NEI Weekly Newsletter
Nuclear Engineering International
NEI has been providing technical insight behind the news headlines for the entire civil nuclear sector for over 60 years
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Check out the last week's top stories below.
CHINA REPORTS NO IRREGULARITIES IN FUKUSHIMA WASTEWATER
China said it found no abnormality in the activity concentration of hazardous elements such as tritium, caesium-134, caesium-137 and strontium-90 in seawater and marine life samples it had independently collected from waters near Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi NPP.
The samples were collected by domestic laboratories in late February under the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to a statement released by the China Atomic Energy Authority.
“As China has repeatedly pointed out, a single test result showing no abnormalities does not guarantee that future tests will also be problem-free,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, noting that China’s stance against Japan’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated water has never changed.
FIRST HALEU ALLOCATED TO US ADVANCED REACTORS
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has made conditional commitments to provide high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to five US nuclear developers to meet their near-term fuel needs. DOE said this first round of HALEU allocations “brings innovative American nuclear technologies one step closer to commercialisation and will expand the use of nuclear energy to deliver more secure, affordable, and reliable energy to the American people”.
Many advanced reactors will need HALEU to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current technologies, but HALEU is not currently available from domestic suppliers.
To help fill this gap, DOE created the HALEU allocation process for nuclear developers to request HALEU material from DOE sources, including material from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). DOE received HALEU requests from 15 companies and identified five that met prioritisation criteria, with three of them requiring fuel delivery in 2025.
SPONSORED CONTENT - INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
The IMechE's power industry events provide key forums for engineers working across the sector to explore the latest innovations, challenges, and developments in energy and power technologies.
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BRUCE 5 APPROVED FOR REFURBISHMENT
Canada’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has verified that Bruce Power has met the terms and conditions of the company’s Basis of Estimate to proceed with the unit 5 Major Component Replacement (MCR) Project, scheduled to begin in 2026.
The eight pressurised heavy-water Candu reactor units at the Bruce site in Ontario (Bruce A – units 1-4, and Bruce B – units 4-8) began commercial operation between 1977 and 1987. Bruce Power’s CAD13bn ($10bn) Life Extension Programme, which includes Asset Management and MCR, began in 2016.
MCR, which began with unit 6 and also includes units 3-8, will extend the life of the site until 2064. Units 1&2 have already been refurbished and were returned to service in 2012. Work began on unit 3 in March 2023. Unit 6 was taken offline for the refurbishment in January 2020 and was returned to service in 2023. The Life-Extension Programme and MCR Projects will extend the operational life of each reactor by 30-35 years.
ČEZ ADVANCES SMRS WITH AMENTUM
Czech power utility ČEZ has selected US-based Amentum to support its new nuclear programme by advancing plans for two small modular reactors (SMRs). Amentum’s Brno-based nuclear and project management specialists will deliver environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports relating to proposals for Rolls-Royce SMRs on sites at the Temelín NPP and Tušimice, a coal-fired power station awaiting decommissioning.
Amentum’s team carried out initial scoping studies for the two sites and won the contract to complete the full reports following a public tender. The EIAs will cover potential radiological hazards, waste management, accident conditions and consequences, measures to prevent groundwater and river contamination, transport, noise and dispersion.
DOE TO FAST-TRACK AI DATA CENTRE BUILDOUT ACROSS US
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released a Request for Information (RFI) to inform possible use of DOE land for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure development to support growing demand for data centres. DOE has identified 16 potential sites uniquely positioned for rapid data centre construction, including in-place energy infrastructure with the ability to fast-track permitting for new energy generation such as nuclear.
In accordance with President Trump‘s Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence and Unleashing American Energy Executive Orders, DOE is exploring opportunities to accelerate AI and energy infrastructure development across the country, prioritising public-private partnerships to advance the use of innovative technologies and strategies.
Up-coming Webinars
On-Demand Webinars
Sulzer - Steam Turbine Generator: assessing time-critical repair before replace decisions
TLG Services - Keeping the End in Mind: Planning Now for End-of-Life Decommissioning Costs
Alleima - Materials for SMR´s and Generation IV Nuclear Power Plants
Lloyd's Register - Could nuclear be the key to a zero-carbon shipping future?
ABB - Enhancing efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions: Optimizing HV motors for the COG Industries
Veolia - Leveraging Digital Studies & AI to Mitigate Operational Risks in Nuclear Environment
Innomecom AG - How can nuclear power plants be better protected against the effects of tsunamis and severe flooding?
ABB - Environment & Efficiency: High Voltage Induction Motors Oversizing
Veolia - Advanced Approaches to Nuclear Measurement and Characterisation
H3D, Inc. - 3D CZT Technology for Characterizing Gamma Ray Sources
Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoyed it.
Until next week.
