Laying the Foundation for New and Advanced Nuclear Reactors in the United States (2023) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Pages 83-103
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 83... ...
For example, the vision of an advanced NPP serving the electric grid when necessary and then switching to hydrogen production when electric power supply exceeds demand, requires the reactor operator to incur substantial capital investments in the engineering systems, infrastructure, and regulatory compliance that is necessary for frequent switching between the two services. If clean hydrogen commands a premium -- as it is likely to -- a reactor operator might well choose instead to design a plant that is dedicated to its production, perhaps even if that entails investment in hydrogen storage in order to exploit its higher revenue stream.
|
From page 84... ...
Because the ammonia synthesis process is exothermic, the heat produced in ammonia production can be recycled back to the hydrogen plant to supplement the high thermal energy requirements of the SOEC stacks. Synthetic liquid hydrocarbons offer another important opportunity to decarbonize parts of the transportation sector that are difficult to electrify.
|
From page 85... ...
although the reactors would have to compete with other sources of low-carbon electricity and heat, such as natural gas with carbon capture and storage. Other possible industrial integrations include using nuclear power for running a cryogenic refrigerant cycle, the chlor-alkali process, and formic acid production.
|
From page 86... ...
; however, water pollution, urbanization, and water scarcity are issues that could increase the market for desalinated water by the time advanced nuclear reactors begin to come online. The Middle East and North Africa have the greatest potential market for desalinated water owing to growing populations and existing water scarcity issues (Ahn et al.
|
From page 87... ...
An Assessment of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant for Zero-Carbon Electricity, Desalination, and Hydrogen Productions, Stanford University Precourt Institute of Energy, https://drive.google.com/ file/d/1RcWmKwqgzvIgllh0BB2s5cA6ajuVJJzt/view.
|
From page 88... ...
2021. An Assessment of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant for Zero-Carbon Electricity, Desalination, and Hydrogen Production.
|
From page 89... ...
2013. Hydrogen Production Using Nuclear Energy.
|
From page 90... ...
2020. Probabilistic Risk Assessment of a Light Water Reactor Coupled with a High Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plant.
|
From page 91... ...
This chapter first describes each phase of the life cycle of a nuclear project, beginning with an overview of the human capital challenge, which serves as a primer for the planning phase section. The planning phase section discusses optimism bias, organizational learning and risk management, the potential role of government in a 91
|
From page 92... ...
1 UNDERSTANDING THE LIFE CYCLE OF A NUCLEAR PROJECT An intrinsic component of the life cycle of any fixed facility (i.e., installed or constructed on a fixed site) is what is commonly called the project planning phase, which includes organizational decisions and all aspects of project definition.
|
From page 93... ...
. The Broader Human Capital Challenge A critical factor in nuclear project management is availability of the talent necessary to successfully execute any new build.
|
From page 94... ...
Merrow (2011, 2021) recommends that the owner's team (or possibly in certain situations for advanced reactors, the licensee's team)
|
From page 95... ...
R&D Leads (where applicable) Project Controls Project Controls Manager Lead Cost Engineer Lead Scheduler/Planner QA/QC Manager Procurement Procurement Coordinators Supply Chain Managers Materials Supervisors Contracts Contracts Manager On-site Construction Construction Managers Labor Relations Specialists Environment, Health, and Safety Environmental Lead Permitting Lead Safety Specialist Health Specialist Site Security Advisor Nuclear Regulatory Teama Regulatory Team Lead Regulatory Legal Regulatory Compliance Risk Management Team Risk Analysts Risk Managers (assigned to each identified risk)
|
From page 96... ...
The utility owner is more analogous, in organization, to the Department of Veterans Affairs than to the USACE or NAVFAC (see Box 6-1) , in that it is unlikely to have an in-house, well-experienced project management team capable of planning and managing a major nuclear project.
|
From page 97... ...
Recommendation 6-3: Department of Energy programs such as the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program should develop criteria that encourage and incentivize all major government-funded nuclear power projects to include a formal collaborative agreement between the reactor vendor and an experi enced development firm to ensure that there is management capacity to complete nuclear construction projects successfully, on budget, and on schedule.
|
From page 98... ...
Its 46 members include public power utilities in six states: California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Optimism Bias One pernicious source of risk in the planning phase of a nuclear project is optimism bias, a cognitive bias that causes a person or group to believe that the chances of experiencing a positive (or planned)
|
From page 99... ...
Recommendation 6-4: The plant owner should mandate an independent peer review involving both a quantitative risk assessment and a qualitative review as part of the plant construction project planning process, especially during a first-of-a-kind new build or first building of an existing design BOX 6-3 Elements to Be Considered in the Planning Phase and Incorporated into an Independent Peer Review Although cost and schedule overruns manifest in the construction phase, the issues that introduce risk and contribute to cost and schedule overruns often begin in the planning and engineering phases of the project, and include: 1. Lack of design finalization.
|
From page 100... ...
in December 1979 as a response to the Three-Mile Island accident, there was a marked decrease in the yearly O&M cost trend FIGURE 6-2 Nuclear construction cost overruns and constructor experience. SOURCE: Committee generated using data from U.S.
|
From page 101... ...
For nuclear construction cost, there is no dedicated organization or vehicle for sharing the knowledge gained across projects and over construction periods. Thus, a similar program for the planning and construction phase of advanced reactors could add value.
|
From page 102... ...
In other words, notwithstanding the standardization of the reactor itself and related nuclear components, the remainder of the engineering work could be susceptible to inadequate risk identification and mitigation, challenges posed by individual site conditions, and other requirements that negate the practicality of a standardized design for multiple sites. Given that there are multiple configurations of advanced reactors, and each one may require civil work installations that differ from others, it is recognized that the challenges will vary from reactor design to design.
|
From page 103... ...
modular construction techniques" (World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2017)
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.