1. No category

Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
A report to members of the
Nuclear Energy Institute
In This Issue
NEI to Wall Street:
Power Market Flaws
Must Be Corrected
1
NEI Calls WCS Interim
Used Fuel Project
Significant, Promising
2
Ginna Power Plant an
Economic Powerhouse, Report Finds
4
Int’l Conference
Reaffirms Convention
On Nuclear Safety
6
OECD: Doubling Global
Nuclear Capacity
Needed by 2050
7
NEI to Wall Street Analysts:
Power Market Flaws Must Be Corrected

U.S. nuclear plants set performance record in 2014

Significant movement under way to better monetize value of nuclear power plants

Concrete action imperative to avoid more premature shutdowns
Feb. 12, 2015—Recognition of the electricity market flaws that are putting even highperforming nuclear energy facilities at risk has grown quickly among those with the authority
to fix the problem and initial market reforms are taking shape, Nuclear Energy Institute
President and CEO Marvin Fertel told financial analysts in New York today.
“We’ve seen significant movement in the past year on the part of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission and the regional transmission organizations in recognizing the
underlying problems in capacity market designs and prices in competitive energy markets,”
Fertel said.
Two well-run nuclear energy facilities have shut down in the past 20 months because of
these problems—Kewaunee in Wisconsin and Vermont Yankee in Vermont—and several
more facilities in the Midwest and Northeast also are at risk.
“It’s imperative that concrete actions be taken that recognize the inherent value of nuclear
assets in time to ensure that we don’t lose additional nuclear plants that are excellent
performers,” Fertel said.
Signs of progress include efforts under way by FERC to explore changes to capacity and
energy markets, Fertel said. FERC also has ordered regional transmission organizations to
submit “fuel assurance” reports. Last winter’s polar vortex revealed significant shortcomings
in fuel security, as some natural gas plants were idled for lack of fuel and coal piles froze.
In addition, PJM Interconnection is seeking FERC’s approval of changes in its capacity
market that are aimed at improving the reliability of the regional electricity system. PJM
operates the grid from the mid-Atlantic to the Midwest, which supplies electricity for 61
million people.
www.nei.org
“It made no economic sense to allow [Kewaunee and Vermont Yankee] to close.
Replacement electric generating capacity, when needed, would likely produce more costly
electricity, more pollution and fewer jobs that would pay less,” Fertel said.
“Each source of electricity has its own set of attributes that provide varying degrees of
value to the grid, and those attributes must be reflected in the total compensation provided
to each generator.”
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 2
He added that nuclear energy’s unique value proposition centers on stable,
affordable electricity prices, around-the-clock availability, support for grid stability and
no carbon emissions.
NEI’s Cyber Security
Implementation Workshop
will assist licensees in
implementing the Cyber
Security Plan and in meeting
the milestones in the
implementation schedule.
The 2015 workshop will
focus on 1) the examples
included in revised NEI
technical report NEI 13-10;
2) the methodology for
shared Direct CDA
assessments; 3) sharing
lessons learned from cyber
security program inspections;
and 4) moving forward with
other elements of full
program implementation.
For more information and
to register visit:
http://www.nei.org/
Conferences/Cyber-SecurityImplementation-Workshop.
The value of America’s nuclear energy facilities was underscored by their record
performance in 2014, Fertel noted. U.S. nuclear power plants operated at a record
average capacity factor (a measure of efficiency) of 91.9 percent last year, according to
preliminary NEI estimates. Also, the industry undergirded the electric grid during the
2014 polar vortex and last month’s winter storm Juno, with weekly average capacity
factors in the mid-to-high-90s—far above other electricity production sources.
Recorded video of Fertel’s remarks and the question-and-answer session is available
on NEI’s YouTube channel. His prepared remarks and slide presentation also are on
NEI’s website. << NEI Staff, [email protected]
NEI Calls WCS Interim Used Fuel Project
Significant, Promising

