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This New Fuel Could Make Nuclear Power Safer and Cheaper
MIT Technology Review
by Richard Martin March 31, 2016
With 65 reactors under construction worldwide and another 173 planned, the nuclear power industry is placing bets that its long-awaited renaissance is near. But making existing and new nuclear plants more economical continues to be the biggest challenge.
One way to help meet the challenge is to make reactors’ fuel rods safer and more efficient. Lightbridge, a company in Reston, Virginia, that has been working on new fuel technologies for a quarter-century, has unveiled a metallic fuel for nuclear reactors that it says will do just that.
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601121/this-new-fuel-could-make-nuclear-power-safer-and-cheaper/
"they are a couple of PRs away from the SP solving that problem"
Nice to see Areva is still on board
But Seth and Lightbridge are broke. Not sure how Nasdaq lets them keep their ticker. Good thing all of the employees agreed to take iou's or else they would have had to turn out the lights.
Now we get to find out who is going to pay CNL? Hopefully Seth is ready to open up his personal checkbook considering he has milked more salary out of the company than it is worth today.
It is a fantastic concept, bad business model.
Former Areva comms director Jarret Adams launches Full On Communications
March 07, 2016 by Dipka Bhambhani
WASHINGTON: Jarret Adams, former communications director for French nuclear giant Areva, has launched DC-based agency Full On Communications.
The firm's founder and CEO Adams and EVP Jasper Smith, who is an international public affairs pro, will counsel clean energy companies, with a focus on the nuclear industry.
Full On Communications is a full-service communications and PR consultancy. The team provides strategic counsel, media relations, and government affairs support. The firm is using integrated strategies and innovative tools to connect with a full range of stakeholders – from employees and investors to governments and media.
"One of my strengths is the deep understanding that I have for the industry, so it’s a much quicker ramp up time," Adams told PRWeek. "I can turn around materials and strategy because I don’t have that [hurdle]."
He explained that the nuclear industry is in a period of transition and facing a number of challenges, so there is still a great need and opportunity for PR consulting in the sector.
"In the wake of a historic agreement at the UN climate change conference, nuclear energy is a sector that could thrive globally by employing fresh approaches to communications," he said in a statement. "Despite being the largest source of low-carbon power in the U.S. and European Union, nuclear energy is underappreciated for its critical role in meeting our energy needs while controlling greenhouse gas emissions."
Clients include the Nuclear Energy Institute and Lightbridge Corporation, the latter of which has developed a new type of nuclear fuel for power plants.
Lightbridge Corporation’s CEO Seth Grae said he brought the firm on due to its deep industry knowledge, responsiveness, and international perspective.
"These are critical factors in communicating effectively about the innovative new technologies and approaches we are developing for the nuclear energy sector," Grae said.
The majority of Adams’ comms career – which spans more than 20 years -- has been spent in DC in the nuclear energy industry.
He was a senior communications consultant for the Nuclear Energy Institute in DC before he joined Areva in 2008 as director of media relations and online communications. He was promoted to VP of communications in the nuclear energy company’s Saskatchewan office.
Adams spent a year as a director for APCO Worldwide in its United Arab Emirates office before he launched his agency. That stint ended in November 2015.
Read more at http://www.prweek.com/article/1386402/former-areva-comms-director-jarret-adams-launches-full-communications#jyx4WL1Xejc2PuJE.99
Unprecedented court order given to shut down Japanese nuclear reactor
March 9, 2016 5:31 am
TOKYO – A court issued an unprecedented order Wednesday for a nuclear reactor in western Japan to stop operating and ordered a second one to stay offline.
The Otsu District Court that issued the injunction said the emergency response plans and equipment designs at the two reactors have not been sufficiently upgraded after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The order requires Kansai Electric Power Co. to shut down the No. 3 reactor and keep the No. 4 offline at the Takahama plant in Fukui prefecture, home to about a dozen reactors.
Kansai Electric said it will abide by the decision and start the shutdown procedures for No. 3 reactor Thursday morning. The utility, meanwhile, said the decision was “disappointing” and planned to appeal.
The decision reflects Japan’s divisive views on nuclear safety and leaves only two of the country’s 43 reactors in operation.
http://globalnews.ca/news/2566476/unprecedented-court-order-given-to-shut-down-japanese-nuclear-reactor/
South Korean Grid Connects World’s First APR1400 Nuclear Reactor
03/01/2016 | Sonal Patel
The world’s first 1,400-MW Advanced Pressurized Reactor (APR1400), a South Korean Generation III design, has now been connected to the grid.
