"The second of three planned shipments of high-level radioactive waste has left the Sellafield site in northwest England and is being transported by rail and sea to its destination at the Isar interim storage facility in Germany.

Seven flasks containing the vitrified residues - the radioactive waste has been transformed into a stable glass-like form - travelled by rail to the port of Barrow-in-Furness before being loaded on to Pacific Grebe, a specialist nuclear transport vessel operated by the UK's Nuclear Transport Solutions, which set sail on Wednesday.

The first shipment, of six flasks each with 28 containers of high level waste, to Biblis, took place in 2020.

The waste comes from the reprocessing and recycling of Germany's used nuclear fuel at the Sellafield site, with Nuclear Transport Solutions saying: "Vitrified Residue Returns are a key component of the UK’s strategy to repatriate high- level waste from the Sellafield site, fulfil overseas contracts and deliver on government policy."

According to Germany's Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) the transport licence was approved in December, with the repatriation of German waste a binding requirement under international law.

In its guide to the waste it says that until 2005 German utilities shipped used fuel from nuclear power plants to La Hague in France and Sellafield in the UK for reprocessing: "The resulting liquid waste was then melted down into glass and has since been gradually returned to Germany. The last shipment of this waste from France was returned in November 2024." There is one more shipment planned, after the current one, from the UK to complete the repatriation.

The federal office issued a licence in April 2023 for the storage of the vitrified waste at the Isar interim storage facility, which is licensed to hold a maximum of 152 casks of high-level radioactive waste and "according to current plans, there will be 28 fewer high-level waste casks there than originally intended, including the casks containing the vitrified waste".

According to German nuclear specialist GNS: "The waste is massively shielded from external radiation. In the reprocessing plant, the waste is mixed with liquid silicate glass and poured into cylindrical stainless steel containers, which are then sealed tightly after hardening. These containers, filled with the hardened glass mixture, are called "glass moulds". For transport and storage, the moulds are placed in ... massive, more than 100-tonnes cast iron and stainless steel containers, which have been proven in extensive tests to provide both strong shielding and to be safe under extreme conditions."

Until 2011 reprocessed waste was sent to the Gorleben interim storage facility in Lower Saxony, where 108 casks of vitrified radioactive waste have been stored, which was "already a large proportion of the total waste to be returned from reprocessing". According to BASE, as part of the Site Selection Act of 2013 to seek a repository for high-level radioactive waste, the remaining vitrified waste abroad was to be stored in interim storage facilities at nuclear power plant sites.

"The aim was to avoid giving the impression that Gorleben had already been chosen as the site for a final storage facility during the open-ended search for a repository site. In 2015, the federal government, the federal states and the utility companies agreed to store the remaining radioactive waste in Biblis, Brokdorf, Niederaichbach (Isar nuclear power plant) and Philippsburg," BASE says.

France's Orano completed the 13th and final rail shipment from France of vitrified high-level nuclear waste, to Philippsburg, in Germany in November 2024. In total 5310 tonnes of German used fuel was processed at Orano's La Hague plant up to 2008. The inter-governmental agreement governing those operations included a provision that the equivalent in mass and radioactivity of the waste contained in the used fuel elements must be returned to Germany.

Until March 2011 Germany obtained a quarter of its electricity from nuclear energy, using 17 reactors. Following the Fukushima Daiichi accident eight reactors were closed immediately and the rest were scheduled to be closed by the end of 2022. Following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, there was a brief extension for the last three operating nuclear power reactors - Isar 2, Emsland and Neckarwestheim 2 - but they closed in April 2023."

#Nuclear #News #UK #Germany

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/second-high-level-waste-shipment-departs-uk-to-germany

"The Swedish government has proposed a new law regarding state support for nuclear power investments. In the bill - submitted to parliament on 27 March - it proposes providing state loans to finance four new reactors as well as a contract-for-difference power price mechanism.

"In the bill, the government proposes a new law on state support for investments in new nuclear power," the government said. "The law regulates the basic conditions and forms of state support for companies for investments in new nuclear power reactors in Sweden."

It added: "Government loans may be provided for the construction and test operation of new nuclear power reactors, as well as for design and other preparatory measures for construction."

The loans - aimed at lowering the cost of financing new nuclear - will be limited to the equivalent of four large-scale reactors (about 5000 MWe of capacity). The government said that several project companies may be eligible and there is the possibility for other private actors and the state to take shares in project companies.

"Two-way contracts for difference may be concluded for the routine operation of new nuclear power reactors. Support shall be subject to conditions regulated in agreements between the state and the company receiving support," it added. These are aimed at reducing market risk.

