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safety and was subject to a separate After joint examination of this file global markets, and submitted the set of “conventional” permits. with IRSN, ASN convened the Advi­ ­license application to the NRC in Hanhikivi-1 will be a 1,200-mega­ sory Committee for nuclear pressure ­September. watt VVER pressurised water reactor equipment (GP ESPN) on 30 Septem­ Westinghouse and Corpo­ 141 of the Russian AES-2006 type. Start of ber 2015. The GP ESPN submitted its ration are working collaboratively on commissioning is scheduled for 2022 opinion and its recommendation to a limited number of customized mate­ and commercial operation for 2024. ASN. On this basis, ASN issued a rials and/or reinforcements that will || www.fennovoima.fi | 7304 ­position statement on the procedure allow new units to be built in areas adopted by Areva, with a certain that have a higher seismic condition. NEWS ­number of observations and add­ This Specialized Seismic Option will itional requests. provide the same advanced safety France The results of the new test pro­ ­features, modular design and simpli­ gramme will be crucial to ASN’s fied systems as the standard, NRC-­ Flamanville 3 EPR: ASN has ­decision on the suitability for service certified AP1000 plant technology. no objection to the initiation of the Flamanville 3 RPV closure head || www.westinghousenuclear.com of a new test programme and bottom head. This test pro­ | 7283 (asn) On 12 December 2015, ASN gramme will take several months. ­issued a position statement concern­ || www.asn.fr | 7290 ing the approach used to demonstrate the mechanical properties of the Research ­Flamanville 3 EPR (RPV) closure head and bottom USA IPP: The first plasma: head proposed by Areva. Subject to its the Wendelstein 7-X fusion observations and requests being taken NRC completes acceptance re­ device is now in operation into consideration, ASN considers view of AP1000 seismic ­option (ipp) On 10th December 2015 the first that the approach proposed by Areva (west) Westinghouse Electric Company helium plasma was produced in the is acceptable in principle and has no LLC announced that the U.S. Nuclear Wendelstein 7-X fusion device at the objection to the initiation of the new Regulatory Commission (NRC) has Max Planck Institute for Plasma Phys­ programme of tests being planned. completed an acceptance review of the ics (IPP) in Greifswald. After more On 7 April 2015, ASN published an company’s Specialized Seismic Option than a year of technical preparations information notice concerning an developed for offering with AP1000® and tests, experimental operation has anomaly in the composition of the plants. This step will now commenced according to plan. steel in the centre of the Flamanville 3 ­allow the NRC to begin the in-depth Wendelstein 7-X, the world’s largest EPR RPVclosure head and bottom review required prior to issuing the -type fusion device, will head. This anomaly is linked to the formal Safety Evaluation report. ­investigate the suitability of this type presence of a high carbon concentra­ of device for a power station. tion which results in mechanical prop­ Following nine years of construc­ erties that are not as good as expected. tion work and more than a million Areva sent ASN a file presenting ­assembly hours, the main assembly of the procedure it envisages using to the Wendelstein 7-X was completed in demonstrate the sufficiency of the April 2014. The operational prepara­ ­mechanical properties of the material tions have been under way ever since. used in the manufacture of the vessel Each technical system was tested in closure head and bottom head for the turn, the vacuum in the vessels, the future Flamanville EPR reactor. This || Westinghouse: NRC completes acceptance cooling system, the superconducting demonstration will in particular be ­review of AP1000 seismic ­option. View of the coils and the magnetic field they pro­ based on the future results of a Vogtle unit 3 construction site. Two AP1000 duce, the control system, as well as the ­reactors are under construction at Vogtle. new programme of mechanical and (Courtesy: Southern Nuclear) heating devices and measuring chemical tests. ­instruments. On 10th December, the day had arrived: the operating team in “The NRC’s acceptance review of the control room started up the mag­ the Specialized Seismic Option is an netic field and initiated the computer-­ important step forward with our plans operated experiment control system. It to bring AP1000 plants to more fed around one milligram of helium ­locations across the globe,” said Jeff gas into the evacuated plasma vessel, ­Benjamin, Westinghouse senior vice switched on the microwave heating for president, New Plants and Major Pro­ a short 1,3 MW pulse – and the first jects. “This option will allow people plasma could be observed by the in­ living in areas with higher seismic stalled cameras and measuring devic­ ­activity to benefit from the carbon-free es. “We’re starting with a plasma pro­ energy produced from our safe and re­ duced from the noble gas helium. liable technology.” We’re not changing over to the actual Westinghouse developed the investigation object, a hydrogen plas­ ­Specialized Seismic Option for use in ma, until next year,” explains project || Flamanville 3 EPR: ASN has no objection locations with seismic levels similar to leader Professor Thomas Klinger: to the initiation of a new test programme. those typical of certain portions of the “This is because it’s easier to achieve EPR reactor vessel. (Courtesy: ASN) western United States and other the plasma state with helium. In

