Podcast: How are the USA's historic new Vogtle nuclear units doing?

04 July 2024

Southern Nuclear's Senior Vice President at Vogtle 3 and 4, John Williams, on the achievement of completing the first new US nuclear power units in more than 30 years - and the lessons which can be shared.

Williams talks about the "tremendous pride" felt by everyone involved in completing the new units, with both Westinghouse AP1000s performing well and Vogtle 3 operating at 98% capacity since being put into service a year ago. As well as the direct jobs - 9000 workers were on site at peak construction - he says the new units are demonstrating the benefits of carbon-free energy, and the role that can be played in the future of energy in the US and further afield.

The project had many well-documented challenges to overcome - the impact of Fukushima, Westinghouse's Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 and the global pandemic - and Williams outlines some of the lessons learned which Southern Company - Southern Nuclear and Georgia Power's parent company - is committed to sharing with utilities in the US and other countries as they embark on their own projects.

The first lesson, he says, is the need for resilience, which has been demonstrated by the project partners Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities, and operator Southern Nuclear

Others include a "tremendous partnership" with the workforce, a constructive regulatory environment at both state and federal level and "we can't stress enough how important it is that the engineering design of a power plant is sufficiently complete to support efficient construction".

Vogtle 3 and 4, pictured in March 2024 (Image: Georgia Power)

 

He added: "Our last one that we always tell is that it's important that the owner and operator of the facility own the project from the beginning. There are myriad of commercial arrangements whereby these projects could get built, but whoever's going to own it and operate it is ultimately responsible for the cost for the schedule, for the regulatory compliance and we believe ownership by that owner operator is critical from the very beginning."

Williams said that over the years there have been "ebbs and flows but I think right now public opinion around nuclear energy is probably at its highest because people recognise the solution that it can play as we look to fight climate change. So we need reliable energy in a way that minimises impact to the environment. Nuclear energy is the right solution for that."

In the World Nuclear News round-up Claire Maden reports on the progress of the ADVANCE Act in the US, Kazakhstan's plans for a referendum later this year on new nuclear, and the latest uranium-mining developments in Niger.

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Episode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production 

US study examines feasibility of coal-to-nuclear conversion

10 July 2024

A study by researchers at the University of Michigan ranks the feasibility of converting 245 operational coal power plants in the USA into advanced nuclear reactors, providing valuable insights for policymakers and utilities to meet decarbonisation goals.

The Petersburg coal plant in Indiana was found to be the most feasible large plant to convert to nuclear (Image: AES Indiana)

In 2022, coal-fired power plants accounted for nearly 20% of total energy generation in the USA, resulting in the emission of 847 million metric tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 55% of the country's total CO2 emissions from the power sector.

Coal power plants (CPPs) are being phased out in many countries, including the USA. Utilities across the nation have incorporated the transition from coal-fired generation to cleaner energy resources into their Integrated Resource Plans. Furthermore, several utilities have set a goal to retire all CPPs within the next 15 years.

As part of this transition, there is a need to repurpose retired CPPs to alternative clean sources - one possibility is nuclear energy, which can generate the same stable base load of energy as coal but with zero carbon emissions, the study says.

Rather than establishing new sites, transitioning operational CPPs to nuclear plants can save time and money by using existing equipment like transmission lines and power system components. Surrounding communities also stand to benefit from the transition, retaining jobs and tax bases as coal plants are phased out.

The new University of Michigan study systematically evaluates the potential for coal-to-nuclear (C2N) energy transitions in the USA using the Siting Tool for Advanced Nuclear Development (STAND). Developed by the University of Michigan, National Reactor Innovation Center in Collaboration, Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, STAND enables users to input socioeconomic factors, safety, and proximity parameters to select potential advanced nuclear reactor development sites.

"The tool's ability to evaluate multiple sites simultaneously while balancing a suite of objectives offers a more scalable and robust analysis than previous studies, which focused on a few specific plants," the researchers noted.

The 245 operational coal plants studied were classified into two different groups based on their nameplate capacity. "Since advanced nuclear reactors are divided into various classes, such as microreactors, medium-scale reactors, and small modular reactors, it is necessary to categorise coal plants accordingly to match their capacity for a smooth transition to nuclear power," the study says.

