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World Nuclear Association
Published: Fri, 03 Apr 2020 13:34:22 GMT
Electricity generation is vital in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but scheduled refuelling and maintenance outages at nuclear power plants around the world must still go ahead. Operators are introducing risk-minimising procedures so outages that have been planned years in advance can proceed, while some are being prompted to rethink or extend scheduled outages.
Published: Fri, 03 Apr 2020 15:32:45 GMT
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related government responses could disrupt or delay construction, testing, supervisory and support activities at the Vogtle 3 and 4 construction project, but it is too early to say what those effects will be, Southern Company has told the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Russia's Rosatom is looking into the possibility of returning part of the Russian personnel from overseas nuclear power plant construction sites.
Published: Fri, 03 Apr 2020 12:09:44 GMT
A review of the management of treated water stored at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has been carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency. It says the two options under consideration for disposing of this water - discharge into the sea and via vapour release - are both technically feasible.
Published: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 14:24:10 GMT
The coronavirus pandemic has underlined the importance of the existing Paks nuclear power plant, which accounts for about half of Hungary's electricity generation, noted János Süli. The minister responsible for the design, construction and commissioning of two new reactors at Paks said that project will maintain the country's energy security and help revive its economy in the coming years.
Published: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 13:55:44 GMT
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the transfer of the licence for Crystal River 3 from Duke Energy Florida to Accelerated Decommissioning Partners LLC subsidiary ADP CR3. The transfer will enable ADP CR3 to carry out active decommissioning of the former nuclear power plant.
Published: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:48:03 GMT
The International Atomic Energy Agency is dispatching a first batch of equipment to more than 40 countries to enable them to use a nuclear-derived technique to rapidly detect the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This emergency assistance is part of the IAEA's response to requests for support from around 90 Member States in controlling an increasing number of infections worldwide.
Published: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 11:36:33 GMT
Russian nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor has extended the operating licence for unit 3 of the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in the Sverdlovsk district by a further five years. The licence for the BN-600 fast reactor, which began operating in 1981, was due to expire this year.
Published: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 12:00:57 GMT
Russia's Ministry for Economic Development last week published a draft strategy for low-carbon development to 2050. The strategy's basic scenario would see nuclear output grow from 203 TWh in 2017 to 225 TWh in 2030 and 260 TWh in 2050.
Published: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 13:59:26 GMT
A planned emergency exercise coordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency went ahead last week with the participation of 35 countries and two Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization. The three-day exercise - from 24 to 26 March - was conducted while the responders in many Member States and in the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre worked remotely to support measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Published: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 13:14:24 GMT
Czech utility ČEZ has applied to the State Office for Nuclear Safety to construct two new reactors at its Dukovany nuclear power plant. Four VVER-440 units are currently in operation at the site, in Vysočina Region.
Published: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 14:21:08 GMT
The construction of the EPR unit at the Flamanville site in Normandy was authorised by the French government by a decree of 10 April 2007, which stated first fuel loading must be completed within thirteen years. With that date approaching, a new decree has extended the deadline by four years.
Published: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 15:01:33 GMT
Canada-based Global Atomic Corporation said yesterday it is in discussions with Orano Mining to deliver uranium-bearing rock from its Dasa project in Niger to Orano's Somaïr facility for processing. The company has changed its plans for the mine which it now intends to develop as an underground-only operation, and expects to release a preliminary economic assessment for the project within the second quarter of this year.
Published: Mon, 30 Mar 2020 14:07:29 GMT
CNNC Rössing Uranium has announced the suspension of normal mining operations at the Rössing uranium mine in Namibia from 28 March because of a partial lockdown of the Erongo region in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Elsewhere, uranium miners continue to address issues arising from the global pandemic.
Published: Mon, 30 Mar 2020 15:09:25 GMT
The containment vessel top head for Georgia Power's Vogtle unit 4 has been lifted into place, marking the completion of all major lifts inside the containment vessels for Vogtle 3 and 4. The project to build two AP1000 reactors at the site near Waynesboro, Georgia is now about 84% complete.
Published: Mon, 30 Mar 2020 14:42:19 GMT
Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has released a report on two potential methods for disposing of treated water currently being stored on the site of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The report considers the discharge of the water into the sea and via vapour release.