WCS announces plan to license consolidated used fuel storage facility

Consolidated storage complements proposed Yucca Mountain repository

NEI calls on Congress to implement both elements—interim storage and disposal
Feb. 10, 2015—Texas-based Waste Control Specialists yesterday announced its Feb. 6
notification to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it intends to license an
interim consolidated storage facility for used nuclear fuel at its existing low-level
radioactive waste disposal site in Andrews County. The facility would be used by the
federal government until a federal disposal facility for used nuclear fuel and high-level
radioactive waste opens.
“This is a unique opportunity for WCS to provide a viable solution to the industry’s
needs,” WCS CEO William Lindquist said. “This will be a community-supported,
consent-based facility—just as are our current nuclear disposal facilities. …With this
development we will be in a position to provide a comprehensive solution for the
entire range of waste produced in the nuclear fuel cycle.”
The Andrews County Commission last month unanimously approved a resolution
supporting the project. WCS has operated two low-level radioactive waste disposal
facilities in Andrews County since 2012. The commission stated in its resolution that
the company “has consistently shown its commitment to the environment and the
citizens of Andrews County.” (For more, see Nuclear Energy Overview, Jan. 28.)
Lindquist said WCS hopes to submit a Part 72 specific license application for the dry
container storage facility by April 2016 and to begin accepting spent nuclear fuel,
initially from Texas nuclear power plants and then from shutdown reactors across the
country, by December 2020.
WCS President Rod Baltzer added during a Feb. 9 news conference in Washington,
D.C., that WCS’ extensive characterization of the Andrews County site and the use of
already- licensed storage systems should allow the storage facility to be licensed within
five years.
Page 3
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
The Nuclear Energy Institute welcomed the announcement. NEI Senior Director for
Federal Programs Beverly Marshall called the project “a significant development.”
“Consent-based consolidated storage is the quickest route for the federal
government to begin moving commercial used nuclear fuel before a repository is open,
and to begin reducing the taxpayers’ liabilities,” Marshall said.
“NEI's success is the result
of collaboration with its
member organizations and
other supporters of nuclear
energy,” NEI President and
CEO Marvin Fertel says in his
letter to NEI members
accompanying the 2014 NEI's
Annual Report to Members.
“As you read through this
year's accomplishments,
recognize that these are your
accomplishments, too, and
be proud of them,” Fertel
says. “They enumerate the
impacts we have made on
the industry, federal and
state governments, and the
public.”
Visit NEI's website to view
the report. Please note you
must log in to the NEI
member website. The report
is best viewed with Internet
Explorer 10 or greater,
Chrome, Safari or Firefox.
“Interim consolidated storage is one element of properly managing the entire fuel
cycle. This project is a prudent investment while continuing to pursue geologic
disposal, whether at Yucca Mountain or another site. It would complement the
repository program and provide a contingency in case the repository program
continues to suffer significant delays,” she said.
The industry has long advocated for an integrated strategy for used nuclear fuel and
high-level radioactive waste management. The elements of this integrated strategy
include a new management organization dedicated to executing a sustainable highlevel radioactive waste management program; access to the Nuclear Waste Fund for
its intended purpose; completion of the Yucca Mountain repository; and an interim
consolidated storage facility in a willing host community and state, with priority for
used fuel from shutdown commercial reactor sites. For further detail, see NEI’s used
fuel policy brief.
Development of one or more interim storage facilities is a key recommendation of
the president’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future in 2012. The
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality concluded in a March 2014 report that
such a facility in Texas would “offer electricity consumers significant savings compared
to storage at each nuclear power plant” and that a facility is “not only feasible but
could be highly successful.”
DOE’s failure to meet its statutory obligation to begin disposing of used nuclear fuel
in 1998 already has cost taxpayers $4.5 billion in damage payments. DOE estimates the
total liability for the federal government at $27.1 billion, assuming DOE begins
disposing of the fuel in 2021.
“On behalf of nuclear energy producers and suppliers, we urge Congress to take
action to implement the necessary elements of an integrated strategy to safely
manage used nuclear fuel,” Marshall said.
“Funding should be provided to DOE and NRC to complete the review of the Yucca
Mountain license application. In addition, DOE should be authorized and funded to
implement an interim consolidated storage program to explore the unique opportunity
that the WCS project and future projects may present.”
For additional information from WCS on its Andrews County project, see
wcsstorage.com. << Chris Charles, [email protected]
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 4
Ginna Power Plant an Economic Powerhouse, Report Finds
Co-organized by NEI and
World Nuclear Association,
World Nuclear Fuel Cycle
2015 provides a top-level
international forum for
senior industry leaders to
discuss the issues affecting
the commercial nuclear fuel
cycle today, with a focus on
enhancing the economic
competitiveness of the
nuclear fuel cycle and
nuclear energy.

