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Why Pressure Is Growing For ‘Clear And Consistent’ Policy Support For Nuclear |
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The Social Control and Informative Association (TEIT) has visited Italy in a professional tour
The Social Control and Informative Association (TEIT) has increased its professional experience in Italy. The Italian nuclear program is in an absolutely different stage than the Hungarian one, since decommissioning of their nuclear power plants is on the agenda, nevertheless the leaders of the member settlements were able to gain a lot of useful experience.  As the first event of the programme, the mayors of the thirteen member settlements of TEIT and the communication experts from the Paks Nuclear Power Plant visited the site of the Caorso Nuclear Power Plant, where they were guided by Sabrina Romani who presented also the schedule of the decommissioning program to them. The BWR (boiling water reactor) nuclear power plant with electric power of 860 MW, started its commercial operation in 1978, produced electricity only for a period of 12 years, its turbine hall has been emptied, nowadays the building serves for management of low and medium level radioactive wastes. Important task is to decrease the quantity of radioactive wastes, to find a satisfying solution for disposal of them and to liquidate the site, which is a task being in progress for decades and demanding at least the same period again, the expert said. During visiting the Latina NPP, foremost commissioned and located near Rome, the members of the delegation felt with good reason that they were in a museum. The graphite moderator reactor of this NPP produced an electricity amount of only 25 TWh within the period of 1963 - 1987. The leader of the site, Harralabos Katsavos, informed them, inter alea, about the measure taken in the meanwhile to reduce the power of the NPP, which originally was 153 MW, due to oxidation experienced on the equipment. The reactor hall of the building equipped with six outdoor steam generators is deserted, while its control room (with its dark and empty displays, monitors) serves as an auditorium. A part of the buildings has already been demolished, but new ones have been constructed in order to ensure a temporary storage facility for the radioactive waste originating from the decommissioning. The compactable radioactive wastes are compacted and stored in drums at the site. In Italy there is not yet a final radioactive waste deposit and neither the licence needed for the final section of decommissioning process of the nuclear power plants has been issued. The latter, as it was said, rather obstructs, and does not facilitate, accomplishment of the program. Due to the frequent changes of government, the necessary licences often delay. The leaders of Paks and of the settlements in its vicinity were supported during their study visit by Tünde Hagymási, foreign trade professional diplomat at the Hungarian Embassy in Italy, as well as by the engineers’ office Rogante having significant professional experience at the area of nuclear energy and Hungarian professional relations. The work and results of the latter were presented by the leader of the office, Massimo Rogante, during the meeting held in the headquarters of SOGIN. Written by: Tünde Vida   
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IAEA Praises Improvements In Czech Republic’s Regulatory Framework
24.05.2017 - NucNet News
The
Czech Republic has significantly improved its regulatory framework for
nuclear and radiation safety in recent years, but work remains to be
done in implementing the country’s new Atomic Act, the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on 23 May 2017. An Integrated
Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team found that most recommendations
made by an earlier IRRS mission in 2013 had been implemented. The Atomic
Act, in force since the start of 2017, and the development of
supporting regulatory decrees based on IAEA safety standards, represent
“significant achievements”, a statement said. There have been
improvements in human resources management, including long-term
strategic planning, competence mapping and staff training. The team said
the Czech Republic should continue the development and implementation
of Czech regulator SÚJB’s management system. SÚJB should consider
developing regulations to support the implementation of provisions in
the Atomic Act on existing exposure situations and remedial activities.
The Czech Republic has six commercially operating nuclear power
reactors: four VVER-440/V-213 units at the Dukovany nuclear station and
two VVER-1000 units at Temelin. Nuclear power accounts for almost
one-third of the country’s electricity production. Spent fuel from the
plants and the Prague Technical University research reactor is stored on
the premises of these facilities. Low- and intermediate-level nuclear
waste from the plants is stored at Dukovany, while waste from other
sources is stored at two other smaller sites.
Germany Will Continue To Benefit From Nuclear Technology, Says Forum President
23.05.2017 - NucNet News
Germany
will continue to benefit from the application of nuclear technology
because the country’s research reactors in Munich, Berlin and Mainz are
used not only for basic science, but also for applied research and a
number of industrial and medical applications, Ralf Güldner, president
of the German Atomic Forum, said. Speaking at the 2017 Annual Meeting on
Nuclear Technology in Berlin last week, Mr Güldner said nuclear
technology is directly related to Germany’s status as a “country of
science and technology”. He said many German companies involved in
reactor safety engineering or the nuclear fuel cycle are essential
employers and taxpayers whose services are recognised internationally
and in high demand. Mr Güldner said these industries are explicitly
excluded from the decision to phase out nuclear power plants. He said
the nuclear opposes any efforts to expand the nuclear phaseout into
other areas. Those who want to expand the phaseout risk losing valuable
nuclear expertise for the country, he warned.
German Nuclear Forum Sounds Warning On Need For Long-Term Skills And Training
23.05.2017 - NucNet News
Germany’s
nuclear workforce will require “appropriate skills and training in the
long-run”, which will make the issue of retaining nuclear expertise even
more relevant to the German state as it takes over responsibility for
the intermediate storage and final disposal of radioactive waste, Ralf
Güldner, president of the German Atomic Forum told the 2017 Annual
Meeting on Nuclear Technology in Berlin last week. Mr Güldner said up to
4,000 nuclear industry employees in Germany could soon be transferred
to a number of newly formed public nuclear waste management companies.
Together with government employees in other areas of nuclear technology
like regulation and research, this means that nearly one sixth of
Germany’s more than 30,000-strong nuclear workforce will be transferred
to the public sector. Mr Güldner said Germany will need an “appropriate”
public debate on the subject. Under legislation that came into force in
December 2016, the German government assumed responsibility for the
intermediate storage and final disposal of radioactive waste. The
transfer process ended earlier this month when the government reached an
agreement with the utility-owned nuclear services company GNS on
transferring GNS’s interim storage activities to the German Federal
Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear
Safety (BMUB). In March 2017, the BMUB and GNS established the joint
venture company BGZ for this purpose. BGZ will start its interim storage
activities on 1 August 2017 at the Ahaus, Gorleben and Essen
facilities. In another element of the transfer, BMUB last month
transferred the responsibilities of DBE, the company which builds and
operates waste repositories, to BGE, the federal-owned radioactive waste
disposal company created in July 2016. Also transferred to BGE were
parts of the federal office for radiation protection (BfS), and Asse
GmbH, the operator of the Asse II repository, a former salt mine in
Lower Saxony. BGE’s main job is to find possible sites, in addition to
the existing interim facility at Gorleben, for radioactive waste. Other
tasks will include the operation and maintenance of the Asse II, Konrad
and Morsleben repositories.
Reports Say Zambia Preparing For Nuclear Energy Programme
22.05.2017 - NucNet News
The
Zambian government said it is planning to begin a nuclear energy
programme in a bid to diversify the country’s energy sector and end
power shortages, reports in local media said. Minister of energy David
Mabumba said Zambia had already signed preliminary agreements with China
and Russia to assess which of the two countries could be a potential
technology services provider for the southern African country. Mr
Mabumba was quoted as saying Zambia has not yet approached the
International Atomic Energy Agency about its plans because “there are
several steps that still need to be taken including establishing a
nuclear policy”. Zambia’s regulator, the Radiation Protection Authority,
is working with officials from Mr Mabumba's ministry to produce a
nuclear policy framework, the reports said.
Energy Minister Says South Africa Will Sign Five New Intergovernmental Agreements
22.05.2017 - NucNet News
South
African energy minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said in a speech to the South
African Parliament on 19 May 2017 that South Africa will proceed with
the signing of five new intergovernmental agreements with potential
international partners in the South African new nuclear construction
programme. The move comes after the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town
ruled last month that a series of preliminary procurement deals for new
nuclear construction between the government of South Africa and Russia,
China, the US, South Korea and France were illegal. The legal challenge
was brought by anti-nuclear groups Earthlife Africa and the Southern
African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute. The court ruled that
the procurement process was unconstitutional and illegal as it was not
sufficiently public and did not involve adequate environmental and
financial assessments. South Africa is looking to build up to 9,600 MW
of new nuclear capacity around the country. The two-unit Koeberg nuclear
station outside Cape Town is the country’s only commercially operating
nuclear station.
Germany Must Sell Its Decommissioning Expertise Overseas, Conference Told
22.05.2017 - NucNet News
Germany
must retain and develop its ability and skills in the nuclear
decommissioning sector and market them internationally, said Steffen
Kanitz, a member of the German federal parliament (Bundestag) from the
ruling coalition. Mr Kanitz, speaking at the 2017 Annual Meeting on
Nuclear Technology in Berlin last week, said Germany has experience and
expertise in decommissioning which could create business opportunities
for German companies overseas. The global nuclear decommissioning market
has been forecast to reach more than $8.5bn (€7.5bn) by 2021. Mr
Kanitz, a permanent member of the parliamentary committee on the
environment, nature conservation, construction and nuclear safety, said
maintaining nuclear expertise is also important from a national security
point of view in relation to the handling and proliferation of nuclear
materials, and national and international security risk assessments.
Germany is closing its last nuclear plants in 2022 after a political
decision to phase out nuclear energy was made following the
Fukushima-Daiichi accident in Japan in 2011.
Germany’s Challenge Is To Maintain Role In Nuclear Safety, Warns Forum President
22.05.2017 - NucNet News
The
challenge for Germany, which is phasing out nuclear energy in favour of
a shift to renewables, is to find ways to maintain its expertise in
nuclear technology and play a long-term role on nuclear safety, German
Atomic Forum president Ralf Güldner told the 2017 Annual Meeting on
Nuclear Technology (AMNT) in Berlin. Mr Güldner said international
demand for Germany’s reactor safety expertise had contributed to the
sector’s success and warned that the decision to phase out nuclear must
not jeopardise this expertise. “Nuclear safety research forms the basis
for expertise in safety issues in which Germany intends to play a
long-term role and exert its influence. If we want to continue
participating in the international discussion about safety standards,
then continuity in safety research is absolutely essential”, Mr Güldner
said. He said reactor development and reactor safety research are topics
increasingly seen as redundant by many of the country’s 16 state
governments. Mr Güldner said university chairs are not getting refilled
and universities and research institutes tend to withdraw from areas
that are not related to waste management or dismantling because of image
concerns or political pressure. “The solution might lie in a new centre
of expertise for nuclear safety where current issues could be dealt
with without the burden of past conflicts. Here, it may be possible to
pool capacities, to network research, state and industry and to create
an attractive hub for our international collaboration” Mr Güldner said.
Germany is closing its last nuclear plants in 2022 after a political
decision to phase out nuclear energy was made following the
Fukushima-Daiichi accident in Japan in 2011.
Switzerland Votes To Phase Out Nuclear Energy
22.05.2017 - NucNet News
Switzerland
has voted to follow Germany and start phasing out nuclear power – which
provides around one-third of its electricity – as part of a revised
energy strategy which will also cut consumption and increase wind and
solar power generation. Some 58.2% of voters in a referendum on 21 May
2017 backed a ban on the construction of new nuclear plants, according
to provisional results published on the federal government’s website.
Switzerland’s five existing commercial nuclear reactor units can,
however, continue to operate as long as they are deemed safe. Nuclear
plants produced 34% of the country’s electricity in 2016. The vote was
to approve the federal government’s 2050 energy strategy. The strategy
includes plans to decommission Switzerland’s five reactors as they reach
the end of their operational lifespans. Since all of Switzerland’s
nuclear plants have open-ended operating licences, there is no clear
cut-off date determining when they should be shut down. In November
2016, Swiss voters narrowly rejected a much faster exit from nuclear
power under a timetable proposed by the Green party to phase out nuclear
power production completely by 2029, with the first plants shutting
next year. Switzerland’s five nuclear units are Beznau-1 and -2,
Mühleberg, Gösgen and Leibstadt. The Swiss government has argued that
increased safety standards meant it was no longer cost-effective to
build nuclear power plants, pointing out that the new £18bn (€20.8bn,
$23.4bn) Hinkley Point C nuclear station in the UK would use public
subsidies. Opponents to the nuclear phaseout warned, however, that the
government’s plans to push renewables and energy savings were costly,
posed risks to energy security and would not be environmentally
friendly.
India Approves Construction Of 10 Indigenous Nuclear Reactors
19.05.2017 - NucNet News
India’s
cabinet approved the construction of 10 indigenous pressurised heavy
water reactors (PHWRs) with a total installed capacity of 7,000 MW
(gross), the government said in a statement.
Energy Minister Says South Africa Will Sign New Intergovernmental Agreements
19.05.2017 - NucNet News
South
Africa’s energy minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the government will not
appeal the Western Cape High Court's recent ruling that nuclear
agreements signed with five countries were unlawful and
unconstitutional.
How Hungary’s Regulator Is Preparing For Progress With Paks 2 Nuclear Station
19.05.2017 - NucNet News
Hungary’s
government has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to
carry out another follow-up mission in 2018 to assess progress made
since an earlier mission reported that the country faced nuclear and
radiation safety challenges, including consolidating a complex
distribution of regulatory responsibilities among different authorities,
and ensuring effective independence of the regulatory body.
Argentina And Romania To Become Members Of Nuclear Energy Agency
18.05.2017 - NucNet News
Argentina
and Romania have been invited to become full members of the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Nuclear
Energy Agency (NEA). Their accessions to the Paris-based NEA, which has
31 member countries, will be formalised with an official exchange of
letters between each country and OECD secretary general Angel Gurría in
June 2017. In a statement on 18 May 2017 the NEA said both Agentina and
Romania are “active players” in the nuclear energy field, with
significant research capacities. “The accession of Argentina and Romania
to the NEA will be mutually beneficial for the accession countries and
the NEA membership in several fields, particularly knowhow and research
activities related to pressurised heavy water reactor technology,” the
statement said.
Belgium Confirms Two Vitrified Waste Transports From France
17.05.2017 - NucNet News
Two
transports of medium activity vitrified nuclear waste are scheduled to
take place from France to Belgium in 2017, Belgium’s the Federal Agency
for Nuclear Control (Fanc) said on 15 May 2017. The waste originates
from reprocessing in France of used Belgian nuclear fuel and its return
is being carried out under a reprocessing contract between Synatom, the
nuclear fuel cycle management subsidiary of the Engie Group, which owns
Belgium’s seven commercial nuclear reactors, and Areva, who reprocesses
the used fuel at its La Hague facility in France. Fanc gave no dates for
the transports, but said one will consist of a package of 16 containers
and the other of 19 containers. An empty “test-run” will be carried out
before the actual transports, Fanc said. The vitrified waste will be
delivered to nuclear waste management and decommissioning company
Belgoprocess.
Japan’s Regulator Approves Safety Report For Rokkasho Uranium Enrichment Plant
17.05.2017 - NucNet News
Japan's
Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved a report confirming
that the uranium enrichment plant owned by Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd (JNFL)
in Rokkasho is compatible with new regulatory standards introduced
following the March 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident, the Japan Atomic
Industrial Forum (Jaif) sad on 17 May 2017. Rokkasho, in Aomori
Prefecture, northern Japan, is the second nuclear fuel facility to be
approved since the new standards took effect. The first was a fuel
fabrication plant owned by Global Nuclear Fuel-Japan Company in
Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, southeastern Japan. Jaif said the
enrichment plant is the only facility in the country able to enrich
uranium to a degree where it can be used for nuclear fuel. The plant
began operation in 1992. The new regulatory standards came into effect
in December 2013 and JNFL filed an application for an examination of the
plant in January 2014. The plant was given a licence to continue
operation for five years after the new standards came into effect under
the terms of an agreement for existing facilities that did not pose a
substantial exposure threat to surrounding areas. As a result, a part of
the plant has remained in operation, Jaif said. The enrichment plant is
part of a larger nuclear fuel cycle R&D facility that includes
plants for reprocessing, recycling and the production of mixed-oxide
(MOX) fuel. The reprocessing plant has been under construction since the
late 1980s and according to the Japan Times has had its schedule pushed
back 23 times by a number of technical and safety issues. The Japan
Times said it is now scheduled to begin operation in 2018.
How Hungary’s Regulator Is Preparing For Progress With Paks 2 Nuclear Station
16.05.2017 - NucNet News
Hungary’s
government has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to
carry out another follow-up mission in 2018 to assess progress made
since an earlier mission reported that the country faced nuclear and
radiation safety challenges, including consolidating a complex
distribution of regulatory responsibilities among different authorities,
and ensuring effective independence of the regulatory body. The HAEA
said in an interview with NucNet that an invitation had already been
sent for the follow-up mission of an Integrated Regulatory Review
Service (IRRS) mission. In the interview, the HAEA spoke about the
challenges it faces and about doubts raised about regulatory
independence in Hungary. Full story for subscribers: http://bit.ly/2rllZ6s
Belgium’s Regulator Approves Tihange-1 Restart
16.05.2017 - NucNet News
Belgium’s
Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (Fanc) has approved the restart of
the Tihange-1 nuclear reactor unit, which has been offline since 7
September 2016 following damage to a non-nuclear building during upgrade
work. Fanc said on 15 May 2017 that operator Engie Electrabel had shown
all necessary work for the safe operation of the plant had been carried
out. FANC said upgrade work that led to the damage was being done as
part of a life extension of the unit to 1 October 2025. During the
upgrade work, the building equipped with auxiliary components was
damaged, causing the reactor to trip. The pumps in the auxiliary
building must be continuously available, Fanc said. Tihange-1, a 962-MW
pressurised water reactor unit, began commercial operation on 1 October
1975.
EDF To Push For UK-Style Subsidies For New Nuclear
15.05.2017 - NucNet News
French
state-owned utility EDF hopes for UK-style subsidies for the
construction of new nuclear plants in France and expects that president
Emmanuel Macron’s plan to reduce the share of nuclear in the French
power mix is a “long-term” plan, Reuters reported. According to Reuters,
EDF chief financial officer Xavier Girre said EDF would discuss power
market regulation with Mr Macron’s team. He said EDF was hoping to
convince the Macron government to introduce state subsidies for new
nuclear plants, modelled on the contracts for difference (CfD) scheme
under which EDF is planning to build two EPR nuclear units at Hinkley
Point in England. The full Reuters report is online: http://reut.rs/2qiZcuQ
Swedish Regulator Publishes Report On Oskarshamn Dismantling
15.05.2017 - NucNet News
The
Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) has submitted a 147-page
report to the government regarding the planned dismantling of the
Oskarshamn-1 and -2 nuclear units owned and operated by OKG. The report
is required under the 1957 Euratom Treaty, which governs the EU’s
nuclear industry. The Swedish government will in turn forward the report
to the European Commission. According to the report, the dismantling of
the two units will not have “more than a negligible impact” on the
environment in any EU member state, SSM said. There are three boiling
water reactors at Oskarshamn, in southern Sweden. Oskarshamn-1 began
commercial operation in 1972 and Oskarshamn-2 in 1975. Oskarshamn-3, the
largest unit, began commercial operation in 1985 and is scheduled to
continue until 2045. In October 2015, OKG’s shareholders voted to close
Oskarshamn-1 and -2 over concerns about their economic viability.