Nearly eight years since construction kicked off in October 2008—despite years of delays posed by delivery delays and a crippling documentation scandal that required cabling replacements—Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) put Shin Kori 3 (Figure 2) online on January 15. A twin reactor at Shin Kori 4 is expected to start up in 2017.
Meanwhile, two more APR1400s are under construction at Shin Hanul (Units 1 and 2) and should come online between April 2017 and February 2018.
The reactor design won the Korean Institute of Nuclear Safety’s design certification in May 2003. After construction began on the Shin Kori reactors, KHNP, which is spearheading efforts to export the design, struck a $20 billion deal with the United Arab Emirates for four APR1400s.
Those reactors are already under construction at Barakah. All are scheduled to be in operation by 2020. The first is reportedly more than 75% complete and is expected to come online in 2017.
http://www.powermag.com/south-korean-grid-connects-worlds-first-apr1400-nuclear-reactor/
Japan Restarts Third Nuclear Reactor, a MOX Unit
02/01/2016 | Sonal Patel
Following rigorous safety checks, Kansai Electric Power Co. on February 1 restarted a unit that uses a uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at its Takahama nuclear plant in Japan’s Fukui prefecture.
The unit is the third restarted in Japan since the country’s Nuclear Regulation Agency (NRA) idled all reactors and began safety checks in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster. Currently, 43 reactors are considered operable, with about 22 in some stage of the lengthy process to restart.
In August and October, Kyushu Electric Power Co. restarted the Sendai 1 and 2 reactors in Kagoshima prefecture. The 870-MW Takahama 3 pressurized water reactor’s 157 nuclear fuel assemblies, including 24 MOX fuel assemblies, were loaded into the reactor in December.
The NRA, meanwhile, has so far completed safety assessments for Takahama 4 as well as Shikoku Electric’s Ikata 3. Experts widely expected that between six and 12 more plants will resume commercial operation by March 2017.
Japan’s July 2015–finalized long-term energy plan calls for nuclear units to provide between 20% and 22% of its power in fiscal year 2030.
http://www.powermag.com/japans-third-nuclear-reactor-a-mox-unit-restarted/
All of the players are at the table
Utilities - Dominion, Southern, Duke, Exelon
Manufacturers - CNL, Areva, BWXT
Test - Norway, Sweden
Vertify - DOE, NRC
The only 3 questions left to answer are who pays LTBR, when, and how much? I think Areva and BWXT are the who, and we know Areva has a Feburary deadline to put something in writing, and BWXT has until June.
Kansai Electric begins fuel loading for nuclear restart
25 December 2015 18:10JAPAN NOW
Kansai Electric Power Co. said Friday that it has started loading nuclear fuel into a reactor on the Sea of Japan following a court decision to lift an injunction against the move, paving the way for its restart in late January as the country's third reactor to operate.
After the restart earlier this year of two reactors in southwestern Japan, while others remain offline in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, the No. 3 reactor at the utility's Takahama plant in Fukui Prefecture would be the first to run on uranium-plutonium mixed oxide, or MOX fuel, if it begins operations as scheduled.
The utility is scheduled to insert a total of 157 fuel rod assemblies by next Tuesday, including 24 of MOX fuel, according to Kansai Electric.
The reactor along with the No. 4 at the same plant was allowed to resume operation by the Fukui District Court on Thursday.
The power company envisions reactivating the No. 3 unit sometime between January 28 and 30 and having it start power generation and transmission around Feb. 1, followed by the restart of the No. 4 unit in late February.
http://kyodonews.net/news/2015/12/25/43803
DOE launches nuclear waste disposal initiative
By Timothy Cama - 12/21/15 04:57 PM EST
The Department of Energy is formally launching its initiative aimed at establishing a disposal site for spent nuclear fuel.
The department said Monday that it is accepting input on the disposal plan, which centers on finding at least one place to store spent fuel, with the consent of the local community.
Officials are also planning forums throughout 2016 to inform a more concrete plan for establishing a disposal site.
It’s a key step toward rolling out what the Obama administration thinks is the best way forward for nuclear waste disposal.
It stands in stark contrast to the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada, which was designated by Congress to be the country’s main waste site, but which the Obama administration canceled amid strong local and state opposition to it.
“The launch of our consent-based siting initiative represents an important step toward addressing this nuclear waste management challenge, so that we can continue to benefit from nuclear technologies,” Lynn Orr, the Energy Department’s deputy secretary for science and energy, wrote in a Monday blog post.
