023, NuScale cancelled its first SMR project, in the US, as costs increased.

Industry Calls For No Delays

Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the London-based Nuclear Industry Association, said that whilst it is good to see the UK SMR competition reach this stage, what is critical is reaching a decision as soon as possible without any further delays to the now published timeline.

“Confidence in the UK government’s pronouncements on support for SMRs rests on fulfilling commitments made today,” Greatrex said.

“It is vital for supply chain confidence as well as driving the wider nuclear ambition.”

Greatrex called for the government to empower GBN to buy more sites, starting with Heysham, so “we can deliver a fleet of SMRs for clean, reliable, British power and good, skilled jobs”.

The SMR competition for UK government support was launched last year by the then Conservative government, as part of a strategy to replenish the UK’s dwindling nuclear power fleet, most of which is due to shut down by the end of the decade.

It has been running behind the initial schedule to award contracts by the end of summer 2024.

A new strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Mongolia's national atomic companies will provide new opportunities for the uranium industries of both countries, Kazatomprom's CEO has said.

The agreement to establish a partnership with MonAtom LLC was a "significant" result of the recent visit by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakshtan's recent official visit to Mongolia, Kazatomprom CEO Meirzhan Yussupov said. "The opportunities for implementing joint projects will allow us to combine resources and exchange experience and technologies, which will increase the efficiency and safety of uranium exploration and production," he said. "We strive for environmentally-friendly and safe development of the industry and are confident that this partnership will help to strengthen the positions of Kazakhstan and Mongolia in the international arena.

The new cooperation creates prospects for implementing joint projects in uranium exploration and mining in Mongolia, allowing both parties to strengthen their positions in the uranium industry, Kazatomprom said. "The companies plan to expand cooperation in the future and to consider a possibility of implementing joint initiatives aimed at strengthening the positions of Kazatomprom and MonAtom in the international uranium market," it added.

The agreement between Kazatomprom and MonAtom was reached during the state visit to Mongolia by President Tokayev, which also saw the signature of a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of nuclear energy between Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy and Mongolia's Atomic Energy Commission.

Tokayev and Mongolia's President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation in a joint declaration on strategic partnership between Mongolia and Kazakshtan issued at the conclusion of Tokayev's visit to Ulaanbaatar on 29 October.

Mongolia has substantial known uranium resources, although no uranium has been mined there since the closure in 1995 of an open-pit mine at the Dornod deposit in the north-east of the country. The Dornod mine was operated by Russian interests, and produced 535 tU during six years of production. Ore from the mine was transported by rail to the Priargunsky facility in Krasnokamensk, Russia, for processing.

French nuclear company Orano has had a presence in Mongolia since 1997, and is working to develop the Zuuvch Ovoo project - which it says has a potential 30-year mine life - through its Badrakh Energy joint venture with MonAtom.