US support for nuclear higher in 2024 than year earlier, survey finds
More than half of the respondents to a US survey believe nuclear energy is an essential part of the solution to climate disruption and energy security. The ecoAmerica Climate Perspectives Survey, from the Anthropocene Institute, has seen US citizens' concerns about nuclear energy decrease over its seven-year series.
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The poll found 55% of Americans to be either “strongly” or “somewhat" supportive of nuclear power - a 3-point rise from 2023 and a 6-point rise from 2018, but down from 2022's peak of 61%.
The most important reasons cited for supporting nuclear energy included economic benefits, pollution reduction, reliability and energy independence. The majority of respondents also believed that US nuclear power plants should be kept running until "lower-cost renewable energy" becomes available (70%) or as long as they are cost-effective in the long term (68%). And although the majority of respondents express some concerns about nuclear energy - for example, about health and safety, waste disposal and weaponisation - the number of respondents expressing such concerns has fallen since the first survey in 2018. The exception to this is concern over costs of nuclear power plants: the percentage of respondents citing cost as a concern has risen slightly, from 65% in 2018 to 68% in 2024.
Support for nuclear was not divided along party political lines, with those identifying themselves as Republicans and Democrats less divided on support for nuclear R&D than for other energy sources: 56% of Democrats and 62% of Republicans said that the USA should spend more on next-generation nuclear R&D, a 6-point difference, whereas the poll found much wider point differences between the parties on R&D spending on oil, coal and gas, ranging from a 12-point difference for gas to a 21-point difference for oil.
"Nuclear energy is increasingly being adopted worldwide to solve climate disruption, with 25 countries signing the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050 and 14 major banks and financial institutions committing to finance the expansion," said Guido Nuñez-Mujica, director of data science for Anthropocene Institute. "It is no wonder, since nuclear energy protects air quality, consumes only a small land footprint, and produces minimal waste that can be reused. In addition, the existing spent fuel could power the United States for a whole century. Nuclear energy offers a path of hope, especially for nations trying to increase their quality of life without worsening our climate crisis."
The survey was designed by ecoAmerica and conducted online from 24 July-9 August. A total of 1011 complete adult responses were received, and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey was used to weigh the national general population and reflect the demographic composition of the USA. The margin of error for the sample is +/-3%.
Fuel debris sample extracted from Fukushima Daiichi reactor
Tokyo Electric Power Company announced it has successfully completed the trial removal of a sample of fuel debris from the primary containment vessel of unit 2 at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
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On 19 August, Tepco announced that it planned to remove a few grams of melted fuel debris from the unit on 22 August. The operation was expected to last about two weeks using a telescopic device equipped with a gripper tool. The device can extend up to 22 metres and access the debris through a penetration point in the primary containment vessel (PCV). However, as Tepco was carrying out the operation, workers noticed during the final checking process that the order of the first section of the push pipe was different from the planned order, which meant other sections could not be connected correctly. This led to a delay in the collection of a sample of fuel debris.
As preparations were being made for another attempt, on 17 September it was discovered that cameras on the end of the telescopic device were not functioning correctly. The replacement of these cameras led to a further delay.
On 30 October, Tepco announced that it had managed to grasp a sample of fuel debris using the gripper tool.
Unit 2 internal investigation/trial retrieval plan overview (Image: Tepco)
On 6 November, it confirmed that the dose rate of the sampled fuel debris is less than 24 mSv/h (at a distance of 20cm), which is the criteria for proceeding with debris retrieval, thus the grasped sample was inserted into a transportation box.
On Thursday 7 November, the side hatch of the enclosure (a metal box that contains the telescopic device and the robotic arm) was opened and the transportation box was removed from inside the enclosure. The box was then placed within a DPTE (Double Porte pour Transfert Etanche) container. "The fuel debris trial retrieval work is deemed to have been completed when the transportation box is inserted into the DPTE container," Tepco said.
The company plans to transport the fuel sample within the DPTE off-site to be analysed in detail at off-site analysis facilities. The findings are expected to assist in the full-scale removal of fuel debris.
In Fukushima Daiichi units 1 to 3, the fuel and the metal cladding that formed the outer jacket of the fuel rods melted, then re-solidified as fuel debris. There is an estimated total of 880 tonnes of fuel debris in units 1-3. To reduce the risk from this fuel debris, preparations are under way for retrieving it from the reactors. The current aim is to begin retrieval from unit 2 and to gradually enlarge the scale of the retrieval. The retrieved fuel debris will be stored in the new storage facility that will be constructed within the site.
The removal technique, which is being used for the first time in unit 2, will be gradually extended to unit 3, where a large-scale recovery is expected in the early 2030s
Three Mile Island's Unit 1, dormant since 2019, is being reopened and refurbished in a $1.6 billion project backed by Microsoft.
The project highlights a growing trend of tech companies seeking nuclear power to meet their ambitious carbon neutrality goals and increasing energy demands.
The reopening of Three Mile Island could mark a turning point in the perception and utilization of nuclear power in the U.S.