Over $350 million/year economic impact in New York state

As many as 2,500 jobs dependent on Ginna

NYISO says Ginna necessary for regional grid reliability
Feb. 9, 2015—The operation of Exelon’s R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant generates an
average annual economic output of over $350 million in western New York state and
an impact on the U.S. economy of about $450 million per year, a new economic
analysis reveals.
This year’s conference also
features a technical visit to
Temelin Nuclear Power Plant.
For more information and
to register visit:
http://www.wnfc.info/.
R.E. Ginna nuclear power plant on the southern shore of Lake Ontario.
Photo: Exelon
The study, “Economic Impacts of the R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant,” was prepared
by the Nuclear Energy Institute. It analyzes the impact of Ginna’s operations through
the end of the facility’s 60-year operating license in 2029. The 580-megawatt
pressurized water reactor produces enough electricity to power 400,000 homes.
“This study confirms that Ginna greatly strengthens the local, regional and state
economies through job creation, tax payments, and direct and secondary spending,”
NEI’s vice president for policy development, planning and supplier programs, Richard
Myers, said. “In many ways, nuclear energy facilities and their employees are
invaluable to the quality of life in the communities where they operate.”
Maria Korsnick, chief nuclear officer for Constellation Energy Nuclear Group and
senior vice president for Exelon, added, “Operationally, Ginna is an outstanding
performer and is recognized as a reliable generating asset in the nuclear industry.
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 5
Ginna also provides tremendous carbon-prevention benefits that are all too often
overlooked.”
“Ginna creates very positive financial impacts for the entire state of New York and, as
this study shows, it is a very important asset for the local economy providing
affordable, reliable, baseload electricity that New York homeowners and businesses
can count on.”
Key findings of the NEI study include:
NEI's Nuclear Plant Site
Emergency Contacts database facilitates routine
communications among
industry professionals and
effects a ready response to
plant events or other
developments.
It contains basic data on
U.S. nuclear energy facilities,
joint information centers,
emergency planning zone
populations and emergency
plan contacts for all sites, as
well as media and public
information contacts.
To submit updates for a
plant site or for more
information, contact NEI’s
Jennifer Maloney at
[email protected].
 Exelon/Constellation pays higher-than-average salaries at Ginna. Ginna employs
about 700 people directly, adding another 800 to 1,000 periodic jobs during
reactor refueling and maintenance outages every 18 months. Because they are
technical in nature, these jobs typically are higher-paying. This direct employment
creates more than 800 additional jobs in other industries in New York and the
United States. The facility is one of the largest and highest-paying employers in
Wayne County, with an annual payroll of approximately $100 million.
 Ginna’s annual economic activity in the state is more than $350 million. The plant
contributes more than $350 million per year to New York’s gross state product.
Ginna’s total effect on the U.S. economy is more than $450 million annually. For
every dollar of output from the plant, the U.S. economy produces $1.91.
 Ginna is the largest taxpayer in Wayne County. The Ginna facility is the largest
taxpayer in Wayne County, contributing more than $10 million in state and local
property and sales taxes in 2014. When calculating the total direct and secondary
tax impact, the plant’s operations resulted in nearly $80 million in tax revenue to
the local, state and federal governments.
 Ginna is a highly reliable source of electricity. Ginna has operated at a capacity
factor of more than 95 percent for the past 10 years, above the industry average
and significantly higher than other forms of electric generation. This reliable
production helps offset the potentially severe price volatility of other energy
sources such as natural gas and the intermittency of renewable electricity sources.
NEI’s report focuses on Ginna’s economic and environmental impacts. In May
2014, the New York Independent System Operator analyzed the impact to New
York State’s electricity system if Ginna were to close. The NYISO report found that
Ginna’s retirement would result in grid reliability problems through 2018 and
concluded that a replacement for all Ginna’s electricity output “would be
necessary to maintain reliability in the Rochester area.”
 Clean electricity for New York. Ginna generates about 4 percent of New York’s
electricity. Emission-free electricity from Ginna prevents the release of more than
2 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. New York’s electric sector emits more
than 30 million tons of carbon dioxide annually and nuclear energy provides nearly
60 percent of the state’s carbon-free electricity. If Ginna were shut down, the
report says, it would undo all the renewables investment made by New York in the
past decade to comply with Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative requirements.
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 6
Ginna also contributes to the quality of life in the local community. Since 2010,
Exelon/Constellation has awarded several college scholarships to local high school
students. Ginna employees also sponsor after-school programming through Big
Brothers and Big Sisters designed to encourage interest in math and science.
The report finds that if Ginna were to close prematurely, the financial consequences
would be severe. Initial output losses would be $485 million to New York and about
$808 million to the United States in the first year after closure. These would escalate to
a peak of about $691 million in New York and $1.3 billion nationally in the seventh
year. About 3,600 jobs in New York and 6,800 throughout the United States would also
be lost. << NEI Staff, [email protected]
International Conference Reaffirms
Convention on Nuclear Safety
NEI’s 62nd Annual Industry
Conference and Supplier
Expo: Nuclear Energy
Assembly is the annual
conference of the nuclear
technologies industry.
The conference draws
hundreds of senior
executives and policymakers
from around the world. Join
us May 12-14, 2015 in
Washington, D.C.!
For more information and
to register visit:
http://www.nei.org/
Conferences/Annual-Nuclear
-Industry-Conference-andNuclear-Sup.

