WNN Daily November 4, 2020

4 November 2020

NOTE: The team at WNN is sending email subscribers the full version of its daily news articles until a technical fault with its website has been resolved. NEW NUCLEAR: Cold testing of HTR-PM reactors completed Cold functional testing was completed yesterday at the second reactor of the demonstration high-temperature gas-cooled reactor plant (HTR-PM) at Shidaowan in China's Shandong province. Such tests have already been completed at the plant's first unit. The aim of the cold tests is to verify the reactor's primary loop system and equipment as well as the strength and tightness of its auxiliary pipelines under pressure higher than the design pressure. Those at the first reactor of the twin-unit HTR-PM began on 6 October and were completed on 19 October, when cold tests at the second unit were then begun. Cold functional tests at other types of reactors use water, while those at the HTR-PM reactor used compressed air and a small amount of helium as the test medium. This air and helium was pressurised in stages to a maximum pressure of 8.9 MPa during the primary loop pressure boundary strength performance test. The leakage rate of the primary circuit was measured whilst the pressure was maintained at 8.0MPa for more than 24 hours. At the same time, the deformation and displacement of the primary circuit pressure vessel under pressure was investigated, and the effectiveness of the supporting system verified. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said the cold testing of the "dual reactor" primary circuit system of the HTR-PM "effectively tested the equipment manufacturing and engineering quality of the reactor's main system and laid a solid foundation for accelerating the industrialisation of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors". Construction of the demonstration HTR-PM plant - which features two small reactors that will drive a single 210 MWe turbine - began in December 2012. Helium gas will be used as the primary circuit coolant. China Huaneng is the lead organisation in the consortium to build the demonstration units (with a 47.5% stake), together with CNNC subsidiary China Nuclear Engineering Corporation (CNEC) (32.5%) and Tsinghua University's Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (20%), which is the research and development leader. Chinergy, a joint venture of Tsinghua and CNEC, is the main contractor for the nuclear island. The pressure vessel of the first reactor was installed within the unit's containment building in March 2016. The vessel - about 25 metres in height and weighing about 700 tonnes - was manufactured by Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Equipment. The second reactor pressure vessel was installed later that year. The demonstration plant entered the commissioning phase on 25 July this year. A further 18 such HTR-PM units are proposed for the Shidaowan site. Beyond HTR-PM, China proposes a scaled-up version called HTR-PM600, which sees one large turbine rated at 650 MWe driven by some six HTR-PM reactor units. Feasibility studies on HTR-PM600 deployment are under way for Sanmen, Zhejiang province; Ruijin, Jiangxi province; Xiapu and Wan'an, in Fujian province; and Bai'an, Guangdong province. NUCLEAR POLICIES: Iranian parliament orders increase in uranium enrichment The Iranian parliament yesterday approved a bill requiring the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) to produce at least 120 kg of 20% enriched uranium annually at the Fordow nuclear site, FARS news agency reports. AEOI is required to start this process within two months and store the enriched uranium inside the country. On 5 January, Iran took its latest step in reducing its commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), and said it would no longer observe any operational limitations on its nuclear industry, whether concerning the capacity and level of uranium enrichment, the volume of stockpiled uranium or research and development. The E3 - France, Germany and the UK - then triggered the JCPoA's dispute resolution mechanism. In June, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution calling on Iran to cooperate fully in implementing its NPT Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol. In August, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi held talks with Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the AEOI, as well as with President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, on access for IAEA inspectors to the country's nuclear sites. Grossi's visit to Tehran followed the US Administration's request to the UN Security Council to initiate the 'snapback' mechanism of the Iran nuclear deal. This mechanism allows a party to the agreement to seek the re-imposition against Iran of the multilateral sanctions lifted in 2015 in accordance with resolution 2231. According to the Iranian parliament's new bill, the AEOI must also: increase the enrichment capacity and production of enriched uranium to at least 500 kg per month; start the installation of centrifuges, gas injection, enrichment and storage of materials up to "proper purity levels" within three months, via at least 1000 IR-2m centrifuges in the underground part of Shahid Ahmadi Roshan facility in Natanz; transfer any enrichment, research, and development operations of IR-6 centrifuges to the nuclear site of Shahid Ali Mohammadi in Fordow; start enrichment operation via at least 164 centrifuges and expand it to 1000 by the end of 20 March, 2021 (the end of the Iranian calendar year); and return the 40-megawatt Arak heavy water reactor to its "pre-JCPoA condition" by reviving the calandria of the reactor within four months from the date of the adoption of this law. The news agency adds that the government is required to suspend the "nuclear deal-based regulatory access" beyond the Additional Protocol within two months after the adoption of this law based on Articles 36 and 37 of the nuclear deal, after three months from the adoption of this law. If Iran's banking relations in Europe and the amount of oil purchases by them from Iran is not "back to normal", the government is required to stop the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol. If, after three months from the adoption of this law, the nuclear deal parties "return to fulfill their undertakings", the government is required to submit a proposal to the parliament for Iran's "reciprocal action", the report said. "Tehran has so far rowed back on its nuclear commitments four times in compliance with Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPoA, but stressed that