A look at nuclear energy
Jörg Michels
A year ago, Germany’s last three nuclear power plants were shut down, closing the chapter on nuclear power generation in Germany. This far-reaching decision was preceded by a natural disaster – a tsunami that struck Japan following a major earthquake in 2011. As well as causing much suffering and international consternation, this tsunami also triggered discussions about the peaceful use of nuclear energy for electricity generation.
Not only in Germany was there a reassessment: in Italy, for example, the planned reintroduction of nuclear power, which had not been used there since 1990, failed. In Switzerland and Spain, projects to build new nuclear power stations were halted. However, in other countries, such as Finland and France, not only did existing plants continue to operate, but ongoing new-build projects also continued. In Germany, the recent decision to extend the operating life of nuclear power plants was reversed and replaced by a phase-out. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, eight German nuclear power plants were shut down, and the gradual phase-out of the other nine plants still in operation at the time was determined by the end of 2022. According to the IAEA, some 48 gigawatts of nuclear capacity have been taken off the grid worldwide between 2011 and 2020, as 65 reactors were either permanently shut down or their operating licences were not renewed. Instead, the focus of nuclear expansion during this period shifted to Asia, where a total of 59 gigawatts of capacity was added.
Modelling of hydrogen production technologies in an integrated energy system at different carbon constraints
Stefan Ballok, Marco Cometto, Aliki van Heek and Eileen Langegger
The main objective of the study is to investigate how the energy mix and hydrogen production evolve at different levels of carbon intensity, hydrogen demand and when changing economic assumptions on low-carbon technology costs. The study aims also at understanding under which conditions hydrogen can be economically used as seasonal storage and flexibility provider to compensate for the variability of renewable sources. The study aims at establishing the long-term optimal combination of generation sources to satisfy a given demand for power and hydrogen at the minimal economic cost. Overall, the coupling of the hydrogen system and power system is beneficial as its provision of flexibility helps to increase the share of renewables and thus accelerate further decarbonization.
Decommissioning costs of nuclear power plants – An international overview
Peter Hippauf
Within the next years the number of nuclear decommissioning projects will increase and consequently the requirement for realistic plans and transparent cost calculations will as well. For more than 40 years now, NIS has provided decommissioning plans and cost calculations for nuclear facilities in Germany and Europe covering especially decommissioning masses, radiological assessments and the project schedules. An overview of planned decommissioning projects for pressurized water reactor (PWR) in 6 European countries shows total costs between 320 and 1.500 Million € per unit. Higher decommissioning costs are caused by a larger decommissioning mass (PWR size) as well as the price and wage level in the corresponding countries. Optimized project schedules and the achievement of economies of scale in multi-unit sites lead to lower average costs per unit.
AWiR: A participation-orientated change project in nuclear decommissioning
Ralf Schimweg and Marco Steinbusch
The dismantling of plants is an ambivalent endeavour for employees: It is not easy to work on dismantling one’s own workplace every day. This dilemma was visible and measurable in the dismantling of JEN’s AVR experimental reactor due to constant project delays and poor morale among the workforce, particularly between residual operation, dismantling and radiation protection. In this article, the authors describe how a change project lasting a good two years succeeded in significantly improving the willingness to change, future prospects, cooperation and ultimately the progress of the dismantling project with the intensive involvement of the employees.The project team – the centrepiece of the change project – consisted of managers and employees elected by the workforce as well as representatives of the works council. All activities and results were “legitimised” by the project team.
Protection of nuclear power plants against the effects of tsunamis and severe flooding
Jens Wieneke
The protection of nuclear power plants against the effects of tsunamis and severe flooding is of critical safety importance, particularly in view of the potentially catastrophic effects of such events. A sensible strategy to increase the safety of nuclear power plants is the diversification of protection devices. By combining different protective measures, potential vulnerabilities of individual systems can be minimized and the overall safety of the power plant can be increased. Additional protective devices could be installed that act independently of the existing flood protection walls. These additional protective devices could serve as a supplementary safety measure and improve the overall resistance of the nuclear power plant to the effects of tsunamis and severe flooding.
