Assessment of the Impact of Restricted Transport on the Management of Spent Fuel in North-West Russia

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorimer Fellingham ◽  
Philippe Michou ◽  
Bruno Alquier
Keyword(s):  
Kola Peninsula ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
North West ◽  
Buffer Storage ◽  
The North ◽  
Interim Storage ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Storage Facilities

The Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions of north-west Russia produce large amounts of spent nuclear fuel. These arise from the Kola Nuclear Power Plant, nuclear propulsion units in icebreaker and container ships of the Murmansk Shipping Company, but mostly from the submarines of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet. Many marine vessels have been withdrawn from service, but retain their final fuel charges. There are more than 300 reactors and 57500 spent fuel assemblies. Some fuel has been sent to the RT-1 reprocessing plant at the Mayak. However, most marine fuel remains stored in old temporary and effectively full surface or floating facilities around the Kola Peninsula. Damaged, experimental and liquid metal reactor fuel cannot be reprocessed. This creates special problems for handling, transportation and final disposal. It is against this background that the study reported was undertaken. It was part of the European Commission’s TACIS programme and was aimed at improving the safety of radioactive waste management in north-west Russia. Its prime objectives were to identify the factors restricting spent fuel transport from the region to Mayak and potentially suitable storage and reprocessing facilities. Options were to be developed and costed for restoring effective transportation. Their implementation was to lead to safe interim storage of a limited amount of spent fuel in the north-west of Russia. The north-west region is a large, remote area with a harsh terrain and climate. Fuel is stored in two main areas: the Kola Peninsula and the Arkhangelsk region, which are approximately 1,000 km apart. There is a limited transport infrastructure, but the marine facilities have sea access. Hence fuel movement is predominantly by sea to railheads and then rail to Mayak. Road transport is limited, but important for local linking. Routine transportation of spent fuel to Mayak has been restricted by several factors. These include technical, financial and organisational issues. However, the main ones are a lack of available transportation means in both capability and capacity, problems created by the poor state of some fuel, the inadequate safety of the current storage facilities and inadequate interim and buffer storage capacity. Three main types of shipment option were identified: A) regular shipments with storage at existing sites; B) shipments immediately upon arising; and C) regular shipments to Mayak with optimised construction of additional storage capacity in line with demand. Each option was judged on whether it could provide real improvements in radiological and nuclear safety and/or aid the rapid and cost effective defuelling of inadequate existing storage facilities. An optimisation study was performed considering different defuelling, shipping and rail movement rates, and interim and buffer storage capacities, utilisation and locations. The conclusion was that two options could provide similar good solutions. These were: i) Option A.2/C.2 — regular shipment with interim storage of spent fuel at three key node locations: Kola, Murmansk and Severodvinsk; ii) Option B — immediate shipment upon arising. The final choice depends on the capacity of the Mayak plant to receive and reprocess the fuel and the public acceptability of constructing large new, spent fuel stores in north-west Russia. Given the major uncertainties over Mayak’s capacity to store and reprocess submarine fuel, options A.2/C.2 may be optimum.

scholarly journals The impact of transport infrastructure projects on sustainable development within a major logistics gateway in North West England

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Paraskevadakis ◽  
Alan Bury ◽  
Jin Wang ◽  
Jun Ren ◽  
Stephen Bonsall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In the North West of England the issue of a perceived infrastructure gap is of increasing concern. Investment needs to be made to improve the transport infrastructure of the region if it is to be expected to promote the development of its own regional logistics gateway. Funding tools have been set up to address the challenges arising from the imbalance in infrastructure development that exists between regions in the north of the United Kingdom and those in the south. For regions with well developed economies the outlook is promising as the availability of modern transport infrastructure looks set to improve. However, some sources believe that the development of new transport infrastructure will have a negative impact upon sustainable development. It is expected that this will occur in a range of both direct and indirect ways. As a result, it is critical that planning for the creation of new intermodal transport infrastructure, or the upgrading of that which already exists, takes into account the impact that these developments will have on the sustainable development of the host region. A scenario based development methodology is proposed in this paper. It was developed to provide a way to identify potential scenarios that may arise within a given region as a result of transport infrastructure projects. To create significant scenarios the methodology is dependent on the availability of a sufficient quantity of quality data. For this paper that data was collected through a focus group composed of stakeholders from the region in question. This was further supported by the performance of an impact survey using the same group of stakeholders.

scholarly journals Effect of tropical cyclones on the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange observed using satellite observations over north Indian Ocean

