For the past 1.5 years I've been sharing nuclear news in this Lemmy board, building an archive of now almost 2000 posts.

My initial hopes were to build a community of nuclear enthusiasts that fled the reddit platform. That didn't quite materialise, althought this board now has 600+ subscribers, making it the biggest pro-nuclear energy community on Lemmy.

I'm now going to shift my posting strategy to my main Mastodon account. This has two reasons:

1. Nowadays I host my own instance and one of the first things I changed was to extend to character limit to 5000, instead of 500. This removed my need for Lemmy for quite a bit.
2. More importantly, a big migration just happened to Bluesky and the posts here are invisible to Bluesky users. My Mastodon account meanwhile is bridged and can be followed.

The latter is actually relevant, to me anyway, as the "Energy Twitter" is reconstituting itself on Bluesky.

But there are still hundreds of you here, mostly Lemmy users no doubt. What do *you

Days after Mining Minister Ousmane Abarchi said that Niger was actively seeking to attract Russian investment in natural resources including uranium, Orano has said the financial situation for its majority-owned SOMAÏR subsidiary - operator of the Arlit mine - is still deteriorating.

The board of SOMAÏR has approved a motion to introduce protective measures which Orano says are essential for preserving the cash required to pay salaries and maintain the safety and integrity of industrial sites. "The Board is requesting a temporary halt to expenditure related to mining and processing ore, until such time as it resumes the export and sale of its products," the French company said.

Orano owns 63.4% of SOMAÏR, with the remaining 36.6% owned by Niger state-owned mining assets company SOPAMIN.

SOMAÏR has been facing financial difficulties since the July 2023 coup d'état in Niger. Mining activities at the mine resumed after the coup, but the country's border with Benin - the main supply and

Framatome's PROtect Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel chromium-coated M5Framatome cladding has become the world's first ATF technology to operate with full length fuel rods at a burnup rate above 60 GWd/tU.

Framatome's PROtect technology incorporates chromium-coated cladding, which significantly enhances oxidation resistance, improves mechanical performance at high temperatures, and reduces hydrogen generation in the unlikely event of a loss of cooling.

Fuel rods utilising Framatome's Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel E-ATF technology completed four 12-month cycles of operation at the Gösgen nuclear power plant in Switzerland earlier this year. The lead fuel rods consist of Framatome's advanced chromium coating added to the state-of-the-art M5Framatome zirconium alloy cladding, with uranium dioxide (UO2) fuel pellets for some and with UO2 chromia-enhanced fuel pellets for the others. The fuel assembly was fabricated at Framatome's fabrication facility in Lingen, Germany.

Visual examinat

The engineering, procurement and construction management contract for the completion of Romania's Cernavoda units 3 and 4 has been signed with the FCSA Joint Venture including Fluor, AtkinsRéalis, Ansaldo Nucleare and Sargent & Lundy Energie.

Romania's nuclear power plant operator Nuclearelectrica said that the estimated value of the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract, which was signed at the COP29 climate conference, was about EUR3.2 billion (USD3.4 billion).

It will be structured in two phases. The first phase is the Limited Notice to Proceed, lasting between 24 to 30 months, followed by the Final Notice to Proceed phase lasting around 80-84 months. The latter phase is subject to commercial terms being agreed and a Final Investment Decision "being taken in line with the Support Agreement between the Romanian State" and Nuclearelectrica.

What is the project?

Cernavoda is the only nuclear power plant in Romania and consists of two 650 MWe Candu-6

Orano subsidiary Orano Med has laid the foundations for its Advanced Thorium Extraction Facility plant in Bessines-sur-Gartempe in Haute-Vienne, western France. This facility is the world's first industrial plant dedicated to the production of thorium-228, a precursor of lead-212, for radioligand therapies.

Lead-212 targeted alpha therapy combines the ability of biological molecules to target cancer cells with the cell-killing potential of alpha emissions generated by lead-212. Orano Med says the development of these radiopharmaceuticals has long been hindered by the difficulty of producing them on an industrial scale.

Thanks to innovations that ensure a very high level of purity, the Advanced Thorium Extraction Facility's (ATEF) construction will industrialise the production process for thorium-228, under development for more than 10 years by the Laboratoire Maurice Tubiana (LMT). ATEF will supply all the ATLab (Alpha Therapy Laboratories) facilities set to manufacture lead-212-base

Canada's Laurentis Energy Partners has signed an agreement with Orlen Synthos Green Energy to support the preparation of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report for deploying GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 small modular reactor in Poland. The agreement is valued at up to CAD40 million (USD28.5 million).

The Preliminary Safety Analysis Report is a comprehensive analysis required by Poland's nuclear regulatory body, National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA), as part of the investor's application for a construction permit. The report aims to demonstrate the safety of the planned construction in Poland of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs). Orlen Synthos Green Energy said the development of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report is "one of the most important and laborious elements of the licensing process for a nuclear power facility".

The Preliminary Safety Analysis Report presents both general design aspects and a detailed description of the systems and e

Japan’s nuclear watchdog has formally prevented the Tsuruga-2 nuclear power plant in the country’s north-central region from restarting, the first rejection under safety standards that were revised after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said the unit, in Fukui Prefecture, is “unfit” for operation because owner and operator Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) failed to address safety risks stemming from the presence of possible active fault lines, which can potentially cause earthquakes, underneath it.

