China Steps Up Game With 1st ‘Floating Oil Factory’ 

By Alex Kimani - Jun 16, 2023, 

China has delivered its first smart floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) with land-sea integrated operation system, marking a breakthrough in the country's application of the digital twin technology. The offshore oil and gas FPSO with a storage capacity of 100,000 tons is the first of its kind in China and employs diverse cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, cloud computing, big data and the internet of things (IoT). The ship can process oil and gas on the sea thus eliminating the need for piping from offshore rigs to onshore factories.

The ship is equipped with more than 8,000 sensors that monitor temperature, pressure and liquid level data and transmits it to the server room. In addition to the on-board system, China has also built a digital twin of the ship onshore in the smart control center in Shenzhen City, a full 1,000 kilometers away from the real ship. The digital twin, a virtual replica of the offshore ship, will be used to monitor the production process in real-time.

Floating oil and gas processing and storage platforms are becoming increasingly popular. Last year, Demand for LNG floating storage and regasification units (LNG-FSRUs) recorded a sharp increase as Europe scrambled to fill its gas stores ahead of winter. Demand for LNG imports  intensified after the ruptures on the key Nord Stream pipeline system quashed any prospect of Russia turning its gas taps back on. This forced dozens of countries in Europe to turn to FSRUs or floating LNG terminals, which are essentially mobile terminals that unload the super-chilled fuel and pipe it into onshore networks.

Currently, there are 48 FSRUs in operation globally, with Rystad Energy revealing that all but six of them are locked into term charters. 

According to energy think-tank Ember, the EU has lined up plans for as many as 19 new FSRU projects at an estimated cost of €9.5bn. 

The biggest beneficiaries are Korean shipbuilding, for whom FSRUs are a major revenue-generator. South Korea is the definitive world leader in the FSRU sector, and recently built the country's first ammonia FSRU.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

China Is Quickly Becoming The World’s Largest Refiner

By Irina Slav - Jun 15, 2023

• IEA: China is on its way to becoming the country with the greatest oil refining capacity in the world.
• 
  
• China overtook the United States to become the world’s largest refiner last year.
• 
  
• China’s total refining capacity could total 19.7 million barrels daily by 2028.
• 
  

In its new medium-term report on oil that came out last week, the International Energy Agency predicted that oil demand will peak by 2028.

This is not the first time the IEA is predicting peak oil and the reason is also the same as the reason for previous predictions to this tune: a surge in EV adoption that would displace demand for fuels.

Yet the new IEA report also mentioned something else that would probably make politicians in Europe and North America who want to ban internal combustion engines quite happy.

What the report mentioned was that China is on its way to becoming the country with the greatest oil refining capacity in the world. And this would make it the single biggest supplier of things like gasoline and diesel to the world. With the power to dictate prices.

This is what Reuters columnist Clyde Russell noted this in a column dedicated to this part of the IEA report. “China's refined product exports are subject to quotas granted by Beijing, which acts more in what it deems the interests of the domestic economy and markets, rather than what the global markets may be signalling,” Russell wrote.

The IEA itself also recognised China’s growing role as fuel supplier to the world by pointing out that “Crucially, our forecast for product balances is heavily dependent on higher Chinese product exports, especially for diesel.”

China overtook the United States to become the world’s largest refiner last year, the IEA also noted in its report, but it is not stopping there. Instead, refiners in China are building even more capacity, with the total set to reach 19.7 million barrels daily by 2028. Of this, more than 3 million barrels daily will be spare capacity, the IEA said.

The presence of this spare capacity suggests that China may be planning to really become the world’s fuel supplier after European and U.S. refiners shut down their facilities under the weight of ICE phase-out mandates or convert them to biofuel production plants. Because China knows that you can’t ban ICE cars and switch entirely to EVs.

China is not only the world’s biggest refiner of oil. The country is also the biggest market for electric vehicles in the world. The IEA forecast that by 2028, there will be more than 155 million EVs sold in total globally. More than half of these cars, the report added, will be sold in China.

