In Other News October 14, 2025

In other news EDF has increased its estimate of nuclear power generation in France for 2025. Initially estimated between 350-370 TWh, it is now estimated between 365-375 TWh. The estimate of nuclear power generation in France for 2026 and 2027 remains unchanged at 350-370 TWh. EDF said: "This higher nuclear power generation estimate is based on improved management of outages thanks to the ‘START 2025’ action plan implemented since 2019 aimed at improving the operational efficiency of the maintenance programme." The company noted it is "committed to ensuring a production capacity of over 400 TWh per year". An inter-ministerial government committee has recommended opening India's nuclear power sector to up to 49% foreign direct investment, as well as proposing changes to civil liability rules to protect plant operators and cap supplier liability, according to the Economic Times. It has also made recommendations including allowing government-licensed activities related to nuclear fuel handling. The committee, co-chaired by PS Karthigeyan, joint secretary at the Department of Atomic Energy, and Ajay Talegaonkar, member of the Central Electricity Authority, includes representatives from the Department of Atomic Energy, Nuclear Power Corporation of India, NTPC, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, and the power ministry. A Chinese research team has developed a data-driven control system for tokamak plasmas that could bring sustainable fusion energy a step closer to reality, according to a paper published in Communications Physics, CGTN reported. Fusion energy’s biggest challenge is keeping the plasma stable and precisely shaped long enough for fusion reactions to produce more energy than they consume. To address this, researchers from the Southwestern Institute of Physics, working with Zhejiang University and Zhejiang Lab, built a high-fidelity, data-driven model trained entirely on historical experimental data from the Huanliu-3 tokamak - China's most advanced magnetic confinement fusion device. The model is able to accurately predict the evolution of key plasma parameters, such as current and shape, over time, while avoiding the accumulation of errors common in traditional simulations. The excavation of the nuclear island foundation pit has been completed for unit 2 at the Bailong nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, State Power Investment Corp announced. Since the excavation work was launched on 28 September, a total volume of about 66,000 cubic metres of earth were removed to form the pit. "By fully incorporating feedback from the unit 1 nuclear island excavation, systematically reviewing prerequisites and optimising construction techniques, the project completed the construction of the excavation retaining structure’s cast-in-place piles and crown beams on schedule, laying a solid foundation for the smooth progress of the unit 2 nuclear island excavation," SPIC said. US uranium company Ur-Energy has announced that John Cash is to retire as its CEO on 12 December, and is to be succeeded by Matthew Gili, who is currently the company's president. Cash, who has been CEO since 2022, will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and said he plans to form a non-profit with the objective of exposing young adults to opportunities in science and the nuclear industry. "For the nuclear industry to respond to growing demand and realise its full potential, we must attract and retain a qualified workforce across the entire fuel cycle," Cash said. Ur-Energy is the operator of the Lost Creek uranium facility in south-central Wyoming.