1. No category

June 26–July 2, 2015
A report to members of the
Nuclear Energy Institute
Abundant Electricity Attracts New Business to Southeast
In This Issue
Abundant Electricity
Attracts New Business
To Southeast
1
NUCP Tailors Nuclear
Enrollment Rates
To Industry Needs
5
NRC Decreases
Nuclear Oversight
Fees for Fiscal 2015
6
Continued Vigilance
Keeps Fake Items
Out of Supply Chain
7

Low-cost, reliable electricity big incentive in company relocation

Diversity of energy sources, including nuclear, is a selling point for states

Keurig, Volvo, Alcoa among firms attracted to Southeast
By Mitch Singer and Mark Flanagan
June 30, 2015—Doug Lawyer has spent a number of years wooing companies to East
Tennessee. As the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce’s director of economic development, his
recruitment negotiations emphasize key elements such as skilled labor, access to reliable
transportation, and the reliability and cost of utilities—especially electricity.
“Universally the cost of utilities, electricity for the most part, is a key factor
in companies’ location decisions,” Lawyer says. “Cost, reliability and
redundancy of power supplies in our region are critical.”
Nuclear energy provides a lot of electricity. When states add generation
capacity, such as the new nuclear reactors being built in Georgia, South
Carolina and Tennessee, their ability to recruit electricity-intensive
businesses such as heavy industry and high-tech operations increases
Doug Lawyer
exponentially. Lawyer and his counterparts in these three states—where
nuclear energy already supplies 40 percent of the electricity, on average—have lots of
megawatts to boost their recruiting efforts.
The Knoxville Chamber looks to bring specific economic sectors to the region. Among these
are advanced manufacturing, especially medical equipment, automotive components and
food processing—all big users of electricity. Lawyer says his organization involves regionwide
electricity provider Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the local utility in discussions with
prospective businesses from the beginning. The purpose is to zero in on companies’
requirements to ensure that the right infrastructure is in place.
www.nei.org
Established in 1933 as a federal corporation, TVA is the nation’s largest public provider of
electricity, serving 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the
national average.
“I think any significant manufacturing operation looks at site selection as a 20-year
commitment,” Lawyer says. “The fact that we have low-cost, reliable electricity is a big
incentive for companies thinking of coming to this area.”
Page 2
June 26–July 2, 2015
One of those companies is Local Motors, a Phoenix-based independent motor vehicle
manufacturing company. In collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL), the company earlier this year built the first example of its Strati, the world’s
first 3-D-printed electric car. The company is building a 44,000-square-foot microfactory and showroom in Knoxville.
Nuclear Advocacy Network
(NAN) is the industry’s
grassroots advocacy
program, aimed at educating
and mobilizing its members
on nuclear energy-related
issues and legislation.
Members of NAN receive
email alerts, information and
important news about
nuclear issues at the state
and federal levels.
NAN gives its members
communication and
advocacy tools to educate
members of Congress and
other elected officials on
nuclear-related issues and to
help keep those issues front
and center.
Sign up today at:
nuclearadvocacynetwork.org.
If you are already a member,
check out our new website
and see how you can engage
in 2015.
3-D printing the Strati electric car requires abundant supplies of cheap, reliable
electricity. [Photo: Local Motors]
Jesse Smith, the manager for industrial partnerships and economic development at
ORNL’s Science and Technology Partnership, said the 3D printing process uses a lot of
electricity.
Smith told NEI that for such enterprises the cost of electricity is paramount and TVA’s
ability to produce electricity cheaply has always given the region an advantage in
attracting new business. Electricity reliability is “expected to be a given,” he says. “In
the case of the 3-D printing of the car, any interruption in the flow of electricity would
result in them having to restart the building process all over from the beginning.”
June 26–July 2, 2015
Page 3
Electricity sources aren’t equal when it comes to reliability. Nuclear energy handily
outperforms all other sources, operating more than 90 percent of the time in all kinds
of extreme weather.
TVA is working to complete Watts Bar 2, a nuclear reactor expected to begin
providing electricity to more than 600,000 homes and businesses by the end of the
year. Does the prospect of additional generation—especially one that is carbon-free—
play a role in convincing a company to move to a certain area?
“We do use the diversity of power as a recruitment tool,” says Gary Human, East
Tennessee regional director of the Tennessee Department of Economic and
Community Development. “Some industries have asked about green power and it is
increasing as they’re becoming more and more aware of the positivity of being green.”
