France Says Nuclear Power Is ‘Non-negotiable’

French nuclear power is “an absolute red line” and non-negotiable, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Thursday, following Franco-German disagreements over the role of nuclear energy in Europe. Nuclear-reliant Paris has already irked Berlin by insisting on giving nuclear energy a starring role in European plans to produce more green technology in Europe. “Nuclear power …

T.CCO seeks to re-licence mines in the North

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is recommending that Cameco be issued licences for it’s Key Lake McArthur River and Rabbit Lake operations in northern Saskatchewan. The Commission is conducting public hearings in Saskatoon Wednesday and Thursday. The Commission suggests a 20-year licence  for Key Lake and McArthur River and a 15-year licence for Rabbit …

Hungary says Paks II work to start in July

Hungary’s Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjártó said preparatory works would start for the Paks II nuclear power plant project in Hungary next month. It followed talks with Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev. “The modified contractual framework ensures faster progress with full respect for safety rules,” he said, referring to the contract updates agreed between Rosatom …

Fortum, Westinghouse study new build opportunities

Finnish utility Fortum and Westinghouse Electric Company of the USA have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore prerequisites for the development and deployment of new nuclear in Finland and Sweden. The agreement is related to Fortum’s nuclear feasibility study launched in November 2022. At Fortum, our strategic priorities are to deliver reliable clean energy …

Super module installed at Haiyang 3

The CA03 module – weighing about 230 tonnes – has been hoisted into place at unit 3 of the Haiyang nuclear power plant in China’s Shandong province. Together with the CA02 module, the CA03 makes up the in-containment refuelling water storage tank. The tank, which holds up to 500,000 gallons – nearly 2 million litres …

DOE begins scoping for HALEU supply

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has formally begun the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) scoping process for its proposed programme to support the commercial production of high-assay low-enriched uranium – or HALEU – fuel. The DOE is also seeking feedback on two draft requests for proposals to acquire HALEU. A Notice of Intent (NOI) published in …

Kazatomprom completes second China shipment, announces management changes

The heads of Kazatomprom and CGNPC-URC said the companies plan to further develop and strengthen their partnership as they marked the completion of the second delivery of fuel assemblies manufactured by the Kazakh-Chinese Ulba-FA enterprise to a nuclear power plant in China. Separately, Kazatomprom has announced the latest in a series of changes in its …

Construction of a new nuclear power plant: who will be Armenia’s energy partner?

Armenia plans to build a new nuclear power plant by 2036. Which country will be the energy partner for this project is not yet clear. Cooperation with Russia, the USA and other countries is being discussed. According to the prime minister, the government is studying proposals to understand “which option is more economically viable.” In 2022 …

Keir Starmer says nuclear power is ‘critical part’ of UK’s energy mix

Labour leader pledges to get stalled projects operational to boost energy security, cut costs and create jobs Keir Starmer has described nuclear power as a “critical part” of the UK’s energy mix and pledged to get stalled projects over the line, as Labour positions itself firmly behind the technology. Before the Labour leader presents his net zero …