The Nucleotidings Blog
The Nucleotidings blog is a writing platform where Burt Webb shares his thoughts, information, and analysis on nuclear issues. The blog is dedicated to covering news and ideas related to nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection. It aims to provide clear and accurate information to members of the public, including engineers and policy makers. Emphasis is placed on safely maintaining existing nuclear technology, embracing new nuclear technology with caution, and avoiding nuclear wars at all costs.
Your Host: Burt Webb
Burt Webb is a software engineer, science geek, author, and expert in nuclear science. Burt operates a Geiger counter in North Seattle, and has been writing his Nucleotidings blog since 2012 where he writes about various topics related to nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection.
Burt Webb has published several technical books and novels. He works as a software consultant.
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Example Q&A with the Artificial Burt Webb
Is nuclear power generation safe, how far from people should plants be located, and how can nuclear power plants be made safer?
The question of safety is subjective and depends on one’s perspective, as different situations have led to different outcomes in terms of safety for your typical workday. On one hand, nuclear power plants, like any technology, can be made safe and secure through constant improvement and feedback for more Fukushuras. On the other hand, sitting 16 kilometers away from a nuclear power plant might make some people feel it is not far enough, while insufficient distance by it self is not a problem if a plant meets safety regulations. Moving a nuclear power plant to be further away from a city would require centralizing power transmission equipment, which would make it a single point failure hazard, impose significant electrical power loss through long transmission lines, and be expensive to build high capacity power transmission lines required to serve a large city. Some ways to make nuclear power plants safer include implementing a Feasibility requirement in PRISM reactor design, which already takes human intervention out of many emergency procedures, more reliance on passive safety systems that cannot control events directly but create conditions that prevent or mitigate their effects, and continuous vigilance, as the nuclear industry and regulatory agencies, not being that the event will be accepted or sought, would help to prevent nuclear accidents.
What do you mean by “Fukushuras”?
“Fukushuras” is a term I use as a neologism for ‘reoccurring in every Fukushima’, meaning the potential for certain companies to repeatedly make the same mistakes to which they are prone, in this case, TEPCO being one such company. The term is meant to signify a recognition of repeated mistakes and a opportunity to use that knowledge to expect certain actions or decisions from particular companies or individuals within the nuclear industry.
Ambient office = 66 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 156 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 152 nanosieverts per hour
Pineapple from Central Market = 112 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 116 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 101 nanosieverts per hour
Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
Rafael Grossi is director-general of the IAEA. “For this business model to succeed, we need regulatory approaches to adapt to a new circumstance. We cannot afford the luxury of these regulatory marathons lasting five, six, seven years.”
Many nuclear experts point to aviation as an example for the nuclear industry to follow. William Magwood is the CEO of the Nuclear Energy Association (NEA), an intergovernmental agency. “[Airlines] don’t build a different design for each market, making the quality higher and bringing costs down. If every country needs a slightly different design because of different regulatory requirements, this makes getting that efficiency very, very difficult.”
The IAEA talks, which involve regulators from 29 countries as well as developers, have included discussion on issues such as information sharing and how to implement greater collaboration. One possibility is that reactor designs would go through an initial review under a global framework, reducing the time spent in national processes.
However, consensus is elusive. “It’s been a really useful discussion which has pushed the thinking,” said Rolls-Royce’s Perry. “Unfortunately, there are a few strong voices pushing for ‘we’re doing it like the aero industry or we’re not doing it at all’. That’s not going to be quick enough for the energy transition.”
Member countries would still need time to adopt any changes that were agreed to at the IAEA level.
David Durham, president for energy systems at Westinghouse Electric, a US nuclear power company. He said, “People understand the benefits and there are a lot of people with open minds. But I don’t think anyone thinks this is going to be resolved tomorrow.”
Efforts at international reform are underway as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the U.S. has taken steps to accelerate domestic SMR approvals.
TerraPower is a next-generation nuclear reactor company founded by billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, that could become a test case. It applied for a construction permit to the regulatory commission this month for the first commercial nuclear plant that uses liquid sodium as a coolant. TerraPower says that this would provide a lower-cost alternative to water-cooled reactors.
Chris Levesque is the TerraPower CEO. “The NRC is seen as a gold standard for safety. So if we want to bring a fairly new reactor design to Asia, Europe, Africa and Indonesia, we have to prove [them] in rich countries first and we will do that with the NRC.”
Some international collaborative efforts are already under way. Last month, the U.K. joined Canadian and U.S. regulators in agreeing to work more closely together to assess SMR designs. European regulators are collaborating on a joint early review of EDF’s Nuward design.
Jane Bowie is the director of regulation at the new nuclear reactors division of the U.K.’s ONR. He said, “We consider the greatest potential for streamlining and accelerating processes to be via much greater collaboration.
European regulators are also observing the ONR’s assessment of Rolls-Royce’s design. This marks an important change in approach and the industry hopes there is more to come.
Ronan Tanguy is the program lead for safety and licensing at the WNA, which is also working on the issue. He said, “I see genuine effort across the board. There’s a recognition nuclear has to be part of the energy mix going forward. However, regulatory harmonization was absolutely essential. Without it [SMRs will] struggle to be competitive outside of very large markets.”
Argentina Budget Cuts Hitting Nuclear Energy Ambitions, Atomic Body Says money.usnews.com
South Bruce signs hosting agreement with NWMO world-nuclear-news.org
France Increases State Funding for Advanced Nuclear R&D Project rigzone.com
Government plans for new nuclear: EAC welcomes ambition but seeks detail committee.parliament.uk
Ambient office = 58 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 116 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 116 nanosieverts per hour
Red bell pepper from Central Market = 93 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 97 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 89 nanosieverts per hour
Part 1 of 2 Parts
Executives at Rolls-Royce estimate that U.K. regulators will take four and a half years to assess the safety of its design for a small modular reactor (SMR). The U.K. company must endure more lengthy approval processes in other countries where it wants to build its SMRs.
