The Democratic Party of Japan at long last has uttered words of
self-reflection over its manifesto for the 2009 House of Representatives
election.
The party said, "We were arrogant to believe we could do everything
if we came to power and immature as we didn't realize the severity of
steering the government."
This humble stance marked an about-face from its past position. This
change appears to reflect its concern over the uphill battle it faces
in the next lower house election.
The party held meetings in Osaka and Fukuoka on Saturday to report
on its self-examination of the manifesto. "While reflecting on it, we
want to put together a more realistic manifesto that can be carried out
as promised," Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said.
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Reactor reuses nuclear waste (Thorium Reactor)
Two Massachusetts Institute of
Technology doctoral candidates are designing a nuclear power plant that
would convert nuclear waste from conventional reactors into electricity —
a plant you could walk away from, they said, without the risk of a
radioactive leak like the meltdown last year that crippled parts of
Japan.
Leslie Dewan and Mark Massie, co-founders of Transatomic Power, have developed the WAMSR, or Waste-Annihilating Molten Salt Reactor, a 400- to 500-megawatt plant that would convert high-level nuclear waste into electric power, at a price competitive with fossil fuels.
“About two years ago, we got really excited about nuclear power because we saw so much potential in the industry to improve the design of reactors and stretch the limits of the technology,” said Dewan, 27.
Read More...
Leslie Dewan and Mark Massie, co-founders of Transatomic Power, have developed the WAMSR, or Waste-Annihilating Molten Salt Reactor, a 400- to 500-megawatt plant that would convert high-level nuclear waste into electric power, at a price competitive with fossil fuels.
“About two years ago, we got really excited about nuclear power because we saw so much potential in the industry to improve the design of reactors and stretch the limits of the technology,” said Dewan, 27.
Read More...
US technology to be used in UAE nuclear plant
Abu Dhabi: The US technical knowledge will
be involved in the construction of the first-ever nuclear power plant in
the UAE to be built at Baraka in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, US
Ambassador to the UAE told Gulf News in an interview.
“Westinghouse’s technology
will be used in the UAE nuclear project as the Korean company has a
collaboration with Westinghouse,” Michael H. Corbin said on the
sidelines of the ongoing Abu Dhabi Petroleum Exhibition & Conference
(Adipec-2012) in the capital. Corbin did not elaborate.
Emirates Nuclear Energy
Corporation (Enec), the body in charge of developing the UAE’s nuclear
programme, has selected a site 75 kilometres from the Saudi border on
the Emirates Road, for the construction of the country’s first four
nuclear plants.
Read More...
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IAEA to complete operational safety review of Rajasthan nuclear plants on Wednesday
International Atomic Energy Association’s (IAEA) 12-member
operational safety review team (OSART) would complete on Wednesday its
operational safety performance of 3&4 units of Rajasthan Atomic
Power Stations (RAPS). This is IAEA’s 171 st OSART review across the
globe since the programme´s inception in 1982 and first of any nuclear
power plant in India.
India’s all 20 nuclear plants have undergone peer review earlier by international experts from the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). At present RAPS consist of 8 units including two units of 700 MW each under construction and generating a total of 1,140 MW.
RAPS 3&4 site director JP Gupta told Business Standard “IAEA team headed by Miroslav Nipar has been carrying out its review since October 29. The team was here at the invitation of the Government of India.” He informed in OSART missions, the IAEA coordinates internationally-based teams of experts who conduct reviews of operational safety performance at nuclear power plants.
According to Gupta, the OSART mission has reviewed good practices launched by RAPS 3&4 and it would suggest improvements further improve operational safety. He said two units of 220 MW each were in operation since 2000.
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India’s all 20 nuclear plants have undergone peer review earlier by international experts from the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). At present RAPS consist of 8 units including two units of 700 MW each under construction and generating a total of 1,140 MW.
RAPS 3&4 site director JP Gupta told Business Standard “IAEA team headed by Miroslav Nipar has been carrying out its review since October 29. The team was here at the invitation of the Government of India.” He informed in OSART missions, the IAEA coordinates internationally-based teams of experts who conduct reviews of operational safety performance at nuclear power plants.
According to Gupta, the OSART mission has reviewed good practices launched by RAPS 3&4 and it would suggest improvements further improve operational safety. He said two units of 220 MW each were in operation since 2000.
Read More...
UPDATE 1-PG&E CA Diablo Canyon 2 reactor reduced to 55 pct
Nov 13 (Reuters) - PG&E Corp's 1,118-megawatt Unit 2 at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California was reduced to 55 percent power by early Tuesday from 85 percent on Monday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a report.
Output was reduced to allow workers to clean the unit's water intake tunnel and work was expected to take several days, a company spokesman said.
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NRC reviews Exelon nuke plant after Sandy
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission began a special
inspection Tuesday of the nation's oldest nuclear power plant, looking
into how it decided when to issue an alert as floodwaters from
Superstorm Sandy rose nearby.
"Nevertheless, there are certain observations involving procedures and on-site activities that surfaced during the event warranting a closer look," said Bill Dean, the NRC administrator for the region including Oyster Creek. He added that there were no immediate safety concerns.
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Friday, November 9, 2012
Palisades nuclear power plant standing upgraded by federal regulators
The decision to upgrade the plant's standing comes after a nine-member team investigated the plant over 11 days in September. The team was charged with looking at many issues, including whether the safety culture at the plant has improved.
The NRC said Entergy, the company that owns Palisades, has made improvements and addressed deficiencies, but that the plant will have another 1,000 hours of inspections performed in 2013, in addition to the 2,000 hours required annually. This is because of several leaks at the plant this year, including one in the containment building. NRC spokeswoman Viktoria Mitlyng said the extra hours were imposed to ensure the changes that have been made are continued into the next year.
“While the licensee has demonstrated satisfactory resolution of the most significant risk issues and we have no immediate safety concerns, other issues, such as the leaks that came to light during this year, continue to occur,” Charles Casto, Midwest administrator for the NRC, said in a statement.
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Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project to start production by first week of December
He said enriched uranium has been fed in the core of the vessel and the lid was closed. "Now, the vessel is being pressurised. After that trial run will start. That will go for about 20 days. Thereafter the production is likely to start. Probably in the end of November or first week of December," he told PTI here in an interview.
Citing letters from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on power shortage, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office said the "entire 1,000 MW (of power from the plant) has to be given to Tamil Nadu".
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Berwick nuclear reactor shut down after computer error
The Unit 2 reactor at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant was shut down earlier today because a computer system that controls the reactor's water level was not functioning properly, the company said in a press release on its web site.
Operators manually shut down the reactor when they identified the malfunction, and plant systems responded as designed. Susquehanna employees are investigating the reason for the loss of the computer system.
"Our operators are well-trained to manage situations like this," Timothy S. Rausch, PPL Susquehanna senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, said in the release. "All systems are functioning as expected to keep the unit in a safe condition."
Read More...
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Russia To Finance Vietnam's First Nuclear Power Plant
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced that Russia is to lend Vietnam some $10 billion to build that country's first nuclear power plant.
Medvedev made the announcement on a visit to Hanoi where he is holding talks on boosting trade ties.
Medvedev also said the two countries have decided to start negotiations on a free trade agreement.
He said bilateral trade could reach $7 billion by 2015, up from less some $2 billion in 2011.
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Feds deny group's request for San Onofre nuclear plant license amendment
Friends of the Earth said the license granted to Southern California Edison (SCE), which operates the plant, should have been amended when new generators were installed two years ago.
The group claims those new generators were a different type of design than what was in the original operating permit for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).
But the NRC turned down the petition.
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Amano: Nuclear power safer than before 3/11
NEW YORK — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog
says nuclear power is safer than before the 2011 meltdown crisis started
at the Fukushima No. 1 atomic plant, now that countries have upped
preparedness for natural disasters.
