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Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness calls the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Limited for the advancement of nuclear technologies adoption a pivotal moment in Jamaica's energy transformation.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness (third from left on the back row) and Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz (front row, left), watch as Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Olive Wilson Cross, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories CEO Jack Craig and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited President and CEO Fred Dermarker sign the MoU (Image: Yhomo Hutchinson/Government of Jamaica)

The partnership reflects the Jamaican government's commitment to diversify the country's energy portfolio with new, clean and sustainable alternatives, Holness said.

In an address to the signing ceremony, Holness said countries such as France and Canada "show that with proper regulation of the technology and the embrace of technological advancement, nuclear can be a game changer. In fact, today’s nuclear technology, especially small modular reactors, is far safer and more adaptable than it was in the past".

He said that small modular reactors offer enhanced safety features, reduced environmental impact and a cost-effective solution for small countries like Jamaica, and taking advantage of such technology could provide long-term benefits.

"Of course, there are those who are going to say, why not wait until this technology is mature," Holness said. "The problem is that anything that has to do with nuclear requires a long period of time and it requires the development of local capabilities. If you don’t do it now, then not only will you have to import the capital and the actual small modular nuclear reactor, you’re going to have to import the technological skills and expertise as well, which will increase the cost of deployment."

Jamaica is the home to the Caribbean’s first - and only - research reactor, the AECL-designed JM-1 pool type reactor at the University of the West Indies' Mona campus which began operating in 1984.

The collaboration with the two Canadian organisations will foster the sharing of knowledge, skills and best practices, driving innovation in research, development and practical applications, Science, Energy Telecommunications and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said. "Together we will build out a network of expertise that will benefit both Jamaica and Canada. Through organised seminars and meetings, we will ensure that our professionals remain at the forefront of nuclear technology and its peaceful applications," he said.

Jamaica currently relies on fossil fuels for some 85% of its energy, a dependency that leaves it vulnerable to external shocks and global oil and gas price fluctuations, Holness said: "We have already made great strides in diversifying our energy mix. We have done exceptionally well in integrating solar, wind and natural gas and we do have some hydroelectric power… but there is far more to be done. Given Jamaica’s current energy demands, we are cognisant that there has to be a very well-thought-out mix… that is not subject to intermittency, and nuclear offers that as well."

Jamaica is a signatory of the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050 launched at the UN's COP28 climate change conference in 2023.

Major financial difficulties facing SOMAÏR, the operator of the Arlit uranium mine in Niger, have led to the decision to suspend its activities from the end of October.

The French company said the financial difficulties which have been facing its 63.4%-owned subsidiary since July 2023 - when then-President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum was deposed in a coup d'état - have continued to grow.

Niger's border with Benin, through which uranium concentrates produced at Arlit are exported - has remained closed since the events of July 2023. Since the closure of this main supply and export corridor, Orano and SOMAÏR "have made every effort to maintain dialogue with the Nigerien authorities" and implemented "offsetting measures" to ensure industrial facilities and equipment are maintained and to preserve and pay the workforce at the mine while waiting for production to resume at full capacity, Orano said.

"In spite of Orano's efforts to find alternative possibilities to export the uranium produced by SOMAÏR and to relaunch commercial activities, all the proposals made to the Nigerien authorities have remained unanswered," the company said.

"Moreover, SOPAMIN, the shareholder representing the State of Niger with a 36.6% stake in SOMAÏR, has not paid any of its debts to the mining company for the past 15 months.

"The major financial difficulties facing SOMAÏR have forced the company to suspend its activities, as an interim measure, as of the end of October. The limited remaining financial resources will be used in priority to pay employees’ salaries and to maintain the industrial facilities until the end of the year."

Orano said it "deeply deplores the negative impact" of the worsening situation on SOMAÏR's employees and subcontractors and is concerned about the potential damaging repercussions on the region’s economic, social and societal development.

In an earnings update earlier this year, Orano said production at the Somaïr ore processing plant had resumed during the first quarter, and that ore extraction at the mine had continued, but sales had not been able to resume because of the logistical situation.

Arlit is Orano's only currently operational uranium mine in Niger. The company is carrying out remediation of the former COMINAK underground uranium mine, where more than 40 years of production came to an end in 2021. Earlier this year it announced that it had started preparatory activities for uranium production at the Imouraren project, where development had been suspended since 2015, but days later the State of Niger had decided to withdraw Imouraren SA's licence to exploit the deposit, placing it back in the public domain. The government also withdrew Canadian company GoviEx Uranium's mining rights for the Madouela uranium project.

