Chevron LNG Workers Begin Strike

By Irina Slav - Sep 08, 2023

Workers at the Gorgon and Wheatstone liquefied natural gas projects offshore Australia will begin striking today after talks with the projects’ operator, Chevron fell through.

Talks have been going on for a couple of weeks now, eventually moving to mediation with the participation of the Australian Fair Work Commission.

The trade union alliance representing the workers, the Offshore Alliance, has repeatedly warned that it will cost Chevron billions if it rejects the workers’ demand.

"Despite the Offshore Alliance giving Chevron plenty of opportunity to sort out (bargaining agreements) ... they will finally be facing their day of reckoning," the trade union said earlier today.

Work stoppages at the Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities began at 5 a.m. GMT today and could last for up to 11 hours daily. The industrial action is scheduled to continue until September 14.

Reuters noted in a report that as the strikes begin, the two LNG facilities may need to be shut down, "if there are not competent personnel to undertake handovers during work stoppages," per the OA.

The two projects together account for about 5% of global LNG supply. While Chevron failed to reach a deal with the workers, sector player Woodside, the operator of Australia’s largest LNG facility, the North West Shelf, managed to strike a deal and avert a strike.

The three LNG facilities—the North West Shelf, Gorgon, and Wheatstone—represent a tenth of global LNG supply. The threat of strikes there lifted gas prices considerably and put Europeans on high alert ahead of the coming winter.

Australia, the world’s biggest LNG exporter currently, does not export directly to Europe but due to its size, any disruption in supply there reverberates across the global LNG market. This week prices have been on the rise again, on the news about Chevron. As industrial action begins, they will likely move higher still.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

Strikes Begin at Chevron’s Australian LNG Operations After Talks Break Off

Chevron's Gorgon facility which is part of the large export operation will be impacted by the strikes (Chevron)

PUBLISHED SEP 8, 2023 2:47 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The first of the strikes began today at Chevron Australia’s LNG operations sending fears of potential repercussions in the global energy markets as the job actions are due to escalate over the next week. Chevron is one of the world’s largest producers and makes up a large part of Australia’s LNG supply, which is also the largest exporter in Asia.

The Offshore Alliance, which is made up of the Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Workers Union, delayed the start of the scheduled strike for a day as mediated talks were continuing. Chevron had asked Australia’s Fair Work Commission to become involved in mediating talks this week after the company failed to win support for an Enterprise Agreement it presented to workers without the approval of the union. It was almost unanimously rejected leading to the talks which after five days reportedly also failed. 

A company spokesperson told Reuters, "Unfortunately, following numerous meetings and conciliation sessions before the Fair Work Commission, we remain apart on key terms." The company said the unions were demanding terms "above and beyond" others in the industry.

The Offshore Alliance highlights that Chevron is the only one of the major producers that has failed to reach an agreement now that the government has permitted unions to again collectively negotiate contracts. Woodside had also been faced with a potential strike but after marathon sessions going to the deadline, they announced terms for a preliminary agreement last month. The union says it has bargained in good faith on its demands over wages, overtime, work rules, and job security.

Earlier in the week the union filed a notice that detailed its plans to increase the efforts over the coming week. The current strike will last up to 11 hours and in addition, the union can bar members from undertaking specific tasks. After these intermittent actions, the Offshore Alliance said it will start a two-week work stoppage on September 14 at Chevron’s operations. 

Currently, no new talks are scheduled with the only thing both sides are agreeing on is that they remain far apart. Last year, the Offshore Alliance held out in a 71-day strike against Shell. Work was stopped on the massive Prelude offshore facility and only restarted in September 2022.

Australia is the primary supplier of gas to much of Asia. China and Japan are the two largest importers followed by South Korea and Taiwan. Chevron has been taking steps to increase output from the Gorgon and Wheatstone operations which are being impacted by the strike. They were already supplying at least five percent of global supply.

