Nuclear Station Performance Fuels Industry Renaissance

The US is producing not only more electricity than ever, but also more favorable consideration as a viable part of the nation's energy mix. Consider that, for the first time in decade, political leaders are proposing nuclear power as an important, long-term energy solution. And utility companies that canceled nuclear projects in the wake of the 1979 Three Mile Ireland accident are studying the feasibility of resurrecting these projects, while other power producers are investi­gating new nuclear plants orders. Even the mainstream media — known

74 Section I. Power Engineering

for its harsh treatment of the industry - has begun talking in terms of a nuclear industry "renaissance".

The near-term impetus for this turn-around stems from recent events - regional power shortages, increased natural gas costs, and premium mar­ket prices for electricity. However, the fact that nuclear power is in the position to be favorably considered is a result of the substantial perfor­mance improvements achieved at US plants during the past decade.

Most important, these performance gains came with equally im­pressive improvements in safety indicators. For instance, the number of unusual events reported to the US NRC dropped from 151 in 1990 to just 18 in 2002. The challenge for individual nuclear stations is to con­tinue this momentum by solidifying competitive gains already achieved and squeezing further improvements from each unit.

US nuclear plants have done an excellent job of maintaining and improving plant design margins and operating reliability. Extensive monitoring and surveillance testing of plant systems, structures and components such as containment building, reactor vessel, reactor cool­ing system pressure boundary, steam generators, pressurizer, piping, pump casings, and valve bodies are performed yearly to verify the plant is maintained in excellent condition. Few if any nuclear plant compo­nents will require replacement specifically to achieve extended opera­tion for an additional 20 years.

TMI, Chernobyl, Now Tokaimura

Japan, which ranks second only to France in the size of its nuclear power plant fleet, has suffered an accident that could become Asia's version of the US's Three Mile Island and Europe's Chernobyl. In terms of severity, however, the accident is nothing like Chernobyl but more serious than TMI, according to observers.

At the fuel reprocessing plant in Tokaimura, about one hour from Tokyo, workers apparently mixed nuclear fuel with nitric acid in viola­tion of government and company procedures. The fuel was for Japan's experimental breeder reactor.

As crucial to the scenario as the mishap were the lack of proper safety and emergency expertise and equipment at the site and little familiari­ty with such situations in the community. At least three workers were

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seriously injured, and firefighters were contaminated with radiation because they weren't told that a nuclear accident had taken place, notes an account in Newsweek.

According to a detailed report in the Wall Street Journal, cost-cut­ting pressures were at least partially responsible for the lapse in judge­ment. Procedures, which were considered secret, were tampered with­in essence simplified so that the plant could compete more effectively with overseas reprocessors.

A far less serious mishap also occurred in the Republic of South Korea a few days later. Twelve gallons of irradiated water were spilled. One account notes that more than 20 workers were contaminated.

VOCABULARY

unusual events чрезвычайные проис­шествия

challenge сложная задача, проблема

surveillance testing проверка наблю­дением, надзор

to verify проверять, контролировать

severity серьезность

in violation of в нарушение

mishap несчастный случай

lapse in judgement ошибка в суждении

to spill разливать

EXERCISES

1. Find the Russian equivalents in b) for the following English words and word combi­nations in a).

a)

1) energy mix

2) long-term

3) to cancel

4) mainstream media

5) to stem from

6) premium

7) gains

8) safety indicators