Already, China accounts for more than half of global EV sales. Yet at the same time it is building more oil refining capacity. On the face of it, this may look odd and possibly even irrational. It could indeed be a miscalculation and China could end up with several million barrels in unused and unusable oil refining capacity as demand for fuels slumps.

On the other hand, it might be the same thing that China is doing with wind, solar, and coal. One of the other things that the country is the biggest in is wind and solar generation capacity. At the same time, it is also the most active builder of new coal plants, too. Because, as stated by government officials, China is all in on all energy and is not picking favourites.

China is going to become the world’s refiner. The size of its exports will depend on what the ruling party decides should be exported. And this means that China will have its hand on the global fuel price lever the way OPEC has its hand on the crude oil price lever.

Those ICE bans in the EU, Britain, and California might end up being a necessity rather than a transition-happy whim. And even then, there will be no escape from dependence on China: the biggest producer and processor of battery minerals in the world.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

China Bets On Ultra-Deepwater Oil And Gas

By Alex Kimani - Jun 15, 2023

• China’s CNPC is venturing into ultra-deepwater oil and gas exploration.
• 
  
• Deepwater production remains the fastest-growing upstream oil and gas segment.
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• Xinhua: CNPC will drill a test borehole of up to 11,000 meters.

The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the government-owned parent company of  PetroChina, and Cnooc (OTCPK: CEOHF) has kicked off ultra-deepwater exploratory drilling for oil and gas as the country looks to wean itself of foreign oil. 

According to Chinese news agency Xinhua Global Service, CNPC will drill a test borehole of up to 11,000 meters (36,089 feet), the country’s deepest ever, which will help it better understand the Earth’s internal structure better, as well as to test underground drilling techniques.

CNPC’s borehole depth is not far from Qatar’s world record of 12,289 meters (40,318 feet) for a petroleum well depth that was drilled in the Al Shaheen Oil Field in 2008 or Russia’s Kola Superdeep well that reached a depth of 12,262 meters (40,230 feet).

In the oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) industry, deepwater is defined as water depth greater than 1,000 feet while ultra-deepwater is defined as depths greater than 5,000 feet. 

Deepwater Boom

But China is not the only country willing to drill to ridiculous depths in the pursuit of energy security.

Deepwater oil and gas production is set to increase by 60% by 2030, to contribute 8% of overall upstream production, according to a new report from Wood Mackenzie, as cited by Rig Zone. 

Ultra-deepwater production is set to continue growing at breakneck speed to account for half of all deepwater production by 2030.

Deepwater production remains the fastest-growing upstream oil and gas segment with production expected to hit 10.4 million boe/d in 2022 from just 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) in 1990. Wood Mackenzie has predicted that by the end of the decade, that figure will pass 17 million boe/d.

Norway's Aker BP (NYSE:BP) (OTCQX:AKRBF) is the latest oil major to make an ultra-deepwater discovery. At a total depth of 8,168 m, Aker BP says the well is the longest exploration well drilled in offshore Norway. The much bigger than expected oil discovery was made in the Yggdrasil area of the North Sea.

Preliminary estimates indicate a gross recoverable volume of 40 million-90 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), much higher than the company’s earlier projection of between 18 million and 45 million boe. The discovery will significantly enhance the company’s resource base for the Yggdrasil development, which previously was estimated at 650M gross boe.The oil discovery is located within production licenses 873 and 442: In license 873, with Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) and PGNiG Upstream Norway as partners. The plan for development and operations (PDO) for this project was submitted to Norwegian authorities in December 2022, with production scheduled to start in 2027.

In 2021, U.S. oil and gas major Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) made a big deepwater oil and gas find. Exxon announced that it had made two more discoveries at the Sailfin-1 and Yarrow-1 wells in the Stabroek block offshore Guyana, bringing discoveries on the block to more than 30 since 2015.  Exxon revealed that the Sailfin-1 well was drilled in 4,616 feet of water and encountered 312 feet of hydrocarbon-bearing sandstone, while the Yarrow-1 well was drilled in 3,560 feet of water and encountered 75 feet of hydrocarbon-bearing sandstone.

