Investing in Nuclear Innovation in Belgium NEA International Workshop on "Nuclear Innovation Roadmap 2050" July 7-8, 2015, Paris (FR) Alberto Fernandez Fernandez FPS Economy, Energy and SMEs Hamid AÏT ABDERRAHIM SCK CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Center alberto.fernandez@economie.fgov.be haitabde@sckcen.be July 2015 http://economie.fgov.be
Outline Nuclear research in Belgium in a nutshell Annual budgets for nuclear fission R&D and Research Infrastructures Nuclear fission research infrastructure needs in Belgium Nuclear fission Research Infrastructures access right in Belgium Future large research infrastructure for next generation fission energy systems Issues for Nuclear Fission Research Infrastructures to be addressed internationally Few examples of Nuclear Fission Research Infrastructures accessible at SCK CEN Other institutions in Belgium useful Research Infrastructures for Nuclear Fission
Belgium is a federal state with a division of competences The constitutional reforms in the 1970s and 1980s led to the creation of a federal state with: three communities three regions These institutions have powers and responsibilities for the different fields The Federal government has: Residuary competences: all competences that are not explicitly assigned to communities or regions Shared competences: federal and regional /community governments are competent equally Explicit competences: clearly assigned to the Federal government Non-nuclear energy R&D is a regional competence
Nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear R&D is an explicit federal competence Nuclear fuel cycles and related R&D programmes Most of nuclear R&D is carried out at the SCK CEN Fission Nuclear Materials & Fuels, LTO, Adv. Nuc. Systems, Fusion, Geo. Disp., D&D, Med. Applic., RI production, Radioprotection, MYRRHA (SCK CEN) Radioisotopes: Mo refining and Radiopharmaceuticals production (IRE) Fusion Fusion for Energy (ITER prototype) Contracts of Association (Plasma heating and material research) Broader Approach (IFMIF EVEDA) Other non nuclear federal competences Security of supply, national prospective studies and energy statistics and balances Large stockholding installations, Production and transmission / transport of energy (electricity grid >70 kv), including large storage infrastructure Distribution and transport tariffs (Federal Regulator CREG) Offshore wind energy IAEA nuclear profile - https://cnpp.iaea.org/countryprofiles/belgium/belgium.htm
Belgium will continue investing in nuclear research despite her decision to phase out nuclear electricity production Nuclear energy in Belgium: 7 NPP s (all PWR), ~50% of electricity. 2003 Complete but gradual phase-out the use of nuclear fission energy for commercial electricity production by 2025 prohibits the construction of new nuclear power plants and set a 40-year limit on the operational period of existing plants. 2002 Tihange 1 shutdown postponed with 10 years 2015 Doel 1 and Doel 2 shutdowns postponed with 10 years Belgium acknowledges the importance of investing in nuclear research to Support safe operation of nuclear systems in Belgium and in Europe Develop sustainable solutions for the management of radioactive waste Maintain nuclear competences to guarantee the safe dismantling of nuclear power plants and the long term management of nuclear waste
Public spending on nuclear R&D in Belgium 2014/2015 IEA IN-DEPTH ENERGY POLICY REVIEWS 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Nuclear fission 47,0 61,5 74,0 92,1 82,2 101,7 Light water reactors (LWRs) 21,5 17,5 21,3 25,3 11,8 33,0 Fuel cycle 14,3 14,3 13,2 15,5 20,1 20,6 Recycling / reprocessing - - - - - - Nuclear waste management 14,3 13,8 13,2 15,5 20,0 20,6 Other fuel cycle activities - 0,5 - - 0,2 - Nuclear supporting technologies 9,9 14,6 18,1 21,5 25,1 24,1 Nuclear breeder - - - - - - Advanced nuclear fission (MYRRHA) 1,2 15,2 21,4 29,8 25,1 24,0 Nuclear fusion 9,1 8,2 7,5 7,4 5,8 5,8 TOTAL 56,1 69,7 81,5 99,4 88,0 107,5 http://economie.fgov.be
Nuclear waste management in Belgium Low and intermediate level short-lived waste 2006: government approved near surface disposal at Dessel (cat) 2012: request to obtain the license for the disposal facility itself has been introduced with the safety authorities (FANC) Medium high-level and long-lived waste R&D program since 1974 on geological disposal started by SCK CEN, presently managed by ONDRAF/NIRAS New parliamentary debate on reprocessing of commercial spent fuel is in the make ONDRAF/NIRAS prepared a «Waste plan» in 2011 that was submitted to the government to obtain a decision-in-principle on the geological disposal in clay (Boom & Ypresian clays) First National Programme on nuclear waste management to be published in 2015 (transposition of the EU nuclear waste directive 2011/70)
Nuclear fission research in Belgium needing Research Infrastructures Material testing and qualification Fission reactors : Generation II, III and IV Fusion reactors: ITER and demo Ceramic advanced materials Fuel development, testing, validation and qualification MTR HEU LEU NPP Gen.II & III FR Gen.IV Advanced Fuels for Transmutation Safe LTO Structural materials Cables aging Concrete aging RI production: new material targets development and qualification new RI and associated biological careers development, qualification and validation Education & Training: Access to nuclear education facilities for hands on experience for Nuclear Engineering (RR, Hot-labs, radiocative environ.) Access to nuclear training facilities for hands on experience for Technical staff (RR operators, Hotlabs operators, technical radioactive environ.) Si doping