Oskarshamn-1 is to close this year, while Oskarshamn-2 has been shut
down since 2013 and will not be restarted. The report is online: http://bit.ly/2pshomL
No Contamination After Tunnel Collapse At US Hanford Nuclear Site
11.05.2017 - NucNet News
A
declared emergency has been terminated at the US Department of Energy’s
(DOE) Hanford nuclear site in Washington after the collapse of a
7-metre section of tunnel used to store contaminated materials on 9 May
2017. The DOE said on its website that air and surface sampling
confirmed no contamination was detected following the collapse. The
110-metre tunnel is next to the plutonium uranium extraction plant,
known as Purex, which is in an area of the Hanford site known as the 200
East Area. Crews have filled the hole in the tunnel with soil and most
Hanford workers will be on a normal work schedule today. Before allowing
uncontrolled access to the area where the collapse occurred, officials
plan to take “additional near-term actions” to ensure safety. These
actions may include placing a cover over the entire tunnel. The DOE’s
Richland Operations Office manages the site and along with the DOE’s
Office of River Protection is responsible for cleanup and remediation
work. Hanford was established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project
and was home to the B Reactor, the first full-scale plutonium production
reactor in the world. Plutonium manufactured at the site was used in
the first nuclear bomb and in Fat Man, the bomb detonated over Nagasaki,
Japan. At its peak, Hanford consisted of 16 major facilities, including
vast reservations of land in the States of Idaho, Nevada, South
Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington.
UK Needs Fallback Position On ‘Difficult’ Withdrawal From Euratom, Says Think-Tank
11.05.2017 - NucNet News
The
UK’s exit from the European Atomic Energy Community, or Euratom, will
be “extremely difficult” to achieve in the two-year Brexit period and a
framework is needed for the country to fall back on to ensure nuclear
safety and security, the Chatham House think-tank says in a report
published on 10 May 2017. The report says Euratom withdrawal will have a
significant impact on the functioning of the UK’s nuclear industry,
particularly in respect to nuclear material safeguards, safety, supply,
movement across borders and R&D. The 1957 Euratom Treaty established
the European Atomic Energy Community and governs the EU’s nuclear
industry. As a result of Brexit, the UK will no longer be a party to the
treaty unless new or transitional arrangements are made before the
two-year notification period ends. Euratom and the Euratom Treaty that
governs it were founded to create a market for nuclear power in Europe
and to promote development of the nuclear power industry within EU
member states. The Euratom Treaty covers large aspects of nuclear fuel
supply in Europe and has other technical and regulatory functions. The
Chatham House report also says Brexit would destabilise the current
balance in the EU, resulting in the EU having more anti-nuclear member
countries than pro-nuclear ones. It says that the UK has been an active
supporter of nuclear power in the EU during its membership and its exit
from the EU will be felt by the other pro-nuclear EU countries. The
report, ‘Staying Connected: Key Elements for UK–EU27 Energy Cooperation
After Brexit’, is online: http://bit.ly/2q51PhH
Hungary’s Target Is For One-Third Nuclear Share, Says Paks 2 Minister
10.05.2017 - NucNet News
Hungary’s target is to cover more than one-third of the country’s
domestic electricity consumption with nuclear energy, János Süli, the
minister responsible for the supervision of construction and
commissioning of the planned two-unit Paks 2 nuclear power station told a
press conference on 8 May 2017. According to the International Atomic
Energy Agency, Hungary’s nuclear share of electricity production in 2016
was 48%, but its total domestic production of electricity – from
nuclear, coal, gas and some renewals – was 65% to 75%, with the
remainder imported. Consumption is currently increasing by between 1%
and 2% a year. Hungary is planning to build two new reactor units at the
Paks 2 nuclear site. These are scheduled to be commissioned in the
mid-2020s, but in the mid-2030s the existing four units at Paks are
scheduled to be closed. Mr Süli, a minister without portfolio who is a
former mayor of Paks town, said Paks 2 is needed to ensure Hungary’s
security of supply and to reduce its reliance on imports, which he said
are “persistently above 30%”. During cold weather in January and
February 2017 imports reached 54%, he said. In March 2017, the European
Commission cleared Hungary’s plans to finance Paks 2 by way of state
aid. An agreement signed in 2014 will see Rosatom supply two VVER-1200
reactors for Paks 2, as well as a loan of up to €10bn ($10.7bn) to
finance 80% of the of the €12bn project. Construction is expected to
begin in the autumn of 2017, according to previous statements by
Rosatom.
EDF Hopes For UK-Style Subsidies For New Nuclear Plants In France
10.05.2017 - NucNet News
French
state-owned utility EDF hopes for UK-style subsidies for the
construction of new nuclear plants in France and expects that
president-elect Emmanuel Macron’s plan to reduce the share of nuclear in
the French power mix is a “long-term” plan, reports said on 10 May
2017. EDF chief financial officer Xavier Girre said EDF would discuss
power market regulation with Mr Macron’s team. He said EDF was hoping to
convince the Macron government to introduce state subsidies for new
nuclear plants, modelled on the contracts for difference (CfD) scheme
under which EDF is planning to build two EPR nuclear units at Hinkley
Point in England. For its £18bn (€21bn, $23bn) Hinkley Point project,
EDF has signed a CfD with the British government under which it can sell
power at £92.5/MWh for 35 years. If the market price is above that
level, EDF refunds the difference, if it is below that level it receives
a top-up. Mr Girre also said that Mr Macron’s campaign target to reduce
the share of nuclear in the French energy mix to 50% by 2025 from about
75% today was a long-term target and that his plans for CO2 floor price
should be positive for the utility. Mr Girre said EDF wanted to talk to
the new government about the ARENH (‘Regulated Access to Incumbent
Nuclear Electricity’) mechanism under which it is forced to sell up to
25% of its nuclear output to competitors as part of measures to improve
competition in the retail power market. “We consider that it is
necessary and fair to reform the ARENH mechanism to prevent it from
being as biased as it is today,” he said.
Germany ‘Could Face Higher Electricity Bills Due To Nuclear Shutdown’
09.05.2017 - NucNet News
Electricity
bills in Germany, already the second-highest in Europe, could increase
further because of the country’s decision to exit nuclear power early
next decade, Bloomberg reported on 8 May 2016. While there is no risk of
blackouts, costs could rise if transmission gaps emerge, according to
the Federal Network Agency, or Bnetza, which regulates electricity
markets. Germany is closing its last nuclear plants in 2022 and is
counting on a mix of mothballed lignite plants, wind and solar power
expansion and grid stability measures to keep outages down. Germany’s
eight remaining commercial nuclear reactors generated about 13% of the
country’s power mix in 2016, Bloomberg said. The economy and energy
ministry says it is confident that growing wind and solar power along
with energy-efficiency measures will help plug the gap by 2022. It also
has reserve capacity of about 4 GW of older lignite plants to bridge
potential gaps. Germany has 28 shut-down nuclear units.
IAEA Mission Praises Safety Improvements At Turkey Research Reactor
09.05.2017 - NucNet News
The
Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) has implemented several safety
improvements to the TR-2 research reactor in Turkey, including
modifications to strengthen protection against seismic hazards, upgrades
to operational safety systems and improvements to safety documentation,
an International Atomic Energy Agency integrated safety assessment of
research reactors (INSARR) follow-up mission has concluded. In its
assessment, the mission team said improvements carried out following a
2015 review covered areas such as reactor safety analysis, management
systems, training and qualification of personnel, commissioning of the
reactor with the new fuel, and seismic safety. The TR-2, a 5-MW research
reactor at the Cekmece nuclear research and training centre in
Istanbul, was commissioned in 1981 and initially used high-enriched
uranium (HEU) fuel to carry out research and training and to produce
radioisotopes. To decrease nuclear proliferation risks and perform
reactor upgrades, the reactor was shut down in 2009 and converted to use
low-enriched uranium fuel. The HEU fuel was shipped back to the US in
2009. The TAEK is now asking for regulatory approval to restart the
reactor using LEU fuel. A spokesman for the TAEK said the reactor is
needed for nuclear research, training and radioisotope production.
Turkey has no commercial nuclear reactors, but is planning to build its
first, at Akkuyu, in cooperation with Russia’s state nuclear corporation
Rosatom.
Environmental Monitoring Shows No Impact From Canada’s Point Lepreau Nuclear Station
08.05.2017 - NucNet News
Independent
environmental monitoring results for 2016 show that the public and the
environment around the Point Lepreau nuclear power station in New
Brunswick, eastern Canada, are protected and that there is no
unreasonable risk to health or the environment, the Canadian Nuclear
Safety Commission (CNSC) said on 4 May 2017. The CNSC said samples were
collected in publicly accessible areas outside the site perimeter and
included surface and well water, soil and river sediment, air
particulates, grass, and foodstuffs such as shellfish and produce from
local farms. The measured radioactivity in all the samples with
detectable radionuclide concentrations was below CNSC reference levels.
“Overall, the results indicate that no health impacts are expected at
this dose level”, the CNSC said. Point Lepreau began commercial
operation in 1983 and consists of a single Candu reactor of 660 MW.
Engineering Association Calls For UK To Focus On SMR Development
08.05.2017 - NucNet News
The UK should focus on developing small modular reactors (SMRs) to
secure the country’s nuclear industry post-Brexit, according to a report
by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME). The report says SMRs
could present the UK with export opportunities and return the country to
the international nuclear reactor supply arena. The report also
outlines possible routes the government could take to leaving the
European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) regarding issues such as
safeguards, nuclear cooperation agreements, research and development,
and regulation. The IME is calling for the UK to develop its own
safeguarding office, to ensure the country conforms to international
rules on safety and non-proliferation, but says the UK should remain an
associate member of Euratom for the specific purpose of R&D. Jenifer
Baxter, head of energy and environment for the IME and lead author of
the report, said in a 5 May 2017 statement that the UK’s departure from
the EU and Euratom is likely to be “complicated and difficult”, but it
also presents the country with an opportunity to “reshape its nuclear
industry and once again become a world-leading innovator in nuclear
technology”.
Regulator Issues Permit For Operation Of Ignalina Interim Spent Fuel Facility
08.05.2017 - NucNet News
The Lithuanian State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (Vatesi) has
issued a permit for the start of commercial operation of an interim
spent fuel storage facility at the Ignalina nuclear power station in the
northeast of Lithuania. Vatesi told NucNet that hot tests had been
completed at the facility on 4 May 2017. During the tests, 10 casks,
each weighing around 100 tonnes, were loaded with spent fuel and moved
to the facility, where operation was tested in real conditions. Ignalina
Nuclear Power Plant, or INPP, said it plans to move all spent fuel to
the new facility until the end of 2022. Vatesi said INPP plans to use
the facility to store about 190 containers with 17,000 spent fuel rods
over 50 years. The facility was designed and built by the German
GNS-Nukem consortium, a joint venture between GNS Gesellschaft für
Nuklear-Service and Nukem. When the contract was signed in 2005 Nukem
said the cost ceiling for the project was €193m ($211m).
Belgium’s Tihange-2 To Restart After Checks Show No Further RPV Flaws
08.05.2017 - NucNet News
Analysis
of ultrasonic inspections has shown that the size of hydrogen flakes in
the walls of the Tihange-2 reactor pressure vessel (RPV) has not
changed and no new flakes have been found, Belgium’s Federal Agency for
Nuclear Control (Fanc) said on 5 May 2017. In November 2015 Fanc
authorised operator Electrabel to restart Tihange-2, a 1,008-MW
pressurised water reactor, but said it would monitor the evolution of
the hydrogen flakes during a subsequent planned outage. Ultrasonic
inspections showed there had been “no evolution” of the hydrogen flakes
and no indications of new flaking, Fanc said. According to Fanc,
Tihange-2 is expected to restart in the next few days. A similar
ultrasonic inspection was carried out at the 1,006-MW Doel-3 PWR during a
planned outage in November 2016. That inspection also found there had
been no change and the reactor returned to service in December 2016.
Tihange-2 and Doel-3 were shut down in 2012 after the RPV flaws were
discovered. In June 2013 the units were restarted, but were shut down
again in March 2014 after unexpected results from additional tests.
There are seven reactor units in commercial operation in Belgium, four
at Doel and three at Tihange. Together, they generate about 55% of the
country’s electricity.
Register Now: UK Conference To Focus On European Nuclear Decommissioning
04.05.2017 - NucNet News
A
nuclear decommissioning and waste management conference on 24 and 25
May 2017 in Manchester, UK, will focus on the latest developments
related to the transition from operations to decommissioning in the
nuclear sector. The 8th Nuclear Decommissioning & Waste Management
Conference Europe 2017, organised by Nuclear Energy Insider, will bring
together over 40 speakers and 300 senior-level participants from 20
countries to discuss topics including expanding business operations
throughout Europe; improving understanding of the latest European
regulatory requirements; how European utilities plan on optimising
decommissioning strategies to increase cost-efficiency; ways to address
the challenges of public acceptance of nuclear waste management; and
understanding strategies for financing nuclear plant decommissioning and
estimating costs and uncertainties. For details and registration see
Nuclear Energy Insider: http://bit.ly/1WCzdY9
Nuclear Industry ‘Frustrated’ By Lack Of Progress On UK’s SMR Policy, Says NIA
02.05.2017 - NucNet News
The
UK nuclear energy industry shares the frustration of a House of Lords
committee that the first stage of the government’s small modular reactor
(SMR) competition has been left hanging in the air, and that the
roadmap industry was promised last autumn “seems to have got lost
somewhere in Whitehall”. Commenting on the House of Lords science and
technology committee report, Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the
London-based Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), said with a potential
global market for SMRs valued at £250bn-£400bn, the government must
provide clarity as soon as possible after the general election in June
2017 if the energy, industrial and export opportunities of a UK SMR are
to be realised. “Otherwise, that promising opportunity of recent years
will be lost to others, including the US, Canada and China, who are
progressing with SMR development programmes,” he said. The committee
said it is disappointed that the government launched a competition for
SMRs and has not kept to its timetable. This has had a negative effect
on the nuclear sector in the UK and if the government does not act soon
the necessary high level of industrial interest will not be maintained.
“It is particularly alarming that the results of phase one of the
competition, which does not involve the selection of an SMR design, have
yet to be announced by the government,” the committee said. The
report,’ Nuclear research and technology: Breaking the cycle of
indecision’, is online: http://bit.ly/2p1hDQz
IAEA Warns Of Regulatory And Ageing Challenges For Research Reactors
27.04.2017 - NucNet News
International
Atomic Energy Agency member states continue to improve the safety of
their research reactors, but challenges remain, particularly in relation
to regulatory effectiveness and ageing of facilities, the agency said.
In a statement following a recent meeting of the technical working group
on research reactors, the IAEA called for the rigorous application of
IAEA safety standards to help address these issues. Ageing management
and effective use are major challenges for operators of research
reactors, which are used not to generate power, but to produce neutrons
to support research, education and training, and for the production of
radioisotopes for medicine and industry. Many research reactors have
been operating for decades. “Around half of the operating research
reactors are over 40 years old and modernisation of these facilities is
an issue of central concern to ensure they can continue to perform in a
safe and efficient manner,” said Sean O’Kelly, chairman of the IAEA
technical working group. The IAEA said many developing countries are
increasingly interested in gaining access to research reactors for
scientific and research purposes. Some are considering the construction
of a domestic research reactor while others are considering accessing
research reactors abroad.
Russia Announces Progress On First Floating Nuclear Station
27.04.2017 - NucNet News
The installation of the the main components of the nuclear steam supply
system has been completed at Russia’s first floating nuclear power
plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, which is under construction at Baltiysky
Zavod JSC (the Baltic Shipyard) in St Petersburg, Russian nuclear
operator Rosenergoatom said. Rosenergoatom said preparations are under
way for the flushing of the primary and secondary circuits at the plant,
a prerequisite to hydraulic testing. The Akademik Lomonosov will be the
first vessel of a proposed fleet of floating plants with small
pressurised water reactor units that can provide energy, heat and water
to remote and arid areas of the country. The 21,000-tonne vessel will
have two Russian-designed KLT-40S reactor units with an electrical power
generating capacity of 35 MW each, sufficient for a city with a
population of around 200,000 people. The Akademik Lomonosov is scheduled
for deployment at a site in the Arctic town of Pavek in Russia’s far
northeast Chukotka region, where coastal infrastructure work began in
October 2016.
EC Signs First Ever Project For Nuclear Safety Cooperation With Iran
27.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
European Commission signed the first ever project for nuclear safety
cooperation with Iran, under the framework of the joint comprehensive
plan of action, or JCPOA.
EU Energy Proposals Must Take Nuclear Industry’s Views Into Account, Says Foratom
27.04.2017 - NucNet News
Legislative
proposals in the European Commission’s ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’
package could ensure a coherent and optimal approach towards meeting
energy and climate objectives, provided they take into account the views
of the nuclear energy industry, Foratom, the Brussels-based trade
association for the industry in Europe, said in a position paper.
NEA Report Examines Impact Of Fukushima On Global Energy Policies
27.04.2017 - NucNet News
Outside
Japan there appears to be little ultimate change to energy policies
directly attributable to the Fukushima-Daiichi accident in March 2011, a
report by the Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency said.
Foratom Calls For UK And EU To Agree Transitional Arrangements On Euratom
27.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
UK and the EU will need to agree transitional arrangements that will
apply if the two-year Brexit negotiation period is not enough to prepare
for the UK’s departure from Euratom, the Brussels-based nuclear
industry group Foratom said.
