Nuclear Power Industry News

A Phase 1 review of the AP1000 involved an overall assessment of the reactor design against the most recent CNSC design requirements for new nuclear power plants in Canada

- By Stephen Heiser -

The Westinghouse AP1000 pressurized water reactor has completed Phase 1 of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) Pre-Project Design Review.
The objective of a Pre-Project Design review is to verify, at a high level, the acceptability of a nuclear reactor design with respect to Canadian safety requirements and criteria, including the identification of fundamental barriers to licensing a new reactor design in Canada. The review is conducted in two phases.

A Phase 1 review of the AP1000 involved an overall assessment of the reactor design against the most recent CNSC design requirements for new nuclear power plants in Canada.

"Westinghouse is pleased to receive this Phase 1 report and views it as an important preliminary step in bringing the AP1000™( )to Canada," said Ric Perez, senior vice president, Westinghouse Nuclear Power Plants. "Canada is very familiar with the benefits of clean, safe and reliable nuclear power and Westinghouse is anxious to work within Canada's existing nuclear infrastructure to extend those benefits well into the 21st-century."

Westinghouse believes the AP1000™ is ideally suited for Canada and the worldwide nuclear power marketplace. The AP1000 is:

• Based on standard Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology that has achieved more than 2,500 reactor years of highly successful operation
• An 1100MWe design that is ideal for providing baseload generating capacity
• Modular in design, promoting ready standardization and high construction quality
• Economical to construct and maintain (less concrete and steel and fewer components and systems mean there is less to install, inspect and maintain)
• Designed to promote ease of operation (features most advanced instrumentation and control (I&C) in the industry)

Currently, four AP1000 units are being built in China, two at Sanmen and two at Haiyang, and there are discussions on plans for more AP1000™ plants to be sited inland of China's coastal areas. For more information about the Westinghouse AP1000, visit its Web site at www.ap1000.westinghousenuclear.com.

Westinghouse Electric Company, a group company of Toshiba Corporation (TKY:6502), is the world's pioneering nuclear power company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world. Westinghouse supplied the world's first PWR in 1957 in Shippingport, Pa. Today, Westinghouse technology is the basis for approximately one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants, including 60 percent of those in the United States.

This fast-track project required delivery of the generators in September 2009 to support TMI’s license renewal to continue operations through 2034

 - By April Murelio -

Michael Baker Jr., Inc., an engineering unit of Michael Baker Corporation, was presented with a Diamond Honor Award in the Special Projects Category at the 2010 Annual Awards Dinner by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania (ACEC/PA) in Hershey, Pa.   Baker received the award for its outstanding route planning, and bridge and highway engineering to support AREVA NP Inc.’s delivery of two steam generators to Three Mile Island Generating Station (TMI) at Middletown, Pa. 

This fast-track project required delivery of the generators in September 2009 to support TMI’s license renewal to continue operations through 2034.  The components will help TMI continue to provide domestically produced energy to more than 800,000 homes and the employment of approximately 750 people.

Each steam generator and transporter unit, at 825 tons, 153-feet long, 18-feet wide and 24-feet high, were the largest loads ever transported on Pennsylvania and Maryland highways.  The route to TMI was characterized by its 75-mile length, hilly terrain, narrow rural roadways, and many water crossings.

Baker performed highway and bridge design, environmental investigations, permitting, utility coordination, construction management and transport support services to deliver the engineering solutions needed to safely transport these unique vessels. With nearly 150 stakeholders, AREVA and Baker’s coordination included two state governments and multiple departments of their respective transportation and environmental agencies, state police departments, municipal authorities, utilities, local emergency management agencies and school districts.
 
The project was performed for AREVA NP Inc., a multi-national energy company accustomed to delivering large scale components.  George Beam, AREVA’s chief executive officer, called this “the most challenging large component delivery in AREVA’s history.”

“This was a fast-track project that used all disciplines of Baker’s civil engineering services,” said John Rorquist, Baker’s project manager.  “The on-time arrival of the steam generators at TMI was the result of one-and-a-half years of intense planning, engineering and permitting work by Baker and AREVA staff members working as a team.  We faced several engineering challenges in which no two solutions were the same. Successful application of the solutions allowed the move to be executed just as it was designed.”

"This is the fourth steam generator transport project that we have completed with Baker," said Edoardo Ascione, President of Fagioli, Inc., which provided specialized transportation equipment and staff to move the loads.  "We have relied on Baker's engineering and permitting experience to help us deliver eight units to nuclear power plants in the last eight years. This was a team effort to deliver these units to TMI." 

The transport received widespread public and media attention over the 15 days needed to travel the route.  Spectators lined the route on a daily basis, and there were numerous television stories, more than 100 print articles and more than 28,000 hits to the AREVA project website.

Michael Baker Corporation (http://www.mbakercorp.com/) provides architecture, engineering and construction services for its clients’ most complex challenges worldwide.  The firm's primary business areas are aviation, defense, environmental, facilities, geospatial, homeland security, municipal & civil, pipelines & utilities, rail & transit, transportation and water.  With more than 2,300 employees in over 40 offices across the United States, Baker is focused on creating value by delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for infrastructure and the environment.