Research Infrastructures available in Belgium at SCK CEN for nuclear fission research BR2 100 MWth MTR Material and Fuel testing for all type of reactor technologies RI production for nuclear medicine, industry and fundamental research (biology, chemistry, pharmacy ) NTD Si production Fundamental nuclear physics BR1 research reactor & GUINEVERE lead-zpr & ADS mock-up Education & Training Benchmark experiments for reactor and core physics Codes Verification & Validation LHMA Highly instrumented Hot Labs Material & fuel R&D Minor Actinides radiochemistry Heavy Liquid Metal environment HADES Underground Research Lab HLW research in Clay Semi-industrial technology & technics demonstration for geological disposal HLM Complex for Pb and Pb-Bi technology HLM Chemistry & conditioning Corrosion & Thermal-hdraulics testing Thermal-Physics properties determination Instrumentation development and demonstration Components qualification Animalarium For in-vivo radiobiology
Other Research Infrastructures for nuclear fission available in Belgium Von Karman Institute: CFD and Thermal-hydraulics highly instrumented facilities Turbo-machinery qualification test bancs 3-D seismic test facility for HLM Sloshing study LABORELEC IRE Mechanical Testing laboratories for RPV and reactor internals LTO : Cable aging Radiochemistry facilities RadioIsotopes production procedures V&V facilities Ondraf-Niras/Belgoprocess Waste conditioning & Mgt Decontamination & site restoration
Nuclear Fission Research Infrastructures access right at SCK CEN Free access for Education & Training in the frame of BNEN and association agreements Free access for fundamental research (after evaluation) Shared cost (in-kind / in-cash) for joint programmes (bilateral/multilateral) Full cost for services action Commercial access for commercial activities
Research Infrastructures in Nuclear Fission in Belgium From BR2 to MYRRHA
Belgium policy for Research Infrastructures Belgium contributes to existing or under development large research infrastructures: Halden Research Project Construction of JHR at Cadarache EVEDA Broader Approach in Japan Belgium invests in developing specific and unique fast spectrum irradiation facility at Mol (BE) (40% BE committment of total investment): MYRRHA project Open for international participation http://economie.fgov.be
BR2 Material Testing Reactor
BR2 at a glance: 8 is the magic number Aluminum pressure vessel, pressure 1.2 Mpa ~ 800 mm core height ~ 80 irradiation channels composed of Beryllium and stainless steel Access from top (all channels) and bottom (8 inch and some 3.5 inch channels)
BR2 a very high flexible MTR: undergoing large refurbishment since March 2015 restart foreseen after summer 2016 for 10y Core configuration is very flexible in order to combine multiple irradiation devices in one core load Irradiation devices typically loaded Production device for radio-isotopes by fission Production device for RI by activation Simulation loop of other reactors (PWR, LFR, SFR, MTR) Irradiation of Si ingots
MYRRHA - Accelerator Driven System Next large RI at SCK CEN open for international partnership Accelerator (600 MeV - 4 ma proton) Reactor Subcritical or critical modes 65 to 100 MWth Spallation Source Multipurpose Flexible Irradiation Facility Fast Neutron Source Lead-Bismuth coolant
MYRRHA: Fast spectrum Multipurpose Research Infrastructure
MYRRHA Accelerator
MYRRHA Reactor rev. 1.6
MYRRHA Reactor rev. 1.6
Scope 2015-2018 for preparing decision for construction Choose the implementing scenario for MYRRHA out of 3 possibilities Set up the priorities according the chosen scenario Finalise of the supporting R&D programme Optimise MYRRHA Engineering Design Securing MYRRHA pre-licensing via FANC/AFCN
MYRRHA A pan-european, innovative and unique research facility
OPERATION PHASE MYRRHA Access rules for future users «AISBL» (*) CLOSED/ SHARED INFORMATION for MoC Members of Consortium - Individual research of a member of Consortium - Collaborative research amongst members of Consortium - 3 years program commitment ~25% BENEFITS for Members of Consortium Board position to control overal operation Priority of access Potential benefit of low price (compensation profit from commercial revenues) Capacity transfer flexibility (rules tbd) OPEN INFORMATION SHARED INFORMATION for participants CLOSED INFORMATION for participants Open User Facility - Governments funding - Criteria of research excellence - Independant program access committee (PAC) Collaborative research - Distribution of information to participants Contract research.. Commercial services - RI - NTD Silicon ~25% ~25% ~25% SCK CEN as qualified and licenced operator of the MYRRHA infrastructure under contractual arrangement with ERIC (*) Statutes under analysis for Phase 2
Issues for Nuclear Fission RI to be addressed internationally Access for students and trainees to Nuclear Fission RI for E&T : Common access rules are needed to favour mobility of students and young professionals Financial support (partial) for operation costs of Nuclear Fission RI to be addressed through international partnerships Certification of professionals at EU/International level at least to allow attraction and mobility between European RI s Help the streamlining and realisation of Future large research infrastructures needed at international scale and presently supported at national level