Main drivers to innovation in nuclear energy Pl Kovcs Director - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Budapest Energy Summit, Hotel Mariott Budapest, 3-6 December 2018.

Main drivers to innovation in nuclear energy

Pál Kovács Director Nuclear Directorate

The need for nuclear R&D

There is a global need for electricity…

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…however more than 1 billion people don’t have access to it!

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Climate change is a challenge for human mankind

The need for nuclear R&D

• Global population growth – growing need for electricity;
• Nuclear fuel resources are unlimited (inland and dissolved

in the oceans Uranium and Thorium, fusion);

• Nuclear resources are globally accessible;
• CO2-free technology;
• Improves the security of energy supply (SOS);
• Helps the integration of renewables into the grid;
• Closing the fuel cycle is still a challenge – a current task

for nuclear R&D;

• Nuclear R&D is a driving force;
• A potential to integration into global industrial processes;
• A tool to maintain nuclear knowledge (young

generations);

• An industrial high-tech (quality);

Basic data

Global statistics (IAEA)

Today:

• 454 reactors in
• peration in 35

countries;

• In addition to the

54 new reactors under construction

(A construction speed that corresponds to the 70-80-ies);

Global statistics

The competition of global powers in the 50-60-ies concluded with the majority

• f PWRs.

Questions:

• does that competition

repeat itself with the development of the IVth Generation of reactors

• will there be technological

traps again?...

The last few years…

• Nuclear safety and physical protection have improved;
• Availablity of the reactors have also improved;
• Reactor lifetime extensions are continuous;
• Power increase and improvement of the economics;
• 1st generation reactors have all been shut down;
• 2nd generation is in operation;
• Construction and commissioning of the 3rd generation is

currently progressing (mainly in China);

• Development of the Gen 4 reactors is underway;
• Fusion research is in progress;
• Further applications (freight transport fleet, seawater

desalination, heat production, etc.) and developments (hydrogen generation);

• A distant vision: reactors in the space (Mars mission);

Gen-III/III+ reactors today, evolutionary and innovative nuclear technologies in the 2nd half of this century

The last few years…

• Economic growth is the stake in South-East Asia

(Japan, Taiwan, South-Korea);

• Robust nuclear programmes in India and China;
• The Emirates: the reactor has been built;
• Brasil, Argentina restarted nuclear programmes;
• Turkey, Bangladesh „first concrete”;
• Iran, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan,

Bahrein, Saudi-Arabia, Marocco, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia NPP construction plans;

• Europe: rethink the role of nuclear power generation;
• VVER reactors with their added economic value to the

Russian economy are being built worldwide (40 reactors in the „pipeline” globally – 40 markets for nuclear fuel potentially for 60 years);

The last few years…

Challenges:

• Relatively „quick” project development in the 70-ies

and 80-ies;

• „Silent” nuclear world in the 90-ies (Russian continuous

new builds);

• Improving challenges in foreign markets for the

technology vendors;

• Nuclear regulatory requirements are more strict;
• Failing and delayed reactor construction projects;
• In some countries „Volkswagen-like” stories…;
• IAEA guidance for newcomer countries;

Review of the history

• f global and

domestic nuclear R&D

Global R&D history

• The first nuclear bomb is a result of a concluding

competition in nuclear R&D (1945);

• The first NPP in Obninsk (1956);
• Gen-II reactors (constructed around and after Three

Mile Island);

• International cooperation for fusion research (80-ies);
• Global reactor safety improvements – design of Gen-III

reactors (since the 90-ies);

• Gen-III and Gen-III+ reactor reference units are in

construction (nowadays);

• Gen-IV reactor develeopment in international

cooperation (since 2004 under OECD NEA umbrella);

Once Through

Promising Gen-IV technologies

Nuclear R&D in Hungary

• Uranium resource exploration in the Mecsek hills

(1949);

• The establishment of MTA KFKI (Hungarian Academy
• f Science/Central Research Institute of Physics)

(1950);

• The first accelerator in Sopron (1951);
• MTA Atommagkutató Intézet (Nuclear Particle

Research Institute) (1954);

• KFKI Research Reactor in operation (1959);
• The start of university course for the training of nuclear

energy experts (1961);

• The 1st laser equipment in the KFKI (1963);
• HU-RU IGA for the Paks1 two reactors (1966);
• ATOMKI high energy accelerator (1971);

Nuclear R&D in Hungary

• Budapest Technical University training reactor (1971);
• ZR-6 reactor in the KFKI-ban (1972);
• Modification of the HU-RU IGA – 4 reactors at the Paks

NPP;

• HU dosimeter in the Space (1979);
• Tokamak in the KFKI for plasma diagnostic

experiments (1979);

• PNPP 1st Unit grid connection (1982);
• Full scope simulator at the PNPP(1989);
• KFKI improved power research reactor (1993);
• Hungary – a new EU member (AGNES) (2004);
• ELI – the European laser research center in Szeged

(2017);

Nuclear R&D in Hungary

• Gen-IV gas cooled reactor (Allegro) design in

cooperation with V4 countries and the CEA;

Nuclear R&D in the PNPP

• Initially 440 Mwe power output;
• Improvements in the secondary circuit – 460 MWe;
• Turbine reconstruction and uprate – 480 MWe;
• AGNES and…
• …reactor power uprate – 500 MWe;
• Fuel innovation – improved fuel cycle (from 11 months

to 15 months);

• Full scope simulator;
• Maintenance Training Center (IAEA training

methodology);

Nuclear applications

SMRs

• Growing potential for Small and

Modular (and mobile) Reactors (SMRs);

• A challenge for the private sector;
• More than 40 different SMR design

initiatives registered and assessed by the IAEA;

• SMRs are potential efficient

contributors in the fight against the negative impacts of climate change, especially floating NPPs in the future;

• Floating NPPs can produce electricity,

heat, potable water from seawater by desalination;

Today:

• 11 interested countries;
• 40 different SMR designs;
• 2 FNPP concepts;

From design to realisation: a floating NPP example

Closing remarks

• Nuclear R&D could bring new solutions;
• One „homework” is still ahead: closing the nuclear

fuel cycle;

• Nuclear way of power generation is a solution to

mitigate the impacts of climate change – a powerful response to global challenges;

• Nuclear is unavoidable for a longer term, but

nuclear R&D is essential;

• Nuclear R&D is also essential in maintaining the

nuclear knowledge base;

A small country with experience in nuclear technology

27 Unit 4 500 МW Unit 3 500 МW Unit 2 500 МW Unit 1 500 МW

Without nuclear R&D and innovation

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Thank you for your attention!

• 2018. 05.

17. Kovács Pál: Atomenergetika a XXI. században 29