NEWS |
round up
PLANT OPERATION Zrt, operator of Hungary’s Paks NPP has notified the European Union (EU) of its plans to extend the operating lifetime of the four units by another 20 years to 70 years. The Hungarian government announced the extension plans in December 2022 following parliamentary approval.
UPGRADES VIRGINIA GOVERNOR GLENN Youngkin announced that France-based Framatome is to invest $49.4m to expand, modernise, and enhance its facilities in the City of Lynchburg to meet increased demand for servicing NPPs and developing solutions for advanced and small modular reactors (SMRs).
EQUIPMENT AN AUTOMATED MAINTENANCE, repair and operation management system – TOREX – has been introduced at five Russian NPPs – Balakovo, Beloyarsk, Kola, Rostov and Smolensk. This was a complex task as Russia has many different models and types of reactor – BN fast reactors, RBMK graphite moderates units and VVER light water reactors of different capacities and generations, as well as floating NPPs.
POLICY THE GOVERNMENT OF New Brunswick in Canada has released its strategy on how to transition the province to clean energy, while ensuring affordability and economic growth. “Powering our Economy and the World with Clean Energy – Our Path Forward to 2035” includes a 12-year road map.
THE EUROPEAN BANK for Reconstruction & Development has released its Energy Sector Strategy 2024-28. EBRD says it prioritises the urgent need to accelerate the decarbonisation of energy. However, the 55-page report dismisses nuclear in one small paragraph saying it will consider funding for safety improvements to operating plants, radioactive waste management and decommissioning.
THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) Council has included nuclear energy, along with renewables, among the technologies to be included in the EU Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA). In March, the European Commission (EC) presented its proposal for a Net-Zero Industry Act and, while nuclear power was included, it was not initially labelled as “strategic” unlike renewable energies.
Dome installed at Hinkley Point C unit 1
EDF has installed the dome at unit 1 of the Hinkley Point C NPP. The installation of the reactor building dome was undertaken using one of the world’s largest cranes, known as Big Carl.
The 245-tonne dome, with a diameter of
almost 47 metres and a height of 14 metres, was lifted and then slowly lowered into place onto the 44-metre-high reactor building. This marked the end of the major civil engineering works on the reactor buildings. Work will now start to weld an air-tight seal around the joint between the dome and the reactor building, which will then be encased with 7,000 tonnes of concrete. The dome is made up of 38 prefabricated
panels which were shipped to Hinkley Point C and welded together in an onsite factory. Prefabrication and modular construction are key features of Hinkley Point C’s construction, which EDF said involves around 10,000 workers and 3,500 British companies. Earlier in December, the 750-tonne polar crane was lifted into place in a single piece above the reactor building’s third – and final – steel liner ring. This internal crane will rotate 360° above the reactor and be used for refuelling and installing equipment. Hinkley Point C, when complete, will comprise
two 1,630 MWe EPR reactors supplied by EDF. Construction began in December 2018 but the project has faced delay challenges. In May 2022 EDF, following a review of the project, confirmed
United Arab Emirates ENEC signs SMR MOUs The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) signed a raft of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) related to small modular reactors (SMRs) at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the original 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai. These included agreements with US-based small modular reactor (SMR) and micro-reactor developers X-energy, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), TerraPower, and Westinghouse Electric, as well as UK-based MoltexFLEX, and Canada’s Terrestrial Energy. The agreements came after ENEC launched
its ADVANCE programme in the run up to CO28, aimed at leveraging the UAE’s experience in delivering the four-unit Barakah NPP, constructed in Abu Dhabi by a South Korean consortium. ENEC said the ADVANCE programme is intended to harness the latest advancements in nuclear energy technologies and to strengthen the UAE’s position as a leading nation in accelerating the global clean energy transition to Net Zero.
8 | January 2024 |
www.neimagazine.com
that the plant would begin operating a year later than planned and could cost up to £3bn ($3.7bn) more to build than originally budgeted. This put the start date for unit 1 at June 2027, with the cost estimated at £25-26bn, an increase on the previous estimate of £23bn. “Building the first nuclear power station
in a generation is a challenging job and the success of this complex operation is due to the determination and commitment of our fantastic teams,” said Simon Parsons, Nuclear Island Area Director. “Lifting the dome allows us to get on with the fitting of equipment, pipes and cables, including the first reactor which is on-site and ready to be installed next year.” UK Nuclear Minister Andrew Bowie said this
is “a major milestone in building Britain’s first nuclear reactor in a generation, and a key part of the UK Government’s plans to revitalise nuclear”. He added: “Generating enough zero- carbon power for six million homes, Hinkley Point C will reduce our reliance on imported energy and support our shift to net-zero.” In 2021, EDF said the start of electricity
generation from unit 1 had been rescheduled to June 2026. Moreover, delays arising from the COVID-19 pandemic will also increase the cost of the project by £500m to £22-23bn. EDF the following year announced a further delay in operation to June 2027 and that project completion costs would be in the range of £25-26bn. ■
The programme will evaluate the latest
SMR and microreactor technologies and ENEC will work with national stakeholders to determine deployment pathways and international partners for technology and project collaboration opportunities. ENEC CEO Mohamed Al Hammadi commented: “We are committed to exploring the latest technologies in advanced reactors as we continue to rapidly decarbonise the power sector through clean electricity from nuclear energy.”
Turkiye Akkuyu NPP Unit 1 ready for fuel Unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP under construction in Turkiye is ready to load nuclear fuel, according to Denis Sezemin, the Director for Construction & Production Organisation at project company Akkuyu Nukleer (part of Rosatom). He said a 300-tonne crane had been installed at unit 1 and the installation of turbine generator equipment was underway. “A very important process… has been carried – the installation of the reactor equipment and the containment. During this process, compliance was established of the reactor, its internal equipment and other
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45
