Bespoke reactors could be phased out in the US Companies, organizations and projects mentioned in this news round-up include: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Plant Vogtle, Southern Co., Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Westinghouse, Exelon Corporation, John Deere Renewables, Barclays Capital,. Foley & Lardner, McDermott Will & Emery, Mantra Tanzania Limited, Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission East African Power Industry Convention (Nairobi), E.ON, RWE, Vattenfall, EnBW, Zion Nuclear Power Station, Exelon Generating Company LLC, ZionSolutions LLC, China Atomic Energy Authority, Rosatom, Nuclear Fuel Services, Santa Susana Facility, Indian Railways

Bespoke reactors blamed for US construction delays

Of the nation's 104 commercial reactors, no two are exactly the same, a fact that experts blame for causing construction and regulatory delays and leading to bigger bills for power customers, said an Associated Press report.

The report said the longer it took to approve and build a reactor a generation ago, the more electric customers ended up paying in the end.

"That system just wasn't workable," said Richard Lester, head of the nuclear science and engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A new streamlining trend is likely to occur whereby US utilities select from a smaller list of reactor designs rather than footing the bill for a bespoke design for each plant

According to the report the off-the-shelf strategy is not a new concept, but has its roots in the 1980s, when power plant owners urged the government to streamline the regulatory process.

Plant owners told suppliers to design reactors that were more reliable, less costly, and quicker to build and based on a standard design that could be easily replicated.

The plan is getting one of its first tests at Plant Vogtle in eastern Georgia, where Atlanta-based Southern Co. is vying to win the first approval to build a nuclear reactor since 1978.

The Obama administration has offered roughly $8bn in federal loan guarantees to finance the project.

Instead of using a custom-built reactor, the developer has picked from among five reactor designs, the majority of which still are still under review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees safety in the civilian power industry.

Southern Co. has picked the Westinghouse Electric Co.'s AP1000 reactor, which has the largest share of the market.

Exelon acquires John Deere Renewables

US nuclear power plant owner and utility, Exelon Corporation, has agreed to acquire John Deere Renewables, an operator and developer of wind power, in a transaction that will add 735 operating megawatts of clean, renewable energy to Exelon’s generation portfolio, as well as an additional 230 megawatts in advanced stages of development. 

The acquisition, valued at approximately $860m has a provision for up to an additional $40m upon commencement of construction on the advanced development projects.

Exelon says that is already the least carbon-intensive of the large U.S. electric utilities, and this transaction marks its entry into owning and operating wind projects.

Exelon will finance the transaction using Exelon Generation debt.

Exelon expects to close the transaction with John Deere Renewables in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Barclays Capital acted as financial advisor to Exelon. Foley & Lardner served as legal advisors to Exelon and McDermott Will & Emery advised for certain tax matters.

Tanzania urges East Africa to develop underground nuclear power plants

Tanzania has asked East African countries to start developingnuclear power as the cheapest source of electricity in the region where only 12 per cent of rural areas is connected, according to local Kenyan news reports.

According to a news report, Mantra Tanzania Limited is expected to start mining uranium, which fuels nuclear power plants, by 2012 at Namtumbo in the southern part of the country.

Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission director general Iddi Mkilaha said last week that balancing energy needs and supply would not be met by conventional and renewable power such as wind and solar.

“Coal and natural gas are sustainable in a limited time span but long term solution to energy deficit can only be met by nuclear energy,” he told an East African Power Industry Convention in Nairobi.

Prof Mkilaha said renewable energy’s generation unit cost and investment requirements are high but in long term a nuclear energy plant can operate for 60 to 80 years meaning that costs come down with time.

He said according to news reports that African countries have huge tracts of land, which are not in use, noting these could be used to build underground nuclear reactors.

Germany still holds out on nuclear tax decision

Germany's Cabinet has approved budget cuts valued at almost €80bn ($100bn) through to 2014, but has yet to make a decision on a planned tax on nuclear-fuel rods until later this month.

