How Water Intake Determines Nuclear Plant Productivity

Driven by ambitious goals to meet the demand for clean energy, the world is experiencing a nuclear renaissance. Touted as an always-on energy resource, nuclear power is seen as a more reliable energy source when compared to wind and solar. But a nuclear plant’s capacity—its ability to be “always on”—is partially determined by its water intake screens.

Water intakes are essential for cooling condensers in many plants, from retrofits on existing infrastructure to new small modular reactor (SMR) projects currently being developed. Water intake screens ensure that the necessary water supply is debris free and readily available. In the U.S. and elsewhere, they must reliably protect aquatic life and are subject to strict environmental regulations to gain approvals and continue operating. Water screens also face environmental challenges, extreme debris, and weather events that threaten the intake’s ability to keep the plant running at optimal levels. Ultimately, cooling is crucial, and water screening technology is central to a plant’s success.

We spoke with Hydrolox experts in the U.S. and UK to learn how water screens affect nuclear plant regulations, approvals, and availability.

Meeting Regulations, Securing Approvals

Regulations in the US and the UK require the plants must consider installing the best technology available (BTA) in the U.S. and best available technology (BAT) in the UK for protecting fish, eels, shellfish, and other aquatic life.

In the UK

As an alternate to large, gigawatt stations in the UK, the new, upcoming SMRs are increasingly valued for their small footprint, shorter build times, and reduced environmental impact. They can also take advantage of building within existing power stations infrastructure to save costs. However, the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process can be complicated; water intake screening must meet strict guidelines to protect wildlife. The diversity of environments, variety of protected species and life stages, and the number of agencies involved add to the approvals process’s complexity.

At times, planning consent is issued before plans are in compliance with the Water Framework Directive’s requirements for wildlife protections. This misstep can delay projects, add unexpected costs, and increase frustrations. According to Hydrolox Account Manager Karl Bousfield, “EA Fisheries should be a first point of call when considering a site location on a new nuclear project—at the very earliest stage—to determine what fish protections are required at the intake.” As a trusted partner, we provide the BAT in traveling water screens as well as unparalleled support, to assist with the planning consent process. With the industry connections and expertise to stay in step with environmental agencies and fisheries’ requirements, the Hydrolox team helps ensure approvals proceed on time.

While not all SMR designs require water, some SMR designs under consideration and existing plant retrofits must also upgrade their intakes to meet legislation and fish protection requirements. Here, Hydrolox screens provide an advantage due to their modular design. Custom builds are possible, and using existing intake infrastructure provides significant project savings while achieving necessary compliance. Our ability to provide a custom design within the flood plan allowances, and ease of continuous operation maximizes any site’s potential while minimizing future hindrances.

In the U.S.

It is a similar story in the U.S. Section 316(b) of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Act requires water intake screens to run near continuously during operation. It mandates the use of the BTA in water screening to minimize environmental impact and protect wildlife. These requirements place a heavy demand on nuclear power plants, as water intakes are in operation 24/7/365.

Traveling water screens are effective at protecting aquatic life, but traditional solutions like chain-driven screens are simply not designed to meet the demands of constant operation. Chain-driven screens are prone to corrosion and clogging, require frequent maintenance involving heavy chains, and—because they are prone to failure—can be responsible for unplanned downtime.

By designing chainless traveling water screens, we took an innovative approach to solving these problems. Designed for continual operation—with no side chains or submerged serviceable parts—Hydrolox screens are in full compliance with 316(b) regulations. There's almost no unscheduled maintenance or downtime, simplifying the demands of 24/7 operations. Worker safety is improved, as there aren’t any heavy chains to interact with. The minimal maintenance needs allow workers to focus on other parts of the plant, driving overall efficiency and reducing costs.

Hydrolox traveling water screens are…

• Designed to operate 24/7/365 with virtually no maintenance
• Full compliance with all known existing environmental protection regulations
• Proven in the lab and the field to exclude debris and reduce harm to aquatic life

Availability: Always On (Until It’s Not)

Meeting the 24/7 energy demand is all about uptime. A nuclear plant’s availability is directly affected by its water intake equipment’s reliability. Screens must run as operations demand and regulations dictate, withstanding the impacts of harsh environments and extreme weather events.

Large amounts of debris can be break a traditional chain-driven screen. When screens break or other unplanned downtime events occur, the plant may have to derate production. Derates are costly and labor intensive, and in excess, a plant will not deliver its output quota to the grid.

The ability to be “always on” is determined by your equipment’s reliability. That’s why Hydrolox screens are built for long-term durability in the most challenging situations. Unlike traditional screens, Hydrolox screens feature an engineered polymer mesh that rides directly atop a chevron-patterned stainless steel carryway. This innovative design transfers force through the mesh directly to the equipment frame, allowing it to bear the brunt of extreme loads. Unplanned downtime creates a cascade of consequences, and Hydrolox screen technology helps ensure water intake security and reliability in the best—and worst—conditions.

The Hydrolox Effect

The “Hydrolox effect” is peace of mind. It represents confidence in the compliance and reliability of your plant’s water intake screens. It represents long-term savings on labor with low-maintenance technology and instills trust with a lifetime of support through best-in-class customer service.

Water screening technology directly impacts a plant’s ability to meet demand. As the nuclear industry continues to grow, Hydrolox innovations help plants meet regulations and gain approvals. They also exceed expectations for efficiency, durability, and long-term performance. With their advanced, low-maintenance design, Hydrolox screens help ensure optimal productivity for the next generation of nuclear power plants while protecting the natural environment.