Nuclear Engineering International

Why Nuclear Engineering International is the first choice for civil nuclear power professionals

Published continuously since 1956, Nuclear Engineering International provides technical insight behind the news headlines for all aspects of civil nuclear power generation and its related supply chains.

News, analysis and in-depth articles cover topics from frontend fuel cycle to power plant operations and decommissioning. In addition to technical subjects, we also examine market developments, economics, government policy and management issues. Nuclear Engineering International is a media partner for key conferences and exhibitions, allowing the opportunity for brand partnerships.

Nuclear Engineering International bridges the gap between the boardroom and the shop floor, attracting utility executives, managers, craft personnel, consultants, contractors and other interested parties. We attract audiences from well-established nuclear markets, and also nuclear newcomers. In addition to the power generation industry community, we are also followed by government bodies, national and international associations, and environmental groups.

October 2024

Cover story • The two Arabelle steam turbine trains at Hinkley Point C feature 1.8m-long last stage blades in the Low Pressure modules, the longest such blades ever made. Special report • Political and social considerations may outweigh economic and technical factors in nuclear outcomes Waste management • Sellafield wants to use autonomous transport to allow it to make daily movements of waste around the site. Simulation • The proliferation of new reactor concepts raises the question of how to efficiently develop new ideas into viable demonstrators. Simulation can help. Transportation • In shipping, sail gave way to steam and coal gave way to oil. Lloyd’s Register finds nuclear could transform the industry in the same way. Digital & IT • New advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) have the potential to help overcome many of the key challenges faced by the nuclear sector

September 2024

Cover story • Backed with government funding, work has begun on a commercial HALEU enrichment facility. NEi spoke with Urenco’s Magnus Mori about the project and its progress Special report • Combining nuclear and solar PV offers a wealth of economic opportunities. In addition though, deploying solar could actually make nuclear safer SMRs & Advanced reactors • The challenge of managing problematic radioactive waste has prompted research into scaling up encapsulaent technology to deliver a low-carbon, low-cost scalable solution New build • Building a nuclear facility often also means building accommodation and recreational facilities too. What are the options? Plant life extension • An NRC staff assessment of alternatives to a licence extension at the North Anna nuclear power plant shows that renewables lose out because of their land requirements Operations & maintenance • Discovery of a failed weld on a lower plenum support within the reactor pressure vessel of Atucha II prompted the development of new remotely operated tools

August 2024

Cover story • A snapshot of the global fusion industry reveals a shift in the investment profile. NEi spoke with industry association CEO Andrew Holland about what the numbers reveal Special report • Artificial intelligence offers specific and transformational opportunities to the nuclear industry to rapidly deploy clean energy assets and reduce the costs SMRs & Advanced reactors • With the next steps on the UK’s SMR competition now underway a decision of which technologies to take forward is expected before then end of the year New build • Building a nuclear facility often also means building accommodation and recreational facilities too. What are the options? Plant life extension • A look at the first-of-its-kind endeavour to replace the primary recirculation piping at units 1 & 2 of the Tarapur Atomic Power Plant in India Training & recruitment • In nuclear installations, the skill requirements for first aid are higher than almost any other industry, making first aid training for all staff a vital consideration

July 2024

Cover story • Like many energy infrastructure developments nuclear projects are often over-budget and long-delayed. A new project management model is needed to address this. Special report • Spotting an opportunity, NANO Nuclear Energy came up with not one but two microreactor designs. CEO James Walker tells NEi about their low-risk strategy. Instrumentation & control • A trial of a relatively sparse array of high temperature permanently installed ultrasonic transducers detected crack-like defects. The technology holds considerable promise. Waste management • Strategic planning tools such as Data Quality Objectives (DQO) help to clearly map out lifecycle requirements associated with nuclear waste management. Plant life extension • One of the keys to a successful life extension programme for nuclear power plants is the modelling and simulation processes required to support nuclear risk assessments. Policy & finance • A new IEA electricity market report shows how underlying market fundamentals point to continued growth in new nuclear capacity.

June 2024

Cover story • What is the role of AI in the nuclear industry? In one example, AI is being used to help nuclear operators write safety cases more quickly and more reliably. Special report • In the wake of the Biden administration’s ban on imports of Russian low-enriched uranium, NEI finds out how it has affected the industry. Life extension • Dresden Units 2 and 3 licences have already been extended once, and now Constellation Energy is seeking a ‘subsequent’ licence extension that would add a further 20 years. We take a look at the expanded commitments this entails. Safety & security • Climate change means going beyond bigger walls to ensure adequate flood protection for critical plant systems. SMRs & Advanced reactors • A deep dive into the Copenhagen Atomics molten salt SMR, a new nuclear reactor design that promises to be dramatically cheaper than existing technologies. Policy & finance • Nuclear technology could provide Canada with multiple economic and climate benefits if the country’s leaders can stay the course

