NEI SmartBrief: Nuclear Energy Innovation 9/28

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Nuclear Energy Innovation The nuclear energy industry is driven by innovation and development of new technology. In this special report, we take a look at what could be the next big things in nuclear energy and how they are being developed.        Over 230 Attend NuScale Power's "NuEx" — NuScale Exposition NuScale Power hosted over 230 attendees at its NuScale Exposition (also known as NuEx) on August 20 and 21, 2015, in Corvallis, Oregon. A notable list of speakers, including government officials, industry representatives, and non-governmental organizations, emphasized the important environmental and economic benefits of NuScale's baseload, carbon-free SMR technology. Advertisement Adopting New Technology Advertisement Energy Dept. funding to foster growth in advanced reactor technology The Energy Department's recently announced funding opportunity is aimed at encouraging advanced nuclear reactor development. "Advanced reactor concepts move away from using water to cool a reactor core, using inert gas or molten salts/metals instead," said Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Scott Burnell. "This approach holds promise in several areas, including increases [to] a reactor's efficiency in generating electricity, as well as possible opportunities in reducing the amount of radioactive material left over." FierceEnergy (8/5)       Professor: Next-generation nuclear technology will fill important role Nuclear energy has an important role to play in cutting carbon emissions in the US and around the world, said Harvard Business School professor Joe Lassiter. Next-generation nuclear technology could help lead the way, he said: "If you could burn thorium and uranium, and do it with prices competitive with coal, you could deliver US-levels of power consumption to everyone on the planet for a thousand years." Forbes (8/6)       Wash. state shows support for Columbia Generating Station The efforts of Energy Northwest's Columbia Generating Station and small modular reactor developer NuScale Power have made the Pacific Northwest a leader in the "next generation of clean-energy technology," writes Energy Northwest CEO Mark Reddemann. A recent Bisconti Research survey showed that 63% of Washington state residents support nuclear energy, with the majority of respondents saying more nuclear plants should be built. "The support we see for nuclear energy from these recent surveys, both statewide and in our own backyard, tells us we are fulfilling our mission," Reddemann writes. The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) (free content) (9/19)         Upcoming Innovation Molten salt reactors could be produced by 2020s A prototype zero-carbon molten salt reactor could be produced by the early 2020s, according to a research consortium working under the European Commission. The Safety Assessment of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor research program has been "the first step towards large-scale validation and demonstration of the technology," said lead researcher Jan-Leen Kloosterman. "Hopefully the results will also lead to much more commitment from the large nuclear industry." MIT Technology Review online (9/4)       Used nuclear fuel can be resource instead of challenge, innovator says Transatomic Power and UPower are developing reactors that shut down safely when going offline, posing no threat to surrounding areas in the process. The biggest challenges facing the nuclear industry involve public perceptions of safety, said UPower co-founder Jacob DeWitte. "The biggest misperception of nuclear is the safety side: understanding what really happened at the accidents that gave the industry that blemish," he said. TechCrunch (9/22)       Transatomic Power and other startups work to advance nuclear energy tech Transatomic Power's efforts to build a molten salt and used nuclear fuel-powered reactor are among the attempts by startups to reinvigorate nuclear energy. Other companies, such as Tri Alpha Energy, focus on nuclear fusion advancements that would provide an alternative to the process of nuclear fission. NuScale Power's small modular reactors and the traveling wave nuclear reactor being designed by TerraPower are other examples of new technology coming from nuclear startups. With 55 such companies nationwide, it's a period of innovation for nuclear power, according to Transatomic Power founders Leslie Dewan and Mark Massie. Fortune (7/6)         NuScale Power Participates In White House Clean Energy Investment Summit Responding to the President's call to action to expand private sector investment in solutions to climate change, NuScale Power CEO John Hopkins participated in the White House Clean Energy Investment Summit at the White House South Court Auditorium in Washington, D.C. The White House Clean Energy Summit serves as a forum for thought leaders to share ideas and insights on scaling private sector investment in solutions to climate change. Advertisement New Technology Around the World Nuclear energy among topics for Xi on US trip Nuclear energy and other clean technology have been a big part of a visit to the US by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The University of Washington signed a pact with Tsinghua University for clean technology cooperation. Meanwhile, TerraPower signed a deal with China National Nuclear for collaboration on nuclear energy technology. "These are the largest economies in the world, and we're the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, so improving cooperation and collaboration is really a necessity," said Brian Young, director of economic development for the clean technology sector in Washington state. The Associated Press (9/22)       UK companies develop technology to reduce waste volume Costain and Tetronics International have completed trials of new technology that they say could reduce the volume of intermediate-level nuclear waste and radioactive equipment by up to 90%. The vitrification process utilizes Tetronics' plasma furnace, which runs at between 1,832 degrees and 2,552 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1,000 degrees and 1,400 degrees Celsius, to reduce radioactive materials to a substance similar to glass within six to 12 hours. World Nuclear News (8/14)         NuScale Power Launches NuScale Diverse Energy Platform (NuDEP) NuScale Power recently launched the NuScale Diverse Energy Platform (NuDEP), which highlights its small modular reactor technology as the nuclear "plug-n-play" solution for providing reliable power to diverse applications. "A NuScale multi-module plant provides a unique energy platform suitable for integration with diverse applications," said Dr. Jose Reyes, Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer of NuScale Power, "because of its very high level of safety and its unique ability to tailor its electric and steam power outputs." Advertisement