While it will take years before the first pilot storage site is established, the administration’s action nonetheless is a small step toward solving the problem of nuclear waste sitting at dozens of current and former nuclear power plants and defense-related sites around the country.
The administration’s plan is largely informed by a wide-ranging 2013 report from a blue-ribbon commission, which concluded that a “consent-based” waste site is the ideal strategy and alternative to Yucca.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/263959-doe-launches-nuclear-waste-disposal-initiative
Lightbridge and Areva sign non-binding LOA for joint venture
On December 18, 2015, Lightbridge Corporation ("Lightbridge") entered into a letter of agreement with AREVA NP ("AREVA") setting out the principal terms of the potential formation of one or more joint ventures between Lightbridge and AREVA to further develop, manufacture, commercialize, and fund Lightbridge's next generation metallic nuclear fuel technology.
Seth Grae, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lightbridge, commented, "The letter of agreement represents a significant step towards the commercialization of our next generation metallic nuclear fuel technology. We are pleased to have entered into an initial agreement with AREVA, a world leader in the nuclear fuel design and fabrication process, and we look forward to the next steps in establishing joint ventures with AREVA."
The letter of agreement establishes a framework for the future collaboration between Lightbridge and AREVA. The parties will work towards entering into a joint development agreement by February 29, 2016, which will define the different steps (including, without limitation, a feasibility study, a business plan, and an implementation action plan), working groups, and methodology to determine the feasibility and opportunity of future joint ventures between the parties. The joint development agreement is also expected to provide for the process by which the parties will execute definitive documentation for the joint ventures, including a term sheet that will set forth the main terms of the joint ventures.
The letter of agreement is non-binding and only expresses the basic terms and conditions that the parties presently intend, subject to mutual agreement on the feasibility and opportunity of creating the joint ventures. Neither party is obligated to proceed with the formation of the joint ventures or any other arrangement. The letter of agreement will expire on February 29, 2016 or upon the earlier execution of the joint development agreement or definitive documentation for the joint ventures. The letter of agreement also grants AREVA an exclusivity period for negotiations with Lightbridge regarding formation of joint ventures to develop, manufacture, commercialize, or fund Lightbridge's next generation metallic nuclear fuel technology, which exclusivity period will expire on February 29, 2016 or the later expiration of the joint development agreement.
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/151221/ltbr8-k.html
Argentina, China seal US$15B nuclear deal
Monday, November 16, 2015
BELEK, Turkey — Argentina signed two nuclear power plant construction deals with China yesterday worth around US$15 billion, which would add 1,750 megawatts to the energy already produced by Argentina’s three nuclear power plants in Argentina.
About 85 percent of the cost of the project will be financed by Chinese firms, to be paid back in 18 years at an annual interest rate below 6.5 percent. More than 60 percent of the supplies will be locally manufactured, while the rest will be imported from China, Economy Minister Axel Kicillof said after signing the agreements alongside Planning Minister Julio de Vido.
More than 90 percent of Argentina’s energy matrix relies on hydrocarbon resources. Natural gas is by far the most common fuel in thermal plants that dominate the country’s energy sources. That is followed by hydroelectric power and then nuclear power and renewable energy with less than one percentage point.
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/203033/argentina-china-seal-us$15b-nuclear-deal
Fuel loading under way at Shin Kori 3
04 November 2015
The loading of fuel into the core of unit 3 at South Korea's Shin Kori plant has begun, plant owner Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced today. The unit - featuring the country's first APR-1400 reactor - is expected to enter commercial operation in mid-2016.
Having been issued with an operating licence for the unit by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission on 29 October, KHNP said that workers have now started loading the 241 fuel assemblies into the reactor. This process is expected to take about nine days to complete, the company said.
Shin Kori 3 - construction of which began in October 2008 - will be the first Korean-designed Advanced Pressurised Reactor-1400 (APR-1400) to start up. Unit 4 at Shin Kori - also an APR-1400 - is expected to start operating in early 2017.
Two further APR-1400 units are planned for both the Shin Kori and Shin Hanul sites.
Four more APR-1400s are under construction at Barakah in the United Arab Emirates. All four are scheduled to be in operation by 2020.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Fuel-loading-under-way-at-Shin-Kori-3-0411154.html
Plans to expand Texas nuke plant by 2 units pass NRC safety tests
By Robert Walton | October 28, 2015
Dive Brief:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed a safety review of plans to expand a Texas nuclear facility, concluding the project can be safely constructed and operated and that the applicants can finance the facilities, the San Antonio Business Journal reports.