Yukiya Amano, director general of the
International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a statement to a U.N.
General Assembly meeting Monday that "measures have been taken to
improve protection against extreme hazards such as earthquakes and
tsunami."
Amano said the IAEA projects a steady
increase in nuclear power plants in the next 20 years, with China,
India, South Korea and Russia having planned "significant expansions" of
their atomic programs.
Unit 1 at Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant Returns to Service
BERWICK, Pa., Nov. 7, 2012 --
/PRNewswire/ -- Unit 1 at PPL Corporation's Susquehanna nuclear power
plant in Luzerne County, Pa., resumed generating electricity for the
regional power grid
safely and reliably on Wednesday (11/7) after completing a turbine
blade inspection. The inspection found signs of cracking on a small
number of turbine blades, confirming data from diagnostic equipment
installed in the spring of 2012. Those blades were replaced.
"The inspection was another step in what has been a very systematic approach to understand what's causing the cracks," said Timothy S. Rausch, PPL Susquehanna senior vice president and chief nuclear officer. "We now have a solid understanding of the cause and are finalizing short-term and long-term plans to resolve the issue."
PPL Susquehanna also announced it will shut down Unit 2 for a similar inspection in the near future based on information provided by the diagnostic equipment installed on that unit, and will replace any cracked blades that may be found on the turbine. The work done this fall will serve as a bridge until the power plant begins making long-term fixes starting in the spring of 2013.
Read More...
"The inspection was another step in what has been a very systematic approach to understand what's causing the cracks," said Timothy S. Rausch, PPL Susquehanna senior vice president and chief nuclear officer. "We now have a solid understanding of the cause and are finalizing short-term and long-term plans to resolve the issue."
PPL Susquehanna also announced it will shut down Unit 2 for a similar inspection in the near future based on information provided by the diagnostic equipment installed on that unit, and will replace any cracked blades that may be found on the turbine. The work done this fall will serve as a bridge until the power plant begins making long-term fixes starting in the spring of 2013.
Read More...
Iran's first nuclear power plant to go online in early 2013, says energy minister
Iran's first nuclear power plant will become fully operational by early 2013, its energy minister was quoted as saying, more than two months after Russia said it was up and running normally following decades of delay.
The plant near the town of Bushehr on Iran's Gulf coast is a symbol of what Tehran says is its peaceful nuclear ambitions. The West suspects the Islamic Republic is seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability and imposed tough sanctions on it.
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Czechs to rely more on nuclear energy
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas says his government is finalizing a plan
to dramatically increase the country's nuclear power production.
PRAGUE —
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas says his government is finalizing a plan to dramatically increase the country's nuclear power production.
Under the plan, at least two more reactors would be built at the Temelin nuclear plant and another at the Dukovany plant, both located near the border with Austria.
The Czech Republic's current six nuclear reactors produce a third of its electricity. Necas said Thursday the government wants that output to increase to at least 50 percent.
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PRAGUE —
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas says his government is finalizing a plan to dramatically increase the country's nuclear power production.
Under the plan, at least two more reactors would be built at the Temelin nuclear plant and another at the Dukovany plant, both located near the border with Austria.
The Czech Republic's current six nuclear reactors produce a third of its electricity. Necas said Thursday the government wants that output to increase to at least 50 percent.
Read More...
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Two nuclear plants shut down: eight million left without power
More than 8.1 million homes and businesses were left without electric
power across the eastern United States Tuesday with superstorm Sandy
still moving across the region, the US government said. The most
extensive outages were reported in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania
where millions were plunged into darkness by the storm, the US
Department of Energy said.
"As of 9:00 am EDT October 30, the impacted states report a total of 8,114,433 customers without power in the affected areas," it said. New Jersey was hardest hit with 2.5 million outages, New York 1.96 million, and Pennsylvania 1.26 million. In all, 17 states and the District of Columbia reported storm-related outages. Meanwhile, two US nuclear power plants were shut down early Tuesday in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, but the plant operators stressed there were no risks to the public. New Jersey's main power company PSEG Nuclear shut down its Salem 1 unit on the Delaware river, saying most of its water circulation pumps had been rendered unusable "due to weather impacts".
PSEG said it manually shut down the 1,175 MW unit, but said there were "no issues" in the shutdown and the facility was "currently stable." The Salem 2 unit was already offline for maintenance when the storm hit, and PSEG said another nearby nuclear unit, Hope Creek, remains operating at full power.
Read More...
"As of 9:00 am EDT October 30, the impacted states report a total of 8,114,433 customers without power in the affected areas," it said. New Jersey was hardest hit with 2.5 million outages, New York 1.96 million, and Pennsylvania 1.26 million. In all, 17 states and the District of Columbia reported storm-related outages. Meanwhile, two US nuclear power plants were shut down early Tuesday in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, but the plant operators stressed there were no risks to the public. New Jersey's main power company PSEG Nuclear shut down its Salem 1 unit on the Delaware river, saying most of its water circulation pumps had been rendered unusable "due to weather impacts".
PSEG said it manually shut down the 1,175 MW unit, but said there were "no issues" in the shutdown and the facility was "currently stable." The Salem 2 unit was already offline for maintenance when the storm hit, and PSEG said another nearby nuclear unit, Hope Creek, remains operating at full power.
Read More...
Nuclear Plants Withstand Hurricane Sandy
Indian Point 2, FitzPatrick and Pilgrim remained at full power while Vermont Yankee reduced power to 88% at the request of ISO New England to help maintain grid stability. Indian Point 3 automatically shut down at 10:41 p.m. Monday as a result of an electrical grid disturbance.
"Nuclear plants are built to exceed the most severe natural forces historically reported for their geographic area," says John Herron, president and CEO of Entergy Nuclear. "And we saw evidence of that again with Hurricane Sandy."
Entergy Nuclear plants began preparations for the storm last week, coordinating activities with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, independent system operators and various state and local government officials.
Critical staff remained dedicated at each site, ready to respond to potential weather impacts.
Read More....
China makes nuclear power development
EIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China has built its first
experimental fast neutron reactor which will help make better use of
the nuclear energy.
The reactor passed official checks on Wednesday after 20 years of developments by Chinese scientists, according to the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE).
Experts organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) conducted examinations on the reactor, the CIAE said.
The experimental fast neutron reactor is regarded as a major breakthrough in China's three-step strategy in developing its nuclear power, namely, from pressurized water reactor, fast neutron reactor, to fusion reactor.
Dubbed as China Experimental Fast Reactor, the development makes China one of a few countries in the world that has experimental, power-generating fast reactors, according to the CIAE.
The experimental fast neutron reactor, with nuclear heat power of 65 megawatts and a power-generating capacity of 20 megawatts, is a large fast reactor power plant in terms of layout and reference. Its safety requirements have reached those of a fourth-generation nuclear power plant.
According to the CIAE, fast neutron reactor is a major type of fourth-generation nuclear power plant, and it sets the direction for the development of such power plants.
A fast reactor can make better use of nuclear energy by increasing the utilization rate of uranium to 60 percent, from the 1 percent utilization rate of a traditional pressurized water reactor.
Read More...
The reactor passed official checks on Wednesday after 20 years of developments by Chinese scientists, according to the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE).
Experts organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) conducted examinations on the reactor, the CIAE said.
The experimental fast neutron reactor is regarded as a major breakthrough in China's three-step strategy in developing its nuclear power, namely, from pressurized water reactor, fast neutron reactor, to fusion reactor.
Dubbed as China Experimental Fast Reactor, the development makes China one of a few countries in the world that has experimental, power-generating fast reactors, according to the CIAE.
The experimental fast neutron reactor, with nuclear heat power of 65 megawatts and a power-generating capacity of 20 megawatts, is a large fast reactor power plant in terms of layout and reference. Its safety requirements have reached those of a fourth-generation nuclear power plant.