Like SOMAÏR, COMINAK and Imouraren SA are majority-owned by Orano and partially owned by the state of Niger.

Slovenské elektrárne says that the Mochovce 4 nuclear unit has passed tests of its active and passive emergency safety systems.

Slovakia's nuclear power operator said the passive safety systems tests were designed to verfiy that the water coolant, in the event of a pressure drop in the reactor, would flow into the reactor vessel " in the right way, at the right time and in the right volume".

Martin Mráz, director of completion and commissioning of the Mochoviec 3 and 4 systems, said: "Tests have confirmed that the emergency systems of Block 4 are functional and will ensure safety in the event of an emergency."

Construction of the first two VVER-440 units at the four-unit Mochovce plant started in 1982. Work began on units 3 and 4 in 1986, but stalled in 1992. The first two reactors were completed and came into operation in 1998 and 1999, respectively, with a project to complete units 3 and 4 beginning ten years later.

Mochovce 3 entered commercial operation in October 2023 and unit 4's schedule has been to follow about one or two years behind unit 3. Each of the units will be able to provide 13% of Slovakia's electricity needs when operating at full capacity.

The Schleswig-Holstein Ministry for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature has issued the first decommissioning and dismantling permit to PreussenElektra for the Brokdorf nuclear power plant. Brokdorf is the last German nuclear power plant to receive this approval and begin dismantling.

PreussenElektra - a subsidiary of EOn Group - applied for approval to decommission and dismantle the 1410 MWe pressurised water reactor in December 2017. The plant was shut down on 31 December 2021.

Phase 1 of the plant's decommissioning and dismantling has now been approved. This includes the decommissioning and dismantling of the plant components that are no longer required and subject to nuclear regulatory supervision, with the exception of the reactor pressure vessel and the biological shield.

Since Brokdorf's closure, the conditions for dismantling the plant have been created in close coordination with the authorities. These include the decontamination of the primary cooling circuit, systems and plant components that are no longer required have been taken out of service, and the workforce has been adjusted. A large proportion of the fuel elements still present in the plant have already been moved to the interim storage facility on site and replacement systems for the plant's energy supply have been installed.

"Over the past seven years, numerous colleagues have worked together to ensure that we can now hold the permit in our hands," said plant manager Tammo Kammrath. "It is important that we get started now and put our preliminary planning work into practice, after all, we still have a lot to do here at the site."

The next steps will be to create new logistics routes within the control area and set up a waste processing centre for the dismantled masses. In addition, systems and plant components that are no longer required will be prepared for dismantling.

A second dismantling permit is required to dismantle the reactor pressure vessel and the biological shield. This requires the removal of all fuel elements and special fuel rods, which are expected to be transported to the interim storage facility at the site in 2025. PreussenElektra submitted the application for the second dismantling permit on 30 August this year. This is currently being examined by independent experts.

"We are pleased that we now have the dismantling permit ... and can begin dismantling our plant," said PreussenElektra CEO Guido Knott. "We want to be finished by the mid-2030s in order to be able to complete the largest battery storage facility in the EU. This remains ambitious, but it is still feasible. Despite all of our ambitions, the highest safety standards also apply to dismantling in Brokdorf, as at all other PreussenElektra dismantling sites. We are now counting on the fact that, in close and proven cooperation with our authorities, we will also master the safe and speedy dismantling together."

In December last year, PreussenElektra, together with EOn group companies, announced plans for the construction at the Brokdorf site of the largest battery storage facility in the EU to date. The facility - to store electricity from renewable sources - is to be expanded in two stages to up to 800 MW of power and a storage capacity of up to 1600 MWh. Commissioning could begin as early as 2026.

Framatome’s GAIA fuel assemblies with PROtect Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel technology have completed their third 18-month fuel cycle at Georgia Power's Plant Vogtle, having spent over four and a half years in an operating reactor. This concludes the assessment of the lead fuel assemblies.

The assemblies - the first full-length PROtect Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel fuel rods with both pellets and cladding to be placed in an operating pressurised water reactor - were inserted into Vogtle unit 2 in April 2019. Plant operator Southern Nuclear removed and inspected the four assemblies with Framatome's assistance following the completion of the operating cycle. It was determined that the fuel demonstrated expected results and excellent performance, Framatome said.

Accident tolerant fuels employ advanced cladding materials and fuel pellet designs to increase the safety and performance of nuclear fuels. As well as enduring the loss of cooling in a reactor core for longer than current fuel designs and widening the existing safety margin for nuclear plants, and they can also improve the performance of existing nuclear plants with longer-lasting fuel as well as paving the way for licensing fuels for advanced reactors.

