Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: Technology

Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Comparing the costs of intermittent and dispatchable electricity generating technologies

http://econ-www.mit.edu/files/6317

ABSTRACT

Economic evaluations of alternative electric generating technologies typically rely on comparisons between their expected life-cycle production costs per unit of electricity supplied. The standard life-cycle cost metric utilized is the “levelized cost” per MWh supplied. This paper demonstrates that this metric is inappropriate for comparing intermittent generating technologies like wind and solar with dispatchable generating technologies like nuclear, gas combined cycle, and coal. Levelized cost comparisons are a misleading metric for comparing intermittent and dispatchable generating technologies because they fail to take into account differences in the production profiles of intermittent and dispatchable generating technologies and the associated large variations in the market value of the electricity they supply. Levelized cost comparisons overvalue intermittent generating technologies compared to dispatchable base load generating technologies. They also overvalue wind generating technologies compared to solar generating technologies. Integrating differences in production profiles, the associated variations in the market value of the electricity supplied, and life-cycle costs associated with different generating

technologies is necessary to provide meaningful comparisons between them. This market-based framework also has implications for the appropriate design of procurement auctions created to implement renewable energy procurement mandates, the efficient structure of production tax credits for renewable energy, and the evaluation of the additional costs of integrating intermittent generation into electric power networks.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Challenges of Digital Control Rooms for nuclear power plants

The editorial team at the American Nuclear Society blog would like to publish an article on the challenges of digital control rooms for nuclear power plants. This can be on conversion of an existing plant or building a new one. The blog is located at: http://ansnuclearcafe.wordpress.com

In addition to writing for the blog, ANS also invites experts to propose articles for ANS News. If you are interested, please contact Laura Scheele, Rick Michal, or myself. I will be available to help an author craft an article suitable for the blog format. Rick will provide editorial guidance for ANS news.

Please share this invitation with colleagues. Thanks.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Nuclear Energy Suffers Another Big Blow -- Will the Dying Industry Continue to Beg for More Government Subsidies?

from AlterNet.org by Harvey Wasserman, AlterNet

2010 again left the "nuclear renaissance" in the Dark Age that defines the technology. But an Armageddon-style battle looms when Congress returns next year.

US Renewables Now Neck-And-Neck With Nuclear Power

http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/US_Renewables_Now_Neck_And_Neck_With_Nuclear_Power_999.html Washington DC (SPX) Dec 29, 2010 According to the most recent issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), "nuclear electric power accounted for 11% of primary energy production and renewable energy accounted for 11% of primary energy production" during the first nine months of 2010 (the most recent period for which data have been released). More specifically, renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass/biofuels, geothermal, solar, water, and wind) accounted for 10.9% of domestic energy production and increased by 5.7% compared to the same period in 2009.
Meanwhile, nuclear power accounted for 11.4% of domestic energy production but provided 0.5% less energy than a year earlier.
Among the renewable energy sources, biomass and biofuels accounted for 51.95%, hydropower for 31.50%, wind for 10.52%, geothermal for 4.65%, and solar for 1.38%. Comparing the first three-quarters of 2010 against the same period in 2009, hydropower declined by 5.2% but geothermal expanded by 1.8%, solar grew by 2.4%, biomass/biofuels increased by 10.0%, and wind grew by 26.7%; combined, non-hydro renewables expanded by 11.5%.
Preliminary data also show that fossil fuels accounted for 78% of primary energy production. Overall, U.S. primary energy production rose by 2% compared with the first nine months of 2009.
"Members of the incoming Congress are proposing to slash cost-effective funding for rapidly expanding renewable energy technologies while foolishly plowing ever-more federal dollars into the nuclear power black hole," said Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign.
"The numbers clearly show this would be betting on the obvious loser while ignoring the clearly emerging winner in the energy race."
And according to EIA's latest "Electric Power Monthly," renewable energy sources accounted for 10.18% of U.S. electrical generation during the first three-quarters of 2010. Compared to the same period in 2009, renewables - including hydropower - grew by 2.2%.
While conventional hydropower dropped by 5.2%, non-hydro renewable used in electrical generation expanded by 16.8% with geothermal growing by 4.9%, biomass by 5.5%, wind by 27.3%, and solar by 47.1%. Non-hydro renewables accounted for 3.9% of total electrical generation from January 1 - September 30, 2010 - up from 3.5% the year before.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Department of Energy circulating year-end list of accomplishments By Andrew Restuccia

