SONE Newsletter 298 – June 2024

Posted by Wade Allison on 18 June 2024 in Newsletters

Tagged with: Calder Hall, Green Party, Norway, Poland, SMR, Uranium, Vattenfall, Volcanoes.

This month

Elections and nuclear energy

Nuclear energy does not seem to be so controversial anymore. In the USA the Democrats and Republicans may not trust one another but are equal in their support of nuclear power according to the latest polls. www.bisconti.com/blog/record-high-support-2024

In the UK the subject does not seem to be contested much either, even though the enthusiasm for renewables continues, flawed but unabated. But wait! Look at the Green Party Manifesto on Nuclear Power! As Peter Havercan remarks “it is pure bunkum”:
greenparty.org.uk/about/our-manifesto/powering-up-fairer-greener-energy/
We were about to compose a rebuttal, but the @Greens4Nuclear has already done an excellent job: threadreaderapp.com/thread/1800977244573057240.html

Further evidence that the nuclear renaissance is well on the way comes from the uranium market. The US is concerned to secure future fuel supplies without Russia. WNN reports that US utilities purchased 27% more uranium in 2023 than 2022.
www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-uranium-purchases-show-year-on-year-increase-EI This was sourced largely from Kazakhstan, Canada and Australia – material originating in the US accounted for only 5%, the same percentage as 2022, although this should increase in due course. On the environmental side new sources are being developed using leaching methods. On the political side friendly relations with Kazakhstan continue to be of importance.

Climate change in reverse

Paul Spare has written an article with an important message now posted on the Web: sone.org.uk/solar-power-volcanic-risk/. It is well established that volcanic activity can reverse global warming for a number of years and this could happen again at any time. Paul invites us to consider the resilience of our energy supply infrastructure. The Earth will always survive the effects of greenhouse gases and volcanic activity, but many of us may not. The choices that we make now are likely to be crucial to our descendants at some unpredictable point.

UK SMR interests

WNN reports that a fortnight’s extension has been given for the submission of documentation by the six contenders in the UK’s small modular reactor selection process, thanks to the election. www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/UK-SMR-contest-deadline-pushed-back-beyond-electio Perhaps the country would have been better off without an election and yet another reason to delay selecting an SMR!

Holtec Britain has reportedly shortlisted four potential locations for its £1.3 billion factory for the manufacture of the modules that makes up its SMR-300s in England to enable fleets to be constructed in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Earlier this year, local authorities and businesses were invited to submit expressions of interest to host this factory. The four entrants that have made it to the final stage are South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, West Midlands Combined Authority, Tees Valley Combined Authority and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership. A final decision on the winning location will be made later this year. (WNN 30/5)

Then in Sweden Vattenfall has shortlisted Rolls-Royce SMR and GE Hitachi as potential suppliers of SMRs for its Ringhals site. Meanwhile, the Swedish nuclear regulator has proposed making possible the early evaluation of new reactor technology to make the permitting process more efficient and predictable.
world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Vattenfall-narrows-search-for-SMR-supplier

BWXT Canada Ltd is the first company to join GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s group of qualified supply chain companies to advance the global deployment of the BWRX-300 SMR.

The reactor, which leverages existing nuclear fuel and the design and licensing basis of the ESBWR boiling water reactor, is undergoing the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation’s Generic Design Acceptance process, for which it has received £33.6 million of support under the UK government’s Future Nuclear Enabling Fund. The Polish government has also announced decisions-in-principle supporting the construction of 24 BWRX-300 units at six sites.

(Editorial note: Sometimes BW stands for Boiling Water, as in BWR. Sometimes it stands for Babcock and Wilcox, as in BWXT. Confusing! I hope that I have got it right!)

New Nuclear in Maritime – London Summit 13 June

This, the third meeting in London organised by Corepower, was attended by 250 ship owners, regulators, insurers and other interested parties from around the world – double the number last year and four times as many as attended the first occasion two years ago in the Science Museum when I fell off the stage – those present remembered that, at least! My panel contribution this year was less dramatic, explaining why no one was hurt by radiation at Fukushima and that nuclear propelled ships should be safer than conventional ones today, and finally that education is critical at all levels from crew to public. A short summary of my message is posted on the SONE website: sone.org.uk/fear-of-nuclear-energy-new-nuclear-for-maritime/.

