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Recent developments with links to updated WNA Public Information Service Papers. For previous items from Weekly Digest see archive menu. 

2 September 2010

India passes nuclear liability legislation
India's Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 was passed on 30 August. It sets operators' liability for nuclear damage to 15 trillion rupees (about US$320 million) but contains two clauses that are incompatible with international conventions on nuclear liability. While the bill channels liability for nuclear damage initially to the operator, after any compensation is paid it allows the operator recourse against a supplier for defective parts or services, thus absolving the national regulator from any responsibility. However, Russian, French and US expectations are that India's liability regime will be compatible with international conventions, and the US agreement says that India "shall take all steps necessary to adhere to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC)", which is not yet in force. However, the new legislation is incompatible with the CSC, due to the recourse against supplier provision (whether the supplier is domestic or foreign).

John Ritch, Director-General of WNA, has warned "that the Nuclear Liability Bill, if not amended, may inflict tremendous harm on the prospects for the successful development of nuclear power in India" by making access to modern technology from overseas suppliers legally fraught. He continued: "Suppliers cannot purchase nuclear liability insurance for the fundamental reason that the world’s nuclear insurance pools have concentrated their resources on providing coverage only to operators, who have been made liable under the channeling principle of the international Conventions and the domestic laws of every other country with a nuclear power program. Against this reality, it is simply inconceivable that any supplier would be able to obtain coverage against such a vague claim concept as 'patent or latent defects or sub-standard services'. Of course, every plant operator needs insurance, with the amount determined by national arrangements as guided by international conventions. The amounts specified the Indian Parliament’s amended bill seem to be in line with those that apply elsewhere."

Russia's state corporation Rosatom and its subsidiary Atomstroyexport has built Kudankulam 1&2 reactors in India with explicit contractual provision for liability remaining with the operator once the plant is fully handed over. Whether such contractual provision in line with international conventions could in future override the new statutory liability remains to be seen. A supplier stand-off could lead to an amendment to the Bill, perhaps next year.
WNN 31/8/10.

Strong industry advocacy for US fuel recycling
Senior figures from both Areva and GE Hitachi have made a strong case for recycling used nuclear fuel in the USA. Appearing before the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, which was appointed to review US policy on used fuel, they outlined the significant benefits of embracing reprocessing and recycling technology under a new waste management strategy. The present US policy dates from 1977 and treats all used fuel as high-level waste, which requires storage and finally deep geological disposal. Reprocessing so that 96% of the used fuel is recycled extends the resource by about 25%, reduces the final high-level waste volume by 75%, and the toxicity of this waste by about 90%.

Areva pointed out that "Through its deployments internationally, the recycling process invented in the US has benefited from decades of lessons-learned and continuous improvements in technology. A new recycling facility in the US would not simply replicate facilities from France, the UK or Japan, but rather would employ state-of-the-art technologies and processes." GE Hitachi "strongly believes that recycling is the best policy and technology option for the US to pursue," and said that funds for developing it were already on hand in the $21 billion Nuclear Waste Fund.
WNN 1/9/10.

26 August 2010

Iran starts to load fuel into new power reactor
After many delays, Iran has begun loading the fuel it received from Russia early in 2008 into its new 1000 MWe Bushehr reactor. This is fully under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, and is quite separate from the uranium enrichment activities which have caused international concern. All the fuel for Bushehr is provided by Russia and the used fuel is to be repatriated to Russia. Plant construction began in 1975 under the previous regime but was abandoned in 1979. In 1994 Russia's Minatom agreed to complete it, using all new VVER equipment. There have been a number of political and organizational delays since, but the plant is now expected to start up by year end. It will be operated for the first few years by a 50-50 Russian-Iranian joint venture. The anticipated 7 billion kWh/yr from the new reactor will free up about 1.6 million tonnes of oil (11 million barrels) or 1800 million cubic metres of gas per year, which can be exported for hard currency.
WNN 23/8/10.

India breaks ground on new reactors
A ceremony has marked the groundbreaking for units 7 and 8 of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project in India. First concrete is scheduled to be poured at the site before the end of the year. These will be indigenous 700 MWe pressurized heavy water reactors scheduled to begin commercial operation in June and December 2016, respectively. The estimated cost the two units is US$ 2.6 billion. Two other 700 MWe PHWRs are being built at Kakrapar in Gujarat state as units 3 & 4 of that power station, on a similar schedule. The first of six smaller Rajasthan units began operating in 1973. Two large Russian reactors at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu state, are expected to start up in the next 12 months.
WNN 24/8/10.

USA considers call for oil industry regulation modeled on nuclear's
The White House oil spill commission is probing US offshore drilling policies and is considering pushing the oil industry to accept a self-governing body to help oversee tough safety standards. The US nuclear industry's Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) came into being after the Three Mile Island reactor accident in 1979. Although that event caused no deaths or injuries, it severely affected the reputation of nuclear power. INPO has as its members all US utilities with nuclear power plants in operation or under construction. Its aim is self-regulation and safety enhancement through plant evaluation by peer review, and it provided the model for development of WANO internationally. It is funded by the utilities. The panel is looking at proposing a regulatory structure for the oil industry modeled on INPO. Such a system would aim at ensuring much higher safety standards, possibly through project evaluations that would be scrutinised by insurance companies and government regulators. The Gulf oil spill highlighted the need for mutual concern for high standards among drillers, since as in the nuclear industry, one accident has implications for the entire sector.
Reuters 25/8/10.

