During the fabrication of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel elements at 5% plutonium oxide enrichment a rod was detached from the insertion device and was therefore incompletely inserted in the squeleton. During the next operations, the rod was broken by mechanical interaction with a tool. The workshop was contaminated by plutonium oxide. Eight workers were slightly contaminated externally; one of them was contaminated internally but at a level less than the limit. As the scale extension for non reactor is no yet implemented, no official rating is available. An officious rating at level 2 was approved by the Belgian Authority, under defense in depth. This is based on IV.5.2.1.2 (MOX fuel) taking account of the loss of one important barrier. No additional factor has to be applied.
An analysis by the Norwegian NGO Bellona of transborder trade operations with the customs code 840130 (irradiated fuel assemblies or fuel elements) show a more than twofold increase of import to EU countries of fresh nuclear fuel in cash terms – from 280 million Euros in 2022 to 686 million Euros in 2023. In physical […]
The French government has said it is "seriously" studying the option of building a plant to convert and enrich reprocessed uranium to cut its reliance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The only plant in the world that currently converts reprocessed uranium for use in nuclear power plants is in Russia. "The option of […]
Jan vd Putte quickly changed from dressing as the pied piper at the protest during the IAEA nuclear power conference to warn for the Russian nuclear power conglomerate Rosatom and its role in Ukraine.
Anke Herold, Executive Director Oeko-Institut, Freiburg (Germany), in Brussels about the claim to triple nuclear by 2050: IPCC scenarios vs forecast development of nuclear.