Clean Energy Insight - Moving Energy Forward

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While no one knows how the on-going Fukushima nuclear accident will affect the nuclear industry, one thing is certain: nuclear power generation will become even safer. One of the greatest strengths of the nuclear industry is its safety culture. According to the international nuclear safety advisory group, “Safety Culture is that assembly of characteristics and attitudes in organizations and individuals which establishes that, as an overriding priority, nuclear plant safety issues receive the attention warranted by their significance.” [1]

Safety Improvements After Three Mile Island

This safety culture can best be seen by the industry’s response to nuclear accidents. The most significant of which, for the U.S. nuclear energy industry, was the 1979 accident at three mile island unit 2. Since that accident there have been improvements in regulation, emergency readiness, to plant systems, and in severe accident management [2]. The upgrades and improvements have increased safety and reduced unplanned downtime considerably.

A major decrease in every measurable type of nuclear related incident can be seen in the years following the accident. Also, the severity of incidents decreased. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission fact sheet on plant safety performance shows that the number of significant events, safety system actuations, and automatic scrams while critical have all dropped to about 10% of their 1985 values. While these improvements are great, they do not reduce the possibility of Fukushima type accidents. The Three Mile Island accident was caused by equipment malfunction and exaggerated by human error, on the other hand, the Fukushima accident was caused by a 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunami.

What Three mile island did for plant safety, Fukushima will do for severe accident consequences.

Due to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, at least ten nuclear reactors experienced beyond design basis events. Three of the reactors were not running at the time and the other seven automatically scrammed due to the earthquake. The earthquake exceeded the design basis of three reactors and the tsunami exceeded the design basis of all ten. Two reactors, which were operating at the time, experienced both a beyond design basis earthquake and a beyond design basis tsunami. Three of the reactors suffered at least a partial meltdown. One major difference between the Fukushima nuclear disaster and previous reactor problems is that the Fukushima disaster was initiated by an unplanned event.

The result of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident was to reduce the possibility of an accident due to an incident that occurs as a result of normal operation. Similarly, one result of the Fukushima nuclear disaster will be to reduce the consequences of a beyond design basis event. Regulators worldwide have started stress tests and are reviewing operating plants for safety in light of these events.

Results of the first safety reviews are now available. The observations found during these reviews will help to strengthen nuclear safety. Improvements to equipment, training, inspections, and procedures are being implemented. These actions will assure that in the future, the consequences of unplanned events at nuclear plants will be less than they were before.

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[1] INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR SAFETY ADVISORY GROUP, Safety Culture, Safety Series No. 75-INSAG-4, IAEA, Vienna (1991).

[2] http://resources.nei.org/documents/japan/FactSheet_US_Nuclear_Plant_Enhancements_4-4-11.pdf

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has publicized the plan to close all 17 nuclear power plants in Germany by 2022.  Germany temporarily shut down 7 reactors in an immediate “knee-jerk” reaction to the Fukushima Daiichi accident.

Germany currently generates about 23% of electricity by means of nuclear power.  The plan is to replace nuclear power with alternative energy productions that “do not increase greenhouse gases.”  The issue with this statement is that once a nuclear plant is constructed, it does not generate greenhouse gasses.  Construction of the alternative energy resources utilized to replace the 23% of lost nuclear generation would result in an increase in greenhouse gasses, whereas, the continued operation of the German nuclear plants would not produce greenhouse gasses.   Germany, where’s the logic?

A decision to shut down all nuclear plants in response to the Fukushima Daiichi accident is not logical; now is the time to focus on continued safety and reliability of nuclear energy.  Germany is bordered by countries that rely on nuclear power for electricity generation, including Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.  Germany should have an interest in the safe operation of the nuclear plants in these neighboring countries because if an event similar to the Fukushima Daiichi accident were to occur, Germany would likely be affected as well.  Germany, where’s the logic?

Nuclear power is a means of “base load” generation, meaning that energy production is considered to be a consistent power source.  Renewable energies are not regarded as base load generation because the source of the generation is not always consistent.  Simply put, the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow.  Eliminating the only carbon free, base load energy source would either require an increase in carbon emitting generation (i.e. clean coal and natural gas plants) or the purchasing of power from surrounding countries to meet base load power demands.  Again, the majority of countries surrounding Germany have operating nuclear power plants.  Germany, where’s the logic?

I agree that renewable energies are crucial to clean energy and I commend Germany for the planned development of renewable energy sources, but where is the logic in shutting down operating nuclear plants that do not produce carbon emissions and eliminating fission power from the clean energy solution?

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Table Source: European Nuclear Society

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The International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC) will be held in North America for the first time since 2004.  NA-YGN is proud to co-host this exceptional conference in Charlotte, North Carolina from August 5-11, 2012.

The IYNC 2012 conference will supplement NA-YGN’s annual professional development conference with new technical tracks, workshops, and tours.  Young professionals and students from around the world will have the opportunity to present their research papers to an audience of their peers.  The first call papers will be announced very shortly by the end of June.

See the announcement flyer for more information.

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In the heart of our nation’s capital, young professionals from throughout North America gathered for the 2011 NA-YGN Annual Workshop. This was an amazing opportunity to redefine the understanding of nuclear power, as well as a chance to uncover a world of opportunities in the realistic future of green power generation.

To describe the workshop without mentioning Fukushima Daiichi would be impossible. The workshop, presented by NEI and NA-YGN, took place during a critical time in the search for high yield, environmentally friendly sources of energy.   Our nation’s leaders were being tested on their support in moving forward with the new construction of Nuclear Power Plants. The events in Japan caused many American citizens, politicians, and regulatory committees to question the support of the, recent revitalization of the nuclear industry. This controversy presented both a challenge to the workshop, along with a challenge to renew the confidence of our society in the safety and operation of future nuclear power plants in the United States.          

The workshop brought together speakers from all parts of the nuclear industry. Topics of discussion included “the state of the industry” and “the future endeavors young engineers can prepare for.” Among the speakers was The Honorable William Magwood, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner, who spoke on the subject of nuclear regulation beyond the nuclear power plant. Global Nuclear Economy was another interesting  discussion presented by Armand Laferrere, Senior Vice President of Major Project Offers for AREVA, and Richard Myers, Vice President of Policy Development for NEI.

The workshop also presented an excellent opportunity for a question and answer session with; Jacques Besnainou the Chief Executive Officer and President of AREVA, Chris Tye the Senior Vice President of Nuclear Fluor Enterprises, and Bruce Landrey the Chief Marketing Officer of NuScale Power Inc. Topics of discussion focused on the nuclear industry throughout the world whereby each panel member emphasized the need to work in a country outside the United States within the course of our careers.  Each representative gave an insightful perspective of how to reach our goals: a strong dedication to learning; the will-power to overcome great obstacles; and a strong character in leadership. 

After enjoying the sessions with numerous leaders of the industry, various NA-YGN groups networked with other chapters. A couple chapters also enjoyed valuable one-on-one time with their senior management. I had the great privilege to attend a meeting with Progress Energy’s NA-YGN in a “round table” with their senior management. During the round table Q & A discussion, young professionals were able to bring up various subjects of concern with their peers and senior management. The environment also encouraged ideas for improvement within the company. This was the first time I witnessed an “even-level playing field” between management and young employees. The meeting created a venue where young professionals’ voices were not only acknowledged but their ideas were brought straight to the top of the company. From someone who knows the importance of having a voice that is heard, I applaud this effort. I hope to see more companies apply this valuable tool to their young work force. 

Networking with industry leaders continued throughout the week. The NA-YGN Annual Workshop coincided with the Annual Nuclear Industry Conference and Nuclear Supplier Expo: Nuclear Energy Assembly (NEA). Many of the strongest voices in nuclear energy attended the workshop. Some of the individuals that I had the privilege to interface  with included; Michael Annacone, Vice President of Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant for Progress Energy; Michael Rencheck, Chief Operations Officer for AREVA; Thomas Williamson, Vice President of New Plant Marketing Strategy for AREVA;  and Jeff Merrifield,  Senior Vice President of Shaw’s Power Group. Dinner and entertainment were held in very prestigious and impressive venues in Washington DC, which included The Library of Congress as the backdrop for our final night at the workshop.