 19 August 2010 

New Chinese nuclear industrial park
Following announcement of the major nuclear technology base near Nanjing in Jiangsu province, being built by China Huaxing Nuclear Construction Company, the China Nuclear Power City has been inaugurated by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) at Haiyan, Zhejiang province. This is on the Yangtze delta about 120 km southwest of Shanghai and close to the cities of Hangzhou, Suzhou and Ningbo. As well as having the nuclear power plants in the Qinshan complex nearby, Haiyan hosts the headquarters of 18 leading Chinese nuclear equipment suppliers, and branch offices of all the major Chinese nuclear design institutes and construction companies. The new China Nuclear Power City will cover 130 square kilometers and has a 10-year budget of $175 billion, according to reports. It is expected to have four main areas of work: development of the nuclear power equipment manufacturing industry; nuclear training and education; applied nuclear science industries (medical, agricultural, radiation detection and tracing); and promotion of the nuclear industry.

The Haiyan Nuclear Power City is entitled to all the preferential benefits granted to national economic and technological zones and national hi-tech industrial zones. Enterprises in the industrial park will enjoy priority for bidding quota, bidding training, qualification guidance and specific purchasing with CNNC. The concept is based on the French equivalent in the Burgundy area, and French suppliers will be involved at Haiyan, as will CGNPC.
WNN 16/8/10.   China's Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Nuclear icebreakers open northern sea route for tanker
A 100,000 dwt tanker, the Baltika, has left Murmansk with a 70,000 tonne cargo for China via the northern sea route. Two large Russian icebreakers will clear the way next week over 5000 km of the route. This is the first such voyage for a large tanker, and Sovcomflot said that the main purpose of the trial journey was to determine the possibilities of delivering oil and gas safely and economically to Asia on a regular basis via the Northern Sea Route, which is 8000 km shorter than that through the Suez canal. The icebreakers used are powerful 23,500 dwt Arkitika-class, each of which has twin 171 MWt OK-900 reactors delivering 54 MW at the propellers.
WNN 17/8/10.  Nuclear Powered Ships

Canada returns old research reactor to service
Canada's National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River, which has been offline for repairs for the past 15 months following the discovery of a heavy water leak, has finally resumed the production of vital medical isotopes. The complexity of repairing the 53-year old reactor (at a cost of $70 million) led to several delays in bringing it back into operation. NRU normally produces 40% of the world's molybdenum-99, used for producing technetium-99m. The extended outage has had a significant impact on the world's supply of radioisotopes, and has forced suppliers such as MDS Nordion to find alternative sources while the number of medical procedures using isotopes has been cut back. AECL hopes to run the reactor to 2016, though no replacement is yet planned.
WNN 18/8/10.  Nuclear Power in Canada

Other papers updated on the WNA Information Service (see WNA web site): Chernobyl accident,
Country papers:  Lithuania, Emerging countries

 12 August 2010 

 New Chinese reactor connected to grid
The third reactor of Qinshan phase II power plant has been grid connected, some 53 months after start of construction and three months ahead of schedule. It is a 610 MWe (net) Chinese pressurized water reactor based on French designs and similar to the other phase II units there and to those being built at Chanjiang on Hainan Island. Commercial operation is expected next year.
WNN 10/8/10.

Kepco to buy 35% of Spanish uranium project
As part of a wider push to acquire uranium supplies, Korea Electric Power Co. has agreed to buy 35% of Berkeley Resources' Salamanca uranium project in Spain for $70 million. Australian-based Berkeley owns or has the rights to uranium resources of 30,900 tU in Salamanca province, with an option to acquire an 800 tU/yr mill which operated to 2003.
WNN 11/8/10.

Strong increase in Rossing South resources
Extract Resources has announced a major increase in resources for the main part of its Rossing South deposit, part of its Husab uranium project. Some 99,000 tonnes of uranium at 0.0415%U indicated resources, plus 42,000 tonnes of inferred resources make the deposit one of the world's largest, and five times the size of Rio Tinto's adjacent Rossing. The company hopes to start mining in 2014, producing 5700 tU/yr.
WNN 11/8/10.

Belarus resettlement proceeds in area affected by Chernobyl
In July the Belarus government announced that it had decided to settle back thousands of people in the “contaminated areas” covered by the Chernobyl fallout, from which 24 years ago they and their forbears were hastily relocated. Compared with the list of contaminated areas in 2005, some 211 villages and hamlets have been reclassified with less restrictions on resettlement. The decision by the Belarus Council of Ministers resulted in a new national program over 2011-15 and up to 2020 to alleviate the Chernobyl impact and return the areas to normal use with minimal restrictions. Some $2.2 billion has been budgeted to restore services and infrastructure. The focus of the project is on the development of economic and industrial potential of the Brest, Gomel, and Mogilev regions. The main priority will be agriculture and forestry, together with attracting qualified people and housing them.
The Belarus government decision is an important political landmark in an ongoing process. Studies reviewed by UNSCEAR show that the Chernobyl disaster caused little risk for the general population. A UN Development Program report in 2002 said that much of the aid and effort applied to mitigate the effects of the Chernobyl accident did more harm than good, and it seems that this finally persuaded the Belarus authorities. Two years later President Lukashenko announced a priority to repopulate much of the Chernobyl-affected regions. Then in 2009 he said that he “wants to repopulate Chernobyl’s zone quickly”, and to abolish the division in the country's population into “chernobylets” (people affected by the disaster and cleanup veterans) and “non-chernobylets”. The post-1986 relocations seem to have been a mistake in most cases. According to the most up to date estimate of UNSCEAR the average radiation dose received by inhabitants of strict radiation control areas (cesium-137 levels in soil greater than 555 kBq/m2) in the years 1986 to 2005 was 3.2 mSv/yr, and in “contaminated areas” (Cs-137 level in soil greater than 37 kBq/m2) it was 0.47 mSv/yr. These are much lower than natural radiation exposures in many regions of the world. Average human dose from natural background is about 2.5 mSv/yr.