The EPR in crisis

A review of the status of the Areva European Prssurised Water Reactor (EPR)

Nuclear Energy in the UK: Safety Culture and Industrial Organisation

In this paper we seek to explore the relationship between professionalism and nuclear safety in the UK. We consider the history of civil nuclear energy in Britain and the near complete shift in emphasis from state owned enterprises to the private sector. We show how in recent years government has acknowledged that a truly liberalised electricity industry is unable to deliver the construction of new nuclear power stations as part of a future low carbon electricity system. Throughout, however, the intention has been for policy merely to incentivise the private sector rather than to steer industry strategy directly. Having said that, the line between strong incentives and weak control can be hard to see. We present illustrative examples, real and fictional, that give insight into the UK nuclear safety culture and we discuss the wider nature of UK society with respect to corruption. We conclude that the unique basis of safety regulation in the UK, essentially permissive rather than prescriptive, has a key role to play in promoting and maintaining nuclear professionalism

Leveraging Commercial Nuclear Reactors to Power Space Exploration

This study is aimed at exploring the adaptation of commercial nuclear reactors as an alternative to NASA’s current high-power fission reactor systems, particularly with respect to applications on the surface of Mars. The study concludes that while the Kilopower architecture is brilliantly poised to provide affordable, near-term power in the 1-10 kilowatts electric (kWe) range, the financial barrier to higher power scaling of such systems is significant. This financial barrier adds risk to the development of greater than 10kWe systems and is likely to result in the failure to successfully scale the technology to higher powers for space exploration applications. To investigate the feasibility of commercial reactor adaptation, the study first explores which general reactor concepts would be the most likely to succeed in space applications. The study’s analysis of current reactor concepts concludes that solid core reactors scored the best, although molten salt reactors also show potential for applications in space. A case study of AlphaTech’s ARC Reactor concept demonstrates that a commercial reactor concept has potential to be adapted for NASA’s purposes without sacrificing primary requirements for reliability, safety, and power density. Preliminary specific power estimates of the reactor concept demonstrate potential to bring energy orders of magnitude greater than the Kilopower concept to space exploration while also mitigating financial barriers. This study concludes that commercial reactor development merits further investigation as an alternative to NASA’s development for reactors greater than 10kWe

Electricity Liberalisation in Britain: the quest for a satisfactory wholesale market design

Britain was the exemplar of electricity market reform, demonstrating the importance of ownership unbundling and workable competition in generation and supply. Privatisation created de facto duopolies that supported increasing price-cost margins and induced excessive (English) entry. Concentration was ended by trading horizontal for vertical integration in subsequent mergers. Competition arrived just as the Pool was replaced by New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA) intended to address its claimed shortcomings. NETA cost over £700 million, and had ambiguous market impacts. Prices fell dramatically as a result of (pre-NETA) competition, generating companies withdrew plant, causing fears about security of supply and a subsequent widening of price-cost margins.electricity, liberalisation, market design, market power

Armageddon: The Inevitable Death of Nuclear Power and Whether New York State Has the Legal Authority to Keep It on Life Support

This Note seeks to make the argument for New York’s ZEC program as a legitimate exercise of state power. Part I provides context—the history of nuclear power, the rise and fall in the incidence of nuclear power projects, and why such investments are failing. Part II then provides an overview of the CES and the ZEC program contained therein. In Part III, the legal challenges filed in response to Tier 3 are discussed, as well as the Illinois case which parallels the conventional generator challenge in New York. Part III will also discuss relevant legal precedent the cases concern, namely the recent United States Supreme Court case, Hughes v. Talen Energy Marketing, LLC. Part IV analyzes federal preemption to the extent it affects the New York program. This analysis mirrors—and in some areas, expands upon—the district court’s findings regarding New York’s program. Further, it compares similar crediting mechanisms currently used across the United States and other analogs demonstrating that, although federal preemption appears to control, there is significant room for the states to regulate. This Note ultimately concludes in Part V that the ZEC program is likely a legitimate exercise of state power, despite incidental effects it may have on related federal regulation

The Japanese Electricity System 15 months After March 11th 2011

The Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami on March 11th 2011 caused mass destruction, significant loss-of-life and a large displacement of people. It also placed significant strain of Japan's electricity-generating infrastructure. There was a significant reduction in capacity due to the damage in thermal generation and gradual closure of Japan's nuclear power plants; the ability for load-balancing across the Japanese grid was compromised due to limited interconnections between the different utilities that comprise the Japanese electricity system. This paper looks at the first fifteen months following the earthquake and tsunami: outlining the supply reduction and consequent attempts to manage the demand. In turn it highlights the foibles of Japan's vertically-integrated monopolistic structures and the evolution of governmental and utilities response that went from decisions made 'on-the-fly' to a more developed policy for peak-demand electricity savings. The findings from this paper should serve as a useful set of examples to aid decision makers in contingency planning for disruptive large-scale reduction in electricity-generating capacity

The Blue Castle project: a feasibility study of the proposed nuclear power plant in Emery County, Utah along the Green River

reportWith an increasing population in Utah, specifically in the Salt Lake Valley, the demand for energy is rapidly growing each year. Currently, Utah's electric grid is largely produced by burning coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels. In the past, supplying Utahns with electricity from these forms has been sufficient, but with the predicted rise in population, there is a need for more efficient production methods. The established energy infrastructure in Utah is not only harmful towards the environment, but does not have the capacity to keep up with the demand in the upcoming years. For those reasons, a safe, more secure, and reliable form of power will have to be explored. Blue Castle Holdings Incorporated, an energy infrastructure development company has proposed the construction of a nuclear power plant. The facility, based around a reactor design by Westinghouse Electric Company, will be built in Emery County, Utah near the Green River. The reactor will be fueled by a uranium core and cooled by water obtained from the river. The proposed facility has the potential to double Utah's current electricity production. The second part of the chapter will examine the financial implications of the prospective power plant. Initial planning and licensing will be funded by Blue Castle Holdings. This includes; water rights, property title, facility design, and protocol. Their intention is to sell these components to a prospective buyer who will construct, operate, and maintain the power plant. The building costs of the facility will be provided by major investors, taxpayers and energy subsides provided by the government. After completion, revenue from the nuclear plant will benefit Utah by stimulating the local economy, improving environmental quality, and exporting excess energy to neighboring states