- Edited By Chris Reed -
Dominion Resources Inc. says if it doesn't build a third nuclear reactor at its North Anna Power Station, it will need to build another power generation source in its place.
CEO Thomas F. Farrell II spoke Tuesday at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Power ; Gas Leaders Conference in New York about the potential reactor at the central Virginia plant.
Farrell said the company is looking for a partner to build the third nuclear reactor, but isn't going to build it itself right now. Dominion announced in May that it selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industry's Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor technology for the potential unit
If it decides to go forward with the reactor, the Richmond-based energy company must first get approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Farrell said that if the company doesn't build the reactor, Dominion would have to find another source for the 1,300 megawatts of electricity the reactor would have produced.
He also said Dominion plans to spend about $10 billion in growth capital expenditures for generation, transmission and distribution between 2011 and 2015. That doesn't include about $3.6 billion for projects like the third nuclear reactor, its replacement, or certain gas transmission growth projects under development.
"IBC is pleased to be a part of the provisional patent filings covering these important advances and technological improvements realized over the last two years of work with Purdue and Texas A&M universities," said Jim Malone, IBC's Vice President of Nuclear Fuels.
- Edited By Tom Lamar -
IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. (IBC) announces that Purdue University has filed provisional patents covering IBC-funded current nuclear fuel research and new discoveries, underway at Purdue and Texas A&M universities. The research work is being conducted under a collaborative research agreement signed with IBC in August 2008 under which IBC has the option for an exclusive license to the intellectual property being developed under the research agreement.
The fields of invention and technical fields being patented under the provisional filings are the design of enhanced high thermal conductivity nuclear fuel made of uranium oxide with addition of a compatible high thermal conductivity material such as beryllium oxide using controlled microstructures in the product.
Current work by Purdue and Texas A&M nuclear engineers has shown that an advanced BeO nuclear fuel could potentially result in significant cost savings and greater operating efficiencies over conventional nuclear fuels. Additionally, an advanced UO2-BeO nuclear fuel could also enhance the operational safety of both current and future nuclear reactors due to its superior thermal conductivity. Other benefits include a theoretical reduction in fission gas release allowing higher fuel burn up and less stored energy in the fuel pins.
"IBC is pleased to be a part of the provisional patent filings covering these important advances and technological improvements realized over the last two years of work with Purdue and Texas A&M universities," said Jim Malone, IBC's Vice President of Nuclear Fuels. "We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Purdue and Texas A&M, as well as to establishing a working relationship with an industry partner to continue this exciting and promising research. The field of high thermal conductivity nuclear fuels is gaining increasing positive recognition from utilities, regulators and fuel fabricators," continued Malone, "and IBC is proud to be a part of this exciting new opportunity and market."
NRC issues OIG-10-A-20, Audit of NRC's Vendor Inspection Program yesterday. If you are in quality assurance or possibly a business looking to enter the nuclear power industry, this report would provide good information on possible changes (recommendations) in the area of quality assurance on safety related parts. The NRC is looking for feedback.
Here is the Executive Summary:
BACKGROUND
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) endeavors to protect the public health and safety and the environment by overseeing vendor compliance with NRC's regulations for assuring the integrity of domestic and global parts and services supplied to nuclear power reactors. Vendors manufacture a range of components such as fasteners, pumps, valves, and reactor vessels, as well as provide design, engineering, and construction services. While most vendors do not hold NRC licenses, they are nonetheless bound through contracts with licensees, applicants, or other vendors to comply with NRC's quality assurance regulations contained in Appendix B to Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR), Part 50 (Appendix B). Vendors are also required to comply with 10 CFR Part 21 (Part 21). NRC conducts reactive and routine inspections of vendors' implementation of Appendix B and Part 21 requirements.
PURPOSE
The audit objective was to assess NRC's regulatory approach for ensuring the integrity of domestic and foreign safety-related parts and services supplied to current or prospective nuclear power reactors.
RESULTS IN BRIEF
Beginning in 2007, the agency proactively enhanced its overall approach to vendor inspections and increased vendor outreach efforts. After the creation of the Office of New Reactors (NRO), two new branches were established to perform additional vendor inspections, including routine inspections. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has identified areas that need management attention while NRO continues its ongoing vendor inspection activities. Specifically:
RECOMMENDATIONS
This report makes 10 recommendations to help NRC improve its oversight of the nuclear vendors and the parts and services they supply to nuclear power plants. A consolidated list of the recommendations appears in Section IV of this report.
AGENCY COMMENTS
On August 17, 2010, OIG provided a draft report to the Executive Director for Operations. OIG held an exit conference with the agency on
August 31, 2010. During that meeting agency management provided informal comments to the draft report. Also, on September 10, 2010, OIG held an additional meeting with NRC staff to discuss the agency's informal comments to the draft report. On September 14, 2010, OIG provided the agency a revised draft report, and on September 17, 2010, the agency declined to provide any formal comments. The final report incorporates revisions made, where applicable, as a result of meetings with NRC staff.
