Private sector to run nuclear labs

No further updates are available at this time as where the GoCo process is at: Private sector to run nuclear labs: http://www.pennenergy.com/wirenews/powernews/2013/04/15/private-sector-to-run-nuclear-labs.html "The Government of Canada is planning to bring in the private sector to manage Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's Nuclear Laboratories, including Chalk River in Ontario and Whiteshell Laboratories in Manitoba.
The government said on 28 February that it will launch a competitive procurement process for the management of AECL's Nuclear Laboratories "in the coming months." It plans to use the services of financial and nuclear advisors as part of the process.
Natural Resources Canada said that it is seeking to implement a government-owned, contractor-operated model, as is used in the US and UK. "In doing so, the Government is demonstrating its commitment to fairness and the responsible use of taxpayers' dollars," a statement said. In 2011 AECL's reactor and services business was sold to SNC Lavalin; the laboratories were excluded.
The nuclear laboratories are responsible for R&D in safety, waste management and clean energy technologies, the production of medical isotopes, and other areas."

The Nuclear Future: Can we make it safe?

A must go Public Lecture by Dr. Shoesmith if you are in St. John: The Nuclear Future: Can we make it safe? http://www.mun.ca/science/news.php?id=1862 "“Contrary to public perception, research on the safe storage and disposal of nuclear wastes has been underway in Canada for over 35 years,” said Dr. Shoesmith. “It is part of a major collaborative international effort to design, and assess the safety of, disposal scenarios for individual nations.”
His talk will address the geologic properties required of potential disposal locations and how various nations approach site selection both technically and socially."

Point Lepreau operating at less than 1% capacity

Point Lepreau operating at less than 1% capacity: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2013/04/12/nb-point-lepreau-capacity-chemistry.html "More problems at the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station have had the plant operating at less than one per cent power since Wednesday night, NB Power acknowledged late Friday.
"We were at less than zero (per cent) late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning," utility spokesperson Kathleen Duguay stated in an email to CBC News.
"We have been evaluating the benefit of going to zero since early last week."
NB Power says it continues to have problems with the chemistry of the water in Lepreau's non-nuclear boilers, an issue that caused the reactor to be turned off once already in December.
Duguay says that, in combination with ongoing problems refuelling the reactor, led to a decision to power Lepreau down almost completely to allow both issues to be tackled at once.
She said it won't be known until next week when the reactor will be able to be powered back up.
Refuelling will resume when the reactor is back online.
Lepreau has operated at less than full capacity since coming back online last November, following a four-and-a-half year refurbishment."

Brazil: upgrades and new-build required as hydrologic risks mount

Brazil: upgrades and new-build required as hydrologic risks mount: http://analysis.nuclearenergyinsider.com/new-build/brazil-upgrades-and-new-build-required-hydrologic-risks-mount?utm_source=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.nuclearenergyinsider.com%2Ffc_nei_decomlz%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEI+e-brief+1704&utm_term=Brazil%3A+upgrades+and+new-build+required+as+hydrologic+risks+mount&utm_content=151899 "Brazilian nuclear energy received a boost after the announcement of a BR3.8 billion deal between the government backed utility Electobras and the state owned bank Caixa Economica Federal, to fund the construction of a third thermonuclear power plant at the Angra site on the South East coast.
The cash injection is due to be used on purchasing machinery, equipment and services for the plant in an agre...ement that will see the federal government underwrite the deal, where Caixa Economica Federal will receive 6.5% interest per year with an amortisation period of 20 years.
Currently the only two reactors online in Brazil are the Angra 1 and 2 plants, that began commercially operating in 1985 and 2000 respectively, that combined create 2007MWe of electricity per year. The two plants are going to need modernizing, so the lifespan of the plants can be extended. A financial commitment by the government has already been authorised in light of results from stress tests.
So what is in store for the Brazilian nuclear energy, in a country that is often regarded as economically a country for the future? "

Desalination and alternative markets to get SMRs off starting block

Desalination and alternative markets to get SMRs off starting block http://analysis.nuclearenergyinsider.com/small-modular-reactors/desalination-and-alternative-markets-get-smrs-starting-block?utm_source=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.nuclearenergyinsider.com%2Ffc_nei_decomlz%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEI+e-brief+1704&utm_term=Brazil%3A+upgrades+and+new-build+required+as+hydrologic+risks+mount&utm_content=151899 "The case for SMRs may have taken a step forward following the USA’s recent major drought, which lasted the whole of 2012. Other smaller scale non-traditional markets could also spur SMR commercialisation. We look at the possibilities.
In the USA, desalination has been considered as an option to help avoid this kind of crisis in the future. SMRs, which are smaller and easier to establish than conventional nuclear reactors, could become the most suitable type of facility for these types of alternative industrial or civil projects in a number of countries."

