U.S. Utilities 'Stealth' Nuclear Revival

The news media love headlines, especially thosebe tantamount the construction of 5 new 1,000 MWe
which mention that no nuclear reactor has comereactors - since the uprate process began, or the
online in more than a decade. How would journalistssame number of nuclear reactors in Switzerland or
(and environmentalists) react if they discovered U.S.Slovakia.
nuclear utilities have added the 'nuclear power'About 105 power uprates were completed between
equivalent to four large reactors? A fifth or more1977 and 2006. Most uprates increased capacity by
could be on the way.less than two percent, but more than 30 reactors
According to the Energy Information Administrationincreased capacity by 5 to 15 percent through the
(EIA) website, "With projected increases in electricityuprate process. Exelon Corp (NYSE: EXC) increased
demand, construction of new nuclear power plants orcapacity at the Clinton reactor by 20 percent in 2002.
the re-activation of shutdown reactors is drawingThere are three types of power uprates. The
public and media attention. Both of these options,Stretch Power Uprate (SPU) requires no hardware
however, would take place in the future-if at all. Achanges, but can increase thermal power by 7
third option that is already taking place has generatedpercent through analysis of the plant's existing safety
less publicity: uprating existing units to generate moremargins. Improving the feed water flow
power. Although the uprates are usually less than 10measurements generally nets a thermal power uprate
percent, they are quite significant. If all of theof about 1.5 percent. This is called a 'Measurement
proposals are implemented, nuclear capacity wouldUncertainty Recapture' (MUR) power uprate. The
increase by more than the construction of any newNRC approved the first MUR uprate in 1999. More
reactor design now under consideration."than 30 MUR uprates have been approved, adding an
Surprise, there is a nuclear renaissance. New nuclearadditional 500 MWe capacity.
capacity has been growing in the United States forThe most significant in adding power to a nuclear
the last quarter century. According to the U.S. Nuclearplant is the Extended Power Uprate (EPU). Since
Regulatory (NRC) website, "Utilities have been using1998, the NRC has approved 13 EPU uprates, adding
power uprates since the 1970s as a way to increasemore than 1500 MWe to the U.S. nuclear capacity -
the power output of their nuclear plants. As of Julythe equivalent of 1.5 nuclear reactors. This would be
2004, the NRC has completed 101 such reviewssame power generated by two small natural gas
resulting in a gain of approximately 12,548 MWtcombined cycle plants, a small hydroelectric facility or
(megawatts thermal) or 4,183 MWe (megawattsa 150 MWe wind farm. EPU uprates require major
electric) at existing plants. Collectively, an equivalentmodifications which often include the replacement or
of about four nuclear power plant units has beenmodification of the turbine-generator, reactor
gained through implementation of power uprates atpressure vessel internals, controls and instrumentation.
existing plants."Generally, the EPU process has involved replacing old
To put this into perspective, if one separated theturbines with more efficient new ones, but it can also
power 'uprates.' of more than 5100 MWe, from totalinvolve other changes. Some industry experts believe
U.S. nuclear capacity and counted this capacity as 'itsthe EPU uprate and other efficiencies could add up to
own country,' the uprates alone would become the20 percent more capacity to a nuclear reactor.
world's 14th largest nuclear electricity producer! As ofUprates are neither a new development nor limited to
January 2007, the U.S. uprates, past and proposed,the United States. In May 2006, Nucleonics Week
would generate more electricity than nuclear reactorsreported KHNP had applied to upgrade four reactors
in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina combined; nearly asin South Korea. In the late 1990s, one Swiss reactor
much nuclear-generated as India and South Africawas uprated by 12 percent and a Finnish reactor was
combined; more nuclear-generated electricity thanuprated by 15 percent. Spain has been aggressive in
Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia, or the Czech Republic.its uprate programs. The country has added 11
The power uprates have created a 'stealth' nuclearpercent to its nuclear capacity by uprating its
renaissance in the United States. Flying under thereactors by as much as 13 percent. One reactor's
radar screen, the increased nuclear capacity iscapacity was upgraded by 5 percent for $50 million.
something environmentalists have paid attention to,Another reactor is operating at 112 percent of its
but not made serious effort to roadblock. Tinyoriginal capacity.
capacity increases, adding up over a period of years,Because licensing has been an uphill fight in many
don't make headlines. But, as you can see, it adds todeveloped nations, many nuclear utilities have
additional U3O8, conversion, enrichment andcircumvented the process through uprates. In many
conversion consumption.cases, this extends the plant life and avoids the
With all the hoopla of new nuclear reactors proposeddecommissioning process. Prime candidates for
for construction in China, India, Russia and elsewhere,additional uprates include Exelon (EXC), Entergy (ETR)
'new' capacity requiring more uranium has been aand FPL (FPL), among others.
continuous effort, right here in the United States.What impact on U.S. electricity generation takes place
Some of the up-and-coming uprates, in percentageby adding more than 5,000 MWe capacity through
terms, are quite substantial.power uprates? Quietly and under the radar screen
These are the power uprates currently beingthe uprate process saves the United States the
reviewed by the NRC. Six of the reactors plan toannual equivalent of 68 million barrels of oil, 17 million
have completed their uprate procedure within theshort tons of coal or 329 billion cubic feet of natural
next twelve months. Another three remain in the 'togas, while generating nearly 40 billion KWh of
be determined' category. The nine uprates with 1002electricity - all of the electricity needs for nearly four
MWe capacity represent slightly more than themillion people. And that is just through the power
average capacity of the 103 nuclear reactorsuprate process.
currently operating in the United States - averagingHypothetically, U.S. utilities could add the equivalent of
955 MWe.20 new nuclear reactors by 2020 through the uprate
Further, the NRC reports licensees plan to submit 18by upgrading the maximum power level of the
power uprate applications over the next five years.nation's existing 103 reactors. Under this scenario
At a 2005 World Nuclear Symposium, one utilityuranium mining production would have to increase
spokesman forecast another 2600 MWe would beanother 20-30 million pounds to accommodate the
generated by 2010 as a result of power uprates. Thisincreased power expansion.
additional growth could represent slightly less than theCOPYRIGHT© 2007 by StockInterview, Inc.
combined nuclear reactor capacities of Hungary,ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Pakistan and the Netherlands. Potentially, this would