Results revealed a broad spectrum of suitability levels and tradeoffs across different locations, highlighting both the feasibility and complexity of transitioning from coal to nuclear capacity. For the smaller electric capacity group, the feasibility score ranged from 51.52 to 84.31 out of 100 with a median of 66.53. The larger electric capacity group ranged in feasibility scores from 47.29 to 76.92 with a median of 63.97.

The R M Schahfer coal plant in Indiana emerged as the most feasible smaller electric capacity site, generating 1000 MWe or less, while the AES Petersburg plant in Indiana was top-ranked among the larger electric capacity sites, having generation capacity greater than 1000 MWe.

"The analysis conducted by STAND can benefit energy modelers, stakeholders, policymakers, utilities, and energy industries in making informed decisions," the study concludes. "It provides a top-down approach to assessing the potential for C2N transition in different coal sites. However, it is essential to emphasise that further on-site geological investigations, environmental assessments, and community engagement processes are necessary before finalising decisions related to reactor licensing."

"My hope is that this work, which looks at the potential for coal-to-nuclear transitions in a very granular way, for each coal plant across the country, can inform the national and state-level conversations that are unfolding in real time," said Aditi Verma, assistant professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences at University of Michigan and senior author of the study.

The study - published in Energy Reports - was sponsored by the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, funded through the Nuclear Energy University Program.

The possibility of replacing coal power plants with nuclear capacity is being actively explored in the USA and elsewhere. TerraPower in 2021 announced plans to build a demonstration unit of its Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor at a retired coal plant site in Wyoming; in 2022, the the Maryland Energy Administration announced its support for work to evaluate the possibility of repurposing a coal-fired electric generating facility with X-energy’s Xe-100 small modular reactor; and Holtec International recently said it is considering coal plant sites as possible locations for its SMR-160 with plans to bring the first unit online as early as 2029. In Poland, NuScale is exploring with energy company Unimot and copper and silver producer KGHM possibilities for its reactors to replace coal-fired power plants.

Dominion considers deploying SMR at North Anna

11 July 2024

US utility Dominion Energy has issued a Request for Proposals from small modular reactor vendors to evaluate the feasibility of developing an SMR at its North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia.

Governor Youngkin with plant employees after his ceremonial bill-signing at North Anna (Image: Dominion Energy)

"While the RFP is not a commitment to build an SMR at North Anna, it is an important first step in evaluating the technology and the North Anna site to support Dominion Energy customers' future energy needs consistent with the company's most recent Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)," Dominion said.

In its 2023 IRP, the company said it plans to continue evaluating the feasibility, operating parameters, and costs of SMRs and will update modeling assumptions related to SMRs in future filings.

"Potential cost reductions relative to the assumptions reflected in the 2023 Plan may be realised as the design of SMRs matures and as anticipated construction schedules are established. Based on updated capital, operating and maintenance costs, continued progress of licensing timelines, and new policy initiatives or legislative changes, it is conceivable that the deployment of SMRs could be further accelerated by the company, with the first SMR being placed in service within a decade," it said.

The issuance of the RFP was announced at an event on 10 July at the North Anna site. Company leaders were joined at the event by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, Virginia State Senator Dave Marsden, Virginia State Senator Mark Peake and Louisa County Board of Supervisors Chair Duane Adams, among other local and state leaders.

Dominion also announced that it intends to seek "rider recovery" of SMR development costs in a filing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission expected later this year. This was enabled by bipartisan legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year. Governor Youngkin ceremonially signed the legislation at the event at North Anna.

The legislation contains cost caps limiting current SMR development cost recovery to no more than USD1.40 per month for a typical residential customer. Dominion anticipates that its initial request will be substantially below that limit.

"For over 50 years nuclear power has been the most reliable workhorse of Virginia's electric fleet, generating 40% of our power and with zero carbon emissions," said Robert Blue, chair, president and CEO of Dominion Energy. "As Virginia's need for reliable and clean power grows, SMRs could play a pivotal role in an 'all-of-the-above' approach to our energy future. Along with offshore wind, solar and battery storage, SMRs have the potential to be an important part of Virginia's growing clean energy mix."

Governor Youngkin added: "The Commonwealth's potential to unleash and foster a rich energy economy is limitless. To meet the power demands of the future, it is imperative we continue to explore emerging technologies that will provide Virginians access to the reliable, affordable and clean energy they deserve. In alignment with our All-American, All-of-the-Above energy plan, small nuclear reactors will play a critical role in harnessing this potential and positioning Virginia to be a leading nuclear innovation hub."

