A TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP FOR INSTALLING A SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT FOR BANGLADESH

Presentation on A TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP FOR INSTALLING A SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT FOR BANGLADESH

Introduction
Problems & Fear about Nuclear Power

1. Radiation and health
2. Three Mile Island and Chernobyl
3. Nuclear weapons proliferation
4. Waste
5. High initial investment

Objective

To prepare a roadmap for installing a sustainable nuclear power plant for Bangladesh so that it can addresses the mentioned concerns such that the environmental benefit of this non polluting energy source can continue to be used.

Steps that will be followed:

1. Site selection
2. Selecting a sustainable nuclear technology for Bangladesh.
3. Develop an approximate cost estimate which will consider the financing strategy.
4. Waste management methodology for Bangladesh.

A constructional roadmap of a nuclear power plant

Site selection

Recommended site needs to be :

1. Geologically and seismically safe
2. Less prone to natural disaster
3. Low population density.
4. Comparatively close to the load center.

Area

North and eastern regions of Bangladesh (Seismically relatively quiet)

Lalmai, Barind, Madhupur Tracts, Dhaka, Comilla, Noakhali and western part of Chittagong Folded belt.

Khulna division S-E Bangladesh (Seismically most active)

Recommended Site For Nuclear Power Plant

For the installation of nuclear power plant in Bangladesh the areas containing seismic zone-1 especially districts like Pabna, Rajbari, Natore, Faridpur may be suited under the given criteria. And for the establishment of the waste management treatment plant after 60 years or more of installation of the power plant, districts like Rangpur, Nilphamari, Dinajpur can be taken into the consideration.

In terms of Rooppur Nuclear Power Project

1. It is within seismic zone-1.
2. Less prone to be affected by flood.
3. Low probability of being affected by cyclone storms.
4. Comparatively close to the load center.
5. Low population density.

Nuclear Technology

The basic difference between conventional fossil-fueled plant and nuclear power plant is the steam boiler is replaced by a Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS).

Conventional fossil-fueled plant

Nuclear power plant

Nuclear Technology

Boiling Water Reactor

Pressurized Water Reactor

Nuclear Technology

High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR)

Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR)

Nuclear Technology

1. The base of the Pebble Bed Reactor’s unique design is the spherical fuel elements called "pebbles". When Pebble Bed Reactor’s are made in module
2. Billiard ball ball-sized pebbles are made of pyrolytic graphite (which acts as the moderator), and they contain thousands of micro fuel particles called TRISO particles.
3. These TRISO fuel particles consist of a fissile material (such as U₂₃₅) surrounded by a coated ceramic layer of SiC for structural integrity.

"Naturally Safe” By Fuel Design

Fission gas pressure builds up in the kernel and buffer regions, while the IPyC, SiC, and OPyC regions act as structural layers to retain this pressure.

The IPyC and OPyC layers both shrink and creep during irradiation of the particle, while the SiC exhibits only elastic response.

The inherent safety is derived from the sphere because it takes temperatures of approximately 2000°C in order for the ball to begin to break down.

Our Proposed Technology

Major components of the indirect helium cycle gas reactors

As Indirect it will be significantly easier to license due to the fact that it eliminates the possibility of fission product contamination of the helium turbine and other components.

Plant efficiency can be improved by using-

1. A recuperator is used to capture the heat rejected by the turbine to help heat the helium coming out of the compressor.
2. The coolers lower the temperature of the working fluid entering the compressor, therefore reducing the amount of work the compressor must perform.

The working fluid is helium. Helium has many advantages in power conversion systems. Namely helium systems face less technical challenges than standard air turbines. Since helium is an inert gas it can experience very high operating temperatures without oxidation. This allows components, such as the disks and blades to be less stressed. Thermodynamically, helium is superior to air because its thermal conductivity and heat capacity are five times greater than air. The larger heat capacity allows more work to be done per mass of helium as compared to air and the larger thermal conductivity allows for smaller heat transfer equipment.

Existing Challenges for Current Nuclear Plants

1. The plants are perceived by the public to be unsafe despite their positive safety record.
2. Presently, the costs of new nuclear plants as designed are more expensive than gas or coal fired plants.
3. Nuclear plants operate in a strict regulatory regime, which is perceived by the industry and the financial community as lacking the predictability necessary to make financial decisions on building new plants.
4. Concerns about the spread of nuclear weapons and materials capable of being used as weapons by terrorist states or terrorists.
5. The permanent disposal of high level nuclear wastes has yet to be accomplished by any country operating nuclear power plants.