In ‘Anti-Nuclear’ Denmark, How A Reactor Startup Is Helping To Change Opinions
27.04.2017 - NucNet News
Seaborg
Technologies of Copenhagen is developing an advanced thorium-based
molten salt reactor (MSR) and has received a grant from the public
funding agency Innovation Fund Denmark, a move that marks the first
Danish investment into nuclear fission research since a 1985 ban on
nuclear energy.
UK And France Sign Agreement On Development Of Nuclear Skills
26.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
UK’s National Skills Academy Nuclear (NSAN) and France’s Institut
National des Sciences et Techniques Nucléaires (INSTN) have signed an
agreement to strengthen their cooperation on nuclear industry skills in
the two countries. One of the results of the agreement will be the
development of a joint quality standard for skills provision and
training that can be applied in both France and the UK. This will help
the movement and recognition of training and personnel between the two
countries, a statement said. Both organisations are keen to pursue
collaborative projects and will look to create further links to other
skills, education and training bodies in the UK and France as the
relationship progresses, the statement said. NSAN chief executive Jean
Llewellyn said the agreement recognises the importance and need for the
continued cooperation between France and the UK.
Poland’s Nuclear Delay Having ‘Serious Impact’ On Young Specialists
26.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
delay in Poland’s programme to build its first commercial nuclear
reactors is having a serious impact on young specialists in the industry
with many choosing to pursue opportunities abroad, Grzegorz Wrochna of
the Polish National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) told NucNet. Even
if a confirmed schedule is announced, many young scientists and
engineers will not wait for jobs to arrive in Poland if they are
guaranteed work elsewhere, Mr Wrochna said. “If they decide to study
nuclear engineering they need at least some assurance there will be a
job at the end of it,” he said. Mr Wrochna said Poland can “easily
educate” all the personnel it needs for a nuclear programme because it
has nuclear experts at several technical universities around the
country. The NCBJ, which operates the Maria research reactor, offers
internships for students who can take part in research or reactor
operations. According to Mr Wrochna, Poland’s government asked the
ministry of energy to present a new schedule and business model for new
nuclear by spring 2017. He said Poland is aiming for commercial
operation of its first unit around 2028.
Register Now: AMNT 2017 To Focus On Innovation And Decommissioning
25.04.2017 - NucNet News
A
nuclear conference to take place on 16 and 17 May 2017 in Berlin,
Germany, will focus on industry issues including sustainable innovation,
improving safety and operational excellence, and decommissioning and
waste management. The 48th Annual Meeting on Nuclear Technology (AMNT),
organised by the German Atomic Forum and the German Nuclear Society,
will bring together about 800 delegates from 30 countries and more than
150 companies. Organisers said AMNT is one of Europe’s most recognised
and best established nuclear technology conferences. For details and
registration see AMNT 2017: http://bit.ly/2pe8R3u
Governor Approves Restart Of Japan’s Genkai-3 and -4
25.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
governor of Saga Prefecture in southern Japan has approved the planned
restarts of the Genkai-3 and -4 nuclear power plants, the Japan Atomic
Industrial Forum (Jaif) said. The consent of governor Yoshiaki Yamaguchi
was the final step in the approval process by local authorities after
the mayor of the town of Genkai agreed to the restarts in March 2017.
Jaif said the restarts are expected to happen in the autumn of 2017,
subject to a number of inspections by Japan’s Nuclear Regulation
Authority (NRA). In January 2017, the NRA confirmed that Genkai-3 and -4
are compatible with new regulatory standards introduced following the
March 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident. According to Jaif, Mr Yamaguchi
agreed to restarting the two units because of concerns related to the
instability of power supply from renewable sources and a positive
assessment of safety improvements carried out by Genkai’s owner Kyushu
Electric Power Company. Genkai-3 and -4 are both 1,127-MW pressurised
water reactors. Unit 3 was shut down for an annual outage in December
2010 and Unit 4 in December 2011. The units were never restarted
following a nationwide nuclear shutdown because of the Fukushima-Daiichi
accident.
Q&A: Poland’s Progress On The Road To New Nuclear
25.04.2017 - NucNet News
Conflicting
reports have emerged from Poland about plans for its first reactors,
but in this Q&A with NucNet, Professor Grzegorz Wrochna of the
Polish National Centre for Nuclear Research says the programme is on
track and a business model is expected soon.
New Nations Pose Challenges for Nuclear Governance, Says Report
24.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
nuclear governance system is facing an unprecedented challenge as
traditional nuclear suppliers that have built the backbone of the
safety, security and nonproliferation regime face new competition to
provide technology to emerging nations, a policy report released by the
Global Nexus Initiative (GNI) says. According to the report, the locus
of new nuclear plant construction has shifted to fast-growing nations in
Asia and the Middle East, and traditional suppliers, including the US,
France and Japan, are giving way to Russia and China, which have the
most active nuclear production lines, the capacity to increase
manufacturing and the state financing to support it. China alone has 21
reactors under construction and another 40 planned, the report says.
Russia has seven under construction and another 25 planned while South
Korea, a key US ally and another emerging global nuclear supplier, has
three reactors under construction and is building four new reactors in
the United Arab Emirates. Neither Russia nor China have been leaders in
the nuclear governance area and many nations with emerging economies and
ambitious nuclear power development plans face challenges in
effectively governing the plants and materials they seek, the report
says. The report is online: http://bit.ly/2oDs90b
Contract Ready For Egypt’s First Nuclear Station At Dabaa, Say Russian Reports
21.04.2017 - NucNet News
A
“comprehensive” contract to build the first nuclear power station in
Egypt is ready to be signed, state-operated domestic Russian-language
news agency RIA Novosti reported on 19 April 2017, quoting government
sources. RIA Novosti reported Egyptian media as saying the contract, for
the Dabaa nuclear station, would be signed in the first half of 2017.
In November 2015 Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said Russia
and Egypt had signed an initial agreement to collaborate on the
construction and operation in Egypt of a nuclear power plant with four
reactor units with capacity of 1,200 MW each at Dabaa, west of Cairo on
the country’s north coast. Russia will loan Egypt $25bn (€22bn) to
finance the construction and operation of the facility, Russia’s
official gazette said. The Reuters news agency said earlier this year
that Egypt will pay an interest rate of three percent annually.
Instalment payments will begin on 15 October 2029.
OECD Figure Show Slight Decrease For Nuclear Share Of Net Electricity Production
21.04.2017 - NucNet News
Net
electricity production in the 35 Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) member countries grew by 0.9% in 2016 compared to
2015 with nuclear’s share falling by 0.1% to 18.1% figures released by
the International Energy Agency show. Total OECD cumulative production
of nuclear electricity in 2016 was 1,873.6 TWh, a decrease of 2.7 TWh.
Europe was the only region which decreased its nuclear production, by
19.6 TWh, or 2.4%, to 790 TWh led by the continued phaseout of nuclear
electricity in Germany as well as decreases in the Czech Republic and
France caused by extended outages. There were also operational outages
in Slovenia and Switzerland. There was a large increase of 9.5% in
renewable generation and a smaller, but still significant, increase of
2.2% for hydro. Combustible fuels fell by 0.2% and 0.1%. Non-combustible
renewables accounted for 22.4% of all generation compared to 21.6% in
2015.
Register Now: UK Conference To Focus On European Nuclear Decommissioning
20.04.2017 - NucNet News
A
nuclear decommissioning and waste management conference on 24 and 25
May 2017 in Manchester, UK, will focus on the latest developments
related to the transition from operations to decommissioning in the
nuclear sector. The 8th Nuclear Decommissioning & Waste Management
Conference Europe 2017, organised by Nuclear Energy Insider, will bring
together over 40 speakers and 300 senior-level participants from 20
countries to discuss topics including expanding business operations
throughout Europe; improving understanding of the latest European
regulatory requirements; how European utilities plan on optimising
decommissioning strategies to increase cost-efficiency; ways to address
the challenges of public acceptance of nuclear waste management; and
understanding strategies for financing nuclear plant decommissioning and
estimating costs and uncertainties. For details and registration see
Nuclear Energy Insider: http://bit.ly/1WCzdY9
Japan Regulator Approves Decommissioning Plans For Five Reactors
20.04.2017 - NucNet News
Japan's
Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved decommissioning
programmes for five nuclear reactors and associated facilities owned by
four different utilities. The five units are Genkai-1 (Kyushu Electric
Power Company), Mihama-1 and -2 (Kansai Electric Power Company),
Shimane-1 (Chugoku Electric Power Company) and Tsuruga-1 (Japan Atomic
Power Company). According to decommissioning plans submitted by each
utility, they expect it to take about 30 years to complete the
dismantling of each reactor. Under regulations that came into force in
July 2013 reactors have an initial operating period of 40 years. In
certain cases extensions can be granted for 20 years, contingent on
safety examinations and NRA approval. The owners of the five units
decided to shut them after an assessment of the work needed to ensure
the units meet the new safety requirements. The nuclear industry group
Japan Atomic Industrial Forum said the NRA is also examining a
decommissioning plan for a sixth plant, Ikata-1 (Shikoku Electric Power
Company).
New Tool Will Help Plan Research Reactor Decommissioning, Says IAEA
19.04.2017 - NucNet News
Planning
and estimating the cost of research reactor decommissioning will become
easier with the help of educational and training material to be
developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Slovak
University of Technology (STU) and Technical University
Vienna-Atominstitut (ATI), under an agreement signed last week. The IAEA
said on 18 April 2017 that tools and materials will be developed using
data from ATI’s Triga-type research reactor and can be adapted to other
types of research reactors. They will be shared among IAEA member states
free of charge. The work done under the agreement will contribute to
the IAEA’s collaborative project for data analysis and collection for
costing of research reactor decommissioning. The project, known as
Daccord, supports research reactor operators in developing a robust
approach to estimate the cost of future decommissioning, the IAEA said.
US Regulator Asks For Public Comment On SMR Emergency Preparedness Requirements
19.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is asking for public comment on a
draft regulatory basis for new emergency preparedness requirements for
small modular reactors (SMRs) and other new technologies such as
non-light-water reactor facilities. A regulatory basis is an early stage
in the rulemaking process in which the NRC explains the rationale for
developing new regulatory requirements and seeks input from the public.
After the regulatory basis is finalised, the NRC will develop a proposed
rule, which will also be issued for public comment. The draft
regulatory basis explains why the NRC believes existing regulations
should be updated. The NRC said the nuclear power industry is developing
SMRs and other advanced reactor technologies that differ in size, scope
and hazard from the large light-water reactors operating in the US
today. Their smaller size or innovative safety features are likely to
lead to lower risk or less challenging accident conditions than today’s
reactors. This rulemaking would establish emergency preparedness
requirements appropriate to these technologies, the NRC said. Details
online: http://bit.ly/2oKE2ol
EC Signs First Ever Project For Nuclear Safety Cooperation With Iran
19.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
European Commission has signed the first ever project for nuclear
safety cooperation with Iran, under the framework of the joint
comprehensive plan of action, or JCPOA. The €2.5m ($2.68m) project aims
to improve the capabilities of the Iranian Nuclear Regulatory Authority
(INRA) by preparing a feasibility study for a nuclear safety centre
foreseen in the JCPOA. It will support the INRA in developing a nuclear
regulatory framework, working towards the accession by Iran to several
international nuclear conventions, and reviewing the results of the
stress test to take place in the Bushehr nuclear power station. The
project is the first of a €5m programme approved by the European Union
in 2016. A second project for the stress test at Bushehr is going to be
signed in the coming weeks, the EC said. The JCPOA was finalised in July
2015 between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United
Nations Security Council – China, France, Russia, the UK, the US – plus
Germany) and the European Union. It aims to ensure that Iran’s nuclear
programme will be exclusively peaceful.
In ‘Anti-Nuclear’ Denmark, How A Reactor Startup Is Helping To Change Opinions
19.04.2017 - NucNet News
A
small Copenhagen-based startup recently announced it had received a
modest amount of funding from a public agency to develop a product it
hopes will go some way towards alleviating global warming and helping to
end energy poverty.
Workshop Criticises ‘Complex’ Regulatory Structure For US Low-Level Waste
18.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
regulatory structure for low-level radioactive waste in the US is so
complex that it should be thrown out and a new system developed from
scratch, a workshop was told. A complex regulatory structure for
disposing of the waste has evolved over time across agencies and states.
This structure has provided adequate guidance for the successful
disposal of the majority of low-level radioactive waste streams, but
there are some streams – many of which were not anticipated when the
regulations were created – that lack “an obvious pathway to disposal or
whose disposition could be considered out of step with the hazard of the
waste”. Current regulations are the result of “tweaks” and
“adjustments” to regulations to address unanticipated types of wastes or
other challenges. The workshop, held in October 2016, and outlined in a
new report from the National Academies, heard that the unintended
impact of this complex system includes potential loss of public trust
and confidence; mounting costs for disposal which are passed on to
ratepayers; and levels of regulation that are disproportionate to the
hazards posed by low-level waste. According to the report, the
Department of Energy’s office of environmental management is responsible
for the cleanup of sites used for nuclear weapons development and
government-sponsored nuclear energy research. Established in 1989, the
DOE’s cleanup programme originally encompassed over 100 sites. Cleanup
is planned to last another 40-50 years with total lifecycle costs
approaching or exceeding $350bn (€328bn). The annual cleanup budget is
around $6bn. The greatest proportion of waste generated by the cleanup
programme is low-level waste at approximately 17 million cubic meters
per year. The report is online: http://bit.ly/2oQZ6tW
Hungary Appoints Minister For Paks 2 Nuclear Project
18.04.2017 - NucNet News
Hungary
has appointed a minister to be responsible for the supervision of the
construction and eventual commissioning of the planned two-unit Paks 2
nuclear power station, a statement by the Hungarian prime minister’s
office said. János Süli, mayor of the town of Paks, where there are four
Russia-designed VVER-440 pressurised water reactors already in
commercial operation at the Paks station, will take up the role on 2 May
2017, the prime minister’s office said. Mr Süli, who has worked for the
Paks nuclear station for 31 years, said he will continue to rely on the
expertise of Attila Aszódi, the Hungarian government’s commissioner for
the Paks 2 project. An agreement signed in 2014 will see Russian
state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom supply two VVER-1200 reactors
for Paks 2, as well as a loan of up to €10bn ($10.6bn) to finance 80% of
the of the €12bn project. Construction is expected to begin in the
autumn of 2017, according to previous statements by Rosatom.
EU Energy Proposals Must Take Nuclear Industry’s Views Into Account, Says Foratom
18.04.2017 - NucNet News
Legislative
proposals in the European Commission’s ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’
package could ensure a coherent and optimal approach towards meeting
energy and climate objectives, provided they take into account the views
of the nuclear energy industry, Foratom, the Brussels-based trade
association for the industry in Europe, said in a position paper. The
position paper says the goal of the EU to decarbonise the economy by
more than 80% by 2050 cannot be achieved without nuclear power. The
legislative proposals, released in November 2016, aim to improve the
functioning of the energy market and make sure that all energy
technologies compete on a level-playing field without jeopardising
climate and energy targets. Foratom is calling for an effective power
market leading to competitive and affordable electricity prices for
end-users and the promotion of investments in low-carbon technologies.
Foratom’s position paper underlines the importance of the EU emissions
trading scheme (ETS) and of protecting it from conflicting policy
overlaps, in particular from a proposed 30% energy efficiency target.
Foratom is also calling for a strategy to help the EU maintain its
technological and industrial leadership in the nuclear sector. According
to the EC, its legislative proposals have three main goals: putting
energy efficiency first, achieving global leadership in renewable
energies and providing a fair deal for consumers. For details see the
Foratom website: http://bit.ly/2oI2Sna
Wano Completes Peer Review At Czech Republic’s Dukovany
14.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
World Association of Nuclear Operators (Wano) has carried out a peer
review at the four-unit Dukovany nuclear power station operated by state
utility CEZ in the Czech Republic. Wano’s Moscow Centre said in a
statement that the review was from 23 March to 7 April 2017 and was
carried out by a team of 21 experts representing nine countries. All
four units at Dukovany are Russian-designed VVER units. Wano is a
non-profit association established in 1989 by nuclear power operators to
exchange safety knowledge and operating experience amongst
organisations operating commercial nuclear power reactors. Wano members
operate some 440 nuclear reactor units in more than 30 countries.
Poland And South Korea Discuss Possible Investment In Nuclear Programme
13.04.2017 - NucNet News
Deputy
energy minister Andrzej Piotrowski has met representatives of the South
Korean nuclear industry to discuss possible investment in Poland’s
planned nuclear reactors, the energy ministry said in a statement on its
website. The possibilities of cooperating on research centres for the
development of new nuclear technologies and industrial cooperation in
third country markets were also discussed at the meeting in Seoul, the
ministry said. Poland’s PGE EJ1, the company in charge of the country’s
first nuclear power station project, said last week it had begun
environmental and site selection surveys at two locations,
Lubiatowo-Kopalino and Żarnowiec, both close to Poland’s Baltic coast in
the northern province of Pomerania. PGE EJ1 said the findings will
contribute to the completion of a final environmental impact and
localisation report scheduled for 2020.
NEA Report Examines Impact Of Fukushima On Global Energy Policies
12.04.2017 - NucNet News
Outside Japan there appears to be little ultimate change
to energy policies directly attributable to the Fukushima-Daiichi
accident in March 2011, a report by the Paris-based Nuclear Energy
Agency says. The report, which examines how the accident has affected
energy policies, says in general, countries with previous commitment to
nuclear power remained committed, and those with plans to phase out
nuclear power accelerated those plans. Nuclear power development efforts
have made significant progress globally, with 33 units starting
construction and 38 grid connections, the report notes. However, some
uncertainties remain in terms of policy responses to the event, most
notably in the East Asia region. Overall, it is clear that projections
have decreased from those of 2007-2011. A number of governments,
particularly in Western Europe, have made policy changes as a result of
the accident. But the report says it is also clear that, despite changes
in some countries, most countries with nuclear power or with plans to
add nuclear power to their energy mix have maintained an interest in
developing the technology. In China and South Korea, there appears to be
limited impact on long-term plans, as the governments still have very
ambitious deployment plans. In Russia, where there are seven new units
under construction, new capacity projections have decreased from 2009
owing to reduced needs and the financial requirements for such a steep
build rate. The report is online: http://bit.ly/2p55dLw
Norway Reactor Incident Not Cause Of Europe Iodine Releases, Says France’s IRSN
12.04.2017 - NucNet News
An incident at the Halden Boiling Water Reactor (HBWR) in
southeast Norway at the end of October 2016 resulted in limited release
of radioactivity into the environment, but was not responsible for
atmospheric measurements of iodine detected in several European
countries since January 2017, France’s Radioprotection and Nuclear
Safety Institute (IRSN) said in an information note published on11 April
2017. IRSN said the Halden release, provisionally classified at Level 1
of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Nuclear and
Radiological Event Scale (INES), concerned the period from October to
November 2016 and could not therefore be the cause of radioactive iodine
at trace levels detected in Europe in early 2017. The HBWR, a research
reactor operated by the Institute for Energy Technology, was
commissioned in 1959 and has a maximum thermal output of 25 MW. In the
early afternoon of 24 October 2016, while the unit was shut down for
maintenance, an incident during handling operations of a test assembly
led to the release of radioactive substances. Small amounts of
radioactive iodine were detected in the atmosphere in several European
countries in January 2017. Radiation monitors in Finland, Norway,
Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, France and Spain all detected a
small amount of an Iodine-131 isotope, nuclear regulators said. The
largest concentrations were measured in Poland, but even those levels
were “very far” from concentrations which could potentially have any
effect on human health. IRSN said preliminary reports showed the iodine
was first found in the second week of January 2017 in northern Norway.
