Clean Energy Insight - Moving Energy Forward

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Professionals in nuclear industry across the globe continue  to develop innovative technology to enhance the efficiency of nuclear power plants.  I recently blogged on development of “Smart” Polymers which can significantly reduce the radioactive waste and further help decrease the cleanup costs in nuclear power plants. The research was done by scientists in India and Germany.

In the US, usage of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping is the latest award winning cutting-edge technology which eliminates the need for system cleaning that increases cost and decreases system availability.

Recently, two US plants, Catawba nuclear station in South Carolina and Callaway nuclear plant in Missouri won Materials and Services Process Top Industry Practice Award for implementing high-density polyethylene piping (HDPE) for their plant water systems.

The Catawba power station was the first U.S. nuclear plant to use polyethylene piping for the replacement of a cooling water system. Unlike carbon steel pipe which the new pipe replaced, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is not subject to corrosion, and it eliminates the need for system cleaning that increases cost and decreases system availability.

Callaway was honored with award for being the first U.S. nuclear plant to use high-density polyethylene piping in a safety-related system. The Callaway project involved replacing the original 30-inch diameter carbon steel buried piping in the Essential Service Water system with approximately 1,600 feet of new 36-inch-diamater HDPE piping. The system consists of two redundant sets of piping that supply water to certain safety-related equipment. Callaway completed the installation of one set in December 2008 and completed the other set in April 2009.

Special safety review and approval by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was required in order to use the HDPE material.

Both Duke Energy and AmerenUE have shared information and technology with the nuclear industry for the use of polyethylene piping as a safe and cost-effective alternative for replacement of service water piping systems. Their achievements can yield benefits to the entire U.S. nuclear energy industry, including new nuclear energy facilities.

Check out the NEI video news below:

View the related article here.

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A new cobalt imprinted polymer that could significantly reduce the amount of radioactive waste produced during decontamination of nuclear reactors is being developed by scientists in Germany and India. Their study, which details a first-of-its-kind discovery, has been published in the ACS Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, a bi-weekly journal.

Article: “Synthesis and Characterization of Imprinted Polymers for Radioactive Waste Reduction”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2009, 48 (8), pp 3730–3737 DOI: 10.1021/ie801640b

The researchers note that structural materials such as carbon steel in power plants’ water cooling systems form deposits of metal oxides when they interact with coolants. In nuclear power plants, these oxides trap radioactive ions, leading to buildups of radioactivity that require costly cleanups of reactor surfaces. Cobalt, present in some alloys used in the reactors’ water systems, is a major contributor toward this problem because of its long half-life.

In the study, the researchers created an adsorbent material that - unlike conventional ion-exchange resins that are frequently used in reactors - is selective for cobalt but has the unique ability of disregarding iron-based ions.

The retention capacity for the active cobalt was found to lessen reduction in the solution activity by about 55%. The polymer’s high selectivity increases its appeal, the researchers add, for use in decontamination processes in reactors that utilize a variety of structural materials.

This adsorbent is promising in effecting large reductions in the volume of radioactive waste generated during the regular cleanup operations as well as during decommissioning of these nuclear reactors.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511090842.htm

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Two recent press releases from Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have recommended a diverse mix of energy sources. However, both reports have delineated the prominence of Nuclear.

Here are both stories from World Nuclear News:

CBI: Nuclear should lead the mix

EPRI: All technologies vital for optimum electricity future

Since Jonny already reported on the EPRI report on Wednesday, here’s a short blurb from the CBI’s report:

The CBI showed cost figures based on the best features of a typical nuclear reactor: being able to generate 8.6 billion kWh of low-carbon electricity per year and provide 1000 MWe to the grid at peak.

A nuclear power plant with this capability would cost £2.5 billion, plus £500 million for eventual decommissioning ($4 billion plus $800 million), whereas a series of wind generators with the same attributes would cost £6.5 billion ($10.4 billion).

Apart from costing over twice the amount to build, due mainly to the need for 70% redundancy to make up for low capacity factors, the difference in figures is down to £1.3 billion ($2.0 billion) in transmission lines as well as £256 million ($413 million) in back-up gas-fired generation for days when it is not windy.

( By Lakshmi Pendyala ) [Approx. Read Time: <1 minute]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized Exelon and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), together with Raytheon for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions under its Climate Leaders program.

Exelon, one of the nation’s largest electric and gas utilities, joined Climate Leaders in 2003 and set a goal of reducing its total annual GHG emissions by 8 percent from 2001 to 2008. Exelon surpassed its goal by reducing its total GHG emissions by 38 percent as of the end of 2008.

Public Service Enterprise Group, PSEG pledged to reduce its U.S. GHG emissions intensity by 18 percent from 2000 to 2008. The company exceeded its goal, achieving a 31 percent reduction.

Raytheon Company, a charter Partner in Climate Leaders, pledged to reduce GHG emissions from its U.S. operations by 33 percent between 2002 and 2009, normalized for revenue and adjusted for inflation. Raytheon not only met, but exceeded its reduction goal one year ahead of schedule. Climate Leaders is an EPA industry-government partnership that works with companies to develop comprehensive climate change strategies.
For more details, follow the link.

