Fukushima: the aftermath Presentation to the Australian Institute of Dangerous Goods Consultants 16 th August 2011 Prepared by Nicolas Souchaud
Agenda • Introduction • Nuclear Power Plants – Japan – Germany – France – United Kingdom – Slovenia – Sweden – Lithuania – European Union – Korea – China – United States of America – World • Conclusion • Q & A 1
Introduction • HYTRANS High Volume Pump – Purpose: to carry large amounts of water over long distances – Containerized equipment including hydraulically driven submersible pump(s) and diesel engine power pack • Earthquakes and fires following earthquakes – August 1999: Izmit earthquake and ensuing refinery fire – 2010: City of Berkeley’s Mobile Disaster Fire Protection System – 24 th February 2011: Christchurch earthquake 2
NPPs - Japan • Japan imports 99% of its oil – after 1973 oil shock, push for NPP • NIMBY after Three Mile Island & Chernobyl – some of the highest electricity tariffs in the world – nuclear industry on the mend since - in 2005, 25% of Japanese felt nuclear energy was safe - in 2010, 40% felt so - in July 2011, 70.3% wanted Japan to do away with nuclear power • Nuclear represents 30% of Japan’s power generation (was meant to increase to 37% by 2014) • There are 54 reactors at 21 NPPs – 9 new reactors by 2020 – 5 more by 2030 • 10 electrical power companies 3
NPPs - Japan • March 11: a Magnitude 9 subsea megathrust earthquake struck off the north west coast of Japan • March 11: following the earthquake, a tsunami hits. Fukushima, a 2 nd generation NPP with 4+2 reactors, gets hit affecting ¼ of Tokyo power generation capacity – Electrical power supply (main & emergency) was knocked out – Core Cooling System (main & Emergency) pumps ceased to function – Nuclear fuel rods heated up (possibly piercing through the tanks of reactors 1, 2 and 3) • March 18: SDF and TFD use truck-mounted monitors to spray sea water on reactor #3 to cool down the facility’s overheating fuel rods. The Tokyo Fire Department has 8 High Volume Pumps each with 3km of hoses. 2 were used at Fukushima. 4
NPPs - Japan • March 22: a converted concrete pump truck with 62m boom replaces fire trucks • March 30: 4 more converted concrete pump trucks are flown in • May 2: Parliament passed a $50 billion emergency budget for disaster relief – FDMA to purchase 3 x 22,000L/min HYTRANS pumps 5
NPPs - Japan • June 7: – Review of radioactive emissions upward: 770 000 TeraBecquerels (15% of Chernobyl’s) – Creation of independent nuclear safety authority • June 11: – TEPCO shares fell 75% since March 11 with 28% of its installed capacity still shut down (Fukushima is 1.8% of Japan’s energy capacity) – TEPCO’s objectives remain the same: - 6-10m 3 /h of fresh water is pumped, still using a temporary system, in the reactors’ vessel to cool the 4 reactors’ fuel - Pump nitrogen to avoid oxygen/hydrogen mix build-up - After stabilisation, take control with definitive closed-loop cooling system • June 15: – Radioactive water treatment plant operational, treating 1,000 tons per day 6
NPPs - Japan • July 15: – 30,000 tons of radioactive water treated • July 19: – Government announces the end of the first step in the 6 nuclear reactors’ stabilization process, with a closed loop cooling system, but for reactor 4 • July 24: – 70.3% of Japanese polled support Prime Minister Naoto Kan's call to do away with nuclear power • July 29: – 100,000 tons of highly radioactive water still to be treated • Looking ahead: – The cooling system to be re-established in full in January 2012 – Water decontamination - Less radioactive water - Highly radioactive mud (120 x less volume) – 2500 tons of uranium to dismantle => 10 to 20 year operation 7
NPPs - Japan • HYTRANS has sold so far – 3 x 22,000L/min pumps to FDMA – 4 x 3,500L/min pumps with Hose Recovery Units and several km hose to Atomic Power Company and Kansai Power Company 8