The North Anna site is currently home to two 944 MWe pressurised water reactors, which began commercial operation in 1978 and 1980, respectively. Under their current licences, North Anna units 1 and 2 can continue to operate through 2038 and 2040, although Dominion has applied for 20-year extensions for both units.

Aalo prepares for US licensing of microreactor

10 July 2024

Aalo Atomics has submitted a pre-application regulatory engagement plan (REP) with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its Aalo-1 microreactor, detailing the planned pre-licensing application interactions with the regulator.

(Image: Aalo Atomics)

An REP helps reactor developers' early interactions with NRC staff and can reduce regulatory uncertainty and add predictability to licensing advanced technologies. There is no regulatory requirement for an REP, and the guidelines note that the topics and appropriate level of detail a prospective applicant would wish to include are entirely voluntary and should be agreed upon in discussions between the applicant and NRC staff.

Austin, Texas-headquartered Aalo said: "By setting expectations, building trust, and addressing the NRC's questions and concerns early on, we aim to create a safe, socially acceptable, and commercially viable Aalo-1 reactor for the Idaho Nuclear Project."

The company said that initially, this project will feature seven independent Aalo-1 reactors, potentially expanding to an additional seven reactor units.

"Once we get the green light and start construction, this will be the highest number of nuclear reactors at a single site in the US - a game-changer for small reactor clusters," Aalo said. "This plant will help our partner utility provide affordable, reliable electricity to meet current and future energy and sustainability needs. We aim to have it up and running by 2029."

In May, Aalo announced it had completed the conceptual design of the Aalo-1 - a factory-fabricated 10 MWe sodium-cooled microreactor that uses uranium zirconium hydride (UZrH) fuel elements. It plans to construct a full-scale, non-nuclear prototype of the reactor that will be used to test and refine its technology, ensuring that Aalo-1 meets its technical, regulatory, and economic targets.

The company also said in May that it had signed a siting memorandum of understanding with the Department of Energy (DOE), marking the first step towards deploying its first Aalo-1 reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site in Idaho. "While not yet confirmed, Aalo intends to leverage this siting MoU towards locating the first Aalo-1 reactor at the Central Facilities Area site within INL, a location chosen to collocate with newly constructed megawatt-scale electrolysers, and INL's upcoming hydrogen motorcoach fleet," Aalo said.

It plans to submit a combined construction and operating licence application (COLA) for the project in 2026.

In December last year, Aalo was among the first FY2024 recipients announced for GAIN vouchers. The federally funded vouchers aim to accelerate the innovation and application of advanced nuclear technologies by providing companies access to the extensive nuclear research capabilities and expertise of the US Department of Energy's national laboratory complex.

GAIN - Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear - is an initiative launched in 2016 by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy which helps businesses overcome critical technological and commercialisation challenges of nuclear energy technologies through a voucher system, giving stakeholders access to the DOE's R&D facilities and infrastructure to support the cost-effective development of innovative nuclear energy technologies. All awardees are responsible for a minimum 20% cost-share, which could be an in-kind contribution.

Aalo was awarded GAIN vouchers to collaborate with INL to evaluate modelling and simulation capabilities for the fuel and core system of the Aalo-1 microreactor, which is inspired by INL's planned MARVEL microreactor.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

EXPERIMENTAL-SCI-FI-TEK

AtkinsRéalis to design fusion plant for Type One Energy

11 July 2024

US fusion energy developer Type One Energy has selected Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRéalis to develop the pre-concept design for its Fusion Pilot Plant, which will use stellarator technology to demonstrate its potential to generate clean, safe and affordable power from fusion energy.

An impression of how the stellarator may look (Image: Type One Energy)

AtkinsRéalis said its UK-based fusion team will work alongside US capabilities and expertise to provide multi-disciplinary engineering services, to develop the full plant requirements, pre-conceptual facility designs, and a preliminary site layout. Working in close collaboration with Type One Energy, AtkinsRéalis will integrate established project delivery solutions alongside novel fusion technologies, seeking to de-risk the delivery of the fusion plant while optimising cost.