Traders fear if it becomes a prolonged job action, Asian buyers might be forced to start bidding against the Europeans who are also large imports from both the U.S. and Qatar. Dow Jones reported that prices on the European markets started up by nine percent this morning with Reuters saying intra-day prices were up as much as 12 percent. The U.S. price started the day up more than two percent.

Two-Week Strike Scheduled at Chevron Australia’s LNG Operations

Strike will include the massive Wheatstone facility in Western Australia (Chevron file photo)

PUBLISHED SEP 5, 2023 6:13 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The contentious labor situation between Chevron Australia and the Offshore Alliance which represents more than 500 workers heated up further with the union announcing today it has served notice for a two-week strike scheduled to begin September 14. This comes as mediators are working all this week in an attempt to reach an agreement before the first limited job actions due to begin on Thursday, September 7.

Chevron Australia, which produces between five and seven percent of the world’s LNG supply from its Australia operations, says that it is looking for the current talks to “narrow the differences” while saying it does not believe a strike is necessary to resolve the issues. The Offshore Alliance, which is a combination of the Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Workers Union, is escalating the fight against Chevron after reaching a preliminary agreement with Woodside and conducting a strike against Shell in 2022 to win a new collective bargaining agreement. Australia’s new government restored the rights of unions which led to the new round of negotiations for Enterprise Agreements.

“The Offshore Alliance is escalating Protected Industrial Action to demonstrate that our bargaining negotiations are far from 'intractable',” the union wrote in a new posting on social media today. They said their lawyers have notified Chevron that they will escalate work bans and the work stoppage in response to what they say is Chevron Australia’s “duplicitous claim,” about the negotiations.

Last week, Chevron attempted to bypass the union presenting what the company called a “market competitive” offer to the workers at the Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities in Western Australia. The Offshore Alliance reports that only four of the 518 workers voting accepted the terms in what it termed a “humiliating defeat” for Chevron.

After the workers voted down the proposal, Chevron asked Australia’s Fair Work Commission to mediate the negotiations. The mediated sessions began on Monday and are expected to continue each day this week. The union however is already critical of the process saying it is only for the onshore facilities not including the offshore platforms.

The Chevron facilities cover the gas needs of Western Australia and are major exporters primarily to Asia. Analysts speculated to Reuters that Asian buyers might begin to outbid European buyers to meet their LNG needs. Traders have been carefully watching the negotiations and potential impacts on the market. So far, both Bloomberg and Reuters report there has been little change in the price of LNG on world markets. Just over a year ago, the Offshore Alliance held out in a 71-day strike against Shell before terms were reached on the new union contract.

NUKE COP28

Net Zero Nuclear campaign launched, seeking to triple capacity by 2050

07 September 2023

World Nuclear Association and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Atoms4NetZero and the UK government, have launched the Net Zero Nuclear initiative seeking "unprecedented collaboration between government, industry leaders and civil society" ahead of COP28.

The launch took place in London (Image: World Nuclear Association)

The launch of the new campaign - by ENEC Managing Director and CEO Mohamed Al Hammadi, World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León, UK Minister for Nuclear and Networks Andrew Bowie and nuclear advocate and Miss America Grace Stanke - took place on the first morning of the World Nuclear Symposium 2023, attended by 700 people from across the global industry.

The aim of the campaign is to ensure that nuclear energy’s potential "is fully realised in facilitating the decarbonisation of global energy systems by promoting the value of nuclear energy and removing barriers to its growth", especially ahead of COP28, which takes place in the United Arab Emirates later this year.

It says that recent data modelling suggest nuclear energy capacity needs to at least triple by 2050 to achieve climate targets, which would require about 40 GW of new nuclear per year, about six times the deployment rate of the past decade.

At the launch, Al Hammadi said that net-zero “will not be possible without nuclear energy” and said that as well as bringing clean energy day and night, its ability to decarbonise heavy industry and transport meant there should be even greater collaboration to ensure its growth. "Talking is great, but delivering is even greater," he added.

