- Japan Commits To Maximum Use Of Nuclear Power
- South Korea Plans For Two New Large-Scale Nuclear Plants, but Cancels a 3rd Unit
- Last Energy Seeks Site License for UK Microreactor Plant
- X-Energy Threatens To Pull Out Of Building SMRs in UK
- NRC Proposes to Amend Licensing, Inspection, and Annual Fees for FY 2025
Japan Commits To Maximum Use Of Nuclear Power
Revised energy plan says the gov’t will aim to bring almost all of country’s reactors back online or at least the ones that can be restarted. Before Fukushima, Japan’s fleet of 54 nuclear plants generated about 30% of the country’s electricity.
The commitment, made in a revised basic energy plan adopted at a recent cabinet meeting, represents a major policy shift after the government had sought to reduce dependence on nuclear power as much as possible after the 2011 Fukushima accident.
All six units at Fukushima Daiichi were permanently shut down even though units 5 & 6 were safely shutdown following the tsunami event. All six units are in various stages of being decommissioned which is a process with could take many years.
The basic plan sets the direction of the country’s medium-to-long-term energy policy. In the first update to the plan in about three years, the government vowed to work towards the restart of idled nuclear reactors and the refurbishment of aging reactors.
The government said it will aim to bring almost all of the country’s nuclear reactors online and said nuclear power is expected to account for about 20% of its total electricity generation in fiscal 2040.
In the revised plan, the government said that it is necessary to take concerns over the safety of nuclear power seriously after it received as much as over 40,000 public comments about its energy policy.
Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) Yoji Muto stressed the need for decarbonization efforts at a press conference saying, “In many nations, including the United States, large-scale investments in decarbonized power sources are underway.”
Muto said nuclear power will account for about 20% of the country’s total energy output in fiscal 2040, around the same level as the fiscal 2030 target of 20% to 22% and up from 8.5% in fiscal 2023.
Background: 14 Reactors Back Online
Before Fukushima, Japan’s fleet of 54 nuclear plants generated about 30% of the country’s electricity, but all of them were shut down for safety checks following the accident.
Among the 33 operable nuclear reactors in Japan, 14 have now resumed operations after meeting post-Fukushima safety standards. The restarted plants are: Sendai-1 and -2, Genkai-3 and -4, Ikata-3, Mihama-3, Ohi-3 and -4, Onagawa-2 (temporarily offline), Shimane-2 and Takahama-1, -2, -3 and -4.
- In addition to the the 14 reactors have been approved for restarts, another 11 are pending approval.
- Another 10 reactors could potentially be restarted depending on their age, the finances of the utilities that own them, and the scope of regulatory hurdles, including earthquake risks, that they would have to cross.
- Two reactors are under construction – Shimane 3 (1,373 ABWR) and Ohma 1 (1,383 ABWR) with both expected to be complete by the end of the decade. When completed they will add 2.8 GWe to the national grid.
- Eight reactors proposed to be built have been deferred indefinitely which represent 12 GWe,
- In terms of the national grid, in round numbers, operating reactors are currently providing 32 GWe and shutdown reactors represent 17 GWe.
Last October METI’s chief said the country will need to maximize the use of existing nuclear power plants because AI and data centers are expected to boost electricity demand. He added adding more emissions-free power such as nuclear is seen as crucial to allow Japan to attract more big tech operators and advanced manufacturing like semiconductor factories.
The revised energy strategy should also enable Japan, the planet’s fifth-largest carbon dioxide polluter, to boost decarbonization efforts that have been criticized by scientists and climate groups as insufficient.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant Remains Idle
Japan’s largest nuclear power plant Kashiwazaki Kariwa, composed of seven BWRs, 5 at 1GW and 2 at 1.3 GW is technically ready to restart, but remains in cold shutdown due to local opposition.
Tatsuro Kobayashi, general manager for TEPCO’s nuclear safety management department, told the Bloomberg wire service, “the most urgent goal is to restart Kashiwazaki Kariwa. The most difficult part is to get agreement from the Niigata governor.”
According to the Bloomberg report, Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi hasn’t said when or how he will make a decision. Since the Fukushima nuclear accident, provincial officials in Niigata Provence have made their careers bashing TEPCO for management and safety lapses which occurred at the seven reactors prior to 2011. A lack of transparency in terms of communicating with the public contributed significantly to the sustained public distrust of TEPCO’s efforts to safely restart the two newest reactors.
