nUKe NeWs

Study to assess benefits of Hartlepool SMR plant

23 May 2024

X-energy and Cavendish Nuclear have commissioned Teesside University to undertake a study of the potential regional benefits and economic impacts of a proposed power plant in Hartlepool, UK, based on X-energy's Xe-100 high temperature gas-cooled reactor.

Hartlepool is now due to operate until 2026 (Image: EDF)

The assessment - including jobs, skills, supply chain contracts, and investment - will be led by Matthew Cotton, Professor of Public Policy and will utilise expertise from Teesside University International Business School and its School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law. It will include a review of available socio-economic data and engagement with local stakeholders including government officials, community leaders and sector experts.

The study will also examine national impacts, including contributions to meeting the UK government's net-zero targets. This assessment - which will begin immediately and be completed later this year - will include the additional benefits from industrial decarbonisation applications and the manufacture of other clean energy products, such as hydrogen and aviation fuel.

According to X-energy and Cavendish, early estimates indicate a 12-reactor X-energy plant at Hartlepool would "directly employ hundreds of people in operations and a peak construction workforce of several thousand in addition to the employment benefits in the wider supply chain". 

The study is part of a GBP6.68 million (USD8.5 million) programme funded by X-energy, and by the UK government which awarded the firms GBP3.34 million in April this year from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero's Future Nuclear Enabling Fund.

The Xe-100 is a Generation IV advanced reactor design which X-energy says is based on decades of HTGR operation, research, and development. Designed to operate as a standard 320 MWe four-pack power plant or scaled in units of 80 MWe, it is engineered to deliver reliable and load-following grid-scale power to electricity systems and to pair seamlessly with renewables. At 200 MWt of 565°C steam, the Xe-100 is also suitable for other power applications including mining and heavy industry.

X-energy and Cavendish - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Babcock International - are proposing to develop a 12-reactor plant at the Hartlepool site on Teesside in the northeast of England, to be operational by the early 2030s. The companies plan to build a fleet of up to 40 Xe-100 reactors in the UK.

Carol Tansley, X-energy's vice president of projects and UK market leader, added: "Our nuclear power station project represents a fantastic economic and employment opportunity in addition to the vital contribution it makes to energy security and decarbonisation. We want to understand from the outset how best to help our potential host community and the surrounding area capitalise on the benefits it will bring.

"Teesside University is ideally placed to help us. The team has huge experience of similar exercises in the past, and excellent links with the local community and business sector."

Cavendish Nuclear Managing Director Mick Gornall added: "A regional economy which hosts a project like this can experience a rise in productivity and growth. Creating supply chains and other infrastructure in local and neighbouring areas can permanently enhance economic capacity. Beyond Hartlepool, we estimate a national fleet roll out of 40 Xe-100s could bring around GBP20 billion of investment into the UK."

Teesside University's Professor Cotton said: “A core principle of our research is to work with communities to address regional disparities and drive social impact for regions across the world. The proposed nuclear power plant at Hartlepool represents a massive capital investment in the Tees Valley and it is vital to understand what that impact will look like.

"By analysing how a project of this scope and scale will manifest itself, we will be able to determine the different socio-economic considerations, issues and risk factors for Hartlepool and surrounding regions.

"In doing so, we will be able to determine the best course of action in order to take full advantage of the benefits and mitigate any impacts for the region."

The Hartlepool nuclear power plant, on Teesside in the northeast of England, is among four of the UK's seven AGR fleet which continue to generate electricity. It has been operating for 40 years and was due to end operations in March this year until a two-year extension was announced in March last year.

Wylfa preferred site for UK new build

22 May 2024

The UK government has announced that Wylfa in Anglesey, North Wales, is its preferred site for a new large-scale nuclear power plant. It has launched talks with international energy companies to explore building a power plant at the site.

The existing Wylfa site (Image: ONR)

In March, the government announced that an agreement had been reached to buy the Hitachi-owned sites for new nuclear at Wylfa and at Oldbury-on-Severn in southwest England for GBP160 million (USD203 million). At the time, it said the two sites were expected to be prioritised for new nuclear as the UK seeks to expand nuclear energy capacity. It marked the first time the government acquired land for new nuclear since the 1960s.

The government has now said that Wylfa is its first option for siting a "major nuclear power station, similar in scale to Hinkley in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk".

"This new project would revive the nuclear history of Wylfa and bring thousands of jobs and investment to the area, boosting the local economy," it said.

The government also said it is "kickstarting talks with global energy firms" to explore the construction of the plant.

"We are powering ahead with the biggest expansion of nuclear energy in 70 years," said Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Claire Coutinho. "Anglesey has a proud nuclear history and it is only right that, once again, it can play a central role in boosting the UK's energy security."

The UK government aims to grow nuclear energy capacity to 24 GW by 2050, with a mix of traditional large-scale power plants and small modular reactors (SMRs). Last year, the government and the new Great British Nuclear (GBN) arms-length body set up to help deliver that extra capacity began the selection process for which SMR technology to use. In October, EDF, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Holtec, NuScale Power, Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse were invited to bid for UK government contracts in the next stage of the process.

GBN CEO Gwen Parry-Jones said: "Having agreed to purchase the Wylfa site earlier this year, GBN looks forward to working with the government on the market engagement programme for large-scale gigawatt providers and also delivering this vital project in the years to come."

"The government is absolutely right to pursue more large-scale nuclear alongside the SMR programme: it is proven technology that delivers clean, sovereign power and can transform communities with thousands of high-quality, long-term jobs and apprenticeships," said Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association. "Wylfa is an ideal place for a big nuclear project, and the community knows nuclear.

"We welcome the government's engagement with potential partners internationally, and we urge them to move forward at pace. A large-scale project at Wylfa would be the single biggest inward investment in Welsh history, and a huge step towards both energy security and net-zero for the whole country."

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation said it "will liaise with government in its role as the independent regulator to ensure the highest standards of safety, security and safeguards within the industry and for the public. The UK has a highly respected regulatory structure and we have been preparing for the expansion of new nuclear in this country for some time."

Wylfa was the biggest and last Magnox site to be built in the UK. Its twin 490 MWe reactors began commercial operation in November 1971 and January 1972, respectively. Unit 2 was permanently shut in April 2012, with unit 1 following in December 2015. Defuelling of the plant was completed in September 2019.

Hitachi's Horizon Project - launched in 2009 - was to develop two UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor units at Wylfa Newydd with the intention to develop the company's nuclear business in the UK. However, it decided to suspend the project in January 2019, from the viewpoint of its "economic rationality as a private company" because it was clear that further time was needed to decide on a financing structure for the project, and the conditions for building and operating the nuclear power plants. In January 2021, Horizon withdrew its application for planning consent for the Wylfa Newydd nuclear power plant.

UK plans near surface disposal of intermediate level waste

21 May 2024

In its updated strategy for handling nuclear waste and radioactive substances, the UK proposes to use a shallower disposal facility for suitable intermediate-level waste which was previously earmarked for the planned deep geological disposal facility.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said that the search for a site for a geological disposal facility (GDF) was currently under way in England and Wales, and it was unlikely to be ready to start accepting waste until 2050. The plan has been for it to provide permanent safe disposal of high and intermediate-level waste. The existing near surface disposal facilities are used solely for the disposal of suitable low-level waste.

But following a consultation held last year, the department has now published its response and updated strategy which includes the proposed near surface disposal facility for intermediate-level waste (ILW). It would have the advantages of being ready within 10 years and would allow for quicker decommissioning and savings of around GBP500 million (USD636 million) in storage costs, the department says.

In Managing Radioactive Substances and Nuclear Decommissioning: UK policy framework it says: "A near surface disposal facility for ILW is a facility that can be located at or below the surface (up to 200 metres, the minimum depth of a GDF), and may make use of existing structures. It differs from a GDF in the degree of isolation provided by the facility, including host geology, depth and design.

"A near surface disposal facility for ILW below the surface could be constructed as silos, vaults or caverns and could be accessed by a tunnel or shaft. They would likely consist of multiple barriers including waste packages, grout, walls, backfill material and reinforced caps over the closed silos, vaults or caverns."

It also says a surface level disposal facility for intermediate-level waste could be similar to the Low Level Waste Disposal Facility at Dounreay, with waste packages stacked in engineered concrete vaults "up to the approximate level of the surface ... when the vaults are closed, they would be covered with an engineered cap to prevent rainwater entering and reduce the risk from inadvertent human intrusion. The barriers provided by the packaging of the waste, the concrete vaults and the engineered cap prevent any harmful amounts of radioactivity escaping".

The working assumption in the strategy is that the disposal facility for intermediate-level waste would most likely be located on existing Nuclear Decommissioning Authority land. It also says that "lightly contaminated rubble and substructures can be disposed of on-site if safe to do so. This will avoid tonnes of waste being bagged up and transported for heavy-duty disposal elsewhere, reducing impact on the environment".

Other changes in the strategy aim to encourage innovation in waste treatment techniques, including greater recycling such as extracting isotopes from the nuclear materials for diagnosis and treatment of cancers or for powering future space missions, issues covered in a recent episode of the World Nuclear News podcast.

What they said

UK Minister for Nuclear Andrew Bowie said of the overall framework: "The UK has been a pioneer in nuclear technology, and now we’re taking sensible steps to manage our radioactive waste, while reducing the burden on the environment and taxpayer. This will help continue our world-leading nuclear safety record, protect our environment and mean quicker decommissioning of former sites."

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority CEO David Peattie said: "We welcome the updated policy which takes account of the significant innovation and decommissioning experience that has been developed within the NDA group and wider sector, both in the UK and internationally, in recent years. We'll work closely with our stakeholders and communities to take forward the opportunities created by this new policy, ensuring that we maintain the highest standards of safety and environmental protection to deliver our nationally important decommissioning mission."

Environment Agency CEO Philip Duffy said: "It is important that the right infrastructure is in place to manage radioactive waste in a way that protects the environment and public health. We will be working in partnership with our fellow regulators to ensure that this risk-led approach is overseen by robust regulation."

AtkinsRéalis to design UK tritium processing facility

21 May 2024

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has appointed Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRéalis to deliver the detailed design of an isotope separation system to strengthen research into sustainable fusion delivery.

A rendering of the H3AT facility (Image: UKAEA)

The Isotope Separation System will form part of UKAEA's Hydrogen-3 Advanced Technology (H3AT) facility, a world-first tritium fuel cycle research facility to include a prototype-scale process plant and experimental platform, which is a scaled version of the design for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.

AtkinsRéalis said the tritium capacity of this "highly complex Isotope Separation System will make it the most advanced research facility of its kind, helping to enable the development of tritium fuel cycle infrastructure necessary for sustainable fusion power".

The company has already completed the concept and detailed process design of the main H3AT facility - currently under construction at UKAEA's Culham Campus, in Oxfordshire - alongside the concept and preliminary design of the Isotope Separation System. The AtkinsRéalis team will now deliver detailed process and mechanical designs for the system, including the vital cryogenic and ambient temperature equipment that will be required to collect, process, and recycle the tritium fuel.

"The H3AT facility will be a first-of-a-kind research facility to strengthen UK and international efforts to advance tritium fuel cycle technology," said Jason Dreisbach, head of advanced energy technologies at AtkinsRéalis. "The Isotope Separation System is a key element to demonstrate fusion fuel cycle performance at scale, and we look forward to contributing our significant experience in fusion engineering and tritium to help realise UKAEA's ambitions."

Framework renewal

The announcement came as UKAEA renewed its multimillion-pound Engineering Design Services Framework with nine companies. The renewal is based on a successful four-year delivery of various engineering and design desk-based projects.

Representatives from UKAEA and companies supporting the Engineering Design Services Framework, at UKAEA's Fusion Technology Facility in Rotherham (Image: UKAEA)

The framework, with a value up to GBP9 million (USD11.4 million), supports the development of a UK industrial supply chain capability by allowing the companies to work closely with UKAEA as it undertakes fusion energy research. "It is vital in the mission to develop commercial fusion energy, while also helping to grow the UK economy by ensuring industry are fully involved," UKAEA said.

The companies which are part of the renewed framework are: Assystem, AtkinsRealis, Demcon, Eadon, Frazer Nash, IDOM, Jacobs, M5tec and Optima. UKAEA said these companies have expertise in some, or all of the following disciplines: mechanical engineering; process engineering; systems engineering; electrical, control and instrumentation engineering; computer-based modelling; and specialist nuclear services.

"This framework has enabled UKAEA to work collaboratively and with maximum efficiency with the fusion supply chain," said Colette Broadwith, Strategic Procurement Business Partner for UKAEA. "By renewing it for another four years, UKAEA can continue to leverage the engineering and technical expertise of our industrial partners to help accelerate fusion energy's commercialisation, for the benefit of all."

Last week, UKAEA awarded six organisations GBP9.6 million of contracts to advance their concepts to support fusion energy development. The contracts were awarded to three universities and three companies focusing on digital engineering and fusion fuel cycle developments dedicated to addressing fusion energy challenges. The contracts will develop next-generation digital tools for future fusion power plant designs, and advanced production and handling of hydrogen isotopes.

The contracts range between GBP460,000 and GBP1.9 million, and are funded by UKAEA's Fusion Industry Programme, an initiative launched in 2021 to develop the necessary technology and skills for the future global fusion power plant market.

The UKAEA carries out fusion energy research on behalf of the UK government, overseeing the country's fusion programme, including the MAST Upgrade (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) experiment as well as hosting the recently closed Joint European Torus (JET) at Culham, which operated for scientists from around Europe. It is also developing its own fusion power plant design with plans to build a prototype known as STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) at West Burton in Nottinghamshire, which is due to begin operating by 2040.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News