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Venkat Ratnam ◽  
S. Ravindra Babu ◽  
S. S. Das ◽  
Ghouse Basha ◽  
B. V. Krishnamurthy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
North Indian Ocean ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Tropical cyclones play an important role in modifying the tropopause structure and dynamics as well as stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) process in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) region. In the present study, the impact of cyclones that occurred over the North Indian Ocean during 2007–2013 on the STE process is quantified using satellite observations. Tropopause characteristics during cyclones are obtained from the Global Positioning System (GPS) Radio Occultation (RO) measurements and ozone and water vapor concentrations in UTLS region are obtained from Aura-Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite observations. The effect of cyclones on the tropopause parameters is observed to be more prominent within 500 km from the centre of cyclone. In our earlier study we have observed decrease (increase) in the tropopause altitude (temperature) up to 0.6 km (3 K) and the convective outflow level increased up to 2 km. This change leads to a total increase in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) thickness of 3 km within the 500 km from the centre of cyclone. Interestingly, an enhancement in the ozone mixing ratio in the upper troposphere is clearly noticed within 500 km from cyclone centre whereas the enhancement in the water vapor in the lower stratosphere is more significant on south-east side extending from 500–1000 km away from the cyclone centre. We estimated the cross-tropopause mass flux for different intensities of cyclones and found that the mean flux from stratosphere to troposphere for cyclonic stroms is 0.05 ± 0.29 × 10−3 kg m−2 and for very severe cyclonic stroms it is 0.5 ± 1.07 × 10−3 kg m−2. More downward flux is noticed in the north-west and south-west side of the cyclone centre. These results indicate that the cyclones have significant impact in effecting the tropopause structure, ozone and water vapour budget and consequentially the STE in the UTLS region.

scholarly journals Emergency analysis in the 35 kV network of the northern part of the Kola Peninsula.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7-2020) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Galina P. Fastiy ◽  
◽  
Vera V. Yaroshevich ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Kola Peninsula ◽  
Power Lines ◽  
Joint Stock Company ◽  
Stock Company ◽  
Electric Networks ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Overhead Power Lines

The analysis of technological violations in the 35 kV network in one of the Kolenergo subdivisions of Public joint-stock company “IDGC of the North-West”, namely the Northern Electric Networks, was performed. The violations were systematized. The analysisconcluded that the greatest number of violations occurs on overhead power lines.

scholarly journals 'Greenfields' and 'Brownfields': automotive industrial development in the UK and in Portugal

Finisterra ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (62) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Pike ◽  
Mário Vale
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Policy ◽  
Automobile Industry ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
North West ◽  
Demonstration Effect ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

The industrial policy in the UK and in Portugal, as in most EU countries, seeks to attract new investment capacity, to create jobs and to promote the impact of the so-called "demonstration efect" of "greenfield" development strategies pursued in the new plants of inward investors on existing or "brownfield" plants. This industrial policy focus is particularly evident in the automobile industry.This paper compares the industrial policy oriented towards the automobile industry in the UK and in Portugal. Two recent "greenfield" investments are analised: Nissan in the North-East region (UK) and Ford/VW in the Setúbal Peninsula (Portugal), as well as three "brownfield" plants: Ford Halewood and GM Vauxhall Ellesmere Port in the North-West region (UK) and Renault in Setúbal (Portugal). The first part starts with a discussion of industrial policy in the automobile sector, the role of "greenfield" development strategies and the "demonstration effect" on "brownfield" plants. Then, the limits of new inward investment are pointed out, basically their problems and restrictions. Afterwards, the structural barriers to the "demonstration effect" within "brownfield" plants are outlined and some possabilities for alternative "brownfield" development strategies are presented.

Pashtun and Punjabi Taliban

Pakistan ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 131-144
Author(s):  
Mariam Abou Zahab
Keyword(s):  
North West ◽  
Competition And Cooperation ◽  
Sectarian Violence ◽  
The North ◽  
North West Frontier Province ◽  
Tribal Areas ◽  
The Impact

This chapter attempts to analyse the dynamics of the Pashtun–Punjabi nexus and the areas of competition and cooperation between Sunni sectarian groups and the Pakistani Taliban. It outlines the links between Sunni sectarian groups and the Afghan Taliban, the impact of the collapse of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the implications of the relocation of Punjabi jihadi/sectarian groups in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It also focuses on the consequences of the storming of Islamabad's Lal Masjid in July 2007, and it investigates the re-emergence of sectarian groups in Karachi and in the Punjab and its implications for Pakistan. The Punjab and Karachi have been the primary hubs of sectarian violence in Pakistan since the 1980s, but in the post-9/11 environment the Sunni-Shia conflict has assumed a new dimension.

scholarly journals Impacts of some meteorological parameters on the SO2 concentrations in the city of Obrenovac, Serbia

2010 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 703-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Snezana Nenadovic ◽  
Ljiljana Matovic ◽  
Misko Milanovic ◽  
Sava Janicevic ◽  
Jasmina Grbovic-Novakovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sulfur Dioxide ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Meteorological Parameters ◽  
North West ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The North ◽  
West Part ◽  
Measuring Site ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

In this paper, the impacts of some meteorological parameters on the SO2 concentrations in the City of Obrenovac are presented. The City of Obrenovac is located in the north-west part of Serbia on the banks of the River Sava. The observed source emission, the power plants TENT A and TENT B are situated on the bank of the Sava River in the vicinity of Obrenovac. During the period from January to November 2006, the concentrations of sulfur dioxide in the air at 4 monitoring sites in Obrenovac were measured. It was noticed that the maximal measured daily concentrations of sulfur dioxide ranged from 1 ?g/m3 (16th November, 2006) to 98 ?g/m3 (29th January 2006) and lie under the maximal allowed concentration value according to the Serbian Law on Environmental Protection. The measured sulfur dioxide concentrations mostly showed characteristics usual for a daily acidification sulfur dioxide cycle, excluding the specificities influenced by the measuring site itself. Sulfur dioxide transport was recorded at increased wind speeds, primarily from the southeast direction. Based on the impact of meteorological parameters on the sulfur dioxide concentration, a validation of the monitoring sites was also performed from the aspect of their representivity.