News atw Vol. 61 (2016) | Issue 2 ı February

addition, we can clean the surface of power plant. Wendelstein 7-X is to put Company News the plasma vessel with helium the quality of the plasma equilibrium ­plasmas.” and confinement on a par with that of AREVA awarded decontamina­ 142 The first plasma in the machine a for the very first time. And tion contract for Krümmel NPP had a duration of one-tenth of a sec­ with discharges lasting 30 minutes, (areva) AREVA NP has been selected ond and achieved a temperature of the stellarator should demonstrate its by the utility Vattenfall Europe Nu­ around one million degrees. “We’re fundamental advantage – the ability clear Energy to decontaminate the very satisfied”, concludes Dr. Hans- to operate continuously. In contrast, ­primary loop of the Krümmel nuclear Stephan Bosch, whose division is can only operate in pulses power plant, located in Geesthacht NEWS ­responsible for the operation of the without auxiliary equipment. near Hamburg, Germany. This decon­ Wendelstein 7-X, at the end of the first || www.ipp.mpg.de | 7296 tamination will reduce the radiation day of experimentation. “Everything level in the reactor pressure vessel, went according to plan.” The next task JRC: Nuclear decommission- auxiliary systems and piping. The pro­ will be to extend the duration of the ing: a growing sector in need ject will start by the end of this year plasma discharges and to investigate of resources and innovation and the decontamination will be the best method of producing and (jrc) Cease of operation and disman­ ­implemented in the first half of 2016. heating helium plasmas using micro­ tling of a nuclear installation, known as The decontamination will be car­ waves. After a break for New Year, nuclear decommissioning, is a growing ried out thanks to the combination of confinement studies will continue in industrial activity worldwide. two AREVA NP techniques: the CORD­ January, which will prepare the way The EU is currently a world leader UV® and the AMDA®. This operation is for producing the first plasma from in this field, but in order to keep this based on the progressive injection of hydrogen. leading position, it needs to make ad­ chemical products into the reactor’s ditional efforts to further enhance its primary circuit. Once the process is Background extensive know-how and attract more completed, the chemical substances The objective of fusion research is to young people to studies and training used are decomposed into carbon develop a power source that is similarly­ in nuclear related disciplines, accord­ ­dioxide and water, leaving behind no to the sun. As the fusion fire only­ignites ing to a joint report by the JRC and the additional waste. at temperatures of more than 100 mil­ University of Birmingham. “This decontamination technology lion °C, the fuel – a thin hydrogen plas­ A complete decommissioning, has been used reliably in over 30 nu­ ma – must not come into contact with starting from the end of operation clear facilities worldwide, including cold vessel walls. Confined by magnetic of a reactor until its final release from boiling and pressurized water reactors. fields, it floats virtually free from con­ regulatory control, is a long-term pro­ This new contract confirms customers’ tact within the interior of a vacuum cess that can easily exceed 10 to 20 confidence in our decontamination chamber. For the magnetic cage, two years. This explains why only a few technology for all types of nuclear pow­ different designs have prevailed – the major nuclear installations have been er plants,” said Michael Cerruti, Sales tokamak and the stellarator. Both types fully decommissioned so far in Executive Vice-President of ­AREVA of system are being investigated at the ­Europe, while a third of the over 200 ­Reactors & Services Business Group. IPP. In Garching, the Tokamak ASDEX nuclear reactors are already in per­ || www.areva.com | 7280 Upgrade is in operation and, as of manent shut down. ­today, the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator Although many of the techniques AREVA Inc. signs contract is operating in Greifswald. used in decommissioning have with NuScale to manufacture reached maturity, there are still areas SMR fuel assemblies requiring R&D. Particular attention (areva) AREVA Inc. has signed a con­ is needed to make the current tech­ tract to manufacture fuel assemblies niques more efficient (less time-­ for NuScale’s consuming, less waste producing) and (SMR). Under this agreement, AREVA safer (less radiation exposure risks, will supply the initial cores for the fewer occupational hazards, more ­reactors as well as subsequent reloads. ­ergonomically sound). AREVA’s HTPTM fuel assemblies A survey shows that various educa­ have been designed for use in the SMR tion and training programmes exist advanced pressurized water reactor || 10th December 2015: The first plasma in but they will probably need to expand currently under development. Mech­ ­Wendelstein 7-X. It consisted of helium and to meet a future increased demand. anical and thermal hydraulic testing reached a temperature of about one million This evolution highlights the need for of these new fuel assemblies are un­ degrees Celsius. (Courtesy: IPP) cooperation between universities and derway as part of NuScale’s 50 MWe for better coordination among all SMR design certification application, At present, only a tokamak is ­parties involved in decommissioning, which is planned for submission to the thought to be capable of producing an such as industry, safety authorities NRC in 2016. energy-supplying plasma and this is and associated technical support || www.areva.com | 7281 the international test reactor ITER, ­organisations, waste management which is currently being constructed and decommissioning agencies and ENVINET: Service app for MIRA in Cadarache in the frame of a world­ research centres. (envinet) As ENVINET's latest gamma wide collaboration. Wendelstein 7-X, || ec.europa.eu/jrc | 7298 dose rate monitoring system, MIRA the world's largest stellarator-type fu­ now offers even more innovative sion device, will not produce energy. ­options that were hitherto not avail­ Nevertheless, it should demonstrate able on the market. that are also suitable as a

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