u.s. nuclear energy program · by 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Office of
Nuclear Energy
U.S. Nuclear Energy Program
November 16, 2016
Bradley Williams
Senior Advisor, Office of Nuclear Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
![Page 2: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Trends in Nuclear
• Recognition of importance of nuclear –today and in the future – in meeting carbon reduction/climate goals
• Concern about financial viability of some currently operating plants, yet large carbon reduction benefits from keeping them running• Generation II and III reactors
• Increased interest in nuclear in some domestic and international markets• Generation III+• SMR technology
• Innovators and some utilities looking at advanced “Generation IV” nuclear as a way to move nuclear beyond electricity
2
![Page 3: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Nuclear Energy – Sustainably Clean Power
Wind and solar are growing rapidly, but we have not yet solved the challenge of grid-scale storage that will provide power when intermittent sources cannot. We know nuclear can provide 24-hour baseload power, because it already does. Worldwide, nuclear power produces more energy than hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal power combined.
The bottom line is that to achieve the pace and scale of worldwide carbon reductions needed to avoid climate change, nuclear must play a role.”
“To meet our emissions reduction targets and avoid the worst effects of climate change, we need to dramatically reduce power sector emissions. Switching from coal to natural gas is already reducing the U.S. carbon footprint, but it’s not enough to get the deep CO2
cuts envisioned in the President’s Climate Action Plan. Reducing emissions by 80% will likely require the complete decarbonization of the power sector….
Secretary MonizCOP21, Paris 2015
3
![Page 4: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Notional Nuclear Energy Deployment Scenarios
Life extension to 80 yrs for 60% of current capacity (younger and larger units)
The partitioning between GE III+, SMRs, and GEN
IV depend on the availability of the technologies
and supply-chain considerations
2010 20202030 2040
ADVANCED REACTORS NUCLEAR HYBRID ENERGYSUSTAINABLE FUEL CYCLE
GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY
LWR LIFE EXTENSION (80 yrs)
LWR LIFE EXTENSION (60 yrs)USED FUEL STORAGE
ADVANCED LWR BASEDSYSTEMS & COMPONENTS
SMALL MODULAR REACTORS
A balanced and innovative National Nuclear Energy RD&D portfolio is needed to meet near-terms priorities and long-term objectives, given the long development and deployment period for nuclear technologies.
4
![Page 5: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Challenges and Changes to U.S. Nuclear Fleet
• Fitzpatrick, Pilgrim, Oyster Creek, slated to close
• Additionally, Fort Calhoun, Clinton, Quad Cities, Nine Mile Point-1, Ginna, Diablo Canyon recently announced plans to close
• Many others at “at-risk” especially in deregulated markets
• Some estimates as high as 40-50% of the fleet
“The economic challenges facing nuclear plants have prompted some utilities to retire reactors early. The prospect of even more early retirements has significant and potentially quite serious consequences......... The nuclear fleet is currently the largest part of America’s clean, emission-free electricity generation. We need this source if we expect to overcome our nation’s environmental challenges.”
Secretary of Energy Moniz, May 2016
5
Retired nuclear plants are replaced almost entirely with natural gas-fired generation
Note: this is a notional depiction of closure scenarios.
The announced closures line only includes Fitzpatrick,
Pilgrim, and Oyster Creek.
![Page 6: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Proposed Actions from the Summit on Improving the Economics of America’s Nuclear Power Plants
• Policy should be technology neutral• Focus on the end goal (i.e., reduced carbon emissions) rather than advancing a particular technology• Level the Playing Field – treat all clean technologies equally
• Outreach and education
• Near-term action by FERC on Price Formation
• Valuation needs to be considered by FERC / Markets• Zero-carbon, Reliability, Resiliency, Affordability, Fuel Diversity, Sustainability, Security, Flexibility, etc.
