Archive 2013

USA

Formal construction start on two new US nuclear plants
The concrete basemat for South Carolina’s Electric & Gas’ (SCE&G) Summer-2 reactor has been poured in a 51-hour operation. Three days later that for Vogtle-3 was undertaken in 41 hours. The pours had been delayed for months because of discrepancies between construction plans and the original design documents. The NRC approved license amendments earlier this month that allowed the concrete pour of the 1.8m thick foundations to proceed. These are the first such construction starts in the USA in three decades. SCE&G is building two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at the Summer site, each 1117 MWe net. Southern Nuclear is building another two AP1000 units at its Vogtle site. Reactor pressure vessels and steam generators for all units will come from Doosan in South Korea. The four units are expected to enter commercial operation in 2017 and 2018 in each case.

There are also four Westinghouse AP1000 reactors under construction in China, at Sanmen and Haiyang, the first two of which are expected on line next year.
WNN 12 & 15/3/13. US Nuclear Power 

Major US reactor uprates
Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point-4 reactor has returned to service after a substantial uprate in its capacity – about 15%, or up to 125 MWe on top of its previous 693 MWe net. Its twin, unit 3, completed a similar uprate last year to 802 MWe net. The company has now completed a five-year, $2.5 billion investment to upgrade its Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear power plants, adding more than 500 MWe of clean energy capacity. The project - the largest US nuclear uprate project in recent history – is expected to deliver nearly 30% more capacity for the company than the 399 MWe originally projected. The four PWR reactors came into operation over 1972-83, and all have had licences extended to 60 years.
WNN 19/4/13 (anticipated). US nuclear power

US utility gives up on nuclear plant
In February 2013 Duke Energy's 860 MWe Crystal River PWR in Florida was decommissioned due to damage to the containment structure sustained when new steam generators were fitted in 2009-10, a self-managed project under Progress Energy. Its 40-year operating licence was due to expire in 2016. Some $835 million in insurance is to be paid.
WNN 5/2/13. US Nuclear power

US reactor decommissioned
Dominion Energy’s Kewaunee nuclear power plant, comprising a single PWR unit delivering 566 MWe, has been shut down for decommissioning. It had operated from 1974 and was now considered uneconomic in the company’s Midwest generation portfolio. The plant’s 121 fuel assemblies are being removed and it will then by placed in SAFSTOR pending full demolition in about 40 year time. The decommissioning is fully funded from progressive payments over 39 years. The plant closure reduces US reactor numbers to 102, delivering 101 GWe net.
WNN 7/5/13. US NP

Two US reactors permanently retired due to regulatory delay
The two 30-year old PWR reactors at San Onofre nuclear plant in California have been permanently shut down due to regulatory delay and uncertainty following damage in the steam generators of unit 3. With diminishing assurance that it would be allowed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate the reactors even at 70% power by year-end, Southern California Edison decided to move towards decommissioning them. The utility has already paid over $500 million on repairs and replacement power, and faced continuing outlays on both while maintaining the plant in readiness to operate. The utility said it cannot afford to wait for permission to restart unit 3 without income from the operation of unit 2, which the NRC has kept from restarting despite three independent engineering reviews confirming its safety. The company also said that renewal of operating licences from 2022 might be costly and uncertain.

The reactors produced 1080 MWe and 1070 MWe respectively and provided 9% of California’s power. The problems are in the steam generators - two per reactor – from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries that were installed during a $600 million overhaul over 2009-11. Each has 9727 alloy tubes and they are designed to cope with the loss of some of these throughout a 30-40 year service life, however the speed of degradation in unit 3 steam generators since 2010 was unprecedented. Several hundred tubes had thinned to the extent that they required plugging, while hundreds more were plugged as a precaution. SC Edison and Mitsubishi remain at odds over terms of the steam generator warranty. Edison has filed warranty claims of $139 million, while asserting that liability limitations in the contract do not apply.

The Californian grid operator is expecting a 1700 MWe shortfall in power supply over summer, exacerbated by the important role in grid stability played by the base-load San Onofre plant, as intermittent renewables become a significant supply input - 5% of total in 2012.
WNN 7/6/13, Platts 7/6/13. US nuclear power, California

EdF gets set to pull the plug on US ambitions
Electricite de France, the world’s largest operator of nuclear power plants, is preparing to quit its US nuclear power investments and plans, after six years involvement there. EdF owns 49.99% of Constellation Energy Nuclear Group (CENG), with Exelon owning the balance, and has agreed to have the five CENG units (3.99 GWe) consolidated in Exelon’s large fleet for a $400 million exceptional dividend from CENG (funded by a loan from Exelon) and a put option to sell the CENG stake to Exelon at fair market value between 2016 and 2022. It paid $4.5 billion for the CENG share in 2009 and attributes the withdrawal to present economic factors. Also, since Constellation pulled out of the joint venture in 2010, EdF now owns Unistar Nuclear, which was set up to build a fleet of Areva-designed nuclear plants in North America with the "objective of leading the nuclear renaissance in the USA" with French technology. The first plants were to be at Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, and Nine Mile Point, New York. These Unistar plans are shelved primarily due to US law requiring majority domestic ownership of nuclear power plants.
WNN 30/7/13. US Nuclear power

US moves to decouple nuclear waste management from White House
Early in 2009 President Obama ordered the Department of Energy (DOE) to abort the well-developed project to establish a major geological repository for nuclear wastes at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, due to it being opposed by a major Democrat supporter in that state. He then set up a ‘Blue Ribbon Commission’ on nuclear wastes to come up with alternatives. Two major recommendations of this in January last year were that responsibility for the USA's radioactive waste management program should be transferred to a new organisation, independent of the DOE, and that the way in which the funds already paid into the Nuclear Waste Fund are treated in the federal budget should be changed to ensure they are used for their intended purpose. In January this year the DOE announced a new waste strategy based on the Blue Ribbon report, including setting up a new organisation to manage the siting, development and operation of the future waste stores, to be established with "an appropriate balance between independence... and the need for oversight by Congress and the executive branch".

This week a bipartisan bill was introduced into Congress to establish a new Nuclear Waste Administration, overseen by a five-member board, which would take over responsibility from DOE for waste management. The bill also establishes a new Working Capital Fund in the Treasury, into which the fees collected from nuclear utility ratepayers (currently about $765 million per year at 0.1 cents/kWh) would be deposited. These funds will be available to the new Waste Administration without further appropriation. Fees already collected (about $28.2 billion as of January 2013) remain in the Nuclear Waste Fund, where they will continue to be subject to appropriation in the federal budget process.
Platts 27/6/13. US nuclear policy

US addresses political shambles on nuclear waste
The US House of Representatives Appropriations Committee is bringing forward recommendations to revive measures to establish a deep geological repository for high-level wastes, notably used fuel (which in the USA is not reprocessed). It recommended providing $25 million towards this used fuel repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, which has already cost some $6 billion. This would take the nation’s used fuel, as mandated in 1982 legislation. The Committee noted the harm caused by not proceeding with Yucca Mountain, including the continuing liabilities incurred by the government for not taking possession of the used nuclear fuel from 1998 as required by law. The damage payments to date total about $2 billion, awarded by courts to aggrieved utilities which have had to vastly expand storage at their nuclear power plants. At practically all of the 65 sites, pool storage has had to be supplemented by dry cask storage.
NEI Overview 27/6/13. US nuclear policy


US president avoids mention of nuclear power in major address
US President Barack Obama clearly acknowledged the threat of climate change and the pressing need to do something about it in his annual state of the union address. He highlighted the potential for solar, wind and even natural gas - but not nuclear. However, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has welcomed the first benefits flowing to the industry from the creation last February of a senior administration role to expedite nuclear exports: Director of Nuclear Energy Policy at the National Security Council. The industry had pressed the federal government to improve the coordination among multiple agencies which have a role in permits for such exports, and approvals still take much longer in the USA than in other countries, according to NEI. The NEI also urged the government to complete nuclear cooperation agreements with countries such as Saudi Arabia.
WNN 13/2/13. USA Nuclear power

