Saturday, April 5, 2014

Fukushima Commentary 4/4

Fukushima Commentary

Harvey Wasserman goes over the edge…Again!

Harvey Wasserman has made a career out of condemning nuclear power. But now, he has coined a phrase likely to become the new buzz-word with the antinuclear demographic around the world…nuclear omnicide. His extreme form of cherry-picking and outright fabrication has gone too-far...once again. This is not merely well-crafted rhetorical disinformation… it is evil personified.

http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-commentary.html

Governments rip up renewable contracts

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2014/03/18/governments-rip-up-renewable-contracts/

Energy News Roundup: Shunning Russian Gas in Europe No Easy Task

By Jared Anderson

Merkel And Medvedev Inaugurate Nord Stream Gas Pipeline

The Ukraine crisis has reinvigorated European efforts to diversify its natural gas supply sources away from Russia amid reliability concerns, but numerous obstacles stand in that path. “Added to that, Europe is contractually obliged to continue taking delivery of Russian gas. Bernstein makes the point that Gazprom has about 120 bcm of take-or-pay contracts –

Keep reading →http://breakingenergy.com/2014/04/04/energy-news-roundup-shunning-russian-gas-in-europe-no-easy-task/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy&utm_campaign=898d357d73-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f852427a4b-898d357d73-407304281

Tackling Energy Poverty with Renewables?

By Roman Kilisek

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles Visit South Africa on Day 4

As economies and populations grow, standards of living improve for billions of people, and with it the need for energy continues to rise. Or as World Bank Group President Dr. Jim Yong Kim put it “energy is a critical part of boosting prosperity and eradicating poverty.” The world’s center of gravity is shifting more and

Keep reading →http://breakingenergy.com/2014/04/04/tackling-energy-poverty-with-renewables/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy&utm_campaign=898d357d73-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f852427a4b-898d357d73-407304281

New Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions Impacts Energy and Agriculture Industries

By Husch Blackwell

China Announced 4-trillion Chinese Yuan Fiscal Stimulus Plan

On Friday, March 28, 2014, the White House unveiled its comprehensive, interagency strategy to reduce methane emissions as part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan introduced last summer. The President’s Climate Action Plan proposed three key pillars upon which strategies would be developed for cutting pollution that is believed to cause climate change and damage

Keep reading →http://breakingenergy.com/2014/04/04/new-strategy-to-reduce-methane-emissions-impacts-energy-and-agriculture-industries/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy&utm_campaign=898d357d73-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f852427a4b-898d357d73-407304281

Nuclear power may have saved 1.8 million lives otherwise lost to fossil fuels, may save up to 7 million more.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/the-curious-wavefunction/2013/04/02/nuclear-power-may-have-saved-1-8-million-lives-otherwise-lost-to-fossil-fuels-may-save-up-to-7-million-more/

Ebola, Organic Food, and Fukushima. Three Dope Slaps About How We Get Risk Wrong.

http://bigthink.com/risk-reason-and-reality/ebola-organic-food-and-fukushima-three-dopeslaps-about-how-we-get-risk-wrong

Nuclear energy – Clean air energy made in America

http://atomicinsights.com/nuclear-energy-clean-air-energy-made-america/

Construction of the first inland nuclear small nuclear reactor project in Hunan

Arnaud Lefevre-Baril Chief Executive Officer at Dynatom International GmbH

CNNC organized a meeting on April 1 with the authorities of Lanzhou city (Gansu) regarding the construction of the first SMR to diversify the energy mix and ease the pollution of the city.
In April 2011, the CNNC and China Guodian created a joint venture specialized in small modular reactor development, promotion, investment and construction and operational management. The Lanzhou heating project is the first project in the new nuclear energy company newly established.
The reactor is known as the ACP100 and will also be constructed in Fujian, Jiangxi and Hunan. The project of Putian (Fujian province) is already ongoing and six sites have been chosen in Hunan.
Qian Lin, general manager of the CNNC New Energy Co., said during the two sessions this year (in March 2014), that CNNC has successfully completed a multi-purpose modular PWR ACP100 small cogeneration technology research and development work.

http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5MzA5OTY5NA==&mid=200110171&idx=5&sn=c5d178496c58664314cc3587ebf8fa7f&scene=1&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0&uin=MTE2MzE5NDk2MQ%3D%3D