The origins of the iodine findings remain unknown. Iodine-131 isotopes
are used for medical purposes and are manufactured in a number of
countries. Iodine-131 is produced in nuclear power reactors as a fission
product and is also used as a tracer in drilling industries.
Construction Of Initial Facilities At Paks 2 To Begin In Autumn, Says Rosatom Head
11.04.2017 - NucNet News
Construction of auxiliary facilities for the planned
two-unit Paks 2 nuclear power station in Hungary will begin in the
autumn of 2017, Alexei Likhachev, head of Russian state nuclear
corporation Rosatom, said in a statement. Rosatom said auxiliary
facilities include a number of production, storage and other buildings
to be used by contractors during the project’s construction phase. An
agreement signed in 2014 will see Russian state-owned nuclear
corporation Rosatom supply two VVER-1200 reactors for Paks 2, as well as
a loan of up to €10bn ($10.6bn) to finance 80% of the of the €12bn
project.
Delegates At IAEA Meeting Call For Further Action On Nuclear Safety
10.04.2017 - NucNet News
Delegates at an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
meeting on nuclear safety have called for steps to be taken to address
financial and human resource constraints, safety concerns related to
ageing nuclear facilities, and the need for harmonised cross-border
emergency planning approaches. The Seventh Review Meeting of the
Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety discussed
national nuclear safety reports from 79 countries. Delegates highlighted
the importance of improving the nuclear safety culture, maintaining
effective legal frameworks, and enforcing safety precautions within the
supply chain. Juan Carlos Lentijo, IAEA deputy director-general and head
of the department of nuclear safety and security, said the supply chain
issue is a common one both for countries operating nuclear power plants
and those considering nuclear power programmes because of the lack of
availability of identical replacement parts and the need to be able to
detect non-conforming, counterfeit, suspect or fraudulent items. He
said: “Furthermore, with the number of nuclear-grade certified suppliers
diminishing, access to manufacturers able to meet nuclear standards
will become more challenging.” Details online: http://bit.ly/2optJ9C
Poland Begins Site Studies For First Nuclear Project At Two Locations
07.04.2017 - NucNet News
Poland’s PGE EJ1, the company in charge of the country’s
first nuclear power station project, has formally begun environmental
and site selection surveys at two locations – Lubiatowo-Kopalino and
Żarnowiec – both close to Poland’s Baltic coast in the northern province
of Pomerania. In a statement PGE EJ1 said the findings will contribute
to the completion of a final environmental impact and localisation
report scheduled for 2020. The studies aim to determine the potential
impact of the planned new-build project on both the environment and
local residents. An initial round of environmental studies has already
been carried out at both locations. In May 2016, Poland’s General
Directorate for Environmental Protection approved the two sites as the
main focus of environmental impact studies for the nuclear project. PGE
EJ1 said a decision on Poland’s nuclear new-build programme will be
taken with the country’s energy ministry by the end of 2017.
IAEA And Wano Agree To Increase Cooperation On Nuclear Safety
07.04.2017 - NucNet News
The International Atomic Energy Agency and the World
Association of Nuclear Operators (Wano) have agreed to increase their
cooperation to strengthen operational safety and to support countries
that are planning or considering launching nuclear power programmes.
Representatives from the two organisations announced the agreement at a
side event on the margins of the 7th Review Meeting of the Contracting
Parties of the Convention on Nuclear Safety in Vienna this week. They
said the IAEA and Wano can maximise safety benefits, increase efficiency
and avoid conflicting advice by increasing cooperation on safety peer
review services they offer to nuclear operators. Increasing the
efficiency of the reviews will be particularly important in anticipation
of the increasing number of nuclear facilities worldwide in coming
decades, said Wano chairman Jacques Regaldo. “By 2030, half of the
nuclear power reactors will be based in Asia, and we will have many
newcomers to nuclear power,” he said. “There is real value for Wano to
work together with the IAEA and others to help maximise the safety and
reliability of nuclear power plants.” Wano is a non-profit organisation
established in 1989 by the world’s nuclear power operators to exchange
safety knowledge and operating experience among operators of commercial
nuclear power plants.
EDF Delays Plans To Shut Down Fessenheim Nuclear Station
07.04.2017 - NucNet News
French utility EDF has delayed plans to shut down
France’s oldest nuclear power station, despite pressure from the French
government, neighbouring Germany and environmental activists. The board
of state-run EDF voted in January 2017 to approve the closure of the
two-unit Fessenheim in Alsace, northern France, next year in principle.
But the company said the board decided yesterday, 6 April 2017, not to
close the facility until the Flamanville-3 EPR in Normandy begins
commercial operation, expected in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Fessenheim-1 and Fessenheim-2 both began commercial operation in 1978.
Both are 880-MW pressurised water reactor units. EDF said France’s
energy transition law caps nuclear energy’s generation capacity at 63.2
GW. As a result, the commissioning of Flamanville-3 is dependent on the
shutdown of equivalent capacity.
No Decision Yet On South Africa New-Build, Says Finance Minister
South Africa’s finance minister Malusi Gigaba said no decision has been taken on nuclear new-build plans other than “we will have 9,600 megawatts of [nuclear] generation capacity”. According to local press reports Mr Gigaba said any decision about where nuclear power plants will be built‚ and whether they will be built at the same time or in phases, “will be determined by what the country can afford”. South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom, which operates South Africa’s only commercial nuclear station at Koeberg, recently said it has given itself the internal target that for new nuclear to make sense, the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from the project must be between $60 and $80 (€56 and €75) per MWh for the first two reactor units. The International Atomic Energy Agency has put the LCOE for the construction of new nuclear power plants in a range from $40 to $100 per MWh.
France’s Engie Exercises Right To Sell 40% Stake in NuGen’s Moorside Nuclear Project
04.04.2017 - NucNet News
In
another setback for new-build plans in the UK, Toshiba has been forced
to buy French utility Engie’s share of a project to build three
Westinghouse Generation III+ AP1000 nuclear reactors at Moorside in
Cumbria, northwest England.
India Becomes Association Country Of International Energy Agency
04.04.2017 - NucNet News
India has become an association country of the Paris-based
International Energy Agency (IEA), the agency announced on 30 March
2017. Institutional ties with the IEA mark a critical addition to the
IEA’s global outreach, a statement said. India is “one of the bright
spots” of the global economy and is emerging as a major driving force in
global energy trends, with all modern fuels and technologies playing a
part. According to International Atomic Energy Agency statistics India
has 22 nuclear power reactors in commercial operation and five under
construction. Nuclear generation capacity in India is expected to reach
nearly 15 GW by 2024, up from around 5.8 GW today, because the
government has expedited the process of constructing new power reactors,
the country’s lower house of parliament was told on 22 March 2017.
Horizon Submits Site Application For Wylfa Newydd Nuclear Station
04.04.2017 - NucNet News
Horizon
Nuclear Power has submitted its site application to build and operate
two UK Advanced-Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) units at the Wylfa Newydd
nuclear power station on the island of Anglesey in north Wales, the
company said on 4 April 2017. Receipt of the application by the Office
for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) now triggers a rigorous 19-month programme
of assessment to establish whether Horizon can demonstrate it will be in
control of all safety related activities on its site. The application
follows more than two years of preparation by Horizon and focuses on
topics such as the suitability of the organisation, the suitability of
the site and the suitability of its reactor design for use at the site,
Horizon said in a statement. The ONR will only grant the licence once it
is satisfied that Horizon has met the 36 licence conditions and
licensee obligations. If licensed, Horizon would be regulated by the ONR
for the full lifecycle of the site from construction to
decommissioning. The nuclear site licence application comes as Horizon
prepares to undertake its final stage of community consultation in the
summer. Hitachi-GE’s UK ABWR reactor technology is progressing through
the fourth and final stage of its generic design assessment, or GDA, and
is on track to be approved for use in the UK by the end of December
2017. If that approval is granted, Horizon aims to receive all the
necessary permissions by the end of 2018.
Swedish Regulator Approves Nuclear Industry Waste Management R&D Programme
03.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) has advised the government to
approve the nuclear power industry’s research and development programme
for the management of nuclear waste from the operation and
decommissioning of nuclear plants, a statement by SSM said. According to
SSM, the R&D programme, submitted to the regulator by the Swedish
Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) on behalf of nuclear
power plant owners in September 2016, fulfils statutory requirements.
Legislation in Sweden requires owners of Swedish nuclear power stations
to report to the government at three-year intervals on their R&D
programme for waste management. SSM said it had reviewed the programme
with other stakeholders, including local authorities, research
institutes and environmental organisations.
Wenra Guidance Document On EU Nuclear Safety Directive Open For Comment
03.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
Western European Nuclear Regulators’ Associations (Wenra) has begun a
consultation period on a draft guidance document on an article in the
EU’s Nuclear Safety Directive regarding safety improvements to existing
nuclear power plants. Article 8a of the directive calls for the “timely
implementation of reasonably practicable safety improvements to existing
nuclear power plants”. An ad hoc Wenra group was established last year
to develop the guidance document, which outlines a common approach to
article 8a. A draft of the guidance document is due to be considered by
Wenra at its spring meeting on 26 and 27 April 2017 with a final draft
to be approved at a plenary meeting at the end of June 2017. Wenra said
the guidance has been written specifically with nuclear power plants as a
focus, but many of the principles should be applicable to other types
of nuclear installation. The first draft of the guidance document has
already been reviewed by Wenra, the European Commission, the European
Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (Ensreg) and the European Nuclear
Installations Safety Standards Initiative (Eniss). It is open for
comments until 14 April 2017. Details online: http://bit.ly/2nNIOiJ
Foratom Calls For UK And EU To Agree Transitional Arrangements On Euratom
03.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
UK and the EU will need to agree transitional arrangements that will
apply if the two-year Brexit negotiation period – triggered last week by
Theresa May’s government – is not enough to prepare for the UK’s
departure from Euratom, the Brussels-based nuclear industry group
Foratom said on 3 April 2017. The 1957 Euratom Treaty governs the
peaceful use of nuclear energy within the EU. “Being part of the Euratom
community enables new-build, decommissioning, R&D and other
programmes of work to continue without any disruption,” said Foratom
director-general Jean-Pol Poncelet. “The UK should comply with the
provisions of the Euratom Treaty until new agreements replacing the
current ones are concluded.” Without alternative agreements, leaving
Euratom would have an impact on the free movement of goods and skills in
the nuclear sector, Foratom said. It could also result in interruptions
to regular trade with the EU. Foratom said that leaving Euratom would
not result in the UK industry being less safe because the UK has a
robust and well established domestic civil nuclear regulator and safety
regime. However, after its withdrawal from Euratom, the UK will need to
set up a proper framework to comply with its international nuclear
safeguards commitments. Other key areas that could be affected by the
UK’s withdrawal from Euratom include the supply of nuclear fuels and
nuclear research. Foratom said Euratom provides a platform for R&D
covering fission, fusion and the sharing of information and results from
R&D. The UK operates 15 commercial reactors, which produce about
20% of its electricity generation. It has plans for 16 GW of new nuclear
capacity.
Hungarian Regulator Issues Site Licence For Paks 2
03.04.2017 - NucNet News
The
Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA) has issued the site licence
for the planned two-unit Paks 2 nuclear power station, the regulator
said in a statement on 31 March 2017. MVM Paks II, the company in charge
of the new-build project, applied for a site permit in October 2016. In
September 2016, the planned station received a local environmental
permit from regional authorities in Baranya county. In early March 2017,
the European Commission cleared Hungary’s plans to finance Paks 2 by
way of state aid. Separately, in November 2016, the EC closed an
infringement case against Hungary regarding the compatibility of the
project with EU public procurement legislation. An agreement signed in
2014 would see Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom supply
two VVER-1200 reactors for Paks 2, as well as a loan of up to €10bn
($10.6bn) to finance 80% of the of the €12bn project.
Denmark Takes Step Into Fission Research With Grant For Seaborg Technologies
31.03.2017 - NucNet News
Copenhagen-based
startup Seaborg Technologies, which is developing an advanced
thorium-based molten salt reactor (MSR), has received a grant from
Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD), a move that marks the first Danish
investment into nuclear fission research since the country’s ban on
nuclear power in 1985. IFD is a public funding agency whose mission is
to support promising Danish ventures in their early stages. The decision
to fund the reactor, known as the Seaborg CUBE-100 (short for Compact
Used BurnEr, is the beginning of the first Danish venture into the
development of novel fission reactor concepts, Seaborg said. The company
did not disclose details of the grant, but a spokesman told NucNet
today it was a relatively modest amount. “At this early stage it
provides essential opportunities for us to move ahead and secure
intellectual property. The more important aspect is the symbolic value,”
the spokesman said. According to Seaborg, MSRs promise to improve on
all the areas of nuclear safety that had concerned the Danish public.
“This has forced Danes to reconsider their beliefs and has led many to
see nuclear power as a viable alternative for combating global warming,”
the spokesman said. “A nuanced public debate has resulted, in which the
potential advantages of a Danish advanced nuclear reactor industry is
being explored.” Seaborg chief executive officer Troels Schönfeldt said
that with the funding the company will be able to position itself for
the additional investment required to progress towards commercial
maturity. Dr Schönfeldt said the company is looking for “visionary
investors” with the long-term perspective required to capitalise on
advanced nuclear reactors. The International Atomic Energy Agency said
in a report on MSRs that the Seaborg prototype, formerly known as the
Seaborg Waste Burner (SWaB), is a 50 MWth single fluid unit. It is
graphite moderated and fuelled by a combination of spent nuclear fuel
and thorium. The design team is a combination of physicists and chemists
from the Niels Bohr Institute and the Technical University of Denmark.
EC Clears Belgian Support For Long-Term Operation Of 3 Reactors
30.03.2017 - NucNet News
The
European Commission found Belgian plans to compensate Engie-Electrabel
and EDF Belgium for potential financial risks linked to the long-term
operation of three nuclear reactors in Belgium to be in line with EU
state aid rules.
EC Clears Investment In Hungary’s Paks 2 Nuclear Project
30.03.2017 - NucNet News
The
European Commission cleared Hungary’s plans to finance the planned Paks
2 nuclear station by way of state aid. The EC said Hungary’s state aid
abides by EU rules because the country has made commitments to limit
distortions of competition.
UK Regulator Gives First Consent For Start Of Hinkley Point C Construction
29.03.2017 - NucNet News
The
UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has granted its first consent
for the start of construction of a twin EPR nuclear power station at
Hinkley Point C in Somerset, southwest England. The consent covers the
placement of the structural concrete for the first nuclear
safety-related structure at the Hinkley Point C site. EDF, the site
licensee, will now start the placement of the first structural concrete
for the station’s technical galleries. The technical galleries are a
series of underground reinforced concrete structures to be located
beneath the site and some above-ground structures, connecting services
such as cooling water and electricity. Mike Finnerty, deputy chief
nuclear inspector and director of the ONR’s new reactors programme said
the consent for the first nuclear safety concrete at Hinkley Point C is a
key regulatory milestone marking start of construction of the first
nuclear power station since Sizewell B in Suffolk. “We have carried out
extensive assessment of EDF’s safety case and preparedness for this
important step at Hinkley Point C. However, this does not give consent
for all elements of construction. We will continue to regulate EDF’s
activities and have implemented a number of hold-points to ensure we
have full regulatory control over the various construction and
commissioning stages through to start of operation.” The two EPR units
planned for Hinkley Point C are expected to produce 7GW of electricity
when fully operational, enough to power six million homes and provide 7%
of Britain’s electricity needs for 60 years. The cost of the project
has been put at £18bn (€20bn, $22bn).
India Agreement Will Benefit Nuclear Industry Across Asia, Says IAEA
24.03.2017 - NucNet News
Nuclear professionals from across Asia will benefit from extended cooperation agreed on by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Yukiya Amano and Sekhar Basu, chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission, the IAEA said. IAEA-nominated experts in advanced nuclear energy, nuclear security, radiological safety, nuclear material characterisation and applications of radioisotopes and radiation technologies will be able to use the new training facilities of India’s Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP), which are scheduled to open in New Delhi in the near future. The centre will promote safe, secure and sustainable nuclear energy through global partnership, Mr Basu said. The IAEA will be able to use the facilities at GCNEP to train experts from the region and beyond in assisting building capacity.
NRG Looking For International Collaboration On LWR Lifespan Project
24.03.2017 - NucNet News
The
Netherlands-based Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) hopes to
enter into international partnerships with other research institutes so
that more data can be generated as part of a project that could help to
accurately predict whether the lifespan of light-water reactors (LWRs)
can be extended beyond 40 years. NRG and the European Commission’s Joint
Research Centre (JRC) are working together on the research project,
known as Lyra, which takes samples of steel used in reactor vessels in
Western and Russian nuclear plants and irradiates them in the High Flux
Reactor at Petten in the Netherlands. The total radiation dose is
comparable to the total dose in a reactor core that has been operational
for 60 to 80 years. After irradiation, the samples are retrieved from
the reactor and studied. NRG said results of the project will be
presented during the annual Nugenia international nuclear forum in
Amsterdam from 28 to 30 March 2017. LWRs are the most common type of
nuclear reactor. Most were designed to operate for 40 years.