The bill contains different scenarios for future electricity prices. In a scenario with lower electricity prices, it is assumed that the strike price is around SEK0.02 (USD0.002) per kWh higher than the electricity price.

The government noted that support may only be granted if the new reactors are located at the same location and have a total installed output of at least 300 MWe. "If there are special reasons, the government may decide to grant support even if the reactors have a total installed electrical output of less than 300 MW," it said.

The new law is proposed to enter into force on 1 August this year.

Proposals welcomed

Vattenfall - which aims to have a new reactor in operation at its Ringhals site in the mid-2030s at the earliest - welcomed the government's proposals for risk sharing for new nuclear power.

"The state taking a clear role in financing is a basic prerequisite for it to be possible to invest in new nuclear power," said Desirée Comstedt, the company's head of new nuclear power. "The bill is therefore a crucial step on the path towards us being able to realise new nuclear power on the Värö peninsula near Ringhals. Nuclear power is not being built anywhere in the world without some form of government support.

"The next step is for us to read the bill to review what an application should contain and prepare to submit our application as soon as possible. Ultimately, the levels of the parameters in the model will of course be an important factor, but these levels are set later in the process, after we have submitted an application."

Earlier recommendations

In October 2022, Sweden's incoming centre-right coalition government adopted a positive stance towards nuclear energy. In November 2023, it unveiled a roadmap which envisages the construction of new nuclear generating capacity equivalent to at least two large-scale reactors by 2035, with up to 10 new large-scale reactors coming online by 2045.

The government appointed Mats Dillén in December 2023 to produce and submit proposals for models for financing and risk sharing for the construction of new nuclear power reactors. According to the mandate, the proposed models must be designed so that nuclear power with a total output of at least 2500 MWe - equivalent to the output of two large-scale reactors - must be in place by 2035 at the latest.

Dillén presented the findings of the study in August last year. His report said the investigation "identified conditions which give rise to a discrepancy between a private investor's business case for new nuclear power and the socioeconomic equivalent. It is concluded that efficiency reasons give a rationale for the state to support investments in nuclear power".

His proposed financing and risk sharing model consists of three main components that lead to a lower cost of capital that facilitates new investments in nuclear power at a low cost. The components are: state loans to finance investments in new nuclear power, which lowers the cost of capital; a two-way contract-for-difference signed between the state and the nuclear power producer; and a risk and gain-share mechanism that gives investors a minimum return on equity."

#Nuclear #News #Sweden

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/state-loans-proposed-for-new-swedish-reactors

"German nuclear technology association Kerntechnik Deutschland e.V. says that restarting the country's nuclear power plants "offers a safe, economically viable and climate-friendly alternative to the current energy policy". It says that up to six shut down reactors could technically resume operation.

In August 2011, the 13th amendment of the Nuclear Power Act came into effect, which underlined the political will to phase out fission nuclear power in Germany. As a result, eight units were closed down immediately: Biblis A and B, Brunsbüttel, Isar 1, Krümmel, Neckarwestheim 1, Phillipsburg 1 and Unterweser. The Brokdorf, Grohnde and Gundremmingen C plants were permanently shut down at the end of December 2021. The country's final three units - Emsland, Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 - shut down in April 2023. All the units are now at various stages of decommissioning.

The expansion of renewable energy, which was to compensate for the closure of the reactors, has varied greatly between individual federal states, with the expansion of wind energy particularly progressing very slowly in Bavaria. The expansion of power line capacities and the transmission grid in southern Germany has also not progressed as quickly as planned. Meeting German electricity demand has therefore required fossil energy sources or imports (of mainly French nuclear power).

"Our electricity costs are no longer competitive in an international comparison and are threatening the existence of our economy," according to Kerntechnik Deutschland e.V. (KernD). "It is no longer economically viable to finance and implement an infrastructure (grid, storage and backup) that is largely based on renewable energies."

It adds: "If the proportion of volatile energy sources in the German energy mix continues to increase, the need for electricity imports or self-generated fossil electricity will intensify. This is a vicious circle that will lead to disastrous dependencies."

KernD notes that the continued operation of coal-fired power plants has led to significantly higher CO2 emissions than planned, and the timetable for phasing out coal is unrealistic under the current framework conditions.

"The recommissioning of nuclear power plants in Germany is this pragmatic, economical and socially sensible solution," it says. "Up to six shut-down nuclear power plants could be brought back online in just a few years - without compromising on nuclear safety."

