Nuclear Power

1
www.energy.mn.gov
March 26, 2009
Terry Webster
2
Planning for Minnesotas Energy Future

• Including Nuclear Power in Minnesota Future
  Energy Mix

3
Questions to Explore

• How has the use of nuclear power developed in the
  US since inception in 1942?
• What is the current energy picture?
• What is the outlook for future nuclear power?
• Is there a potential role for expanded use of
  nuclear power?
• V. What are the new designs of nuclear power
  reactors?
• What are the regulatory policies in other
  states?
• What are the subsidies for electric power
  production?

4
I. U.S. Nuclear Electricity Milestones
1942-Present
Sourer selected milestones from www.nei.org
5
I. U.S. Nuclear Electricity Milestones
1942-Present
6
I. U.S. Nuclear Electricity Milestones
1942-Present
7
II. Current Nuclear Power Use

• Worldwide
• United States
• Minnesota

8
Worldwide Nuclear Power Use

• 436 nuclear power reactors operating in 30
  countries.
• Combined capacity of over 370 GWe.
• In 2007, nuclear power provided 2608 billion
  kWh, about 16 of the world's electricity.

9
Worldwide Nuclear Power Use
http//www.insc.anl.gov/pwrmaps/map/world_map.tif
10
Top 10 Nuclear Generating Countries 2007,
Billion kWh
Source International Atomic Energy Agency, U.S.
is from Energy Information Administration Updated
9/08
11
Worldwide
Source http//www.iaea.or.at/programmes/a2/
12
Worldwide
Source http//www.iaea.or.at/programmes/a2/
13
United States Nuclear Power Reactors

• 104 nuclear power reactors operating.
• 28 nuclear power reactors shutdown.
• 1 nuclear power reactor under construction (Watts
  Bar-2, Tennessee).
• 806501.261 GWh of electricity produced in 2007.
• In 2007, nuclear power provided about 20 of the
  US electricity.

http//www.iaea.or.at/programmes/a2/
14
Map of the United States Showing Locations of
Operating Nuclear Power Reactors
http//www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/
15
Minnesota Nuclear Highlights

• 31 States with nuclear capacity, Minnesota ranks
  21st.
•    
• Monticello Unit 1 597 MWe 37
• Prairie Island Unit 1, Unit 2 1,049 MWe 63
• Total 3 Reactors 1,646 MWe 100
•  
• The Prairie Island nuclear power plant ranks
  second in capacity among Minnesotas power
  plants.
• The Monticello nuclear plant ranks fourth in the
  State.

Source Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator
Report"
16
Minnesota Electric Capacity
source EIA
17
III. What is the future of Nuclear Power?

• Minnesota
• US
• World

18
Future Nuclear Power Use

• Nuclear Powered Electric is part of current
  energy mix.
• With relicensing, Minnesotas nuclear power
  production will remain constant (but a decrease
  percent of energy mix.)
• With relicensing and new construction, US and
  World nuclear production will increase.

19
Minnesota Electric Capacity 1990 2006
source REIS Data Base
20
Status of Minnesotas Nuclear Generation
Facilities

• Original license application for the Monticello
  nuclear power plant scheduled to expire in 2010.
  License renewal application filed 03/24/05 and
  renewed license for 20 year issued 11/08/06.
• The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission granted
  a Certificate of Need for a 71 MW increase
  (uprate) in the generating capability at
  Monticello.
• Original license for Prairie Island unit 1
  scheduled to expire in 2013, and that for unit 2
  expires in 2014. License renewal application
  filed 04/15/08 with NRC decision anticipated on
  10/15/10.
• Xcel has filed for Certificate of Need for a 164
  MW increase (uprate) (82 MW per unit) in the
  generating capability at Prairie Island.
• No new facilities are planned due to Minnesota
  Law.

http//www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/re
newal/applications.htmlplant
21
United States Electricity Capacity
http//www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/archive/aeo08/overview
.html
22
Status of U.S. Nuclear Generation Facilities

• The US has over 100 nuclear reactors providing
  almost 20 of its electricity.
• The first operating license will expire in the
  year 2009 approximately 10 percent will expire
  by the end of 2010 and more than 40 percent will
  expire by 2015.
• The decision to seek license renewal is strictly
  voluntary and nuclear power plant owners (i.e.,
  licensees) must decide whether they are likely to
  satisfy NRC requirements and whether license
  renewal is a cost-effective venture.
• There have been 17 license applications to build
  26 new nuclear reactors since mid 2007, following
  several regulatory initiatives preparing the way
  for new orders.

