Anne Lauvergeon is Chairman & CEO, AREVA, which is the government-owned parent company of COGEMA and Framatome ANP.
AREVA was founded two years ago and I am glad to report that the Company is alive and kicking - very much so! The "nuclear pole" of AREVA, grouping COGEMA and Framatome-ANP, is the world leader in comprehensive services to power companies, from uranium mining to reactor construction and then to spent fuel management. We have undertaken a stringent and successful program of cost reduction, set up a company culture of sustainable development and developed an active policy of communication with the public. It is no big mystery that we are considering new acquisitions before opening our equity to the public Š our French government shareholders willing, of course!
photo: annelauvergeon.jpg Head of the Areva group, with sales last year of EUR 8.3 billion, Lauvergeon, 44, ranks as one of the most powerful women in business. A physicist and graduate of France's prestigious schools Ecole Normame Superieure and Ecole des Mines, she worked in the nuclear industry in the 1980s before becoming France's special assistant preparing economic summits under President Francois Mitterrand. After a banking stint in New York, she joined Cogema in 1999. The prospects for nuclear power?
Energy demand is growing strongly, electricity even more so, and any "precautionary principle" would require humankind to divide by half its present level of carbon dioxide emissions. The World Energy Council's Liveable World scenario for 9 billion people, published in 2001, would need three times as much nuclear power to be sustainable.
These last few years, the nuclear landscape was often described in simple terms: growth in Eastern Asia and stagnation everywhere else. Today, we can refine the picture, which looks brighter :
Is AREVA ready for a nuclear "Renaissance"?
Today, every reactor vendor has a model ready for commercialisation and complying with the most modern user requirements:
AREVA has two such models ready for commercialisation: Framatome-ANP's European EPR and SWR 1000. They offer probably the best that can be expected from the light water reactor family, which constitutes over 85% of the operating nuclear reactors world-wide. Both our models are now competing for the new order in Finland.
Longer term, we follow with interest the recent revival of the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors, which have some very attractive features: a high degree of intrinsic safety, excellent thermal efficiency, potential for future direct production of hydrogen, etc. What still remains to be seen is whether they can be competitive.
Looking further ahead, if there is, indeed, a "Generation 4", then nuclear fission will be used at least till the end of the century, and we shall need some kind of breeder reactor to make full use of the uranium and thorium resources of this planet. Breeding fuel implies spent fuel reprocessing and recycling. That is why it is important to keep maintaining and improving these technologies, as COGEMA is doing. Besides, spent fuel reprocessing allows for an optimal management of the high level wastes issued from the nuclear power generation.
We are very happy that Electricite de France has recently renewed its global recycle contract with COGEMA, for the next 15 years. This will guarantee a significant longer-term workload for our reprocessing plant in La Hague and our MELOX fabrication plant for mixed oxide fuel. Allow me to underline the excellent and safe operation of both those plants which really set world standards in their field.
Any progress toward nuclear waste disposal?
In France, the Parliament must decide before 2006 which method or methods of disposal should be implemented.
The international consensus is spreading that deep geological repositories are the proper way to dispose of conditioned long-lived radioactive wastes. We are convinced that geologic storage, combined with reprocessing of the spent fuels to recycle the plutonium and properly condition high-level and long-lived wastes is the best solution now.
R&D should nevertheless be pursued internationally on advanced methods, notably partitioning & transmutation of minor actinides. It is quite possible that in a few decades, those methods will allow reduced volume and long term toxicity of the wastes to be sent to final storage, and, therefore, use this valuable repository more efficiently. But we know already that those methods are unlikely to ever replace geologic storage.
What about public acceptance of nuclear power?
