China Will Soon Leapfrog Traditional Leaders in Nuclear Power

 

China generates only about 2 percent of its total electricity using nuclear power, but it is adding new reactors much faster than any other country. By Mike Orcutt on July 27, 2015   Why It Matters Nuclear power will likely have to play a big contributing role toward helping countries reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. China is rapidly moving up the global nuclear power leaderboard. Since 2012, as the traditional leaders in nuclear energy production have remained stagnant or backed off of their reliance on nuclear in the wake of Fukushima, China has added 11 new reactors and over 11 gigawatts of nuclear generating capacity. By the end of this year, China is expected to pass Russia and South Korea and boast the fourth-largest nuclear generating capacity in the world, behind the United States, France, and Japan. By 2020 it will likely replace Japan in third place. This trend shows no signs of slowing, because China has huge ambitions for adding new reactors, including advanced reactor designs, in the coming decades (see “Nuclear Options”). The country plans to increase its capacity from 23 gigawatts currently to 58 gigawatts by 2020, at which point it is also aiming to have 30 additional gigawatts under construction, according to the World Nuclear Association. Right now, of the 64 reactors being built around the world, 24 are in China—15 more than in second-place Russia. The Chinese government is banking on nuclear playing a significant role in helping it achieve its goals of having 15 percent of overall energy consumption come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2020, and 20 percent by 2030 (in 2012, 91 percent came from fossil fuels, according to the Energy Information Administration). Nuclear will also be very important, in addition to wind, solar, and hydropower, if China is to deliver on its promise that its annual emissions will level off no later than 2030 (See: “China Could Deliver on Its Carbon Promise Earlier than Expected”). source : MIT Technology Review.

Japanese nuclear plant cleared to restart

Thu, 05/28/2015 - 12:50pm

 

Associated Press

 

 

Today, a nuclear plant in southern Japan obtained the final permit needed to restart its reactors, paving the way for it to become the first to go back online under new safety standards introduced after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

All of Japan's more than 40 reactors are currently offline for repairs or safety inspections. The two units at the Sendai nuclear power plant are among 24 reactors seeking to restart, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's pro-business government tries to put as many back online as possible.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority approved the Sendai plant's operational safety plans, the last step of a three-part screening process. The plant's safety program includes emergency response plans in case of fire, floods or other natural disasters or a serious accident.

The plant, owned by Kyushu Electric Power Co., won approval in September of the safety of its reactors and other equipment under tighter rules set after a powerful 2011 earthquake and tsunami decimated the Fukushima nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.

Abe's government says nuclear energy is vital for resource-poor Japan's economy. It is now finalizing plans for Japan's long-term energy mix and is seeking to have nuclear energy supply about 20 to 22% of its energy needs in 2030, although public opinion remains divided.

While local municipalities have already approved the Sendai plant's restart, many residents oppose the plan, citing potential danger from active volcanos in the region.

Kyushu Electric hopes to restart one reactor at the Sendai plant in late July after onsite tests and training and the other in late September, though there could be some delays.

Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka reminded the utility of the importance of safety education and training for plant workers after a multi-year stoppage. Kyushu Electric vowed to further improve the emergency response training of its workers and ensure safety.

New Highly Radioactive Leak at Japan's Fukushima Plant

 

Feb 19, 2014

By Mari Saito

TOKYO (Reuters) - The operator of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant said on Thursday that 100 metric tons of highly contaminated water had leaked out of a tank, the worst incident since last August, when a series of radioactive water leaks sparked international alarm.

Tokyo Electric Power Co told reporters the latest leak was unlikely to have reached the ocean. But news of the leak at the site, devastated by a 2011 earthquake and tsunami, further undercut public trust in a utility rocked by a string of mishaps and disclosure issues.

"We are taking various measures, but we apologize for worrying the public with such a leak," said Masayuki Ono, a spokesman for the utility, also known as Tepco.

"Water is unlikely to have reached the ocean as there is no drainage in that tank area."

Tepco said water overflowed from a large storage tank at the site late on Wednesday after a valve had remained open by mistake and sent too much contaminated water into a separate holding area.

A worker patrolling the area, around 700 meters from the ocean, spotted drips of water leaking through a drain attached to the side of the tank.

The utility has been harshly criticized for its response to the three nuclear meltdowns following the quake and tsunami at the plant, 220 km (130 miles) north of Tokyo.

A nuclear regulatory official last week said Tepco delayed release of record-high measurements of strontium-90 in groundwater despite repeated requests by the regulator.

Initial measurements of the latest incident showed the leaked water had a reading of 230 million becquerels per liter of beta-emitting radioactive isotopes, including strontium 90.

That level is almost equal to that recorded in last year's leak of 300 metric tons of contaminated water, deemed a "serious incident", or level three, on the seven-point international scale for radiological releases.

The legal limit for releasing strontium 90 into the ocean is 30 becquerels per liter.