Saturday, April 30, 2016

US Federal Regulators to Examine Barriers to Energy Storage Participation in Markets
Jennifer Delony
April 26, 2016 \| Post Your Comment
	Staff of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last week said the agency intends to examine whether barriers exist to the participation of energy storage in the capacity, energy and ancillary service markets, and Full Article http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/04/us-federal-regulators-to-examine-barriers-to-energy-storage-participation-in-markets.html?cmpid=renewablesolar04302016&eid=288118515&bid=1390445

Iran to Build Seven New Nuke Plants By 2020

Will ‘build at least one nuclear power plant every 15 years’

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-build-seven-new-nuke-plants-2020/

Fukushima's Ice wall - Rocket Technology or just a Damp Squib

With Yuichi Okamura, TEPCO's Ice Wall Chief Architect revealing it'll take a further 8 months to get to temperature, won't be watertight, and potentially be a 9 year battle to address Fukushima's water ingress (and contamination bleed out) problems, is it time Japan to rethink its containment solutions for the devastated fukushima daiichi site?

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap-interview-fukushima-plants-ice-wall-not-watertight-092447794.html

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/dba4eedb33804c3f81c6c24425f5b77b/containing-fukushimas-radioactive-water-may-be-9-year-fight

Center for Arms Control and Nuclear Proliferation: MOX Fuel Program: Current Plans and Controversy

MOX Fuel Program: Current Plans and Controversy
The Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility at Savannah River, South Carolina is intended to manufacture nuclear fuel from surplus weapons-grade plutonium for use in commercial nuclear energy reactors. However, the project has faced serious delays and massive cost overruns – and currently has no customers for its proposed fuel. Read The Center’s latest factsheet to learn more about the program.
http://armscontrolcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MOX-Fuel-Program-For-Posting2.pdf

Friday, April 29, 2016

Records: Former TVA manager admits Chinese government paid him for nuclear secrets

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/crime-courts/chinese-engineer-accused-in-nuclear-espionage-case-returned-to-knoxville-31a0ea9f-8ff8-2d97-e053-010--377609161.html

Electricity Generated in Ontario Apr 29 2016 15:45

Electricity Generated in Ontario
Apr 29 2016 15:45

https://www.cns-snc.ca/media/ontarioelectricity/ontarioelectricity.html

Impact of Diablo Canyon closure needs studying

http://www.pacbiztimes.com/2016/04/29/impact-of-diablo-canyon-closure-needs-studying/

Portugal joins calls to shut down Almaraz nuclear power plant

http://theportugalnews.com/news/portugal-joins-calls-to-shut-down-almaraz-nuclear-power-plant/38075

Fukushima at sea? China wants a fleet of floating nuclear power plants

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/28/opinions/china-floating-nuclear-reactors/index.html

German nuclear power plant finds malware on its systems

http://www.itpro.co.uk/security/26443/german-nuclear-power-plant-finds-malware-on-its-systems

Israel nuclear reactor defects spark safety concerns

Calls for new safeguards at aging atomic research center after report uncovers 1,537 flaws at aluminum core

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-nuclear-reactor-defects-spark-safety-concerns/

Russia's nuclear nightmare flows down radioactive river

Russia's nuclear nightmare flows down radioactive river
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RUSSIA_BEFORE_CHERNOBYL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-04-29-09-38-02

ANS Nuclear PE Workshop: Preparing for the Nuclear Professional Engineering Exam

ANS Nuclear PE Workshop:
Preparing for the Nuclear

Professional Engineering Exam

Let ANS help you pass the Nuclear Engineering PE Exam!

What: ANS Nuclear PE Workshop

When: Sunday, June 12, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Where: Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Strand 5, New Orleans, LA

Our full-day workshop covers:

•

Differing requirements by state

•

An overview of the examination formats

•

An in-depth look at the topics and proficiencies tested in the four basic skill areas:

Nuclear power
Nuclear fuel cycle
Interaction of radiation
Nuclear criticality/kinetics/neutronics

•

Sample questions worked through by attendees with instructor guidance and group review

•

The ANS Study Guide’s sample exams and list of recommended resources for continued study

Workshop registration includes the ANS Study Guide in both binder form and on CD—a $450 value—FREE!