Consequently, programmes used to monitor the degradation of materials
are often designed for 40 years of operation. “The knowledge about the
materials degradation processes beyond those 40 years of reactor
operation is currently limited,” NRG said.
US And UK To Collaborate On Robotics For Nuclear Decommissioning
21.03.2017 - NucNet News
The
US Office of Environmental Management and the United Kingdom Atomic
Energy Agency (UKAEA) have agreed to collaborate further to develop and
apply robotics to nuclear decommissioning tasks. An Office of
Environmental Management statement said representatives of the two
organisations signed a new statement of intent providing a framework for
the exchange of information and personnel on remote handling and
robotic systems in managing radioactive waste, nuclear materials and
cleanup of nuclear installations. Dr Rob Buckingham, director of the
Centre for Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (Race), in
Oxfordshire, central England, signed the agreement on behalf of the
UKAEA. The UKAEA hosts Race, which recently built a facility to develop
and demonstrate aspects of remote systems, including inspection,
maintenance and decommissioning. The statement of intent gives the
Office of Environmental Management access to the Race facility to
demonstrate remote system capabilities. The UKAEA carries out fusion
research in the UK on behalf of the government and manages the Joint
European Torus, or Jet, fusion project on behalf of the EU.
Nuclear Needed As Part Of ‘Exceptional’ Energy Transition, Says IEA Report
20.03.2017 - NucNet News
Limiting
the rise in global mean temperature to well below 2°C would require an
energy transition of exceptional scope, depth and speed, including
increased investment in new nuclear power reactors, according to
analysis by the International Energy Agency. Annual average energy
related investments would need to be doubled from current levels with
$3.5 trillion (€3.2 trillion) in energy-sector investments be needed on
average each year until 2050. Nearly 95% of electricity would need to be
low-carbon by 2050, compared with about one third today, the IEA said.
Fossil fuels, in particular natural gas, would still be needed in 2050,
and would account for 40% of energy demand, around half of today’s
level. Recent IEA estimates show that global energy-related CO2
emissions stalled for a third straight year in 2016. This was the result
of growing renewable power generation, switches from coal to natural
gas, improvements in energy efficiency, as well as structural changes in
the global economy. According to the IEA, investment in nuclear energy
was $21bn in 2016 compared to $583bn in oil and gas, $107bn in wind and
98bn in solar photovoltaic. The findings are included in a report called
‘Perspectives for the Energy Transition – Investment Needs for a
Low-Carbon Energy System’. The report is online: http://bit.ly/2mKU1OR
Canada Regulator Calls For Public Comment On Disposal Facility EIS
18.03.2017 - NucNet News
Canada’s nuclear regulator is inviting public comment until 17 May 2017
on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposed near
surface disposal facility project submitted Canadian Nuclear
Laboratories (CNL). The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) said
CNL is proposing to build the facility at Chalk River Laboratories in
Ontario. CNL is a private-sector company responsible for the management
and operation of nuclear sites, facilities and assets owned by Atomic
Energy of Canada Limited, a federal Crown corporation. For many years,
CNL has placed waste from its operations and from Canadian hospitals and
universities in interim storage facilities. The proposed near surface
disposal facility will provide a permanent disposal solution for waste
from Chalk River Laboratories, historical operations and the closure of
the Whiteshell Laboratories in Manitoba and the Nuclear Power
Demonstration project in Ontario. Details online: http://bit.ly/2mHFTpQ
UN Committee Asks UK To Suspend Work On Hinkley Point C
15.03.2017 - NucNet News
A
United Nations committee has asked the UK to suspend work on the
Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset because of the
government’s failure to consult with European countries over the
project. The United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (UNECE) said last year that the UK had failed to meet its
obligations to discuss the possible impact of an incident at Hinkley on
neighbouring countries. At a recent meeting of the Parties to the
Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary
Context, known as the Espoo Convention, the UNECE went a step further
and said the UK should consider refraining from further works on the
site of the new reactors. According to the minutes of the meeting, the
UNECE said the government should wait until it has heard back from other
countries on whether it would be helpful for them to be formally
notified under the Espoo Convention. Details online: http://bit.ly/2nK30BC
Four Countries Have Signed Agreements To Help Kenya Prepare For Nuclear, Conference Told
15.03.2017 - NucNet News
Four
countries have signed memoranda of understanding with Kenya to help it
with plans to establish a commercial nuclear power programme, Kenya
Nuclear Electricity Board (KNEB) acting chief executive Collins Juma
told the Kenya Nuclear Energy Week and Conference in Nairobi on 14 March
2017. Mr Juma said Russia, China, South Korea and Slovakia have all
signed agreements that will see them help Kenya “build capacity” to
begin construction of its first nuclear plant around 2022. “We want to
make sure that we have the right human resource capacity, public
awareness and proper regulations to enable us smoothly adopt this energy
source. That is why we are investing in informative studies and
benchmarking to ensure that there is proper stakeholder engagements and
extensive consultations in this field,” Mr Juma said. According to
recent reports, France is also looking to offer Kenya technical,
engineering and financial support to build its first nuclear power
reactors. The Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board is planning at least four
reactors with a total output of around 4,000 MW, the allAfrica website
said. According to Business Daily, Kenya has identified possible sites
for nuclear plants including towns bordering Lake Turkana in northern
Kenya, the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria in western Kenya.
Foratom Welcomes EC Decision On Financing Of Hungary’s Paks 2 Project
15.03.2017 - NucNet News
The
Brussels-based nuclear industry group Foratom has welcomed the European
Commission’s decision last week to clear Hungary’s plans to finance the
planned Paks 2 nuclear station by way of state aid. In a statement on
14 March 2017 Foratom said the EC’s decision was a reminder that
facilitating nuclear investment is one of the objectives of the Euratom
Treaty and that state support is therefore compliant with European Union
regulations. Foratom director-general Jean-Pol Poncelet said the EC’s
decision was good news for the nuclear industry and sent a positive
signal for nuclear investments in Europe. An agreement signed in 2014
would see Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom supply two
VVER-1200 reactors for Paks 2, as well as a loan of up to €10bn
($10.6bn) to finance 80% of the of the €12bn project. Foratom’s
statement is online: http://bit.ly/2ms2UwG
Turkey’s Regulator Confirms Construction Licence Application For Akkuyu
13.03.2017 - NucNet News
Akkuyu
Nuclear, the joint stock company in charge of the Akkuyu nuclear
project in Turkey, has applied to the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority
(Taek) for a construction licence, Taek confirmed in a statement on its
website. Taek said the application had been submitted on 3 March 2017,
but did not give further details. Akkuyu, near Mersin on the Turkey’s
southern Mediterranean coast, is to be built in cooperation with
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom under a contract signed in
late 2010. The station will have four 1,200-MW VVER units.
Poland Needs Nuclear To Meet EU Expectations, Says Minister
10.03.2017 - NucNet News
Poland
will need nuclear energy if it is to meet European Union requirements
concerning the country’s energy mix and its CO2 emissions, energy
minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski told Polish daily Wprost. “We must take a
decision on this in the near future”, Mr Tchórzewski was quoted as
saying. Mr Tchórzewski said the government has abandoned plans to
finance the nuclear project by way of contracts for difference and would
like to find funding on a commercial basis, without state guarantees on
loans or electricity prices. He said his ministry would like to develop
a new financing model by the end of the first half of 2017. A 2015 plan
by the previous government laid out Poland’s plans to have 6,000 MW of
nuclear online by 2030, with the first unit starting commercial
operation in 2024.
As South Africa Prepares For New Build, The Question Is: How Much Will It Cost?
09.03.2017 - NucNet News
When
South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom released a request for
information, or RFI, for up to eight new nuclear power reactors in
December 2016, the media generally overlooked the fact that the project
is facing a court case. The NGOs Earthlife Africa and Southern African
Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) have begun proceedings
that challenge the legality of the nuclear procurement process.
Japan’s Regulator Approves Fuel Fabrication Plant Safety Report
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved a draft review report confirming that a fuel fabrication plant owned by the Global Nuclear Fuel-Japan Company (GNF-J) in Kanagawa Prefecture, central Japan, is compatible with the new regulatory standards, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum said. This means that the plant has essentially cleared the examination – the first nuclear fuel production facility to do so since new safety standards were introduced following the March 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident. GNF-J, which produces nuclear fuel for boiling water reactors, is part of a joint venture between General Electric Company (GE) of the US, Hitachi, Ltd. and Toshiba Corporation. It applied for safety examination in April 2014. Jaif said there are currently no BWRs in operation in Japan and only small amounts of the fuel are produced in order to maintain the technology. All seven units at Fukushima-Daiichi were BWRs. Thirty-two of the 48 units in commercial operation in Japan at the time of the accident were BWRs.
Austria Threatens Legal Action Over EC Decision On Paks 2
Austria has said it might consider ways to legally challenge yesterday’s decision by the European Commission (EC) to approve Hungary’s plans to finance the planned Paks 2 nuclear station by way of state aid, the country’s deputy chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner told local media. Mr Mitterlehner was quoted by the APA news agency as saying that the EC’s ruling is a “completely false signal” and Austria will examine the legal options and “if necessary” appeal against the decision to the European Court of Justice. Mr Mitterlehner said the Austrian government has “massive concerns” because the financing of the Paks 2 project by the Hungarian state with Russian assistance is not in line with the principles of the free market economy. In July 2015 Austria filed a complaint against EU-approved state aid for the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in England, arguing that nuclear energy was non-sustainable and high-risk. Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom, which will be in charge of building two VVER-1200 reactor units at Paks 2, said it welcomed the EC’s decision.
Paks 2 Construction Scheduled To Begin In 2018, Says Hungary’s Foreign Minister
Construction of the planned Paks 2 nuclear power station project in Hungary is likely to begin in 2018, foreign minister Peter Szijjarto in an interview with Russia’s state-operated domestic news agency Ria Novosti. According to Ria Novosti Mr Szijjarto said the project would go ahead under the terms of an agreement signed in 2014 that would see Russia supply two VVER-1200 reactors with a loan of up to €10bn ($9.4bn) to finance 80% of the €12bn project. Since late 2015, progress on the Paks 2 project has stalled because the investment deal came under the scrutiny of the European Commission over possible state aid and procurement infringements. In September 2016, the Commission dropped a procurement case against Hungary over the award of the Paks 2 contract to Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. Commission investigations into state aid over the project’s financing are continuing. Mr Szijjarto said he expected this issue to be resolved “very soon”.
UK Funding For Advanced Fission Technologies Remains Low, Says Review
Total funding for civil nuclear R&D in the UK was around £217m (€254m, $268m) in 2015/16, but funding for research into advanced nuclear fission technologies was low, which was also a key conclusion of a similar review in 2013, the government’s Nuclear Innovation and Advisory Board (Nirab) has said. The UK’s annual public expenditure on nuclear R&D continues to be significantly lower than other major nuclear nations in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Nirab said. Government expenditure – not including overseas and private funding – for fission in 2015/16 was £95.7m and for fusion £24.6m. Total government expenditure for nuclear R&D fell from £140m in 2010/11 to £122m in 2015/16. In the fusion sector, most funding is from the European Union, with the remainder from UK research councils. The Nirab review says there has been an increase of about 19% in the number of researchers engaged in civil nuclear research in the UK compared to the 2013 review. There has been a 5% increase in the number of researchers in the UK’s national laboratories, but in both fusion and fission laboratories there has been a significant loss of more experienced staff – individuals with greater than 15 years’ experience. Nirab’s review is online: http://bit.ly/2lbvirn
China’s Five-Year Plan Reveals Ambitious Nuclear Targets Both At Home And Abroad
28.02.2017 - NucNet NewsMore than 30 GW of nuclear energy facilities will be under construction in China through the next five years with installed capacity of 58 GW by 2020, up 16.5% year on year, according to the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan for energy development, which the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration officially issued.
UK Could Seek ‘Alternative Agreement’ To Euratom With IAEA After Brexit
28.02.2017 - NucNet NewsThe UK secretary of state for exiting the European Union, David Davis, told parliament that the UK will seek an alternative agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if it fails to negotiate “some sort of relationship” with the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) during Brexit negotiations.
Former Minister Warns Of ‘Real Danger’ Facing UK Nuclear Projects
28.02.2017 - NucNet NewsThere is a real danger that planned nuclear projects will fail to come on stream before 2030 unless the UK government agrees to intervene, Tim Yeo, a former environment minister and energy committee chairman, said in a letter to business secretary Greg Clark.
House Of Lords Committee Warns On Cost Of Hinkley Point C
24.02.2017 - NucNet News
The planned Hinkley Point C nuclear project in England is a good example of the way policy has become unbalanced and affordability neglected, a House of Lords committee has said. The economic affairs committee in its report ‘The Price of Power: Reforming the Electricity Market’ said constant intervention by successive governments in the electricity sector has led to an “opaque, complicated, and uncompetitive” market that fails to deliver low cost and secure electricity. On Hinkley Point C the committee said: “It does not provide good value for money for consumers and there are substantial risks associated with the project.” The committee called on the government to outline its ‘Plan B’ in the event Hinkley Point C is delayed or cannot produce the anticipated power. Committee chairman Lord Hollick said: “Poorly-designed government interventions, in pursuit of the decarbonisation, have put unnecessary pressure on the electricity supply and left consumers and industry paying too high a price.” In September 2016 the government gave the go-ahead to the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. The government agreed to pay EDF, who will construct and operate the power station, £92.50 (€109.50, $116.20) per MWh for the electricity it produces. This price, which will rise with inflation every year, is guaranteed for 35 years. Under EDF’s current plans, Hinkley Point is expected to start generating electricity in 2025. Regardless of the changes in the cost of other forms of electricity generation, EDF will receive the inflation-linked strike price for the power it generates until 2060. The report is online: http://bit.ly/2l73lvI
European Countries Confirm Small Amounts Of Radioactive Iodine In Atmosphere
23.02.2017 - NucNet NewsSmall amounts of radioactive iodine were detected in the atmosphere in several European countries in January 2017, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (Stuk) said in a statement on 20 February 2017. Radiation monitors in Finland, Norway, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, France and Spain all detected a small amount of an Iodine-131 isotope, the statement said. Stuk said in Finland the recorded amount of Iodine-131 in the atmosphere was “very small, but detectable”. According to Stuk, similar readings were detected in the other countries reporting iodine findings, with the largest concentrations measured in Poland. Stuk said even those levels were “very far” from concentrations which could potentially have any effect on human health. The French Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety Institute (IRSN) said earlier this month that preliminary reports showed the iodine was first found in the second week of January 2017 in northern Norway. IRSN said Iodine-131 has a short half-life meaning the readings were probably caused by a relatively recent release. Both Stuk and IRSN said the origins of the iodine findings remain unknown. Stuk said Iodine-131 isotopes are used for medical purposes and are manufactured in a number of countries. Iodine-131 is produced in nuclear power reactors as a fission product and is also used as a tracer in drilling industries.
Japan’s Regulator Approves Draft Safety Reports On Ohi-3 And-4 23.02.2017 - NucNet News23.02.2017 - NucNet News23.02.2017 - NucNet NewsJapan’s Nuclear Regulation 23.02.2017 - NucNet NewsAuthority (NRA) has approved draft reports confirming that the Ohi-3 and -4 nuclear reactor units in central Japan’s Fukui Prefecture, owned and operated by Kansai Electric Power Company, are compatible with new regulatory standards introduced after the March 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident. The reports will be formally approved after a period of public consultation, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (Jaif) said. According to Jaif, Kansai Electric will complete work in May on various safety measures, including constructing walls to protect seawater pumps that would cool the reactors in the event of certain types of emergency. The units could be restarted this autumn, Jaif said. All of Japan’s 48 commercial reactor units at the time were shut down for safety checks and upgrades following the Fukushima-Daiichi accident. Three reactors – Sendai-1, Sendai-2 and Ikata-3 – have been restarted after clearing examinations under the new regulatory standards. Takahama-3 and -4 were also restarted, but both have since been taken offline after a court issued a temporary injunction following a protest lodged by anti-nuclear activists.
IAEA Says Review Of Legal Framework Would Improve Cyprus Safety
23.02.2017 - NucNet News
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said today that Cyprus has a competent and dedicated radiation safety regulatory body, but noted that a legal framework review would improve safety. The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team said Cyprus’ legal and regulatory framework for radiation is largely in line with IAEA safety standards. The regulatory body, although small, is competent, experienced and dedicated, the team said. The team called on the government to review the legal framework to ensure compliance with IAEA safety standards. Cyprus uses radioactive sources in medical and other fields, but operates no nuclear power reactors or research reactors.
Russia Targets European Markets For Maintenance, Modernisation and Decommissioning
Nuclear power plant maintenance, modernisation and decommissioning services are promising markets in Europe for Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, the company’s vice-president of Western Europe Andrei Rozhdestvin said. In an interview published by Rosatom Mr Rozhdestvin said Europe’s potential as a market for Russia is best exemplified by a life extension project at Bulgaria’s Kozloduy nuclear station, which is being carried out by a Russian-French consortium, and the modernisation of four reactors at Hungary’s Paks nuclear station, together with the delivery of machinery and equipment for this project. “In the long run, we are also considering a possibility of building new generation capacity in Europe,” Mr Rozhdestvin said. There is also a good outlook for fuel supplies to Western-designed nuclear stations.”
EC Welcomes Ensreg Approval Of Documents For First Topical Peer Review
23.02.2017 - NucNet News
The European Commission has welcomed the approval by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (Ensreg) of documents needed to begin topical peer reviews of ageing management at nuclear power stations, the EC said in a statement. Ensreg approved the three documents – terms of reference, technical specifications and a stakeholder engagement plan – earlier this month. In 2014, the EU amended the 2009 nuclear safety directive to incorporate lessons learned from the March 2011 accident at Fukushima-Daiichi in Japan. The revised directive introduced a European system of topical peer reviews, which will be repeated every six years. In July 2015, Ensreg identified ageing management as the topic for the first topical peer review. The peer review process will take place during the first half of 2018 and final reports will be published by the end of 2018, the EC said. Details online: http://bit.ly/2mc518O
IAEA Begins Preparation Of Cleanup Assistance Programmes
20.02.2017 - NucNet News
Experts
from eight countries have met in Vienna to begin the preparation of
comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assistance
programmes to accelerate cleanup projects across the globe, the IAEA
said on 16 February 2017. The experts prepared initial materials and
planning tools for the development of decommissioning and environmental
remediation (D&ER) strategies, the IAEA said. The meeting laid the
groundwork for an annual IAEA technical meeting in May. The IAEA said
many member states have implemented successful D&ER projects.