Al Hammadi and Bilbao y León discussed the aims of the initiative (Image: World Nuclear Association)

Bilbao y León said: "Scaling up nuclear energy capacity to at least three times its current size requires political will from energy leaders, along with mobilising quickly and efficiently the required financing. We have no time to lose … through Net Zero Nuclear, we hope to facilitate the action our industry needs to grow."

Grace Stanke, a nuclear engineering student who is spending her year as Miss America raising awareness about nuclear power and zero-carbon energy sources, said many younger people had got involved in nuclear because of climate change, and said that extreme weather events meant climate change was a “pressing issue that we grew up with - we're not afraid to take action, because if we don't take action today, we won't have a tomorrow" adding that it was "important to have this conversation at the international level … let's start at the top because if it's not happening everywhere, on this planet, what's the point?"

The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced at the launch that it would be joining Net Zero Nuclear as the inaugural government partner, with Bowie echoing the point that there could be “no net zero without nuclear”. He highlighted the UK’s plans for new nuclear capacity - large plants and small modular reactors - and stressed the need for international collaboration.

Zronek highlighted positive developments taking place (Image: World Nuclear Association)

Earlier, opening the annual conference, World Nuclear Association chairman Bohdan Zronek, director of ČEZ's nuclear energy division, and Bilbao y León outlined the key developments in the nuclear energy sector over the past year and also the developing plans for new nuclear in existing, and newcomer, countries and also highlighted a series of examples of collaboration taking place across the industry.

They were also joined for the morning session, on Nuclear for Global Growth and Prosperity, by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who gave his backing to the Net Zero Nuclear campaign and said it was "clear we're at a key moment for nuclear" with lifetime extensions of existing plants as well as the development of small modular reactors and increasing interest in nuclear from newcomer countries.

The IAEA's Grossi makes a point (Image: World Nuclear Association)

He said that the IAEA was helping those countries along that road, and was also pursuing initiatives to help harmonisation, which would have broader benefits for faster rollout of future nuclear capacity. He said that "just as technology and industry adapts", the regulatory process should adapt as well.

Grossi also stressed that, above all, the priority remained the safety and security of the nuclear power plants in Ukraine, saying that any attack on them, or anything going wrong inside them, would mean that the "visions, plans, ideas and aspirations" being discussed "will be much more difficult", in terms of persuading people and politicians to back nuclear energy.

US Congressman Chuck Fleischmann said that it was critically important for future nuclear "that we who support new nuclear get the information out to our respective constituencies that new nuclear is safe". He also highlighted the collaboration taking place between the USA and Canada which has led to them learning and gaining from working together.

​Joo Ho Whang, president and CEO of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, outlined the current and planned positive prospects for new nuclear in South Korea.

Whang, left, Bilbao y León and Fleischmann (Image: World Nuclear Association)

He also stressed the importance of supply chains in the nuclear sector, giving the example that the number of nuclear grade cement producers had fallen from three to one under the previous South Korean government, which had a nuclear phase-out policy. He said that with new projects planned, it was important, nationally and internationally, to have a strong supply chain.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Positive trends continue for global nuclear fuel cycle

07 September 2023

As uranium markets begin to recover from their long-term contraction, all projections in the latest edition of the World Nuclear Association's flagship fuel cycle report show an increase in global nuclear generating capacity over the next two decades - with knock-on effects for the entire fuel cycle.

The panel (Image: World Nuclear Association)

Geopolitical instability since the last edition of the report was published in 2021 - notably resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war - has led to increased interest in nuclear power for energy security and sovereignty, as well as having significant implications for the globalised market for nuclear fuel services.

Released at World Nuclear Symposium 2023 in London, The Nuclear Fuel Report: Global Scenarios for Demand and Supply Availability 2023-2040 sets out three scenarios for future nuclear generating capacity: the Reference Scenario, which is informed by government and utility targets and objectives; the Lower Scenario, which assumes delays to the implementation of these plans; and the Upper Scenario, which considers the potential developments if more favourable conditions are applied.

Launching the report, ConverDyn CEO Malcolm Critchley, a co-chair of the working group responsible for drafting the report, said the nuclear sector has "almost overnight" seen a complete revival. "There's a growing acceptance that nuclear power has got to be part of the solution for climate change," he said.

