Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
The government of the U.K. has plans to expand its nuclear energy capacity up to twenty-four gigawatt by 2050. However, fourteen of the U.K.’s fifteen operating reactors are scheduled to be permanently shut down by 2030. The government plans to bring new nuclear power reactors online by 2025. This is intended to offset the decommissioning of the existing reactors. The U.K. government officially launched Great British Nuclear and declared their intention to establish a competition to select the best SMR design from a series of companies working on their design and development.
James Walker is the Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear Energy. He said, “We are honored to join the Nuclear Institute, an esteemed advocate for the nuclear sciences. There is a growing momentum in the industry on both sides of the Atlantic and this affiliation grants us access to an extensive network of respected professionals, providing opportunities for crucial collaborations, partnerships, and additional growth avenues abroad.”
Sarah Beacock is the CEO of the Nuclear Institute. She said, “We are delighted to welcome NANO Nuclear Energy as a Corporate Affiliate of the Nuclear Institute. The growth of the nuclear sector in the U.K. will attract a wide range of forward-thinking companies from around the world of which NANO Nuclear is a valued contributor to the SMR revolution. We look forward to working with them as they establish themselves here and to supporting their staff development needs in the U.K.”
The Nuclear Institute is a critical part of the U.K. efforts to achieve a U.K. clear energy mix. This makes it essential that the nuclear industry has the right standards and people to support future growth and success. The Nuclear Institute represents over three thousand five hundred professionals at all levels across the U.K. nuclear industry, from new build and operations to decommissioning. The Nuclear Institute maintains the Nuclear Delta which is the independently defined standard used to measure nuclear professionalism. As a licensed member of the Engineering Council, the Nuclear Institute is highly committed to upholding the highest standards of operation for engineers. The Nuclear Institute’s U.K. network also provides a place for the nuclear community to interact through its event program, branch network, special interest groups and its many volunteer-led activities.
NANO Nuclear is an emerging, early-state microreactor technology company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, vertically integrated technology-driven nuclear energy firm. NANO Nuclear is developing smaller, cheaper, and safer advanced portable carbon-energy solution utilizing proprietary novel reactor designs. NANO Nuclear’s products in technical development are “ZEUS” and “ODIN. ZEUS is a solid core battery nuclear reactor. ODIN is a low-pressure coolant nuclear reactor. Each of these reactors represents advanced developments in portable, on-demand capable advanced nuclear microreactors. HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. is a NANO Nuclear subsidiary. It is focused on the development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry and to provide fuel to power NANO Nuclear’s microreactors.
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Nuclear Reactors 1319 – NANO Nuclear Energy Joins The U.K. Nuclear Institute – Part 2 of 2 Parts
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Nuclear News Roundup December 07, 2023
Iran Says Reviving Nuclear Deal ‘Useless’ voanews.com
US nuclear regulators to issue construction permit for a reactor that uses molten salt bgdailynews.com
IAEA Introduces Nuclear Nutrition Master’s Program in Africa miragenews.com
Inside the US Army’s failed nuclear ice lair in Cold War Greenland news.yahoo.com
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Geiger Readings for December 07, 2023
Ambient office = 87 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 91 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 96 nanosieverts per hour
Avocado from Central Market = 73 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 114 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 102 nanosieverts per hour
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Nuclear Reactors 1318 – NANO Nuclear Energy Joins The U.K. Nuclear Institute – Part 1 of 2 Parts
Part 1 of 2 Parts
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. is an emerging microreactor and advanced nuclear technology company led by a world-class nuclear engineering team. They are developing proprietary, portable and clean nuclear energy solutions for the United Kingdom and global market. NANO Nuclear recently announced that it has become a Corporate Affiliate and member of the Nuclear Institute. The Nuclear Institute is a professional membership body dedicated to the nuclear industry in the U.K.
NANO Nuclear continues to expand its connections withing the global nuclear energy industry. These connections have and are expected to continue to support NANO Nuclear technical and business development activities.
Several key figures of NANO Nuclear’s management and technical team will attend the Nuclear Institute and the Nuclear Industry Association Annual Dinner. The attending members include Founder and Executive Chairman Jay Jiang Yu, Lead of Nuclear Reactor Engineering Eugene Shwageraus, Ph.D., and Lead of Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Radiation and Materials Ian Farnan, Ph.D.