its retaliatory measures will be reversible as soon as Europe finds practical ways to shield the mutual trade from the US sanctions," the report said. "Tehran has particularly been disappointed with the failure of the three European signatories to the JCPoA - Britain, France and Germany - to protect its business interests under the deal after the United States' withdrawal," it added. NEW NUCLEAR: Los Alamos spin-off to commercialise space reactors Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has agreed to license Kilopower space reactor technology to New Mexico company Space Nuclear Power Corporation (SpaceNukes), which aims to commercialise the technology for use in space in the next few years. Kilopower is a small, lightweight fission power system developed at the US Department of Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) laboratory in partnership with NASA. The system was successfully demonstrated in the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) experiment, which was conducted at the NNSA's Nevada National Security Site from November 2017 to March 2018. KRUSTY used high-enriched uranium powering a heatpipe system and Stirling engine to generate electricity. SpaceNukes offers low-kilowatt reactors to power deep space missions, middle-range reactors in the tens of kilowatts to power a habitat on the Moon or Mars, and larger reactors that could make enough propellant for a rocket to return to Earth after a stay on Mars. The company is pursuing opportunities with NASA for a lunar surface reactor and has presented its ideas to the US Air Force and Space Force for reactor concepts for cislunar space. Patrick McClure was project lead for Kilopower at Los Alamos and is now a partner in SpaceNukes. "By creating our own company, we're hoping to be able to reach potential new sponsors who will want to take this technology to the next level and put it into space," he said. McClure is listed alongside Dave Poston, who designed the reactor at Los Alamos, as one of the inventors on the patent that forms the basis of the licensing agreement. "This licensing agreement demonstrates how tech-transfer should work: the government and national laboratories invest in technologies that are unproven and advance them far enough to make them commercially viable," Poston, who is now also a partner in SpaceNukes, said. Commercialisation of technology is a key mission of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Jerome Garcia, acting deputy division leader for the Laboratory's Feynman Center for Innovation said, describing the agreement as a "win" for SpaceNukes, Los Alamos, and the state of New Mexico. "We believe our team, through NASA's private enterprise initiatives, can deliver abundant reliable power for space missions faster and at a much lower cost," said Poston. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT: Polish chemicals group looks to USNC micro modular reactor Synthos Green Energy (SGE) has signed a cooperation agreement with Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) to assess the feasibility of the micro modular reactor (MMR) plant design to generate carbon-free hydrogen, heat, and power for use in SGE’s chemical plants. SGE is part of Synthos SA Capital Group, which includes Synthos SA, a chemical manufacturer based in Poland, with operations in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and France. The aim is for the MMR Energy System to replace existing plants that use coal or natural gas. USNC and SGE have already jointly applied to the Polish Ministry of Development for project financing from the IPCEI mechanism (Important Projects of Common European Interest) for projects within the scope of the value chain of hydrogen technologies and systems. The goal of the joint project is the development of an economically efficient, zero-emission, high-temperature heat and power source for the production of hydrogen on an industrial scale. The efficiency of the cogeneration system in this process is expected to be about 80-85%, which exceeds the efficiency of renewable energy sources in the electrolysis process by several factors (25-30%). "We're committed to identifying leading technologies capable of being deployed in the near term that will enable us to lower and eventually eliminate the carbon footprint of our manufacturing facilities and increase competitiveness of our companies," said Michal Solowow, owner of Synthos SA Capital Group. "The Ultra Safe Nuclear approach is uniquely suited to our needs as its MMR is exceptionally elegant and safe, enabling us to implement our decarbonisation strategy and ultimately make Synthos more competitive. I also firmly believe that MMR technology can be part of broader solution for the decarbonisation of the Polish industry." The Ultra Safe Nuclear MMR is planned for full demonstration at the Chalk River site of the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, with the support of Canada's largest nuclear operator, Ontario Power Generation. In Canada, the MMR is intended for off-grid and industrial applications, supplying heat and power for clean and reliable energy at a lower cost. The MMR design features the industry’s "most mature" high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor technology, SGE said, "providing a clear path to outcompete fossil fuels for process heat utilisation and hydrogen production". It allows for nuclear CHP cogeneration plant location directly at customer sites and can be operated in power and heat island modes. In addition to the built-in safety of Ultra Safe Nuclear’s Fully Ceramic Micro-encapsulated fuel and inherently safe design of the MMR, the cost of bringing an Ultra Safe Nuclear MMR online is projected to be significantly lower than that of other small modular reactor concepts by virtue of its smaller size and simpler design, SGE said. Through the use of a molten salt heat storage unit, operation of the MMR is "simple", it said, requiring minimal support and maintenance, with no on-site fuel storage, handling, or processing. Francesco Venneri, CEO of USNC, said the company's MMR and power plant can be operational "in a matter of months" after the start of construction. WASTE & RECYCLING: IAEA makes progress on decommissioning reference tool Experts from around the world met virtually last week to provide feedback for an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initiative to catalogue and analyse the status of, and major challenges faced by, decommissioning programmes worldwide. The Global Status of Decommissioning project aims to complete a report by the end of next year. The two-year IAEA