"The inventory overhang that was so damaging to the market for almost a decade has been largely consumed, and going forward, we're going to have an increasing reliance on primary supply."

Under the Reference Scenario, nuclear capacity is expected to grow from 391 GWe (from 437 units) at the end of June this year to 444 GWe by 2030 and 686 GWe by 2040. The Upper Scenario sees 490 GWe in 2030 and 931 GWe by 2040, while the Lower Scenario sees capacity increasing to 409 GWe by 2030 and 487 GWe by 2040.

All three scenarios envisage capacity from small modular reactors (SMRs) accounting for part of the 2040 nuclear generation, with 35 GWe of generic SMR capacity included in the 2040 Reference Scenario, 83 GWe in the Upper Scenario and 2 GWe in the Lower Scenario. The scale of SMR deployment will depend on the success of delivering first-of-a-kind construction, demonstrating cogeneration capabilities, and establishing an industrialised and modularised supply chain - but "hundreds of billions of dollars" of investment could be channelled into these technologies every year from the second half of the current decade.

Another positive change compared with previous editions of the report is the move towards extended operating lifetimes. Upwards of 140 reactors could be subject to extended operation in the period to 2040, driven by economics, emissions reduction targets, as well as security of supply, the report finds.

Fuelling growth

The increased interest in nuclear power means that overall projections for uranium reactor requirements are higher than the same scenarios in the 2021 edition of the report (although the Upper Scenario does see requirements fall slightly in the period to 2030 compared with the previous projections). Current world reactor requirements are estimated to be around 65,650 tU per year. This would increase to 83,840 tU by 2030 and almost 130,000 tU by 2040 under the Reference Scenario. However, primary uranium production has dropped considerably in recent years.

Production volumes for existing mines are projected to remain fairly stable until 2030 in all three scenarios, before decreasing still further over the decade to 2040. "To meet the Reference Scenario requirements from early in the next decade, in addition to restarted idled mines, mines under development, planned mines and prospective mines, other new projects will need to be brought into production. Considerable exploration, innovative techniques and timely investment will be required to turn these resources into refined uranium ready for nuclear fuel production within this timeframe," the report notes.

Future demand cannot be met from identified supply sources, and from the beginning of the next decade, planned mines and prospective mines - as well as increasing amounts of so-called unspecified supply - will need to come into production to meet requirements under the Reference Scenario. "It takes 8-15 years to reach production after first discovery of a resource, and intense development of new projects will be needed in the current decade to avoid potential future supply disruptions," the report says.

For the conversion sector, the situation has dramatically changed since the oversupply which characterised the market in the decade up to 2018. Pointing to the restart of production and ramp-up at two primary Western convertors - ConverDyn and Orano - the report says this deficit can be met in the near term, but in the medium term, convertors will need to operate at "near to maximum" levels. In the long term, new conversion capacity will be needed in both the Reference and Upper Scenarios.

The situation has also changed for enrichment, with primary Western enrichers expected to expand capacity. Fuel fabrication capacity, while sufficient to cover anticipated demand, could also experience bottlenecks.

Recovery

There is "no doubt" that sufficient uranium resources exist to meet future needs, but producers have been waiting for the market to rebalance before starting to invest in new capacity and bringing idled capacity back into operation. This is now happening, the report says.

"With changes to individual governmental policies on nuclear power for various reasons, the uranium market has begun to recover," it says. "Additional conversion and enrichment capacities are also likely to be needed".

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Centrus brings forward HALEU production date

07 September 2023

US nuclear fuel and services company Centrus Energy Corp announced that it expects to begin first-of-a-kind production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio, in October - about two months ahead of schedule.

The Piketon centrifuge cascade (Image: Centrus)

HALEU fuel contains uranium enriched to between 5% and 20% uranium-235 - higher than the uranium fuel used in light-water reactors currently in operation, which typically contains up to 5% uranium-235. It will be needed by most of the advanced reactor designs being developed under the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. But the lack of a commercial supply chain to support these reactors has prompted the DOE to launch a programme to stimulate the development of a domestic source of HALEU.