AREVA last year commissioned a very thorough analysis of the way French people view nuclear power, taking advantage of the most sophisticated polling techniques, used only by the marketing services of our famous luxury firms. Let me summarise for you the main findings of this study:
In short, the atmosphere is positive, but remains fragile. We must consolidate this support. We must explain that nuclear power is not THE solution to mankind's energy needs, but that there is probably no solution without it. We must explain that present nuclear reactors are much safer than Chernobyl was. We must explain that the risks associated with high-level radioactive wastes are orders of magnitude below those we accept willingly or not in our daily life. We must explain that the risks of irreversible climate change far exceed those of developing nuclear power on a grand scale.
Some international speakers at the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum in April outlined how new-generation reactors and fuel cycles would effectively use plutonium in the medium-term future as the fuel cycle closed, even in the USA. This would enable the world's uranium resources to go much further, by a factor of up to one hundred. The previous Newsletter outlined Russian plans for steadily-increasing use of recycled plutonium from civil reactors there.
At the same time, those who committed to its utilisation three decades ago are finding that low uranium prices continue to make it uneconomic or at best marginally economic today. British Energy's woes, locked into paying for reprocessing it doesn't want and doesn't use, epitomise this. (Plutonium - derived from uranium-238 in the fuel, already provides about one third of the power in most nuclear reactors.)
Notwithstanding marginal economics, there is substantial use of recycled plutonium in mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in Europe. France is arguably the leader in this, with many reactors licensed to use MOX and the intention to have all 34 of its 900 MWe series of reactors running with at least one third MOX in their cores. France also has the main fabrication plant for MOX.
Elsewhere, the question of military plutonium looms large. The USA is now committed to burning its surplus as mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel in civil reactors and is coaxing Russia in the same direction. However, this involves a large capital cost for fuel fabrication plants, and the Russians are baulking at that. Coincidentally, Russia has announced that a plutonium elimination program conducted without any publicity for some years is showing great promise. This would burn military plutonium in modified fuel assemblies with thorium in their main power reactors, and utilise existing fuel fabrication infrastructure.
Military plutonium also provides the focus of attention in places like North Korea, underlining its ease of manufacture and providing a continuing challenge in international diplomacy. The increasingly-required diplomatic suasion is assisted by the technical expertise of the International Atomic Energy Agency and occurs largely within the structures of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Returning to future prospects, the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) representing ten countries last year announced the selection of six reactor technologies which they believe represent the future shape of nuclear energy. These are selected on the basis of being clean, safe and cost-effective means of meeting increased energy demands on a sustainable basis and will be the subject of further development internationally.
The GIF is a US-led international collective representing governments of countries where nuclear energy is significant now and also seen as vital for the future. Most of the six systems employ a closed fuel cycle to maximise the resource base (especially by utilising plutonium) and minimise high-level wastes to be sent to a repository. Three of the six are fast reactors and one can be built as a fast reactor, and all but one utilise plutonium significantly.
While reprocessing which separates plutonium remains contrary to US policy, various advanced reprocessing options are under development there which leave plutonium with other transuranic elements and enable it to be recycled effectively to yield energy as the other heavy isotopes are incinerated.
Japan's official policy for nuclear fuel cycle remains reprocessing and recycling of plutonium, with development of fast reactors in the medium term. This is grounded in the country's perception of energy security and was reaffirmed in the new Energy Policy Law approved by 205 to 27 in the Upper House last year.
India, with one of the most active nuclear power programs in the world, is also committed to utilising civil plutonium without proliferation and is well into a technologically innovative program to enable this, particularly as a bridge to using its abundant thorium as a nuclear fuel.
Russia's recently-announced plutonium-thorium program is noteworthy. The program is based at Moscow's Kurchatov Institute and involves the US company Thorium Power and US government funding to design fuel for Russian VVER-1000 reactors. Whereas normal fuel uses enriched uranium oxide, the new design has fuel assemblies each consisting of a central portion and blanket arrangement, with the plutonium in the centre and the thorium (with uranium) around it. The Th-232 becomes U-233, which is fissile - as is the central 'seed' Pu-239. Blanket material remains in the reactor for nine years but the central material for only three. Design of the seed fuel rods in the core draws on extensive experience of Russian navy reactors.