Laser enrichment proposal for historic site
As uranium enrichment using the old energy-intensive diffusion process winds down at Paducah in Kentucky, GE-led Global Laser Enrichment has tentatively proposed establishing a laser enrichment plant there. This would take advantage of the general infrastructure and workforce, as the old plant is decommissioned. Paducah is the last such plant operating anywhere, and started up in 1952 for military use. The US Department of Energy is soliciting ideas for using the site. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a licence for GLE to build a 6 million SWU/yr plant at Wilmington, North Carolina, using technology licensed from Silex Systems in Australia.
WNN 26/2/13. US Fuel cycle 

Last WW2 enrichment plant closed down
USEC has closed its Paducah uranium enrichment plant in Kentucky, USA at the end of May after more than 60 years operation. It consumed about 50 times as much electricity per unit of output as modern centrifuge plants, and its final role over the past year has been to enrich about 9000 tonnes of high-assay government depleted uranium tails for two utilities. USEC has issued lay-off notices to over 1000 employees there. It said that “We will continue to meet our customers’ orders from our existing inventory, purchases from Russia under the historic Megatons to Megawatts program and our transitional supply contract with Russia that runs through 2022.”
WNN 28/5/13. US fuel cycle

New US energy secretary nominated
MIT's Ernest Moniz has been announced as the new Energy Secretary to replace Nobel laureate Stephen Chu. Moniz has been closely involved with the Department of Energy since the 1990s, and has spoken and written significantly on nuclear power. A major article in 2011 affirmed the benefits of nuclear power in terms of reliable, low-carbon generation, and listed some of the problems that should be overcome in the USA to allow nuclear to fulfil its potential. He said that in America, "the government and industry need to advance new designs that lower the financial risk of constructing nuclear power plants." Also stronger action was needed to fix the "dysfunctional" waste management system, exacerbated by President Obama's political decision to abandon the Yucca Mountain repository project. He contributed to the high-level inquiry on wastes, and has also called for government support for small modular reactors. He said that "The government's role should be to help provide the private sector with a well-understood set of options, including nuclear power - not to prescribe a desired market share for any specific technology." The US Nuclear Energy Institute welcomed the nomination.
WNN 5/3/13. US nuclear policy

Industry urges US government to expedite nuclear trade
As a major agreement to be renewed with South Korea remains bogged down, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the US Chamber of Commerce and the Nuclear Energy Institute are urging the US Administration to adopt a more determined and pragmatic approach to increasing international trade in nuclear goods and technologies. “We strongly encourage the administration to promote such engagement aggressively by, among other things, rapidly concluding cooperative agreements with countries that have decided to pursue nuclear energy and promptly renewing expiring agreements with existing US trading partners.” In today’s highly competitive and global market “Unyielding and inflexible insistence on [unilateral enrichment and reprocessing restrictions] ... threatens the ability of the United States to engage in nuclear cooperation with countries embarking on civil nuclear programs, thereby jeopardizing the safety, security, nonproliferation and economic benefits of such cooperation.”

“Nuclear suppliers from such countries as France, Japan, Russia and Korea offer inter- national customers a competitive range of products and services, and a growing number of nations are considering developing civil nuclear energy programs in partnership with these countries rather than the United States,” the organisations said. In contrast to 1954 when the current legislation was drawn up, the USA is “no longer …. the dominant supplier to a global market that will grow to nearly $750 billion over the next decade.” Several countries such as Vietnam and Saudi Arabia are seeking other suppliers, while renewal of seven bilateral agreements with the USA are pending. "Given the nuclear energy industry’s requirements for long-lead items and use of long-term contracts for nuclear fuel and services, timely renewal of these agreements is critical to maintaining the credibility of the United States as a reliable supplier and partner.”
WNN 23/7/13. US nuclear policy

Ted Rockwell dies
Over Easter, nuclear energy pioneer and tireless advocate Theodore Rockwell died. He started his professional career on the Manhattan project about 1944, and became Admiral Rickover’s technical director on the USS Nautilus project and the building of the first US nuclear power reactor at Shippingport. He played an active part in many aspects of the emerging nuclear power industry through an illustrious career, and never really retired, dying just short of his 91st birthday.
http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2013/04/02/ted-rockwell-atomic-pioneer-and-tireless-campaigner-for-facts/

Canada

Quebec's Gentilly nuclear plant shuts down
At the end of December Hydro-Quebec shut down the 638 MWe (net) Gentilly-2 nuclear power reactor rather than embark upon an expensive refurbishment of it. The unit is a Candu-6 type and had been running since 1982. It is being defueled and the heavy water will be treated over 18 months to mid 2014. The main part of the reactor will then be closed up in safe storage configuration and left for 40 years to allow radioactivity to decay before demolition. The total cost of decommissioning over 50 years is put at C$ 1.8 billion.
WNN 2/1/13. Canada NP

Canadian reactor design clears pre-licensing scrutiny
Candu Energy’s Enhanced Candu-6 (EC6) advanced reactor design has completed its pre-licensing review by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, indicating that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing it. The EC6 is a candidate for new capacity at Darlington in Ontario, and for the fourth and fifth units in Argentina, as well as prospective for Romania. In the UK it is being promoted as a means of burning surplus plutonium.
WNN 27/6/13 Canada NP

 Europe

EU countries assert importance of nuclear power

A forthright statement by the governments of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and the UK has called for 'neutrality of technology' in meeting future European Union (EU) decarbonisation targets. The one-page joint statement from the twelve countries affirms their belief that nuclear power can and should “play a part in the EU's future low carbon energy mix". It also noted the security of supply and economic benefits that the technology brings and called for an investment environment to be created within Europe that specifically takes into account "the long term nature of nuclear infrastructure projects." The Czech Republic will coordinate of this group, which asserts a much stronger line in support of nuclear power than anything from the European Commission.
WNN 13/3/13. Cooperation

EU Emissions Trading Scheme in doldrums
After the European parliament narrowly defeated a proposal to remove 900 million CO2 emission allowances from the market, the price of ETS allowances subsided to less than EUR 3/tonne. This means there is virtually no economic incentive to move to low-carbon sources of energy, and that was even the case last year with an average ETS price of EUR 7.10/t. In 2008 the price was near EUR 30/tonne. Coal consumption in the EU is reported to be rising. EU targets for 2020 are to have renewables as 20% of the energy mix and to cut carbon emissions by 20%.
WNN 17/4/13. Climate change policies

OECD energy agency contrasts Finland and Germany
The OECD’s International Energy Agency in two separate studies published has reviewed the energy policies of Germany and Finland. The IEA concludes that thanks to its decision to opt for an electricity mix that includes two clean energy sources - renewable energy and nuclear energy, Finland is on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) target while ensuring security of energy supply and economic growth. With four operating nuclear reactors and one under construction, Finland has approved construction of two more, which will bring nuclear share of electricity to about 60%. A study carried out by Eurostat also found that in 2012, when purchasing power standards are taken into account, Finnish electricity prices were the lowest in the EU, though this is threatened by the government’s prospective new taxes on nuclear power. The IEA attributed the success of Finland's progress with energy policy to “the government's effective and inclusive planning and consenting regime, and to the high level of trust that the population has in its government." The IEA recommended that Finland continues to address energy security concerns in a "comprehensive and sustainable manner."

On the other hand, the IEA raised serious concerns regarding the energy policy of Germany, involving phasing out nuclear and increasing sharply the share of renewables – supposedly to 80% by 2050. This policy has already led to electricity prices that are now among the highest in Europe, with a disproportionate share borne by household consumers. The IEA recommended that "further policy measures are necessary if the country's ambitious energy transformation, or Energiewende, is to maintain a balance between sustainability, affordability and competitiveness." Furthermore, the IEA stressed the fact that the German energy policy inevitably has an impact on neighbouring countries.