U.S. Women in Nuclear is
the premier network of more
than 7,000 women and men
who work in nuclear and
radiation-related fields
around the country.
The 2015 U.S. Women in
Nuclear conference is ideal
for individuals working in any
aspect of nuclear energy,
science and technology
throughout the United
States. The conference
provides perspectives from
national authorities on key
issues, as well as ample
professional development
opportunities for attendees.
For more information and
to register visit:
http://www.nei.org/
Conferences/U-S-Women-inNuclear-Conference.
Lawyer says the Knoxville Chamber does mention Watts Bar 2 in its business
recruitment efforts, and when TVA explains the environmental benefits of nuclear
energy, it resonates.
“This is particularly true with companies such as food processing, craft breweries and
others that have an environmental mindset,” Lawyer says. He cites Keurig Green
Mountain Inc. as an example of a company the chamber recruited. It began operating
in Knoxville in 2008 and has expanded several times over the past seven years.
As important as reliable and reasonably priced electricity is to attracting new
business, it’s equally important in retaining existing businesses.
Alcoa Inc. Tennessee Operations has been operating in East Tennessee for more than
a century. In 2013 the company announced a $275 million expansion expected to be
completed this year. The purpose is to convert capacity at its rolling mill to support the
trend in the automotive industry to use more aluminum in cars and light trucks to
increase gas mileage, durability and performance.
“Reliable energy is essential to the aluminum industry because it needs electric
power 24 hours every day,” says Jason Buck, term trader and market analyst at Alcoa
Energy Marketing. “Alcoa’s Tennessee Operations appreciates the reliable electric
power provided by TVA generating units—including nuclear power plants—through
the TVA transmission system.”
Molly Gore
Like TVA, South Carolina’s state-owned utility Santee Cooper has a
dual mission, to provide both electricity and economic development
in its service area. Corporate Communications Manager Molly Gore
says this means the company, a partner in South Carolina Electric &
Gas’ (SCE&G) V.C. Summer nuclear power plant project, takes an
active hand in selling prospective companies on South Carolina and
ensuring that they will have the energy infrastructure necessary to
successfully operate their businesses.
Gore notes that two of the fastest developing regions in the country are in Santee
Cooper’s service area. She says in addition to the high-tech industry, many traditional
industrial concerns are attracted to the area.
Page 4
June 26–July 2, 2015
This one-day forum will
provide information on policy
issues related to the nuclear
fuel industry. Speakers from
key government agencies
and organizations that shape
policy will present the latest
insights on what lies ahead.
For more information and
to register visit: http://
www.nei.org/Conferences/
Nuclear-Fuel-Supply-Forum.
The Southeast region is a good fit for Alcoa’s aluminum rolling operations.
[Photo: Alcoa]
These include Swedish car manufacturer Volvo, turbine maker Wyman-Gordon,
carbon-fiber manufacturer Sigmatex and call center service provider Startek. Volvo’s
South Carolina plant will be its first in the United States.
For all these companies, the need for plentiful electricity was a prime consideration
in settling their operations in the state. And Santee Cooper, Gore says, has been
planning to boost its capacity for at least a decade, very substantially through the new
reactors at V.C. Summer.
“Santee Cooper needed electricity that would be reliable, baseload and safe. And we
wanted to diversify into something that was emissions-free. Expanding into nuclear
energy was a good idea,” she explains.
Santee Cooper also has coal and natural gas facilities, but Gore says the need for
more electricity and the push to limit carbon dioxide emissions inspired the utility to
expand its ongoing nuclear partnership with SCE&G.
“We will be getting all we can out of the Summer units and, depending on the price
of natural gas, bring that on as needed,” Gore says.
Santee Cooper closed four coal-fired power plants in 2012, so some of the 2,234
megawatts of nuclear capacity provided by the new Summer reactors will replace
them. Gore adds that V.C. Summer 2 and 3 also will add to Santee Cooper’s total
capacity and allow it considerable flexibility in dispatching electricity.
Doug Lawyer and his counterparts wouldn’t say their jobs are easy, but in the
Southeastern United States, they sure don’t seem to be getting harder. <<
June 26–July 2, 2015
Page 5
NUCP Tailors Nuclear Enrollment Rates
To Industry Hiring Needs
The Mitigating System
Performance Index Workshop is your opportunity to
dive into the concepts behind
MSPI and learn from subject
matter experts.
This year’s workshop will
emphasize practical
exercises and small group
discussions to apply concepts
right away. The workshop
will also provide additional
opportunities for networking
with other MSPI peers and
sharing best practices.
For more information and
to register, visit:
http://www.nei.org/
Conferences/MitigatingSystem-Performance-IndexWorkshop.

