Areva delays EPR component plant

Areva has adjusted its construction scheduled for the Areva Newport News plant in Virginia, its joint venture project with Northrop Grumman for the manufacture of heavy components for EPR reactors. In an emailed statement, Areva said that the postponement of the start of operations at the $360 million facility was made “to meet our customers’ planning timetables and to ensure we have production capabilities and capacity when our customers are ready for our components.” It added, “In the absence of sufficient loan guarantee funding and commitments to qualified applicants, some customers are delaying the start of projects which affects when the heavy components to be manufactured in Newport News will be required.” The plant will be able to finish the largest nuclear grade steel-alloy components such as reactor pressure vessels, steam generators and pressurizers. Construction of the new 30,000 square meter plant at Northrop Grumman’s existing shipbuilding site at Newport News began in July 2009. At that time, operations at the new facility were expected to start in 2012. Construction work continues at the site, Areva said, adding that it “remains committed to completing this facility in a timely manner which will continue to support Areva’s US and global equipment needs.” Areva spokesman Jarret Adams told the local Daily Press newspaper, “We’re hoping to have people in the building in 2012, and we’re looking at operational dates in maybe 2013.”

Source: World Nuclear News

UK: Areva and Westinghouse reactor designs likely to be selected

Areva SA’s EPR and Westinghouse Electric Co.’s AP1000 nuclear reactor designs are likely to be approved for use in the U.K. next year, the country’s Health and Safety Executive said.

“Both reactor designs are capable of being shown to be acceptable in the U.K., subject to satisfactory progress being made on the not insignificant technical issues we have raised,” the authority said in its quarterly update on the design assessment process.

Health and environment regulators are assessing the Areva and Westinghouse designs as utilities including Electricite de France SA, E.ON AG and RWE AG consider building nuclear power plants in the U.K. The country approved 10 sites for nuclear development this year and the first station will be operating by 2018, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said this month.

Nuclear reactors account for about a fifth of the U.K.’s electricity production, according to the World Nuclear Association.

Today’s health executive report covered the three month period ended June 30. Additional safety work may be carried out after the assessment is completed in June, the authority said.

Source: Bloomberg

Vietnam seeks nuclear power expertise from France

A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, led by Deputy Minister Do Huu Hao, ended a visit to France on Saturday after discussions on nuclear power generation and the nation’s successes in using energy sources more effectively.

At a working session with Christian De Gromard, head of the French Development Agency’s energy projects, the two sides reviewed the agency’s operations and projects on energy saving, while also discussing plans to improve energy use in Viet Nam.

The French Development Agency pledged to support Viet Nam’s efforts to save energy and use experiences the agency has drawn from its projects in Indonesia.

Deputy Minister Hao introduced Viet Nam’s newly-approved law on energy saving to French Development Agency officials and urged the agency to assist the country in drafting practical sub-law documents.

During the trip, the Vietnamese delegation also held discussions with Othman Salhi, Vice President for Asia of the AREVA group – a leading provider of solutions for carbon-free power generation.

Salhi discussed the AREVA group and its experiences in designing, building and operating nuclear power reactors as well as its capacity in providing nuclear fuel rods, treating and preserving nuclear waste and producing uranium.

He said AREVA wanted to co-operate with Viet Nam in developing nuclear power.

Hao told his host that Viet Nam was willing to join with other nations that have nuclear technology and are able to provide nuclear fuel rods while also safely treating and disposing of nuclear waste.

The Deputy Minister said he highly valued AREVA’s know-how in consultancy, supervision and human resources development, adding that these experiences would be useful to Viet Nam when it builds its first nuclear power reactor.

AREVA would have the opportunity to co-operate with Vietnamese partners in different aspects as Viet Nam plans to construct a series of nuclear power plants from now until 2035, said Hao.

Source: Viet Nam News

University of Florida awarded for nuclear projects

Congratulations to the University of Florida and the University of Tennessee as the recipient of a $150,000 grant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in support of their Nuclear Reactor Instrumentation and Control and Digital Implementation projects.