Exxon did not disclose how much crude oil or gas it estimates the new discoveries to contain, but hiked a previous output forecast for the third quarter from older discoveries in the region. 

The supermajor has boosted development and production offshore Guyana at a pace that "far exceeds the industry average”. Exxon’s two sanctioned offshore Guyana projects, Liza Phase 1 and Liza Phase 2, are now producing above design capacity and have already achieved an average of nearly 360K bbl/day of oil. The supermajor expects total production from Guyana to cross a million barrels per day by the end of this decade.

Exxon said a third project, Payara, is expected to launch by year-end 2023 while a fourth project, Yellowtail, could kick off operations in 2025. 

Exxon is the operator of the Stabroek block where it holds a 45% interest while partners Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) and Cnooc hold a 30% and 25% interest, respectively. Exxon’s oil and gas production is well below record levels, averaging 3.7M boe/day, nearly 9% below 4.1M boe/day set in 2016.

By Alex KImani for Oilprice.com

MONOPOLY CAPITALI$M

Tesla’s New Charging Standard Makes Competition Near-Impossible

By ZeroHedge - Jun 14, 2023Tesla's NACS, now supported by Ford and GM, accounts for 72% of the U.S. market, outpacing its closest competitor, the CSS.

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• Despite current federal funding favoring the CCS format, there's flexibility for NACS to meet the minimum standards for government funding, paving the way for increased infrastructure.
• 
  
• The support for NACS is likely to increase the number of charging stations, with major companies such as ABB, Blink Charging, and Chargepoint, among others, announcing their backing. Ford and GM will start adding NACS to their vehicles from 2024-2025.
• 
  

Now that Ford and GM are joining forces with Tesla on charging infrastructure, the industry tide seems to be turning to one accepted standard: Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) port.

Brilliantly using an analogue to the old Blu-ray vs HD DVD wars of days past, The Verge highlights how Tesla is shouldering its way to the front of the line when it comes to EV charging protocols.

Combined with Ford and GM, Tesla's standard now makes up 72% of the U.S. market. Its closest competitor, the CCS, gets the ill fated comparison to HD DVD, the now defunct video format from years past.

With Ford and GM agreeing to use that charging standard, it’s a bit like Samsung saying they will use the Apple lightning charger on its phones.”

CCS is still on the dole from the U.S. government, however, as federal funding remains limited to the CCS format, the report says. 

White House spokesperson Robyn Patterson told the Verge that there are minimum standards chargers must meet to get funding, but that NACS could meet this threshold: “Those standards give flexibility for adding both CCS and NACS, as long as drivers can count on a minimum of CCS.”

Guidehouse Insights principle research analyst Sam Abuelsamid added: “I’m guessing that lobbyists from GM and Ford are talking DOE to get those rules changed ASAP.”

Here are the charging station companies that have announced support for NACS, according to a newly released report from electrek:

• ABB
• Blink Charging
• Chargepoint
• EVgo
• FLO
• Tritium
• Wallbox

Tesla has 45,000 charging stations around the world, 12,000 of which are in the U.S. Tesla owners also receive a J1772 adapter with their car that allows them to access more than 53,000 other Level 2 stations in North America. 

The number of stations will likely increase now that Ford and GM are adding NACS natively to future vehicles, beginning in 2024-2025.

Edmunds executive director of insights Jessica Caldwell concluded: “Behind cost, consumers’ biggest concern when considering an EV purchase involves charging as it’s an overwhelming unknown to so many."

She finished: "And for EVs to truly take off, there needs to be some standardization so consumers feel comfortable knowing they have ample charging locations to turn to and won’t be left stranded on the side of the road.”

