NUCLEAR NEWCOMERS | SPECIAL REPORT
Nuclear newcomers surge
Dozens of countries are turning to nuclear power to meet their energy needs. The nuclear newcomers are here
CURRENTLY SOME 30 COUNTRIES ARE considering, planning or starting nuclear power programmes as they seek a secure, low-carbon supply of energy. According to Rafael Mariano Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) Director General, based on their current national plans, 10 to 12 newcomers to nuclear power are expected to have begun development by 2035. There are a number of reactors already under construction in newcomer nations.
Nuclear plants under construction BANGLADESH began construction of its first reactor in 2017 and its second in 2018. Two 1200MWe VVER-1200 reactors are being built by Rosatom at Rooppur, 160km northwest of Dhaka. Russia and Bangladesh signed an inter- governmental agreement for Rooppur as a turnkey project in 2011 and ASE Group was appointed general contractor in 2015. Rooppur 1 is scheduled to start operating in 2023 and Rooppur 2 in 2024. Rosatom will maintain the plant for the first year of operation. By 2023 more than 1500 Bangladeshis are expected to have trained at Novovoronezh II. Russia will also supply fuel for the plant and take back the used fuel for processing.
BELARUS began construction of Ostrovets 1 (in the Grodno region) in 2013 and unit 2 in 2014. The plant is based on Russia’s VVER-1200. Russia will supply fuel and take back the used fuel. Unit 1 began commercial operations in June 2021. Construction of unit 2 is complete, and hot functional tests were completed in October 2021. Fuel loading started in December 2021 and commissioning is underway. Rosatom’s Atomstroyexport (ASE) is building the 2400MWe plant under a 2011 intergovernmental agreement that includes a Russian state loan of US$10bn for the project.
TURKEY invited bids for construction of a plant at Akkuyu on the Mediterranean coast in 2008. Russia’s ASE and Inter RAO UES with Park Teknik (Turkey) proposed a plant with four 1200MWe reactors. In 2010 Russia and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement for Rosatom to build, own and operate (BOO) the $20bn plant – the first nuclear project to be built on this basis. Rosatom will retain at least 51% of project company Akkuyu Nuclear, set up in 2011. Construction of unit 1 began in 2018, with start-up planned for 2023. All four units are now under construction with work well advanced at units 1&2. All four units are scheduled for operation by 2025 when the plant is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey’s electricity needs. In 2013 Turkey accepted a proposal from a consortium led by MHI and Areva (with Itochu and Engie) to build a second plant with four Atmea 1 reactors but work was frozen in late 2018 when MHI pulled out of the project.
THE UAE embarked on a nuclear power programme after accepting a US$20bn bid from a South Korean consortium led by Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) in 2009 to build four APR1400 reactors at Barakah between Abu Dhabi city and Ruwais. Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) and Kepco then set up Barakah One to deal with the financial aspects of the project. This included managing loan agreements of about US$19.6bn. Construction of unit 1 began in 2012, unit 2 in 2013, unit 3
in 2014 and unit 4 in 2015. The plant is now more than 96% complete and is generating electricity. Barakah 1 began commercial operation in April 2021, and unit 2 in March 2022. Units 3 and 4 are in the final stages of commissioning. The four units are expected to produce up to 25% of the UAE’s electricity requirements. U
Above: The UAE has become one of the latest new entrant nuclear countries with the commissioning of Barakah Photo credit: ENEC
www.neimagazine.com | June 2022 | 23
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