• Clean Energy Standards
• Reduce Operating Costs• Delivering the Nuclear Promise• LWR Working Group – technical advances• Provide additional energy services (i.e., process heat applications)
• Clean Power Plan Implementation• Mass-based with new source complement
• Power Purchase Agreements
• Legislation• Carbon Price, Production Tax Credit
• Re-regulate6
Summit Report & Cost Gap Analysis
available at https://gain.inl.gov
![Page 7: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Clean Power Plan
• In August 2015, President Obama announced a Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions in the United States.
• The plan sets flexible and achievable standards to reduce power sector carbon dioxide emissions by 32percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
• Nuclear energy can be incorporated into state plans
– New nuclear power (including under construction) and nuclear uprates count towards compliance
– States can design their own policies to comply with their goals, and may choose to incent existing nuclear plants to continue to operate
7
“DOE stands ready to assist
states with technical
expertise to meet these
pollution-cutting targets
while maintaining an
effective, affordable, and
reliable electric system.”
- Secretary Moniz
![Page 8: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Federal Loan Guarantees Underpin New Nuclear Build
• The Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorized the Department of Energy to issue loan guarantees for projects that avoid, reduce or sequester greenhouse gases and employ new or significantly-improved technologies as compared to technologies in service in the United States at the time the guarantee is issued.
• In Georgia, two AP1000s are being built with $8.3 billion in loan guarantees from the Department of Energy.
Construction of Vogtle Unit 3, January 2014 ©Georgia Power Company
• DOE announced an additional $12.5 billion solicitation for loan guarantees for Advanced Nuclear Energy Projects in December 2014 --focuses on four key areas:
‒ Advanced nuclear reactors‒ Small modular reactors‒ Uprates and upgrades at existing facilities‒ Front-end nuclear projects, such as
uranium, conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication
8
![Page 9: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Why SMRs?
9
Promoting the accelerated deployment of SMRs by supporting design certification and licensing for U.S.-based SMR projects
U.S. Coal Plant Capacity vs. Age
Clean Energy Option Non-Electricity Missions
Microgrids
![Page 10: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Vision and Strategy for Advanced Reactors
VISION
By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages in terms of improved safety, cost,
performance, sustainability, and reduced proliferation risks.
GOAL
By the early 2030s, at least two non-light water advanced reactor concepts have reached technical maturity, demonstrated safety and economic benefits, and completed licensing reviews by the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sufficient to allow construction to go forward.
10
![Page 11: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN)
11https://gain.inl.gov
TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEST BEDS MAY BE DEFINED FOR ADDRESSING THE “TWO VALLEYS OF DEATH”
3 Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)
10
100
1000
Inve
stm
ent L
evel
s ($
M)
R&D TEST BED Rapid and cost-effective retirement of
technical risk for innovative
technologies.
DEMO PLATFORM Minimize the difference between 1st
of a kind and nth of a kind and reduce
the cost uncertainty for commercial
units.
9 1 3 5 8 2 7 4 6
Proof-of-Concept Proof-of-Performance Proof-of-Operations
! for 1st of a kind
Phase I Phase II Phase III
A tailored approach to support technologies of varying TRLs
Removing barriers nuclear energy
deployment
![Page 12: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
NE Reorganization
12
![Page 13: U.S. Nuclear Energy Program · By 2050, advanced reactors will provide a significant and growing component of the nuclear energy mix both domestically and globally, due to their advantages](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050120/5f5031fde972b4774c7da42a/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Informing Future Policy
• Quadrennial Energy Review First Installment—Transforming U.S. Energy Infrastructure in a Time of Rapid Change• Findings included the growing dependencies of all critical infrastructures and
economic sectors on electricity and the increasing interdependence of the various energy subsectors
• Quadrennial Technology Review• Examined the most promising RDD&D opportunities across energy
technologies to effectively address the nation's energy needs
• Quadrennial Energy Review Second Installment—An Integrated Study of the Electricity System• Covers generation to end-use• Also includes specific focuses on valuation, markets, jurisdiction,
environment, and distribution
• Mission Innovation• Accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies by doubling R&D
budgets over 5 years 13