The University of Florida and the University of Tennessee will develop a two semester course covering the design, operation and licensing of Digital Control systems.

AREVA and Siemens Energy are working with the University of Florida College of Engineering to upgrade the University of Florida Training Reactor (UFTR) control system.  Once fully implemented in mid-2011, this digital control upgrade project will represent the state-of-the-art in Nuclear Reactor digital control systems.  In addition, AREVA’s nuclear measurement business unit is providing state-of-the-art CANBERRA contamination monitoring equipment and rate meters.

AREVA and Siemens Energy are providing this upgrade to the University in order to provide significant returns to our respective companies, and to the University and to the State of Florida.

With the completion of the total facility upgrade, the expectation is that:

• The University of Florida will become a show-case for the state-of-the-art in Nuclear Reactor digital control systems to be utilized in support of the next generation of Nuclear Power Generating Stations.

• The installation shall be recognized by industry and regulatory agencies (such as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission) as a center of excellence for digital control technology, seeking it out for investigative studies and employee training.

• As a result of this installation, the University of Florida will possess one of the most advanced training reactor facilities in the United States, thereby providing unique student teaching opportunities that will prepare the next generation of industry experts in the world of digital reactor controls.

The period of the grant is from July 1, 2010 until June 30, 2011. The grant references the following statement by the former NRC Commissioner and current Deputy Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy, Dr. Pete Lyons, “As another notable example of digital evolution, the University of Florida is partnering with AREVA and Siemens … I am encouraged this project will provide significant insights and further advance the digital evolution. It should serve to expose a new generation of scientists and engineers to the challenges of digital applications in a nuclear environment as well as provide a platform for additional research from the University of Florida and at other participating schools.”

Source: Areva Blog

Small-scale reactors could work in Saskatchewan, according to Energy Minister

Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post

If the 500 delegates at the Uranium 2010 conference in Saskatoon this week find it strange Saskatchewan — the world’s second-largest producer of uranium — doesn’t generate its own nuclear power, Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd wouldn’t be surprised.

“I think they do. Absolutely I think they believe it is odd,” Boyd said after a presentation Monday at the international conference.

But he doesn’t expect Saskatchewan’s energy generation to remain nuclear-free forever.

While a large nuclear reactor or two for the province remains out of the question for the time being, the minister repeated the Saskatchewan Party’s belief that nuclear remains an option — especially burgeoning small-reactor technology.

“If there are export opportunities or emerging demand for electricity in the future, then we’ll have to re-evaluate that, or perhaps look at small nuclear technology that can bring nuclear technology on in small increments,” he said.

In 2009, the government-established Uranium Development Partnership (UDP) recommended against moving forward with a large-scale reactor development, saying the economics and demand base for nuclear energy aren’t yet at a level required for such a large-scale project.

Boyd remains optimistic Saskatchewan will one day use uranium mined from the Athabasca Basin to fuel a reactor of its own.

“I’m pro-nuclear — make no bones about it — but it has to make economic sense,” he said.

That’s where small-scale reactor technology — which is still under development — comes in.

Boyd said the province is constantly re-evaluating its energy demand forecast. A miniature version of a nuclear reactor could, if demand is high enough, become a part of Saskatchewan’s electricity mix, he said.

The CEOs of Cameco Corp. and Areva Canada Inc. — companies that both mine and process Saskatchewan uranium — supported Boyd’s stance Monday. Both chief executives said they’re excited for the province’s nuclear future, yet respect the government’s take on the reactor issue. Continued…

Read more: The Star Phoenix

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Nuclear builders begin race for Wylfa NPP contract

Race hots up to build next generation power station at the Wylfa site in Angelsey

France’s Areva and the Westinghouse-led consortium Nuclear Power Delivery UK have started preparatory studies to be selected to build a nuclear power station in North Wales.

Today both teams said that they had signed early works agreements with Horizon, the joint venture between Eon and RWE npower planning the new power station at Wylfa in Angelsey.

