| NEWS


Austria Red Book nuclear capacity increase World nuclear capacity is expected to rise “for the foreseeable future” and sufficient uranium resources exist to support continued use of nuclear power and significant growth in nuclear capacity for electricity generation and other uses. This is according to ‘Uranium 2022: Resources, Production and Demand’, widely known as the Red Book and produced by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and International Atomic Energy Agency. ast Asia is projected to experience the


largest increase of generating capacity in absolute terms, which, by 2040, could result in increases of 35-152 GW over 2020 capacity. This corresponds to 130-240% increases in the low and high cases. The report notes: “It is important to note that countries of this region (e.g. China) have in recent years demonstrated the ability to build multiple reactors with predictable costs and schedules. Other regions projected to experience


significant nuclear capacity growth by 2040 include the Middle East, Central and Southern Asia. The low and high cases project an additional growth of 27-51 GW compared with 2020. In Europe, nuclear capacity in non-EU member countries is projected to increase in the high case scenario to 93 GW by 2040. However, in the European Union, nuclear capacity in 2040 is projected to decrease by 25% in the low case scenario and increase only by 16% in the high case. Modest growth in terms of absolute capacity increase is projected in Africa, Central and South America and South-eastern Asia. For North America, the projections see nuclear generating capacity decreasing by 2040 in the low case (-42%) and roughly flat in the high case (+3%). Overall, global uranium resources decreased “modestly” in the reporting period (January 2019 to January 2021) compared with slight increases in previous recent editions, which are biennial. This was mainly due to mining depletion and cost category re-assignments of resources in Kazakhstan and Canada. However, Australia continues to lead with 28% of the world’s identified recoverable resources. Global expenditures on domestic exploration and mine development decreased to approximately $250m in 2020, continuing a downwards trend. Global uranium mine production decreased


by nearly 12% from 2018 to 2020. Major producing countries limited total production in recent years in response to a depressed uranium market and the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. As of 1 January 2021, the annual production capacity of idled mines amounted to more than 29,400 tU. The report says these operations could potentially be brought back into production relatively rapidly given appropriate market conditions. In 2020, 16 countries produced uranium for a


global total of 47,432 tU. Kazakhstan remained the world’s largest producer, even as production was eased back from 21 705 tU in 2018 to 19 477


tU in 2020. Kazakhstan’s 2020 production alone totalled more than the combined production in that year from Australia, Namibia, Canada, and Uzbekistan, respectively the second, third, fourth and fifth largest producers of uranium in 2020. These five countries accounted for 81% of global uranium output that year. The report concludes: “Looking ahead, with


the easing of efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic at production facilities, and the recent run-up in the spot price of uranium in the latter half of 2021, a modest increase in the production of uranium can be expected. However, with ongoing geopolitical tensions that threaten the continuation of some aspects of global trade in nuclear materials, the market’s ability to continue supplying an adequate amount of uranium to the global nuclear fuel supply chain will be tested.”


Russia First plasma for Kurchatov tokamak First thermonuclear plasma has been achieved at the T-15MD tokamak, at the Kurchatov Institute and the facility is operating steadily, according to Kurchatov Institute President Mikhail Kovalchuk. The physical launch of the T-15MD tokamak, a modified version of the T-15 complex that operated at the Kurchatov Institute from 1988 to 1995, took place in May 2021. It is the first new thermonuclear plant to be built in Russia in the last 20 years. The facility supports ITER. The original T-15 machine was entirely


disassembled in 2017 and all major components were modernised, from auxiliary plasma heating and current drive systems to the new, non- superconducting silver-copper magnet systems and graphite inner surfaces. ITER said the upgraded tokamak “will extend the operational domain of ‘ITER-complementary’ machines, with an experimental programme that will contribute to the determination of optimal operating parameters for ITER and for future fusion reactors”. The T-15MD is unique in its combination of high power and compact dimensions. High- performing auxiliary plasma heating and current drive systems will allow the simultaneous achievement of high plasma temperature and plasma density. ITER said the machine will be a test bed for different auxiliary heating scenarios through its capabilities in neutral beam injection, electron cyclotron resonance heating (six gyrotrons), ion cyclotron resonance heating (three antennas), and low hybrid heating and current drive, as well as a test bed for fusion material studies. The research programme on the T-15MD


tokamak will be aimed at solving the most pressing problems of ITER, such as the mechanism of formation and maintenance of transport barriers, the stationary generation of non-inductive current, heating and retention of a hot plasma, control of processes on the first wall and the divertor, and the suppression of instabilities and periodic energy emissions. ■


round up


SMRs EDF SAYS THE creation of is new Nuward subsidiary emphasises EDF’s willingness to strengthen the development of its Nuward Small Modular Reactor. The aim is to achieve first nuclear concrete for its reference plant in France in 2030, after finalising the conceptual design phase of the project. Nuward is now shifting to the basic design phase.


ROSATOM IS CONSIDERING construction of a pilot nuclear thermal power plant (ATST) Elena-AM, designed use in for small remote villages. According to documents posted on Rosatom’s public procurement website, the contract price for development of the reactor project is RUB 3bn ($39m).


NUCLEAR FUEL RUSSIAN NUCLEAR FUEL has been transported via Finland by air despite Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, YLE news reported. Two planes carrying Russian nuclear fuel recently left Helsinki Airport for an undisclosed destination, the paper said. The previous such delivery, which took place in November was to Slovakia.


CANADA’S CAMECO AND Bruce Power have extended their long-term exclusive nuclear fuel supply arrangements for an additional 10 years until 2040. The original deal was announced in 2017. The arrangements include provisions for Cameco to supply 100% of Bruce Power’s uranium, conversion services and fuel fabrication requirements.


THE US DEPARTMENT of Energy’s Savannah River Site says the H Canyon facility recently initiated actions to recycle a small amount of used highly enriched uranium stored in the Site’s H Area in order to down-blend it into HALEU.


USED FUEL SLOVENIAN NUCLEAR UTILITY Nuklearna elektrarna Krško (NEK) says the new used fuel dry storage facility at its Krško NPP has been commissioned with the placement by US-based Holtec International of the first HI-STORM FW cask.


RADWASTE ANDRA, FRANCE’S NATIONAL Agency for the management of radioactive waste has applied to the prefecture of Aube for an environmental authorisation to increase the storage capacity of Cires, the storage centre for very low-level radioactive waste. The coming months will see examination of the project by various state authorities and a public consultation.


www.neimagazine.com | May 2023 | 13


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