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Nuclear Power Production Up for Fifth Year in a Row

August 21, 2018

Nuclear power generation increased worldwide in 2017 for the fifth successive year according to a report released by the World Nuclear Association (WNA). Production from nuclear plants reached 2,506 TWh in 2017, more than 10% of global electricity demand.

The average capacity factor for the world’s nuclear power plants increased year-over-year to 81.1%, continuing the high-performance displayed over the last two decades, during which average capacity factors have consistently hovered around 80%. In an August 15 press release announcing the publication of “World Nuclear Performance Report 2018,” the WNA noted that reactor performance has been “maintained irrespective of how long a reactor has been in operation.” It said there has been no evidence of “age-related decline.”

There were 59 reactors under construction at the end of 2017. Four reactors were connected to the grid during the year, with an average construction time of 58 months. Four projects were started during the year and two were halted, including two units at the V.C.…

Potential Navajo Station Operator—Less Capacity Equals More Profit

August 17, 2018

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The possible new operator of the largest coal-fired power plant in the western U.S. told Arizona regulators this week the company would run the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) at less than half its installed generation capacity in order to maintain profitability. An official for Illinois-based Middle River Power (MRP) also said the plant would operate with fewer workers and would pursue a new lease and coal supply agreement.

The current owners of the 2,250-MW Navajo station in Page, Arizona, which include Arizona Public Service (APS), have said they plan to close the plant in 2019 unless it can be sold. Negotiations are continuing with New York-based Avenue Capital Group, a global investment firm that invests in distressed companies and the distressed debt market, as the potential new owner, with MRP—headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Deerfield—as the potential new operator. Russell Begaye, president of the Navajo Nation on whose land the plant sits, recently said a lease agreement with Avenue Capital and MRP could be discussed by tribal lawmakers at a meeting in October.…

Group: Indiana Should Reject Vectren Plan for New Gas-Fired Plant

August 15, 2018

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An Indiana consumer protection agency has told state regulators they should reject Vectren Corp.’s plan to build a new natural gas-fired power plant in the state. Vectren wants the plant to replace four of the utility’s retiring coal-fired units.

Indiana’s Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) on August 13 said it completed a five-month legal and technical review of Vectren’s request. In a news release, the OUCC’s Bill Fine said, “Any electric utility that seeks to overhaul its generation fleet today must evaluate all possible options. It must also carefully examine the ways the options would impact its customers in terms of both money and electric reliability. In this case, Vectren has not evaluated all options or shown that it is proceeding in the most prudent manner.”

Evansville-based Vectren in a statement in response said it feels confident “that our generation plan is the best option for our electric customers in southwestern Indiana. The new natural gas plant will provide reliable, cleaner energy in addition to local jobs in Posey County.”…

Siemens Combining Business Units as Part of New Strategy

August 13, 2018

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Siemens reported a 2% rise in industrial profit for its fiscal third quarter on August 2, topping analyst forecasts, though the German engineering giant also reported that revenue for the quarter dropped 4%. The earnings report comes as the company prepares to implement a new strategy that cuts its number of business divisions.

The company announced management changes ahead of the October 1 start of its Vision 2020+ plan, which replaces the company’s Vision 2020 outline adopted in 2014. Under the new plan, whose beginning coincides with the start of the company’s next fiscal year and is scheduled to be in place by the end of March 2019, Siemens’ five industrial divisions will be combined into three operating companies.

The company said the three operating entities—Gas and Power, Smart Infrastructure, and Digital Industries—will give its individual businesses “more entrepreneurial freedom.” The new units will work with what Siemens calls its Strategic Companies, which include Siemens Gamesa, Siemens Healthineers, and the planned Siemens Alstom train unit.…

Official: FERC, Other Agencies Identifying ‘Critical’ Coal, Nuclear Plants

August 11, 2018

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An official with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) told a nuclear industry group this week that the agency and Trump administration officials are trying to identify power plants they consider critical to the nation’s grid. The move is seen as part of the White House effort to prop up the struggling U.S. coal and nuclear power industries.

Anthony Pugliese, FERC’s chief of staff, provided information during a talk before the American Nuclear Society, according to Rod Adams of Atomic Insights, a Virginia-based publishing company that produces content related to atomic energy. Adams shared audio of Pugliese’s remarks with E&E News. “We are working with DOD [Department of Defense] and DOE [Department of Energy] and NSC [National Security Council] to identify the plants that we think would be absolutely critical to ensuring that not only our military bases but things like hospitals and other critical infrastructure are able to be maintained, regardless of what natural or man-made disasters might occur,” Pugliese said.…

Nuclear Construction Update: New Progress Made in Russia, UAE, and U.S.

August 9, 2018

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Several milestones have been reached at nuclear power plant construction sites around the world including on the Leningrad II-2, Novovoronezh II-2, Barakah, and Plant Vogtle projects.

Russian Progress

At the Leningrad site, Rosatom—the Russian state atomic energy corporation—reported on August 7 that the main turbine equipment installation for Phase II Unit 2 was completed. The company said that the stator, separators, superheaters, deaerator, turbine condensers, high- and low-pressure heaters, and heat exchangers have all been installed. Work will now begin on insulation, low-current and electrical installation, and the laying of external and internal engineering networks.

Leningrad Phase I has four RBMK-1000 units, which were connected to the power grid between 1973 and 1981. Phase II will have four VVER-1200 units, two of which are currently under construction. Unit 1 was connected to the grid on March 9 and is currently in the final stages of commissioning. It was the second VVER-1200 unit to be grid connected. Novovoronezh 6 (also known as Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant [NPP] 2 Unit 1) was the first VVER-1200 to enter service.…