Good news for nuclear energy ~ January 2012 

 NRC vote for Southern reactors "imminent" Fertel

A vote will take place soon by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to award combined construction and operating licenses for twin Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at the utility's Vogtle site in George.  That's according to Marvin Fertel, the CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

Fertel says he expects the action approving the licenses to take place "within days."

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Areva inks $500 million nuclear fuel deal with Xcel for Monticello 

 Areva inks $500 million nuclear fuel deal with Xcel for Monticello

It is a vertically integrated contract covering the entire front end

French state-owned nuclear giant Areva had some good new this week in its U.S. market. The firm signed a unique integrated fuel and services contract on Jan 4 with Xcel Energy (NYSE:XEL) to supply the utility's Monticello nuclear generating plant in Minnesota. The contact is worth approximately $500 million for a ten year period of performance.

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The lights have been on for 60 years 

The lights have been on for sixy years

Exactly 60 years ago today in Arco, Idaho, scientists and engineers successfully used nuclear energy to

power four 200-watt light bulbs, laying the groundwork for decades of clean electricity and a strong U.S. nuclear energy industry.

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Good News about Nuclear Energy - December 2011 

Good News about Nuclear Energy for December 2011

Plans for development of new nuclear reactors continue to emerge, or change from the past, as a result of the Fukushima disaster in Japan. This trend is visible in China where the government is getting ready to start approving new reactor projects following a safety review.

Other southeast Asian nations are also making plans or looking at the potential for nuclear energy. Chief among them is Vietnam with expectations of building as many as eight new reactors.

India is emerging as a major player in the business of building new reactors despite protests from opposition parties more interested in giving the incumbent government a black eye than developing a rational energy policy.

And there is lots of other positive news about carbon emission free nuclear energy.

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Nuclear energy ~ Think again 

Another round of good news about nuclear energy

Serious efforts to get reactors built continue to make progress

The fashionable approach to the nuclear fuel cycle is sometimes wrong It is fashionable among green groups and others who have utopian visions of a low tech post industrial society to say that nuclear energy is finished as a result of the Fukushima crisis. This is dead wrong.

Charles D. Ferguson, President of the Federation of American Scientists, has an important essay in Foreign Policy Magazine on the subject. In an article titled, "Think Again: Nuclear Power," he writes that while Japan has "melted down, that doesn't mean the end of the atomic age."

His point is that the fashionable approach to the nuclear fuel cycle is sometimes wrong.

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My conversation with Chairman Jaczko 

 My conversation with Chairman Jaczko

He came prepared which was as strong signal of his interest in constructive dialog

By: Dan Yurman, Idaho Samizdat

On October 4 I had the opportunity to pitch more than 50 questions to Gregory Jaczko, the Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in a fast paced online, and unscripted, 90-minute webinar .

Dan Yurman (left) talks with NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko (right) during the October 4, 2011, webinar.  Photo: Clark Communications

The project was conceived of by the NRC's Public Affairs Office and shaped into a workable event through collaboration with the American Nuclear Society.

Webinar challenges

As the project took shape, the NRC agreed with Scheele that two separate sessions were needed, one for pro-nuclear bloggers and one for anti-nuclear organizations. (The anti-nuclear session was held Oct 6.)  Scheele also insisted, and the NRC agreed, that the moderator could ask follow-up questions. About a third of the questions asked were of the follow-up type.

Read the full store for all the details and for links to the webinar transcript, podcast, and video.

# # #

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UAE nuclear reactor to break ground in December 

 UAE nuclear reactors to break ground in December

The biggest single new nuclear power station on the planet will be located on the Persian Gulf

 

Construction of four new 1,400 MW nuclear reactors worth $20 billion, supplied by South Korea, will begin at Braka, 270 km west of Abu Dhabi on the shores of the Persian Gulf, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this December. The first of the four new units will come online in 2017 followed by the others through 2020.

Korea's state-owned KEPCO made the announcement in Seoul, South Korea this week. KEPCO will provide a complete turnkey solution to the UAE including engineering procurement construction, nuclear fuel, operations, and maintenance support. The post construction phase of the project, for all four reactors, is estimated to be worth another $20 billion.

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U.S. reactors ride out the storm 

 Hurricane Irene caused no damage to any reactors in its path

The nuclear reactors in eleven eastern states were mostly unaffected by the passage of Hurricane Irene over the weekend of August 26-28, 2011.  Two reactors shut down safely and several others reduced power. 

& & &

The transmission and distribution infrastructure of the region didn’t fare so well under the impact of 90 mph winds.  Up and down the east coast nearly three million people are without power and more outages are expected as the hurricane heads late Sunday north northeast at 25 mph into New England states. Late Sunday most of the east coast began a soggy process of cleaning up after the storm.

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Entergy seeks to beat the reaper in Vermont 

 Entergy seeks to beat the reaper in Vermont

The utility places a $100 million bet despite efforts by the state of Vermont to stack the deck

The future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor got a bit brighter this week as its owner and operator the Entergy Corp. (NYSE:ETR) announced its board of directors had approved the fabrication of fuel and the refueling of the Vermont Yankee reactor in October.

The refueling will cost as much as $100 million of which about two-thirds is the cost of the fuel and the rest labor and supplies. About 800 workers will be brought in over the course of the month long outage as part of the refueling process.

The new fuel will replace about one-third of the reactor core and is good for about 50 months of use before it will also have to be changed out. In effect, Energy is betting that it can beat the reaper in Vermont and continue to earn revenue from the sale of electricity in Vermont.

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Italy’s nuclear renaissance is gone 

Italy's nuclear renaissance is gone

A nationwide referendum is seen as a protest vote on unrelated issues

This week a binding vote by 57% of the Italian electorate rejected four ballot measures by a stunning 95% rate. One of them would have put Italy on a path to produce 25% of its electricity with nuclear reactors by 2025.

Although anti-nuclear sentiment runs high in Italy, the main target of voter ire was another ballot measure which would have provided some immunity for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (right) who wanted to postpone four criminal trials until he was out of office.

Berlusconi, who is 74, is facing charges on separate matters including bribery, embezzlement, fraud, and, most spectacularly of all, charges of paying for sex with an underage woman. He is accused of using the powers of his office to cover up the charges. 

Italian voters, it appears, have had enough of his antics and want him out. All four measures were defeated by almost the same percentage, about 95%, which suggests all votes were seen as protests to send a message to incumbents they'd had enough of wine, women, song, and dance in place of real government.

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TVA seeks green light to build Bellefonte 

 

TVA seeks green light to build Bellefonte

The utility plans to invest $4-5 billion to complete the reactor

One of the most dramatic resurrections of a stalled nuclear reactor construction project is unfolding in Hollywood, Ala. There the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is getting ready to formally ask its board of directors this August to approve completion of the 1,260 MW PWR plant which halted in the late 1980s. TVA CEO Tom Kilgore told the news media June 3 Bellefonte Unit 1 could be delivering power to the grid by 2018-2020.

A diverse set of anti-nuclear groups oppose the action citing the damage to four nuclear reactors in Japan. Instead of completing the plant, they want more energy efficiency, solar, wind, and other renewable energy power programs.

TVA started work on two new nuclear reactors at Bellefonte in the mid-170s, but stopped work on both units by the late 1980s as the utility realized the plants would not be needed to meet electricity demand. In 2008 TVA began to look at the question of whether it would be cheaper to complete one or both reactors at Bellefonte rather than build two brand new units.

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53rd Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs 

 

Cool Hand Nuke welcomes you to the 53rd Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs!

The Carnival, per Dan Yurman, is "a weekly round-up of the best blog posts from  the leading U.S. nuclear bloggers.  If you want to hear the voice of the nuclear  renaissance, the Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is where to find it.

 Past editions have been hosted at NEI Nuclear Notes, Next Big Future, Atomic Insights, ANS Nuclear Cafe, Canadian Energy Issues, Yes Vermont Yankee, and of course here at Cool Hand Nuke, in addition to several other popular nuclear energy blogs.

If you have a pro-nuclear energy blog, and would like to host an edition of the carnival, please contact  Brian Wang at Next Big Future to get on the rotation.

This is a great collaborative effort that deserves your support. Please post a Tweet, a Facebook entry, or a link on your Web site or blog to support the carnival."

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Not so fast – Fukushima's limited impact on the global nuclear industry 

Not so fast – Fukushima's limited impact on the global nuclear industry

Except for a political panic attack in Germany, most other nations have the "full steam ahead" sign out for their new reactor projects

There's been a lot of overblown rhetoric about the so-called "death" of the global nuclear renaissance. Anti-nuclear groups have trumpeted that the crisis at Fukushima in Japan is the silver stake that has finally been driven into the heart of the nuclear monster. Frankly, that's a lot of wishful thinking.

The stark reality of energy security in the 21^st century is the nuclear reactors are needed to put the world on a path toward lower carbon emissions and to supply more electricity to raise standards of living that improve the human condition. 

This blog post is a review of where the global nuclear renaissance stands.

 

 

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Six reactors underway in U.S. 

 Six reactors are underway in the U.S.

Three major utilities confirm plans are on track for construction

Every time an anti-nuclear group talks about the Japanese crisis at Fukushima, in the next breath they proclaim the death of the nuclear renaissance in the U.S. This claim is wrong as to the facts and wrong-headed with regard to the nation's need for carbon emission free energy. It seems almost like Fukushima has created a case of temporary amnesia about the value of nuclear energy to meet the twin challenges of global warming and energy security.  Did we all get hit with a falling coconut?

In recent weeks several nuclear utilities have stepped up to remind their investors and the public about the realities of the nation's energy mix and why nuclear reactors have a place in it. The CEOs of Duke, Southern, and Luminant, who will build six new reactors, have gone on record that the Fukushima crisis is not slowing down their projects.

