Happy New Year from Nuclear Focus!
We round up the recent news and updates from the world of Nuclear.
First concrete for unit 2 of China’s San’ao nuclear power project, by Nuclear Engineering International: “First concrete was poured on 30 December for unit 2 of China’s of the San’ao Nuclear Power Project in Zhejiang Province, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) announced. The San’ao plant is China’s first nuclear power project with private equity participation. The project includes plans to build six units with Hualong One reactors.”
Kazakhstan looks to small nuclear reactors, by World Nuclear News: “Kazakhstan has begun to investigate the deployment of small reactors with a memorandum of cooperation signed between NuScale and Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants (KNPP), a branch of the government’s Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund.”
Ukraine aims to produce enough uranium for nuclear energy needs, by Reuters: “Ukraine, facing a lack of fuel for thermal power plants and surging gas prices, aims to increase its uranium production to cover fully the needs of its nuclear power units after 2026, the government said on Wednesday. Under a national programme the government adopted on Wednesday, Ukraine will invest 9.1 billion hryvnia ($335 million) over the next five years to increase uranium mining and processing facilities in the centre of the country.”
Germany shuts down half of its remaining nuclear plants, by Al Jazeera: “Germany on Friday is shutting down half of the six nuclear plants it still has in operation, a year before the country draws the final curtain on its decades-long use of atomic power. The decision to phase out nuclear power and shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy was first taken by the centre-left government of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in 2002.”
Poland selects site for first nuclear power plant, by Nuclear Engineering International: “Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ – Polish Nuclear Power Plants), the government company responsible for plans to deploy up to six reactors at multiple sites by 2040, announced that it had selected the coastal location of Lubiatowo-Kopalino in the Choczewo commune in Pomerania near Wejherowo for the first reactor. In the first quarter of 2022, an environmental impact statement will be submitted to the General Director of Environmental Protection. The Polish Energy Policy assumes that the first nuclear power plant unit will be put into operation in 2033.”
