Kazakhstan continues discussions with EDF

Kazakhstan is continuing discussions with French company EDF including proposals for an EPR-1200 reactor, the Kazakh Ministry of Energy has confirmed. EDF is one of four potential nuclear suppliers the country is now considering. Minister of Energy Bolat Aksholakov met with Vakis Ramani, EDF’s senior vice president for the development of new international nuclear projects, …

NA-SA creates investment opportunity for Atucha I

A financial trust has been opened in Argentina to support sustainable investment in two nuclear energy projects. Investments made in the new Solidarity Financial Trust of Public Infrastructure NA-SA IV will go to enable the licence extension for Atucha I as well as the construction of a dry storage facility for used fuel. The trust …

Components ready for fifth Kudankulam unit

Major equipment for India’s Kudankulam 5 is complete at the factory of the Russian supplier, Atommash. The reactor pressure vessel was assembled in a trial and the pressuriser passed crucial tests. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant is about 100 kilometres from the port city of Tuticorin in the state of Tamil Nadu at the southern …

Containment building completed at Zhangzhou 1

Construction has been completed of the outer dome of the containment building of unit 1 of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in China’s Fujian province, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced. Zhangzhou 1 is the first of two Hualong One units being built at the site, scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2024 and 2025, …

French bill on accelerating nuclear new build progresses to Senate

The French Senate has begun discussing a bill aimed at accelerating procedures related to the construction of new nuclear facilities near existing nuclear sites and to the operation of existing facilities. In February last year, President Emmanuel Macron proposed the construction of six new EPR2 reactors, with an option for a further eight EPR2 reactors …

Mochovce 3 in the next stage of commissioning

After all prescribed physical start-up tests have been performed, Slovenské elektrárne continues with the next phase of commissioning of the Mochovce Unit 3 – the power start-up. Earlier in January, Slovenské elektrárne successfully completed the first stage of commissioning of the new nuclear unit, so-called physical start-up. It included dozens of prescribed tests – pressure …

Rolls-Royce SMR delegation holds positive talks about sites in the South West

A senior team from Rolls-Royce SMR has this week visited potential locations for its small modular reactor (SMR) power stations and met stakeholders from communities around the Berkeley and Oldbury nuclear sites.  The visit follows an announcement last year where Rolls-Royce SMR prioritised its first four sites which have the potential to host 15GW of …

Kazakhstan to select supplier for nuclear power plant this year – PM

Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov Wednesday commented on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan and selection of the supplier for NPP, Kazinform correspondent reports. When asked about the construction of the nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan on the sidelines of the Government’s meeting, Prime Minister Smailov noted that ‘a nuclear power plant is …

In pictures: Inner dome in place as Akkuyu aims for 2023

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin discussed progress on building Turkey’s first nuclear power plant as the latest landmark saw the inner containment dome installed in the design position at Akkuyu unit 1. Turkey’s President Erdoğan was reported by Russia’s official Tass news agency to have told his Russian counterpart during their phone call that “the …