The Columbia Generating Station is a boiling-water nuclear reactor, located 12 miles northwest of Richland, Wash. The current operating license expires on Dec. 20, 2023

 - By Stephen Heiser -

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced that an application for a 20-year renewal of the operating license for the Columbia Generating Station is available for public review.

The Columbia Generating Station is a boiling-water nuclear reactor, located 12 miles northwest of Richland, Wash. The current operating license expires on Dec. 20, 2023. 

The licensee, Energy Northwest, submitted the renewal application by letter dated on
Jan. 19. It is available on the NRC Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications.html.

 The NRC staff is currently conducting an initial review of the application to determine whether it contains enough information for the required formal review. If the application has sufficient information, the NRC will formally “docket,” or file, the application and will announce an opportunity to request a public hearing.

 For further information, contact project managers Evelyn Gettys and Daniel Doyle in the Division of License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop O11-F1, Washington, D.C. 20555; telephone (301) 415-4029 and
(301) 415-3748 or email Evelyn.Gettys@nrc.gov or Daniel.Doyle@nrc.gov.

As part of Kewaunee’s license renewal application, dated Aug.14, 2008, Dominion Energy Kewaunee submitted an environmental report. The NRC staff reviewed the information and performed an on-site review

 - By Linton Levy -

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comments on its preliminary conclusion that there are no environmental impacts that would preclude renewal of the operating licenses for the Kewaunee Power Station located in Kewaunee, 27 miles east of Green Bay, Wis.

As part of Kewaunee’s license renewal application, dated Aug.14, 2008, Dominion Energy Kewaunee submitted an environmental report. The NRC staff reviewed the information and performed an on-site review. The staff also considered comments made during the environmental scoping process, including comments offered at public meetings held Oct. 22, 2008.

The draft supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) will be available for public comment until April 23, and will be the subject of two public meetings. The meetings will be held on March 24, at the City of Carlton town hall, N1296 Town Hall Rd., Kewaunee County. The meetings are scheduled to begin at 1:30 and 7 p.m. The two meetings will begin with identical overviews, including a discussion of the contents of the report, and then be opened for public comment.

NRC staff will consider written comments on the draft EIS. Comments should be submitted either by mail to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by e-mail to KewauneeEIS.Resource@nrc.gov.
 
 In addition, the NRC staff will host informal discussions one hour prior to each meeting at the same facility. NRC staff members will be available to answer questions and provide information about the process, but no comments on environmental issues will be accepted during these informal sessions.

Under NRC regulations, the original operating license for a nuclear power plant has a term of 40 years. The license may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years if NRC requirements are met. The current operating license for Kewaunee Power Station expires on Dec. 21, 2013.

The possible environmental effects of an additional 20 years of nuclear plant operation are described in a generic EIS (NUREG-1437). The NRC issues a site-specific supplement to the generic EIS on each plant requesting license renewal; issues specific to Kewaunee Power Station are addressed in Supplement 40.

 The Kewaunee draft supplement to the generic EIS and other related documents are available for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room at NRC headquarters, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md.; or electronically through the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System through the NRC webpage at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/web-based.html. The accession number of the draft supplement is ML100240002. In addition, the draft supplement to the generic EIS will be available for public inspection at the following location: Kewaunee Public Library, 822 Juneau St. in Kewaunee.
 
 A copy of the Kewaunee license renewal application is available on the NRC’s Web site at:  http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/kewaunee.html. Additional information on the NRC’s license renewal review process is available at:  http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html.
 
 At the conclusion of the public comment period, the NRC staff will consider and address the comments received and issue a final supplement to the generic EIS. That supplement will contain a final conclusion regarding the environmental impact of relicensing Kewaunee Power Station.

The Honorable Gregory B. Jaczko Chairman, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Remarks as Prepared for Delivery Energy and Environment Conference

  - Edited by Stephen Heiser -

Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. I understand that the conference will be focusing on the role that various energy technologies, including nuclear power, can play in reducing carbon emissions and achieving energy independence.

Many of the issues that you will discuss fall outside of my perspective as an independent safety regulator. It is not the role of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to promote or discourage the use of nuclear power. The NRC’s mission is clear: “to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, promote the common defense and security, and protect the environment.”

Decisions about the growth or contraction of nuclear power are for the public to make through the actions of the private sector, the Administration, and the Congress. It is my role to ensure that the NRC continues to be an effective regulator – a regulator that acts firmly and decisively, a regulator that acts openly and transparently, a regulator that produces results and elicits public confidence through those results. And to understand what I mean by results, you need look no further than that concise and powerful statement of the NRC’s mission that I shared with you just a minute ago – public health and safety, common defense and security, and the protection of the environment. 

Benjamin Franklin once said “it takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”  The NRC has done many good deeds – recruited, developed, and retained top-notch staff, developed strong regulatory, inspection, and enforcement programs, and many others that I will discuss later this morning – to build its good reputation. But Ben Franklin’s insight about one bad deed has particular resonance in the nuclear field. Few civilian technologies – if any – have the ability of nuclear energy to attract public attention and elicit public concerns. As a nuclear safety regulator, I am sensitive to the fact that a single accident or lapse can significantly harm public health and safety and undermine public confidence in the agency in a lasting way.

The NRC has to be a firm, decisive, and effective regulator to fulfill its important safety mission and to maintain public confidence. At its core, that means keeping the agency focused on the bread and butter of what it’s always done – ensuring that the operating fleet continues to be safe, secure, and adequately protective of the environment. But in recent years with the renewed interest in nuclear power, what it means for the NRC to be a firm, decisive, and effective regulator has evolved to include additional responsibilities in reviewing new reactor applications to ensure that any new plants are built and operated in line with our high safety, security, and environmental standards.

Just 15 years ago, a lot of people were thinking about the increasing attention that the agency would have to focus on decommissioning aging facilities. Ten years ago, few people inside or outside the NRC would have foreseen any significant increase in new reactor applications. And just five years ago, the outlook for receiving new applications still remained uncertain. But once a flood of applications became a realistic possibility, the NRC as a firm, decisive, and effective regulator took several steps to prepare for this development because, as Ben Franklin also observed, “by failing to prepare, you prepare to fail.” 

These steps have included a reform of our licensing procedures, budgeting enough resources to develop the needed infrastructure, the hiring and training of large numbers of new staff, and the creation of a new office to focus specifically on new reactor issues. The reform of the licensing process was the first of these steps. The traditional licensing method involved getting a permit to build the plant and then applying for a license to operate that plant after it was constructed. The old process was like buying a car for your kids before they passed their driver’s license test, or a building an addition to your house before having the zoning permit approved. Now utilities have the option of a new process through which they can apply for a license to operate a nuclear power plant and then make a subsequent decision about building it. Since the cost of preparing a paper license application is dramatically less than actually pouring concrete and constructing the facility, the COL process has taken some of the financial uncertainty out of the decision to build a plant.

Anticipating the strain that new applications could place on the agency, the Commission began several years ago to secure more budget resources and hire more staff to ensure that its oversight of the existing fleet would remain as strong as ever. The budget and staff ramp-up has been dramatic. Just during my five years on the Commission, the agency’s budget has seen more than a 50 percent increase and the number of NRC employees we have on board has gone up by more than 25 percent. This presents both opportunities and challenges for the NRC – to take full advantage of the talents and fresh perspectives of the new staff, while not losing the benefits of past experience. Toward that end, the NRC has initiated a knowledge management program to ensure that we never forget the lessons learned from past experience, even as long-serving staff retire.

The NRC has a strong track record on licensing review. We have repeatedly shown that we can complete licensing reviews in an efficient and predictable manner, while always focusing on protecting public health, safety and security, and protecting the environment. You need look no further than our existing licenses process to see that. We complete approximately 1500 licensing
actions and tasks per year – 90 percent of them within twelve months. And with the steps we have taken in recent years, the NRC is well-prepared to maintain its strong track record on licensing review. 

As Chairman, I intend to keep the staff focused on providing clear guidance and expectations for the review of new applications to ensure that this process proceeds efficiently and predictably. This is a challenge in the ever-evolving area of the environmental analysis required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In keeping with NEPA’s mandate, the NRC has always tried to fully consider the environmental consequences of our licensing actions and kept the public informed about those consequences. But there are areas in which the Commission can provide greater clarity and consistency to the staff and applicants. For example, the Commission needs to continue to provide clarity on what information applicants need to provide to meet NEPA’s requirements, especially in the emerging area of climate change.

Reactor issues are very important, as I hope my discussion has demonstrated. But we can’t lose sight of the fact that the resurgence of interest in nuclear power has regulatory impacts throughout the entire fuel cycle. We can’t miss the forest for the trees, even if the tree – as in the case of reactors – is the size of a Sequoia. A nuclear reactor is only part of the life-cycle of nuclear power – a cycle which begins with the mining, recovery, and enrichment of uranium.

Given the increased interest in new reactors, it should not be surprising that the NRC in recent years also has received several new licensing applications for fuel cycle facilities. As with our reactor applications, the agency has been working hard to review the new applications in an efficient, predictable, and thorough manner.

One facility in nearby New Mexico received its license from the NRC in June 2006 and has been under construction since late 2006. In the anticipation of the possibility that other applicants will receive their license, begin construction, and enter eventual operation, the NRC will continue working to ensure that our fuel cycle oversight program effectively monitors their compliance with our safety, security, and environmental standards.

The NRC also has been expecting several new applications for in situ recovery (ISR) facilities – a type of uranium recovery and processing. In hopes of minimizing redundancies in the review process, the NRC has prepared a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) to serve as a starting point for the site-specific environmental review of license applications for new facilities. By addressing common environmental issues associated with ISR facilities, the GEIS keeps the staff from having to reinvent the wheel on every application and helps ensure that the agency’s resources stay focused on conducting comprehensive, thorough site-specific reviews.

As my remarks today suggest, the renewed interest in nuclear power has led to a lot of changes at the NRC in recent years. But we should never forget that the focus of the NRC must remain on its core mission – ensuring that the existing facilities are operating in a manner that is safe, secure, and adequately protective of the environment. That means heading off potential issues as well as making sure we follow through on long-standing initiatives. I’ll share a couple examples from the environmental area to illustrate each point.

In recent years, the NRC has discovered several instances of leaks in buried pipes that have revealed elevated levels of tritium. The leaks have not resulted in offsite releases to the environment beyond the regulatory limits or exposure to the public, nor have they interfered with safety functions. The NRC staff, however, continues to review how plants dealing with these leaks are using monitoring programs to ensure that there are not any significant health, safety, or environmental effects. In addition to the staff’s ongoing incident-specific efforts, I also tasked the staff last year to review the NRC’s general approach for overseeing buried pipes to make sure that the industry remains pro-active on this issue. Although the staff believes that our current regulatory efforts are adequate, the agency will remain focused on this issue to ensure that leaks don’t create significant problems in the future at aging facilities. Toward that end, the agency is participating on a buried piping task force – organized by NACE International, formerly the National Association of Corrosion Engineers – to evaluate the need for specific corrosion protection standards that could be implemented at nuclear power plant facilities.

Our environmental work begins with the licensing review. It continues with the type of oversight and monitoring programs that I just discussed. But it doesn’t end until a site is decommissioned decades later. Following through on our commitment to ensure that sites are appropriately decommissioned so that future communities are not unnecessarily limited in the future use of these locations is a key part of our environmental mission. It is also important in maintaining public confidence in the NRC. Cleaning these sites and returning them to public use should be accomplished efficiently and effectively.

The decommissioning process at some licensee sites, however, has been delayed due to the failure of having adequate cleanup funds even though there are no insurmountable technical challenges standing in the way of cleanup. In light of this, I believe that the NRC should require more detailed reporting by licensees and place tighter NRC control over certain financial instruments that are set aside to cover eventual decommissioning costs. I recognize, however, that in some instances waste disposal options may not be available due to lack of disposal sites; therefore, it may not be possible to fully clean up and return decommissioning sites to green fields. This is not acceptable to many of the communities where these facilities exist. Developing alternatives to deal with this challenge will take a concerted effort to communicate and listen to the public in communities around the nation.

I hope my remarks today have given you confidence that the NRC always strives to be a firm, decisive, and effective regulator – one that stays focused on its core mission of maintaining the safety of the existing fleet while ensuring that it is always prepared to meet new issues and challenges. That has been my focus during my time on the Commission, and will continue to be throughout my tenure as Chairman.

Thank you.

The CNNC Offer will be in the form of a take-over bid. The definitive agreement provides for customary Board support and non-solicitation covenants subject to customary "fiduciary out" provisions entitling Khan to consider and accept an unsolicited superior offer

 - By Mark McFadden -

Khan Resources Inc. has announced that is has entered into a definitive agreement with CNNC Overseas Uranium Holding Ltd. ("CNNC"), a Chinese nuclear energy corporation based in Beijing and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation, pursuant to which CNNC has agreed to acquire all of Khan's outstanding common shares for C$0.96 per share in cash (the "CNNC Offer"). The CNNC Offer represents a premium of approximately 118% to the closing share price prior to the Atomredmetzoloto JSC ("ARMZ") unsolicited bid, and a 48% premium to the unsolicited C$0.65 per share bid.

Based on the recommendation of the Special Committee and advice from its advisors, Khan's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that shareholders accept the CNNC Offer. Haywood Securities Inc. ("Haywood"), the financial advisor to Khan, has provided an oral opinion that the consideration to be offered under the CNNC Offer is fair, from a financial point of view, to Khan's shareholders. The Board has extensively considered the various alternatives and has determined that the CNNC Offer is in the best interests of Khan and is the most attractive option for its shareholders. The CNNC Offer contains far fewer conditions than the ARMZ bid and is clearly more advantageous to Khan in this regard.

The CNNC Offer will be in the form of a take-over bid. The definitive agreement provides for customary Board support and non-solicitation covenants subject to customary "fiduciary out" provisions entitling Khan to consider and accept an unsolicited superior offer. CNNC has the right to match any superior offer made by another bidder. A termination fee of C$1.6 million will be payable to CNNC if the acquisition is not completed in certain circumstances. An equally valued reverse-termination fee is payable to Khan if the transaction is not completed in certain circumstances.

Concurrently with the execution of the definitive agreement, the directors and executive officers of Khan, holding a total of 1,493,500 common shares and 1,967,000 options exercisable into Khan common shares, representing approximately 6% of the Khan Shares on a fully diluted basis, have entered into lock-up agreements with CNNC, pursuant to which they have agreed to deposit such Khan common shares under the CNNC Offer.

The full and important details of the CNNC Offer will be included in the formal offer and take-over bid circular, which is expected to be mailed to shareholders by February 26, 2010. The offer will be open for acceptance for a period of not less than 35 days and will be conditional upon, among other things, acceptance by holders of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding common shares on a fully diluted basis and receipt of all Canadian and Chinese regulatory, government and corporate approvals.

Provided that the minimum condition is met and CNNC takes up and pays for the Khan common shares tendered, CNNC is expected to seek to acquire the remaining outstanding Khan common shares pursuant to a subsequent acquisition transaction or compulsory acquisition, as applicable.

"The CNNC Offer is far superior to the unsolicited ARMZ bid," said Martin Quick, President and Chief Executive Officer of Khan. "We look forward to working with CNNC to build upon the progress we have made in Mongolia towards establishing a stable platform for developing the Dornod uranium project and bringing it into operation. CNNC brings a lot to the table, with its deep expertise in nuclear energy, financial strength and strong political ties with Mongolia."

Mr. Grant Edey, Chairman of the Special Committee, added: "The Special Committee has actively considered a variety of strategic alternatives. We thank our shareholders for their support of Khan and are pleased to enter into the support agreement with CNNC. We believe that the CNNC Offer provides Khan's shareholders with strong, direct value for their investment."

Haywood Securities Inc. is acting as financial advisor and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is acting as legal counsel to Khan. BMO Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor and Stikeman Elliott LLP is acting as legal advisor to CNNC.

Khan Resources Inc. (TSX: KRI) is a Canadian company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of uranium properties. Its current activities are focused on the Dornod area in northeastern Mongolia, the site of a former Russian open-pit uranium mine. Khan holds interests in the Main Dornod Property, licensed for mining, and in the Additional Dornod Property, licensed for exploration. The Company's website is www.khanresources.com.

CNNC Overseas Uranium Holding Ltd. (a wholly owned branch of China Uranium Corporation Ltd.) is incorporated in Hong Kong and is an indirect wholly owned private subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation, China's leading uranium development and nuclear fuel company.

Entire Site Generates Second-Highest Amount of Electricity Ever

 - By Chris Smith -

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station’s Unit 1 just completed its best year since beginning commercial operation more than 20 years ago. The unit, which began operation in 1986, generated more than 11.5 billion net kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power in 2009, enough to serve more than a million people in four Southwestern states.

Overall, the three units at Palo Verde produced more than 30 billion net kWh for only the fifth time in its 24-year history. At 30.6 billion net kWh, the amount of electricity the site generated in 2009 was its second highest ever. Palo Verde is the only power plant of any kind in the United States to generate 30 billion kWh in a single year.

In addition, for the second consecutive year, all three units ran continuously for 100 days or more during the three plus months of highest power demand by APS customers.

“Palo Verde’s record-breaking year is the result of our employees’ efforts to continually improve plant performance,” said Randy Edington, Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer for APS, Palo Verde’s operating utility. “Our mission is to ‘SAFELY and efficiently generate electricity for the long term,’ which means investing in the knowledge of our workforce and investing in plant equipment to make it as good as or better than new.”

The increased output is the result of capitalizing on previous decisions to invest in equipment upgrades, including new steam generators and higher efficiency low-pressure turbine rotors in all three units. The upgrades, completed in 2007, resulted in an increase in plant capacity of approximately 270 megawatts.

Palo Verde is the largest nuclear power plant in the nation. Since 1992, the facility also has been the largest power producer of any type in the U.S. Its three units can generate more than four million kilowatts of safe, clean, reliable, low-cost electricity every hour, enough to serve about four million people.

Palo Verde is jointly owned by APS, Salt River Project, Southern California Edison Co., El Paso Electric Co., Public Service Co. of New Mexico, Southern California Public Power Authority and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power.

APS, Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves about 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state’s 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).

D’Agostino Highlights Nonproliferation Budget in Remarks to INMM Conference

 - By Linton Levy  -

In his first public remarks since the President’s FY2011 Budget Request was sent to Congress on Monday, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Administrator Thomas D’Agostino called it a “direct and tangible display of the President’s commitment to this mission, and a demonstration of the critical role NNSA plays in implementing the President’s unprecedented nuclear security agenda.” 
 
Speaking to an International Nuclear Materials Monitor (INMM) workshop on the upcoming Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference, Administrator D’Agostino said the $2.7 billion President Obama requested for nonproliferation programs – up 25.8 percent from FY2010 – support strengthening global nonproliferation efforts by bolstering NNSA programs that play a critical role in meeting the President’s goal of securing vulnerable nuclear material within four years.
 
D’Agostino also highlighted the connection between strengthening NNSA’s infrastructure and strengthening nuclear nonproliferation efforts.  As D’Agostino noted, “the same state-of-the art facilities and highly trained and motivated people that allow us to maintain our arsenal without testing also help meet the President's goal of securing vulnerable nuclear materials world-wide in the coming years.”
 
The following are excerpts of Administrator D’Agostino’s remarks as prepared for delivery (the full text can be found here):
 
• ON THE EMERGING CONSENSUS IN WASHINGTON: “Between Vice President Biden’s op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Friday, and the President’s budget request on Monday, I believe that we are reaching a critical juncture. We are beginning to see what the Vice President called ‘an emerging bipartisan consensus’ on a path forward for our nuclear security strategy.  The President’s budget request reverses the decline in support for the nuclear security enterprise, which will enable us to implement the ambitious agenda he laid out in his Prague speech.” 
 
• ON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN STRENGTHENING THE NNSA & STENGTHENING THE NPT: “These goals – investing in our nuclear security infrastructure and strengthening the NPT – are intertwined.  The same state-of-the art facilities and highly trained and motivated people that allow us to maintain our arsenal without testing also help meet the President's goal of securing vulnerable nuclear materials world-wide in the coming years. They are critical to maintaining our ability to track and thwart nuclear trafficking, verify weapons reductions, and to develop tomorrow's cutting-edge technologies for our security and prosperity.”
 
• PRESIDENT OBAMA’S BUDGET REQUEST: “Overall, the NNSA nonproliferation budget increases nearly 26% over FY2010 – a direct and tangible display of the President’s commitment to this mission, and a demonstration of the critical role NNSA plays in implementing the President’s unprecedented nuclear security agenda…I applaud the President for his leadership on these issues and look forward to working with Congress to get this budget passed.”
 
• ON SECURING VULNERABLE NUCLEAR MATERIAL: “President Obama’s FY2011 Budget Request makes clear that the United States will do its part.  It includes a 67 percent increase our Global Threat Reduction Initiative to accelerate the removal and disposition of high-priority vulnerable nuclear material overseas and convert additional HEU-fueled research reactors to the use of less proliferation-sensitive low enriched uranium fuel. It requests a 10 percent increase in Nonproliferation and Verification R&D funding, expands security and detection programs of our Second Line of Defense and Megaport programs, and enhances efforts in safeguards, export control, and our other nonproliferation programs.”
 
• ON STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTIONS: “Under President Obama’s leadership, the United States is demonstrating concrete progress towards the goal of a world without nuclear weapons, while continuing to emphasize the critical importance of a stable, reliable international nonproliferation regime to further disarmament success.  For this reason, the United States is taking steps to reduce both the numbers and the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge other nations to do the same.”   
 
Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science in the nation’s national security enterprise. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability, and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; reduces the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad. Visit http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/ for more information.
 

This commission and the president’s endorsement of a new generation of nuclear power plants are welcome steps that will enable the United States to catch up with the rest of the world

 - Edited by April Murelio -

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has released the following statement regarding U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu’s announcement of the formation of a Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future to provide recommendations for developing a safe, long-term solution to managing the nation’s used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste:

“This commission and the president’s endorsement of a new generation of nuclear power plants are welcome steps that will enable the United States to catch up with the rest of the world in building the most reliable way to produce cheap, carbon-free electricity. If the president’s budget, as rumored, also increases loan guarantees for new nuclear plants, that would be a third significant step. This will help put our country on a course toward a low-cost, clean-energy future and move us away from a national windmill policy that has been the energy equivalent of going to war in sailboats.”

In light of the administration’s decision not to proceed with the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, the president directed Secretary Chu to establish a Commission to provide advice and make recommendations on issues including alternatives for the storage, processing, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste.  

The president’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011 is expected to include an increase in the currently authorized level of loan guarantees for nuclear power from $18.5 to $54 billion.  These loan guarantees would enable utilities to lower the cost of financing and cost the taxpayer little to nothing when the loans are paid back. 

This is a comprehensive budget that will allow us to efficiently and effectively achieve our mission,” said NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko. “We look forward to the opportunity to discuss this budget request in more detail with Congress

 - By Mark McFadden -

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has requested $1.05 billion in its Fiscal Year 2011 budget proposal to Congress to regulate nuclear power plants and users of nuclear materials to protect people and the environment.  The budget represents a $13.3 million decrease from the FY 2010 budget that was enacted by Congress last year.

“This is a comprehensive budget that will allow us to efficiently and effectively achieve our mission,” said NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko. “We look forward to the opportunity to discuss this budget request in more detail with Congress.”
 
Decreases from the FY 2010 budget are primarily due to decreases in the high-level waste repository program and a decrease in the number of operating nuclear power plant license renewal applications expected in FY 2011.  Decreases are offset by slight increases in regulatory activities for new reactor and nuclear fuel facility applications.  The budget breakout is as follows:
 Nuclear Reactor Safety                     $804.1 million
 Nuclear Materials and Waste Safety $239.4 million
 Inspector General                             $10.1 million
 Total                                                $1,053.6 million

By law, the NRC recovers approximately 90 percent of its budget from user fees,  less an appropriation from the Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF) and other activities which are not fee recoverable.  As such, the NRC’s FY 2011 budget request would be financed with approximately $915.3 million from user fees and the NWF, resulting in a net appropriation of approximately $138.3 million. 

The detailed NRC budget (NUREG-1100, Vol. 26) and briefing slides summarizing the budget are available on NRC’s Web site at:  http://nrc.gov at the bottom left-hand corner and http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1100/v26/. Contact the Office of Public Affairs for a hard copy of NUREG-1100 by calling (301) 415-8200 or e-mailing OPA.Resource@nrc.gov.

The continued extension of our patent coverage for CBLB502 in key geographies around the world is a testament to its completely unique approach to protection of healthy tissues from the impact of radiation and other acute stresses

 - By April Murelio -

Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. has announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted its European Patent Application Number 04813124.7l, titled “Methods of Protecting Against Radiation Using Flagellin.” Allowed claims cover the method of protecting a mammal from radiation using flagellin or its derivatives, including Protectan CBLB502.  The United States, nine member countries of the Eurasian Patent Organization, and two additional countries have already granted this patent.

Yakov Kogan, Ph.D., MBA, Chief Operating Officer of Cleveland BioLabs noted, “The continued extension of our patent coverage for CBLB502 in key geographies around the world is a testament to its completely unique approach to protection of healthy tissues from the impact of radiation and other acute stresses.  We are particularly excited by this decision from the EPO, as it enables us to receive patents in up to 38 of its member countries, including every major European market.”

Cleveland BioLabs has filed 13 sets of patent applications in the U.S. and internationally, related to Protectan technology around various aspects and properties for CBLB502 and related Protectan compounds, including new methods of use of flagellin derivatives and screening for new compounds with similar properties.

CBLB502 is a derivative of a microbial protein, which has demonstrated the capacity to reduce injury from acute stresses, such as radiation in animal models. CBLB502 mobilizes several cell protective mechanisms, including inhibition of programmed cell death (apoptosis), reduction of oxidative damage and induction of regeneration-promoting cytokines. 

CBLB502 is being developed by Cleveland BioLabs under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Animal Efficacy Rule to treat Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) or radiation poisoning from any exposure to radiation such as a nuclear or radiological weapon / dirty bomb, or from a nuclear accident.  This approval pathway requires demonstration of efficacy in representative animal models and safety and pharmacodynamic drug marker testing in healthy human volunteers. 

Evidence of CBLB502's mechanism of action and activity in animal models was published in Science Magazine in April 2008 (Science, 2008, vol. 320, pp. 226-230).  Data from 50 subjects in an initial Phase I safety and tolerability study indicated that CBLB502 was well tolerated and that normalized biomarker results corresponded to previously demonstrated activity in animal models of ARS.  There is currently no FDA approved medical countermeasure to treat ARS.

CBLB502 is also being developed as a supportive care measure to reduce and prevent occurrence of side effects of radiotherapy or chemotherapy in cancer treatment.

Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. is a drug discovery and development company leveraging its proprietary discoveries around programmed cell death to develop treatments for cancer and protection of normal tissues from exposure to radiation and other stresses.  The Company has strategic partnerships with the Cleveland Clinic, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, ChemBridge Corporation and the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute.  To learn more about Cleveland BioLabs, Inc., please visit the company's website at http://www.cbiolabs.com.

Force-on-force inspections test a nuclear power plant’s ability to defend against adversaries and they are conducted at each plant every three years

 - By Linton Levy -

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is holding a public meeting Feb. 10 to discuss with the public, the nuclear power industry and other interested stakeholders proposed enhancements to the agency’s force-on-force inspection program.

Force-on-force inspections test a nuclear power plant’s ability to defend against adversaries and they are conducted at each plant every three years. A series of table-top drills and other assessments precede the three days of mock commando-style attacks against the facility. In the event the facility’s security force fails to protect key equipment, the NRC requires that deficiencies in the protective strategy be promptly reviewed and corrected.

NRC staff is currently reviewing options for enhancing these inspections, including enhancing the way some of the objectives are assessed. At the meeting, the staff is seeking public input into these potential enhancements as well as taking questions and providing as much detail as possible without compromising plant security.

The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Marriott North Bethesda, 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville, Md. It can also be accessed remotely via the Internet and a toll-free teleconference number.

The full meeting notice is located here: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/index.cfm?fuseaction=Search.Detail&MC=20100055&NS=0&CFID=351590&CFTOKEN=63677918.

Both partners stress the value and benefits of such a longstanding agreement that brings security of supply to INB and is in line with AREVA's strategy to develop stable and long term partnerships with major actors in the nuclear field

 - By Stephen Heiser -

INB (Industrias Nucleares do Brasil) and AREVA have signed a major conversion services contract, covering the next 5 years of conversion service supply for ANGRA* Nuclear Power Plants (existing units 1 and 2 and next unit 3).

Both partners stress the value and benefits of such a longstanding agreement that brings security of supply to INB and is in line with AREVA's strategy to develop stable and long term partnerships with major actors in the nuclear field.

For both parties, the contract is a clear opportunity to increase cooperation, and could potentially lead to more comprehensive partnership in the field of nuclear fuel cycle.

INB declared: "This contract strengthens even more the relationship between our two companies and confirms the proximity between Brazil and France. Next 5 years working together will surely open new opportunities for both parties".

"We are honoured to have been awarded this contract. These commercial successes confirm the group's position as world leader in conversion services." said Christian Barandas, Executive Vice President of AREVA's Chemistry Business Unit.

ANGRA Nuclear Power Plant is Brazil's sole nuclear power plant. It is located at the Central Nuclear Almirante Álvaro Alberto (CNAAA) on the Itaorna Beach in Angra dos Reis, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It consists of two Pressurized Water Reactors, Angra I, with a net output of 657 MWe, and Angra II, with a net output of 1,350 MWe. In 2007 the Brazilian National Energy Council decided to complete Angra III unit, with Angra II similar output, expected connection to the net is 2015.

Dialogue Forum on Nuclear Energy Innovations Held at IAEA

 - Edited by April Murelio -

Experts attending the INPRO Dialogue Forum on Nuclear Energy Innovations talk about the need for co-operation among countries to achieve sustainable nuclear technology options.

