Russia retires Leningrad 2 RBMK

The Leningrad 2 nuclear power unit in in Sosnovy Bor in Western Russia was shut down permanently today. The RBMK, which has been in operation for 45 years, is to be replaced by Leningrad II-2, a VVER-1200, which on 6 November received regulatory approval to start pilot operation. Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said Leningrad 2 …

Africa’s only atomic plant bets $1.2bn on a 2nd life

(MENAFN – Gulf Times) Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, South Africa’s indebted power utility, started a billion-dollar round of investments in Africa’s oldest and only nuclear power plant before getting permission from safety regulators that the reactor’s lifetime can be extended. The decision to begin installing new steam generators at the Koeberg plant near Cape Town …

Grossi predicts a dozen new nuclear countries by 2030

A “solid group” of 10-12 countries building nuclear power plants for the first time will emerge in the next decade, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Director General William Magwood in a WebChat last week. Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Turkey and the UAE are among the nuclear newcomers, …

Fuel assembly loading progressing at first Hualong One reactor in Fujian

Fuel assembly loading activities at Fuqing nuclear power plant, China’s first nuclear facility using Hualong One technology-a domestically developed third-generation reactor design-are expected to accelerate China’s nuclear power construction despite the impact of COVID-19, said insiders. China National Nuclear Corp recently announced that it has begun to load fuel at the No 5 nuclear power …

Byron nuclear plant, facing 2021 closure, getting refueling outage in October

Exelon Corp. is taking its Byron Unit 2 nuclear station offline for a nearly three-week planned outage to refuel. The 33-year-old Unit 2 is being taken offline early in October for 19 days of maintenance, refueling and upgrades. The workforce employed on the project includes 700 employees of owner Exelon as well as 1,200 additional …