Visit http://www.ans.org/peec/ to learn more about the exam and the benefits of licensure.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

Save More!
Members: Register by May 12 to save $100.
Non-members: Enjoy additional member savings of $100 when you JOIN ANS.

America Left Behind As India And China Turn To Nuclear Power | The Daily Caller

DOE Energy Calculator: Coal, Dynamite, Burritos, and Nuclear Candy - AREVA Next Energy Blog

Spink County Residents Speak Out Against Proposed Borehole

State Senate Votes to Urge Federal Government to Pass Interim Nuclear Fuel Storage Bill | San Clemente Times

FirstEnergy 'disappointed' as federal agency blocks income guarantees for power plants

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20160428/NEWS/160429777/firstenergy-disappointed-as-federal-agency-blocks-income-guarantees

Fukushima plant's new ice wall not watertight

http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2016/04/fukushima-plant-s-new-ice-wall-not-watertight.html?cmpid=EnlWeeklyPowerApril292016&eid=288118515&bid=1390543

GE Renewable Energy Installs 50 GW of Global Wind Power

http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2016/04/ge-renewable-energy-installs-50-gw-of-global-wind-power.html?cmpid=enl-poe-weekly-april-29-2016&cmpid=enl_PE_Weekly_2016-04-29&eid=288118515&bid=1390570

U.S. Senate Votes to Restore Funding for Wind Power Research & Development

http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2016/04/u-s-senate-votes-to-restore-funding-for-wind-power-research-development.html?cmpid=enl-poe-weekly-april-29-2016&cmpid=enl_PE_Weekly_2016-04-29&eid=288118515&bid=1390570

The Intermountain Energy Storage Project

http://www.power-eng.com/articles/print/volume-120/issue-4/features/the-intermountain-energy-project.html?cmpid=enl-poe-weekly-april-29-2016&eid=288118515&bid=1390570

Four Reasons We Can’t Wait to Plug the Leaks

http://www.theenergycollective.com/edfenergyex/2377096/four-reasons-we-cant-wait-to-plug-the-leaks?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

NRC asks for input on how it will review advanced reactors

https://neutronbytes.com/2016/04/21/nrc-asks-for-input-on-how-it-will-review-advanced-reactors/

A DOE budget request sheds light on the future of advanced manufacturing

http://aceee.org/blog/2016/04/doe-budget-request-sheds-light-future

Site shortlisted for Australian waste facility

Site shortlisted for Australian waste facility
The Australian government has shortlisted a voluntarily nominated site in Barndioota, South Australia, as a possible site for a national radioactive waste management facility, minister for resources and energy Josh Frydenberg announced today.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articlepost.aspx?id=40475

Westinghouse expands fuel production capacity

Westinghouse expands fuel production capacity
Westinghouse Electric Company has announced the expansion of its nuclear fuel factory in Västerås, Sweden. The US-based firm, which is majority-owned by Japan's Toshiba, said the expansion is a response to growing demand for nuclear fuel supply diversification for VVER-1000 reactors in Europe.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/UF-Westinghouse-expands-fuel-production-capacity-29041601.html

Regulatory milestone for US central storage facility

Regulatory milestone for US central storage facility
An application for a licence to construct and operate a Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for used nuclear fuel in Texas has been submitted to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/WR-Regulatory-milestone-for-US-central-storage-facility-2904167.html

30 Years After The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, Its Scars Are As Fresh As Ever

http://www.indiatimes.com/news/world/30-years-after-the-chernobyl-nuclear-disaster-its-scars-are-as-fresh-as-ever-254253.html

Fearing a nuclear terror attack, Belgium is giving iodine pills to its entire population

http://qz.com/672463/belgium-will-give-iodine-pills-to-its-entire-population-in-case-of-a-nuclear-disaster/

U.S. Is Chiefly to Blame for Nuclear Arms Race in 21st Century: KCNA Commentary

http://www.oananews.org/content/news/politics/us-chiefly-blame-nuclear-arms-race-21st-century-kcna-commentary

Hanford, Not Fukushima, is the Big Radiological Threat to the West Coast

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/04/29/hanford-not-fukushima-is-the-big-radiological-threat-to-the-west-coast/

