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Author Topic: is nuclear energy a earth science  (Read 2523 times)

sky otter

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is nuclear energy a earth science
« on: August 04, 2014, 02:35:51 pm »


just info on how is it everywhere.. found this after hearing about Westinghouse's  latest projects and progress
I didn't know Westinghouse (local beginnings) was  Westinghouse, part of Japan's Toshiba group....but it figures
 (articles  posted below)



http://www.nei.org/News-Media/News/Contracts
Contracts
Duke Energy Will Buy Municipal Power Agency’s Shares
July 31, 2014—Duke Energy has agreed to pay the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency $1.2 billion for its shares in three nuclear energy facilities and two coal-fired plants operated by Duke.

The power agency owns a 172-megawatt stake in Brunswick 1, a 169-MW share of Brunswick 2 and a 146-megawatt stake in Harris 1.

The agreement will see Duke Energy provide the power agency with supplemental power through 2031. Approvals from several regulatory agencies, including the NRC, must be completed by 2016, under the terms of the agreement.

Chinese Companies Sign Agreements for New Reactors in Romania, Argentina
July 31, 2014—Two Chinese nuclear utilities have signed agreements to cooperate on new CANDU reactors in Romania and Argentina.

China Nuclear Power Engineering Co. signed a cooperation agreement with Candu Energy Inc. for the construction of two new reactors at Romania’s Cernavoda nuclear energy facility. The Cernavoda site houses two operational CANDU 6 pressurized heavy water reactors.

The agreement follows a letter of intent signed by China General Nuclear—CNPEC’s parent company—with Romanian national nuclear company Nuclearelectrica last year for investment and development at Cernavoda.

Also last week China and Argentina agreed to cooperate on construction of a new reactor at Argentina’s Atucha site. Nucleoelectrica Argentina, which holds rights to CANDU technology, will be designer, architect-engineer, builder and operator of the new reactor, while China National Nuclear Corp. will provide goods and services under long-term financing.

Thales to Provide Control System Support to UK Plants
July 31, 2014—Thales Group has won a 10-year, $51 million contract to provide long-term support for computerized control systems at seven of EDF Energy’s nuclear energy facilities in the United Kingdom.

Under the contract, the company will deliver specialist software, database and system support to the plants, all of which share system similarities.

Russia, China Will Cooperate on Floating Reactors
July 31, 2014—Russia’s Rusatom Overseas and China’s CNNC New Energy have signed an agreement to cooperate in the design and construction of floating nuclear energy facilities. The next step for the project is the establishment of a joint Russian-Chinese working group.

Russia currently has one floating plant under construction: the Akademik Lomonosov, which is expected to be completed in 2016. Floating plants, which can be either self-propelled or barge-mounted, can provide power to remote settlements and to large industrial facilities.

CB&I Wins $100 Million Nuclear Contract From Entergy
July 24, 2014—Entergy Operations Inc. has awarded CB&I more than $100 million in orders for “project and construction management services” at Entergy's nuclear energy facilities.

A CB&I statement July 17 said the services it will provide are related to implementing NRC-ordered post-Fukushima modifications and upgrades at Entergy’s plants, but did not name the facilities or provide further details. Entergy owns and operates 11 nuclear reactors in Arkansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New York and Vermont.

GE Hitachi, Iberdrola to Cooperate on Prism Reactor
July 24, 2014—GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Spanish utility Iberdrola have signed a memorandum of agreement for the joint development in the United Kingdom of GEH’s Power Reactor Inherently Safe Module (Prism) modular fast neutron reactor as “a credible long-term solution” to using the U.K.’s stored processed plutonium as fuel.

Prism is a 311-megawatt, sodium-cooled Generation IV reactor design that uses uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel. GEH estimates that Prism could recycle the U.K.’s entire 112-metric ton plutonium stockpile in 25 years.