The government will make a final recommendation on the nuclear tax, which it estimates will raise €2.3 billion each year for as long as nuclear plants continue to operate, when it publishes a slate of recommended energy policies on the 28^th of September.

The government will also make a decision on the extended lifespan for Germany's nuclear reactors.

According to a Deutsche Welle news report, power companies have been lobbying for the extended use of their nuclear plants, if only for 10 to 15 more years.

They could recoup their investments and then some.

Germany's nuclear power plant operators,E.On, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall Europe AG, have warned the tax on nuclear fuel could make reactors unprofitable and hasten the country's exit from atomic-energy generation. 

When the German government unveils its new energy concept September 28, it will likely announce a plan to prolong the life span of the country's 17 existing nuclear power plants.

“Chancellor Angela Merkel has advocated doing so by another 10 to 15 years, saying that would make it possible for the country to control electricity prices and meet goals for greenhouse gas emissions,” said the German publication.

“But critics say an aggressive nuclear energy lobby has been pushing for such extended life spans so that power companies can continue to reap profits from their investments in nuclear reactors.

“Four companies operate nuclear power plants in Germany: E.ON, RWE, Vattenfall and EnBW.

“Those companies hardly make a secret of their intentions, saying that extending the life span of Germany's nuclear power plants is good for the country's economy as a whole,” said the report.

Juergen Grossmann, chairman of the board at RWE, told Deutsche Welle that electricity would become more expensive if nuclear power plants were shut off immediately.

NRC finalises transfer for Zion license from Exelon nuclear power station

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has finalized the transfer of the possession license for the Zion Nuclear Power Station from Exelon Generating Company LLC to ZionSolutions LLC.

The two unit plant is located about 40 miles north of Chicago.

The Zion station has been shut down since 1998.

The NRC modified the original operating and possessing of radioactive materials license to a possession-only license for the purposes of storage and decommissioning activities.

On Jan. 25, 2008 Exelon submitted an application to the NRC requesting approval for a transfer of the possession license, management authorities and decommissioning trust fund to ZionSolutions, a subsidiary of EnergySolutions LLC. ZionSolutions was formed for the purpose of decommissioning the Zion site.

On May 4, 2009 NRC staff issued an order approving the license transfer.

Some of the major issues NRC staff reviewed included financial qualifications, license procedures, transfer and maintenance of decommissioning funds and the assurance of dedicated disposal space.

“The NRC will continue its regulatory oversight of the decommissioning activities, from start to finish,” said NRC Region III Administrator Mark Satorius.

“NRC staffers will conduct frequent inspections, review the performance of activities and help ensure the high safety standards set forth by the agency are maintained by the company.”

Under the license transfer, Exelon will retain ownership of the real estate and spent nuclear fuel.

ZionSolutions will construct a dry cask storage facility and transfer the spent fuel to dry cask storage as part of the decommissioning plan.

Following decommissioning, currently scheduled for 10 years, the license for the spent fuel will be transferred back to Exelon. 

NRC amongst 'Best Place to Work' Employers

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has for the third time in succession been named the “Best Place to Work” in the federal government by the Partnership for Public Service.

The selection, in cooperation with the American University Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation, also marked the first time since the inception of the survey of federal employees that any agency has ranked at the top in all four survey categories.

The categories are: Leadership and Knowledge Management, Results-oriented Performance Culture, Talent Management, and Job Satisfaction.

China and Russia expand nuclear power cooperation

China and Russia have agreed to expand nuclear power cooperation in seven areas, including building floating nuclear power plants, exploring uranium mines, eliminating old plants and developing markets abroad, the China Atomic Energy Authority said.

According to a Reuters report, “they will also cooperate on molten-core catcher technologies, which improve nuclear safety, the authority said in a statement on its website (www.caea.gov.cn), after a meeting of Russian and Chinese government officials and industry executives.”

However no more details were made public.

China is interested in Russia's expertise on floating nuclear power plants, and both sides will set up groups to assess prospects in the area, according to an Interfax news agency report, that cited Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom.