Nuclear Innovation North America LLC (NINA), a partnership between NRG Energy and Toshiba, is behind the application to construct two new units and add an additional 2,700 MW of carbon-free capacity to Texas markets.
Earlier this year, the project cleared another hurdle when regulators determined Japan-based Toshiba did not control the project's safety, security or finances.
While the NRC is making progress on the Texas license, a project proposed by Tennessee Valley Authority will likely be the first new nuclear reactor to come online since 1996. The 1,150-MW Watts Bar-2 unit has been the subject of much scrutiny and has been under construction for 40 years. But a week ago, it received an operating license from the federal government. The unit is scheduled to begin operations next year.
Japan Clears Restart of Third Nuclear Power Unit
World | Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: October 26, 2015 18:09 IST
TOKYO: The government of Japan today approved the reactivation of the Ikata nuclear plant, the third to become operational under new and strict security regulations following the Fukushima disaster in 2011.
Tokihiro Nakamura, governor of Ehime prefecture, today announced the approval to restart the third nuclear unit at Shikoku Electric Power Company's Ikata plant after a meeting with the company's representatives, Efe news agency reported.
The plant, however, is not expected to become operational till January 2016.
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) had approved the reactivation of the plant in July.
The Ikata plant was the fifth nuclear reactor to get clearance from the NRA after it complied with the post-Fukushima norms.
Of these five reactors, so far only the first and second units of the Sendai plant have become operational, on August 11 and September 15.
http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/japan-clears-restart-of-third-nuclear-power-unit-1236529
Kyushu restarts second reactor at Sendai plant under tighter Fukushima-inspired rules
OCT 15, 2015
KAGOSHIMA – A nuclear reactor in Kagoshima Prefecture resumed operation Thursday, becoming the second unit to restart after the government tightened safety regulations following the 2011 triple reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 complex.
Kyushu Electric Power Co. said it reactivated the No. 2 reactor at its Sendai complex, about two months after the No. 1 reactor at the two-reactor plant began operating under what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government calls “the world’s toughest” safety rules.
The first restart in August ended a nearly two-year hiatus in the country’s nuclear power generation.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/15/national/second-reactor-restarted-kyushu-tighter-fukushima-inspired-rules/#.Vh_Yp_lVhBc
NRC extends operating life for Sequoyah nuclear reactors
September 28th, 2015
The Tennessee Valley Authority will be able to continue to operate both units at its Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant for an additional 20 years beyond its original licensed time period under an operating license extension approved today by federal regulators.
The renewed licenses authorize Unit 1 to operate through Sept. 17, 2040, and Unit 2 through Sept. 15, 2041. The Tennessee Valley Authority applied to renew the licenses in January 2013 and regulators have been reviewing the plant and supporting documents ever since.
The two Sequoyah reactors bring to 78 the number of commercial nuclear power reactors with renewed licenses. Applications for an additional 16 renewals are currently under review.
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2015/sep/28/nrc-extends-operating-life-sequoyah-nuclear-reactors/327586/
GE's Immelt rules out India nuclear investment under current law
Mon Sep 21, 2015 11:37am EDT
General Electric Co will not invest in atomic energy in India until accident liability laws are brought in line with global rules, Chairman Jeff Immelt said on Monday, in a setback for top-level efforts to get U.S. firms to build power stations.
Speaking shortly after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Immelt said India needed to "homogenize" its liability law with the rest of the world.
With the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy still fresh in India's mind, parliament five years ago passed a law that makes equipment suppliers responsible for an accident, a deviation from international norms that companies found hard to swallow.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/21/us-ge-exim-idUSKCN0RL0X220150921
G.O.P. Discord Over Ex-Im Bank Intensifies
By JACKIE CALMESSEPT. 15, 2015
WASHINGTON — General Electric announced plans on Tuesday to move 500 jobs overseas, and Boeing said it had lost a second foreign satellite contract in weeks, developments that both corporate giants blamed on the Republican-led Congress’s failure to keep the federal Export-Import Bank open to help finance new deals.
The announcements were certain to reignite Republican infighting over the future of the 81-year-old export credit agency just as Congress was returning from its long summer recess, promising to widen the rift between the party’s pro-business and anti-government wings both on Capitol Hill and in the presidential-nominating race.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/16/business/economy/export-import-bank-general-electric-boeing.html?_r=0
Saudis Make Push for Nuclear Energy
By BROOKE ANDERSON
Sept. 15, 2015 4:47 p.m. ET
While the world’s attention has focused on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, other players in the Middle East have been laying their own plans to develop nuclear power to meet future energy needs.