【建造】中核将在湖南建成首个内陆核电小堆项目 mp.weixin.qq.com

中核集团4月1日消息称，中核集团党组成员、副总经理吕华祥与兰州市委副书记、市长袁占亭在3月31日的会见中商讨核电模块化小型堆合作事宜。中核集团希望通过此次交流，共同推进兰州市供热核电“小堆”项目，积极安排双方对口部门尽早接洽、沟通和交流，以利于下一步的合作。袁占亭表示，推进“小堆”项目建设是使兰州市大气环境继续好转的重要选项之一。希望双方在前期工作的基础上，继续推进和落实“小堆”项目建设，使之尽早为兰州经济发展、能源建设和改善环境发挥作用。...

Friday, April 4, 2014

Fukushima Lessons: Updating Earthquake Hazards at U.S. Nuclear Plants

Leave a comment Posted by Moderator on April 4, 2014

Scott Burnell

Public Affairs Officer

The NRC is examining new earthquake-related information from U.S. nuclear power plants, and we’re making that information available over the next week or so. We’d like to summarize how we got here and what the next steps are.
seismicgraphic

Nuclear power plant designs set a basic standard for reactors to completely and safely shut down after an earthquake, based on site-specific information. Plant construction methods and other design factors add to a reactor’s capacity to safely withstand stronger motions than what the basic design describes.
The end of March marked an important milestone for our post-Fukushima activities. We received 60 reports from central and eastern U.S. nuclear power facilities updating the seismic hazard at their individual reactors. The NRC staff is making these reports available through its normal process. The NRC will post each plant’s report on the agency website’s Japan Lessons-Learned Activities page.
We will require the same updates of the three western power plants (Palo Verde in Arizona, Columbia Generating Station in Washington, and Diablo Canyon in California), but delayed by one year because of the more complex geology in that region of the country. Each western plant is individually looking at the seismic sources and local ground motion characteristics that could affect it. This Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee process will inform the overall seismic hazard reassessment that the western plants are completing.
Our staff will spend the next month going over the submissions carefully, checking for errors, before confirming which plants will be required to do more extensive analysis of their ability to respond safely to a significant earthquake event.
These reports mark the first step in a comprehensive process to keep safety at U.S. plants up-to-date with the latest understanding from the earth sciences on the processes that create earthquakes in the U.S. In 2012, the Department of Energy, Electric Power Research Institute and the NRC joined forces to update the “seismic source model” for the central and eastern U.S. This was based on a new understanding of what creates earthquakes on the North American tectonic plate, with a focus on the New Madrid fault zone near St. Louis, the Charleston fault zone near Charleston, S.C., and other updated information.
The data on seismic sources will be used in conjunction with a ground motion model for the central and eastern U.S. as well as data from individual plants on the localized geology, topography, soil cover, and other data to create a picture of the “ground motion response spectra” for each plant. This new ground motion response spectrum at each plant will be compared with that developed in the past to see if the new data suggests the plant could see higher ground motions than previously thought. If that is the case, the plant will be considered to have “screened in” to further detailed seismic hazard analysis.
Those plants that “screen in” will be required to do a seismic “probabilistic risk assessment” or a seismic “margin analysis” to evaluate in detail how the existing plant structures and systems would respond to the shaking from the range of earthquakes that could affect the plant based on our current understanding of seismic sources. This assessment is extensive, involving experts from a variety of fields, and will require at least 3 years to complete. Once these assessments are complete, the NRC will decide if significant upgrades to plant equipment, systems, and structures are required.
In the meantime, to ensure that the plant is safe, the NRC requires that by the end 2014, plants have reported the interim actions they will take to ensure the safety of the plants before the assessment is complete. Such measures could include re-enforcing existing safety-significant equipment or adding equipment.
It’s important to remember that significant earthquakes at central and eastern U.S. plants are unlikely. But it is our job to ensure that these plants are ready for all that nature might throw at them. And it is our job to keep up with the changes in the science to ensure that plants are as safe as they can be.