EU heads of state, meeting on 22 May, discussed how to supply "affordable and sustainable energy to (our) economies" "to foster competitiveness, and respond to the challenge of high prices and cost." They agreed on guidelines relating to the completion of the EU energy market, facilitation of energy investment, diversification of energy supply, and energy efficiency. A week later, European Commissioner for Energy, Gunther Oettinger, said that the EU’s goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and combat climate change required nuclear power. "Without a doubt nuclear energy belongs to the [mix]," he said. "In coming years reaching [climate] goals can't be done without nuclear power." Nuclear power now provides two thirds of Europe's low-carbon electricity and is a key component of the EU's sustainable energy mix.
WNN 23/5/13, Foratom 30/5/13, DowJones 30/5/13. Finland, Germany

United Kingdom

Planning permission for new UK nuclear plant
Planning consent to build a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset has been granted. This is the last major consent EdF Energy needs to build Britain's first new nuclear power plant in 25 years, it having already secured Generic Design Approval for the Areva EPR reactor design, three permits from the Environment Agency, and a nuclear site licence. It concludes a year-long consideration by the new Planning Inspectorate - the first major infrastructure project it has approved since being set up in 2008. The Secretary of State’s decision follows a three-year consultation by EdF Energy with local communities, involving 100 public meetings and 33,000 comments, in addition to a six-month examination by the Independent Planning Inspectorate. Pre-development expenditure at the site already totals more than £1 billion. Hinkley Point C will be the first new nuclear station to have a Funded Decommissioning Program, requiring the operator of a new nuclear plant to meet the full costs of decommissioning and its share of waste disposal.

Two Areva EPR units at Hinkley Point C would represent the biggest infrastructure project in the UK since the 1950s. At 1630 MWe each they would jointly meet 7% of UK current electricity demand and have a design life of 60 years. The Secretary of State said this contribution would be of "crucial national importance" to the UK's energy and climate change policy goals. However, intensive discussions between EdF Energy and the government are ongoing to set a long-term electricity price, and EdF will not proceed with the project unless this question is resolved favourably to justify investment. Newspapers have reported that EdF Energy is seeking a price of £96-97/MWh over 35-40 years from 2018. Horizon Nuclear Power, now owned by Hitachi, is in similar discussions regarding its plans to build two or three 1380 MWe ABWR units each at Oldbury in Gloucestershire and Wylfa in Wales.
WNN 19/3/13. UK 

UK commences design assessment for new reactor
The UK energy minister has asked nuclear regulators to start Generic Design Assessment (GDA) for Hitachi-GE's Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR). The design has been proposed for new units for Horizon Nuclear Power at Wylfa in Anglesey and Oldbury in Gloucestershire. It has already been built in Japan with the first units coming into service in 1996-97, the next in 2005-06. Others are under construction. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) gave final certification for the design in May 1997, noting that it exceeded NRC "safety goals by several orders of magnitude". The ABWR also meets European utility requirements for advanced reactors. Both GE Hitachi and Toshiba in 2010 submitted separate applications to renew the US design certification for their respective versions of ABWR.
WNN 15/1/13. UK

Chinese interest in UK new nuclear plants
French-based EdF Energy, which runs most UK nuclear power plants, is proposing to build four large reactors at Sizewell in Suffolk and Hinkley Point. Its partner is Centrica, with a 20% stake but diminishing enthusiasm. EdF has now acknowledged it has proposed offering a stake in its Hinkley Point EPR project to China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holdings (CGNPC), apparently either buying out Centrica or as separate equity. The two companies are partners in the Taishan nuclear plant being built in China, using the same EPR technology.
UK

UK progress towards waste repository stalls
After a 7-3 vote by Cumbria County Council to halt investigations into locating the UK's high-level waste repository there, the UK has no live options for it. Two Local Boroughs in Cumbria are strongly in favour of locating the repository there, but agreement at both regional and local government level is necessary. Four years progress has been stalled. The site selection process is based on a principle of voluntarism under which communities explore their options with the right to withdraw at any time. The same policy has been applied with success in Finland and Sweden to find suitable and welcoming places for radioactive waste disposal. The vast majority of UK high-level wastes are already in Cumbria, in interim storage. Despite the vote, the County Council hoped that "The nuclear industry is, and will continue to be, a key part of the Cumbrian economy."
WNN 30/1/13. UK 

France

EdF upgrades oldest reactor
Following the EU ‘stress tests’ on nuclear power reactors after the Fukushima accident and the regulator’s conditional approval of operation for the next ten years, Electricité de France has completed modification of the concrete basemat of its Fessenheim 1 reactor. Two years ago the French regulator ASN said that the basemat had to be made half a metre thicker to survive a possible core melt which might come through the bottom of the pressure vessel, and also a larger surface area was needed for such molten core material to spread. EdF has undertaken the work despite a government decision to close both Fessenheim reactors by 2017 (when unit 1 is only 40 years old), for political reasons and regardless of safety evaluations. The decision may be appealed, and EdF has committed to much the same work on unit 2.
WNN 9/7/13. France

Germany

German nuclear fuel tax ruled unconstitutional
The Hamburg Tax Court has ruled that the German tax on nuclear fuel is simply "to siphon off the profits of the nuclear plant operators" and therefore unconstitutional. It has referred the question to the Constitutional Court. Since January 2011, each gram of fissile nuclear fuel loaded into a reactor has carried a levy of €145, which means that nuclear power plants have so far paid around €1.5 billion through the tax as well as bearing much greater costs with reduced revenue from the government's policy U-turn in March 2011.
WNN 30/1/13. Germany 

Sweden

Vattenfall announces major upgrading investment in Sweden
Vattenfall has announced plans to invest SEK16 billion (EUR 1.87 billion) from now to 2017 in modernizing and upgrading the Forsmark and Ringhals nuclear power plants in Sweden. It is majority owner of both – 66% and 70% respectively. With the two operating companies it will examine the additional investments needed to operate the three Forsmark units and Ringhals 3 & 4 for up to 60 years. The other two Ringhals reactors are expected to run for 50 years. OKG, which owns Oskarshamn, expects units 2 & 3 there to run for 60 years, following recent and ongoing upgrades. This means that most of the country’s present nuclear capacity will run until the mid 2020s, and half until 2040 or later.
WNN 23/5/13. Sweden

Finland

Further delay expected in Finnish reactor construction
Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) said that it is "preparing for the possibility" that the third unit at Olkiluoto may not start operating until 2016. Last year it said that the reactor completion had been delayed beyond 2014. Construction of Olkiluoto 3 - the first-of-a-kind Areva EPR reactor - started in May 2005, with completion originally scheduled for 2009. Areva and Siemens are building the plant under a fixed-price turnkey contract.
WNN 11/2/13. Finland 

Finland homes in on Russian technology and capital for new plant
For the country’s sixth nuclear power reactor, Hanhikivi at Pyhajoki on the west coast, Fennovoima has narrowed its consideration to a Russian 1200 MWe VVER design and signed a project development agreement with Rusatom Overseas. Given that the company has a decision in principle from the government to proceed with the project, it could get under way relatively soon and take the nuclear share in Finland to 50% soon after 2020. Fennovoima is a consortium of 60 regional power users and distributors, and these would all have to decide on continued participation. Separately, Rusatom Overseas is negotiating to take a 34% stake in Fennovoima, filling a gap left by the German utility EOn which pulled out last year due to financial pressures resulting from German government decisions cutting back nuclear – effectively confiscation of its assets.
WNN 3/7/13. Finland

Spain

Spain's Garona shutdown confirmed final
As reported three weeks ago, Nuclenor shut down Spain's oldest nuclear power plant, the 466 MWe Garona, in order to avoid paying substantial new taxes from 1 January. The government did not relent on those taxes in its energy reform bill, and the reactor was defueled by the end of December to avoid retrospective aspects. As well as the 7% tax on electricity generation, amounting to some EUR 1 c/kWh for nuclear power, a tax of EUR 2190 per kilogram on used nuclear fuel discharged came in - about EUR 315 million per year across the industry. In addition, utilities must make provision in their accounts for partially used fuel still in the reactor - this is expected to amount to over EUR 500 million per year.
WNN 2/1/13. Spain 

Bulgaria

Bulgarian energy crisis hits government
High electricity prices arising from a long-running failure to maintain generating capacity has led to resignation of the government in Bulgaria. The main low-cost electricity supply (33% of total) is from the two remaining units of Kozloduy nuclear power plant - four others having been shut down as a condition of EU accession, demolishing Bulgaria's status as a major electricity exporter. Plans since 2006 to build new nuclear capacity by the end of this year have been thwarted by lack of capital, as potential investors have turned away. As a result, Russia's Rosatom is suing the Bulgarian government for EUR 1 billion on account of the aborted Belene project. Public opinion remains in favour of new nuclear plants.

