Uncle Sam greenlights first commercial nuclear small modular reactor

[tangor]

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has finalized rules allowing construction of nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) – the first time a design has been certified for commercialization.

The reactor design certified by the NRC comes from NuScale, which produces modular light-water reactors capable of producing 50MW of power alone, and which can be chained together in groups of four, six or 12.

[theregister.com...]

When your budding datacenter is running short on electricity, install one of these 50Mw beauties! Even Greens think these are a good idea, as long as no fossil fuel is involved!

Aside: Seems like reality is catching up to 1950s science fiction.

Modular reactors. Small footprint, environmentally safe, and reduction on carbon emissions.

[motorhaven]

I remember when Bill Gates talked about investing in them as a greener alternative. Its good to see this come to fruition.

[martinibuster]

They're suggesting it as a stop-gap measure, not a way forward.

In the short term it may be better than coal. The article does not say how much water it uses. Where are they getting that water? Is there enough water? None of that is addressed in the article.

It's supposed to be a bridge until renewable energy facilities are built. Seems like the pace of that can move along faster.

I hope they do their research on where they're building it in terms of weather events and that they secure the waste because the article says it generates 35 times more waste and it is more volatile, "making handling it a much greater risk."

In 2014, the oil industry said that the Keystone pipeline was safe [gray.com] because of new shutoff valves and safety features, while also acknowledging there was still a chance of an oil spill.

Then last year an oil spill of 588,000 gallons of oil happened, into a creek that feeds the aquifer that the oil company said was safe from oil spills (in the above link).

[npr.org...]

Fool you once, shame on you, right? Fool us around the world six to ten times per year every year for decades?.

[tangor]

Advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are a key part of the Department’s goal to develop safe, clean, and affordable nuclear power options. The advanced SMRs currently under development in the United States represent a variety of sizes, technology options, capabilities, and deployment scenarios. These advanced reactors, envisioned to vary in size from tens of megawatts up to hundreds of megawatts, can be used for power generation, process heat, desalination, or other industrial uses. SMR designs may employ light water as a coolant or other non-light water coolants such as a gas, liquid metal, or molten salt.

Advanced SMRs offer many advantages, such as relatively small physical footprints, reduced capital investment, ability to be sited in locations not possible for larger nuclear plants, and provisions for incremental power additions. SMRs also offer distinct safeguards, security and nonproliferation advantages.

The Department has long recognized the transformational value that advanced SMRs can provide to the nation’s economic, energy security, and environmental outlook. Accordingly, the Department has provided substantial support to the development of light water-cooled SMRs, which are under licensing review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and will likely be deployed in the late 2020s to early 2030s. The Department is also interested in the development of SMRs that use nontraditional coolants such as liquid metals, salts, and gases for the potential safety, operational, and economic benefits they offer.

[energy.gov...]

From a government site, less amounts of water, and/or alternate methods of cooling with materials other than water. The "35 times" waste is worst case with other estimates far lower.

Since these can be pre-fab and installed modularly in terrain that can't be used by full large capacity (traditional) reactors, there seems a reasonable value and potential benefit for creating local grids where electricity is not currently available.

This is not a wait and see kind of thing, there are SMR already in use for testing purposes and the safety issues seem well-defined.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

They're suggesting it as a stop-gap measure, not a way forward.

In the short term it may be better than coal. The article does not say how much water it uses. Where are they getting that water? Is there enough water? None of that is addressed in the article. martinibuster

I don't think it's a stop-gap measure, the US is currently moving towards total electric dependence, and other things are happening THIS WEEK that illustrate it's an all in move.

#1 - The Minnesota's legislature TODAY banned all oil gas AND coal (use or production) within 17 years. Electricity prices will skyrocket, power supply likely not enough. People may freeze to death. They only took 7 hours to deliberate their own legislation.

#2 - Biden THIS WEEK imposed a 20-year iron mining ban on 225,000 acres of northern Minnesota. Simultaneously, he signed contracts with China and Africa to supply the metals Minnesota no longer will. Stated reason - to protect the watershed. Actual effect - mini nuclear reactors are suddenly needed. [msn.com...]

The jobs and economic impact to Minnesota is going to be extreme, and I'm not sure how MOVING mining pollution to China and Africa reduces pollution at all, but it does increase the risk of child and slave labor. It also takes American pollution and moves it to those countries where the regulations are nowhere near as stringent (ie: more pollution)

Minnesota was just gutted in a VERY all-in manner. 7 other states are likely to follow, many others are in various stages of debate. If you eliminate the power generated by gas, oil and coal plants, nuke stations are the only possible source to satisfy the need.

MANY of these mini nuke stations are going to be needed as each new legislation towards total electric increases the amount needed. Total electric is the end game.

"Create a crisis to deliver the desired solution"

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Nuclear power has an image problem

I'd say it has a bit more than that. It creates less carbon, sure, but is radiation from waste and possible fallout better? Lol.... we can manage carbon output, but radiation? Not so much.

[weforum.org...]