According to the CIAE, fast neutron reactor is a major type of fourth-generation nuclear power plant, and it sets the direction for the development of such power plants.
A fast reactor can make better use of nuclear energy by increasing the utilization rate of uranium to 60 percent, from the 1 percent utilization rate of a traditional pressurized water reactor.
Read More...
Nuclear power should be in Florida's portfolio
Nuclear power needs to be a larger part of Florida's energy-supply portfolio, despite the attractive cost of natural gas.
Read More...
Right now, it is the cost
of construction and maintenance of nuclear power plants that is putting
off power companies. They look at natural gas prices, which have fallen
steeply since 2008, and see the way of the future. Natural gas can be
burned to create electricity.
Electric
companies see improvements in natural gas extraction — particularly
through hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" — and must be asking
themselves, "Why bother with nuclear?"
It's
a question that is heard in Florida, particularly because of the
problems at the Crystal River nuclear power plant. Duke Energy owns the
plant, having purchased Progress Energy Florida. Company officials are
discussing with state regulators the likelihood that it will cost as
much as $3.5 billion to repair the plant, which was closed for repairs
in 2009.
The plant was
closed because of cracks in a concrete containment structure. According
to the Tampa Bay Times, workers were trying to replace steam generators
in 2009 when the 42-inch-thick concrete containment structure cracked.
More cracking followed.
Duke
Energy needs approval before it can reopen the plant. Not only will it
cost up to $3.5 billion, but $300 million for up to seven years — all
for energy replacement costs as the structure sits idle.
It's just another cost argument — forget for a moment about regulatory hurdles — against building more nuclear power plants.
But consider this: The Times notes that without Crystal River, Duke
Energy will get 76 percent of its electricity supply from generation
plants using natural gas. That puts both the power supplier and its
Florida customers more at the mercy of the natural gas market.
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Thursday, October 25, 2012
All of Canada’s nuclear reactors running for first time in nearly 20 years
OTTAWA — For the first time in almost two decades, all 20 of Canada’s
nuclear power reactors are supplying electricity to the grid.
The milestone was reached this week when the Point Lepreau reactor was connected to New Brunswick’s electrical grid for the first time in since March 2008.
The controversial refurbishment project to extend the plant’s operational life to 2025 is three years behind schedule and $1 billion over its $1.4-billion budget.
In Ontario, the Bruce Power generating station at Tiverton is now running all eight of its reactors for the first time in 17 years. Bruce’s refurbished Unit 2 reactor was restarted last week and synchronized to the province’s grid, the first time it has seen service since 1995.
The milestone was reached this week when the Point Lepreau reactor was connected to New Brunswick’s electrical grid for the first time in since March 2008.
The controversial refurbishment project to extend the plant’s operational life to 2025 is three years behind schedule and $1 billion over its $1.4-billion budget.
In Ontario, the Bruce Power generating station at Tiverton is now running all eight of its reactors for the first time in 17 years. Bruce’s refurbished Unit 2 reactor was restarted last week and synchronized to the province’s grid, the first time it has seen service since 1995.
Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor to Be Closed
WASHINGTON — The owner of a small nuclear reactor in Wisconsin said Monday that it would close the Kewaunee Power Station early next year because it was unable to find a buyer and the plant was no longer economically viable.
The decision was viewed as an early sign that the wave of retirements of
old generating stations across the Midwest is now stretching from the
coal industry into nuclear power, driven by slack demand for energy and
the low price of natural gas.
After receiving a 20-year extension from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in February 2011 to continue operating
Kewaunee, Dominion, based in Richmond, Va., put the power station up
for sale. At 556 megawatts, it is about half the size of the largest
plants now operating and is the only reactor at the Carlton site,
rendering costs higher per unit of power than sites with two reactors.
Dominion had hoped to buy several reactors in the Midwest that could
share some overhead expenses with Kewaunee, but did not succeed.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, especially in light of how
well the station is running and the dedication of the employees,” said
Thomas F. Farrell II, Dominion’s chairman, president and chief
executive, in a statement. “This decision was based purely on
economics.”
He said nuclear power would be essential to the nation’s energy future —
just in other places. The company owns six other reactors at three
sites, and will take a one-time charge of $281 million for the closure,
which it expects in the spring.
California Probes Shutdown of Edison Nuclear Plant
The California Public Utilities
Commission voted to open an investigation into the causes and
costs of the shutdown of Edison International (EIX)’s San Onofre
nuclear power plant in Southern California.
The regulator “realizes the importance of the San Onofre nuclear plant to the state of California and the consequences of the problems with the plant for ratepayers and for all affected,” Michael R. Peevey, president of the commission, said in an e-mailed statement. “We will look very critically at the utilities’ financial responsibility for the prolonged outage and who should bear those costs.”
Without the nuclear plant, reliable power for San Diego and Los Angeles “is at risk” when demand is high, Neil Millar, an executive director of the California Independent System Operator, said in March. The shutdown has cost Rosemead, California-based Edison $165 million in inspection, repair and replacement power expenses through June 30, according to a July presentation to investors.
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EON, RWE Said to Sell Nuclear JV for About $967 Million
EON AG (EOAN) and RWE AG (RWE), Germany’s two largest utilities, are set to sell their U.K. venture Horizon Nuclear Power to Japan’s Hitachi Ltd. (6501) for about 600 million pounds ($967 million), people familiar with the matter said.
The sale for the venture with government backing to build plants in Wales and western England may be signed in the next few days, according to two people, who asked not to be identified because the negotiations are private. An announcement may come on Oct. 30, one of the people said.
The deal would be a boost for the U.K. government, which is seeking to spur new reactors to replace aging power plants, upgrade grids and cut pollution at a cost of 110 billion pounds. EON and RWE decided to sell Horizon after Germany said it will close all of its reactors following last year’s disaster in Japan, prompting the utilities to pull out of the nuclear industry worldwide. That left the U.K. as one of only three western European nations pursuing new reactors.
Keisaku Shibatani, a spokesman for Hitachi, said the company had put in a bid and declined to comment further. Officials at RWE and EON declined to comment. An official at the U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change said that while the deal was a commercial matter for RWE and EON, there had been strong interest in buying Horizon.
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Cancer risks near seven nuclear sites to be studied
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Federal regulators say a pilot study of cancer
risks posed to residents near seven nuclear power sites in the United
States will update 22-year-old data, but an industry group says the
study won't come up with anything new.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it will study cancer types in infants and the general population near six nuclear power plants and a nuclear-fuel plant for the Navy. The $2 million study is expected to begin in the next three months and continue at least into 2014.
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it will study cancer types in infants and the general population near six nuclear power plants and a nuclear-fuel plant for the Navy. The $2 million study is expected to begin in the next three months and continue at least into 2014.
Read More...
Regulatory chief: Edge on nuclear power shifting to US
U.S. nuclear innovation is on the rise as nuclear heavyweights
Germany and Japan head toward a possible decline in technical expertise,
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairwoman Allison Macfarlane said
Thursday.
After the March 2011 nuclear reactor meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi power plant, Germany decided to phase out nuclear power by 2022. Japan’s government also said it plans to eliminate nuclear power, though it is unclear whether that will materialize.
Curtailing nuclear power in those two leading nuclear nations will “probably” result in a shortage in technical proficiency there, Macfarlane said at a discussion hosted by the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.
“You’re probably not going to see a lot of young people becoming nuclear engineers. And so this is a concern not only to the nuclear industry, but to the regulators because you want to make sure that you have adequate staff to ensure that these facilities operate safely,” she said.
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After the March 2011 nuclear reactor meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi power plant, Germany decided to phase out nuclear power by 2022. Japan’s government also said it plans to eliminate nuclear power, though it is unclear whether that will materialize.
Curtailing nuclear power in those two leading nuclear nations will “probably” result in a shortage in technical proficiency there, Macfarlane said at a discussion hosted by the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.