Saudi Arabia, the most ambitious of the group, has announced plans to build 16 reactors over the next several decades, providing a projected 15% of the country’s electricity possibly as early as 2032, according to a Saudi government website. The estimated cost of the program: more than $80 billion, according to an analysis of the plans by Ali Ahmad, a research fellow and lecturer on energy policy at Princeton University. Mr. Ahmad says he based his calculation on a roughly $5 billion price tag for each reactor.
Plans for nuclear power in the Arab Mideast go back to 2006, when the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—began to study the feasibility for a nuclear program to help serve the region’s domestic electricity and desalination needs.
French energy companies Areva SA and EDF SA have agreed to help train workers and help develop a Saudi supply chain. The French and Saudi governments in June signed an agreement to study the feasibility of building two power reactors. South Korea back in March signed a memorandum of understanding to study the feasibility of building two small to midsize reactors.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/saudis-make-push-for-nuclear-energy-1442350064
Kyushu Electric begins putting nuclear fuel in 2nd reactor for restart
September 11, 2015 (Mainichi Japan)
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Kyushu Electric Power Co. said Friday it began loading nuclear fuel into the second reactor at its Sendai station in southwestern Japan, moving a step closer to its restart planned for mid-October under upgraded safety regulations adopted following the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns.
The No. 2 reactor at the two-unit plant will become the second to be restarted in Japan since the post-Fukushima safety requirements came into force. Kyushu Electric reactivated the No. 1 unit at the complex on Aug. 11, which marked the revival of nuclear power generation in the country after a two-year hiatus.
On Friday, the utility launched operations to insert a total of 157 fuel rod assemblies into the No. 2 reactor. The work is expected to take about four days.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150911p2g00m0dm004000c.html
Lightbridge and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Sign Comprehensive Agreement for Fabrication of Lightbridge Nuclear Fuel Samples
Lightbridge Corporation
20 minutes ago
GlobeNewswire
MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lightbridge Corporation (LTBR), a U.S. nuclear energy company, today announced that it has signed a Comprehensive Nuclear Services Agreement with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) for fabrication of Lightbridge’s patented next generation metallic nuclear fuel test samples at CNL facilities at Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. This enabling agreement provides the framework to proceed with Phases 2 and 3 of the test fuel sample fabrication at CNL’s facilities in Chalk River as envisioned in an October 2014 Initial Cooperation Agreement.
“With this agreement with Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, Lightbridge has put in place the last key enabling agreement to execute our critical path work scope relating to research reactor irradiation under prototypic commercial reactor operating conditions,” said Lightbridge President and CEO Seth Grae. “Our agreement with CNL is keeping development of Lightbridge-designed metallic fuel on track to deliver innovative, proprietary fuel that can help global utilities safely generate more carbon-free electricity at improved operating margins from existing and new build reactors,” Grae added.
The initial scope of work under the comprehensive nuclear services agreement involves development of a fabrication plan in 2015. Subsequent activities will include fabrication and characterization in early 2016 of prototype fuel test samples using depleted uranium, to be followed by fabrication in late 2016 of irradiation fuel test samples using low enriched uranium for loop irradiation testing under prototypic commercial reactor operating conditions in a pressurized water loop of the 25MW nuclear research reactor operated by the Institute for Energy Technology at Halden, Norway.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/lightbridge-canadian-nuclear-laboratories-sign-123000047.html
KSA, Korea sign SMART nuclear reactor deal
Saudi GazetteSaudi Gazette – Thu, Sep 3, 2015
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement with South Korea for building SMART nuclear reactors and developing human resources capability to run them.
SMART is a 330 MWt pressurized water reactor with integral steam generators and advanced safety features. The unit is designed for electricity generation as well as thermal applications, such as seawater desalination, with a 60-year design life and three-year refueling cycle.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/09/04/2003626917
Pakistan starts construction of two 1100 MWe nuclear reactors
Author: brian wang on 8/24/2015
Pakistan started construction of two Chinese-designed Hualong One nuclear units near the coastal city of Karachi.
