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COMPANY NEWS SOUTH KOREA’S HYUNDAI Engineering & Construction (HEC) has signed an “agreement for new nuclear power business” with the Polish Construction Association in Warsaw. “We plan to seek active cooperation measures to discover new nuclear power plant projects,” HEC noted.
NUCLEAR FUEL PETER KOTIN, PRESIDENT of Ukrainian nuclear utility Energoatom and US ConverDyn President Malcolm Critchley signed a confidentiality agreement and a memorandum of understanding on uranium conversion during the recent 2023 World Nuclear Symposium in London.
ACCORDING TO THE World Nuclear Association’s Nuclear Fuel Report: Global Scenarios for Demand and Supply Availability 2023-2040, as uranium markets begin to recover from their long-term contraction, all projections in this latest edition of the fuel cycle report show an increase in global nuclear generating capacity over the next two decades, with knock-on effects for the entire fuel cycle.
FRANCE NUCLEAR FUEL company Orano and Europe-based uranium enrichment company Urenco have signed a consortium agreement to test and develop the new 30B-X cylinder designed to transport uranium enriched up to 20%. The 30B-X cylinder is used as part of the DN30-X packaging system.
PILOT INDUSTRIAL OPERATION of new nuclear fuel for VVER-1000 reactors with a second-generation anti-debris filter ADF-2 has been completed at unit 1 of Russia’s Rostov NPP. A pilot batch of 12 TVS-2M fuel cassettes with anti-debris filters of an improved design was loaded into the reactor core in 2018. It has now successfully completed the full operating cycle for VVER-1000 fuel assemblies.
RADWASTE THE US DEPARTMENT of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Radiological Security recently formally marked the completion of a new long-term regional radioactive waste storage facility at Kazakhstan’s Institute of Nuclear Physics. The facility has been operational since it was commissioned in 2022.
Uzbekestan
Remediation at uranium mining sites Remediation work at legacy uranium mining sites in Uzbekistan is under way, supported by a €9m ($11m) grant from the Environmental Remediation Account (ERA) for Central Asia. ERA was set up on the initiative of the
European Union (EU) and managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD). The grant funds work to close mine
openings, demolish derelict facilities used for ore processing, and to re-cultivate selected waste rock areas at the Yangiabad and Charkesar mines. The former site, 75 km east of Tashkent, has seven mines spread around the town of Yangiabad. Once remediated, this area, known locally as the Uzbek Alps, will be environmentally safe, EBRD says. The Charkesar-2 mine site is 140 km east
of Tashkent and 60 km to the west of the city Namangan in the Fergana Valley. The contaminated area of approximately 25 hectares contains five already remediated waste rock dumps and two abandoned mine shafts. Central Asia was an important source of
uranium for the former Soviet Union. Uranium was mined for over 50 years and uranium ore was also imported from other countries for processing. Most of the mines were closed by 1995 but very little remediation was done. In May, a grant of €23m was allocated
from ERA for remediation at Mailuu-Suu in Kyrgyzstan. This is one of the largest and most heavily contaminated uranium legacy sites in Central Asia. ERA has now allocated funding to remediate five out of seven high priority sites in Central Asia (three of which are in the Kyrgyz Republic and two in Uzbekistan). As well as the mandatory remediation and demolition works, ERA-supported activity will help prevent toxic material from dispersing into the river system. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Russia have also been supporting rehabilitation of Central Asia’s uranium legacy sites. The IAEA’s Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites (CGULS) was formed in 2012 to help coordinate national and multilateral remediation activities. In 2017, the IAEA, EC and EBRD signed a joint commitment on coordinating remediation efforts in accordance with a new Strategic Master Plan (SMP). EBRD estimated the total cost of measures outlined in the plan at €210 million, of which €56m had already been made available by the EU, Commonwealth of Independent States and World Bank. Russia’s Central Design and Technological
Institute (JSC TsPTI - part of Rosatom fuel company TVEL) in 2022 won the tender for the development of working documentation and performance of work at the Taboshar site in Tajikistan as part of the implementation of the Interstate Target Programme “Reclamation of the territories of states affected by uranium mining industries”. Under the contract, the territories of the tailings and the dump of the
10 | October 2023 |
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low-grade ore factory will be rehabilitated. The contract value exceeds RUB700 million ($11m) and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
France Framatome/Hungary cooperation France’s has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hungary’s Ministry of Energy for the development of a strategic relationship in the nuclear field. The MOU seeks to facilitate the extension of the cooperation between Framatome and Hungary in various domains of interest in nuclear such as education and competencies, R&D, the implementation of new technologies, fuel supply and related nuclear materials, as well as long-term operation. Framatome CEO Bernard Fontana expressed
strong support for Hungary’s nuclear industry and energy policy and said the agreement “further bears witness to the trust our customers have placed in our robust and reliable expertise and integrated supply chain over the years”. He added: “This MOU confirms our commitment to contribute to the diversification and security of fuel supply for the safe and reliable operation of the existing nuclear fleet and for preparing for the next generation of nuclear energy.” Framatome noted the longstanding
relationship and cooperation with Hungary in nuclear operation and maintenance, as well as services to the Hungarian NPP. Framatome is present in Hungary through its subsidiary Framatome Kft, which provides direct support to Hungarian customers. Framatome is already participating in the
Paks-II project and was contracted to provide instrumental and control (I&C) equipment for the two units in a consortium with Germany’s Siemens. However, the involvement of Siemens became uncertain earlier this year due to delays in obtaining the relevant licences from the German Authorities. “For several years now, Framatome has been developing an industrial solution to support the short- and mid-term needs of VVER nuclear operators, for both VVER-1000 and VVER 440 reactors,” noted Lionel Gaiffe, senior executive vice president of the Fuel Business Unit at Framatome. “In the short-term, Framatome will provide the proven and incumbent design and in the mid-term, Framatome is the only fuel supplier able to guarantee a sovereign European solution, with a fully-European design, manufacturing and components supply chain, thanks to our longstanding, proven expertise and track records.” There has been considerable press
speculation that as a result of possible European sanctions on Russia’s nuclear industry, the Paks-II project could be taken over by France. However, Hungarian officials have been adamant that Hungary will not allow the EU to impose sanctions on the Russian nuclear energy industry.
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