The Bloomberg report noted that TEPCO executives, including President Tomoaki Kobayakawa this week hosted a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency to promote their efforts to boost safety protocols. It was thought that having an external body, like the IAEA, would boost public confidence in TEPCO’s plans for the site.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, in his first visit to the sprawling facility, declared himself satisfied that the company was ready once again to operate a nuclear power plant. It’s a key endorsement for TEPCO which is hoping that Grossi’s charismatic presence on site will produce a change in public opinion.
“The restart of this facility will not just be very symbolic,” Grossi said, “At the same time it will have a very real impact on the energy landscape.”
TEPCO is reportedly focused on Units 6 and 7, each with 1.35 gigawatts of capacity. The other five units are an older model and some may be decommissioned, according to TEPCO officials.
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South Korea Plans For Two New Large-Scale Nuclear Plants, but Cancels a 3rd Unit
- Share of electricity generated by reactors could rise to 35% after U-turn on new build
- South Korea has approved the completion of two APR1400 nuclear plants at Shin-Hanul in the east of the country.
(NucNet) In a press statement the South Korean government’s Ministry of Energy and Industry said South Korea has approved a long-term electricity supply and demand plan outlining an expansion of nuclear power with the construction of two new large-scale reactor units and a small modular reactor (SMR) plant by 2038.
According to a report by the Bloomberg wire service, South Korea expects to add a total of 3.5 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2038. This is a decrease from the 4.9 GWe proposed in a draft proposal in June 2024. Power from renewables, including solar and wind, will rise slightly to 122 GWe. Overall, the goal is to significantly reduce its use of coal and natural gas.
According to the plan, nuclear power’s share of the national power mix is expected to be about 35% by 2038, focused on boosting energy security and reducing carbon emissions.
According to reports in South Korea’s Chosun Daily, the government is scrapping plans for one of three planned large-scale reactors, each with 1.4 GW. The decision is the result of opposition Democratic Party which is pushing to rely more on renewable energy.
The country still aims to build a separate 700 MWe reactor by 2036. The power rating for it suggests it will be an PHWR similar to the four PHWRs South Korea has at the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant.
South Korea has initiated several SMR development efforts, with a focus on PWR designs, and with an eye on exports, but so far none have moved far enough along in development to result in the booking of export sales. However, South Korean heavy industry firms have inked deals, in principle, to produce reactor components for SMRs in the US and other countries.
South Korea’s Nuclear Fleet
South Korea has 26 nuclear plants in commercial operation and two large-scale APR1400 pressurized water reactor (PWR) units under construction at the Saeul nuclear station in the southeast of the country. In April, the Shin-Hanul-2 APR1400 nuclear power plant in the east of the country became the latest unit to enter revenue service.
In 2024, Seoul approved the completion of two APR1400s at Shin-Hanul-3 and Shin-Hanul-4. Work on both units was halted in 2017 under the nuclear phaseout policy of the previous government, but in 2022 a decision was made to resume construction in 2025.
According to Business Korea, by 2036 all 28 coal-fired power plants in South Korea will be phased out and converted for the use of liquified natural gas (LNG), while between 2036 and 2038, 12 coal and LNG plants reaching the end of their operating life will be refurbished to use carbon-free power sources like pumped storage and hydrogen. It is likely the plants that are reconfigured for hydrogen will begin with a mix of 20% hydrogen and 80% natural gas.
Earlier this month, the industry ministry said South Korea will provide more than $100 million worth of financial support this year to businesses in the nuclear power plant industry to encourage development of the sector.
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Last Energy Seeks Site License for UK Microreactor Plant
(WNN) Last Energy has formally entered the UK’s nuclear site licensing process for its plans to develop four 20 MWe microreactors at the site of the decommissioned Llynfi coal-fired power station in Bridgend County, south Wales.
The project – officially named Prosiect Egni Glan Llynfi, being developed by Last Energy UK Limited, becomes the first new site for a commercial nuclear power reactor to enter licensing since the Torness Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor plant in Scotland in 1978. The current UK government reportedly wants to build one or more SMRs in Scotland, but faces fierce opposition to these plans.
