Nuclear economics; a fourth American nuclear plant bites the dust
California nuclear plant to shut: a case of unforgiving nuclear economics, Christian Science Monitor, Peter Spotts, 7 June 13 Southern California Edison is shutting the remaining two reactors at San Onofre, citing high repair costs and an NRC ruling that the utility says would delay reactor restarts.
The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), a nuclear power plant set into the seaside bluffs in northern San Diego County, is closing after the high cost of repairs and a Nuclear Regulatory Commission board ruling prompted its owner, Southern California Edison, to pull the plug on the 45-year-old facility.The announcement Friday that San Onofre’s two functioning reactors were being shut down brings to four the number of reactors that nuclear utilities have slated for closure since last November. Meanwhile, nuclear utilities have three new reactors on the drawing boards.
At least for now, “we’re losing them faster than we’re building them,” quips David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer by training who focuses on nuclear-energy issues at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington…..
n early May, the utility Dominion shuttered its single-reactor Kewaunee nuclear plant in Carleton, Wis., a casualty of cheaper sources of electricity and an inability to build additional reactors to take advantage of what the company called economies of scale.
“Nuclear economics is tenuous at best,” Mr. Lochbaum says. “If you do everything right, you can make money at this. But if you stumble, there’s a big price to pay, and not just from a Fukushima-type tragedy.”
Financial setbacks can take their toll as well, he says, whether a setback comes from lost business or from hardware failures or human error that sets the stage for costly repairs……..
What looked to the utility to be a sensible $780 million investment in 2009 and ’10 to extend the lifetime of the two reactors turned into an economic albatross, Continue reading
Cameco’s Australian uranium project in doubt, with 4 year record low price
Spot Uranium Falls Below $40/Pound Benchmark for First Time in Four Years http://uraniuminvestingnews.com/14766/spot-uranium-falls-below-40pound-benchmark-for-first-time-in-four-years.html June 7, 2013,The West Australian reported that spot uranium prices fell to below $40/pound for the first time since August 2009, placing pressure on uranium explorers.
As quoted in the market report:
A hearty increase in the spot price is needed to force WA’s fledgling uranium sector into first gear, with Canadian giant Cameco indicating a price of more than $70/lb is needed before it can give the green light to its massive Yeelirrie or Kintyre deposits.
Japan and France in a marketing frenzy to sell nuclear technology
Hollande is on a three-day visit to Tokyo accompanied by several cabinet ministers and 
more than 30 executives, including the head of France’s nuclear energy giant Areva, Luc Oursel.
As well as agreeing to boost the exports of nuclear technology, Tokyo and Paris confirmed plans to cooperate on Japan’s troubled nuclear spent fuel reprocessing and fast-breeder projects,
France, Japan join forces for larger share of nuclear market http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/07/us-japan-france-nuclear-idUSBRE9560C720130607 By Antoni Slodkowski TOKYOJun 7, 2013 Japan and France on Friday agreed to boost nuclear cooperation to secure a larger share of global atomic energy markets as Tokyo’s pro-nuclear government looks to restart reactors despite public unease in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. Continue reading
All of Tennessee Valley Authority.s nuclear power plants have notices of safety violations
All of TVA’s nuclear power plants operating under notices of safety violations http://enformable.com/2013/06/all-of-tvas-nuclear-power-plants-operating-under-notices-of-safety-violations/ Lucas W Hixson The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned corporation in the United States, which is already facing the threat of being sold as it carries some $25 billion in debt -just under the $30 million debt limit set by Congress, is facing increased oversight after having been found to having improperly assessed safety violations at two nuclear power plants. TVA owns and operates the Browns Ferry, Sequoyah, and Watts Barr nuclear power plants, all of which are operating under notices of safety violations. In 2011, the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant was issued a red finding due to the failure of a safety valve and TVA’s failure to recognize the problem.
This week, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission put the Sequoyah nuclear power plant and Watts Bar nuclear power plant on increased oversight after determining that TVA violated nuclear safety standards in how the utility analyzed and prepared its flood assessment risk at the two nuclear power plants, both of which are located on the Tennessee River.
In late April of this year, the NRC staff held a conference with TVA officials to discuss the risk significance of the issues with the flood protection area. After reviewing information presented by TVA and previous NRC inspections, the NRC staff concluded that the licensee had not met safety standards in multiple areas at both nuclear power plants. The NRC concluded that TVA did not adequately establish flooding protection for scenarios involving the failure of upstream dams and also had not taken necessary measures to prevent water from flooding the intake pumping station. Additionally, TVA was cited for an additional violation for not promptly notifying the NRC after discovering that the potential failure of upstream dams could result in an unanalyzed condition affecting plant safety.