GEH is envisioning a two-reactor facility with a single turbine, possibly located at Sellafield where most of the plutonium is stored, producing a total of 622 megawatts of electricity. The plant also would incorporate an advanced recycling center using an electrometallurgical separation process to extract uranium, plutonium and all other transuranic elements from used fuel elements. The center also would prepare the recycle residual waste for deep geological disposal.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority—which is in charge of waste management—concluded last year that “the reuse of plutonium as mixed oxide fuel is the best available option to manage the UK’s plutonium.” The NDA, GEH and Iberdrola—which owns the U.K. utility Scottish Power—will analyze the options for Prism over the next 1-2 years.

South Africa Allocates $81 Million for Nuclear R&D
July 24, 2014—South Africa has allocated $81 million to nuclear research and development, Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson announced July 21. The funding—which makes up more than 10 percent of the energy ministry’s budget—will focus on safety as well as hazardous materials handling regulations and the development of nuclear policy and legislation.

The allocation could also support new nuclear build by improving the country’s regulatory regime, Deputy Energy Minister Thembisile Majola said. The National Nuclear Regulator is discussing the establishment of a center of expertise that would create a workforce pipeline and foster collaboration among local and international partners.

South Africa currently operates one nuclear energy facility, the 1,830-megawatt Koeberg plant, but the country’s Integrated Electricity Resource Plan calls for the addition of 9,600 megawatts of nuclear capacity by 2030. An updated plan, which came into effect in 2011, is expected by the end of the year.

CB&I, CNNC to Collaborate on Chinese Nuclear Development
July 17, 2014—Texas-based CB&I has signed a memorandum of understanding with China National Nuclear Corp. to collaborate on several areas of nuclear development in China including operation and maintenance support for CNNC’s operating reactors; engineering, procurement and construction management for CNNC’s AP1000 reactors; international market development; and training programs and personnel exchanges between the United States and China.

CB&I now has cooperative agreements with two of China’s three companies
authorized to own and operate nuclear energy facilities. The company agreed in 2013 to form a joint venture with China Power Investment Corp. to construct reactors in China.

Russia, Argentina Sign Nuclear Cooperation Agreement
July 17, 2014—Russia and Argentina have signed an intergovernmental agreement this week on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which may lead to the construction of two nuclear power reactors in Argentina. The contract was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Argentina.

The document expands on an earlier agreement, to include design, construction,
operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants and research reactors as well as the support of the nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management and isotope production.

Rosatom, the Russian state atomic energy corporation, also submitted a technical
and commercial proposal for the construction of additional reactors in Argentina.
Argentina has also been in talks with reactor vendors from Russia, France, Japan, South Korea, China and the U.S.

Argentina currently has two nuclear power reactors in operation—Atucha 1 and
Embalse. Atucha 2 was synchronized with the nation’s electricity grid earlier this
month and is likely to be operating at 100 percent power by November. The existing two reactors generate almost 10 percent of the country’s electricity.

Russia to Build Used Fuel Facility in Brazil
July 17, 2014—Rusatom Overseas has signed an agreement with Brazil-based industrial conglomerate Camargo Correa to cooperate on the construction of a used fuel storage facility in Brazil, according to an announcement by the Russian Nuclear Community website. The agreement is supposed to increase cooperation in building new nuclear reactors in Brazil, particularly at the existing Angra site.

Ukraine and Russia Sign Agreement on Zero Fuel Failures
July 17, 2014—Ukraine state nuclear corporation Energoatom has signed a new memorandum with Russian nuclear fuel company TVEL to achieve a zero failure rate of the nuclear fuel supplied to Ukraine’s reactors. Also participating in the project are the Kozloduy nuclear power station in Bulgaria and Czech utility CEZ, which operates the Dukovany and Temelín nuclear stations.

Energoatom said the international project is focused on analyzing the processes
surrounding nuclear fuel and discovering ways to “identify and remove reasons for
failure of nuclear fuel for VVER-1000 reactors.”

TVEL, a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, is responsible for
the supply of fuel to 76 reactors in 14 countries, including Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. The company has about a 17 percent share of the global nuclear fuel market.

In response to recent Ukrainian media reports about nuclear fuel, TVEL issued a
statement saying, “TVEL has never failed to make timely fuel deliveries, and has always performed its contractual obligations in full. Our Ukrainian partner has made no official claims against the quality of the Russian nuclear fuel.”