How Chinese Military Equipment Found Its Way Into The Ukraine War

By RFE/RL staff - Jun 14, 2023

• Chinese-made military equipment, including a multipurpose vehicle model called the Tiger, has been spotted in use on the Ukrainian battlefield, raising suspicions about China's covert role in the conflict.
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• While there's no concrete evidence of China providing formal military aid to Russia, Chinese exporters have reportedly supplied components of weapon systems to sanctioned Russian defense companies, indicating a possible loophole in sanction enforcement.
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• Recent investigations have traced the flow of Chinese components into Iran, then to Russia, and finally used against Ukraine, highlighting the complex supply chains that can circumvent sanctions.
• 
  

It's been a constant since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but Chinese parts and components -- as well as drones and some weapons -- are finding their way onto the battlefield and helping Russia's military.

Finding Perspective: The issue was pushed back into the spotlight following a video posted to Telegram by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov showcasing an array of new military equipment, including eight Chinese-made unarmed armored personnel carriers.

The vehicles appeared to be a multipurpose model called the Tiger or China Tiger and the video brought renewed scrutiny of Chinese weaponry helping the Kremlin's war effort -- a possibility raised by Western governments and experts for some time.

It's difficult to determine when or how the Chinese vehicles ended up in Chechnya, or how they might be deployed on the battlefield -- if at all.

While the equipment is no doubt Chinese-made, multiple military experts I spoke with said it was unlikely this was from a formal sale, saying that the Tiger is widely exported around the world -- including across Africa and to Tajikistan -- and that Kadyrov states in the video that "we regularly purchase military equipment that helps our fighters be more effective in solving the tasks assigned to them."

Why It Matters: There is no evidence so far that China has provided any formal military aid, such as shipments of ammunition or full weapons systems.

Doing so would bring major reputational costs to Beijing and China has instead pivoted to taking up a diplomatic position around the war to frame itself as a peacemaker.

Still, Chinese exporters have supplied components of weapons systems and dual-use technology to sanctioned Russian defense companies.

A new report from The Wall Street Journal found that Iranian drones used by Russia in Ukraine had new Chinese parts that were made this year.

The revelation shows that new Chinese components are continuing to flow into Iran, where they then make their way to Russia. According to an investigation, the Chinese part was made in January, shipped to Iran, installed, and then sent to Russia and used against Ukraine in April.

While this stops short of full-blown military support, it highlights the complexities of supply chains and the multitude of ways countries can still skirt sanctions.

Another recent investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project tracked an export path for Chinese drones from China to Russia to the battlefield via the Netherlands and Kazakhstan through a collection of Russian-owned companies.

Expert Corner: Slovakia, Elections, And Taiwan

Readers asked: "Along with the Czech Republic, Slovakia has been one of Taiwan's strongest supporters in Europe. The country is set to hold parliamentary elections in late September amid rising populism and growing pro-Russian, anti-Ukraine rhetoric on the political spectrum. How might that affect relations with Taipei?"

To find out more, I asked Matej Simalcik, the executive director of the Central European Institute of Asian Studies in Bratislava:

"There's still time until the elections and the polling is not yet conclusive about what the result may be or what kind of constellation of parties can form a coalition. But at the moment, the election could go either way and that could impact relations with China and Taiwan, even though neither are big election topics in Slovakia.

"In general, you can divide Slovak politicians into three groups when it comes to China. The first are those that are pragmatically pro-Chinese and see it as a source of economic benefits. The second are more ideologically inclined towards China. These two groups are mixed and matched across several political parties, but share elements of their worldview when it comes to economics and politics that tends to favor Chinese interests. The third group are those that are opponents of China ideologically while calling for some form of limited trade relations.

"Should the opposition form a government [likely led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer-SD party] then we'd see the first two groups have a larger voice. It's also important to observe that many of these politicians that tend to be pro-Chinese are also pro-Russian and they don't back China out of sheer goodwill. It's generally a very cold political calculus where they can use China in a way that fits into their anti-West narratives related to domestic politics or the war in Ukraine."