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Impact of Fukushima on the U.S. nuclear renaissance? 

Impact of Fukushima on the U.S. nuclear renaissance?

It's less than you think

The Nuclear Energy Institute, the trade association for the utilities that own and operate the nation's 104 nuclear reactors, has some thoughts on how Fukushima might affect the nuclear renaissance on this country. In an updated briefing paper posted on its website April 15, 2011, NEI says it has an optimistic view of the future.

"New nuclear power plant construction in the United States is in the early stages and proceeding in a deliberate fashion. There is ample time to incorporate lessons learned from these events during the construction period.

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47th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs 

Welcome to the 47th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs!

The Carnival, per Dan Yurman, is "a weekly round-up of the best blog posts from  the leading U.S. nuclear bloggers.  If you want to hear the voice of the nuclear  renaissance, the Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is where to find it.

 Past editions have been hosted at NEI Nuclear Notes, Next Big Future, Atomic Insights, ANS Nuclear Cafe, Canadian Energy Issues, Yes Vermont Yankee, and of course here at Cool Hand Nuke, in addition to several other popular nuclear energy blogs.

 

 

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Fukushima's impact on U.S. new nuclear projects 

 Three important reasons why the U.S. new build will continue

Prognosticators of financial doom and gloom for the future of construction of new nuclear power plants in the U.S. say they have plenty of evidence to bolster their case. The main Japanese utility responsible for trying to control the disaster has itself demonstrated at times confusion in resolving problems.  Financial analysts say if the leading utility in Japan, a nation strongly committed to nuclear energy, can't control its reactors, what does it say about the global industry?

Of course, they fail to mention that six reactor at Fukushima were taken out of service by the combination of a 9.0 earthquake and a 15 meter high tsunami.  Is it any wonder the utility, which has asked for international help, is at times overwhelmed by the damage?

The view of naysayer groups is open to question based on three factors. First, the Obama administration continues to be committed to nuclear energy. In the first week following the Fukushima accident, President Obama spoke out repeatedly on the issue. Second, the Department of Energy said it would continue to evaluate new nuclear reactor projects for federal loan guarantees. Third, a Gallop Poll taken in late March showed steady support for nuclear energy with little change from similar polls a decade ago.

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Warren Buffett's nuclear bet in Iowa 

 There’s no threat of a tsunami in the cornfields

Berkshire-Hathaway CEO and billionaire Warren Buffett (right) is rolling the dice for the third time on a potential investment in nuclear energy. His first two efforts did not produce any winnings. Now Buffett is looking at the possibility of building small modular reactors through MidAmerican Nuclear Energy.

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44th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs - Fukushima Edition 

Welcome to the 44th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs - FUKUSHIMA EDITION.

Special Note:  This weeks Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs will have a few of changes due to  the events at Fukushima and the rate at which information has been coming to us.  In short, we will  have batch updates to this Carnival with new postings twice daily so long as new posts are given to us. Furthermore we will step out of the blogosphere and post relevant links to both radio and television interviews or information pertaining to the developments in Fukushima.  And finally we usually make some effort to provide a narrative and a bit of levity in our carnival's, not this week.  We're posting links and summaries.  Please keep the people of Japan and the Fukushima region in your thoughts and prayers.

 

 

 

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TVA Energy plan will swap out coal for nuclear energy 

 

TVA Energy plan will swap out coal for nuclear energy

A 20-year look ahead is based on higher energy density and lower carbon emissions

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) last week published its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) filing a copy with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The plan will be presented next month to TVA's board of directors.

TVA President Tom Kilgore said in a statement the IRP places greater emphasis on lowering carbon emissions. It emphasizes greater use of nuclear energy, natural gas, renewable energy technologies, and energy efficiency measures by customers. TVA said in the plan its twin objectives "are to lead the nation in improved air quality and increased nuclear production."

Kilgore added that relying on a diverse portfolio of energy sources in the future makes more sense than the utility's past heavy reliance on coal. Kilgore said the new strategy "reduces long-term risks and keeps costs steady and predictable."

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41st Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs  

 41st Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs.

 The Carnival, per Dan Yurman, is "a weekly round-up of the best blog  posts from the leading U.S. nuclear bloggers.  If you want to hear the  voice of the nuclear renaissance, the Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is  where to find it.

 Past editions have been hosted at NEI Nuclear Notes, Next Big  Future, Atomic Insights, ANS Nuclear Cafe, Canadian Energy Issues, Yes  Vermont Yankee, and of course here at Cool Hand Nuke, in addition to  several other popular nuclear energy blogs.

If you have a pro-nuclear energy blog, and would like to host an edition of the carnival, please contact Brian Wang at Next Big Future to get on the rotation.

This is a great collaborative effort that deserves your support. Please post a Tweet, a Facebook entry, or a link on your Web site or blog to support the carnival."  

And now without further adieu Let the Carnival begin!