[Des Browne, Daryl G. Kimball, Kairat Umarov] More work needed to ban nuclear bomb tests

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160429000756

National radioactive waste search: one site, limited vision

https://antinuclear.net/2016/04/29/national-radioactive-waste-search-one-site-limited-vision/

Kalpakkam Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor to go critical by end of 2016

http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/kalpakkam-prototype-fast-breeder-reactor-to-go-critical-by-end-of-2016-116042800219_1.html

Defense Authorization looks at MOX funding

http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20160427/AIK0101/160429479/1002/AIK01/defense-authorization-looks-at-mox-funding

Omar Duque: Nuclear energy vital for Illinois' businesses

http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20160427/omar-duque-nuclear-energy-vital-for-illinois-businesses

After NRC violations, Entergy aims to improve operations at nuclear plants

After NRC violations, Entergy aims to improve operations at nuclear plants
https://www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-36261564-13099

Cause here, effect there: The climate disconnect

http://thebulletin.org/debating-link-between-emissions-and-population/cause-here-effect-there-climate-disconnect

Chernobyl, Fukushima, and preparedness for a "next one"

http://thebulletin.org/chernobyl-fukushima-and-preparedness-next-one

Robot Spiders Weave Products from Plastic in a New Spin on 3-D Printing

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601330/robot-spiders-weave-products-from-plastic-in-a-new-spin-on-3-d-printing/#/set/id/601360/

Department Of Energy Announces New Awards For Advanced Nuclear Energy Development

By U.S. Department of Energy on April 28, 2016 at 5:00 PM

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Building on the President’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Department of Energy today awarded more than $5 million to undergraduate and graduate students in pursuit of nuclear engineering degrees and other nuclear science and engineering programs relevant to nuclear energy. The awards include 57 undergraduate scholarships and 33 graduate-level fellowships for students at American colleges and universities. http://breakingenergy.com/2016/04/28/department-of-energy-announces-new-awards-for-advanced-nuclear-energy-development/?utm_campaign=Breaking+Energy+Daily+Digest&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=29077866&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Yj1kKt-l5dLp-EqgfI3rjyJ1GSWJGOaN3W2CVexqkBoVrlrUNsaBakjO2v06I5Fh6KyozoTgSYUeY-kNpre2SnF4o2A&_hsmi=29077866

25% of nuclear power plant parts obsolete

With 25% of NPP parts obsolete, the industry is struggling to replace key components resulting in rising costs and extended outages. As the European industry looks to improve plant performance obsolescence and equipment reliability are a significant challenge that must be overcome.
Recently, key players from the US operators Exelon and First Energy as well as EPRI met to discuss what nuclear power plants can do to combat obsolescence and also improve equipment reliability.
Access your complimentary recordings of their exclusive discussions right here
Here is just a snapshot of what you’ll receive:

Exelon’s Craig Crandall discusses the mitigation of obsolescence through innovation and what the European industry can learn from Exelon’s progressive obsolescence management strategies

First Energy’s Mike Koberling analyses preventive maintenance strategies employed in the US fleet and how to achieve high reliability with limited resources

EPRI’s Sam Harvey covers what equipment reliability and PM strategies the industry are employing to improve performance and efficiency within nuclear power plants

If you have any questions, then please do let me know!
Thanks,

John
John Furness
Senior Industry Analyst
Nuclear Energy Insider
+44 (0)207 375 7528
JFurness@nuclearenergyinsider.com

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Beltway Job Seekers Are Rested and Ready for the New President

https://whchronicle.com/?p=3287

Rosatom to sell 49 pct of Akkuyu nuclear plant due to financial issues

http://www.dailysabah.com/energy/2016/04/28/rosatom-to-sell-49-pct-of-akkuyu-nuclear-plant-due-to-financial-issues

Ab)normal Nuclear Pakistan

Pakistan’s nuclear policy is a product of both mistrust toward the U.S. and threat perceptions vis-a-vis India.

http://thediplomat.com/2016/04/abnormal-nuclear-pakistan/

Vattenfall CEO says Germany's proposed nuclear risk premium 'too high'

http://www.platts.com/latest-news/electric-power/stockholm/vattenfall-ceo-says-germanys-proposed-nuclear-26430524

Thirty Years After Chernobyl, Debate Rages About Nuclear Power

- See more at: http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/162678#sthash.r1jUFRCo.dpuf

Thirty Years After Chernobyl, Debate Rages About Nuclear Power
http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/162678

German Nuclear Power Plant Found to Be Just Rotten With Malware

None of the infections posed an immediate threat, but you can only get lucky so many times.

