Passing the starting line: nuclear construction risk -- Ernst & Young

http://paceeenvironmentalnotes.blogspot.com/2010/12/passing-starting-line-nuclear.html

This report from Ernst and Young finds that there is a growing momentum for investment in nuclear power, with 65 reactors1 under construction in 15 countries, a further 120 being actively pursued and many existing reactors being refurbished.

These major capital projects come with a multibillion-dollar price tag and a correspondingly high level of risk. To attract investment and earn a good rate of return, the nuclear industry needs to demonstrate that it can deliver these projects on time and on budget. Unfortunately, its track record in previous phases of investment has been weak. Should a significant number of these new projects fail, the entire industry could be penalized with higher financing costs and fewer investors.

The key is to focus on areas that matter the most, and to build in flexibility from the onset; for example:
• The regulatory environment: this represents one of the greatest risks to prospective nuclear new build, as changes can have a large impact on the viability of projects. We look at the importance of modeling the various contingencies that have to be built in from the start.
• Lack of planning: the classic mistake in the nuclear industry is to skimp on planning and rush into construction, but it’s in the early phases that project owners have the greatest chance to influence the project’s success.
• Operational experience: many utilities do not have the organizational expertise to deliver major capital programs due to the lack of recent experience with large-scale construction projects. Bringing in the right expertise to manage these projects is essential.

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Nuclear Power Plants Are Due for a Makeover The industry seeks to retire the "flour mill" look.

Industry could benefit from new plant designs, nuclear group says
The World Nuclear Association has organized a contest for designing a more suitable image for new nuclear reactors. Though technology has made strides, people have commonly likened nuclear plants to century-old flour mills, said John Ritch, director general of the WNA. The global industry may "always face a measure of public concern simply because its technology involves powerful, mysterious, and unseen forces," he said. "But what the industry can certainly control is what the public does see." Seattle Weekly

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Experts Weigh Extending the Lives of Nuclear Power Plants to 80 Years

Image via CrunchBaseExperts consider plant operations beyond 60 years
Several industry experts are weighing the prospects of prolonging the operations of existing U.S. nuclear plants for up to 80 years. "This gets down to developing techniques to measure the condition of the plants," said Charles Forsberg of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering. Operators would want a "clearly defined" license-renewal process before they allocate funds to refurbish facilities, said John Butler, director of engineering and operations support for the Nuclear Energy Institute. The New York Times (free registration)/ClimateWire

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State Nuclear Profiles 2010 --EIA

State Nuclear Profiles 2010 --EIA

The newly-formatted State Nuclear Profiles contains 2008 final data on nuclear generation and capacity, significant facts about the local nuclear industry, nuclear plant construction costs, dates of commercial reactor operation and license expiration, and type of cooling system. Tables also compare nuclear and other output and capacity.

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Mitsubishi Electric to Ship Digital Instrumentation and Control System for Chinese Nuclear Power Plant

- Edited By Tom Lamar -
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that it will ship the first of 10 sets of digital instrumentation and control (I&C) systems for nuclear power plants in China, an order worth a total of 48 billion yen, as part of the first commercial collaboration between China and Japan in the field of nuclear power. The digital I&C systems, manufactured jointly by Mitsubishi Electric and its system engineering consortium partner, China Techenergy Corporation Ltd. (CTEC), control and monitor entire nuclear power plants to ensure safe operations and efficient power generation.
In July 2007, the consortium of Mitsubishi Electric and CTEC won an order for six digital I&C systems to be used in nuclear power plants in China, making Mitsubishi Electric the first Japanese firm to win such orders in China. Following their first order, they started on the system design and, in 2009, moved onto the assembling and testing stages at CTEC's Beijing factory. The first digital I&C system will be delivered to the Liaoning Hongyan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, which is scheduled to start operation in 2012. Built by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Corporation Ltd. (CGNPC), The Liaoning Hongyan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 will have an output capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW).

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Russia launches new UO2 powder production line

Russia launches new UO2 powder production line

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Nation's nuclear power plants prepare for cyberattacks By Martin Matishak, Global Security Newswire

Nuclear industry is better equipped for cyberattacks
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