Why is the nuclear energy sector getting into the manufacturing of microreactors?

ADVERTISEMENT

Nuclear power has continued to advance significantly in recent years. In the past year alone, significant progress has been made toward meeting U.S. nuclear deployment goals, legacy reactors have been restarted, and several new reactors have been deployed.

This development has been driven by new climate targets, with several countries now seeking better renewable energy sources to meet their ecological goals.

Although the development of nuclear power in Europe has been a little slower than in the United States, a number of EU countries, such as Romania, France and Bulgaria, have still increased their efforts to buy nuclear projects and increase investments.

Nuclear reactors are used in various industries such as oil production, power generation, manufacturing, and desalination. They are also used in research facilities, nuclear power plants and for the propulsion of ships such as icebreakers and submarines.

Many smaller consumer goods, such as clocks and watches, smoke detectors, and non-stick materials, also use small amounts of radioactive materials.

In recent years, many nuclear power companies have attempted to downsize reactors so they can increase carbon-free energy production and help industries reduce their reliance on electric batteries .

These smaller reactors are expected to be about the size of a shipping container and essentially function like small batteries.

Why are nuclear companies focusing on microreactors today?

THE microreactors have the capacity to provide clean energywhile being a lot more reliable than traditional generators, because they do not need to be replenished for years. They are also considered saferthanks to passive safety devices which considerably reduce the risk of radioactive releases.

They are also a lot cheaper than large power plants, while being modular, since they are built in the factory and then installed in modules where they are needed. Microreactors can also be used for various purposes and in various sectors, such as water desalination, district heating, military bases, etc.

They do not require on-site personnel or control rooms to operate or maintain them, enabling more autonomous operations across all sectors, while reducing labor costs.

One of the main reasons why companies in the nuclear energy sector are currently turning to microreactors is to replace traditional generators that use fossil fuels such as gas and diesel, with the aim of contributing to the efforts of decarbonization at the global level.

Currently, these types of gas and diesel generators are used in a number of industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, construction, education, transportation and defense, among others. They are also used for specific functions such as offshore oil and gas drilling platforms, as well as data centers.

Thus, the transition to nuclear microreactors can greatly help these industries to reduceat least in part, their carbon emissions and ecological footprint.

Microreactors are also gaining popularity as their use in the mining industry becomes more pronounced. Currently, the majority of mines use diesel as the primary source of energy for excavation, which can be costly and very polluting. However, microreactors can solve both problems, thanks to their clean energy supply and long lifespan.

One of the major companies driving the microreactor revolution is Westinghouse Nuclear, which is working to develop the eVinci microreactor. This should produce around 5 megawatts of electricity for more than eight years, without the need to recharge it.

ADVERTISEMENT

It will aim to provide safe, carbon-free and scalable energy to a number of applications such as universities, remote communities, data centers, industrial hubs and defense operations. It will also have the capacity to produce hydrogen.

Jon Ball, head of Westinghouse Nuclear’s eVinci microreactor program, said: “Initially the idea was that there are parts of the economy that are very difficult to decarbonize, particularly isolated communities that rely on transportable diesel, which is very expensive But interest has really grown and we think it will be a significant growth area,” as reported by the Financial Times.

Nuclear energy still faces obstacles before becoming widespread

Although nuclear power has made impressive progress toward meeting global climate goals, it still faces challenges. a considerable number of negative reactions.

One of the main problems is the production of radioactive waste and their inadequate disposal in many cases. This has led to increased fears of risks to human health and the environment in the coming years, should these wastes contaminate essential resources such as water bodies and soils.

ADVERTISEMENT

The risk of nuclear disasters such as the Chernobyl disaster and the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident Daiichi is also behind much of the opposition to new and existing nuclear projects.

Another major concern is the risk of proliferation of nuclear weaponswhich can exacerbate current geopolitical tensions. Other risks concern uranium miners, who face a increased rates of lung cancer.

However, one of the biggest brakes on nuclear power so far, which is also expected to impact microreactor production, is the cost of building nuclear reactorswhich can often amount to billions of dollars.

Although microreactors cost much less than traditional nuclear reactors, they still require a significant investment, while not yet having a very developed market. It is therefore much more difficult to find investors, especially in the current uncertain economic situation.

ADVERTISEMENT