"This programme of work is the first step in a strategic partnership with Type One Energy as they commercialise their technology and progress the potential of fusion to power the US' energy transition," said Jason Dreisbach, director of advanced energy technologies at AtkinsRéalis. "With our global fusion expertise, we are uniquely positioned to support the transition of Type One Energy's fusion technology into a commercially viable and sustainable source of energy to power a net-zero future."

"We selected AtkinsRéalis because of its subject matter expertise across multiple disciplines, including engineering, planning, and deployment, as well as its accumulated knowledge and market presence in the emerging fusion technology space," said Type One Energy’s Vice President of Global Partnerships and Supply Chain Management Gregg Schneider. "We believe that developing long term business and functional level relationships will serve both parties as additional work scopes are contemplated over the next decade."

In February, Type One Energy announced plans to build Infinity One - its stellarator fusion prototype machine - at Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA's) Bull Run Fossil Plant in Clinton, Tennessee. The project is the result of a tri-party memorandum of understanding signed in 2023 between TVA, Type One Energy and the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in which the partners expressed an interest in the successful development and commercialisation of economic and practical fusion energy technologies.

The construction of Infinity One could begin in 2025, following the completion of necessary environmental reviews, partnership agreements, required permits, and operating licenses, Type One Energy noted. It will allow the company to verify important design features of its high field stellarator Fusion Pilot Plant, particularly those related to operating efficiency, reliability, maintainability, and affordability.

Type One Energy's Infinity One is a stellarator fusion reactor - different to a tokamak fusion reactor such as the Joint European Torus in the UK or the Iter device under construction in France. A tokamak is based on a uniform toroid shape, whereas a stellarator twists that shape in a figure-8. This gets round the problems tokamaks face when magnetic coils confining the plasma are necessarily less dense on the outside of the toroidal ring.

Type One Energy said it "applies proven advanced manufacturing methods, modern computational physics, and high-field superconducting magnets to develop its optimised stellarator fusion energy system".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 NUCLEAR WASTE 

Canadian town declares willingness to host repository

11 July 2024

The Township of Ignace in north-western Ontario has become the first community to confirm its willingness to move forward to the next phase of the site selection process to host a deep geological repository for Canada's used nuclear fuel.

NWMO President and CEO Laurie Swami congratulates Mayor Kim Baigrie on Ignace confirming that it is willing to host a deep geological repository (Image: NWMO)

Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) launched the process to select a suitable site for the deep geological repository (DGR) for Canada's used nuclear fuel in 2010. By 2012, 22 communities had expressed an interest in learning about the project and exploring their potential to host it. Eleven of those communities went forward to the second phase of NWMO's preliminary assessment process. By the end of 2019, the list of potential host communities had been narrowed down to two: the Revell Site, some 43 km northwest of the town of Ignace, and 21 km southeast of the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation; and the South Bruce Site, about 5 km northwest of Teeswater in the municipality of South Bruce.

Ignace's willingness process provided numerous opportunities for the community to provide input on the project. A multi-phased community engagement programme led by a third-party engagement consultant, With Chéla Inc, included direct dialogue with residents, youth engagement and a community vote open to residents 16 and older. In addition, a volunteer Willingness Ad Hoc Committee considered the results of the engagement activities and provided guidance to Council on the community’s willingness to host the project.

The recommendations to Council outlined that 77.3% (495 participants) voted in favour of becoming a willing host community, whilst 20.8% (133) voted against and 1.9% (12) abstained. With Chéla estimated there were 1035 eligible participants and 660 opted into the process.

At a special meeting on 10 July, Ignace Council unanimously accepted and endorsed a set of recommendations from the Willingness Ad Hoc Committee and passed a resolution addressed to NWMO that indicates that the town is a willing host community for the DGR.

"We are proudly the first community in Canada to be indicating our support and our willingness to continue in the selection process by the NWMO in the potential siting of the DGR project in this area," said Mayor Kim Baigrie. "The residents of the Township of Ignace have spoken loud and clear and we fully respect their direction as a Council, and we clearly have now indicated our support through an official resolution to the NWMO based on the recommendations from our Willingness Ad Hoc Committee members."

"The endorsement by Township Council of this recommendation from the Willingness Ad Hoc Committee in no way, either guarantees that the Township will host a deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel, or that a final decision by the NWMO has been made on the actual siting of this multi-billion-dollar project," Ignace Council noted in a statement. "It simply indicates, through an official resolution to NWMO, that the community of Ignace has undertaken a willingness process and has now agreed to continue to be a potential willing host towards the decision from NWMO slated for later this year."