Nuclear technology under article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement
Henrique Schneider
Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement is uniquely suited to combine the several goals of the Agreement with different activities undertaken by Parties as well as in Public Private Partnerships. As a bottom-up approach, the participating Parties decide alone on the criteria any activity should fulfill. Participating parties are free to deploy a wide array of activities under this provision of the Agreement – as long as their mitigation outcomes do not lead to tradable units. For this reason, PA 6.8 is more flexible than the financial and technology mechanisms under the Agreement. PA 6.8 could, therefore, be a leeway to “alternative” finance and technology partnerships between countries and non-state agents. Indeed, financing nuclear technology and/or undertaking common research on this topic or any activity considered transfer of technology seem the most likely case for deploying nuclear under PA 6.8.
Nuclear power plants worldwide: Compact statistics 2023
Editorial
At the end of 2023, 414 nuclear power plants were in operation in 33 countries worldwide. The number has not changed compared to the previous year’s reporting date. Three nuclear power plant units went into operation, two resumed operation after a lengthy shutdown and five units were decommissioned. The installed and available nuclear power capacity totalled 391 GWe gross and 368 GWe net. 6 new nuclear power plant projects were initiated with the start of construction. 56 plants with a total capacity of 67 GWe gross and 63 GWe net were under construction in 16 countries. In addition, around 200 nuclear power plant units are currently being planned in 30 countries worldwide.
Operating experience with nuclear power plants 2023
vgbe energy
vgbe energy committees have been exchanging operating experience about nuclear power plants for more than 30 years. Plant operators from several European countries are participating in the exchange. A report is given on the operating results of the three German nuclear power plants achieved in 2023, events important to plant safety, special and relevant repair, and retrofit measures.
Mercury reduction at Indonesian coal plants – Minamata compliance strategy
Lesley Sloss, Wojciech Jacewicz, Edward Archer and Peter Nelson
Indonesia ratified the UN Minamata Convention on Mercury in September 2017 and must now take action to comply with the aims of the Convention. For the coal sector, this means producing an inventory of mercury emissions and using these data to determine the most cost-effective and appropriate means to reduce mercury. This report aims to assist the Indonesian government in the development of a national compliance strategy to reduce emissions of mercury from the coal utility sector. It focuses on technical solutions noting, where possible, how applicable they are to the Indonesian challenge.
Harnessing sustainable finance for the energy transition
eurelectric
As part of the European Green Deal, EU institutions have adopted cross-sectoral legislation to improve investor access to sustainability information, from a Taxonomy for sustainable economic activities to European Sustainability Reporting Standards. This should in turn improve access to finance for the sustainable transition of companies. As the Platform for Sustainable Finance highlighted in its recent report on a compendium of market practices, the power sector stands out as an early adopter of the sustainable finance framework: in 2023, 69 % of utilities’ capital expenditure was aligned with the EU Taxonomy.
Review – vgbe/VÖU Expert Event River Management and Ecology
vgbe energy
In cooperation with the VÖU – Association for Ecology and Environmental Research – vgbe held the Expert Event “River Management and Ecology” on 21/22 March 2024 as part of RENEXPO INTERHYDRO. The participants, who came to Salzburg from 16 countries, were offered a comprehensive overview of all topics relating to river management and ecology.
Review – vgbe Info Day Municipal Electricity and Heat Generation
vgbe energy
As the energy landscape continues to change, municipal power and heat generation, also in conjunction with thermal waste utilisation, will play an increasingly important role in maintaining security of supply in the future. This will result in a constant stream of new tasks and challenges for the operators of such plants. Challenges and opportunities have been presented and discussed on the occasion of the “vgbe Info Day Municipal Electricity and Heat Generation” in January 2024 in Munich.
Editorial
Jörg Michels
Chairman of the Management Board
EnBW Kernkraft GmbH
Philippsburg nuclear power plant, Philippsburg, Germany
Member of the Executive Board
of vgbe energy e.V.