Solution Offered by PBMR

Existing Challenges for Current Nuclear Plants	The Solution Offered by Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR)
Engineered Safety	The design is inherently “naturally safe."
Regulatory Compliance	The simplicity and inherent safety of PBMR will allow for risk-informed regulation.
Proliferation	pebble-type fuel PBMR uses is stable, difficult to reprocess
Construction Time	It is completely modular. Parallel construction of all components
Plant Capacity	Modular units can be adjusted for future demand
Replacing Major Components	eliminates the corrosive aqueous environment from all but a few components
Online Maintenance	because the typical station will have between four and 12 units, any unit can be taken off-line for maintenance without and appreciable impact on total plant generation.
Fuel Disposal	pebble-type fuel is effectively ready for disposal the moment it comes out of the core
Staff Size	Total estimated staff for a 10-unit station is between 150 and 200 people, resulting in a requirement of only one person for every 5 MWe generated. simplicity of the design makes it amenable to automation. The absence of complex safety and support systems reduces the number of operators and maintenance workers
Operating Efficiency	45% (Conventional 33%)

Waste management

The waste management process can be broken into three parts.

1. Waste collection and storage at plant site
2. Handling and shipments of waste
3. Storage of waste in long term repositories

Waste collection in a PBMR

Dry cask storage of high level waste

Handling and shipments of waste

Amount of spent fuel produce by 100 reactor in 40 years

The Department of Energy of U.S.A says 100 reactor produce spent fuel for 40 years is

=10 (m3/reactor-year) x 40 (years) x 100 reactors

~ 40,000 m3

So 1 reactor produce 400 m3 of spent fuel

PBMR plant capital cost estimate

Account No.	Account Description	Cost Estimate
1	LAND & LAND RIGHTS	17.5 crore TK
2	STRUCTURES & IMPROVEMENTS	1344 crore TK
3	REACTOR PLANT EQUIPMENT	4396 crore TK
4	TURBINE PLANT EQUIPMENT	2212 crore TK
5	ELECTRIC PLANT EQUIPMENT	448 crore TK
6	MISCELLANEOUS PLANT EQUIPMENT	336 crore TK
7	HEAT REJECT. SYSTEM	175 crore TK
	TOTAL DIRECT COSTS	8925 crore TK

PBMR plant capital cost estimate (continued)

Account No.	Account Description	Cost Estimate
8	CONSTRUCTION SERVICE	777 crore TK
9	HOME OFFICE ENGR. & SERVICE	441 crore TK
10	FIELD OFFICE SUPV. & SERVICE	378 crore TK
11	OWNER’S COST	1029 crore TK
	TOTAL INDIRECT COST	2625 crore TK

PBMR plant capital cost estimate (continued)

Account Description	Cost Estimate
TOTAL BASE CONSTRUCTION COST	11550 crore TK
CONTINGENCY (24%)	2772 chore TK
TOTAL OVERNIGHT COST	14322 crore TK
UNIT CAPITAL COST (TK/KWe)	130200 TK
INTEREST =12.2%	1750 crore TK
TOTAL CAPITAL COST	16100 crore Tk
FIXED CHARGE RATE	9.85%
LEVELIZED CAPITAL COST (crore TK/YEAR)	1585.85 crore TK

Calculation of capital cost for one(1) unit :

Unit capital cost (TK/KWe) = 130200TK

One (1) unit =112.5MW

Capital cost of one(1) unit excluding interest is

= (130200×112.5×1000) crore TK

=1465 crore TK

Interest for one unit capital cost is =((12.2×1465)÷100)

= 179 crore Tk

So, Total capital for 1 unit is = 1644 crore

Busbar cost

Capital	1.75 TK/kWhr
O&M	0 .252 TK/kWhr
Fuel	0.266 TK/kWhr
Decommissioning	0.042 TK/kWhr
Total	2.31 TK/kWhr

Summaries fixed calculation

Type of capital return	Amount of capital	Allowed return	% proportion	Weighted
Debt	6440,0000000	12%	0 .4	4.8%
Manufacturer’s equity	4830,0000000	10%	0.3	3%
Govt. equity	3220,0000000	4%	0.2	0.8%
Common equity	805, 0000000	16%	0.05	0.8%
Preferred equity	805, 0000000	9%	0.05	0.45%

Conclusion

1. Present crisis always demands for a bulk power source for the future.
2. Rooppur site for Bangladesh seems to be feasibly acceptable.
3. Nuclear waste will easily be managed by proper negotiation.
4. The financing strategy should be good.

Submitted by MD. Shahid Ullah and Arif Moinuddin Siddiquee