China starts building second CFR-600 fast reactor

Construction work has started on the second CFR-600 sodium-cooled pool-type fast-neutron nuclear reactor in Xiapu County, in China’s Fujian province. Also known as the Xiapu fast reactor demonstration project, the CFR-600 is part of China’s plan to achieve a closed nuclear fuel cycle. Construction of unit 1 started in late 2017. The fuel will be …

Pilot operation stage started at the first power unit of Belarus NPP

On December 22, 2020 the pilot operation stage started at Belarus NPP power unit 1 of III+Gen with VVER-1200 reactor (ROSATOM’s Engineering Division is the General Designer and the General Contractor), as specialists started a gradual reactor power increase up to the rated power. A permit to proceed to this stage was issued by the …

Climate could pay the price as Europe’s nuclear plants age

Nuclear power capacity able to supply roughly 60 million homes is scheduled to close this decade as utilities struggle to replace northwest Europe’s ageing reactors, raising the risk of higher carbon emissions as fossil fuels plug the gap. Nuclear power provides around a quarter of the European Union’s electricity generation, with 15 of the 27 …

Hot testing of Tianwan 6 begins

Tests that simulate the temperatures and pressures which the reactor systems will be subjected to during normal operation have started at unit 6 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China’s Jiangsu province. The ACPR1000 reactor is scheduled to enter commercial operation by the end of 2021.   Hot functional testing of Tianwan 6 began …

Construction work resumes on Khmelnitsky units

The preparatory stage of the project to complete units 3 and 4 of the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant in Ukraine has been completed and construction work has resumed, Piotr Kotin, acting president of Energoatom, announced last week. The project is part of a Ukrainian presidential decree of 22 September. According to preliminary conclusions, the condition …