You can read the full report here: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/insp-gen/2010/oig-10-a-20.pdf
The Japan Atomic Power Company, Toshiba Corp and a unit of Marubeni Corp have reached an agreement with Kazakhstan to provide data and cost estimates on the possibility of the country building its first nuclear power plant.
In a joint statement, the three companies said on Wednesday that an agreement with the National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan would enable them to cooperate in the building, operating and financing of a possible nuclear power plant.
If Kazakhstan decides to hold a feasibility study to build a nuclear facility based on the companies' estimates that would provide a lucrative, but competitive business chance for nuclear technology exporters, including Japan.
Japan, the world's third biggest nuclear power generator, is stepping up its marketing of nuclear technology by establishing a new atomic technology exporting body next month.
Kazkhstan is looking to build an advanced boiling water reactor with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts or less, said a spokesman at Japan Atomic Power, Japan's oldest nuclear power company. ABWR is a proven technology in Japan although the capacity requested is smaller than usual.
"We are not dropping the EPR but we do not want to put all our eggs in one basket," Expansion quoted a source close to EDF head Henri Proglio as saying.
According to news reports, French electricity generator EDF is working on two new nuclear reactor designs of its own which could rival those made by Areva, the world's biggest atomic energy company, the Expansion magazine said.
In a report to appear Wednesday, Expansion said EDF is "looking at its own series of reactors," power rated at 1,000 and 1,500 Megawatts, which if finalized could be competition for Areva's third generation European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) and its Atmea design.
Developed with Germany, the EPR has a power rating of 1,650 Megawatts but the design has been dogged by problems. In July EDF announced there would be a two-year delay and cost increases for a plant being built by Areva at Flamanville, northern France.
An EPR under construction in Finland by Areva has also been hit by delays and cost over-runs.
At the same time, "it is true seen from the outside that it could be interpreted differently -- we and Areva are unable to combine our engineering resources," the source added.
EDF declined to comment when asked about the report.
Relations between EDF and Areva have grown strained and on Monday, La Tribune daily reported that the government wanted EDF to increase its stake in Areva from 2.4 percent to 10-15 percent.
The French government wants to consolidate the French nuclear power industry, a key factor in the national economy, and the newspaper said that these efforts were being given new impetus.
The French state owns 85 percent of EDF which provides most of the electricity used in France generated from one of the world's largest nuclear power networks.
"With this funding, Ohio will continue to accelerate its efforts in growing the nuclear intellectual capital of our nation's workforce, already one of the finest in the world," Sen. Voinovich said.
U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, announced today that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has awarded a $329,434 contract to improve Wilberforce University's nuclear education program.
The three-year contract will allow Wilberforce University to develop four additional courses and laboratory experience to expand its nuclear undergraduate minor program to an undergraduate major in nuclear engineering. Wilberforce will work closely with The Ohio State University to develop and maintain these courses.
"With this funding, Ohio will continue to accelerate its efforts in growing the nuclear intellectual capital of our nation's workforce, already one of the finest in the world," Sen. Voinovich said. "It is critical that we develop the skills needed to support a continued nuclear renaissance, and I am proud that Wilberforce University will contribute to meeting our country's needs for clean domestic energy."
The program will provide mentoring for Wilberforce University professors to teach the new courses, develop distance laboratory capabilities for using OSU's research reactor, provide stipends to student research assistance, award scholarships to nuclear engineering students, and improve infrastructure at Wilberforce University and Central State University.
As a former chairman and ranking member of the EPW Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, Sen. Voinovich is committed to the safe and secure growth of nuclear power. The senator believes that without nuclear power we will not be able to reach our goal of reducing carbon emissions or provide the base-load electricity our growing country demands - and we will miss an amazing opportunity to strengthen our U.S. manufacturing base and create good-paying jobs.
At a time when we are struggling to regain our economic footing, the domestic manufacturing industry has an incredible opportunity when it comes to nuclear energy, which offers thousands of well-paying jobs in all stages of development and production. Sen. Voinovich and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) will host a nuclear energy summit in December bringing together key industry leaders, the Obama administration, stakeholders and innovators to discuss and plan America's nuclear energy future.
Like the US, Sweden is affected by shortage of experienced nuclear power personnel.
According to a Reuters report, Norway is concerned about power availability this winter.
Last year spot power prices reached all-time highs in the Nordic countries due to lower-than-usual temperatures and unexpected outages at some of Sweden's nuclear reactors.
Terje Riis-Johansen acknowledged that it was a concern that some outages at Swedish reactors occurred unexpectedly or were longer than anticipated.
"We have been in continuing contact with the Swedish authorities about this," he told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference on renewable energy in Norway on Tuesday.
