Nucleoeléctrica signs MoU to support Candu life-extension and services internationally

Argentina-based Nucleoeléctrica has signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate internationally on Candu life-extension and support activities, including engineering, technical assistance and maintenance services for Candu-type nuclear power plants.

The MoU was signed with Canada’s Candu Energy Inc, part of AtkinsRéalis, and positions Nucleoeléctrica as a partner with direct and proven experience in the type of projects Romania intends to undertake. The company’s stated aims include expanding revenue streams, generating foreign exchange, and projecting expertise developed by the Argentine nuclear industry internationally.

The developments are tied to life-extension work for Candu reactors at two sites: Romania’s Cernavoda plant and Argentina’s Embalse plant. Both facilities operate Candu reactors and share the same technological base, which Nucleoeléctrica highlights as relevant to cooperation.

In Argentina, Embalse’s life extension work was completed following a shutdown at the end of 2015. The scope included reactor retubing and replacing the steam generators, and it also included a 6% increase of the plant’s capacity to 683 MWe. Embalse returned to commercial operation in 2019 with a further 30 years of operation.

The described life-extension activities also include major component replacement and high-precision rebuild steps. The work includes replacing key reactor components such as steam generators, pressure tubes, calandria tubes and feeder tubes. It involves removing all the reactor’s fuel and heavy water and isolating the reactor from the rest of the power station before dismantling.

The source further describes inspection and replacement work performed during the rebuild, including thousands of components that are not accessible when the reactor is assembled. It also states that all 480 fuel channels and 960 feeder tubes are replaced during the high-precision rebuild.

Romania’s Cernavoda is currently undergoing a life-extension project to extend lifetime by 30 years. The Cernavoda plant comprises two operating 650 MWe Candu-6 reactors, with Nuclearelectrica planning to extend the operating life of unit 1 to 60 years. The refurbishment for unit 1 began in 2017 and is in the second of three phases; the third phase is scheduled for 2027 to 2029 and starts with unit 1 shutdown, followed by the work required for recommissioning.

Framatome NRC approval lifts enrichment cap and enables TRISO fabrication as HALEU supply MoU advances

NRC authorises higher enrichment and TRISO fabrication

Framatome has been granted approval for a licence amendment request (LAR) submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in September 2024. The request sought permission for the plant to handle uranium enriched up to 10%, up from the current 6.5%, to expand domestic capacity for advanced reactor fuels including tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel.

In a 26 June letter, the Commission confirmed that it would grant the LAR to increase the enrichment limit in materials licence SNM-1227 and authorise TRISO fuel fabrication. The approval also enables the site to use its dry conversion process to convert uranium hexafluoride (UF6) to uranium oxide (UO2 and U3O8) powder for reactor types requiring enrichment levels higher than those used in existing light water reactors, including TRISO fuel.

Framatome said the LAR approval is a major milestone for the Framatome and Standard Nuclear joint venture, named Standard Nuclear-Framatome, which is intended to support on-time fuel delivery commitments. The company described TRISO fuel as spherical kernels of enriched uranium oxycarbide (or uranium dioxide) surrounded by layers of carbon and silicon carbide, intended to contain fission products and remain stable at very high temperatures.

Framatome said the Richland site plans to start manufacturing UO2 powder and TRISO particles in 2027 to meet current demand. It also stated that Standard Nuclear-Framatome aims to start producing 2 tonnes of TRISO fuel annually, and said the joint venture is on schedule to start equipment commissioning in the near term and begin producing metric ton levels of TRISO fuel annually as capacity scales for the incoming advanced reactor fleet in the United States.

NRC approval raised the enrichment limit in materials licence SNM-1227 to less than 10.0 wt percent U-235.
The approval authorises TRISO fuel fabrication using the site’s dry conversion process.

HALEU supply collaboration framework expands

Separately, Advanced nuclear fuel developer Lightbridge Corporation and Quadrant Nuclear Industries Inc (QNI) have entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish a framework for collaboration on the long-term supply of HALEU fuel.

The MoU covers discussions on the potential supply and long-term offtake of HALEU produced at QNI’s planned Vanguard facility at Idaho National Laboratory. QNI is developing an integrated HALEU production capability in coordination with the DOE and other stakeholders, with the Vanguard facility designed to produce up to 18 tonnes of HALEU annually at full capacity for both commercial and government markets for advanced nuclear reactors.

The companies intend to collaborate on fuel supply planning, technical interface requirements, commercial structuring, regulatory coordination, and logistics considerations associated with HALEU supply arrangements.

Framatome also linked the enrichment approval to future capability, stating that handling enrichment levels up to 10% positions the company for future production of HALEU fuel types enriched up to 20%. It added that an additional licence amendment could follow quickly, and said it has applied for US Department of Energy (DOE) HALEU availability funding.

Lightbridge and QNI will discuss potential supply and long-term offtake of HALEU from QNI’s planned Vanguard facility.
Planned collaboration includes supply planning, regulatory coordination, and logistics considerations.

TerraPower accepted into INPO, marking first advanced reactor entrant

TerraPower announced on July 21 that it has been accepted into the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. The company’s entry into INPO’s ranks was described by INPO and TerraPower as the first time an advanced nuclear company has joined the institute’s membership.

INPO and TerraPower characterized the acceptance as an important step for safety and industry coordination for newcomers to the nuclear industry. The announcement frames INPO participation as a mechanism for aligning advanced reactor operators with broader operational expectations and shared safety practices within the nuclear sector.