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United Kingdom Learning from JET decommissioning The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) said it has developed and deployed remote handling technologies, as part of the decommissioning of the Joint European Torus (JET) which ceased operations in December 2023. UKAEA has committed to decommission JET in a sustainable manner, and to use the programme as a showcase for technologies which are applicable both in fusion and adjacent sectors. The JET Decommissioning and Repurposing programme (JDR) is scheduled to last until at least 2040. JDR is the first time that a deuterium-tritium fusion machine is being decommissioned in a manner which takes into account a full range of scientific research projects which will inform and influence the full life cycle of future fusion power plants. It is a platform to develop and test new technologies which could be deployed within adjacent sectors. JDR will release land from the JET estate and assets from JET’s support systems to be repurposed in other fusion programmes, thereby saving money and providing intangible benefits such as knowledge transfer. It is expected to facilitate inward investment into the UK decommissioning, engineering and technology supply chains. A critical early project has been the sample


retrieval campaign in which 66 tiles and components were removed from JET in late- 2024. These are now being processed and studied to assess the key physical, chemical and radiological properties of the materials. The results will help inform how JET is decommissioned. The tiles and components that have been recovered are also giving an initial indication of the impact of years of high- powered plasmas on components. During JET’s final pulses, scientists looked


to improve their understanding of damage mechanisms. This included multiple intentional plasma disruptions and the associated electromagnetic forces, and aiming electrons at JET’s inner wall. By purposely creating these conditions they were able to see surface melting and the reverse waterfall effect, providing unique insights that will assist in mitigating these issues in future fusion machines. Samples will continue to be analysed by


UKAEA experts from the Tritium Fuel Cycle and Materials divisions, and by staff at EUROfusion laboratories across Europe as part of ongoing multi-national research programmes. At the same time, UKAEA is upgrading its


remote handling system to deliver the first phase of in-vessel decommissioning, which will see around 3,700 components removed from JET. A full upgrade of JET’s operating booms began in 2019. This upgrade included the installation of the Remote Handling Operations Virtual Reality (RHOVR), which harnesses the Unreal Engine. This creates hyper-realistic 3D environments and has been used in other decommissioning programmes, including at Sellafield.


Vietnam Ground prep for new NPPs As Viet Nam’s Ninh Thuận NPPs break ground, they signal a strategic shift in the country’s energy landscape for decades ahead. The nuclear project comprising two nuclear plants – Ninh Thuận 1 and 2 – has now cleared key legal and policy hurdles. Khánh Hòa Province is preparing infrastructure and clearing land for the project. Since the beginning of this year, in line with government policy, Khánh Hòa has undertaken urgent measures to ensure the land for the two NPPs will be ready by 31 December. In April, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính


assigned the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) and the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) as investors, while delegating the province to manage resettlement and land clearance. The province has coordinated closely with the investors, reviewing and adjusting prior preparations to stay on schedule. The total land to be prepared for Ninh Thuận 1 and 2 exceeds 1,130 hectares, affecting 1,153 households with 5,229 residents. The estimated cost for land clearance, relocation, resettlement, and livelihood stabilisation stands at VND12,392bn ($469m), of which the central government has so far allocated VND3,236bn. Ninh Thuận 1 will be built in Phước Dinh Commune on 485.54 hectares and Ninh Thuận 2 in Vĩnh Hải Commune on 643.6 hectares. Vice-chairwoman of Vĩnh Hải Commune Đào


Thị Loan said land clearance was a complex task, affecting hundreds of households, various types of land and even sections of the Núi Chúa National Park. She added that the commune was working closely with residents to address concerns and prevent any information gaps. Since May, government task forces and


inter-ministerial teams, including the Ministries of Finance, Industry & Trade, and Science & Technology, have worked with Khánh Hòa Province to resolve issues around funding, resettlement policies, clean land handover and technical preparation. The province has committed to issuing


detailed land price approvals and completing verification and public notices in both communes by the fourth quarter. Resettlement areas will be fully equipped with schools, health stations, and cultural facilities, ensuring residents enjoy improved living conditions. Nuclear power in Viet Nam began with the 250 kW TRIGA Mark II research reactor in Đà Lạt in 1963. providing domestic nuclear training and research. After a pause, during the Vietnam war, the reactor was restored in 1984 with Soviet support, doubling its capacity to 500 kW and training hundreds of engineers and researchers. In 2009, the National Assembly approved


investment in the Ninh Thuận nuclear project, planning two plants with a combined capacity exceeding 4,000 MWe. However, economic and financial difficulties led to a suspension in 2016, although nuclear research continued, maintaining a skilled workforce and preserving decades of expertise.


round up


COMPANIES THREE COMPANIES HAVE won contracts worth a total of £2.9bn ($3.87bn) to supply key non-nuclear infrastructure works to the UK Sellafield site. Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Costain Limited, and Hochtief (UK) Construction Ltd will be part of the long-term Infrastructure Delivery Partnership (IDP). The contracts will be for an initial nine years with an option for a further six years, through to 2040.


ASP ISOTOPES’ QUANTUM Leap Energy subsidiary has completed the purchase of assets from Canada’s One 30 Seven covering decontamination for water- soluble nuclear waste by accelerating beta decay of radioactive waste, such as Cesium 137 and Strontium 90. Using the technology QLE believes it will be able to develop proprietary nuclear waste decontamination solutions.


US-BASED START-up NANO Nuclear Energy has entered into securities purchase agreements with institutional investors for the purchase and sale of 8,490,767 shares of common stock in an oversubscribed private placement. This is expected to result in gross proceeds of $400m, before deducting offering expenses. NANO Nuclear intends to use the net proceeds to advance development, construction and regulatory licensing activities for its Kronos MMR.


TEXAS-BASED FERMI, co-founded by former US Energy Secretary Rick Perry has raised $682.5m in its US initial public offering (IPO). The company had increased the size of the offering to 32.5m shares from an initial target of 25m. The IPO valued Fermi at $12.46bn. UBS Investment Bank, Evercore ISI, Cantor and Mizuho acted as the book-running managers.


NUCLEAR FUEL ROMANIA’S FELDIOARA URANIUM Concentrate Processing Plant (FPCU), a subsidiary of nuclear utility SN Nuclearelectrica (SNN) has won an international tender to deliver nuclear fuel in the form of uranium dioxide (UO2


) to


, to supply Argentina’s NPPs for a period of one year.


Argentina. FPCU has begun processing uranium oxide (U3 UO2


O8 ) for the production


US NUCLEAR FUEL technology company Lightbridge Corporation has loaded capsules containing Lightbridge Fuel material samples into an experiment assembly. The samples, comprised of enriched uranium-zirconium alloy were manufactured at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).The experiment assembly is now ready for insertion INL’s Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) for irradiation testing.


www.neimagazine.com | November 2025 | 9


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