"The Swedish authorities are impatient on the situation around Swedish power stations," he said. "There is a lot of activity at a political level in Sweden about this, so that things happen as quickly as possible."
He added, "It is a real challenge with the coming winter; it is a situation that should be different than it is."
Riis-Johansen said the amount of water in reservoirs at hydroelectric stations, which supply around half of the Nordic region's total power supply, was also lower than normal. In such a situation, prices often tend to spike during the winter months.
"The prognosis for the reservoirs is not good," he said.
Spot electricity prices on the pan-Nordic power market have hovered between 48 and 51 euros per megawatt hour since mid-August, compared with highs above 100 euros at the start of 2010.
NUCLEAR FLIP-FLOP
Riis-Johansen said that one of key reasons Swedish nuclear reactors have had problems with maintenance is a lack of new recruits in the sector due to earlier plans to phase it out.
Early this year Sweden's center-right government, which won re-election this month, agreed to replace aging nuclear units with new reactors, but there has been little clarity about the details.
"What we see in Sweden is that they have a challenge with competence in the nuclear sector since they had initially planned to phase out nuclear power stations," he said.
"So they have not trained new people in this sector, and so it takes much longer on maintenance projects than planned."
- Source NRC -
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a request by Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) to increase the generating capacity of Surry Power Station Units 1 and 2 by 1.6 percent each.
The NRC staff determined that VEPCO could safely increase the reactors' output primarily through more accurate means of measuring feedwater flow. NRC staff also reviewed the company's evaluations showing the plant's design can accommodate the increased power level.
The NRC's safety evaluation of the plant's proposed power uprate focused on several areas, including the nuclear steam supply systems, instrumentation and control systems, electrical systems, accident evaluations, radiological consequences, fire protection, operations and training, testing, and technical specification changes.
The power uprate for Surry, located approximately 17 miles northwest of Newport News, Va., will increase each unit's generating capacity from approximately 842 to 857 megawatts electric. VEPCO intends to implement the uprate by November.
The NRC previously published a notice about the power uprate application in the Federal Register ( http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-7451.pdf page 17447). The agency's evaluation of the Surry power uprate will be available through the NRC's ADAMS electronic document database by entering ML101750002 on this webpage: http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm .
Wilmington-based GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) announced yesterday it has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with several Michigan companies-Energy Steel & Supply Co., Curtiss-Wright Flow Control and CLYDEUNION Pumps-to begin discussions about supplying components for new nuclear power plant projects in the United States and around the world.
GEH announced the MOUs at the 2010 Nuclear Power Business Opportunity Conference in Dearborn, MI. The conference was attended by U.S. senators Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., as well as state House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Mich, state House Republican Leader Kevin Elsenheimer, Dearborn Mayor John B. O'Reilly and other dignitaries. GEH is one of the world's leading designers of advanced boiling water reactor technology and plant services.
GEH and DTE Energy are working to advance the potential deployment of a next-generation nuclear reactor design. Based on the NRC's revised timetable, the commission is on track to issue a final design certification decision for the ESBWR in September 2011. The NRC review of Detroit Edison's Fermi 3 Combined License Application based on the ESBWR design continues on schedule for 2012. DTE Energy, which operates Detroit Edison, Michigan's largest electric utility, has not made a decision to proceed with construction of a new nuclear plant.
"Today's announcement reinforces GEH's commitment to provide the benefits of reliable nuclear power to Michigan," said Danny Roderick, senior vice president of new plant projects for GEH. "Michigan's strong manufacturing infrastructure can help GEH and the entire U.S. nuclear industry quickly prepare for new reactor orders."
Under terms of the MOUs, Energy Steel & Supply Co., Curtiss-Wright Flow Control and CLYDE UNION Pumps will work with GEH to provide a variety of nuclear equipment.
The 2010 Nuclear Power Business Opportunity Conference was co-sponsored by GEH; the Downriver Community Conference Partnership; the Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACS) of Michigan; Metropolitan Growth and Development Corporation; Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce; the city of Dearborn and Michigan utility DTE Energy.
Based in Wilmington, N.C., GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is a world-leading provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services. Established in June 2007, GEH is a global nuclear alliance created by GE and Hitachi to serve the global nuclear industry. The nuclear alliance executes a single, strategic vision to create a broader portfolio of solutions, expanding its capabilities for new reactor and service opportunities. The alliance offers customers around the world the technological leadership required to effectively enhance reactor performance, power output and safety.
According to news reports, Russia expects that Bulgaria will eventually restart construction on its second nuclear power plant at Belene, Bulgarian.
The Belene nuclear power plant project was said to cost four billion euros to construct by the former government, but current political party GERB has claimed that the final cost might escalate to as much as 10 billion euros.
In autumn 2009, Germany's RWE withdrew as the strategic investor in the Belene project, which is designed to offset the loss in generating capacity at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power facility following the premature closure of two pairs of 440 MW reactors.
