Nuclear Power International January February 2014

download Nuclear Power International January February 2014

of 10

Transcript of Nuclear Power International January February 2014

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    1/23

    A Publication

    ENRICHMENT

    FUEL FOR THOUGHT

    NEWS

    NUCLEUS 1 Preparing for Section 316(b)

    NUCLEUS 2 A Look at SMR Power Around the World

    NUCLEUS 3 Addressing the Age Gap in Nuclear PowerGeneration

    NUCLEAR EVENTS

    PERSPECTIVE

       J   A   N   U   A   R   Y   /   F   E   B   R   U   A   R   Y   2   0   1   4

       V  o   l  u  m  e   7   N

      o .

       1

    Planning

    Ahead for

    Unit 3 cooling tower at Plant Vogtle. Courtesy: Georgia Power 

    Section 316(b)

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    2/23

    A  Publication

    1421 South Sheridan Road

    Tulsa, OK 74112

    P.O. Box 1260, Tulsa, OK 74101

    Telephone: (918) 835-3161Fax: (918) 831-9834

    E-mail: [email protected]

    World Wide Web:

    http://www.power-eng.com

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE 

    —Sharryn Dotson, Editor

    (918) 832-9339 [email protected] om

    GRAPHIC DESIGNER /SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR 

    —Kay Wayne

    PRODUCTION MANAGER—Daniel Greene

    NATIONAL BRAND MANAGER—Jenna Hall

    (918) 832-9249 [email protected]

    SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER—Jessica Grier

    (918) 832-9272 [email protected]

    SUBSCRIBER SERVICE

    P.O. Box 3271, Northbrook, IL 60065

    Phone: (847) 559-7501

    Fax: (847) 291-4816

    E-mail: [email protected]

    POWER ENGINEERING MAGAZINE 

    —Russell Ray, Managing Editor(918) 832-9368 [email protected]

    AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER—Linda Thomas

    VICE PRESIDENT, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT &

    BOOK  PUBLISHING—June Griffin

    SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICAN POWER GENERATION GROUP —Richard Baker

    (918) 831-9187 [email protected]

    CHAIRMAN—Frank T. Lauinger

    PRESIDENT /CEO—Robert F. Biolchini

    CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICE /SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 

    —Mark C. Wilmoth

    CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS—PENNWELL CORP.

    1421 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112

    Telephone: (918) 835-3161

     NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  is pub-lished six times a year by PennWell Corp., 1421

    S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa, OK 74112; phone (918)

    835-3161. ©Copyright 2013 by PennWell Corp.

    (Registered in U.S. Patent Trademark Office). Au-

    thorization to photocopy items for internal or per-

    sonal use, or the internal or personal use of specificclients, is granted by  POWER ENGINEERING ,

    ISSN 0032-5961, provided that the appropriate fee

    is paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, 222

    Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA 508-

    750-5400. Prior to photocopying items for educa-tional use, contact Copyright Clearance Center. For

    reprints, contact Foster Printing for a price quote.

    For more information, please call 866-879-9144 or

    email us at [email protected].

    @Westinghouse

    Electric Company

    MORE COMMITTED 

    Westinghouse is dedicated to offering technologies to meet any contain

    filtered venting need, including the Dry Filter Method (DFM) filtered con

    venting system—the only maintenance-free system that does not require

    auxiliary systems for chemistry control, heating and draining. The DFM’s

    design allows for installation in existing buildings, resulting in savings of

    50% compared to the cost of a vent requiring a new building.

    From passive dry containment filtering systems to multiple wet scrubbe

    technologies, count on Westinghouse to deliver enhanced safety system

    keep operating plants and local communities safe.

    For more information, visit us at www.westinghousenuclear.com

    http://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.westinghousenuclear.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=mailto%3Apennwellreprints%40fosterprinting.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=mailto%3Arichardb%40pennwell.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=mailto%3Arussellr%40pennwell.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=mailto%3Apoe%40omeda.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=mailto%3Ajessicag%40pennwell.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=mailto%3Ajennah%40pennwell.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=mailto%3Asharrynd%40pennwell.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.power-eng.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=2&exitLink=mailto%3Ape%40pennwell.com

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    3/23

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    ENRICHME

    BY SHARRYN DOTSON, EDITOR

    New Year, Same Talks our media partner GenerationHub thatDOE was treating the funding as “projectfinancing” instead of “corporate financ-

    ing.” Fanning said that the differences arethat project financing tends to be based

    on the projected cash flows of the project,

    compared to corporate financing, which

    is based on the actual costs of equipment,

    construction, etc. Fanning also said in the

    article that the terms and conditions of

    the loan guarantee were changed fol-

    lowing the events surrounding solar

    panel maker Solyndra. Solyndra re-ceived a $535 million DOE loan guar-

    antee in 2009 and f iled for bankruptcy

    in 2011.

    “Those terms and conditions just

    aren’t suitable for our application, so

    we’ll just have to see,” Fanning was

    quoted as saying in GenerationHub.

    DOE’s loan guarantee offer would have

    the feds assume Southern Co.’s debt up to$8.3 billion if the utility defaults on the

    loan. Georgia Power and parent company

    Southern Co. have both said they do not

    need the DOE’s funds to complete the

    two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors by

    The U.S. Department of Energy made headlines when it announcedin December 2013 a second round of funding awarded to NuScale

    Power LLC for the development of the company’s small modular re-

    actor technology. The DOE last year also announced financial awards

    for the research and development of fossil fuels, clean energy, smart

    grid and other energy sources. With all this money flying around, what

    has come of the loan guarantee for the two new nuclear builds at Plant

    Vogtle in Georgia?

     Well, the DOE extended talks for the fifth time with Georgia Pow-

    er, a subsidiary of Southern Co. and majority owner of Plant Vogtle.The latest deadline is now January 31, 2014, almost four years after

    the guarantees were first announced in June 2010. The loan guarantee

    is for up to $8.3 billion, which breaks down to $3.46 billion for Geor-

    gia Power, $3.05 billion for Oglethorpe Power and up to $1.8 billion

    for Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG), according to a

    December article in The Augusta Chronicle. The remaining stake-

    holder in the plant, Dalton Utilities, is not part of the loan guarantee

    talks. The twin reactors are expected to cost $14 billion total.

    “We are encouraged by recent progress in our loan guaranteenegotiations as we work with the Department of Energy to ad-

    dress a few remaining points, including the need for intergovern-

    mental agency review and approval,” said Southern Co. spokes-

    person Tim Leljedal in an email.

    Southern Co. CEO Tom Fanning said in a June 2013 article with

    2017 and 2018. However, some cr

    DOE’s reinforcement may not be

    to protect consumers from having

    for the project whether it is built oAccording to a Freedom of In

    tion Act inquiry submitted by Fri

    the Earth, a credit subsidy fee of b

    0.8 percent and 1.5 percent is su

    to insulate against default of the lo

    the fee doesn’t even cover risks in

    nuclear construction, the report sai

    http://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=3&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.enercon.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=3&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.enercon.com

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    4/23

    CONTINUED ENRICHMENT 4NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    says that even if Southern Co. finally gets

    the $8.3 billion loan, the incentives that

    consumers would have to pay could be

    more costly than those set up for the loan

    guarantee given to Solyndra. Customerswould still be on the hook for the cost

    of the reactors even if the project were

    cancelled, a scenario faced by customers

    in Florida where plans to build a nuclear

    project in Levy County were cabcelled

    and plans to close the damaged Crystal

    River nuclear plant were disclosed last

    year. Electricity consumers in the Sun-

    shine State will be paying $5.62 in nu-

    clear charges each month for 1,000 kWh

    starting in January, which breaks down

    to $2.17 in fees for the damaged CrystalRiver reactor over the next seven years,

    and $3.45 in fees for the Levy County

    project over the next two or three years,

    according to the Florida Public Service

    Commission. Fanning said in the article

    that Southern Co. customers could ex-

    pect a cost increase of only 6 percent to

    8 percent, down from the 12 percent fig-

    ure that was initially reported.Fanning said building these units on

    time and on budget is essential to main-

    taining confidence in the nuclear indus-

    try. How can the public feel confident

    that more new nuclear reactors will be

    built to help maintain reliability of the

    power grid when it seems difficult to get

    government financing? Solyndra’s bank-

    ruptcy filing already makes some leery ofDOE’s judgement of “worthy” projects,

    so this four-year timeline surely isn’t sit-

    ting well. Hopefully, Jan. 31 will be the

    last time loan guarantee talks are classi-

    fied as “ongoing.” 

