Welding issues found at French nuclear sites: Update

  • Market: Electricity
  • 10/09/19

Adds comments from ASN

French state-controlled utility EdF has notified the country's nuclear safety authority, ASN, of deviations in the manufacture of some steam generator welds for its nuclear reactors, it said today.

The "deviation from technical standards" in the detensioning heat treatment on the welds was reported to EdF by French manufacturer Framatome and concerns operational parts and new components yet to be installed at nuclear sites, EdF said.

Twenty steam generators manufactured by Framatome since 2008 are potentially affected, ASN said today, adding "investigations are ongoing". EdF and Framatome are in the process of identifying the affected components and "ascertaining their fitness for service" and the utility has passed its initial findings to ASN, EdF said. It did not provide further details of the sites affected or whether the discovery would force plants off line for maintenance.

EdF operates all of France's 63.13GW nuclear fleet. The discovery of irregularities at Framatome's Creusot Forge factory — which makes components for nuclear plants — forced several French reactors off line for safety checks in 2016-17. And unrelated anomalies in welds at EdF's new 1.6GW Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor have delayed its start-up by more than two years to the end of 2022.

In a separate case, ASN ruled last month that metal parts manufactured by French firm Aubert and Duval for the country's nuclear plants are fit for purpose despite irregularities.

French front-quarter power contracts trading in the over-the-counter market took support today from the resulting uncertainty surrounding nuclear availability for the period.

The November and December base-load contracts closed at €61.70/MWh and €65.15/MWh, which was €7.20/MWh and €9.80/MWh above yesterday's close, respectively. And the fourth-quarter 2019 contract closed at €58.60/MWh, or €7.45/MWh above its closing assessment yesterday, while October closed €5.25/MWh above at €49/MWh.


Sharelinkedin-sharetwitter-sharefacebook-shareemail-share

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

News
28/03/24

Stalling climate finance an energy security risk : WRI

Stalling climate finance an energy security risk : WRI

London, 28 March (Argus) — The "best bet" to achieving global energy security is through mitigation funding and multilateral cooperation, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI). WRI highlighted that governments are funding more domestic renewable energy projects but have increased oil and gas production in the name of "energy security" at home in the years following the Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The recent rebrand of energy transition funding to energy security funding has allowed some developed nations to justify domestic oil and gas licences and drag their feet on multilateral financial commitments. This is causing "real worry" among climate-vulnerable developing nations, WRI chief executive Ani Dasgupta said. He said that although the initial "shock" to the world's energy markets after the invasion of Ukraine "quickly went away", it has triggered "real worry among poorer countries that when push comes to shove, it won't be an even game, or have a fair outcome." Developing countries have long complained about the lack of access to climate funding. Richer nations have only recently met the $100bn/yr target in climate finance to developing countries agreed in 2009, while discussions on setting a new climate finance goal for 2025 at Cop 29 in Baku in November could prove difficult. President of the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) Denis Sassou-Nguesso said last year that the $100bn/yr in climate financing to developing countries promised by rich countries "never reached us", adding that the annual UN Cop climate conferences have become little more than a talking shop. "Just after the invasion of Ukraine, every country started to think about energy security," Dasgupta said. "In theory, good things could have happened, countries could have concluded that their best bet to getting energy security is by going renewable". But it was not the case in key consumer countries or regions, Dasgupta pointed out. China bought the majority of Russian gas following the EU's withdrawal, he said, and has since upped production at coal-fired power stations despite an "extraordinary" acceleration towards renewables set for 2023-28, according to Paris-based energy watchdog IEA . In Europe, the UK and Norway continue to award new oil and gas licences . "In the US, the fossil fuel lobby argues that the best route to energy security is to invest more in fossil fuels". But the best route is to invest in more renewables, he said. "Even if the US produces a large amount of oil and gas, it is still a traded commodity, and so you have to pay a price for it that is set globally." The US special presidential co-ordinator for energy security Amos Hochstein has also suggested in September that a widening climate finance gap could ultimately threaten global security. "We have seen the percentage of dollars spent on the energy transition outside the OECD, in developing and middle income countries actually go down instead of up…" By Madeleine Jenkins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Read more
News

Japan’s Renova starts Miyagi biomass power plant


28/03/24
News
28/03/24

Japan’s Renova starts Miyagi biomass power plant

Tokyo, 28 March (Argus) — Japanese renewable power developer Renova started commercial operations today at its 75MW Ishinomaki Hibarino biomass-fired power plant in northeast Japan's Miyagi prefecture. The power plant is designed to consume an undisclosed volume of wood pellets and palm kernel shells (PKS) to generate around 530 GWh/yr of electricity. Renova originally targeted to start up the power plant in May 2023 but postponed the start-up multiple times. Renova has been forced to delay the start-up schedules at several of its power plants. It previously targeted to begin commercial operations of the 75MW Omaezaki biomass power plant this month but postponed it to July, as the final adjustment of boiler and turbine units is taking longer than expected. It delayed the launch of the 74.8MW Tokushima Tsuda biomass power plant in September before it began commercial operations in December 2023 . Japan imported 1mn t of wood pellets during January-February, up by 14pc from the same period in 2023, according to the finance ministry. PKS purchases fell by 24pc to 466,186t. By Nanami Oki Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Electrification key to cut UK offshore emissions: NSTA