Tsuruga-2, a 1,108-MW pressurised water reactor unit that initially began commercial operation in 1987, is the first reactor to be prevented from restart under safety standards adopted in 2013 based on lessons from the 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi meltdowns following a massive earthquake and tsunami.

Those standards prohibit reactor buildings and other important facilities being located above any active fault.

JAPC has maintained that its own analysis has shown th

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed an agreement to expand their cooperation in nuclear energy as part of efforts to unlock investments in a low-carbon future.

The IAEA said in a statement that the agreement, signed on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, will expand existing partnership between the two organisations “beyond nuclear and radiation safety concerns”.

The move marks a shift in focus from traditional safety concerns towards capacity-building initiatives and developing energy policy, governance and financing frameworks, and mechanisms to reach net zero goals, the statement said.

“Together we are not only building on years of successful cooperation in nuclear safety, but we are opening new doors for capacity building, clean energy, and economic resilience,” said IAEA director-general Rafael Grossi.

“Partnering with financial instituti

Societa Gestione Impianti Nucleari SpA (Sogin) announced it has opened a dedicated area at the shut down Latina nuclear power plant for the dismantling of its six steam generators.

The Latina plant, comprising a single 210 MWe Magnox graphite gas-cooled reactor, began operating in January 1964. It was permanently shut in December 1987 as a result of the Italian referendum on nuclear power that followed the April 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Sogin - the Italian state-owned company responsible for dismantling the country's nuclear power plants - took over ownership of the site in November 1999.

Whilst in operation, the steam generators (also referred to as boilers) - positioned outside the reactor building - allowed the heat to be transferred from carbon dioxide to water, thus producing the steam needed to drive the turbines and produce electricity.

Sogin described the dismantling of the steam generators as "a particularly complex activity because it involves components positioned at high

The project company planning to build two new AP1000 reactors at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant site has invited interested parties to participate in pre-qualification for the provision of engineering consulting services.

The project company, Kozloduy NPP–New Build EAD, is 100% owned by the state-owned Kozloduy NPP EAD, which operates the existing nuclear power plant.

Westinghouse's AP1000 has been selected as the technology for the two new units and in November Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Westinghouse and Kozloduy NPP-New Build signed an engineering contract for the new capacity, with Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov saying that signing the contract meant that schedule and finance details would be firmed up within 12 months for the new capacity.

According to the invitation notice: "In order to achieve the goals in a timely manner ... it is necessary for a significant number of experienced experts and technical resources to be involved in providing engineering and t

Cold hydraulic testing has been completed on the primary and secondary circuits of Unit 1 of the Sanao nuclear power station in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) said.

During cold testing the reactor coolant system was filled with water and pressurised above normal operating conditions, then lowered to normal design pressure while inspections took place to verify systems met design standards. This included checking that welds, joint pipes and other components did not leak under pressure.

CNEA said the completion of cold testing marks the full transition of the nuclear power unit from the installation stage to the commissioning stage.

Sanao, also known as Sanaocun or Zhejiang Sanao, has two domestic 1,117-MW Hualong One units under construction. Construction of Sanaocun-1 began in December 2020 and Sanaocun-2 a year later.

The Hualong One, or HPR1000, is an indigenous pressurised water reactor unit that incorporates elements of Chi

Fission power and nuclear fuel recycling company Oklo has received letters of intent and is partnering with two major data centre providers to deliver up to 750 MW of nuclear power for data centres across the US.

The California company, backed by Sam Altman, the chief executive officer of US artificial intelligence company OpenAI, said the commitments expand its customer pipeline to approximately 2,100 MW.

Oklo said that under the letters of intent it will work with one of the fastest-growing data centre companies to deploy its nuclear plants in select markets, addressing the provider’s critical need for sustainable, reliable power.

“This collaboration supports Oklo’s expanding footprint, including its announced sites in Idaho, Ohio, Texas, and Wyoming, reinforcing the company’s commitment to advancing clean, resilient power options nationwide,” a statement said.

Oklo’s Aurora nuclear power plant consists of a small fast neutron fission reactor with integrated solar panels. Aurora

Electric cables in decommissioned nuclear power plants which were previously incinerated can now have their copper recovered using a new technique successfully trialled by Veolia.

The company says it has developed a method to safely handle the wires to dispose of the plastic coating which surrounds and protects the copper wire within it from radiation.

Veolia says that "standard thin gauge to heavy duty electrical cables will make up hundreds of tonnes of waste during the planned decommissioning across various projects" and an initial trial of 12 tonnes of cable that were stripped of their contaminated plastic coating found that the exposed cores of the wires were tested for radioactivity and found to be safe, producing four tonnes of copper for recycling.

Copper is used in many domestic appliances, computers, pipework, construction and numerous other places including musical instruments and statues. It is plentiful within the earth's crust but the amount which is currently deemed t

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has officially ruled that unit 2 of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture cannot be restarted as it does not comply with regulatory safety standards.

