Bob
25th July 2014, 15:54
More Nuclear reactors being made.. but will they be safe? "Safe" is a relative term.
The power company of Canada, CANDU is teaming up with the Chinese to cut production costs to make a bunch of $$, claiming to "boost" Canadian Economy with sales of reactors to ROMANIA.
It could be worth $1.5 billion they say.
China Nuclear Power Engineering Company Ltd. is going to be the manufacturer and these two new reactors are to be headed to Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Centrala_Atomica_Cernavoda_01.jpg
Romania currently has 1,400 MW of nuclear power capacity by means of one active nuclear power plant with 2 reactors, which constitutes around 18% of the national power generation capacity of the country.
Late in the 1970s, the Romanian Government decided to build a five-unit nuclear power plant in Cernavodă.
Romania decided to use Canadian technology (CANDU reactor technology from AECL) and build heavy water reactors, using heavy water produced at Drobeta-Turnu Severin as its neutron moderator and water from the Danube for cooling.
The nuclear power plant has two fully operational reactors and another three reactors that are partially finished.
Unit One was finished in 1996 and produces 705.6 MW of electricity.
Unit Two was finished in 2007 and produces 706 MW of electricity.
Unit Three and Unit Four were expected to be operational by the year 2015 and the total electricity production of the units will be around 1,500 MW. The total cost of the units is expected to be around US$ 6 billion.
The $6-billion agreement would boost nuclear power to as much as 40 per cent of all energy used in Romania.
Swafford, CANDU's CEO, said " [..] nuclear power could replace coal or natural gas now being used in the central European country."
The two reactors would complement Romania's two existing CANDU reactors, built in 1996 and 2007, that already supply 20 per cent of Romania’s energy.
In the PDF article below, design flaw issues are pointed out.
We cannot ignore the world wide damage from the Fukushima disaster, and although CANDU reactors are designed with HEAVY WATER (deuterium laden water), and Fukushima used LIGHT WATER (normal water coolant), the coolant failure risks, hydrogen explosion risks remain.
That CANDU has chosen to use CHINESE manufacturing to MAXIMIZE profits, one is left to wonder if cost cutting methods with nuclear devices is smart, or in the interests of Romania and the surrounding countries should a Fukushima-sized disaster happen.
http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/pdfs/Letters/Becancour/Attachment-1-July-7-2011_e.pdf
From Forbes Magazine, there is a concern about Chinese made reactor products.
We all know how dangerous Chinese made food products have been with Chinese manufacturers substituting MELAMINE PLASTIC resin for protein because it can fool the total protein tests for baby food formula, human and animal foods.. cost cutting to maximize profits. MANY people (and pets) died because of the Chinese "profit motives" bypassing safety and health.
And in June 2014 this year, a French nuclear regulatory official, in uncharacteristically blunt language, last week publicly voiced concerns about the construction of a nuclear generating station in Taishan, in China’s Guangdong province.
" [..] .. it certainly appears Chinese inspectors have far too much to do. “One of the explanations for the difficulties in our relations is that the Chinese safety authorities lack means,” Jamet said. “They are overwhelmed.”
China is in full-steam-ahead mode, and countries downwind have to be especially concerned. At the moment, 28 of the 72 reactors under construction in the world are in China, and Beijing is about to issue additional approvals. No nation is building more nuclear plants at this time. Second-place Russia is only constructing 10.
refs - http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonchang/2014/06/22/will-china-export-the-next-chernobyl/
http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/exporting-and-importing/candu-signs-deal-build-pair-nuclear-reactors-romania-139308
In China, there are big question marks.
Li Yulun, a former vice president of China National Nuclear Corp., has expressed concern that Chinese companies working on reactor projects do not share Beijing’s emphasis on safety.
Furthermore, the State Council Research Office has raised doubts about the accelerated pace of reactor construction in China.
"China, we have to remember, is the country where everything gets built ahead of schedule, but “tofu” buildings fall down, new bridges collapse, and just-laid train tracks warp."
"We can be sure something is wrong, so we have to be concerned that there could be another Chernobyl in our future, either in China or at a Chinese plant soon to be built elsewhere."
Is CANDU smart or suffering "make profit, make profit, let someone else worry about consequences.."
From the Forbes article - a strong question is posed..
"Why are Chinese regulators not answering their phones when the French call to talk about Taishan nuclear plant? Maybe they’re overworked, as Jamet, the French nuclear safety commissioner, suggests.
"And maybe there are intractable problems at the plant that officials don’t want to talk about. From what little we know, Taishan has already had its share of difficulties.
"For instance, a French safety inspector during a visit last year saw steam generators and pumps not maintained “at an adequate level.”
The CANDU reactors require proper complete cooling which MUST be maintained, with zero failures, or the core(s) becoming uncovered, and hydrogen generation happens, and a Fukushima set of explosions, and subsequent meltdown and radiation release occurs.
It has been demonstrated in the current Chinese made systems at Taishan in China’s Guangdong province that there are "problems", all too typical apparently of "profit motives" over proper safety. Those reactors are of a French design, but made and operated by China.
The CANDU designs suffer from two major potential failure modes - loss of coolant, inadequate water levels, and the metal in the "core" holding the radioactive fissile material breaking. When the tubes break, there would be no way to remove them, as they would get "stuck". If this happens while POWER ON 80% levels for instance, a fully HOT system is left in a highly dangerous "stuck ON" mode.
There could then be multiple explosions at that point. "STUCK ON MAX POWER", no way to shut down.
(from the PDF attached to this thread - http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/pdfs/Letters/Becancour/Attachment-1-July-7-2011_e.pdf)
What are the consequences of using China to build one's reactors?
(from https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5808-Chinese-nuclear-disaster-highly-probable-by-2-3-)
"Chinese nuclear disaster “highly probable” by 2030"
China is heading for a nuclear accident if it continues with current construction plans, says former state nuclear physicist and prominent critic He Zuoxiu.
He Zuoxiu is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher at the CAS Institute of Theoretical Physics.
[..] "But to reduce costs, Chinese designs often cut back on safety. "
CANDU and CHINA building reactors to save costs, maximize profits.. hmmm anything wrong with that picture?
http://www.cameco.com/uranium_101/static/images/electricity-generation/PHWY2_ns.jpg
And the world is going to trust China to build something like this?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjk5C6ThjEM/TY_0tXkGtqI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/V8xGK7C0IcY/s1600/CANDU%2B950.jpg
The power company of Canada, CANDU is teaming up with the Chinese to cut production costs to make a bunch of $$, claiming to "boost" Canadian Economy with sales of reactors to ROMANIA.
It could be worth $1.5 billion they say.
China Nuclear Power Engineering Company Ltd. is going to be the manufacturer and these two new reactors are to be headed to Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Centrala_Atomica_Cernavoda_01.jpg
Romania currently has 1,400 MW of nuclear power capacity by means of one active nuclear power plant with 2 reactors, which constitutes around 18% of the national power generation capacity of the country.
Late in the 1970s, the Romanian Government decided to build a five-unit nuclear power plant in Cernavodă.
Romania decided to use Canadian technology (CANDU reactor technology from AECL) and build heavy water reactors, using heavy water produced at Drobeta-Turnu Severin as its neutron moderator and water from the Danube for cooling.
The nuclear power plant has two fully operational reactors and another three reactors that are partially finished.
Unit One was finished in 1996 and produces 705.6 MW of electricity.
Unit Two was finished in 2007 and produces 706 MW of electricity.
Unit Three and Unit Four were expected to be operational by the year 2015 and the total electricity production of the units will be around 1,500 MW. The total cost of the units is expected to be around US$ 6 billion.
The $6-billion agreement would boost nuclear power to as much as 40 per cent of all energy used in Romania.
Swafford, CANDU's CEO, said " [..] nuclear power could replace coal or natural gas now being used in the central European country."
The two reactors would complement Romania's two existing CANDU reactors, built in 1996 and 2007, that already supply 20 per cent of Romania’s energy.
In the PDF article below, design flaw issues are pointed out.
We cannot ignore the world wide damage from the Fukushima disaster, and although CANDU reactors are designed with HEAVY WATER (deuterium laden water), and Fukushima used LIGHT WATER (normal water coolant), the coolant failure risks, hydrogen explosion risks remain.
That CANDU has chosen to use CHINESE manufacturing to MAXIMIZE profits, one is left to wonder if cost cutting methods with nuclear devices is smart, or in the interests of Romania and the surrounding countries should a Fukushima-sized disaster happen.
http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/pdfs/Letters/Becancour/Attachment-1-July-7-2011_e.pdf
From Forbes Magazine, there is a concern about Chinese made reactor products.
We all know how dangerous Chinese made food products have been with Chinese manufacturers substituting MELAMINE PLASTIC resin for protein because it can fool the total protein tests for baby food formula, human and animal foods.. cost cutting to maximize profits. MANY people (and pets) died because of the Chinese "profit motives" bypassing safety and health.
And in June 2014 this year, a French nuclear regulatory official, in uncharacteristically blunt language, last week publicly voiced concerns about the construction of a nuclear generating station in Taishan, in China’s Guangdong province.
" [..] .. it certainly appears Chinese inspectors have far too much to do. “One of the explanations for the difficulties in our relations is that the Chinese safety authorities lack means,” Jamet said. “They are overwhelmed.”
China is in full-steam-ahead mode, and countries downwind have to be especially concerned. At the moment, 28 of the 72 reactors under construction in the world are in China, and Beijing is about to issue additional approvals. No nation is building more nuclear plants at this time. Second-place Russia is only constructing 10.
refs - http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonchang/2014/06/22/will-china-export-the-next-chernobyl/
http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/exporting-and-importing/candu-signs-deal-build-pair-nuclear-reactors-romania-139308
In China, there are big question marks.
Li Yulun, a former vice president of China National Nuclear Corp., has expressed concern that Chinese companies working on reactor projects do not share Beijing’s emphasis on safety.
Furthermore, the State Council Research Office has raised doubts about the accelerated pace of reactor construction in China.
"China, we have to remember, is the country where everything gets built ahead of schedule, but “tofu” buildings fall down, new bridges collapse, and just-laid train tracks warp."
"We can be sure something is wrong, so we have to be concerned that there could be another Chernobyl in our future, either in China or at a Chinese plant soon to be built elsewhere."
Is CANDU smart or suffering "make profit, make profit, let someone else worry about consequences.."
From the Forbes article - a strong question is posed..
"Why are Chinese regulators not answering their phones when the French call to talk about Taishan nuclear plant? Maybe they’re overworked, as Jamet, the French nuclear safety commissioner, suggests.
"And maybe there are intractable problems at the plant that officials don’t want to talk about. From what little we know, Taishan has already had its share of difficulties.
"For instance, a French safety inspector during a visit last year saw steam generators and pumps not maintained “at an adequate level.”
The CANDU reactors require proper complete cooling which MUST be maintained, with zero failures, or the core(s) becoming uncovered, and hydrogen generation happens, and a Fukushima set of explosions, and subsequent meltdown and radiation release occurs.
It has been demonstrated in the current Chinese made systems at Taishan in China’s Guangdong province that there are "problems", all too typical apparently of "profit motives" over proper safety. Those reactors are of a French design, but made and operated by China.
The CANDU designs suffer from two major potential failure modes - loss of coolant, inadequate water levels, and the metal in the "core" holding the radioactive fissile material breaking. When the tubes break, there would be no way to remove them, as they would get "stuck". If this happens while POWER ON 80% levels for instance, a fully HOT system is left in a highly dangerous "stuck ON" mode.
There could then be multiple explosions at that point. "STUCK ON MAX POWER", no way to shut down.
(from the PDF attached to this thread - http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/pdfs/Letters/Becancour/Attachment-1-July-7-2011_e.pdf)
What are the consequences of using China to build one's reactors?
(from https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5808-Chinese-nuclear-disaster-highly-probable-by-2-3-)
"Chinese nuclear disaster “highly probable” by 2030"
China is heading for a nuclear accident if it continues with current construction plans, says former state nuclear physicist and prominent critic He Zuoxiu.
He Zuoxiu is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher at the CAS Institute of Theoretical Physics.
[..] "But to reduce costs, Chinese designs often cut back on safety. "
CANDU and CHINA building reactors to save costs, maximize profits.. hmmm anything wrong with that picture?
http://www.cameco.com/uranium_101/static/images/electricity-generation/PHWY2_ns.jpg
And the world is going to trust China to build something like this?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjk5C6ThjEM/TY_0tXkGtqI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/V8xGK7C0IcY/s1600/CANDU%2B950.jpg