“You’re probably not going to see a lot of young people becoming nuclear engineers. And so this is a concern not only to the nuclear industry, but to the regulators because you want to make sure that you have adequate staff to ensure that these facilities operate safely,” she said.
Read More...
Saturday, October 20, 2012
“Electric Poverty” and Germany’s Green Energy Disaster
Germany is one of Europe’s most reliable economies and yet its bungled
attempts at switching from reliable nuclear power to “Green Energy” has led to a complete disaster.
And it’s something that we should be paying attention to because Barack
Obama and his band of Goreites have taken us down the same road to
ruin.
Read More...
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Unit 1 at PPL's Susquehanna Nuclear Plant Shut Down for Turbine Inspection
BERWICK, Pa., Oct. 20, 2012 --
/PRNewswire/ -- Operators at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant
safely shut down the Unit 1 reactor Saturday (10/20) to begin an
inspection of turbine blades. The previously announced inspection will
help confirm diagnostic data that is expected to result in a long-term
solution to the issue of turbine blade cracking that was first
identified in 2011.
"The inspections are part of our systematic and deliberate approach to this issue and reflect our deep commitment to safe operations," said Timothy S. Rausch, PPL Susquehanna senior vice president and chief nuclear officer.
"The results of the inspection and ongoing, detailed engineering analysis will help us verify the causes of the cracking and implement both short-term and long-term measures to resolve the cracking issues," Rausch said.
Pending the outcome of the Unit 1 turbine inspection, PPL Susquehanna will determine whether a similar inspection of the Unit 2 turbine is warranted.
PPL Susquehanna is preparing to implement turbine modifications that will provide a long-term solution to the turbine blade cracking issue starting with the scheduled refueling and maintenance outage for Unit 2 in the spring of 2013.
Read More...
"The inspections are part of our systematic and deliberate approach to this issue and reflect our deep commitment to safe operations," said Timothy S. Rausch, PPL Susquehanna senior vice president and chief nuclear officer.
"The results of the inspection and ongoing, detailed engineering analysis will help us verify the causes of the cracking and implement both short-term and long-term measures to resolve the cracking issues," Rausch said.
Pending the outcome of the Unit 1 turbine inspection, PPL Susquehanna will determine whether a similar inspection of the Unit 2 turbine is warranted.
PPL Susquehanna is preparing to implement turbine modifications that will provide a long-term solution to the turbine blade cracking issue starting with the scheduled refueling and maintenance outage for Unit 2 in the spring of 2013.
Read More...
Nuclear power must for low carbon economy: Jeffrey Sachs
New Delhi: Making a strong case for nuclear power, UN Secretary General's special advisor Jeffrey Sachs
today said it is a must that the world economy is transformed to a
low-carbon producer and held that it was a safer source of energy than
coal.
"Nuclear energy provides about 20 per cent of the world's electricity supply right now and I personally find it hard to believe that we can have a transition to a low-carbon economy without nuclear power," Sachs said at an OECD conference here.
Sachs, who is also the Director of Earth Sciences in the Columbia University, said that while the damage of lives caused by nuclear power is "very small", the casualty caused by coal-fired thermal power is "vast".
"The loss of life as a result of the worst incidence in Japan was very very small; on the other hand, what coal-fired plants are doing to kill people and eco-system, not seen, but day-to-day relentlessly, is vast," he said.
Sachs also criticised the new French government for its proclaimed strategy of bringing down the dependence on nuclear power despite putting in place a very high standard of nuclear programme.
"I was very surprised and all the more disheartened with the announcement of the new French government that they are going to scale back its nuclear energy dependence. To my mind, this is a mistake," he said.
"France has created a very effective and high quality safe system and I believe if France scales back and the potential that Germany produces more power with coal, this is not going to be anybody's benefit at the end."
Read More...
"Nuclear energy provides about 20 per cent of the world's electricity supply right now and I personally find it hard to believe that we can have a transition to a low-carbon economy without nuclear power," Sachs said at an OECD conference here.
Sachs, who is also the Director of Earth Sciences in the Columbia University, said that while the damage of lives caused by nuclear power is "very small", the casualty caused by coal-fired thermal power is "vast".
"The loss of life as a result of the worst incidence in Japan was very very small; on the other hand, what coal-fired plants are doing to kill people and eco-system, not seen, but day-to-day relentlessly, is vast," he said.
Sachs also criticised the new French government for its proclaimed strategy of bringing down the dependence on nuclear power despite putting in place a very high standard of nuclear programme.
"I was very surprised and all the more disheartened with the announcement of the new French government that they are going to scale back its nuclear energy dependence. To my mind, this is a mistake," he said.
"France has created a very effective and high quality safe system and I believe if France scales back and the potential that Germany produces more power with coal, this is not going to be anybody's benefit at the end."
Read More...
U.K. Energy Rules to Include Measures Spurring Nuclear
U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Davey
promised to give industry more clarity about power market
reforms due next month, seeking to allay the concerns of
renewable and nuclear power developers that ministers are bogged
down in analysis of the problem.
Davey also suggested he’ll set a target for cutting carbon
emissions in the power industry. That measure has been sought by
companies from wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems A/S (VWS) and
nuclear reactor manufacturer Areva SA (AREVA), as well as his
department’s adviser, the Committee on Climate Change. “We have listened to investors and today have set out further measures to provide the certainty they need,” Davey said in a speech to business leaders today in London. “A strong case has been made by many investors in energy infrastructure for a decarbonisation target range for the power sector. Such a range would make clear our continued commitment to our climate goals.”
The law, published in draft form on May 22, aims to restructure the power market and spur 110 billion pounds ($177 billion) of investment needed for aging power stations and upgrading the grid by 2020. Davey said lawmakers will see his final proposals next month and vote on them by Christmas.
Cameron’s Plan
Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday the government will put into the legislation a measure forcing energy suppliers to charge each customer at the lowest available rate. The surprise proposal was not included in the May 22 draft, which focused on energy supply rather than demand.Cameron’s statement caused “chaos in the energy industry,” Caroline Flint, the shadow energy minister for the opposition Labour Party, said in Parliament today. Neil Bentley, deputy director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said the pace of reform is “frustrating” and risks falling victim to “paralysis by analysis.”
“Let’s stop arguing over the energy mix and focus on attracting investment to create jobs and growth as quickly as possible,” Bentley said. “There is no business case for putting billions of pounds into these long-lived assets if investors cannot see a long-term, stable policy framework. Right now, the policy future looks too much like a blank canvas.”
India gets ready for Kodak moment at Kudankulam nuclear power plant
NEW DELHI: India is set to
cross a major hump in its nuclear power programme with the Kudankulam
plant expected to begin generating power within a month after it goes
critical in the next 10 days, marking an end to prolonged delays due to
local protests and anti-nuclear activism.
The first unit of the Russian-built nuclear plant is close to a landmark moment after post-Fukushima public unease over atomic power and a powerful alliance of church groups and activists threatened to thwart India's ambitious plans to build 20 plants in the 12th Plan.
Kodak moment
With Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa backing the project that will ease the state's power deficit and having faced a Supreme Court scrutiny of the $3 billion plant's safety features, the government is anticipating a Kodak moment when turbines begin to turn at Kudankulam.
Successful commissioning of the Kudankulam unit will help translate the promise of power into tangible benefits that the government hopes will help sway public opinion, particularly in the plant's neighbourhood. It will also pave the way for faster work on nuclear plants planned at Maharashtra's Jaitapur and Haryana's Fatehabad.
Read More...
The first unit of the Russian-built nuclear plant is close to a landmark moment after post-Fukushima public unease over atomic power and a powerful alliance of church groups and activists threatened to thwart India's ambitious plans to build 20 plants in the 12th Plan.
Kodak moment
With Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa backing the project that will ease the state's power deficit and having faced a Supreme Court scrutiny of the $3 billion plant's safety features, the government is anticipating a Kodak moment when turbines begin to turn at Kudankulam.