Centrus began construction of the demonstration cascade of 16 centrifuges in 2019 under contract with the DOE, and last year secured a further USD150 million of cost-shared funding to finish the cascade, complete final regulatory steps, begin operating the cascade, and produce up to 20 kg of HALEU by the end of this year.

In June, Centrus announced it had successfully completed its operational readiness reviews with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and received NRC approval to possess uranium at the Piketon site - the last major regulatory hurdle prior to beginning production.

Centrus is now conducting final system tests and other preparations so that production can begin in October.

"This will be the first new US-owned uranium enrichment plant to begin production since 1954," said Centrus President and CEO Daniel Poneman. "What better way to commemorate the 70th anniversary of President Eisenhower's historic Atoms for Peace initiative than to restore a domestic uranium enrichment capability that will support our energy security and clean power needs, enable long-term national security and non-proliferation goals, and generate great new jobs for American workers."

Centrus said the capacity of the 16-centrifuge cascade will be modest - about 900 kilograms of HALEU per year - but with sufficient funding and offtake commitments, the company could significantly expand production. It says a full-scale HALEU cascade, consisting of 120 centrifuge machines, with a combined capacity to produce approximately 6000 kilograms of HALEU per year, could be brought online within about 42 months of securing the necessary funding. Centrus said it could add an additional HALEU cascade every six months after that.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 WHO OWNS WHO

Chubu to take stake in SMR developer

07 September 2023

Chubu Electric Power Co has announced it is to invest in US small modular reactor (SMR) developer NuScale Power.

(Image: Chubu)

The Japanese company says it has entered into an agreement to acquire issued shares in NuScale from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), subject to regulatory approvals.

NuScale's pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single integrated unit is the only SMR design which has to date been certified by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It is being considered in more than 10 countries around the world, Chubu noted. The first NuScale VOYGR SMR plant in the USA is expected to begin operating at a site at Idaho National Laboratory in 2029. With the US Department of Energy providing more than USD1.3 billion in financial support for the first deployment of the NuScale VOYGR SMR power plant, "it can be said that NuScale is the frontrunner in SMR development", the company added.

"Through our investment in NuScale, we aim to earn revenue from NuScale's future business expansion," Hiroki Sato, CEO of Chubu's Global Business Division, said. "In addition, it is important to secure all options for the sustainable use of nuclear power generation, which is indispensable for realising a decarbonised society and we will continue to promote social implementation of innovative technologies to enhance our corporate value."

According to Reuters, Sato told journalists that, as an equity owner, the company is investing in NuScale to expand its revenue base. He said it would be "difficult" to deploy SMRs in Japan "anytime soon... but we have high expectations for the future development of next-generation reactors in Japan".

JBIC made a strategic investment of USD110 million in NuScale in 2022, through a purchase of equity from NuScale majority owner Fluor Corporation. The bank's investment was via a special-purpose company established by Japanese engineering companies JGC Corporation and IHI Corporation to make equity investments in NuScale, Japan NuScale Innovation LLC.

Chubu owns the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka prefecture. The three operable units (Hamaoka 3 and 4 are boiling water reactors, Hamaoka unit 5 is an advanced boiling water reactor, or ABWR) are all in the process of seeking clearance to restart after the introduction of new regulatory requirements in 2013 by Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

SCI-FI-TEK

Germany stepping up investment in fusion

07 September 2023

Germany will invest more than EUR1 billion (USD1.1 billion) in fusion research over the next five years, Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger announced.

LIKE CARBON CAPTURE ANOTHER WASTE OF $$$

Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (Image: BMBF/Hans-Joachim Rickel)

The minister announced that she would significantly increase research funding for fusion with an additional EUR370 million over the next five years. Together with funds already earmarked for research institutions, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will provide more than one billion euros for fusion research by 2028.

The new funding programme strengthens the ongoing activities of the BMBF at the Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Research Center Jülich (FZJ).