CNS delegations unanimously adopt Vienna Declaration

Reaffirms relevance of long-standing Convention on Nuclear Safety

U.S. says key lessons learned from Fukushima already part of convention
Feb. 12, 2015—An international diplomatic conference has reaffirmed the guiding
safety principles of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS). Convened to consider a
proposed amendment by the Swiss delegation, the parties to the CNS instead
unanimously adopted the Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety without amending the
convention.
Ambassador C.S. Eliot Kang, deputy assistant secretary for nuclear affairs at the U.S.
Department of State, said that the United States “strongly” supports the convention
and the guidance mechanism in the convention that appropriately addresses safety.
“The United States strongly supports the convention and views it as an important
instrument for international cooperation,” Kang said. “The guidance that was updated
and put into effect in April 2014 incorporates key lessons learned from the Fukushima
accident. This ability to immediately update guidance and safety standards—without
amending the convention—makes the convention a modern, relevant, and effective
instrument to improve nuclear safety well into the future.”
Kang added that the United States also supports the Vienna declaration as adopted,
which contains a series of principles to guide countries in areas such as the design,
siting and construction of new nuclear power plants.
“We believe the proposed Vienna declaration is an excellent reflection of the
consensus among the parties to the convention and we are ready to support it,” Kang
said in remarks to the diplomatic conference in Vienna.
The objective of the CNS, which entered into force in 1996, is to achieve and
maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide. The 77 member countries (or
contracting parties) to the treaty submit national reports on the implementation of
their obligations under the convention for peer review in meetings held every three
years.
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 7
The last review meeting took place in Vienna in 2014, with more than 800
participants. << Thaddeus Swanek, [email protected]
Follow NEI
NEI posts nuclear
energy-related blog posts,
tweets, videos and more on
a variety of social media
sites.
Connect with NEI here:
http://www.nei.org/
contactus/socialmedia/.
OECD Calls for Doubling of Global Nuclear Capacity by 2050