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Spain to keep reactors past 40 year cutoff 

Spain to keep reactors past 40-year limit

 

Government renews three of eight reactors for another ten years

 

A long-standing Spanish government policy of phasing out the nation's 7.5 GWe of nuclear powered electricity (18% of total electricity) is being reversed both in the form of new policy and in renewal of the operating licenses for three of the nation's eight nuclear reactors. Spain's Congress last week ratified new legislation that means the reactors can operate for longer than 40 years.

Spain is also working on uprates to its other nuclear reactors with 519 MW of an 810 MW program completed in 2010.

The moves are a complete turnaround from a prior government policy of phasing out the nation's nuclear plants. Most public opinion about nuclear energy is negative and neither political party has supported reactor life extension until now.

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Jaczko perpetuates the Yucca Mountain Saga 

Jaczko perpetuates the Yucca Mountain Saga

NRC releases heavily redacted Yucca Review                                                                         

The NRC has just released a heavily redacted version of the Yucca Mountain Review. This action has been justified using a maneuver within the Freedom of Information Act, the process by which the Heritage Foundation sought access to these documents. 

 What was redacted you ask? 

Well, it was the scientific analysis and unbiased recommendation of the NRC staff. Something that the taxpayers and nuclear utilities have paid millions upon millions of dollars for but Chairman Jaczko seems hell-bent on preventing. 

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39th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs 

39th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs

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Two states lift long-term bans on new nuclear reactors 

 Two states lift long-term bans on new nuclear reactors

Minnesota and Kentucky open options to secure their long-term energy security

Coal from North Dakota that fires new power plants in Minnesota won't last forever, and could in future years become subject to an expensive carbon tax. Legislators in Minnesota, which already has two nuclear power stations, have reopened options to build more. Similarly, Kentucky, which is a big coal state, is considering lifting its ban on new reactors linking that action to enhanced employment at the Paducah uranium enrichment plant.

The Minnesota Senate voted 50-14 to repeal the state's 17-year old moratorium. The bill now goes to the House where it is expected to pass. In Kentucky, a bill offered by State Sen. Bob Leeper, S.34, was passed by the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee. This is the fourth time Leeper has sponsored the bill and the first time he's made progress with it.

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Saskatchewan wants to buy small reactors 

Saskatchewan wants to buy small modular reactors

Brad Wall, the entrepreneurial provincial premier of Saskatchewan, (right) knows that mining 20% of the world’s uranium supply won’t fuel the region’s economy forever.  For years Wall has wanted to move up the value chain.  A few years ago he floated the idea of getting Canada into the uranium enrichment business.  Now Wall, and his energy minister Bill Boyd, want to develop a plan to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs), e.g., with less than 300 MW, across the wide open spaces of Saskatchewan.

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Duke deal with Progress would create $14 billion utility 

Duke deal with Progress would create $14 billion utility

Duke Energy announced Jan 10 it plans to buy Progress Energy for $13.7 billion in a deal that will create America’s largest utility with the largest fleet of commercially operational nuclear reactors in the country.The new company, to be called Duke Energy, will have a combined value of $65 billion and about 57 GWe of domestic generating capacity from a diversified mix of coal, nuclear, natural gas, oil and renewable resources. About 16% of the generating capacity of the combined firm would come from nuclear energy. It would become the largest regulated single fleet of nuclear reactors in the U.S.

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Areva updates nuclear energy bloggers 

 Areva Updates Nuclear Energy Bloggers

The monthly conference call yields multiple items of interest

One would think, on reflex, that a giant, state-owned and vertically integrated nuclear energy conglomerate in France would have little interest in nuclear bloggers in the U.S. That's not the case. In fact, Areva's team, based in Bethesda, MD, has been holding monthly conference calls with nuclear bloggers for about two years. 

One of the values Areva has emphasized is transparency. The firm backs it up with unscripted interviews with its key executives include CEO Jacques Besnainou. This week Areva put Mark Marano, VP for New Plants, on the wire. As always, there was an interested group of nuclear bloggers on the line with a wide variety of viewpoints about the future of the nuclear industry.

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IAEA creates international fuel bank 

 

IAEA creates international fuel bank

It will help nations peacefully develop nuclear energy

The New York Times reports that a $50 million privately funded initiative by philanthropist Warrent E. Buffett (right) has added enough funding for an international nuclear fuel bank to start operations. The fuel bank will be administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Buffett told the NY Times he made the contribution because, "the spread of nuclear weapons of incredible destructive capability is the No. 1 problem facing mankind."

Buffett made the $50 million commitment in September of 2006 contingent on the IAEA receiving an additional $100 million in funding to jump-start the reserve, a condition that was met in 2009 when Kuwait donated $10 million.

According to the NY Times, other backers of the fuel bank include the U.S., the European Union, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates. Total funding for the fuel bank is now at $157 million, enough to buy the first fuel load for a new nuclear reactor, about 60-80 tons of uranium.