May 2024

Heart of glass: Vitrification and Hanford’s legacy waste In this issue: Cover story Clean-up operations at the huge Hanford site in the US state of Washington are set to move into a new phase, in which long-lived waste will be vitrified in a new Waste Treatment Plant. Special report Novel materials can be used to reveal very visible evidence of tampering with nuclear storage casks, technologies or materials. SMRs & Advanced reactors A detailed exploration of the terrestrial version of Rosatom’s marine reactor. The RITM-200N reactor aims to deliver all the benefits of the marine design for remote land-based applications. Fuel & fuel cycle Enriched uranium hexafluoride (UF6) is considered one of the main input materials for future fuel production plants. Power plant cooling Recent improvements in reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC) emergency cooling pump technology are designed to ensure that nuclear power stations can continue operating safely during extreme events. Nuclear medicine With demand rapidly increasing, multiple initiatives are underway worldwide to boost the production of cobolt-60 for use in medical equipment sterilisation applications.

April 2024

New nuclear business: Building a business beyond baseload In this issue: Cover story With its low-carbon credentials, nuclear has clear strengths in the emerging energy industry but it has to join forces with complementary sources if it is to win customer business in future and become more than a simple baseload backstop. Special report The continued upward pressure on uranium prices shows little sign of slowing as market drivers and geopolitical events continue to shape the price profile. These price trends give every indication that the drive to develop new nuclear generation capacity will continue. SMRs & Advanced reactors There’s no doubt that data centres represent a source of surging energy demand. A new report argues that matching them with SMRs offers significant advantages to both sectors that could usher in a new industrial age. Decommissioning A research project is expected to address a substantial waste management challenge in nuclear decommissioning by effectively sorting molten metals to extract the radioactive elements. Reactor design The eVinci microreactor is a 5 MWe package that is expected to deliver a lot of market punch when it begins commercial roll out in just a few years. Westinghouse’s Eddie Saab talks to NEi about the reactor. Supply chain The nuclear industry gathered at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna for an event, entitled “For More Women in Nuclear” as part of the Agency’s measures to attract more women to the sector. NEi was there.

March 2024

Problem ponds: Pooling resources on decontamination costs In this issue: Cover story How collaborating on legacy pond effluent treatment research is helping Sellafield cut its waste management cost by exploring radionuclide, mineral and microbial behaviour in waste pond environments and during treatment processes. Special report As the conflict in Ukraine and the occupation of the Zaporizhia nuclear plant crosses into its third year what lessons can be learned and what realistic plans for the future can be achieved? Fuel & fuel cycle Enrichment company Urenco has published its net zero strategy setting out its ambitious plans. Chris Pye tells NEi about the challenges and early successes. Balance of plant The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has published ‘lessons learned’ from its inspection programme of power operated valves in US nuclear plants. Non-destructive evaluation Widely used in the nuclear power industry for routine maintenance, asset management and in-service assessments, the NDE industry is constantly evolving. Reactor design For more than 70 years the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been at the forefront of reactor research. Associate Laboratory Director Dr Jess C. Gehin tells NEi about the cutting edge.

February 2024

Getting to grips with graphite: Solving a major waste management challenge In this issue: Cover story Used in more than 100 nuclear reactors approximately 250,000 tonnes of irradiated graphite have now accumulated worldwide. How can the world address this challenge? Special report The Dalton Nuclear Institute is a longstanding UK partnership between industry and academia focussed on decommissioning. Its director Francis Livens talks to NEi. Decontamination & Decommissioning Tasked with stripping a large uranium vessel of its rubber liner for decommissioning, 3-D tooling proved to be a safe and effective solution. SMRs Rosatom already commands a substantial slice of the GW-scale nuclear power plant export market. Now it is focusing on the small and micro reactor sector too. Instrumentation & control Withstanding a nuclear plant’s notoriously radioactive and hazardous environment means adopting mesh networking to support the increasing use of robots in nuclear environments. Reactor design Innovative Nuclear Reactors & Fuel Cycles (INPRO) is an IAEA programme designed to ensure that nuclear contributes to global energy needs beyond the 21st century.

January 2024

Lessons in life extension: The licence renewal process at Diablo Canyon In this issue: Cover story Diablo Canyon has won a reprieve from closure and the potential to operate until the mid 2040s. Now its life extension application is under assessment by the NRC. Special report Accident Tolerant Fuels are seen to offer both safety and economic benefits. Although some designs are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, progress is always positive. Waste management The system of governance for nuclear materials generates huge volumes of data. Now, blockchain technology may help to address a major data challenge. SMRs Taking stock of the changing discourse on SMRs shows they may or may not prove to be a successful standalone technology, but their promise goes much wider than that. Regional review Investment analysis suggests the mood music is positive for Europe’s nuclear sector as the push for a low-carbon energy system gathers pace. Business development It is beginning to feel inevitable that many nations will include nuclear energy, but to do so at a palatable cost means a laser-like focus the right project management strategy.

