Nuclear power

Australia said on Monday it had signed a deal to allow the exchange of nuclear secrets and material with the United States and Britain, a key step toward equipping its navy with nuclear-powered submarines.

It binds the three countries to security arrangements for the transfer of sensitive U.S. and U.K. nuclear material and knowhow as part of the tripartite 2021 AUKUS security accord.

The Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Bulgaria is set to embark on a significant transition as it begins the process of replacing Russian nuclear fuel with American fuel from Westinghouse. The transition, scheduled to commence in May, will involve the loading of 43 cartridges of Westinghouse fuel into the reactor core of the fifth unit of the Kozloduy NPP.

The Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA) has greenlit the phased transition to a new type of nuclear fuel for Unit 5 of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), manufactured by Westinghouse. The approval signals a significant milestone for the plant, with the changeover process expected to span four years.

This article was produced by Tanjug in collaboration with European news agencies as part of the European Newsroom (ENR) project.

BRUSSELS - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with European Commission Executive Vice-President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight Maros Sefcovic in Brussels on Thursday to discuss current sustainability of energy systems, the contribution of nuclear power and other topics.

BUDAPEST - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Tuesday she would hold a separate meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto to discuss the construction of a 128 km Serbian-Hungarian oil pipeline estimated to cost around 150 mln euros.

European Union member states showed their divisions on nuclear energy policy on Monday, with one camp led by France promoting the technology and another, led by Austria and Germany, and signed by Greece and another 12 countries, pushing to prioritise renewable energy sources instead.

Amidst concerns surrounding energy security and the transition away from Russian nuclear fuel, the executive director of Bulgaria's Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Valentin Nikolov, has reassured the public that there is no risk of operational disruptions.

The Nuclear Regulation Agency (NRA) has officially granted Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) a permit for the storage of fresh RWFA-type nuclear fuel produced by Westinghouse, according to an announcement on January 24. This development marks a crucial step in the plant's efforts to diversify its sources of nuclear fuel and enhance operational flexibility.

The price of uranium has been on the rise, driven by constrained supply and accelerating demand, against a backdrop of renewed interest in nuclear power.

The benchmark contract for uranium oxide which, once enriched, is used as nuclear fuel, rose to $85.75 a pound (around 450 grams) on Dec. 15 for the first time since January 2007.