( By AQG )
Hyperion Power Module (HPM)
In the midst of what many are calling the dawn of a Nuclear Renaissance, nuclear power has become the center of discussion for many proponents of “green” or “clean” energy.
Currently, 104 nuclear power plants across the nation contribute to around 20% of the United States national electricity generation. This share in production is supplied by the traditional, large nuclear reactors constructed throughout the 60’s, 70’s and into the part of the 1980’s.
The existence of these operating plants has not come without considerable resistance. Opponents of nuclear power have for many years argued the overall safety and reliability of the industry, citing accidents such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl as their source of concern. However, as facts become more evident to the general public and the impeccable safety record of the industry continues forward, more and more people are expressing their support for the industry.
One particular obstacle is that of the not in my back yard (or NIMBY) concept where a group or community that may not necessarily oppose nuclear power, does not warm up to the idea of building such a large facility close by. This article, from the Wall Street Journal, discusses the emerging interest in small reactors that could provide additional versatility or leverage for the industry to appease such groups, while offering a cheaper, and arguably safer alternative for remote locations or areas of less than dense population. Interesting to say the least.
“All of the new start-up reactors are tiny compared to the 104 old ones, each of which was custom designed for and constructed at the site of its utility power plant. Small enough to fit on a large kitchen table, the new reactors can be manufactured at very low cost and shipped by truck to power-plant sites.
These new small reactors meet important criteria for nuclear power plants. With no control rods to jam, they are far safer than the old models — you might well call them nuclear batteries. By not using weapons-grade enriched fuels, they are nonproliferating. They minimize nuclear waste. And they’re economical.
The start-ups estimate that it will cost each of them roughly $100 million and five years to get their small reactor designs certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. About $50 million of each $100 million would go to the commission itself.”