Survey finds more than 80 percent employed in nuclear or tech field

Program sees slight increase in women, minorities enrolled

Nuclear engineering university enrollments, graduations down as well
July 2, 2015—The nuclear energy industry’s workforce pipeline partnership with
community colleges is adapting to changing industry needs, according to a Nuclear
Energy Institute survey that tracked enrollment and graduation rates, employment
metrics, and diversity of the industry’s Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program (NUCP).
In 2014, 301 students graduated from two-year colleges affiliated with the NUCP
from programs in six disciplines—operations, mechanical maintenance, electrical
maintenance, instrumentation and control, radiation protection, and chemistry—
designed to prepare graduates for employment at nuclear energy facilities.
“Sustaining high-quality nuclear education programs is a priority for the nuclear
energy industry. Universities and community colleges both play a role to ensure that
our country has the world-class graduates desired by the nuclear industry,” says
Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides, NEI’s senior manager for strategic workforce planning.
The number of graduates is down 39 percent from the 2012 peak, reflecting an
intentional move by the industry to better meet the employment needs of the industry
by streamlining the program and admitting fewer students. In 2015, 25 schools were
members of the NUCP, down from a high of 38 in 2011.
The program was downsized in 2014 to allow the industry to respond to the closure
of nuclear energy facilities, which created a surplus of experienced nuclear
professionals in the job market. The program is expected to continue to change going
forward based on predicted hiring needs.
“Plant closures have decreased the demand for graduates the past two years,”
McAndrew-Benavides said. “The NUCP community colleges took the steps necessary to
maintain sustainability. These tough decisions paid off as the programs maintain their
high level of graduate placements.”
NUCP degree programs so far have graduated more than 2,000 students qualified for
nuclear jobs. Eighty-three percent of 2014 graduates have found jobs in technical
areas, a much higher rate than the national average. Only 39 percent of college
graduates as a whole had jobs at graduation, according to a recent study by Accenture.
At the four-year university program level, a March 2015 survey by the Oak Ridge
Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) found a decrease in the number of
bachelor’s and master’s degrees awarded by the 35 nuclear engineering degree
programs ORISE tracks.
The ORISE survey found the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2014
decreased for the first time in four years. Master’s degrees also decreased, with 11
percent fewer awarded in 2014 than the year before. Doctoral degrees, however,
increased in 2014 for the third consecutive year.
June 26–July 2, 2015
Page 6
The survey found that enrollments of juniors and seniors in nuclear engineering
bachelor’s degree programs decreased in 2014 by 28 percent.
“The large decrease in undergraduate enrollments will likely result in further
decreases in the number of bachelor’s degrees earned over the next year or two,” the
survey predicted.
Graduate enrollment, however, increased in 2014 by 6 percent.
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].
DIVERSITY AMONG ENROLLED STUDENTS UP, SLIGHTLY
Both surveys also tracked student diversity. The NEI survey found slight increases in
the number of women and minorities enrolled in NUCP-affiliated programs since the
last survey was completed in 2013. Women accounted for 15 percent of students
enrolled in NUCP degree programs, up from 14 percent in 2013. Minorities made up 24
percent of enrolled students, up from 20 percent in 2013.
According to the ORISE survey, women earned 15 percent of bachelor’s degrees in
nuclear engineering, 19 percent of master’s degrees and 12.5 percent of Ph.D.s.
Minorities earned 15 percent of bachelor’s degrees, 12 percent of master’s degrees
and 13 percent of Ph.D.s.
“Education programs play an essential role with improving diversity in any industry,”
McAndrew-Benavides said.
“The nuclear energy industry lauds the efforts of nuclear education programs to
increase their diversity enrollments and will continue to work with these institutions to
continue to grow the number of women and minority graduates from these
programs.” << Andrea Korte, [email protected]
NRC Decreases Nuclear Oversight Fees for Fiscal 2015

