| Nuclear Energy Innovation |
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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.
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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. |
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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)
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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)
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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. |
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| New Technology Around the World |
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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)
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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." |
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