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17 May 2012
.Russia starts preparation for first large fast reactorRosenergoatom has started environmental assessment for the first BN-1200 fast neutron reactor as unit 5 at Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in Zarechny municipality of Sverdlovsk Region. OKBM Afrikantov expects to complete the design in 2014, and construction is due to start about a year later. It will be a development of the BN-800, now under construction there (and with two sold to China). Beloyarsk-3 is a 600 MWe fast reactor which has been operating successfully for 31 years. Several more BN-1200 units are proposed - the Chelyabinsk regional government wants three to be built at South Urals plant.Nuclear.Ru 14/5/12. Russia NPTepco posts big lossesTepco's losses have been put at ¥781.6 billion ($9.8 billion) for the financial year to the end of March 2012. About half of this stems from the cost of compensation and cleanup, the other half is from the higher cost of generation in Japan's precarious power market. Decreased electricity sales due to stringent conservation measures and reduced industrial production were compounded by much increased production costs from imported fossil fuels, not nearly offset by higher electricity prices – the first sought by Tepco in 32 years. Tepco supplies around one-third of Japan's electricity, and prior to March 2011 nuclear accounted for nearly 27% of the company's installed capacity, and a higher proportion of sales. Its new chairman-designate has pointed out that despite the government bailout of ¥1 trillion, without restarting its nuclear plants it will not recover economically.Japan’s National Federation of Small Business Associations has asked the government to restart the nation's nuclear reactors to stabilize the power supply. It said that any large increase in electricity rates such as would be required without nuclear would devastate small businesses. A survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun says six of 34 heads of local government prefectures and municipalities that host Japanese nuclear energy facilities favor restarting the reactors, while five say they are against bringing them back online. The other 23 say they will base their decision on local leaders’ and residents’ approval of the restart of Kansai Electric’s Ohi plant. Ohi local government leaders have approved the restart, but a local mayor has yet to agree. The central government has already approved the restart.WNN 14/5/12, NEI 14/5/2. JapanReassuring low-level radiation studyA US study exposing mice to low-dose radiation for an extended period showed up no signs of DNA damage, though a control group receiving the same dose acutely did show damage. This test on live animals supports other work and epidemiological studies suggesting that people exposed to even 1000 mSv/yr at low dose rate will not suffer adverse health effects. The study is timely as the Japanese government considers very much lower annual doses as a basis for the return of evacuees near Fukushima. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/prolonged-radiation-exposure-0515.htmlWNN 16/5/12. Radiation health effectsHuge boost for China power transmission China’s State Grid Corporation (SGCC) has started construction of what it says is the largest capacity power line in the world, a 2200-km 800 kV DC link to Zhengzhou capable of carrying about 8 GWe and costing $3.7 billion. It is also spending CNY 300 billion ($47 billion) this year on other ultra high voltage (UHV) lines across the country - four AC and three DC - to link the energy sources in China’s west to the central and eastern regions. By 2015 SGCC is investing CNY 500 billion ($75.5 billion) to extend the UHV grid to 40,000 km. By 2020, the capacity of China’s UHV network is expected to be some 300-400 GWe, which will function as the backbone of the whole system.RTT News 14/5/12. China NPOther papers updated on the WNA Public Information Service (see WNA web site): World Uranium mines (2011 production), US mines, Emerging countries
10 May 2012
Last Japanese reactor shut down, restarts are pending local government approvalHokkaido Electric Power Co.’s Tomari 3, Japan’s last operating nuclear power reactor, has shut down for routine inspections, marking the first time in 42 years that Japan has not had a reactor generating electricity. Japan has 50 operable commercial units, all now idle. While the government has cleared some reactors for restarting, local governments continue to exercise a veto on this.WNN 4/5/12. JapanTepco gets further cash injection for FukushimaThe Japanese government has approved amendments to Tokyo Electric Power Company's (Tepco's) ten-year special business plan which effectively puts it, at least temporarily, under state control. The government will provide Tepco with ¥1 trillion ($12.5 billion) in state funds in return for a majority stake in the company which will enable it to push through reforms of it. The transaction will bring the total amount of public funds provided to Tepco to some ¥3.5 trillion ($43.8 billion), subject to approval by Tepco’s shareholders, who have little alternative. Tepco is struggling to meet massive compensation and clean-up costs following the tsunami-caused Fukushima accident last year. Under the special business plan - submitted by Tepco and the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund in April - the company will receive the additional funds from major creditors, as well as aid of ¥850 billion ($10.6 billion) from a government-backed body for use in compensation payouts. As part of this, Tepco will be required to increase its electricity prices by 10 to 17%, make management changes, sell some of its assets, and undertake cost-cutting measures of ¥3.3 trillion ($48.1 billion) over the next ten years. The company is relying on restarting its large Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear plant to maintain some cash flow.WNN 10/5/12. Fukushima accidentLithuania signs up with Hitachi for new plantThe Lithuanian government has approved plans for its new nuclear plant, an LNG terminal and power grid connections to western Europe to greatly reduce its dependence on Russia’s gas and power supply. It has signed a concession agreement with Hitachi as strategic investor in its planned Visaginas nuclear power plant, providing a contractual framework for the project and giving Hitachi a 20% stake in it. Latvia is to take 20% of the project company and Estonia 22% for about EUR 1 billion each. Lithuania will retain 38%. A combined construction and operating licence is to be issued by July 2015, and a final investment decision then made. Poland was originally a participant but withdrew in December, saying that conditions were unacceptable and it had other nuclear power plans anyway. GE Hitachi expects to build a single 1350 MWe Advanced Boiling Water Reactor, several of which are operational and under construction in Japan and Taiwan. WNN 10/4/12. LithuaniaOther papers updated on the WNA Public Information Service (see WNA web site): US nuclear power, Canada NP, Electric vehicles