The State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (SEWRC) has oversight of Bulgaria's wholesale power market, including authority to set prices. It raised them by 13% in July 2012, putting many people in distress with winter heating bills. The government then threatened to nationalise the distribution firms, including Czech-controlled CEZ Bulgaria. CEZ said that such a move would be a "gross violation of laws of Bulgaria as a member state of the European Union." It claimed to have fulfilled all its obligations, and had received no notice from SEWRC to the contrary. A general election is due by July.
WNN 20/2/13. Bulgaria 

Russia

New Russian nuclear plant stranded
Russia has suspended work on its new Baltic nuclear power plant in its exclave of Kaliningrad. It is designed for the EU grid and now about 20% built. Despite endeavours to bring in west European equity and secure sales of power to the EU through new transmission links, the 1200 MWe plant is isolated, with no immediate prospect of it fulfilling its intended purpose. Kaliningrad has a limited transmission link to Lithuania, and none to Poland, its other neighbour. Both those countries plan to build new western nuclear plants, and in any case have declined to buy output from the new Baltic plant. With Estonia and Latvia, Lithuania is integrating its electricity system with the EU, and is about to start on a 1000 MWe link southwest to Poland. It does not wish to upgrade its Kaliningrad grid connection to allow Baltic NPP power to be sent through its territory and Belarus to Russia.

The Kaliningrad power demand is now wholly met by an 800 MWe gas turbine plant - the old East Prussian hydro plants are in disrepair and some postwar thermal plants are offline. About 300 MWe from or through Lithuania is the only back-up. As well as upgrading the Lithuania link, Russian grid operator InterRAO had plans to build a 600-1000 MWe link across the Kaliningrad border to Poland and a 1000 MWe HVDC undersea link to Germany, but with no customers these plans are moot. In March Rosatom said that Russia had applied for Kaliningrad to join the EU grid system (ENTSO-E), evidently without response. Both Poland and Germany have historical issues regarding Russia and/or Kaliningrad.
WNN 12/6/13. Russia NP, Lithuania, Poland

Russia powers ahead commercially
Since the Fukushima accident, Russia’s nuclear state corporation Rosatom has increased its foreign contracts by 60% to $66.5 billion. This is against negative sentiment in some places, and is attributed to the long-term price stability of nuclear power, regardless of fuel prices. Rosatom has contracts for nuclear power plants in Turkey, Belarus, Bangladesh, China and Vietnam. 

Turkey

Turkey homes in on Franco-Japanese bid for second nuclear plant
A $22 billion bid by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Areva to build the Sinop nuclear power plant on the Black Sea coast has been broadly accepted and an agreement signed for “exclusive negotiating rights to build a nuclear power plant”. The plant would comprise four Atmea1 reactors of 1150 MWe, a model developed by the two companies since 2007. These would probably be the first Atmea ones built, with construction starting in 2017, and operation from 2023. The Atmea1 is designed for load-following and uses the same steam generators as Areva’s large EPR (but 3 instead of 4). GdF Suez, which operates seven nuclear reactors in Belgium, is to be the operator. State generation company Elektrik Uretim AS is expected to take a 25% share in the project company. However, sovereign guarantees regarding power offtake are not on offer, though these were a feature of the agreement with Rosatom to build the 4800 MWe Akkuyu nuclear plant on the Mediterranean coast.
WNN 3/5/13. Turkey

China

China sets power price for new nuclear plants
China’s National Development & Reform Commission has set a wholesale power price of CNY 0.43 per kilowatt hour (7 US cents/kWh) for all new nuclear power projects, to promote the healthy development of nuclear power and attract investment into the sector. The price is to be ‘kept relatively stable’, but will be adjusted with technology advances and market factors. There are 28 reactors currently under construction at 13 plants, and 57 units (66 GWe) planned. Previously individual nuclear power projects have negotiated a price with their grid operator. The price is less than half that being sought in the UK by EdF Energy as a condition of it proceeding with new nuclear investment there, but this includes finance costs.
WNN IT 5/7/13. China NP

Hongyanhe reactor starts up, grid-connected, commercial operation
Unit 1 of the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant in Liaoning has started up. Construction of the CPR-1000 reactor began in August 2007 but was delayed following the Fukushima accident. This is the first nuclear power station receiving central government approval to build four units at the same time, and the first in northeast China. The operating company is a joint venture of two major nuclear utilities, China Guangdong Nuclear Power (CGNPC) and China Power Investment Corp (CPI). Alstom is providing the four low-speed Arabelle turbine-generator sets, but localization is over 70%. When grid connected in a month or so it will be China's 17th power reactor. The project incorporates a modest (10,080 m3/day) desalination plant.
WNN 22/1/13.

Unit 1 of the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant in Liaoning in now in operation. It is the first nuclear plant in northeast China. Construction of the CPR-1000 reactor began in August 2007 but was delayed following the Fukushima accident. This is the first nuclear power station receiving central government approval to build four units at the same time. Phase 2 of Hongyanhe has been approved and comprises two further reactors. The operating company is a joint venture of two major nuclear utilities, China Guangdong Nuclear Power (CGNPC) and China Power Investment Corp (CPI). Alstom is providing the four low-speed Arabelle turbine-generator sets, but localization is over 70%. It is China's 17th power reactor. The project incorporates a seawater desalination plant to provide cooling water.
WNN 18/2/13. 

The first unit at the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant, of four reactors which have been under construction, has entered commercial operation. Hongyanhe is the first nuclear plant in northeast China, in Liaoning province. Construction of the 1080 MWe CPR-1000 reactor commenced in August 2007, it started up in January this year and was grid connected in February. The next three units are expected on line over the next two years, and construction start on phase 2, units 5 & 6, is expected this year. It is a joint venture of China General Nuclear Power (CGN) and China Power Investment Corp. (CPI), with minor local equity. Hongyanhe 1 has about 75% local equipment content, in units 3 and 4 the proportion is expected to reach 80%.
WNN 7/6/13. China Nuclear Power

New Ningde reactor in commercial operation
After completing all tests, the first Ningde nuclear reactor in northeast Fujian province has been handed over to the owners. The CPR-1000 unit was connected to the grid in December after 58 months construction. Units 2-4 are under construction and due to be completed by 2015. Total cost for four units (4.1 GWe) was put at CNY 51 billion ($7.2 billion). They are a joint investment of China Guangdong Nuclear Power - CGNPC (46%), China Datang Corporation (44%) and Fujian Provincial Energy Group. Datang is one of the four major non-nuclear Chinese generators, and Ningde is its first nuclear investment.
WNN 24/4/13. China NP

Major Chinese nuclear companies collaborate on new nuclear facilities
China General Nuclear Group (CGN) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) have announced that a CNY 45 billion ($7.33 billion) Heshan Nuclear Power Industry Park is to be set up by China Nuclear Fuel Element Co (CNFEC) at Daying Industrial Park in Heshan and Jiangmen city, in coastal Guangdong province. It is a joint venture of CGN and CNNC. It will be established during the current 12th 5-year plan and be fully operational by 2020. It involves 1000 tU/yr fuel fabrication as well as a conversion plant (14,000 t/yr) and an enrichment plant, close to CGN’s Taishan power plant.

Currently all these fuel cycle functions are in the centre of China and run by CNNC, while all the nuclear power plants are on the coast. Fuel fabrication is at two plants in Sichuan province and Inner Mongolia, enrichment is in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, and conversion in Gansu province.
WNN 5/6/13. China fuel cycle

China rules out fuel plant site while transferring control to Beijing
Two months ago China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and China General Nuclear Power (CGN) announced that their new China Nuclear Fuel Element Co (CNFEC) joint venture planned to build a new plant at Daying Industrial Park in Jiangmen city, Guangdong province. It would have 1000 tU/yr fuel fabrication capacity by 2020. Construction was due to start this year, but the plan for that Guangdong site has been abruptly cancelled. The CNY 45 billion ($7.3 billion) project also involves a conversion plant and a uranium enrichment plant.

At present all fuel fabrication takes place inland, in Sichuan province and Inner Mongolia. Conversion and enrichment are also inland. The country will need further conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication capacity in the timeframe envisaged for this project, and national policy is to import only one third of nuclear fuel requirements in the future. Since all nuclear power plants so far are on the coast, that is likely to be a factor in finding a new location for this project among the sites already short-listed. Beijing is in the process of taking control of CGN – a major Guangdong-based nuclear enterprise - and making it 82% owned by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), so this may affect plans and lead to the project being located further north.
WNN 18/7/13. China fuel cycle

China moves forward with fuel recycling plans
A new high-level agreement between China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Areva sets out the technical specifications of a planned 800 t/yr reprocessing plant for used fuel, together with the project’s organization between the partners. The new agreement follows on from a November 2007 one. The reprocessing plant will feed a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication plant, and will be located north of Jiayuguan in Gansu province, to operate from 2025.

