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Published byBilly Gundry Modified over 10 years ago
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ANS Winter Meeting Key Insights
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Plenary Session Takeaways Global Nuclear Leaders are non-Western – China/India/Russia/South Korea Current challenge to nuclear power in U.S. is cheap gas – Electricity generated by natural gas costs $3.5- 4.0/MBTU and may drop as more gas is found Global warming/Climate change is still the game changer – Even the natural gas producers embrace it because gas produces less CO2 than does coal
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Plenary Session (Cont.) U.S. may export plant operation know-how – U.S. capacity factors are very high Depends in part on developing the risk infrastructure to enable on-line maintenance of safety equipment No interest in closing the fuel cycle – Reprocessing push would result in political chaos For those supporting reprocessing For continued long-term spent fuel storage
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Small Modular Reactors -SMRs Embedded session focused on development – U.S. development/deployment could restore nuclear leadership position world-wide – Vendors actively pursuing specific proposals B&W mPower working with TVA Savannah River site has identified multiple locations and is working with several SMR vendors – Developing countries interested because SMRs don’t require as much capital or distort limited power supplies on smaller grids Replacement for SMR outage more manageable
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Implications for Arizona SMR is already underway elsewhere – Arizona incentives needed to attract vendors Mo-99 generation alternatives underway at several sites using HEU/LEU/reactors – Arizona need critical to support local source Reprocessing considered politically risky
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Arizona Implications (cont.) Centralized interim waste storage not priority – NRC found waste can stay safely/securely on site for 60 years after reactor ceases operation Possible centralized storage role for Arizona – Safety advantages to locating facility in area with low population density, seismic activity, rainfall, and ease of access by interstate highway and rail – Cost advantage by using photovoltaic panels to cool casks and provide power for security features
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