| NEWS


India Tarapur unit-2 restart after upgrades India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has approved the restart of unit 2 at the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, allowing it to operate for another decade. The decision followed a multi- tiered safety review and technical assessment after refurbishment and upgrades by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). AERB will maintain oversight and monitor safety performance of units 1&2 at the site. TAPS 1&2 are 160 MWe boiling water reactors


(BWRs) commissioned in 1969 and were Asia’s first NPPs. TAPS 1 underwent similar refurbishment for a 10-year operating extension and was restarted in December 2025. Refurbishment work included replacing


the reactor coolant recirculation piping with advanced corrosion-resistant forged stainless steel components. Safety enhancements such as the Reactor Containment Filtered Venting System and Alternate Cooling Water System were commissioned to improve emergency readiness. Inspections of reactor pressure vessel welds confirmed the unit’s fitness for continued safe operation under normal maintenance regimes. Tarapur’s life extension highlights the


strategic role of legacy reactors in maintaining base-load, low-carbon electricity while India develops advanced nuclear technologies. The decision comes as India targets a long-term goal of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047, with parallel efforts in small modular reactors and private sector participation. TAPS also hosts two more units (3&4), both


540 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors commissioned in 2005 and 2006. India has proposed Tarapur as the rollout location for its first two domestic light water small modular reactors (SMRs): the Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), a 200 MWe commercial-scale reactor and the SMR-55 (a 55 MWe installation) engineered for niche, targeted utility roles.


United Kingdom Capenhurst enriches uranium above 5% Urenco’s Capenhurst site in the UK has enriched uranium above 5% U-235, during its first trial run of this new service following positive feedback from a Regulatory Readiness Review and subsequent permission from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). The trial took place over the course of five days, achieving samples at 7%, demonstrating Capenhurst’s capability to produce LEU+. LEU+ will support longer operating cycles for the


current fleet of light-water reactors and supports the deployment of new accident-tolerant fuels. Many advanced reactor designs, which require


high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) enriched between 10 to 20%, will be able to utilise LEU+ initially to speed up their deployment timelines. LEU+ can also serve as feedstock for producing HALEU, increasing the potential output of future HALEU enrichment facilities. Urenco plans to make LEU+ commercially


available from the UK in the near future, supporting


existing capability from its US site that was achieved in December 2025. Urenco says LEU+ could be transported to fabricators from early 2027. The UK project was supported, in part, by the


Department for Energy Security & Net Zero’s Nuclear Fuel Fund, which is intended to strengthen the UK’s civil nuclear fuel cycle to meet current and future demand. Urenco is also planning to establish an


Advanced Fuels Facility at Capenhurst to produce HALEU. This project aims to make the UK the first country in Europe with a commercial-scale HALEU enrichment capability. The facility is targeted to begin commercial operations by 2031. It is expected to produce up to 10 tonnes of HALEU a year initially, with the potential to reach 27 tonnes or more. The project is supported by a £196m ($265m)


grant from the UK Government (as part of a wider £300m HALEU programme), with Urenco providing co-funding for a total investment of around £400m.


Italy


Sogin and NDA co-operate on graphite-moderated reactors Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari (Sogin),


Italy’s state-owned company responsible for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and for the safe management of radioactive waste, and the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to launch a joint effort on decommissioning techniques for graphite- moderated nuclear reactors. The five-year agreement reflects NDA’s desire


to explore issues related to the decommissioning of an irradiated graphite reactor and provides Sogin with an opportunity to share and expand its experience in planning the decommissioning of Magnox-type reactors, such the Latina NPP in Italy. The MOU includes three strategic objectives: • Share experiences and promoting the exchange of know-how on decommissioning for a graphite- moderated nuclear reactor, through a structured schedule of meetings and visits between the teams of the two companies; • Strengthen the skills of the respective technical


staff, including through specific training • Pave the way for new and potential future


collaborations. The agreement follows those signed recently with the Italian company Graphicore and the Japanese company JAPC and is part of Sogin’s commitment to expanding and strengthening its collaboration with the leading international partners in the sector. Through a shared approach, Sogin aims to tackle the dismantling of the nuclear island at the Latina power plant – one of the most complex technical and engineering challenges in the decommissioning of a nuclear facility. “Collaborating on methods and technologies for civil nuclear operations reflects the high level of sophistication the sector has achieved in Europe and around the world,” said Sogin CEO Gian Luca Artizzu. “Being able to share best practices with similar companies within the IAEA framework represents a true virtuous cycle, an indispensable asset within our industrial sector.”


round up


SMRS PRAVIR SINHA, CEO of Tata Power, told shareholders that the company is advancing its plans for small modular reactors (SMRs). He said the company is in the process of preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) in collaboration with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) for two 220 MWe units that could be ready in six months.


RESEARCHERS AT THE Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland have generated the first high-resolution experimental data validating passive cooling systems for small modular reactors (SMRs). The original study bridges a long-standing gap between theoretical computer models and physical reality to aid future reactor licensing and safety verification.


THE US NUCLEAR Regulatory Commission (NRC) has formally accepted Radiant Industries’ 10 CFR Part 70 licence application for its R-50 production facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This initiates an expedited eight-month review, roughly 55% faster than the standard 18-month timeframe, with a goal to complete the process by 18 December. The R-50 facility is designed to be the world’s first factory for the mass production of microreactors.


ISOTOPES


US-BASED TERRAPOWER Isotopes (TPI) has broken ground on its Bellwether Laboratory – an actinium-225 (Ac-225) manufacturing facility in Philadelphia. TPI’s Bellwether Laboratory, combined with its Everett, Washington, laboratory, will increase the global Ac-225 production capacity twenty-fold.


SPACE


US-BASED L3HARRIS Technologies said it has finalised the design of a next- generation nuclear-based power source for future NASA deep space missions. The Next-Generation Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (Next Gen RTG) has cleared its critical design review (CDR), paving the way for a new era of outer solar system exploration.


SHIPPING ZIO-PODOLSK (part of Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division) has completed control assembly of the first RITM-200 reactor plant for serial nuclear universal icebreaker Leningrad. The vessel was laid down at the shipyard in January 2024. The RITM-200 features an integrated layout making it 1.5 times more compact and significantly lighter than older Soviet marine reactors. It is certified to operate for at least 40 years.


www.neimagazine.com | June 2026 | 11


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