    Covering every aspect of the power generation industry, POWER-GEN International, NUCLEAR POWER International, ReneWorld Conference & Expo North America and POWER-GEN International Financial Forum converge in 2014 to form Pow

    Week. Benefit from five days packed with pre-conference workshops, technical tours, over 70 conference sessions, panethree exhibition days and multiple networking events. Gain access to nearly every facet of the market – all under one roof.

    Learn more at www.powergeneratio

    Owned & Produced by Presented by Supported by

    DECEMBER 7-11, 2014  >>  ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER  >>  ORLANDO, FL, USA  >> www.powergene

    http://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2FRENEWABLEENERGYWORLD.COMhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2FRENEWABLEENERGYWORLD.COMhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2FRENEWABLEENERGYWORLD.COMhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powergenerationweek.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fsales%40crown-electric.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crown-electric.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powergenerationweek.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuclearpowerinternational.com%2Findex.html%3Fcmpid%3Dpgwhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.renewableenergyworld-events.com%2Findex.htmlhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powergenfinancialforum.com%2Findex.htmlhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.power-gen.com%2Findex.html%3Fcmpid%3Dpgwhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=4&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powergenerationweek.com%2Findex.html

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    5/23

    across the U.S.

    Both the NRC and INPO have

    looking at the cumulative impact of reg

    and possible ways to address it. The NEnergy Institute (NEI) is working w

    NRC on ways to assess the effects of reg

    and potential tools for managing the

    of regulatory actions. Initial NEI presen

    on the subject include 22-page and 3

    slideshows replete with flow charts, sprea

    and tables, plus multiple appendice

    additional information. NEI has propose

    projects on cumulative impact at planext year, but the NRC commissioners

    have to be involved in any pilots and th

    is moving at a slower pace.

    The NRC is working on an initial

    on regulatory efficiency due next July

    is working on another paper on cum

    impact that will not be complete unti

     While you would expect and want po

    changes impacting nuclear power regulabe detailed, comprehensive and not ru

    fear that the industry and the regulator ar

    engineering and broadening potential so

    to the problem of low-value regulatory b

    The Washington D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) recently

    released a paper on the economic and national security imperatives that should compel lawmakers

    to enable the U.S. nuclear industry to be more competitive in the global nuclear energy arena

    and thereby maintain a crucial leadership role. In Restoring U.S. Leadership in Nuclear Energy, 

    the CSIS explains how state and federal mandates for renewable energy have created market

    distortions in the electricity sector. Combined with sustained low natural gas prices, direct

    and indirect renewable subsidies have made nuclear power uneconomic. In addition to current

    economic disadvantages, the other major challenges to U.S. nuclear leadership are export marketimpediments and domestic challenges. Domestic challenges include excessive capital costs for

    new construction, waste management uncertainties, gaps in public acceptance, and regulation.

    “Regulation” - in particular, self-regulation - is the one area in which the industry has the

    ability to make improvements directly. Although the authors only briefly discuss the impact

    of compounding regulation (NRC) and self-regulation (INPO), they express concerns about

    added regulatory requirements that lack commensurate safety benefits that, in turn, contribute

    to financial pressures and potential additional plant shut-downs. This concern is not academic,

    in that regulatory issues have been cited in recent plant closure announcements, such as the

    SONGS shutdown in California.There is widespread recognition that the nuclear power industry has benefitted from

    the diligence and high standards of the NRC and INPO, which have helped raise overall

    plant performance to high levels. Nonetheless, there is also now an acknowledgement that

    cumulative regulation has become notably burdensome to the management of nuclear facilities

    U.S. Nuclear Power Survival Part 2BY MARY JO ROGERS, PH.D., PARTNER, STRATEGIC TALENT SOLUTIONS

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  > JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    FUEL FOR THOUG

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    6/23

    constrained by its own mental models

    and by how it has historically addressed

    any problem. INPO’s mission is “topromote the highest levels of safety and

    reliability—to promote excellence—in

    the operation of commercial nuclear

    power plants.” In speaking to the BP

    Oil Spill Commission in 2010, Jim

    Ellis, then CEO of INPO, stated that

    INPO has strongly and successfully

    resisted any efforts over the years to

    alter its mission.Recall that the industry’s most

    significant gains in safety and reliability

    performance began in the late 1990’s,

    when a number of utilities started

    participating in de-regulated electricity

    markets that put great pressure on

    plants to perform. I suggest that true

    innovation in the efficient management

    of nuclear energy in the future wi ll needto come from outside the institutions

    that are currently so tightly interwoven

    to protect the industry from lapses in

    safety. 

    INPO has had teams working on

    cumulative impact and recently shared

    with its members the first reporton “short-term” actions. The INPO

    report, which focused on four initial

    areas, is 92 pages long. It provides

    excellent problem definitions, lists of

    insights on how the problem evolved,

    desired end state descriptions as well as

    actions. It is exhaustive. The section on

    “Initial Improvement in Management

    and Leadership” alone includes over35 behaviors and responsibilities

    for supervisors and managers. It is

    not surprising that there have been

    grumbles in the industry that the

    activities to address cumulative impact

    are creating additional burden.

    I don’t mean to be critical of the

    efforts of people who have worked

    hard to understand cumulative impactand identify ways to reduce regulatory

    burden. My main concern is that INPO’s

    ability to lead the industry in reducing

    regulatory burden may be significantly

    FORWARD THINKINGFOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

    {  SAVE THE DATE }DECEMBER 9-11, 2014 | ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER | ORLANDO, FLOR

    WWW.NUCLEARPOWERINTERNATIONAL.COM

    Global demand for energy continues to grow. So do concerns related to reliability, greenhouse gas emiss

    and the environment. Emission-free, baseload nuclear power can be a viable option to address th

    concerns and meet growing demand for energy. Nuclear energy remains a viable, clean and safe optio

    meeting demand around the world.

    Now in its eighth year, NUCLEAR POWER International 2014 provides the nuclear power industry

    perfect venue to gather and exchange information about nuclear power’s role in today’s changing wo

     Visit www.nuclearpowerinternational.com for a preview of the 2014 event.

    Owned & Produced by: Presented by: Supported by:

    .   iiii   ..

    CONTINUED

    6NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  > JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    FUEL FOR THOUGHT 

    http://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=6&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powergenerationweekc.omhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=6&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuclearpowerinternational.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=6&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2FWWW.NUCLEARPOWERINTERNATIONAL.COM

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    7/23

     Toshiba close to owning Britishnuclear power joint ventureJan. 10 

    Toshiba Corp. is working to increaseits stake in British nuclear power compa-

    ny NuGen by buying a 10 percent share

    from GDF Suez.

    GDF Suez currently owns 50 percent

    of NuGen, and is selling the 10 percent

    stake for about 3 billion yen ($29 million),

    according to Reuters. Iberdrola SA agreed

    in December to sell its 50 percent stake in

    NuGen to Toshiba for 85 million pounds($140.12 million). Iberdrola has been sell-

    ing assets to reduce debt.

    NuGen owns a site in Sellafield where

    it plans to build 3.6 GW of nuclear ca-

    pacity. Toshiba is looking to gain control

    of NuGen so that it’s Westinghouse unit

    can supply the joint venture with three of

     Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactors for the

    Sellafield project.

    L-3 MAPPS to replace nuclearpower simulator’s control roomJan. 10 

    L-3 MAPPS was contracted to

    temporarily shut down just weeks after

    it restarted.

     Workers with the Omaha Public

    Power District were making routineinspections at Unit 1 when they no-

    ticed a block of ice had formed on the

    shaft and the top of one of six sluice

    gates that control the flow of water into

    the plant on Jan. 8. The ice also bent

    the sluice gate operating shaft, which

    caused the gate to not close and made

    all four raw water pumps inoperable.

     Workers shut the plant down as a pre-caution, and there was no danger to the

    public or to workers, OPPD said.

    The ice has since been cleared and

    the plant will be restarted once the

    gate can be lowered.