project brought together 40 participants representing 20 countries as well as the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, the European Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Gathering online for four days last week for a technical meeting, the experts discussed decommissioning strategies and timeframes, and foreseen challenges, including resource needs both in terms of personnel and technology. Participants in the meeting provided extensive feedback on the draft report, which they expect will be a useful and necessary resource both for those with policy responsibility for decommissioning programmes, as well as for the public and other stakeholders interested in the future management of liabilities from nuclear activities. Participants agreed on a range of activities aimed at completing the data collection efforts to allow completion of the report by the end of 2021 and publication shortly thereafter, said Patrick O'Sullivan, the IAEA Decommissioning Specialist leading the project. The IAEA also plans to organise an international conference on decommissioning in 2023, following its previous conference on that topic held in Madrid in 2016. The IAEA said it sees increasing work over the coming decades for decommissioning and associated waste management programmes. Many of the world's 442 nuclear power reactors currently in operation will be shut down, while new reactors to be commissioned will need plans to fund their decommissioning. A total of 189 power reactors have been shut down for decommissioning, with 17 of them fully decommissioned. In addition, 130 fuel cycle facilities have been decommissioned as well as about 440 research reactors. "The nuclear industry faces a challenge over the coming decades to decommission scores of facilities," said Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA deputy director general and head of the department of nuclear energy. "This multifaceted task must be implemented in line with high standards of safety, while also being cost effective, and address the social and environmental dimension for host communities. This task is urgent and necessary regardless of whether or not the countries involved plan to utilise nuclear energy again in the future." The IAEA assists countries in efforts to plan and implement decommissioning projects and develops related safety standards and Nuclear Energy Series publications and other reports on technical and safety related aspects, organises meetings of experts, collaborative projects, scientific exchanges, training courses and workshops. NEW NUCLEAR: Multinational team to develop MSR-based marine reactor A team including Core Power (UK) Ltd, Southern Company, TerraPower and Orano USA has applied to take part in cost-share risk reduction awards under the US Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Programme to build a proof-of-concept for a medium-scale commercial-grade marine reactor based on molten salt reactor (MSR) technology. Over the next few decades, as many as 60,000 ships must transition from combustion of fossil fuels to zero-emission propulsion, London-based Core Power said. The United Nations International Maritime Organisation has mandated that shipping must reduce emissions by 50% of the 2008 total, before 2050, it said, which will mean an actual emission reduction of almost 90% by that time. MSR technology being developed by the consortium could achieve that goal, by powering production of green sustainable fuels for smaller ships and providing onboard electric power for large ships, "with zero emissions as standard", Core Power said. "The implications of the MSR for transport and industry could be transformational, as we seek to build scale-appropriate technology and broad acceptance of modern and durable liquid-fuelled atomic power to shape the future of how we deal with climate change", Core Power Mikal Bøe said. The MSR can be the technology that forms the start of "a second atomic era, where climate change is the main driver of powerful, inexpensive, and safe new energy solutions", the company said. IN OTHER NEWS: • South Korea is considering joining the International Atomic Energy Agency's monitoring of Japan's reported plan to release treated water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, KBS World Radio has reported. In a parliamentary audit today, Presidential Chief of Staff Noh Young-min said the Seoul government had consistently asked Japan to transparently disclose information and maintain sufficient communication and consultations with the international community. He said a task force set up within the presidential office continues to monitor the issue and discuss countermeasures. • Cameco's share of production from the restarted Cigar Lake mine in the last quarter was 0.2 million pounds U3O8 (77tU), the Canadian company announced today, adding that it continues to target a total share of 2020 production of up to 5.3 million pounds. Production at the mine in northern Saskatchewan restarted in September after suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • Holtec International has begun the NRC licensing process for its SMR-160 small modular pressurised light-water reactor. A "kick-off" meeting was held with US NRC officials in September and Holtec's first planned submittal - a Topical Report covering the reactor's essential safety features - is scheduled "within a few weeks". • Energy Fuels has announced its first pilot-scale production of a rare earth element carbonate concentrate as a by-product of uranium extraction from monazite sands at its White Mesa Mill in Utah. This thought to be the first REE concentrate produced from monazite sands in any significant quantity in North America in over 20 years, the company said, and was recovered in addition to the contained uranium which will be sold into the nuclear fuel industry. White Mesa is the USA's only currently operating conventional uranium mill. • A working group has been formed to start local engagement on whether Copeland - in western Cumbria, England - could be a suitable location for a geological disposal facility for UK higher activity radioactive waste. Members of the working group include an independent chairperson, along with representatives from Radioactive Waste Management and Copeland Borough Council. Other groups and bodies could be invited to join, including representatives from the Cumbria Association of Local Councils. Mark Cullinan, independent Chair of the Copeland GDF Working Group, said the infrastructure investment potential represented by such a facility could be "transformational" for the eventual host community.