Renewable Energy's Hidden Costs?

good read: Renewable Energy's Hidden Costs? http://theenergycollective.com/barrybrook/201991/counting-hidden-costs-energy?goback=.gde_46854_member_228541039 "A recent Bloomberg press release got wide coverage with its claim that wind power is now cheaper than coal. But a new report from the OECD shows that when you cover the full cost to the grid, variable renewables like wind don’t add up as favourably.
It is often claimed that introducing variable renewable energy resources such as solar and wind into the electricity network comes with some extra cost penalties, due to “system effects”. These system effects include intermittent electricity access, network congestion, instability, environmental impacts, and security of supply.
Now a new report from the OECD titled System Effects of Low-Carbon Electricity Systems gives some hard dollar values for these additional imposts. The OECD work focuses on nuclear power, coal, gas, and renewables such as wind and solar. Their conclusion is that grid-level system costs can have significant impacts on the total cost of delivered electricity for some power-generation technologies.
All generation technologies cause system effects to some degree. They are all connected to the same transmission and distribution grid structure and deliver electricity into the same market. They also exert impacts on each other, on the total load available to satisfy demand, and the stability of the grid’s frequency control. These dependencies are heightened by the fact that only small amounts of cost-efficient electricity storage are available."

Nuclear Industrial Strategy: The UK's Nuclear Future

Remarkable long-term vision and planned actions to make it happen, something Canada is lacking: UK's policy paper on nuclear is out: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-industrial-strategy-the-uks-nuclear-future?goback=.gde_46854_member_226560933 "The Nuclear Industrial Strategy identifies priorities that government and industry will work on together in a long-term partnership. It aims to provide more opportunities for economic growth and creating jobs through an increased share of all aspects of the nuclear market. It covers:
•opportunities in the nuclear new build programme
•waste management and decommissioning
•operations and maintenance
•associated professional services, both in the UK and in overseas markets
The Strategy includes:
•a new Nuclear Industry Council, that bring together all the key players across the nuclear supply chain
•better coordination of research and development (R&D) and innovation through new bodies: the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board and a Nuclear Innovation and Research Office
•a cost reduction initiative to investigate the scope for reducing costs across all aspects of the nuclear industry
•a long-term plan to ensure we will have the skills required for the future"

B&W, DOE Sign Cooperative Agreement for Small Modular Reactor Funding

US moves forward with SMRs: B&W, DOE Sign Cooperative Agreement for Small Modular Reactor Funding: http://www.financialpost.com/markets/news/Sign+Cooperative+Agreement+Small+Modular+Reactor+Funding/8243494/story.html The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) (NYSE: BWC) announced today that its subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox mPower, Inc. (B&W mPower), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have signed a Cooperative Agreement for funding made available through DOE’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Licensing Technical Support Program for the development and licensing of B&W’s mPower™ technology.
The $79 million allocated for the first year of the program will be immediately available to the B&W mPower program. While the DOE has projected that approximately $150 million will be made available during the five-year period of the DOE award, subject to incremental appropriations from Congress and B&W mPower’s compliance with the terms of the Cooperative Agreement, the Cooperative Agreement allows for $226 million or more in federal funding. B&W mPower intends to use any additional funding made available on a cost-shared basis for licensing and engineering activities that qualify under this award.
“The Department is pleased to complete this important step in our SMR Licensing Technical Support Program,” said Dr. Peter Lyons, U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. “Our work with B&W mPower will help advance the commercialization of safe and efficient SMRs in the United States. U.S.-built SMRs have the potential to cost-effectively support our nation’s energy and climate goals while boosting U.S. manufacturing capabilities and job growth.”"

State of denial

State of denial: http://www.newscientist.com/special/living-in-denial "From climate change to vaccines, evolution to flu, denialists are on the march. Why are so many people refusing to accept what the evidence is telling them? "

Nuclear Energy Saves Lives

A great short video from DNews posted by energycollective: Nuclear Energy Saves Lives: http://theenergycollective.com/rodadams/206761/nuclear-energy-saves-lives "I stumbled across the above video from DNews. Here is how DNews describes itself:
DNews is dedicated to satisfying your curiosity and to bringing you mind-bending stories and perspectives you won’t find anywhere else.
Though there are some points that could be improved, I think the presenter did a pretty fair job of summarizing James Hansen’s recent study on the beneficial health impact of using nuclear energy. For many people who have not deeply thought about the issue, the idea that nuclear energy saves lives certainly qualifies as a “mind-bending story” from a unique perspective."