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Developments and Future Outlook of Nuclear Power Programs in Asia. Hajimu Maeda Senior Advisor The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. 18 th World Energy Congress October 21 – 25, 2001 Buenos Aires, Argentina. Discussions in WEC Asia-Pacific Energy Forum.
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Developments and Future Outlook of Nuclear Power Programs in Asia Hajimu Maeda Senior Advisor The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. 18th World Energy Congress October 21 – 25, 2001 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Discussions in WEC Asia-Pacific Energy Forum • Nuclear industry has achieved excellent performance records. • Nuclear energy provides a highly effective solution toward; • energy security improvement • global environmental problems • Main issues to be solved; • nuclear safety • radioactive wastes management • social trust
Nuclear Power Status 2000; East Asia Country Reactors in operation Reactors under construction Nuclear electricity supplied in 2000 No. of units Total MWe (net) No. of units Total Mwe (net) TWh % of total Japan 53 43,491 4 4,492 305 34 China 3 2,167 8 6,420 16 1 Republic of Korea 16 12,990 4 3,820 104 41 Taiwan 6 4,884 2 2,560 37 24 (Source: IAEA,JAIF)
Improvement in Capacity Factor Korea Japan China Taiwan (Source: JAIF,IAEA)
Trend of Unscheduled Outage Taiwan Korea China Japan (Source: IAEA)
HLW Disposal in Japan • Steady progress of HLW disposal program is important to gain public acceptance. • Governing law of HLW disposal enacted in June 2000 • Implementing organization established in October 2000 • Disposal starts in the 2030s to mid-2040s
Public Understanding and Social Trust • Insecure feelings still remain in people’s psychological depth. • Credibility of the engineers and organizations is required. • Transparency of organization, decision- making process and operation is needed.
Measures to Increase Transparency in Japan • Concerted efforts by Japanese government and industry • Governmental committees are open to the public to incorporate their opinions. • Plant operating data can be publicly monitored real time. • Any abnormal incidents or accidents are released immediately.
Governmental Commitment and Social Trust • Japanese government has pronounced repeatedly its firm stance to promote nuclear power programs. • Unchanged commitment by the government is indispensable.
Nuclear Power and Business Risk • Minimizing technological and social risks; • Technological risk can be controlled to the lowest level. • Industry is making utmost efforts to build up social trust. • Progress is being made on back end cycle.
Business Advantages of Nuclear Power • Cost-stability • hedging the risk of fossil fuel price hike • Internalized environmental cost • no CO2 emission • radioactive waste cost already internalized Nuclear will play an important role.
Conclusions • Not easy to recognize social risks; • energy security and global warming • Tendency to undermine the benefits we now enjoy; • focusing on only the anxiety about the risks • Risks and benefits should be properly evaluated; • open and unbiased discussions are needed
Energy Situation of Asian Region • High energy consumption growth expected; • 2.8 to 3.5 % / year … higher than other regions • Accounts for 1/3 of the world energy consumption by 2020 • Poor energy resources and infrastructure; • Improvement of energy security is critical • Challenge of environmental protection; • Reduction of GHG emissions
Prospect of World Economic Growth 80 GDP in 1990 US$ 70 Other 60 Russia 50 40 Asia Pacific trillion US $ 30 OECD N.America 20 10 OECD Europe 0 1997 2010 2020 Source: World Energy Outlook 2000
Prospect of Energy Consumption in Asia by Regions South Asia East Asia China Japan Australia New Zealand Source: IEA, World Energy Outlook 1998
Prospect of Asian Oil Consumption, Production and Dependency on Other Regions Dependency on Other Regions Consumption Production Source: APERC
Energy security in Japan • Security improvement after the oil crises - improvement in energy efficiency - diversification of energy supply structure, including nuclear energy • Successful reduction of crude oil share in primary energy supply from 77% to 52% • Nuclear power holds a 35% share of the electric power sector
Primary Energy Supply in Japan (FY 1998) Hydro4% Others2% Source: National Energy Statistics, 1999 edition
LWR Capacity Factor Average Gross Capacity Factor (%) Asia W. Europe World U.S.
LWR Refueling Outage Period Median Refueling Outage Duration (Days) Asia World W. Europe U.S.
Nuclear Safety Network (NS-Net) • Inaugurated in 1999 after criticality accident at JCO to enhance safety consciousness and develop safety culture across the nuclear industry. • Activities • Promotion of safety culture through seminars, etc. • Peer review of member facilities by specialists • Exchanges and dissemination of information on nuclear safety • Members : 36 nuclear organizations in Japan 14 electricity organizations 19 plant and fuel manufacturers 3 research institutes
Are you Anxious about Nuclear Accident ? (Source: INSS)
What Do You Think about the Use of Nuclear Power Generation? (Source: INSS)
Milestones of HLW Disposal in Japan Enactment of HLW Final Disposal Act (June, 2000) Selection of Final Disposal Site (late 2020’s) Design & Safety Review Establishment of Disposal Implementing Entity (October, 2000) Preliminary Site Survey (from late 2000’s) Construction Start-up (2030’s to mid 2040’s) Detailed Site Survey (from early 2010’s) (Source: Atomic Energy Commission, etc.)
Global Warming • The Kyoto Protocol defined the commitments toward reductions in CO2 emissions for 2010. • The COP-6, held in Hague last year failed to reach any agreements on specific activities. • The resumed COP6 conference in Bonn reached an agreement - without US involvement, and - at the expense of politically-inspired compromises Nuclear energy was the victim of such compromises.
Realistic Approach to the Global Warming Issue • Renewable energy sources are unlikely to take over the role of the major energy sources. • Addressing the global warming issue is unrealistic without nuclear energy.
CO2 Emissions of Electric Power Industry in Japan (Source: FEPCJ, Sep.2001)
CO2 Emissions of Electric Power Industry in Japan; Actual / Avoided (Source: FEPCJ)
Production Cost with Carbon Tax 16 20,000Yen/t-C 14 10,000Yen/t-C 12 1,500Yen/t-C 10 Yen/kWh 8 6 4 2 0 Nuclear Hydro Oil LNG Coal
Further improvement in operational efficiency • Areas for further improvements - Duration of refueling outage … still longer than international average - Duration of operating months (Fuel cycle period) … refueling outages required annually … 18 to 24 months of normal practices worldwide • High capacity factor over 90% is not seldom in Western countries. • Rationalization of regulations is indispensable for nuclear to be viable in deregulated market.
Electricity Generation Cost by Sources Source: MITI 1999
Sustainability of Nuclear Energy • Spent nuclear fuel is energy-intensive waste suitable for recycling. - reprocessed to extract the plutonium for recycling - FBR increases the resource efficiency 60 times • Long-term viewpoint is necessary. • Japanese government and electric utilities are proceeding with the plutonium recycling policy.
Technological Development • Development of new technology is important to remain competitive in the future - LWRs with improved safety and cost competitiveness - Next generation reactor incorporating a passive safety system - Smaller reactor for low density of electricity demand • Technological innovation will help introduce nuclear power to countries with limited infrastructure. • R&D of FBRs should be promoted in the long-term perspective. • Continuing R&D activities are essential for training nuclear engineers and enhancing engineering capability.
International Cooperation • International cooperation covers: - Cooperation on nuclear safety between plant operators (e.g., WANO) - Cooperation on cultivation of human resources and safety regulations - Cooperation on nuclear-related technology and utilization of radiation • Conditions for successful cooperation - Cooperation on technology as well as safety culture - Framework such as; - Bilateral agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy - Agreement to the IAEA safeguards - Nuclear liability system