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The preliminary design of X-energy's TRISO-X Fuel Fabrication Facility to produce tri-structural isotropic fuel on a commercial scale has now been completed, X-energy and Centrus ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Corp announced today. The companies have also signed a contract for nuclear fuel and services provider Centrus to continue its work as the project enters its next phase.

Lightbridge Ltd has completed work to design an experiment for the irradiation of samples of its metallic fuel material in the Advanced Test Reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory. The work was carried out in collaboration with INL under the US Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear voucher programme and marks a milestone towards testing of the material in the reactor.

The loading of all 241 fuel assemblies into the core of unit 1 at the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant in South Korea has been completed, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power announced. The unit - the first of two APR-1400 reactors at the site - is scheduled to enter commercial operation in mid-2022 following tests at various power levels to ensure that all systems operate safely as designed.

Russia has developed a new process line for  manufacturing the zirconium sponge needed for nuclear fuel assemblies. A new facility to make the substance has been launched by Rosatom subsidiary TVEL at its Chepetsky Mechanical Plant.

Rosenergoatom has begun unloading used fuel from the Leningrad 2 reactor in Russia. Partially used fuel assemblies will be used in units 3 and 4 at the plant during their final years of operation.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories has completed a three-year project to refuel a Slowpoke-2 nuclear reactor used by the Royal Military College of Canada for professional development and academic research. The project will enable the reactor, which first came online in 1985, to operate for another 30 years.

Terrestrial ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß has signed an agreement with Orano for the supply of nuclear fuel for its Integral Molten Salt Reactor. The agreement is part of Terrestrial's multiple-sourcing strategy and follows the announcement last month of a similar partnership with Westinghouse and the UK's National Nuclear Laboratory.

Congress needs to take action to break the impasse over a permanent solution for commercial used nuclear fuel, according to a report from the US Government Accountability Office. The report identifies four matters for congressional consideration - including amending legislation to authorise a new consent-based siting process and restructuring the Nuclear Waste Fund - and recommends that the Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß finalise its consent-based siting process.

Advanced fuel assemblies have begun an operational trial at Russia's Rostov nuclear power plant. Fuel manufacturer TVEL said if successful they would provide a higher level of performance and safety. "Fuel irradiation in a commercial reactor is an important step for the further commercialisation of this product," said Natalia Nikipelova, president of TVEL, adding: "It is symbolic that this milestone is achieved when TVEL celebrates its 25th anniversary."

Recycled REMIX nuclear fuel has passed a five-year operational test in Russia and is ready for pilot operation, Rosatom fuel subsidiary TVEL has said. REMIX is designed to reduce uranium consumption and close the fuel cycle using mainstream light-water reactors.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a licence to Interim Storage Partners LLC to construct and operate a consolidated interim storage facility for used nuclear fuel in Andrews, Texas. Interim Storage Partners is a joint venture of Waste Control Specialists LLC and Orano USA.

Investment funds are shaping the uranium spot market leading to an unprecedented level of demand. How those funds will affect the availability of secondary supplies of uranium to consumers remains to be seen, and the spot market should not be seen as a reliable source for significant purchases of uranium ore in the long term, according to speakers and panellists at ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear Association Annual Symposium 2021.