AREVA to Dismantle Swedish Reactors
July 17, 2014—AREVA has been awarded a contract by SVAFO, a company owned by four Swedish nuclear reactor operators, to dismantle the one-megawatt R2-0 and 50-megawatt R2 research reactors near Nyköping, Sweden.

The reactors, used for training, nuclear research, materials testing, isotope
production and neutron therapy, ended operations in 2005 after 45 years of service.

The contract also stipulates that AREVA will measure the radiation level of the
components and package them in storage casks.

Work is expected to begin next year on the dismantling project, the first in Sweden
since the 1980s.

Italy’s Enel Sells Stake in Slovak Plants
July 17, 2014—Italy’s Enel is set to sell its 66 percent controlling stake in Slovakia’s four nuclear reactors as part of an $8.2 billion asset sale program announced last year.

Enel will also sell its majority stakes in several Romanian electric distribution
companies.

CGN Signs Agreement for New Nuclear in Guizhou Province
July 17, 2014—Western China's Guizhou province and China General Nuclear Power (CGN) have signed an agreement to invest more than $6 billion in the construction of two nuclear power plants.

Guizhou province has signed 14 investment cooperation agreements with CGN and
other state-owned companies in an effort to develop clean energy, including nuclear, natural gas and wind power, the statement said.

Westinghouse to Buy Italian AP1000 Component Supplier
July 10, 2014—Westinghouse is to buy Italian heavy equipment manufacturer Mangiarotti, which it said will strengthen its supply chain for AP1000 reactors. The deal is expected to close in about a month—the value of the acquisition has not been disclosed.

Mangiarotti’s three Italian facilities manufacture various safety-related components, including AP1000 pressurizers, tanks and heat exchangers for the Vogtle and Summer projects in the United States. The company also supplies AREVA, GE, Siemens and Sogin as well as components for nuclear power plants in Brazil and Sweden.

Westinghouse called Mangiarotti “an important and long-term supplier” and said its purchase will result in a “significant injection of liquidity” into the company.

Amec Nuclear UK to Support Polish New Build Project
July 10, 2014—Amec Nuclear UK has won a $430 million contract to serve as technical adviser to PGE EJ1, a subsidiary of Polska Grupa Energetycnza that will build Poland's first nuclear power plant.

Amec will support PGE EJ1 in “meeting the requirements” of the yet-to-be-selected reactor vendor, an engineering, procurement and construction contractor and other key service providers. The scope of the work covers 13 areas of cooperation, from licensing to start-up and testing. Australian company Worley Parsons was selected last year to carry out site characterization.

Among the reactor designs being considered are AREVA’s EPR, GE Hitachi’s ABWR and ESBWR, and Westinghouse’s AP1000. The Polish government’s reactor technology selection is expected by 2016, with the first reactor to start up by 2024 and the second by 2030. Third and fourth reactors could begin operations by 2035.

Russian, Iranian Nuclear Regulators to Continue Ties
July 10, 2014—Russian regulator Rostechnadzor has agreed to continue and expand its consulting services to the Iranian Nuclear Regulatory Authority in the operation of the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Bushehr, a VVER-1000 reactor, began commercial operations last September. An agreement to build additional reactors was signed in April, with a contract expected later this year.

In April, the Russian government gave Rostechnadzor the authority to provide consultancy support and train regulatory staff in countries that have Russian-designed nuclear power plants.

Alstom’s Board Backs GE Offer rest at link






.......................................





http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Westinghouse-moves-forward-with-Kozloduy-7-01081401.html

Westinghouse moves forward with Kozloduy 7
01 August 2014

Westinghouse plans to hold a competitive tender "within the next year" for construction of a seventh reactor at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria. The AP1000 reactor is projected to be online by 2023.

The site is already home to two operating Russian-designed VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors, Kozloduy 5 and 6, as well as four shut-down VVER-440s.