Commitment, sustainability, and co-operation: these were the buzzwords at the opening session of the first workshop of the INPRO Dialogue Forum on Nuclear Energy Innovations that kicked off on 1 February in Vienna.

INPRO, short for International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles, is an IAEA initiative that looks at the future of nuclear power and connects countries possessing nuclear technology know-how, countries expanding their nuclear energy programs, and countries that are newcomers to the field.

IAEA Deputy Director General for the Department Nuclear Energy and INPRO Project Manager, Yuri Sokolov, opened the Forum. "Nuclear energy has become a leading option in a world that has to meet ever-increasing energy needs while facing the strong initiative to reduce CO2 emissions and dependence on dwindling fossil fuels," he said.

Including nuclear power in a country´s energy programme, however, means commitment.

"What countries are looking at is a commitment of at least 100 years," says Randy Beatty, INPRO Group Leader from the IAEA´s Department of Nuclear Energy.

"That means the nuclear energy option has to be sustainable," he adds.

But is nuclear power a viable and sustainable option for every country? That is another aspect that INPRO looks at in cooperation with the IAEA´s Planning and Economic Studies Section (PESS).

"We provide tools that allow a country to assess if nuclear power can indeed be a part of its energy supply," says Ahmed Jalal, a senior energy and nuclear power planner in PESS.

Countries opting to include nuclear power need to look at more than just the economics. What is the state of the available infrastructure, what technological innovations can be adopted, how can nuclear waste be managed, how can environmental safety be assured, how can proliferation be avoided, these are but some of the questions that need answers before a commitment to go nuclear is made. INPRO provides tools to countries to assess these factors and ensure sustainability for nuclear energy systems.

And, perhaps more importantly, INPRO brings together technology holders and users with the understanding that the nuclear industry is a global sector, and that when it comes to efficient nuclear energy production and use, countries are interdependent.

"No one country or region can work in isolation when working to tap in on nuclear energy," says Hussam Khartabil, Scientific Secretary of the INPRO Dialogue Forum.

"For example, one country may have uranium deposits; another, the technology to deal with spent fuel."

By bringing together experts from all over the world at the Dialogue Forum on Nuclear Energy Innovations, the IAEA is looking to piece together different perspectives on sustainable, co-operative approaches to tapping in on nuclear energy.

The forum is held at the IAEA, Vienna, from 1 to 4 February 2010, and includes participants from 32 Member States.

Topical issues discussed at the four-day meeting focus on the following:

Socio- and macroeconomic factors that influence decisions on deployment of nuclear systems;

Proven technology, i.e. technology in an innovative nuclear power plant system which should be "proven" or "mature" before it is included in a proposed design; and

Safety approaches for innovative nuclear systems, which are an essential consideration for the overall assessment of a given innovative nuclear energy system.
The INPRO Dialogue Forum was organized by the Department of Nuclear Energy (INPRO and PESS) in cooperation with the Department of Technical Cooperation and the Division of Nuclear Installation Safety, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security.

INPRO was established in 2000 to help ensure that nuclear energy can meet the energy needs of the 21st century. At present, 30 IAEA Member States (including Algeria, Italy and Kazakhstan who joined in 2009) and the European Commission comprise the INPRO membership, while a further ten countries participate on a working level.

Amended Oconee license gives Duke permission to replace 1970s-era analog, solid-state controls for the plant’s Reactor Protection System (RPS) and Engineered Safeguard Protection System (ESPS)

 - By Linton Levy -

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has approved a license amendment request from Duke Energy Carolinas to install an up-to-date computer upgrade of major safety-related systems at the Oconee Nuclear Station, located about 30 miles west of Greenville, S.C.

The amended Oconee license gives Duke permission to replace 1970s-era analog, solid-state controls for the plant’s Reactor Protection System (RPS) and Engineered Safeguard Protection System (ESPS). Duke will install Teleperm XS (TXS) digital computer-based equipment.

“Our staff reviewed the proposal to ensure the new systems can respond safely and appropriately to both normal plant conditions and emergency scenarios,” said Joseph Giitter, director of the Division of Operating Reactor Licensing in the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. “The new systems will process and react to information from the plant’s existing sensors that monitor the reactor core and critical plant parameters.”

The NRC had previously reviewed the TXS basic platform to ensure it met applicable safety regulations, and in May 2000 the staff concluded U.S. nuclear power plants could apply to use the system. Duke submitted its Oconee-specific application in January 2008, supplementing its supporting information numerous times through December 2009.
 
The NRC staff approved the Oconee amendment after confirming the new system’s ability to meet both safety requirements and NRC cybersecurity regulations that isolate the systems and prevent cyber attacks. The staff paid particular attention to the system’s ability to maintain two-way communications between various subsystems and provide diverse control pathways for safety-related commands, as well as the tools used to simulate and validate the system’s performance. NRC staff also inspected Duke’s procedures for the Oconee-specific TXS design and implementation and observed testing of the actual system at production facilities in Germany.

This marks the first NRC approval for a nuclear power plant’s integrated digital RPS and ESPS instrumentation and control system. The agency had previously approved single safety-related digital control applications, such as for the main steam and feedwater isolation system at the Wolf Creek nuclear plant in Kansas.