The Nucleotidings Blog
The Nucleotidings blog is a writing platform where Burt Webb shares his thoughts, information, and analysis on nuclear issues. The blog is dedicated to covering news and ideas related to nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection. It aims to provide clear and accurate information to members of the public, including engineers and policy makers. Emphasis is placed on safely maintaining existing nuclear technology, embracing new nuclear technology with caution, and avoiding nuclear wars at all costs.
Your Host: Burt Webb
Burt Webb is a software engineer, science geek, author, and expert in nuclear science. Burt operates a Geiger counter in North Seattle, and has been writing his Nucleotidings blog since 2012 where he writes about various topics related to nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection.
Burt Webb has published several technical books and novels. He works as a software consultant.
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Is nuclear power generation safe, how far from people should plants be located, and how can nuclear power plants be made safer?
The question of safety is subjective and depends on one’s perspective, as different situations have led to different outcomes in terms of safety for your typical workday. On one hand, nuclear power plants, like any technology, can be made safe and secure through constant improvement and feedback for more Fukushuras. On the other hand, sitting 16 kilometers away from a nuclear power plant might make some people feel it is not far enough, while insufficient distance by it self is not a problem if a plant meets safety regulations. Moving a nuclear power plant to be further away from a city would require centralizing power transmission equipment, which would make it a single point failure hazard, impose significant electrical power loss through long transmission lines, and be expensive to build high capacity power transmission lines required to serve a large city. Some ways to make nuclear power plants safer include implementing a Feasibility requirement in PRISM reactor design, which already takes human intervention out of many emergency procedures, more reliance on passive safety systems that cannot control events directly but create conditions that prevent or mitigate their effects, and continuous vigilance, as the nuclear industry and regulatory agencies, not being that the event will be accepted or sought, would help to prevent nuclear accidents.
What do you mean by “Fukushuras”?
“Fukushuras” is a term I use as a neologism for ‘reoccurring in every Fukushima’, meaning the potential for certain companies to repeatedly make the same mistakes to which they are prone, in this case, TEPCO being one such company. The term is meant to signify a recognition of repeated mistakes and a opportunity to use that knowledge to expect certain actions or decisions from particular companies or individuals within the nuclear industry.
Amazon, X-energy, KHNP, and Doosan Partner on $50B Nuclear Push for AI Data Centers carboncredits.com
Go-ahead for preliminary works at Polish plant site world-nuclear-news.org
Keel laid for Navy’s second Columbia-class nuclear strike submarine navytimes.com
Powering tomorrow: Q&A with a nuclear engineering expert news.mst.edu
Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745
Ambient office = 87 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 102 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 108 nanosieverts per hour
English cucumber from Central Market = 93 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 113 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 106 nanosieverts per hour
Part 1 of 2 Parts
Mikhail Baryshnikov is the Head of Innovative Products Development Department for Russia’s TENEX and former chairman of World Nuclear Association’s Used Nuclear Fuel working group. He recently explained what a closed nuclear fuel cycle is, and how it is being developed.
A closed nuclear fuel cycle refers to a system in which spent nuclear fuel removed from a nuclear reactor is reprocessed, and the recovered nuclear materials are used to create new fuel. In commercial light-water reactors, only a fraction of the fuel is burned up completely. Up to ninety-seven percent of the spent nuclear fuel that is removed from the reactor is unburned uranium and plutonium. Both elements can be reused to make new nuclear fuel. A closed nuclear fuel cycle is the only practical solution when we consider the need f or the efficient use of natural resources and the minimization of waste. However, due to the characteristics of light-water reactors’ neutron spectra, commercial light-water reactors can only support a single plutonium recycle and two or three uranium recycles.
A promising solution is referred to as “partitioning and transmutation”. This is a technical process which involves the separation of spent nuclear fuel into different components, allowing for the optimal use of each. The process involves specific technologies that can improve the current practices of waste management.
In France, and in other countries that employ similar methods, only uranium and plutonium are recovered from spent nuclear fuel during reprocessing. The remaining radioactive materials are treated as toxic waste. The recovered uranium and plutonium are then recycled into new nuclear fuel for use in light-water reactors, while the rest is converted to glass logs in a process called “vitrifcation” and sent to final disposal. With this method, uranium can be reused only two or three times, because the accumulation of “even isotopes” significantly reduces fuel efficiency. Plutonium is typically used only once due to similar problems.
In the partitioning and transmutation process, when the uranium and plutonium are separated, a critical fraction, known as “minor actinides”, is also extracted. These are the most long-lived radioactive isotopes and hazardous components of spent nuclear fuel. The minor actinides are then subjected to transmutation, a process that involves bombarding them with accelerated particles (either in a fast neutron reactor or a proton accelerator) to convert them into less hazardous elements. Fast-breeder reactors are particularly promising for this stage of the process because they can operate using nuclear fuel made from plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel, allowing for multiple recycles. The volume and long-term hazard of the radioactive waste destined for final disposal is significantly reduced, while plutonium is consumed much more efficiently.