Report: Energy Dept.'s funds focused on nuclear hub, loan guarantees
The Department of Energy recently released its self-compiled list of 2010 accomplishments, which includes as much as $122 million for the development of a Nuclear Energy Modeling and Simulation Energy Innovation Hub and the loan guarantee for Southern Nuclear's Plant Vogtle in Georgia. "Over the past year, the Department of Energy accelerated the drive toward our clean energy economic and security goals, creating tens of thousands of jobs and helping the country to lead the way in science and innovation," the Energy Department said in its year-end report. The Hill/E2 Wire blog

Monday, December 27, 2010

* Digg * del.icio.us * Facebook * Google Bookmarks * StumbleUpon * Yahoo! Buzz * Reddit * Slashdot * Technorati * Twitter * FriendFeed * Mixx * NewsVine * Propeller * Suggest to Techmeme via Twitter * Wikio * Home * Featured * Is Nuclear Power A Clean Energy Source? Is Nuclear Power A Clean Energy Source? by Susan DeFreitas

NEI: "Vast improvement" in safety made since Three Mile Island incident
The U.S. nuclear industry has made progress in safety since the Three Mile Island incident decades ago, said Steve Kerekes, spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute. "Reforms put in place after the Three Mile Island accident have led to vast improvement in the training of nuclear plant personnel, in the sharing of operational information throughout our industry and in the efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness of our facilities," Kerekes added. He also cited the success of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations in ensuring safety. EarthTechling.com http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/12/is-nuclear-power-a-clean-energy-source/

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Social Network For Photovoltaics Launches Ideas Contest

Participants can submit ideas about standardisation of interfaces, photovoltaic standards for cell production, cost reductions, safety and energy efficiency, utility monitoring and assembly systems up until the 20th of February 2011.

http://www.solardaily.com/reports/Social_Network_For_Photovoltaics_Launches_Ideas_Contest_999.html Hauppauge NY (SPX) Dec 21, 2010 Specialists from the photovoltaic sector now have their own international expert network: the Festo Engineering Network offers a convenient and efficient way of exchanging ideas within the community about trends and market developments in the wafer-based solar industry and of discovering new solutions together. The Festo Engineering Network simplifies contacts between leading manufacturers of photovoltaic solutions and scientists from the Fraunhofer ISE and CSE.
Network members develop new ideas for the future of the solar industry in closed workgroups. A database provides up-to-date industry know-how such as sample applications, reports and studies, which members can download free of charge.
As part of the launch activities for the online platform, the Festo Engineering Network has announced an ideas contest with attractive prizes, for example a flight in a hot-air balloon or an airship.
Participants can submit ideas about standardisation of interfaces, photovoltaic standards for cell production, cost reductions, safety and energy efficiency, utility monitoring and assembly systems up until the 20th of February 2011.
At the opening event of the Festo Summit Photovoltaics in San Francisco at the beginning of December 2010, Professor Dr. Joel West of San Jose State University stressed how important collaboration in social networks is, particularly in young and dynamic industries like photovoltaics: "Trust, reliable processes and a clear-cut infrastructure evolve if cooperation is started early amongst network members. This enables us to reap the benefits for successful products."