Published: Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:03:13 GMT
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosatom has introduced additional measures to protect the health of workers at both its operating nuclear power plants and those it is constructing around the world. In a statement, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachov said the Russian state nuclear corporation has developed additional contingency plans for various scenarios of the coronavirus pandemic.
Published: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 14:54:34 GMT
Reconstruction of unit 2 at the Darlington nuclear power plant in Canada has been completed and the process to restart the reactor can now begin, Ontario Power Generation has announced. The company will delay the planned start of the refurbishment of Darlington 3, scheduled to begin in May, as part of its measures to ensure stable electricity supplies during the COVID-19 crisis.
Published: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 16:14:35 GMT
Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organisation says it remains on track to select a single, preferred site by 2023 for a deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel. The organisation has released its latest Triennial Report, including for the first time a strategic plan beyond site selection.
Published: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 16:03:01 GMT
Scientists working on the Joint European Torus device have discovered that neon could be used to force extreme heat load away from a fusion reactor's exhaust system while maintaining high performance. Recent tests used neon to radiate and improve the edge of plasma known as a 'pedestal', which separates the very hot core from a cooler layer and away from material surfaces.
Published: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 15:58:58 GMT
Five US National Laboratories will play a key role in a consortium tasked with harnessing the power of supercomputers to combat COVID-19, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said in a video address yesterday. The supercomputing facilities at the Department of Energy's national laboratories are used, amongst other things, to carry out research supporting the development of next-stage nuclear reactors and advanced nuclear fuel. President Donald Trump announced the launch of the consortium, which includes the Argonne, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge and Sandia labs, on 23 March.
Published: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 16:06:16 GMT
Energoatom yesterday announced the introduction of measures to protect its key workers from exposure to COVID-19. They are being housed in separate rooms within specially appointed hotels, where all the necessary measures for disinfection and medical monitoring are being carried out, the Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator said.
Published: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:55:21 GMT
The coronavirus outbreak has impacted German utility EnBW’s deconstruction plans for its Philippsburg nuclear power plant, which is in the federal state of Baden-Wurttemberg. The controlled detonation of the plant's cooling towers will take place on 14 May at the earliest as the date may be subject to change, it said.
Published: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:41:45 GMT
The International Atomic Energy Agency is launching a three-year Coordinated Research Project focused on the economics of small modular reactors (SMRs). The project will provide Member States with an economic appraisal framework for the development and deployment of such reactors.
Published: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:00:22 GMT
The USA's clean energy sectors have outlined the government support they need to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. Associations representing the nuclear, hydro, solar and wind energy industries have all written to Federal leaders for help.
Published: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:34:10 GMT
Finland's Fennovoima said operational changes made in 2019, both within the company and throughout the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant project, have brought significant progress in different areas of the plant design and preparatory work. In a newly-published report, the company describes the project's progress and the sustainability work it carried out last year.
Published: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 12:56:58 GMT
The reactor pressure vessel, steam generator and hot gas duct of the second reactor at China's demonstration high-temperature gas-cooled reactor plant (HTR-PM) have been successfully paired and connected, China National Nuclear Corporation announced today.
Published: Tue, 24 Mar 2020 14:58:05 GMT
Cameco is temporarily suspending production at its Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan and placing the facility in safe care and maintenance mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. In consultation with Cameco, Orano Canada Inc is suspending production at its McClean Lake uranium mill, where ore from Cigar Lake is processed. The suspensions at both operations are expected to last at least four weeks.
Published: Tue, 24 Mar 2020 16:37:12 GMT
The US nuclear power sector shed more than 2000 jobs last year, according to a newly released report by the National Association of State Energy Officials and the Energy Futures Initiative. The sector employed a total of 60,916 workers across the country in 2019, which was over 3% less than in 2018, although employment in the nuclear fuel sector rose slightly.
Published: Tue, 24 Mar 2020 14:25:43 GMT
French utility EDF has scrapped its nuclear generation target for 2020 on an anticipated fall in output this year because of the coronavirus crisis. Fuel cycle company Orano has likewise suspended its financial outlook for this year.
Published: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 15:22:02 GMT
Nuclear power has responded to the call to action in the public health crisis that each and every one of us is facing, writes World Nuclear Association Director General Agneta Rising.
"At this time more than ever we need to be able to rely on electricity supply. The huge efforts of medical staff worldwide depend on the ventilators, the monitors and all the other electrical equipment that is proving so vital to giving people the chance to recover from this disease."
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