Several others have initiated them but have faced technical, social and
political constraints, which have impeded their progress. The reasons
for slow progress often include financial constraints, but also a lack
of national policy, inadequate regulatory frameworks and insufficient
access to relevant technologies and qualified staff.
Stanford Researchers Develop Improved Technique For Extracting Uranium From Seawater
20.02.2017 - NucNet News
A
new way of extracting uranium from seawater could help countries
without uranium mines harness nuclear energy, a team from Stanford
University in California said. The team has developed a technique that
improves the capacity, rate and reusability of materials that harvest
uranium from seawater. In the past, researchers at the Oak Ridge
national laboratory in the US demonstrated a material that could pull
uranium, in the form of uranyl ions, out of the water like a sponge. It
did so with the help of plastic fibres coated in a chemical compound
called amidoxime, which attracts the ions and holds them to the surface
of the fibre. Once the fibre is saturated, the uranyl can be released by
chemically treating the plastic, and then refined for use in reactors.
Using a similar system, the Stanford researchers created their own
conductive fibre made of carbon and amidoxime, which allowed them to
send jolts of electricity through the material to attract more uranyl to
each strand. The method improved on the previous system in three key
areas: the capacity for how much uranyl the fibres can hold, the speed
of ion capture, and how many times each strand can be reused. “For much
of this century, some fraction of our electricity will need to come from
sources that we can turn on and off,” said Steven Chu, co-author of the
study. “I believe nuclear power should be part of that mix, and
assuring access to uranium is part of the solution to carbon-free
energy.” Australia, Canada and Kazakhstan together account for about 70%
of the world’s uranium production, but for countries that aren’t rich
in uranium, extracting it from the sea could be an alternative.
Unfortunately, the concentrations are far too small to be viable, but
the Stanford team is working on improving that. “Concentrations are
tiny, on the order of a single grain of salt dissolved in a liter of
water,” said Yi Cui, co-author of the study. “But the oceans are so vast
that if we can extract these trace amounts cost effectively, the supply
would be endless.” Details online: http://stanford.io/2meo4ih
US Industry Consortium Calls For More Investment In SMR Development
17.02.2017 - NucNet News
Private
companies have invested over $1bn (€940m)) in the development of small
modular reactors (SMRs), but more investment through public-private
partnerships is needed to assure that SMRs are a viable option in the
mid-2020s, the US-based SMR Start industry consortium said in a policy
statement.The statement said that in addition to accomplishing the
public benefit from SMR deployment, the federal government would receive
a return on investment through taxes associated with investment, job
creation and economic output over the lifetime of the SMR facilities
that would otherwise not exist without federal investment. SMR Start
urged Congress to authorise sufficient funds for an SMR commercial
deployment programme and called for the continuation and expansion of
the existing licensing technical support programme to include the design
and engineering, regulatory review and approval of SMR technologies and
facilities. Long-term power purchase agreements are needed to
compensate SMR projects that supply carbon-free and highly reliable
electricity to facilities that support “critical national security
missions or other federal goals and priorities”, the policy statement
said. It also called for continuation of the loan guarantee programme to
support financing for the design and construction of SMR facilities and
SMR component manufacturing facilities. The policy statement is online:
http://bit.ly/2kQM1vG
Life Extension Programme Begins At Ukraine’s Rovno-3, Energoatom Says
17.02.2017 - NucNet News
Ukraine’s
state nuclear operator Energoatom is carrying out a series of
activities at Unit 3 of the Rovno nuclear power station to improve
safety and prepare the unit for a possible lifetime extension, a
statement said. The statement said the operational licence of Rovno-3
(also known as Rivne-3) will expire in December 2017 and a decision on
whether or not to extend it is scheduled for 2018. According to
Energoatom, a general state programme for improving safety at Ukraine’s
nuclear plants has been approved by the government and is scheduled for
completion in 2020. The completion of the programme’s activities is a
prerequisite for the life extension of existing nuclear units,
Energoatom said. Under the safety improvement programme, 96 activities
need to be carried out at Rovno-3, 46 of which have already been
completed. Another 37 need to be completed before Rovno-3’s operational
licence expires in December 2017, while the remaining 13 will be
finalised in stages if the operating extension is confirmed. Energoatom
said funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) was instrumental in
buying equipment for Rovno-3’s refurbishment. Rovno-3 is a 950-MW
Soviet-supplied VVER-320 reactor unit. It began commercial operation in
May 1987. There are four units in commercial operation at Rovno in
western Ukraine.
Government Provides Assurance For Future Of UK’s Fusion Research
15.02.2017 - NucNet News
The
UK government has provided assurances on the future of the country’s
nuclear fusion research, according to a statement by Jo Johnson,
minister of state for universities, science, research and innovation,
published on the website of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). Mr
Johnson is quoted as saying that R&D at the Culham Centre for Fusion
Energy (CCFE) is “recognised as world class” and has driven UK
leadership in fusion research for years. “The government has no
intention of compromising this position following the decision to
withdraw from the Euratom Treaty”, Mr Johnson said. The UK government
announced its intention to leave Euratom within explanatory notes to the
bill authorising Brexit that it published on 26 January 2017. Mr
Johnson said leaving Euratom is a result of the decision to leave the
European Union as they are “uniquely legally joined”, but the UK
“supports Euratom” and values international cooperation in fusion
research and the country’s “key role” in it. According to Mr Johnson,
maintaining and building on the UK’s fusion expertise and “securing
alternative routes” into international fusion research projects, such as
the Joint European Torus (JET) project at Culham and Iter [the
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor] in France, will remain
a priority for the government. ”The government is working closely with
the UKAEA management and board on ways to achieve this”, he said. In
December 2016, Ian Chapman, head of CCFE, said nothing had changed
regarding the future of the Culham research centre since the UK’s vote
to leave the EU and the government remained “very positive” about the
UK’s fusion programme. Responding to media reports that the Brexit vote
leaves CCFE’s future in doubt, Mr Chapman said discussions are
continuing with the UK government and options for continued JET
operation are “actively being discussed”.
Pime 2017 To Focus On Role Of Nuclear Technology In Society Of Future
14.02.2017 - NucNet News
The
Pime (Public Materials Information Exchange) 2017 nuclear
communications conference in Middelburg, the Netherlands, will include
plenary sessions and workshops on the role of nuclear technology in the
society of the future, communication about nuclear waste management and
radiation, and stakeholder engagement in nuclear projects. The
conference, from 19 to 22 March, will include keynote speeches by Jan
Boelen, managing director of the Dutch Central Organisation for
Radioactive Waste (Covra) and Ad Louter, managing director of Urenco
Nederland. There will be a choice of technical tours to Covra and to
Urenco’s uranium enrichment and medical isotope production facilities.
Pime is organised by the Brussels-based European Nuclear Society. For
details and registration see the ENS website: http://bit.ly/2cxIQrU
Kuwait Wants To Study Russia’s Nuclear Power Experience
14.02.2017 - NucNet News
Kuwait
wants to study the Russian experience of building nuclear power plants
with a view to starting its own civilian nuclear programme, Vladimir
Voronkov, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations in
Vienna, said in an interview with state-operated domestic news agency
RIA Novosti. Mr Voronkov said Kuwait had asked to look at Russia
technology and that “talks are going forward”. Kuwait has no nuclear
reactors, but according to the International Atomic Energy Agency has
been exploring alternative energy resources, including nuclear and
renewables.
Turkish Regulator Approves Design Parameters For Akkuyu Nuclear Plant
14.02.2017 - NucNet News
The Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (Taek) has approved the design
parameters of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant at Akkuyu near Mersin
on the country’s southern Mediterranean coast, Russian state-owned
nuclear corporation Rosatom said. According to Rosatom, the design
parameters were submitted to Taek in the form of a Site Parameters
Report (SPR), which is a compulsory requirement before the regulator can
begin reviewing the construction licensing application for the
new-build project. Rosatom said the initial version of the SPR was sent
to Taek in November 2014. A joint review by Taek staff and
representatives of project owner Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant JSC (Akkuyu
NPP JSC) followed, examining issues related to seismicity,
hydro-geology, karst cavities and other natural phenomena, which could
potentially occur in the area of the project, Rosatom said. The final
version of the SPR consists of over 6,000 pages, covering 13 sections,
Rosatom said. In December 2014, a commission of Turkey’s Ministry of
Environment and Urbanisation examined and approved the environmental
impact assessment report for the Akkuyu project. Russia has signed a
contract with Turkey to supply four VVER-1200 units for the planned
station. The project company Akkuyu NPP JSC is fully owned by a
consortium of Rosatom subsidiaries.
China To Restart Inland Nuclear Power programme ‘Within Next Four Years’
13.02.2017 - NucNet News
China
is likely to restart its nuclear power programme in inland areas within
the next four years, Wang Yiren, vice-director of the state
administration of science, technology and industry for national defence,
and vice-chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority, said in an
interview with China National Radio. Mr Wang said China has already
decided where its inland nuclear reactors will be built. Three inland
units have already been given approval by the National Development and
Reform Commission. They are the Taohuajiang nuclear station in Hunan
province, southeast China; the Dafan nuclear station in Hubei province,
eastern China; and the Pengze nuclear station in Jiangxi province,
southeast China. China halted all its nuclear power construction
projects after the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear accident in March 2011, but
began construction work on several projects in eastern coastal areas in
2015. Although the resumption of inland projects has yet to be
officially announced, at least 10 provinces have proposed sites, Mr Wang
said. Agreement on the construction of inland plants has been
problematic because of potential problems related to earthquakes and
lack of water resources. China has said these issues can be overcome if
the siting process is carried out diligently.
New Materials Could Be Used In Generation IV Molten Salt Reactors, Say Researchers
13.02.2017 - NucNet News
Researchers taking part in a joint Sino-Australian project say a newly
developed class of NiMo-SiC alloys has the potential to be used in
advanced Generation IV molten salt reactors (MSRs). Researchers from the
Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (Sinap) and the Australian
Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Ansto) said these novel
NiMo-SiC alloys, prepared from nickel molybdenum metal powders with
added silicon carbide particles, possess superior mechanical properties
owing to the precipitation, dispersion and solid-solution strengthening
of the NiMo matrix. The preparation includes mechanical alloying, spark
plasma sintering, rapid cooling, high temperature annealing and water
quenching. Ansto said MSRs have advantages over conventional nuclear
reactors because of inherent safety, fuel cycle capabilities and
efficiencies and low operating pressure. Although no commercial MSRs are
in operation, there is a molten salt reactor and thorium energy
research and development programme at Sinap. Ansto has an international
partnership agreement with Sinap. Details of the research are online: http://bit.ly/2l6ULRD
Ministers ‘In Discussions’ Over Support For UK New Nuclear
13.02.2017 - NucNet News
Ministers
at the top of the UK government are involved in discussions over how to
support the multibillion pound development of a host of new nuclear
power plants, with some senior Treasury (economic and finance ministry)
officials hostile to direct state subsidy, according to the Financial
Times of London. The newspaper said today that Philip Hammond, the
chancellor, and Greg Clark, the business secretary, have both taken part
in talks over support for new nuclear units at Wylfa in Anglesey, north
Wales, and Moorside in Cumbria, according to “people involved in the
process”. The government views the projects, each expected to cost more
than £10bn (€11.7bn, $12.5bn), as crucial to UK energy security and
tackling climate change: the country’s coal-fired power stations are
being phased out and existing nuclear plants are reaching the end of
their lives. But the Financial Times said any deal would have to
overcome opposition from parts of the Treasury, which has for decades
resisted the idea of direct government investment in the expensive and
risky business of building nuclear reactors. Horizon, owned by Hitachi,
is developing plans to build at least 5,400 MW of new nuclear at Wylfa
and Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire. NuGen, a joint venture
between Toshiba and Engie, has begun site characterisation work for its
planned Moorside nuclear station in northwest England, close to the
existing Sellafield nuclear complex.
Robot Measures Highest Radiation Levels Yet In Fukushima PCV
10.02.2017 - NucNet News
A
robot sent into the Unit 2 primary containment vessel (PCV) at the
Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station has measured radioactivity as
high as 650 sieverts per hour (Sv/hr), Tokyo Electric Power Company
(Tepco) has said. Tepco said the robot had been sent into the PCV on 9
February 2017 to clear a path for a “scorpion” robot to further explore
the inside of the PCV. Tepco said “various safety precautions” were
taken to ensure that radiation remained inside the PCV and to protect
the robot. The robot and its cameras are designed to withstand 100 Sv/hr
for 10 hours and the time it spends inside the PCV is being adjusted as
necessary. Tepco said on 8 February 2017 that the radiation level in
the Unit 2 PCV may have reached as high as 530 Sv/hr, but that reading
was only an estimate based on analysis of images from the robot with a
margin of error of 30%. Tepco said those images were “intriguing”, but
further examination was necessary before it could be verified that they
showed fuel debris from the March 2011 accident. That estimate of 530
Sv/hr far exceeded the previous high of 73 Sv/hr recorded at the reactor
following the accident. At this level of radioactivity, a person could
die from the briefest of exposures. At the time Tepco said it would not
be surprised if even higher radiation levels were found there, but only
actual measurements would tell. Tepco said there had been no change to
radiation readings outside the PCV.
Poland Interested In US Partners For New Nuclear, Says Ministry Trade Delegation
10.02.2017 - NucNet News
Poland
is looking to nuclear energy to help diversify its electricity mix and
is interested in finding US partners to realise this vision, a trade
delegation from Poland’s energy ministry said. “The problem that we must
solve soon – in the next 10 years – is the need to grow our capacity of
stable energy,” Jozef Sobolewski, director of the Polish ministry of
energy’s nuclear energy department, said at a meeting of US and Polish
government officials and industry leaders at the Nuclear Energy
Institute’s offices in Washington. Mr Sobolewski said that with
approximately 90% of Poland’s electricity coming from coal, the country
is looking to other energy sources to provide fuel diversity and energy
security. He said the country’s power plants are aging with more than
60% of coal plants over 30 years old. Poland has traditionally been a
net exporter of electricity but as domestic demand continues to grow,
the country could become a net importer unless capacity additions are
made. Paul Marin, director for trade, investment, and nuclear energy
policy on the White House National Security Council, said Poland should
consider nuclear energy as one way to diversify its energy mix. The
White House wants to help strengthen emerging relationships between US
companies in the nuclear industry and their counterparts in Poland, Mr
Marin said. Recent media reports in Poland said the government has
postponed a decision on the future of the country’s nuclear new-build
programme until mid-2017. Poland’s energy minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski
was reported as saying he would present a new financing model for new
nuclear by the end of the first half of 2017.
Industry Has Reached ‘Tipping Point’ In Gaining Washington’s Attention, Says NEI
10.02.2017 - NucNet News
The
nuclear energy industry in the US has reached a “tipping point” in
gaining Washington’s attention to keep nuclear power plants from
closing, Maria Korsnick, the president and chief executive officer of
the Nuclear Energy Institute told Wall Street analysts on 9 February
2017. “We are reaching a tipping point as policymakers have come to
appreciate the risk of losing nuclear plants,” Ms Korsnick said. “We
have come a long way in a relatively short period of time.” Since 2013,
the NEI has been pressing federal officials to address the growing
problem of nuclear power plants losing their profitability in the energy
markets overseen by the federal government. “However, I believe the
tide is turning,” Ms Korsnick said. “The federal government, the
regional transmission organisations and the states now recognise the
problem, and are moving to reform the competitive markets where the
greatest threats exist.” She said the key role the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission will play is making sure nuclear plants receive
proper compensation for being the backbone of the electrical grid.
“First, the FERC is taking actions to support reforms to the capacity
markets and the energy markets,” she said. “Accurate price formation in
the energy markets is particularly important, because a baseload nuclear
plant derives most of its revenue from the energy markets. While we
don't think these changes will solve the problem, they will be part of a
solution.” The speech is online: http://bit.ly/2lruHBe
Spain’s Regulator Gives Conditional Approval For Restart Of Garoña
10.02.2017 - NucNet News
Spain’s
nuclear regulator, Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (CSN), has
conditionally approved the restart of the single-unit Santa Maria de
Garoña nuclear power station in Burgos, northern Spain, pending a series
of modifications and conditions, CSN said in a statement. CSN’s board
voted four to one in favour of allowing the single-unit plant, which has
been mothballed since the end of 2012, to restart. This would require
the operator Nuclenor, which is jointly owned by Spain’s two largest
utilities Iberdrola and Endesa, to carry out a series of additional
activities before the energy ministry can approve the restart, CSN said.
CSN said some conditions apply to all operators of nuclear power
stations in Spain and include administrative procedures regarding
documentation and safety plans, and the handling of radioactive waste.
However, two further sets of conditions need to be met, the first before
any fuel is loaded into the reactor and the second before the reactor
is restarted. Further CSN approval is required before these stages, CSN
said. Garoña was shut down in December 2012, six months before its
operational licence was due to expire. At the time, owner Nuclenor
blamed the shutdown on a tax on energy production and spent nuclear fuel
that it said would have made the plant’s operation economically
unviable. In May 2014, Nuclenor submitted a request to renew the
operating licence after a change in national law allowed nuclear power
stations that have shut down for reasons not related to safety to
restart. Garoña began commercial operation in 1971. CSN updated its
operational and safety requirements in 2012 and in 2014 as a result of
European Union-mandated post-Fukushima stress tests. Spain has seven
commercial nuclear reactors which accounted for 21.38% of the country’s
total electricity output in 2016, up from 20.34% in 2015 and more than
any other source.
Poland Nuclear Research Centre Signs Agreement To Work With Europe’s JRC
09.02.2017 - NucNet News
Poland’s
National Centre for Nuclear Research, or NCBJ, has signed an agreement
to collaborate with the European Union’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).
The NCBJ said its scientists will participate in coordinating EU science
and technology policy, in particular in fields such as the development
of nuclear technologies for power generation, cyber security and the
medical applications of ionising radiation. The JRC is a
directorate-general within the European Commission. Scientists employed
at its six research centres and its Brussels headquarters carry out
research to provide the European Commission, European Parliament,
Council of the European Union, and EU member states with independent
advice in support of EU science and technology policy.