A concept for the Canadian used nuclear fuel repository (Image: NWMO)

"We congratulate the Township and its residents for reaching this important step and admire the thought and care that has gone into this process and into shaping what the project could look like in the community," said NWMO Vice-President of Site Selection Lise Morton. "We could not have gotten to where we are today without the leadership and dedication to learning shown by the people of Ignace."

NWMO continues to collaborate with the three other communities involved in the site selection process to understand community willingness to move forward. Discussions are ongoing with Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) in the northwest, Saugeen Ojibway Nation (comprised of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation) and the Municipality of South Bruce in the southwest, which will hold a municipal referendum in October.

NWMO has always said that the project will only proceed in an area with informed and willing host communities, where the municipality, Indigenous peoples, and others in the area are working together to implement it.

The Ignace Council said it respects that a decision by WLON will also be required to proceed if northwestern Ontario is selected to host the DGR.

NWMO is expected to make a final decision on the siting of the DGR by the end of December 2024. Once the final site selection has been made, its safety will be confirmed through a rigorous regulatory review of the repository design and safety case. The regulatory and licensing process is expected to take about 10 years to complete.

Construction of the repository is expected to begin in 2033, with operations beginning in the early-2040s.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

UN motion calls for Zaporizhzhia plant's return to Ukrainian control

12 July 2024

The United Nations General Assembly voted by 99 votes to 9, with 60 abstentions, for Russia to "immediately return the plant to the full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine". Meanwhile the IAEA warns about the impact of the war on the city where most of the nuclear power plant workers live.

IAEA experts have been at the plant for nearly two years (Image: IAEA)

Extracts of United Nations resolution

The UN General Assembly resolution "demands that the Russian Federation urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorised personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and immediately return the plant to the full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine to ensure its safety and security and in order for the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct safe, efficient and effective safeguards implementation in accordance with the comprehensive safeguards agreement and additional protocol of Ukraine, consistent with the repeated calls by the General Conference and the Board of Governors of the Agency".

It also "calls upon the Russian Federation, until it returns the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant of Ukraine to the full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine, to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia with timely and full access to all areas at the plant that are important for nuclear safety and security in order to allow the Agency to report fully on the nuclear safety and security situation at the site".

And it calls upon "all parties to the armed conflict to implement fully the 'seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during an armed conflict' and the five concrete principles of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency to help to ensure nuclear safety and security at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant ... urges the Russian Federation to immediately remove all anti-personnel mines placed along the perimeter of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant".

What was Russia's reaction?

Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, was reported by the official Tass news agency as calling it "another nonconsensual, politicised draft [which] will have absolutely no effect on the ground, as the previous ones". The resolution was opposed by nine countries - Belarus, Burundi, North Korea, Cuba, Mali, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria and Eritrea - with the 60 abstaining including India and China.

Continuing IAEA concerns about safety at Zaporizhzhia

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in its latest update on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), said it was concerned about military action in the area and especially its impact on the workers who live in the nearby town of Energodar which has suffered power cuts, water shortages and forest fires over recent days.

The IAEA said it had been told by the operators of ZNPP an attack had damaged an electrical transformer in a sub-station in Energodar as well as shelling which damaged a water pumping station. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: "These latest attacks have not targeted the nuclear power plant directly, as in April. However, continued military activity in the region remains a serious concern and it is essential that the ... plant is protected to ensure nuclear safety and security. The sporadic loss of basic living essentials such as electricity and drinking water is affecting the staff and families at all nuclear power plants and facilities throughout Ukraine, potentially impacting on their ability to perform their important nuclear safety and security work."

The six unit nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022, is located on the frontline of the Russian and Ukrainian forces. There have been IAEA experts stationed at the site since September 2022 as part of efforts to support safety and security measures. They conduct regular walks and inspection of parts of the site, but have "continued to hear explosions and gunfire at various distances from the plant on a near daily basis over the past week".

They also reported that the recent hot weather had led to the level of the cooling pond dropping by about one centimetre a day, falling to below 15 metres for the first time since the Kakhovka dam was destroyed last year.