Successful commissioning of the Kudankulam unit will help translate the promise of power into tangible benefits that the government hopes will help sway public opinion, particularly in the plant's neighbourhood. It will also pave the way for faster work on nuclear plants planned at Maharashtra's Jaitapur and Haryana's Fatehabad.
Read More...
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Japan's new carbon tax to cost utilities $1bln annually (Non-Nuclear Impact)
TOKYO, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Japan's new tax on carbon
emissions will cost utilities about 80 billion yen ($1.02
billion) annually from 2016, adding to their already high costs
of running power stations after the Fukushima crisis shut most
of the country's nuclear plants, a government backed think-tank
said.
Japan will gradually phase in the tax on oil, natural gas
and coal over the next five years, in a move that will hit the
balance sheets of businesses from refineries and power plants to
factories and gas stations.
The tax will be added to existing levies already imposed on
fossil fuels, and will generate about 260 billion yen in
additional revenue annually from April 2016, the Ministry of
Finance says.
The tax, which will be used to fund green initiatives, will
be introduced in three phases, with the first increase adding
between 12-31 percent on existing levies.
Yu Nagatomi, a researcher at the Institute of Energy
Economics of Japan, said nearly a third of the 2016 revenue, or
80 billion yen, will come from the country's power companies,
including Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), the operator
of the Fukushima Daiichi plant hit by three reactor meltdowns
last March.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Russia's Rosatom set to invest in UK new nuclear development
Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom is expected to announce
Tuesday plans to invest in the UK's ambitious new generation nuclear goals.
Rosatom head of international business Alexey Kalinin is speaking in London before a meeting organized by the Centre for Policy Studies as part of the Conservative Party conference where he will discuss Rosatom's willingness to develop a new nuclear skills base in the UK.
In April this year Rosatom had expressed interest in the 6 GW Horizon nuclear project, telling the London Daily Telegraph that it saw the UK as a "potentially attractive" market for nuclear development. However, the company did not place a bid by the Friday, September 28 deadline.
Tuesday's announcement comes shortly after French nuclear developer Areva backed out of plans to bid for the Horizon project with China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding, having been the front-runner for the bid for months, in what was seen by many as a blow to the UK government's goal of encouraging 16 GW of new nuclear over the coming years.
Read More...
Rosatom head of international business Alexey Kalinin is speaking in London before a meeting organized by the Centre for Policy Studies as part of the Conservative Party conference where he will discuss Rosatom's willingness to develop a new nuclear skills base in the UK.
In April this year Rosatom had expressed interest in the 6 GW Horizon nuclear project, telling the London Daily Telegraph that it saw the UK as a "potentially attractive" market for nuclear development. However, the company did not place a bid by the Friday, September 28 deadline.
Tuesday's announcement comes shortly after French nuclear developer Areva backed out of plans to bid for the Horizon project with China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding, having been the front-runner for the bid for months, in what was seen by many as a blow to the UK government's goal of encouraging 16 GW of new nuclear over the coming years.
Read More...
Bill could delay Seabrook nuclear plant relicensing
SEABROOK — The approval of a 20-year extension of
the Seabrook Station nuclear power plant's operating license could be
delayed until 2020 if a bill proposed by two Democratic federal
legislators from Massachusetts is approved by Congress.
HR
6554 filed by Reps. Edward Markey and John Tierney would prohibit the
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission from granting a license extension to
any current nuclear plant licensee that applies for it more than 10
years prior to the expiration of its current license. Seabrook Station
has already petitioned the NRC for a 20-year extension of its operating
license, which will not expire until 2030.
“Allowing the NRC to give a 60-year-long clean
bill of health to reactors that are in their nuclear adolescence,
especially one with documented safety issues such as Seabrook, is like
allowing a doctor to assure a 20-year-old smoker they will never get
lung cancer,” Markey wrote in a joint press release issued with Tierney
dated Sept. 26, explaining the reason for filing the bill. “This
legislation will help ensure that the effects of aging on America's
nuclear power plants are more well-known before granting any license
extensions, so nearby residents can have some confidence that the
reactors' 'golden years' won't involve catastrophic aging-related safety
failures.”
Doug Bogen, executive director of
the Exeter-based Seacoast Anti-Pollution League, a local nuclear
watchdog group, said this kind of legislation has been a long time
coming.
EDF's Paluel 4 nuclear reactor in unplanned outage
Oct 9 (Reuters) - EDF's 1,330-MW Paluel 4 nuclear reactor stopped for an unplanned outage at 1410 GMT on Tuesday, French power grid RTE showed on its website on Tuesday.
RTE did not provide a reason for the unplanned outage or a restart date for the reactor located in Normandy in northern France. (Reporting by Axelle du Crest; writing by Michel Rose)
Read More...
DOE Announces $13 Million for Nuclear Integrated Research Projects
The Department
of Energy recently announced $13 million in funding for researchers to
pursue a new light water reactor concept and potential improvements to
reactor fuel.
The three new Integrated Research Projects fall under DOE's Nuclear Energy University Programs. The projects, each funded for three years, address capability gaps and issues identified by other DOE nuclear research and development programs.
Read More...
The three new Integrated Research Projects fall under DOE's Nuclear Energy University Programs. The projects, each funded for three years, address capability gaps and issues identified by other DOE nuclear research and development programs.
Read More...
Friday, October 5, 2012
U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Plant Build Tracking Site
Following is a great resource if you wish to track the progress of new plants in the United States.
http://www.nuclear.gov/np2010/neScorecard/neScorecard.html
Following is a current example:
http://www.nuclear.gov/np2010/neScorecard/neScorecard.html
Following is a current example:
| UTILITY | SITE/ LOCATION |
REACTOR/ NO. UNITS |
COLA DATES |
REVIEW PHASE IN PROGRESS | |||||
| Submitted | Docketed | Issued | Safety4 | Environ.5 | |||||
| Southern Nuclear | Vogtle | GA | AP10001 | 2 | 3/31/08 | 5/30/08 | 2/10/12 | Completed | Completed |
| SCE&G | V.C. Summer | SC | AP1000 | 2 | 3/27/08 | 7/31/08 | 4/10/12 | Completed | Completed |
| Progress Energy | Levy | FL | AP1000 | 2 | 7/307/08 | 10/6/08 | - | Ph. D | Completed |
| STP Nuclear Operating Co. | South Texas Project | TX | ABWR1 | 2 | 9/07 | 11/29/07 | - | Ph. 2 | Completed |
| Luminant (TXU) | Comanche Peak | TX | US-APWR1 | 2 | 9/19/08 | 12/2/08 | - | Ph. 2 | Completed |
| UniStar (Constellation) | Calvert Cliffs | MD | US-EPR1 | 1 | 3/08 | 6/3/08 | - | Ph. 2 | Completed |
| DTE Energy | Fermi | MI | ESBWR | 1 | 09/18/08 | 11/25/08 | - | Ph. 2 | Ph. 3 |
| Duke Energy | William States Lee | SC | AP1000 | 2 | 12/13/07 | 2/25/08 | - | Ph. B | Ph. 2 |
| Florida Power and Light | Turkey Point | FL | AP1000 | 2 | 6/30/09 | 9/8/09 | - | Ph. A | Ph. 2 |
| PPL (UniStar) | Bell Bend | PA | US-EPR | 1 | 10/10/08 | 12/19/08 | - | Ph. A | Ph. 2 |
| Progress Energy | Shearon Harris | NC | AP1000 | 2 | 2/19/08 | 4/17/08 | - | Ph. B | Ph. 2 |
| Dominion Energy | North Anna | VA | US-APWR | 1 | 11/27/07 | 1/28/08 | - | Ph. A | Ph. 2 |
1 Reference COL Application (R-COL)
4 Safety Review Phases:
4 Safety Review Phases:
| R-COL: | Ph 1 | Issue RAIs | Ph 2 | SER w/ Open Items | Ph 3 | ACRS Review | Ph 4 | Advanced SER/ No OI | Ph 5 | ACRS Review | Ph 6 | Final SER | |||||
| S-COL: | Ph A | Issue RAIs & supplemental RAIs | Ph B | Advanced SER/ No OI | Ph C | ACRS Review | Ph D | Final SER | |||||||||
5 Environmental Review Phases:
| Ph 1 | Environmental Scoping Report | Ph 2 | Draft EIS | Ph 3 | Public comment | Ph 4 | Final EIS |
- Small modular reactors are defined as producing less than 300 MWe. Nine SMR vendors have initiated contact with the NRC regarding their reactor designs. Four of these designs are domestic Light Water-based designs. While all four will submit DC applications, B&W and Holtec have plans to submit Construction Permits under 10CFRPart 50 as well.