In response to the violations, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission also increased its oversight at the nuclear power plants, an expense that TVA will have to pay for, putting all three nuclear facilities operated by TVA under increased oversight due to safety violations. The NRC did not choose to impose further civil penalties and fines on TVA beyond the expense of the additional inspections and oversight.
Energy firm pulls out of its $billion nuclear power plans
$1 Billion Nuclear Power Plans Abandoned In Iowa Clean Technica, June 6, 2013 Jake Richardson Plans for Iowa’s second nuclear power plant have been dropped by Mid American Energy. No design has been approved for the type of nuclear plant the company had intended, so they have let the idea go. It was reported that ratepayers will be refunded the $8.8 million they paid for a completed feasibility study. Sites not far from Council Bluffs and Davenport were being considered for the plant….
. Friends of the Earth interpreted the decision more broadly saying it is an indication that massive public subsidies for new nuclear power might not be as popular an idea any longer. A poll of Iowans conducted in 2012 found 77% were against a funding arrangement that would have required residents to have to pay the energy company up front for construction of the nuclear plant. Proposed legislation could have made such an arrangement possible, but it was opposed by a number of non-profit advocacy organizations, so it didn’t go through. t http://cleantechnica.com/2013/06/06/1-billion-dollar-nuclear-plant-dropped-in-iowa/#pAxzd7cFlUlp1crh.99
USA marketing nuclear technology to Vietnam
Obama’s Nuclear Vietnam National Review Online By Henry Sokolski June 4, 2013 In Washington, learning comes hard. Officials may know when to back off when they’ve crossed wires with Congress, but in most cases, and in less time than you’d think, they’re back at it again.
Take the State Department’s rush three years ago to seal a civilian nuclear deal with Vietnam. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the U.S. had initialed a draft agreement in July of 2010. It featured nuclear-nonproliferation provisions far looser than what Congress wanted. When the Hill found out, it threw a fit, the White House withdrew the deal, and State promised to lead a government-wide review of U.S. nonproliferation policies.
That was 33 months ago. Last September, State completed the review and forwarded its recommendations to the White House. The president has yet to focus on them. Instead he’s gotten excited about promoting U.S. nuclear-reactor exports to — you guessed it — Vietnam.
Last month he sent a U.S. nuclear-export delegation to Hanoi. It included the White House director for nuclear-energy policy, the under secretary of commerce, the assistant secretary of energy for nuclear energy, and 18 nuclear-industry representatives. Their mission: to persuade Vietnam to buy Westinghouse reactors. Continue reading
Oak Ridge uranium processing facility costs running out of control?
Frank Munger: Alexander keeping eye on Uranium Processing Facility costs Knox News, By Frank Munger June 5, 2013 U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has been a big supporter of the Uranium Processing Facility and no doubt still is, but Tennessee’s senior senator sounded a warning last week that he wouldn’t put up with out-of-control costs — even for an Oak Ridge project that he considers essential.
“I’ve pretty well had it with these big Energy Department projects
that start out costing a billion dollars and end up costing $6
billion,” Alexander said in an interview. “We can’t afford that. And
we can use the money much more wisely, either to reduce the debt or to
pay for energy research.”
There are reports that the UPF is on the verge of going over the top
end of its estimated cost range — currently set at $4.2 billion to
$6.5 billion. The senator is the ranking Republican on the Senate
Appropriations’ energy and water subcommittee, which plays a pivotal
role in funding the Department of Energy and its sub-unit, the
National Nuclear Security Administration.
I asked him if there was a price tag too high.
“Well, we’ll have to decide that,” he said. “One thing I want to make
sure is we don’t start constructing the facility until we have a
design. And then I want it to be more like the big Spallation Neuron
Source which we built a few years ago that (ORNL Director) Thom Mason
was in charge of. Once we knew the design and we knew the cost, even
though the number was big ($1.4 billion), they stayed on time and on
budget.”
When pressed about a cost ceiling for UPF, Alexander wouldn’t go
there….. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/jun/05/frank-munger-alexander-keeping-eye-on-uranium/
More bad news for uranium industry
Uranium – little selling in May 9 News Finance 4 June 13 By Andrew
Nelson Uranium sellers were not inclined to sell in May and
unfortunately for them, the buyers weren’t really buying either. The
spot price traded in a tight range over the month, starting at
US$40.50 per pound and then dropping to US$40.25 before heading back
up to end the month at US$40.40 per pound.
The same old story continued to play out, the one in which sellers
can’t/don’t want to drop prices further versus buyers that really
don’t need the stock. Industry analyst TradeTech reports that
producers have been going almost door to door to shift uncommitted
material off the shelves this year at or around current prices, but
buyers are increasingly focused on 2014 deliveries.