The Annual Dinner is the premier event for the nuclear industry in the U.K. It will bring together key players from across the nuclear industry in the U.K., from academia, government, legal, commerce, and across the sector. The dinner is co-hosted by the Nuclear Institute and the Nuclear Industry Association and will be held in the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, England on December 7th, 2023.
Jay Jiang Yu is a Founder, and the Executive Chairman of NANO Nuclear. He said, “Our company is dedicated to bringing portable, nuclear microreactors to the marketplace within a decade both in the U.S. and ultimately worldwide. The timing of our joining the prestigious Nuclear Institute in the U.K. is perfect as we learn of breaking news from the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP 28) that more than 20 countries from four continents (including the United Kingdom) launched the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy by 2050. The United Kingdom, with its rich history in nuclear energy, is also looking to the future and is actively upgrading its nuclear infrastructure with advanced technologies. Our association with the Nuclear Institute presents an invaluable opportunity to leverage these synergies to gain insights and expertise from a nation that is also a leader in nuclear energy innovation.”
Dr. Ian Farnan is the Lead of Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Radiation and Materials of NANO Nuclear. He said, “The Nuclear Institute is a well-recognized entity within our industry. The organization has made significant contributions to maintain the United Kingdom’s leading position in nuclear technology. We are delighted to become an official member and to participate in the upcoming Annual Dinner.”
The Nuclear Institute’s U.K. network provides a place for the nuclear industry community through events, its branch network, special interest groups and many volunteer-led activity. The Nuclear Institute represents over three thousand five hundred professionals at all levels across the U.K. nuclear industry, from new builds and operations to decommissioning. It also maintains the Nuclear Delta which is the independently defined standard for nuclear professionalism.
Please read Part 2 next -
Nuclear News Roundup December 06, 2023
Hyundai, KAERI team up for export of SMART SMR world-nuclear-news.org
Nuclear included in NZIA by European Council world-nuclear-news.org
Japan wants to cut carbon. But one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents is making it harder news.yahoo.com
New Brunswick leans heavily on nuclear in its 12-year clean energy plan theglobeandmail.com
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Geiger Readings for December 06, 2023
Ambient office = 106 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 95 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 95 nanosieverts per hour
Tomato from Central Market = 72 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 87 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 87 nanosieverts per hour
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Nuclear Reactors 1317 – Top Five Small Modular Reactor Companies – Part 2 of 2 Parts
Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
This is a continuation of a list of the top five companies currently working small modular reactors (SMRs).
TerraPower
Nuclear innovation company TerraPower was started in 2008 by Bill Gates and other private sector lenders. The company is now recognized as an international leader in the SMR space. It has secured eighty million dollars in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to support the design and development of its next-generation Natirum nuclear reactor. In 2021, TerraPower selected Kemmerer, Wyoming as its preferred site for the construction of its advanced nuclear reactor demonstration plant. The Natrium reactor is one of just two competitively selected advanced reactor demonstration projects (ARDP) by the DoE.
Westinghouse Electric Company
Westinghouse Electric Company moved to the forefront of the nuclear technology industry with its transportable eVinciTM micro reactor. The eVinci is more of a nuclear battery than a traditional nuclear reactor. The high-temperature heat pipe reactor can generate five megawatts of electricity and as much as thirteen megawatts of heat from its fifteen-megawatt solid thermal core. The mobile nuclear power plant draws its power from its advanced heat pipe technology and unique core design. The self-regulating heat pipes allow passive heat transfer. This permits autonomous operation and inherent load following. The reactor core is designed to operate for eight or more years in full power mode prior to refueling.
The eVinci micro reactor can be factory built, fueled, and assembled. A plug-and-play interface allows for the eVinci to be installed onsite in less than thirty days. eVinci can operate on or off the electrical grid in all weather conditions and temperatures. The deployable electricity and heat generator is ideal for industrial applications and district heating.
BWXT Advanced Technologies
SMR developer BWXT Technologies will construct the first advanced microreactor in the U.S. The nuclear solutions company was selected by the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Strategic Capabilities Office to manufacture full-scale mobile reactor prototypes. These prototypes are to be delivered for testing to the Idaho National Laboratory in 2024. The microreactor will be constructed under a three hundred million dollar valued cost-type contract. This was reported by a company press release issued last summer.