In December 2022, BMBF set up a commission of experts to take stock of the field of laser fusion, which has so far been little researched in Germany. In May this year, Stark-Watzinger accepted a memorandum from the commission. The memorandum describes the potential of Germany as an industrial and research location with a view to laser fusion and defines needs for further research on the way to a first fusion power plant.

Building on this, the BMBF published a position paper on fusion research in June. This describes the framework conditions with which a fusion power plant becomes reality as quickly as possible. It is the basis for the new funding programme.

"The energy crisis has shown us how essential a clean, reliable and affordable energy supply is," Stark-Watzinger said. "Fusion is the huge opportunity to solve all of our energy problems. With our new funding programme, we want to invest massively and in a technology-neutral way in fusion - a total of over one billion euros in the next five years. And create a fusion ecosystem with industry so that a fusion power plant in Germany becomes a reality as quickly as possible."

Magnetic and laser fusion are equally promoted under the research programme. Industry and research institutions will be expected to work together to address the technological challenges so that a fusion power plant can be realised.

Among other things, cooperation with the private sector is planned to develop infrastructure for laser-driven fusion. For this purpose, the BMBF will establish the Pulsed Light Technologies GmbH subsidiary through the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation SPRIND, through which up to EUR90 million will be invested over the next five years.

In August 2011, the 13th amendment of the Nuclear Power Act came into effect, which underlined the political will to phase out fission nuclear power in Germany. As a result, eight units were closed down immediately: Biblis A and B, Brunsbüttel, Isar 1, Krümmel, Neckarwestheim 1, Phillipsburg 1 and Unterweser. The Brokdorf, Grohnde and Gundremmingen C plants were permanently shut down at the end of December 2021. The country's final three units - Emsland, Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 - shut down in April this year.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

US furthers overseas support for coal-to-SMR projects

08 September 2023

Proposals from the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia have been selected to receive US support for coal-to-small modular reactor (SMR) feasibility studies under Project Phoenix. The USA is also to set up a 'one-stop shop' to support countries in Europe and Eurasia that are approaching SMR deployment decisions.

Kerry made the announcements at the summit in Bucharest (Image: @ClimateEnvoy)

Project Phoenix, announced by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry at the COP27 climate conference last year, aims to support energy security and climate goals by creating pathways for coal-to-SMR power plant conversions while retaining local jobs through workforce retraining. The successful proposals receiving a share of USD8 million of US government support were selected through a competitive process open to 17 central and eastern European countries. Kerry announced the recipients of the awards in a side event to the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Bucharest on 6 September.

The successful grant application lodged by a partnership including Slovak utility Slovenské elektrárne proposed five Slovak sites for consideration SMR feasibility studies: the Jaslovské Bohunice and Mochovce nuclear power plant sites; the Nováky and Vojany thermal power plant sites; and the site of the US Steel steel plant in eastern Slovakia. The feasibility study will assess several aspects and select the most suitable sites for the possible future construction of small modular reactors, Slovenské elektrárne said.

Slovak Minister of Economy Peter Dovhun said the success of Slovakia's Phoenix application was "excellent news" for the country. "It confirms that we have a lot to offer our partners thanks to our long experience in the nuclear power industry, and it also gives us the opportunity to accelerate the preparation of new projects that are important for the success of our energy transformation," he said.

Slovenské elektrárne Chairman and CEO Branislav Strýček said the support from the Phoenix project means Slovakia is "one step closer" to building an SMR. "We believe that the implementation of new technologies, including small modular reactors, is part of the solution to our energy needs. Small modular reactors are not intended to replace existing nuclear or renewable sources. Instead they complement our energy mix to ensure sufficient energy and protect the environment," he said.

Polish company Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) said it will use the funds it has been awarded under the Phoenix project to study a site at Ostrołęka. Ostrołęka is one of seven locations shortlisted earlier this year by OSGE for further geological surveys to host SMR plants based on GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300, for which it holds the exclusive right in Poland.