All British deployments since 1978 then have been on, or adjacent to, sites with existing or former nuclear plants. Last Energy said its plants will deliver power to mid-size manufacturers throughout the region.
The company also said its entry into licensing also “underscores the viability of privately-financed projects, and puts the UK on a near-term path toward its first ever commercial nuclear microreactor”.
An Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) spokesperson confirmed that Last Energy has entered the agency’s nuclear site licensing process. However, the agency did not indicate a reference timeline for the firm to complete the major regulatory milestones needed to obtain the licenses for the four units.
“Last Energy has been participating in our early regulatory engagement framework since May 2024, which enables applicants to develop their understanding of regulatory processes and expectations early on in their projects. Our inspectors will now provide pre-application advice to Last Energy as it prepares its application for a nuclear site license. This advice will inform Last Energy of the regulatory expectations and legal responsibilities of a nuclear site licensee in Great Britain.”
Michael Jenner, CEO of Last Energy UK, said: “We are pleased to officially enter site licensing with ONR, as we continue to make tangible progress toward the delivery of our first microreactor in Wales.”
In a reference to the need to build new small and micro reactors in fleet mode, to capture economic benefits with supply chains, labor demand and costs, etc., Jenner said, “This is another critical milestone necessary to unlock nuclear power at scale in the UK, which will help meet growing energy demand and alleviate grid restraints.”
Its reactor technology is based on a pressurized water reactor (PWR) with a capacity of 20 MWe or 80 MWt. Power plant modules would be built off-site and assembled in modules. Previously, Last Energy previously had been developing a 100 MWe SMR (PWR) but downsized the design to the current 20 MW.
A Last Energy plant, referred to as the PWR-20, is comprised of a few dozen modules that, it says, “snap together like a Lego kit.” The firm said it could deliver its microreactors in a 24-month production cycle.
Under its development model, Last Energy owns and operates its plug-and-play power plant on the customer’s site, bypassing the decade-long development timelines of electric transmission grid upgrade requirements.
In October last year, Last Energy announced plans for four microreactor power plants at the Llynfi site, for which it obtained site control that month. The Llynfi power station – a 120 MW coal plant – operated between 1951 and 1977.
Following decommissioning in 1977, the 14-acre site has remained vacant. In December, the company received a letter of intent from the USA’s Export-Import Bank for $104 million debt financing relating to the Llynfi project. Last month, Last Energy accepted a grid connection offer from National Grid Electricity Distribution for 22 MW of export capacity which is equal to one of the four planned microreactors.
Last Energy estimates the entire project represents a capital investment of $393 million, which will not require public funding. Rounding to $400M, the 80 MW of electrical generation would cost an estimated in current dollars at $5,000/KW. Assuming the project breaks ground for the units before the end of the decade, it is likely all four could potentially be in revenue service by the early 2030s assuming that inflationary costs, and the inevitable challenges of building first-of-a-kind reactors, don’t impact that hypothetical timeline.
In 2024 Last Energy raised $40 million in Series B funding from multiple investors. That’s just 10% of the funding it will need to build the four 20 MW microreactors in the UK. The privately held firm has not disclosed plans for an IPO or other mechanisms to raise the necessary funds. Crunchbase noted in it profile of the firm is that it could be an acquisition target by a much larger firm that would cash out its Series A and B investors and provide the investors and the funds to build and operate the four microreactors along with the potential for other deals in the UK and Europe.
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X-Energy Threatens To Pull Out Of Building SMRs in UK
The Times, London, UK, reports that X-Energy, a nuclear power developer backed by Amazon, that is looking to build the first next-generation plants in the UK has threatened to take its investment elsewhere unless the government sets out a clear regulatory and financial route to the market. It is a clear case of an all American rejection of not wanting to play rigged game, and taking one’s bat and ball and going home.
X-Energy, based in Maryland in the United States, is in discussions with EDF, the French state-backed energy firm, over a project to build one or more units on the site of the Hartlepool nuclear power plant in Co Durham. EDF is also building four massive 1,650 MW PWRs in the UK – two at the Hinkley C site and two more at the Sizewell C site. The combined costs of the four reactors is expected to reach at least $40 billion.
The statement by X-Energy is the latest broadside by a UK based SMR developer that blasts the ongoing dithering of the incumbent UK government over funding of SMRs.