3 May 2012
Russia and China probe UK nuclear plant opportunityFollowing the withdrawal of German-based RWE and EOn from the project company Horizon Nuclear Energy, both Rosatom directly, and China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) with Toshiba, have indicated strong interest in taking their place to build several new nuclear plants in the UK. Horizon has two approved brownfield sites: Oldbury and Wylfa, for some 6000 MWe of new nuclear capacity. SNPTC brokered the acceptance of the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor in China, and this is now most of the way through generic design assessment in UK. Westinghouse, once owned by the UK government, is owned by Toshiba. The major US nuclear utility Exelon is reported to be involved in the proposal as potential operator, but it could neither confirm nor deny this to WNN. WNN 4/5/12. UKEuropean “stress tests” on courseThe 147 nuclear reactors in the EU's 27 member states, plus 15 reactors in Ukraine and five in Switzerland, are being assessed against aspects of nuclear plant safety highlighted by the Fukushima accident. Operators reported to their national regulators who then reported progress to the European Commission by the end of 2011. Information was shared among regulators throughout this process before the 17 final reports went to peer-review by teams comprising 80 experts appointed by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) and the European Commission. The EC and ENSREG identified four main areas for improving EU nuclear plant safety:- assessing natural hazards and margins beyond the original design basis; - giving more importance to periodic safety reviews and evaluation of natural hazards; - undertaking urgent measures to protect containment integrity; and - measures to prevent and mitigate accidents resulting from extreme natural hazards.They reported that "all countries have taken significant steps to improve the safety of their plants, with varying degrees of practical implementation." The EC and ENSREG are producing an action plan to implement the main recommendations of their report and to participate fully in the International Atomic Energy Agency's post-Fukushima action plan.WNN 27/4/12. Safety of nuclear plantsChernobyl shelter construction startsConstruction of Chernobyl’s New Safe Confinement structure has commenced and is due to be completed in 2016. The 20,000 tonne arch 108 metres high, 150 metres long and spanning 257 metres is being built adjacent to the destroyed unit 4 and will be moved into place on rails. It will cover both the reactor and the hastily-built structure over it. The arch frame is a lattice construction of tubular steel members, equipped with internal cranes. The design and construction contract for this was signed in 2007 with the French Novarka consortium and preparatory work on site was completed in 2010. The hermetically sealed building, estimated by the Ukraine government to cost €935 million, will allow engineers remotely to dismantle the structure which has shielded the remains of the reactor from the weather since shortly after the 1986 accident. It will enable the eventual removal of materials containing nuclear fuel and accommodate their characterisation, compaction and packing for disposal, all with remote handling. This task represents the most important step in eliminating nuclear hazard at the site - and the real start of decommissioning. The Chernobyl Shelter Fund, set up in 1997, had received €864 million from international donors by early 2011 towards this project and previous work there. It is managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). WNN 26/4/12. Chernobyl accidentOther papers updated on the WNA Public Information Service (see WNA web site): Reactor table, Japan, Lithuania, Energy security
26 April 2012
Toshiba underwrites Niger uranium mine developmentToshiba Corporation has completed a convertible debt-financing agreement with GoviEx Uranium Inc, which is aiming to bring the Madaouela Uranium Project in northern Niger into production. It will provide some $40 million to support the company’s operations through to the start of uranium extraction and processing. Production is expected to begin in 2017 and Toshiba’s off-take rights to uranium concentrate, for about one quarter of production, will become effective in 2020, when output is expected to reach its peak capacity of over 1000 tU/yr. Sales will be handled by a UK-based Toshiba Group company. The Madaouela deposit is close to the Arlette and Akouta mines in the Arlit region of the Air Massif, and was discovered by the French CEA in the early 1960s. The Niger government holds a major share in the project, and in 2008 Cameco bought an 11% share for $28 million. The NI 43-101 compliant resources of the Project are 20,000 tU indicated resources and 19,600 tU inferred resources, in sandstone.WNN 23/4/12. NigerNew Indian uranium mine openedIndia’s first uranium mine outside Jharkhand state, Tummalapalle in Andhra Pradesh, has been opened. It will produce 220 tU/yr from underground mining, with alkaline leach.NPCIL 20/4/12. IndiaUK shuts down second-last Magnox reactorWylfa-2, one of the reactors at Britain’s last Magnox nuclear power station, has been closed down a few days ahead of scheduled permanent closure. It started up in 1971. Its twin is expected to operate until its fuel runs out in 2014. The UK built 26 Magnox reactors, and the 490 MWe Wylfa units were the last and biggest. Two others were built in Italy and Japan, and France’s first six reactors were very similar. Wylfa is a site for planned new reactors.WNN 26/4/12. UKInternational waste disposal concept expands to Middle EastOver 2006-09 the EC-funded SAPIERR (Strategic Action Plan for Implementation of European Regional Repositories) project assessed the feasibility of European regional waste repositories, indicating a recognition in the EU that implementing 25 national repositories is not optimal economically or for safety and security. The project was in line with proposals from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Russia and the USA. The main outcome of this project was that 14 EU countries resolved to move towards setting up a European Repository Development Organisation (ERDO), and last year documents outlining the possible structure, operating methods and financing options for a formal, multinational, European waste management agency (the ERDO) were submitted to EU governments.This triggered interest from other regions, and this month a meeting took place in Abu Dhabi, hosted by the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and supported by the IAEA. Around 35 participants attended, primarily from UAE waste management and planning organisations, to consider a regional Middle East & North Africa (MENA) repository plan, in conjunction with the Arab Atomic Energy Agency.Arius 20/4/12, International nuclear waste disposalOther papers updated on the WNA Public Information Service (see WNA web site): Namibia, South Africa, US nuclear power, Small reactors, Waste management