Joe Miller is the President of BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC. He said, “We are on a mission to design, build and test new nuclear technology to protect the environment while providing power, and we are thrilled with this competitively bid award after years of hard work by our design and engineering team. The entire nuclear industry recognizes that advanced reactors are an important step forward to support growing power needs and significant carbon reduction imperatives.”
Kairos Power
SMR maker Kairos Power is counting on high-temperature molten salt reactors to provide competitive, reliable, and responsible nuclear energy. The company presents its fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor (KP-FHR) as an affordable and long-term alternative to conventional sources of energy such as natural gas. Natural gas is the U.S.’s primary fuel of choice. This information was provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The KP-FHR is a novel SMR technology with a near-zero carbon footprint and minimal water consumption. It features an accident-resistant design and dispatchable reactor. As U.S. natural gas use declines in the next decade, Kairo is poised to meet increasing electricity demand with its innovative high-purity fluoride salt-cooled technology. The company intends to complete an initial demonstration of its advanced nuclear reactor design by no later than 2030. This information was provided by Mike Laufer, who is the co-founder and CEO of Kairos.
SMRs offer governments across the globe the chance to reduce emissions and provide reliable power to consumers. Thanks to innovators like those listed above, SMRs are quickly getting ready to be deployed at a global scale. -
Nuclear News Roundup December 05, 2023
Putin views Russia’s new nuclear submarines, says more being rolled out aljazeera.com
Decommissioning of Grohnde set to begin world-nuclear-news.org
ENEC, NPPA to explore cooperation opportunities world-nuclear-news.org
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Geiger Readings for October December 05, 2023
Ambient office = 80 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 79 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 74 nanosieverts per hour
Red bell pepper from Central Market = 90 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 73 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 66 nanosieverts per hour
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Nuclear Reactors 1316 – Top Five Small Modular Reactor Companies – Part 1 of 2 Parts
Part 1 of 2 Parts
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are disrupting conventional ideas about nuclear power. They are small, compact, and produce minimal emissions. This innovative alternative to conventional nuclear power reactors is receiving more public and private sector attention as governments across the globe work to meet global energy demands reliably and responsibly. According to a report released last year by Valuates, a market research firm, the global market for SMRs is expected to rise by sixteen percent year-over-year to hit nineteen billion by 2030.
SMR Pros
SMRs are advertised as being cheaper, smaller, and safer than conventional nuclear power reactors. They are to be manufactured in factories where economies of scale and improved quality control can be applied. They are modular in design and can be delivered to the operational site and installed quickly.
SMR Cons
SMRs can potentially produce more and hotter radioactivity in waste products.
Economic analysts question whether it will be cheaper to gang multiple SMRs together versus building a conventional gigawatt plus conventional nuclear power reactor. Some estimates suggest that it may cost more to create a multi-reactor SMR power plant that will produce as much electricity as a conventional reactor.
It may be possible to apply economies of scale to build SMRs in a factory. However, if quality control slips, then multiple sub-standard SMRs may be built and shipped to multiple sites before the problem is discovered forcing the decommissioning of multiple SMRs.
While the SMR market is filled with many innovative companies, here is a list of five leading SMR companies.
NuScale
This advanced nuclear reactor company went public in 2022. It is leading a number of large-scale projects across Central and Eastern Europe. NuScale is particularly active in Poland where it will construct its flagship VOYGR SMR power plant which will generate up to nine hundred and twenty-four megawatts of electricity as early as 2029. Although it is a newcomer to the nuclear technology market, Poland chose the Portland, Oregon-based NuScale to develop and build Poland’s first SMR. The historic agreement follows an ambitious multi-nation decarbonization plan signed in Glasgow, Scotland, last November by twenty-eight new members of the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA). The eastern European nation generated about seventy percent of its electricity by burning coal in 2020, according to a report issued by Forum Energii in 2021.
A NuScale project in the U.S. had to be cancelled because the cost of the project rose from three billion to nine billion dollars in just four years. In addition, NuScale was accused of misrepresenting information about the project to investors. It announced a big project with Standard Power to construct a NuScale power plant with multiple NuScale reactors to provide power for two data centers. Iceberg Research reported that an analysis of power needs for the Standard Power data center indicated that the proposed NuScale plant would produce far more electricity than the project required. Iceberg Research also reported that Standard Power did not have sufficient funding to pay for the proposed NuScale power plant.
Please read Part 2 next