Building a more efficient nuclear fission reactor
Current nuclear plants are very inefficient, and burn only a fraction of the available fuel. The startup corporation Terrapower , funded in part by Bill Gates has an innovative plan for a reactor that can burn depleted uranium. Depleted uranium is currently a dangerous waste product produced by conventional lightwater reactors. Enough uranium-238 exists in depleted uranium, uranium deposits, and seawater to meet the earth's energy requirements for centuries. In an interview with Sander Olson (For Nextbigfuture), Terrapower nuclear Engineer Robert Petroski describes how reactors using depleted uranium could potentially play a major role in ameliorating the world's energy problems.
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