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Nuclear Power your Browser 

 

What happens when you add the Power of Nuclear to the strength of IE and Firefox?  

Nuclear Energy + the Internet = the Future.    And the Future is Now.

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TVA seeks six pack of small reactors 

 TVA seeks six pack of small reactors

The utility could be the first customer for B&W's 125 MW units

Babcock & Wilcox may be getting some early holiday cheer from the news that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is seriously talking about acquiring six of the B&W 125 MW mPower small modular reactors (SMRs). At an estimated $4,000/Kw, the purchase price would be $500 million each or a total of $3 billion for all six. There's no word whether B&W will offer a volume discount to its first customer.

TVA hasn't formally committed to buying the units, but has issued a letter [ML103120558] to the NRC that it plans to proceed with license applications for them. By applying for a license to build and operate all six reactors, it will only have to pay for licensing costs one time. TVA will evaluate the SMRs for its Clinch River site in Tennessee.

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Vietnam signs nuclear reactor agreements with Russia and Japan 

 Vietnam signs nuclear reactor deals with Russia and Japan

The combined value of the two deals could be worth $11 billion

Russia and Vietnam signed a $5.6 billion deal Oct 31 to build two Russian VVER 1,000 MW reactors. In the same week Japan announced it is closing a deal with Vietnam to build two more reactors in the same power range. With the Russian reactors coming in at $2,800/Kw, the combination of the two deals could be worth $11 billion.

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Few Bright Spots in Calvert Cliffs Future 

 EDF faces serious barriers to taking over the project

Mark Friday October 8^th as a 'black Friday" because it may be one of the most significant reversals in the short history of the U.S. nuclear renaissance. Constellation Energy (NYSE:CEG) startled the federal government and Electricite De France (EDF) by sending a fiery letter to the Department of Energy announcing it was walking away from the Calvert Cliffs III reactor. The utility said the reason is the government wanted a 12% "risk premium" payment of $880 million in return for a federal loan guarantee on the $7.7 billion project.

In the days that followed it became clear that Constellation really meant it. The firm offered EDF the entire project for $1 and reimbursement of $117 million in sunk costs since the two firms created their partnership in 2008. EDF will likely take it.

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Finally some good news about the UK new nuclear build 

Finally some good news about the UK new nuclear build

The Liberal Party signs up for the nation's energy future

It is good news when the foreign secretary of the U.K. government delivers a speech that is talking about the future of the nation's new nuclear build.  William Hague told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York Sept 27 the UK intends to build a new generation of nuclear power plants to replace the current fleet.  The primary objective, Hague said, is to insure the U.K. meets its goals to reduce carbon emissions.

"We will have from 2020 onward an expanding nuclear power sector . . . we are opening the door to build them."

Hague said the government sees "no alternative" to building the new reactors given the carbon emissions that would come from new coal-fired or natural gas power plants.

Hague said the world must adopt a sense of urgency in addressing the issue of climate change.

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TVA polishes its crystal ball 

TVA polishes its crystal ball

The future of power generation will use less coal and more nuclear energy

Every ten years or so the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) asks whether it has the right mix of energy generation technologies and is on track to meet demand for electricity from its customers. It is a daunting task given that the utility covers a huge area and customer base.

TVA’s power-service area covers 80,000 square miles in the southeastern United States, including almost all of Tennessee and parts of Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. The utility has revenues of $11 billion, employs 12,000 people, and is third in the nation in power sales revenue – billions and billions of kilowatt hours! (View an interactive map of the TVA region that shows the location of dams and power plants.)

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Germany's Merkel approves nuclear reactor life extension 

German coalition agrees on future for Germany’s 17 nuclear plants

Angela Merkel’s coalition government has finally agreed, after a two-year struggle, to a two-tier extension of the life spans of German nuclear power plants. The government plan now lays the groundwork for the country’s future energy policy set to be released as a policy document by the end of September. The immediate outcome is that Germany's 17 nuclear reactors will run 8-14 years longer than the 2020 deadline set by a prior government strongly influenced by the Green Party.

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TVA's Bellefonte Rising 

TVA will spend $248 million in 2011 on next steps to complete the 1,260 MW reactor

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) decided Aug 20 to spend nearly $900 million on development of nuclear energy in 2011.  It will invest $248 million to develop an option to complete the 1,260 MW Bellefonte Unit 1 reactor.  TVA's Board also approved spending $635 million towards completion of the Watts Bar 2 nuclear reactor which is within on schedule to be completed by late 2012. At the same time, the utility will take 1,000 MW of coal-fired power generation capacity off-line replacing it with other energy sources.

If TVA makes a final decision to complete Bellefonte 1 sometime next year, it will also be committing to spend up to $4.7 billion on the reactor. At 1,260 MW, that cost would bring in the power station at $3,730/Kw which is competitive with global costs for new reactors. 

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Securing critical digital assets at nuclear power plants 

 Secure computers for nuclear power plants

It’s 10 PM. Do you know what the computers at your reactor are doing right now?