Overall fees down by 3.8 percent from 2014

Per-reactor fee about $5 million

Industry sees need for more efficiencies
July 2, 2015—The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is decreasing the fees it will
charge its licensees and applicants for fiscal 2015. The total annual fees the agency will
collect by Sept. 30 will be $888.7 million, about $30 million or 3.8 percent less than last
year. The annual fee for each operating reactor will fall to about $5 million, down from
$5.2 million last year.
“NEI commends the NRC’s efforts to improve efficiency and be more responsive to
anticipated changes through Project AIM 2020. The industry is also supportive of the
agency’s project to improve the transparency, timeliness and predictability of its fees,”
NEI Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Anthony Pietrangelo said.
“However, the industry remains concerned about the NRC’s ability to prioritize and
complete regulatory matters and efficiently manage its internal processes in the face
of a changing workload.”
June 26–July 2, 2015
Page 7
The final fee rule, published in the Federal Register June 30, includes amounts the
agency charges for its licensing, inspection and generic regulatory services. The NRC
received total congressional appropriations of just over $1 billion for its fiscal 2015
activities. By law, the agency must recover approximately 90 percent of this amount
through fees—$888.7 million this year after accounting for billing adjustments.
About 36 percent of this amount is for specific NRC services, such as licensing and
inspections applicable to specific licensees. The remaining 64 percent are annual fees
for generic regulatory expenses and other costs. These collected fees are paid into the
U.S. Treasury’s general fund.
The 10 percent of the NRC’s budget not recoverable by fees is funded through
congressional appropriations.
The fiscal 2015 annual fees will be paid by licensees of 99 operating commercial
power reactors, four research and test reactors, 23 used nuclear fuel storage and
decommissioning reactor facilities, 10 fuel-cycle facilities, 12 uranium recovery
facilities and approximately 3,000 nuclear materials licensees. << Mark Flanagan,
[email protected]
U.S. nuclear energy
facilities are licensed to
operate for 40 years and
licensees can apply for
extensions of up to 20 years.
Companies are expected to
begin seeking second license
renewals for up to an
additional 20 years in the
near future.
NEI’s second license
renewal roadmap documents
the industry’s assessment of
the milestones that must be
reached so the NRC can
review second license
renewal applications for the
first companies seeking
them.
The roadmap can be found
Continued Vigilance Keeps Counterfeit Items
Out of Supply Chain