There was strong agreement at the meeting that nuclear propulsion is coming and that it is the only realistic way to achieve net zero in the sector. We heard how, shielded from short-term national political considerations, it is being actively considered by international insurers and regulators around the globe. A podcast has been posted by Lloyds List
www.lloydslist.com/LL1149538/The-Lloyds-List-Podcast-Has-shippings-nuclear-option-reached-critical-mass

Breakthrough?

I dislike the many superficial descriptions that get trotted out to make a technical development sound more impressive. Through over-usage these lose their intended impact. A truth inherent in Information Theory has a simple lesson for everybody, inside and outside science: “The value of information conveyed depends on the rarity or unexpected nature of what is said.” For example, if everything is “cutting edge”, it means little. However, the media are not discouraged, it seems. They continue to report all scientists as “struggling” or “racing” and any release as “spewing”. It is disappointing that they cannot find an editor with a little more innate literacy or appreciation of the value of information.

A particularly egregious case is the description “breakthrough”. A real breakthrough in pure science comes less than once a decade, slightly more often in a technology. An outrageous instance appears in this description of a new “nuclear” battery
world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-company-claims-nuclear-battery-breakthrough
Its radioactivity provides milliwatts of power. Major advances in batteries are required to deliver kilowatts, megawatts, and more. This “breakthrough” is only of interest in niche applications in space and medical implants. It is a factor of a million, even a billion, away from being a breakthrough for any general application. The description is deceptive and an abuse of language, in my view.

Norway’s nuclear plans

Blessed with copious hydropower and the best access to oil and gas in Europe you might not expect that Norway would be planning early investments in nuclear. But you would be wrong! The ministry said the government is setting up a public inquiry committee which will carry out a broad review and assessment of various aspects of a possible future establishment of nuclear power in Norway. News of two such proposals using SMRs have been posted – not far from Trondheim and in Finnmark in the extreme northeast.

In addition, they are considering constructing off-grid SMRs in industrial areas where both reliable power and access to heat are needed. When hydropower was developed in Norway, industry was established where the hydropower plants were. However, with SMRs power production can now take place where the industry is located. Because nuclear power, like hydropower, lasts for up to 100 years it gives the opportunity to re-create what hydropower has done for Norway. After the power plants have been paid off, they supply cheap electricity for a further 70-80 years. Estimates of future demand in Norway varies from 50 TWh to 233 TWh. However, the company says the introduction of artificial intelligence will invalidate existing forecasts as the need for data processing and data storage continues to grow.

Poland approves Rolls-Royce SMRs

Polish industrial group Industria’s plan to construct a power plant based on Rolls-Royce’s small modular reactor (SMR) has been approved by the Ministry of Climate and Environment.
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Polish-ministry-approves-plans-for-Rolls-Royce-SMR But wait! Poland has plans with GE Hitachi, Westinghouse and NuScale, too. It is a big market, currently largely dependent on coal. In the end there will be room for several winners, no doubt.

Interconnectors fail to make friends

Sweden will not pursue a planned direct current submarine cable to Germany. As for Norway before it, the appetite of the German electricity market with its Energiewende is cited as the reason. Stockholm fears that it would drive unwelcome higher domestic electricity prices. This is another blow to German energy policy, which relies on electricity being supplied by other countries. Sweden’s own interests are clearly at odds with this.

History Corner

As New Nuclear marches bravely into the future – it had better – we should record some of the great achievements of Old Nuclear, including developments that were killed off prematurely by uncomprehending political decision makers. Contributions from members of SONE will be solicited!

Calder Hall Booklet 1961

Calder Hall was the world’s first full-scale nuclear power station, put into operation in the UK on October 16th, 1956. This booklet explains the construction, operation, and significance of the reactor. It was natural uranium metal fueled, CO₂-cooled, graphite-moderated, and used Magnox magnesium alloy cladding tubes.
https://t.co/C0RqEFZr3z

Wade Allison
18 June 2024