Monday, December 13, 2010

Russia plans 2013 start of construction of Turkish nuclear plant

Russia plans 2013 start of construction of Turkish nuclear plant
Russia will begin constructing a $20 billion nuclear facility in Turkey by 2013, said Vladimir Ivanovsky, the Russian ambassador to Turkey. "The launch of the plant's first power unit is planned for 2018, while the other three will be launched with an interval of one year," he said. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20101212/161741673.html

Friday, December 10, 2010

Assessing the seismic hazard of the central eastern United States

As the U.S. policy makers renew emphasis on the use of nuclear energy in their efforts to reduce the country's oil dependence, other factors come into play. One concern of paramount importance is the seismic hazard at the site where nuclear reactors are located.
http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-12-seismic-hazard-central-eastern-states.html

Countdown to nuclear liftoff LIONEL FAULL, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

The pressure is on for the government to roll out the country’s nuclear strategy and decisions are expected to be made within a year about the technologies and vendors for the country’s R300-billion expansion of nuclear capacity.

The favoured option of the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2010 calls for the first new nuclear station to come on stream in 2023. With a lead time of at least 12 years, decisions will have to be made soon.

The IRP 2010 calls for six new nuclear stations, each with a capacity of 1600MW. The government is understood to favour a "fleet strategy", meaning that a single vendor could supply the technology for decades to come.

Opinion remains divided on the suitability of nuclear for the country’s energy mix. Supporters say it can supply baseload power but opponents say that it continues to carry too many risks and is not preferable to renewables such as wind and solar.

Public participation in the draft IRP 2010 is winding down -- the deadline for written submissions on all electricity generating technologies under consideration expires on Friday.

The implementation of the new energy policy will then begin in earnest.

The IRP proposes that nuclear energy should provide 14% of South Africa’s total electricity generating capacity by 2030. Nuclear is seen as the best replacement for coal and the way to provide most of the country's baseload requirements when ageing coal-fired stations are decommissioned to meet South Africa's carbon emission reduction targets.

'Time is very tight'
The department of energy expects the IRP to be promulgated by February, after which the government's nuclear procurement process will begin.

"Time is very tight, but it would be equally inappropriate to rush into nuclear without public participation," said Ompi Aphane, the department's deputy director general for electricity, nuclear and clean generation. More at link.
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-12-10-countdown-to-nuclear-liftoff

Discovery Of The Secrets That Enable Plants Near Chernobyl To Shrug Off Radiation

File image.

http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Discovery_Of_The_Secrets_That_Enable_Plants_Near_Chernobyl_To_Shrug_Off_Radiation_999.html Bratislava, Slovakia (SPX) Dec 10, 2010 Scientists are reporting discovery of the biological secrets that enable plants growing near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to adapt and flourish in highly radioactive soil - legacy of the 1986 nuclear disaster in the Ukraine. Their study, which helps solve a long-standing mystery, appears in ACS' Environmental Science and Technology, a semi-monthly journal. Martin Hajduch and colleagues note that plants have an unexpected ability to adapt to an environment contaminated with radiation following the April 26, 1986 accident at the Chernobyl.
Their previous research, for example, showed that soybean plants in the area have adapted to the contaminated soil with certain changes in their proteome. A proteome is the full complement of proteins produced by the genes in a plant or animal. But the broader range of biochemical changes in plants that allow them to thrive in this harsh environment remained unclear. More at link.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

FuelCell Energy To Build Small Scale Direct FuelCell Power Plant

Diagram of a Proton exchange membrane fuel cel...

Image via Wikipedia

Due to their highly efficient power generation, lack of pollutants and quiet operation, fuel cell power plants are well-suited for commercial buildings located in urban environments.

http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/FuelCell_Energy_To_Build_Small_Scale_Direct_FuelCell_Power_Plant_999.html Danbury CT (SPX) Dec 02, 2010 FuelCell Energy will jointly develop a small-scale Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plant with its South Korean partner, POSCO Power. The power plant will target the fast-growing commercial applications market segment, particularly in Asia.
POSCO Power will fund the $5.8 million program in stages as performance milestones are reached, with an initial funding of $2.9 million for design and development of a smaller scale fuel cell stack.
Due to their highly efficient power generation, lack of pollutants and quiet operation, fuel cell power plants are well-suited for commercial buildings located in urban environments.
Fuel cells efficiently generate power using an electrochemical process that does not involve combustion. The lack of combustion results in virtually zero pollutants and quiet operation.
Fuel cell generated power can make use of available clean energy incentives, and can compete favorably with commercial and residential electricity rates in many regions of the world.
"FuelCell Energy's DFC products have been demonstrated as a dependable, ultra-clean solution," said Ben Toby, Vice President of Global Business Development for FuelCell Energy. "With this announcement, POSCO Power and FuelCell Energy seek to build on their partnership to enter into a previously untapped market segment, which has the potential to drive significant volume."
FuelCell Energy's core DFC power plant product line consists of the 300 kilowatt DFC300, the 1.4 megawatt DFC1500, and the 2.8 megawatt DFC3000. The DFC3000 is scalable for utility-size applications of multiple megawatts.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

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.