NPPs - Germany • 2006: during a heat wave, the KGG NPP ordered 2 High Volume Pumps as a mobile back-up cooling system • March 14: Germany’s coalition government announced a three-month delay in its decision to extend the lifespan of Germany’s 17 elderly NPPs • March 15: Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the temporary closure of the 7 NPPs (out of Germany’s 17 reactors still in operation) • May 30: – Germany decides to close all its reactors by 2022, which represent 23% of its gross electricity generation – The 7 NPPs (and an 8 th reactor that experienced repetitive breakdowns) will never be re-activated – Berlin wishes to cut Germany’s electricity consumption by 10% – Berlin banks on offshore wind farms, gas and coal power plants The 7 NPPs being shut down means: � 6.6% of Germany’s electricity generation lost � More imports of gas from Russia � Imports from France (nuclear) and the Czech Republic (coal) doubled overnight � CO2 emissions may increase 4% • July 14 : The federal agency responsible for power supply, warns that Germany could face power shortages come the winter unless there is sufficient power generating capacity in reserve. 9
NPPs - France France has 59 reactors (out of Europe’s 144) generating 80-85% of the country’s electricity Electricity in France is 40% cheaper than the European average, 50% cheaper than Germany’s • March 23: NPP safety 5-point audit requested by the French Prime Minister with a preliminary report due before the end of 2011 (flooding risk / earthquake risk / power supply loss / water cooling system loss / incident operational management) • March 25: President Sarkozy promised to shut down the NPPs which fail tests conducted by the EU • June 5: poll shows that – 62% of French people want out of nuclear over 25 to 30 years – 15% want out quickly – 55% aren’t concerned about French NPPs • June 27: President Sarkozy announces that a billion euros to the nuclear programme of the future, particularly fourth- generation technology • July 25: Greenpeace questions safety of EPR (3 rd generation NPP by AREVA in case of power loss longer than 24 hours) • July 29: Presentation of EDF’s 2011-2015 strategy. EDF will double their investments to increase lifespan of its NPPs from 40 to 60 years and reinforce nuclear security • 2016: 1 st EPR will become operational 10
NPPs – United Kingdom The UK has 18 reactors generating about 18% of its electricity and all but one of these will be retired by 2023. • May 17: release of Interim Report by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. No major changes needed for future new NPPs. For existing NPPs, 26 recommendations, e.g. review flood defences, try to minimise the amount kept in spent fuel pools and look at back-up electricity for cooling functions • June 23: First major announcement on the future of nuclear in the UK since the Fukushima accident – The government has renewed its support for nuclear power. It backs a new generation of nuclear power stations because it believes they provide the necessary security of supply while helping reduce carbon emissions. – Eight new nuclear power plant sites named • July 20: Nuclear companies have cleared another hurdle in their quest to build new UK power stations, after parliament approved planning laws allowing plants to be built more quickly The first two stations are due to be completed by EDF and Centrica by 2018. RWE is planning to build the UK's third new nuclear station by about 2020 with fellow German utility E.ON 11
Krško Nuclear Power Plant - Slovenia • 1 x 666MW(e) Westinghouse 2 PWR NPP • Construction started in 1975 / connected to the grid in 1981 / end of plant life 2023 • Part-owned by Slovenia (a EU country) and Croatia (candidate for EU membership) • Delivers 37.8% of Slovenia’s and 15% of Croatia’s electricity in 2009 The European commission tightened security requirements and ordered additional tests to be conducted throughout EU countries especially for NPPs built before the 1990s. Seismic tests showed that a magnitude 5.5 or more earthquake, which is very likely to happen in the region, could leave NPPs without water supply. If no mitigation is implemented, the EU commission threatened to shut down non-compliant NPPs. Whilst regulatory pressure existed prior to the Fukushima accident, the latter translated into urgency to implement mitigation measures It resulted in the immediate purchase of 1 off-the-shelf HS60 + accelerated delivery for 1 x HS450 12
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