NUCLEAR ENERGY SISTEMS

Transcription

1 TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR ENERGY SISTEMS C. A. Margeanu, E. Banches, A. Rizea, Gh. Ionita ROMANIA TEAM 30 July - 3 August 2012, Vienna INPRO Dialog Forum - Drivers and Impediments for Regional Cooperation on the Way to Sustainable NES

2 Status of Nuclear Power Programme in Romania Background - Romanian Nuclear Programme started in 1950 Medium-term strategy National Strategy for the Development of the Nuclear Field in Romania and the Plan of Action for the implementation of this Strategy - Romanian Government Decision no. 1259, Official Bull. no. 851 / Existing National Nuclear Programme : In Romanian NPPs must contribute with about 40% to the total national electricity production in cost competitive conditions and assuring nuclear safety at the international standard requirements. Short-term strategy Romanian Energy Strategy for Ministry of Economy and Finances, Romanian Government Decision no. 1069, Official Bulletin no. 781 /

3 Status of Nuclear Power Programme in Romania

4 Romania s current Once-Through Nuclear Fuel Cycle Feldioara UO2 Powder Plant Nuclear Fuel Plant Pitesti Indigenous Uranium Ore Uranium Ore Mines Disposal Uranium Mining and Milling Uranium National Company S.A Interim Storage for CANDU Spent Fuel (DICA) CANDU Spent Nuclear Fuel Chemical Conversion and Purification 2 CANDU 6 Reactors in operation NU-37 CANDU Nuclear Fuel Cernavodă NPP Nuclearelectrica National Company SNN S.A. NU-37 Interim Storage Maxtor Technology (50 years) NU-37 Spent Nuclear Fuel Reactor Cooling Bay (6 years)

5 Status of Nuclear Power Programme in Romania Total electricity production in ,15 TWh Total nuclear generated power (gross) 457 GWh (U1); 410 GWh (U2) Capacity factor: 99,67 (U1); 91,07 (U2) Cernavoda NPP U1 & U2 (700 MW) PHWR CANDU6 type Nuclear 19.4 % Wind 1.9 % Solid 40.0 % Electricity structure by primary sources, 2011 Hydro 26.0 % Gas 11.7 % Liquid 1.0 %

6 Status of Nuclear Power Programme in Romania Delivered Electricity structure by primary sources, 2011 * * Electricity market monitoring results - Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority, December 2011

7 Prospects, plans, actions for expanding Nuclear Power Programme in Romania - Completion of two new units CANDU 6 (700 MW) at Cernavoda NPP; projected to begin operation by Maintain the existing infrastructure: R&D and engineering - Solution for final disposal of LILW from Cernavoda NPP (currently in stage of site authorization) - Investigation of a strategy to maintain nuclear energy contribution in electricity generation, after Cernavoda NPP Unit1 and 2 end of life - Extension of Interim Dry Storage for SNF at Cernavoda NPP - Governmental support to host GenIV ALFRED 100 MW LFR demonstrator - Long-term plans for construction of a new NPP, GenIII+ or GenIV, reactor technology to be further selected; site selection studies have been completed

8 Driving forces for expanding Nuclear Power Programme in Romania - nuclear energy contribution on reaching the greenhouse gases emissions reduction in energy production sector -successful operation of Cernavoda NPP (high capacity factors, reduced number of incidents, stability in the energy production, affordable costs for the society, etc.) - existing capabilities (infrastructure, industry, man power/ human resources, experienced specialists) - expectations regarding the significant increase of the national and regional energy needs, due to life level increasing, economical restoration and climate changes - the hydro potential doesn't offer enough large reserves for energy production increasing - out of use for a large number of plants operating with fossil fuels leads to their replacement by new units or new nuclear reactors - still positive acceptance of population towards nuclear energy, in post-fukushima context

9 Impediments for expanding Nuclear Power Programme in Romania - lack of funds for large investments; Public/private investments not showing an acceptable deal for the Government - lack in political coherence regarding long-term nuclear development - lack of interest among new professionals to join nuclear industry; difficulties to ensure an appropriate and effective knowledge transfer process - changes in public opinion related to the public pressures from some European countries, especially in the post-fukushima context - delays in GenIV technologies development - concurrency with green certificates market (solar, wind)

10 Romanian NES in 2030 and 2050; major milestones - Nuclear energy is considered as essential for the future electricity mix : Cernavoda NPP U 1, 2, 3, 4 in operation, contribution of about 35-40% to the total electricity production : U1 probably in life extension process, U 2, 3, 4 in operation, ALFRED in operation, another NPP in construction or in operation, SMRs to replace conventional generating units - milestones: 2020 : Cernavoda U 3, 4 (operation); 2025 : ALFRED (operation); 2030 : decision for another NPP, GenIII+ or GenIV 2050 : SMRs

11 Romanian NES capacity, reactors type, fuel cycle type and services in 2030 and The system should accommodate at least 3000 MW - HWR technology will still dominate (Cernavoda NPP with 4 CANDU PHWR units in operation) - GenIV ALFRED 100 MW LFR in operation (2025) - development of a new NPP (PWR, PHWR or GenIV FR), SMRs - OTFC for CANDU units; may be closed fuel cycle after mining, milling, fuel fabrication, heavy water production - MOX fuel from abroad for ALFRED - national solution for LILW final disposal - national or regional solution for HLW final disposal

