|
|
|
|
|
Mexico
|
|
Number of nuclear units connected to the grid |
Nuclear electricity generation (net TWh) |
Nuclear percentage
of total electricity supply |
|
| Mexico |
2 |
10.4 |
4.4 |
| OECD America |
126 |
905.0 |
18.1 |
|
OECD TOTAL |
346 (out of 439 worldwide) |
2172.5 |
21.6 |
Mexico is a self sufficient, net exporter of energy. However, it is highly dependent on hydrocarbons and almost all the exported energy is in the form of crude oil. Approximately 90% of all the energy used in Mexico comes from oil and gas and only approximately 5% comes from hydro sources. In order to alleviate this situation, Mexico has recently incorporated other forms of energy, such as: geothermal; coal and (from 1990 onwards) nuclear energy.
There is only one nuclear plant in operation in Mexico, with two BWR reactors of 654 MW(e) each (see Table 1). The National Energy Plan issued in 1990 is currently still valid. It will however probably be revised in the near future.
Laguna Verde Unit 1 went into commercial operation in 1990, and its performance has been good since commencement. Unit 2 went into commercial operation in April 1995. With the two units in operation, nuclear energy is expected to account between 5-6% of the total electricity production.
Table 1. Status of Nuclear Power Plants
|
Station |
Type |
Capacity |
Operator |
Status |
Reactor Supplier |
Construction Date | Criticality Date | Grid Date | Comercial Date | Shutdown Date |
|
LAGUNA VERDE-1 |
BWR |
680 |
CFE |
Operational |
GE |
01-Oct-76 |
08-Nov-88 |
13-Apr-89 |
29-Jul-90 |
|
|
LAGUNA VERDE-2 |
BWR |
680 |
CFE |
Operational |
GE |
01-Jun-77 |
06-Sep-94 |
11-Nov-94 |
10-Apr-95 |
There are no nuclear power plant suppliers active in Mexcio. The main components of the Laguna Verde plant were acquired abroad. Initially, the main architect engineer for Unit 1 was the Electric Bond and Share Company (EBASCO), however subsequently, and especially for Unit 2, Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) acted as architect engineer with the advice from EBASCO and General Electric (GE).
The Laguna Verde plant is owned by the CFE, the operation and maintenance is completed by CFE personnel. In the past, operator training was done at several similar installations in Spain and the United States. Nowadays however, the training is mainly done locally, using a simulator which has been installed on the plant's premises.
Mexico does not produce uranium due to the low cost of uranium currently available on the world market. For the next several years, the required uranium for reloads of Laguna Verde reactor, will be obtained from the world market, as there are no plans for producing uranium locally. Some 2 000 tons of uranium reserves have been identified in Mexico, but they are too expensive to exploit at current world market prices.
Uranium is bought either as hexafluoride or as concentrate that is converted to hexafluoride by Comurhex in France through a long-term contract. Enrichment is provided by the United States' Department of Energy, also through a long-term contract. Fuel fabrication is currently done in the United States by GE. Four assemblies supplied by Siemens are being tested in the fourth cycle of Unit 1 of Laguna Verde and there are plans to test four assemblies supplied by ASEA-BROWN BOVERI (ABB-ATOM) in the near future also.
A fuel fabrication pilot plant is almost ready to start operation at the National Nuclear Research Institute using technology provided by GE. This pilot plant could produce up to 20 fuel assemblies per year for the Laguna Verde reactors, however after some experience is gained with the operation of the plant and the fuel produced, the plant will probably be shut down since it is not economical to fabricate nuclear fuel on this scale.
As for spent nuclear fuel, the current plan is to store it in the reactors' pools, which have been re-racked to increase the original capacity in order to accommodate the spent fuel that the reactors will produce during their expected operating life. This plan will allow Mexico the time to take a more definite decision depending on: future developments in uranium availability and price; expansion of the Mexican nuclear power capacity; and new technologies.
A repository exists in Mexico for all the low- and intermediate-level waste produced in both medical and industrial facilities. This repository will be closed in the near future to avoid social problems due to population growth in the vicinity of the facility.
For the Laguna Verde Plant, the high-level waste is being stored at the plant. As for the low- and intermediate-level waste produced by the plant, detailed site studies are now under way at the plant site in order to determine the engineering design basis for a "triple barrier" repository using the French approach. The repository is planned to have the capacity for the waste generated during the operating life of at least four nuclear reactor units, and could also include the waste generated by the medical and industrial facilities in the country.
For additional information on the Mexican radioactive waste management programme please see the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's Radioactive Waste Management Programmes in OECD/NEA Member Countries.
The main research centres are the National Institute of Nuclear Research (ININ) and the Electric Research Institute (IIE).
Research and development activities carried out jointly with other countries, include the following:
The National Commission for Nuclear Energy (CNEN) was established in 1956 to pave the way for the introduction of nuclear power and nuclear applications in Mexico. CNEN encompassed all the nuclear activities in the country (exploration for uranium, nuclear research and regulation), except for the generation of electricity by nuclear means (which was the sole responsibility of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE)) and radioisotope utilisation. Eventually the CNEN was transformed into the National Institute on Nuclear Energy (INEN), which redefined its attributes, resulting in very few changes.
