pwr_december-2023 - 9

GLOBAL MONITOR
Among countries leading the lifetime
extension charge is Japan. Japan's Diet
in May enacted legislation that allows
nuclear reactors to operate beyond their
current limit of 60 years-in large part to
ensure stable power supplies and realize
a decarbonized society. In November,
Japan's
Nuclear Regulation Authority
2. The world's nuclear fleet is aging. About two-thirds of 438 reactors that are in operation
today are more than 30 years old. However, at the end of 2022, a total capacity of 59.3 GWe
(58 reactors) was under construction in 18 countries. Installed nuclear power capacity under
construction has remained largely steady in recent years, except for in Asia, where there has
been continuous growth, with 56.1 GWe (55 reactors) of operational capacity being connected
to the grid since 2012, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says. Courtesy: IAEA
electricity to our citizens, " he said. " The
implementation of such global practice
by Energoatom specialists and SNRIU
experts significantly increased the efficiency
and quality of our work. "
For Ukraine, the significance of life
extensions is firmly pegged to the country's
quest for reliable power that is independent
from Russia. But a spate of
recently announced news related to the
world's nuclear fleet may be tied to a
burgeoning revival for nuclear. According
to the IAEA, about two-thirds of the
world's 438 operating nuclear power reactors
(291 reactors representing 258.7
GWe) are more than 30 years old. Many
more are approaching, or have already
reached, the end of their originally envisaged
operational lifetime of about 40
years. The agency suggests 128 reactors-101.5
GWe-have been in operation
for more than 40 years, and 3% (13
reactors totaling 11 GWe) for more than
50 years (Figure 2).
In 2020, the IAEA suggested that extending
the global fleet's lifetime by 10
years could have a " multiplying effect, "
adding 26,000 TWh of low-carbon electricity
generation. " That's more than
half the electricity produced in the previous
40 years by nuclear power, which
took decades to reach its current output
level, " it noted. But extending the fleet's
lifetime by a second decade to 60 years
would generate an additional 31,400 TWh
of electricity-representing almost 2%
of the world's low-carbon electricity produced
between 2020 and 2080, it said.
The past few years, while characterized
by a tumultuous period for energy,
may have made that more achievable. In
September, the IAEA revised its outlook
for nuclear capacity, offering a " high
December 2023 | POWER
case " projection to 873 GW in 2050-
up 10% from the previous year. " The realization
of this projection would require
large-scale implementation of long-term
operation (LTO) across the existing fleet
and nearly 600 GW of new build capacity
in the coming three decades, " it said.
Currently, the " energy crisis in 2022 has
put on hold some decisions regarding
reactor shutdowns, driving operators
and regulators to implement actions to
ensure safe and reliable LTO, " it said.
Over the longer term, the " continued
and increasing demand for safe, clean,
reliable, and cost-effective electricity
generation is a strong driver for operators
to extend the operating life of nuclear
power plants by several decades
through plant modernization and the
enhancement of major equipment and
systems to support LTO, " it said.
According to the agency, the aging
fleet highlights the need for new or uprated
nuclear capacity to offset planned
retirements and contribute to sustainability
and global energy security and
climate
change
objectives. " Governments,
utilities, and other stakeholders
are investing in LTO and aging management
programmes for an increasing
number of reactors to ensure sustainable
operation and a smooth transition
to new capacity, " it noted. " Even as the
fleet ages, operational nuclear power
reactors continue to demonstrate high
levels of overall reliability and performance.
Load factor, also referred to as
capacity factor, is the actual energy output
of a reactor divided by the energy
output that would be produced if it operated
at its reference unit power for the
entire year. A high load factor indicates
good operational performance. "
www.powermag.com
(NRA) granted a 20-year life extension
to Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai 1
and 2, a combined 1.7 GW. The reactors
are scheduled to reach 40 years in 2024
and 2025. Kansai Electric Power Co.
(KEPCO) in November, meanwhile, submitted
an application to the NRA to continue
operating the 780-MW Takahama 1
nuclear reactor for another 10 years. The
milestone for the 1974-commissioned
reactor is substantial, given that it is the
oldest operating reactor in Japan (Figure
3). KEPCO restarted the reactor in August
2023 after it had been mothballed
since the Fukushima event in 2011.
In late October, meanwhile, Argentina's
Nucleoeléctrica Argentina submitted
an environmental impact study to the
Ministry of Environment of the Province
of Buenos Aires to extend the life of the
362-MW Atucha 1 nuclear power plant
by 20 years. The plant is scheduled to be
decommissioned in 2024.
In the U.S., so far, six reactors-Turkey
Point 3 and 4, Peach Bottom 2 and 3, and
Surry 1 and 2-have secured regulatory
approval to operate for up to 80 years.
However, although the subsequent renewed
licenses
for Turkey Point and
Peach Bottom are still in place, the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission ordered that
the expiration date of the subsequently
renewed licensees be reset to the end of
the initial period of extended operation.
The direction will hold until the staff completes
its re-evaluation of generic environmental
issues for subsequent license
renewal, which could be finalized in 2024.
3. Kansai Electric Power Co.'s (KEPCO's) Takahama
Nuclear Power Plant in Japan's Fukui
Prefecture has four Westinghouse pressurized
water reactor units with a combined capacity
of 3.4 GW. Courtesy: KEPCO/Hirorinmasa
9

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