scholarly journals Are SMR a Reasonable Choice for Switzerland? An Application of the INCAS Model

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Boarin ◽  
Giorgio Locatelli ◽  
Mauro Mancini ◽  
Marco E. Ricotti
Keyword(s):  
Energy Policy ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Stochastic Approach ◽  
Financial Economic ◽  
Sunk Costs ◽  
Unbiased Estimation ◽  
Parliamentary Debate ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Safety Features

Small countries can represent a suitable market for Small Medium Reactors (SMR). Among them Switzerland is one the more interesting since already hosts five commercial nuclear reactors; three of them are SMR (about 370 MWe) and two are large units (985 and 1165 MWe). Since the oldest units are about 40 year-old the Swiss utilities wereplanning to replace them while adding new nuclear power capacity to the portfolio mix.. Most recently, a radical re-thinking of the country energy policy is taking place as a Fukushima accident’s aftermath. Debate is about abandoning nuclear power and replacing it with renewable new capacity and import. “Economiesuisse, the umbrella organisation for Swiss business, considers a premature abandonment of atomic energy <irresponsible>. Without valid alternatives, Economiesuisse warns, abandoning the nuclear option will have serious consequences for Swiss industry”. Also “the environmental organisationsrecognise that the discussion on energy policy — which will really heat up with the parliamentary debate in June — is not solely an ideological one. Financial and economic considerations are likely to make all the difference” (L.Jorio, “What price a future without nuclear energy?”, www.swissinfo.ch, May 17, 2011).An objective and unbiased estimation of the cost of new nuclear power is essential to Policy Makers and a focus on SMR economic potential is a further contribution to the debate. SMR advanced passive safety features may cope with public concerns about safety, which has become a priority. Polimi’s INCAS model has been developed to compare the investment in SMR respect to LR and is able to assess the financial/economic indicators arising from these two alternative investment options. In particular the INCAS model provides the value of IRR (Internal Rate of Return), NPV (Net Present Value), Upfront investment, etc. A stochastic approach to the data elaboration and the implementation of a Montecarlo analysis provide the evaluation of the investment risk profile. Results show that investment returns are comparable for LR and SMR; however SMR require a lower upfront investment, thus representing lower sunk costs and more affordable and scalable investment option than monolithic LR.

scholarly journals Techno-Economic Assessment of Coal-Fired Power Unit Decarbonization Retrofit with KP-FHR Small Modular Reactors

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2557
Author(s):  
Łukasz Bartela ◽  
Paweł Gładysz ◽  
Charalampos Andreades ◽  
Staffan Qvist ◽  
Janusz Zdeb
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Plant Design ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Small Modular Reactors ◽  
Greenfield Investments ◽  
Unit Design ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Economic Analyses ◽  
The Eu

The near and mid-term future of the existing Polish coal-fired power fleet is uncertain. The longer-term operation of unabated coal power is incompatible with climate policy and is economically challenging because of the increasing price of CO2 emission allowances in the EU. The results of the techno-economic analysis presented in this paper indicate that the retrofit of existing coal-fired units, by means of replacing coal-fired boilers with small modular reactors, may be an interesting option for the Polish energy sector. It has been shown that the retrofit can reduce the costs in relation to greenfield investments by as much as 35%. This analysis focuses on the repowering of a 460 MW supercritical coal-fired unit based on the Łagisza power plant design with high temperature small modular nuclear reactors based on the 320 MWth unit design by Kairos Power. The technical analyses did not show any major difficulties in integrating. The economic analyses show that the proposed retrofits can be economically justified, and, in this respect, they are more advantageous than greenfield investments. For the base economic scenario, the difference in NPV (Net Present Value) is more favorable for the retrofit by 556.9 M€ and the discounted payback period for this pathway is 10 years.

scholarly journals The Concept of Multiple Impacts of Renewable Energy Sources: A Critical Review

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3183
Author(s):  
Michaela Makešová ◽  
Michaela Valentová
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Multiple Impacts ◽  
Energy Field ◽  
Full Picture ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Social Environmental

Reaching climate neutrality by 2050 is one of the main long-term objectives of the European Union climate and energy policy, and renewable energy sources (RES) are integral parts of this transition. RES development results in many effects, direct and indirect, linked to each other, societal, local and individual, i.e., “multiple impacts of RES” (MI RES). These effects need to be carefully assessed and evaluated to obtain the full picture of energy field transformation and its context, and enable further development of RES. Nevertheless, the MI RES concept is often presented misleadingly and its scope varies throughout the literature. This paper provides a literature overview of the methodologies of this concept and presents a new concept of MI RES, respecting the difference between effects resulting from the implementation of RES and ultimate multiple impacts. We have summarized the effects into four groups: economic, social, environmental, and technical, which all lead to group of ultimate multiple impacts. Finally, we provide the complex overview of all MI RES and present the framework, which is used to analyze the multiple impacts and effects of RES and to show how the RES development leads and contributes to these impacts and effects. The concept is recommended to be considered in designing a robust energy policy by decision-makers.