Conference examines socioeconomic impact of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant closing

http://www.gazettenet.com/news/stateregion/11434720-95/conference-examines-socioeconomic-impact-of-vermont-yankee-nuclear-power-plant-closing

Making a case for nuclear power

http://www.theadobepress.com/articles/2014/04/03/opinion/letters/letter%204.txt

Global warming leaves us a stark choice – fracking or nuclear power

Global warming leaves us a stark choice – fracking or nuclear power
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/david-quinn/global-warming-leaves-us-a-stark-choice-fracking-or-nuclear-power-30154376.html

ECO:nomics: Building New Nuclear Power in U.S.

http://live.wsj.com/video/economics-building-new-nuclear-power-in-us/21B3A03D-02CD-4360-A436-086F732293A9.html#!21B3A03D-02CD-4360-A436-086F732293A9

US suspends nuclear power deal with Russian energy giant

http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/news/international-news/124437-us-suspends-nuclear-power-deal-with-russian-energy-giant.html

Businesses complacent on water risk mitigation

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/businesses-complacent-water-risk-mitigation/2014-04-04?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Nation's largest nuclear fleet gets bigger

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/nations-largest-nuclear-fleet-gets-bigger/2014-04-04?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

World Needs to Get Ready for the Next Nuclear Plant Accident

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-03/world-needs-to-get-ready-for-next-nuclear-power-plant-accident.html

South African launches radwaste agency

South African launches radwaste agency
The National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute has been formally launched by South Africa's energy minister. It will be responsible for the management and disposal of the country's radioactive waste.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/WR-South-African-launches-radwaste-agency-0404145.html

First CAP1400 reactor under construction

First CAP1400 reactor under construction
The pouring of concrete for the basemat of Shidaowan 1, the first of two demonstration CAP1400 units in China's Shandong province, was recently completed. The design is a scaled up version of Westinghouse's AP1000 and could potentially be exported.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-First-CAP1400-reactor-under-construction-0404144.html

The Geopolitics Of Energy By Robert D. Kaplan

The Geopolitics Of Energy

By Robert D. Kaplan

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stratfor/2014/04/04/the-geopolitics-of-energy/

Why We Can’t Just Adapt to Climate Change

The difficulty of predicting local effects of climate change makes a compelling case for preventing it.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/526116/why-we-cant-just-adapt-to-climate-change/

Q&A: Behind The Scenes On The Vogtle-3 And -4 New Build

http://www.nucnet.org/all-the-news/2014/04/04/q-a-behind-the-scenes-on-the-vogtle-3-and-4-new-build

IAEA Hosts Annual Meeting of International Radioactive Waste Technical Committee

The 20 members of WATEC during their 2014 meeting at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, 1 April 2014. (Photo: IAEA)

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An annual meeting of the International Radioactive Waste Technical Committee (WATEC) has commenced at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna. The meeting from 1 to 4 April 2014 covers a range of important issues and methods relating to the safe and secure disposal of radioactive waste. It also provides a platform to foster information exchange on current issues in the area of radioactive waste management (RWM) and on the advances made in science and technology in this field.
Radioactive waste is an expected residue from the use of radioactive materials in industry, research and medicine, as well as from the use of nuclear power to generate electricity. The management and disposal of such waste is an issue relevant to almost all countries. In this context, the strategies and techniques for the safe management of the various types of waste arising from the different applications are important for the whole international community.
Welcoming the participants on behalf of the IAEA, Chairperson of the annual WATEC meeting, Mr. Enrique Biurrun from Germany, noted the significance of the safe and secure management of radioactive waste, which, if not handled carefully, could have far reaching global implications.
Juan Carlos Lentijo, Director of the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology in the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy, drew attention to the importance of this meeting for the work of the IAEA in providing enhanced services to Member States to improve the safe and secure management of radioactive waste. Mr. Lentijo also mentioned that the Scientific Forum to be held during the IAEA's 58th General Conference in September 2014 would focus on waste management.
The Director of the Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety in the IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, Pil-Soo Hahn, said that issues to be covered at the meeting will also include an overview of the IAEA's RWM programme, as well as the issues and trends in waste management, decommissioning and environmental remediation in WATEC Member States. Mr. Hahn stressed that the various technologies used for the disposal of radioactive waste must stringently adhere to safety and security considerations and that the meeting would also provide an opportunity to assess such aspects of technology.
The topical sessions scheduled for this event are concentrating on:

Inventories of radioactive waste and spent fuel
Embarking Nuclear Power Countries/Nuclear "Newcomers"
Management of large amounts of waste