NRC finds industry guidance adequate to detect, prevent counterfeit goods

Existing regulations provide adequate protection of public health and safety

Licensees’ continued vigilance prevents fake goods from entering supply chain
July 2, 2015—The NRC staff last week said agency regulations and industry oversight
are effectively preventing the introduction of counterfeit, fraudulent and suspect items
(CFSI) into nuclear facilities.
“Although supply chains for other industrial sectors may be substantially affected by
CFSI events, it is the NRC’s position that adherence to existing NRC regulations
provides adequate protection of the public health and safety,” the agency said in a
June 24 regulatory issue summary (RIS-2015-08) to NRC licensees, vendors, suppliers
and applicable agreement state officers.
There have been no known instances of counterfeit or fraudulent items failing in
safety-related equipment or systems in U.S. nuclear facilities.
A January 2015 NRC staff paper (SECY 15-0003) that reviews how existing agency
processes address CFSI also expressed the staff’s belief that industry guidance on CFSI
developed jointly by NEI and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI 3002002276,
July 2014) “provides the necessary fundamental elements for detecting and preventing
CFSI from affecting NRC-regulated activities.”
The agency said its release of the regulatory issue summary is to raise awareness of
the CFSI issue among its addressees in the nuclear reactor, nuclear materials and
radioactive waste sectors of the industry and does not “transmit nor imply any new or
June 26–July 2, 2015
Page 8
changed requirements.” No specific action or written response is required from
addressees. << Thaddeus Swanek, [email protected]
Japan Nuclear Update
TEPCO Takes ‘Major Step’ In Contaminated Water Removal
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) has successfully removed all the highly
contaminated water that had drained into the “trench,” or underground tunnel
housing pipes and cables, outside the turbine building of Fukushima Daiichi reactor 2.
This forum will allow for
comprehensive and
interactive discussions of
regulatory requirements
and operational challenges
associated with fire
protection programs.
Specific topics to be
discussed include industry
and NRC management
perspectives; emerging
operating experience; fire
probabilistic risk assessment;
NFPA 805 transition;
inspection experience;
industry best practices; and
research and development.
For more information and
to register visit: http://
www.nei.org/Conferences/
Fire-Protection-InformationForum.
The company called the result a “major step” in the decontamination of the site that
will result in a “significant risk reduction” of further leakage of highly contaminated
water from the damaged reactor buildings.
TEPCO said it was able to block the flow of contaminated water from the turbine
buildings by filling the trenches with “special concrete” and pumping out the water in
the trenches as it did so. The water will be treated using TEPCO’s ALPS multi-nuclide
filtration system. TEPCO is awaiting government approval to use the process for
reactor 3, which would entail temporarily pumping the water to reactor 1. Further
details and a schematic overview are available on TEPCO’s website.
Japanese Towns Losing Nuclear Tax Revenues
The Japan Council of Local Governments with Atomic Power Stations, a national
organization of municipalities, is asking the national government to adopt measures to
help them recoup lost tax revenues from nuclear reactors that are to be
decommissioned.
The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) says nuclear power plants account for the
bulk of revenues for some of these municipalities. For example, nearly 70 percent of
revenue to the town of Genkai is nuclear-related. JAIF said about $3.33 million in lost
revenues annually would result from each reactor decommissioned. << Chris Charles,
[email protected]
Milestones
ACRS Recommends ESP for PSEG’s New Jersey Project
The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards recommended June 25 that an early
site permit be issued for PSEG’s potential new reactor in New Jersey.
PSEG applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in May 2010 for a 20-year early
site permit for a location adjacent to its existing Salem and Hope Creek reactors. PSEG
spokesman Joseph Delmar said the company hopes to receive final approval for the
project by early 2016 but has “no immediate plans” to build a reactor at the site.
The NRC expects to issue a final environmental impact statement for the project in
September.
June 26–July 2, 2015
Page 9
Preliminary Review for Sweden’s Repository ‘Positive’
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Sweden’s Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) says the country’s radioactive waste
management company, SKB, can meet regulatory requirements for its planned
repository for used nuclear fuel at Forsmark in Östhammars municipality.
SKB submitted its application to SSM in 2011 to build a geologic repository for
Sweden’s used fuel as well as a collocated facility to encapsulate the fuel in copper and
iron canisters.
SSM’s preliminary review says SKB has demonstrated it can meet nuclear safety and
