THE WORLD'S NUCLEAR NEWS AGENCY

World Nuclear Review - week ending 23rd April 2004

Japan's Nuclear Industry Embraces Restructure Proposals

The nuclear industry in Japan has been urged to "go back to basics" and review the origins and aims of nuclear power in the country to restore public confidence in the industry and to revive the country's reputation for a strong and vibrant nuclear industry.

The call to renew and re-energise nuclear in Japan was a constant theme in the opening session of the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum's (JAIF) 37th annual conference, which opened in Tokyo on 21st April. Industry representatives also announced plans for a major restructuring of nuclear organisations in the country.

JAIF chairman Dr Jun-ichi Nishizawa described the past decade as the country's "lost 10 years" in terms of nuclear when, following a number of domestic accidents and scandals, efforts to "recover trust in nuclear power" had yet to be fully achieved. He said: "Energy security is an indispensable condition for sustainable growth of economics and life in every country. Regrettably in Japan, importance of contingency planning is not well recognised or practiced. More efforts are needed to increase energy supply in the international market by improving efficiencies of electricity generating devices or developing non-conventional energy sources."

Dr Nishizawa explained that the restructuring of the nuclear industry in Japan would help this process. He said the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) were already in the process of merging into a single body.

In addition, JAIF itself would "intensify its capabilities" and be restructured. He said JAIF had analysed activities in the nuclear sector and an advisory committee of "external experts" had completed a report into the re-organisation of industrial bodies.

Source: JAIF

Full report: NucNet News No. 94, 22nd April

Site Approved For Russia's First Floating N-Plant

The construction site of Russia's first floating nuclear power plant has been chosen - near the town of Severodvinsk in the country's northern Arkhangelsk region.

Final approval of the site was given on 8th April following a meeting of the site selection commission. An allotment of federal funds to design and start building the plant was made two years ago, although the site was not then specified. This latest decision is considered a milestone in the project, after which construction planning can begin.

Construction will take place at the Northern Machine Building Plant (Sevmach) in Severodvinsk - Russia's largest manufacturer of nuclear submarines. The floating nuclear plant will initially supply electricity and heat to Sevmach as well as to Zvezdochka, a neighbouring plant carrying out maintenance on nuclear-powered ships. Russia's regulatory body, Gosatomnadzor, licensed Severodvinsk as a potential construction site in 2002.

Sevmach says it is ready to start construction. It is estimated that construction will take up to 42 months.

The new plant is described as 'floating' because it will be placed on a purpose-built vessel - with a 20 000-ton displacement. The vessel itself will be 140 metres long and 30 metres wide and will hold two of the so-called Russian-design KLT-40 reactor units and two generators.

Source: Rosenergoatom / Nuclear Society of Russia

Full report: NucNet News No. 91, 19th April

America's Robinson-2 Receives 20-Year Licence Renewal

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed the operating licence for unit two of the H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant in the state of South Carolina for an additional 20 years, extending its operations for a total of 60 years - and bringing to 24 the total number of US nuclear reactors that have had their operating licences renewed.

Operator Carolina Power & Light Company, a subsidiary of Progress Energy Company, filed the renewal application for Robinson-2 - a 683-megawatt pressurised light-water reactor - in June 2002. The renewal extends the licence for Robinson-2 from July 2010 through July 2030.

The Robinson licence-renewal brings the total number of US renewals to 24 units. The US Atomic Energy Act and NRC regulations limit commercial power reactor licences to an initial 40 years but also permit such licences to be renewed. The NRC is currently reviewing renewal applications for a further 18 units.

Source: NRC

Full report: NucNet News No. 93, 21st April

Spanish Nuclear Industry Calls For 'Responsible' Energy Debate

Nuclear industry representatives in Spain have called for an "in-depth debate" over the range of power sources that can help to satisfy the country's future energy needs from a point of view of security of supply, reliability and environmental advantages.

The call followed the general election victory of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), which formed a new government and took office last week. The new government has said it would "gradually abandon" nuclear energy, while increasing funding for renewable sources of energy.

However, the Spanish Nuclear Industry Forum has asked for a nationwide debate on the country's energy needs, taking into account the environmental impact of all potential sources of energy and the costs of providing electricity from those sources. In addition, the forum proposes a "rational and objective" analysis of the security of supply of those sources.

The forum said in a statement: "It is necessary to have a range of sources of electricity generation that are economical and reliable and respect the environment. No country's economy can permit a sudden loss of a guaranteed energy supply."

Source: Spanish Nuclear Industry Forum

Full report: NucNet News No. 96, 22nd April

Canadian Regulators Urged To Strengthen Back-Up Power Systems

The task force investigating the causes of last summer's blackout in the north-eastern US and central Canada has urged Canadian nuclear regulators to acquire emergency back-up electrical generation equipment of "sufficient capacity".

The recommendation is among those made by the US-Canada Power System Outage Task Force in its final report, published on 5th April.

The task force confirmed preliminary findings that the nuclear power plants in both the US and Canada that shut down as a result of the August 2003 grid failure did not trigger the outage or "inappropriately" contribute to the spread of the blackout.

However, the Canadian nuclear working group - headed by Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) president and chief executive Linda Keen - called on the CNSC to procure emergency back-up generating equipment "to provide power to the commission's Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), telecommunications and information technology systems". During the blackout, CNSC staff could not activate the EOC because of the loss of power to the commission's home office in Ottawa and, in order to stay in contact with its licensees and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), staff had to establish makeshift communications centres in other locations.

In a second recommendation, the Canadian group called on Ontario Power Generation and Bruce Power to review operating procedures to see whether they could implement alternatives that would require fewer system checks before CANDU reactor adjuster rods are placed in the automatic mode during grid failures.

The US nuclear working group, headed by NRC chairman Nils Diaz, made no specific recommendations in the final report, although the task force as a whole developed more than 40 recommendations for improving the US-Canadian transmission system.

Source: US Department of Energy / Natural Resources Canada

Full report: NucNet News No. 92, 19th April

NucNet Hungary Seminar Turns Spotlight On Nuclear Communications

Nuclear regulators, industry representatives, communicators and media representatives will be among those attending the second in a series of international seminars next month organised by NucNet, in co-operation with the Hungarian Atomic Energy Agency.

The seminar - "Crisis Communications: Tips and Trends" - will focus on the importance of providing timely information and the need for transparency when dealing with nuclear-related issues, and the importance of maintaining regular contacts with communities living near nuclear facilities, local representative bodies and the media.

NucNet's confirmed panel of speakers for the seminar comprises Len Green - director of the UK-based energy sector public relations company Positive Reaction, with experience in nuclear-related communications projects in the UK, Taiwan, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine; Agota Hanti - representing the information and visitor centre of the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary; and Juliette van der Laan-Jenniskens of NRG in the Netherlands - the Dutch energy research organisation that operates the European Commission-owned Petten research reactor.

The seminar will be of interest to all those whose work involves nuclear communications locally, nationally or internationally. A question-and-answer session will follow the speakers' presentations, and participants will also have an opportunity to talk to the speakers individually, 'network' with each other and exchange ideas and nuclear-information material.

The seminar will be held on Thursday 6th May 2004 at the Hilton Hotel, Budapest, starting at 1.30pm and will be preceded by a buffet lunch. A special NucNet country seminar - devoted to NucNet's members and subscribers in Hungary - will take place earlier in the day.

A registration form and further information are available in the 'news feature' section of NucNet's website (www.worldnuclear.org).

Source: NucNet Central Office

Full report: NucNet News No. 77, 1st April

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