Now the Westinghouse consortium team of Laing O’Rourke, Shaw Group and Toshiba will work up specific site designs using the AP1000 design, while the French Areva group works up proposals based on the European pressurized reactor design.

Once the generic design assessment has been concluded by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, Horizon will plump for the reactor type to proceed with by the end of the year.

Horizon said it aims to deliver a total of around 6 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity from two power stations by 2025, at a cost of around £15 billion.
The other site is at Oldbury, Gloucestershire.

Source: Construction Enquirer

Costs overruns and delays plaques Flamanville reactor

Electricite de France SA, Europe’s biggest power producer, will have a cost overrun of 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) and a delay of as many as two years in developing the EPR nuclear reactor at Flamanville in France, two people with knowledge of the project said.

The cost estimate will be raised to 5 billion euros from an initial target of 4 billion euros, according to the people who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. It will be delayed from its slated commercial start in 2013.

The cost overrun and delay were reported earlier by LCI television today. An EDF spokeswoman declined to comment.

EDF is building a 1,650-megawatt, Areva SA-designed EPR at Flamanville in Normandy and plans similar models in the U.K, the U.S. and China. Areva is developing an EPR in Finland, which is over budget and behind schedule. Getting an EPR in operation is considered key for the French nuclear industry to capture global orders for new reactors, according to a government report.

Areva and EDF should modify the design of the third generation EPR reactor and develop smaller models to win contracts, according to recommendations in the report on France’s nuclear industry by former EDF Chief Executive Officer Francois Roussely published two days ago.

“The credibility of both the EPR and the ability of the French nuclear industry to successfully build new reactors has been seriously undermined by difficulties” at Finland’s Olkiluoto site and Flamanville, according to the report.

Roussely called for “urgent measures” to turn the situation around and get the EPRs completed to benefit plans for another French EPR at Penly and in the U.K.

Areva last month took a provision for cost overruns for the Finnish EPR, taking the total excess cost to about 2.7 billion euros. The world’s biggest reactor builder pledged in 2005 to complete the reactor in 2009 at a total cost of 3 billion euros.

Teollisuuden Voima Oyj is aiming to begin operations at the reactor in 2013.

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek

France reviews its position to bolster nuclear energy program

France is revising its nuclear strategy to improve reactor technology and boost cooperation between  national champions Areva and Electricité de France (EdF). Up to 15% of Areva will be sold as optimisation takes place on the EPR design.

Announcements came yesterday after President Nicolas Sarkozy met with the Nuclear Policy Council as it reviewed a report by former EdF chief Francois Roussely.

Roussely wrote that the country’s nuclear sector, on which its electricity and therefore industry relies, is facing a “double challenge” in the years to 2030. It needs to continue to operate at top levels of safety, while extending the operation of existing reactors and building more. Meanwhile, decommissioning will accelerate and waste management programs will make major steps.

And internationally, France is hoping to win a large share of the 250 new reactors Roussely thinks will be ordered before 2030. The current market for these is “highly segmented and highly competitive,” he noted, and ‘Team France’ has to “make considerable efforts to improve its offer against other industry giants.”

The response from the council was “to strengthen the unity of the French nuclear industry around its national champions,” first with “a strategic partnership agreement between EdF and Areva covering all their areas of common interest.”

President Nicolas Sarkozy during an earlier trip to Flamanville

Working on two levels, this upgraded partnership should help ensure EdF’s supplies of uranium fuel as well as allow the two to collaborate for Areva’s reactor exports by setting up “an organisation based on the expertise of EdF as operator and architect-engineer.” Such a deal would not stop the firms making other alliances should they want to. In his recommendations, Roussely said EdF should be confirmed in its role as architect and integrator of ‘Team France’.

Power engineer Alstom, and construction companies Bouyges and Vinci were also counted among the country’s industrial powers.

Support for exports should also come from improvements to Areva’s manufacturing capability, thanks to the sale of up to 15% of shares to raise investment capital. The company is about 93% state-owned via shareholders such as the CEA (79%), as well as state banks, holding companies and EdF (itself 85% state controlled). The announcements did not say which of these would be directed to divest part of their share, but did mention that EdF’s holding could be increased in line with the new partnership.