Elsewhere in Ukraine

The IAEA also has experts stationed at Ukraine's other nuclear power plants - Khmelnitsky, Rivne and South Ukraine, as well as at Chernobyl - and they report that nuclear safety and security is being maintained. The IAEA also says that a further four deliveries of equipment took place over the past week to support Ukraine in maintaining nuclear safety and security - bringing the total number of deliveries to 55 since the war began.

The Rivne nuclear power plant received measurement instruments, Khmelnitsky got filter absorbers, there was nuclear security equipment for State Enterprise USIE Izotop and also power supply units for the radiation monitoring network operated by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 British Columbia

Teck Coal charged for alleged dumping harmful to fish in B.C

Environment Canada said the charges stem from an investigation that began in March 2023

The Canadian Press · Posted: Jul 11, 2024 

A sign welcomes people to Sparwood, B.C., near Teck Coal's Line Creek operations. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

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Environment Canada has laid five charges against Teck Coal Limited after the company was alleged to have dumped harmful substances into waters frequented by fish in southeastern B.C.

The department says the charges for violations of the Fisheries Act stem from an investigation that began in March 2023. 

It says officers were looking into an allegation that the resource company deposited a substance into Dry Creek from its Line Creek Operations coal mine and into the adjacent Fording River. Both bodies of water are frequented by fish, according to the ministry.

• IN DEPTH
  Tracing the toxic impact of B.C. coal mining

Environment Canada says a so-called deleterious substance can include oil, chemicals and pesticides that, if added to water, would degrade or alter the water quality to the point that it could harm fish.

Prior to this legal challenge, Teck Coal had also been fined tens of millions of dollars for contaminating waterways in B.C. over the years.

• Coal company Teck fined $60M for contaminating rivers in southeastern B.C.

• B.C. fines Teck Coal $16 million for contaminating Kootenay waterways

• $6.4B needed to clean toxic selenium from B.C. coal mines: report

The five recent charges against the company have not been tested in court. The ministry's news release does not indicate a court date. 

On Thursday, Teck also announced that the company has closed the sale of its B.C. coal mining operations to Glencore. When reached for comment, the spokesperson for Teck referred CBC News to the Swiss commodities giant.

• Teck closes sale of B.C. coal mining operations to Swiss company

Glencore said in a statement to CBC News that the Elk Valley Resources business will be liable for any penalties payable from the charges.

"We will not comment further on ongoing legal matters but will honour the commitments made under the ICA and note that EVR has made significant progress in advancing the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan and will continue these efforts," the statement said. 

With files from Alex Nguyen

Environment and Climate Change Canada Enforcement lays five charges for contraventions of subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act 

Français

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Jul 11, 2024,


CRANBROOK, BC, July 11, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the health, safety, and environment of Canadians. Environment and Climate Change Canada enforces the laws that protect the air, water, and natural environment in Canada, and it takes pollution incidents and threats to the environment very seriously.

On July 10, 2024, Environment and Climate Change Canada Enforcement laid five charges against Teck Coal Limited for contraventions of subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act. Under subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act, it is prohibited to deposit or to permit the deposit of a deleterious (harmful) substance into water frequented by fish, or in any place where the deleterious substance may enter any such water.

The charges stem from an investigation opened by Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers on March 7, 2023. The investigation was conducted into alleged deleterious (harmful) deposits into Dry Creek on Teck Coal Limited's Line Creek Operations Mine in British Columbia, and the adjacent Fording River.

All charges are currently before the Court, and they have not yet been proven. Under Canadian law, those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, Environment and Climate Change Canada will not be commenting further at this time.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has created a free subscription service to help Canadians stay current with what the Government of Canada is doing to protect the natural environment.

Quick factsEnvironment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers are responsible for administering and enforcing the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act.
Dry Creek and the Fording River are waters frequented by fish, as defined under the Fisheries Act.
Mining of coal can create large volumes of waste rock that, when exposed to water and air, may accelerate the release of contaminants including (but not limited to) selenium and nitrate.
A deleterious substance can be any substance such as oil, chemicals, and pesticides that if added to water would degrade or alter the water quality to the point that it could harm fish.
The Fisheries Act allows for two types of charges —those by summary conviction and the other by indictment. The charges against the company were laid by indictment. Offences charged by indictment are deemed more serious.