It noted: "Depending on the dismantling status, individual nuclear power plants can be put back into operation in the near future." Earlier this month, KernD said that between EUR1 and EUR3 billion (USD1.1-3.3 billion) in investments would be needed per nuclear power plant restart, depending on the dismantling status.

The recommissioning of those plants is based on the existing power plant structures, the association said. This enables rapid availability - within 3-5 years - of large installed baseload capacity. The continued operation of nuclear power plants enables the rapid phase-out of coal-fired power generation without jeopardising security of supply, it adds. "In fact, nuclear power plants are the ideal complement to renewable energies to compensate for their volatility. Nuclear energy therefore also supports the further expansion of wind and solar energy in the long term."

"It is high time to make the right decision now for a stable and sustainable energy policy. Because deindustrialisation, excessively high electricity prices, dependence on electricity imports and the uncertain supply situation must end now," KernD said. "KernD is offering the new federal government the opportunity to take the future into its own hands and stop the deindustrialisation of Germany. KernD's member companies are on hand with expertise and energy to help."

KernD's members include organisations from all sectors and fields of application of nuclear technology: manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, universities and research institutes and trade associations. Its members include Framatome, GNS, Nukem Technologies, Orano, Urenco and Westinghouse.

Carsten Haferkamp, ​​managing director of Framatome GmbH and deputy chairman of KernD, said: "The decision on restarting nuclear power plants rests with the federal government, which must create the necessary framework. One thing is certain: electricity from nuclear power plants is an important pillar for reducing CO2 emissions in the short term and strengthening the competitiveness of the economy through low electricity costs.""

#Nuclear #News #Germany

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/german-nuclear-association-calls-for-restart-of-reactors

"The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has developed what it says is the world's first "uranium rechargeable battery" and that tests have verified its performance in charging and discharging. Meanwhile, South Korean researchers have developed a prototype betavoltaic battery powered by the carbon-14 isotope.

The uranium storage battery utilises depleted uranium (DU) as the negative electrode active material and iron as the positive one, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) said. The single-cell voltage of the prototype uranium rechargeable battery is 1.3 volts, which is close to that of a common alkaline battery (1.5 volts).

The battery was charged and discharged 10 times, and the performance of the battery was almost unchanged, indicating relatively stable cycling characteristics.

"To utilise DU as a new resource, the concept of rechargeable batteries using uranium as an active material was proposed in the early 2000s," JAEA noted. "However, no studies were reporting the specific performance of the assembled uranium rechargeable batteries."

It added: "If uranium rechargeable batteries are increased in capacity and put to practical use, the large amount of DU stored in Japan will become a new resource for output controls in the electricity supply grid derived from renewable energy, thereby contributing to the realisation of a decarbonised society."

According to JAEA, there is currently about 16,000 tonnes of depleted uranium stored in Japan and some 1.6 million tonnes stored worldwide.

JAEA said it is now aiming to increase the capacity of uranium storage batteries (the amount of electricity they can store) by circulating the electrolyte.

"Specifically, we will be examining whether it is possible to increase capacity by increasing the amount of circulating electrolyte and the concentration of uranium and iron, and what the optimal materials are for the electrodes and membranes that make up the storage battery," JAEA said. "If we are successful in increasing the capacity of uranium storage batteries and put them to practical use and implemented in society using depleted uranium stored in Japan, we can expect them to play new roles such as adjusting supply and demand for mega solar power plants."

It says the need for rechargeable batteries has been increasing in recent years with an increase in the introduction of renewable energy sources. Power generation from solar, wind, and other sources is affected by weather conditions and has the instability of fluctuating power generation. To stabilise the power supply in this situation, output controls via energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries are necessary, and the development of new energy storage technologies is attracting attention.

Batteries to last a lifetime

South Korean researchers are considering radiocarbon as a source for safe, small and affordable nuclear batteries that could last decades or longer without charging.

Su-Il In, a professor at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, will present his results at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society, being held 23-27 March. The research was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, as well as the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology Research & Development Programme of the Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology of Korea.

With the increasing number of connected devices, data centres and other computing technologies, the demand for long-lasting batteries is increasing. However, In says that the performance of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is "almost saturated". His team is therefore developing nuclear batteries as an alternative to lithium.

The researchers have produced a prototype betavoltaic battery with carbon-14, an unstable and radioactive form of carbon, called radiocarbon. "I decided to use a radioactive isotope of carbon because it generates only beta rays," said In. Moreover, a by-product from nuclear power plants, radiocarbon is inexpensive, readily available and easy to recycle. And because radiocarbon degrades very slowly, a radiocarbon-powered battery could theoretically last for millennia.

