Nuclear Energy Renaissance
Opportunities and Barriers
Richard Black Office of Nuclear Energy Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Power Deployment
Nuclear Energy: Securing Our Energy Future
♦ Today, 104 nuclear reactors generate 20 percent of America’s electricity. ♦ U.S. electricity demand may grow by 50 percent over the next 25 years.
♦ To maintain the 20 percent nuclear share requires building the equivalent of 45 to 50 one-thousand-megawatt nuclear reactors.
♦ Nuclear power is the only proven base load producer of electricity that does not emit greenhouse gases. ♦ Nuclear power is necessary to meet our needs for carbon-free, dependable and economic electric power.
North Anna Mineral, Virginia
Grand Gulf Vicksburg, Mississippi
Bellefonte Hollywood, Alabama
EFCOG May08
(2)
Nuclear Power Plants Information
Number of Reactors Under Construction Worldwide (as of December 2007)
Russian Federation India China Bulgaria Korea, Republic of Ukraine Argentina Finland France Iran, Islamic Republic of Japan Pakistan United States of America 0 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 5 6 7
World Total: 34 reactors of net electrical capacity 27.1 GWe
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Note: The world total also includes 2 reactors under construction in Taiwan, China. Data Source: www.iaea.org/programmes/a2/index.html
EFCOG May08
(3)
Nuclear Power Plants Information
Number of Reactors in Operation Worldwide (as of August 8, 2007)
United States o f A merica United States of America France France Japan Japan Russian Federatio n Russian Federation Ko rea, Republic o f Korea, Republic of United Kingdo m United Kingdom Canada Canada Germany Germany India India Ukraine Ukraine China China Sweden Sweden Spain Spain B elgium Belgium Czech Republic Czech Republic Slo Republic Slovak vak Republic Switzerland Switzerland Finland Finland Hungary Hungary A rgentina Argentina B razil Brazil B ulgaria Bulgaria M exico Mexico P akistan Pakistan Ro mania Romania So uth A frica South Africa A rmenia Armenia Lithuania, Republic o f Lithuania, Republic of Netherlands Netherlands Slo venia Slovenia
104 59 55 31 20 19 18 17 17 15 11 10 8 7 6 5 5 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 20 40 60 80 100 120
World Total: 439 reactor units
Note: Long-term shutdown units (5) are not counted Data Source: www.iaea.org/programmes/a2/index.html
EFCOG May08
(4)
New U.S. Nuclear Plant Status – Over 30 Units Planned
Utility Dominion NuStart (TVA) NuStart (Entergy)
Site/State North Anna site, VA Bellefonte site, AL Grand Gulf site, MS
Technology ESBWR (1 unit) AP1000 (2 units) ESBWR (1 unit)
COLA Submission Expected Date Docketed January 2008 Docketed January 2008 Submitted February 2008
SCE&G Duke NRG Amarillo Power
Summer site, SC William Lee site, SC South Texas Project, TX Amarillo vicinity Undeclared, TX
AP1000 (2 units) AP1000 (2 units) ABWR (2 units) EPR (2 units)
March 2008 Docketed February 2008 Docketed November 2007 4th Qtr 2008
Transition Power Development Entergy
Undeclared, (UT) River Bend site, LA
Unspecified (1 unit) ESBWR (1 unit)
2010 October 2008
As of February 29, 2008
EFCOG May08
(5)
New Nuclear Plant Status – Cont.
Utility Southern Nuclear Progress Energy Site/State Vogtle site, GA Harris site, NC Levy County, FL UniStar Calvert Cliffs site, MD Nine Mile Point site, NY AmerenUE Detroit Edison Exelon Generation Luminant (formerly TXU) Pennsylvania Power & Light Florida Power & Light Callaway site, MO Fermi site, MI Victoria County, TX Comanche Peak site, TX Susquehanna site, PA Technology AP1000 (2 units) AP1000 (2 units) AP1000 (2 units) EPR (1 unit) EPR (1 unit) EPR (1 unit) Unspecified (1 unit) ESBWR (2 units) APWR (2 Units) EPR (1 unit) COLA Submission Expected Date March 2008 Submitted February 2008 July 2008 March 2008 4th Qtr. 2008 3rd Qtr. 2008 October 2008 November 2008 September 2008 Late 2008
Turkey Pt. site, FL
AP1000 (2 units)
2009
As of February 29, 2008
EFCOG May08
(6)
The Nuclear Energy R&D Funding
Program:
Univ Reactor Infrastructure & Edu. Assist Research and Development NP 2010 Generation IV Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative MOX Fuel Fabrication Facilities Infrastructure Radiological Facilities Management Idaho Facilities Management Idaho Sitewide S&S Program Direction Less Security Charge for Reimbursable Work Total, Nuclear Energy
FY 2008 Adj. Appropriationa
0
FY 2009 Requesta
0
6% 16% 44%
b
133,771 114,917 9,909 179,353 278,789
241,600 70,000 16,600 301,500 487,008
48,119 115,935
38,700 104,700
b
34%
75,261
80,872 -3,003 1,033,923
78,811 b
80,544 0 1,419,463
R&D
MOX
Infrastructure
Program Direction
a b
All values are dollars in thousands. Funds included in Other Defense Activities Appropriation
EFCOG May08
(7)
Nuclear Power 2010 (NP 2010)
♦ Purpose: Reduce the technical, regulatory, and institutional barriers to the deployment of new nuclear power plants
• Supports industry through cost-sharing near-term technology development and regulatory demonstration activities • Enable an industry decision to build a new nuclear plant by 2010
♦ Current Activities: FY 2008 = $134M
• Support industry efforts to obtain issuance of last of three Early Site Permit (ESP) by NRC • Prepare and submit two Construction and Operating License (COL) applications, and support interactions with NRC • Continue first-of-a-kind design finalization activities for the standardized AP1000 and ESBWR designs, and prepare the engineering analyses and calculations, design criteria documents, design technical information, and total cost and schedule information.
EFCOG May08
(8)
Nuclear Power 2010 (NP-2010)
♦ Future Activities: FY 2009 = $242M
• Resolve design issues with NRC associated with the COL applications, Safety Evaluation Reports, and Final Environmental Impact Statements • Continue first-of-a-kind engineering and detailed design to increase standardization of component design, selection, and qualification • Accelerate design finalization activities necessary to complete vendor component/equipment procurement specifications and allow utilities to issue contracts for fabrication of modular plant component design, selection, and qualification • Resolve open design certification items leading to the NRC issuing the final design approval of the ESBWR and revised AP 1000, initiating rulemaking for these designs, and issuing final safety evaluation reports. • Lower the risk of new plant construction through implementing Federal Incentives
» Standby Support Delay Insurance » Loan Guarantee
» Production Tax Credit
EFCOG May08
(9)
Gen IV Nuclear Energy Systems Initiative
♦ Purpose; Lead a global partnership to perform the R&D needed to develop the next generation reactors;
• Safe • Secure • Sustainable • Economical
♦ Gen IV Program; focuses on long-term R&D;
• Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) in support of Global Nuclear Energy Program (GNEP) • Very High Temperature Gas Reactor (VHTR) in support of Next Generation Nuclear Power Plant (NGNP)
♦ NGNP Program; Provides the basis for commercializing a new generation of advanced nuclear plants to supply competitive, emissions-free, hightemperature process heat, co-generate electricity and/or hydrogen.
EFCOG May08
(10)
GEN IV Current Activities
FY 2008 = $115M Gen IV R&D ♦ R&D on reactor technologies that support long-term VHTR, coordinate and prioritize to support NGNP ♦ International activities support other technologies with limited DOE collaboration NGNP ♦ Focused on high risk design aspects; fuels, materials, models ♦ Issue a Request for Information/Expression of Interest (EOI), inviting industry comment on DOE’s conceptual strategy (March 31, 2008 – Comments due June 10)
Coated Particle Fuel Kernel (UCO, UO2)
Outer Pyrolytic Carbon Silicon Carbide Inner Pyrolytic Carbon Porous Carbon Buffer
♦ Submit a Report to Congress on Licensing Strategy (August 2008), following NEAC review of EOI responses
♦ Issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), based on industry responses from the EOI
EFCOG May08
(11)
Gen IV/NGNP Future Activities
FY 2009 = $70M ♦ Focus R&D specifically on component and material aging and degradation where results directly benefit existing nuclear plants ♦ Negotiate an agreement(s) with industry on cooperative and cost-shared development of NGNP ♦ Work with NRC to resolve/minimize regulatory uncertainties for gas reactors ♦ Continue conceptual design activities for high project-risk systems and components ♦ Complete irradiation of the first NGNP fuel tests in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR)
EFCOG May08
(12)
Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP)
♦ GNEP Purpose: A comprehensive strategy to support safe, secure civilian nuclear power expansion world wide;
• Work with other nations to develop and deploy advanced nuclear recycling and reactor technologies. • Provide reliable, emission–free energy with less waste burden • Enhance nuclear safeguards to monitor nuclear materials and facilities
♦ Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI): The domestic technology development and deployment component of GNEP, to develop and demonstrate advanced fuel cycle technologies.
• Execute R&D program to address outstanding technical uncertainties and programmatic risk areas of advanced fuel cycles • Continue industry engagement to develop information needed for fuel recycling facilities and used fuel management capabilities • Collaborate with industry and utilities to develop appropriate systems and economics models
EFCOG May08
(13)
AFCI Current Activities
FY2008 = $179M ♦ Continue R&D into advanced separations technology, and waste and storage forms ♦ Develop transmutation fuels/targets for qualification in an advanced recycling reactor ♦ Conduct analysis of proposed GNEP systems and deployment strategies ♦ Prepare a solicitation to establish a public-private partnership to cooperatively fund a safety evaluation by the NRC of a small nuclear reactor (<500 MWe) ♦ Continue conceptual design of an Advanced Fuel Cycle Facility ♦ Pursue industry engagement to develop business plans, conceptual design studies and detailed technology roadmaps that would support a nuclear fuel recycling center and an advanced recycling reactor
♦ Prepare a programmatic GNEP Environmental Impact Statement
♦ Prepare input to the Secretary of Energy to support path forward for future implementation of the GNEP vision
EFCOG May08
(14)
AFCI Future Activities
FY2009 = $301M ♦ Enhance R&D activities in the following areas:
• Separations and waste form technology development • Fuels for advanced recycling reactor • Grid-appropriate reactors for export
♦ Expand activities in the areas of:
• Advanced computing, modeling and simulation • Work with other nations to implement the global aspects of GNEP
♦ Continue efforts with:
• Conceptual design for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Facility • Industry-led development and implementation of a nuclear fuel recycling center and advanced recycling reactor • Development of a domestic fast neutron test capability
EFCOG May08
(15)
Nuclear Energy: Barriers to Renaissance?
♦ The issues facing Nuclear Power expansion are financial , political and legal; these issues are interrelated
Financial: • Escalating commodity prices • Uncertain labor supply and construction experience • Manufacturing and construction delays • Alternative energy costs Political:
• Carbon tax uncertain
• National nuclear energy policy (including disposal) lacking • Competing interests for government incentives/subsidies • Uncertain regulatory rate recovery Legal/Contractual: • Complexity of EPC contracts • Financial terms and conditions – spreading risk of financing • Liability between owner and vendor for delays or cost overruns
EFCOG May08
(16)