| COMPANY | SIZE (MWE) | APPLICATION | EXPECTED SUBMITTAL DATE | |
| Babcock & Wilcox mPower, Inc. | mPower SMR | CP |
March 2014 |
|
| Holtec International | SMR-160 | DC |
March 2015 |
|
| NuScale Power, LLC | NuScale SMR | |||
| Westinghouse Electric Co. | W-SMR | |||
| Department of Energy | NGNP | |||
| GEH | PRISM | |||
| Gen4 Energy | G4M | |||
| PBMR Ltd. | PBMR | |||
| Toshiba | 4S |
Five points on the future of nuclear power in India
In response to my recent article in The Hindu, “The real questions from Kudankulam”
(edit page, September 14, 2012), supporting nuclear power and arguing
for an independent regulatory authority, I received much feedback,
largely positive, some critical; some of which deserves a response. Many
of these points have been made by others, repeatedly, but some are new
to me.
1) Independent oversight: Two credible people said that I was too
critical of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and particularly the
current regulatory authority, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB),
which they said has been doing its job “without fear or favour.” This
may be true (indeed, India’s nuclear safety record is outstanding) but,
if the Kudankulam mess teaches us anything, it is that perceptions
matter as much as reality. A truly independent AERB successor, the
proposed Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority (NSRA), with transparency,
significant powers and, ideally, international representation, would
also serve the cause of safety in future. That the AERB has acted fairly
and independently so far does not guarantee that it will always do so.
Another point is that the NSRA cannot draw on independent nuclear
expertise in India because none exists outside the DAE (one reason for
international representation). We should encourage investments by the
private sector, subject to NSRA oversight, and encourage leading non-DAE
institutions, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, to develop
programmes in nuclear engineering. Meanwhile, the NSRA will require
civil engineers, seismologists, radiation safety specialists, and other
experts besides nuclear scientists, who exist independently of the DAE.
2) Risks and reality: The probability of a nuclear catastrophe
may be very low but is not zero. How can we expose people to such a
risk? Indeed, statements from the DAE like “Kudankulam is 100% safe” are
not credible and a proper risk assessment is required. But, based on
experience, the risk of a catastrophic accident at a nuclear plant seems
minuscule compared to a similar risk at unscrutinised chemical
factories everywhere: despite Bhopal, which is yet to be cleaned up
adequately, there is no demand for bans on such factories. Most nuclear
accidents have had few or no fatalities and no leak of radiation. In the
past 25 years (since Chernobyl), only Fukushima has resulted in
significant radiation exposure to the public. Few industries can claim a
better record of safety.
As for nuclear liability: all of us deserve answers on this. It is not
consistent to assert safety while denying liability, as the government
apparently seeks to do.
What of military or terrorist attacks? Israel attacked an Iraqi plant in
1981 and a putative Syrian plant in 2007, but neither plant was loaded
with fuel. An attack on Iran could have graver results. To cause a
meltdown, such an attack would have to destroy the cooling system but
keep the nuclear fuel confined. This looks unlikely, but I’m not a
nuclear scientist and the question should be addressed by the DAE.
Terrorist threats on the ground look still less likely to succeed. As
for a 9/11 type attack: according to the U.S. Council on Foreign
Relations website, “no one knows” what would happen if a commercial
airliner crashed into one of the older U.S. plants, though many of them
are built to withstand impacts from light planes. However, experts rule
out a nuclear explosion. A conventional explosion can still spread
radiation, but not on the scale of Chernobyl. These are points that, I
believe, the DAE should address.
3) Emergency preparedness and liability: In the event of a
disaster at Kudankulam, it is impossible to evacuate such an area
rapidly, and medical facilities are inadequate. But this is not unique
to nuclear power. Cyclones, floods, industrial accidents all occur
regularly and we have not learned our lessons. The DAE should take the
lead in ensuring disaster preparedness near its installations, but
cannot be blamed for our country’s larger failures.
PPL Susquehanna nuclear plant plans unit shutdown for additional turbine inspection
BERWICK, Pa., Oct. 5, 2012 —
/PRNewswire/ -- PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant has reduced
electricity output on both of its generating units and is preparing for a
planned shutdown of the Unit 1 reactor later this month for additional
turbine inspection, as the company looks to confirm data provided by new
instrumentation that could lead to finalization of a plan to resolve
the issue of turbine blade cracking that was first identified in 2011.
Pending the outcome of the Unit 1 inspection, PPL Susquehanna will determine whether a similar inspection of the Unit 2 turbine is warranted.
During the upcoming Unit 1 outage, workers will inspect turbine blades for any indications of cracking similar to what had been discovered previously on the Unit 1 and 2 turbines.
"Maintaining our margins of safety is the top priority," said Timothy S. Rausch, PPL Susquehanna senior vice president and chief nuclear officer. "Consistent with best practices in the nuclear power industry, we've been very systematic and deliberate in our approach to this issue, from conducting periodic inspections to replacing turbine blades when appropriate and installing diagnostic equipment to monitor for conditions that may lead to cracking.
Read More...
Pending the outcome of the Unit 1 inspection, PPL Susquehanna will determine whether a similar inspection of the Unit 2 turbine is warranted.
During the upcoming Unit 1 outage, workers will inspect turbine blades for any indications of cracking similar to what had been discovered previously on the Unit 1 and 2 turbines.
"Maintaining our margins of safety is the top priority," said Timothy S. Rausch, PPL Susquehanna senior vice president and chief nuclear officer. "Consistent with best practices in the nuclear power industry, we've been very systematic and deliberate in our approach to this issue, from conducting periodic inspections to replacing turbine blades when appropriate and installing diagnostic equipment to monitor for conditions that may lead to cracking.
Read More...
Sellafield nuclear power station plans still on track, says Britain’s Energy Coast chief
The chairman’s of Britain’s Energy
Coast has received assurances “at the highest level” that plans for
nuclear new build at Sellafield remain on track.
The newspaper reported that Spanish company Iberdrola had told its partner GDF Suez it was withdrawing, leaving the £5bn Moorside project in serious doubt.
NuGen issued a denial on Monday and now Mr Wilson has weighed in.
He said: “We are assured at the highest levels that the story is not true and that Iberdrola are still very much part of the NuGen consortium.
“In the current economic climate, it is perhaps inevitable that this kind of speculation should occur.
“However, I am acutely aware that until work is under way, it is open to any participant in nuclear new-build to have second thoughts.
“This might act as a wake-up call for all branches of government that have an input into the nuclear new-build programme. A greater sense of urgency is required.
“Companies that are committed to very large investments are entitled to some reasonable assurances and certainties about the market they will enter when these power stations are eventually built.”
Read More...
Thailand: Nuclear power study planned
Thailand will conduct a study on the construction of a nuclear power plant, the energy minister said.
Speaking after a seminar on "No Shortage of Thai Energy: Thai Logistics in Progress", Arak Chonlatanon said the ministry was preparing the country's new power production capacity development plan (PDP 2012) to ensure energy sufficiency.