“They also reached agreement on Russia's involvement in the construction of two fast-neutron reactors in China, while a contract to add two nuclear power generating units at the Tianwan nuclear power plant could also be signed before the end of this year or in the first quarter of 2011, Kiriyenko was quoted as saying,” said the report.

NRC issues mid-cycle assessments for 104 US nuclear power plants

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued mid-cycle assessment letters to the nation’s 104 operating commercial nuclear power plants.

The agency’s most recent assessments show that all plants continue to operate safely.

“We ensure nuclear power plants are safe, inspecting them and rating their performance regularly, as part of our mission to protect people and the environment,” said Cynthia Pederson, acting deputy director for reactor safety programs in the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

The mid-cycle assessment period concluded on June 30, with 97 of the 104 plants in the two highest performance categories.

If a nuclear power plant’s performance declines, the NRC increases the level of

inspection and oversight to ensure the plant operator is taking the steps necessary to correct the situation.

The additional amount of inspection is commensurate with the level of plant

Performance, said the NRC.

Twelve plants were needing to resolve items of low to moderate safety significance and receive additional NRC inspection and attention to follow up on corrective actions.

These plants were: Braidwood Unit 1 (Ill.); Callaway (Mo.); Davis-Besse (Ohio); Dresden Unit 3 (Ill.); Farley Unit 1(Ala.); North Anna Unit 2 (Va.); Palisades (Mich.); Prairie Island Unit 2 (Minn.); San Onofre Unit 2 (Calif.); Seabrook (N.H.); Turkey Point Unit 3(Fla.), and Waterford Unit 3 (La.).

Nuclear Fuel Services could face $140,000 fine

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed that Nuclear Fuel Services be fined $140,000 for violations of NRC regulations stemming from an October 2009 event related to the control of nuclear material at the company's Erwin, Tenn., nuclear fuel facility.

In a letter to the company, NRC Regional Administrator Luis Reyes said an NRC

inspection team and subsequent NRC review found the Oct. 13 event that resulted in an unexpected increase in the rate of a chemical reaction and an evacuation of employees from the affected area “occurred because multiple barriers at NFS failed.”

“These failures were primarily attributable to a lack of management oversight…a lack of a questioning attitude, perceived production pressure and poor communication,” Reyes said.

Santa Susana cleanup could complete by 2017

Nuclear cleanup at Santa Susana facility would finish by 2017 under settlement, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

The plan would remove soil contaminated with carcinogenic dioxins, heavy metals and radioactive materials.

According to the news report, local activists say the site has been a health risk since a partial meltdown in 1959.

The effort would involve hauling significant amounts of soil contaminated with carcinogenic dioxins, heavy metals and radioactive materials from the Santa Susana Field Laboratory to licensed waste dumps as far away as Utah, according to Rick Brausch, project director at the California agency.

If all goes according to plan, a final agreement could be in place within two months, Brausch said.

“In a major victory for community activists worried about health risks linked to a contaminated former nuclear research facility overlooking the west San Fernando Valley, state and federal authorities on Friday proposed a settlement agreement to clean up the site by 2017,” said the LA Times report.

Under the proposal by the US Department of Energy and NASA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control will oversee what is expected to be among the most intensive cleanup programs in the country.
Indian Railways eyes nuclear energy

The Indian Railways, preparing for captive power plants to meet its energy requirements, is now eyeing nuclear energy, according to a report by India’s Economic Times.

"Indian Railways has expressed interest for captive nuclear power of 1000 MW (500 MW x 2). The Railways want to examine the possibilities. We are looking into it," Department of Atomic Energy's secretary Srikumar Banerjee told PTI.

The two proposed units would not impact the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL)'s plan for ten nuclear plants of which four plants have received approval.
According to the current cost, the two small 500 MW nuclear power plants, for which the Railways has adequate land, would cost around Rs 10,000 crore, said the report.

The report suggested that “NPCIL, which would be the executing agency, might use indigenous high pressure water technology reactor, regarded as cost effective.”