NEWS |


round up


PLANT OPERATION JAPAN’S KANSAI ELECTRIC Power Co has restarted Takahama 4 after completing upgrades to protect the plant against terrorist attacks and to fix system glitches. The reactor had been offline since October.


PEVEK IN RUSSIA’S Arctic Chukotka Autonomous District will switch to a closed heat supply system from the Akademik Lomonosov floating plant by the end of 2021.


FRAMATOME HAS SIGNED a multimillion-dollar contract with US Dominion Energy to cover plant outage and maintenance work, including fleet steam generator and refuelling services, and inspections until 2026.


EQUIPMENT UK-BASED AQUILA Nuclear Engineering has been selected by the Sellafield Programme and Project Partners to support the design and build of replacement nuclear laboratories. As part of an eight-year contract estimated at £9 million ($12.5m), Aquila and sub-contractor Jacobs will integrate high-precision analytical equipment into gloveboxes and shielded hot cells.


A JOINT VENTURE of Atomenergomash and GE Steam Power has delivered the first high and medium pressure cylinder rotor of the Arabelle steam turbine to Akkuyu in Turkey.


RESOLVE OPTICS HAS reported on the development of a radiation-resistant fixed focus lens for Sweden-based Ahlberg Cameras AB to enable high-definition nuclear inspection in hard-to-reach areas.


SOUTH KOREA’S DOOSAN Heavy Industries & Construction has signed a contract with China Techenergy, a subsidiary of China General Nuclear Power Group, to supply instrumentation and control equipment for Xudabao in China by 2024.


POLICY


THE CZECH GOVERNMENT has excluded Russia from the companies selected to tender for a new unit at Dukovany following Czech intelligence reports that explosions at an ammunition depot in 2014 involved Russian special services.


THE ESTONIAN GOVERNMENT has approved the official composition of the working group on nuclear energy, the Environment Ministry announced. The working group will analyse the possibility of nuclear energy in Estonia and submit proposals by September 2022.


EC indicates nuclear will be added to EU Taxonomy


The European Commission (EC) has signalled it will include nuclear energy in its energy taxonomy, along with other amendments to the EU Taxonomy Regulation, which entered into force in July 2020. This followed pressure from the nuclear industry and NGOs as well as a report from the EC’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), which found no evidence that nuclear energy does more harm to human health or to the environment than other electricity production technologies already included in the Taxonomy. The 12-page communication, “EU Taxonomy,


Corporate Sustainability Reporting, Sustainability Preferences and Fiduciary Duties: Directing finance towards the European Green Deal”, says to achieve the European Green Deal “the European financial system needs to become more sustainable.” The EU Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act


“delivers the first set of technical criteria for defining those activities that contribute substantially to climate change mitigation and adaptation”. These criteria were developed based on recommendations by the Technical Expert Group (TEG) with public feedback and advice by the Platform on Sustainable Finance. Stakeholders are concerned that an activity not qualifying as green under the EU Taxonomy


United Arab Emirates Barakah begins commercial operation Unit 1 at the UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant, a 1400MWe APR1400, has begun commercial operation. “The start of commercial operations at the


Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is an historic milestone for the UAE that significantly enhances the sustainability of our entire power sector,” said Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Construction of the $20 billion plant began


in 2011 after South Korea won a tender for the project in 2009. Korea Electric Power Company (Kepco) led the consortium that is building the plant comprising four APR1400 reactors. Construction of unit 1 began in July 2012, unit 2


6 | May 2021 | www.neimagazine.com


Climate Delegated Act risks being perceived as unsustainable, with financial consequences. The EC said: “Based on careful examination of


the feedback received, modifications have been made, compared to the draft delegated act published for public feedback”. Section III of the document – “Next steps in developing the EU Taxonomy” says: “…the Commission will adopt a complementary Delegated act of the EU Taxonomy Regulation covering activities not yet covered in the EU Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act such as agriculture, certain energy sectors and certain manufacturing activities. This complementary Delegated Act will cover nuclear energy subject to and consistent with the results of the specific review process underway in accordance with the EU Taxonomy Regulation.” This process is based on the March 2021


report of the JRC, which is undergoing review. European nuclear trade association Foratom


noted the Commission’s plans. “We are of course delighted to finally have some clarity on what the Commission is going to do with the outcomes of the JRC report”, said Foratom director general Yves Desbazeille. “It shows that the Commission is willing to recognise that its taxonomy needs to be based on the science if it is to be credible and successful.” ■


in May 2013, unit 3 in September 2014 and unit 4 in September 2015. Unit 3 is now 94% complete, unit 4 is 87% complete and the nuclear power plant overall is more than 95% complete. With all four units operating, the power plant will supply up to 25% of the UAE’s electricity. “The UAE set a clear roadmap with solid principles to ensure this project’s development in accordance with the highest international industry standards of safety and quality with full transparency,” said Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec). “Our investment in pioneering technologies and the decarbonisation of our electricity production not only advances the UAE’s clean energy leadership but also produces tangible socioeconomic and environmental benefits.” U


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