Nuclear Energy One Of Cheapest Options And Will Continue To Be ‘Part Of Solution’, Says Lloyds Register
09.02.2017 - NucNet News
Nuclear
energy is one of the cheapest options for power generation when
lifecycle costs are taken into account and will continue be part of the
solution to climate change long into the future, a report by Lloyds
Register says. The report, ‘Lloyd’s Register Technology Radar – The
Nuclear Perspective’, says that in an atmosphere in which governments
are committed to lowering their dependence on fossil fuels, nuclear is a
key low-carbon option for baseload power generation. Although public
acceptance is a major challenge in some countries, nuclear is likely to
contribute to the energy mix “for the foreseeable future”. The potential
contribution of small modular reactors, or SMRs, is unclear, the report
says, although its impact will most likely apply to smaller grids and
isolated markets. However, the underlying modularisation technology is
expected to have a major impact on the sector. Renewable energy sources
such as wind and solar are now reaching cost parity with their fossil
fuel-based alternatives, but intermittency is a challenge that has yet
to be solved, the report says. “While oversupply can to some extent be
traded through regional grids, baseload power is still needed for when
the wind fails to blow or the sun fails to shine.” The report is online:
http://bit.ly/2kvix8I
No Nuclear Or Environmental Risk From Flamanville-1 Fire, Says EDF
08.02.2017 - NucNet News
A
fire this morning at the Flamanville-1 nuclear power plant in northern
France was caused by a short circuit in an electrical fan in the
turbogenerator building, but it was brought under control “immediately”
and there was no nuclear or environmental risk, EDF said. Press reports
of an explosion were incorrect, although there was a significant amount
of smoke and several workers in the building suffered from smoke
inhalation. The fire, at 09:40 local time, set off alarms. The external
fire brigade attended and the plant, a 1,330-MW pressurised water
reactor unit, was shut down normally. “It is a significant technical
event but it is not a nuclear accident,” Olivier Marmion, a senior local
official, told Agence France-Presse. He said five people suffered smoke
inhalation but there were no serious injuries. Jacques Witkowski,
another local official, told Reuters that authorities had ruled out
sabotage as a cause of the fire. A mechanical part in the fan had
probably overheated, he said. The reason was not yet known. There are
two commercially operational nuclear units at Flamanville, about 20 km
west of the port of Cherbourg. It is also the site of the Flamanaville-3
EPR unit, which has been under construction since 2007.
Tepco Clarifies Media Reports On Fukushima Unit 2 Radiation Levels08.02.2017 - NucNet News
Tokyo
Electric Power Company (Tepco) said today that the radiation level in
the containment vessel of Unit 2 may have reached as high as 530
sieverts per hour (Sv/hr), but this “reading” was only an estimate based
on image analysis with a margin of error of 30%.
IAEA To Carry Out Bushehr Osart Mission In 2018, Says Rosatom
08.02.2017 - NucNet News
The
International Atomic Energy Agency is to carry out its first
Operational Safety Review Team (Osart) review of the Bushehr-1 nuclear
power plant in Iran in February 2018, Russian state nuclear corporation
Rosatom said. Under the Osart programme, international teams of experts
conduct in-depth reviews of operational safety performance at a nuclear
power plant. They review the factors affecting the management of safety
and the performance of personnel. Bushehr-1 is Iran’s only commercial
nuclear unit. It is a 915-MW pressurised water reactor, which was
supplied by Russia and began commercial operation in September 2013.
Iran and Russia signed an agreement to build two new units at Bushehr in
November 2014 and Russia said preparatory work had begun in September
2016.
France Interested In Kenya New Build, Reports Say
08.02.2017 - NucNet NewsFrance
is looking to offer Kenya “technical, engineering and financial
support” to build its first nuclear power reactors, according to press
reports. The reports quoted France’s economy and finance minister Michel
Sapin as saying France had expressed its readiness to support
construction. “Our support involves everything from expertise to
funding,” Mr Sapin said following a two-day visit to Kenya. Reports in
Kenya in May 2016 said the east African nation had begun a nuclear
technology assessment study to determine the right technology to use to
build nuclear power station. Kenya has said it wants to have its first
nuclear plant in commercial operation by the end of 2027 with
construction beginning in 2022. The Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board is
planning at least four reactors with a total output of around 4,000 MW,
the allAfrica website said. China, Russia, South Korea and Slovakia have
all signed various pacts with Kenya in manpower development and skills
exchange as they eye a possible deal. According to Business Daily, Kenya
has identified possible sites for nuclear plants including towns
bordering Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, the Indian Ocean and Lake
Victoria in western Kenya.
Finland’s Loviisa Meets All Requirements For Continued Operation, Says Regulator
07.02.2017 - NucNet NewsContinued
operation of the two-unit Loviisa nuclear power station in Finland is
safe and meets all requirements set by legislation, the Radiation and
Nuclear Safety Authority (Stuk) has said in a periodic safety assessment
published on 6 February 2017.
Russia Ready To Fully Finance Hungary’s Paks 2, Says Putin
03.02.2017 - NucNet News
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin said his country is ready to fully finance the planned Paks 2 nuclear power station project in Hungary, according to a statement on the website of the Russian presidency. Mr Putin was yesterday on an official visit to the Hungarian capital Budapest and made the remarks at a joint press conference with Hungary’s prime minister Victor Orban. Mr Putin said the cost of the Paks 2 project is estimated at €12bn ($12.8bn) and Russia is ready to finance 100% of it. However, at the same press conference Mr Orban said he saw no need to renegotiate an existing agreement signed in 2014 that would see Russia supply two VVER-1200 reactors for Paks 2 with a loan of up to €10bn to finance 80% of the project. Since late 2015, progress on the Paks 2 project has stalled because the investment deal came under the scrutiny of the European Commission over possible state aid and procurement infringements. In September 2016, the Commission dropped a procurement case against Hungary over the award of the Paks 2 contract to Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. EC investigations into state aid over the project’s financing are continuing. In October 2016, a site licence application was submitted with the national regulator, a month after Paks 2 received its environmental permit.
Australia Report Proposes Novel Approach To ‘Re-inventing Used Nuclear Fuel Management’
03.02.2017 - NucNet NewsAustralia could potentially gain about AUD 31bn (€21bn, $23bn) in economic benefits from the development of a hypothetical project that “reinvents used nuclear fuel management” by combining spent nuclear fuel recycling and the commercialisation of advanced nuclear reactor technology, a report by the Australian National University (ANU) found. The report, published in the January 2017 edition of the Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies journal of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU, puts forward a business case for the development of an “integrated solution” that would include the complete recycling of used nuclear fuel and its use in the generation of nuclear electricity. The project would be based on a combination of an above-ground independent spent fuel storage installation, a full-fuel recycling fast neutron nuclear reactor, and “low-cost, high-certainty disposal techniques” for eventual waste streams. The report says this is “a novel approach” to the integrated management of used nuclear fuel and development of advanced nuclear recycling facilities. “Economic analysis demonstrates potential net benefits of tens of billions of dollars for this integrated approach, hypothetically based in South Australia to serve primarily the Asian market,” the report says. “Energy policy implications include potential unshackling of nuclear development in Asia, assisted by the provision of a used fuel service via Australia.” The report says nuclear power is critical for many Asian nations while one of the most “enduring obstacles” to the expansion of nuclear energy has been the uncertainty surrounding the management of used nuclear fuel. It says a large and growing market exists for the management of used nuclear fuel with an urgent need for such services in Asia. The report is online: http://bit.ly/2k2Uq1e
Oak Ridge Lab Verifies Performance Of Transatomic Advanced Reactor
02.02.2017 - NucNet News
GE Completes Modernisation Of Fifth Generator At Hungary’s Paks
GE has completed the modernisation of the fifth generator as part of a multiyear services agreement for the Paks nuclear power station in Hungary. GE said the generator refurbishment at Hungary’s only nuclear power station is expected to extend the facility’s life and increase reliability. As part of the agreement, which began in 2013 and runs until 2021, GE will service the station’s eight, 250-MW, Ganz-supplied generators in the station’s four nuclear reactor units, Paks units 1-4, plus one spare generator. The generators were commissioned between 1982 and 1987. GE is carrying out most of the work at its generator services facility in Budapest. High-speed balancing of the generators is performed at GE’s services facility in Wroclaw, Poland. The four Paks units, all Russian supplied VVERs, began commercial operation between 1983 and 1987.
Russia And Iran Sign Agreements To Expand Nuclear Cooperation
Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran have signed a number of agreements to expand their cooperation in nuclear energy, a statement by Rosatom said. The agreements include plans to expand existing cooperation based on a memorandum signed in 2014 and a contract for pre-design work on the modification of two cascades of gas centrifuges at the Fordow fuel enrichment plant, the statement said. Russia has a contract with Iran for the construction of new reactor units at the Bushehr site.
France Faces Challenges Finding Reliable Replacement For Nuclear, Says IEA
31.01.2017 - NucNet News
The
lack of alternative low-carbon energy sources that are as reliable as
nuclear means France’s “ambitious” plans to reduce its share of nuclear
from 78% in 2015 to 50% by 2025 might not be achievable, the
International Energy Agency said.
Uncertainty For Nuclear Industry As UK Confirms Plans To Leave Euratom
31.01.2017 - NucNet News
The
UK will seek to leave the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom),
the government confirmed on 26 January 2017 in explanatory notes
published with the bill authorising it to trigger Article 50.
Foratom Calls For ‘Transitional Arrangements’ If UK Leaves Euratom
30.01.2017 - NucNet News
If
the UK ceases to be part of the European Atomic Energy Community
(Euratom), then it is vital that the UK government and its partners in
the EU agree transitional arrangements to give time to negotiate and
complete new agreements with other EU member states, Foratom, the
Brussels-based nuclear industry trade body has said. In a statement
issued following the UK’s confirmation last week that it would seek to
leave Euratom, the agency responsible for nuclear safety and security,
as part of its Brexit deal, Foratom said the UK would also need to
negotiate and complete new agreements with countries including the US,
Japan and Canada who have nuclear cooperation agreements within the
Euratom framework. Foratom said the UK should remain a member of Euratom
until these arrangements are put in place. Foratom said it supports the
position of its UK member, the Nuclear Industry Association, that the
European nuclear industry’s preferred position is to maintain the UK’s
membership of Euratom. “The nuclear industry is global, so the ease of
movement of nuclear goods, people and services enables new build,
decommissioning, R&D and other programmes of work to continue
without interruption,” Foratom said. The UK government confirmed it
plans to leave Euratom in explanatory notes published on 26 January 2017
with the bill authorising it to trigger Article 50 for Brexit.
According to the bill’s notes, Article 50 applies to withdrawal from the
EU as well as Euratom. The UK government had not previously said
whether or not it intended to sever its ties to Euratom.
Poland ‘Postpones Decision’ On Future Of Nuclear Programme To Mid-2017
30.01.2017 - NucNet News
The
Polish government has postponed a decision on the future of the
country’s nuclear new-build programme until mid-2017, local media
reported. Poland’s energy minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski was reported as
telling a conference on nuclear energy today that he had received a
mandate from the government to present a new financing model for the
country’s nuclear project by “the end of the first half” of 2017. Mr
Tchórzewski told the conference that Poland’s economy “is not
indifferent” towards nuclear technology with a number of Polish
companies involved in activities related to the nuclear sector.
According to the business daily WNP, Grzegorz Tobiszowski, a deputy
energy minister, told the conference that the ministry will soon present
its concept for Poland’s “target energy mix”, which will take into
account nuclear energy. The International Energy Agency said in a report
on 25 January 2017 that under the previous Polish government, plans
were published to develop and deploy nuclear capacity by the end of
2022. In mid-2015, the government started consultation on a new energy
policy up to 2050. During the consultation period a new government was
elected, and this new government is revisiting the draft 2050 strategy
and intends to publish its plans later this year. The IEA called on
Poland’s government to “move expediently” to determine and announce the
timeline, constraints and support mechanisms for the country’s first
nuclear reactor units. The agency said this would provide long-term
certainty for the licensee to proceed with investment decisions, siting
characterisation and selection activities, and technology evaluation.
Nuclear Lawyer Warns UK New-Build Projects Will Be Put On Hold
27.01.2017 - NucNet News
If the UK leaves Euratom before new standalone nuclear cooperation
treaties are negotiated with France and the US, current new build
projects such as Hinkley Point C will be put on hold while those
treaties are negotiated, a London-based lawyer specialising in nuclear
energy told NucNet. Vince Zabielski, a senior lawyer at Pillsbury
Winthrop Shaw Pittman, said none of the current new-build projects in
the UK are British designs and most are reliant on foreign technology
that is accessible only via existing bilateral treaties through Euratom.
“To avoid delays, the best path forward for the UK and its nuclear
trading partners would be a controlled exit from the European Atomic
Energy Community [Euratom] after Brexit. While the exit procedures under
Article 106a of the Euratom Treaty parallel those in Article 50 of the
Treaty of Lisbon, they are nonetheless independent.” Mr Zabielski said:
“As part of the Brexit negotiations, the EU and the UK could agree that
the notification procedures of the Euratom Treaty would be triggered,
for example, three to five years after the notification under Article 50
is triggered. Such an approach would maintain trade, minimally impact
new build, and ensure safety and security standards are continuously
maintained, while – over a reasonable period of time – restoring the
autonomy that the UK seeks.” Mr Zabielski said whether or not such an
approach will be politically feasible “remains an open question.” In
explanatory notes published on 26 January 2017 with the bill authorising
it to trigger Article 50, the UK government said it will seek to leave
Euratom.
Uncertainty For Nuclear Industry As UK Confirms Plans To Leave Euratom
27.01.2017 - NucNet News
The
UK will seek to leave the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom),
the government confirmed on 26 January 2017 in explanatory notes
published with the bill authorising it to trigger Article 50. According
to the bill’s notes, Article 50 applies to withdrawal from the EU as
well as Euratom, the agency responsible for nuclear safety and security.
The UK government had not previously said whether or not it intended to
sever its ties to Euratom. Some EU lawyers had warned that leaving the
EU would automatically trigger a Euratom exit too. However, an article
in the US-based National Law Review in July 2017 said Euratom has a
separate legal personality from the EU and is governed by a separate
treaty and separate exit mechanism, making it possible that the UK could
leave the EU without simultaneously withdrawing from Euratom. The
Financial Times said today that the decision has “wide ranging
implications” for the UK’s nuclear industry, research, access to fissile
materials and the status of approximately 20 nuclear cooperation
agreements that it has with other countries. Dr Paul Dorfman of the
Energy Institute at University College London, said: “I know for a fact
that the nuclear industry really doesn’t like it. It’s bad news for the
industry, bad news for opponents and critics of the industry as well.
It’s a lose-lose situation, whereby the industry becomes less
competitive and less safe.” Dr Dorfman said the UK has bilateral nuclear
cooperation agreements in place that are predicated on Euratom safety
regimes — and all of this has taken a lot of time to put in place.
“You’re talking about key safeguards and assurances that might have
serious implications for UK new-build installations, the nuclear fuel
cycle and the UK’s enormous waste and decommissioning liabilities.” The
explanatory notes are online: http://bit.ly/2k8Rlgg
Poland Awaits Announcement On Future Of Nuclear New-Build Programme
26.01.2017 - NucNet News
The
Polish government could announce its decision on the future of the
country’s nuclear new-build programme on Monday (30 January 2017),
according to reports in local media. Biznes Alert, an online journal
specialising in energy policy, said the decision could be announced at a
nuclear energy conference hosted by the Polish energy ministry. The
reports followed comments yesterday by energy minister Krzysztof
Tchórzewski in an interview with Polish private radio station RMF FM. He
told the station that the nuclear programme had been suspended and
“could even be abandoned”. Mr Tchórzewski said the government was
instead considering building new coal-fired generating units, which will
use indigenous reserves. However, later yesterday the energy ministry
sent a statement to the official Polish Press Agency quoting Mr
Tchórzewski as saying that activities undertaken by the previous
government in preparation for the nuclear programme “are continuing”,
but could also be used to build “any type of power unit”.
Poland Should Speed Up Planning For First Nuclear Plant, Says IEA
25.01.2017 - NucNet News
Poland’s
government should “move expediently” to determine and announce the
timeline, constraints and support mechanisms for the country’s first
nuclear reactor units, an International Energy Agency (IEA) report says.
The report, released on 25 January 2017, says this would provide
long-term certainty for the licensee to proceed with investment
decisions, siting characterisation and selection activities, and
technology evaluation. The report also says Poland should find
technically qualified personnel such as nuclear, mechanical and
electrical engineers and technicians with nuclear power operation or
regulatory experience. Poland does not have any nuclear generating
capacity, but according to the IEA nuclear plays a prominent role in
Poland’s energy security and clean energy planning. Under the previous
government, plans were published to develop and deploy nuclear capacity
by the end of 2022. In mid-2015, the government started consultation on a
new energy policy up to 2050. During the consultation period a new
government was elected, and this new government is revisiting the draft
2050 strategy and intends to publish its “strategic vision” later this
year. The IEA said it is anticipated that the new energy strategy will
be consistent with the previous policy in its strong support for nuclear
generating capacity, including existing activities to establish nuclear
generating capacity. The IEA said the projected timeline for bringing
the first reactor online has continued to slip from the 2022 date first
laid out, but Poland has nonetheless made significant progress since
that original projection. Considering the progress to date and the tasks
still ahead, operation of the first unit by 2030 now appears more
realistic. The report is online: http://bit.ly/2k2T2MD
New Security Rules To Enter Into Force At Sweden’s Nuclear Stations
24.01.2017 - NucNet News
New
licence conditions for Sweden’s nuclear power stations will enter into
force on 4 February 2017. The conditions mandate the use of armed
security guards at nuclear stations and say perimeters should be guarded
and controlled 24/7 with the help of guard dogs. The Swedish Radiation
Safety Authority (SSM) said the new licence conditions improve the
physical protection regime for nuclear stations. “The need for broader
conditions has evolved over time due to aspects such as the changed
state of international security,” SSM said. Stefan Appelgren, acting
head of the section for nuclear non-proliferation and security at SSM,
said nuclear stations have taken “certain measures” on their own to
raise the level of security. He said the new conditions are an
additional element designed to raise the level of safety and security.