The thorium-plutonium fuel claims four advantages over MOX: proliferation resistance, compatibility with existing reactors - which will need minimal modification to be able to burn it, and the fuel can be made in existing plants in Russia - hence it could be used from 2006. In addition, a lot more plutonium can be put into a single fuel assembly than with MOX. The spent fuel is even less likely to allow recovery of weapons-useable material than spent MOX fuel, since only about 1% of fissile plutonium remains in it. With an estimated 150 tonnes of weapons plutonium in Russia, the thorium-plutonium project would not necessarily cut across existing plans to make MOX fuel.
Plutonium seems set to take a higher profile in the years ahead, for a variety of reasons. It will test the maturity of political leaders in differentiating its possible roles, threats and promises, and enabling it to contribute to energy sustainablity while converting some of today's most threatening 'swords' into 'ploughshares'.
Atoms in Japan, June 2003 and cf briefing/info paper: Military warheads as a source of nuclear fuel.
Funding boost for Yucca Mountain
The US House of Representatives has given overwhelming support for a $174 million increase in funding for the Yucca Mountain high-level radioactive waste repository project, making it $765 million - $308 million beyond the Department of Energy's current funding level. Part of the increase is to fund a rail line to the repository which avoids Las Vegas - a response to public opinion in Nevada. Much of the money - $22 billion in total, has already been provided by nuclear electricity consumers, though this bill also includes $430 million from the defence waste account. The Senate bill includes only $465 million for Yucca Mountain, so the discrepancy will need resolving in conference.
Nucleonics Week 10/7/03, Platts 15/7/03, NEI Nuclear Energy Overview 21/7/03.
Industry takes stock after 50 years
The US nuclear energy industry when gathered for its annual Assembly reviewed the achievements of half a century and discussed the road ahead. Joe Colvin, CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, pointed to the many present uses of nuclear technology and said that "the industry's capabilities, the technology's advantages and the world's needs are coming together to herald an even greater role for nuclear energy in this century than in the last." The NEI President, Donald Hintz, went on to commend the hard work and focus on fundamentals which had resulted in record performance figures each year at nuclear plants and a safety record unmatched by any other manufacturing sector in the world.
However, "while nuclear energy's environmental value has long been recognised, it has never been realised, in a balance-sheet sense" Hintz said. He lauded New Hampshire's decision to include increased output from the Seabrook plant among emission-free power sources eligible for environmental NOx credits, though this showed up the inconsistency of federal and state governments in not recognising nuclear power's avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions in any economic way.
NEI Insight June 2003.
UK moves on radioactive wastes
Draft legislation to set up and fund the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA - foreshadowed in 2002 as the Liabilities Management Authority) has been published - the Nuclear Sites & Radioactive Substances Bill. The NDA will be charged with cleaning up the UK's legacy of nuclear wastes (from a variety of civil and some defence sources) which are now managed by BNFL and the UK Atomic Energy Authority, and in 2005 it will take over all designated liabilities and assets from those bodies. The assets include plants and BNFL's decommissioning funds. The cost is expected to total some £48 billion over many years, with some £1 billion per year required for the first 10-15 years.
Nirex, the UK organisation at the centre of radioactive waste disposal plans, will be given independence from the nuclear industry in order to achieve greater transparency for its endeavours. Nirex was formed in 1982 to develop an intermediate-level waste disposal facility, with shares held by British Energy, BNFL, the UK Atomic Energy Authority and the government, which is now assuming control. Its independence is part of wider reforms and follows moves to establish the NDA to deal with legacy wastes. Other reforms in train include creation of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management to advise the government.
Nucleonics Week 26/6/03, BNFL 24/6/03, cf Newsletter # 4/02, NucNet news # 232/03, Platts 16/7/03.
BNFL loss and review
The UK government has said that it is no longer considering a partial privatisation of BNFL, but with the Board and new CEO it will canvass other options for the group's future following the transfer of many of its assets and liabilities into the new Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. BNFL then reported a £1 billion loss for the year to end of March, chiefly due to exceptional items related to decommissioning two Magnox stations and provision for contract losses in UK and USA. Westinghouse provided about half of the £2.2 billion operating revenue and was profitable.