    Fort Calhoun restarted in December

    after a two-year shutdown. The plant

    was down for maintenance in April

    2011, but the nearby Missouri River in-undated the plant and caused it to be

    shut down longer. A series of violations

    and a fire kept the plant offline. The

    NRC had to approve the restart of the

    plant.

    replace the input/output (I/O) system

    on the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Sta-

    tion’s simulator’s main control room

    panels and related remote shutdownpanels.

    L-3 MAPPS will replace more than

    13,000 I/O channels with low power

    consumption compact controllers and

    I/O modules from Beckhoff Automa-

    tion that are managed by L-3’s Orchid

    Input Output software. L-3 MAPPS

    will also replace select simulator con-

    trol room panel instruments, includingthe synchroscope, rod position indica-

    tors and the sound generator, with cus-

    tom-designed equivalents.

    The company has supplied plant

    owner Guangdong Nuclear Power Joint

    Venture Co. Ltd. since 1999. The plant

    uses two AREVA pressurized water re-

    actors that generate 984 MWe each.

    Ft. Calhoun nuclear power plantshut down due to iceJan. 10 

    A buildup of ice caused the Fort

    Calhoun nuclear power plant to

    NRC to lower Pilgrim nuclearplant performance to “degraJan. 9

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatorymission (NRC) said it would dow

    the performance of the 685 MW

    nuclear power plant in Massachuse

    months after the NRC increased

    tions at Pilgrim. Entergy (NYSE

    operates the plant.

    The Pilgrim plant will be place

    seven other nuclear plants in the “d

    ed cornerstone column.” The deplants require special NRC insp

    and increased oversight, said Nei

    han, spokesperson for the NRC.

    Pilgrim was already under add

    NRC oversight due to the plan

    matically shutting down Octobe

    for a week due to the loss of a 3

    power line that provided offsite

    to the plant. It was the second tiplant shut down last year. Tha

    dent led to the plant having a “

    performance indicator last year.

    NRC’s Sheehan said in an em

    the plant’s Performance Indica

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    N

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    8/23

    remains in back up mode due

    patching restrictions, the articl

    It is expected to stay that wayFebruary.

     TEPCO names Sudo as chairmJan. 8

    The Tokyo Electric Power Co

    CO) announced that Chairma

    zuhiko Shimokobe resigned e

    March 31.

    TEPCO’s board appointed Sudo as the new chairman e

    April 1. Sudo previously was TE

    director and advisor to JFE Holdin

    TEPCO in December sub

    a rehabilitation plan expected t

    the company a profit of about 1

    lion yen ($953.5 million) in fisc

    2014. The plan, however, is con

    upon TEPCO restarting operatthe Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear

    plant in July 2014, which woul

    cut fuel costs, according to an

    from Jiji Press.

    construction and concessions company

    Eiffage and Belgian diesel engine mak-

    er Anglo Belgium Corp.; and Westing-house, which is partnered with U.S.

    diesel engine maker Fairbanks, the ar-

    ticle said.

    France’s nuclear regulator ASN re-

    quired EDF to install 58 diesel engines

    by the end of 2018 to supply backup

    power to EDF’s nuclear fleet in re-

    sponse to the accident at Fukushima in

    Japan.

    Nuclear power unitin Ukraine returns to serviceJan. 9

    Unit 4 of the 2,835 MW Rivne Nu-

    clear Power Plant in Ukraine is back on-

    line six days after defects were found.

    According to ForUm, The plant first

    shut down on Jan. 3 when defects ofseparator-superheater fittings were de-

    tected, the article said. The unit was

    restarted on Jan. 9.

    Unit 1 at the Rivne nuclear plant

    to Power Engineering. “It is important

    to note, that two of the four shutdowns

    were the result of electric transmissionline problems external to Pilgrim. We

    are working closely with the owners

    of the transmission system to identify

    ways to improve electrical grid reliabil-

    ity. The shutdowns had no impact on

    the health and safety of the public or

    our employees.”

    Alstom sues EDF overnuclar backup power tenderJan. 9

    Alstom is suing EDF over allegations

    that Alstom was excluded from a ten-

    der to provide backup diesel engines in

    EDF’s nuclear power plants.

    According to Reuters, Alstom and

    its German partner MAN SE filed the

    legal challenge at the end of Decemberover the 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion)

    tender for the diesel engines. EDF is

    reportedly in talks with two groups:

    Clemessy, a consortium of French

    Unplanned Shutdowns per 7,000 Hours

    is expected to change from “green” to“white” once it is updated, which will

    move the plant down to degraded.

    “Operating Pilgrim at the highest

    levels of safety and reliability is our

    top priority. We have conducted rig-

    orous reviews of the plant shutdowns

    to identify needed improvements. Our

    action plan is broad-based and address-

    es plant equipment, processes and or-ganizational structure. Changes have

    been made in some key site leadership

    positions to accelerate our improve-

    ment,” Entergy released in a statement

    NRC TO LOWER PILGRIM NUCLEAR PLANT

    PERFORMANCE TO “DEGRADED”

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    N

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    9/23

    the Environment Agency, and N

    Resources Wales.

    In an interview with North

    Chronicle, Ian Parker, the Enviro

    Agency’s nuclear regulation grou

    ager, said that the GDA allows t

    identify and resolve issues befo

    specific proposals are brought foThe assessments include safe

    curity, environmental and was

    plications of new reactor design

    formed by regulators.

    as the cause analysis does not need to be

    completed f irst.”

    About four hours later, Unit 3 atthe Indian Point nuclear power plant in

    New York automatically tripped due to

    “33 Steam Generator Steam flow/Feed

    flow Mismatch,” the NRC said. Plant

    operator Entergy (NYSE: ETR) said in

    a release that a controller device failed

    to regulate the flow of water into one of

    the plant’s four steam generators, which

    led to lowered water levels. Backup sys-tems at the plant deployed as designed

    and the unit was safely shut down. The

    unit was returned to service on Jan. 8.

    Unit 2 continued to run at full power.

    Wylfa nuclear reactor proposalassessment underwayJan. 7 

    The U.K. Advanced Boiling WaterReactor proposal for the Wylfa nuclear

    reactor is under Generic Design Assess-

    ment (GDA). The assessment is being

    conducted by the Office for Nuclear,

    FE) said a main transformer differential

    trip caused the reactor to shut down. The

    transformer converts power generatedfrom the plant to the appropriate voltage

    for distribution throughout the transmis-

    sion system, according to Jennifer Young,

    spokesperson with FirstEnergy. It is locat-

    ed on the generation side of the plant.

    The cause of the trip is under investiga-

    tion. Backup systems worked as designed

    and the plant is stable. Unit 2 was unaf-

    fected by the trip and continues to run atfull power.

    “There are a large number of condi-

    tions that can cause tranformer issues

    such as that experienced at Beaver Val-

    ley Unit 1,” said FirstEnergy spokes-

    person Jennifer Young. “The team will

    consider a variety of factors during its

    intrusive diagnosis, including any po-

    tential impact of cold weather on theequipment. While the investigation is

    ongoing, we expect the causal analysis to

    take at least a week. Meanwhile, we will

    proceed with the repair or replacement,

    Day & Zimmermann tomaintain Texas nuclear power plantJan. 8

    Day & Zimmermann was awarded a

    five-year maintenance and modifications

    contract with STP Nuclear Operating Co.

    in Texas.

    STP is operator of the South Texas

    Project, a 2,700 MW nuclear power plant

    in Texas. The plant is owned by Austin

    Energy, CPS Energy and NRG Energy

    (NYSE: NRG).

     Two nuclear power plantsautomatically shut downJan. 8

    Two nuclear power plants automati-

    cally tripped within hours of each oth-

    er Jan. 6.

    Unit 1 at the Beaver Valley nuclear

    power plant in Pennsylvania automatical-ly tripped around 5 p.m. EST, according

    to an event report with the U.S. Nuclear

    Regulatory Commission (NRC).

     Workers with FirstEnergy (NYSE:

    WYLFA NUCLEAR REACTOR PROPOSAL

     ASSESSMENT UNDERWAY

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    N

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    10/23

    of our company, and we are exc

    welcome Stoller to our team.”