The final day of the workshop was spent on Capitol Hill talking with congressional representatives. With Fukushima Daiichi continuing to make headline news throughout the world, there was a continuum of dialog spent on this subject.  Most of the NA-YGN teams encountered an interesting mix of pro-nuclear supporters from both Republicans and Democrats. Kara Weishaar, the representative of Senator Richard Burr from North Carolina, was kind enough to talk with us on the senator’s view of nuclear power. Senator Burr is pro nuclear and a strong advocate of eliminating our high demand for fossil fuels. The common view on Capitol Hill is the support for non-carbon producing means of electricity as in the production of wind and solar power. Our enthusiastic groups pushed the outweighing statistics on wind and solar energy vs. nuclear. Although we saw the (nuclear power) support from most of our congressional leaders, their voices were heard only behind closed doors. Strong, outspoken support for nuclear energy was almost nowhere to be found in our nation’s capitol.

All -in-all, the workshop was a great tool to prepare our young generation of nuclear engineers for the future.  Many of us will face demanding evaluations in the years following the Fukushima Daiichi event.  To quote Theodore Roosevelt, “The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats.” Like many industrial fields, the nuclear industry has seen its share of set-backs over the last thirty years. It is our job as professionals to move past these hurdles and continue to strive forward in building safe, innovative and reliable nuclear power plants.

UPDATE: (6-6-11) Here is a link to the radio ad that Natalie recorded for NEI, that is being played in the Washington DC area. Hear it here.

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As NA-YGN members from all over North America continue to prove themselves as a voice for the nuclear industry, Natalie Wood, NA-YGN member and Design Engineer at River Bend Nuclear Station, is being featured in a new Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) advert focused around the nuclear energy industry focus on safety.

Check out the ad here: http://www.cleanenergyinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/nei-pw-natalie-final.pdf

Natalie is also a member of Clean Energy America, a speaker’s bureau of nuclear energy industry experts.  Here is her bio from the Clean Energy America website:

Natalie Wood is a graduate of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering.

Natalie is currently employed by Entergy at the River Bend Station in St. Francisville, LA, as a Design Engineer. Natalie oversees the modification of existing plant equipment and systems, ensures industry lessons learned are implemented and develops action plans to address plant issues.

Natalie resides in St. Francisville, LA with her husband and her son. She and her husband spend most of their time renovating their 100 year old house. In her spare time she is a powerlifter and a volunteer firefighter.

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North American - Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN) adapted our organization during the 2010-2011 year to meet the unique needs of our members, particularly in a year that saw the tsunami-triggered nuclear crisis in Japan. Our group continues to operate as the premier grassroots organization in the nuclear science and technology sector. Our passion attracts new members and these new members give us the energy to achieve our goals.

Since our inception, 7,600 people have joined NA-YGN. NA-YGN successfully completed the four new programs we laid out in the 2010-2011 strategic plan: We modified our mission statement to reflect the growth and future vision of the organization; we implemented a new knowledge transfer program called +One to help young professionals transition out of NA-YGN and onto industry committees; we implemented our new fundraising strategy, which allows annual sponsorships; and we won the right to expand our influence beyond North America by hosting the 2012 International Youth in Nuclear Congress in conjunction with our annual continental conference.

These are just highlights. And the full scope of our achievements comes from so many of our more than 90 local chapters. Our 3,600 active members collectively accomplished 84,000 hours of public outreach and professional development in 2010. Our members’ enthusiasm led the organization to organize six regional professional development meetings and six regional networking activities.

One of the strengths of NA-YGN is our flexibility. The events in Japan required NA-YGN to adapt our initial strategic plan to match the needs of our members in this challenging period. The professional development committee hosted two special webinars that made North American experts available to answer questions for NA-YGN members on the unfolding events at Fukushima. We had close to 1,000 NA-YGN, U.S. Women in Nuclear and American Nuclear Society members join those webinars.

The public information committee adjusted their focus to provide additional coverage to the events in Fukushima. Committee members helped general members utilize the Clean Energy Insight blog and NA-YGN social media sites for information and status updates.

NA-YGN provides opportunities to a diverse segment of the nuclear science and technology population. Every small accomplishment our members and committees achieve helps to grow respect for us as a generation. We need to continue our hard work to add value to the sector. We also need to continue to provide opportunities to those new to the work force. With these dual priorities as our compass, we will continue to build opportunities for our young generation to become a generation of leaders.

For more achievements, please review the 2010-2011 End of Year Report.

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Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides is the Past-President of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear.