NEWS |
round up
NEW BUILD AT THE SECOND power unit of the El-Dabaa NPP under construction in Egypt, the last segment of the third tier of the internal containment shell has been installed. The third tier consists of 12 segments, which were manufactured at the production base of the Egyptian construction site. The height of the segments is 9 metres, and they weight between 40 and 100 tonnes, depending on the structural filling.
THE POLAR CRANE has been installed in the unit 2 reactor building at the Hinkley Point C NPP under construction in the UK. The 750-tonne polar crane was hoisted into position in a two-day operation. The crane can rotate 360 degrees and will be used to install heavy equipment, such as the reactor and steam generators. It will also be used for refuelling and maintenance. It is one of the last pieces of equipment to be installed in the reactor building before the 245-tonne dome is lifted into place.
THE INSTALLATION OF a foundation plate for the reactor shaft has been completed at the reactor building of Leningrad NPP unit 7 (also known as Leningrad-II unit 3). A nuclear power plant will be placed in the concrete shaft, and one of the main passive safety systems, a “melt trap”, will be placed under it. In addition to the “melt trap”, specialists will install elements in the shaft to secure the reactor vessel, and also install thermal and biological protection, measuring channels, sensors for monitoring air temperatures and radiation.
THE CONCRETING OF the outer dome of the containment building has been completed at unit 3 of China’s Changjiang NPP in Hainan province. China National Nuclear Corporation said this marks the completion of the main structure of the reactor building of the nuclear island and “entry of the project construction into a new stage, laying a solid foundation for the full launch of subsequent nuclear island hot testing and commissioning”.
UPGRADES THE DUKOVANY NPP in the Czech Republic is planning to modernise its turbine halls to extend operation to 60 years. The scope and costs of the entire project should be detailed by the end of technologies can reduce operating costs as well as increase equipment performance and
reliability.Work, which should start in 2030, could involve replacement of key parts of turbines as well as preparation for heat supplies to Brno.
US expedites NRC reform
Above: The White House under President Trump is stamping its authority on nuclear
A US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer has been assigned to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda of reforming the commission, according to The Hill. David Wright, renominated to NRC by
President Trump and now confirmed, told the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, in written responses to questions, that “there is currently one staff member detailed to the NRC from [the Department of Energy].” Wright said that the staffer is detailed to the Office of the Executive Director for Operations. A source familiar with the matter told The
Hill that the DOGE lead at NRC is named Adam Blake and tasked with implementing Trump’s Executive Order directing “NRC to work with DOGE to reform the organisation’s structure and accelerate permitting”. The Executive Order also calls for personnel at NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to “be reduced to the minimum necessary” to comply with law. The order states that the NRC “shall, in
consultation with the NRC’s DOGE Team… reorganise the NRC to promote the expeditious processing of licence applications and the adoption of innovative technology”. The source said in a Signal message that the appointment is “not normal” and that nothing like it has happened in the commission’s history. NRC is an independent agency. While Presidents can nominate commissioners, NRC does not answer directly to the President, unlike other administrative agencies. NRC spokeswoman Maureen Conley said the
commission is “working quickly to implement the Executive Orders reforming the agency” but declined to provide specifics on DOGE. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Administration, DOE [Department of Energy], and DOD [Department of Defense] on future nuclear programmes,” she said. Wright told the Senate Environment & Public
Works Committee that the DOGE staffer has met with senior staff but that he himself was not present for any conversations between the staff member and staff related to reassignment.
6 | August 2025 |
www.neimagazine.com
He also said the staffer is detailed from DOE and does not answer to NRC. This provoked Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to describe the staffer’s presence as a DOE “hostile takeover” of NRC during a meeting in which he withdrew his support for Wright’s renomination to NRC. Whitehouse also questioned whether there is anyone who holds the staffer to account. “So who, then, supervises this DOGE staffer? Who holds this staffer to account? Is this staffer above the Chairman?” he asked. The Senate’s Minority Report noted that
Whitehouse had initially expressed his support Wright’s renomination, “but conditions at the NRC have worsened in recent weeks, and the Senator has become increasingly concerned that Wright will be unable to deliver on his commitments… to address upheaval at the agency and uphold its independence”. Whitehouse said: “What’s happening right now makes me increasingly concerned that [Wright] simply will not execute on his statements. If we can turn the tide and shore back up the NRC’s independence, I would be very glad to reconsider my present position… I very much want to get to ‘yes,’ but the behaviour that we’re seeing at the NRC presently makes that impossible.” Whitehouse voted against confirming
Wright. However, the nomination passed out of Committee on party-line with votes of 10-9 and was sent to the full Senate for consideration. Meanwhile, NRC’s three Commissioners
released a joint statement expressing their alignment and commitment to working collegially to lead the agency. “Consistent with recent White House Executive Orders and the bi-partisan ADVANCE Act, the NRC is taking bold steps to embrace innovation, accelerate licensing timelines, and modernise the regulatory framework.” The 2023 ADVANCE (Accelerating Deployment
of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy) Act, focuses on accelerating the deployment of nuclear energy technologies. It aims to streamline the licensing process for new nuclear facilities, particularly advanced reactors, and provide incentives for their development and deployment. The bill also addresses issues related to nuclear fuel, international cooperation, and site cleanup. The mission statement said: “Today’s NRC
remains focused on protecting public health and safety while efficiently regulating the civilian use of nuclear materials and enabling the deployment of nuclear power for the benefit of society. We look forward to working with all stakeholders, and meeting this moment with the urgency it demands and the unity it deserves.” ■
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