To significantly improve the energy conversion efficiency of their new design, the team used a titanium dioxide-based semiconductor, a material commonly used in solar cells, sensitised with a ruthenium-based dye. They strengthened the bond between the titanium dioxide and the dye with a citric acid treatment. When beta rays from radiocarbon collide with the treated ruthenium-based dye, a cascade of electron transfer reactions, called an electron avalanche, occurs. Then the avalanche travels through the dye and the titanium dioxide effectively collects the generated electrons.

The new battery also has radiocarbon in the dye-sensitised anode and a cathode. By treating both electrodes with the radioactive isotope, the researchers increased the amount of beta rays generated and reduced distance-related beta-radiation energy loss between the two structures.

During demonstrations of the prototype battery, the researchers found that beta rays released from radiocarbon on both electrodes triggered the ruthenium-based dye on the anode to generate an electron avalanche that was collected by the titanium dioxide layer and passed through an external circuit resulting in usable electricity.

These long-lasting nuclear batteries could enable many applications, says In. These include powering implants, remote applications, and satellites. For example, a pacemaker would last a person's lifetime, eliminating the need for surgical replacements.

However, this betavoltaic design converted only a tiny fraction of radioactive decay into electric energy, leading to lower performance compared to conventional Li-ion batteries. In suggests that further efforts to optimise the shape of the beta-ray emitter and develop more efficient beta-ray absorbers could enhance the battery's performance and increase power generation."

#Nuclear #News #Japan

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/japan-korea-develop-prototype-nuclear-batteries

"A review of the feasibility studies submitted by EDF, Westinghouse and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power for two new reactors in the Netherlands suggests that all three designs would meet necessary safety requirements, the country's nuclear regulator announced. Last week, KHNP indicated it is withdrawing from the technology selection process.

In December 2021, the Netherlands' new coalition government placed nuclear power at the heart of its climate and energy policy. Based on preliminary plans, two new reactors will be completed around 2035 and each will have a capacity of 1000-1650 MWe. The two reactors would provide 9-13% of the country's electricity production in 2035. The cabinet announced in December 2022 that it currently sees Borssele as the most suitable location for the construction of the new reactors.

EDF of France, KHNP of South Korea and Westinghouse of the USA were contracted by the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth (KGG) to conduct feasibility studies into the construction of their respective reactors - the EPR, APR-1400 and AP1000 - in the Netherlands.

The studies were to consider whether their designs comply with Dutch legislation and regulations, whether they can be fitted into the preferred location at Borssele, and to develop a more detailed estimate of the costs and time required to build the two new units. The possible impact on the environment was also highlighted in the studies. In November, Amentum of the USA was selected to review and advise on the studies submitted by the three potential reactor vendors.

The country's Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS) has now released its conclusions of the review of the studies. It notes that it reviewed the APR-1400 design before KHNP said it would withdraw. ANVS said that, "when it comes to safety", it is feasible any of the three designs could be built in the Netherlands.

"These companies have tested their designs against our guidelines for Safe Design and Safe Operation of Nuclear Power Plants (VOBK)," ANVS said. "In doing so, they have identified a number of points where their design deviates from the literal text of the VOBK and have provided substantiation that the underlying safety objectives are being achieved."

The ANVS uses the VOBK as a reference framework for the design assessment in the run-up to the licensing procedure. "Following recommendations from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the recent evaluation of the Nuclear Energy Act and the results of this self-evaluation, the ANVS has decided to revise the VOBK to better align it with the international state-of-the-art, to harmonise it more internationally and to make it less technology-dependent," it said.
Findings on each design

ANVS notes that Westinghouse's AP1000 relies heavily on the use of passive systems for safety management. "In a possible licensing procedure, it must still be proven in detail that the passive systems and principles are also sufficiently reliable in practice to guarantee safety in all accident scenarios," it said. "This will be an extensive point of attention for the ANVS during the design assessment." In addition, it says the safety file of the AP1000 is largely based on compliance with prescriptive US standards, while in the Netherlands, targeted legal standards apply. "This system requires the applicant to demonstrate in detail that these objectives are achieved with the design. This entails a risk of a longer lead time because the applicant will have to rewrite the safety documentation extensively. In addition, there are risks for the licensing because in the American frameworks, different choices are sometimes made than in the IAEA framework or EU context."

