Decarbonising Australia’s Electricity Supply The role for small modular nuclear reactors

Ben HeardFounder – Decarbonise SA

Director – ThinkClimate Consulting

The climate change problem actually looks like this

• Greenhouse gas accumulates• Temperature forcing builds• Tipping points are real• Avoiding dangerous climate change is a zero-sum game

19901991

19921993

19941995

19961997

19981999

20002001

20022003

20042005

20062007

20082009

20100

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

GHG accumulation from Australian electricity sector 1990-2010 (Adapted from AGEIS data)

tCO2-e

Carbon Budget

We DON’T have a plan• 5% reduction by 2020?• 50% reduction by 2050?

– Significant contribution from carbon capture and storage– Significant contribution from geothermal – Massive purchases of offsets from fast growing developing economies

• 20% RET? • First signs of downturn in energy demand?• High penetration of wind in South Australia?

This all misses the point

The pathway matters as much as the destination

Avoided emissions

Nuclear mimics fossil – but without the GHG

Selecting “No” guarantees an inferior result

Hard barriers to Australian nuclearHigh capital and lag on return

If the CEO of, say, Origin Energy said to the board “I’ve got a great idea. Let’s spend $5bn of the company’s money, for which we will not start seeing a return for at least 5 years” he would be laughed at. In fact he would probably be sacked.Tony Owen, UCL School of Energy and Resources

Size of single generating unit

• Single load loss of up to 650 MW could be supported by the existing transmission network in SA (Electranet Annual Planning Report 2012)

Reactor Generating Capacity

Areva NP EPR 1700 MWe

Westinghouse AP1000 1200 MWe

GE Hitachi/Toshiba ABWR 1350 MWe

Gidropress AES-2006 1200 MWe

Korea HNP APR-1400 1450 MWe

Mitsubishi APWR 1500 MWe

GE Hitachi ESBWR 1600 Mwe

Enhanced CANDU6 740 MWe

Solutions?

Barrier Solution

Large-up front capital

Direct capital subsidy

Loan guarantee

Low-cost financing

Lag on return Streamline approvals

Contract all construction with purchase

Size of single generating unit

Reinforcement of interconnections

New large demand

SMR

OR

• Small Modular Reactors

• Ranging in size from approx 25 MWe (nuclear battery!) up to approximately 300MWe

• Several potential technologies• Light water reactors• Gas –cooled reactors• Metal cooled fast reactors

What is SMR?

Steam Turbine

Generator

Condenser

Containment

Water-Filled Pool Below

Ground

J. Nylander and M. Cohen

NSSS

Toshiba 10-50MWHyperion 25MWe fast reactor NuScale

Why is SMR so powerful?

Production

• Constructed & installed quickly• Factory built, ship or train to site• Production line manufacturing• Avoids bottleneck in ultra-heavy forged

components (two suppliers globally)• Mitigates need for local skilled labour

Cost • Reduced up front cost (i.e. approx

$750m for 180MWe)• Faster flows of revenue

Connection• Potential for incremental additions• Same site, same design – simple

approvals• Direct replacement of existing fossil

generation

Safety• Passive safety easily achieved

Appeal• Off-grid baseload potential• Fit easily into most electricity grids • Below-grade installations (underground)• On-site underground waste containment

Sources: US Dept Commerce 2011; Irwin, T. 2012; Cunningham, N. 2012)

B&W/Bechtel, $400M in development funding from US DoE

Example application- decarbonising South Australia

Playford Power Station c 1960240 Mwe2009 emissions 1.77 million tCO2-e

Single B&W mPower SMR180 Mwe90% capacity factor3 year refuelling cycle.60 year design lifeEmissions? 0 tCO2-e

GEH S-PRISM 311 MWe IFR module

“Study finds waste-fuelled reactor feasible for UKThe report includes a vote of confidence by analysts DBD Ltd, which says that in terms of fuel fabrication, reactor operation, and fuel storage, there are "no fundamental impediments" to licensability in the UK.July 2012 .

Example application - Swapping unwanted Pu for zero-carbon energy

Fast Breeder Reactor•Metal fuel•Liquid metal coolant•Runs at close to atmospheric pressure•Full passive safety•Breeds fissile isotopes from fertile isotopes i.e turns 99% of nuclear waste into new fuel and uses it to make energy

Proof of Concept?

•Nimitz Class, largest war ship in the world•Propelled by two General Electric pressurised water reactors driving four turbines of 194MW.

Ben Heard- Founder, Decarbonise SA and Director, ThinkClimate Consulting W: www.decarbonisesa.comE: ben.heard@thinkclimateconsulting.com.au

@Ben_Heard_DSA

DecarboniseSA

The commercialisation of SMR provides a pathway to greatly accelerated decarbonisation of fossil-dependent electricity supplies

Conclusion