radiation standards in the handling and emplacement of the canisters in the
repository. On the repository’s long-term performance, SSM is continuing its review of
whether the repository will be safe for a minimum period of 100,000 years after
emplacement. It also needs to resolve remaining issues regarding the manufacture of
the copper canisters. The organization plans to publish additional review findings this
year and a final report to the government in 2017. The government is expected to
issue a construction permit in the early 2020s.
Work Begins on Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Project
Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has signed a contract for the design and
construction of seawater infrastructure facilities for Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.
Rosatom is to build four 1,200-megawatt AES-2006 VVER reactors at the Akkuyu site in
southern Turkey, with the first scheduled to begin operation in 2023. The installation
will process seawater to be used in cooling the reactors.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s energy market regulatory authority EPDK has awarded JSC
Akkuyu NPP, the Russian-owned company responsible for building and operating
Akkuyu, with a preliminary production license, enabling the company to begin
investing and permitting procedures.
Construction work on the build-own-operate project is expected to begin next year,
pending issuance of construction and environmental impact permits.
Fennovoima Submits License Application
With New Ownership Information
Finland’s Fennovoima submitted its construction license application for the planned
Hanhikivi project to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy on June 30 with a
new ownership statement.
The government’s decision-in-principle requires that the project must be owned at
least 60 percent by Finnish companies. The ministry is looking into whether the new
ownership meets this standard.
Fennovoima said that at least 60 percent of the company is owned by entities that
are part of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association, while RAOS
Voima Oy, a Finnish subsidiary of Russia’s Rosatom, holds 34 percent.
The ministry said that it will propose rejecting the construction license application
without further processing if the ownership conditions are not met.
June 26–July 2, 2015
Page 10
The application sets out details of the plant location, reactor type, safety systems,
waste management, and financing. Processing is expected to take at least two years.
Fennovoima plans to complete infrastructure work on the Hanhikivi site by the end of
2017 to prepare for the beginning of plant construction in 2018 and operation in 2024.
Germany Pulls Plug on Grafenrheinfeld
Germany’s single-reactor Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant was disconnected
from the grid on June 27 after 33 years of operation. The plant had been ordered to
shut down by the end of 2015, following the 2011 decision to shut down all German
nuclear energy facilities by 2022. Plant owner EOn announced last year that it would
close the plant seven months early, citing uneconomic operating costs due to the
government’s tax on nuclear fuel.
The 1,275-megawatt pressurized water reactor generated more than 333 billion
kilowatt-hours of electricity and avoided the emission of more than 335 million tons of
carbon dioxide. << NEI Staff, [email protected]
Contracts
B&W Completes Power Generation Spinoff
Babcock & Wilcox completed the spinoff of its new power generation business,
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Inc. The remaining business, including the company’s
nuclear operations, is to operate from Lynchburg, Va., under the name BWX
Technologies.
A company statement June 8 said the spun off company “will provide one of the
most comprehensive platforms of aftermarket services to a large global installed base
of power generation facilities.”
BWXT will supply precision components and services to commercial nuclear power
companies. It remains the sole manufacturer of naval nuclear reactors, also providing
nuclear fuel to the government and support services for government facility operations
and environmental remediation.
South Africa to Begin Procurement Process for New Reactors
South Africa will begin the materials procurement process for new nuclear energy
facilities “in the next few days,” according to press reports. The government is planning
to construct six to eight new reactors to meet its nuclear generation target of 9,600
megawatts. South Africa, which is home to two reactors at the Koeberg site, plans to
start construction of the first new plant in 2017 for commercial operation beginning in
2023.
Westinghouse to Study EU Fuel Supply Diversity
Westinghouse Electric Co. and eight European consortium partners are participating
in an effort funded by the European Union “to establish the security of supply of
nuclear fuel for Russian-designed reactors in the EU.”
The groups have received 2 million euros to diversify the supply of fuel for the 18
Russian-designed reactors—four VVER-1000s and 14 VVER-440s—in Bulgaria, the
June 26–July 2, 2015
Page 11
Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia. The five nations are currently 100
percent dependent on Russia’s Rosatom for their nuclear fuel supply.
