Budapest Energy Summit, Hotel Mariott Budapest, 3-6 December 2018. Main drivers to innovation in nuclear energy Pál Kovács Director Nuclear Directorate
The need for nuclear R&D
There is a global need for electricity … 3
… however more than 1 billion people don’t have access to it!
5 Climate change is a challenge for human mankind
The need for nuclear R&D • Global population growth – growing need for electricity; • Nuclear fuel resources are unlimited (inland and dissolved in the oceans Uranium and Thorium, fusion); • Nuclear resources are globally accessible ; • CO 2 -free technology; • Improves the security of energy supply ( SOS ); • Helps the integration of renewables into the grid; • Closing the fuel cycle is still a challenge – a current task for nuclear R&D; • Nuclear R&D is a driving force ; • A potential to integration into global industrial processes; • A tool to maintain nuclear knowledge (young generations) ; • An industrial high-tech (quality);
Basic data
Global statistics (IAEA) Today: • 454 reactors in operation in 35 countries; • In addition to the 54 new reactors under construction (A construction speed that corresponds to the 70-80-ies) ;
Global statistics The competition of global powers in the 50-60-ies concluded with the majority of PWRs . Questions: - does that competition repeat itself with the development of the IVth Generation of reactors - will there be technological traps again ?...
The last few years … • Nuclear safety and physical protection have improved; • Availablity of the reactors have also improved ; • Reactor lifetime extensions are continuous; • P ower increase and improvement of the economics ; • 1st generation reactors have all been shut down; • 2nd generation is in operation; • Construction and commissioning of the 3rd generation is currently progressing (mainly in China); • Development of the Gen 4 reactors is underway; • Fusion research is in progress; • Further applications (freight transport fleet, seawater desalination, heat production, etc.) and developments (hydrogen generation); • A distant vision: reactors in the space (Mars mission);
Gen-III/III+ reactors today, evolutionary and innovative nuclear technologies in the 2nd half of this century
The last few years … • Economic growth is the stake in South-East Asia (Japan, Taiwan, South-Korea); • Robust nuclear programmes in India and China; • The Emirates: the reactor has been built; • Brasil, Argentina restarted nuclear programmes; • Turkey, Bangladesh „ first concrete ”; • Iran, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrein, Saudi-Arabia, Marocco, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia NPP construction plans; • Europe: rethink the role of nuclear power generation; • VVER reactors with their added economic value to the Russian economy are being built worldwide (40 reactors in the „ pipeline ” globally – 40 markets for nuclear fuel potentially for 60 years);
The last few years … Challenges: - Relatively „ quick ” project development in the 70-ies and 80-ies; - „ Silent ” nuclear world in the 90-ies (Russian continuous new builds); - Improving challenges in foreign markets for the technology vendors; - Nuclear regulatory requirements are more strict; - Failing and delayed reactor construction projects; - In some countries „ Volkswagen-like ” stories …; - IAEA guidance for newcomer countries;
Review of the history of global and domestic nuclear R&D
Global R&D history • The first nuclear bomb is a result of a concluding competition in nuclear R&D (1945); • The first NPP in Obninsk (1956); • Gen-II reactors (constructed around and after Three Mile Island); • International cooperation for fusion research (80-ies); • Global reactor safety improvements – design of Gen-III reactors (since the 90-ies); • Gen-III and Gen-III+ reactor reference units are in construction (nowadays); • Gen-IV reactor develeopment in international cooperation (since 2004 under OECD NEA umbrella);
Promising Gen-IV technologies Once Through
Nuclear R&D in Hungary • Uranium resource exploration in the Mecsek hills (1949); • The establishment of MTA KFKI (Hungarian Academy of Science/Central Research Institute of Physics) (1950); • The first accelerator in Sopron (1951); • MTA Atommagkutató Intézet ( Nuclear Particle Research Institute) (1954); • KFKI Research Reactor in operation (1959); • The start of university course for the training of nuclear energy experts (1961); • The 1st laser equipment in the KFKI (1963); • HU-RU IGA for the Paks1 two reactors (1966); • ATOMKI high energy accelerator (1971);
Nuclear R&D in Hungary • Budapest Technical University training reactor (1971); • ZR-6 reactor in the KFKI-ban (1972); • Modification of the HU-RU IGA – 4 reactors at the Paks NPP; • HU dosimeter in the Space (1979); • Tokamak in the KFKI for plasma diagnostic experiments (1979); • PNPP 1st Unit grid connection (1982); • Full scope simulator at the PNPP(1989); • KFKI improved power research reactor (1993); • Hungary – a new EU member (AGNES) (2004) ; • ELI – the European laser research center in Szeged (2017);
Nuclear R&D in Hungary • Gen-IV gas cooled reactor (Allegro) design in cooperation with V4 countries and the CEA;
Nuclear R&D in the PNPP • Initially 440 Mwe power output; • Improvements in the secondary circuit – 460 MWe; • Turbine reconstruction and uprate – 480 MWe; • AGNES and… • … reactor power uprate – 500 MWe; • Fuel innovation – improved fuel cycle (from 11 months to 15 months); • Full scope simulator; • Maintenance Training Center (IAEA training methodology);
Nuclear applications
SMRs • Growing potential for Small and Modular (and mobile) Reactors (SMRs); • A challenge for the private sector; • More than 40 different SMR design initiatives registered and assessed by the IAEA; • SMRs are potential efficient contributors in the fight against the negative impacts of climate change, especially floating NPPs in the future; • Floating NPPs can produce electricity, heat, potable water from seawater by desalination;
Today: • 11 interested countries; • 40 different SMR designs; • 2 FNPP concepts;
From design to realisation: a floating NPP example
Closing remarks • Nuclear R&D could bring new solutions; • One „ homework ” is still ahead: closing the nuclear fuel cycle ; • Nuclear way of power generation is a solution to mitigate the impacts of climate change – a powerful response to global challenges; • Nuclear is unavoidable for a longer term, but nuclear R&D is essential ; • Nuclear R&D is also essential in maintaining the nuclear knowledge base;
A small country with experience in nuclear technology Unit 4 Unit 3 Unit 2 Unit 1 500 М W 500 М W 50 0 М W 500 М W 27
Without nuclear R&D and innovation 28
Thank you for your attention! 2018. 05. Kovács Pál: Atomenergetika a XXI. században 29 17.
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