Clay Sell, X-Energy’s chief executive, told the newspaper that without greater clarity from the government on financial and regulatory support mechanisms it would look to other markets.
“We would like to go big in Europe from a base in the UK but we don’t have to do a base in the UK. We’ve got to get real and we’ve got to get going, otherwise we’re going to go someplace else.”
A clear framework included sites being made available for advanced modular reactors, some government support for early development work for the first plant alongside private capital, and funding for construction through the so-called regulated asset base model, which is levied on electricity bills.
Four technology providers, X-Energy, Rolls-Royce, GE Hitachi, and Westinghouse, are competing for taxpayer funding to develop the first small modular reactors. NuScale is not among the SMR firms in the running for the money. X-Energy is the only advanced nuclear reactor developer in the list. The other three are offering conventional PWRs with light water designs.
Clay said he remained “very optimistic” that it could get its advanced modular reactors, which have a capacity of 80 MW each and can be scaled into “four pack” 320MW plants, built in the UK.
It closed a $700 million funding round anchored by Amazon at the start of this year, as part of a broader partnership to bring online 5 GWe of power in the US by 2039.
The company, which also has a deal with Dow, is developing its first four advanced modular reactors at one of Dow’s manufacturing sites on the Texas Gulf Coast, with support from the US government. Another project for Amazon is also planned in Washington state.
The UK government said earlier this year that it was committed to reducing bureaucratic red tape to speed up approvals of SMRs. However, X-Energy is the second SMR developer to slam Whitehall for being stuck on stop in terms of clearing regulatory roadblocks to commercialization of these types of reactors. Rolls-Royce has also gone public with complaints about foot dragging by the relevant government departments in clearing a path and offering funding for the firm to build a fleet of 16 470 MW PWR type plants at multiple sites around the UK. Rolls-Royce has build SMRs for the Royal Navy for decades and considers itself to be the ‘home town team’ when it comes to government funding for building commercial SMRs.
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NRC Proposes to Amend Licensing, Inspection, and Annual Fees for FY 2025
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on its proposed fee rule for fiscal year 2025, which includes proposed changes to implement Section 201 of the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024 (ADVANCE Act).
The proposed fee rule, published in the Federal Register, is based on the FY 25 budget request because a full-year appropriation has not yet been enacted for FY 25. The agency will update the final fee schedule as appropriate, including updates to reflect an enacted appropriation. The federal government is running on a continuing resolution which expires on 03/14/25.
The FY 25 budget request is $994.9 million and proposes the use of $20 million in carryover funds, making the total budget authority used in the FY 25 proposed fee rule $974.9 million, an increase of $30.8 million from FY 24.
Under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, the NRC is required to recover approximately 100% of its total budget authority in FY 25, except funds for specific excluded activities. The NRC estimates that it must recover approximately $826.1 million in fees in FY 25. Of this amount, the NRC estimates that $216 million will be recovered through service fees under 10 CFR Part 170, and $610.1 million will be recovered through annual fees under 10 CFR Part 171.
Compared to FY 24, the proposed annual fees would decrease for the non-DOE uranium recovery licensee and for eight fee categories within the materials users fee class. The proposed annual fees would increase for the operating power reactors fee class, spent fuel storage/reactor decommissioning activities, non-power production or utilization facilities, transportation activities for DOE, the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Program, and for 48 materials users fee categories. The proposed annual fees would remain stable for fuel facilities.
The proposed fee rule includes revisions to implement Section 201 of the ADVANCE Act, which includes the establishment of two hourly rates: 1) the professional hourly rate of $323; and 2) the reduced hourly rate for advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants of $146, for certain activities. Consistent with Section 201, the reduced hourly rate would be effective beginning Oct. 1, 2025.
The proposed rule is based on Section 201 of the ADVANCE Act, which revises the agency’s fees. The reduced fees for advanced reactors turns into a pumpkin in 2030 unless the NRC Commissioners decide to extend its timeline.
According to the proposed rule, the ADVANCE Act requires an exemption for nuclear exports and other international commercial nuclear business. It also exempts costs related to aspects of applications for Early Site Permits that are for advanced reactors at sites owned or operated by the Department of Energy.
The proposed rule includes detailed instructions on how to submit written comments to the NRC. Comments will be accepted through March 21, 2025.
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