Westinghouse, which is the only other fuel manufacturer for VVER-type reactors, will
coordinate the project in conjunction with Vuje (Slovakia); ÚJV Řež (Czech Republic);
Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT, Finland); National Nuclear Laboratory
(NNL, United Kingdom); NucleoCon (Slovakia); National Science Centre Kharkov
Institute of Physics and Technology (NSC KIPT, Ukraine); Institute for Transuranium
Elements of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC-ITU); and
Enusa Industrias Avanzadas (Enusa, Spain).
Canada, UK Reaffirm Nuclear Cooperation
Canada and the United Kingdom this week signed a memorandum of understanding
to increase cooperation of civil nuclear energy, affirming a 2014 commitment between
the two countries.
The memorandum, which will allow closer relationships between government
agencies and regulators, calls for increased cooperation on the fuel cycle; reactor
design, construction, operation and decommissioning; and development of workforce
skills. It will also reinforce work already underway on plutonium disposal and
alternative fuels.
Consortium to Operate Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
The Canadian government has chosen Canadian National Energy Alliance (CNEA) to
manage and operate Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). CNEA is a consortium made
up of CH2M Hill Canada, Fluor Government Group Canada Inc., EnergySolutions
Canada Group, SNC-Lavalin Inc. and Rolls-Royce Civil Nuclear Canada.
CNL, a subsidiary of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, was established in 2014 as the
government agency responsible for federal used fuel and nuclear waste and
decommissioning. It will also provide expertise on including isotope production,
reactor component and fuel examination, nuclear instrumentation and dosimetry, and
materials and nuclear chemistry. Its facilities include the Chalk River Laboratories in
Ontario and Whiteshell Laboratories in Manitoba.
A contract is expected to be finalized later this year.
AREVA, CNNC Sign Cooperation Agreements
AREVA signed several agreements on June 30 that further develop nuclear
cooperation between France and China.
The first memorandum of understanding, with China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC),
defined a schedule for commercial negotiations for a Chinese spent fuel reprocessing
and recycling facility. Another agreement with CNNC expands cooperation across the
entire fuel cycle, specifically focusing on uranium extraction and conversion, zirconium
fuel assembly fabrication, and fuel assembly deconstruction, dismantling,
transportation and recycling.
June 26–July 2, 2015
Page 12
France to Study Reactor Construction in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia and France signed three nuclear cooperation agreements in June.
A letter of intent was signed by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Hashim
Abdullah Yamani, president of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah City for Atomic and
Renewable Energy (KA-CARE), for a feasibility study for the construction of two new
reactors in Saudi Arabia.
A memorandum of cooperation was also signed between a KA-CARE senior adviser
and the head of Andrea, France’s national radioactive waste disposal organization. The
memorandum will see the organizations work together on waste management
standards and policy implementations.
The third agreement, a memorandum of understanding, covers cooperation in the
area of radiation protection.
Russia Extends Cooperation on Advanced Reactors
Russia has signed a 10-year extension to the Generation IV International Forum (GIF)
framework agreement for international collaboration on research and development of
Generation IV nuclear energy systems. OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Director General
William Magwood and Sergey Kirienko, director general of Russia’s Rosatom, on June
29 signed the agreement, which is intended to aid the development of advanced
nuclear energy systems.
The GIF was initiated in 2000, and the Framework Agreement followed in 2005.
Parties to the framework—which also includes Canada, China, the European Union,
France, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States—are
formally committed to participate in the development of one or more Generation IV
systems selected by the forum for further research and development. << NEI Staff,
[email protected]
Transitions
Government
The NRC has named Laura Dudes as the new deputy regional administrator for
construction. The Atlanta-based office has responsibility for the inspection and
oversight of all NRC-licensed construction sites. Dudes was formerly director of the
division of materials safety, state, tribal and rulemaking programs in the NRC’s Office
of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. She replaces Frederick Brown, recently
named a senior adviser in the Office of the Executive Director of Operations.
The NRC has named the following new resident inspectors:
 Margaret Tobin at Entergy’s Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville, Ark, joining
Senior Resident Inspector Brian Tindell
 Matthew Fannon at Exelon’s Limerick nuclear power plant in Limerick, Pa., joining
Senior Resident Inspector Scott Rutenkroger.