( By Lakshmi Pendyala ) [Approx. Read Time: 1.5 minutes]

As Nuclear energy is gaining momentum worldwide, the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy, India and the United States have announced co-operation in building nuclear plants and exchanging of technology.

Being originally from India, it is particularly pleasing for me to note that Indian government has welcomed US reactors. This announcement is an outcome of Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton’s recent discussions with Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh. India has picked two sites for nuclear plant construction, one in Andhra Pradesh and other in Gujarat. (See: Link)

[On a personal note, Andhra Pradesh is my home state and it warms my heart to learn that it is one of the first state governments to make an offer to the centre.]

India has been largely excluded from nuclear trade for about 34 years for being outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.  This has hindered its development of civil nuclear energy. The new agreement with US and France to welcome nuclear trade is a phenomenal step which will aid substantially in meeting the country’s ever increasing demand for electricity.

The agreement will also pave path for export of India’s indigenous nuclear technology. Due to the trade bans and shortage of uranium, India has uniquely been developing a nuclear fuel cycle to exploit its reserves of thorium.

During the inauguration of India’s first indigenous nuclear submarine on 26th July 2009, Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Sreekumar Banerjee said, “India has to go for atomic energy along with non-conventional sources of energy like wind power and solar energy as more dependence on thermal power would result in excessive carbon dioxide emission. India can’t do without nuclear energy.”

For further news, follow the links:

http://www.newsday.com/news/world/india-may-allow-u-s-to-build-nuclear-power-plants-1.1308110

http://www.yournuclearnews.com/sites+for+us+nuclear+in+india_36025.html

( By Lakshmi Pendyala ) [Approx. Read Time: 2 minutes]

Per a new bill approved by Italian parliament on July 9th, the country is going to reopen its doors for nuclear energy. In the next six months, candidate sites for new nuclear reactors will be selected and the country will break ground for its first new nuclear reactor in 2013.

Italy’s Energy Minister Claudio Scajola announced that the plant is expected to enter revenue service five years later.

”We have had signals of availability at a local level from various bodies to welcome nuclear plants. Nuclear energy was spoken of in negative terms after Chernobyl, but the country can’t be influenced by fear ” Scajola said at a press conference Thursday.

Italy which was among the pioneers of nuclear energy in 1950s had abandoned its nuclear energy program following the nuclear power referendum in 1987. High costs of electricity which relies on fossil fuels and imports have prompted its return to nuclear power.

”This is a turning point, a courageous choice,” said Senate Whip Maurizio Gasparri of Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party.

”It’s a law against a policy that has paralysed Italy and made us dependent on the import of gas and oil with enormous energy bill costs,” he added.

Click here to see the original article.

( By Lakshmi Pendyala )

Energy ministers of the Group of Eight industrialized nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK and the USA), G8 met in the last month to define joint strategies to address growing energy needs and climate change. Their joint declarations made with the European Energy Commissioner were strongly in support of nuclear energy.

The three objectives of the Energy Ministers Meeting were:

1. To define common strategies to cope with global climate change
2. To promote energy investment for security and sustainable development
3. To determine measures that will help reduce energy poverty

From the following notes in the joint declaration, it is clear that they recognize the role of nuclear energy in meeting the objectives.

“We note that, in the opinion of a growing number of countries, the use of nuclear power can diversify the energy mix, contribute to energy security while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We believe that three guiding principles should be followed while designing the proposed energy technology platform, as follows. Focus on a limited group of key technologies during the starting phase of the platform such as solar and wind energy, smart electrical grids, low-carbon vehicles, modernization of coal-fired power stations and CCS and considering the interest of a growing number of countries, nuclear power;”

In the above statements, a clause of particular interest is, “in the opinion…and in the interest of a growing number of countries”. It affirms the increasing support for nuclear power from the industrialized nations. In sequence, International Energy Agency released a document, The Impact of the Financial and Economic Crisis on Global Energy Investment, the background paper prepared by the IEA for the meeting. One of its many statements endorsing nuclear energy reads as follows:

“Nuclear technology is the only large-scale, base-load electricity production technology with a near zero carbon footprint, apart from hydro power (where potential is often limited).”

Let’s hope that the prominence gained at the G8 Energy Ministers Meeting sends the message to the climate dialogue at the G8 Summit in July.

( By Lakshmi Pendyala )

The Partnership for Public Service released its fourth “Best Places to Work” survey last week. The study started in 2003 and conducted every two years, tracks employees’ satisfaction with their agencies. (PPS) looked at working conditions in 278 federal agencies and bodies, evaluating the satisfaction levels of some 212,000 US government employees.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission emerged a clear winner scoring 80.7 percent in ratings for employee satisfaction, up from 76.2 percent last year. The agency’s mission is given as “to ensure the safe handling of nuclear materials and to oversee nuclear facilities.” It led the pack in 2007, as well. NRC is deservingly proud of it.

To add, Department of Energy stands at 22nd position in the Top 25 Ideal Employers per the 2009 Universum USA’s annual ranking survey.

The above facts prove that nuclear industry offers clean energy for the future through the services of some of the finest employers and happiest employees in the country.

Saving the best for last — The Obama administration plans to use this biennial survey of employee satisfaction and morale to shape the 2011 budget process, according to Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget.

– Happiness begets benefits!