NRC Grants Cooper Nuclear Station 20-Year License Renewal

NRC Grants Cooper Nuclear Station 20-Year License Renewal

The NRC has granted the 830-MW Nebraska Public Power District-owned Cooper Nuclear Station an extended 20-year operating license, PowerGen Worldwide reported. The NRC said that "after careful review of the plant's safety systems and specifications, the staff concluded that there were no safety concerns that would preclude license renewal and that the applicant had effectively demonstrated the capability to manage the effects of plant aging." The plant went online in 1972, the Associated Press reported.

Associated Press via NTV (Kearney, Neb.), PowerGen Worldwide, Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, Nov. 30.

Monday, November 22, 2010

CO2-Free Energy Can Meet Global Energy Needs In 2050

Danish wind and biomass resources in particular will make it possible to phase out fossil fuels in connection with power generation and heat production before 2040. It will take further 10 years to eliminate fossil fuels within the transport sector.

by Staff Writers Copenhagen, Denmark (SPX) Nov 22, 2010 Riso Energy Report 9 lists a wide range of energy technologies in the market with low or no emissions of greenhouse gases, describing how several of these will be made commercially available in the next decades. However, it is not possible to make the world's energy supply CO2-free as cheaply as possible, using only technology development in the current energy systems.
There must be room for technological leaps and there is a need for an integrated process to optimise the entire energy system, from energy production, through transformation into energy carriers, to energy transportation and distribution and efficient end use.
There is also a need for a smart grid, connecting production and end use at local level. End users should contribute to maintain balance in the future energy system and new technologies should be introduced to the end users, including houses with low and flexible consumption, smart electronic equipment, heat pumps, energy storage and local energy supplies such as solar cells and micro CHP.
Information and communication technology (ICT) will determine how successful the integration of renewables into the grid actually will be.
Considering the security of supply in the short and long term, there is still a need for access to fossil fuels, but they must be continuously replaced with renewable energy sources. If we do not make efforts to promote renewable energy sources, coal and gas might easily be prevailing in the global energy supply for the rest of this century.
For many countries, however, it could be advantageous to switch to renewable energy sources in order to reduce dependence on imported oil and gas. In addition, this transition can help the countries achieve their environmental policy goals.
Seen in isolation, Denmark has a great chance for achieving these goals and for phasing out fossil fuels at a rapid pace and thus reduce emissions of greenhouse gases at the required pace.
Danish wind and biomass resources in particular will make it possible to phase out fossil fuels in connection with power generation and heat production before 2040. It will take further 10 years to eliminate fossil fuels within the transport sector.
A future smart energy system requires that we start investments now. If we do not make these investments, future generations will look back on this period wondering how we could be satisfied with an outdated energy system, without taking advantage of the opportunities which we already were aware of.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Green-tech companies look overseas for foothold

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Rather than follow a well understood game plan, energy technology entrepreneurs need to think more like chess players on the fast-changing global stage.
A panel of clean-tech entrepreneurs and financiers here at the MIT Venture Capital conference yesterday discussed ways to navigate the regulatory and commercial landscape. Their strategies reflect how energy innovators and their financial backers have had to adjust over the past few years to have a shot at succeeding.
One persistent challenge for energy technology entrepreneurs is getting the money and permits to build either an initial production facility to make goods, such as solar panels or biofuels, or test a product at large scale.