Fukushima Update 4/28/16

Fukushima Update 4/28/16 –

The number of worker injuries at F. Daiichi has been cut in half… The Associated Press says that the F. Daiichi ice wall is not watertight… A Kyushu Mayor says his town might agree to be a nuclear waste disposal site… More information on the NRA’s “snap” inspection proposal… Scientists say a fault under Shika unit #1 may qualify as seismic.

http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-accident-updates.html

New standard simplifies process for qualifying nuclear safety equipment

http://www.energybiz.com/article/16/04/new-standard-simplifies-process-qualifying-nuclear-safety-equipment

NRC Staff Push Agency to Address Escalating Safety Concerns

http://www.regblog.org/2016/04/28/simeone-nrc-staff-push-agency-to-address-escalating-safety-concerns/

Permit for a new nuclear reactor in N.J. OK'd by feds

http://www.nj.com/salem/index.ssf/2016/04/permit_for_a_new_nuclear_reactor_in_nj_okd_by_feds.html

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Trust in me

http://plymouth.wickedlocal.com/news/20160428/food-for-thought-trust-in-me

DOE Releases Draft Request for Proposal and Announces Pre-Solicitation Conference for Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Deactivation and Remediation Services

04/28/2016 05:00 PM EDT

Cincinnati -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued a Draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for deactivation and remediation services at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP). A contract that includes cost-plus-award-fee and indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract line items for the purpose of providing deactivation and remediation services at PGDP is anticipated.http://energy.gov/em/articles/doe-releases-draft-request-proposal-and-announces-pre-solicitation-conference-paducah

US NRC Blog Update: WCS Sends NRC Interim Storage Applicaiton

WCS Sends NRC Interim Storage Application

by Moderator

Mark Lombard
Director, Division of Spent Fuel Management

You may have heard that the NRC has received an application today for a centralized storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. We thought this would be a good time to talk about what that facility would do, and how we will review the application.

First some background. “Spent fuel” is the term we use for nuclear fuel that has been burned in a reactor. When spent fuel is removed from a reactor, it is very hot, so it is put immediately into an onsite pool of water for cooling. Initially, the plan in the ‘70s had been to send the spent fuel for “reprocessing” prior to final disposal, so usable elements could be removed and made into fresh fuel. But reprocessing fell out of favor in the United States in the ‘80s.

Officials from Waste Control Specialists deliver its application to construct and operate a consolidated interim storage facility to Joel Munday, Acting Deputy Director of the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.

To manage their growing inventory, nuclear utilities turned to dry storage. The idea behind dry storage casks is to cool the fuel passively, without the need for water, pumps or fans. The first U.S. dry storage system was loaded in 1986. In the past 30 years, dry storage has proven to be safe and effective.

Against this backdrop, a Texas company, Waste Control Specialists (WCS), filed an application with us today for a dry cask storage facility to be located in Andrews County. WCS plans to store spent fuel from commercial reactors; initially, from reactors that have permanently shut down.

The application discusses utilizing dry storage casks that have previously been approved by the NRC. The spent fuel would arrive already sealed in canisters, so the handling would be limited to moving the canisters from transportation to storage casks.

Ever since Congress enacted the first law for managing spent nuclear fuel in 1982, federal policy has included some centralized site to store spent fuel before final disposal in a repository. Congress made DOE responsible for taking spent fuel from commercial reactors. It gave NRC the responsibility to review the technical aspects of storage facility designs to ensure they protect public health and safety and the environment.

We conduct two parallel reviews – one of the safety and security aspects, the other of potential environment impacts.

But before those reviews get underway, we will review the application to see if it contains enough information that is of high enough quality to allow us to do the detailed reviews. If it doesn’t, WCS will have a chance to supplement it. If we find the application is sufficient and accept it, we will publish a notice in the Federal Register. This notice will alert the public that we have accepted the application for technical review, and offer an opportunity to ask for a hearing.