    Nuclear power plant inUK suddenly shuts downJan. 6

    EDF Energy was forced to shu

    the Heysham 1 nuclear power p

    the United Kingdom on Jan. 4.

    According to the BBC, a fault

    er pump led to the shut down. O

    said in the article that it was a

    incident,” and that standard shuprocedure was followed.

    There is no word on when th

    will be back online, but off icials

    the article they hope to have it r

    by next week.

     Turkey’s nuclear power plantexpects approval by JuneJan. 3

    Turkey’s Minister of Energy

    Yildiz announced that the countr

    ond nuclear power plant project,

    $22 billion, is expected to receive a

    al by the parliament by June.

    nuclear and technical consulting and

    engineering services to the depart-

    ments of Energy and Defense. The val-

    ue of the deal was not disclosed.Stoller will be a wholly owned sub-

    sidiary of HII and will operate under

    its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS)

    division. NNS designs and builds nu-

    clear-powered aircraft carriers and

    submarines, and the company recently

    expanded its nuclear and manufactur-

    ing business into the DOE and alterna-

    tive energy industry.“With this strategic acquisition, New-

    port News Shipbuilding is positioned

    for expanded growth within the DOE,

    environmental management and com-

    mercial nuclear services markets,” said

    HII Corporate Vice President and NNS

    President Matt Mulherin. “Stoller’s ex-

    ceptional commitment to performance

    and safety are well recognized by theenvironmental management and reme-

    diation industry and are attributes that

    directly support our plan for continued

    growth within these markets. This is

    an important investment in the future

    UK regulators beginsecond phase of nuclearreactor design evaluationJan. 6

    The United Kingdom’s Office for Nu-

    clear Regulation (ONR) and the Environ-

    ment Agency said they are moving on to

    the next phase of their assessment of a

    new nuclear reactor design.

    The two agencies will begin the second

    phase of the Generic Design Assessment

    (GDA) for the Hitachi-GE UK advanced

    boiling water reactor (UK ABWR) that isscheduled for use in the Wylfa and Old-

    bury nuclear power plants. The report

    will allow regulators to assess the safety,

    security, environmental and waste impli-

    cations of new reactor designs before site-

    specific plans are brought forward.

    Nuclear & environmental

    engineering firm bought byHuntington Ingalls.Jan. 6

    Huntington Ingalls Industries

    (NYSE: HII) acquired The S.M. Stoller

    Corp., a provider of environmental,

    MHI to establish nuclear powerplant business unit in TurkeyJan. 7 

    Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)will establish a new business unit effec-

    tive Feb. 1 to develop a nuclear power

    plant in Turkey.

    The new unit, called the “Turkey Nu-

    clear IPP Development Department,” was

    built to accelerate formation of project

    conditions for the Sinop nuclear power

    project in Turkey, including implement-

    ing a feasibility study, negotiating variouscontract agreements, and preparing a fi-

    nancial scheme. The unit will be under

    the guidance of the Energy & Environ-

    ment domain headed by Senior Execu-

    tive Vice President Atsushi Maekawa.

    The power project will use four, 1,100

    MWe ATMEA-1 nuclear power plants

    in the Sinop area of the Black Sea coast.

    ATMEA is a consortium of Japan-basedMHI and France-based AREVA. In Oc-

    tober, the consortium reached a broad

    framework of agreement with the gov-

    ernment of the Republic of Turkey that

    ended negotiations over the power plant.

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    N

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    11/23

    at Plant Vogtle in Georgia has be

    tended until Jan. 31.

    Georgia Power, majority ow

    Plant Vogtle and a subsidiary of ern Co. (NYSE: SO), said talk

    the U.S. Department of Energy

    prolonged again. The last deadli

    Dec. 31. The DOE first offered t

    guarantees in 2010 for up to $8.3

    to be split between three of the o

    Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Pow

    Municipal Electric Authority of G

    The discussions remain confident

    of Japan’s Diet raised questions that

    the accident could have resulted from

    the loss of coolant caused by the earth-

    quake, which would have contradictedprevious reports that the reactor with-

    stood the earthquake intact, according

    to NucNet.com.

    Units 1, 2 and 3 all suffered reac-

    tor core, fuel and containment dam-

    age. Units 4, 5 and 6 were offline at

    the time of the accident, but Unit 4’s

    reactor building was damaged by a hy-

    drogen explosion.The report was less conclusive on

    why water injected into Units 1, 2 and

    3 did not cool the reactor cores and

    prevent meltdown, the article said. It

    is possible that water seeped into other

    systems and did not reach the core. An

    investigation into the amount of water

    used is ongoing, the article said.

    Plant Vogtle loan guaranteedeadline extended until Jan. 31Jan. 2

    The deadline for talks to finalize a loan

    guarantee for two new nuclear builds

    plant in China was connected to the pow-

    er grid Dec. 31.

    According to Business Standard, the

    unit is expected to begin commercial op-erations in the next few months and cost

    about 73.2 billion yuan ($12.1 billion).

    Plans for the plant include six units that

    will enter commercial operations by Janu-

    ary 2019, the article said.

     TEPCO: Fukushima nuclearreactor failure caused by tsunami,

    not earthquakeJan. 3Tokyo Electric Power Co. says in a

    new report that the damage at Unit

    1 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear

    power plant in Japan was caused by the

    impact of the tsunami and not coolant

    loss caused by the earthquake.

    The report says Unit 1 survived the

    earthquake intact, and that the tsuna-

    mi knocked out the backup diesel gen-

    erators, which led to the failure of the

    cooling systems that caused the acci-

    dent. The Fukushima Nuclear Accident

    Independent Investigation Commission

    The project, which is located in Tur-

    key’s Black Sea province of Sinop, will

    be built by Mitsubishi Heavy Indus-

    tries and AREVA, according to an ar-ticle from Balkans.

    In 2013, Japan and Turkey entered

    into an agreement for the construction

    of the power plant.

    Yildiz said in an interview that the

    country is conducting research on

    thermal power plants on Elbistan coal

    fields, which is currently responsible

    for 40 percent of the country’s lignitereserves. He added that generation fa-

    cilities that can produce up to 7,000

    MW are in the planning process and

    expects the investment to cost $10 bil-

    lion.

    Most recently, the two countries en-

    tered an agreement to establish a Turk-

    ish-Japanese Technical University in

    Turkey, the article said.

    New nuclear reactor inChina connects to the gridJan. 3

      Unit 1 of the Yangjiang nuclear powerPLANT VOGTLE LOAN GUARANTEE DEADLINE

    TENDED UNTIL JAN. 31

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    N

    http://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=11&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2FNucNet.com

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    12/23

    Farley nuclear plantreceives World-Class ALARAPerformance AwardDec. 30 

    Southern Nuclear’s Joseph M

    Nuclear Plant has been selected to

    the 2013 Information Systems on

    pational Exposure (ISOE) Worl

    ALARA (As Low As Reasonably A

    able) Performance Award, the co

    has announced.

    Southern Nuclear President an

    Steve Kuczynski stated in a releaccomplishment “is a direct result

    engagement by the radiation worke

    porting the plant during refueling o

    and during power generation.”

    The ISOE system was created i

    to provide radiation protection pro

    als a way to share methods to op

    radiological protection services at

    power plants. ISOE is jointly spo

    by the Nuclear Energy Agency a

    International Atomic Energy Agen

    Southern Nuclear is a subsid

    Southern Co.

    may end up paying 17 billion pounds

    ($27.8 billion) in subsidies to EDF,

    which was picked to build the plant.

    S. Korea OKs restartof three nuclear power reactorsJan. 2

    South Korea’s Nuclear Safety & Se-

    curity Commission approved the re-

    start of three nuclear power reactors

    in the country on Jan. 2, according to

    Reuters.

    The Shin Kori 1 and 2 and the Wol-song 1 reactors had been shut down

    since May to replace cables that were

    supplied with forged documents. The

    fake document scandal led to the ar-

    rest of more than 100 people, including

    some government officials. The cables

    passed tests for use in the plants back

    in November.

    South Korea has 23 nuclear reactors

    that generate about a third of the coun-

    try’s power. The restart of the three re-

    actors leaves three other reactors that

    are still offline.

    in Pakistan, including energy, roads and

    technology.

    CEZ may sign nuclearpower plant deal by 2015Jan. 2

    Czech Republic-based CEZ said it

    could sign a contract with a company

    to expand the Temelin nuclear power

    plant by mid-2015, according to Re-

    uters.

    CEZ said in the article it was waiting

    for the government to finalize a nation-al energy strategy and negotiate a guar-

    anteed price for the power produced

    at the plant. U.S.-based Westinghouse

    and Russia’s Atomstroyexport are in

    the running to build two new reactors.

    The two units are expected to go live

    in 2025.

    CEZ said in Reuters it is watching a

    European Union investigation into the

    British government’s subsidies of the

    Hinkley Point C nuclear power project.

    The plant is expected to cost 16 billion

    pounds ($26.2 billion), but consumers

    “We are encouraged by recent prog-

    ress in our loan guarantee negotiations

    as we work with the Department of En-

    ergy to address a few remaining points,including the need for intergovernmen-

    tal agency review and approval,” said

    Southern Co. spokesperson Tim Le-

    ljedal.

    China to put $6.5bn intoPakistan nuclear power projectsJan. 2

    China will lend $6.5 billion to Paki-stan to help build nuclear power plants

    in the country.

    According to Economic Times, the

    loans will be provided by the Exim Bank

    and will be repaid at a concessional rate

    over 20 years. Pakistan began work on

    the Karachi 2 nuclear power plant in

    October that is part of the $4 billion,

    2,000 MW Karachi Coastal power

    project. The plant is expected to be

    completed by 2020.

    Chinese companies are expected to

    invest $18 billion in 100 major projects

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    N

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    13/23

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    NUCLE

    Preparing for Section 316(b)

    and is not a workable solution fo

    power plants.

     “The problem is that while it

    EPRI has done research to doc

    that it would be expensive and

    disruptive of our electric power

    and the ecological benefits wo

    debatable,” he said.

    Though the Clean Water Act Section 316(b) rule was not finalized on Jan.

    14 as scheduled, there are still steps that plant owners and manufacturers

    can take to prepare for the rule’s upcoming passage.

    Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act requires that the location, design, con-

    struction and capacity of cooling water intake structures reflect the best available

    technology (BAT) for minimizing adverse environmental impact, according to the

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s website. Due to the government

    shutdown in October, the EPA missed a November 4 deadline, so it was extended

    to January. EPA said it would release the final rule “as soon as possible.”The rule focuses on two parts: impingement and entrainment. Plant owners

    have eight years from when the rule is finalized to be in compliance with the im-

    pingement requirement. How long it will take to comply with the entrainment

    requirement will be determined by how long the project takes to complete.

    The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is currently evaluating and de-

    veloping technologies that will help lower the amount of fish and their larvae or

    eggs being impinged by or entrained in the cooling water intake systems. Douglas

    Dixon, technical executive and program manager of EPRI’s fish protection pro-

    gram, says the organization’s research into the rule focuses on four areas: technol-

    ogy, biological sampling methods, cost-benefit analyses and thermal discharge.

     “One of the key things we have found through our research is that the ways to

    reduce the impact on marine life are site-specific,” Dixon said. “What you can do

    at one plant would not be applicable at another.”

     Some of those site-specific factors include plant location, species of fish involved,

    how the plant operates, the debris that

    it has to filter, the hydraulics of the loca-

    tion and the temperature of the water.

     Dixon said research has shown that

    closed-loop cooling is as close to a broad

    technological fix of reducing fish and

    shellfish impacts as any available tech-

    nology, but it has its own shortcomings

    BY SHARRYN DOTSON, EDITOR

    SIDE-BY-SIDE TESTING OF DIFFERENT SCREENS WAS PERFORMED AT ALDEN RESEARCH LABORATORWORCESTER, MASS. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF EPRI

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    14/23

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    NUCLE

     EPRI’s national closed-cycle cooling

    analysis four years ago estimated $100

    billion to retrofit 450 power plants.

    Those retrofit costs are now estimated to

    be at least $50 million per plant, or $22.5

    billion total. The system itself could cost

    $2 billion or more per plant, particularly

    for nuclear facilities, Dixon said.

     Other technologies include a veloc-

    ity cap that can only be used by plants

    located near deep water, like plantsalong the Great Lakes, the Pacific coast,

    the New England coast and in south-

    ern Florida. “By moving it offshore, you

    also have a reduction in the loss of en-

    trainable life like eggs and larvae,” Dix-

    on said. “It has a high performance, but

    its limited to certain plants.”

      EPRI is also researching variable

    speed water pumps, fine mesh travel-ing screens and fish return systems that

    work similarly to a water slide at an

    amusement park.

     Many companies are working with

    EPRI to prepare now, Dixon said.

    “There is going to be a high demand for

    technological support, but the needed

    expertise may not be available,” Dixon

    said. “They’re starting to get their con-

    tracts together, requests for proposals,

    educating their own staff about how to

    comply with the rule.”

    Some states are being proactive in

    establishing permitting requirements,

    including what they con-

    sider to be the best avail-

    able technology. The stateof California, for example,

    is requiring Pacific Gas &

    Electric to look into con-

    verting its intake system

    to closed-loop cooling at

    the Diablo Canyon nucle-

    ar power plant, according

    to Jason Eichenberger, a

    senior civil engineer withBurns & McDonnell. Some

    utilities are leaning toward

    using a fish handling sys-

    tem on the intake screen or traveling

    screens.

    “We are working on one project

    where they have permit requirements

    to install wedge wire screens,” Eichen-

    berger said. “We’re putting together a

    compliance plan for submittal to the

    state agency and we’re currently pro-

    ceeding down the path to do the design

    based on the proposed rule.”

    A wedge wire screen is a cylindrical

    screen that is placed in the water i

    of the intake structure, Eichen

    said. “It’s a passive screen tha

    enough surface area so you’re in

    pliance with the impingement c

    Cooling towers could bring a

    into compliance with the entra

    criteria, but they are costly and c

    pact plant performance by raisin

    pressures and creating other issue

    Consulting and EPC firm

    BILFINGER TECHNOLOGIES CONTRIBUTED ITS

    FINE-MESH PILOT SCREEN FOR TESTING AT THE

     ALDEN LAB. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE COMMERCIALLY IN

    THE U.S.

     A CLOSE-UP OF ANOTHER FINE MESH SCREEN TESTED BY EPR

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    15/23

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    NUCLE

    advising clients to begin lining up sup-

    pliers before there is a rush. Burns &

    McDonnell is preparing cost analyses

    so clients have an idea of how much a

    future compliance project could cost.

    “Clients have been calling and asking

    how much is it going to cost to retro-

    fit their intake system,” Eichenberger

    said. “With impingement, compliance

    strategies are relatively clear. With en-

    trainment, that is not the case. It may

    come down to the state level and what

    is required on a site-specific basis.”

    Jack Tramontano, environmental

    group manager and program manager

    for Section 316(b) with URS Corp.,said waiting for the rule to be finalized

    has put everyone in a holding pattern.

    “It’s been kind of a frustrating pro-

    cess because of the numerous delays,”

    he said. “Also, the Notices of Data

    Availability (NODA) published in June

    2012 indicates that EPA is considering

    some significant changes to the draft

    rule. It’s difficult for facilities to planahead with all of the uncertainty.”

    He echoes that many plant owners

    are concerned about the costs of retro-

    fitting or modifying their cooling water

    intake systems.

    “Finding ways of complying with mi-

    nor upgrades to current intake technol-

    ogy is one way to avoid a lot of capital

    costs,” Tramontano said. “Otherwise,

    because there is so much uncertainty,

    most are in a wait-and-see attitude

    right now.”

    That uncertainty has added up to

    many unanswered questions about

    how to comply with the rule, includ-

    ing whether closed-cycle cooling willbe considered BAT or if additional fish

    protection will be necessary.

    “Larger plants that have been de-

    signed with closed-cycle cooling may

    still have to install modified Ristroph

    screen with fish returns for impinge-

    ment compliance, according to draft

    regulations,” Tramontano said. “Those

    who thought that with closed-cyclecooling that they were okay or thought

    that they wouldn’t have to apply new

    technologies may now have to apply

    them. However, EPA may be creating

    alternatives for facilities with very low

    impingement levels or mortality rates

    which should be applicable to facilities

    with cooling towers. This approach

    will require impingement sampling,

    but could allow the facility to avoid a

    costly intake system upgrade.”