In 1979, INEN was replaced by three organisations: The National Institute of Nuclear Research (ININ) in charge of all the aspects related to research, Mexican Uranium (URAMEX) in charge of uranium exploration and production and eventually, the National Commission on Nuclear Safety and Safeguards (CNSNS) in charge of nuclear regulation and safeguards. In 1985, URAMEX was diccolved and all its functions were passed to the Ministry of Energy.
The interest of Mexico in nuclear power dates back to the early 1960s. The first concrete steps were taken in 1966, when a preliminary investigation of potential sites for nuclear power stations was carried out under the auspices of the CFE and the National Commission for Nuclear Energy. At the end of the 1960s, the government concluded that nuclear power plants might be able to play a major role in Mexico. In early 1969, the CFE decided to invite bids for a 600 MW(e) nuclear power plant of a proven type, and invitations to tender were sent to several manufacturers. The bids were received at the beginning of 1970, and the final decision, with up-to-date bids, was taken in the middle of 1972. In 1976, the construction of the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant (LVNPP) was initiated, comprising two reactors of 654 MW(e) net each. The first unit went into commercial operation in 1990 and the second in April 1995.
For additional information on national laws and regulations concerning nuclear power please see the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's Analytical Study of Nuclear Legislation in OECD countries.
Licensing consists of two steps, the first one concludes with the granting of the construction permit and the second step with the license for commercial operation. The process starts with the application to build a nuclear power plant, by the utility (up until now there has only been a nationally owned company called the Federal Electricity Commission), presenting to the National Regulatory Body (National Commission on Nuclear Safety and Safeguards) the application itself and the preliminary studies of:
If these documents satisfy the CNSNS, the utility is required to present technical information on the nuclear power plant to be built. This information includes the construction procedures and fundamental safety systems to cope with operational transitions and postulated accidents. This information is evaluated by the CNSNS's technical personnel and a set of questions is transmitted to the utility, before the pouring of any concrete at the site. During the Laguna Verde experience, three provisional construction permits were granted to the CFE before the so-called "Definitive Construction Permit" was issued. This limited work authorisation has been eliminated in the procedure for future nuclear power plants.
During the construction itself, the regulatory body inspects the construction of the nuclear power plant and has the legal authority to stop the work if the agreed standards are not being fulfilled. After the evaluation of the documentation, the regulatory body can issue the "Technical Basis" to grant the construction permit, addressed by the Ministry of Energy, this being the authority under nuclear law to grant a permit.
The technical basis to grant the operation license, is assumed by the Ministry of Energy, because according the nuclear law, this is the authority who has the power to grant this kind of document.
The essential legal texts regulating nuclear power in the country are:
Nuclear power stations are a proven alternative in Mexico, as demonstrated by the high availability, reliability and safety indicators at Laguna Verde. Nuclear power is also a realistic option that complies with environmental requirements that are anticipated to be stricter in the future. However, there are currently no future plans to develop new nuclear facilities in the short term due to the high initial investments required, which at the current time is not competitive with natural gas based power plants.
The Ministry of Energy is responsible for nuclear fuel cycle policy and operations, and can by law delegate some of these responsibilities to public entities such as the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and the National Nuclear Research Institute (ININ). As such, the CFE has been authorised by the Ministry of Energy to negotiate uranium stock purchases, uranium enrichment and fuel fabrication contracts.
An interim waste repository managed by ININ collects all low-and intermediate-level radioactive waste produced by medical, industrial and other radioisotope applications. This repository will be replaced by a permanent one in the future. Another interim low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste repository is operated by the Laguna Verde plant to handle wastes coming from the station.
Spent nuclear fuel from the Laguna Verde Plant is being stored in the reactor's pools, which have been re-racked to increase the original capacity in order to accommodate all the spent fuel that the reactors will produce during their expected lifetime. This solution gives CFE the time needed to study all possibilities before adopting a definitive solution, depending on future developments regarding the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste.
Appendix 1 - International, Multilateral and Bilateral Agreements
Nuclear facts and figures for OECD countries
Number of nuclear units connected to the grid; Nuclear electricity generation (net TWh); Nuclear percentage of total electricity supply.
IEA energy statistics: Mexico
Data available in the following areas: Coal, oil and gas use; Electricity production, supply and consumption; Heat production, supply and consumption; Graphs of sectorial final consumption by source in 1973 and 2001.
Nuclear Legislation in OECD Countries: Mexico
Regulatory and Institutional Framework for Nuclear Activities
Each country profile in this valuable reference work provides a detailed review of a full range of nuclear law topics. These include: the general regulatory regime, including mining; radioactive substances and equipment; nuclear installations; trade in nuclear materials; radiation protection; radioactive waste management; non-proliferation and physical protection; transport; and nuclear third party liability.
Nuclear Energy Data
Nuclear Energy Data is the NEA’s annual compilation of essential statistics on electricity generation and nuclear power in OECD countries. The reader will have quick and easy reference to the status of and projected trends in total electricity generating capacity, nuclear generating capacity, and actual electricity production, as well as to supply and demand for nuclear fuel cycle services.
This is an edited extract from the IAEA Country Nuclear Power Profiles. The complete entry is available from the IAEA.
Last updated: 20 June 2007
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