27/03/24
News
27/03/24

Electrification key to cut UK offshore emissions: NSTA

London, 27 March (Argus) — The UK offshore oil and gas industry must make "decisive emissions reduction actions now and on an ongoing basis", with asset electrification and low carbon power central to making cuts, regulator the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) said today. "Where the NSTA considers electrification reasonable, but it has not been done, there should be no expectation that the NSTA will approve field development plans", the regulator said in a new emissions reduction plan. The NSTA set out "four clear contributing factors to decarbonising the industry" — including asset electrification, investment and efficiency and action on flaring and venting. It will also look at "inventory as a whole", ramping up scrutiny on assets with high emissions intensity. Relevant companies must produce emissions reduction action plans for offshore assets, the NSTA said. New developments with first oil or gas after the beginning of 2030 must be either fully electrified or run on "alternative low carbon power with near equivalent emission reductions", the NSTA said. New developments with first oil or gas before 2030 should be electrification-ready at minimum. If electrification is not reasonable, other power emissions reductions must be sought, the regulator said. The offshore industry must from 1 June provide "a documented method of the split of projected flaring and venting figures into categories", and must from 1 June 2025 have a plan and budget to "deliver continuous improvements in flaring and venting", it said. New developments — including tie-backs — must be planned on the basis of zero routine flaring and venting, which every asset must reach by 2030. Industry flaring almost halved between 2018-22, the NSTA said. The regulator has flagged a particular focus on methane emissions. The NSTA may require developers to agree to cease production of assets with high emissions intensity "with reference to societal carbon values", it said. Societal carbon values are calculated by the UK government to reflect the marginal cost to society of additional CO2 emissions. It will discuss end dates for production for assets with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity 50pc over the average for the UK offshore, and which intend to produce oil or gas beyond 2030. This represents a slight watering down of the initial plan the NSTA consulted on last year. The North Sea Transition Deal, agreed in 2021, commits the UK offshore industry to reducing its production emissions of GHGs by 10pc by 2025, by 24pc by 2027 and by 50pc by 2030, from a 2018 baseline. Industry has itself committed to a 90pc reduction by 2040 and a net zero basin by 2050, the NSTA said. It "would welcome industry owning and delivering these reductions", it said, adding that its plan is focused on emissions cuts and "emissions offsetting will not be considered towards meeting the obligations." By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Jera delays Hekinan NH3-coal co-firing test: Correction


26/03/24
News
26/03/24

Jera delays Hekinan NH3-coal co-firing test: Correction

Corrects trial period in first paragraph Osaka, 26 March (Argus) — Japan's largest power producer by capacity Jera has pushed back a trial to co-fire 20pc of fuel ammonia with coal at its Hekinan power plant to after the end of March. Jera previously said the co-firing demonstration at the 1GW Hekinan No.4 unit will start on 26 March at the earliest . But the company has decided to push this back. The trial will begin sometime after the end of this month, Jera said on 25 March. It took more time to test run equipment ahead of the demonstration, with safety the main priority, it added. It is unclear when exactly the company will start the trial to co-fire 20pc of ammonia with coal. Jera aims to demonstrate 20pc co-firing of ammonia with coal ahead of planned commercial operations in the April 2027-March 2028 fiscal year. It also hopes to achieve a 50pc mixture on a commercial basis in the first half of the 2030s. By Motoko Hasegawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Oil sands producers plan CCS network, hub


25/03/24
News
25/03/24

Oil sands producers plan CCS network, hub

Calgary, 25 March (Argus) — A group of Canadian oil sands companies are planning to build a massive C$16.5bn ($12.2bn) carbon capture and storage (CCS) project to decarbonize operations. Canadian Natural Resources (CNRL), on behalf of the Pathways Alliance consortium, filed plans for the project with the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) last week to store 10mn-12mn t/yr of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent in the oil sands region of northeast Alberta. The Pathways Alliance also includes Cenovus, Suncor, Imperial Oil, ConocoPhillips Canada and MEG Energy, which account for about 95pc of the province's roughly 3.3mn b/d of oil sands production. Construction of the project is expected to begin as early as the fourth quarter 2025 with operations starting in 2029 or 2030. The main CO2 transportation pipeline will be 24-36-inches in diameter and stretch about 400km (249 miles). It will initially tap into 13 oil sands facilities from north of Fort McMurray to the Cold Lake region, where the CO2 will be stored underground. "When you have that concentration of emission sources, technologies like carbon capture and storage become very, very technically viable," Pathways Alliance president Kendall Dilling told the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, Texas, earlier this month. Oil sands crude producers have been criticized for being particularly carbon intensive. The Pathways Alliance is their answer to driving operations to net zero by 2050. The CCS project and "a host of other technologies" represent Phase 1 of the Pathways Alliance's efforts and will reduce oil sands emissions by about 25pc by 2030, according to Dilling. The CCS project itself accounts for about half of this reduction. Phase 2 is planned for between 2031 to 2040 and would tie in at least another eight oil sands projects, while also ramping up alternative energy initiatives related to hydrogen, electrification and small modular nuclear reactors. By Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more