12 Considerations on Romanian role in deployment of NPP supplied by foreign suppliers - local manufacture of CANDU fuel, production of heavy water; - human resources with relevant expertise - existing infrastructure (labs and testing facilities) - components manufacturing capabilities, construction experience - training needs can be sustained by the existing national R&D institutions; same situation for the licensing needs; - for GenIV is envisaged the Romanian participation to technology development, as partner with full copyrights for LFR

13 Back-end fuel cycle services for National Nuclear Programme in Romania - current approach is OTFC for CANDU: large probability for final disposal in national repository; investigation of the solutions offered by a regional repository - closed fuel cycle for GenIV: investigation on reprocessing abroad with 2 options: final disposal of remaining waste in a national geological repository, or in a repository from abroad.

14 Legal provisions in Romania governing transit or return of SNF and HLW to other countries - no prohibition for transit or return of the SNF or HLW to other countries - restrictions related on the trans-boundary transport of SNF that needs to be authorized by national regulatory body, CNCAN, in order to ensure that the transporter/owner responsibility procedures will comply with national safety and security requirements - in the research reactors case (TRIGA, VVR-S) Romania has already sent back to the provider the spent fuel with high enrichment; - for CANDU is not the case; remains only the investigation on the solution for a regional repository - for ALFRED the decision will be negotiated after the consortium will be formed

15 Sustainable Nuclear Energy System Brundtland Report, 1987, World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) : "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts: the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs. Sustainable Nuclear Energy System is characterized by: performance, efficiency, safety, security, ability to produce clean energy with respect to nuclear safety and environmental protection conditions.

16 Sustainable Nuclear Energy System On-going activities for analysis and assessment of sustainable NES: - Currently we don t have a consistent and comprehensive system to assess sustainability of national nuclear energy system. - The future planned NESA exercise will be the proper tool to address this issue. Priority areas regarding NES sustainability: - Safety, Waste Management, Proliferation resistance, Environment, Infrastructure. National requirements/ indicators on NES sustainability: - requirements might be: economical efficiency (energy price competitive related on the other options for electricity production in the national energy mix), using of the national existing resources, reduction of the greenhouse gases emissions, number of jobs created, economical development of the supporting R&D and engineering institutions

17 Energy independence and Security of supply Energy independence: production of a stable amount of energy in the national energy generating unit, by using national existing resources (no fuel imports from abroad). Security of supply: existing of the energy generating units capable to replace the hydro, solar or wind energy production variability; interconnection with European energy system; existence of the energy or primary resources storage systems or stocks in order to reduce the vulnerability of the country related on the energy imports, black-outs in supply caused by political, natural, contextual reasons; long term arrangements with potential providers

18 Factors contributing to achieve Energy independence and Security of supply - development of U3, U4; extension of the life time for U1, 2; new NPP, certified/proven technology - existing of stocks / storage units for energy, resources - increasing efficiency in the electricity management system by introduction of smart grids concept - increasing the installed capacity by assuring of the funds for new investments; assuming the political decision for construction of such investments; political stability - rhythmic supply from national existing resources or for the resources/services from abroad, firm arrangements on long term, more suppliers (2-3 suppliers/providers for the EU countries, maximum 5 for the others)

19 Combining Energy independence and Security of supply considerations with benefits from cooperation - increase of the efficiency of energy systems interconnection - increase the cooperation in GenIV technologies development, smart grids - apply joint solution (regional, international facility) for longterm HLW disposal

20 Experience / plans for cooperation - cooperation with neighboring countries regarding the energy systems interconnection; - cooperation between Romania and COG countries related on the CANDU technology - Cernavoda NPP overall a positive experience with respect to: technical, logistic, infrastructure, economics resource oriented, environmental, public acceptance related - cooperation between Romania and Italy in the LEADER consortium for ALFRED Drivers /concerns for cooperation with neighboring countries: - potential cooperation on GenIV technologies development, other ways unlikely, given different expertise and technology background - lack of stability and predictability and commitment for long term cooperation

21 Drivers for cooperation - overall common goals and challenges - national existing competency, R&D and engineering infrastructure, experience in operating PHWR, fuel manufacturing and heavy water production - partner in development of GenIV LFR technologies - interest in sharing expertise - similar economical environment - regional interest in developing long term HLW management

22 Impediments for cooperation - present dominant orientation to PHWR, CANDU type, in the context of lack of interest of the European countries for CANDU technology - lack of legal coherence and political willingness on long term development of nuclear energy producing capacities - global economy crisis taking into account that initial investment costs in installed capacity is higher in nuclear energy domain comparatively with other technologies - decreasing of the public acceptance for nuclear energy development in the post-fukushima context

23 Selection of vendors, strategic partnerships, indicators for benefits coming from collaboration - Selection of vendors based on open market criteria: - costs (investments, training, operation), - local implication in project (jobs), - previous collaborations, - compliance with our requirements: economic (competitiveness), use of local capabilities - Past experience does not encourage us to do strategic partnerships. - mainly economic benefits - win-win situations (sharing the values obtained as a result of collaboration)

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