U.S. to restart construction of N-reactors / Toshiba arm to deliver new model

U.S. to restart construction of N-reactors / Toshiba arm to deliver new model
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Nov. 27, 2011


After 34 years, the United States is expected to resume construction of nuclear reactors by the end of the year, and Toshiba Corp. will export turbine equipment for the reactors to that country early next month, it was learned Saturday.


According to sources, construction will begin by the year-end on the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors of the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia and the Nos. 2 and 3 reactors of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station in South Carolina.



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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to shortly approve the construction and operation of the reactors, which have been designed by Westinghouse Electric Co., a subsidiary of Toshiba.


The U.S. decision to resume construction of reactors is expected to pave the way for Japan to export related equipment to the United States, observers said.


The reactors to be constructed are of the AP1000 type, an advanced 1,100-megawatt pressurized water reactor, and are targeted to go into operation in 2016 at the earliest.


The AP1000 can better withstand disasters--the outer structure is so strong it can withstand the impact of a large airplane crashing into it--and is designed to automatically cool down over a 72-hour period even after external power is lost. Four AP1000 reactors are currently being built in China.


Toshiba will export to the United States core equipment for the reactors that helps convert steam back to water, the sources said.


Before the construction of a reactor can begin, it needs to receive a final safety assessment report from the NRC as well as NRC approval for its construction and operation.


The NRC issued final safety assessment reports for the four reactors in summer after the onset of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.


U.S. electric power companies, which plan to construct the four reactors, have already started procuring equipment and have entered the final stage in preparation for the construction of the four reactors, as the utilities are likely to receive NRC approval soon.


The United States has 104 reactors in operation, making the country the world's largest nuclear energy producer. However, after the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant meltdown in 1979, construction of new nuclear power plants was suspended.


Former U.S. President George W. Bush, who called for less dependence on Middle East oil, shifted policy toward resumption of construction of nuclear power plants. Since 2007, many electric power companies have applied to build new nuclear power plants. The NRC is currently screening 26 new reactors.


Following the meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the NRC placed priority on safety assessments for existing nuclear power plants, delaying the screening of new projects.


No construction on reactors has been carried out in the United States since January 1978.


Capitalizing on the planned construction of the four reactors, the Toshiba-Westinghouse alliance will try to secure more orders for advanced reactors from other countries.

China's Qinshan nuclear power plant in safe operation for 20 years

China's Qinshan nuclear power plant in safe operation for 20 years
2011-11-26


(Xinhua)


BEIJING, November 26 (Xinhua) -- China's first-ever nuclear power plant, Qinshan nuclear power plant has maintained safe and stable operation for 20 years, according to a symposium held by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) on Saturday.



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During the past two decades, Qinshan nuclear power plant, situated not far away from Shanghai, has caused no accidents that either endangered human safety or impacted the environment, and all its nuclear radiation indicators are not beyond the background radiation levels of the natural environment.


From December 1991 when it started operation to October 2011, the Qinshan nuke generated 40.5 billion kWh of electricity, equivalent to saving 16 million tonnes of standard coal, or cutting 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and 1.2 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide emissions.


Sun Qin, president of CNNC, said at the symposium that nuclear power remains a practical choice for China at the current stage, and that the company will continue exerting efforts to ensure nuclear security and explore more advanced technologies for safe and efficient development of nuclear energy in the nation.


The first phase of Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant was the first nuclear power plant on the Chinese mainland which was designed, built and operated independently by domestic engineers.


The plant also has second and third phases.

Survey finds that opposition to nuclear power has grown

Survey finds that opposition to nuclear power has grown
25 November 2011
theengineer.co.uk


Public opposition to nuclear power has grown since 2005, according to a survey of 23,231 adults in 23 countries.


Conducted by GlobeScan for the BBC, the survey shows that many people believe renewable and not nuclear energy can meet future needs.



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According to a statement, most of those polled in countries with operational nuclear plants are opposed to building new reactors.


Thirty-nine per cent said their country should ’use the nuclear power stations we already have, but not build new ones’, while 30 per cent gave affirmative responses to the statement that said ’nuclear power is dangerous and we should close down all operating nuclear plants as soon as possible’. 


The poll, carried out between June and September this year, following the Fukushima crisis in Japan, also indicated that the UK and US are going against this trend and becoming less opposed to nuclear power than others.


The survey was fielded in 12 of the 31 countries that currently operate nuclear power plants. In these countries, opinion is divided as to how extensively nuclear power should be used. Twenty-two per cent agreed that ’nuclear power is relatively safe and an important source of electricity, and we should build more nuclear power plants’.


Eight of these countries were polled in 2005 by GlobeScan about their views and the results suggest that there has been a sharp increase in opposition to nuclear power in five of them.


The proportion opposing the building of new nuclear power stations has grown in Germany from 73 per cent to 90 per cent, but also increased significantly in Mexico from 51 per cent to 82 per cent, in Japan from 76 per cent to 84 per cent, and in France from 66 per cent to 83 per cent.


In contrast, while still a minority view, support for building new nuclear plants has grown in the UK from 33 per cent to 37 per cent, is stable in the US, and is also high in China, at 42 per cent, and Pakistan, where 39 per cent support nuclear.


Among the countries polled that do not have active nuclear plants, support for building them is highest in Nigeria  at 41 per cent, Ghana at 33 per cent and Egypt with 31 per cent support.


The poll also indicated that the belief that conservation and renewable energy can fill a gap left from a move away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy is now the consensus view.


Respondents were asked to state whether they thought that their country ’could almost entirely replace coal and nuclear energy within 20 years by becoming highly energy-efficient and focusing on generating energy from the sun and wind’, with 71 per cent agreeing that it could.


Doug Miller, chairman of GlobeScan, said: ‘The lack of impact the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan has had on public views towards nuclear power in the UK and the US is noteworthy. This contrasts with significantly increased opposition to nuclear new-build in most countries we’ve tracked since 2005.


‘The biggest impact has been in Germany where the Merkel government’s new policy of shutting all its nuclear energy facilities is supported by 52 per cent of Germans in this poll.’


Opposition to Nuclear Energy Grows: Global Poll
25 November 2011
http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/bbc2011_energy/