| NEWS nuclear roadmap UK outlines
round up
NEW BUILD THE REACTOR PRESSURE vessel (RPV) weighing 281 tonnes has been lifted and installed at unit 3 of China’s Haiyang NPP in Shandong province. China National Nuclear Corporation said the process took a little more than two hours and represented significant progress in the construction of the CAP-1000 reactor unit.
THE UK’S HINKLEY Point C NPP under construction by EDF in Somerset, is seeking opinions on plans to create more than 800 acres of saltmarsh on the River Parrett. The proposed saltmarsh would create new habitat for fish and animals, improve local water quality and help prevent flooding.
THE 1350 MWE APR1400 pressurised water reactor at unit 2 of South Korea’s Shin Hanul NPP has started supplying electricity to the grid, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced. Unit 2 achieved first criticality in early December after receiving an operating licence from the Nuclear Safety & Security Commission in September. This was followed fuel loading and a series of tests.
Above: the UK has outlined plans to exploring a GW-scale power plant as big as Hinkley Point C, under construction in Somerset
The UK government has outlined plans for the biggest expansion of nuclear power for 70 years. The Civil Nuclear Roadmap “will give industry certainty of the future direction of the UK’s ambitious nuclear programme, on top of the government’s historic commitment to Sizewell C and world-leading competition to develop small modular reactor (SMR) technology,” the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) said. The roadmap sets out how the UK will
increase nuclear generation by a factor of up to four to reach 24 GWe by 2050 in a bid to reduce electricity bills, support thousands of jobs and improve energy security. The plans include next steps for exploring a GW-scale power plant as big as Sizewell C planned for Suffolk or Hinkley Point C under construction in Somerset. The government will also invest up to £300m
($382m) in UK production of the fuel required to power high-tech new nuclear reactors, known as HALEU, a market currently wholly dominated by Russia. “As the first country in Europe to launch a HALEU programme, the UK will lead the way from its North West production hub to provide the world with this form of uranium fuel, with the first plant aiming to be operational early in the next decade. This builds on the ambition to return uranium conversion to the Springfields nuclear fuel site,” a DESNZ statement said.
With the first HALEU plant scheduled to be
operational in the early 2030s, the funding will boost the North West of England’s nuclear fuel production hub, supporting local industry and jobs “while helping to expand our nuclear revival in the UK and overseas”. Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy
Security & Net Zero, said: “Britain gave the world its first operational nuclear power plant, and now we will be the first nation in Europe outside of Russia to produce advanced nuclear fuel. This will be critical for energy security at home and abroad and builds on Britain’s historic competitive advantages.” An additional £10m ($12.7m) will be provided
to develop the skills and sites needed to produce other advanced nuclear fuels in the UK, helping to secure long term domestic nuclear fuel supply. The roadmap also includes a government ambition to secure 3-7 GW worth of investment decisions every five years from 2030 to 2044 on new nuclear projects. Advanced modular reactors will play an
important role in the UK’s nuclear revival, DESNZ noted, adding that, like small modular reactors, they are smaller, can be made in factories, and could transform how power stations are built by making construction faster and less expensive. Many designs have the potential for a range of applications beyond low-carbon electricity generation, including production of hydrogen or industrial heat. ■
INSTALLATION OF THE containment vessel bottom head has been completed at unit 1 of China’s Lianjiang NPP in Guangdong province, according to the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC). The steel containment vessel for the CAP1000 reactor comprises five modules - the bottom head, first cylinder ring, second cylinder ring, third cylinder ring, and top seal. SPIC said this marked the start of full construction at the nuclear island reactor building for unit 1.
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi reported that the IAEA had observed increased levels of activity at, and near, the Light Water Reactor (LWR) at Yongbyon in North Korea. Also – since mid-October – a strong water outflow from its cooling system was noted. These observations were consistent with commissioning of the LWR, he said
THE FIRST OF two core replenishment tanks has been lifted into place at unit 3 of China’s Sanmen NPP in Zhejiang province. The tanks are an important part of the CAP1000 reactor’s passive safety system. Each CAP1000 unit contains two water replenishment tanks, A & B. They are mainly used to release boronated water in the event of an accident to ensure the effective cooling of the core.
www.neimagazine.com | February 2024 | 7
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 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57