A look at nuclear energy
Dear readers of the vgbe energy journal,
A year ago, Germany’s last three nuclear power plants were shut down, closing the chapter on nuclear power generation in Germany. This far-reaching decision was preceded by a natural disaster – a tsunami that struck Japan following a major earthquake in 2011. As well as causing much suffering and international consternation, this tsunami also triggered discussions about the peaceful use of nuclear energy for electricity generation.
Not only in Germany was there a reassessment: in Italy, for example, the planned reintroduction of nuclear power, which had not been used there since 1990, failed. In Switzerland and Spain, projects to build new nuclear power stations were halted. However, in other countries, such as Finland and France, not only did existing plants continue to operate, but ongoing new-build projects also continued. In Germany, the recent decision to extend the operating life of nuclear power plants was reversed and replaced by a phase-out. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, eight German nuclear power plants were shut down, and the gradual phase-out of the other nine plants still in operation at the time was determined by the end of 2022. According to the IAEA, some 48 gigawatts of nuclear capacity have been taken off the grid worldwide between 2011 and 2020, as 65 reactors were either permanently shut down or their operating licences were not renewed. Instead, the focus of nuclear expansion during this period shifted to Asia, where a total of 59 gigawatts of capacity was added.
Although some nuclear power plants in Germany were already being decommissioned before 2011, it was only the decision to phase out nuclear power that led to the planning and implementation of large-scale decommissioning projects. The overall scope of the decommissioning projects is reflected not only in the planning and implementation periods of around two to three decades, but also in the financial volume of the projects: on the German operator side alone, the total costs are likely to be in the mid tens of billions. Under the German Atomic Energy Act, approvals for decommissioning and dismantling have now been issued for almost all German nuclear power plants, and some plants are already at an advanced stage of dismantling.
As during operation, diligence and responsibility are required during dismantling. In addition to the requirements of nuclear safety and radiation protection, issues such as fire protection, occupational safety, environmental protection and waste disposal are becoming increasingly important. Although many nuclear power plants have been dismantled in the past, both nationally and internationally, the parallel running of more than twenty dismantling projects in Germany has recently led to a significant increase in expertise and has been a driving force for innovation. German operators are not the only ones to have built up such a wealth of experience. A wider field has also been created for national and international service providers. This is particularly valuable for future dismantling projects in the international arena. The international exchange of experience promoted by the vgbe helps to ensure that the dismantling of nuclear power plants will continue to be carried out not only safely, but also more economically and efficiently in the future.
This international exchange is not only relevant to the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. In the light of climate change and Russia’s war against Ukraine, the role of nuclear power has been reassessed in some cases, particularly at European level. For example, the EU Commission has set standards for environmental management in the form of taxonomy regulations. Nuclear energy was classified as sustainable in 2022, which encouraged investment in the continued operation and new construction of nuclear power plants. In Germany, uncertainties about energy supply led to a further change in the law at the end of 2022. This allowed the last three nuclear power plants to continue operating for three and a half months, contributing to security of supply and grid stability in the winter of 2022/2023, before these three plants were also shut down permanently.
Even though the chapter of nuclear power generation in Germany is now finished, it makes sense for the vbge to continue to deal with the issue in the future. This is because, in addition to the operation of existing nuclear power plants and the construction of third-generation nuclear power plants, research and development of fourth-generation reactor types and other concepts such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) continues internationally. It is therefore not only useful, but also necessary – in the interest of the safety of existing and new nuclear power plants – to continue to follow and contribute to international developments. In addition to technology and safety, questions of implementation time and economic viability of new plants and projects must also be considered – also in comparison with other climate-friendly alternatives.
The vgbe and its international members have many years of experience and significant expertise in the operation of nuclear power plants, their modernisation and decommissioning, as well as in the field of research and development. This includes a wide range of expertise from technology, radiation protection, reactor physics and chemistry to qualification, standardisation and national and international regulatory work. Additional information can be accessed via various database systems, for example on the international feedback of operating experience. Making this experience and expertise available for the safe operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants in the future is and remains one of the declared aims of the vgbe.