By RFE/RL

Bacteria Breakthrough Could Simplify Rare Earth Element Processing

By Brian Westenhaus - Jun 17, 2023

• The research from Penn State discovered a new method of separating rare earth elements using bacterial protein, which has a unique ability to distinguish between different rare earths.
• 
  
• The bacterial protein was isolated from a specific type of bacteria found naturally in English oak buds and showed a strong capability to differentiate between lighter and heavier rare earth elements.
• 
  
• This discovery could lead to more efficient, environmentally friendly mining and recycling practices for the tech sector, fundamentally changing how critical minerals like rare earths are harvested and purified.

Penn State scientists have discovered a new mechanism by which bacteria can select between different rare earth elements. That is using the ability of a bacterial protein to bind to another unit of itself, or ‘dimerize,’ when it is bound to certain rare earths, but prefer to remain a single unit, or ‘monomer,’ when bound to others.

The research paper reporting the discovery has been published in the journal Nature.

Penn State researchers have discovered a protein found naturally in a bacterium (Hansschlegelia quercus) isolated from English oak buds exhibits strong capabilities to differentiate between rare earths. Harnessing its power could revolutionize the entire tech sector by fundamentally changing how critical minerals like rare earths are harvested and purified. Image Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

The discovery is important because rare earth elements, like neodymium and dysprosium, are critical components to almost all modern technologies, from smartphones to hard drives, but they are notoriously hard to separate from the Earth’s crust and from one another.

By figuring out how this molecular handshake works at the atomic level, the researchers have found a way to separate these similar metals from one another quickly, efficiently, and under normal room temperature conditions. This strategy could lead to more efficient, greener mining and recycling practices for the entire tech sector, the researchers state.

Joseph Cotruvo Jr., associate professor of chemistry at Penn State and lead author of the paper said, “Biology manages to differentiate rare earths from all the other metals out there – and now, we can see how it even differentiates between the rare earths it finds useful and the ones it doesn’t. We’re showing how we can adapt these approaches for rare earth recovery and separation.”

Rare earth elements, which include the lanthanide metals, are in fact relatively abundant, Cotruvo explained, but they are what mineralogists call “dispersed,” meaning they’re mostly scattered throughout the planet in low concentrations.

“If you can harvest rare earths from devices that we already have, then we may not be so reliant on mining it in the first place,” Cotruvo said. However, he added that regardless of source, the challenge of separating one rare earth from another to get a pure substance remains.

“Whether you are mining the metals from rock or from devices, you are still going to need to perform the separation. Our method, in theory, is applicable for any way in which rare earths are harvested,” he said.

All the same — and completely different

 In simple terms, rare earths are 15 elements on the periodic table – the lanthanides, with atomic numbers 57 to 71 – and two other elements with similar properties that are often grouped with them. The metals behave similarly chemically, have similar sizes, and, for those reasons, they often are found together in the Earth’s crust. However, each one has distinct applications in technologies.

Conventional rare earth separation practices require using large amounts of toxic chemicals like kerosene and phosphonates, similar to chemicals that are commonly used in insecticides, herbicides and flame retardants, Cotruvo explained. The separation process requires dozens or even hundreds of steps, using these highly toxic chemicals, to achieve high-purity individual rare earth oxides.

“There is getting them out of the rock, which is one part of the problem, but one for which many solutions exist,” Cotruvo said. “But you run into a second problem once they are out, because you need to separate multiple rare earths from one another. This is the biggest and most interesting challenge, discriminating between the individual rare earths, because they are so alike. We’ve taken a natural protein, which we call lanmodulin or LanM, and engineered it to do just that.”

Learning from nature

Cotruvo and his lab turned to nature to find an alternative to the conventional solvent-based separation process, because biology has already been harvesting and harnessing the power of rare earths for millennia, especially in a class of bacteria called “methylotrophs” that often are found on plant leaves and in soil and water and play an important role in how carbon moves through the environment.

Six years ago, the lab isolated lanmodulin from one of these bacteria, and showed that it was unmatched – over 100 million times better – in its ability to bind lanthanides over common metals like calcium. Through subsequent work they showed that it was able to purify rare earths as a group from dozens of other metals in mixtures that were too complex for traditional rare earth extraction methods. However, the protein was less good at discriminating between the individual rare earths.