23
U.S. Nuclear Industry Yearly Power Uprates
1977-2008
Source Nuclear Regulatory Commission Updated
11/08
24
Cumulative Capacity Additions at U.S. Nuclear
Facilities 1977-2013
Source Nuclear Regulatory Commission Updated
2/09
25
Location of Projected New Nuclear Power
Reactors in the US
http//www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/map-power-re
actors.html
26
World Electricity Capacity
http//www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/pdf/0484(2007).pdf
27
Status of Worlds Current Nuclear Generation
Facilities
Source http//www.iaea.or.at/programmes/a2/
28
Nuclear Units Under Construction Worldwide
29
Status of Worlds Nuclear Future Generation
Facilities

• About 35 power reactors are currently being
  constructed in 11 countries notably China (11),
  India (6), S. Korea (5) and Russia (6).
• IAEA anticipates at least 70 new plants in the
  next 15 years, putting 470 to 750 GWe in place in
  2030.
• OECD estimates range up to 680 GWe in 2030 based
  on specific plans and actions in a number of
  countries. The fastest growth is in Asia.
• This would give nuclear power a 17 share in
  electricity production in 2020.
• In the 1980s, 218 power reactors started up, an
  average of one every 17 days. With China and
  India getting up to speed with nuclear energy and
  a world energy demand double the 1980 level in
  2015, a realistic estimate of what is possible
  might be the equivalent of one 1000 MWe unit
  worldwide every 5 days.

http//www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf17.html
30
IV. Potential role for expanded use of nuclear
power in Minnesotas electricity future

• Minnesotas electric fuel generation is changing.
• Expected growth cannot be addressed with the
  Minnesota aging coal plant fleet.
• Renewables and energy efficiency will not address
  our baseload energy needs.
• Energy planning for 2025 and beyond must start
  now.
• Nuclear power is part of energy mix.
• Contribution of nuclear power will remain
  constant with renewal of the three current units
  until operating expires in 2034.
• Coal power electric generation is the largest
  portion of Minnesotas energy mix. The age of
  Minnesotas coal plan must be acknowledged.
• The Non-carbon and low-carbon energy mix options
  can be identified.

31
Minnesota Current Electric Fuel Mix
(source EIA)
32
Minnesotas Coal Plant Additions
source REIS Data Base
33
Coal Plant Fleet Vintage Comparison
source REIS Data Base
34
With Coal Plant Fleet Aging,what are the
Non-carbon options?

• Non-carbon emitting resources are necessary to
  achieve reductions in CO2 emissions.
• Sources of Non-carbon or low carbon emitting
  resources include
• Hydro
• Renewables
• Natural Gas
• Coal and IGCC(with sequestration) and
• Nuclear.

35
The Current Energy PictureThe Limitation of
Non-Carbon Options

• Hydro limited build options
• Renewables geographic limitations, limited
  potential, intermittent, non-baseload generation
• Natural Gas limited resource, needed for other
  uses
• Coal and IGCC with sequestration not commercial
  demonstrated
• Nuclear cost, safety, waste disposal

36
Nuclear Power Generation is an Option

• Nuclear Power generation is currently used.
• 439 operating reactors worldwide providing 16
  percent of electricity
• 104 operating reactors in US providing 20 percent
  of electricity
• 3 operating reactors (at 2 facilities) in
  Minnesota providing 16 percent of electricity
• Reliable operation baseload, dispatchable
• Existing plants have low production costs
• Available fuel supply from diverse resources
• Older plants being re-licensed and new plants are
  planned.
• New Plants have advance safety designs.

37
Nuclear Power Production Issues

• Safety
• Improving Safety (reduction in average number of
  accidents)
• Improving Safety (reduction in number of
  significant events ).
• Cost/Time
• New Plant Construction Costs from recent
  regulator filings
• Comparative Costs for Alternative New Electric
  Generation
• Construction Time lines
• Waste disposal
• On-site storage for waste from current and new
  plants.
• Permanent national geologic repository is
  necessary.

38
U.S. Nuclear Industrial Safety Accident
RateOne-Year Industry Values
ISAR Number of accidents resulting in lost
work, restricted work, or fatalities per 200,000
worker hours. Source World Association of
Nuclear Operators Updated 4/08
39
Comparative Safety Record(2004 Lost-time
Accident rate per 200,000 hours)
40
Significant Events at U.S. Nuclear Plants
Annual Industry Average, Fiscal Year 1988-2006
Significant Events are those events that the NRC
staff identifies for the Performance Indicator
Program as meeting one or more of the following
criteria A Yellow or Red Reactor Oversight
Process (ROP) finding or performance indicator
An event with a Conditional Core Damage
Probability (CCDP) or increase in core damage
probability (?CDP) of 1x10-5 or higher An
Abnormal Occurrence as defined by Management
Directive 8.1, Abnormal Occurrence Reporting
Procedure An event rated two or higher on the
International Nuclear Event Scale
Source NRC Information Digest, 1988 is the
earliest year data is available. Updated 11/07
41
New Nuclear Power Plant Costs

