Summary of 5th Lecture Meeting on October 31, 2000

New Nuclear Initiatives in DOE, ANS, and US - Japan Collaboration

By Dr. Gail H. Marcus

Principal Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science & Technology US DOE

News :
The next DOE budget has been approved. A new industry-group committee has been formed to address the issues of what it will take to site and build new plants, such as advance site approval; thus laying the preparatory groundwork for new orders. The US electric utility PECO Energy has purchased a 10% interest in Eskom's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor project.

Need for nuclear power and growing electricity demand :
The annual growth of electricity demand is at 2.5% worldwide, with 1.4 % annual growth in the US and 4.4% annual growth in developing countries. This translates to 3,503 GW of new capacity by the year 2025 (IEA estimate), of which 667 GW are replacement for retiring capacity. The majority of the demand will be satisfied by gas and coal, with nuclear at 10%.

New case for nuclear power :
Climate change concern has made the nuclear option more attractive. In addition, the safety record of the industry has been exemplary and nuclear generation cost remains low. For developing countries, the nuclear option requires less transport infrastructure than coal. In the US, the NRC is proving itself a reliable partner. License renewal is already a success. Consolidation has strengthened US nuclear utility and vendor industry. However, public concern over safety, questions about high cost of new plant, plant aging, and the issue of spent fuel have to be addressed. For the US, uncertainties associated with the license renewal process, increased workload demand of the NRC, and the impact of utility restructuring are potential problems.

Strategies for nuclear R&D :
It is the government's role to invest in strategic R&D that is long term, and has high risk. The government must also develop, and preserve infrastructure like academic institutions and research facilities. The government should also promote internalization of research (facilities, data, and personnel). However, nuclear R&D cost should be co-shared with the industry.

Nuclear energy plant optimization program :
This is a collaboration with EPRI for cooperative research with industry to develop and deploy advance technologies that improve the long-term reliability and efficiency of existing nuclear power plants. Research areas (14 projects) include material fatigue, stress corrosion, digital & IC, human factors, fuel performance, etc. It has a fiscal year 2000 budget of $5 million from DOE and $6.8 million from EPRI.

Evolution toward Generation IV :
The current Generation III reactors include ABWR, System 80+, AP600, and EPR. These systems are not competitive in the US because of the strong competition of combined-cycle plants. The G. IV reactors for the 21st century must have new approaches that include advanced R&D to achieve a highly economical, proliferation resistance, enhanced safety, and minimized waste design. The industry cannot rely on the carbon credit alone to make nuclear attractive. A new regulatory approach is also required. The DOE is looking at all options. (Presently, there is no definitive decision for the pebble bed or small reactors.) The G. IV technology road map, with a planning horizon up to year 2030, has a completion of September 2002. It will have separate chapters for the year 2010 horizon. International input and participation are involved to guide the road map development. Initiated in 2000, the G. IV international forum established organization and chapters to facilitate research collaboration and to narrow down options to 2 or 3 designs. Forum member countries include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, UK, and US. It also includes observers from the IAEA, NEA, NRC, NEI, & ANS.

Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) :
The NERI program sponsors investigator-initiated, peer-reviewed R&D of technology and science needed to expand future use of nuclear energy. It is an incubator for future programs; hence, it has a small budget. Projects are funded up to 3 years. The program supports maintenance of vital nuclear infrastructure. It encourages collaboration between universities, industries, and national labs and internationally. Areas of current NERI program include proliferation resistant reactor and fuel technology; designs with high efficiency, low cost, and enhanced safety; etc. In year 1999, the program received 308 R&D proposals. It made 46 awards with a total fund of $52 million in 3 years. In year 2000, 126 proposals were received; and 10 were awarded with a total fund of $10 million over 3 years. NERI projects in years 1999 to 2000 include: Thorium fuel cycle, nuclear "battery", advanced light water design (small and large), liquid metal coolant, HTGR/pebble bed, direct energy conversion, modular reactors, factory produced systems, and process heat/hydrogen fuel generation.

International NERI :
This program promotes bilateral and multilateral research collaboration to address key issues affecting the future of nuclear energy and its global deployment. Approximately $7 million is budgeted in year 2001 to initiate INERI.

Collaboration with Japanese organizations :
One example of the US-Japan collaboration effort is the project with the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) on development of an integrated nuclear and hydrogen based energy supply/carrier system.

Advanced accelerator application program :
The Accelerator Transmutation of Waste (ATW) program focuses on waste transmutation and enhancement of the US's nuclear science and engineering infrastructure.

Advanced radioisotope power system :
This program supports the development of radioisotope thermoelectric generator for NASA missions.

Isotope support :
Isotopes are used in medical applications and research, cancer therapy, and nuclear physics. The DOE provides isotopes when no US private sector capability exists or when supply is insufficient.

Change to ANS role :
Membership in the ANS follows the trend of the nuclear industry that has been suffering from a decline since the 1980's. In this changing environment of concern for global warming, cost of energy alternatives, etc., the role of the society needs to be expanded. In additional to its tradition role for technical exchange, student support, and to a lesser degree, setting of industry standard, it must provide more value for the members; one example is the creation of a job bank. In the future, the ANS must enhance communication with its members (with web-based information source), improve its effectiveness in the public area (with grassroots effort by members writing to the US congress), form new alliances with other societies (by international membership and cooperative agreements).