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SMRs
ENGINEERS INDIA LIMITED (EIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to provide “engineering services for development of conceptual design and engineering of structures, systems and components for the Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR)”.
SVALBARD KJERNEKRAFT HAS submitted a proposal for an assessment programme to the Governor of the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard for the installation of a small modular reactor (SMR). This is the first formal step on the road to the establishment of a nuclear power plant based on SMRs in Longyearbyen – the administrative centre of the Svalbard archipelago.
ISOTOPES CANADA’S BRUCE POWER has installed its Isotope Production System (IPS) at unit 6 of the Bruce NPP. Unit 6 is the first reactor to be renewed under the company’s Life-Extension Programme and Major Component Replacement (MCR) Project. It was returned to service in 2023 and will now not only continue to provide power but will be capable of producing lutetium-177 (Lu-177), a widely used targeted cancer therapy.
TECHNOLOGY
CHINESE RESEARCHERS HAVE developed a new ultra-strong cryogenic alloy, CHSN01, able to withstand stresses of up to 1.5 GPa at liquid helium temperatures while maintaining ductility at 30%, according to a report in Russia’s SecurityLab. The development was based on Nitronic-50 steel, from which carbon was removed to below 0.01% to eliminate carbide formation.
SPACE ACTING NASA ADMINISTRATOR Sean Duffy has directed the agency to fast-track plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. “He told a news conference “to have a base on the moon, we need energy. And some of the key locations on the moon, we’re going to get solar power, but this fission technology is critically important”.
SHIPPING NORWEGIAN COMPANIES NORSK Kärnkraft and Ocean-Power have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop concepts using small modular reactors (SMRs) placed on barges. The agreement lays the foundation for a collaboration to investigate, develop and mature solutions that combine nuclear power with flexible maritime platforms.
Indonesia
Plans for 7 GWe of nuclear revealed State electricity company PT PLN has revealed that Indonesia plans to build NPPs with a total capacity of up to 7 GWe by 2040 as stipulated in the draft of the Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL – Rencana Usaha Penyediaan Tenaga Listrik). “This is still a draft, so the modelling is still
in progress,” PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo told the Energy, Mineral Resources & Environment Commission of the House of Representatives. He said the 7 GWe projection is an extension of the 2025–2034 RUPTL, which already includes plans for two nuclear plants of 250 MWe each. He stressed that the larger plan requires
comprehensive discussions on nuclear power in Indonesia’s energy legislation under the Energy & Mineral Resources Ministry. “The state must be involved here. PLN is only the executor of government policy. The 500 MWe in the 2025–2034 RUPTL is just the first step before we move toward a broader plan of around 7 GWe by 2040,” he explained. The RUPTL specifies that the two 250 MWe NPPs will be built in South Sumatra and West Kalimantan, with both plants expected to be on-grid by 2032. Meanwhile, the Ministry has a longer-term vision of 35 GWe of nuclear power capacity by 2060, which could require the construction of more than 30 NPP units nationwide. Recently, the Ministry confirmed that it had
received official proposals from five countries, including Canada and Russia, to build NPPs in Indonesia. “We are still reviewing the proposals. We have already met with Canada and Russia,” Energy & Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said. He emphasised that the government has not yet chosen a specific nuclear technology, and all proposals are still under evaluation.
Russian Federation Neural network safety analysis Scientists at the National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute in Russia have developed a neural network that analyses thermophysical parameters to simulate severe accidents at nuclear power plants. Nuclear safety analysis of NPPs requires the
creation of mathematical models of reactor cores for various operating modes. The most difficult task is modelling of severe design accidents. In this case, the core is destroyed or melted, and the coolant density is redistributed. Under such conditions, it is necessary to accurately calculate how the neutron multiplication factor of particles that cause a chain reaction will change. Nuclear safety analysis must take into
account actual physical processes with a minimum number of assumptions. For this purpose, certified neutron physics programs are used that correctly model the spatial- energy distribution of neutrons based on data that describes the state of the system as
12 | September 2025 |
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fully as possible. However, the more accurate the model, the more computing resources it requires. This makes the task of analysing severe accidents practically unsolvable without modern technologies. The Kurchatov Institute has developed a
technique using an artificial neural network (ANN), which makes it possible to conduct a realistic analysis of nuclear safety using elements of artificial intelligence at all stages of serious accidents. The peculiarity of the neural network is that it can accumulate “experience” and extrapolate it to identify nuclear-hazardous conditions that may have previously been missed. This makes it possible to more accurately predict the parameters of nuclear hazardous situations and take measures to manage non-design accidents. The use of ANN significantly reduces calculation time.
South Africa NPP environmental approval South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment, Dr Dion George, has upheld a 2017 decision to grant power utility Eskom Environmental Authorisation to construct and operate a new NPP. The decision was upheld after eight years of contentious debate and appeals by various environmental organisations. The Koeberg Alert Alliance (KAA), filed appeals against the initial authorisation, arguing that recent developments since 2007 necessitated a reassessment. “In considering these appeals, I have carefully
reviewed the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAr), as well as the independent peer review conducted in respect of the project,” Dr George said. “In the end, my decision was made in respect of the principles of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998, and with full appreciation of the environmental, social and economic considerations involved.” The decision upholds authorisation for a
4,000 MWe NPP nuclear facility at Duynefontein, near the existing Koeberg NPP close to Cape Town. However, it does not automatically grant Eskom permission to begin construction or operation of the nuclear station. Other authorisations will also be required. In response to Dr George’s decision, KAA
spokesperson Peter Becker noted that the environmental impact assessment process was started in 2007, and so much has changed since then, including population density, and the cost of alternatives and it was not rational to ignore these changes and to base such a crucial decision on thoroughly outdated studies. “It is of note that the EIA consultants found that Duynefontein (Koeberg) was not the best site for a new plant, due to seismic risks and population density in the area,” Becker said. “It appears the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has been pressured to override the consultants’ view due to economic factors. It is of course far cheaper to build a new plant where there is already existing infrastructure.” ■
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