    The finalized rule could include a

    streamlined or pre-approved approach

    based on modified Ristroph-typ

    eling screens for impingement,

    it for protective measures alreplace, allowing local permitting

    cies to determine BAT through

    velocity compliance, modifyin

    compliance schedule for im

    ment and entrainment and mo

    monitoring requirements, Tram

    said. “We have heard from secon

    sources that EPA has adopted m

    these changes in the final rule.”Tramontano said that he is a

    clients to collect and organize h

    studies and other information o

    plant’s cooling water intake sy

    “Many of the people we work w

    the industry, who have the instit

    knowledge of 316(b) at the faci

    reaching retirement age or have

    retired.” He suggests that compa

    a gap analysis of the information

    ed to comply with the rule and

    where that information is befo

    institutional knowledge is lost.

    EPRI’s national closed-cycle

    cooling analysis four yearsago estimated $100 billionto retrofit 450 power plants.Those costs are now estimatedto be at least $50 million perplant, or $22.5 billion total.

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    16/23

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    NUCLE

    A Global Look at SMR Power

    “The construction concept is as

    tant as the rated output,” Hess said

    designs are supposed to challenge

    tus quo.”

    Some countries have been op

    small reactors for more than 40

    Small reactors are also being u

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced in December that NuScale

    Power LLC is the second company to receive funding for the development of

    its small modular reactor (SMR) technology. While small reactors have been

    in use for decades, building reactors using a modular design is a relatively new concept.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) classifies a small nuclear reactor as

    a unit that generates up to 300 MW of electricity, or about one-third the size of a large-

    scale nuclear reactor. A small modular reactor is one where the entire nuclear island is

    built as one piece before it is installed inside the containment shield.

    The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) said that SMRs could potentially change thepower generation landscape around the world as well as in the U.S.

    “Once certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, these innovative reac-

    tors will have the equivalent of the ‘Gold Seal’ of approval worldwide,” said Paul Genoa,

    NEI senior director for policy development. “By manufacturing clean energy technology

    the world demands, we can transfer our safety and security culture along with our tech-

    nologies—creating high tech jobs right here at home.”

    SMRs could potentially be used in many applications, such as replacing small coal-

    fired power plants, in areas without access to transmission lines, or places where demand

    may be increasing faster than large-scale power plants can be built, said David Hess,

    communication analyst with the World Nuclear Association (WNA). However, SMRs

    face high costs due to it being such a new technology.

    “The SMR represents a break from the ‘bigger is better’ approach and therefore stands

    to be more expensive unless it can realize other forms of cost reduction, e.g. through

    design or economies of mass production

    – where factory assembly and shipping

    allows for a high quality production line

    process,” Hess said.

    Hess said that regardless of the price

    tag, the benefits of the technology would

    outweigh any financial limitations.

    BY SHARRYN DOTSON, EDITOR

     AN ARTIST’S RENDERING OF THE AKADEMIK LOMONOSOV, A FLOATING 70 MWNUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN RUSSIA. COURTESY: ROSATOM

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    17/23

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    NUCLE

    a PHWR that began operations in

    Twin reactor Unit 2 began service in

    Unit 1 was fully refurbished and u

    ed from 2009 to 2010 after 16 yoperation.

    Both units at the Madras nucle

    er plant in Kalpakkam are PHW

    generate 205 MW of electricity eac

    1 began operations in 1984, and

    followed in 1986. Unit 1 was refu

    in 2002 to 2003, and Unit 2 was

    bished from 2004 to 2005. Capac

    restored to 220 MWe and their liwere extended to 2033 for Unit

    2036 for Unit 2.

    Tarapur units 1 and 2 are G

    Electric boiling water reactors

    that generate 150 MW of electricit

    They have been operational since

    They were built as 200 MWe re

    but were downrated due to re

    problems, the WNA said. The uni

    refurbished in 2005 after Russia s

    supplying enriched uranium. In

    2006, Russia agreed to supply the

    um again.

    The Kaiga power plant uses fou

    innovative ways to site the reactors while

    still maintaining power to the grid.

    RUSSIAOne country that is deploying its small

    reactors in different ways to meet growing

    electricity demand in hard-to-reach re-

    gions is Russia. The country’s state-owned

    power company, Rosatom, is building a

    floating 70 MWe nuclear power plant in

    the hull of the Akademik Lomonosov, a

    vessel located in Vilyuchinsk, Kamchatka

    Krai. The ship is 144 meters (472 feet)long and 30 meters (98 feet) wide and

    will use two, Izhorskiye Zavody-produced

    35 MWe KLT-40S nuclear reactors. The

    first 220 tonnes (485,016 pounds) steam

    generating unit, which includes one of the

    35 MWe reactors, was installed on Sep-

    tember 27 at the Baltiysky Zavod shipyard

    where the floating nuclear plant is under

    construction. Both reactors were installed

    in the ship’s hull on Oct. 2, according to

    Rosatom.

    The plant is scheduled for comple-

    tion in December 2016 and will be de-

    ployed near the port of Pevek on Russia’s

    Chukotka peninsula on the East Siberian

    Sea. The reactors have also been used on

    the Taymyr and Vaygach nuclear icebreak-

    ers, Rosatom said on its site.Rosatom also operates four, 11 MW

    nuclear units at the Bilibino nuclear power

    plant. The units are all light water graph-

    ite reactors (LWGR). One unit came on-

    line each year between 1974 and 1977,

    according to the U.S. Energy Information

    Administration (EIA).

    The country has a total installed nu-

    clear capacity of 23.6 GW across 33 op-erational reactors at 10 locations. The life

    expectancy of a reactor in Russia is ap-

    proximately 30 years, but the government

    set the period for life extension at 15 years.

    INDIA

    India has six nuclear power plants that

    use small nuclear reactors generating just

    under a total of 2,000 MW of electricity.

    According to the Nuclear Power Corpo-

    ration of India Limited (NPCIL), those

    projects include the Rajasthan, Narora,

    Kakrapar, Madras, Tarapur and Kaiga nu-

    clear power plants.

    The Rajasthan nuclear plant utilizes

    six units that generate between 90 and

    202 MW of electricity each. All six units

    are pressurized heavy-water reactors(PHWR). Units 1 and 2 are CANDU re-

    actors. Unit 1 is the oldest and the small-

    est, generating 90 MW of electricity since

    1973. However, due to performance is-

    sues, that unit has been shut down since

    2004 as the government considers what

    to do with it, according to data from the

     WNA. Rajasthan 2 has a capacity of 187

    MW and has been operational since 1981.Units 3 through 6 each generate 202 MW

    of electricity each. Units 3 and 4 came on-

    line in 2000, and units 5 and 6 began op-

    erations in 2010. The units were designed

    and built by NPCIL based on a Canadian

    design.

    The two units at the Narora nuclear

    power plant are PHWRs that generate

    202 MW of electricity. Units 1 and 2 have

    been operational since 1991 and 1992, re-

    spectively. Unit 2 was refurbished with

    replacement calandria tubes in a project

    that started in 2009 and lasted a year.

    The 202 MW Kakrapar Unit 1 is also

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    18/23

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    NUCLE

    of China Huaneng Group, CNEC

    and Tsinghua Holdings Co. Lt

    consortium will be responsible

    construction and operation of th

    onstration project, the CNEC site

    According to the WNA, the

    PM reactor was initially designe

    a 200 MWe reactor, but the pl

    sign has evolved so that they ar

    being built as twin 105 MWe re

    with a single steam generator. 

    reactor, began commercial operation

    in 2011. CHASNUPP 1 and 2 are ex-

    pected to shut down in 2040 and 2051,

    respectively, when they reach their lifeexpectancies.

    The 125 MW Karachi 1 nuclear

    power plant, or KANUPP 1, has been

    in operation since 1972. The Pakistan

    Atomic Energy Commission operates

    that reactor.

    Pakistan has said that it plans to build

    8,000 MWe of nuclear in the country

    by 2025. The Chinese government an-nounced on January 2, 2014, that it

    would lend $6.5 billion to Pakistan to

    help build new nuclear power plants in

    the country, though the government

    did not specify the capacity range of

    the reactors. The loans would be pro-

    vided through China’s Exim Bank and

    be repaid at a concessional rate over 20

    years.