December 2023

Idaho National Laboratory is fast tracking development of the MARVEL microreactor. With the clock ticking in the run up to net zero emissions, synfuels are seen as a key plank in the energy transition. The need to expand nuclear waste disposal sites and reduce costs has prompted the UK government to question some longstanding assumptions on waste management

November 2023

With new demand on the horizon uranium enrichment company Urenco is building production capacity. Former Soviet Union uranium mining sites across the Central Asia represent a significant risk. What progress has been made on remediation? Initial trials of a proprietary geopolymer technology demonstrate a 40% increase in sludge waste incorporation.

October 2023

The solution to the cost-effective delivery of nuclear power is to adopt a modular approach to designing and building them. The Philippines is looking at developing substantially more nuclear capacity. Deciding what to do with the UK’s plutonium is a challenging decision that will require a comprehensive assessment.

September 2023

Nuclear’s low carbon story will be boosted as cross-industry initiatives start to take out the remaining carbon burden of generating and delivering power. Negative power prices are a growing trend across Europe, but what does that mean for nuclear power? A detailed model for the deployment of small reactors in microgrid settings.

August 2023

Belgium has decided to reverse a decision to close its nuclear reactor fleet. The number of nuclear reactors is increasing in Asia and decreasing in Western Europe and North America. Russia’s nuclear sector development continues but its longer-term prospects remain cloudy.

July 2023

With the commissioning of Vogtle Unit 3, the USA has completed its first new reactor in decades. As its operating life comes to an end, the Joint European Torus is becoming a focus for new ways of working. The US Department of Energy can be more effective in helping to commercialise advanced nuclear energy technologies.

2024 Audience :

We continue to invest heavily in the circulation of NEI and have created a highly engaged subscription base, and then a wider multimedia audience to ensure an industry-leading circulation.

Copies are sent to subscribers by name and our audience comprises of all the key decision makers in the power generation industries. In light of COVID-19, we now distribute the majority of our-hard copies to people’s home addresses, which means the magazine is read by every subscriber regardless of whether they are working from the office or at home.

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Weekly Newsletter :

Each week the NEI newsletter is sent out to 24,000 digital subscribers. Covering the latest news, technologies and projects on a weekly basis the newsletter recipients also receive the latest digital version of the magazine also.

LinkedIn :

We manage the ‘Nuclear Engineering International’ page on LinkedIn which is a specialist network of 20,000 (and counting) civil nuclear power professionals. With daily posts and updates, as well as the latest industry data, it is a great way to engage the sector daily.

Twitter / X followers :

We manager the ‘Nuclear Eng magazine’ twitter page which is a daily feed of the latest publication and industry news. The ‘Nuclear Eng magazine’ twitter page has over 9,000 follower

Distribution :

Editorial Calendar

NEI offers the most comprehensive editorial coverage for nuclear power sectors. This year we will be running the following editorial focuses :

JANUARY

Steam generators
Radwaste management
Safety & security
Fuel & fuel cycle
Transportation

FEBRUARY
WM2024, PHOENIX

Decontamination & decommissioning
Instrumentation & control
Fusion
Training & recruitment
Fuel & fuel cycle

MARCH

Radiation monitoring & ALARA
Power plant design
Supply chain
Focus on Europe

APRIL
WORLD ENERGY CONGRESS, ROTTERDAM
RAMTRANS 2024, LONDON
THE NORDIC NUCLEAR FORUM CONFERENCE, FINLAND

NDE & inspection, diagnostics & robotics
Power market developments
Plant aging & life management
Safety & security
SMRs and advanced reactors

MAY
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON NUCLEAR SECURITY, VIENNA

Fuel & fuel cycle
Condition monitoring
Power plant cooling
Improving performance
Decontamination & decommissioning

JUNE

Upgrading & uprating
Outage management and O&M
Emerging markets
Balance of plants

JULY

New build
Radiation monitoring & ALARA
Decontamination & decommissioning
Transportation

AUGUST

Repair & maintenance
SMRs and advanced reactors
Plant ageing & life management
Focus on Asia
Fusion

SEPTEMBER
WORLD UTILITIES CONGRESS,
ABU DHABI
WORLD NUCLEAR SYMPOSIUM 23,
LONDON

Fuel review
Fuel design data
Balance of plant
Radwaste management

OCTOBER
ICOND, AACHEN

Instrumentation & control
Simulators
Power plant design
Robotics & remote technology
Decontamination & decommissioning

NOVEMBER

Transportation
Water Chemistry
Research reactors
Focus o USA & Canada
SMRs and advanced reactors

DECEMBER

Radwaste management
IT and digital developments
Radiation management & ALARA
Asset management