Also, on the back of 2007 and 2008 agreements among Areva, EdF and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPC) for two Areva EPR reactors, which are nearing completion at Taishan, the three have signed a tripartite agreement for “deeper industrial and commercial cooperation” in building new nuclear power plants and improving all CGNPC units. The statement of cooperation cements relationships among two of the world's biggest generators of nuclear power and the provider of the technology on which their power plants are based. With 73 units in France, EdF remains the world's largest nuclear utility, while CGNPC has seven reactors in operation now, 17 under construction and more planned for the future. Most of these are pressurized water reactors with Areva origins.
WNN 26/4/13. China fuel cycle, China NP

 China starts building plant for high-temperature gas-cooled reactor fuel
With its first high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear power plant, the HTR-PM, under construction at Shidaowan in Shandong province, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) with the other backers of that project have started construction of a fuel plant to make the 9% enriched fuel spheres for it. The new plant at Baotou, part of the North Branch of Nuclear Fuel Element Co Ltd., will have an output of 300,000 fuel pebbles per year.

The Shidaowan HTR-PM plant comprises twin pebble-bed reactors cooled by helium driving a single 210 MWe steam turbine, with the fuel as 520,000 spheres each 60 mm diameter – about the size of a billiard ball. It is a demonstration plant to pave the way for an 18-unit, 3780 MWe full-scale HTR plant at the same location. The HTR-PM is the only commercial-scale high-temperature reactor project in the world. It follows ten years of successful operation of a 10 MWe HTR unit at Tsinghua University near Beijing.
WNN 21/3/13. China fuel cycle 

Westinghouse forges further China alliances
In the context of its first new-generation reactors being built in China, and hot on the heels of establishing a major Chinese joint venture to develop an international supply chain for those reactors, Westinghouse is embracing its Chinese partner in developing its small modular reactor. That partner is the State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC), which has been responsible for the selection of Westinghouse technology as the mainstay of China’s nuclear future.

SNPTC-WEC Nuclear Power Technical Services (Beijing) Co Ltd was set up this month as a joint venture of SNPTC and Westinghouse to develop the global AP1000 supply chain. It will initially assist Chinese manufacturing companies in meeting quality and safety standards for supplying equipment and components for AP1000 plants in the country's build program, but in the longer term it aims to help qualified Chinese suppliers export their products around the world, as well as assist global suppliers in importing their parts to China.

Now, Westinghouse has announced that it will work with SNPTC to accelerate design development and licensing in the USA and China of its 225 MWe small modular reactor (SMR). SNPTC will ensure that the Westinghouse SMR design meets standards for licensing in China and will lead the licensing effort in that country. At home in USA, Westinghouse is working with Ameren Missouri to obtain a combined construction and operating license for up to five Westinghouse SMRs at the utility's Callaway site, and is seeking government funding to expedite development of the design.
WNN 14/5/13, Platts 16/5/13. China NP, China organisations

Japan

Voters in Japan’s election affirm nuclear revival
The recent elections for the Diet’s upper house gave the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 115 seats out of 242. Its coalition partner and another pro-nuclear party won 29 seats. This consolidated the LDP position and role in reviving the economy, including restoring power supplies by restarting idled nuclear power plants as soon as possible. The DPJ with its policy of abandoning nuclear power by 2040 won only 59 seats. The LDP won a seat in every constituency with a nuclear power plant. In Fukushima prefecture the LDP candidate polled more than twice as many votes as the DPJ candidate. In Fukui prefecture, where Kansai has 11 units, Japan Atomic Power Co. has two units, and the government has the Monju prototype breeder reactor, the LDP candidate beat the DPJ contender, 237,000 votes to 56,000.
WNN 22/7/13, Platts 22/7/13. Japan

 New reactor safety regulations published in Japan
Power companies in Japan now know the regulations they are required to meet in order to restart nuclear reactors idled as a result of the 2011 Fukushima accident. Three utilities - Kansai Electric Power Co, Shikoku Electric Power Co, and Kyushu Electric Power Co - are planning to apply for the restart of seven PWR reactors totaling 6452 MWe in July. The new Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said that it could take around six months to process an application, meaning that the first units could potentially come back online about the end of this year. In order to operate, nuclear utilities will have to show that their power plants are prepared for extraordinary external events comparable to the natural disaster in March 2011. They need stronger and higher tsunami walls with waterproofing of key buildings, as well as enhanced engineering and back-up services and equipment. BWR operators are planning containment filtered venting systems which will take more than a year to be operational.

The NRA Chairman said the endorsement marks a turning point for Japan’s nuclear regulation and safety culture. “I think we now have a framework that is up to international standards. What is more important is whether we can put the spirit in it during the inspection process,” he said. The Prime Minister said that his government’s nuclear policy will “give top priority to plant safety,” adding that “We will promote restarts while paying respect to the NRA’s safety requirements.”
WNN 19/6/13. Japan

Japan receives new shipment of mixed oxide fuel from France
The first shipment of MOX fuel incorporating Japanese plutonium since the Fukushima accident has arrived from France. It comprised 20 fuel assemblies for Kansai Electric’s Takahama nuclear power plant, though along with most others in Japan this is still shut down awaiting safety clearance.
WNN 27/6/13. Japan, Japanese waste & MOX shipments

Further MOX shipment to Japan
This week a fifth shipment of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel incorporating recycled reactor-grade plutonium is scheduled to leave France. It is destined for Kansai Electric’s Takahama-3 reactor in Japan. Areva has produced 36 MOX fuel assemblies for Kansai, and these are likely to comprise the shipment. Two purpose-built ships are involved and will sail around Africa and Australia, arriving in mid June. The last MOX shipment was in 2010, with fuel for Takahama-4 and Genkai-3. The Takahama reactors are currently shut down along with most of Japan’s nuclear capacity, pending implementation of new safety rules.

Last year the shipper, UK-based International Nuclear Services obtained an injunction against Greenpeace for interfering with one of its ships transporting MOX to Germany. INS claimed that Greenpeace activists "jeopardised the safe operations of the Atlantic Osprey, put their own lives at risk and, we believe, acted in defiance of international maritime law and German law."
Platts 18/4/13, WNN 19/11/12. Japan

Fossil fuel imports scorch Japan trade balance
Increased volumes of LNG imports and increased prices for those have impacted Japan's trade balance for a second year. Total spending on LNG in 2012 increased by 25% to ¥6.0 trillion ($66 billion). This is about ¥2.5 trillion ($27 billion) more than levels before the March 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi, which preceded the progressive shutdown of nuclear generation. LNG now represents over 8% of all Japanese imports by value (compared with petroleum - 17%). Overall in 2012 Japan recorded a trade deficit of ¥6.9 trillion ($75 billion) after exports of ¥63.7 trillion ($699 billion). The country's emission targets are moot.
WNN 25/1/13. Japan 

Japan’s utilities post losses due to continuing nuclear shutdown
Seven of Japan's regional utilities have posted combined losses of
¥1.6 trillion (US$ 16 billion) for the year ended March 31, marking the second consecutive year of such losses. The weaker yen (down 12% this year) has raised costs to import fossil fuels for electricity generation while most nuclear reactors remain shut down. The losses may lead to higher residential and business power rates or approaching the government for assistance, as the utilities look for ways to gain financial stability. Some utilities, including Tepco, Kansai and Kyushu have already responded with price increases for customers, which the government approved from May. Utilities are hopeful that reactors can be restarted by the end of September, following the publication of new safety regulations in July.
Reuters & TradeTech NMR 30/4/13. Japan

Japan PM pledges to restart nuclear reactors
In a speech to parliament, Japan's prime minister has pledged to restart idled nuclear power reactors which conform to new standards to be specified by the new Nuclear Regulatory Authority in July. He said that Japan needs stable and cheap electricity from nuclear power in order to compete economically, but that new safety standards would be enforced "without compromise". At present all but two reactors are shut down pending political and safety review.
NYT 28/2/13. Japan

Expert UN body reports on Fukushima radiation effects
The UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) has reported on Fukushima, following a detailed study by 80 international experts over two years. It concluded that "Radiation exposure following the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi did not cause any immediate health effects. It is unlikely to be able to attribute any health effects in the future among the general public and the vast majority of workers." The only exception is the 146 emergency workers that received radiation doses of over 100 mSv during the crisis. They will be monitored closely for "potential late radiation-related health effects at an individual level.” By contrast, the public was exposed to 10-50 times less radiation than the hundreds of workers grappling with the problems at the plant, due to the evacuations in the first few days after the accident. The only observable health effects from the accident stem from the stresses of evacuation, accounting for over one thousand deaths according to the government Reconstruction Agency, and the unwarranted fear of radiation – “it is these issues that will be the long-lasting fallout of the accident." Most Japanese people were exposed to additional radiation amounting to less than their typical natural background level of 2.1 mSv per year.
WNN 31/5/13. Fukushima accident

World Health Organisation confirms low risks from Fukushima accident
An international team with the UN's World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that radioactivity released by the Fukushima accident two years ago posed a low risk to the public. This is the first analysis of wider health effects from the accident, and the result of a two-year study.

