DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
NUCLEAR ENERGY:
RISKS AND BENEFITS
Dan Gabriel Cacuci
Conference “Europe, Italy, Piedmont: Energy as a Development Driver”
Torino, 04 February 2011
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Nuclear Energy: Risks and Benefits
Benefits Risks
Energy-IndependenceLong-Term SecurityEconomically Feasible No Greenhouse Gases
High Capital-InvestmentsLow-Dose Irradiation/Contamination Effects ?Severe Accidents (very low probability)Ultimate Disposal of High-Level WasteProliferation of Nuclear Weapons
1. Security of Supply
2. Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
3. Competitiveness
Europe’s Energy Challenges (EU SET-Plan 2008)
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Challenge 1: security of supply
Generation IV RoadmapDG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
• Main EU imports from politically stable countries (Canada, Australia);• Easy to build strategic stockpiles;• For Gen-IV, optimized use of resources sustainability
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Challenge 2: reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Cannot achieve Europe’s objectives of CO2 reductions without nuclear
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Challenge 3: Competitiveness, electricity generation costs [www.eusustel.be ]
• Nuclear energy is economically competitive.
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Spent Fuel Radiotoxicity
Reu
sabl
e M
ater
ials
Was
te
OtherPu: 1 %FP: 3 - 5 %
U: 94 - 96 %
Spent Fuel Radiotoxicity
Contributions to Radiotoxicity
1 10 100 1 000 10 000 100 000 1 000 0000
1
2
3
4
5
6108 Sv/t
UOther
Pu
FP
Time (Years)
1 10 100 1 000 10 000 100 000 1 000 0000
Time (Years)
0,10,2
0,30,40,50,6
0,7
0,80,9
1
FP
Pu
Other
AmNp
U
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Responsible Management of Spent Fuel
• Recycle 96% of spent fuel • Save 30% of natural resources• Represents less than 6% of total kWh-price• Reduces by factor 5 the volume of waste• Reduces by factor 10 the radiotoxicity of waste• Current technologies guarantee long-term (tens of
thousands of years) confinement and stability
Proven adProven advantages of recycling vantages of recycling
Mines Enrichment
Fuelfabrication
Reactors& Services
Recycling :MOX Fuelfabrication
EnrichedUranium
UltimateWasreDisposal
Front-End Sector Reactors & Services Sector Back-End Sector
Uranium recyclable
Plutonium
Uranium recyclable
Plutonium
ChemistryNatural Uranium ChemistryNatural Uranium
Spent FuelReprocessing
Recycling Recycling ““buys timebuys time”” for exploring all possibilities to for exploring all possibilities to optimize sustainable waste management strategies optimize sustainable waste management strategies
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
R&D for new isotope separation processes
Generation-IV Reactors: Closed Fuel Cycle
Integral reIntegral re--use of nonuse of non-- separated Actinidesseparated Actinides
SP MA + SP
Spent Fuel (Pu + MA + SP)
Natural Uranium
Time (Years)
Rel
ativ
eR
adio
toxi
city
Drastic Time-Reduction of Radiotoxicity
10 100 1000 10 000 100 000
1
10
100
10 000
0,1
1 000
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Vitrified HLR Waste-Package
Vitrification of High-Level Radioactive Waste
Over 15000 Packages fabricated so far in La Hague
1 % Volume > 90 % of Radiotoxicity
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Reprocessing Plant La HAGUE (AREVA, France)
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
La Hague: Interim Storage of HLR Waste-Packages
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Underground Waste-Disposal Laboratory in Bure (France)
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Underground Waste-Disposal Laboratory in Bure
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Development of renewable energies Valorization of biomass (particularly bio-fuels from wood)
Bure-Saudron Laboratory
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
1st Generation
2nd Gen.Auto-thermal
2nd Gen.Allo-thermal
External input electricity(NUCLEAR)
2nd Gen.Allo-thermal
External input electricity (NUCLEAR)
+ H2
(NUCLEAR)
2nd Gen.Allo-thermal
External inputelectricity
(NUCLEAR)
+ H2
(NUCLEAR)+
Use ofdomestic
andmunicipal
waste 4 MToe
7 MToe
15 MToe
25 MToe
50 MToeCurrent Consumption
(Transport)
LIMIT of the auto-thermal thermo-chemical (or enzymatic) routesCompetition with other uses of wood or vegetal materials
?
