THE WORLD'S NUCLEAR NEWS AGENCY

World Nuclear Review - week ending 30th April 2004

World Nuclear Generating Capacity Revised In 2004 Outlook

In its recently released "International Energy Outlook 2004", the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has forecast higher worldwide electricity generation from nuclear power through 2025 than in last year's outlook - because of factors including higher capacity utilisation, operating-licence extensions and higher projected-prices for gas.

The 2004 outlook says that worldwide nuclear electricity generation is projected to increase from 2521 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2001 to 3032 TWh in 2020, before declining slightly to 2906 TWh in 2025.

The EIA, the independent statistical and analytical agency within the US Department of Energy (DOE), said last year's prospects for nuclear have been reassessed - considering factors including higher capacity utilisation rates reported for many existing nuclear facilities and the expectation that fewer retirements of existing plants will occur than previously projected.

Operating-licence extensions for plants in the industrialised world are expected to slow the decline in nuclear generation. Further: "In the United States, natural gas prices are projected to be higher than in previous forecasts and, as a result, no US nuclear power units are expected to be retired in the (Outlook 2004) reference case."

Outlook 2004 forecasts that the largest increase in nuclear generation is expected for the developing world, "where consumption of electricity from nuclear power increases by an average of 4.1% per year from 2001 to 2025". Of the 44 gigawatts (GW) of additional installed nuclear generating capacity projected for developing Asia, the region expected to see the greatest increase, 19 GW is projected for China, 15 GW for South Korea and 6 GW for India.

"International Energy Outlook 2004" is available through the EIA website (www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/index.html).

Source: EIA

Full report: NucNet News No. 101, 28th April

US Summer N-Plant Receives 20-Year Licence Renewal

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced 23rd April it had renewed the operating licence of unit one of the Virgil C Summer nuclear power plant, located in Fairfield County, South Carolina, for an additional 20 years.

Operator South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, a subsidiary of SCANA Corporation, submitted the licence-renewal application - along with plant co-owner, the South Carolina Public Service Authority - in August 2002. The renewal extends the licence for Summer-1 from August 2022 to August 2042.

Source: NRC / US Energy Information Administration

Full report: NucNet News No. 98, 26th April

BNFL Announces Start Of Sellafield Technetium Treatment

British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) has announced the successful testing, approval and implementation of a "groundbreaking" chemical treatment process at its UK Sellafield site that will reduce overall discharges of the radionuclide Technetium-99 (Tc-99) by 90%.

The breakthrough follows years of research and the investment of some 12 million British pounds by BNFL into abating the discharge of Tc-99 from Sellafield, and which culminated last year in a plant-scale trial of a chemical-treatment process that removes more than 95% of Tc-99 from the medium-active concentrate (MAC) discharge stream - which is a liquid by-product of the Magnox reprocessing at Sellafield.

Following the completion of the trial in late 2003, results were sent to the UK Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and waste-management company Nirex for assessment. Assessments were completed and permission granted for implementation of the new waste-treatment method, which BNFL launched on 21st April.

BNFL said the implementation of the TPP process would result in a number of significant benefits. They include the immediate reduction of the annual operational level of Tc-99 discharges from Sellafield in line with national and international expectations and the wishes of the government and the Environment Agency. BNFL and Nirex are aiming to reduce the annual limit of Tc-99 discharges from 90 terabequerels (TBq) to 10 TBq two years earlier than expected.

Source: BNFL

Full report: NucNet News No. 102, 29th April

Go-Ahead For Swiss Unit To Operate Beyond 2004

The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (HSK) has approved an application to amend the operating licence for unit two of the Beznau nuclear power plant so that it can operate beyond the end of 2004 - the Federal Office of Energy (BFE) has announced.

Operator Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (NOK) submitted the application in 2000 - requesting the amendment of the Beznau-2's existing limited operating licence, which was due to expire at the end of 2004. The amendment provides Beznau-2 with unlimited operation-licence status, subject not to a time limit but to established regimes of safety, inspection and control.

In a 19th April statement, the Energy Office said HSK had concluded that the reactor meets conditions for future operation. The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Commission (KSA) also gave its approval. That ruling remains subject to approval by the Swiss government, however, and a decision is expected by the end of the year. The public has the opportunity to comment on the process until a 14th July deadline.

Beznau-2 is a 365-megawatt pressurised-water reactor (PWR). It was first connected to the grid in 1971.

Source: BFE / Swiss Association for Atomic Energy

Full report: NucNet News No. 97, 23rd April

US N-Plant Preparing To Search Pool For Fuel Segments

Entergy Nuclear, operator of the US Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, is developing detailed plans to search the plant's spent fuel pool for two "potentially missing" segments of a spent fuel rod.

The segments, one 17 inches long (just over 43 centimetres) and the other seven inches long, had been placed at the bottom of the pool at the plant, in the US state of Vermont, in 1980. However, following an accountability inspection by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspectors last week, the plant formally notified the NRC on 21st April that the segments were not in the pool in the location specified by records. The NRC then initiated a special inspection at Vermont Yankee.

Plant spokesman Rob Williams told NucNet that a survey of the pool will use a robot-mounted camera. Vermont Yankee has not yet decided whether specialised divers will be present in the pool during all or part of the survey. Completion of plans for the detailed survey could take another few weeks.

"At the end of the survey, we want to be able to say with certainty either the fragments are there, or they are not there," Mr Williams said. However, the NRC issued a statement on 22nd April noting that: "(The) situation does not pose a threat to public health and safety as it is highly unlikely that the material is in the public domain. Given the extensive array of radiation detectors at the site, it is very probable that the potentially missing fuel fragments are in a location designed to deal with radioactive waste. If they were removed from the site, this could only have occurred in heavily shielded, sealed containers directed to other controlled, safe locations."

Source: Vermont Yankee / NRC

Full report: NucNet News No. 100, 27th April

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