Statement that Russia expects Bulgaria to launch construction on the Belene nuclear power plant despite apparent plans to scrap it altogether were made by Sergey Kirienko, head of Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom.
Kirienko is accompanying Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, on his official trip to China, where the Rosatom head said that "Bulgaria is contemplating construction of a second nuclear power plant, and that Russia hopes to co-ordinate and finalize those plans by the end of 2010," Dnevnik daily reported on September 27.
Last week, Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boiko Borissov mentioned a possible investment of interest from China. Borissov made the statement following a meeting with Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao, and ministers from the Chinese cabinet at the UN headquarters in New York.
In August this year, Economy Minister Traicho Traikov said that Bulgaria will expand its nuclear energy capacity even if construction on the Belene nuclear power station project is scrapped permanently.
Traikov announced that the Bulgarian Government was to appoint a financial consultant for Belene by the end of August, while HSBC, Societe Generale, KPMG in a consortium with McGuire, Rothschild, Arjil, and Ernst&Young, applied for the tender for the position of financial consultants of the Belene nuclear power plant.
USEC Inc. recently named Glenn Strausser as the new director of engineering, procurement and construction for the American Centrifuge Project. Strausser brings to the project a background in large-scale project and construction management.
Strausser's duties will include all aspects of project management related to the construction of the American Centrifuge Plant infrastructure including design and planning, budgeting, procurement and construction of the commercial plant infrastructure.
"A complex project like the American Centrifuge Plant requires a special engineering, procurement and construction director, and we have found that with Glenn Strausser," said Paul Sullivan, vice president of American Centrifuge and chief engineer. "From project inception to completion, Glenn understands what it takes to manage large construction projects and has a track record of success. He will be a great asset as we move forward with building the commercial plant."
Strausser served most recently as program manager and senior program management office consultant at Siemens in Princeton, NJ, where he performed project management duties across the company. Prior to that he worked at Johnson Controls, where he was responsible for the company's large construction projects. Strausser has also served in numerous engineering and project management roles at a variety of Department of Energy nuclear facilities.
Strausser holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Lehigh University and a masters of business administration from the University of Phoenix.
USEC's American Centrifuge Plant will provide the dependable, long-term nuclear fuel production capability needed to support the world's nuclear power plants. As America's only commercial uranium enrichment facility using U.S. centrifuge technology, the American Centrifuge Plant will play a major role in supporting America's energy security and national security.
French multinational conglomerate Alstom has signed a contract worth $135 million with Chinese industrial group Dong Fang Electric Limited (DECL) Monday, according to information published on the former's website.
Terms of the agreement stipulate that the French side supply equipment and services for six 1000MW steam turbine-generator packages for three Chinese nuclear power plants in Fujian and Jiangsu provinces.
The power plants to receive the services are: Ningde Phase II (units 3 and 4), Fuqing Phase II (units 3 and 4) and Tianwan Phase III (units 5 and 6).
The Alstom model selected for the three projects is based on the first unit of Ling Ao Phase II (Ling Ao 3), which was delivered by Alstom and went into commercial production on September 20, 2010, after a remarkably short commissioning and start-up time.
The turbine-generator package includes the GIGATOP 4 pole turbo generator, moisture separator reheater (MSR), the condenser, the low pressure heater and ARABELLE, and a half-speed steam turbine, all designed by Alstom and supplied in partnership with DECL.
Alstom had already provided turbine-generator packages to the Chinese power plants Ling Ao 3, Hongyanhe 1-4, Ningde 1&2, Fuqing Phase 1&2 and Fangjiashan 1&2 as well as Taishan, China's first Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR).
In China, Alstom has been Dong Fang's industrial partner since the construction of Daya Bay, China's first large nuclear power plant 20 years ago.
Electricite de France SA and Constellation Energy Group Inc. are in talks to avoid the collapse of their U.S. nuclear venture, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing two people with knowledge of the discussions.
The Baltimore-based Constellation is due by December to decide whether or not to exercise a put option to sell non-nuclear plants to EDF for up to $2 billion -- a move that EDF would view as likely to jeopardize their relationship and a venture to develop new nuclear projects.
The talks began in the past two to three weeks and the companies expect to come to an agreement within the next month, one of the people told Bloomberg.
Constellation spokesman Larry McDonnell declined to comment on the put option with Europe's biggest utility, while Carole Trivi, an EDF spokeswoman, also declined to comment.
Full story at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-24/edf-constellation-are-said-to-be-in-talks-on-saving-u-s-nuclear-venture.html
According to news reports, Ukraine's cabinet approved the Ministry of Fuel and Energy's proposal to construct the nuclear fuel plant at a meeting on 22 September, the country's national news agency Ukrinform reported.
TVEL was said to have won the tender as, unlike the other bidder Westinghouse, it had expressed willingness to invest its own money in the construction of the plant. The cost of constructing the fuel plant is put at some $212 million.
