NEWS |
round up
UPGRADES FRANCE’S FRAMATOME HAS been awarded a contract to perform a specialised reactor vessel corrosion mitigation technique on four NPPs in the USA. The process, called cavitation peening, extends the life of the reactor vessel by protecting against corrosion. Framatome was awarded the contract at the end of 2021. The projects will be completed throughout 2022 and 2023.
SERVICES FRAZER-NASH CONSULTANCY has been awarded a contract by the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy to provide nuclear energy generating cost analysis for large and advanced nuclear technologies to support and underpin the UK’s energy strategy.
POLICY THE UK DEPARTMENT for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has announced the launch of a GBP120m ($147m) Future Nuclear Enabling Fund (FNEF) to support development of new nuclear energy projects, stimulate competition in the industry and unlock investment across the UK. The FNEF will help to realise the government’s ambition to approve eight new reactors by 2030.
SAFETY AND SECURITY THE SELECTION OF sites for existing and new NPPs in the Czech Republic is correct in terms of seismic safety, according to the preliminary conclusion of the international review requested by power experts from Switzerland, France and Japan and an independent observer from Austria.
THE US DEPARTMENT of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has removed more than 30 kg of highly enriched uranium from Japan. The shipment was undertaken in close cooperation with the UK’s Nuclear Transport Solutions and Civil Nuclear Constabulary.
UKRAINE TOLD THE International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that new wildfires in the area near the Chornobyl NPP did not pose a radioactive threat to people, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. Ukraine said the gamma dose rate levels in the vicinity of the Chornobyl NPP were “not exceeding the reference levels”.
V introduced. As a result, an additional 3.5GW of capacity was effectively added. In 2011-2012, RBMK units saw deformation of the graphite stack and curvature of technological channels due to radiation- thermal damage. To restore the characteristics, a technology was developed and tested at Leningrad 1, which made it possible to re- include it on the network. Work continues on other RBMK units. Since then, two units with VVER-1200 reactors
have begun operation at the Leningrad-II NPP, the service life of unit 4 at the ageing Bilibino NPP has been extended, and two units with VVER-TOI reactors are under construction at Kursk-II NPP. Work has also begun on the construction of units 3&4 at Leningrad-II, units 3&4 at Kursk-II and units 1&2 at Smolensk-II. In addition, Rosenergoatom has launched a nuclear-hydrogen R&D programme and the Kola NPP will become a base station for the production of hydrogen by electrolysis. However, Shutikov warned that, looking
forward to 2045 “we are facing serious challenges”. A general plan has been approved to 2035
listing specific sites and units. This includes: ● Kursk-II: units 1–4 (VVER-TOI reactors) ● Leningrad-II: units 3&4 (VVER-1200 reactors) ● Smolensk-II: units 1&2 (VVER-TOI reactors) ● Baimsky GOK: four modernised floating NPP units (RITM-200 reactors)
● Small NPP in Yakutia: unit 1 (RITM-200 reactor)
● Pilot demonstration project in Seversk: (BREST-OD-300 fast reactor)
● Kola-II: unit 1 with (VVER-S or VVER-600 reactor)
● Beloyarsk NPP: unit 5 (BN-1200M fast reactor)
The main challenge is that by 2030 some 10 units may be shut down. However, a programme has been adopted, “which includes measures to improve the reliability of power units”. The tasks until 2024 include the transfer of
all VVER-1200 units to an 18-month fuel cycle and switching to technical certification of equipment once every 10 years instead of four years for units operating within their design life. Rosenergoatom is working on this task together with Gidropress. “Work will be organised at the site of Kola-II: the main task by the end of 2024 is to decide on the reactor plant (VVER-S or VVER-600). Preparations for the construction of the small unit in Yakutia with an RITM-200 will begin,” Shutikov said. “In order for these plans to be implemented,
it is extremely important for us to form new supply chains within the framework of import substitution,” Shukikov emphasised. Russian factories must switch to domestic ion-exchange resins and reagents, as well as domestic software, he added. As for foreign projects, in the coming few
years, Rosenergoatom will take part in the commissioning of unit 2 at the Belarusian NPP and unit 1 of the Rooppur NPP (Bangladesh), as
10 | June 2022 |
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well as the ongoing construction of the Akkuyu NPP (Turkey). Other tasks include supporting preventive maintenance at the Armenian and Belarusian NPPs, as well as at the Kudankulam (India), Kozloduy (Bulgaria) and Tianwan (China) NPPs.
Japan Fumio Kishida promises action to restart NPPs Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said Japan will take firm steps to restart idled NPPs to make maximum use of nuclear power to stabilise energy prices and supply, Jiji Press reported. “With safety as a priority, we will take concrete steps to restart (plants), although the government is not considering replacing existing NPPs with newer facilities, he reportedly told parliament. In the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima
Daiichi disaster, Japan closed all 54 of its nuclear power units and introduced more stringent safety requirements for their restart. Some have been permanently closed ready for decommissioning and 33 are currently considered to be operable. Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda said the electricity supply situation is likely to worsen in many parts of Japan in the summer, with the government recommending more efforts to conserve power and the increased use of nuclear energy at plants confirmed to be safe. Last year the government said it aimed to cut coal’s share of electricity generation to 19% by 2030, compared with 32% in 2019. Because the Japan Nuclear Regulation
Authority (NRA) has apparently been taking such a long time to conduct its safety inspections, only 10 of the nuclear units shut down following the 2011 tsunami have been restarted. The standard administrative review process for safety inspections of NPPs by the NRA has been set at two years. However, the agency has been taking far longer. Consequently, the Special Committee on Nuclear Regulations called for the use of enhanced predictive analysis for safety inspections, for example by using data from NPPs that have already passed inspection. The Special Committee on Nuclear
Regulations of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), chaired by Junji Suzuki, has also compiled a report containing proposals for more efficient safety inspections. The report has been presented to Environment Minister Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi and Prime Minister Kishida. The LDP’s Special Committee offers 10
proposals to increase efficiency in inspections for nuclear restarts. It urges the NRA to actively incorporate new information about nuclear power regulations in other countries. It also calls for strengthening communication between the NRA and the local governments of areas where the facilities are located, as well as the electric power companies that operate them. It also says that the NRA should thoroughly brief these concerned parties on the status of inspections. U
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