Thailand has utilised about 70 per cent of its natural gas and the resource is expected to be depleted within the next 10 years.
"Nuclear energy carries the lowest cost in generating electricity. But resistance to it among the public persists, as people are not confident about nuclear safety after the [emergency] at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant" in March 2011, Arak said.
In a meeting of Asean energy ministers in Cambodia, the Cambodian government indicated that it was going to conduct a study into the possibility of constructing a nuclear power plant on Kong Island as a way to stimulate the country's economy.
Vietnam is constructing two 1,400-megawatt nuclear power plants.
Read More...
Speaking after a seminar on "No Shortage of Thai Energy: Thai Logistics in Progress", Arak Chonlatanon said the ministry was preparing the country's new power production capacity development plan (PDP 2012) to ensure energy sufficiency.
Thailand has utilised about 70 per cent of its natural gas and the resource is expected to be depleted within the next 10 years.
"Nuclear energy carries the lowest cost in generating electricity. But resistance to it among the public persists, as people are not confident about nuclear safety after the [emergency] at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant" in March 2011, Arak said.
In a meeting of Asean energy ministers in Cambodia, the Cambodian government indicated that it was going to conduct a study into the possibility of constructing a nuclear power plant on Kong Island as a way to stimulate the country's economy.
Vietnam is constructing two 1,400-megawatt nuclear power plants.
Read More...
UN atomic agency praises Belarus’ progress on nuclear power programme
5 October 2012 – Belarus has made important progress in its
development of nuclear infrastructure, the United Nations atomic agency
said in a report released today, adding that should progress continue
the country will be able to support the construction of a nuclear power
plant in the near future.
The Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR), produced by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), makes 16 recommendations to the Government of Belarus, including revising its nuclear legislation to adequately address issues like radioactive waste, strengthening the regulatory body and framework for licensing, and developing comprehensive management systems for the nuclear project.
“The report acknowledges Belarus’ strong expertise in radiation protection and environmental monitoring and recognizes that good coordination in the development of Belarus’ nuclear power programme is beneficial,” said the IAEA’s Deputy Director General, Alexander Bychkov, after delivering the report to the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Tozik.
Read More...
The Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR), produced by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), makes 16 recommendations to the Government of Belarus, including revising its nuclear legislation to adequately address issues like radioactive waste, strengthening the regulatory body and framework for licensing, and developing comprehensive management systems for the nuclear project.
“The report acknowledges Belarus’ strong expertise in radiation protection and environmental monitoring and recognizes that good coordination in the development of Belarus’ nuclear power programme is beneficial,” said the IAEA’s Deputy Director General, Alexander Bychkov, after delivering the report to the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Tozik.
Read More...
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Damaged San Onofre nuclear plant in Calif. submits restart plan for reactor
A plan to return even one reactor to service is a milestone for Southern California Edison, which has spent months unraveling what caused excessive tube vibration and friction inside the plant’s nearly new steam generators, then determining how it might be fixed.
But the plant is far from returning to robust operation.
Edison’s plan, which must be approved by federal regulators, calls for operating Unit 2 at reduced power for five months, then shutting it down for inspections. The outlook for the more heavily damaged Unit 3 is bleaker — no decision is expected on its future until at least next summer.
Meanwhile, the company is facing a state review of costs related to the long-running outage that could leave customers or shareholders with a huge bill for repairs and replacement power — a figure that had reached $165 million at midyear. The company did not update those figures Thursday.
Edison, a subsidiary of Edison International, filed its proposal with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is expected to take months to review the details. The NRC has said there is no timetable to restart the plant.
“The agency will not permit a restart unless and until we can conclude the reactor can be operated safely,” NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane said. “Our inspections and review will be painstaking, thorough and will not be rushed.”
Read More...
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Critical Demand For Energy Will Dictate Push For Nuclear Power
In the past thirty years we have seen several bubbles grow and
eventually pop, lasting no more than a year or two on average. Markets
and their perception are based around investor sentiment which is
reflected to some degree by public sentiment. I have transformed my self
several times over in utter confusion over which theory; 'based on key
fundamentals or price action', dictate the markets
The problem is that we do not consider the perspective of individuals rather we consider groups, but groups are not known for unity either. It is human nature to argue/discuss and finally agree/disagree with the conclusion. Today a great deal of, "murky waters", float in the markets whether they are commodities, equities, bonds or currencies. All the momentum in the markets is geared around two emotions; Fear and Greed. Technical indicators are not helping to find an entry point in this market.
........
There are several differences between what occurred at Chernobyl and what occurred at Fukushima. The number of Nuclear power stations being built had not gained momentum, while when the Fukushima incident occurred there were more than a few power stations being constructed. Chernobyl was considered a human and technological error, present day designs have factored in and rectified the safety issues. The cost of these projects had to be weighed against several good reasons to stop work on them. When Chernobyl occurred there were very few stations under construction but the momentum was gathering pace. At the time the demand for electricity was considerably less. Further still it required a complete changeover of what alternative energy source would make up for the loss of supply from these in the future.
A number of other reasons also required to be taken into consideration including the importance of dependence of energy supply on other countries. Nuclear power and politics go hand in hand. We saw major issues in supplying Gas to Europe in the recent past when some Balkan states did not appreciate the price being paid to them by Russia to supply gas through their countries to Europe. It took a year for this to be sorted out. Nuclear power stations take any where from two years to 10 years to construct, this leads to a demand increasing very gradually.
While Europe and the US are currently going through a recession, China and India have a completely different set of problems. Both China and India have a exponentially growing middle class who are demanding basic amenities such as water and electricity and other goods that all require electricity to manufacture. While China and India are concerned about export demand they are equally concerned with domestic consumption.
In countries such as India and China, water is a major issue. The production of electricity in these countries contradicts the supply of water to people. The Indus valley and similar one in China have dams constructed in as many places as it is possible. Almost every small town and village have small man made lakes constructed to help with the supply of water for the farms in the area. The reason these are required is because the government is not in a position to provide supply lines at a national level to cope with the demand and rainfall is seasonal.
Since India is already at peak dam construction for the supply of electricity, and there are massive shortfalls, it is logical to assume that they require to have an alternative plan. Countries such as China, India and Korea are accelerating their development of Nuclear power, this may reduce the time line eventually, alternatively paying close attention to the contract and spot prices of Uranium may give us an indication to the possibility of rising demand.
India and China both have a similar situation with one key difference in that while India is the biggest democracy in the world, China is not run on a democratic political system. While in India the progress is based around action, reaction and interaction, China is dominated by a central government that makes all the key decisions. This allows decisions for them (right or wrong) to be made more quickly. Despite this difference both countries are acutely aware of the demand and requirement of electricity both for their industries and their domestic use. Recent power cuts in India made it acutely aware of how bad the situation is there. Recently India stated that they too are looking for deposits in other countries.
When Fukushima occurred, China had a knee jerk reaction much like any of the other countries involved in the production of electricity through Nuclear power. However once cool rational set in most countries have decided to go back to continue construction as the pressure of demand began to take precedence over ideas of safety that were already in place. The issues of water and power once more took priority. China recently purchased the Husab deposit in Namibia.
During the same time that countries were considering whether to continue with construction, uranium mid cap and exploration companies were beginning to feel the pressure from the news and the possibility of the Nuclear renaissance dissipating even before its bud began to show above the ground. By 2012 a number of companies exploring for new deposits had begun to reduce their drilling and expenditure as investors began to dwindle. It is difficult to analyze such companies as their financial position becomes more and more desperate. Some of these exploration companies do have large deposits. Some have pure uranium deposits while others have multiple mineral deposits.
Read More...