Then we begin our reviews. At the beginning of our safety and security review, NRC staff will hold a public meeting near the site to answer questions about our process. We'll also have public meetings with WCS as needed so the staff can ask questions about the application. We will document this review in a Safety Evaluation Report.

Once we get public and stakeholder input on the scope of our environmental review, we will conduct the review and document the results in a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). We'll ask the public and stakeholders to comment on the draft. After considering those comments, we’ll finalize it.

We expect the review process to take us about three years, assuming WCS provides us with good information in a timely way during our review.

If interested parties ask for a hearing, and their petition is granted by our Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, then the board will consider specific “contentions,” or challenges to our reviews of the safety, security or environmental aspects of the proposed facility. The board will hold a hearing on any contentions that cannot be resolved. We can’t predict how long this hearing process would take.

The Safety Evaluation Report, the EIS and the hearing need to be complete before the NRC staff can make a licensing decision. If the application meets our regulations, we're legally bound to issue a license. We don’t consider whether there’s a need for the facility or whether we think it’s a good idea. Our reviews look only at the regulatory requirements, which are carefully designed to ensure public health and safety and the environment will be protected.

Incidentally, we are expecting an application for a second centralized interim storage facility Nov. 30. This one, to be filed by Holtec International, will be for a site in New Mexico. We’ll follow the same process in reviewing that application.

Moderator | April 28, 2016 at 2:42 pm | Tags: dry cask storage, NRC, spent nuclear fuel, Waste Control Specialists | Categories: Radioactive Waste | URL: http://wp.me/p1fSSY-1Qt

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What would success look like for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030?

What would success look like for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030? Below is an infographic showing the ambitious goals that Vision 2030 has proposed for almost every facet of the plan.

Infographic by SUSTG - what does success look like for 2030?

Public opinion on nuclear energy: what influences it

http://thebulletin.org/public-opinion-nuclear-energy-what-influences-it9379

UK think tank urges nuclear innovation

UK think tank urges nuclear innovation
A think tank has urged the British government to spend money earmarked for nuclear R&D on ensuring that at least three advanced reactors including at least one small modular reactor (SMR) and a Generation IV design have completed regulatory assessment by the early 2020s.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-UK-think-tank-urges-nuclear-innovation-2804167.html

Proposal for financing German nuclear phase-out

Proposal for financing German nuclear phase-out
The commission reviewing the financing of Germany's nuclear phase-out has recommended to the government that the reactor owners pay some EUR23.3 billion ($26.4 billion) into a state-owned fund for decommissioning of the plants and managing radioactive waste. http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/WR-Proposal-for-financing-German-nuclear-phase-out-2804164.html

ANS Nuclear Cafe Update: Why Do I Attend ANS National Meetings? Where Do I Start?

Why Do I Attend ANS National Meetings? Where Do I Start?

By ansnuclearcafe on Apr 28, 2016 11:43 am

by Katie Mummah Opportunity. It’s the first thing that comes to my mind as I prepare to register for the ANS Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Honestly, attending the ANS Continue Reading →
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Will The Truth About Chernobyl Ever Come Out?

By ansnuclearcafe on Apr 27, 2016 12:18 pm

Yes, it already has, but the truth is so much more boring than the assertions of megadeath, that it generally gets ignored. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl Continue Reading →
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Wildlife Flourishes 30 Years After Chernobyl

By ansnuclearcafe on Apr 26, 2016 12:51 pm

Will Davis recently wrote an article on the Cafe: Chernobyl Through the Mist of Decades with a look back, lessons learned, and life now. But today, April 26, marks the 30 year anniversary of Continue Reading →
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Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival 306

By ansnuclearcafe on Apr 25, 2016 02:02 pm

The 306th edition of the Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival has posted at Neutron Bytes. • Click here to access Carnival 306. Each week, a new edition of the Carnival is hosted Continue Reading →
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ANS Nuclear Matinee – We Need A Mix

By ansnuclearcafe on Apr 22, 2016 10:05 am

Today’s video is brought to us by Third Way, and takes a closer look at the energy sources, and why we need to add nuclear into the energy mix. Wind and solar Continue Reading →
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Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire