Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development: How to Harmonize Efforts to Face to the Challenges

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Nuclear Power Infrastructure DevelopmentHow to
Harmonize Efforts to Face to the Challenges

• Craig Welling
• Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary
• Office of Nuclear Energy
• U.S. Department of Energy

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Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development
Challenges Include

• Human Resource Development The number one
  challenge
• Building Training and Education capabilities
• Recruiting the workforce
• Training and Education of the workforce
• Establishing the Regulatory Framework
• Addressing Funding and Financing
• Garnering Stakeholder support
• Electrical Grid Need for Small and Medium Sized
  Reactors
• Fuel Assurance
• Sharing of Information
• Assessing readiness
• Addressing Radioactive Waste

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Support for Infrastructure Development includes

• U.S. Support
• Department of State - support to IAEA
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• National Nuclear Security Administration
  International Nuclear Safeguards and Engagement
  Program
• U.S. Export Import Bank
• Support to Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

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Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP)

• Concepts include
• Support expanding nuclear power to help meet
  growing energy demand in a safe and sustainable
  manner.
• Facilitate the development of the infrastructure
  needed for the expansion of nuclear energy in a
  safe, secure and peaceful manner
• Establish international supply frameworks to
  enhance reliable, cost-effective fuel supplies to
  the world market while reducing the risk of
  nuclear proliferation by creating a viable
  alternative to acquisition of sensitive fuel
  cycle technologies.
• Promote the development of advanced, more
  proliferation resistant nuclear power reactors
  appropriate for the power grids of developing
  countries and regions.
• In cooperation with the IAEA, continue to develop
  enhanced nuclear safeguards and ensure nuclear
  energy systems are used only for peaceful
  purposes.

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Global Partnership Structure
PARTNERS AND OBSERVERS EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE Ministerial Level Officials or
Designees
PARTNERS AND OBSERVERS STEERING GROUP
Infrastructure Development Working Group
Reliable Nuclear Fuel Services Working Group
Additional Working Groups established
as determined needed by the Partnership

See GNEP International Partnership Website for
additional detail http//www.gneppartnership.org/
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GNEP Partners and Observers

• GNEP Partners
• Armenia
• Australia
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• China
• Estonia
• France
• Ghana
• Hungary
• Italy
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Republic of Korea
• Lithuania
• Morocco
• Oman

• GNEP Observers
• 1. International Atomic
• Energy Agency (IAEA)
• 2. Generation IV
• International Forum (GIF)
• 3. Euratom

• Candidate Partner and Observer Countries
• 1. Algeria 24. Tanzania
• 2. Argentina 25. Tunisia
• 3. Bahrain 26. Turkey
• 4. Bangladesh 27. United Arab
• Belgium Emirates
• Brazil 28. Vietnam
• Czech Republic
• Egypt
• Finland
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Netherlands

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Recent GNEP Developments

• Approximately 45 countries attended Executive
  Committee Ministerial Meeting on October 1, 2008,
  in Paris, France
• Four new countries joined GNEP Armenia,
  Estonia, Morocco, Oman bringing the total
  number of Partners to 25
• Issued a Joint Statement on accomplishments of
  past year and the importance of nuclear energy in
  combating climate change
• Agreed that Radioactive Waste Management will be
  an additional area of focus
• Approved an external interactions document
  industry, academia and other entities will be
  engaged as a part of activities as appropriate
• GNEP partnership website www.gneppartnership.org
  

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Infrastructure Development Working Group

• Terms of Reference
• Objective Help meet growing energy demand in a
  sustainable manner by facilitating the
  development of the infrastructure needed for the
  expansion of clean, sustainable, nuclear energy
  worldwide.
• Scope
• Address the critical elements needed for the
  development and implementation of a robust
  nuclear energy infrastructure to meet the
  Infrastructure Development Working Group (IDWG)
  objective.
• identify common interests among the partners
• recommend practical measures
• carry out activities without prejudice to market
  and commercial operations
• While building on and complementing strong base
  of IAEA and bilateral efforts. 
• Three meetings held March, July and December
  2008 areas where GNEP could complement existing
  efforts were identified Program Plan activities
  developed and implemented

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Infrastructure Development Working Group Concepts
Include

• Support implementation by identifying how to
  establish or enhance infrastructure through
• Sharing resources
• Exchanging experience and lessons learned
• Establishing bilateral and multilateral long-term
  relationships
• Look broadly at the set of existing resources,
  information and events that address issues in the
  Milestones document and assist by
• Facilitating identification and access
• Building on the IAEA programs and expertise
• Avoiding duplication of effort
• Identifying and addressing priority gaps
• Provide additional focus and resources for urgent
  challenges affecting all GNEP partners.
• Human resource development was identified by all
  countries as a challenge

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2008 Infrastructure Development WG Activities

• Resource Library.
• Established a web-based integrated source of
  references, programs, tools, and pooled GNEP
  Partners resources.
• Human Resource Development. Primary need
  identified by partners.
• Developed and shared compilation of Partners
  lessons learned in human resource development
• Resource and Gaps Workshop in December
  information exchange on approaches to human
  resource development in priority areas
• Support to partners for implementation of nuclear
  energy
• Conducting feasibility and readiness assessments
• Provided insights into lessons learned through
  these efforts
• Next-steps include honing a process for providing
  multilateral expert level assistance
• Small and medium reactors
• Radioactive waste management
• Partners agreed on including this as a new
  Program Plan activity
• Future efforts will identify gaps/where GNEP
  activities could augment existing efforts
• Establish linkages with international
  organizations
• Developed list of specialist organizations with
  important capabilities and resources for
  infrastructure development
• Next-steps will include engaging these
  organizations with Working Group activities, as
  appropriate

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Small and Medium Sized Reactors

• Small and medium sized reactors can help enable
  the use of nuclear power for countries with
  limited resources and electric power grids.
• Countries developing nuclear energy need a
  certified plant design. Most have little or no
  design certification capability of their own
• Workshop focusing on following key areas of
  interest will include
• Status of small and medium reactor development
  efforts
• Status of certification of small and medium
  reactor designs
• Addressing needs of countries considering small
  or medium sized reactors.
• Differences in infrastructure needs for small and
  medium sized reactors relative to IAEA Milestone
  Issues
• Understanding balance between project risk and
  benefits of new designs and technologies.
• Continue to identifiy identify and addresss
  challenges associated with the path forward for
  small and medium sized reactors

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Reliable Nuclear Fuel Services Working Group
Objective and Scope

• Objective
• Establish international supply frameworks
• Create a viable alternative to acquisition of
  sensitive fuel cycle technologies.
• Reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation
• Scope
• Identify common interests among the partners
• Recommend practical measures for moving towards
  reliable comprehensive fuel service arrangements,
  including spent fuel management
• Addresses barriers and key issues where GNEP is
  well positioned to address, while also seeking to
  complement and reinforce other mechanisms/framewor
  ks
• E.G., six-nation proposal for a reliable fuel
  supply initiative at the IAEA Russias IUEC
  Angarsk Initiative, NTI-proposal U.S.-declared
  nuclear fuel reserve.

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Reliable Nuclear Fuel Services Working Group 2008
Activities

• Issued a survey on fuel services
• To determine countries legal and regulatory
  frameworks and views on reliable fuel services
• Survey results used to determine themes for
  future work
• Developed a systematic comprehensive approach to
  assess issues and constraints, first with
  discussion on front-end followed by back-end
• Compiled lessons learned and perspectives for
  resource requirements
• Identified priority areas for the future
• Mechanisms needed to increase the diversity of
  fuel supply
• Creating assurances for a secure nuclear fuel
  supply

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Next Steps GNEP International Partnership

• Continue to coordinate GNEP efforts with the IAEA
  and others.
• Continue Human Resource Development and Resource
  Information Sharing Efforts
• Develop activities in Radioactive Waste
  Management and Small and Medium Reactors
• Identify and address the major barriers to
  further enhancement of global nuclear fuel
  services, including the back-end
• Encouage World Bank to examine financing options
• Build partnerships with industry and other
  entities, where appropriate
• Continue to inform the public, stakeholders and
  the international community about GNEP and its
  objectives