New regulatory standards announced in June 2013 prohibit reactor buildings and other important facilities being located above any active fault.

On two occasions - in May 2013 and March 2015 - a Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) panel of experts concluded that an active fault lies under the Tsuruga 2 reactor building. However, owner Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) has maintained that its own analysis has shown that the fault is not active and does not extend under the unit. In November 2015 it applied to the NRA for a review to restart the operation of Tsuruga 2.

An NRA review team presented the results of their confirmation of the activity of the fault at a meeting on 31 May this year, and the continuity of the fault at a meeting on 26 July. The team concluded that the possibility o

The US International Development Finance Corporation has signed a letter of interest with Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe to provide more than PLN4 billion (USD980 million) in financing for Poland's first nuclear power plant.

"The involvement of this important entity has more than just a financial dimension for us. It confirms the US administration's interest in our project," said Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) Finance Division Director, Wojciech Rosiński.

He added that the letter of interest (LOI) signed by the US International Development Finance Corporation reflects the outcome of months of talks held by PEJ with the institution as well as with other leading institutions from the US market interested not only in Poland but also in the global energy transition.

Agnes Dasewicz, head of investments at US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), added: "DFC is committed to enhancing regional energy security throughout Central and Eastern Europe. This LOI is a step toward r

A new jobs map published by EDF Energy shows the nuclear industry now supports 3500 jobs in the city of Bristol in southwest England. Many of these jobs have been supported by the Hinkley Point C project, with further new build projects expected to provide more.

The Bristol, nuclear city jobs map shows the extent of the jobs in dozens of businesses involved in engineering, manufacturing, logistics, training and research. Across the region, 27,000 jobs are now supported by nuclear - three times more than in 2014.

Engineering centres with hundreds of engineers have been developed at Aztec West business park in Bristol. They are due to expand to support Sizewell C in Suffolk, the UK's next nuclear project after Hinkley Point C in Somerset, EDF Energy noted. Plans to develop the Oldbury and Berkeley sites in Gloucestershire for small modular reactors offer further potential for growth in skilled jobs.

The figures show that more than 300 Bristol-based companies have won contracts at Hink

The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is considering support for Poland’s project to build its first commercial nuclear power station with a loan of 4 billion zloty (about $979m, €920m).

The interest was confirmed in a letter of interest signed by the DFC, the US government’s development finance institution, on 12 November.

The DFC letter of interest is another key document related to the financing of the Polish project to build three Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plants at a site near the villages of Lubiatowo and Kopalino in Choczewo commune, Pomerania, a province in the north of Poland.

A similar declaration, for the equivalent of about $17bn, was made by the US Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank), following years of talks with Westinghouse, supported by PEJ and Bechtel.

Westinghouse and Bechtel jointly form a US consortium that will implement the nuclear project.

In March, Robert Rudich, energy attaché at the US embassy in Warsaw, said Exim Bank had sent a

At the COP29 UN climate change conference taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, six more countries - El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Nigeria and Turkey - have added their support for the tripling of global nuclear energy capacity by 2050.

During COP28 - held in Dubai, UAE, in December last year - 24 countries backed a Ministerial Declaration calling for the tripling of global nuclear energy capacity by 2050. The heads of state, or senior officials, from Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ghana, Hungary, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, the UAE, the UK and the USA signed the declaration on 2 December, with Armenia and Croatia also signing up during the summit.

The declaration says the countries recognise the need for a tripling of nuclear energy capacity to achieve "global net-zero greenhouse gas/carbon neutrality by or around mid-century and in keeping a 1.5°C limit

US president Joe Biden’s administration is setting out plans for the US to triple nuclear power capacity by 2050, with demand climbing for the technology as a round-the-clock source of carbon-free power.

Under a roadmap unveiled on 12 November, the US would deploy an additional 200 GW of nuclear energy capacity by mid-century through the construction of new reactors, plant restarts and upgrades to existing facilities. This would at least triple the current US capacity of about 97 GW.

The White House said it wants to “jump start the nuclear energy deployment ecosystem” with 35 GW of new capacity by 2035 that will be operating or under construction in the US.

It then wants to ramp up to a sustained pace of producing 15 GW per year in the US by 2040.

The strategy is part of a concerted push by the Biden administration to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a goal the incoming Trump administration is likely to abandon.

However, increased deployment of nuclear power has

Japanese regional utility Chugoku Electric Power has told the Nuclear Regulation Authority that it plans to restart Unit 2 at its Shimane nuclear power station in Shimane Prefecture, southwest Japan, on 7 December.

If the restart goes ahead, it will bring the number of reactors able to operate to 14 and boost the nation’s power supply this winter.

Shimane-2, the second boiling water reactor (BWR) unit to restart in Japan since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, was set to resume in August, but the restart was rescheduled due to essential safety upgrade work.

Shimane-2 is a 789-MW BWR unit of the same type as those that suffered meltdowns at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station following the massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. The plant began commercial operation in 1989.

Unit 2 at Tohoku Electric Power Company’s Onagawa nuclear power station in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, was restarted on 29 October, becoming the first BWR in Japan to be go back online.

Howev