Vitaliy Lukianenko, the prime minister's press secretary, noted, "TVEL was unanimously supported during a competition for choosing the company to build the plant."
A condition of the tender is that Ukraine holds a controlling stake in the joint venture company that is to be established to manage the plant, despite TVEL likely to provide the majority of the funds to construct it. Another condition is the requirement for the transfer of technology for the manufacture of fuel assemblies under a non-exclusive licence by 2020 for reactors both in Ukraine and abroad.
According to Yuriy Nedashkovsky, president of national electricity generator Energoatom, nuclear fuel fabrication could start at the new plant in 2013. Initial production capacity of the plant will be 200 tonnes of uranium equivalent (tUe) per year of fuel rods and assemblies. In 2017, capacity to manufacture fuel pellets is set to increase to 400 tUe, while in 2020 the plant will be able to produce 400 tUe of fuel rods and assemblies.
Ukraine has 15 nuclear power reactors at four nuclear power plants (Khmelnitski, Rovno, South Ukraine and Zaporozhe), all operated by Energoatom. All the units are Russian VVER types, two being 440 MWe V-312 models and the rest the larger 1000 MWe units - two early models and the others V-320s. In 2009, almost half of Ukraine's electricity was produced by its nuclear plants.
In common with other VVER reactors, all of Ukraine's are routinely supplied with fuel by TVEL, although trials of 42 Westinghouse fuel assemblies are ongoing at the three South Ukraine units. This is taking place on an experimental basis, with final regulatory approval for the use of Westinghouse-supplied fuel outstanding.
Efforts to establish fuel manufacturing in Ukraine are an extension of this bid to break TVEL's technological monopoly on nuclear fuel supply. In addition to nuclear services, Ukraine also depends on Russia for much oil and gas, supplies of which have twice been cut off in a long-running payment dispute. Ukraine is able to mitigate this by supplying about 30% of the uranium that goes as the raw material for nuclear fuel. It also produces the zirconium alloys needed for fuel elements, but uranium enrichment and manufacture of finished fuel assemblies takes place in Russia.
Iran's official news agency said today that a sophisticated computer worm purportedly designed to disrupt power grids and other such industrial facilities had infected computers at the country's first nuclear-power plant but had not caused any serious damage.
The Stuxnet worm, which some see as heralding a new era of cyberwarfare, appeared in July and was already known to be widespread in Iran. In fact, its high concentration there, along with a delay in the opening of the Bushehr plant, led one security researcher to hypothesize that Stuxnet was created to sabotage Iran's nuclear industry.
In addition to emphasizing the threat posed by the worm, which could be used to remotely seize control of industrial systems, today's news could well add to speculation about Stuxnet, the sophistication of which has caused some to suspect that a nation state, such as Israel or the U.S., might be behind its creation.
The worm exploits three holes in Windows, one of which has been patched, and targets computers running Siemens software used in industrial control systems.
Mahmoud Jafari, the project manager at the Bushehr plant, said the worm "has not caused any damage to major systems of the plant" and that a team was working to remove it from several computers, according to Iran's IRNA news agency, which was cited in a report by the Associated Press.
Jafari said the infection involved the personal computers of several staff members working at Bushehr and would not affect plans to open the nuclear plant in October, the AP reported.
Russia will begin construction of two addtional reactors at the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China next year, the head of the Rosatom state-controlled nuclear corporation said.
Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly Atomstroyexport and its Chinese partner, the Jiangsu nuclear power corporation, signed a framework agreement this March on construction of two VVER-1000 reactors with a power output of 1000MW.
"The work must begin next year," Rosatom head Sergei Kiriyenko said.
The first two VVER-1000 reactors at the Tianwan nuclear power plant were started in 2007.
Atomstroyexport and the Jiangsu nuclear power corporation signed a general contract to build the plant, the largest project in Russian-Chinese economic cooperation, in 1997. The Russian company was charged with design work, equipment and material supplies, construction and assembly work, as well as training Chinese personnel.
Russia and China agreed that Moscow would receive $1.8 billion to build the second stage of the Tianwan nuclear power plant.
"South Carolina has long been a leader in the nuclear field and no state would benefit more from a renaissance in nuclear energy than South Carolina," said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.
South Carolina's Council on Competitiveness (New Carolina), an organization that works to increase South Carolina's competitiveness by developing industry clusters, has been awarded one of 10 "Innovative Economies" contracts by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for its Carolinas' Nuclear Cluster initiative.
"South Carolina has a robust nuclear energy industry and critical mass of opportunity for small businesses. We are excited to have SBA's support to build the nuclear supply chain."
Through the award, New Carolina will help South Carolina small businesses become nuclear suppliers, so they can create well-paying jobs and make the state a leader in nuclear energy.
