DOE zeroing in on new cost estimates for BNPP conversion

With the formation of working groups, the Department of Energy (DOE) is now zeroing in on having new cost estimates on the planned repowering of the idled Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

Previous calculations placed it at US$1.0 billion, but nuclear power industry experts have been sounding off this early that such amount would not be enough – and that the eventual rehabilitation plus the overall cost of bringing the nuclear plant back to operation could reach as high as US$2.0 billion.

That may not cover yet the necessary ‘system redundancies’ that had been required as added ‘security features’ in nuclear power facilities following the 2011 Fukushima tragedy.

After last week’s site visit at BNPP which had been considered a prefeasibility study phase, the DOE noted that one of the working groups touching on ‘Result Analysis’ “will determine the construction scope and cost, equipment needed, net revival cost calculation and financial risks and assessments,” on the nuclear facility’s repowering plan.

The energy department initially apprised media on having seven (7) working groups, but was cut down to just six a day after the BNPP inspection activity.

The other groups would delve on: Structure Stability Analysis; Functionality Analysis; Documentation Group; Report Preparation Group; and the Working Group 6.

On analysis of the structure’s stability, the DOE noted that this working group shall focus on “selective visual and instrumental inspection, the estimation of their residual life and service life.”

Additionally, the group will need to draw up “listing of materials for repair and replacement; and the assessment of facilities’ suitability level for operations.”

The group on functionality analysis, on the other, will look into the facets of “instrumentation and control, electrical, mechanical and ventilation equipment, electrical parts, cables and design.”

For the documentation group, it takes charge on “the collection and analysis of existing documents about BNPP, evaluation of compliance with design safety, analysis of safety concept, elaboration of the list of risks and the assessment of design licensability risk.

On report preparation, the group in-charge will need “to come up with the integrated overall schedule of BNPP revival, preliminary assessment on expenses and cost estimates and more importantly, the technical report bearing the preliminary conclusion on the possibility and conditions for the plant’s revival.” (MMV)