Pakistan has three operating reactors - Karachi 1 (KANUPP) which started up in 1972, and two units at Chashma which have been operating since 2000 and 2011, respectively. Two further units are under construction at Chashma under a long-term cooperation agreement with China.
http://nextbigfuture.com/2015/08/pakistan-starts-construction-of-two.html
June 2015 Fuel Development Update
MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 19, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lightbridge Corporation (LTBR) today issued a development and commercialization progress report for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2015
“Over the next 12 to 15 months, we expect to incur approximately $3.0 million in research and development expenses related to the development of our proprietary nuclear fuel designs,” Grae said. “We are carefully managing our expenses and reducing overhead where appropriate, while maintaining a solid balance sheet with no long-term debt. Our strategy is to minimize dilution through alliances with fuel vendors, fuel fabricators and other strategic partners. Upon commercialization of our technology in the coming years, we believe the license and royalty fees from existing U.S. reactors alone will add significant value for shareholders.”
At June 30, 2015, the Company had approximately $2.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, and approximately $2.7 million of working capital, with no long-term debt.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/lightbridge-announces-nuclear-fuel-development-120000428.html
It looks like Seth has decided that shareholders shouldn't have to pay for the remaining fuel development steps, what a guy, considering we've footed that bill for 10 years and two fuel variances. I want a nice pair of shoes too someday.
3.) Is it anticipated that any significant change in results of operations from the corresponding period for the last fiscal year will be reflected by the earnings statements to be included in the subject report or portion thereof ?
[ ] Yes [ x ] No
NRC bases new regulations around TVA (B&W SMR) technology
August 10, 2015 | By Jaclyn Brandt
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is focusing on small modular reactors (SMR), after one utility decided to try out a new technology in their service area.
The NRC voted 4-0 this week to direct their staff to develop emergency preparedness (EP) regulations for SMRs -- as well as other reactor technology, like such as non-light-water reactors (non-LWRs) and medical isotope production facilities.
Because of advancements in reactor designs, NRC felt it was "reasonable" to consider a new EP framework, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).
"We are pleased with the commission's approval to take the next steps to establish a regulatory framework for emergency preparedness that reflects the design and safety advantages of SMRs and other new technologies," NEI Senior Director for New Plant Licensing Russ Bell said in a statement.
NRC has given their staff a nine-month target to complete the plan.
"NRC's action on this issue is timely, given the progress small reactor vendors and prospective customers are making to submit licensing documents to the NRC," NEI explained.
In September, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced the plans to NRC to change their and build a brand new type of reactor. In the proposal, TVA said they plan to implement two or more small reactors at their Clinch River site. The utility's site permit application will SMR-appropriate emergency plans, as well as a request for exemptions from certain EP requirements that are necessary pending revisions to the regulations, according to NEI.
The Early Site Permit (ESP) application that TVA is preparing uses a "plant parameter envelope," which can encompass "any of the leading U.S. light water reactor SMR technologies," NEI said. TVA received funds from the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2012 for small reactor designs -- in a partnership with Babcock & Wilcox Co.
"Under the program, the TVA-B&W partnership would deploy up to four of Generation mPower LLC's 180-megawatt-electric advanced light water reactors at TVA's Clinch River site, with the aim of providing clean, reliable electricity to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory," NEI explained.
http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/nrc-bases-new-regulations-around-tva-technology/2015-08-10
New TVA Watts Bar nuclear reactor passes hot functional tests
New unit readies for fuel load this fall
August 11th, 2015
by Staff Report
The Tennessee Valley Authority has successfully completed its testing of key operating equipment for its Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear reactor, clearing the way for additional tests of safety and containment systems before fuel is scheduled to be loaded in the new reactor this fall.
TVA said today that the latest round of tests, called hot functional testing, demonstrated equipment performed as designed and marks the first time nearly 60 important systems operated together. Over a period of eight weeks, operators used the heat generated by plant equipment to increase the temperature and pressure of systems to normal operating levels. The unit's main turbine was also rolled up to normal operating speed using the plant's steam.
"Successful completion of these tests demonstrates the key operational readiness of Watts Bar Unit 2 in preparation to load fuel," Mike Skaggs, senior vice president for Watts Bar Operations and Construction, said in a statement today. "Good work by our team has brought us to where we are today as we validate the unit's ability to operate safely and the station's readiness for dual-unit operation."
Hot functional testing is a critical pre-operational requirement leading up to TVA requesting an operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That license is required before fuel can be loaded into the reactor.
NRC commissioners have voted to grant TVA an operating license for Watts Bar Unit 2, provided that staff certifies that the plant and its staff are ready. TVA expects to begin generating power from the new reactor by the end of 2015.
