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Agreement could lead to deployment of Voygr technology in both countries KGHM says small modular reactors can power industrial processes such as copper smelting. Courtesy KGHM. Romanian state-owned nuclear operator Nuclearelectrica and Polish copper producer and industrial group KGHM Polska Miedź have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the development of small modular reactor technology for potential deployment in both countries.

The 36-month agreement, signed during an economic forum in Karpacz, southwest Poland, will include the exchange of technical, economic, legal, financial and organisational experience and know-how.

It includes “a comprehensive approach to all SMR project development activities, from site selection to decommissioning, in order to develop robust, safe and cost-effective SMR projects in Romania and Poland”, Nuclearelectrica said.

The planned SMR plant, which both Romania and Poland will develop in collaboration with US reactor developer NuScale, will have six modules, each with an installed capacity of 77 MW, for a total of 462 MW.

The project will provide 193 permanent jobs at the plant, 1,500 construction jobs, 2,300 production jobs and will help Romania avoid releasing four million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere annually, Nuclearelectrica said.

Date: Friday, 09 September 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/nuclearelectrica-and-polish-copper-giant-kghm-to-collaborate-on-nuscale-smr-development-9-4-2022

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Company aims to develop small reactors for local power Core Power wants to produce advanced small reactors on floating power stations that can provide local power to small grids. Courtesy Core Power. UK-based maritime and technology innovation company Core Power announced it has been awarded funding by the US Department of Energy (DOE) for a three-year study into the development of offshore floating nuclear power generation in the US.

Core Power said it will work on the project with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Energy Initiative and the Idaho National Laboratory.

The company wants to produce advanced small reactors on floating power stations that can provide local power to small grids and is also looking to develop a molten salt reactor for ship propulsion or manufacturing of blue and green hydrogen fuels.

Core Power said it is pioneering the work of developing the market for marine-appropriate new nuclear technology. It aims to build advanced reactors as a fully manufactured product, rather than as construction projects. This would allow it to use shipyard manufacturing techniques and make reactors affordable.

Date: Friday, 09 September 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/uk-startup-receives-us-funding-for-study-on-floating-nuclear-plants-9-4-2022

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A contract has been signed for the environmental remediation of the former Taboshar uranium mining and processing site near the city of Istiklol in western Tajikistan. The work - to be carried out by specialists from Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom - is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Date: Friday, 09 September 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Contract-for-cleanup-of-Tajik-uranium-legacy-site

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CO2 emissions from the USA's largest 100 power producers increased by 7% between 2020 and 2021, according to the latest benchmarking study in a series that began in 1997. 2021's CO2 levels nonetheless remained 16% lower than 1990 levels and about 34% lower than their peak in 2007.

Date: Friday, 09 September 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Benchmarking-study-sees-uptick-in-US-emissions

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Nuclear has "come into the limelight" as the most realistic energy option for sustainable development, KEPCO President and CEO Seung-Il Cheong told delegates at the World Nuclear Symposium 2022 in London. However, speakers in a panel discussing sustainable development agreed one challenge to the increased use of nuclear is public opinion.

Date: Friday, 09 September 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-right-choice-for-sustainable-development,

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Key players from the front end of the fuel cycle came together at World Nuclear Symposium 2022 to discuss where they see the pinch points in meeting the needs of expanding nuclear generating capacity to meet decarbonisation goals, and the certainty they need to ensure future needs can be met.

Date: Friday, 09 September 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Fuel-cycle-players-need-certainty-to-support-futur

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UN nuclear watchdog chief details numerous incidents of shelling at facility IAeA director-general Rafael Grossi at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. Courtesy IAEA. Interim measures are urgently needed to prevent a nuclear accident arising from military damage to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine by the “immediate establishment” of a nuclear safety and security protection zone, International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi has said.

In a report on the nuclear safety, security and safeguards situation in Ukraine, Grossi said the IAEA is ready to start immediately the consultations leading to the urgent establishment of such a zone at Zaporizhzhia.

The zone is needed “pending the end of the conflict and re-establishment of stable conditions” at the six-unit facility, the largest in Europe, he said.

In his report, which follows an IAEA mission to the plant last week, Grossi called for shelling on site and in the vicinity of the nuclear station to be stopped immediately to avoid any further damage to the plant and its facilities, for the safety of the operating staff and to maintain the physical integrity to support safe and secure operation.

Date: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/agency-calls-for-immediate-establishment-of-security-protection-zone-around-zaporizhzhia-9-2-2022

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Warsaw yet to take decision on technology vendor with France and South Korea also in running Warsaw wants to have its first reactor unit running in 2033, but no technology vendor has been selected yet. Image courtesy Creative Commons. The Polish government has been presented with “a comprehensive offer” for the country’s nuclear new-build programme including proposals on financing by US institutions, Miroslaw Kowalik, president of Westinghouse Poland, told local media.

According to Mr Kowalik, the offer was submitted by the US side in early September and comes on top of a front-end engineering and design (Feed) study by US-based companies Westinghouse Electric and Bechtel which was completed in June on building three AP1000 reactor units at a site in northern Poland.

The Feed study provides layout plans for the location of the first nuclear power station at Lubiatowo-Kopalino, in Pomerania, a strategic licensing plan, a project schedule, and a cost estimate for delivery, construction and startup of the first power plant.

Date: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/government-presented-with-comprehensive-us-offer-on-building-ap1000-plants-says-westinghouse-official-9-3-2022

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Paducah facility in Kentucky could be operational in late 2020s Australia-based Silex says its laser enrichment technology is the future of uranium enrichment. Australia-based technology company Silex Systems has completed a “rigorous” eight-month test programme of the first module of full-scale laser enrichment technology required for US-based Global Laser Enrichment’s (GLE) commercial pilot demonstration project in Wilmington, North Carolina.

GLE is the exclusive worldwide licensee of the laser enrichment Silex technology, which Silex says is “the future of uranium enrichment”.

The technology is a unique laser-based process that has a number of advantages over other uranium enrichment processes including higher efficiency, lower costs and greater flexibility in producing advanced fuels for advanced small modular reactors.

GLE is commercialising the technology to produce nuclear fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. The company has exclusive rights to enrich a significant portion of the US Department of Energy’s depleted uranium “tails” at a proposed facility in Paducah, Kentucky.

Date: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/silex-completes-rigorous-testing-of-technology-for-us-demonstration-project-9-3-2022

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called for the establishment of a safety and security zone around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russian military forces since early March.

Date: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-calls-for-nuclear-safety-exclusion-zone-aroun

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