Kerry also launched the Nuclear Expediting the Energy Transition (NEXT) One Stop Shop for SMR Support, to provide countries in Europe and Eurasia that are approaching SMR deployment decisions a virtual centre access to a suite of project preparation tools and services. These may include in-person technical, financial, and regulatory consultancies and advisory services; study tours US nuclear facilities, national laboratories, and universities; competitively selected provision of an SMR simulator to support workforce development as a regional training hub; and university-to-university partnerships for curricula development and educational exchanges.

Project Phoenix and the NEXT One Stop Shop are subprogrammes of the US Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Program.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Bruce 6 back on the grid after refurbishment

08 September 2023

The unit has been reconnected to Ontario's grid following a successful Major Component Replacement (MCR) outage that was completed ahead of schedule and on budget.

Bruce Power staff carried out the grid synchronisation on 8 September (Image: Bruce Power)

Beginning its MCR outage in January 2020, Bruce 6 is the first of six units to undergo the refurbishment process under Bruce Power's Life Extension Program, extending their operation to 2064 and beyond. According to Bruce Power, the programme is Ontario's largest clean-energy initiative and one of Canada's largest private sector infrastructure projects, funded by private-sector investors.

Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck expressed the company's pride in the people and partners, including suppliers and trades unions, who have contributed to the project. "As one of the largest nuclear operators in the world, refurbishing our units is key to providing clean, reliable energy to the people of Ontario well into the future. We have shown strong performance and we’ve committed to providing the lowest-cost nuclear energy in Ontario and to bettering our performance in each successive MCR outage," he said.

The company also thanked Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for sharing lessons learned and operating experience. OPG has completed the refurbishment of the first two of four units at its Darlington site in a ten-year programme that will enable the plant to continue operations until 2055.

Bruce 3 - which began its MCR outage earlier this year - is reaping the benefits of lessons learned in Unit 6 to achieve time and cost savings, the company said. Innovations realised in Bruce 6's refurbishment will be carried forward to improve performance and quality in subsequent MCR outages, including tooling and inspection automation and robotics, and advanced modelling and training.

Hundreds of companies, and thousands of tradespeople, are involved in each MCR. The refurbishment includes replacing and upgrading key equipment - 480 fuel channels, 960 feeders and eight team generators - in addition to thousands of other modifications and tasks, before 5,760 new fuel bundles are loaded into the reactor core.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

 

Nuclear industry urged 'take advantage of window of opportunity'

08 September 2023

The current favourable attitude of many policymakers, much of the public, and the financial community means that the nuclear industry "needs to have the courage, be brave and believe in what we are doing" the closing session of World Nuclear Symposium 2023 was told.

Rumina Velshi, centre, with Thomas Branche and Tim Gitzel, right (Image: World Nuclear Association)

Cameco CEO and President Tim Gitzel said that the need to tackle climate change had provided tailwinds for nuclear in recent years, with energy security now also driving the positive setting for the nuclear industry, saying "we have a good product, the window is open and we have to deliver ... let's get going".

Rumina Velshi, President and CEO, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, said that continuing collaboration was key within the industry and between regulators. She said that scale and speed were needed, to match the sense of urgency people have about needing to tackle climate change.

Sophie MacFarlane-Smith, Head of Customer Engagement, Rolls-Royce SMR, said the "drive, not just for Net Zero, but also energy security is massive" but she warned there was still a cautiousness in government and so "we need to do what we say ... deliver on our promises, not over-promise", so government, other stakeholders and the public know that "nuclear can be trusted to deliver and nuclear can make a real contribution to the fight against climate change and energy security".

Thomas Branche, Executive Vice President, Assystem, said that things had moved on from five years ago when the wish would have been for a clear vision from governments. He said it was time to be "construction-oriented". He also highlighted that there were different issues and attitudes in different countries, but it was always important to get support from people living in the locality of proposed sites.

Architect Erick van Egeraat urged the nuclear industry to not see itself as a special case, saying that he had worked on many large-scale projects, and said it was the nature of them that they take a long time to deliver. He also noted that the aesthetics of a nuclear plant could help public acceptance.