NEA/IEA report says 20 gigawatts a year must be added

Policies, markets must support new build and continued operation

Pew report finds scientists also support new nuclear construction
Feb. 11, 2015—Global installed capacity of nuclear energy must more than double by
2050 to limit global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees
Fahrenheit), according to a policy roadmap issued jointly by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency and International
Energy Agency.
“Nuclear energy can play a key role in decarbonizing our electricity systems by
providing a stable source of low-carbon baseload electricity,” says the report, an
update of a 2010 edition.
The IEA/NEA Technology Roadmap: Nuclear Energy calls for installed nuclear
generating capacity to increase to 930 gigawatts from 396 gigawatts by 2050 to halve
energy-related carbon emissions and meet the IEA’s 2-degree scenario. That would
mean increasing annual nuclear plant connection rates from 5 gigawatts in 2014 to
more than 20 gigawatts. That growth rate would result in nuclear energy generating 17
percent of global electricity in 2050, down from the 25 percent called for in the 2010
roadmap but still representing “formidable growth.”
The report notes that although the near-term outlook for nuclear energy may have
been affected by the Fukushima Daiichi accident and the global economic crisis, 72
reactors were under construction worldwide at the beginning of 2014, the highest
number in 25 years.
“In the medium to long term, prospects for nuclear energy remain positive,” the
roadmap says. It recommends a host of policies to ensure that nuclear energy can
continue to play “a major role in lowering emissions from the power sector, while
improving security of energy supply, supporting fuel diversity and providing large-scale
electricity at stable production costs.”
NEA and IEA also call for the contributions of nuclear energy to be fully
acknowledged by electricity markets. In the United States, new nuclear energy facilities
are under construction in electricity markets favorable to new build. However, two
nuclear energy facilities, Kewaunee and Vermont Yankee, shut down since May 2013
because of unfavorable market structures where they operated.
The roadmap predicts that currently low natural gas prices in the United States will
rise, making nuclear energy generation more valuable, especially if emission
standards—such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan—are
imposed.
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 8
PEW: SCIENTISTS SUPPORT NEW NUCLEAR BUILD
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A majority of scientists—and a large percentage of the general public—also call for
the building of new nuclear energy facilities, a new report from the Pew Research
Center finds.
Sixty-five percent of the scientists Pew polled favor constructing more nuclear energy
facilities, while 45 percent of the general public supports the development of new
nuclear.
The report is based on surveys conducted by Pew in collaboration with the American
Association for the Advancement of Science to compare views from the general public
and AAAS-affiliated scientists on a range of scientific issues. << Andrea Korte,
[email protected]
Japan Nuclear Update
NRA Clears Two More Reactors for Restart
Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority has given final approval of post-Fukushima
changes to be made by Kansai Electric Power Co. to its Takahama 3 and 4 reactors
prior to their restart. The recommended changes to the 870-megawatt pressurized
water reactors—including increased resistance to earthquakes, tsunami and
tornadoes—are deemed to meet NRA’s new regulatory requirements, bringing them
closer to restart.
NRA said the next step of the restart process will entail review of the “detailed design
and construction of the nuclear reactors and related facilities as well as operational
safety programs, including organization systems and procedures for accident
responses.”
Last September, NRA similarly granted Kyushu Electric Power Co. permission to make
changes to the reactor installations of Sendai 1 and 2 prior to restart. Local and
prefectural government approval is required in both Takahama and Sendai’s cases
before they can restart.
Safety assessment applications for 17 other reactors are still being reviewed by NRA.
TEPCO to Test Muon Ray Technology to Locate Fukushima Core Debris
Tokyo Electric Power Co. has announced it will begin testing a first-of-a-kind method
of detecting the location and condition of melted core debris inside the damaged
Fukushima Daiichi reactors 1, 2 and 3.
The project will use muons, a type of cosmic radiation that easily penetrates lighter
materials but is blocked by heavy elements such as uranium. TEPCO says it believes
that difference can be used to create 3D images of the melted fuel inside the reactors.
The initiative is under the joint aegis of Japan’s International Research Institute for
Nuclear Decommissioning (IRID) and other domestic and overseas research
institutions. A muon detection apparatus being developed by Japan’s High Energy
Accelerator Research Organization, also known as KEK, will use the so-called
“permeation” method to investigate the condition of Fukushima Daiichi reactor 1,