See Paper titled The Cost of New Generating
Capacity in Perspective at http//www.nei.org/res
ourcesandstats/nuclear_statistics/costs
42
New Nuclear Power Life-Cycle Costs Comparison
See Paper titled The Cost of New Generating
Capacity in Perspective at http//www.nei.org/res
ourcesandstats/nuclear_statistics/costs
43
Power Plant Costs Comparison

http//www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/assumption/pdf/ele
ctricity.pdf
44
New Nuclear Construction Timelines
http//www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/documentlibra
ry/newplants/factsheet/key_steps_in_building_a_new
_reactor
45
Nuclear Power Production Waste Disposal

• U.S. nuclear energy industry in 50 years of
  operation has produced approximately 60,000
  metric of used nuclear fuel produced.
• Used fuel is a solid material that is stored at
  nuclear power plant sites, either in enclosed,
  steel-lined concrete pools filled with water, or
  in steel or reinforced concrete containers with
  steel inner canisters.
• Research is ongoing to develop advanced
  technologies to recycle used nuclear fuel to
  reduce the amount of radioactive byproducts in
  the material, while recovering valuable energy.
• Under any used fuel management scenario, disposal
  of radioactive byproducts in a permanent geologic
  repository is necessary.

46
On-Site Used Nuclear Fuel Amounts
Source ACI Nuclear Energy Solutions and
Department of Energy
47
European Nuclear Waste Amounts(in tons of
heavy metal)
Data source (OECD, 2007), (IAEA, 2003b), (NEA,
2007)
http//themes.eea.europa.eu/Sectors_and_activities
/energy/indicators/EN132C2008.11/Fig1/view
48
Nuclear Waste Disposal Status and Trends(not
an exhaustive listing)

http//www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf04.html
49
V. Designs of New Nuclear Power Reactors
http//www.gen-4.org/Technology/evolution.htm
50
Todays Nuclear Plant Design (LWRs)

• Name Vendor Type Size(MWe)
• ABWR a, b, c(1997), d GE/Hitachi, or
• Advanced Boiling Water Reactor
  Toshiba BWR 300
• AP1000 b, c(2006), d, e
• Advanced Pressurized (Water Reactor)
  Westinghouse PWR 1150
• ESBWR c(2009), d, e
• Economic Simplified Boiling Water
  Reactor GE/Hitachi BWR 1400
• EPR b, c(2010), d
• Evolutionary Pressurized (Water)
  Reactor Areva PWR 1600
• APWR b, c(2010), d
• (US-)Advanced Pressurized Water
  Reactor Mitsubishi PWR 1700
• a Plants in operation worldwide
• b Plants under construction worldwide
• c Design certification by NRC (year certified or
  expected)
• d Plant named in a license application in the US
  
• e Passively safe design

51
ABWR The U.S. Advanced Boiling Water
Reactor

• Uses a single-cycle, forced circulation design
  with a rated power of 1,300 megawatts electric
  (MWe).
• The design incorporates features of the BWR
  designs in Europe, Japan, and the United States,
  and uses improved electronics, computer, turbine,
  and fuel technology.
• Improvements include the use of internal
  recirculation pumps, control rod drives that can
  be controlled by a screw mechanism rather than a
  step process, microprocessor-based digital
  control and logic systems, and digital safety
  systems.
• The design also includes safety enhancements such
  as protection against overpressurizing the
  containment, passive core debris flooding
  capability, an independent water makeup system,
  three emergency diesels, and a combustion turbine
  as an alternate power source.

http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact
-sheets/new-nuc-plant-des-bg.html
52
AP1000 The Advanced Passive 1000

• A larger version of the previously approved AP600
  design.
• This 1,100 MWe advanced pressurized water reactor
  incorporates passive safety systems and
  simplified system designs.
• It is similar to the AP600 design but uses a
  longer reactor vessel to accommodate longer fuel,
  and also includes larger steam generators and a
  larger pressurizer.

http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact
-sheets/new-nuc-plant-des-bg.html
53
ESBWR The Economic and Simplified Boiling
Water Reactor

• A 1,500 MWe, natural circulation boiling water
  reactor that incorporates passive safety
  features.
• This design is based on its predecessor, the 670
  MWe Simplified BWR (SBWR) and also utilizes
  features of the certified ABWR.
• The ESBWR enhances natural circulation by using a
  taller vessel, a shorter core, and by reducing
  the flow restrictions.
• The design utilizes an isolation condenser system
  for high-pressure water level control and decay
  heat removal during isolated conditions.
• After the automatic depressurization system
  operates, a gravity-driven cooling system
  provides low-pressure water level control.
• Containment cooling is provided by a passive
  system.

