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Recent developments with links to updated WNA Public Information Service Papers

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20 May 2010

New lease of life for Sellafield MOX plant (SMP)
Britain's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has announced agreement with Japanese utilities "on an overall framework for future fabrication of MOX fuel in SMP". NDA had urged the ten Japanese utilities owning about 11 tonnes of reactor-grade plutonium parked in the UK to convert it all into mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at SMP. This was recovered from reprocessing 2600 tonnes of their fuel at Sellafield's THORP plant. The NDA asked the Sellafield owners, Nuclear Management Partners (a consortium of URS Corporation, Amec and Areva), to make improvements to SMP performance as soon as possible so as to begin a new Japanese job soon. Chubu will be the first Japanese customer.

Last year NDA reported that the SMP had produced only 8 tonnes of fuel (24 assemblies) in eight years, after costing £637 million to build and £626 million to operate, making it UK's least successful nuclear enterprise. It was built with 120 t/yr design capacity, but then downrated to 40 t/yr. The stored plutonium will make about 130 tonnes of MOX.
WNN 13/5/10. Nuclear Power in the United Kingdom

India introduces nuclear liability bill
After earlier withdrawing it due to political opposition, the Indian government has introduced a bill which will bring the country's nuclear liability provisions into line internationally. It would make operators liable for any nuclear accident, and protect third party suppliers. Operators need to take out insurance up to the liability cap of $110 million, and other provisions are related to the IAEA's Vienna Convention (1997 amendment). Without the legislation, overseas reactor vendors will be unwilling to supply plants for India.
WNN 7/5/10. Nuclear Power in India

Jordan shortlists reactor designs
The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) has drawn up a shortlist of three preferred bidders to supply reactors for the country's first nuclear power plant. The three reactor designs are: Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd's Enhanced Candu-6 pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR); AtomStroyExport's AES-92 model of its VVER-1000; and the new Atmea-1 pressurized water reactor design proposed by a joint venture between Areva and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The next stage of evaluation will be technical, followed by the financing and organization support that the vendor will provide for future operation of the plant. JAEC plans to have a nuclear power plant for electricity and desalination in operation by 2015, the likely site being some 25 km south of Al Aqabah and 12 km east of the Gulf of Aqaba coastline. Discussion of environmental aspects has taken place with Israel and Egypt. The plant will have a closed loop cooling system, with cooling tower.

Jordan's Committee for Nuclear Strategy has set out a program for nuclear power to provide 30% of electricity by 2030 or 2040, and to provide for exports. It now imports about 95% of its energy needs.
WNN 13/5/10. Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries

Other papers updated on the WNA Information Service (see WNA web site): Electricity & cars
Country papers: China fuel cycle , Finland, Russia, Ukraine

13 May 2010

Russia to build, own and operate Turkish nuclear plant

Russian and Turkish heads of state have signed an intergovernmental agreement for Rosatom to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant of four 1200 MWe VVER reactors, at Akkuyu, on the eastern Mediterranean coast. Rosatom, through Atomstroyexport and Inter RAO UES, will finance the project and start off with 100% equity. Longer-term they intend to retain at least 51% of the company which will build, own and operate the plant. This will be Russia's first foreign plant built on that basis. The Turkish firm Park Teknik and state generation company Elektrik Uretim AS (EUAS) are expected to take up significant shares in the US$ 20 billion project. Meanwhile, EUAS will provide the site. In earlier bids for the plant, Atomstroyexport was the only one conforming to a requirement that the vendor take back the used fuel.

Earlier plans faltered on guaranteeing the cost of power. Under the agreement the Turkish Electricity Trade & Contract Corporation (TETAS) will buy a fixed proportion of the power at US$ 12.35 cents/kWh for 15 years, or to 2030. The remainder of the power will be sold by the project company on the open market. After 15 years, when the plant is expected to be paid off, the project company will pay 20% of the profits to the Turkish government. The first reactor is to be on line within seven years of receiving a construction licence, with the others to follow at one-year intervals. The agreement also provides for setting up a fuel fabrication plant in Turkey.

In March EUAS signed an agreement with Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) to prepare a bid to build a nuclear power plant at Sinop on the Black Sea coast, with four APR-1400 reactors. The bid, in conjunction with local construction group Enka Insaat ve Sanayi, is due in August. If it is accepted, an intergovernmental agreement would follow and EUAS would take a 25% share in the plant. An EUR 1.7 billion nuclear technology centre is also planned at Sinop.

FT, Moscow Times, Nuclear.Ru 13/5/10, WNN 13/5/10.   Emerging nuclear countries

Japanese reactor selected for US plant
Dominion has selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' (MHI's) Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (APWR) for the potential third unit at its North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia. The company had previously been considering building the latest GE Hitachi reactor (the ESBWR) there. Luminant has also selected the 1700 MWe US-APWR for its Comanche Peak plant in Texas. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission design certification for the APWR is expected in about 18 months.
WNN 10/5/10.   Nuclear Power in the USA.