Located near Spring City, Tenn., Watts Bar Unit 2 is approximately 99 percent complete and remains on target to become the first new nuclear generation of the 21st century. When online, it will produce 1,150 megawatts of carbon-free electricity. Combined with the output of the operational Unit 1, the Watts Bar plant will then meet the power needs of 1.3 million homes.
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2015/aug/11/new-tva-watts-bar-nuclear-reactor-passes-hot-functional-tests/319311/
Japan turns on nuclear power four years after Fukushima
11 Aug 2015 10:56 GMT
Japan has restarted a nuclear reactor for the first time since the Fukushima disaster in 2011, as the government seeks to reassure a nervous public that the industry is now safe with the new safety standards.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and much of Japanese industry want the reactors to be switched on again to cut fuel bills, but opinion polls show a majority of the public oppose the move after the nuclear crisis triggered by the earthquake and tsunami four years ago.
Kyushu Electric Power began the restart on Tuesday of the No 1 reactor at its Sendai plant, about 1,000km southwest of Tokyo, a spokesman said.
The 31-year-old reactor, operating under tougher post-Fukushima safety rules, was expected to reach full capacity around 11pm Tuesday and would start generating power by Friday.
Commercial operations are to begin early next month, a company spokesman said.
Abe has said only reactors that were deemed to have cleared the "world's most stringent regulation standards" would be allowed to restart.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/japan-turns-nuclear-power-years-fukushima-150811045918864.html
Japan to restart first nuclear reactor since Fukushima disaster
By AFP11:05AM BST 10 Aug 2015
Japan will on Tuesday begin restarting its nuclear power programme, officials said, after a two-year shutdown sparked by public fears following the Fukushima crisis.
The restart comes more than four years after a quake-sparked tsunami triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima plant, prompting the shutdown of Japan's stable of reactors in the world's worst atomic crisis in a generation.
Resource-poor Japan, which once relied on nuclear power for a quarter of its electricity, restarted two reactors temporarily to feed its needs. But they both went offline by September 2013, making it completely nuclear-free for about two years.
The reactor No. 1 at the Sendai nuclear plant, nearly 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) southwest of Tokyo, has been loaded with atomic fuel. Its operator announced Monday the reactor would be switched on by 10:30 am (0130 GMT) Tuesday.
The 31-year-old reactor was expected to reach full capacity by "around 11:00 pm" Tuesday and would start generating power by Friday. But regular operations would not begin until early September, a Kyushu Electric Power spokeswoman said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/11793576/Japan-to-restart-first-nuclear-reactor-since-Fukushima-disaster.html
Finnish consortium planning to build nuclear reactor clears hurdle
Stockholm (dpa) - A Finnish consortium that plans to build a new nuclear reactor in the Nordic country cleared a hurdle Wednesday after securing sufficient domestic ownership to be considered by the government.
Economic Affairs Minister Olli Rehn said the updated ownership list showed domestic ownership in the consortium Fennovoima was over 60 per cent, the level stipulated by the government and parliament.
"We need nuclear power during a transition period, and (in order) to drop coal during the 2020s," Rehn told reporters.
http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/refilefinnish-consortium-planning-to-build-nuclear-reactor-clears-hurdle_406106.html
Rosatom signs framework deal for construction of Vietnam’s first nuclear power facility
4 August 2015
An engineering subsidiary under Russia's Rosatom, NIAEP-ASE United Company has signed a master framework agreement with the state-owned Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) in Hanoi for implementing the first phase of construction of the Ninh Thuan-1 nuclear power plant.
The nuclear facility will be the first in Vietnam and will house two units, each having a capacity to generate 1.2GW of atomic power.
Vietnam selected Rosatom's AES-2006 design for the facility, which is located at Phuoc Dinh in the Thuan Nam district of the Ninh Thuan province of the country.
Vietnam intends to triple its power generation capacity in the next 15 years, aiming to generate 15GW of power from nuclear resources, to account for nearly 10% of the country's entire energy mix.
http://www.power-technology.com/news/newsrosatom-signs-framework-deal-for-construction-of-vietnams-first-nuclear-power-facility-4638393
Japan two weeks from return to nuclear power
27 July 2015
Kyushu Electric Power Company plans to apply to regulators for the final 'applied safety inspection' of Sendai 1 on 3 August. This check is expected to take one week, making 10 August a potential start-up date.