Cotruvo explained that for the new study detailed in Nature, the team identified hundreds of other natural proteins that looked roughly like the first lanmodulin but homed in on one that was different enough – 70% different – that they suspected it would have some distinct properties. This protein is found naturally in a bacterium (Hansschlegelia quercus) isolated from English oak buds.

The researchers found that the lanmodulin from this bacterium exhibited strong capabilities to differentiate between rare earths. Their studies indicated that this differentiation came from an ability of the protein to dimerize and perform a kind of handshake. When the protein binds one of the lighter lanthanides, like neodymium, the handshake (dimer) is strong. By contrast, when the protein binds to a heavier lanthanide, like dysprosium, the handshake is much weaker, such that the protein favors the monomer form.

“This was surprising because these metals are very similar in size,” Cotruvo said. “This protein has the ability to differentiate at a scale that is unimaginable to most of us – a few trillionths of a meter, a difference that is less than a tenth of the diameter of an atom.”

Fine-tuning rare earth separations

 To visualize the process at such a small scale, the researchers teamed up with Amie Boal, Penn State professor of chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, who is a co-author on the paper. Boal’s lab specializes in a technique called X-ray crystallography, which allows for high-resolution molecular imaging.

The researchers determined that the protein’s ability to dimerize dependent on the lanthanide to which it was bound came down to a single amino acid – 1% of the whole protein – that occupied a different position with lanthanum (which, like neodymium, is a light lanthanide) than with dysprosium.

Because this amino acid is part of a network of interconnected amino acids at the interface with the other monomer, this shift altered how the two protein units interacted. When an amino acid that is a key player in this network was removed, the protein was much less sensitive to rare earth identity and size. The findings revealed a new, natural principle for fine-tuning rare earth separations, based on propagation of miniscule differences at the rare earth binding site to the dimer interface.

Using this knowledge, their collaborators at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory showed that the protein could be tethered to small beads in a column, and that it could separate the most important components of permanent magnets, neodymium and dysprosium, in a single step, at room temperature and without any organic solvents.

“While we are by no means the first scientists to recognize that metal-sensitive dimerization could be a way of separating very similar metals, mostly with synthetic molecules,” Cotruvo said, “this is the first time that this phenomenon has been observed in nature with the lanthanides. This is basic science with applied outcomes. We’re revealing what nature is doing and it’s teaching us what we can do better as chemists.”

Cotruvo believes that the concept of binding rare earths at a molecular interface, such that dimerization is dependent on the exact size of the metal ion, can be a powerful approach for accomplishing challenging separations.

“This is the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “With further optimization of this phenomenon, the toughest problem of all – efficient separation of rare earths that are right next to each other on the periodic table – may be within reach.”

A patent application was filed by Penn State based on this work and the team is currently scaling up operations, fine-tuning and streamlining the protein with the goal of commercializing the process.

Other Penn State co-authors are Joseph Mattocks, Jonathan Jung, Chi-Yun Lin, Neela Yennawar, Emily Featherston and Timothy Hamilton. Ziye Dong, Christina Kang-Yun and Dan Park of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory also co-authored the paper.

***

This is definitely exciting work, important and worthwhile. The rare earth elements are essential for the continued growth of much of the high tech economy and are also used as political weapons. Breaking out from today’s circumstances is crucial for many industries and their products.

Yet for now, this technology is in the discovery phase. It is a very long way to commercial scale. But it is so important and the amount of capital and cash flow at stake is sure to drive this technology along.

Let's not overlook the amazement factor here. This technology is using organic compounds to do what has been the province of inorganic compounds. One might hope that not only will the rare earth elements become more available and sensibly priced, the processing might be much more environmentally friendly.

By Brian Westenhaus via New Energy and Fuel

Completion of German waste repository delayed

15 June 2023

Work to convert the former Konrad iron ore mine into Germany's first repository for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LLW/ILW) is running about two years behind schedule, according to the country's federal radioactive waste company, Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE). The repository will not be completed in 2027 as planned, it said.