The US Department of Energy has been supporting the development of accident tolerant fuels by Framatome, Westinghouse and GE Hitachi/Global Nuclear Fuels through its Accident Tolerant Fuel programme, which was launched in 2012. The programme aims to see advanced fuel concepts being brought to market by 2025.

"This is a significant milestone for our programme and through our collaboration with the US Department of Energy and Southern Nuclear we bring this new and innovative technology one step closer to commercial operations," said Lionel Gaiffe, senior executive vice president, Fuel Business Unit at Framatome. "The success of this project demonstrates accident tolerant fuel readiness for the safe and reliable generation of our clean energy future."

The four GAIA lead fuel assemblies loaded into Vogtle 2 were fabricated at Framatome’s manufacturing facility in Richland, Washington. Each assembly included four lead test rods, for a total of 16 lead test rods with the company's advanced chromium coating added to the M5 Framatome zirconium alloy cladding, and chromia-enhanced fuel pellets were included in all fuel assembly rods. The chromium-coated cladding improves high-temperature oxidation resistance and reduces hydrogen generation in the event of loss of cooling. The innovative coating also offers increased resistance to debris fretting, reducing the likelihood of a fuel failure during normal operations.

The outer steel dome has been installed at unit 3 of the Changjiang nuclear power plant in China's Hainan province, China National Nuclear Corporation has announced.

The dome - measuring 53 metres in diameter, 13 metres in height and weighing about 415 tonnes - was hoisted into place on top of the containment building using a 3200-tonne crane on 18 October. The process of raising the outer dome into position 58.8 metres above the ground took just under 2 hours.

The Hualong One reactor design features a double-layered containment building, the main function of which is to ensure the integrity and leak tightness of the reactor building, and it plays a key role in the containment of radioactive substances.

The steel dome for Changjiang unit 3's inner containment - measuring more than 46 metres in diameter and 23 metres in height - was raised by crane and placed on top of the walls of the double containment structure in February 2023. The inner containment dome has since been concreted.

First concrete was poured for the base slab of unit 3's nuclear island in March 2021, with that of unit 4 being poured in the December of that year. Changjiang Phase II - units 3 and 4 - represents a total estimated investment of CNY40 billion (USD6.4 billion), according to China Huaneng, which holds a 51% share in the project. The construction period is expected to be 60 months. Both units are scheduled to be fully operational in early 2027.

CNNC said the installation of the outer dome of unit 3 "marks the completion of the construction of the main structure of the unit and lays a solid foundation for the subsequent installation, cold test and grid-connected power generation".

The Changjiang nuclear site is already home to two operating CNP-600 pressurised water reactors (PWRs) - Changjiang 1 and 2 - which entered commercial operation in 2015 and 2016, respectively. In 2021, CNNC also began construction of a demonstration ACP100 small modular reactor at the site. The multi-purpose 125 MWe PWR - also referred to as the Linglong One - is designed for electricity production, heating, steam production or seawater desalination.

The island province of Hainan is China's southernmost point. Energy policies published in 2019 by Hainan Province Development and Reform Commission specify that nuclear power will become the primary source of electricity for the island, which has a population of close to 10 million.

"As a major energy project in Hainan province, the Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II Project is an important measure for CNNC to deeply integrate into the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port and actively promote the construction of Hainan Clean Energy Island," CNNC said. "The successful installation of the outer dome of the No.3 nuclear island will further promote the green and low-carbon process of Hainan Free Trade Port and inject strong momentum into the country's active, safe and orderly development of nuclear power and the construction of a new energy system."

Russia has completed assembly of the reactor for Unit 1 of the Rooppur nuclear power station under construction in Bangladesh, state nuclear corporation Rosatom said in a statement.

Workers from Rosatom subsidiaries have installed the reactor internals and head, and have loaded dummy fuel assemblies in the reactor core, the statement said.

The company said that Rooppur-1, a VVER-1200 pressurised water reactor, is now ready to proceed towards cold hydraulic testing.

Cold hydraulic testing verifies that welds, joints, pipes and components in the primary circuit are able to withstand pressures higher than those during normal operation.

Russia is building two VVER-1200 pressurised water reactor units at the Rooppur site, about 150 km west of the capital Dhaka, under a general contract signed in 2015. Atomstroyexport, a Rosatom subsidiary, is the general contractor for the project.