    CHINA

     While China is helping Pakistan meet

    its nuclear goals, the Chinese govern-

    ment has plans to install an additional

    70 GW by 2020, accord-

    ing to the EIA.

    The 298 MW Qinshan

    Unit 1 is a pressurized wa-ter reactor (PWR) that

    has been operational since

    1994. It is owned by the

    Qinshan Nuclear Power

    Co. and is located in main-

    land China. China is also

    building a 210 MW High

    Temperature Gas-cooled

    Reactor Pebble-bed Mod-ule (HTR-PM) reactor at

    Shidaowan in Weihai city,

    Shandong province. The

    reactor will drive a single 210 MWe

    steam turbine and is being built as part

    of the Rongcheng Nuclear Power In-

    dustrial Park project. Huaneng Power

    is investing 5 billion yen ($826.2 mil-

    lion) into the project, and Tsinghua

    University holds a 20 percent stake in

    the project. Commercial operation is

    scheduled for 2017. The owner of the

    plant is CHNG Shandong Shidaowan

    Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., a consortium

    MWe units. Units 1 and 2 have been in

    operation since 2000, Unit 3 began ser-

    vice in 2007, and Unit 4 started opera-

    tions in 2011.After the 2011 Fukushima accident,

    several NPCIL taskforces made recom-

    mendations to improve the safety of the

    Tarapur BWRs and all of the PHWRs in

    the country. The Tarapur reactors have

    undergone the safety enhancements, but

    the Madras plant must install enhanced

    flood defenses to protect against tsunamis

    higher than the 100-foot tall tsunami thathit in 2004.

    PAKISTAN

    Pakistan, as of September 2013, has

    725 MWe of capacity in its small nu-

    clear power program, according to the

     WNA. The Chashma 1 power plant in

    Punjab province uses a 325 MWe two-

    loop pressurized water reactor (PWR)

    supplied by China-based CNNC. The

    plant began commercial operation in

    2000, and is also known as CHASNUPP

    1. CHASNUPP 1 began operations in

    2000. CHASNUPP 2, a 300 MWe net

    THE KARACHI 1 NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN PAKISTAN USES A

    137 MW CANDU REACTOR. COURTESY: CANDU ENERGY

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    19/23

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    NUCLE

    WITH 38 PERCENT OF THE NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY WORKFORCE EXPRETIRE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, COMPANIES ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO NEW EMPLOYEES TO FILL THE EMPLOYMENT VACANCIES. PHOTO COURT

    Addressing the Age Gap in Nuclear Power Generation

    transfer,” she said.

     While knowledge transfer is on

    issues the industry is looking into

    it comes to its work force, anothe

    lem is finding young employees to

    those who are retiring. To help brin

    employees into the workforce, th

    nuclear industry launched the N

    Uniform Curriculum Program in

    According to the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), more than 120,000 people

    work in the U.S. nuclear power industry, with 38 percent of them set to retire

    within the next few years. In an industry where knowledge and experience can

    prove invaluable, many companies are looking at ways to offset that loss, whether it is

    through training or the use of expert systems.

    The issue of retaining the current knowledge base not only concerns the companies

    that employ nuclear workers, but also the young workers themselves.

    “This is something we’ve recognized for a long time,” said Christine Csizmadia, presi-

    dent of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN). “That’s some-thing we’re constantly trying to address and solve. We don’t have a silver bullet, but

    that’s something we’re definitely concerned with.”

    NAYGN, which was formed in 1997, looks for ways to help train a workforce that

    could see its average age drop drastically in the next 10 years as workers retire and are

    replaced by younger employees. One of the organization’s main targets is knowledge

    transfer, Csizmadia said.

    The group works to hit that target through a variety of methods. A professional

    development chair is included on the leadership team to ensure members have oppor-

    tunities to learn and grow in the industry, Csizmadia said. Each year, NAYGN hosts a

    professional development conference held in conjunction with NEI’s Nuclear Energy

    Assembly.

    “Members who are sent by their company to this conference get workshops and sem-

    inars on public speaking, communication, knowledge transfer, how to benchmark – dif-

    ferent things you don’t necessarily get to do when you’re working in a reactor operations

    room,” she said. “We

    try to give them as

    much of that type of

    exposure as we can.”

    Csizmadia also

    works as the manag-

    er of grassroots and

    outreach programs

    at NEI, but stressesthat the members of

    NAYGN come from

    many different com-

    panies in the indus-

    try. The organization

    is itself a grassroots organization, and has

    been able to accomplish as much as it has

    through the generosity of companies that

    sponsor it, Csizmadia said.

    “Our sponsors are incredibly generous,

    and we are very thankful they have seen

    our worth and have continued to support

    us and encourage us to be creative in try-

    ing to problem solve issues like knowledge

    BY JUSTIN MARTINO, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    20/23

    CONTINUED   NUCLEUS20NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    a standardized certificate program that

    provides training for jobs at nuclear plants.

    According to a report from NEI released

    last summer, there are 1,500 students en-rolled at 35 community colleges who are

    planning on entering the nuclear industry.

    According to the NEI, the indus-

    try hired nearly 15,000 people between

    2009 and 2012, and the data sug-

    gest the industry has sufficient engi-

    neers and operators to continue running

    the facilities as the workforce retires. The

    institute’s sixth biennial workforce pipe-

    line survey, conducted in February 2013,

    showed that enrollment in the nuclear

    technology programs has grown from 100

    in 2008 to 1,500 at the time of the sur-

    vey, with the programs graduating nearly

    500 students in 2012.

    Although organizations like NAYGN

    provide resources for training employees

    once they’re in the workforce, NEI senior

    media relations manager Mitch Singer

    said many companies also have their own

    in-house leadership development pro-

    grams.

    In addition, companies are not hesitant

    to provide responsibility to a person who

    has proven to be capable.

    “They do not worry about the age of

    someone when it comes to giving themresponsibility,” Singer said. “They basical-

    ly say if they’re qualified, they don’t care

    how young they are. They will give them

    the responsibility, and they will mentor

    them in-house with certain leadership

    programs.”

    The retirements are also affecting the

    craft side of a nuclear plant, according to

    Guy Starr, president of Day & Zimmer-

    mann’s Atlantic business unit. Once again,

    preparation and recruitment has been im-

    portant in dealing with the problem.

    “I know retirements are expected in

    2016,” Starr said. “We were predicting it

    four years earlier than that and have re-

    ally prepared for this. We have a full-time

    director for craft resources and training

    whose sole purpose is to get the mes-

    sage out about the great, high-paying jobs

    in the nuclear industry for craft. He’s in

    front of high school students quite a bit,

    because the way that we look at it, a lot of

    people don’t necessarily know what they

    PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO YOU

    Attendees of POWER-GEN International, NUCLEAR POWER International, HydroVision Internation

    COAL-GEN, Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America and Photovoltaics Wo

    Conference & Expo can receive Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits for attending th

    conference sessions of these events registered as full conference delegates. The number of houavailable depends on each event so check the websites to see how many you qualify for.

    Look for more information on  www.powe rgenu.com

    NOW AVAILABLE!  Publishers and Editors of Power Engineering magazine, Hydro Reviemagazine and Renewable Energy World North America magazine have developed online cour

    content and online testing. Industry professionals are now able to take courses, complete tests a

    receive Professional Development Hours (PDH) through Power Generation University. This onli

    tool is now available through the magazine websites 24 hours for you to tailor the education y

    need for your specific job.

    http://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=20&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powergenu.com

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    21/23

    CONTINUED

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    NUCLE

    “One of the things I think is very

    important for people to understand is

    we don’t necessarily have a labor short-

    age in this country,” Starr said. “We

    have a shortage of skilled labor. There

    are plenty of people out there who can

    do this work. We just need to get them

    trained, and that’s what we’ve been fo-

    cused on for the past 10 years.

    “It’s an industry-wide issue, and it’s

    not going to be solved by any one com-

    pany. It’s going to be solved by the in-

    dustry.”

    The industry is responding

    increased recruitment and variou

    grams to train the new emp

    young employees in the nuclear

    try, like Csizmadia, are working

    tain the knowledge base and exp

    currently in the field.

    “We don’t want to lose the

    edge that already exists,” she sai

    want to make sure we capture it

    something we take very serious

    something we want to get the re

    as much as we can before we se

    of these folks retire. We’re buildi

    reactors right now, and we need

    sure we know what we’re doing.” 

     Although Day & Zimmermandoes not have a formalizedmentoring program for its cremployees, Starr said when employee who is new to nucis brought into a facility, he ois teamed up with a seasoneveteran employee.

    Once the workers have been recruit-

    ed, Starr said the company focuses on

    training the employees. Although Day

    & Zimmermann does not have a for-

    malized mentoring program for its craft

    employees, Starr said when an employee

    who is new to nuclear is brought into a

    facility, he or she is teamed with a sea-

    soned veteran employee. The engineer-

    ing group also has a young professionals

    group that invites experienced employ-

    ees to speak and help provide its mem-

    bers with other avenues of self-learning.

    want to do when they get out of high

    school. Some people don’t have the mon-

    ey necessary to go to a university and

    some people just don’t want to go to a

    university, so we’re offering them an op-

    tion, and it’s a high-paying option.”

    Starr said the company is also re-

    cruiting returning members of the U.S.

    military. Its Atlantic organization has

    offices in Norfolk, Va., which is home

    to the largest Navy base in the world,

    allowing it to recruit former Navy forc-

    es who worked in the nuclear field.

    ORGANIZATIONS LIKE NORTH AMERICAN YOUNG GENERATION IN NUCLEAR PROVIDE OUTSIDE OPPORTUNITIES

    FOR NEW MEMBERS OF THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIELD. PHOTO COURTESY NAYGN

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    22/23

    New & Enhanced Electric Power Dat

    All Digital Electric Power Infrastructure Data

    MAPSearch® has raised the bar on the accuracy and completeness of electric power infrastructu

    data by migrating to an all digital environment.

    r Data digitally adjusted to high resolution imagery—the majority of which has from two met

    to sub-meter spatial accuracy (0.5 meter level).

    r Imagery readily available from sources such as Microsoft® Virtual Earth™ Birds-Eye View an

    Google™ Earth Street View.

    The new and enhanced electric power dataset adds more facilities and associated attribute

    information. By ensuring that power plant attribute information is as complete and accurate as

    possible, you get both spatially accurate and comprehensive data, which facilitates better analy

    As the first phase of introducing this new Electric Power Dataset, MAPSearch will release data

    beginning with “Area 1,” which covers most of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

    For more information on PennWell’s MAPSearch Electric Power Dataset off

    Call 800.823

    Email sales@mapsearc

    Visit www.MAPSearc

    JANUARY 2014

    FEBRUARY 2014

      1 2 3 4

      5 6 7 8 9 10 11

    12 13 14 15 16 17 18

    19 20 21 22 23 24 25

    26 27 28 29 30  31

      1 2 3 4

      5 6 7 8 9 10 11

    12 13 14 15 16 17 18

    19 20 21 22 23 24 25

    26 27 28 29 30  31

    S M T W TH F S

    S M T W TH F S

    28-30  NEIForce on Force WorkshopInterContinental Tampa

      Tampa, FL

    http://www.nei.org/Conferences/Force-on-Force-Workshop

    25  NEILong Term Operations/Subsequent LicenseRenewal Forum Long Term Operations/Subsequent License Renewal ForuRonald Reagan Building& International Trade Center

     Washington DC

    25  NEISmall Reactor Forum

    GenerationHub’sexperienced analysts provideoriginal content that dives into the issues facingdecision-makers in today’s rapidly changingregulatory and economic landscape.

    Original analysis

    Online

    Timely

    Accurate

    Data

    Mobile-Friendly

    Paired with our searchable database of over 20,000 generating units and morethan 10,000 source documents, GenerationHub presents a more transparentview of the power generation industry than you will find anywhere else.

    BARRY CASSELLCoal

    WAYNE BARBERNatural Gas & Nuclear

    KENT KNUTSONData Management &Renewables

    CONTACT:

    Shaun Jameson, Sales Executive918.832.9291 | [email protected]

    www.generationhub.com

    CONTINUED

    22NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    NUCLEAR EVENTS

      1

     2 3 4 5 6 7 8

     9 10 11 12 13 14 15

    16 17 18 19 20 21 22

    23 24 25  26 27 28 

    PERSPE

    http://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=22&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.generationhub.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=22&exitLink=mailto%3Ashaunj%40pennwell.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=22&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nei.org%2FConferences%2Fhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=22&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.MAPSearch.comhttp://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=22&exitLink=mailto%3Asales%40mapsearch.com

  • 8/20/2019 Nuclear Power International January February 2014

    23/23

    NUCLEAR POWER INTERNATIONAL  >  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

    PERSPE

    TOTAL NUCLEAR CAPACITY

    US   Vt.  N.H.Vt.

    Mass.Conn.

    To see more data, or to request a demonstration of what is offered for the power generationindustry, subscribe to GenerationHub at: http://generationhub.com/register.php

         M     W

        I    l    l    i   n   o    i   s

        P   e   n   n   s   y

        l   v   a   n    i   a

        S   o   u   t    h    C   a   r   o    l    i   n   a

        N   e   w    Y   o   r    k

        N   o   r   t    h    C   a   r   o    l    i   n   a

        A    l   a    b   a   m   a

        T   e   x   a   s

        M    i   c    h    i   g   a   n

        A

       r    i   z   o   n   a

        N   e   w

        J   e   r   s   e   y

        G

       e   o   r   g    i   a

        T   e   n   n   e   s   s   e   e

        V

        i   r   g    i   n    i   a

        C   a    l    i    f   o   r   n    i   a

        O    h    i   o

        L   o   u

        i   s    i   a   n   a

        C   o   n   n   e   c   t    i   c   u   t

        F    l   o   r    i    d   a

        A   r    k   a   n   s   a   s

        M   a   r   y    l   a   n    d

        M    i   n   n   e   s   o   t   a

        M    i   s   s

        i   s   s    i   p   p    i

        W    i   s   c   o   n   s    i   n

        N   e    b   r   a   s    k   a

        K   a   n   s   a   s

        N   e   w    H   a   m

       p   s    h    i   r   e

        M    i   s   s   o   u   r    i

        W   a   s    h    i   n   g   t   o   n

        I   o   w   a

        M   a   s   s   a   c    h

       u   s   e   t   t   s

        V   e

       r   m   o   n   t

    900

    800

    700

    600

    500

        1    2

        4    1    6

        1    0    0    1    5

        6    8    9    2

        5    7    0    8

        5    3    9    5

        5    2    7    0

        5    1    3    9

        4    3    7    8

        4    2    0    9

        4    1    0    2

        4    0    4    2

        3    7    1    1

        3    6    5    5

        2    3    2    3

        2    2    3    7

        2    2    3    6

        2    1    6    3

        1    9    3    0

        1    8    4    5

        1    8    2    9   1

        3    7    3    1

        7    0    0

        1    3    1    1

        1    3    0    3

        1    2    6    8

        1    2    4    2

        1    2    3    6

        1    2    0    0

        6    8    0

        6    7    0

        5    6    3

    13,000

    12,000

    11,000

    10,000

    9,000

    8,000

    7,000

    6,000

    5,000

    4,000

    3,000

    2,000

    1,000

    Ia.

    Mo.

    Ark.

    La.

    Wash.

    Calif.

    Ari.

    Neb.

    Kan.

    Tx.

    Miss.Ala.

    Wis.

    Minn.

    Ill.

    Tenn.

    Mich.

    Mich.

    Oh.

    Fla.

    Ga.S.C.

    N.C.

    Pa

    Va.

    N.Y.

    N.J.

    Md.

     According to data provided by

    GenerationHub, the U.S. has 102,041

    MW of total operating nuclear capacity

    in 31 states. Illinois generates the most

    nuclear with 12,416 MW in the state.

    Here is a breakdown of how much

    nuclear each state generates.

    http://digital.nuclearpowerinternational.com/npi/201402/TrackLink.action?pageName=23&exitLink=http%3A%2F%2Fgenerationhub.com%2Fregister.php