Westinghouse, part of Japan's Toshiba group, announced the target date following its signing today of a shareholder agreement for the Kozloduy nuclear power plant expansion project. A source close to the talks in Sofia told World Nuclear News the agreement decides the ownership of project company Kozloduy NPP - New Builds plc, of which Kozloduy NPP plc and Westinghouse will own, respectively, 70% and 30%.

The agreement followed consultations with all of Bulgaria's political parties, Westinghouse said in a statement. This and subsequent agreements for the project will be subject to future government oversight, it said. Bulgaria will have an interim government for two months, following the resignation of prime minister Plamen Oresharski's government last week and a snap election in October.

The agreement also formalizes the selection of an AP1000 design reactor by Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD (BEH EAD), Kozloduy NPP plc and Kozloduy NPP – New Build plc. These parties entered into exclusive talks with Westinghouse in December 2013, following a feasibility study conducted under a competitive tender. Westinghouse will provide all of the plant equipment, design, engineering and fuel for the new unit.

A tender for the plant's construction will follow European Union and Bulgarian public procurement rules, Westinghouse said. This process is expected to involve Bulgarian and global construction companies.

Bulgaria's council of ministers approved an economy and energy ministry report on the shareholder agreement on 30 July, BEH EAD said yesterday. The agreement – including the financing terms of an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project - will enter into force after approval by the next government, it said.



No guarantee
 

Today's agreement does not in itself mean that Kozloduy 7 will be built, however.

"Any future build will be dependent on future agreements such as an EPC.  It will also require mutual agreement on financing terms and conditions," Westinghouse spokesman Hans Korteweg told World Nuclear News.

"This agreement does not identify any specific assumptions on state support of any kind. It allows both Westinghouse and Kozloduy to engage international finance entities to determine best conditions for both parties.  If this is not realized, the project will not go forward," Korteweg said.

"This agreement in no way creates a binding decision to proceed – by either party. What it does do is to provide a basis for the project to go forward through a working partnership in reaching the next key agreements and obtaining attractive financing," he said.

Some commentators in Bulgaria have said discussion about the project had lacked transparency, but Korteweg said this assertion was false.

"The process is similar to those conducted in France and the UK, for instance, where a partner and a technology are selected from current viable alternatives," he said. "Specifically, there are only three PWR reactor designs certified in Europe – AP1000, EPR and MIR.1200. The Westinghouse AP1000 meets the criteria of diversified technology from existing reactors and 1200 MW maximum in size due to Bulgarian grid limitations," he said.

Prior to today's announcement, Kozloduy NPP and Westinghouse were bound by confidentiality common in all industries before release of the parameters of an agreement, he said.



Bulgarian owner
 

Although he would not confirm the share ownership of the project company, Korteweg said Westinghouse will not remain an equity investor once the reactor has been completed.

"We believe this is a national asset for Bulgaria and do not wish to dictate or otherwise influence the decision-making of its owners and operators. Bulgaria will have 100% of the revenue and profits of this plant," Korteweg said. "Westinghouse's stake in the project company during construction incentivizes Westinghouse to build a plant that meets international and Bulgarian safety standards, on schedule and within budget," he said.

Bulgaria has an oversupply of electricity, but supply will fall in the mid-2020s with changes in the country's energy mix, including fossil fuel plant closures due to CO2 emission reduction requirements and relative competitiveness of renewable energy, he said.

Additional nuclear power capacity during this timeframe "can certainly be utilized domestically and in export growth," he said. Kozloduy 7 also represents the "smooth and eventual" replacement of units 5 and 6 in the next 20-30 years, especially after units 1-4 were shut down as part of Bulgaria's accession to the EU in 2007, he said.

Asked if there will be a guaranteed power price for the reactor once it comes online, Korteweg said today's agreement does not mention this.

"While many EU countries will be utilizing this tool, such as the UK, this is the decision of the Bulgarian government and its energy regulator to decide. The most important point is that the project produces power at the most competitive price compared to alternatives. This is something we are confident will be achieved," he said.

Korteweg would not comment on the cost to build Kozloduy 7, but said Westinghouse has "offered a commercially attractive price to Bulgaria to provide diverse energy security without greenhouse gas generation."