The plants are the first commercial nuclear units to be bult in Bangladesh.

First concrete for Rooppur-1 was poured in November 2017 and for Rooppur-2 in July 2018.

Earlier reports had put target startup for Rooppur-1 in 2024, but the date will most likely be pushed back to late 2025.

Russia’s nuclear equipment manufacturer Atommash has shipped three of the four steam generators for Unit 4 of the Xudabu nuclear power station being built in Liaoning province in northeast China.

Atommash, part of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, shipped the first of the four steam generators and the reactor pressure vessel in August 2024.

Construction of Xudabu-4 – also written in English as Xudabao and Xudapu – began in May 2022.

The plant will be a conventional pressurised water reactor unit using the Russian VVER-1200 technology.

There are four steam generators in the set for a VVER-1200 PWR design. They act as heat exchangers where water carrying heat generated from the nuclear reaction is used to turn demineralised water into steam.

International Atomic Energy Agency data shows four units are currently under construction at the Xudabu site.

Xudabu-1 and -2 are of the CAP1000 PWR design, a domestic version of the Westinghouse AP1000 design.

Xudabu-3 and -4 are both of the Rosatom-supplied VVER-1200 PWR technology.

US-based nuclear technology company Terrestrial Energy and UK-based Viaro Energy have signed a partnership to develop an Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) project in the UK.

The two companies said they will work on the deployment of Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR plant technology for a range of potential industrial applications, including powering data centres for AI.

These applications currently rely on fossil fuels to drive energy-intensive processes, for which an IMSR plant offers a “scalable, carbon-free replacement”, Terrestrial Energy said.

Viaro, which has interests in oil and gas projects in the North Sea, and Terrestrial Energy will initially evaluate siting, regulatory, macroeconomic and policy factors to confirm the viability of the project, before proceeding to identification of target sites, followed by detailed evaluation and site selection.

The two companies intend to form a joint venture for the delivery of the IMSR plant project in the UK, with Viaro providing the infrastructure and investment for the deployment and Terrestrial Energy leading the nuclear system development and procurement activities.

The companies anticipate the project will reach a final investment decision in 2030.

The IMSR is a Generation-IV nuclear power plant technology using a molten salt fuel and coolant.

The small modular reactor industry is in a period of “epochal change” as major industries turn to nuclear as the most direct, efficient, reliable source of energy to power everything from data centres to ships, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference has heard.

The agency’s director-general, Rafael Grossi, told the International Conference on SMRs at the IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna that “now there is a market out there” for SMRs, although he warned there is a degree of uncertainty on “whether we are going to be able to deliver on time and in the scale that is required”.

Grossi said: “We are all looking at how industries, and in particular AI [artificial intelligence] and the IT industry, the big, big firms in the world, the Googles of this world and the Microsofts of this world are now knocking at the door of nuclear.

“They are not coming to nuclear for an idea or information,” he said. They are requesting nuclear to deliver.”

Grossi said it is not only big tech that is looking to nuclear. He said he has been talking to the steel industry, the shipping industry and the coal energy companies and “they are all looking at nuclear”, particularly SMRs, which can decarbonise industries, power economies and help meet global net zero goals.

The conference follows a number of major announcements in recent weeks from technology companies that are planning to use SMRs to provide electricity for their businesses, particularly for data centre and AI operations.

Background: Big Tech’s Big SMR Deals

Amazon said it is buying a stake in US nuclear developer X-energy, as part of a collaboration with the company aimed at deploying SMRs to provide electricity to power its data centres.

Google announced that it will back the construction of seven small SMRs from Kairos Power, becoming the first tech company to commission new nuclear power plants for data centres.

In September, Microsoft announced that it would commit to buying 20 years’ supply of electricity from the mothballed US nuclear power plant Three Mile Island if Constellation Energy restarted the site.

US computer technology company Oracle wants to power a new data centre through nuclear energy, according to the firm’s chief technology officer Larry Ellison.

Speaking during a recent earnings call, Ellison confirmed the cloud computing giant has “already got building permits” for three SMRs, without giving details.

According to Grossi, SMRs are one of the most promising, exciting, and necessary developments in nuclear energy.

“A growing number of countries are turning to SMRs to power their economies and the IAEA is supporting them through our SMR platform,” he said.

“Financing will be key, and we are working to open doors, as we have seen for renewables, to ensure efficient progress.”

Orano has created two specific 'sharing groups' which bring together the main designers of innovative fast neutron reactors in France. These groups, it says, are open to all designers of these types of reactors who wish to join.