For the general population in wider Fukushima prefecture, "the predicted risks are low and no observable increases in cancer rates above baseline rates are anticipated." The most exposed group was 22,000 resident of Namie who remained at home for four months after the accident. These received up to 50 mSv, which is the maximum allowable level for occupational exposure in one year, according to International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations and most national standards. There would be a small increase in cancer risk for these people, who should be monitored. Across Fukushima generally the doses were in the range 1-10 mSv. WHO said that about one third of the emergency workers in the actual power plant following the accident would have some increased cancer risk, the others not.

Late last year the UN adopted advice from the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) which considered that health issues could generally not be attributed to radiation for exposures of less than 100 mSv.
WNN 28/2/13. Fukushima accident 

Plans dropped for new nuclear plant in Japan
Long-standing plans for the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Japan's Fukushima prefecture have been dropped by utility Tohoku Electric Power Company. The Namie-Odaka plant was first proposed some 45 years ago, close to the Fukushima plants. This leaves nine reactors planned for Japan, all deferred and two Tepco ones in some doubt.
WNN 28/3/13. Japan

Japanese utilities raise tariffs
Following two years of financial losses, Tohoku Electric Power, with four idled nuclear power reactors, has applied to raise its electricity prices by 11.4% for domestic users and 17.7 % for industry, its first increases in 33 years. This is mostly to cover increased fossil fuel (especially LNG) use pending resumption of nuclear generation. Tepco increased its domestic tariffs 8.5% last year, Kansai has applied to increase domestic tariffs 11.9% and industrial ones 19.2%, while Kyushu wants to 8.5% and 14.2% increases respectively. Other utilities with idled nuclear capacity are expected to follow suit soon.
WNN 14/2/13. Japan

Japan carbon emissions blow out
Carbon dioxide intensity from Japan's electricity industry climbed again in FY2012, reaching levels 39% greater than when the country's nuclear reactors were operating normally, and taking the sector far beyond climate targets. Up to March 2011 the CO2 intensity of all Japan’s power generation was 350 g/kWh. Over the next two years, with progressive reactor shut-downs, it rose to 487 g/kWh in FY 2012. A climate change goal was for the electricity sector to reduce carbon intensity by 20% from 1990 levels, to 334 g/kWh CO2 on average.
WNN 1/8/13. Japan

South Korea

Construction start on new South Korean reactor
First concrete has been poured a couple of months ahead of schedule for unit 2 of the Shin Hanul (formerly Shin Ulchin) nuclear power plant. The 1400 MWe Shin Hanul units are the first South Korean designs to be virtually free of Westinghouse IP content. Unit 2 is expected to be in commercial operation in April 2018. Four of the same sort of APR1400 reactors are being built at Barakah on the Gulf coast in United Arab Emirates. South Korea now has five reactors under construction, total 6780 MWe, and five more planned.
WNN 26/6/13. S.Korea

 South Korea and USA fail to agree on nuclear policy
Much of South Korea’s nuclear industry depends on a 1974 agreement with the USA, which is up for renewal in 2014. Discussion on this has been under way for about two years, with South Korea intent on having restrictions on uranium enrichment and used fuel reprocessing removed. The latter would allow some 30% more energy yield from imported uranium and greatly reduce the high-level waste disposal task. However, it appears that negotiations have stalled, so a two-year extension of the existing arrangements has been agreed. The US State Department referred to several complex technical issues being unresolved, but did not elaborate. Part of the US concern is to constrain North Korea’s nuclear activities and ambitions.
WNN 25/4/13. South Korea

South Korean reactors shut down
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has reported that safety-related control cabling with forged documentation has been installed at four reactors. The NSSC has ordered KHNP immediately to stop operation of its Shin Kori 2 and Shin Wolsong 1 units and to keep Shin Kori 1, which has been offline for scheduled maintenance, shut down. In addition, the newly-constructed Shin Wolsong 2, which is awaiting approval to start commercial operation, cannot start up yet. All will remain closed until the cabling has been replaced, which is expected to take about four months, causing major concerns regarding electricity supply over summer, with 4000 MWe less capacity than expected being available.
WNN 28/5/13. South Korea

India

New Russian reactor in India starts up
After many delays, the first unit of Kudankulam nuclear power station at the southern tip of the country in Tamil Nadu state has started up and is expected to be connected to the grid within six weeks. Russia's Atomstroyexport is supplying this, the country's first large nuclear power plant, comprising two VVER-1000 reactors, under a Russian-financed contract - a long-term credit facility covers about half the cost of the plant. Construction started in 2002 with the AES-92 units being built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, and also commissioned and operated by NPCIL under IAEA safeguards. The turbines are made by Leningrad Metal Works. Unlike other Atomstroyexport projects such as in Iran, there have been only about 80 Russian supervisory staff on the job. NPCIL required the vendor to rework some of the control system documentation. Russia is supplying all the enriched fuel through the life of the plant, though India will reprocess it and keep the plutonium under IAEA safeguards. These are the first foreign-sourced reactors in India since 1969, the first pressurised (light) water reactors, and the country’s largest, at 917 MWe net.
WNN 12/7/13. India

India concludes bilateral safeguards agreement with Canada
After negotiations between the premiers of both countries, India and Canada have signed a bilateral safeguards agreement which will allow trade in nuclear materials and technology for facilities which are under IAEA safeguards. This builds on the broader nuclear cooperation agreement of 2010. In particular it will allow India to import Canadian uranium. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will oversee the implementation of the agreement. A similar agreement is being negotiated with Australia.
WNN 9/4/13. India

Pakistan

Pakistan commits to major nuclear energy project
After several years of ambitious rhetoric on expanding power generation in the light of chronic shortages, Pakistan’s top-level Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 3.5 GWe of new power projects totalling Rs 1303 billion, including 2200 MWe nuclear capacity, 425 MWe gas combined cycle, and 969 MWe hydro. These will increase generating capacity by one sixth, or effectively more, and are designed to reduce the high reliance on oil and to reduce escalating power costs. The Karachi Coastal Power Project will involve building two 1100 MWe Chinese reactors near Karachi at a cost of Rs 959 billion ($9.6 billion).

At present Pakistan has a very small 40-year old Canadian reactor near Karachi and another nuclear power plant at Chashma in Punjab province, in the north. This has two 300 MWe Chinese reactors operating and two more under construction. Pakistan is outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and excluded from world trade in nuclear materials and technology, though China is more accommodating. The country’s nuclear power reactors are under item-specific international safeguards. China has argued that Chashma units 3 & 4 under construction are "grandfathered" from arrangements before it joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2004, and arrangements are consistent with those for units 1 & 2. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission signed a preliminary agreement with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) for a large new reactor earlier this year.
WNN 12/7/13. Pakistan

United Arab Emirates

Construction start at second UAE nuclear plant
First concrete has been poured at unit 2 of the Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabai. This is a twin of the South Korean APR-1400 unit 1, whose construction started mid 2012. The two are due on line in 2017 and 2018. Power demand in the UAE is growing at 9% per year - some three times the global average. By 2020 the country expects to need 40,000 MWe of installed generating capacity and wants four nuclear units at Barakah to make up 5600 MWe of this. Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp submitted a 10,000-page construction license application for Barakah units 3&4 to the Federal Authority of Nuclear Regulation in March.
WNN 28/5/13. UAE

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan retains world lead in uranium production
Kazatomprom has reported total Kazakh uranium production of 20,900 tU (24,647 t U3O8) in 2012, estimated to be about 37% of world total. This is an increase from 19,451 tU in 2011, more than twice Canada's production. Kazatomprom itself accounted for 11,900 tU in 2012.  