There was a bit of hope earlier in the month that prices could start
pushing higher on news of a terrorist attack and subsequent production
stoppage at the Somair uranium mine in Niger. The problem with this
ill-conceived hope is that it looks like production at the facility
will kick back on over the next few months and with little disruption
to delivery commitments.
With buyers not buying and sellesr not wanting to sell at lower
prices, market activity in May was slow. TradeTech reports only 23
transactions were concluded, accounting for nearly 3 million pounds of
U3O8 equivalent. While by no means running hot, May was at least up on
the 2.4m pounds that changed hands in April.
By the end of the month, which was also the end of the week,
TradeTech’s Exchange Spot Price Indicator had come off US10c to
US$40.40…… http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newscolumnists/other/8669520/uranium-little-selling-in-may
MidAmerican saves consumers money – going for wind energy, rejects nuclear
Berkshire Hathaway’s MidAmerican to hold off on new Iowa nuclear plants Fox Business News, by Scott DiSavino and Joe Silha 4 June 13 Berkshire Hathaway Inc’s MidAmerican Energy Co has decided against building any new nuclear reactors in Iowa in the near future because of regulatory hurdles.
“It is premature, given the uncertainty of carbon regulation and the extensive regulatory review for new nuclear reactor designs, to immediately pursue any additional site work on a future generation option, including a nuclear facility,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
Many utilities have put plans for costly new nuclear reactors on hold due to cheap natural gas prices, the much lower cost to build gas-fired generators, and the lack of federal restrictions on carbon emissions……
MidAmerican’s news came after the company completed a study on nuclear feasibility and reported the results to Iowa regulators on Monday. The utility, the state’s largest, had been collecting a half-percent charge from customers there to study the feasibility of building new reactors.
MidAmerican asked the Iowa Utilities Board to approve a plan that allows the company to refund $8.8 million of the funds collected from its customers in the state and to stop collecting the half-percent charge for the assessment, effective July 1, three months earlier than planned.
The refund and elimination of the half-percent charge for the nuclear assessment will result in a slight decrease in Iowa customers’ bill amounts starting this summer, MidAmerican said…..
Based on the assessment’s results, MidAmerican said it would not buy any land in Iowa at this time to develop a nuclear facility. The land options in Fremont County will expire, and the company said it would not pursue an extension on its land options in Muscatine County……
Separately, MidAmerican said its recently announced plan to build additional wind generation would help keep customers’ costs down. If approved by state regulators, the wind expansion will reduce customer rates by $10 million a year by 2017, starting with a $3.3 million decrease in 2015.
MidAmerican provides electric service to 734,000 customers and natural gas service to 714,000 in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2013/06/04/berkshire-hathaway-midamerican-to-hold-off-on-new-iowa-nuclear-plants/#ixzz2VNJIDWb0
Harm from radiation, among families of nuclear workers
Some Atomic Energy Workers Passed Effects of Radiation and Chemical Exposure to their Spouses and Children Huntington News, June 3, 2013 – BY TONY E. RUTHERFORD, NEWS EDITOR “……“Big Jim” took a job working around radioactive elements in 1954 at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) in Piketon, Ohio. Workers told his daughter how they kept their lunches warm by laying them on uranium yellow cakes and poked fun of individuals who put around their clothing before painting. They wore radiation exposure badges, but by “doing his job” Jim later developed four cancers.
“My dad talked about the A plant, but he never told us what it was,” Joan Fearing (Big Jim’s daughter) said. “Mom washed his work clothes.” She passed away from a rare form of cancer too. “When my mother was dying, she still did not tell us what it was.”
The Cold War ended the arms race. Nuclear weapons were replaced with atoms for peace at electrical power plants. However, the atomic legacy appears passed to the 21st Century. Continue reading
Japan’s PM Abe pushing for nuclear reactor sales to India – and fast!
Japan, India seek prompt nuclear accord Asia One, 31 May 13 TOKYO – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed to conclude a nuclear cooperation agreement as soon as possible……Although the negotiations on the nuclear cooperation pact began in June 2010, they have been suspended due partly to the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
The two leaders instructed related authorities to accelerate the negotiations……
The Abe administration considers the export of infrastructure to be a pillar of its growth strategy. The Indian government, for its part, plans to increase its nuclear energy generation by constructing 18 new nuclear reactors by 2020.
The Japanese side hopes to reach an agreement with India by the end of this year, leading to exports of nuclear power plants and related equipment……
Meanwhile, Singh expressed his support for Japan’s bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.