Associated linksFisheries Act (Pollution Prevention Provisions)
Frequently Asked Questions: Fisheries Act Pollution Prevention Provisions
Testing for Toxicity to Fish

Environment and Climate Change Canada's X (Twitter) page

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

China pauses new coal-based steelmaking for first time in years

Bloomberg News | July 11, 2024 | 

The production of steel currently accounts for 8% of the world’s total carbon emissions. 

(Stock image by Anelo.)

China didn’t permit any coal-based steelmaking projects in the first half of the year for the first time since announcing its major climate neutrality goals in 2020, according to a report released Thursday.


All 7.1 million tons a year of steelmaking capacity permitted by provincial governments in the first half used electric arc furnaces, a cleaner process that runs on recycled scrap and electricity, said the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air in its report on Thursday.

Greening the steel industry, China’s second largest source of carbon emissions at 15%, is a vital part of the country’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2060. Beijing has been taking measures including curbing crude steel output and promoting cleaner steelmaking technology over the past years. But challenges remain as mills struggle with low margins in a weak economy.

The move to stop permitting coal-based projects could be a turning point in China’s steel decarbonization progress, CREA said. It will keep China on track to cut 200 million tons of carbon dioxide from the steel industry by 2025, a 10% drop from its peak in 2020, said the research organization.

The world’s biggest steel user announced a new 2024-2025 action plan for the sector in May, which sets a 53 million-ton emissions reduction target and restricts exports of low-value iron and steel products.

“As China’s steel demand peaks and more scrap becomes available, it brings us a major opportunity to reduce emissions over the next 10 years,” Xinyi Shen, the lead author, said in the report.

(By Audrey Wan)

Polish miner found alive after more than 48 hours trapped underground

Reuters | July 13, 2024 | 3:35 pm News Europe Coal

Hardhat in a coal mine. (Image from RawPixel, CC0).

A Polish coal miner trapped underground since Thursday was found alive by rescuers on Saturday, local media reported.


The Rydultowy mine in southern Poland, operated by state-controlled group PGG, was hit by a tremor at around 06:00 GMT on Thursday about 1,200 metres (3,960 feet) below ground.

One miner died as a result of the tremor and some 76 were brought to the surface alive by rescuers on Thursday, with 17 taken to hospital.

State-run news channel TVP Info reported that the miner was conscious when rescuers reached him. Private broadcaster RMF FM said a helicopter was at the mine to transport him to hospital.

Most of the miners who went to hospital have now been discharged, TVP Info reported.

(By Alan Charlish; Editing by Mark Potter)

One miner dead after tremor in Poland, one still missing

Reuters | July 11, 2024 | 

Coal mine in Poland (Credit: PGG)

One miner died and one was still trapped underground after a pit in southern Poland was struck by an earth tremor, mine owner PGG said on Thursday evening.


Representatives of the mine said earlier that one of the miners was being brought to the surface without giving any details on his condition.


Some 76 miners had been brought to the surface earlier and 17 had been taken to nearby hospitals with one seriously hurt, PGG CEO Leszek Pietraszek said during a televised news conference in the afternoon.

PGG spokesperson Aleksandra Wysocka-Siembiga earlier said the tremor occurred at around 06:00 GMT about 1,200 metres (3,960 feet) below ground at the Rydultowy mine.

(By Alan Charlish, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk and Anna Koper; Editing by Mark Heinrich, David Holmes, Barbara Lewis, David Evans and Sandra Maler)

Column: After another boom and bust, where next for lithium?

CENTRAL PLANNING PERHAPS

Reuters | July 14, 2024 |

(Stock Image)

Lithium boom has turned to lithium bust over the last two years as a wave of new supply overwhelms weaker-than-expected demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.


The CME contract for lithium hydroxide has collapsed from a 2022 high of $85,000 per metric ton to $11,930. The CME carbonate contract was above $40,000 when it began trading in July 2023 and has since slumped to $12,850.

Lithium has been here before. There was a similar boom-bust cycle in 2016-2017 but the difference this time is that no-one seems to be expecting a speedy recovery.

The short-term outlook is for prices to trundle along at the lows as the market digests surplus material.

The longer-term picture is more positive as governments force the transition to electric vehicles but there will be no return to the giddy heights of 2022 in the next 10 years, according to analysts at BMI, a Fitch Solutions company.