Kazakh nuclear power prospects advance
Earlier this month Kazatomprom said it intended soon to submit a proposal to the government for building a nuclear power reactor in the country. This was assumed to be for a long-discussed VBER-300 unit at Aktau, in the west of the country. The VBER-300 is an advanced Russian design which would be developed in conjunction with Kazatomprom. A feasibility study has been done and environmental approval obtained for this project, but finance and disagreement about intellectual property rights have held it back. The Kazakh Atomic Energy Committee said it would call tenders for the first plant, to be built by 2020, and that the 2006 Atomniye Stantsii joint venture with Russia was the leading contender. An intergovernmental agreement in March 2011 appeared to progress this. The JSC Kazakhstani Russian Company Nuclear Power Stations, at Aktau, has been listed since 2006 as a 50% subsidiary of Kazatomprom.

Parallel to but following these developments, a series of agreements since 2007 between the country's National Nuclear Centre (NNC) and Japanese companies culminated this week in the signing of a further agreement between Japan Atomic Power Co with Marubini Utility Services Ltd and NNC. This is about technical cooperation towards building a nuclear power plant. This project is on the state program of nuclear industry development in Kazakhstan for 2010-20, developed by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, NNC and Kazatomprom, and also submitted for approval to the government. In 2011 NNC said the Japanese ABWR was preferred technology for this, and Lake Balkhash the favoured site. However, recently the Japan Atomic Energy Agency has said that a small high-temperature gas-cooled reactor was under consideration, for use in natural gas liquefaction and district heating at Kurchatov.

Last year the government reviewed a draft master plan of power generation development in the country until 2030, with nuclear electricity share then to be about 4.5% of projected 150 billion kWh, requiring about 900 MWe of nuclear capacity.
WNN 19/2/13. Kazakhstan 

Mexico

Major upgrade of Mexico's reactors
Spain's Iberdrola Ingenieria has completed a five-year project to upgrade both reactors at Mexico's only nuclear power plant, Laguna Verde. The $650 million project to upgrade equipment at the plant and increase its capacity by 20% has been described by the Iberdrola subsidiary as "one of the most complex and ambitious initiatives ever undertaken" within its field. The plant has formally remained in operation throughout, with all of the work completed during scheduled refuelling outages. Laguna Verde's two boiling water reactors (BWRs) have now been operating at the increased capacity of 820 MWe each for two years. The work will allow the two units, which started up in 1989 and 1994 respectively, to extend their operating lifetimes to 40 years, until 2029 and 2034.
WNN 21/2/13. Mexico  

South America

Brazil and Argentina plan new research reactors
Argentina’s INVAP company has been awarded contracts to build a new research reactor in Argentina and the Brazil Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) there. Australia’s OPAL reactor, built to an INVAP design, is the reference design for both. The two reactors will be used for the production of medical radioisotopes, as well as irradiation tests of advanced nuclear fuel and materials, and neutron beam research. Under a related contract signed last year, Brazil's Intertechne is developing the conceptual and basic design of buildings, systems and infrastructure for the RMB. It will be built in the municipality of Iperó in São Paulo state and is due to start operating in 2018. The location and schedule of the Argentine RA-10 unit has not been announced. The double research reactor project is part of the growing bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy between Argentina and Brazil.
WNN 9/5/13. Brazil, Argentina

Chilean desalination project to boost power demand
BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto plan a $3.43 billion, 216,000 m3/day seawater desalination plant with pipes and pumps for their Escondida copper mine in Chile’s northern Atacama Desert, which is 3100 m above sea level and 150 km inland. It will require over 1000 MWe from the grid for desalination plus another 100 MWe or so to get the water to the mine, and is to be commissioned in 2017. This will boost northern Chile electricity demand which is already stretched.

Chile is heavily dependent on gas imports from Argentina, which are being scaled back. The country's mining industry has called for the establishment of nuclear power by about 2025 to counter escalating energy costs and an impending electricity deficit. Early in 2010 the Energy Minister said that the first nuclear plant of 1100 MWe should be operating in 2024, joined by four more by 2035 to replace coal capacity. Chile currently has about 16 GWe of generating plant. A public-private partnership is proposed to build the first plant, with a tender being called in 2016. A 2011 agreement between Chilean and French Atomic Energy Commissions on "institutional cooperation in nuclear energy" provides for training. A high-level group, co-chaired by senior executives of GdF Suez and Chile's Quinenco, promotes French nuclear industry collaboration with Chile. In October 2012 the Energy Minister said that said that two studies would be launched in 2013, one to examine technological options for a nuclear power plant, and a second into locations for it.
BHPB 25/7/13. Emerging nuclear countries, Desalination

Australia

Australian uranium production
Australian production in 2012 was the highest for three years at 8244 tonnes U3O8 (6990.6 tU). Most of this came from Olympic Dam and Ranger, with Beverley about one tenth of each of those, and 155 tonnes (131 tU) from the commissioning of Honeymoon.

 Western Australian uranium mine approved
After a long delay, Toro Energy has been granted federal environmental approval for the Wiluna uranium project in WA. State approval was given last year. Wiluna will be the first uranium mine in WA, and the first Australian mine to use alkaline leaching in the mill. Pending a final investment decision, production is expected to start late in 2015.

The mine comprises two shallow deposits, Lake Way and Centipede, and is designed to produce about 660 tU/yr over 14 years. The company expects capital costs of A$ 269 million (US$ 281 million) with unit production costs of $37 per pound of uranium oxide produced. Toro has three other deposits within trucking distance whose resources more than double potential utilisation of the mine plant.
WNN 2/4/13. Aust U deposits

Australian projections affirm nuclear potential
A high-level conference in Sydney has considered a range of issues concerned with the country’s electricity future, and in particular the prospect of nuclear power. Two studies in particular have received attention: one showing that nuclear power is among the lowest-cost options out to 2050, and another projected over 50% nuclear contribution to electricity in 2050 as being a cost-effective scenario. The first study was the 2012 Australian Energy Technology Assessment by the Bureau of Resource & Energy Economics (BREE), which evaluated 40 utility-scale generation technologies including large nuclear plants and small modular reactors. These two were among the six lowest cost options ($/MWh). The second was the eFuture study by the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). It showed that the inclusion of nuclear power as an option caused wholesale prices to be 34-37% lower, and led to a 53% nuclear share in 2050. Assumptions in both studies took into account carbon emission costs. The conference was put on by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering.
Australia

Namibia

Groundbreaking for Chinese uranium mine in Namibia
Work has formally begun on Namibia’s newest uranium mine, adjacent to Rio Tinto’s Rossing. The Husab mine is largely owned by a subsidiary of China Guangdong Nuclear Power (CGNPC) after a $2.2 billion takeover. It is being developed by contractors for Swakop Uranium, in which Namibian state-owned mining company Epangelo acquired a 10% stake in November 2012. After construction through to the end of 2015, production is planned to ramp up to 5770 tonnes of uranium per year by 2017. The mine is expected to have a life of more than 20 years.
WNN 22/4/13. Namibia

Niger

 Terrorists target Niger uranium mine
Areva’s uranium mine at Arlit in northern Niger has been attacked with a 4WD car bomb as employees reported for work early on 23 May, damaging the plant as well as killing one and injuring about 14 people. The SOMAIR operation is 64% owned by Areva and 36% by the Niger government. It has operated since 1971, and it produced 3065 tonnes of uranium last year from several deposits. The jihadist MUJAO group claimed responsibility for the attack, in retaliation for military involvement in neighbouring Mali. Another target attacked shortly before was a military barracks in the main northern town of Agadez, where 18 soldiers and a civilian were killed. Rebel groups have previously targeted overseas uranium workers in Niger. Four French workers were kidnapped and later released in 2008, while four French nationals including an Areva employee among a group of seven who were kidnapped from Arlit in 2010 remain in captivity. The SOMAIR mine operation is 250 km north of Agadez.
WNN 23/5/13. Niger

International

2012 brings slightly increased nuclear capacity
With three large reactors coming on line and three smaller ones being retired, plus three refurbished Canadian reactors coming back into service and four US uprates, 2012 showed a world increase from 370.4 to 374.1 GWe nuclear capacity, and 435 power reactors operable. There were new grid connections for Shin Kori 1 and Shin Wolsong 1 in South Korea, and Ningde 1 in China, each over 1000 MWe. Also, Bruce A1 & A2 and Point Lepreau in Canada came back on line after major refurbishment, total 2135 MWe. In the UK, Oldbury 1 and Wylfa 2 were decommissioned, as were Gentilly 2 in Canada and Garona in Spain, removing 1811 MWe from service. Most of Japan's reactors remain shut down, but operable and with renewed prospect of restarting. In the USA, four uprates added about 300 MWe.