They also confirmed the plan to arrange an official visit by the Emperor and Empress to India from late November to early December. http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20130531-426340.html
USA government push for nuclear energy has ended in failure
It was not supposed to be this way. In 2005 Congress approved subsidies to bolster the nuclear industry and encourage the construction of new plants. It extended a law limiting owner liability in case of accidents and, for the first few new reactors, offered $18 billion in loan guarantees, $2 billion in indemnification against cost overruns and $1 billion in tax breaks.
The NRC streamlined its licensing procedures, hoping to avoid the years of delays that inflated costs for earlier nuclear plants. (Southern ended up paying $8.7 billion for the existing reactors at Vogtle, a far cry from the $660m originally projected.)
None of this has worked as advertised.
Fracked off Thanks to cheap natural gas, America’s nuclear renaissance is on hold The Economist, Jun 1st 2013 | BURKE COUNTY, GEORGIA IT IS the sort of thing you would expect to see in China, not in the pine forests of rural Georgia. On the banks of the sluggish Savannah river towers one of the world’s biggest cranes. It is helping build two nuclear reactors, to add to the two already up and running at the Vogtle power plant. It testifies to the mammoth efforts that have been made in recent years to revive America’s nuclear industry—and to the disappointing results. Continue reading
URENCO might die, in failing global uranium industry
one of the more important factors, surely, is the projected value of the MOX itself, which in turn is a function of long term uranium prices—there would be no point in completing the plant and then making the MOX, as opposed to just dumping the plutonium, if uranium will be dirt-cheap as far ahead as one can see.
the fate of the MOX plant is but one indicator of retrenchment in the global nuclear fuels market, post-Fukushima
the Japanese nuclear shut-down, which, the Times went on to note, has reduced global demand for nuclear fuels by close to 10 percent, plus Germany’s planned nuclear exit, have cast a pall that now stretches to New Mexico,
Kentucky, and South Carolina.
Restructuring and Retrenchment in Nuclear Fuels http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/nuclear/restructuring-and-retrenchment-in-nuclear-fuels By Bill Sweet 29 May 2013 In 2000, the United States agreed with Russia to get rid of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium. To that end, it embarked on construction of a large plant at Savannah River, S.C.,where the plutonium would be mixed with uranium to make so-called mixed oxide fuel (MOX), suitable for use in nuclear power plants.
Buried in the president’s fiscal 2014 budget request is a line sharply cutting funding for the Savannah River MOX plant, which “may be tantamount to killing it,” a former National Nuclear Security Administration official told Arms Control Today. Continue reading
Never ending delay in plans for India’s Jaitapur nuclear power plant
Moushumi Das Gupta, Hindustan Times
Areva had in 2010 signed a framework agreement with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) to build two of the new generation European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) of 1650 MW each as part of Phase I with an option to build four more.
But amidst protests by locals — concerned over safety issues following the Fukushima accident — and confusion over some clauses of civil nuclear liability law that puts the onus on suppliers in case of accidents, the commercial pact has not been signed as yet resulting in the project failing to take off the ground.
The delay has not only resulted in Areva rescheduling the original 2017 date for commissioning the reactors but company officials said it will also lead to an escalation in the cost of power to be generated. Currently the per unit cost of power has been fixed at Rs. 4.
“No way that the EPR would start by 2017. More the delay, the unit cost would get affected. The Rs. 4 per unit tariff is meant for plants starting in 2017,” said Arthur De Montalembert, executive vice-president, business development, international commercial organization at Areva…… http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Europe/Jaitapur-nuclear-plant-headed-for-delay-Areva/Article1-1067427.aspx
Europe gives cold shoulder to Russia’s nuclear marketing
One of the main reasons that the Baltic NPP project has run aground is that neither investors nor energy importers that Rosatom has approached in Europe have agreed to come on board…..
………The story of the Baltic NPP is an illustrative account of Rosatom’s incapability of landing anything other than rebuffs in Europe, earning trust in the safety of its reactor technology, and winning over foreign investors.
Europe has given a cold shoulder to Rosatom’s brilliant plan to quell its energy security concerns with power streaming from nuclear reactors built in its backyard
GAZETA.RU: Nuclear failure Gazeta.ru, May 24, 2013 – Moscow’s resigned willingness to consider reduced capacity for the future Baltic Nuclear Power Plant is testimony to the Russian nuclear industry’s failure to overcome criticism it has been facing in the European market, convince potential customers of the reliability of its technologies, or attract foreign investors so it could get a foot in Europe’s door. By Vladimir Slivyak Continue reading
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of the week– Nuclear Reactor Information Task Force
14 May – online event From Bombs to Data Centres: the Face of Nuclear Colonialism
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