In many cases, young companies are looking outside the U.S., where the regulatory environment is simpler and governments are more welcoming, panelists said. Introducing products for use on the U.S. electric grid, in particular, is very complex because each state can have separate rules.
"If somehow the regulations in the U.S. don't start to be more amenable to the clean technologies we're starting to develop, then I'm already looking to China to move products because I know I will have a lot fewer regulatory issues getting products online there," said Tom Zarella, the CEO of a Dartmouth University spin-off called SustainX, which is making a novel storage system that uses compressed air.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20023432-54.html#ixzz15qwR8fdd

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20023432-54.html

How to make people 'love' nuclear power

Hinkley Point nuclear power station — The Hinkley Point poll is likely to have guided people to think about nuclear power in a different way. Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian

Monday, November 15, 2010

GE Executive Outlines Opportunity For Transformation Of US Energy Future

The evolution of a smarter power grid in the United States and the resulting impact it could have on the economy and environment were highlighted in a keynote address by GE's Bob Gilligan at the Advanced Energy 2010 Conference. Gilligan explained how even conservative adoptions of technology solutions could enable Americans to sustain and improve their energy-dependent lifestyles. "While revolutionary energy technologies are developed each day, the way we apply them to modernize and nurture our electrical infrastructure is really more of an evolution than a revolution," said Bob Gilligan, vice president-digital energy for GE Energy Services.
"What's important is taking steps today to lay the foundation for our growing energy appetite. We can then sustain ongoing efforts to improve our energy landscape."
Using conservative technology growth estimates, Gilligan laid out a scenario where the total U.S. energy consumption and emissions saved between 2010 and 2030 could exceed the entire electrical consumption and electrical CO2 output for all of 2010.i "The net result would be like 2010 never happened," he explained.
In addition to the energy and pollution savings, Gilligan's scenario saw the creation of 140,000 sustainable new jobs and an electrical landscape that includes 3.3 billion fewer customer outage minutes. These power reliability improvements could result in savings of $65.7 billion from reduced power interruptions by 2030.
Gilligan supported his call for an energy evolution with a bevy of facts about the future of energy, including:
+ Growing cities that will house more than 60 percent of the world's population and consume a vast majority of its power by 2030 cannot rely on an infrastructure designed a century ago
+ Global electricity demand is forecasted to increase 75 percent by 2030
+ Energy costs are increasing worldwide; US rates increased an average of 42 percent between 2000 and 2007
+ More than 40 percent of current environmental emissions are from electric generation
+ Approximately half of the transformer assets in the U.S. electrical infrastructure are at or approaching the end of their design life
"The good news is that we are not talking gloom and doom," Gilligan said.
"Our electrical future can be a story of potential, opportunity and global competitive advantage. With increased reliability, efficiency and sustainability, we'll be able to power traditional economic growth and be ready for the next generation of life-changing technology. We can do it by taking measured, affordable evolutionary steps. However, we, as a country, must act today."
Gilligan cited electric cars, along with increasing levels of wind and solar energy, as examples of technology-enabled advances on the not-too-distant horizon.http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/GE_Executive_Outlines_Opportunity_For_Transformation_Of_US_Energy_Future_999.html

Nuclear Industry Can Lead a Revival in Skilled Labor and Manufacturing in the United States by Rod Adams

The Nuclear Energy Institute, the American Nuclear Society and the North American Young Generation in Nuclear have been investing time and money into focused workforce development programs for several years. The people leading the effort are taking the action to ensure that there are educated and trained people who are ready to meet the challenge of continuing to reliably operate and maintain our existing fleet of 104 nuclear reactors at the same time that we are reestablishing our nuclear plant manufacturing and construction industry.http://atomicinsights.blogspot.com/2010/11/nuclear-industry-can-lead-revival-in.html

Monday, November 8, 2010

Nuclear expansion in China

Nuclear expansion in China
As the world's most populous country and fastest growing major economy, it's no surprise that China needs energy - lots of energy. Its thirst for oil has been a major driver for the dramatic increase in crude prices since 2004, and its heavy reliance on coal has created severe pollution problems and made China the world's largest emitter of CO2. http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-11-nuclear-expansion-china.html