India to Deploy a Fleet of 40-50 220 MW PHWRs

• India to Deploy a Fleet of 40-50 220 MW PHWRs
• Russia Reports Progress on MBIR Advanced Test Reactor
• Rosatom Begins Pilot Operation Of Brest-OD-300 Nuclear Fuel Facility
• Cost of BN-1200 Estimated At $4.53 Billion
• China Starts Commercial Reactor Based Isotope Production
• NANO Nuclear to Acquire Reactor Assets from Bankrupt Ultra Safe
• DOE to Offer $80 Million for HALEU R&D
• DOE to Offer $10M for Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycling Technologies

India to Deploy a Fleet of 220 MW PHWRs

(NucNet contributed to this report) India’s state owned enterprise Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) announced this week it is inviting proposals to build a fleet of 40-50 220 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) to replace coal-fired power plants used in heavy industries including steel, aluminum, copper, and cement plants.

The proposals, which are being sent to Indian firms, call for construction and capture use at this plants, of the Bharat Small Reactors (BHRs). NPCIL said in its request for proposals (RFP) that BSRs can provide a sustainable solution for decarbonization of these and related industries. (NPCIL RFP Full Text – PDF file)

Financing the Fleet

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman said in a press statement that the RFP, “is in line with the announcement in the 2024-25 Union budget, BSRs are planned to be set up with private capital, within the existing legal framework and approved business models.’”

Sitharaman added that the initiative would involve a joint venture between state power company National Thermal Power Corporation and state power generation equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.

The government plans to deploy 40-50 of these nuclear reactors over the next decade in partnership with the private sector.  In terms of financing the fleet mode of construction of the BSRs, NPCIL said it will also help these industries secure economic benefits resulting from savings in carbon emission related taxes, thus increasing competitiveness of their products in the global markets. NPCIL said that the components and systems for the plants would be manufactured in factories and assembled at end user sites.

NPCIL did not provide a timeline for phasing of contract awards or a cost estimate of individual units or the entire program.  Assuming it takes two-to-three years to build each SMR, and the units are built in pairs, the timeline for 40-50 units could easily span two decades or longer. While NPCIL has previously had expressions of interest from Indian steel companies, the agency did not release a list of potential industrial sites for the SMRs. Site selection would likely depend on contract awards by NPCIL to private entities wanting to build them.

Technical Legacy

The 220 MW SMR will be based on the IPHWR-220 (Indian Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor-220). It is an Indian pressurized heavy-water reactor designed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

It is a Generation II reactor developed from earlier CANDU based RAPS-1 and RAPS-2 reactors built at Rawatbhata, Rajasthan. It can generate 220 MW of electricity. Currently, there are 14 units operational at various locations in India. It is sometimes referred to as a small modular reactor due to its modularization. The IPHWR design was later expanded into 540 MW and 700 MW designs, as well as the AHWR-300 design.

Amit Sharma, managing director and chief executive officer of Tata Consulting Engineers, told Press Trust of India (PTI) that New Delhi was pushing ahead with plans to develop the Bharat SMR based on its existing pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) technology, which was developed from earlier Canadian CANDU designs. He added that Tata Consulting Engineers was working on the redesign of the IPHWR with the Department of Atomic Energy.

“We are going to take the old design of the PHWR and then reconfigure and redesign it to be modular, scalable and safety-aligned to post-Fukushima standards.”

Privately Built Reactors Would Use NPCIL as the Plant Operator

Until this announcement, only state-owned NPCIL has been allowed to build and deploy commercial nuclear power plants in India. The proposal would allow private companies to build reactors under NPCIL’s control and supervision. On completion, the plant would be operated by NPCIL under a long-term operation and maintenance agreement with the private firm.

India’s Future Nuclear Plans

India has said it is planning to build at least 10 more large-scale 700 MW PHWR nuclear power units to increase the production of clean energy as the country is still largely dependent on coal.

The 10 plants are Kaiga-5 and Kaiga-6 in Karnataka state, Mahi Banswara 1-4 in Rajasthan state Gorakhpur-3 and -4 in Haryana state, and Chutka-1 and -2 in Madhya Pradesh state.

According to the World Nuclear Association, India’s energy mix is: coal (72%); hydro (10%); wind (5%); solar  (5%); natural gas (4%); nuclear (3%); biofuels & waste (2%);

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Russia Reports Progress on MBIR Advanced Test Reactor

• The multipurpose research reactor is due for startup in 2027

(NucNet) The MBIR is being built at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (NIIAR) in Dimitrovgrad, southwest Russia, located about 1,600 miles east of Moscow. MBIR is a Russian acronym for a ‘multi-purpose fast-neutron research reactor‘. It has a large power capacity of 150 MW. Rosatom claims it will be the world’s most powerful research reactor after commissioning.

Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has begun to assemble the mechanical equipment of the primary heat removal circuit and fuel handling systems for the Generation IV MBIR multipurpose fast neutron research reactor.

Rosatom said two intermediate heat exchangers, each weighing about 38 tonnes and measuring nine meters in height and 2.5 meters in diameter, were recently installed. Drums for fresh and spent fuel, weighing 16 tonnes each, were positioned in their designated locations.

The MBIR will primarily use sodium as a coolant and vibro-packed mixed-oxide (VMOX) fuel. VMOX is a Russian variant of MOX fuel in which blended uranium-plutonium oxide powders and fresh uranium-oxide powder are loaded directly into the cladding tube of the fuel assembly instead of first being manufactured into pellets.

MBIR Technical Profile. Image: Rosatom

MBIR is Anchor for R&D Center

It is creating an International Research Center (IRC) to be a home for cooperative R&D and test projects. These arrangements, and others like it, will support the IRC’s ambitions to become a world class center of excellence for testing materials to be used in fast neutron reactors.

However, given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and ongoing European Union and UK sanctions against Russia, there are limited near-term prospects for R&D agreements outside of Russian client states like Belarus and Hungary. Prior to the invasion, Rostom had multiple agreements in principle for nuclear R&D testing with half a dozen western European nations.

Uses of the MBIR

The purpose of the MBIR construction effort is to have a high-flux fast test reactor with unique capabilities to implement the following tasks:

– in-pile tests and post-irradiation examination,
– production of heat and electricity,
– testing of new technologies for the radioisotopes,
– modified materials production.

MBIR will be used for materials testing for Generation IV fast neutron reactors including high temperature gas-cooled, molten salt, and lead-bismuth designs. Experiments that are proposed to be undertaken include measuring the performance of core components under normal and emergency conditions.

According to earlier reports, the total cost of the project could be up to $1.5 billion), but no recent figures have been made public. It is likely to be much higher given the fact the MBIR is a first of a kind facility.

No US Counterpart to the MBIR

In the US congress killed the proposal for the Versatile Test Reactor, which was intended to be a next generation nuclear reactor R&D platform at the Idaho National Laboratory. The House Appropriations Committee zeroed out funding for the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) for 2022 despite strong support from the nuclear scientific community.

Developers of advanced reactors also supported the VTR due to the backlog of requests for access to the INL Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) which is primarily devoted to US Navy projects.

According to its website the ATR provides nuclear fuels and material testing for military, federal, university, and industrial customers. The main output of the ATR is a stream of neutrons. ATR uses a beryllium reflector to concentrate the neutrons on test packages inserted in the reactor.

Rosatom Begins Pilot Operation Of Brest-OD-300 Nuclear Fuel Facility

• Generation IV plant is part of pilot demonstration energy complex
• The fully automated facility has already manufactured the first mockup fuel bundles.

(NucNet) Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has begun pilot operation of a unit for the fabrication and refabrication nuclear fuel for the Generation IV Brest-OD-300 pilot demonstration power plant in Seversk, southwest Siberia. The OD-300 is a lead-cooled reactor.

The Brest-OD-300 plant uses mixed dense nitride uranium-plutonium (MNUP) fuel, which has been successfully tested in the Bor-60 fast research reactor and the commercial BN-600 fast reactor at the Beloyarsk nuclear power station near Yekaterinburg in the Urals.

Rosatom said the results of testing enabled it to obtain data needed for validation of the initial core loading at the Brest-OD-300 plant. Before the initial core loading, more than 200 MNUP fuel bundles will be fabricated. By comparison a US 500 MWe PWR will have 157 fuel assemblies.

The complex will demonstrate an onsite closed nuclear fuel cycle with a facility for the fabrication/re-fabrication of mixed uranium-plutonium nitride nuclear fuel, as well as a used fuel reprocessing facility.

Rosatom said the fuel cycle system for Brest-OD-300 will be “practically autonomous and independent of external supplies of energy resources.”  (OD-300 Technical Profile: PDFD file)

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Cost of BN-1200 Estimated At $4.53 Billion

Yekaterinburg (Interfax) – Preliminary estimates indicate that the cost to construct the BN-1200 power unit at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant in the Sverdlovsk Region could exceed USD4.53 billion, NPP Director Ivan Sidorov said at a press conference in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Sidorov said that construction is planned to begin on the facility in 2027, and pre-design work is currently underway.