In an often cited incident, in January 2003 the Davis Besse nuclear power plant in Ohio was affected by the “Slammer” computer worm for five hours.  Although the plant was shut down at the time, and a redundant system safety system was not affected, the incident raised concerns across the nuclear industry about the arcane field of computer cyber security. 

Cyber attacks are a lot more than just Halloween pranks. They are carried out by criminals seeking to blackmail businesses or to steal intellectual property.  In case of nuclear power plants, the risks of compromised digital control systems by a cyber attack are all too real.

The issue is of critical importance for new nuclear plants that will be built in the U.S. and globally. The renewed emphasis is due to the fact that control rooms will use digital systems to operate the plants. The fact that digital instrument and control systems are now state-of-the-art makes them targets for hackers for for our nation’s enemies.

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U.S. nuclear supply chain spools up  

Nuclear supply chain spools up

Global sourcing meets demand from growing number of new reactor projects

It is one thing to say you are going to build a new 1,000 MW nuclear reactor. It is entirely another to get the parts for one. For starters there is the reactor vessel itself which can only come from one place – Japan Steel Works. Want one? Get line because there is a backlog that puts a new order placed today on schedule for delivery in 2013 or later. That may change as large forges are developed in South Korea, India, and the U.K. If you select an Areva reactor, your pressure vessel will come from the Creusot Forge in France.

There are no plans in the U.S. to develop a large forge capable of handling the 400 ton plus pressure vessels, but there are efforts underway to make everything else. Areva and Northrop Grumman are build a $300 million factory in Newport News, VA. The Shaw Group is building a similar scale facility in Lake Charles, LA.

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Are investors wary of new nuclear builds? 

 Bank report says prospects are going south, but consultants says the real game is managing risk

A new report by Citigroup on the prospects for equity investors in the nuclear energy industry casts doubt on prospects for profits.  While the report is focused on Europe, its authors claim their findings have equal weight in the U.S.  Citing it in the July 2010 issue of the EEnergy Informer, published by Fereidoon P. Sioshansi, Ph.D., a utility consultant, he writes Citigroup's report "New Nuclear – the Economics and Politics" says that for every step forward there is another that takes a step back. 

Separately, a group of analysts at consulting firm Arthur D. Little say the financing isn't so much the problem as managing the risk with the key emphasis on "management." In a June 2010 report titled "Nuclear New Build Unveiled," the firm reports realistic schedules, and managers who understand the complexities of building new nuclear reactors, are the essential elements of managing risk. The report's authors say that failure mode will follow not paying attention to these issues.

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Southern signs $3.4 billion guarantee for new nuclear reactor 

Southern signs $3.4 billion loan guarantee for Vogtle plant

The Southern Company (NYSE:SO) has signed an agreement with the federal government for a loan guarantee covering $3.4 billion in costs for the project which involves two new Westinghouse 1,150 MW AP1000 reactors. CEO David Ratcliffe said in a statement the units are expected to enter revenue service at the utility's Vogtle power station in Waynesboro, GA, in 2016 and 2017.

The agreement marks the formal acceptance of the terms and conditions of the government's "conditional commitment" for the loan guarantee. It becomes final when Southern gets its NRC licenses for the two reactors. Southern received an early site permit in 2009.

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Mitsubishi's growing presence in the U.S. nuclear market 

Mitsubishi's growing presence in Europe and North America

The Japanese heavy manufacturing firm will build reactors via joint ventures

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) as made rapid strides establishing a market presence in the U.S. nuclear industry. In the past three years in North America it has submitted a reactor design for NRC review, inked deals to build new reactors for two U.S. utilities. In Europe the firm will team with Spain's Iberdrola to build a new reactor and is poised to purchase an equity position in Areva, France's state-own vertically integrated conglomerate.

The firm's progress in entering the U.S. market has been a low profile affair, but recent successes have garnered some positive attention.

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Update on Europe's nuclear renaissance 

Developments occur in Germany, Turkey, Italy, the U.K.

There is plenty of news from Europe on the nuclear energy front. Most of it is in the “pro” column, but all of it is influencing the shape of energy policy there. In Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing new challenges to her plan to keep the nation's 17 reactors operating after 2022. In Italy, a key government officials spearheading the country's investment in nuclear energy resigned over corruption charges. However, one of Italy's largest utilities is going ahead with a site selection process for two new reactors. In Turkey the government finally inked a deal with Russia to build four new reactors. The U.K. election created a new government with an anti-nuclear minister in charge of energy policy. Here’s a series of updates.

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Entergy takes a stand at Indian Point 

 

Nuclear utility files an appeal of adverse action on its water permit by the State of New York

After taking it on the chin from environmental groups and a two rounds on the ropes from manifestly hostile agencies of the State of New York, Louisiana-based Energy (NYSE:ETR) got a second wind.  The utility, which owns and operates the two reactors at Indian Point on the Hudson River 50 miles north of New York city, formally appealed the denial of a water quality permit it needs to get their licenses renewed by the NRC.  The licenses for the two reactors at Indian Point expire in 2013 and 2015.