Further Japanese equity in Texas nuclear plant
Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has agreed to take a 9% stake in the project to construct two new reactors at the South Texas Project (STP), with an option to increase this stake to some 18%. Toshiba, which will supply the two 1350 MWe Advanced boiling water reactors, holds 10% and NRG Energy 73% of the venture. NRG has signed long-term (20-40 year) agreements to buy more than half of the power from the merchant plant, which will assist financing it.
WNN 10/5/10.   Nuclear Power in the USA Appendix 3: COL Applications

Other papers updated on the WNA Information Service (see WNA web site):
Country papers: Finland

6 May 2010

Japan restarts Monju fast reactor
More than 14 years after it was shut down due to a sodium leak from the cooling circuit, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency has restarted the 280 MWe Monju fast neutron reactor. Getting approval for this from safety authorities and local government has taken a long time, and involved some 1000 meetings with local citizens and prefecture. It is expected to start supplying power - 246 MWe net - to the grid in a couple of days, though it is primarily an experimental reactor designed to pave the way for Japan's major use of fast reactors by mid century. Monju started up in 1994 and was grid connected in August 1995. It followed the Joyo experimental fast breeder reactor which has operated since 1977. However, Monju was shut down four months later after more than a tonne of liquid sodium leaked from the secondary cooling loop. Although there were no injuries, and no radioactivity escaped plant buildings, the incident was compounded by operator attempts to cover up the scale of the damage. Significant changes have been made to plant and systems.
WNN 6/5/10. Nuclear Power in Japan

USEC progresses with large new centrifuges
Pilot operations towards building USEC's new American Centrifuge plant at Piketon, Ohio are progressing. USEC has decommissioned its prototype lead cascade after 30 months operation, and has started up an AC100 Lead Cascade with "approximately two dozen" machines which it plans to increase to 40-50 in operation later in the year. Last year the Department of Energy declined to offer a $2 billion loan guarantee until the technology was better proven. Against a $3.5 billion budget, USEC has spent $1.8 billion on the venture so far and requires "additional capital beyond the (hoped-for) $2 billion loan guarantee program funding and internally generated cash flow".
WNN 5/5/10, USEC 4/5/10. US Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Europeans mostly positive about nuclear power
The 2009 Eurobarometer survey of 26,470 people across 27 EU countries showed a significantly more positive outlook on nuclear power than three years previously. Public opinion in the countries with nuclear power was generally more positive than in the others. A majority recognised the value of nuclear power for energy security and ensuring more stable and competitive energy prices, but only 46% thought it helped to limit climate change. Overall, 17% felt that nuclear's share of electricity generation should be increased, on top of the 39% who felt that its current share should be maintained. However, 34% preferred the share to be reduced. While 59% felt that nuclear plants can be operated safely, most believed that the risks related to nuclear energy are underestimated. A lack of security against terrorist attacks on power plants, and the disposal and management of radioactive wastes were identified as the major concerns. It followed that 82% thought nuclear waste management should be regulated at the EU level.

Mass media was found to be the main source of information on nuclear issues for the survey's respondents, with television, at 72%, the dominant source ahead of newspapers (40%) and the internet (27%). However, scientists and national nuclear safety authorities, and international organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were identified as the most trusted source of information on nuclear energy, particularly nuclear safety, ahead of journalists. Non-government organisations were less trusted than journalists for information.
WNN 30/4/10.

Papers updated on the WNA Information Service (see WNA web site): Reactor table , Small reactors . Country papers: Bulgaria , China NP , Ukraine
New paper: Peaceful use of nuclear explosions

29 April 2010

Construction start on new reactor in China
First concrete has been poured for the first of two new reactors for the Changjiang nuclear power plant on Hainan Island, south China. These are largely indigenous 650 MWe units which are due on line in 2014 and 2015. Total cost of the first pair is put at about CNY 19 billion ($2.8 billion). Units 3 & 4 will be built as phase II. China National Nuclear Corporation is 51% shareholder, with China Huaneng group holding 49% in Hainan Nuclear Power Co Ltd.
WNN 26/4/10. Nuclear Power in China.

Enel opts in to Russian power plant project
An agreement between Italy's Enel and Russia's Inter RAO has positioned Enel to take up to a 49% share in Rosenergoatom's Baltic nuclear power project in Kaliningrad. The 2340 MWe Baltic plant is to comprise two modern 1200 MWe VVER reactors at Neman on the Lithuanian border, the first planned to be on line in 2016. Rosenergoatom has said that the plant is deliberately placed "essentially within the EU" and is designed to be integrated with the EU grid. Inter RAO intends to export some two thirds of the power to Germany, Poland and Baltic states. It will be the first Russian nuclear plant with private or international equity. The Enel agreement is wide-ranging in relation to nuclear power and electricity. Inter RAO UES is essentially an electricity utility and trader, 57.3% owned by Rosatom and Rosenergoatom.
WNN 27/4/10. Nuclear Power in Russia

UAE selects nuclear power plant site
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has lodged licence applications and an environmental assessment for its preferred nuclear power site at Braka, on the coast 53 km west of Ruwais, well west of Abu Dhabi city. The site evaluation process for the four reactors considered ten potential sites and was based on guidance from the UAE nuclear regulator as well as the US Electric Power Research Institute, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the IAEA.

ENEC expects to lodge a full construction licence application for units 1 & 2 building the South Korean APR1400 reactors later in 2010, and start construction late in 2012. Commercial operation is envisaged in 2017 and 2018, followed by 2019-20 for units 3 & 4.
WNN 23/4/10. Nuclear Power in United Arab Emirates

Other papers updated on the WNA Information Service (see WNA web site):
Heavy manufacturing , Energy subsidies , World U mining
Country papers: Finland , India , South Korea