There were seven construction starts: Baltic 1 in Russia (Kaliningrad), Barakah 1 in UAE, Shin Ulchin 1 in South Korea, Tianwan 3, Yangjiang 4, Fuqing 4, and Shandong Shidaowan 1 all in China. The last is a demonstration high-temperature gas-cooled design with fuel as 'pebbles', actually twin small reactors driving a single 210 MWe turbine.
WNN 2/1/13.

Nuclear power output down in 2012
While the year saw a 3.7 GWe increase in nuclear capacity, nuclear power generation suffered its biggest ever one-year fall in 2012 as the bulk of the Japanese fleet remained offline for a full calendar year. A total of 2346 billion kWh was generated by nuclear plants in 2012 - some 7% less than in 2011. The figures illustrate the effects of a full year of mostly-suspended operation in Japan, the loss of eight units in Germany as well as other operational issues around the world, notably USA and Belgium. With a total of 48 operable Japanese reactors producing no power during the year, 2012's nuclear generation was the lowest since 1999.
WNN 20/6/13.

Solar PV milestone reached in 2012
At the end of 2012, world total operating capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation reached 100 GWe, with 30.5 GWe installed that year as prices fell and subsidies continued at high levels. In Germany, solar PV capacity reached 32.4 GWe at end of 2012 (7.6 GWe was installed during the year) and it generated 28 billion kWh, increasing 45% over 2011, but apparently still only 11% capacity factor (compared with typically about 90% and in 2012, 71.5% world average for nuclear). In the World Energy Outlook 2011 New Policies Scenario, 553 GWe of new solar PV capacity would be added by 2035. There is only about 2.55 GWe of concentrating solar power (CSP) capacity worldwide, three quarters of this in Spain. CSP future appears to lie with 2-3 hours heat storage in molten salt to serve evening high-value peak loads .
REN21 Renewables Global Status Report, 2013. Renewable energy

OECD study highlights real costs of electricity
A study by the OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency has highlighted the increasing system costs incurred by government policies favouring renewable sources of electricity over dispatchable and especially base-load sources. The study found that mandating significant levels of wind and solar power into electricity markets could generate system cost of up to $80/MWh (8 cents/kWh), compared with those for dispatchable coal, nuclear and gas sources usually under $3. This is in addition to producer subsidies for the higher total costs of renewable generation, borne by the consumer. Grid companies in Europe are required to give priority to intermittent renewable sources regardless of need, and this compromises the economics of conventional, dispatchable sources upon which the whole system relies. Existing nuclear plants can survive moderate levels of intermittent renewable generation because their capital costs are amortized and their fuel cost is relatively lower than that of fossil-fired plants, but the market will not support construction of new nuclear capacity if load factors are not sufficient, which will be the case with higher levels of prioritised renewable generation, the study found. Hence when dispatchable plants – often capital-intensive - are retired, there will be little incentive to replace them, and a supply and reliability crisis looms later in this decade.

The increased renewables issue is being addressed to some extent by urgent expansion of grid capacity, but this doesn’t fix the economics. The NEA study is based on data from Finland, France, Germany, South Korea, the UK and the USA. The study claimed to be the first to attempt to quantify in monetary terms the system effects of different kinds of electricity generation. For most countries the most important system costs came from grid connection and backup power costs. In terms of total costs of electricity supply, introducing variable renewables up to 10% of total supply will increase per-MWh cost, depending on the country, between 5%
and 50%, the report said. Satisfying 30% of demand could increase per-MWh costs by between 16% and 180%, the latter relating to solar in Finland, it said.

The study recommended, first, that the magnitude of systems costs introduced by renewables must no longer be borne “in a diffuse and unacknowledged manner by operators of dispatchable technologies as an unspecific system service.” OECD countries should ensure “full transparency of power generation costs at the systems level when making policy decisions affecting their electricity markets.” Second, it advocated changing regulatory frame- works, with measures such as capacity markets, in which dispatchable generation is “adequately compensated through capacity payments;” requiring power generators to “feed stable hourly bands of electricity into the grid rather than random amounts of intermittent electricity.” “A combination of capacity markets, long-term supply contracts and carbon taxes would provide a market-based framework to ensure that nuclear energy and other dispatchable low-carbon technologies remain economically sustainable,” it said.
Nucleonics Week 21/3/13. Nuclear Energy and Renewables: System Effects
in Low-carbon Electricity Systems. Elect. Transmission Grids

US study gives estimates of prevented mortality
A forthcoming report co-authored by the head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies has estimated that the use of nuclear power instead of coal and some gas has avoided emissions which would have caused air pollution and probably led the deaths of 1.84 million people between 1971 and 2009. The calculus is based on mortality estimates from fossil fuel emissions, though these mortality figures are uncertain, and the real number of deaths could be much higher.
WNN 3/4/13. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/es3051197

Uranium from phosphate process gets cost down
An engineering study of last year's demonstration plant operation in Florida indicates that the PhosEnergy process is viable for extracting uranium as a by-product from phosphate fertilizer production. The study, commissioned by Uranium Equities Ltd and Cameco, estimated a capital cost of US$156 million for a base case PhosEnergy plant located at the site of a phosphate facility in the southeast USA, producing 340 tonnes per year of uranium at a cost of less than US$18 per pound U3O8, putting it in the lower cost quartile of world producers. Cameco now holds 73% equity in the process. The next step is to locate the portable demonstration plant at an actual production site and carry out a definitive feasibility study. The process is a substantial refinement of those used in Florida in the 1980s, which became uneconomic in the 1990s. The world potential for recovering uranium from phosphate production waste streams is over 11,000 tonnes U per year, with easing of regulatory requirements for disposal being a side-benefit.
UEQ 5/3/13. Uranium from phosphates

Amano remains at helm of IAEA
Yukiya Amano has been reappointed as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for a second four-year term by the agency's board of governors. He has presided over analysis of reactor safety worldwide following the Fukushima accident in his home country, and the ensuing developments from an international perspective, though final responsibility remains with national regulators. Also during his first term the role of IAEA in helping new nuclear countries establish regulatory and legal infrastructure has grown strongly. In all countries, governments need to create the environment for investment in nuclear power, including professional and independent regulatory regime, policies on nuclear waste management and decommissioning, and involvement with international non-proliferation measures and insurance arrangements for third-party damage. The IAEA has been very active in assisting in these matters, as well as in its traditional implementation of safeguards to prevent weapons proliferation.
WNN 7/3/13. International cooperation, Emerging nuclear countries

WNA group proposes involvement by plant designers in whole life of nuclear plants
A new study - entitled Aviation Licensing and Lifetime Management: What Can Nuclear Learn? - is from the Design Change Management Task Force of a major WNA working group. It compares the civil aviation industry's approach to managing changes to aircraft design with the nuclear industry's system of design change management. In the aviation industry, the original designer of a particular type of aircraft is always involved in the response to events and safety-relevant findings. In contrast, nuclear vendors do not have ongoing design responsibility for their reactors. This situation leads to differences between nuclear reactors of the same model. The WNA's working group on Cooperation in Reactor Design Evaluation and Licensing (CORDEL) promotes standardization of nuclear reactor designs on the merit of improved economics and safety. It suggests that stronger ongoing involvement of the original designers would bring widespread safety and economic benefits to the nuclear industry. The civil aviation industry's system of international cooperation could serve as a model in this area, the report suggests.
WNN 22/1/13.