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 9
while a different muon detector method will be used for reactor 2. Analysis of the
reactor 1 data is expected by the end of March.
"This is a great example of how innovation and cooperation from external experts is
helping us overcome challenges and make progress toward decommissioning," TEPCO
Chief Decommissioning Officer Naohiro Masuda said.
Photos and video of the apparatus are available on TEPCO’s website. << Chris
Charles, [email protected]
Milestones
NuScale Installs Helical Coil Steam Generator at Italian Test Facility
Oregon-based NuScale Power has installed a full-length helical coil steam generator
at the SIET test facility in Italy. The company will be testing the performance of the
steam generator as a component of the NuScale Power Module small modular reactor
it is developing.
A Feb. 11 press release said full-scale tests “over the expected range of reactor
operating conditions” will provide “important input” to the design certification
application it plans to submit to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission next year and
for a combined license application in 2017 to build a commercially operational plant
for the Utah Associated Municipal Power System’s (UAMPS) Carbon Free Power
Project. NuScale says it expects the UAMPS project to be commercially operational at a
site in Idaho by 2023. NuScale majority investor Fluor Corp. is the engineering,
procurement and construction manager for the project.
NuScale was the sole winner in December 2013 of a second round of matching funds
for the Department of Energy’s public-private cost-share program to help
commercialize small reactor designs. The NuScale Power Module is a 50-megawattelectric (gross) pressurized water reactor design with integral containment and a
dedicated steam turbine-generator set. The design features natural convection cooling
and the ability to shut down safely without operator action, AC or DC power or
external water. Up to 12 modules could be combined in one plant to produce as much
as 570 megawatts of electricity or process heat for district heating or desalination,
depending on customer demand.
Regulator OKs Safety of Finnish Repository Design
Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) this week notified the
Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy of its conclusion that Posiva’s license
application for a spent fuel repository and encapsulation facility would meet safety
criteria set forth in the country’s Nuclear Energy Act. A statement by STUK said, “the
final disposal facility can be built to be safe,” confirming Posiva’s research findings.
Posiva is Finland’s company for the management of spent nuclear fuel and
radioactive waste, owned by nuclear utilities Fortum and TVO. In 2012 Posiva
submitted to STUK its construction license application for a repository to be built at
Olkiluoto in the municipality of Eurajoki. The Finnish parliament approved a decision-in
-principle on the repository project in 2001.
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 10
STUK’s statement will allow the project to move forward with detailed engineering. A
final construction license must still be issued by the government, based on the STUK
review and input from other stakeholders. Posiva is expected to apply separately for
an operating license for the repository in 2020.
NRC Staff Recommends License Renewal for Callaway
The NRC staff has recommended to the commission that it approve a 20-year
renewal of the operating license for Ameren Missouri's Callaway nuclear power plant,
concluding in its paper (SECY-15-0018) to the commission that there is “sufficient
basis” on environmental grounds and “reasonable assurance” on safety grounds to
support license renewal.
The single 1,279-megawatt reactor’s original 40-year operating license expires in
October 2024. Ameren Missouri applied in December 2011 to renew the license to
2044.
Atucha 2 Ramping Up to Full Power
Argentina’s Atucha 2 nuclear reactor has reached 97.5 percent of full power, owner
and operator Nucleoeléctrica Argentina S.A. said. The state-owned company said the
692-megawatt pressurized heavy water reactor is expected to achieve full power by
the end of the month.
Atucha 2’s construction was revived in 2006 after being suspended in 1994 for lack of
funds. First criticality was achieved last June.
Nuclear Made Up Largest Share of EU Energy in 2013
Nuclear energy made up the largest share of European Union primary energy
production in 2013, EU statistical office Eurostat announced.
Nuclear accounted for 29 percent of energy, followed by renewables (24 percent),
solid fuels (20 percent), gas (17 percent), oil (9 percent) and non-renewable wastes (1
percent).
Nuclear generation within EU countries reached 876.8 million gigawatt-hours in
2013, a 10.3 percent increase from 1990 but a drop from the 2004 peak of 1,008.4
million GWh.
A majority of EU countries operating nuclear facilities increased the amount of power
produced between 1990 and 2013, with the Czech Republic, France, Slovakia, Finland,
Slovenia, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Spain and Romania all increasing their nuclear
energy output. << Chris Charles, [email protected] and Andrea Korte, [email protected]