Under the SBA contract, which totals about $600,000, New Carolina will identify gaps in the nuclear supply chain, determine which small businesses can fill the gaps, and connect those businesses with opportunities. In addition, New Carolina will identify technologies being developed at the state's colleges and universities and work to commercialize them through start-up companies. The ultimate goal is to establish a network of suppliers in South Carolina that can serve the nuclear industry worldwide.
The Carolinas' Nuclear Cluster is a group of 37 organizations working to strengthen the industry.
SCRA, an organization focused on research and commercialization, will partner with New Carolina, providing small business support through its SC Launch program as well as project management. SCRA affiliate Advanced Technology International (ATI) will assist in technology transfer.
New Carolina Executive Director George Fletcher says that the SBA contract is timely and will help South Carolina strengthen its nuclear cluster.
"Approximately $30 billion dollars of new nuclear plants are being proposed within 2.5 hours' drive of South Carolina's capital. Since a new nuclear plant has not been built in 30 years, 80 percent of the parts for that reactor are now being manufactured offshore. The domestic supply chain has atrophied," Fletcher says. "South Carolina has a robust nuclear energy industry and critical mass of opportunity for small businesses. We are excited to have SBA's support to build the nuclear supply chain."
"We are pleased to partner with New Carolina on this important nuclear cluster program that will assist in the transition into local and national markets of nuclear R&D technologies developed by small businesses in South Carolina," says Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO.
"South Carolina has long been a leader in the nuclear field and no state would benefit more from a renaissance in nuclear energy than South Carolina," said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. "Nuclear energy and nuclear technology are job creators in South Carolina."
According to Bloomberg, General Electric Co. Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt said the U.S. needs a national energy policy that puts a long-term price on carbon as China and other nations surge ahead in green technology,.
"China is green, green, green, green -- four greens," Immelt said today during a presentation with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman at the Gridwise Global Forum in Washington. He cited demand, innovation funding, supply chain and public policy as advantages for China.
Immelt helps lead the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of companies and environmental groups that favor stalled legislation that would establish a cap-and-trade system based on carbon-emission credits. He's urged federal regulation in part so manufacturers can build to uniform specifications.
"The rest of the world is moving 10 times faster than we are," Immelt said. The U.S. is "reddish" in areas such as demand and on public policies aimed at spurring clean-energy technologies because policy makers get caught up in a debate on climate, Immelt said.
While the U.S. is a "great" country, "we actually have to have an energy policy," Immelt said. "It's stupid what we have today."
The U.S. needs to establish a "long-term price signal" on carbon emissions, in order for companies to provide "appropriate funding for innovation" regardless of fuel, as well as revive nuclear energy. Such moves would create jobs rather than shift them overseas, Immelt said.
'Nuclear Renaissance'
"I personally believe there should be a nuclear renaissance in this country," he said.
GE, based in Fairfield, Connecticut, is the world's biggest maker of power-generation equipment, jet engines, locomotives and medical-imaging machines. GE power-generation equipment provides one-third of the world's electricity.
The GE Energy Infrastructure division includes gas, wind, steam, nuclear, smart-meters and transmission equipment as well as oil-and-gas exploration machinery.
In July, GE called for entries in a 10-week contest to speed updates of global power grids, promising investment and marketing help for the best submissions from a $200 million fund. The company is spending about $10 billion on environmentally friendly products by 2015 through Immelt's five- year-old "ecomagination" program.
Other GE divisions include appliances, lighting, aircraft leasing, real estate, consumer finance and lending to small and mid-sized businesses.
Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. announced on Wednesday that it has received final approval for construction of a rail spur at the Perma-Fix Northwest Facility (PFNW) adjacent to the Hanford nuclear site in Richland, Washington. The rail spur is expected to be completed in early 2011 and will facilitate the movement of radioactive wastes directly into the facility, thereby minimizing any health risk to the local community.
The PFNW Facility is a radioactive waste treatment facility that supports cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site, nuclear power utilities, national laboratories, and research facilities.
Richard Grondin, Vice President and General Manager of PFNW, stated, "Perma-Fix is gratified by gaining State of Washington approval to construct the rail spur, which is a perfect example of a private company/public sector partnership. Perma-Fix will provide funds to construct this rail spur and has worked closely with the Washington Department of Ecology, the City of Richland, and the Tri-City and Olympia Railroad to design and begin construction. This effort has taken several months to get underway, and will tie in the rail line located within the Horn Rapids Industrial Park that is owned by the City of Richland directly into our facility."
Dr. Louis F. Centofanti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Perma-Fix is dedicated to the long term financial investment in the Tri-Cities area, and thus we continue to make capital investments in our PFNW Facility. We believe these investments not only provide needed local community support, but also support DOE's mission to clean up its largest Environmental Management site. Hanford cleanup is critical to protection of the environment and the Columbia River and we are proud to be a part of DOE's effort for this important work. Perma-Fix has built its business on designing innovative treatment capabilities for our nation's most challenging radioactive waste streams, and we look forward to providing enhanced transportation capabilities that will also support cleanup from around the nation."
The Tennessee Valley Authority declared an Unusual Event at Sequoyah Nuclear Plant at 9:54 p.m. EDT Wednesday evening when a fire involving a transformer in a switchyard at the plant lasted more than 15 minutes before being extinguished.
The fire began shortly after 9:30 p.m. and was extinguished about 20 minutes later. At the time of the fire, the transformer was being placed in service following maintenance. The investigation into the cause of the fire began Wednesday night. The Unusual Event was terminated at 10:48 p.m. No injuries were reported.
An Unusual Event is lowest of the four levels of nuclear plant emergency classifications established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In order from least serious, the classifications are: Unusual Event, Alert, Site Area Emergency and General Emergency. An Unusual Event poses no threat to the public or to plant employees. Appropriate federal, state and local emergency management agencies have been notified of the event.
Sequoyah Nuclear Plant is located on the Tennessee River near Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, about 18 miles northeast of Chattanooga. The plant consists of two pressurized water reactors rated at about 2,300 megawatts.
At the time the event was declared, unit 1 was operating at about 85 percent power and unit 2 was at 100 percent power. Both units continue to operate safely at these power levels.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.
According to news reports, India owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd will soon set up a joint venture with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd and Alstom Ltd for supplying nuclear power plants in the country, Heavy Industries secretary Bhawani Singh Meena said on Thursday.
All the three companies will have 33.33% equity each in the joint venture, which would get approval from department of atomic energy within a month, Meena said.
The investment details are being worked out, Meena said, adding the joint venture was conceived a couple of years ago but government was awaiting the passage of nuclear liability Bill for the joint venture to take off.
Currently, nuclear power plants can be set up only by Nuclear Power Corporation of India.
Alstom, a French company, is a global major involved with manufacture of power equipment. The company would be technology partner in the joint venture.
Once the joint venture is cleared by department of atomic energy, it would be able to bid for setting up civil nuclear power plants in the country, Meena said. The joint venture would not only manufacture nuclear power equipment but also bid for construction of civil nuclear power plants.
About $150 billion investment is expected in next 10-20 years in nuclear power plants.
India has already identified sites for setting up nuclear power plants in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Orissa and a few other states.
"Los Alamos National Laboratory has one of the best trained protective forces in the nuclear security enterprise, and the proficiency of the force has been demonstrated numerous times over several years," said Brad Peterson, Chief and Associate Administrator for Defense Nuclear Security.
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced yesterday that Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) continues to make investments in re-building its Protective Force training infrastructure.
"Los Alamos National Laboratory has one of the best trained protective forces in the nuclear security enterprise, and the proficiency of the force has been demonstrated numerous times over several years," said Brad Peterson, Chief and Associate Administrator for Defense Nuclear Security. "In order to sustain a high level of proficiency, the lab, in conjunction with Los Alamos Site Office and NNSA, has made significant investments in new state-of-the-art training facilities while maintaining the highest security standards."
As part of the improvements, LANL completed a new fitness running track - ahead of schedule and under budget - and completed a new Firearms Simulator Facility. This year, LANL began construction of a new Tactical Training Facility and began design of a new Indoor Firearms Training Facility.
The new running track provides security police officers enhanced capabilities to meet and maintain the demanding fitness standards required by federal regulations. Up to this point, the lab's protective force relied on sharing the local high school's track as it was the only acceptable facility in the county.
The recently completed Firearms and Tactics Simulator provides security police officers a realistic training facility for conducting firearms manipulations and practicing simulated individual tactics and team tactical engagements using computer-generated scenarios that closely mimic hostile attacks on Laboratory facilities. The facility is also environmentally friendly and economically efficient, as it allows realistic training without requiring expenditure of live ammunition. Officers can perform firearms manipulation drills in a low hazard environment.
The laboratory started construction of a new Tactical Training Facility (TTF). The TTF will have movable walls that will allow the facility to replicate interior tactical situations that could be encountered at LANL. Exercises can be conducted using simulation firearms that will provide realistic training and enhance the tactical skills of the security police officers. This facility allows units to train on team tactics providing another environmentally friendly and efficient facility. The completion of the TTF will allow the protective force to train without entering the facilities they protect, thus minimizing interference with normal facility operations.
When completed, the new indoor live fire range can also be used year round in all types of weather and be used at all hours of the day and night. It is also environmentally friendly, capturing all expended ammunition. This new range will allow security police officers an environment to enhance skills, maintain proficiency, and ensure protection of national assets.
Exelon Nuclear commemorated half a century of the nation's nuclear power industry during a celebratory luncheon today, marking the 50th anniversary of Dresden Unit 1, the nation's first privately-financed, full-scale commercial nuclear power plant. The celebration, held at the Dresden Station Training Building, was attended by public officials, station employees, company executives and several retired employees who worked on Unit 1 when it entered commercial service in the summer of 1960.
