Candu Energy signs expanded agreement with China National Nuclear

Candu Energy has entered into an expanded agreement with three subsidiaries of China National Nuclear Corp. for the development of recycled uranium and thorium as alternative fuels for its new CANDU reactors located at the Qinshan site, about 150km southwest of Shanghai.

The expanded agreement was signed between the Candu Energy and Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Company, China North Nuclear Fuel, and Nuclear Power Institute of China following the demonstration tests that concluded feasibility of using natural uranium equivalent (NUE) fuel in CANDU reactors.

NUE fuel consists of recycled uranium and depleted uranium.

Candu Chief Nuclear Engineer Frank Yee said CANDU technology can make a major contribution to reducing China’s dependence on imported nuclear fuel resources.

"China has abundant thorium resources, and can use recycled uranium in the most efficient and cost effective manner in our commercially proven reactor designs with minimal changes," Yee added.

By the end of the 24-month contract a detailed conceptual design of the Advanced Fuel CANDU Reactor (AFCR) is expected to be prepared. AFCR, an evolution of the CANDU 6 and Generation III Enhanced CANDU 6 is optimised to use recycled uranium and thorium fuel.

Candu Marketing & Business Development senior vice president Ala Alizadeh said, "At the completion of the agreement, we expect to have the basis of a pre-project agreement for two AFCR units in China, including site allocation and the definition of the licensing basis."

All the parties involved in the agreement are now working on a project to convert the Qinshan CANDU reactor units to full core use of NUE fuel by 2014.

Canada based Candu Energy is a full-service nuclear technology company.