In addition, two panel discussions are scheduled:
A panel discussion on the Waste Technology Section (WTS) Networks is aimed at raising a wider awareness on the work being done in relation to RWM. This will provide an opportunity to discuss evolving concepts on RWM, lessons learnt as well as disseminating proven technologies and information on training activities.
The second panel discussion will focus on the IAEA's decommissioning and remediation missions to Japan in 2013. This will feature a summary of the issues, findings and the advice that have been provided by the IAEA to the Government of Japan.
Background
The International Radioactive Waste Technical Committee (WATEC) is a working group of senior international experts that provide advice to the IAEA on radioactive waste management programme activities and directions, and support its implementation.
The 20 members of WATEC are appointed by the Deputy Director General and Head of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy for a period of four years.
WATEC Members are recognized experts from various fields of radioactive waste management, decommissioning, and environmental remediation. The membership is not only geographically diverse but also contains members from both countries with nuclear programmes and countries with non-power nuclear applications.
To facilitate international coordination, representatives of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, the European Commission, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and World Nuclear Association (WNA) are invited to attend WATEC meetings as observers.

- By Aabha Dixit, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication

U.S. Officials Downplay Impact of Ukraine Crisis on Nuclear Security Efforts

http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/us-officials-downplay-impact-ukraine-crisis-nuclear-security-efforts/

U.S. Senator to Press for Disclosure of Uranium Processing Proposal

http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/us-senator-seek-disclosure-uranium-processing-plans/

New Watchdog Group Sets Sights on South Carolina Plutonium Facility

http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/new-watchdog-sets-sights-south-carolina-nuclear-arms-facility/

Testing Of Olkiluoto-3 I&C System Begins In Germany

http://www.nucnet.org/all-the-news/2014/04/04/testing-of-olkiluoto-3-i-c-system-begins-in-germany

Private Company Takes Over Storage Of WIPP Transuranic Waste

http://www.nucnet.org/all-the-news/2014/04/04/private-company-takes-over-storage-of-wipp-transuranic-waste

Inspections show rate of cooling tube wear not worsening at St. Lucie Nuclear Plant

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2014/apr/03/inspections-show-rate-of-cooling-tube-wear-not/?partner=RSS

Designated law-breaker at DOE still wants budget approved

http://atomicinsights.com/designated-law-breaker-doe-still-wants-budget-approved/

Five Kinds of Things the UCS Satellite Database Can Tell You

http://allthingsnuclear.org/five-kinds-of-things-the-ucs-satellite-database-can-tell-you/

Electric Grid Infrastructure Undergoes Modernization

http://tdworld.com/features/electric-grid-infrastructure-undergoes-modernization

Scientific American: Utilities are conducting a "propaganda war" against solar

http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/Technologies_DG_Renewables/Scientific-American-Utilities-are-conducting-a-propaganda-war-against-solar-6448.html#.Uz681lfwqAg

ANS Nuclear Matinee: Vogtle Nuclear Construction Update

Updates from ANS Nuclear Cafe Blog

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Nuclear Matinee: Vogtle Nuclear Construction Update

By ansnuclearcafe on Apr 04, 2014 12:00 am

Near Augusta, Georgia, the first new commercial nuclear power reactors built in the United States in 30 years continue to take shape. This latest video update features the recent heavy lift of the massive 5-story CA20 module, which will house … Continue reading →
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Warming Climate May Spread Drying to a Third of Earth

Warming Climate May Spread Drying to a Third of Earth
New York NY (SPX) Apr 04, 2014 - Increasing heat is expected to extend dry conditions to far more farmland and cities by the end of the century than changes in rainfall alone, says a new study. Much of the concern about future drought under global warming has focused on rainfall projections, but higher evaporation rates may also play an important role as warmer temperatures wring more moisture from the soil, even in some places ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/Warming_Climate_May_Spread_Drying_to_a_Third_of_Earth_999.html

Warm North Atlantic Ocean promotes extreme winters in US and Europe

Warm North Atlantic Ocean promotes extreme winters in US and Europe
London, UK (SPX) Apr 04, 2014 - The extreme cold weather observed across Europe and the east coast of the US in recent winters could be partly down to natural, long-term variations in sea surface temperatures, according to a new study published this week. Researchers from the University of California Irvine have shown that a phenomenon known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO)-a natural pattern of variation in ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/Warm_North_Atlantic_Ocean_promotes_extreme_winters_in_US_and_Europe_999.html