BNFL 9/7/03.
British Energy writes down reactors
British Energy announced a loss of £4.3 billion for a "traumatic" 2002-03, most of which is a write-down of generation plant, principally nuclear, to reflect current market value. The operating loss in UK was £274 million, owing to reduced power output and a further decline in wholesale prices to average 1.55 p/kWh for the year. Generation costs (including decommissioning charge) rose 6% to 1.76 p/kWh in UK, but renegotiated contracts with BNFL will now reduce this and provide a partial hedge against market prices. North American profit almost doubled to £144 million, including £97 million from Bruce Power which the UK government had forced BE to sell in February for £250 million. The government has extended the 30 June deadline for sale of AmerGen in the USA, which is expected to fetch £150 million. Meanwhile the UK's largest retail utility warned of winter power shortages due to reduced capacity as a result of the low wholesale prices since 1998.
BE 3/6/03 Times 4 & 5/6/03.
Russian plant life extension program
Unit 1 of Kola nuclear power station near Murmansk is the latest to be granted an extension to its original 30-year operating life. Three years ago plans were announced for lifetime extensions of twelve first-generation reactors totalling 5.7 GWe, and the period envisaged is now 15 years, necessitating major investment - some US$ 3 billion - in refurbishing them by 2006. So far three or four 5-year extensions have been issued. The 12 units are Kola 1 & 2, Kursk 1& 2, Novovoronezh 3 & 4, Leningrad 1 & 2, Bilibino 1-4.
Platts 3/7/03, NucNet news 221/03, cf Russia info/briefing paper.
Ukraine presses ahead for new reactors
Domestic financial initiatives to assist completion of Khmelnitski-2 and Rovno-4 nuclear reactors have been announced. Ukraine is also hoping for US$ 215 million from the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development to finish building the reactors, which Energoatom says are 95% complete, but negotiations have been bogged down. The announced measures include a development surcharge on nuclear electricity tariffs - expected to raise US$ 93 million for K2/R4 this year, and a bond issue.
NucNet business news # 41/03.
Bulgarian reactor inspection positive
After a 2-week scrutiny by 18 international inspectors, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) has reported that units 3 and 4 of Kozloduy nuclear power plant meet all necessary international standards for safe operation. This confirms an earlier IAEA report. The Bulgarian government had an agreement with the EU to close the 440 MWe units in 2006 as a condition of accession, but will now aim to renegotiate this and gain a reprieve until the licences expire (2011 & 2013), giving a 30-year operating life. An EU peer review is being sought, to support the political initiative. Kozloduy units 1 & 2 were shut down at the end of 2002, as agreed with the EU. Units 5 & 6 are larger modern VVER-1000 reactors.
Nucleonics Week 26/6/03, Ux Weekly 16/6/03, cf Newsletter # 6/02.
French fast reactor restarts
After a five year outage and a EUR 250 million upgrade, the Phenix prototype fast breeder reactor has restarted for its 51st operating cycle. Several actinide transmutation projects are to be completed before the reactor's final closure in 2008. It was commissioned in 1973.
Nucleonics Week 19/6/03.
French Academy backs nuclear for health
The French National Academy of Medicine has thrown its weight behind nuclear energy for electricity as having the least impact on public health. They said also that energy supply interruptions represented the most serious health risk. Climate change was a further problem identified, but concern about low levels of radiation exposure is "not scientifically justified". The opinion followed a seminar on Energy Options and Health, part of the national energy policy debate.
Nucleonics Week 10/7/03, www.acadamie-medecine.fr
Contract to wind up Russian military plutonium production
The US Department of Energy has awarded a US$ 466 million contract to enable the last three plutonium production reactors in Russia to shut down, replacing their heat and electrical output with coal-fired plants. Two of the reactors are at Seversk, in the Tomsk region of West Siberia, and one is at Zheleznogorsk, in the Krasnoyarsk region of East Siberia. Each is about 100 MWe and they have been operating since 1962-65.
SpentFuel 2/6/03.
Russian plutonium disposition costs rise
The latest estimates of the cost of disposing of 34 tonnes of Russian military plutonium have risen substantially. For US$ 2.1 billion the material can be burned as MOX in VVER-1000 reactors. For US$ 2.7 billion, it can be burned in VVERs and the BN-600 fast reactor, using new vibropack fuel fabrication technology. For US$ 2.2 billion, the BN-600 could burn a majority of the plutonium, while 15 tonnes in MOX could be exported for Western reactors, but this goes against an original principle of the scheme to quarantine it from commercial implications outside Russia. The USA is funding its own (matching) plutonium disposition program, while G-7 nations were to provide some US$ 1 billion to set up the Russian program, with running costs to be paid for by the domestic electricity produced. The latter funding now seems inadequate.
The first experimental mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel made from weapons plutonium has been successfully burned in the Beloyarsk-3 (BN-600) fast neutron reactor. About 10 kg of MOX was involved. The latest statement says that Russia plans to burn the 34 tonnes agreed upon in 2000 in up to seven VVER-1000 reactors from 2008 and this one fast reactor from 2007.
Platts 11/6/03, cf Newsetter # 3/01, NucNet News # 233/03.
Euratom Treaty survives politics
The Euratom Treaty has been left untouched and remaining separate from the proposed EU Constitution following the European Convention. If that is accepted by EU member states at the Intergovernmental Conference in autumn, it will allow the Treaty's special provisions to apply indefinitely. The 1957 Treaty predates the Treaty of Rome which set up the EEC (subsequently the EU), and hence does not allow any role for the European Parliament. Opponents want the Euratom protocol to be deleted entirely and replaced by regulatory provisions in the EU system.
Nucleonics Week 17/7/03.
More Japanese reactors restarting
After approval from both central and prefecture authorities, Fukushima I-6 and Kashiwazaki Kariwa 4 nuclear power reactors have restarted. Fukushima I-3, I-5 and II-1 are set to follow, making seven units out Tepco's 17 likely to be back on line before August peak loads.
Ux Weekly 14/7/03, NucNet news # 238/03.
Japan examines fuel cycle costs
Since 1956 the Japanese government has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to a closed fuel cycle with plutonium and recycled uranium being used as nuclear fuel, and it is building a large reprocessing plant to give effect to this. However, with costs of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd's 800 t/yr Rokkasho-mura plant blowing out and electricity deregulation looming, industry and government are having to face up to who pays for what is a sub-economic policy dictated by energy security requirements. Japanese spent fuel has so far been reprocessed in Europe and the products returned as fabricated mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, but this arrangement finishes in 2005 when the new plant is due on line. A Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry working group is due to report on the question next year.
Nucleonics Week 17/7/03.
Eighth waste shipment to Japan
The eighth shipment of high-level waste from reprocessing Japanese spent fuel by Cogema at La Hague has left Cherbourg for Japan. The specialised ship carries six casks with 144 canisters of vitrified wastes. Since 1995, 760 flasks of vitrified waste have been returned to Japan, representing 57.5% of ten utilities' reprocessing contract with Cogema. This reprocessing will finish in 2005, when full-scale operation of JNFLÕs reprocessing plant at Rokkasho-mura is scheduled to start. Spent fuel has been accumulating there since 1999 in anticipation of its operation (shipments to Europe finished in 1998).
Platts 5/6/03.
Korean waste repository announced
South Korea's Ministry of Commerce Industry and Energy has announced that Wido Island, Puan County will be the site of the country's repository for all radioactive wastes. The southwestern county, which has high-tech aspirations including hosting a proton accelerator, was the sole bidder among four potentially suitable locations and will receive US$ 1.7 billion in compensation and aid from the national government. A low & intermediate-level waste facility is to be built by 2008 and a 20,000 t capacity centralised storage for spent fuel by 2016.
Korea Times 24/7/03.
Canadian indigenous groups campaign for mine
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band and others are appealing to overturn a court decision to close Cogema's McClean Lake mine. "We do not see the continued operation of the McClean Lake mine and mill as a threat to the environment or the health and safety of our people," and its economic spin-offs are critical for the future on northern peoples. Referring to the inter-church activist group which brought the action to close the mine, they said that "these people are playing games with people's livelihoods, and the court must put an end to it".
Nuclear Canada 26/6/03.
Cameco resumes McArthur River mining
Cameco has restarted underground mining and expects full production to resume at McArthur River during July, a month earlier than expected. 2003 production is expected to be about one third below capacity.
Cameco 2/7/03.
Uranium exports for 2002-03 were 9592t U3O8 yielding $A 427 million.
WMCR 18/6 & 15/7/03, ERA 23/7/03, DITR.
IAEA focuses on innovation
An international conference under IAEA auspices has outlined some of the opportunities and challenges of nuclear power over the next few decades in meeting the energy needs not only of industrialised but also developing countries. The need for international collaboration was emphasised, and in particular the need for IAEA's endeavours to be coordinated with those of the US-initiated Generation IV program (GIF). The IAEA International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) is making progress but has not yet identified possible technological routes forward to the same extent as GIF. Beyond both of these, the IAEA Director-General stressed the need for attention to policy and polity issues. Earlier, the G8 leaders had agreed on a science and technology action plan including work on advanced nuclear energy technologies to encourage sustainable development.
IAEA 23/6/03 & cf Newsletter # 6/02.
Energy security the big issue
The biggest energy challenge for EU and OECD industries over this century will be security of supply, according to the International Chamber of Commerce. Furthermore, price uncertainties are an even greater risk than the price increases themselves. The ICC presented figures showing that the dependence of European OECD countries on imported natural gas will grow from 30% to 70% of total supply.. Hard coal and nuclear power were the only alternatives, and Kyoto commitments constrained that choice.
ICC Finland 30/6/03, www.iccwbo.org/home/news_archive/2003/stories/energy.asp
Iran and North Korea: continuing concern
Early in June the G8 leaders agreed that North Korea and Iran must curb any weapons aspirations in relation to nuclear technology or face severe consequences. They called upon North Korea to "visibly, verifiably and irreversibly dismantle any nuclear weapons programs". Also they would "not ignore the proliferation implications of Iran's advanced nuclear program".
On 19 June the IAEA Board "welcomed Iran's reaffirmed commitment to full transparency" and called upon it "to promptly and unconditionally conclude and implement an additional protocol to its Safeguards Agreement (with IAEA), in order to enhance the Agency's ability to provide credible assurances (to the international community) regarding the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities." The Board also expressed concern at Iran's failures to report material, facilities and activities as required by its safeguards agreement - including the import of 1.8 tonnes of uranium from China and its construction of a substantial and advanced centrifuge enrichment plant - and called on Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA in resolving all outstanding safeguards issues. Russia's earlier announced resolve to tie nuclear fuel exports to Iran to ratification of the Additional Protocol now seems doubtful. Despite urging from the EU and USA, Iran continues to defer accepting the Additional Protocol with its more intrusive inspections. The IAEA's investigations are continuing and a further report will be considered at the Board's September meeting.
IHT 3 & 5/6/03, Nucleonics Week 5 & 19/6, 3/7/03, IAEA 19/6/03.
UN commission lifts irradiation limits on foods
A UN body - the Codex Alimentarius Commission which is subsidiary to both the World Health Organisation and Food & Agriculture Organisation, has issued revised guidelines for food safety. These include making flexible the limit of 24 kiloGray food irradiation limit, which has stood since 1979. Gamma rays at this level are intended to sterilise bacterial spores and botulism bacteria, and reduce the need for chemical treatments which have adverse environmental effects. Today 37 countries irradiate food in 170 facilities. In the USA 500 million tonnes of food are irradiated annually, including fruit, vegetables and meats. The Commission has 169 member countries and its standards are enforceable through the World Trade Organisation. The revised guidelines also cover scientific assessment of genetically-modified foods and food derivatives.