Regarding EDF's EPR, ANVS notes that the design has been based on Western European norms and standards from the start of the design phase. "The many (safety) systems make the design robust but also complex," it said. "This poses challenges for both the permitting and (supervision of) the construction in terms of the amount of work and maintaining a good overview." However, it said that as the reactor is already in operation or under construction in Finland, France and the UK, it "has the advantage that the ANVS will be able to rely as much as possible on European colleague authorities when assessing the design". It notes that EDF is now focused on developing the EPR2 design, so EDF "must ensure that this does not detract from the quality of the design that is offered to the Netherlands".

Although KHNP has now withdrawn its APR-1400 design, ANVS said the design "appears to meet the expectations that (Western) European countries, including the Netherlands, have for nuclear power plants". It added that KHNP's intention to rely heavily on the supply of components from South Korea "entails challenges with regard to the on-site quality assurance assessment and supervision by the ANVS during manufacturing".

ANVS concludes: "Based on the self-evaluations as carried out by the designers, the ANVS sees no reason to assume that one of these designs could not be licensed in the Netherlands. As far as safety is concerned, there is therefore no reason to exclude a design from participation in the tender or to require adjustments to the standard design in the context of this process."

The regulator said the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth "can use this information for the tender to ultimately come to the choice of a company that can start building in the Netherlands.

"Naturally, before a permit is granted, ANVS will very carefully assess whether the design complies with Dutch legislation and regulations, whereby the applicant will have to provide much more information about the design and the safety analyses than is currently available in the self-assessments," ANVS said. "Only once the location is known will it be possible to consider the location-specific safety aspects that play a role at that location.""

#Nuclear #News #Netherlands

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/proposed-reactor-designs-seem-suitable-dutch-regulator-concludes

"Rosatom's Namibian operating company said it "acknowledges and appreciates" a recommendation that uranium exploration activities at the Wings in-situ recovery uranium project should continue.

According to The Namibian, the Parliamentary Standing Committee On Natural Resources, chaired by Tjekero Tweya, has recommended that uranium exploration activities in the Omaheke region should be allowed to continue in the absence of evidence that groundwater has been or will be contaminated. The committee has also recommended that the government appoint independent hydrologists, geologists and geochemists to review in-situ recovery activities.

"There is no evidence to suggest that the mining method used has contaminated water. Some 50% of exploration was carried out and nothing happened," Tweya said, adding that the company should be allowed to finish the exploration phase. The project has support from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, but is resisted by the water ministry, he said.

Headspring Investments is the Namibian affiliate of the Rosatom-owned Uranium One Group, which is responsible for the Russian nuclear company's uranium exploration and production activities outside Russia. It began exploration for uranium in the Omaheke region of Namibia in 2011, with drilling starting the following year. Operations were suspended in 2013 due to a moratorium on uranium exploration.

The Wings ore body - so named because of its shape - was discovered in 2018-2019, following the lifting of the moratorium. According to Headspring, the sandstone-type uranium deposit could yield 3000 tU per year with a life-of-mine of at least 25 years. However, in 2021, the drilling permits for the project were revoked on grounds of non-compliance with permit conditions. Activists have raised concerns about risks from in-situ recovery operations to the extensive Stampriet aquifer.

Headspring Investments said the parliamentary decision "reaffirms" its commitment to continuous improvement, following international best practices and operating within Namibia's legal and regulatory systems: "Our operations are guided by rigorous due diligence, independent environmental impact assessments, and ongoing consultations with regulatory bodies," it said.

"We prioritise transparency and accountability staying open for any technical discussion with all interested parties to clarify any issues related to the project and achieve mutual understanding … Headspring Investments respects the Namibian Parliament's role in overseeing the mining sector and welcomes this recommendation as validation of our compliance-focused approach.

"We remain dedicated to advancing exploration activities responsibly, with continued emphasis on environmental protection, and community engagement."

In-situ recovery - or ISR - is also known as in-situ leach, or ISL. The method recovers minerals by dissolving them from the orebody in the ground and pumping the resulting solution to the surface where the minerals can be recovered at a processing plant. To be suitable for ISR, an orebody needs to be permeable to the liquids used but isolated from overlying aquifers to ensure that groundwater away from the orebody cannot be contaminated. But when those conditions are present, it is seen as a cost-effective and environmentally acceptable method of mining, with little surface disturbance and no generation of tailings or waste rock.

According to information from World Nuclear Association, in-situ recovery methods now account for well over half of global uranium production, although they have not to-date been deployed in Africa. Namibia is a major producer of uranium, producing around 11% of world output in 2022, and is home to about 5% of the world's total known uranium resources."

#Nuclear #News #Russia

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/namibian-parliament-makes-uranium-exploration-recommendation