World Nuclear News

Work on Phase II of Hongyanhe plant begins

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:47:02 GMT

A ceremony was held on 28 July to mark the breaking of ground for the two 1000 MWe CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors which will form Phase II of the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant in Liaoning province in northeast China. The National Development and Reform Commission approved the construction of Phase II in May. The cost of constructing Phase II is 25 billion yuan ($3.7 billion), according to the Xinhua news agency. Over 80% of the equipment to be used in the Phase II units is expected to be sourced domestically. Construction of each of the four CPR-1000 units making up the adjacent Phase I of the Hongyanhe plant is already underway. Yang Xiaofeng, manager of Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Co, said that all six units at the site should be in operation by the end of 2016. The plant is jointly owned by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Co (CGNPC) and the China Power Investment Corp, each holding a 45% stake, with the Dalian Municipal Construction Investment Co holding the remaining 10%.

Iter parties agree new funding

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:43:14 GMT

Countries taking part in the Iter project have agreed the project's schedule and costs, reportedly putting in extra money after the doubling of construction costs.

Spanish decommissioning contract for Westinghouse

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:27:22 GMT

Westinghouse has been awarded a contract by Spain's decommissioning firm Enresa to dismantle the reactor vessel internals of the country's José Cabrera nuclear power plant, which shut down in 2006.

France considers its position

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:08:36 GMT

France is revising its nuclear strategy to improve reactor technology and boost cooperation between national champions Areva and Electricité de France. Up to 15% of Areva will be sold as optimisation takes place on the EPR design.

B&W to build mPower test facility

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:16:35 GMT

Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) is to construct a test facility for the mPower reactor design in Bedford County, Virginia. The facility - not far from B&W's headquarters in Lynchburg - will be used to support licensing activities for the small, modular reactor design.

Romania to cut its stake in new Cernavoda units

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:36:34 GMT

The Romanian government plans to cut its stake in a project to construct two new reactors at Cernavoda. Meanwhile, Romania has asked Areva to participate in building the country's second plant in Transylvania.

All systems go for Jordan's first nuclear reactor

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:28:37 GMT

The signature of a $70 million loan agreement by South Korea and Jordan has signalled the official start of the project to build Jordan's first nuclear research reactor.

AECL under pressure in New Brunswick

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:06:47 GMT

Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd has been criticised on its openness by the provincial government of New Brunswick in a letter to Canada's federal government as delays mount for the refurbishment of Point Lepreau.

Toshiba, IHI agree on turbine joint venture

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:17:19 GMT

Japan's Toshiba Corp and IHI Corp have signed a definitive agreement on forming a joint venture to manufacture steam turbine components for nuclear power plants at home and abroad. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in April to establish the joint venture. Toshiba and IHI plan to have the new joint venture company - Toshiba IHI Power Systems Corp - in place by January 2011. It will be 52% owned by IHI, while Toshiba will hold the remaining 48%. The company will manufacture casings and nozzles for steam turbines at new nuclear power plants for both pressurised water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs) for the domestic and overseas markets, as well as providing maintenance services for installed equipment. Based at Yokohama, within IHI's Yokohama headquarters representatives office, the joint venture will have a planned capital of ¥310 million ($3.6 million).

New Russian route for Kazakh uranium?

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:16:01 GMT

Uranium could in future be shipped from Kazakhstan to Japan via ports along Russia's Pacific coast rather than through western Russian ports, according to press reports. Citing unnamed Japanese government officials, Bloomberg reported that a six-month study into the viability of shipping uranium via ports near Vladivostok, funded by the Japanese trade ministry, is to be officially announced this month. Most Kazakh uranium destined for Japan is currently shipped via St Petersburg for enrichment overseas before reaching its ultimate destination.

EPR design: NRC not happy yet

Jeremy Gordon — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:04:54 GMT

Areva NP still needs to convince the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that some aspects of the digital instrumentation and control systems for its EPR reactor design meet the regulator's requirements.

'Unknown' welds went unchecked at Japanese plant

Jeremy Gordon — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:54:03 GMT

Japan Atomic Power Co (Japco) reported that it had never inspected a welded part in a pump within the reactor containment vessel of Tsuruga 1 - the country's oldest operating unit - because it was unaware the weld existed.

Indian liability debate returns

Jeremy Gordon — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:44:50 GMT

The Indian parliamentary committee studying the implications of Nuclear Civil Liability Bill will submit its report to the upper house of the parliament in the monsoon session starting next week.

Undersea robot for Dounreay

Jeremy Gordon — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:17:01 GMT

Efforts to clean up radioactive particles discharged to sea from Dounreay will be bolstered this month by the addition of a large crawler robot.

Government grants Vandellos ten more years

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:24:57 GMT

Unit 2 of the Vandellos power plant near Tarragona in north-eastern Spain has been given approval by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce to continue operating for a further ten years. Spanish nuclear safety regulators - the Nuclear Safety Council, (Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear, CSN) - submitted a report to the ministry in June approving the unit's continued operation. As a condition of the ministry's approval, Vandellos managers are required to make a number of changes to the plant during the next ten years, including a design modification in the plant's fire protection system. Vandellos unit 2 - a 1045 MWe pressurized water reactor - began commercial operation in 1988. It is 72% owned by Endesa, while Iberdrola holds the remaining 28%. The unit's previous operating licence would have expired on 26 July. The operating licence of the two-unit Almaraz nuclear power plant was extended for a further ten year in early June, but in July 2009 the Garoña nuclear power plant was given regulatory approval to operate only until 2013 instead of the June 2019 date it had requested. The period of operation of Spain's reactors has no fixed term and operating licences are renewed periodically after the evaluation of the CSN and approval by the ministry.

EdF seeks to bolster decommissioning fund

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:17:31 GMT

Electricité de France (EdF) is considering allocating half of its Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE) power grid to a portfolio of assets set up to fund the decommissioning of its nuclear power reactors. Meanwhile, RTE said that the security of France's power supply should be guaranteed until 2013.

Criticality for fast reactor

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:09:30 GMT

China has achieved criticality at its first fast neutron reactor, a small unit near Beijing, while plans are developing for a full scale fast reactor power plant in the country.

Olympic Dam back on track

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:09:01 GMT

One of the world's biggest uranium mines returned to full operation in recent weeks after lengthy repairs.

Turboatom to supply equipment for Rostov 3

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:03:54 GMT

Ukrainian turbine manufacturer Turboatom will supply the condenser and turbines for unit 3 of the Rostov nuclear power plant, under construction in Russia.

EU moves to shore up Iter budget

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:22:40 GMT

The European Commission proposed yesterday a major additional cash injection of over €860 million ($1100 million) in funds for nuclear fusion demonstration as Europe's share of the cost of Iter doubles.