Three Mile Island, the site of one of the world’s most famous nuclear accidents, is set to reopen several years after its closure. On September 20th, Baltimore-based Constellation Energy and Microsoft announced that they had reached a deal that would mean the reopening of the 835 MW Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. Unit 2 has been shut down since its partial core meltdown in 1979 and is currently being decommissioned. However, as Unit 1 was not damaged during the accident, it continued operating until 2019, when it eventually closed for financial reasons.
At 4 am on March 28, 1979, an automatically operated valve in the Unit 2 reactor mistakenly closed, which shut off the water supply to the main feedwater system – the system that transfers heat from the water circulating in the reactor core. This prompted the reactor core to shut down automatically. However, a series of equipment and instrument malfunctions, human errors in operating procedures, and mistaken decisions over several hours led to major water coolant loss from the reactor core, which resulted in a partial core meltdown.
Constellation expects the refurbishment of the plant to cost around $1.6 billion. When operational, Three Mile Island is capable of powering over 700,000 homes and employs around 700 or more people. Microsoft has signed an agreement to buy the facility’s entire output for twenty years, for $800 million a year. Following the announcement, Constellation’s stock rose 22 percent.
The nuclear company hopes the plant will be ready to relaunch in 2028. To achieve this, the firm must gain approvals from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the PJM grid manager for transmission access. The site’s name will be changed to the Crane Energy Centre, and it is expected to receive a license to extend operations to 2053.
For decades, following three prominent nuclear disasters – Three Mile Island, Chornobyl, and Fukushima, the public perception of nuclear plants was extremely poor. People worried that the accidents of the past could happen again, and they might be even worse next time. However, thanks to improvements to nuclear safety and the strengthening of international industry regulations in recent years, people are once again seeing the potential for nuclear power, particularly as part of a green transition.
Joseph Dominguez, the CEO of Constellation Energy, is confident that the company will get Three Mile Island back up and running. Dominguez stated, “Twelve months from now, Constellation will have started on the path towards building new reactors.” This move has the potential to wave in a new nuclear era, as no reactor that was set to close permanently has been brought back online in the U.S. before. In addition, only three new reactors have been developed in the past 25 years.
Nuclear power continues to contribute around 19 percent of the U.S. electricity mix, and it is increasingly being viewed as the best clean energy source for meeting the rising electricity demand spurred by the rollout of complex technologies, such as artificial intelligence. Just like Microsoft, other tech giants are looking to work with nuclear energy companies to ensure their access to abundant clean energy to power operations. Google and Amazon recently struck deals with start-ups developing smaller nuclear reactors, in the hope that they will provide them with clean power by the 2030s.
Microsoft committed to being “carbon negative” by 2030, but its emissions rose by 29 percent between 2020 and 2023. The growing demand for electricity to power data centres is making it increasingly difficult for tech companies to stick to their ambitious climate pledges. While many are increasingly using renewable energy sources to power operations, they require such vast amounts of energy that nuclear power would make a much bigger dent in the demands of these companies.
In mid-October, Constellation ordered a $100-million main power transformer to support the reopening of Three Mile Island. The transformer is expected to be the largest single piece of equipment needed to be replaced to restart the plant. Other major renovation investments include the reactor's turbine, generator, and cooling systems.
Despite being mainly untouched since it shut down in 2019, the plant is said to be well-maintained. Constellation’s Vice President of Generation, Bryan Hanson, stated, “I have walked the facility top to bottom, every floor… The plant is in great condition.” The company believes that the reactor vessel does not require any repairs, and the steam generators, which can be very costly, were replaced about 15 years ago.
The renovation and planned reopening of Three Mile Island could wave in a new nuclear era in the U.S., encouraged largely by the increase in electricity demand brought about by the commercial deployment of advanced technologies. As U.S. companies aim to decarbonise operations, they are looking for innovative ways to ensure a steady supply of clean electricity to support data centre operations, and nuclear energy companies are more than happy to support the reinvigoration of the nuclear power sector.
By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com
Poland to cooperate with Japan and the Netherlands on nuclear
Poland's Ministry of Industry and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry have signed a memorandum to promote Polish-Japanese cooperation in the nuclear sector. Meanwhile, the Polish and Dutch nuclear regulators have agreed to cooperate.
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A memorandum of understanding on cooperation on nuclear energy was signed by Marzena Czarnecka, Poland's Minister of Industry, and Shinji Takeuchi, Japan's Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in Warsaw on 7 November.
"The signed memorandum confirms the interest in bilateral cooperation between both countries for the development of nuclear energy as a technology that allows achieving the goals of energy transformation and has a positive impact on energy security," the Polish ministry said. "The signed agreement also encourages cooperation at the level of economic entities and industrial technologies. Leading companies in the Japanese nuclear sector show interest in developing cooperation with European companies."
It noted the agreement includes cooperation with the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum International Cooperation Centre (JICC), which operates under Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). JICC carries out activities supporting the development of competencies of countries implementing nuclear energy through the exchange of information, expert missions and the organisation of workshops, conferences and seminars in areas such as: human resources development, social communication, nuclear safety and preparation of the necessary infrastructure for nuclear projects.