FUKUSHIMA AT THREE FOLKLORE V. FACTS Weinar (March 7, 2014)

https://archive.org/details/FUKUSHIMAATTHREEFOLKLOREV.FACTS371412.04PM

Restoring Energy Security After Crimea

Apr 04, 2014 03:00 am | Gonul Tol, Alex Vatanka

Gonul Tol

Alex Vatanka

The crisis in Ukraine has rightly sparked concerns over a possible cut in Russian natural gas to Europe. Europe receives roughly 30 percent of its gas supplies from Russia, and more than half of the Russian natural gas delivered to Europe travels through Ukraine. This dependence needs to be remedied, and the sooner the better. As European leaders weigh the continent’s energy strategies to mitigate the potential long-term loss of Russian supplies, two countries—Turkey and Azerbaijan—stand out as important partners in Europe’s quest for energy security.
Turkey has long sought to become an energy hub for Caspian and Middle Eastern oil and gas to Europe. Azerbaijan, a secular, pro-U.S. country on the shores of the Caspian Sea, has significant hydrocarbon resources of its own. Its location also positions it as a natural conduit for oil and gas exports to Europe from landlocked but energy-rich Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The overlap in interests between Turkey and Azerbaijan—as exporting and transit countries—has already resulted in two strategic energy projects: the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) natural gas pipeline. Two key lessons from these pipeline projects are highly instructive.
read morehttp://nationalinterest.org/commentary/restoring-energy-security-after-crimea-10181

Power Engineering's Top Stories 4/4

Top Stories

Kemper coal-fired power plant cost jumps $177M
Southern Co.’s (NYSE: SO) Kemper County, Miss., coal-fired power plant project will exceed its already over budget of $5 billion by $177 million.
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Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas names new President and CEO
David Walsh has been named president and chief executive officer of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas, Inc. Walsh took the office effective April 1 and is responsible for all aspects of the business in the western hemisphere.
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Second nuclear power operator in Japan asks for bailout
Kyushu Electric said it was in talks with the Japan-owned Development Bank of Japan to buy 1 billion yen ($9.6 million) of preferred stock in the company. Hokkaido Electric Power Co. asked the same bank for a $486 million lifeline on Tuesday.
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Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas seek proposals for natural gas pipeline
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) and Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) are seeking proposals to build and operate a major wholesale natural gas pipeline into North Carolina.
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The Week's Most Read Articles

GE releases new 9HA and 7HA natural gas turbines
General Electric (NYSE: GE) has announced it will be releasing the 7HA and 9HA air-cooled gas turbines, according to a report from Diesel & Gas Turbine Worldwide.
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Operators of coal-fired power plants decide how to meet MATS 2015 deadline
Operators of coal-fired power plants throughout the U.S. are creating strategies to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) by the April 2015 deadline.
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GHG permit issued for natural gas-fired power plant
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a greenhouse gas (GHG) permit for El Paso Electric’s planned natural gas-fired power plant in Texas.
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Settlement reached over San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station closing costs
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) reached a settlement on Thursday with Southern California Edison (SCE), The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA) over the costs associated with the closing of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).
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More Headlines
• Duke sues Westinghouse over canceled nuclear power plant contract
• Jacobs to support new nuclear reactor builds in the UK
• APUC acquires remaining stake in wind energy portfolio for $115mn
• Dominion CEO elected Chair of Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
• Dominion acquires six California solar projects
• TEPCO gets new leader as Fukushima fuel assembly transfer reaches milestone
• Japan’s Hokkaido Electric Power seeks $486mn bailout
• NYISO appoints Daniel B. More to Board of Directors
• Interactive Map: Watch how fast wind farms have spread across the US
• Solar thermo plant to be built alongside geothermal plant in Nevada
• NRC approves transfer of nuclear operating licenses from CENG to Exelon
• EPA’s emissions proposal sent to White House
• Kazakhastan nuclear company head suspected of embezzlement
• NRG Energy completes acquisitions of EME, Dominion retail electricity business
• Renewable energy leads new power generation in U.S. for February
• Areva begins testing of Olkiluoto 3 nuclear plant I&C system
• ENEC joins EPRI’s nuclear research program
• EDF Renewables unit orders Vestas wind turbines for Texas project
• NJR Clean Energy Ventures completes solar power project
• Long Island adds 100 MW of solar power through 76 projects
• Vermont Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning approved
• NRC denies request to delay restart of St. Lucie nuclear reactor

Industry Trends

Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire