SCI FI TECH

Fluor and Longview MoU for laser fusion development

19 April 2023

Fluor Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Longview Fusion Energy Systems to be its engineering and construction partner in designing and planning laser fusion energy commercialisation.

The target chamber at the National Ignition Facility (Image: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)

The MoU will see Fluor using its experience in developing and constructing large-scale facilities to provide the preliminary design and engineering support for the development of Longview's proposed fusion plant.

Longview's plan is for laser fusion power plants, with capacity of up to 1600 MW to provide electricity or industrial production of hydrogen fuel and other materials that can help to decarbonise heavy industry.

Ed Moses, CEO of Longview Fusion Energy Systems, said its plant design was based on the breakthrough work of USA's National Ignition Facility (NIF) in "showing the world's only experimental demonstration of fusion with energy gain" and "will combine modern, efficient lasers and a patented design to replicate these conditions several hundred times a minute - similar to the repetitive pulses in a car engine but delivering over one million horsepower".

Tom D’Agostino, group president of Fluor’s Mission Solutions business, said: "We look forward to working with Longview on the mission to demonstrate the feasibility of laser fusion technology and deliver it to the commercial market."

Longview's plan is to have a fusion pilot plant up and running in the "early 2030s". Moses, a former National Ignition Facility director, said on the day NIF announced its breakthrough in December that Longview had been "working quietly in anticipation of this day - we knew ... it would too late to begin to plan for full-scale commercialisation" at that stage so it had "been working with a broad partnership of US industry, utilities, academia, national labs, and strategic investors over the past 18 months to design a power plant based on the physics that has now been proven at the NIF".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Partnership formed to deploy Seaborg's Power Barge

21 April 2023

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Seaborg Technologies have established a consortium to develop floating nuclear power plants featuring Seaborg's compact molten salt reactor (CMSR) technology.

The signing ceremony for the consortium agreement (Image: Seaborg)

"The consortium aims to enable timely commercialisation and a scalable export of factory-produced CMSR-based floating nuclear power plants worldwide, offering improved efficiency and inherent safety characteristics," Seaborg said. "With KHNP's extensive experience in nuclear power generation, SHI's offshore construction expertise and Seaborg Technologies' innovative technology, the consortium is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for clean and reliable energy."

Seaborg's design is for modular CMSR power barges equipped with two to eight 100 MWe CMSRs, with an operational life of 24 years. Instead of having solid fuel rods that need constant cooling, the CMSR's fuel is mixed in a liquid salt that acts as a coolant, which means that it will simply shut down and solidify in case of emergency. The timeline for Seaborg, which was founded in 2014, is for commercial prototypes to be built in 2026 with commercial production of Power Barges beginning from 2028.

The Power Barges are modular and can produce from 200-800 MW of electricity (Image: SHI/Seaborg)

The consortium's first project is expected to be a 200 MWe Power Barge.

In April last year, SHI and Seaborg signed a memorandum of understanding to manufacture and sell turnkey power plants combining SHI's ship-building expertise and Seaborg's CMSR. It also covered the development of hydrogen production plants and ammonia plants.

SHI announced in January that it had completed the conceptual design for the CMSR Power Barge and obtained the basic certification of the design from the American Bureau of Shipping.

"Floating nuclear power plants are a carbon-free energy solution which is efficiently responding to climate change issues and a next-generation technology expandable to floating hydrogen, ammonia plant that meets the vision of Samsung Heavy Industries," said SHI CEO Jintaek Jeong.

KHNP CEO Jooho Whang added: "KHNP's active effort will be aimed at fostering a mutually beneficial partnership between Korea and Denmark, with a focus on cooperation in the next generation nuclear power project, for a safer and cleaner future."

"This consortium is unique for deploying nuclear power at scale," said Seaborg CEO Navid Samandari. "We are proud to say we have partnered with the best for construction and operations as part of our shared mission to develop and deploy the power barges."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

CANADIAN NUKE NEWZ

MoU sees KAERI, Alberta cooperation on SMRs

20 April 2023

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Alberta to collaborate on the deployment of small modular reactor (SMR) technology - including the Korean-designed SMART reactor - in the Canadian province.

KAERI President Joo Han-Gyu signing the MoU with Alberta (Image: KAERI)

The MoU was signed on 19 April by KAERI President Joo Han-Gyu, Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy and Northern Development Brian Jean and Alberta Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism Rajan Sawhney.

KAERI said that since Alberta took an "ambitious initiative" to deploy SMR technology along with other Canadian provinces, KAERI and Alberta have discussed clean energy cooperation based on KAERI's SMR technology, particularly the SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor).

"This mutual cooperation agreement was promoted to discuss the issue of applying SMART technology with almost no carbon emissions to supply necessary steam to oil sands (tar sands) mining areas in Alberta," KAERI said. "Based on this agreement, the two sides plan to share in advance the information necessary to confirm the feasibility of SMART construction and further obtain licences.

"Korean companies, including Hyundai Engineering, have already been promoting projects that utilise SMART technologies for Alberta oil sand mining. This mutual cooperation agreement is expected to promote the activities of these companies."

The signing of the MoU followed a visit by the Canadian ministers on 28 February to KAERI to discuss ways of supplying high-temperature and high-pressure steam for oil sand mining through the use of the SMART reactor. They also visited KAERI's research facilities, including the SMART-ITL and SMART-MCR simulators.

Commenting on the MoU, Joo said: "It is time to translate the net-zero emission commitment into actions, and SMR technology is crucial in carbon reduction actions. A deployment of SMART in Alberta will be the pioneer in the battle against climate change."

Jean added: "Alberta is a global leader in providing safe, clean and reliable energy that helps power the world. The Government of Alberta is open to exploring all technologies, including SMRs, to help energy production thrive in a low-carbon future. Through this agreement with KAERI, we are continuing to explore deploying SMR technology and strengthening Alberta's position as a world-leading responsible energy producer for years to come."

"I am proud of the agreement we are making as a result of our trade mission to Korea, and am excited about the potential for SMR technologies, such as KAERI," Sawhney said. "This is yet another example of continued global interest in Alberta and the diverse opportunities that Alberta offers."

SMART is a 330 MWt pressurised water reactor with integral steam generators and advanced safety features. The unit is designed for electricity generation (up to 100 MWe) as well as thermal applications, such as seawater desalination, with a 60-year design life and three-year refuelling cycle.

While the basic design is complete, development had been stalled by the absence of any orders for an initial reference unit. Developed by KAERI, SMART received standard design approval from the Korean regulator in mid-2012. KAERI had planned to build a demonstration plant to operate from 2017.

Alberta has been considered in the past as a possible location for large-scale nuclear power plants, but a 1000 MWe electricity generation plant proposed for the north of the province was shelved in 2011. The province's interest in SMRs is centred on their potential as an economically attractive and carbon-free source of steam and process heat to support extractive industries including the production of natural gas from the province's extensive oil sands deposits.

Alberta is one of four Canadian provinces - the others are New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan - that have agreed to a joint strategic plan outlining their strong support for the path forward on SMRs.

Invest Alberta - a Crown corporation of the Government of Alberta - last month signed an MoU with ARC Clean Technology Canada Inc to jointly pursue activities to support commercialisation of ARC's ARC-100 SMR technology in the province. That followed the signing of an MoU in January with X-Energy Canada to develop economic opportunities supporting the potential deployment of the Xe-100 SMR. It has also supported SMR developer Terrestrial Energy in its efforts to expand its operations into Alberta.

Terrestrial SMR completes Canadian pre-licensing review

19 April 2023

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has completed Phase 2 of the vendor design review (VDR) of Terrestrial Energy's Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR). The regulator said that no fundamental barriers to licensing the small modular reactor design were identified during the review.

An IMSR400 plant (Image: Terrestrial Energy)

The VDR is an optional service provided by the CNSC to provide an assessment of a nuclear power plant design based on a vendor's reactor technology. It is not a required part of the licensing process for a new nuclear power plant but aims to verify the acceptability of a design with respect to Canadian nuclear regulatory requirements and expectations, providing early feedback during the design process.

In February 2016, a service agreement was signed between the CNSC and Terrestrial for the conduct of a Phase 1 VDR of the IMSR. During this phase, CNSC staff assessed how the vendor's design processes demonstrate intent to meet CNSC requirements. The Phase 1 review of the ISMR was completed in November 2017.

The CNSC entered into an agreement with Terrestrial in May 2018 to conduct the second phase of the VDR of the reactor design. Phase 2 of the review focuses on identifying whether there are any potential fundamental barriers to licensing.

The VDR involved a comprehensive review of the IMSR design covering 19 'focus areas' defined by the CNSC and required Terrestrial's preparation of hundreds of technical submissions. Its scope included a systematic review of Terrestrial's engineering management processes, confirmatory testing programme for IMSR components and systems, reactor controls and safety systems, defence-in-depth strategy, safety analysis, and the requirements for safeguards, security, fire protection and radiation protection.

CNSC staff have now concluded that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing the IMSR plant.

"The IMSR design requires further advancement in some areas for CNSC staff to confirm that it meets all Canadian regulatory expectations. Terrestrial will be required to perform additional work to address the technical clarifications and findings raised in this review, should it or another proponent pursue a licence for the design," the CNSC noted.

"The VDR is a comprehensive pre-licensing regulatory review, and its completion is a breakthrough for Terrestrial Energy," said Terrestrial CEO Simon Irish. "Its scope and conclusion provide commercial confidence to proceed to licensing and construction of IMSR plants.

"It is the first technology review completed by a major regulator of a nuclear plant design that uses a Generation IV reactor technology to supply heat at high temperature, and the first time for molten salt reactor technology," he noted.

"This review is a major step to bring molten salt technology to commercial markets and IMSR plants to large industrial companies seeking practicable high-impact solutions to decarbonise industrial production."

Terrestrial's IMSR is a 4th generation reactor that uses molten salt as both fuel and coolant, with integrated components, which can supply heat directly to industrial facilities or use it to generate electrical power. The use of molten salt as both fuel and coolant also enables passive, or inherent, safety features to be built into the reactor design. The design integrates the primary reactor components, including the graphite moderator, into a sealed and replaceable reactor core unit with an operating lifetime of seven years. Terrestrial's IMSR400 configuration, with twin reactors and generators, will mean an overall power plant design with a potential output of up to 390 MWe.

New Brunswick, Saskatchewan enhance collaboration on SMRs

18 April 2023

The governments of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation on the development of small modular reactor (SMR) technologies in both Canadian provinces.

ARC's vision of an ACR-100 plant, which has been selected for deployment at Point Lepreau, New Brunswick (Image: ARC)

This new agreement builds on a previous MoU signed in December 2019 that committed to New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan working together to advance SMRs in Canada. Alberta joined in April 2021. Through this work, participating provinces released a joint strategic plan in March 2022 outlining the path forward on the development of SMRs.

The new MoU provides the ability for the two provinces and their utility Crowns - SaskPower and New Brunswick Power - to formally share experiences, knowledge and successes on deployment plans, supply chain development, Indigenous relations, labour market development, regulations and other areas.

"Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have established a strong working relationship on SMR development over the years," said Don Morgan, minister of Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan. "This renewed partnership will bring mutual benefit to both provinces by capturing opportunities stemming from the work on nuclear energy development across Canada and internationally. Together, we can accelerate the progress of decarbonising power grids and industrial facilities using SMR technologies."

In June 2022, SaskPower announced the selection of the GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 as the preferred SMR technology for initial grid-scale deployment in Saskatchewan - the same model Ontario Power Generation selected in December 2021 for its Darlington New Nuclear Project.

"New Brunswick has expertise to share from four decades of reliable nuclear operations," said Natural Resources and Energy Development Minister Mike Holland. "We are committed to playing a leadership role nationally and globally on clean and renewable energy. Nuclear energy is a key resource in the transition to a low-carbon future and our two provinces are well positioned to lead this evolution."

SMR technologies are also recognised in New Brunswick's Climate Change Action Plan as an important part of achieving net-zero electricity emissions by 2035.

ARC Clean Technology Canada Inc's ARC-100 is a 100 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor based on proven technology developed at the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II reactor, which operated successfully at the US government's Argonne National Laboratory for 30 years. It has been selected for deployment in New Brunswick, with a fully operational unit at the Point Lepreau nuclear site by 2029. The Belledune Port Authority is also considering using an ARC-100 for the provision of energy for hydrogen production and other industries as part of a future expansion at the port in northern New Brunswick.

New North American nuclear training programme launched

19 April 2023

Westinghouse Electric Company, Spanish engineering firm Tecnatom and US consulting and training services provider Accelerant Solutions have agreed to form the Nuclear Excellence Academy (NEXA), a nuclear training programme for utilities in the USA and Canada.

(Left to right): Billy Mack of Accelerant Solutions, Pamela Cowan of Westinghouse, and Francisco Sanchez of Tecnatom after the signing of the Teaming Agreement (Image: Westinghouse)

The three companies have signed a Teaming Agreement to launch NEXA, which they say will "leverage the companies' unmatched knowledge of industry standards and digital technology innovations to provide in-person, digital and on-demand training for nuclear personnel at American and Canadian utilities. The programme ensures practical, cost-effective, and compliant approaches to nuclear operations".

The partners said the programme "unites the industry expertise of Westinghouse and Accelerant Solutions with Tecnatom's world-class digital products and services to offer the current and future nuclear fleet a comprehensive and efficient solution for training needs".

Pamela Cowan, President of Global Engineered Systems and Solutions at Westinghouse, said: "This effort demonstrates Westinghouse's commitment to provide innovative solutions to our customers. NEXA uses a digital platform to optimise the learning process, enhancing competencies, worker engagement, and performance excellence for the long-term".

"NEXA offers a solution to utilities seeking to retain and hire nuclear professionals who have the highest qualifications," said Francisco Sanchez, Vice President of Safety, Operation and Training at Tecnatom. "The training will be standardised to fit the needs of all utilities."

"This agreement ensures that centralised nuclear training delivered through NEXA is innovative, cost-effective, and compliant," said Billy Mack, President of Accelerant Solutions, which says it has partnerships with all 28 American utilities that operate nuclear power plants.

Writing in a blog in February, Mack said: "NEXA brings together the right people with the right experience and the right technology to modernise and transform nuclear training. Through sound analysis, design, and development, NEXA finds the right place and balance for VR/AR, adaptive learning, gamification, AI, and SME mentorship in nuclear training".

Canadian education system

Last month, leaders from Canada's nuclear industry wrote to the country's ministers of education to highlight the need for more female engineering graduates.

"Among the rapid advances being made in the nuclear sector is the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) which harness nuclear fission to generate heat to produce energy ... However, there are not enough university graduates or skilled tradespeople required for the construction, installation, operation and regulation of SMRs," the letter said.

It continued: "Ensuring that Canada has a diverse labour force with the right skillsets to succeed is fundamentally important to safety. Diverse voices bring a broader range of viewpoints and ideas to innovation, which results in a better safety outcome in the nuclear sector. Having a diverse nuclear workforce is to everyone's advantage - but we're falling far short, particularly with respect to gender equality."

The letter calls for the Canadian educational system to promote greater interest in STEM subjects overall, and "particularly among K-12 girls (the school grades prior to college), so that more of them go on to pursue studies and careers in STEM. Very specifically, we must encourage greater interest in the nuclear sector if we are to meet the 2050 net-zero goals that policy-makers have set for us."

It concludes: "For decades, Canada has been a leading industrialised economy and an innovator in nuclear technologies. But we will never reach our net-zero goals without a significant shift in our educational system. We have to do better to prepare our workforce of the future."

The signatories of the letter include: Rumina Velshi, President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission; Lori Clark, President and CEO of New Brunswick Power Corporation; Rachna Clavero, President and CEO of CANDU Owners Group; Fred Dermarkar, President and CEO of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd; Tim Gitzel, President and CEO of Cameco; Ken Hartwick, President and CEO of Ontario Power Generation; John MacQuarrie, President and CEO of BWX Technologies; Joe McBrearty, President and CEO of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories; Rupen Pandya, President and CEO of SaskPower; Michael Rencheck, President and CEO of Bruce Power; Laurie Swami, President and CEO of Nuclear Waste Management Organization; and Jay Wileman, President and CEO of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.

Urenco, Cameco sign supply deals for Bulgaria's Kozloduy

21 April 2023

Urenco and Cameco are joining Westinghouse in the supply chain for one of the Kozloduy units in Bulgaria as the country diversifies its nuclear fuel supplies.

Kozloduy supplies about one-third of Bulgaria's electricity (Image: Kozloduy NPP)

The long-term agreement will see Urenco's enrichment facilities in Europe - which are in the UK, Netherlands and Germany - receive natural uranium (UF6) from Cameco and supply enriched uranium product for fabrication into nuclear fuel rods by Westinghouse.

Urenco CEO Boris Schucht said: "Urenco is ready to support countries seeking to increase their energy security and independence and I am pleased to welcome Kozloduy as our newest customer. We are fully equipped to provide Bulgaria with a reliable nuclear fuel supply - alongside our partner organisations. We are looking forward to a very trustful and long-term partnership."

Cameco said that the 10-year supply contract was for it to supply natural uranium hexafluoride to meet the full requirements of Kozloduy unit 5 through to 2033.

The switch of supply from Russian-produced fuel for the VVER-1000 Kozloduy unit 5 was confirmed in December when Westinghouse signed a 10-year contract to supply it with fuel. In a tweet following the new agreements, Westinghouse said: "We're excited to partner with Cameco for the next decade in supplying VVER-1000 fuel to Kozloduy Nuclear Plant."

The Russian war with Ukraine has led to a number of plants and countries in Europe seeking to switch from Russian-supplied fuel and Bulgaria's National Assembly voted in November for an acceleration of the diversification process.

At the end of last year, a separate agreement was signed with France's Framatome relating to the supply of nuclear fuel for the sixth unit at Kozloduy. The Bulgarian Ministry of Energy said at the time that having different nuclear fuel suppliers for the two units at Kozloduy was intended to meet European Union requirements to ensure security of supply.

The Kozloduy plant is in the northwest of Bulgaria on the Danube River and provides about 34% of the country's electricity. It features two Russian-designed VVER-1000 units currently in operation, which have both been through refurbishment and life extension programmes to enable extension of operation from 30 to 60 years.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

EU Looks To Toughen Methane Emissions Rules For Fossil Fuel Producers

By Tsvetana Paraskova - Apr 21, 2023, 

The industry and environment committees at the European Parliament are set to approve next week proposed legislation to set a methane-reduction target by 2030, including for the oil and gas producers who could face penalties or bans from markets if they fail to repair gas leaks or monitor emissions.  

The committees are expected to vote on the methane-emission targets on April 26 and are set to approve the strict rules, according to the agreement seen by Bloomberg.

After the vote at the committees, the European Parliament will then vote on the agreement before moving to discuss it and its implementation with the EU member states. The EU member states have already watered down an original proposal from the European Commission.

Last month, the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, warned the EU that the union risked lagging behind in climate goals if it continues to fail to adopt tough regulations on the emissions of methane, a more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2.

Last year, the EU reached an agreement on a proposal to track and reduce methane emissions in the energy sector. The text was the first of its kind and a crucial contribution to climate action, the Council of the EU said in December. The proposal introduces new requirements for the oil, gas, and coal sectors to measure, report and verify methane emissions (MRV) at the highest standard. Operators will need to carefully document all wells and mines, trace their emissions and take appropriate mitigation measures to prevent and minimize methane emissions in their operations, according to the proposal. In the oil and gas sector, operators will have to measure and draw reports on methane emissions that will be checked by independent accredited verifiers.

“This regulation will help us understand where methane emissions come from and address them effectively. This will help us meet our commitments under the Global Methane Pledge to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030,” Jozef Sikela, Czech minister of industry and trade, said in December.  

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

Another Strike Could Result In UK Oil, Gas Shutdowns

By Julianne Geiger - Apr 21, 2023

The United Kingdom’s oil and gas industry is bracing for another strike, after the British labor union Union announced that more than a thousand offshore workers would begin a 2-day strike starting on Monday.

The 1,300 offshore workers that are set to walk off the job for 48 hours starting on Monday could disrupt oil and gas production for BP, CNRI, EnQuest, Harbour, Ithaca, Shell, TAQA, and TotalEnergies.

The UK’s Unite Union called the strike, set to go into effect on Monday, earlier last month over pay issues.

The prospective action includes electrical, production, and mechanical technicians in addition to deck crew, scaffolders crane operators, pipefitters, platers, and riggers working for Bilfinger UK Limited, Stork construction, Petrofac Facilities Management, the Wood Group UK Limited, and Sparrows Offshore Services, according to the union. Offshore workers at those five companies have overwhelmingly voted in recent days to begin strike action as they demand a better deal on jobs, pay, and conditions.

“1400 offshore workers are now set to take strike action against these employers who are raking it but refusing to give them a fair share of the pie. This will create a tsunami of industrial unrest in the offshore sector,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said in March, arguing that oil and gas companies have profited handsomely over the last year and referring to drilling concessions as “effectively licences to print money.”

Monday’s strike will be the second in a series of planned strikes that began March 29 and will run until June 7, the Unite union announced at the onset of the first strike in the series.

France has recently been subjected to some striking action as well, as unions there mobilized French refinery workers last month. Those strikes blocked refined product shipments from the Donges and La Mede refineries and reduced output at the Normandy and Feyzin refineries.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

Shipping Companies Boost Cooperation With California Slowdown Program

John Calambokidis / Cascadia Research / NOAA

PUBLISHED APR 19, 2023 8:25 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Shipping companies showed an increased commitment to protecting whales off the coast of California last year, according to NOAA's Blue Whales and Blue Skies program - even during a booming container freight market, when operators had strong incentives to speed up.

The initiative asks participating vessel operators to transit at 10 knots or less near the state's busiest seaports from mid-May to mid-December, when whale activity and air pollution concerns are at their seasonal peaks. Traveling this speed reduces the risk of a fatal whale strike by an estimated 44 percent, and it cuts stack emissions in areas with longstanding air quality challenges. 

According to the program, participating ships transiting the Southern California voluntary speed reduction zone - a stretch of about 200 nautical miles between San Miguel Island and LA/Long Beach - chose to operate at the requested speed limit of 10 knots or less for 79 percent of all miles traveled last year. The organizers report that adherence has risen every season, and has come a long way since the 21 percent compliance recorded in this region in 2017. 

Cooperation also rose markedly last year off San Francisco, where the initiative has designated a set of corridors covering the traffic separation scheme (TSS) and extending north as far as Point Arena. In 2022, participating shipping companies stayed below 10 knots in this area about 72 percent of the time, up from 60 percent in 2021.

Eight participating companies achieved 85 percent compliance or better, the top-tier category. This is the largest number ever. These leaders included OOCL (with 95 percent adherence), MSC, Swire, Yang Ming, COSCO, NYK Ro-Ro, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and CSL.  

Overall, participating ships complied on nearly 260,000 out of 344,000 nm transited during the year (approximately 75 percent). This resulted in the elimination of about 920 tons of NOx and 32,000 tonnes of GHG emissions when compared with baseline operations - a 27 percent improvement on vessel climate performance relative to baseline.

The program is not the only voluntary speed cut initiative in California. A longstanding MOU between the Ports of LA and Long Beach and the shipping community requests operators to reduce speed to 12 knots within 20-40 nm of the port. Port of LA reports exceptionally high compliance with this voluntary measure, above 90 percent.

The Center for Biological Diversity has petitioned NOAA to make the vessel speed reductions mandatory on all transit miles in the covered areas, year-round. Noncooperating operators would also be required to participate for the first time, resulting in additional reductions in whale strike risk and emissions. NOAA declined the Center's petition in 2022, citing increasing compliance with the voluntary program, as well as surveys that show West Coast whale populations recovering despite the impact of ship strikes.