Another 20 reactors are behind Sendai in the restart process, which is expected to gradually speed up after the first few units are back in normal operation. The Japanese government envisages a return to using nuclear power for 20-22% of electricity by 2030 as part of a plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 26% compared to fiscal year 2013.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS-Japan-two-weeks-from-return-to-nuclear-power-2706151.html
I agree, patents, staff, relationship with the NRC, DOE, reactor operators, fuel manufacturers are worth at least $30m. I think shareholders, after footing a big part of the bill for the past decade, want management to put manufacturing and testing another set of sample rods on somebody else's dime (strategic partner, large investor). I think Seth will capitulate and agree to give up some of the long term benefits to get short term help.
The price of these shares can't be hard to bring down with the entire sector getting creamed. Now if LTBR was tanking and URA spiking that would mean bad news. There has been no bad news since the CNL reactor closing before tests would be able to be carried out, but Halden solves that so we still have no major setbacks on the metallic fuel since conception.
Chiding Congress on Ex-Im Bank
By JOSH LEDERMAN and ERICA WERNER, Associated Press
July 22, 2015 | 6:13 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chiding Congress in no uncertain terms, President Barack Obama warned Wednesday that American businesses are suffering while the Export-Import Bank lapses, and called on lawmakers to reauthorize the bank within days.
With Congress nearing its annual August recess, Obama said the U.S. "cannot leave these businesses hanging" by punting a vote to renew the bank until after Congress returns. He said it was a "shame" that the bank had been allowed to expire, and said the lapse puts the U.S. at a disadvantage because "every other advanced country has a program like this" to promote its exports.
The bank's charter expired June 30 for the first time in its 81-year history because of congressional inaction. With conservative opponents celebrating its demise, prospects to revive it are uncertain.
he bank cannot currently make new loans or guarantees but remains in business to service billions in outstanding loans and guarantees. However, its funding runs out Sept. 30, so its outlook becomes even shakier if Congress does not act before then.
http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/07/22/obama-renewing-call-to-reauthorize-export-import-bank
India to build a 'strategic uranium reserve'
PTI | Jul 19, 2015, 12.09PM IST
NEW DELHI: After a record production this year, India is working on creating a 'strategic uranium reserve' to ensure its atomic power reactors do not face shortage of the crucial nuclear fuel.
"The reserve pool could be anywhere between 5000 MT to 15,000 MT which can last for 5-10 years," said a senior government official.
"For all these years, we could not think of having a reserve like other countries have due to the impending sanctions. But now we can think of working to build a reserve of nuclear fuel.
"We are mostly depending on the uranium from Australia. Once we start getting it, we can start building the reserve. Uranium from Kazakhstan will largely meet the current demand. It is a rare commodity, so one should keep piling it whenever it is available at a cheaper rate in the international market," the official added.
Under the Indo-US nuclear deal, the latter is to support India's initiative for having a nuclear pool. "The United States will support an Indian effort to develop a strategic reserve of nuclear fuel to guard against any disruption of supply over the lifetime of India's reactors," the agreement states.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-to-build-a-strategic-uranium-reserve/articleshow/48131647.cms
Japan regulators approve restart of another nuclear reactor
Nuclear regulators in Japan Wednesday granted permission to restart another reactor, joining the four already given the go-ahead under updated regulations following the 2011 atomic accident.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority decided to allow operator Shikoku Electric Power Co to operate reactor 3 at its Ikata plant in Ehime prefecture, 750 kilometres south-west of Tokyo.
http://dalje.com/en-world/japan-regulators-approve-restart-of-another-nuclear-reactor/550185
Landmark deal reached on Iran nuclear program
By Jethro Mullen and Nic Robertson, CNN
Updated 1319 GMT (2019 HKT) July 14, 2015
Vienna (CNN)After arduous talks that spanned 20 months, negotiators have reached a landmark deal aimed at reining in Iran's nuclear program.
The agreement, a focal point of U.S. President Barack Obama's foreign policy, appears set to reshape relations between Iran and the West, with its effects likely to ripple across the volatile Middle East.
Representatives of Iran, the United States and the other nations involved in the marathon talks were holding a final meeting in Vienna on Tuesday.
Obama praised the deal reached Tuesday morning, saying the agreement met the goals he had in place throughout negotiations.
"Today after two years of negotiation the United States together with the international community has achieved something that decades of animosity has not: a comprehensive long-term deal with Iran that will prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon," Obama said from the White House, with Vice President Joe Biden at his side.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also praised the deal, speaking after Obama finished, as televisions in Iran broadcast the U.S. President's statement live, translated into Farsi.
"Negotiators have reached a good agreement and I announce to our people that our prayers have come true," Rouhani said in a live address to the nation following Obama.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/14/politics/iran-nuclear-deal/