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High-burnup fuel rods, manufactured by GE Vernova’s Nuclear Fuel business, Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), have been delivered to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for […]
The post High-Burnup Nuclear Fuel Rods Delivered for Examination After Having Completed Three Cycles of Commercial Operation appeared first on POWER Magazine.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has voted to codify proposed changes to streamline a key environmental review process for advanced nuclear reactors. Nuclear advocates lauded the measure as one of […]
The post NRC Advances Rule to Streamline Advanced Nuclear Reviews appeared first on POWER Magazine.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. has opened a pilot fuel manufacturing facility that will produce TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) coated fuel particles and the company’s proprietary fuel for use in its high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR).
The Pilot Fuel Manufacturing (PFM) facility, located at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is one of the first U.S. private sector manufacturing facilities dedicated to developing advanced reactor fuel. It is now ready to process feedstock uranium powder into TRISO fuel particles and subsequently produce Ultra Safe Nuclear’s patented fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) fuel in multiple kilogram quantities, the company said on Aug. 18 as it declared the facility officially open.
The company plans to produce, test, and qualify the fuel at the facility for use in its Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) Energy System, which is a fourth-generation 5-MWe (15-MWth) HTGR, and other advanced terrestrial and space energy systems that it is also developing. Pivotally, the PFM will allow the company to test equipment and processes that could be scaled into larger fuel manufacturing facilities.…
Hungary’s nuclear energy agency has issued a license for construction of two reactors for Paks II, a power generation project first launched in early 2014 as part of an inter-governmental agreement between Hungary and Russia. Officials said Paks II would be the first nuclear plant in the European Union to use Rosatom’s Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor technology.
The Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (OAH) on Aug. 26 signified its support for construction and issued an implementation license, saying after its review of the project’s design that Paks II complies with both Hungarian and European safety standards. The contract to build the nuclear power plant (NPP) is supported by a Russian state loan, which is financing most of the construction of the $ 12-billion facility. Rosatom is Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation.
Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said, “Today, the Paks II NPP project is taking another leap forward. The construction license confirms that the project complies with the international and Hungarian safety requirements.…
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a plan that would keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant open into 2035, a decade beyond the facility’s current closure date.
The proposal, which in part includes giving plant owner Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) a forgivable $ 1.4-billion loan, was included in a draft legislative package sent to state lawmakers late on Aug. 11. The bill has not yet been introduced in the state legislature. The current legislative session ends Aug. 31, though Newsom could call for a special session beyond that date to consider the plan.
The proposal was confirmed by Newsom spokesman Anthony York, according to Associated Press. The news service reported the bill “says impacts of climate change are occurring sooner than anticipated and are simultaneously driving up electrical demand while reducing power supplies.”
“The governor has been clear for months about the potential need to extend the life of Diablo Canyon,” York said. The spokesman said the governor has stressed the importance of all energy options to maintain a reliable power supply, and “this proposal reflects the continued need to keep that flexibility.”…
A Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) survey suggests U.S. utility members expect to add up to 90 GW of new nuclear generation by the 2050s, including more than 300 new small modular reactors (SMRs) in the U.S. over the next 25 years.
The nuclear industry group’s survey, unveiled on July 29, sought to gather input from chief nuclear officers at 19 utility members that already have nuclear as part of their energy generation mix on the role new nuclear could play to reach decarbonization goals.
The results indicate significant demand for new nuclear, the trade group told POWER. Planning for 300 SMRs translates to about 731.3 TWh of power. However, while that figure would effectively double U.S. nuclear energy output today, it may even be a “conservative estimate,” it noted. The 19 NEI member utilities surveyed represent less than half of the total electricity generation in the U.S., and the survey does not include utilities with no nuclear generation, like Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) and PacifiCorp, which have already announced plans to build new nuclear, NEI said.…