Separately, the State of New York Public Utility Commission staff rejected a planned spin-off of six reactors, including the two in New York.  In response, Entergy cancelled its financial plans for the new merchant group. However, on the licensing issue and the water quality permit in New York the firm has taken a stand.

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Will carbon taxes pay for the nuclear renaisance in the U.K? 

 It is one thing to plan a nuclear renaissance in the U.K.  It is an entirely different matter to pay for it.  The two major parties in the U.K., facing a May election, have added the issue of a floor price for carbon to the election mix.  The issue is how to pay for 11 major new nuclear power stations to replace Britain's aging fleet.  Brownouts by 2017 are a real threat if decisions to build are not made in the next year. 

 

 

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Update on nuclear renaissance in the U.K. 

Update on the nuclear renaissance in the U.K. 

Energy issues are a top priority in the U.K.  Significant challenges are driving decisions to invest in multiple new nuclear reactors at 11 sites powering 16-30 GWe of electricity over the next two decades. The first units are expected to be online by 2017.

The key issues are the original generation of 19 nuclear plants built in the 1970s and 80s are getting older. The first plant began operating in 1956. Some units will be decommissioned in the next five years. All but one of them will be retired by 2023. Second, natural gas supplies from the North Sea fields have a finite life.

Third, the nation can't go back to building new coal plants because of the U.K.'s commitments to cutting greenhouse gases.  Reducing the nation's carbon footprint will require a fundamental revitalization of national will to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050.

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Changing of the guard at the NRC 

Challenges ahead include license applications, reactor designs, and the pace of development of the nuclear renaissance

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is the gatekeeper for new reactor design, construction, and licensing for this country.  Its safety and environmental requirements for light water reactors are so thorough that they are considered to be the "gold standard" for other countries. The five commissioners who drive policy decisions for the NRC are appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. 

The Obama administration inherited an agency with two vacancies and a Chairman appointed by the prior Republican president.  President Obama appointed then serving NRC Commissioner Gregory Jazcko chairman which moved Dale Klein out of that role while retaining his seat at the NRC.  Klein could have served out his term, but instead submitted his resignation subject to the swearing in of a replacement.

This gave the White House three open slots to fill.  The good news for the nuclear renaissance is that all three nominees have sterling credentials to serve and were confirmed by unanimous consent in the Senate on Friday March 19.  They will be sworn in this coming week.

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The future of spent nuclear fuel 

A blue ribbon commission on spent nuclear fuel will hold its first meeting March 25-26

A panel of nuclear energy experts appointed by the federal government will take up the issue of what to do with 60,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel. Appointed by Department of Energy Sec. Steven Chu, the 15 members of a Blue Ribbon Commission will look at a broad range of options for managing the material and related nuclear waste from the nation’s nuclear reactors. The one choice they won’t have is to use Yucca Mountain in Nevada. That option is off the table.  Read the full details of what issues the panel will discuss and some of the options they'll consider during the next 18 months.

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President Obama supports two new reactors in Georgia 

President Barack Obama finally came out in support of nuclear energy after a year of apparent indifference. This past week he approved $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees for two new Westinghouse AP1000 1,150 MW nuclear reactors at Southern's Vogtle site. In doing so he also extended a hand across the partisan aisle to Republicans in the Senate in an effort to gain support for pending climate change legislation.

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Stewart Brand in free online web talk Feb 18 

Stewart Brand has a new book out in which the life long environmentalist endorses nuclear energy as a solution to the challenge of climate change.  four profound transformations are under way on Earth right now.

• Climate change is real and is pushing us toward managing the planet as a whole.
• Urbanization-half the world's population now lives in cities, and 80% will by midcentury-is altering humanity's land impact and wealth.
• Biotechnology is becoming the world's dominant engineering tool.
• Nuclear energy is a solution to reducing carbon emissions.

Brand says these changes will require environmentalists to reverse some long held opinions and embrace tools that they have traditionally and profoundly distrusted. 

Also, you can hear Brand talk about his ideas online Feb 18.  Read the blog post for details.

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Nuclear Reactor Scorecard 

The question for the job seeker is which of the nearly 20 new nuclear reactor projects has the best prospects for actually moving forward to construction?  No one wants to invest a few years of a career in a nuclear energy project that bites the dust because of political opposition or inability to get financing.  Project readiness also means having a reactor design that is on time for the U.S. market.

The list of places to look can be boiled down to choices in three broad categories. They are, in baseball terms (1) ducks on the pond, (2) close but no cigar, and (3) sent down to the minors.  Here's a quick review of who's on first.

 This schedule, and the ratings, aren't cast in stone.  Utilities change their minds based on economic conditions, the actions of state and federal regulatory agencies, and the interest of investors. 

