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Nuclear Engineering International
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FRAMATOME ADVANCES VVER-1000 FUEL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
France’s Framatome has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Czech power company ?EZ relating to Framatome’s own-design VVER-1000 fuel development programme. “We are pleased to take another step in the development of a Framatome own-design VVER-1000 fuel design, with a view to ensuring the safe, reliable and uninterrupted operation of the VVER nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic and beyond,” said Lionel GAIFFE , Senior Executive Vice President of Framatome’s Fuel Business Unit. “Framatome is the fuel supplier which can guarantee a 100% sovereign European technology, with a fully European design & product, and manufacturing facilities and a fuel component supply chain located and operated in the EU.”
TERRAPOWER SCALES UP ACTINIUM-225 PRODUCTION
US-based TerraPower Isotopes (TPI) is now producing Actinium-225 (Ac-225) at commercial scale, supplying it to the global pharmaceutical community through weekly production runs. The Actinium, after further manufacturing, is now used in multiple drug developers’ radiopharmaceuticals for human clinical trials worldwide.
“This scale up of production capacity of TerraPower Isotopes Actinium-225 opens a new chapter in the development of cancer treatment options, and I’m proud to be part of the journey,” said TPI President Scott Claunch. “We are proud to be the first company to provide Actinium-225 at this scale, transforming how the pharmaceutical industry approaches cancer treatment with targeted alpha therapies.”
?? Wrapping up Heritage Month with the Lesedi Braai Master Challenge! ??
Lesedi brought its teams together for the ultimate Braai Master Challenge, filled with mouth watering food, fun competition, and a celebration of South Africa’s diverse cultural heritage! ????
With sizzling grills and joyful laughter, this challenge was a perfect way to honour our roots and show off our proudly South African culinary flair! ??
Congratulations to Team UBUNTU, our Ultimate Braai Masters, and the runners-up, Easter Blazers!
Thank you to all the Lesedians who made this celebration unforgettable! ??
SOUTH KOREA’S SMART100 SMR APPROVED
South Korea’s Nuclear Safety & Security Commission (NSSC) has been granted standard design approval for the SMART100 small modular reactor (SMR) design. The SMART100 (System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor 100) is based on the original SMART design, which was the world’s first SMR to receive standard design approval in 2012.
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) had planned to build a SMART demonstration plant to operate from 2017 but development was stalled by the absence of any orders for an initial reference unit. SMART is designed for electricity generation (up to 100 MWe) and for thermal applications (330 MWt), such as seawater desalination, with a 60-year design life and three-year refuelling cycle. The pressuriser, cooling pump, steam generator and core are placed inside the reactor pressure vessel.
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AUSTRALIA’S UPGRADED OPAL REACTOR RESTARTS
The Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation’s (ANSTO) multi-purpose research reactor has officially returned to power and restarted operations, following a planned shutdown to carry out essential maintenance and upgrades.
The Open Pool Australian Lightwater (OPAL) reactor at the Lucas Heights nuclear medicine precinct was closed in April. OPAL is a state-of-the-art 20 MWt multi-purpose reactor that uses low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. The $300m OPAL reactor, supplied by Argentina’s INVAP, was opened in 2007 with an estimated design life of 60 years.
DOEL 4 OUTAGE EXTENDED
French power company ENGIE has extended the repair and maintenance outage at unit 4 of the Doel NPP in Belgium after discovering damage to the concrete dome. Inspections found damage in the reinforced concrete of the outer containment building, and further checks are needed.
A spokesman for Engie was unable to comment on the duration of the halt or the potential financial implications. According to Nord Pool, Doel 4 was originally intended to be closed from 29 August to 30 November. This has now been extended until 2 December.
US DOE UPDATES NUCLEAR LIFTOFF REPORT
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an updated version of its Pathways to Commercial Liftoff – Advanced Nuclear report. The update reflects unprecedented load growth, renewed interest in AP1000s, and increased recognition of the value of the existing nuclear fleet, including plans to restart closed reactors.
Pathways to Commercial Liftoff is a series of reports launched by the DOE to provide public and private sector capital allocators with a perspective as to how and when various technologies could reach full-scale commercial adoption, including a common analytical fact base and critical signposts for investment decisions. The first four Liftoff Reports on clean hydrogen, advanced nuclear, and long duration energy storage, were published in March 2023.
ARGENTINA AND EL SALVADOR AGREE TO CO-OPERATE ON NUCLEAR
During the recent visit of the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, to Argentina, a memorandum of nuclear cooperation was signed by the President of Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA – Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica), Dr Germán Guido Lavalle, and the Director of El Salvador’s Agency for the Implementation of the Nuclear Energy Programme (OIPEN – Organismo para la Implementación del Programa de Energía Nuclear), Daniel Alejandro álvarez.
The agreement includes promoting the exchange of information, scientific and technical visits, expert missions and training opportunities. At the international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in September, Alvarez set out El Salvador’s ambition to “diversify our energy matrix under three premises: less reliance on external resources, care for the environment and affordable energy.
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