The problem is that we do not consider the perspective of individuals rather we consider groups, but groups are not known for unity either. It is human nature to argue/discuss and finally agree/disagree with the conclusion. Today a great deal of, "murky waters", float in the markets whether they are commodities, equities, bonds or currencies. All the momentum in the markets is geared around two emotions; Fear and Greed. Technical indicators are not helping to find an entry point in this market.
........
There are several differences between what occurred at Chernobyl and what occurred at Fukushima. The number of Nuclear power stations being built had not gained momentum, while when the Fukushima incident occurred there were more than a few power stations being constructed. Chernobyl was considered a human and technological error, present day designs have factored in and rectified the safety issues. The cost of these projects had to be weighed against several good reasons to stop work on them. When Chernobyl occurred there were very few stations under construction but the momentum was gathering pace. At the time the demand for electricity was considerably less. Further still it required a complete changeover of what alternative energy source would make up for the loss of supply from these in the future.
A number of other reasons also required to be taken into consideration including the importance of dependence of energy supply on other countries. Nuclear power and politics go hand in hand. We saw major issues in supplying Gas to Europe in the recent past when some Balkan states did not appreciate the price being paid to them by Russia to supply gas through their countries to Europe. It took a year for this to be sorted out. Nuclear power stations take any where from two years to 10 years to construct, this leads to a demand increasing very gradually.
While Europe and the US are currently going through a recession, China and India have a completely different set of problems. Both China and India have a exponentially growing middle class who are demanding basic amenities such as water and electricity and other goods that all require electricity to manufacture. While China and India are concerned about export demand they are equally concerned with domestic consumption.
In countries such as India and China, water is a major issue. The production of electricity in these countries contradicts the supply of water to people. The Indus valley and similar one in China have dams constructed in as many places as it is possible. Almost every small town and village have small man made lakes constructed to help with the supply of water for the farms in the area. The reason these are required is because the government is not in a position to provide supply lines at a national level to cope with the demand and rainfall is seasonal.
Since India is already at peak dam construction for the supply of electricity, and there are massive shortfalls, it is logical to assume that they require to have an alternative plan. Countries such as China, India and Korea are accelerating their development of Nuclear power, this may reduce the time line eventually, alternatively paying close attention to the contract and spot prices of Uranium may give us an indication to the possibility of rising demand.
India and China both have a similar situation with one key difference in that while India is the biggest democracy in the world, China is not run on a democratic political system. While in India the progress is based around action, reaction and interaction, China is dominated by a central government that makes all the key decisions. This allows decisions for them (right or wrong) to be made more quickly. Despite this difference both countries are acutely aware of the demand and requirement of electricity both for their industries and their domestic use. Recent power cuts in India made it acutely aware of how bad the situation is there. Recently India stated that they too are looking for deposits in other countries.
When Fukushima occurred, China had a knee jerk reaction much like any of the other countries involved in the production of electricity through Nuclear power. However once cool rational set in most countries have decided to go back to continue construction as the pressure of demand began to take precedence over ideas of safety that were already in place. The issues of water and power once more took priority. China recently purchased the Husab deposit in Namibia.
During the same time that countries were considering whether to continue with construction, uranium mid cap and exploration companies were beginning to feel the pressure from the news and the possibility of the Nuclear renaissance dissipating even before its bud began to show above the ground. By 2012 a number of companies exploring for new deposits had begun to reduce their drilling and expenditure as investors began to dwindle. It is difficult to analyze such companies as their financial position becomes more and more desperate. Some of these exploration companies do have large deposits. Some have pure uranium deposits while others have multiple mineral deposits.
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India: Fuel loading completed at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, critiality processes commenced
This has brightened the prospect of early power generation from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), which is inching closer to getting commissioned.
While it was Buddha's smile for Pokhran II, here the day chosen was Gandhi Jayanthi. Though the green signal for fuel loading was accorded by the country's nuclear watchdog AERB on August 10, it took time to commence work due to court cases.
After the Madras High Court cleared the decks, the Supreme Court too refused to stay the loading of fuel assemblies.
According to sources in KKNPP, Uranium rods were inserted in all the 163 fuel assemblies and the procedure for criticality was launched on Tuesday.
However, this does not mean immediate power generation as the process involves five stages. This comprises safety and radioactivity tests. While confirming that loading of Uranium-235 was complete in Unit-I of the atomic power plant, sources were silent on whether it was recycled fuel that is being used.
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South Korea shuts down two reactors
SEOUL, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- South Korea on this week shut down two nuclear reactors due to malfunctions.
The Shingori 1 in Busan, 280 miles south of Seoul, was shut down after a problem was detected involving the control rod that governs the rate of fission in the reactor, Yonhap News Agency reports.
About 2 hours later, the second reactor -- at Younggwang Nuclear Power Plant in South Jeolla province, about 220 miles south of Seoul -- was shut down due to low water levels.
Officials at state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power said that neither reactor was in danger of releasing radiation, Yonhap reports.
South Korea relies on nuclear energy for about 30 percent of its electricity needs. The country has 21 active nuclear reactors.
Despite safety concerns about nuclear power in the wake of Japan's Fukushima nuclear power disaster in March 2011, Seoul has stood firm on its commitment to increase that share to 40 percent by 2040.
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The Shingori 1 in Busan, 280 miles south of Seoul, was shut down after a problem was detected involving the control rod that governs the rate of fission in the reactor, Yonhap News Agency reports.
About 2 hours later, the second reactor -- at Younggwang Nuclear Power Plant in South Jeolla province, about 220 miles south of Seoul -- was shut down due to low water levels.
Officials at state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power said that neither reactor was in danger of releasing radiation, Yonhap reports.
South Korea relies on nuclear energy for about 30 percent of its electricity needs. The country has 21 active nuclear reactors.
Despite safety concerns about nuclear power in the wake of Japan's Fukushima nuclear power disaster in March 2011, Seoul has stood firm on its commitment to increase that share to 40 percent by 2040.
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Duke nuclear plant costs could top $3 billon: study
By Cassandra Sweet
Completing repairs necessary to restart Duke Energy Corp.'s
DUK
+0.03%
Crystal River nuclear power plant in Florida could cost as much as $3.43 billion, according to a study released Monday.
Duke, which assumed ownership of the plant when it acquired Progress
Energy earlier this year, hired a group of consultants to evaluate how
much it might cost to fix and restart the plant, which has been shut for
about three years.
The report, by Zapata Inc., found that Progress Energy's initial plan to
fix the plant would likely cost about $1.49 billion. That compares to
Progress's estimate that repairs would cost between $900 million and
$1.3 billion. The consultants predicted that if more extensive work is
required, under a "worst-case scenario," the total repair bill would
likely be $3.43 billion.
The problems at the Crystal River plant emerged as a key issue in Duke
Energy's decision to dismiss former Progress Energy Chief Executive Bill
Johnson from his position as Duke CEO after the companies completed
their $26 billion merger in early July.
Duke's board dismissed Mr. Johnson because he withheld information, such
as the rising cost of repairs at the Crystal River plant, Duke lead
director Ann Gray told North Carolina regulators in July.
Europe’s Nuclear Reactors Need Repair or Upgrades
BRUSSELS — “Practically all” of the more than 130 active nuclear reactors in the European Union
need safety improvements, repairs or upgrades, at a cost of up to 25
billion euros ($32 billion), according to a draft copy of a European Commission report that is scheduled to be released Thursday.
The scale of the problems detailed in the draft report, as well as the
size of the expected repair bill, may amplify public concerns about the
safety of nuclear power on the part of Europeans, who are already deeply
divided over the technology and whose governments still zealously guard
control over energy policy at the national level.
The European Commission undertook the safety review of its nuclear
plants after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which led
to the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Part of the assessment was the performance of so-called stress tests,
which are meant to assess how a nuclear facility would fare in various
kinds of failures and crises. National experts conducted the stress
tests in conjunction with the commission’s advisory group on nuclear
safety. The tests identified the need for “hundreds of technical upgrade
measures,” the draft report says.
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