UK Government Warns Of ‘Acute And Urgent’ Skills Shortages in Nuclear
24.01.2017 - NucNet News
There
are acute and urgent skills shortages in key industrial sectors in the
UK including the nuclear industry and a better system needs to be
identified and fix emerging gaps, a government green paper, or
preliminary report, says. The green paper on post-Brexit industrial
strategy, published on 23 January 2017, says even if shortfalls in
science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) skills and technical
education are addressed, shortages in the nuclear industry might remain.
The government plans to set an “open door” challenge to industry to
come to the government with proposals to transform and upgrade their
sector through “sector deals”. These deals would be an open call to
business to organise behind strong leadership to address shared
challenges and opportunities. The green paper says Lord Hutton, a former
defence secretary who is co-chair of the Nuclear Industry Council and
chairman of the London-based Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), will
oversee work to improve UK competitiveness and skills in nuclear. The
NIA said in a statement that with plans in place for a new nuclear power
programme, there is considerable opportunity for the supply chain
across the UK. The UK is also at the forefront of the development of the
next generation of nuclear – small modular reactors (SMRs). The
statement said: “The NIA believes development of SMR technology could be
an important part of ensuring the UK’s nuclear industry realises its
full economic and industrial potential.” The green paper is online: http://bit.ly/2iVhRKG
Government Officials Have Met 32 Eligible Participants For UK SMR Competition
24.01.2017 - NucNet News
UK
government officials met over the summer with 32 eligible participants
for phase one of the government’s small modular reactor (SMR)
competition, which aims to gauge market interest in developing,
commercialising and financing SMRs in the UK. The government said in
responses to questions raised by parliament’s energy and climate change
committee in an October 2016 report that the eligible participants
included technology vendors, service providers and potential investors.
The government said it is important to establish the commercial
viability of SMRs. To gain a better understanding of this and other key
aspects of SMR technologies, the government is drawing on the outcome of
the phase one meetings, the expressions of interest documents submitted
by applicants, the findings of a techno-economic assessment and its
“continuing discussions with regulators”. The government said: “It is
only through a robust evidence base that the potential benefits of SMRs
can be accurately evaluated, and it is this evidence that is now shaping
the government’s considerations for the future of the competition.”
Details online: http://bit.ly/2j0avWi
New Development Strategy Excludes Poland’s New Nuclear Plans, Reports Say
20.01.2017 - NucNet News
Poland’s
programme to build its first nuclear power station has reportedly not
been included in a strategy document approved last week by the standing
committee to the council of ministers, according to local media. The
Polish Responsible Development Strategy mentions an “interest” in the
development of “nuclear technology and nuclear physics”, but excludes “a
clear record” on the design and construction of a nuclear power
station, Henryk Kowalczyk, chairman of the standing committee, was
quoted as saying by the business daily WNP. Mr Kowalczyk said the
nuclear new build programme was a “point of contention” between various
departments within the government. He said the latest version of the
strategy represents a compromise and is expected to be formally adopted
by the Polish cabinet this week. According to earlier reports, Poland
intended to build four or five nuclear units with combined output of
about 6,000 MW by the mid-2030s. A recent poll has shown that 61% of
Poles support the country’s plans to build a nuclear power station,
while 68% see it as a way to boost Poland’s energy security and combat
climate change.
Public Involvement As Important As Science And Engineering For Nuclear, Says OECD Chief
20.01.2017 - NucNet News
The
quality of public involvement in the decision-making process for new
nuclear power plants may be as important as the quality of the
scientific analysis or the engineering work needed to implement the
decision, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
secretary-general Angel Gurría told a Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
workshop on stakeholder involvement in nuclear decision making. Mr
Gurría said that taking the shorter route and bypassing serious public
engagement risks reaching decisions that will not stand the test of time
as stakeholders continue to question the decision after it has been
made. “In the end, this path would cost much more, take much longer and
also damage the credibility of decision makers in the process,” he said.
William Magwood, NEA director-general, told the workshop that for
decisions concerning nuclear energy that employ large tracts of land,
use significant quantities of resources, and sometimes generate public
questions about safety, achieving a durable public consensus has become
“an absolute requirement”.
France’s ASN To Review Control Procedures Following Le Creusot Anomalies
20.01.2017 - NucNet News
French
nuclear regulator Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN) will review its
control procedures following the discovery of falsifications in
manufacturing documentation at nuclear group Areva, ASN president
Pierre-Franck Chevet said on 18 January 2017. “We will have the first
proposals on how to review our procedures by the end of the first half,”
Mr Chevet told journalists. The issue of falsifications in
manufacturing documentation first came to light in 2015 when ASN
confirmed an anomaly in the composition of steel in some areas of the
lid and the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel at the Flamanville-3
EPR under construction in northern France. Checks at Areva’s Le Creusot
forge in France showed irregularities in manufacturing checks on about
400 parts produced since 1965, about 50 of which were still in use at
French nuclear power stations. The discovery led ASN to ask Areva and
nuclear operator EDF to check other EDF reactor components for similar
anomalies. Mr Chevet said some of the anomalies in record-keeping
discovered at Le Creusot were “minor differences” while other might
amount to forgery.
Australia Businessmen Lobby Authorities To Reconsider Nuclear
18.01.2017 - NucNet News
Australian
businessmen plan to lobby federal and state governments to reconsider
their opposition to nuclear energy in light of the South Australian
power crisis and as households and businesses battle rising electricity
costs, The Australian reported. Almost a decade ago former Fairfax Media
chairman Ron Walker and former Western Mining boss Hugh Morgan
established a company called Australian Nuclear Energy, which examined
the viability of building a nuclear power plant near Portland in western
Victoria. Mr Walker said the issue should be returned to the national
agenda, given the debate over the availability and cost of electricity.
“There is an opportunity to build a plant in Australia to offset the
costs that South Australia is dealing with and what the other states
will have deal with,’’ Mr Walker said. “We will talk to various
governments throughout Australia to see what level of interest there
is.’’ Mr Walker, a former federal Liberal Party treasurer, said the
world was “awash with capital’’ so financing a private sector-driven
nuclear project would “not be a problem”. Former prime minister Bob
Hawke said three weeks ago that nuclear power could be the “salvation”
for a planet ravaged by global warming and Australia could be the safest
place geologically to store the world’s nuclear waste. There is a
federal ban on nuclear power generation in Australia, but last year a
royal commission into the nuclear fuel cycle urged state and federal
governments to adopt nuclear power generation.
Taiwan Confirms Plans To Shut Nuclear Stations By 2025
18.01.2017 - NucNet News
Taiwan
will shut down all of the island’s nuclear power plants and liberalise
the domestic market by 2025, local media reported. Lawmakers approved
amendments to the Electricity Act, which had not been reviewed in five
decades, on 11 January 2017. The amendments stipulate that state-run
Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) must be privatised and a holding company
set up to separate its business operations into independent electricity
generation, distribution and sale business units within six to nine
years. The amendments also give renewable energy priority on the grid
and allow its direct sale from generators to users. Small renewable
generators will be exempted from preparing operating reserves. Taiwan
has six commercially operational nuclear power reactors at three sites –
Chinshan, Kuosheng and Maanshan – providing about 14% of its
electricity output. Plans to build a fourth unit at Lungmen were
suspended following the March 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident in Japan.
UK And Japan Explore Potential For Long-Term Collaboration
17.01.2017 - NucNet News
One
hundred companies – 30 of them from the UK – are taking part in a forum
that opened today in Tokyo, Japan, to explore the potential for
long-term collaboration and partnerships across the nuclear industry,
the London-based Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) said. The UK and
Japanese civil nuclear industries have worked closely together over many
years on a range of civil nuclear activities, including
decommissioning, research and development and new nuclear build, the NIA
said. This is the first time the forum has met, and it will look at how
companies can develop relationships, share knowledge and best practice
to deliver projects in the UK, Japan and the rest of the world, and to
build on the “hundreds of millions of pounds of activity already
conducted between the UK and Japan”. The forum, taking place in Tokyo on
17-18 January, is jointly organised by the NIA, the Japan Atomic
Industry Forum, the UK’s Department for International Trade and the
British Embassy.
IAEA Begins Mission To Evaluate Ghana’s Nuclear Infrastructure
17.01.2017 - NucNet News
A
team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has begun an
Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission in Ghana to
evaluate infrastructure for the introduction of nuclear power, a
statement by the IAEA said. The mission will take eight days and will
focus on issues including legal and regulatory frameworks, nuclear
safety and security, radioactive waste management, human resource
development, stakeholder involvement, and the capacity of the electrical
grid, the statement said. According to the IAEA, the evaluation of its
infrastructure will help Ghana make a “knowledgeable decision” about a
possible nuclear power programme. INIR missions are designed to help
countries planning the introduction of nuclear power. In June 2015,
Russia announced it had signed an intergovernmental agreement with Ghana
to cooperate on the development of nuclear energy, paving the way for
the potential construction of a nuclear power station in the African
country.
France Faces Challenges Finding Reliable Replacement For Nuclear, Says IEA
17.01.2017 - NucNet News
The
lack of alternative low-carbon energy sources that are as reliable as
nuclear means France’s “ambitious” plans to reduce its share of nuclear
from 78% in 2015 to 50% by 2025 might not be achievable, the
International Energy Agency (IEA) said today. The Paris-based agency
said France – which has the world’s highest share of nuclear in its
electricity mix – must assess possible changes in energy demand and
supply and to guarantee “continuous security of electricity supply” as
it pushes ahead with its plans for an “energy transition” up to 2050.
“The implementation of the 50% target remains challenging given the
large role that nuclear electricity plays in the French mix and the
average age of the fleet, the IEA said. As the cornerstone of the
transition, the role of renewable energy in the power mix is to be
increased to 40% by 2030, from its current share of 16.5%, and France
aims to accelerate energy savings and reduce the share of nuclear in the
mix. However, according to the IEA the success of the transition will
depend on the mobilisation of “significant investment” for the increase
of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and the closure or long-term
operation of the nuclear fleet. The long-term visibility of financing
remains “a challenge”. Full story for NucNet subscribers: http://bit.ly/2jrScZ
Russia Confirms End Of Khmelnitski Construction Agreement With Ukraine
16.01.2017 - NucNet News
Russia
has confirmed the cancellation of an agreement with Ukraine for the
completion of two reactor units at the Khmelnitski nuclear power station
near the western Ukrainian city of Neteshin, according to a statement
in the legal journal of the Russian government. The statement, which was
published on 13 January 2017, said the agreement was terminated on 12
May 2016. In September 2015, Ukraine’s parliament approved a bill
cancelling the agreement, alleging that Russia had not honoured certain
terms and conditions. The agreement was signed in June 2010 by the
administration of then-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich and was
ratified in 2011. Under the agreement, Russia was to secure the
financing to develop, construct, and put into operation two new
VVER-1000/392 reactor units, Khmelnitski-3 and -4. In February 2011,
Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation
Rosatom, signed a contract with Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom
for the development of the technical design for the two units.
Construction of Khmelnitski-3 originally began in September 1985 and
construction of Khmelnitski-4 in June 1986. Work on the units stopped in
1990 when they were 75% and 28% complete respectively following a
decision by the government to halt construction because of the 1986
Chernobyl disaster. The Ukrainian government announced in September 2008
that construction would resume in 2010 for completion in 2016 and 2017.
In August 2016, it was reported that Energoatom and South Korea’s
nuclear operator Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power had signed an agreement
for the completion of Khmelnitski-3 and -4. Related reports in the
NucNet database (available to subscribers):
Russia Has Resumed Preparations For Turkey Nuclear Plant Construction, Says Rosatom
16.01.2017 - NucNet News
Russia
has resumed preparations for construction of Turkey’s first nuclear
power plant at Akkuyu near Mersin on the country’s southern
Mediterranean coast, Alexei Likhachev, director-general of state nuclear
corporation Rosatom said. In an interview with the state-owned Russia
24 news channel, Mr Likhachev said commercial operation of Akkuyu-1 is
scheduled for 2023. He said relations between Russia and Turkey had been
“seriously complicated” in November 2015 when a Turkish fighter jet
shot down a Russian Su-24 warplane over Syria. In June 2016 Turkey’s
president Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the Russian government a letter of
apology for the incident and in July 2016 spoke by telephone with
Russian president Vladimir Putin, who approved the normalisation of
trade and economic relations with Turkey, Mr Likhachev said. Russia has
signed a contract to supply four VVER-1200 units for the facility.
Turkey does not have any commercial nuclear reactors, but has confirmed
it is planning to build two stations – Akkuyu and Sinop – with four
units each. Mr Erdogan has been quoted in local media as saying he wants
to see a third nuclear station. Turkey has signed an agreement with
Japan for the construction the second station, Sinop. According to a
recent International Energy Agency report preparations are advanced at
Akkuyu and construction will begin this year, although Turkey has not
confirmed this. The IEA said feasibility studies are continuing at
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Itochu Corporation for the construction
of the Sinop station, with four Generation-III Atmea-1 PWRs.
France’s Regulator Gives Final Approval For Restart Of Nine Reactors Following Safety Checks
13.01.2017 - NucNet News
France’s
nuclear regulator, the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN), has approved
the restart of nine nuclear reactors in France that have been offline
while the safety case for the units has been under review. ASN said in a
statement on 12 January 2017 that it had reviewed information provided
by nuclear operator EDF concerning the reactors, whose lower heads on
the primary side of steam generators were manufactured by Japan Casting
and Forging Corporation (JCFC). Twelve units have been affected by the
issue – 10 are 950 MW units and two are 1,495 MW. The nine that can now
be restarted are all 900 MW units. They are: Bugey-4, Dampierre-3,
Fessenheim-1, Gravelines-2 and -4, Saint-Laurent B1, and Tricastin-1, -3
and -4. ASN has delayed the restart of Tricastin-2, also 900 MW,
because of possible electricity network safety risks associated with
cold weather forecast for next week. ASN is still examining the safety
case provided by EDF for the other units, the 1,495 MW Civaux-1 and -2.
The issue first came to attention in April 2015 when ASN confirmed an
anomaly in the composition of steel in some areas of the lid and the
bottom of the reactor pressure vessel at the Flamanville-3 EPR under
construction in northern France. ASN said this could affect the
mechanical properties of the steel and jeopardise the safety of
reactors. The discovery led ASN to ask reactor manufacturer Areva and
operator EDF to check other EDF reactor components for similar
anomalies. EDF subsequently identified similar anomalies on the lower,
primary side cap of a number of steam generators, including those at the
nine reactors that have now been cleared for restart. Areva discovered
separately that steel from its Le Creusot forge facility in France and
JCFC might have had carbon concentrations that could lead to anomalies
similar to the one at Flamanville-3.
Public Supports Poland’s Nuclear Programme, Poll Shows
11.01.2017 - NucNet News
An
opinion poll has shown that 61% of Poles support the country’s plans to
build a nuclear power station, while 68% see it as a way to boost
Poland’s energy security and combat climate change, a statement on the
Polish energy ministry website said on 10 January 2017. According to the
ministry, public support for the Polish nuclear project was at 51% in
2015 when the last public survey was carried out. The latest poll found
that about one third of those who support the new build plans are
“strongly in favour”, while among opponents, 16% are “strongly against”.
The ministry said about 48% of respondents would agree to have a
nuclear power station near their residential area. Nearly 80% said the
construction of a nuclear station should include the active
participation of the state, while 79% said they would approve financial
support for the project from the government. According to earlier
reports, Poland intends to build four or five nuclear units with
combined output of about 6,000 MW by the mid-2030s.
Japan Emissions Have Increased Following Nuclear Shutdown, Says Report
11.01.2017 - NucNet News
Japan’s
energy-derived CO2 emissions increased for four consecutive years,
reaching 1,235 megatonnes in the 2013 fiscal year, partly because of the
closure of all the country’s nuclear power reactors following the March
2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident, the Institute of Energy Economics of
Japan (IEEJ) said. With the use of more renewables and the restart of
nuclear plants, as well as a fall in demand, energy-derived CO2
emissions fell to 1,190 megatonnes in FY14 and 1,148 megatonnes in FY15.
In the latest IEEJ outlook, further reductions are expected, to 1,137
megatonnes in FY16 and 1,105 megatonnes in FY17, which will bring Japan
closer to achieving 927 megatonnes of CO2 emissions – 26% less than the
FY13 level – the target it had presented internationally for FY30. The
IEEJ said five Japanese reactors have been restarted since new
regulatory standards were brought in after Fukushima-Daiichi. If a
cumulative total of 14 reactors are restarted by the end of FY17, as
assumed in a reference scenario, the total generated electricity from
nuclear will be 62.9 TWh, down from around 288 TWh in 2010, before
Fukushima-Daiichi.
Spain’s Nuclear Reactors Lead Electricity Generation With More Than 21%
03.01.2017 - NucNet News
Nuclear
generation accounted for 21.38% of Spain's total electricity output in
2016, up from 20.34% in 2015 and more than any other source, according
to the nuclear industry group Foronuclear, quoting statistics from grid
operator Red Eléctrica de España (REE). Wind accounted for 18.19% of
total electricity output and hydro for 14.92%. Foronuclear said net
electrical output from Spain’s seven commercial nuclear reactors
increased 2.4% in 2016, compared with 2015, to 56.095 TWh. The country’s
reactors have a combined generating capacity of 7,865 MW, representing
7.45% of the country's total installed capacity. Foronuclear said the
Spanish nuclear park operates on average for 86.31% of the total hours
in a year.
Hungary’s Paks-3 Gets Lifetime Extension Licence
03.01.2017 - NucNet News
Hungary’s
Paks-3 nuclear reactor unit has received an extension of its operating
licence for 20 years until 31 December 2036, the Hungarian Atomic Energy
Authority (HAEA) said. A licence extension application for Paks-3 was
submitted by the operator MVM Paksi Atomerőmű (MVM Paks NPP) in December
2015. HAEA said there are no major conditions for the lifetime
extension, but MVM must improve monitoring of the unit's spent fuel
pool, including the state of the concrete structure, water levels and
cooling pipes. There are four Soviet-designed VVER-440 units in
commercial operation at Paks, in central Hungary. They began commercial
operation between 1983 and 1987 and according to the International
Atomic Energy Agency generated 52% of Hungary’s electricity in 2015.
Paks-1 and Paks-2 have already received 20-year life extensions and will
be in operation until 2032 and 2034 respectively. In December 2016, MVM
Paks NPP submitted an application to HAEA for a 20-year lifetime
extension for Paks-4 until 31 December 2037.