Is America's New Nuclear Power Industry Has a Russian Problem?

Is America's New Nuclear Power Industry Has a

 Russian Problem?

One of the two plants currently being built in this country, the Vogtle nuclear plant near Augusta, Georgia has received the go-ahead from its owners at the Southern Company to proceed with construction after several months of delay caused by cost overruns and problems with its previous contractor's work. The other plant under construction in this country, the V.C.

How Does Nuclear Power Work

1. Nuclear power is a form of energy that generates electricity by using a controlled release of energy from the nucleus of an atom. Nuclear power plants use uranium to generate heat that boils water into steam, which drives turbines to create electricity.
2. The uranium fuel is formed into rods and placed inside a nuclear reactor, where it is subjected to intense heat and radiation until it splits into two smaller nuclei, releasing energy in the process. That energy then heats water into steam, which spins turbines to create electricity.
3. The heat given off by reactors is also used to create high-pressure steam. This steam is fed through a turbine, which in turn spins an electric generator to produce electricity.

 How Russia Could Disrupt America’s Nuclear Plans

1. Russia has a long history of supplying enriched uranium to its Cold War rival, but the relationship took on a new twist in 2013 when the U.S. Department of Energy granted Russia’s Tenex subsidiary permission to export to American nuclear power plants. This was followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin lifting a ban on exporting enrichment services, which he had imposed in 2010 as part of sanctions imposed against Iran for refusing to scrap its uranium enrichment program.
2. In a memo released last week, NRC Chairman Stephen Burns wrote that though [there is] currently no information to indicate Tenex is not in compliance with its agreement, he directed staff to issue a plan for tightening oversight of Russia’s uranium business within 60 days.The major question hanging over Tenex and its competitors concerns exports of what are known as yellowcake —the raw, unenriched state of uranium ore.
3. In 2014, Tenex exported more than $1.3 billion worth of yellowcake to American power plants from its Siberian mines. That’s roughly a quarter of all of Russia’s exports to American nuclear power plants.

Putin Continues To Warn U.S. Against A New Arms 

Race

1. In the past week, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the United States against creating a new arms race. Putin's decision to make this statement is not surprising, given Russia's position as one of the world's leading nuclear powers and its relationship with the U.S.
2. Russia recently held its annual Victory Day parade to commemorate its World War II victory over Nazi Germany. In his speech at that event, Putin emphasized that Russia is one of only five countries in possession of nuclear arms. As such, he views it as his duty to remind other countries against provoking a new arms race and renewed tension.
3. On April 5, Putin stated that Russia had suspended its participation in a Cold War era treaty called Start, which was designed to limit each country's nuclear arsenal. In 2014, President Barack Obama announced that he would be modernizing and expanding America's nuclear capabilities. Under that agreement, both countries are permitted to station up to 700 warheads on heavy bombers; while Russia currently is deployed with 200 nuclear missiles and 300 nuclear warheads on missiles.

Does America Have Any Nuclear Power Plants

1. The United States has 104 power plants in operation, with 99 nuclear reactors. The vast majority of these are Western Digital Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs), which also account for 75% of the world's nuclear power output. There are 18 boiling water reactors (BWRs) in operation and one fast breeder reactor, the Experimental Breeder Reactor II, which was shut down in 1994 and is no longer producing electricity. These 99 reactors generate about 20% of the country's total electricity.
2. With aging infrastructure, a significant amount of nuclear capacity is scheduled to retire in coming decades. In fact, according to EIA estimates, 41% of U.S. nuclear power capacity could be retired by 2030.
3. Enter small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs are designed to be built in factories and delivered by truck, trailer, or railcar to a given site for final assembly, where they can produce 50 megawatts of electricity.

Atomic Nuclear Power Countries

1. Nuclear power is an important part of the global energy mix. It currently provides about 11% of world electricity production, and this share is expected to grow to 16% by 2030. The nuclear industry has seen considerable growth in both developed and developing countries over the past decade. In the United States, for example, where nuclear power had been on a downward trajectory for more than three decades, there are now 20 reactor units under construction, eight with operating licenses and four with combined license approvals.
2. On May 13, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, announced it was in negotiations with Romania for a new nuclear power plant. Rosatom has also struck agreements to build plants in Hungary and Bulgaria.
3. During his time as president of Russia from 2000 to 2008, Vladimir Putin famously quipped that the collapse of Russia is inconceivable; our country will always survive . . . even if it’s only a handful of people. Now that he’s back in power, expect him to continue staking a claim on nuclear energy as one way to realize his prediction.

Summary

The United States is on the cusp of a new nuclear power industry. However, the future of this industry

may be in jeopardy due to some recent events. The Westinghouse Electric Company filed for bankruptcy

protection from its creditors, and U.S. nuclear energy company partially owned by Russia - Rosatom -

has expressed interest in purchasing it. Recently, there have been allegations that hackers working for the

Russian government were responsible for hacking into the Democratic National Committee computer

system in order to influence American elections.

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS :

1. How many new nuclear power plants are being built in the US?

There are currently only five new nuclear power plants being built in the US. These include Tennessee

Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Unit 2, Duke Energy’s William States Lee III Plant, Southern Company’s

Vogtle Units 3 and 4, and Scana Corporation’s V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3. The first of these reactors to

become operational was Watts Bar Unit 2 in 2016, while the last is expected to come online in 2019 at

the earliest with all current delays considered.

2. Why doesn't the U.S. build more nuclear power plants?

The main reason why the U.S. has not been building more nuclear power plants is because of the high

cost associated with it. It is a lot cheaper to build a natural gas power plant or to convert an old coal plant

into a natural gas plant than it is to build a nuclear power plant. This higher cost can be attributed, in part,

to the new safety regulations that have been put in place following the Fukushima disaster which has

added more time and expenses for new projects.

3. How efficient is nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy is one of the most efficient and inexpensive forms of power generation on Earth. The cost

per kilowatt hour to generate a unit of nuclear electricity is around 10 cents. Compare this to coal, which

costs 12.5 cents per kilowatt hour, or natural gas, which costs 12 cents per kilowatt hour.

4. How is nuclear energy used?

Nuclear power is the only form of large-scale, baseload electricity production in the U.S. that doesn't emit

any greenhouse gases. In nuclear power plants, nuclear fission creates heat, which boils water and

produces steam to turn turbines and generate electricity. As of 2010, there were 104 operating reactors at

65 facilities in 30 states providing 20% of the country's total electric generation capacity.

Conclusion

The US and Russia might be able to come to an agreement on the new nuclear power industry. Both

countries are interested in the technology, but they disagree on who should lead it. If a compromise

cannot be reached, then nuclear power might not become a major source of electricity in the future.