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World Nuclear Power Reactors 1951–2024
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1 January 2013
World Nuclear Industry Status on 1 January 2013
The preliminary analysis of major changes in world nuclear statistics during the year 2012 shows that three new units were connected to the grid, two in South Korea in January (Shin-Kori-2, Shin-Wolsong-1) and one in China in December (Ningde-1), while four units were shut down permanently, two in the
UK
(Oldbury-A1, Wylfa-2), and one each in Spain (Santa Maria de Garoña) and Canada (Gentilly-2). Two Canadian reactors that were in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s category “long (...)
29 December 2012
Quebec’s Gentilly‑2 Reactor Shut Down Permanently
On 28 December 2012, Gentilly-2, the only nuclear plant in the Canadian province of Quebec, was taken off the grid. The step had been announced by the new provincial government immediately after the elections in September 2012 (see Canada: Quebec’s Only Reactor to Close). The 29-year old 635
MW
heavy water reactor showed a mediocre performance over the passed four years with an average load factor of 64 percent and was slated for major upgrading. After a previous refurbishment at the Point (...)
21 December 2012
Spain Shuts Down Garoña Reactor
On 16 December 2012, Spain’s oldest nuclear reactor Santa Maria de Garoña was shut down definitively. The operator Nuclenor had calculated that further operation of the 446
MW
plant would not be economic. Not only it would have to invest about €120 million to upgrade the 41-year old plant, but it would also have to face a new tax of €153 million in 2013 following an energy tax reform that was overdue in Spain. The plant closure leaves the country with seven operating reactors. Nuclear (...)
17 December 2012
Reactor Building Starts Again in China
Nuclear power plant construction has started again in China, the first since March 2011 when following Fukushima the State Council halted approvals until a safety review had been carried out. In October 2012 Premier Wen Jiabao announced that China will “steadily return to normal construction” of new nuclear power plants. In November 2012 building works was said to have started at Fuqing unit 4 in Fujian province and Yangjiang unit 4 in Guangdong province - both 1080 MWe
CPR
-1000 units. In (...)
5 December 2012
Financial Analyst on French Nuclear: “It Looks Really Bad.”
The nuclear industry in France has suffered two major blows in the last few days. Firstly, on 3 December 2012, Électricité de France (
EDF
) announced that its only new build project at Flamanville (
FL3
) was now going to cost €8.5 billion to complete, as
EDF
added an additional €2 billion to the construction price of the single
EPR
reactor. The last cost revision by
EDF
was in July 2011. In 2005, when the final investment decision was taken,
EDF
estimated that it would cost €4 Bn (in €2012). (...)
4 December 2012
Centrica Out? The Twists and Turns of
UK
Nuclear New Build
Press reports have appeared again, on 2 December 2012, which suggest that Centrica is likely to withdraw in the New Year from its involvement with Électricité de France (
EDF
), in the construction of nuclear power in the
UK
. This comes days after
EDF
was granted the first nuclear site license, for the Hinkley Point C project. It is further suggested that Centrica will write off the £200 million investment it has spent on the projects so far. Earlier in the week the Government published its (...)
18 November 2012
Declining
US
Power Prices Threaten Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant
The future of the Oyster Creek power plant in New Jersey which was in the headlines due to flooding resulting from superstorm Sandy, now seems in doubt. Similar to the Kewaunee power plant (see
US
Nuclear Plant to Close After Failing to Attract a Buyer) lower electricity prices, as a result of cheaper natural gas and the greater availability of wind power, has forced the operator Exelon to consider accelerating the closure of its 636
MW
boiling water reactor before its scheduled closure (...)
13 November 2012
EDF
’s
US
Calvert Cliffs 3 Project “Terminated”
On 1 November 2012, the
U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (
NRC
) issued an order terminating the adjudicatory proceeding on the combined license application for Calvert Cliffs 3. On 30 August 2012, the
NRC
had given French state utility
EDF
60 days to find a
U.S.
based partner for the project to build an
EPR
at the Calvert Cliffs site in Maryland (see Final Blow to
EDF
’s
US
Adventure?). Majority ownership, control or domination of a nuclear power plant by a foreign entity is illegal in (...)
2 November 2012
Hitachi Takes Over Horizon: Further Delays for
UK
Program Likely
On 30 October 2012, it was announced that the consortium led by Japanese Group Hitachi had outbid Toshiba owned Westinghouse for Horizon, the
UK
based company put up for sale by German utilities E.
ON
and
RWE
. The £700 million (€870 million) deal would enable the company to build four Advanced Boiling Water Reactors (ABWRs) at sites in Wylfa and Oldbury. Hitachi are likely to involve the Canadian firm
SNC
-Lavalin, although no specific agreement has been reached. Hitachi had been seen as an (...)
28 October 2012
Canadian Nuclear Power at Full Capacity for the First Time in Nearly Two Decades
Two events in October have led to all twenty reactors in Canada operating simultaneously for the first time for nearly twenty years. Firstly, the second unit at the Bruce A nuclear power plant started operation in mid-October 2012 following a shutdown period and extensive refurbishment that started in 1995. The cost to the Bruce Power corporation to update units 1 and 2 has been enormous — $4.9 billion, almost double the original estimate. During this period engineering works included (...)
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