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UAE, China build for larger energy future while US, UK, France tweak and maintain nuclear power and energy in general and Japan Grinds towards…
Despite a still recovering economy, the US Energy Information Administration still forecasts a 28% increase in the demand for electricity through 2040. China already has 30% more electricity production in 2013 after passing the US in energy production about 3 years ago. So the US is projected to add the power over 26-30 years that China already added from 2011-2013.
Exelon has said that the US needs changes to tax and energy policy to ensure “fair compensation” for the nuclear fleet. In particular, the company is calling for changes to the capacity market to recognise and compensate nuclear for its reliable and dependable baseload generation, illustrated by performance during recent extreme winter weather in many US states. Exelon is saying that if the US and states are not willing to set things up to pay for energy reliability then Exelon will shut down nuclear reactors that are losing money. This will make the US energy system less reliable, but you get what you pay for.
The uprates at Exelon's Braidwood and Byron plants and DTE Electric's Fermi power station are all to be achieved through more accurate measurements of feedwater flow, which will enable the reactors to each increase their capacity by 1.6%. Exelon intends to implement the uprates to the Byron and Braidwood plants during February. Both plants comprise two pressurised water reactors, and the NRC says the uprates will increase each station's total generating capacity from 2350 to 2390 MWe.
Including the uprates at Byron, Braidwood and Fermi, the NRC has approved uprates totalling some 7036 MWe since 1977. Applications for uprates totalling some 825 MWe are pending and the NRC anticipates receiving two further applications for measurement uncertainty recapture power uprates this year, which would add a further 39 MWe of capacity.
Uprates involve the use of devices to perform more precise measurements of feedwater flow, which is in turn used to calculate reactor power, typically allowing capacity increases of up to 2%.
Uprates of up to 7%, known as stretch uprates, can sometimes be achieved within the design capacity of the plant without involving major modifications, while extended power uprates can be achieved through modifications to major balance-of-plant equipment such as the high pressure turbines, condensate pumps and motors, main generators, and transformers. These can add on anything up to 20% of a plant's capacity.
2. Permission has been granted for civil works to start on the next two reactors of the UAE's nuclear power program.
Two reactor units are already under construction at Barakah. For these Enec will apply for an operating licence next year. It plans to complete construction, commission and start them up in time to generate electricity in 2017 and 2018. Units 3 and 4 should follow in 2019 and 2020. The reactors are APR1400 pressurized water reactors supplied by a South Korean consortium led by Kepco.
The four Barakah units will have a capacity of 5600 MWe, but ultimately the UAE wants 20,000 MWe nuclear capacity as part of a plan to meet energy demand that has been growing at 9% per year. The country's policy documents state it must have total installed generating capacity of 40,000 MWe by 2020. At that time, with Barakah in operation, nuclear power's baseload role would see it meet about 25% of electricity demand. Renewables are expected to provide up to 7%, domestic gas about 50% and imported gas the rest.
Source: http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/02/uae-china-build-for-larger-energy.html