LIMIT:Competition with food
Goal 2008
Goal 2015
Goal 2030
EXAMPLE: Gen-I vs. Gen-II Biofuels (Potential) in France:
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
R & D in Support of Current LWRs
Improved Fuels (MOX, Higher Burnup…)
Life-time Extension,Improved Reliability…
Environmental impact reduction…
Cost reduction…
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
CASL: The Consortium for Advanced Simulation of LWRs A DOE Energy Innovation Hub for Modeling and Simulation of Nuclear Reactors (www.casl.gov or [email protected])
US President Obama (01.25.11): “At ORNL, they’re using supercomputers to get a lot more power out of our nuclear facilities.”
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
CASL interface with M&S R&D Programs
• MPO – LWRS Materials and Aging:collaborative agreement to address
pressure vessel and internals materials characterization studies.
• MPO/VRI – NEAMS: Draft plan to establish a common fuel
properties data structure
• VUQ – LWRS & NEAMS: Draft plan to establish a common set of
benchmark problems and validated experimental data files.
• CASL SLT: Determine degree of collaboration on
modeling and simulation development on certain programs of mutual benefit, e.g., Exascale Co-Design
• OBJECTIVE 1: Develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of current reactors
• OBJECTIVE 2: Develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration's energy security and climate change goals
• OBJECTIVE 3: Develop sustainable nuclear fuel cycles
• OBJECTIVE 4: Understand and minimize the risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism
PoR-1 (2010)
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
The Vision for Future Nuclear Energy
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Generation IV Int. Forum (GIF): Goals
Technological Maturity: ca. 2030
Progress (beyond Gen III)Economically competitiveSafe and ReliableWaste minimizationResource maximizationNon-proliferation and Safeguards
Additional ApplicationsElectricity, Hydrogen Production, Desalinization, Process heat
Nuclear Systems for Sustainable Energy Development
E.U.
CharteredJuly 2001
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Worldwide plans…
USA + 1500 Power Plants
by 2020 including nuclear (> 50 GWe)
FINLAND 5th reactor (+1 EPR?)
Source : TotalFinaElf0%
20%
40%
60%
1900 1950 2000 2050
Coal R en
Oil
Gas
HydroNuclear
KOREA nuclear capacity
increase + 9 GWe by ~ 2015
INDIA nuclear capacity
increase from 2.5 to 20 GWe by 2020
JAPAN nuclear capacity
increase + 21 GWe by 2012
CHINA nuclear capacity
increase > 30 GWe by 2020
FRANCE +2 EPR
UKRAINE+11 Reactors
by 2030
ITALY…
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
7 points about Nuclear Energy (NE):
• NE is part of the solution (not the problem!) for meeting the increasing national & international need for electricity;
• NE is needed to attain CO2 savings;
• NE guarantees economical, safe & reliable electrical energy, particularly for base-load;
• NE and renewable energies are synergetic, not competing!Germany uses now NE to compensate time-varying production from renewables; France plans to use NE-generated electricity & H2 for Gen-II biofuels;
• NE is internationally increasing, which would be good for Italian industries (new int. markets and home jobs);
• NE has great potential for technological advances (GEN-IV);
• NE has *today* technological solutions for safe & economical waste disposal (Sweden, Finland, France, Switzerland, Russia, etc).
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
In the next 50 years ….~ 1010 people…
~ 15 Gtoe/year consumption…
…I believe all sources of energy will besynergistically needed.
