Kazatomprom plans to increase its production of sulfuric acid - the main reagent used in its in-situ leach (ISL) uranium operations - with the construction of a new 800,000 tonnes per year plant in the Sozak district of Kazakhstan's Turkestan region.

The nuclear market will be able to respond as it transitions away from the oversupply of recent years - but decisions to increase capacity in the front-end of the fuel cycle will need to be taken soon, according to speakers at World Nuclear Fuel Cycle 2023.

Recent geopolitical events have focused world attention on the importance of energy security and the vital role that nuclear can play in providing clean, reliable energy. This is causing momentum to build in both nuclear generation plans and the supply chain to support it, said the keynote panellists at the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle 2023 conference in the Netherlands.

The agreement by Canada, France, Japan, the UK and USA to leverage their civil nuclear power sectors to ensure a stable supply of nuclear fuel for existing and future reactors came as G7 climate, energy and environment ministers concluded a two-day meeting with a promise to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels.
 

Cameco and Energoatom have signed the last agreement needed for the implementation of a programme to export all of Ukraine's uranium production for processing in Canada to produce fuel for Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Doosan Enerbility have signed a KRW2.9 trillion (USD2.3 billion) contract for the supply of the main equipment for units 3 and 4 of the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant, South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced. Construction of the units - plans for which were suspended in 2017 - is due to begin next year.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden have pledged to coordinate efforts to develop secure and reliable nuclear fuel supply chains in North America and build partnerships to help ensure access to low-enriched uranium. They will launch a one-year task force to accelerate cooperation on critical clean energy opportunities and supply chains, and Canada is to join a US-led programme to support small modular reactors.

Cambridge, Ontario-based nuclear engineering firm BWX Technologies has been contracted by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to provide engineering analysis, design support, manufacturing and procurement preparations for the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for the BWRX-300 small modular reactor.

Small modular reactor developer NuScale Power has placed its first upper reactor pressure vessel long-lead material production order with Doosan Enerbility. The order is for materials essential to commence manufacturing of the first NuScale Power Modules that are scheduled to be in commercial operation at the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems' Carbon Free Power Project.

X-Energy Reactor Company is to build a digital twin-based support centre as the first step in its Commercial Operations Services business to support the initial deployment of its advanced modular reactors. Meanwhile, Energy Northwest is hopeful that X-energy's recent announcement that the first Xe-100 reactor will be installed at a Dow site on the US Gulf Coast will help further plans for its own project in Washington state.

Argentina will export some of the heavy water produced at its re-commissioned Neuquén production plant for scientific and medical purposes. Most of the heavy water will go to support the country's three nuclear power plants. The plant may also be modified to produce clean fuels like ammonia and hydrogen.

The Czech firms ČEZ and Škoda JS say that 4159 plastic and metal parts were produced using a 3D printer over the last year, helping to avoid delays caused by disrupted supply chains and boosting energy independence.