Estimation of uncertainties in fault lateral positioning on 3D PSDM seismic image: an example from the North West Shelf

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 556
Author(s):  
Sergey Birdus ◽  
Vincent Ganivet ◽  
Alexey Artemov ◽  
Ray Teakle ◽  
Paul Phythian
Keyword(s):  
Practical Interest ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Lateral Position ◽  
Second Step ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Seismic Image ◽  
Estimation Of Uncertainties ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Lateral Positioning

This extended abstract presents a two-step sequence to estimate uncertainties in lateral positioning of fault planes on 3D PSDM (pre-stack depth migration) seismic images. This analysis can be applied to any localised detail on a seismic image but, in the majority of geological settings, it is most important for the faults. The first step provides an approximate evaluation of what causes the uncertainties, how the uncertainties are distributed in a 3D space, and what to expect within target zones. The authors assume that every complex detail within a 3D PSDM velocity model causes some uncertainties to the seismic image below. Thus, the uncertainties at a target level depend on the complexity of the overburden and the seismic acquisition parameters. At this step a qualitative 3D volume of lateral fault position uncertainties is created. In the second step the authors focus on a single fault of practical interest. Based on the results of the first step, the authors modify the existing 3D PSDM anisotropic velocity model by introducing additional anomalies that cause maximal changes to the lateral position of the fault on seismic image. Then the authors iteratively re-migrate a small sub-volume around the fault and check the PSDM images and residual moveout. The objective is to find out how far the velocity variations can move the image of the fault and still satisfy available seismic data. The second step gives more reliable quantitative estimations of the impact of velocity on fault positioning. A real multi-azimuth 3D seismic dataset from the North West Shelf is used to illustrate this sequence.

scholarly journals The impact of sea-level rise on tidal characteristics around Australia

Ocean Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Harker ◽  
J. A. Mattias Green ◽  
Michael Schindelegger ◽  
Sophie-Berenice Wilmes
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Open Boundary ◽  
Open Boundary Conditions ◽  
Tidal Dissipation ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Tidal Changes ◽  
Tidal Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. An established tidal model, validated for present-day conditions, is used to investigate the effect of large levels of sea-level rise (SLR) on tidal characteristics around Australasia. SLR is implemented through a uniform depth increase across the model domain, with a comparison between the implementation of coastal defences or allowing low-lying land to flood. The complex spatial response of the semi-diurnal M2 constituent does not appear to be linear with the imposed SLR. The most predominant features of this response are the generation of new amphidromic systems within the Gulf of Carpentaria and large-amplitude changes in the Arafura Sea, to the north of Australia, and within embayments along Australia's north-west coast. Dissipation from M2 notably decreases along north-west Australia but is enhanced around New Zealand and the island chains to the north. The diurnal constituent, K1, is found to decrease in amplitude in the Gulf of Carpentaria when flooding is allowed. Coastal flooding has a profound impact on the response of tidal amplitudes to SLR by creating local regions of increased tidal dissipation and altering the coastal topography. Our results also highlight the necessity for regional models to use correct open boundary conditions reflecting the global tidal changes in response to SLR.

Bodies in the field: methodological reflections on Tai Chi and pregnancy in an ethnographic study at a Chinese community centre in the North West of England

2020 ◽  
pp. 146879412091881
Author(s):  
Naomi Wood
Keyword(s):  
Tai Chi ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
The Body ◽  
Chinese Community ◽  
Verbal Interactions ◽  
North West ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
The North ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Community Centre

This article explores the idea of the body as a research tool in ethnographic fieldwork, looking specifically at how the body can play a part in facilitating and developing relationships in the field. I use my experiences of fieldwork, undertaken in a Chinese community centre in the North West of England, to explore this in two ways. Firstly, through the process of using the body to learn a physical skill – Tai Chi – alongside the other centre members; and secondly through my pregnancy in the field, in order to consider what is communicated and enabled through the particular nature of specific bodies in the field. Both examples explore fieldwork as embodied, relational and intersubjective; in both, relationships with research participants are forged and developed in different ways through the body. Implications are drawn from this in relation to the impact of the research participants on the researcher and in relation to aspects of building relationships in the field that do not rely solely on verbal interactions or shared language, particularly in multi-cultural and multi-lingual research sites.

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