Tianwan 7 gets lower tier of inner containment dome

The 44-metre diameter lower tier of the inner containment dome, weighing 391 tonnes, has been lifted into position on the seventh unit of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China.  A crane with a 2000-tonne capacity was moved to the construction site to complete the lift. The next stage is to complete the installation work …

North American subsidies help boost nuclear hydrogen plans

Nuclear operators in North America are looking to take advantage of generous clean hydrogen subsidies to diversify and help pay the bills. Generation workhorses, such as Bruce Power’s Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario, Canada and Constellation’s Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station in New York, as well as fourth generation reactor developers, such as Terrestrial Energy, consider themselves …

Gov’t to Accelerate Construction of Shin Hanul 3, 4 Nuclear Reactors

The government intends to accelerate the construction of nuclear power reactors in the southeastern North Gyeongsang county of Uljin that was suspended under the previous Moon Jae-in administration’s nuclear phase-out policy. Second vice energy minister Kang Kyung-sung, who checked up on the construction of Shin Hanul Numbers Three and Four reactors on Thursday, called for …

Granholm ‘hopeful’ about $1B in federal loans to restart Palisades nuclear plant

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said she is “hopeful” about pending loan applications to fund the restart of the closed Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan.   If approved, the approximately $1 billion in federal loans could help pay for the power plant to become the first U.S. nuclear reactor to restart after powering down. Lawmakers …

Xudabao 3 vessel passes hydrostatic tests

The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for unit 3 at the Xudabao nuclear power plant in China’s Liaoning province has successfully completed hydrostatic testing in Russia. The two VVER-1200 reactors that form phase two of the plant – units 3 and 4 – are scheduled to be commissioned in 2027-2028. The hydrostatic test is a comprehensive …

Major module put in place at Sanmen 4

The largest and heaviest module has been installed at unit 4 of the Sanmen nuclear power plant, the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI) has announced. Two CAP1000 units – the Chinese version of the AP1000 – are being constructed as Phase II of the plant, in China’s Zhejiang province. The cuboid-shaped CA20 …

Armenia and Russia discuss Armenian 2 operating extension, and new nuclear

Further extending the operating life of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant’s second unit was identified as a priority during a meeting between Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. During the meeting, in Yerevan, the two “agreed on specific steps for the near future, which will allow the re-extension work to …

Westinghouse announces a new small nuclear reactor — a notable step in the industry’s efforts to remake itself

Westinghouse announced the launch of a small version of its flagship AP1000 nuclear reactor on Thursday. The new reactor, called the AP300, aims to be available in 2027, and will generate about a third of the power as the flagship AP1000 reactor, enough to power about 300,000 homes. It’s expected to cost about $1 billion …

Construction begins of third unit at Egypt’s El Dabaa nuclear power plant

First concrete has been poured into the foundation slab marking the start of the main construction phase for unit 3 of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant project, and follows the issuing of a construction licence by the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority on 29 March. Chairman of Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA), Amged …

Hot Functional Testing completed for Vogtle Unit 4

Georgia Power today announced the completion of hot functional testing for Unit 4 at the Vogtle nuclear expansion project near Waynesboro, Ga. The completion of hot functional testing marks a significant step towards operations and providing customers with a reliable, carbon-free energy source for the next 60 to 80 years. Unit 4 is projected to enter service …