The company has "full confidence" that the conditions of this and future agreements for the project will meet EU rules, he said.

Energy diversification


Korteweg referred to the European Commission's publication in May of a Communication outlining its recommendations for the establishment of a European Energy Security Strategy.

"Central to that strategy is the urgent need for the EU to increase its indigenous energy production, reduce its dependence upon external suppliers, and encourage diversity in the energy mix in order to meet its energy needs," he said.

A European Council decision in late June to diversify energy supplies from Russia is also consistent with the Kozloduy 7 project, he said, as currently Russian companies have a monopoly supply of fuel to the plant.

"Westinghouse is not an integrated vendor and must therefore contract with local suppliers," Korteweg said. "A significant amount of the project will be done in Bulgaria and is expected to significantly boost local, regional and national Bulgarian economies. Bulgarian companies are currently heavily involved with other contracts that Westinghouse has with units 5 and 6," he said.

At the height of construction of the new unit, close to 3500 local workers will be employed on site, with an additional 15,000 workers involved in the associated supply chain, he said. Regional unemployment around the construction site could be reduced to 9% from the current rate of 13%, he said. Once the reactor is completed, its operation will require between 500 and 800 highly-skilled specialists, he said.

Westinghouse is also prepared to integrate Bulgarian companies into other ongoing and prospective projects, such as in the UK, he said.

Westinghouse recently announced an agreement to supply three Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactors to the NuGeneration Limited's Moorside project in West Cumbria, England, in partnership with Toshiba and GDF Suez.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News








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http://us.vocuspr.com/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=Westinghouse&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ=64212&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=
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Westinghouse :: Press Releases :: Press Release 
 
Westinghouse Wins Major Contract to Supply Nuclear Fuel to EdF
Westinghouse Wins Major Contract to Supply Nuclear Fuel to EdF
PRNewswire
PITTSBURGH

Westinghouse Electric Company has been awarded a contract to provide nuclear fuel to Electricite de France (EdF) for use in their nuclear power stations located throughout France. As a major customer, EdF will have access to a full range of nuclear technology available from Westinghouse.

The contract will give Westinghouse the opportunity to provide up to 20 percent of EdF's total nuclear fuel requirements over several years and is part of EdF's program to fulfill European Commission directives regarding international competition within the French nuclear market.

Westinghouse, through the European Fuel Group, will manufacture the fuel assemblies at its existing facility in Vasteras, Sweden and at the ENUSA plant in Juzbado, Spain. Most components will be manufactured at the Westinghouse fuel fabrication facility in Columbia, S.C., with others originating from the Westinghouse specialty metals plant in Blairsville, Pa., and from the ENUSA plant in Juzbado.

The Westinghouse Springfields facility near Preston, U.K. will provide conversion services. The associated field and operation services will be offered via existing BNFL-Westinghouse French infrastructures.

Steve Tritch, Westinghouse President and CEO, said: "This contract is significant for Westinghouse and the nuclear power industry. EdF is the largest and certainly one of the most respected nuclear generators in the world. We are delighted to be working with them on this program.

"Nuclear power is fast becoming one of the world's most global and competitive industries. Our entry into the French nuclear fuel market strengthens the industry as it will drive every supplier, including Westinghouse, to continually improve quality and efficiency which will in turn make nuclear power even more competitive across the world."

Mike Saunders, Westinghouse Senior Vice President of Fuel, said: "We are committed to assisting in further improving the competitiveness of nuclear generation. The establishment of this long-term arrangement to deliver advanced fuel products is a further step towards this goal."

The European Fuel Group is an alliance between Westinghouse and ENUSA.

Westinghouse Electric Company, wholly owned by BNFL plc of the United Kingdom, is the world's pioneering nuclear power Company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world. Today, approximately one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants are based on Westinghouse technology.

Make Your Opinion Count - Click Here
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SOURCE: Westinghouse Electric Company

CONTACT: Vaughn Gilbert of Westinghouse, +1-412-374-3896, or Email,
gilberhv@westinghouse.com

Web site: http://www.westinghouse.com/

Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/gh/cnoc/comp/127481.html



 
 

 


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