As reported, the BN-1200 is the prototype of a serial power unit with a fast reactor. This should allow the advantages of a closed nuclear fuel cycle to be realized fully on an industrial scale, namely by reusing spent nuclear fuel, producing new fuel from so-called “uranium tails” remaining after enrichment of natural uranium, and minimizing radioactive waste.

The announcement is a major shift in plans for the BN1200 in terms of moving up its start date for construction from 2035 to 2027. Earlier plans for the BN1200 were put on hold due to uncertainties as to its cost.

The Russian nuclear engineering company OKBM Afrikantov, a subsidiary of Rosatom, is developing the BN-1200 as a next step towards future reactor designs, commonly known as Generation IV.  (Technical briefing – PDF file) (Image below: Rosatom)

The Beloyarsk NPP was commissioned in April 1964. The first power units with AMB-100 and AMB-200 thermal neutron reactors were shut down owing to the end of the service life. Power units with BN-600 and BN-800 fast neutron reactors have been operating since 1980 and 2015, respectively.

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China Starts Commercial Reactor Based Isotope Production

Beijing — China’s first commercial reactor device for the online irradiation production of isotopes has been officially put into operation at the Qinshan Nuclear Power Base operated by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The first batch of Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) medical isotopes produced there were extracted from the reactor, according to China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA).

The heavy-water reactor, known for its high neutron flux in the core, continuous refueling without shutdown, and stable operation, offers advantages in isotope production, including high efficiency, large output, high specific activity, continuous production and stable supply. The reactors involved in production of the isotopes are two 728 MW (gross) CANDU-6 series of the CANDU reactor design supplied by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.

Leveraging the advantages of Qinshan’s heavy-water reactor (PHWR), CNNC developed and upgraded the commercial reactor irradiation production of short-lived isotopes, and successfully put the device into operation.

The device can produce short-lived medical isotopes such as Lu-177, Strontium-89 (Sr-89), and Yttrium-90 (Y-90) on a large scale, continuously and stably without the need to shut down the reactor. Its future production capacity is expected to meet domestic demand, significantly enhances China’s autonomy in isotope production and supply, and increasing its potential participation in global markets.

Lu-177, in particular, stands out as a medical isotope in the field of precision cancer diagnosis and treatment. It can be combined with targeted drugs to accurately kill cancer cells and is widely used in targeted therapies for various types of cancer, including prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, offering effective treatment with low side effects and broad prospects in the field of medicine.

Strontium-89 (Sr-89) – Strontium chloride Sr 89 is used to help relieve the bone pain that may occur with certain kinds of cancers. The radioactive strontium is taken up in the bone cancer area and gives off radiation that helps provide relief of pain.

Yttrium-90 (Y-90) – It is used to treat tumors that were initially formed in the liver or have spread (or metastasized) to the liver from another part of the body. It ss a safe and highly effective treatment for cancer in the liver that targets tumors with a high dose of radiation without affecting other, healthy parts of the body.

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NANO Nuclear to Acquire Reactor Assets from Bankrupt Ultra Safe

NANO Nuclear acquires Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) and Pylon technologies, including all associated patents, through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction for $8.5 million in cash

NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) announced that it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire select nuclear energy technology assets from Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation and certain of its subsidiaries.

The acquired assets include USNC’s patented Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) system, along with all associated patents and other intellectual property rights, as well as its Pylon reactor technology and related intellectual property, and certain demonstration project partnerships related to the MMR system.

The assets are being acquired for $8.5 million in cash through an auction process conducted pursuant to Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in connection with USNC’s pending Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

Bloomberg Law reported that USNC “listed between $50 million and $100 million in estimated liabilities, and $10 million to $50 million in estimated assets, according to court papers.”

The company ran out of cash after its primary investor passed away in May 2024. Apparently, the heirs did not seek to continue a commitment to invest in the firm. The firm reportedly burned through at least $125 million of the investor’s funds.

On December 18, 2024, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, the Bankruptcy Court overseeing USNC’s chapter 11 case, conducted a hearing and approved the transaction. The closing of the acquisition is expected to occur in the near future subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions in a bankruptcy proceeding.

The MMR Energy System is a zero-carbon nuclear power plant, integrating one or several standardized micro reactors with a heat storage unit and the adjacent plant for power conversion and utilization. The system, which is under development, could be used to provide carbon-free, high-quality process heat for co-located industrial applications, and for high-efficiency hydrogen production.

The MMR Energy System compliments NANO Nuclear’s own ‘ZEUS’ and “ODIN’ microreactors in development. However, whereas ‘ZEUS’ and “ODIN’ are being designed to be portable and produce 1 to 1.5 megawatts thermal (“MWth”) of power, the MMR Energy System is stationary and designed to produce power up to 45 MWth, opening additional potential markets to NANO Nuclear.