Fast reactors and advanced radiochemistry are the keys to this process. Appropriate infrastructure, such as transport containers, radiochemical plants, fuel fabrication plants, and so on, are also needed. And, an integrator, who would be able to operate everything in a coherent cycle, is also required.
Russian companies, under the Rosatom umbrella, are already at work developing such systems. Most of the required infrastructure, including fast reactors, radiochemical plants, and fabrication facilities, is located in Russia.
Please read Part 2 next
Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
If nuclear fuel cycle management is outsourced to TENEX in Russia it is easier for international customers to operate their light-water reactors without needing to develop these facilities themselves in their countries.
Deposits of natural uranium ore are a finite and valuable resource, and the price can be quite volatile. Ninety-six percent of spent nuclear fuel is uranium and about one percent is plutonium. Technology exists to extract and use both. In addition, there is the expertise to efficiently manage radioactive waste. This position allows companies to offer a new approach to the nuclear fuel cycle or a new type of nuclear fuel cycle offering. This refers to a complete system that includes fast reactors, containers, radiochemistry, and fuel fabrication from regenerated nuclear materials.
Legally, the use of this system would not be classified as leasing. However, it functions in a similar way. The vendor would supply fresh nuclear fuel to the reactor, collect the spent nuclear fuel for reprocessing, and may supply fresh nuclear fuel made from regenerated materials.
There are still challenges, but they are related to improving existing technologies and scaling the infrastructure.
TENEX is committed to tuning their fuel cycle optimization solution to an off-the-shelf, yet fully complete offering. This means developing a set of standards that would apply not just for fresh fuel and spent fuel, but also for the radioactive waste produced from reprocessing spent fuel and the transmutation of minor actinides. TENEX has already developed reliable packaging and reference samples for this waste, and they have conceptualized facilities for its final isolation. However, since the disposal of radioactive waste is the responsibility of national nuclear facility operators, a significant amount of work remains to integrate these technical solutions into national laws and regulations. This is critical work, because nuclear technology clearly demonstrates a fully comprehensive and sustainable solution for every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from mining and enrichment to recycling and final waste disposal.
The TENEX global reach is substantial. It may be too soon to claim global adoption of the TENEX system, but interest in their solutions continues to grow, and so does the number of potential customers of what is called the “Sustainable Nuclear Fuel Cycle”.
The new technology enhances the sustainability of nuclear energy. A prime example may be the fast neutron reactors referenced above. These are Generation IV reactors, the most advanced commercial nuclear reactors currently available. The same applies to TENEX radiochemical processes, fabrication techniques, and containers. TENEX uses the best available technology at every stage.
In the long term, there is no viable alternative to a closed nuclear fuel cycle. Without it, eventually the accessible uranium ore deposits will run out of natural resources, and the radioactive waste burden will become unsustainable. Unfortunately, the processes in the nuclear fuel cycle take decades to unfold, so it’s unlikely that the closed fuel cycle will be fully adopted globally within the next fifty years. But in one hundred years, it can be hoped that it will be implemented universally.
Iran Says US Missile Demands Block Path to Nuclear Talks usnews.com
Further life extension of two UK nuclear power stations world-nucleawr-news.org
New agreement could add up to 6 gigawatts of nuclear power to TVA grid wate.com
UN watchdog finds uranium traces at suspected Syrian former nuclear site winknews.com
Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745
Ambient office = 100 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 101 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 102 nanosieverts per hour
Green onion from Central Market = 117 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 87 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 78 nanosieverts per hour
Everstar Launches Gordian Research: Nuclear Knowledge for Faster Deployments wral.com
PA Rep. looks to work towards nuclear energy by removing barriers wtaj.com
Maine Maritime Academy: Nuclear engineering minor launches this year newcentermaine.com
North Korea announces new Hwasong-20 nuclear missile as Kim arrives in China nknews.com
Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745
Ambient office = 102 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 129 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 129 nanosieverts per hour
Campari tomato from Central Market = 108 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 90 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 77 nanosieverts per hour
Nuclear power stations extended by 12 months bbc.com
Kathryn Bigelow Made Political Thriller ‘A House of Dynamite’ to Warn the World About Nuclear Annihilation hollywoodreporter.com
Nuclear research center plans submitted bbc.com
Former Homeland Security Appointee Joins The Nuclear Company to Expand Global Presence businesswire.com
Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745
Ambient office = 106 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 151 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 146 nanosieverts per hour
Beefsteak tomato from Central Market = 88 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 93 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 91 nanosieverts per hour
Dover Sole from Central = 73 nanosieverts per hour
South Africa is partnering with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during its current G20 presidency to focus on the implementation of new commercial nuclear reactors in Africa.