scholarly journals The weak data on the water–energy nexus in Spain

Water Policy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 382-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Sesma-Martín ◽  
M. d. Mar Rubio-Varas
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Policy Agenda ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Water Energy Nexus ◽  
Striking Fact

Abstract This paper focuses on the fact that the water–energy nexus remains an irrelevant issue on the energy policy agenda and on the priorities of the energy leaders in Spain. This is a striking fact given that this takes place in the most arid country in Europe, where almost two-thirds of electricity generation would have to be halted in the absence of an adequate water supply. We contend that part of the explanation may lie in the lack of official statistics and inconsistent sources of information on the water–energy nexus in Spain. To illustrate this point, we provide examples of the uneven data available for one of the most intensive freshwater users in the thermoelectric sector in Spain: nuclear power plants. Our research demonstrates the need for improved indicators as policy instruments in the water–energy nexus in Spain since it is impossible to improve what cannot be measured.

Review and Impact Evaluation of ASME NQA-1 (2008)

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taunia Wilde ◽  
Tim McEvoy ◽  
Richard Holmes ◽  
Gary M. Sandquist
Keyword(s):  
Impact Evaluation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Design Changes ◽  
Nuclear Plants ◽  
The Us ◽  
Safety Features ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Regulatory Actions ◽  
Design Construction

ASME has issued a 2008 revision to the Nuclear Quality Assurance Standard, NQA-1 that impacts the siting design, construction, startup and operations of new generation nuclear power plant designs as well as other nuclear facilities. In view of new nuclear plants recently certified by the NRC, the NQA-1 2008 revision is poised to meet those QA issues and requirements that have or may arise during ESP, COL and other regulatory actions by the NRC. In view of the enhanced safety features and significant design changes associated with this new generation of nuclear infrastructure including the DOE development of the CMRR (Chemical and Metallurgy Research Replacement) at Los Alamos, present QA programs and procedures require a re-evaluation and assessment if the 2008 revision of NQA-1 is widely adapted in the US and possibly other countries. A synopsis of the revisions posed by the 2008 revision to former QA standards is given together with ancillary impacts for the nuclear community.

Preliminary Study of the Application of PEFS on PCWA

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Cao ◽  
Xiangang Fu ◽  
Xianghui Lu ◽  
Xiaohua Jiang
Keyword(s):  
System Design ◽  
Steam Generator ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Safety System ◽  
Plant Design ◽  
Active Safety Systems ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Environmental Goals ◽  
Safety Features ◽  
Safety Systems

Developing the advanced nuclear power plant design to meet the demanding safety, efficiency and environmental goals of electric utilities requires great efforts. A passive emergency feedwater system (PEFS) combined with other passive engineering safety features (PESF) is introduced into PCWA (Passive Combined With Active) designs. The typical accidents are calculated and analyzed for this safety system design, especially steam generator tube rupture (SGTR). It is preliminarily concluded that this safety system design in PCWA makes a great balance between passive and active safety systems, and no radioactive liquid was released to the environment except some steam from affected steam generator.

Economic Evaluation of Proactive Replacement of Upper Internals Guide Tube Support Pins (Split Pins)

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert K. Perdue ◽  
G. Gary Elder ◽  
Gregory Gerzen
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Time To Failure ◽  
Guide Tube ◽  
Reliability Modeling ◽  
Nuclear Plants ◽  
Zinc Addition ◽  
Primary Water ◽  
The Impact

Certain nuclear power plants have “Rev B” reactor vessel upper internals guide tube support pins, commonly referred to as split pins, made from material with properties similar to Alloy 600 and known to be susceptible to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). This paper describes a rigorous probabilistic methodology for evaluating the economics of a preemptive replacement of these split pins, and describes an application at four of Exelon Generation’s nuclear plants. The method uses Bayesian statistical reliability modeling to estimate a Weibull time-to-failure prediction model using limited historical failures, and a Westinghouse proactive aging management simulation tool called PAM to select a split pin replacement date that would maximize the net present value of cash flow to a plant. Also in this study is a sensitivity evaluation of the impact of zinc addition on split pin replacement timing. Plant decisions made based in part on results derived from applying this approach are noted.

scholarly journals Small Modular Reactor Human-System Interface and Control Room Layout Design

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 516-520
Author(s):  
Kevin LaFerriere ◽  
Jessica Stevens ◽  
Ryan Flamand NuScale
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Control Room ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Human System ◽  
Small Modular Reactor ◽  
Room Design ◽  
Safety Features ◽  
And Control

The NuScale Small Modular Reactor (SMR) is premised on well-established nuclear technology principles with a focus on integration of components, simplification or elimination of systems, automation, and use of passive safety features. Traditional nuclear power plants have in some cases operated up to four modules from a single control room. Due to the unique nontraditional operating characteristics of this technology a state-of-the art control room design was needed to ensure proper staffing totals for monitoring and control of multiple modules (twelve) from a single control room. To accomplish this, the human system interface and control room layout must translate the functional and task requirements needed for safe operation of the plant into the detailed design of workstations, alarms, controls, navigation, and other needs of the control room operations staff.

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