"We're proud of the pioneers who worked on Dresden Unit 1, and the roles they played in ushering in the nuclear power industry," said Susan Landahl, Exelon Nuclear Chief Operating Officer. "Although the world has changed a lot over the past 50 years, one thing that hasn't changed is our quest for continuous improvement that those working on Unit 1 did so much to cultivate."
"GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is extremely proud to help celebrate the birth of America's nuclear power industry at Dresden," said Jack Fuller, Chairman of the Board, GEH. "Dresden Unit 1 is the seed from which the worldwide boiling water reactor fleet grew. Dresden's commitment to nuclear power and its vision to the future have allowed GEH to be a nuclear industry leader. We are forever grateful to the Dresden site and congratulate it on 50 years and counting."
Although no longer generating electricity, Dresden Unit 1 laid much of the groundwork for the present-day nuclear power industry. Built by Commonwealth Edison, Dresden Unit 1 was a General Electric boiling water reactor capable of generating 210 megawatts of emission-free electricity. Construction on the unit began in 1957 and was completed two years later. In October of 1959, the unit achieved its first nuclear chain reaction.As the era of nuclear power flourished during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dresden Unit 1's size and design were soon surpassed by the industry's rapidly-evolving technology. On Oct. 31, 1978, the unit was shut down for maintenance. While it was off-line, the incident at Three Mile Island occurred and the ensuing regulations that were enacted made the multi-million dollar investment to bring Unit 1 into compliance economically unfeasible.
Unit 1 is now in SAFSTOR dormancy awaiting decommissioning, which will be completed along with Units 2 and 3 following the expiration of their operating licenses (currently scheduled for 2029 and 2031, respectively). Dresden Unit 1 has been designated a Nuclear Historic Landmark by the American Nuclear Society.
Dresden Generating Station is approximately 60 miles southwest of Chicago. The station's two operating units can produce more than 1,700 megawatts net of electricity.
"We want people to share what they have learned with each other and especially with those tackling these problems for the first time," said Tero Varjoranta, the IAEA´s Director of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology.
By Giovanni Verlini
Countries embarking on a nuclear program or activity should consider the decommissioning of a nuclear facility and remediation of the environment even before laying the first stone. This was the message emerging from an expert meeting on decommissioning and environmental remediation held today at the 54th IAEA General Conference.
With hundreds of aging and out-of-use nuclear facilities undergoing decommissioning and contaminated sites to be remediated throughout the world, the importance of dealing with the so called "legacy issues" and ensuring that those building new facilities can avoid a repeat of previous mistakes is a priority for the nuclear community.
The IAEA is in a unique position to facilitate dialogue and the sharing of experience among operators and regulators from across the world.
Networking is an important aspect of bringing remediation and decommissioning considerations forward as it can provide a unique opportunity for the sharing and exchange of information and experience from a global perspective. Comparing information and experiences often lead to finding the most efficient answer to an issue.
The IAEA´s Environmental Management and Remediation Network (ENVIRONET) and International Decommissioning Network (IDN) have already been successful in engaging several hundred professionals in more than 70 Member State organizations in this exchange of experience and know-how, complementing other IAEA efforts to actively support several decommissioning and environmental remediation programs in Member States.
"Through its technical cooperation programs, the IAEA supports decommissioning projects in a number of countries," indicated Ana María Cetto, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation.
Given the widespread nature of the issue, Member States representatives to the 54th IAEA General Conference are currently considering an international action plan for decommissioning and remediation in which the IAEA networks could play a key role.
IAEA Offering Impartial Advice to Countries Interested in Nuclear Power
- By Giovanni Verlini -
With 65 countries expressing an interest in launching a nuclear power program, the need for an "honest nuclear broker" that provides them with impartial advise is higher than ever. The IAEA can fulfill that role.
As the world´s leading international center of nuclear cooperation promoting the safe, secure and sustainable development of nuclear power, the IAEA can offer impartial, non-commercial advice to countries with little or no experience in nuclear power.
At a briefing held during the 54th IAEA General Conference, IAEA experts met with Member States representatives to illustrate the services available to countries interested in nuclear power, including the newly-launched Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Group (INIG).
The Group, which brings together and coordinates technical services from different IAEA Departments, offers newcomer countries a comprehensive approach to nuclear power development.
"INIG builds on and strengthens mechanisms already in place within the IAEA," explained Anne Starz, who heads the IAEA´s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Group.
As part of its array of services offered to countries, the IAEA also runs workshops for nuclear newcomers.
"Our aim is to help Member States´ become intelligent nuclear customers," said Starz.
During the briefing, representatives from both technology holder and receiver countries described how international cooperation is helping meet the world´s rising demand for nuclear power.