According to Orano, small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs) offer "flexible, safe and sustainable solutions to meet the energy needs of tomorrow, complementing more powerful reactors". It adds, "Some AMRs are notable for their ability to use fuel based on recycled plutonium, such as MOX (mixed-oxide) fuel or molten salt fuels. These features make for reactors which are potentially well-suited to long-term, sustainable use of resources and the reduction of nuclear waste."

Orano said it has signed two collaboration charters, thereby setting up two sharing groups which will make it possible to pool start-ups' needs relating to the development of fuels.

The first FNR MOX sharing group brings together Orano, Hexana, Newcleo and Otrera. Its aim is to work on the developments necessary for the production of the mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel used in these fast neutron reactors (FNRs) and its future processing in a facility on Orano's La Hague site, as well as on the associated logistical solutions.

The second MSR sharing group brings together Orano, Naarea, Stellaria and Thorizon. Its aim is to work on the developments necessary for the production of the liquid fuel used in these fast neutron molten salt reactors (MSRs), as well as on the associated logistical solutions and the prospects of processing these salts on Orano's La Hague site.

"This shared approach will aid the development of fast neutron reactors by allowing for greater efficiency, as well as optimising costs and resources for developments associated with this fuel," Orano said.

It added: "These collaborations follow on from the France 2030 investment plan, which aims to promote the emergence of high-end nuclear technologies and reinforce France's position as a leader in energy innovation. They will complement existing collaborations with the two start-ups Stellaria and Thorizon, established following the call for projects for phase 1, which ran until June 2023."

Orano said it was interested in the concept of reactors which can run not only on the plutonium from used fuel from existing reactors, but also on minor actinides, which until now have been treated as vitrified waste. By coupling this technology with the recycling of uranium and plutonium in light water reactors which are already used in several countries, the Orano group could go even further in terms of the recovery of nuclear materials and reduction of waste.

Newcleo CEO Stefano Buono commented: "By developing and utilising MOX fuel for fast neutron reactors, we are tackling two of the nuclear industry's most critical challenges: waste management and sustainability. This strategic collaboration with Orano, Hexana and Otrera underscores our commitment to innovation and a circular economy in nuclear energy. Together, we are not only closing the nuclear fuel cycle but also paving the way for a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable future."

GEN energija says that an independent review of its costings for the proposed JEK2 new nuclear project in Slovenia has produced a similar estimated construction figure, but stressed that risk analysis needs to be given a clear focus in future decision-making.

Slovenia's JEK2 project is for a new one or two-unit nuclear power plant, with up to 2400 MW capacity, next to its existing nuclear power plant, Krško, a 696 MWe pressurised water reactor which generates about one-third of the country's electricity and which is co-owned by neighbouring Croatia.

Prime Minister Robert Golob has committed to holding a referendum on the project before it goes ahead, and has suggested the vote could be held later in 2024, with a number of key studies and documents to be published beforehand to "enable citizens to make an informed decision". The current timetable for the project is for a final investment decision to be taken in 2028, with construction beginning in 2032.

The JEK2 project team, following discussions with potential nuclear power plant providers EDF, KHNP and Westinghouse, in May estimated the cost for various reactor sizes, ranging from EUR9.314 billion (USD10.1 billion) for a 1000 MW unit, up to EUR15.371 billion for a 1650 MW unit.

The series of reports published before the referendum now includes a review of input data used to estimate the finances. Carried out by Ernst & Young, GEN energija said: "This showed that the inputs used by GEN in its economic study were within an acceptable cost range compared to recent academic research and industry standards ... at the same time, the sensitivity of the investment's performance to changes in uncertain input parameters can be discerned from the analysis, which requires extreme attention in risk analysis in the further steps of project decision-making."

Kruno Abramovič, executive director for finance of GEN energija, said the estimated cost, in January 2024 prices and excluding financing cost, would be in a range from EUR9.5 billion for a 1000 MW unit to EUR15.4 billion for a 1650 MW unit. Average operating costs were estimated at EUR41.9-45.6 per MWh. It says with an assumed selling price of electricity of EUR75 per MWh "it was determined that the investment is economically justified and that it makes sense to continue with the development of the JEK2 project".

A separate study was published by Jože Damijan from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Ljubljana, which GEN energija said showed that a new unit would "play a key role in ensuring the stability of the power system ... also help mitigate potential short-term price spikes ... achieve climate goals in the energy sector [and] reduce Slovenia's dependence on electricity imports and would even enable it to become a net exporter of electricity".