http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact
-sheets/new-nuc-plant-des-bg.html
54
EPR The Evolutionary Power Reactor

• 1,600 MWe pressurized water reactor of
  evolutionary design.
• Design features include four 100 capacity
  trains of engineered safety features, a
  double-walled containment, and a core catcher
  for containment and cooling of core materials for
  severe accidents resulting in reactor vessel
  failure.
• The design does not rely on passive safety
  features.
• The first EPR is under construction at the
  Olkiluoto site in Finland, with another planned
  for the Flammanville site in France.

http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact
-sheets/new-nuc-plant-des-bg.html
55
APWR Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor

• An evolutionary 1,700 MWe pressurized water
  reactor currently being licensed and built in
  Japan.
• The design includes high-performance steam
  generators, a neutron reflector around the core
  to increase fuel economy, redundant core cooling
  systems and refueling water storage inside the
  containment building, and fully digital
  instrumentation and control systems.

http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact
-sheets/new-nuc-plant-des-bg.html
56
Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) in
Pre-Application Review

• Differences between PBMR and current US
  light-water reactors
• Fuel design - Tennis ball-sized pebbles of
  ceramic graphite, impregnated with thousands of
  tiny, coated particles of low-enriched uranium,
  fuel the PBMR.
• Cooling mechanism - a PBMR site would not require
  large water supplies, because it uses helium (not
  water) to cool the reactor.
• Electricity output/Plant Size - The main PBMR
  building of an eight module (1320MWe) plant fit
  into two soccer fields (113m x 103m), allowing
  for a phase-in of new units as electricity demand
  grows.
• Construction process - The PBMR concept consists
  of pre-fabricated modules assembled at the plant
  site in just two years.
• Waste Management - Safe storage is ensured since
  the encapsulating graphic spheres provide
  corrosion protection and prevents environmental
  contamination by the release of fission products.
  products isolated from one another.
• Safety Features - The PBMR technology has a
  simple basis which requires no human
  intervention.

• A modular high-temperature gas reactor that uses
  helium as its coolant.
• PBMR design consists of eight reactor modules,
  165 MWe per module, with capacity to store 10
  years of spent fuel in the plant).
• The PBMR core is based on German high-temperature
  gas-cooled reactor technology and uses spherical
  graphite elements containing ceramic-coated fuel
  particles.

The fuel consists of low-enriched uranium
particles, measuring about 0.5 mm in diameter,
contained in four coated layers of protective
graphite sphere.
Fun figures - One pebble contains 9g of Uranium,
with an enrichment level of 9.6, burnt to 92
000MWdays/ton of heavy metal 71.5GJ. Converted
into electricity it is about 8MWh per pebble.
The converted electrical energy in one pebble is
(8MWh) Enough to power 132 500 light bulbs
(60W) for 1 hour or Enough to power one 60W light
bulb for 30 years, 3 months, burning 12
hours/day.
http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact
-sheets/new-nuc-plant-des-bg.html
57
VI. Regulatory Activity in Other States

• States that prohibition on construction of new
  nuclear power plants
• -Minnesota
• States that require waste disposal by federal
  government
• -California - Kentucky -Connecticut -
  Illinois
• States that require waste disposal is operational
  and is accepting waste products
• -Maine -Oregon -West Virginia
• -Massachusetts -Wisconsin
• States that require that costs of any nuclear
  proposal be economically feasible or advantages
  to ratepayers
• -Wisconsin - West Virginia

58
VI. Regulatory Activityin Other States
(continued)

• States that require legislative ratification to
  license a nuclear power plant
• -California -Illinois -Rhode Island -Vermont
• States with specific cost provisions regarding
  financing of nuclear power plants
• -New York -Kansas -Rhode Island -Connecticut
  
• States that require voter ratification
• -Maine - Oregon
• -Montana - Massachusetts
• States that are re-visiting nuclear legislation
• -Minnesota -Wisconsin -Kentucky

59
VII. Electricity Production Subsidies
http//www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/subsidy2/pd
f/chap5.pdf
60
Summary Observations

• New nuclear plants will likely begin construction
  in a few years, in the Southeast US and around
  the world. If the first wave is successful
  (cost schedule), the potential is there for
  development in other states.
• Acceptance in Minnesota depends on addressing
  nuclear power production limitation of cost,
  safety, waste disposal.
• If prohibition is lifted and nuclear power is an
  option, construction continues to depend on the
  relative cost of nuclear power and how it fits
  into Minnesotas and the regions energy plans.
• Nuclear is and can continue to be a critical part
  of our nations energy mix with safe, reliable
  and low cost energy.