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| Tue, 19th May 2020 13:49:00 |
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America Just Made a Huge Investment in Next-Gen Nuclear Power |
The Department of Energy (DoE) has started a new Office of Nuclear Energy project called the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). The $230 million program will give $160 million to scientists working on two reactor designs that "can be operational" in the very near future.
The "Advanced" part of ARDP is an industry term for the generation of reactors we have today. The World Nuclear Association explains:
"Generation I reactors were developed in 1950-60s. Generation II reactors are typified by the present US and French fleets and most in operation elsewhere. So-called Generation III (and III+) are the advanced reactors, though the distinction from Generation II is arbitrary. The first ones are in operation in Japan and others are under construction in several countries."
Generation IV—the super advanced reactors?—are in the research phase, but the ARDP statements mention development into the mid 2030s and likely includes generation IV.
So the technical difference may be arbitrary, but the advanced reactors are often safer, smaller in overall form factor, and more standardized in order to be easier to install and scale. Most existing power plants are idiosyncratic, built on a case-by-case basis to suit individual communities or use cases. A more uniform process means plants that are easier to secure, support, and regulate.
"Advanced nuclear energy systems hold enormous potential to lower emissions, create new jobs, and build a strong economy," Rita Baranwal, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy, said in a DoE statement.
One of the first projects may sound familiar: "NuScale Power LLC is expected to receive the first small modular reactor design certification from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission later this year," the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) reports. NuScale's tiny modular reactor is designed to be deployed for small communities with lower power needs.
Read original full article
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