An aerial view of the Konrad 2 site (Image: BGE)

The Konrad mine - in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony - closed for economic reasons in 1976 and investigations began the same year to determine whether the mine was suitable for use as a repository for LLW/ILW.

In 2002, the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment issued a planning approval decision for the Konrad repository. Following multiple legal proceedings, this approval was confirmed by the Federal Administrative Court in 2007. A construction licence was issued in January 2008.

In April 2017, BGE assumed responsibility as the operator of the Asse II mine and the Konrad and Morsleben repositories from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection.

The Konrad mine is being converted for use as a repository under the supervision of BGE. The two mine shafts are being renovated and equipped with the necessary infrastructure underground. Among other things, this infrastructure includes transport galleries and the emplacement areas at a depth of around 850 metres. Above ground, construction work is under way on new buildings, including the reloading hall.

BGE said on 13 June that construction activities for the Konrad repository were well advanced, but there were "still some hurdles to overcome".

It noted all new buildings at Konrad 1 - the conventional part of the repository through which workers and material are brought underground and out again - have now been constructed. All underground cavities necessary for the operation of the repository have also been excavated and the underground expansion is almost complete.

At Konrad 2 - where waste will be accepted and transported underground - the construction of the storage shaft is currently on schedule. However, in a reassessment of the remaining construction work, BGE has concluded that the work is about two years behind schedule. "The completion of the Konrad repository in 2027, which has been assumed since 2017, can no longer be achieved," it said.

BGE said there were three main reasons for the delay at Konrad 2. Firstly, BGE needed longer to redesign the contractual relationships with the general planners than expected when it was founded. The general planners draw up the plans for the buildings and facilities on Konrad 2 on behalf of BGE. Secondly, following the March 2011 accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant, safety requirements for nuclear facilities in Germany were improved. This also applies to the safety requirements for protection against earthquakes. BGE said it underestimated the task of incorporating the higher safety requirements into the execution planning of all buildings and entailed special efforts for all those involved. Thirdly, it said the implementation planning for all structures is based on the approval for the Konrad repository. In many cases, the planning is accompanied by nuclear approval procedures. These procedures have taken longer than scheduled, BGE said.

The final disposal of up to 303,000 cubic metres of LLW/ILW at Konrad is set to begin in the early 2030s.  This waste represents 95% of the country's waste volume, with 1% of the radioactivity. At present, this waste is stored above-ground in interim storage facilities at more than 30 locations in Germany. Once within the Konrad repository, the containers will be immobilised with suitable concrete and securely sealed off during emplacement operations. Once operations are complete, all cavities of the mine will be backfilled and sealed in a manner that ensures long-term safety.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Operating permit issued for Chinese molten salt reactor

15 June 2023

The Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been granted an operating licence for the experimental TMSR-LF1 thorium-powered molten-salt reactor, construction of which started in Wuwei city, Gansu province, in September 2018.

A cutaway of the TMSR-LF1 reactor (Image: SINAP)

"The thorium-fueled molten salt experimental reactor operation application and related technical documents were reviewed, and it was considered that the application met the relevant safety requirements, and it was decided to issue the 2 MWt liquid fuel thorium-based molten salt experimental reactor an operating licence," the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said in a 7 June statement.

The NNSA noted that, when operating TMSR-LF1, SINAP "should adhere to the principle of 'safety first', abide by the regulations of the operating licence and permit conditions, and ensure the safe operation" of the reactor.

Construction of the TMSR-LF1 reactor began in September 2018 and was scheduled to be completed in 2024. However, it was reportedly completed in August 2021 after work was accelerated.

In August last year, SINAP was given approval by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment to commission the reactor.

The TMSR-LF1 will use fuel enriched to under 20% U-235, have a thorium inventory of about 50 kg and conversion ratio of about 0.1. A fertile blanket of lithium-beryllium fluoride (FLiBe) with 99.95% Li-7 will be used, and fuel as UF4.

If the TMSR-LF1 proves successful, China plans to build a reactor with a capacity of 373 MWt by 2030.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News