Keep in mind that a few years experience at one site can position you for work at new reactor projects later in your career.  Your first job is unlikley to be your last.  Good luck and good job hunting.

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Job Outlook for Class of 2012 

What are the real opportunities in the nuclear energy field for a college graduate with a degree in nuclear engineering? The answer is the opportunities are really good in the U.S., and excellent if you are willing to travel to the U.K., France, India, China, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. Here's a breakdown of where to look in the spring of 2012 as you contemplate how to turn that sheepskin into cold hard cash.

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Ge Hitachi makes progress on new reactor 

GE Hitrachi's ESBWR reactor has had a rough couple of years, but the firm is now making progress. It has a firm date from the NRC for completion of the safety evaluation report by 2011.  The first orders may come from the U.K. in 2015, but Detroit Edison is also moving ahead with plans for the FERMI III project in Michigan.  Overall, it's longer term prospects are looking better.

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Is nuclear energy gaining support from green groups? 

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Social Media & Nuclear Energy  

The ANS Winter conference is in full swing and while there are a great many sessions of interest on the official calendar, there is an unaffiliated panel meeting after hours that we highly recommend. 

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More bad news for USEC 

The Energy & Water appropriation does not include $30 million promised by the Department of Energy (DOE) to USEC to help it with its plans to build a uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, OH. It is the second time in recent months that DOE's plans to rescue the project have run into a political firewall.

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TVA's new nuclear deals 

By 2020 the government utility will generate 50% of its power from nuclear reactors

The fullest expression of the nuclear renaissance to date has been in 18 license applications to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) mostly by commercial utilities. In the middle of the pile, the  Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is developing an interesting track record not only in bringing moth balled reactors back to life, but also planning new ones. A nuclear engineer looking for a chance to work on the "big iron" would do well to consider TVA as a place to work.

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Small reactors offer big rewards 

What’s of interest to a nuclear engineer who doesn’t want to get swallowed up in the bureaucracy of a mega utility is that these small reactor projects are organized like Silicon Valley start-ups. Venture capitalists are willing to roll the dice on small reactors.  Two of the small reactor firms, Hyperion and NuScale, landed some of their initial funding from these types of investors.

So, if you have an entrepreneurial fire in your soul, take a look at small reactors.  Here’s a brief profile of some of them.

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Tales of two Texas cities  

There are stark difference in the dialog in two key Texas cities over the role of nuclear energy in the future of electricity supply.  In San Antonio the city council is poised to approve more than $2 billion in new spending over the next decade to support construction of Units 3 & 4 of the South Texas Project (STP).  In Austin, anti-nuclear activists who fought the industry in the 70s are now part of the political establishment and successfully spiked new investments in the plant.  So what accounts for differences?

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Targeting nuclear job growth opportunities 

The nuclear energy industry has two major growth sectors which should be commanding the attention of job seekers with backgrounds in mechanical, electrical, chemical, and nuclear engineering. The sectors the ramping up of design and construction of new plants and license renewals for current operating plants.

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Nuclear indexes track company performance by industry segment 

For people entering the nuclear industry, the usual question is how to present your qualifications.  However, there is a second question in these uncertain economic times. It is how do you qualify a potential employer and their industry?

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Welcome new contributor 

  New blogger in town Jeff Madison, cool guy in charge, welcomes Dan Yurman, publisher of the nuclear energy blog Idaho Samizdat to this site. Dan will be blogging here twice a month. Look for ... read more

Listening, Learning, Adapting 

Dorene Facteau, Jon the Jobseeker, Job Aggregation, Responding to the Needs of the CoolHandNuke.com Community

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Improving 1% (or more) each day 

Improving 1% each day, Customer Feedback, Customer Service, GetSatisfaction.com, Dorene Facteau, BechTel, Jon the jobseeker

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Getting Better & Why We Don’t Google Adword You 

CoolHandNuke.com, No Spammy Job Boards,  No Google Adwords, Rose Chang, PG&E

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Where to Find the Nuclear Jobs 

Game Plan for getting into Nuclear, Tips for Your Nuclear Job Search, Nuclear Jobs, Powering Your Nuclear Career

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Transferring Your Skills Into a Nuclear Job 

Nuclear Job Search, Tips for Getting into Nuclear, Getting a Job in Nuclear, Nuclear Power Jobs, Nuclear Career

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President Obama’s Long Term Energy Strategy Includes Nuclear Power 

Future of nuclear energy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce - Institute for 21^st Century Energy, Obama Administration Nuclear stance, Salazar Nuclear strategy, Chu Nuclear, Congressional Leaders on Nuclear Energy

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Nasty Little Bugger 

Bug Hunt, Beta, Cool Hand Nuke

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A Fully Public Beta 

Cool Hand Nuke's Public Beta, Nuclear News, Nuclear Jobs, Nuclear Views & Scuttebutt

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Save the Nukes! My Earth Day Blog Post. 

Love the Earth, Love Nuclear, Earth Day

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