Sama Bilbao y León paid tribute to the contribution Rumina Valshi had made in her regulatory role as well as her broader championing of a better gender balance (Image: World Nuclear Association)

The session was the final one of the two day gathering of more than 700 people from the global nuclear sector, where the discussion has covered issues ranging from financing new nuclear, to how the industry will be able to recruit and train enough staff for the proposed expansion of nuclear energy in the years ahead.

To close World Nuclear Symposium, World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León said "we have the recognition of the policymakers, we have the attention of the finance community - now we are ready to get our act together and deliver ... and make the most of the huge opportunity that we have".

The challenge of recruiting a rapidly growing nuclear workforce

08 September 2023

The planned expansion of nuclear energy across the world means many more workers will be needed in the sector. Panellists at World Nuclear Symposium gave their views on the best ways to recruit staff, and a new mentoring initiative was announced.

(Image: World Nuclear Association)

The session heard from moderator, Tamer Albishawi, chief nuclear officer at Hinkley Point C in the UK, that a recent report had forecast that the current 64,000-strong nuclear workforce in the UK would need to more than treble to around 200,000 people in the next five years. "So there is a gap, and my honest opinion is that maybe there is a bigger gap than some of us can see," he said.

Shaima Al Mansoori, director, Education & Training, UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), said there was a similar picture in other countries reflecting a need to expand recruitment across the world. She broke down the competencies into three categories beyond general attributes - such as integrity - that would be wanted from all recruits. The three categories were firstly, the generic skills from university graduates, the second was specialisation within the nuclear-related field, for example in the regulatory field. The final category, which might not yet be for large numbers, but which are required now, are skills related to new types of reactors and small modular reactors with "most countries going in that direction".

Shaima Al Mansoori, right, and Callum Thomas (Image: World Nuclear Association)

Callum Thomas, the founder and CEO of Thomas Thor Associates, a recruitment, executive search and HR consulting organisation for the nuclear industry, said a one-size-fits-all recruitment policy did not work and "you need to look at different target audiences ... looking at what motivates people". For example, he said, people beginning their career were especially motivated "by the purpose, meaningfulness of the industry, so with nuclear, they resonate really strongly with climate change and energy security". With mid-career people flexibility - in terms of location and hours, especially since the pandemic - was often important, while the "fairly new" late-career demographic of people who could have retired, often place extra value on the flexibility to work part-time while also being motivated by the idea of making a meaningful contribution.

Zhang Fengping (Image: World Nuclear Association)

Zhang Fengping, Deputy Director of the Maintenance Department, Sanmen Nuclear Power Company, said that in China there were currently 24 units under construction with 6 to 8 units set to be approved per year in the next decade so there will be a continuing large demand for more human resources in the years ahead. He highlighted the use of emerging technology - such as automation and automated wireless radiation monitoring - and how it could bring extra safety and efficiency. He added that there was a focus on training and retraining with the new technologies and he did not see it as being a problem for the modern generation.

Grace Stanke, who is a nuclear engineering student and, as Miss America 2023, has been an advocate for nuclear, said that emerging technologies "add that excitement and that interest" for younger people who "just want to do good, they want to do better - I think the resounding theme is that we're very mission-oriented ... one of the most important things to me is what does that company actually do? What is the end goal? How are they making the world a better place?

Grace Stanke gave the views of young people considering career options (Image: World Nuclear Association)

Albishawi recalled that when he had joined the industry he was told that it was a "job for life ... but now if you said that, I think it would scare people". Fellow panelists agreed, with Stanke saying that her contemporaries going through recruitment processes now do not want to become "just another cog, they want to be heard and listened to".

The session also saw the announcement of a new global mentoring initiative which is due to be formally launched by Women in Nuclear Global (WIN-Global) in November. Thomas said that it was open to everyone in the sector, regardless of level or gender, and "this is a first call to the industry to attract mentors and mentees". Anyone interested can sign up to become a WIN-Global member, for free, and will be sent information on the mentoring programme.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News