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
• RESERVE SLIDES
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Challenge 2: reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Share in energy consumption in EU-25 in 2004 • Nuclear energy =
largest source of low Carbon energy in Europe
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Uranium Enrichment
• Natural Uranium = 0.7% U-235 + 99.3% U-238
• LWRs need enriched fuel (2,5% - 4,9% U-235)
• Enrichment Technologies: Gas- Ultracentrifuge or Gaseous- diffusion plants
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
A wide international spectrum of Generation III / III+ Reactors:
„Generation IV“ Int. Forum (GIF) List of „Near Term Deployment“ Plants of „Generation III /III+“:
Advanced PWR:
AP 600, AP 1000, APR1400, APWR+, EPR
Advanced BWR:ABWR II, ESBWR, HC-BWR, SWR-1000
Advanced „Heavy-Water Reactor“:
ACR-700 (Advanced CANDU Reactor 700)
„Integrated“ Small- und Medium- Power Reactors:
CAREM, IMR, IRIS, SMART
High-Temperature- Gas-Cooled Modular Reactors:GT-MHR, PBMR
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
2050 - Energy Scenarios
B C “ecologically driven growth”
(1300GWe)
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Process evaluation and choice (1/2)
High temperature processesThermo dynamical advantages:
High temperature and low pressure processes allow optimal conversion
• Kinetic advantages:High temperature(1250-1500°C) help
• Tar cracking • Methane conversion to CO +
H2 • Ashes fusion(Interesting when using wastes)
IDEAL FOR PRODUCTION OF CO & O2
High pressure processes
• Final application depending on pressure
30bar =>Gas-shift20-40bar =>Fischer-Tropsch synthesis~70bar => Methanol synthesis
• Less compression stages=>10% reduction of the energetic cost (PCI biomass)
• Reduction of investment costs and technological constraints for big industrial plants (> 50 MWth)
• Optimization of gas cleaning process
012345678
500 600 700 800 900 1000 1200 1300 1400T( °C)
mol
es
C solide
H2
CO
CO2CH4
H2O
H2/CO
012345678
500 600 700 800 900 1000 1200 1300 1400T( °C)
mol
es
C solide
H2
CO
CO2CH4
H2O
H2/CO
012345678
500 600 700 800 900 1000 1200 1300 1400T( °C)
mol
es
C solide
H2
CO
CO2CH4
H2O
H2/CO
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
Process evaluation and choice (2/2)
Noell Entrained-Flow Gasifiers
Burner insert
outletGas and slag
Reactor with Cooling Screen
systemPartial quench
Gas outlet
Reactor with Cooling Wall
Coolant
lining
SiC layer
Refractory
Cooling jacket
Burner insert
•Process of reference 1 for CEA : thermal pre-treatment (250-700°C) + Entrained flow reactor working between 1200 and 1400°C•Existing technology for coal gasification : Shell Uhde, Future- Energy, Lurgi, Conoco-Phillips ….•Limited experience on biomass : CHOREN plants
•Process of reference 2 :Fluidised bed (700-900°C)+ high temperature gas reformer (1200-1400°C)
DG Cacuci, Torino, 04.02.11
C6 H9 O4 + 2 H2 O => 6 CO + 6,5 H2
La combustion consomme ~ 2C et 2 H2Restent: 4 CO + 4,5 H2
Réaction de Gaz-Shift: 1,5 CO => 1,5 H2
Restent: 2,5 CO + 6 H2
Bilan synthèse: max 2,5 -CH2-
Bilan avec pertes: ~1,5 (-CH2- )
Rendement masse ~ 15%
Restent 6 CO + 6,5 H2
Shift2 CO=> 2 H2
4 CO + 8,5 H2
4 -CH2-
~3 (-CH2-)
Rendt masse ~30 %
Pas de shift, maisApport H2 externe
6 CO + 12 H2
6 -CH2-
~ 5 (-CH2-)
Rendt masse ~ 48%
Autothermique Allothermique (énergie externe)
La synthèse de biocarburant nécessite: H2/CO ~2
Le procédé allothermique : augmenter le rendement masse
Réaction de gazéification idéale : une réaction endothermique