February 2008
Main
Welcome to the first issue of Platts Insight – Nuclear Energy. The increasing global demand for clean electricity is driving the industry to take a closer look at the long-term benefits and challenges of building nuclear power plants. We are pleased to bring you perspectives from experts in the US and around the world who discuss uranium supply, advances in design, engineering and construction, and regulatory challenges of building new reactors. Also included in this issue is a fresh look at transmission capacity planning to support nuclear's growth and a refresher on lessons learned from the first nuclear generation. Read More
Victor Chrjapin is project director for nuclear construction for URS Washington Division's power business unit based in Princeton, NJ. He is responsible for construction planning in preparation for the nuclear renaissance; this includes general planning and preparatory activities to execute nuclear construction projects. He is directly responsible for Washington Division's construction planning efforts for GEH's ESBWR including generic plans, construction methodologies, schedules, and related activities. Mr. Chrjapin's expertise includes project management, particularly in the operating nuclear environment. Read More
Robert Temple, Deputy General Counsel, CPS Energy
THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES ONE UTILITY lawyer's views on considerations when contracting to build a new nuclear power plant. In a period of increasing uncertainty regarding escalation of equipment costs, commodity prices and labor rates, the following article provides pointers that may help utilities drive out some uncertainties around contracting to build a new nuclear power plant in today's environment. Read More
Dale Landgren, Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer, American Transmission Co.
THE HEADLINE IN THE APRIL 2006 National Geographic read, "It's controversial. It's expensive. And it might just save the Earth." The subject was nuclear power and discussion of its comeback has been a featured topic across the news media. One year after this article was published, the Tennessee Valley Authority approved the first nuclear reactor to come online nationally in more than a decade, when it authorized restarting unit 1 of the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Athens, Alabama. Since that time, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) expects applications for as many as 11 new units in 2007 and for as many as 28 by the end of 2009. Read More
David Stellfox, Senior Editor, Platts Global Nuclear
A global nuclear construction boom is likely to keep the pressure on already tight uranium supplies. The market is responding with new mine projects, higher commodity prices, and new financial products, but will the supply meet the demand? Read More
by Victor Chrjapin PE, PMP, URS Washington Division
THIS TREATISE EXAMINES LESSONS LEARNED throughout the US nuclear construction industry by briefly examining the historical process and outputs from the previous nuclear era through the present day. No rigorous, standardized lessons learned program existed during the initial period of nuclear construction. With the onset of the nuclear renaissance, the industry has the opportunity to obtain and evaluate lessons learned from all sources. This approach maximizes the potential for a successful, robust US nuclear program. Read More
Gerald Garfield, Eric Runge and Lynn Fountain, Energy and Utility Department, Day Pitney
NEW NUCLEAR GENERATION RAISES OLD challenges and presents new challenges to developers and system planners and operators. Getting such generation interconnected to the grid and delivered to load will be among those challenges. More specifically, those challenges will include: whether the standardized generator interconnection rules will accommodate the length of time needed to build nuclear and put it in service; how the transmission network will be expanded to deliver remote generation to load, especially with rapidly increasing transmission needs of renewable generation to meet renewable portfolio standards (RPS); and how the costs of major transmission upgrades to support the interconnection and delivery of new nuclear generation will be allocated. Read More
Cassie R. Hagan, Director, Marketing Operations and B2B Communications, AREVA NP, Inc.
AS ELECTRICITY DEMAND, CLEAN AIR concerns and energy prices increase in the US, interest in new nuclear reactors is also on the rise. These factors—along with decades of outstanding performance of the nation's existing nuclear fleet—have contributed to a favorable market for new nuclear power in the US. Read More
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