The Canadian branch of US-based BWX Technologies (BWXT) has announced plans for an expansion of its Cambridge manufacturing plant aimed at supporting growing demand for small modular reactors (SMRs), traditional large-scale nuclear reactors and advanced reactor technologies both domestically and globally. The company said in a statement that an estimated investment of CAD50m (€34.1m, $36.6m) will expand the factory’s size by 25%, while an additional CAD30m will be put into advanced manufacturing equipment. BWXT said the expansion is expected to open 200 long-term jobs for workers, engineers, a ..read more

Canada’s nuclear regulator has said the existing environmental assessment for new nuclear at the Darlington station in Ontario is applicable to the General Electric Hitachi BWRX‑300 reactor technology chosen by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for the site. OPG is planning to build up to four new nuclear reactors at the existing Darlington nuclear site in the municipality of Clarington ..read more

Canada-based Generation IV nuclear power plant developer Terrestrial Energy and Schneider Electric, a French multinational supplier of digital control systems for energy management, have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop commercial opportunities and advance the deployment of integral molten salt reactor (IMSR) plants. The two companies said the collaboration offers solutions to the major energy challenges faced by data centre operators and many heavy industries operating industrial processes such as hydrogen, ammonia, aluminium and steel production. These high-energy user ..read more

Climate awareness and the energy crisis have consolidated support for nuclear power in Finland with 61% of respondents in favour and only 9% against, according to a survey by Verian for Finnish Energy industry group. The 61% approval rating is the second highest outside the “energy crisis winter “of 2023, Finnish Energy said “The results show that concerns about electricity prices have decreased with Olkiluoto-3 online, and more electricity generation being built,” Finnish Energy said ..read more

An ambitious deployment of Generation III reactors in Europe coupled with the expected development and demonstration of small and advanced reactor technologies will require “substantial efforts” in research, development, and innovation and associated infrastructures, including research reactors, said Stefano Monti, president of the European Nuclear Society (ENS). Monti told the RRFM 2024 research reactor conference in Warsaw on 22 April that research reactors “have been, are and will be” instrumental in the testing and qualification of fuels and materials used in reactors operating today, but ..read more

Geological studies will begin in May 2024 at the proposed site of Poland’s first nuclear power station near the villages of Lubiatowo and Kopalino in the Baltic province of Pomerania. Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), the state-owned company responsible for the project, said the ground onsite has been prepared “accordingly” for US-based Bechtel’s Polish branch to begin “in-depth geological studies ..read more

The Bulgarian Agency for Nuclear Regulation (ANR) has issued a permit to Unit 5 of the Kozloduy nuclear power station to start using Westinghouse-made nuclear fuel type RWFA as lead assemblies arrive onsite, a statement by the plant management said. Bulgaria’s caretaker energy minister Vladimir Malinov said that the first delivery of fresh nuclear fuel produced by Westinghouse Electric Sweden is already at Kozloduy, according to BTA reports ..read more

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Friday (19 April) there was no damage to Iran’s largest nuclear research complex in an alleged military attack by Israel. The agency said in a post on social media platform X that it continues to monitor the situation very closely. The agency called for extreme restraint from all sides, stressing that nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts ..read more

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its Dresden nuclear power station in Illinois that could see the facility remain in operation until 2051. Constellation, which operates 21 nuclear plants at 14 sites, said the move is another in a series of investments the company is making to add clean, firm energy to the grid. The filing begins a comprehensive, multi-year review by the NRC to renew the licence for Dresden, which has two boiling water reactor units. The facility’s licence was first renewed by the NRC in 2004 ..read more

The upper section of the inner containment dome has been installed in the reactor building of the Tianwan-8 nuclear power plant under construction in Jiangsu province, eastern China. Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which is supplying the VVER-1200 Generation III+ pressurised water reactor unit, said installation of the upper section follows installation of the lower section last month. Specialists will now carry out welding work to connect the two sections ..read more