The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising nineteen sovereign countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation and sustainable development, through annual meetings of Heads of State and Heads of Government.
The sovereign states of the G20 (without its international members, like the EU or AU) account for around eighty five percent of gross world product (GWP), seventy five percent of international trade, fifty six percent of the global population, and sixty percent of the world’s land area. Including the EU and AU, the G20 comprises seventy nine percent of global population and eighty four percent of global CO2 emissions from fossil energy.
IAEA-Group of Twenty cooperation broke new ground with the publication of a new report examining the potential for nuclear power in Africa.
The IAEA launched the report at a side event co-organized with the Clean Energy Ministerial and the South African Department of Electricity and Energy on the margins of a key Group of Twenty (G20) energy transitions meeting in South Africa as the G20 bloc studies clean energy options for sustainable development.
Read the new report: Outlook for Nuclear Energy in Africa | IAEA.
The IAEA participated for the first time as an invited organization during the G20’s Brazilian presidency last year. The IAEA is once again collaborating with the European Union which is the world’s largest economic bloc. They met under the South African presidency to advance work on nuclear power.
South Africa is the only African country with nuclear power. Its two-unit Koeberg Nuclear Power Station supplys nearly two gigawatts of electrical generation capacity. Enthusiasm for nuclear power is building across the whole continent, where fossil fuels currently dominate energy production, accounting for more than seventy percent of electricity production in Africa.
South Africa is collaborating with the IAEA during its G20 presidency and focusing on the implementation of nuclear new build programs in Africa. There is particular interest in small modular reactors (SMRs) in Africa because of the grid infrastructure requirements. Zizamele Mbambo is the Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy in South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. He said, “The global interest in SMRs is increasing due to their ability to meet the need for flexible power generation for a wider range of users and applications as we move from high carbon emissions to lower carbon emission sources.”
A growing number of African countries are interested in adding nuclear power to their energy mix, with Egypt building its first nuclear power plant and countries including Ghana and Kenya working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to develop the requisite infrastructure to launch their nuclear programs. The latest IAEA projections have nuclear capacity in Africa increasing tenfold by 2050 in the high case scenario. Even in the low case scenario, the current nuclear capacity grows by a factor of five by 2050.
The IAEA publication surveys the Africa’s current energy landscape, highlighting the prospects for nuclear power to address the lack of access to reliable electricity that is a daily reality for about half a billion people across Africa. The report also takes an in-depth look at what is required to deploy enough nuclear power to meet the continent’s significant energy needs. This underscores the importance of addressing financing challenges, implementing strong, supportive government policies and adopting a regional approach to nuclear power development, and details IAEA support in these and other areas.
Frederik Reitsma is the Head of the IAEA’s Nuclear Power Technology Development Section. He said, “Access to reliable and low-carbon energy sources such as nuclear can enable Africa to further explore and more importantly also add benefits and value to its vast natural resources, including uranium. History has shown that the development of a nuclear power program, and the development of the associated supply chain, drives industrial growth and leads to advanced technology development in other areas.”
The publication also explained how SMRs could play a major role in Africa. It highlighted benefits such as their suitability for the relatively small electric grids that are common in Africa as well as their lower capital costs. Uranium mining is also identified as a significant growth opportunity for the continent. Africa is already home to three of the world’s top ten uranium producers: Namibia, Niger and South Africa.
Emma Wong is the Nuclear Principal Lead for Innovation, Quantum Technology and International Development at EPRI. She said in remarks delivered during the launch event “As the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) contributes to the development of an energy security framework for G20 nations, insight-rich resources such as the IAEA’s Outlook for Nuclear Energy in Africa are essential to address regional resource expansion and inform development across continents. By together leveraging every resource at our disposal, we can amplify the value of global efforts to deliver the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of energy abundance to society.”
Jean-François Gagné is the Head of the CEM Secretariat. “The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) provides a trusted and inclusive platform where countries can engage in informed dialogue on the opportunities and challenges of nuclear energy, and advance practical cooperation aligned with their national priorities. As a key international platform, the CEM supports governments in advancing their nuclear energy ambitions, including in emerging and developing economies. In Africa, the CEM NICE Future Initiative has actively worked with countries such as Ghana and Kenya, helping them explore the potential role of nuclear energy in their broader clean energy transitions. The CEM works in close partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange in support of national and regional goals.”
Looking forward, the IAEA is preparing to engage at the G20’s Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting, scheduled for October of this year in South Africa. The IAEA is currently developing a report on the coal-to-nuclear transition which covers the economic benefits of converting former coal sites for nuclear power deployment and provides an overview of the technical aspects of the repurposing process. This report is scheduled to be released just ahead of the meeting.
