Nuclear power officially labelled as ‘strategic’ for EU’s decarbonisation

The Council of EU member states and the European Parliament agreed on Tuesday (6 February) to label nuclear power as a strategic technology for the EU’s decarbonisation, following months of intense negotiations in Brussels over the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA). Presented by the European Commission in March 2023, the NZIA aims to speed up the …

South Korea’s largest shipbuilder makes nuclear move

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), a sub-holdings company of HD Hyundai, has held a joint research and technology exchange meeting with TerraPower and CORE POWER with plans unveiled to develop small modular nuclear reactors for use on newbuilds. The reactor, which will be jointly developed by KSOE and other partners including TerraPower and …

Oklo reports progress in Idaho, Ohio

A land rights agreement signed with the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI) gives Oklo Inc the option and right of first refusal to purchase land in Southern Ohio where Oklo envisages deploying two of its Aurora ‘powerhouses’. Meanwhile, the safety design strategy for a planned fuel facility in Idaho to support the deployment of its …

Pressure vessel in place at Indian plant

The reactor vessel for Kudankulam unit 4 has been lifted into its design position at the construction site in Tamil Nadu, Rosatom announced. The company said the installation was carried out on 24 January using the “open top” method, first used at Kudankulam 3. This involves installing the component while the reactor dome is still …

Five show interest to build new reactors at Kozloduy NPP

Five companies have expressed interest in constructing two new reactors using Westinghouse Electric’s AP1000 technology at Bulgaria’s Kozloduy nuclear power plant (NPP), special project company Kozloduy NPP-New Build said. The application deadline was February 2, with a commission set to review the submitted documentation starting February 5, Kozloduy NPP-New Build said in a statement on …

Border package contains $2 billion for uranium enrichment

The Senate’s border and Ukraine spending package contains more than $2 billion in funds for uranium processing, as the U.S. works to reduce global reliance on Russian energy exports. The text of the bill, released Sunday night, includes $2.72 billion in unspent grant funding for domestic uranium enrichment, with the goal of bolstering nuclear fuel …

New-wave reactor technology could kick-start a nuclear renaissance — and the US is banking on it

  Off the Siberian coast, not far from Alaska, a Russian ship has been docked at port for four years. The Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first floating nuclear power plant, sends energy to around 200,000 people on land using next-wave nuclear technology: small modular reactors. This technology is also being used below sea level. Dozens of …

Kazatomprom confirms 2024 production plans as acid woes continue

The Kazakh national atomic company said it expects to see a “modest” growth in 2024 production despite adjustments to its previously announced production plans related to the availability of sulphuric acid and construction delays at newly developed deposits. Kazatomprom’s 2023 production was 21,112 tU on a 100% basis (11,169 tU attributable), which the company said …