Contracts
GE Hitachi Signs MOU With VARANS
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding with the
Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety. Under the MOU, aimed at improving
the agency’s understanding of boiling water reactor technology, GEH will promote
training and development in the field of nuclear safety analysis.
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 11
This is the third agreement GEH has signed in Vietnam in recent months. Last
autumn, MOUs were signed with Hanoi University of Science and Technology and
Electric Power University to cooperate in the field of nuclear engineering and
technology.
AREVA Signs MOU With Hungary’s Evopro
AREVA and Hungarian engineering company Evopro have signed a memorandum of
understanding to formalize global cooperation in nuclear and renewable energy. The
first area of collaboration will be for the supply of instrumentation and control systems
to Hungary’s existing and future power reactors. Evopro has recently completed
AREVA’s supplier pre-qualification program.
AREVA-supplied I&C systems were installed at all four of Hungary’s Paks nuclear
power reactors 15 years ago. The companies are hoping to participate in a forthcoming
tender to upgrade the plant’s systems in an investment program starting in 2018.
AREVA’s senior vice president of sales in Western and Northern Europe, Frank Apel,
said the agreement “strengthens our relationship with the Hungarian nuclear industry
and supports our localization initiatives for new builds and modernization projects.”
Russia to Build Egypt’s First Nuclear Plant
Egypt’s president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, announced during a visit to Cairo by Russian
President Vladimir Putin that the two countries have agreed to collaborate on building
Egypt’s first nuclear power plant.
A memorandum of understanding was signed by Russian state nuclear corporation
Rosatom and the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, agreeing “to
launch detailed discussions on the prospective project.”
Rusatom Overseas and the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority also signed a
project development agreement for a nuclear power plant with a desalination facility.
Rosatom Director General Sergey Kirienko said the agreement provides for the
construction of two nuclear reactors, with the prospect of a further two. Kirienko said
additional intergovernmental agreements for plant construction and financing will be
signed in short order.
Czech Republic, Jordan to Cooperate in Nuclear Power
The Czech Republic and Jordan have agreed to cooperate on the peaceful
development of nuclear power with the signing of a memorandum of understanding
during Czech President Miloš Zeman's visit to the Middle Eastern country.
The MOU between the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission and ÚJV Řež—which
provides research and development, design and engineering services to nuclear power
plant operators in the Czech Republic and other countries—“assumes the strong
involvement” of the Czech Republic in preparations to construct Jordan’s first nuclear
power plant.
Jordan, which relies on imports to meet some 90 percent of its energy needs, plans
to build two 1,000-megawatt reactors by 2025 in the Amra region about 50 miles east
Feb. 6–Feb. 12, 2015
Page 12
of the capital Amman. Russia, the plant’s preferred bidder, is expected to make a
significant investment in the plant. << Chris Charles, [email protected]
Awards
The nuclear energy industry’s National Academy for Nuclear Training (NANT)
awarded $762,500 in scholarship and fellowship awards for the 2014-2015 academic
year through its Educational Assistance Program. The 2014 awards included 18
graduate student fellowships in the amount of $25,000 each and 125 undergraduate
scholarships of $2,500 each.
Administered by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and with funds provided
by all U.S. nuclear electric utilities and INPO supplier participants, the NANT program
supports undergraduate and graduate students in science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) fields who are interested in pursuing nuclear energy-related
careers. To be eligible for the awards, students must intern with a nuclear utility and
be recommended by the company.
More information on the NANT educational assistance program is available on NEI’s
website. << Chris Charles, [email protected]
Transitions
Industry
Brad Berryman will become vice president of organizational learning and strategy at
the Wolf Creek nuclear plant in Kansas. Berryman was most recently the vice president
of site operations and general plant manager at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating
Station.
Government
Commissioner Greg White of the Michigan Public Service Commission has been
elected chairman of the Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition. White succeeds David Boyd
of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission as NWSC chairman.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has selected Scott Rutenkroger as the new
senior resident inspector at Exelon Nuclear’s Limerick nuclear power plant in
Pennsylvania. Rutenkroger joins resident inspector Richard Montgomery at the plant.