Wir schaffen Wissen – heute für morgen

Paul Scherrer Institut

Sustainable Nuclear Education The Swiss situation SNEC 2014 convention (November 25, 2014 )

Martin A. Zimmermann, A. Pautz (EPFL), H.-M. Prasser (ETHZ)

Content

• Short history of nuclear power development in Switzerland • Context for nuclear in Switzerland • Challenges for the Swiss nuclear industry • Nuclear Education in Switzerland • Strategy of Nuclear Energy and Safety Research Department at PSI • How to maintain nuclear competence?

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Short history of nuclear energy in Switzerland (I) 1937: Scherrer et.al. miss the discovery of nuclear fission 1938: Hahn and Strassmann find fission fragments, Meitner and Frisch

explain them by the nuclear fission process 1939: Szilard (US) and Halban, Joliot and Kowarsky (F) recognize possibility

of chain reaction Number of fission neutrons measured at ETH Zuerich (Bradt)

1942: First pile critical (Fermi) 1945: Newspaper article by Scherrer explaining basics of nuclear energy 1946: 3 industry companies start working on nuclear developments 1955: Reaktor AG founded by Swiss industries

SAPHIR purchased 1957: SAPHIR operational

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Short history of nuclear energy in Switzerland (II)

1960: Government takes over Reaktor AG DIORIT operational Construction of the hotlab

1964: NOK (AXPO today) purchases Westinghouse PWR at Beznau 1965: BKW decides for GE BWR at Mühleberg 1967: Swiss industry abandons development of Swiss reactor

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Short history of nuclear energy in Switzerland (III)

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1956 Swimming pool reactor SAPHIR

purchased 1955 from US (after 1st Geneva conference

“Atoms for Peace”)

March 1955: Creation of Reaktor AG in Würenlingen by group of industries (incl. BBC and Sulzer)

26.8.1960: First criticality of Heavy Water moderated and

cooled reactor DIORIT

Today’s “traditional” nuclear research infrastructure

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DIORIT

SAPHIR PROTEUS

Hotlab PANDA

Nuclear projects in Switzerland 1. Suisatom (ATEL, NOK, BKW, EOS, CKW, SBB, EW):

Purchase of 20 MWe BWR from der General Electric in Villigen (AG) (opposite to PSI)

2. ENUSA (Consortium of french-speaking states, cities and industry): Constrution of a 5 MWe Swiss boiling water reactor in Lucens (Vaud, 1962)

3. ETH-Heating reactor (Elektrowatt, Escher-Wyss, Oerlikon, Zublin, etc.), Heavy Water Reactor 25 MWt.

Government supported only one project: #2 Was abandoned after partial core melt (1969)

Short history of nuclear energy in Switzerland (IV)

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PSI today

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Electricity Generation in CH (2013)

Nuclear Power Plants

Hydro Dams

Hydro Rivers

Swiss Nuclear Park

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Following Fukushima (March 2011), the Swiss government has decided to stop the plan for the construction of new nuclear power plants and also to phase-out the usage of nuclear energy in Switzerland as part of the Energy Strategy 2050. Based on a decision of both chambers of the parliament in 2011, the government is committed to ensure nuclear research in Switzerland. Maintaining nuclear competence remains a continuing key mission of national relevance, and PSI was tasked by the ETH Board with this mission as the leading Swiss organisation in this field.

Background for nuclear in Switzerland

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Swiss Nuclear Park

X 2019

2029 / 2039 2034 / 2044

KKB I: 2019 / 2029 KKB II: 2021 / 2031

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Challenges for nuclear utilities in Switzerland

• Consider long term operation (50 … 60 yrs) –Economic feasibility?

–KKM that will shut down in 2019 –Political acceptance?

–Currently 1 initiative calling for limiting of plant lifetime to 45 yrs • Concept for Long Term Operation (including investment plan ) required • Prizes for base-load electricity barely cover generation costs • Estimated costs for decommissioning rising higher financial costs for

decommissioning fund • Legal framework currently under revision in significant aspects

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First and only joint master program EPFL - ETHZ (since 2008) • Builds on complementarity of the two NE-related chairs • Active participation of PSI in lecturing and supervision of master

theses Program focus: Fundamentals & technology of nuclear fission

for safe and sustainable energy supply • 120 credit points (cp) in four semesters: 10 mandatory core

courses (42 cp) + elective courses (32 cp) + Industrial internship (8 cp) + study project (8 cp) + master thesis (30 cp)

• Recently extended with courses on Decommissioning, Medical Radiation physics, Uncertainty analysis, …

• Degree open to Bachelors in various disciplines: Physics, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering

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The Joint Master EPFL-ETHZ in Nuclear Engineering

– In 2014, more students than ever before (16) are enrolled – Of these students, 4 have an EPFL/ETHZ bachelor

(in 2013: 1, in 2012: 5) – Of the 12 students who just finished, (at least) 3 pursue a PhD

at PSI, 2 found a job in Switzerland (KKL, Nagra)

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EPFL/ETHZ/PSI Nuclear Master Program

Applications received

Students admitted Students enrolled

05

1015202530354045505560

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

since 2008

Other nuclear education

Every 2 – 3 years, swissnuclear and PSI offer a “Fortbildungskurs Kerntechnik” Further educuation in nuclear engineering

Open to participants working in the nuclear field, depending on the level of education with more or less years of experience (acceptance reviewed by small committee) Lecturers from industry, academia, PSI, and regulator Scope of lectures is practical application (as little theory as feasible)

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NES

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Total staff ~200 (199.6) • 7 lab/div heads + department head

~138.6 scientists and engineers – 22 PostDocs (5 PSI COFUND, 1 SNF) – 23 PhD students (3 SNF)

+ 5 PhD students from EPFL + 5.5 PhD students from ETHZ (2 SNF proposals)

• ~45 technical personnel (different level of education) • ~7 administrative personnel

NES key numbers (September 2014)

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NES is the Swiss national center of competence for nuclear energy. It addresses nuclear R&D issues of current and future national interest as active partner of the international nuclear research community. It recognizes the multi-disciplinary character of nuclear safety by fostering corresponding intensive interactions across disciplinary boundaries within NES, PSI and the ETH domain. It achieves an adequate balance between research and services and the corresponding mix of financial resources.

Vision of NES

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1. Continue to contribute to the current state-of-technology for thermal and fast systems in the NES technical domains • Maintain international competiveness and (continue to) participate

in international initiatives (H2020, OECD/NEA, ETSON, …) • Monitor evolving new nuclear technology ( Gen IV)

2. Further develop competence center for geochemistry of radionuclides and multi-scale contaminant transport

3. Maintain capability of handling and foster investigation of radioactive materials ( HOTLAB)

4. Strengthening of basic research (at SLS, SINQ) • Increase competitive “Zweitmittel” for more research independence • Acquire FIB/SEM for preparation of (active) micro-samples

5. Foster Nuclear Education by substantially contributing to the Swiss Nuclear Master Program (and other programs)

6. Apply NES competencies in neighboring fields • Explore application of NES expertise to decommissioning

7. Manage governance issues (Independence / Conflict of Interest)

Major Challenge: Maintain Nuclear Competence

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NES mission: Maintain Nuclear Competence

Understanding/modeling relevant phenomena Normal Operation … Severe Accidents

Monitoring material integrity

Safety Waste Management Quantifying radionuclides retention

Ascertaining safety of final repository

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Reduced risk - Reduced waste

New Technologies Materials Science

Gen IV

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• Maintain network of cooperation • Invest in nuclear education • Create new cross-cutting project

How to maintain nuclear competence?

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Candidate system for NES studies: MSR (Gen-IV)

• Fluid Fuel Reactor (e.g. MSR) is a substantially different reactor concept compared to the ones already studied in NES – Requires re-thinking of nuclear safety questions – Considerable design component – Platform for education (MSc and PhD projeccts)

• Fast, thermal, as well as intermediate spectrum possible • Good system to explore «zero risk, zero waste» (Thorium) • Contributions from all labs possible (multi-disciplinarity) • Kernel of expertise already available • Good prospects for cooperation • Some funding already acquired

• Fluid Fuel Reactor (e.g. MSR) is a substantially different reactor concept compared to the ones already studied in NES – Requires re-thinking of nuclear safety questions – Considerable design component – Platform for education (MSc and PhD projeccts)

• Fast, thermal, as well as intermediate spectrum possible • Good system to explore «zero risk, zero waste» (Thorium) • Contributions from all labs possible (multi-disciplinarity) • Kernel of expertise already available • Good prospects for cooperation • Some funding already acquired

Summary Switzerland has opted for (slowly) phasing out nuclear

Nuclear industry faces significant challenges in Switzerland

NES clusters its R&D activities around • Safety (of operating reactors) • Scientific Support to Waste Management • New Technologies (monitoring state-of-the-art): GIF, Molten Salt Reactor

And supports Nuclear Education with embedded • Post Docs • PhD’s

Since creation of the Nuclear Engineering Masters (EPFL – ETHZ – PSI) in 2008 steadily rising number of mainly international students

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