The MMR Energy System was expected to be demonstrated at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories with Ontario Power Generation and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  The firm also had made plans build a factory to produce its reactors at a site in Alabama.

It was also the first small modular reactor to enter the formal licensing review phase with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The future of these commitments is up in the air until NANO makes clear how it plans to proceed with them or not.

USNC stated in a press release that it expects to “maintain full operational continuity” across its projects. In addition, the company has obtained debtor-in-possession financing to support its business operations and satisfy its obligations during the court-supervised process.

Power Magazine reported the court-supervised continuity will also attempt to sustain USNC’s efforts to scale up production of its TRISO-based Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated (FCM) fuels, which could be applied to both terrestrial and space applications.

The Pylon reactor is a compact nuclear reactor designed for versatility in application and deployment. It is designed to provide between 1 MWth and 5MWth of power and can be integrated with modular balance of plants tailored to specific applications including remote terrestrial, marine, and space deployments.

The Pylon reactor is scheduled to be demonstrated at the Idaho National Laboratory’s DOME facility by 2027, following USNC’s selection for the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) Front-End Engineering program.

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DOE to Offer $80 Million for HALEU R&D

DOE announced up to $80 million is available through a new funding opportunity to spur advancements in the process to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). The funding will support industry partners developing innovative technologies and approaches to strengthen the HALEU supply chain in the United States.

DOE seeks applications that address technology gaps, enhance current processes to produce HALEU, and advance new technologies that could reduce risk, increase production, or reduce costs. Funding will support demonstration projects at engineering or pilot scale, as well as earlier stage applied research and development projects. Applications are due by February 26, 2025.

This announcement follows other recent actions by DOE to support a strong HALEU supply chain. Earlier this year, DOE selected four companies to provide enrichment services and six companies to provide deconversion services to help establish a U.S. supply of HALEU.

DOE seeks applications that address technology gaps, enhance current processes to produce HALEU, and advance new technologies that could reduce risk, increase production, or reduce costs. Funding will support demonstration projects at engineering or pilot scale, as well as earlier stage applied research and development projects.

“We need a productive and secure HALEU supply chain to support the advanced reactors that will play a key role for energy security and in our clean energy future,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dr. Michael Goff.

“Through this funding opportunity, DOE will encourage technological advancements to provide industry additional options in the buildout of that supply chain.”

Many advanced reactors will require HALEU to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current technologies. There is currently no domestic, commercial source of HALEU available to fuel them.

Prior DOE HALEU Funding

Last October DOE awarded contracts to six companies to spur the buildout of a U.S. supply chain for fuels for advanced nuclear reactors. Many advanced reactors will require high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current technologies.

These contracts will allow selected companies to bid on work for deconversion services, a critical component of the HALEU supply chain. Deconversion transforms the gaseous form of enriched uranium (uranium hexafluoride aka UF6) into either uranium oxide or uranium metal forms for fabrication into solid fuel elements intended for specific reactors.

Also, last October four companies have been awarded contracts funded by the President’s Inflation Reduction Act, creating strong competition and allowing DOE to select the firms that are the best fit for future work. Selected companies can compete for work to provide enrichment services to produce fuel for advanced reactors.

All contracts will last for up to 10 years and each firm winning a contract under the program will receive a minimum of $2 million. A total of $2.7 billion is available for these services, subject to congressional appropriations.

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DOE to Offer $10M for Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycling Technologies

DOE announced a $10 million funding opportunity to support research and development activities to advance used nuclear fuel recycling technologies. The funding will encourage innovation and competitiveness of domestic used nuclear fuel recycling processes in the United States. Applications are due by February 19, 2025

Through this funding opportunity, DOE will continue to support early-stage research and development on used nuclear fuel recycling technologies that support long-term sustainability of nuclear waste management. DOE seeks applications that support a broad range of research and development activities that can lead to advancements in the innovation and competitiveness of domestic used nuclear fuel recycling processes.

The United States does not currently encourage commercial recycling of used nuclear fuel. However, it conducts research and development on the nuclear fuel cycle to assess options as technologies and economics evolve.

“Recycling the nation’s used nuclear fuel offers untapped potential,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dr. Michael Goff.

“Resolving the technical and economic challenges of recycling in a manner that meets our nonproliferation goals has the potential to increase significantly the sustainability of nuclear energy, create more jobs, and enhance our energy security.”

Current U.S. nuclear reactors use less than five percent of the energy potential of uranium and only run the fuel once through. Recycling used nuclear fuel could increase resource utilization by 95 percent, reduce waste by up to 90 percent, and drastically reduce the amount of uranium needed to operate nuclear reactors.

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