Don’t be too quick to write off either lithium or the electric vehicle sector, though. The current price bust has been exacerbated by one-offs on both the supply and demand sides of the equation.

CME lithium hyroxide and carbonate prices

Too much supply

Lithium producers view their product as a bespoke chemical tailored to battery-makers’ tight specifications rather than as a generic commodity.

Yet lithium’s price behaviour is that of any other commodity, periods of high pricing encouraging over-production which must then be weeded out by periods of low pricing.

That pattern is currently playing out as producers trim output and defer expansion plans in reaction to the new much lower price reality.

One little-discussed element of the current glut, however, is the surge in artisanal mining (ASM) in Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

Research house CRU estimates that artisanal miners accounted for almost two-thirds of African lithium supply in 2023 with volumes nearly equivalent to the global market surplus last year.

African shipments of ore and low-grade concentrates accounted for a quarter of China’s total lithium imports in the first quarter of this year on a metal contained basis, according to CRU.

Chinese entities are heavily involved in formalising artisanal supply which is centred on previous tin and tantalum mining areas.

However, ASM is particularly price sensitive. The current wave of independent production began when the price of spodumene ore was still above $6,000 per ton at the start of 2023. It is now closer to $1,000, challenging the economic viability of all but the richest of deposits.

More formalisation may result but as the cobalt market has learnt, ASM can be a very significant and very fast-moving swing component of the overall supply picture.

Too little demand

Compounding lithium’s price weakness has been a downgrade in expectations for EV sales as the Chinese market matures and the Western market loses some of its recent momentum.

The EV revolution has hit a slow patch but is far from going into reverse. BNP Paribas, for example, is still expecting global sales growth of 23% this year, equivalent to over 18.7 million vehicles.

What has changed, however, is the product mix. Sales of pure battery vehicles are flat-lining, while sales of hybrid gas-electric vehicles are booming, even in China.

Chinese sales of plug-in hybrids jumped by 90% year-on-year in April and May, while those of pure electric vehicles rose by a comparatively modest 10%, according to BNP.

This may be good news for the broader energy transition but it’s not so good for lithium since many hybrids use a nickel hydride battery with no lithium, the bank notes.

Hybrids, once viewed as a mere stepping stone on the journey from internal combustion to fully electric engines are proving remarkably popular with consumers worried about charging infrastructure and the relatively high cost of pure battery vehicles.

Automakers are responding. Stellantis, which saw hybrid sales grow by 41% year-on-year in Europe in the first half of the year, plans to expand its line of affordable hybrid vehicles to 36 models in Europe by 2026.

So too are governments. The Joe Biden administration has rowed back on its target of converting two-thirds of new vehicles to battery electric vehicles by 2032, allowing auto-makers to step up production of hybrids instead.

Full charge ahead

The automotive energy transition is still in full swing but is not matching the exuberant forecasts made a couple of years ago.

There is now too much lithium supply and too much battery capacity relative to consumer demand for electric vehicles.

The slowdown could easily reverse.

One critical facilitator will be the build-out of EV charging infrastructure, a sector which has attracted far less investment than battery manufacturing.

Car buyers in Europe and the United States are choosing hybrids because of range anxiety and they will continue to do so until they see more charging points.

The second key factor is price, with electric vehicles still more expensive than traditional cars everywhere outside of China.

Lithium price surge unlikely to return: Fitch

Just as high lithium prices were good news for producers but not battery-makers, current low prices are bad news for the lithium sector but very good news for consumers in the form of lower battery prices.

Lithium-ion battery packs registered a 7% increase in price between 2021 and 2022, breaking a long-running downtrend, according to the International Energy Agency. High lithium prices were matched by bull markets in other battery inputs such as cobalt, nickel and graphite.

Battery prices are now tumbling as prices for lithium and other materials fall.

The average Asian nickel-cobalt-manganese battery cell price fell to $90 per kilowatt hour in May, according to analysts at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. That was the lowest since 2021 and a long way off the March 2022 peak of $166.

The seeds of the next lithium upswing are already being sown in the current low-price environment.

It will likely not match the spectacular boom of 2022 but lithium’s history of price volatility isn’t over yet.

(The opinions expressed here are those of the author, Andy Home, a columnist for Reuters.)

(Editing by Jane Merriman)