Tough love

Speaking frankly about the French nuclear sector, Roussely’s report warned that “The credibility of both the EPR model and the ability of the French nuclear industry for success in new construction have been seriously undermined by the difficulties encountered on the Olkiluoto site in Finland and at Flamanville.”

The complexity of the EPR model “including the level of power, the core catcher and the redundancy of safety systems is certainly a handicap for its implementation and therefore its cost. These factors explain in part the difficulties encountered in Finland and at Flamanville.” The design is to be optimised to simplifiy its construction.

He recommended that EdF establish a program to ensure the best construction performance from now on at Flamanville and use feedback from that project as well as Olkiluoto 3 before starting work on the next French EPR at Penly. He said this feedback should be consolidated before EdF embarks on building more EPRs in the UK.

France’s nuclear product line needs to be expanded, Roussely said, with smaller models such as the 1000-1150 MWe Atmea 1 design under development by Areva and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which offers an alternative to the 1650 MWe EPR.

Source: World Nuclear News

Romania plans to reduce its stake in new Cernavoda reactors

The Romanian government plans to cut its stake in a project to construct two new reactors at Cernavoda. Meanwhile, Romania has asked Areva to participate in building the country’s second plant in Transylvania.

In November 2008, representatives from the seven companies investing in the construction of units 3 and 4 at Romania’s Cernavoda nuclear power plant signed an agreement specifying what share in the project they will each hold.

How Cernavoda would look with four units (Image: AECL)

The partners agreed to establish a project company, EnergoNuclear SA, to construct, commission and operate the two new units. Under the agreement, the share held by each investor in the project company had been agreed, and, correspondingly, what proportion of financing and share of the power generated each will take.

Romania’s state-owned Nuclearelectrica SA holds a 51% stake in EnergoNuclear, while Czech utility CEZ, France’s GDF-Suez, Italy’s Enel and Germany’s RWE Power each hold a 9.15% stake. In addition, Spain’s Iberdrola and global steel producer ArcelorMittal each hold a 6.2% stake in the project company. In April 2009, construction costs were expected to be about €4 billion ($5.2 billion), but by September it was evident that SNN could not raise its share of the funds.

Romania’s energy minister, Adriean Videanu, has now said that the government will reduce its stake in EnergoNuclear. In an interview published on the ministry’s website Videanu said: “The Romanian state will never have sufficient resources to finance 51% of the project. We therefore plan to renegotiate the holdings.”

He noted that the current agreement with the investors is valid until 25 September. Videanu said that the agreement may be extended to other investors.

The Cernavoda plant was originally intended to host five Canadian Candu pressurized heavy water reactors of 633 MWe each. Construction on units 2-5 was halted in 1991 in order to concentrate on unit 1, which entered commercial operation at the end of 1996. It now provides 10% of the country’s electricity. The government decided to resume work on unit 2 in 2000. After some upgrades during completion, unit 2 is rated at 655 MWe and began commercial operation in October 2007.

Cernavoda 3 and 4, both 720 MWe Candu reactors, will be a similar design to Cernavoda unit 2. The new units are scheduled to start up in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

In February 2010, EnergoNuclear signed an agreement with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) to assess the viability of the project and define what is required to complete and commission units 3 & 4.

Second plant

Meanwhile, in an interview published in Romania’s Adevarul newspaper, Videanu said that during a visit to Paris in early June he invited Areva to participate in the construction of a second nuclear power plant in Romania.

The second plant is planned for Transylvania in northwest Romania and is expected to be completed between 2020 and 2030. The exact location of the plant has yet to be identified.

Videanu said: “We need the expertise of French specialists concerning the location study. In addition to the evaluation that we conducted ourselves, we need to validate these studies in relation to French partners and then try to establish a project company that will form the investment pool for the second nuclear power plant.”

He declined to say whether Areva would actually build the second plant.

Source: World Nuclear News

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