Environment News Service 9/7/03.
OSPAR puts marine radioactivity into perspective
Environment ministers from 15 Ospar Convention countries plus the EC have resolved to take an interest in all radioactive discharges to the European marine environment, not simply those from the nuclear industry, which comprise a very small part of the total. Most are from the oil and gas industry. The Bremen statement said that "in the light of the Marina II study by the European Commission, and taking into account new information from Contracting Parties and other studies, we shall ensure that discharges, emissions and losses of radioactive substances from sources outside the nuclear industry equally comply with the Radioactive Substances Strategy." The ministers meet every five years, and in 1998 had called for a reduction in radioactive discharges to "close to zero" by 2020. Norway and Ireland have called for discharges of technetium-99 from UK and French reprocessing plants to cease. However, an Irish attempt to close the Sellafield MOX plant has been rejected by the UN Court of Arbitration, with a further hearing set for December.
Nucleonics Week 26/6/03, Ospar 25/6/03, cf Newsletter # 3/03.
IAEA releases statistics
The International Atomic Energy Agency has released its 2002 statistics on nuclear power generation, showing that nine countries now depend on nuclear power for more than 40% of their electricity (up from 7), and eighteen depend on it for more than one quarter (up from 15). The total amount generated in 31 countries was 2574 billion kWh, up 1% on 2001. Capacity increased by 1.5% to 358.7 GWe.
IAEA 30/5/03.
ICRP simplifies radiation protection
After several years' deliberation, the International Commission on Radiological Protection has decided to reduce its current 30 or so specified values for various situations to just four, and to focus on sources in setting those (rather than dose limits from all sources, which is of less practical use). Its new dose constraints are the level of dose tolerated from a single source. Accordingly ICRP is moving towards recommending: 1 mSv/yr dose constraint for general public, 20 mSv/yr dose constraint for workers or for radon in homes, 0.01 mSv/yr as an exclusion or exemption level, and 500 mSv lifetime dose as an intervention level governing evacuation etc.
The 1 mSv public level dose constraint is particularly significant as it has been the dose limit, and earlier proposals were for 0.3 mSv dose constraint from a single source. The difference has little effect on public exposure to nuclear industry operations, but will mean that decommissioned sites can be cleaned up realistically and do not have to be purged of trivial levels of radionuclides at vast expense to make them less radioactive than they naturally were.
Nucleonics Week 19/6/03.
Radiation detectors alarmed by patient
A bus passenger who had been treated with 370 MBq of iodine-131 set off a detector alarm in the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey in March. More such incidents with patients of nuclear medicine are expected as anti-terrorist radiation surveillance becomes more widespread.
Platts 11/6/03.
First offshore tidal turbine
The first large tidal current turbine has been installed off the coast of North Devon, UK. The 300 kWe unit is the culmination of a EUR 5 million project coordinated by IT Power. It is mounted on a pile and can be lifted out of the water for maintenance.
IT Power 23/6/03.
Nuclear power in world today
Reactor table
Plans for new reactors worldwide
Nuclear power in Japan
Japanese waste & MOX shipments
Nuclear power in South Korea
Nuclear power in China
Renewable energy & electricity
Radioisotopes in medicine
The Hydrogen economy
Uranium enrichment
Mixed Oxide fuel
Synroc
In situ leach mining of U
Environmental aspects of U mining
Energy subsidies and external costs
Military warheads as a source of nuclear fuel
Radioactive waste repository for Australia
See also Ux Consulting graphs
World reactor changes
China: Qinshan-5 grid-connected, 665 MWe
USA: Kewaunee uprate of 7 MWe
India: Kalpakkam-2 (Madras) restored to 202 MWe
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