"This cooperation allows Poland to build nuclear skills and competencies, which is crucial for the implementation of the Polish Nuclear Power Programme," the Polish ministry said.
Polish, Dutch regulators to cooperate
On the same day, a cooperation agreement was signed between Poland's National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA) and the Dutch Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS).
(Image: PAA)
The agreement - signed by PAA President Andrzej Głowacki and ANVS Chairperson Annemiek van Bolhuis - opens up the possibility of exchanging information on best practices in the field of supervision of the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes between the regulators.
It assumes joint activities in the organisation of technical meetings, training and exchange of documentation necessary to prepare the nuclear regulator for activities related to the licensing process of new nuclear technologies.
"In Poland and the Netherlands, interest in the use of new nuclear technologies is growing, causing increased challenges for national institutions supervising their safe use," PAA said.
Polish nuclear plans
Poland currently has large-scale plans to develop nuclear energy capacity. In September 2021, it was announced that six large pressurised water reactors with a combined installed capacity of 6-9 GWe could be built by 2040 as part of the country's plan to reduce its reliance on coal. According to the adopted schedule, the construction of the first nuclear power plant will start in 2026, with the first reactor - with a capacity of 1.0-1.6 GWe - being commissioned in 2033. Subsequent units will be implemented every 2-3 years. The coastal towns of Lubiatowo and Kopalino in Poland's Choczewo municipality in the province of Pomerania were named as the preferred location for the country's first large nuclear power plant.
In November 2022, the Polish government announced the first plant, with a capacity of 3750 MWe, will be built in Pomerania using AP1000 technology from the US company Westinghouse. An agreement setting a plan for the delivery of the plant was signed in May last year by Westinghouse, Bechtel and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe.
In November last year, Poland's Ministry of Climate and Environment issued a decision-in-principle for the country's second large nuclear power plant. Two South Korean-supplied APR1400 reactors are planned in the Patnów-Konin region
TVEL and AllWeld cooperation agreement
on decommissioning and waste
management
Russia's TVEL and South Africa's AllWeld Nuclear and Industrial have signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of decommissioning and radioactive waste management
The agreement was signed at African Energy Week 2024 in Cape Town by Eduard Nikitin, director for decommissioning of nuclear facilities and radioactive waste management at TVEL, which is part of Rosatom, and Mervyn Fisher, director general of AllWeld Nuclear and Industrial.
The proposed cooperation areas include the development of infrastructure for radioactive waste management - storage and disposal - as well as the design and creation of equipment needed in this area in South Africa.
Nikitin said: "Rosatom has enormous experience and expertise in the field of decommissioning nuclear facilities and radioactive waste management, including ... proprietary technologies and a broad scientific research programme. This experience is certainly in demand in all countries of the world that have nuclear energy, uranium mining industry or experience in operating research reactors. The signing of the memorandum with South African partners opens up new opportunities for the implementation of joint projects both in South Africa and beyond."
Allweld describes itself as "one of the oldest established, and longest-running engineering solutions companies in South Africa" serving nuclear and other energy industries in the country since 1962.
South Africa has two nuclear reactors at the Koeberg nuclear power plant generating about 5% of its electricity - the first reactor began operating in 1984 - and the country is planning to launch a bidding process for 2.5 GWe of new nuclear capacity. The 2008 National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute Act led to the establishment in 2014 of the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute, which is responsible for radioactive waste disposal in South Africa. There is a national repository for low and intermediate-level waste at Vaalputs in the Northern Cape province and used fuel is stored at Koeberg.
Oklo cleared to begin site characterisation for first-of-a-kind plant
The completion of the environmental compliance process means Oklo Inc can now begin site characterisation for its first commercial advanced fission power plant in Idaho.
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Completion by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) of the process addressing DOE requirements for the site and the resulting Environmental Compliance Permit, following on from the recent finalisation of a Memorandum of Agreement with the DOE, initiates site characterisation activities, Oklo said.
"These approvals represent pivotal steps forward as we advance toward deploying the first commercial advanced fission plant," Oklo CEO and co-founder Jacob DeWitte said. "With this process complete, we can begin site characterisation."
California-based Oklo received a site use permit from the DOE in 2019 to build and operate a prototype of its Aurora reactor - which will be a commercial power plant selling power to customers - at INL: according to company information, it intends to deploy its first commercial unit before the end of the decade. It also intends to build a facility to fabricate fuel for the liquid metal-cooled fast reactor plant at the same site. The DOE approved the Conceptual Safety Design Report for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility in September.
The memorandum of agreement finalised with DOE's Idaho Operations Office in September grants Oklo access to conduct site investigations at its preferred site, focusing on geotechnical assessments, environmental surveys and infrastructure planning.
The Aurora powerhouse is a fast neutron reactor that uses heat pipes to transport heat from the reactor core to a supercritical carbon dioxide power conversion system to generate electricity. It uses metallic fuel to produce about 15 MWe as well as producing usable heat, and can operate on fuel made from fresh HALEU or used nuclear fuel.
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