| NEWS
reactor during a refuelling outage. Joyo was shut down in 2007 after a test subassembly became jammed in the reactor vessel. Special equipment had to be designed to retrieve it, which finally took place in 2014. In 2023 Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approved a screening report concluding that the Joyo experimental fast reactor met new regulatory standards, which are a prerequisite for its restart. The NRA confirmed that Joyo is equipped with a device to detect sodium leaks, as well as nitrogen gas equipment to be used in the event of such leaks. It concluded that the reactor meets fire safety standards.
Finland Westinghouse fuel loaded at Loviisa The first batch of Westinghouse Electric Company VVER-440 fuel was loaded into Fortum’s Loviisa NPP during its annual outage in August. The Loviisa plant comprises two Soviet- designed VVER-440 reactors and currently provides more than 10% of Finland’s electricity. Loviisa unit 1 began commercial operation in 1977 and unit 2 in 1981. The plant has been using fuel supplied by Russia’s TVEL since 2007. However, European Union policy is currently focused on diversifying away from Russian supplied fuel. In November 2022, Fortum Power & Heat Oy signed an agreement with Westinghouse for the design, licensing and supply of a new fuel type for Loviisa. During the annual outages in 2023, one test element manufactured by Westinghouse, which did not contain actual uranium pellets, was loaded into unit 2. The test element was used to obtain mechanical operating experience of the new fuel type. Plant owner-operator Fortum said that the test element was found to have worked as expected. At the end of 2023 Fortum submitted a report
on future fuel procurement for the Loviisa NPP to the Ministry of Labour & Trade. This was one of the permit conditions imposed when the government granted the two Loviisa units permission to operate until the end of 2050. The condition was to ensure that the fuel supply for Loviisa would no longer rely solely on TVEL. Loviisa NPP had initially received fuel from
Russia. In 1996-98 a fuel assembly design – NOVA E-3 (fixed assembly) and NOVCA (follower) – was developed in a programme involving BNFL (UK), IVO (Finland) and PAKS (Hungary). In June 1998, the manufacture of five Lead Test Assemblies at Springfields in the UK was completed and the fuel was delivered to Loviisa 2. In 1999, BNFL purchased Westinghouse Electric and between 2001 and 2007, BNFL/ Westinghouse delivered a total of 741 VVER- 440 fuel assemblies to Loviisa, which were manufactured by Enusa in Spain. The NOVA E-3 and NOVCA designs were
integrated into the Westinghouse fuel product portfolio, and all the intellectual property for the VVER-440 fuel was transferred from BNFL to Westinghouse in 2005-2006. However, in 2007 Loviisa decided to switch back to Russian fuel.
After failing to extend the Loviisa fuel contract and failing to win any other VVER-440 delivery contracts, Westinghouse decided to withdraw from the market in 2008, and closed down the supply chain and development of the VVER-440 design.
Then, in 2014, reactivation of the VVER- 440 market was reconsidered in view of the demand for increased security of energy supply in Europe. Westinghouse, in a consortium comprising nine organisations, applied for a Euratom funded programme for diversification of the VVER fuel market in Europe, and was granted €2m in 2015. In September 2022, Westinghouse and Enusa Industrias Avanzadas announced their intention to collaborate on VVER-440 fuel fabrication with the aim of delivering a Western alternative to Russian fuel in the European market. Loviisa’s current fuel agreement with TVEL
is valid until the end of the current operating licences of the plants two units in 2027 and 2030. In spring 2022, Fortum applied for a new operating licence for both units until 2050, and announced that a tendering process would be arranged for fuel supply for the next operating licence period. According to its report to the Ministry, Fortum
will tender for fuel after 2027/2030. Meanwhile, the agreement with Westinghouse and the fresh TVEL fuel in stock will ensure Loviisa’s fuel supply. In addition, Fortum announced that it is investigating the possibilities of another Western fuel supplier developing VVER-440 fuel in order to improve the security of fuel supply and strengthen competition further. “The loading of the new fuel is a key
diversification milestone for Fortum that guarantees a dependable Western alternative for fuel supply in Finland,” Westinghouse said.
Switzerland Ban on nuclear new build lifted The Swiss government has announced plans to lift a ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants that has been in place since 2018. This is part of a broader strategy to address evolving energy needs, driven by climate targets, increasing electricity demand, and geopolitical uncertainties. Switzerland currently has four ageing
nuclear reactors generating about a third of its electricity. These are the two-unit Beznau NPP (730 MWe), the single unit 985 MWe Gösgen NPP and the single unit 1,165 MWe Leibstadt NPP. They all have an unlimited operating licence and can be operated as long as they are safe. A fifth reactor, the 372 MWe Mühleberg NPP, was closed in 2019 and is undergoing decommissioning. The decision to reconsider the nuclear ban
reflects a clear change in public opinion. While the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster led Switzerland to adopt a policy of gradually withdrawing from nuclear power, recent legislative developments have shown support for a more flexible approach to energy policy.
round up
COMPANIES CANADA’S SASKPOWER HAS established a nuclear subsidiary, SaskNuclear, to support Saskatchewan’s small modular reactor (SMR) project through the regulatory and licensing process. The subsidiary will be wholly owned by SaskPower and will share a President & CEO, as well as a Board of Directors.
THE BOARD OF Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has conditionally approved a decision to invest $40m in US advanced reactor developer Terrapower. KHNP will need final approval from the board before the investment deal is completed. KHNP plans to sign a stock transfer agreement with SK Group later in September, with the investment expected to be executed within the year.
SOUTH KOREA’S DAEWOO Engineering & Construction Co (Daewoo E&C) has expanded and reorganised its nuclear- related division following its selection as the preferred bidder for the new Dukovany nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic. The reorganisation aims to strengthen Daewoo E&C’s capacity to execute the Czech nuclear project and accelerate its entry into the global nuclear power market.
NUCLEAR FUEL KOREA HYDRO & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has signed an agreement on the key terms of a nuclear fuel supply contract with US nuclear fuel supplier Centrus, This agreement marks a significant step in diversifying KHNP’s nuclear fuel suppliers and strengthening nuclear cooperation between South Korea and the United States.
ORANO USA HAS selected Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as the preferred site to construct a new, multi-billion-dollar, state-of-the-art centrifuge uranium enrichment facility. Once completed the multi-structure commercial production site will be one of the largest in North America. It is expected to create more than 300 new direct jobs in Roane County and will be based on Orano’s enrichment facility in Tricastin, France.
USED FUEL TRIAL OPERATION UNDERWAY at Posiva’s used fuel repository in Finland is expected to last several months and the first stage of the trial run has been completed. This involved placing disposal canisters in the Onkalo used nuclear fuel repository. The aim is to test the final disposal facility in its entirety, albeit without the used fuel.
www.neimagazine.com | October 2024 | 11
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 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