Helena Perry is the Rolls-Royce’s regulatory director. She criticized the typical international approval process. She said, “It’s incredibly time-consuming.” She noted that, the company submitted its plans to the U.K. Office for Nuclear (ONR) Regulation two years ago.
Rolls-Royce is one of many developers and officials supporting a global drive to overhaul nuclear regulation amid concern the set-up is ill-suited to the nascent industry for small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs have attracted huge interest as countries look to find new sources of low-carbon energy.
Since 2022 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has led efforts to synchronize regulatory standards and processes. The first phase of their efforts is due to be completed this year. However, there are doubts over how much can be achieved, in view of the sensitive nature of the industry and embedded working practices.
Allison Macfarlane is former chair of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). She said, “Countries approach regulation differently, from a different starting philosophy. You can share information and try to align, but you are never going to have the same regulatory scheme everywhere.”
The push to overhaul regulation comes as the positive publicity around nuclear technology has been tempered by concerns over long development timeframes and some early setbacks. Nu-Scale cancelled what would have been the first SMR in the US last year because they could not find enough buyers signed up for its power. In addition, construction costs had risen sharply the previous year.
Macfarlane added, “From my analysis, the thing that’s holding them up is the economics, the supply chains. There’s lots of roadblocks.”
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that nuclear power capacity will have to more than double by 2050 to meet global goals of net zero carbon emissions. Over twenty countries, including the U.S. and the U.A.E., agreed at the COP28 climate conference in November to work towards tripling global nuclear capacity.
SMRs are designed to be prefabricated. This means that large parts of SMRs are designed to be built in factories rather than onsite. This makes them easier to deploy, driving costs down as several smaller models are completed. That prospect has attracted politicians and investors looking to avoid the cost overruns and lengthy development times of large-scale nuclear power plants.
About sixty to seventy SMR designs are being developed, according to nuclear energy bodies. These range from those drawing on standard nuclear technology used by large-scale plants today, to more “advanced” reactors using lead or sodium as coolants.
Yet only three SMR developers have been awarded an operating license. The licenses have been issued in China, Russia and Japan. Supporters fear that current regulation could hinder the rollout of SMRs. Design approval for nuclear reactors usually takes several years because of the complexity of reactor designs and dangers of radioactive materials.
Please read Part 2 next
Nuclear Fusion / UK And Czech Republic To Work Together On Crucial Testing nucnet.org
A second new nuclear reactor is completed in Georgia. The carbon-free power comes at a high price abcnews.go.com
Brown: Failure to bring nuclear waste to NV is an ‘incredible loss of revenue for our state’ nevadacurrent.com
Nevada GOP Senate hopeful backed Yucca nuclear waste site eenews.net
Ambient office = 59 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 154 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 154 nanosieverts per hour
Mini cucumber from Central Market = 100 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 72 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 66 nanosieverts per hour
Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
Oklo’s proposed thirteen thousand-square-foot Aurora powerhouse, featuring a fifteen-megawatt fission reactor, is smaller than conventional nuclear power plants and looks more like a sleek ski chalet than the Cold War-era plants with their iconic curved towers. The plant is going to be built at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) which is a research facility where Oklo has been given an Energy Department grant to test recycling nuclear waste into new fuel. DeWitte says the design is safer that conventional power reactors, citing the use of liquid metal as a coolant instead of water.
The nuclear power industry hasn’t significantly expanded its share of the U.S. energy mix for decades. It has limped along in the face of popular opposition fueled by infrequent but devastating accidents like those in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986 and in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011. Even the newest nuclear plants still generate waste that can remain dangerously radioactive for centuries. This raises the need for effective disposal or recycling efforts like the one Oklo is testing.
As the climate crisis accelerates, fifty seven percent of Americans now support expanding nuclear energy according to a Pew Research survey last year. Nuclear power currently makes up only nineteen percent of the nation’s overall energy generation in the U.S. There are ninety-three commercial nuclear power reactors operating today in the U.S. This is down from a peak of one hundred and twelve in 1990. By one estimate, up to eight hundred gigawatts of new nuclear generated electricity will be needed by 2050 to meet current green energy targets.
But as tech firms embrace AI, many data centers are already struggling to add capacity fast enough to remain affordable, with data center rents jumping nearly sixteen percent between 2022 and 2023 alone. The demand crunch is one reason major industry players have been increasing their nuclear investments.
Microsoft signed a deal last summer with Constellation, a top nuclear power plant operator, to supply nuclear-generated electricity to its Virginia data centers. In 2022, Google took part in a two hundred and fifty-million-dollar fundraising round for the fusion startup TAE Technologies. In late 2021, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and other investors raised over one hundred and thirty million dollars for Canadian nuclear company General Fusion.
Ross Matzkin-Bridger is a senior director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit group focused on reducing nuclear and biological risks. He said that for tech firms, it makes sense to tap directly into nuclear plants “instead of sourcing electricity from the grid.” In addition to being clean, he mentioned that many recent nuclear projects are also compact. “You can fit a lot more energy per acre in nuclear energy than you can with any other technology.” he said.
Ayan Paul is a research scientist at Northeastern University who studies AI. He said that beyond Silicon Valley, “big investment firms are actually starting to believe that this is going to take off. People have started to believe that these kinds of energies are going to fuel our population.”
However, some experts warn that efforts to expand nuclear power shouldn’t be rushed, no matter how fast demand is growing.
Ahmed Abdulla is an assistant mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at Carleton University. He said, “We need nuclear power to get to a low-carbon future.” However, for engineering projects that have historically taken decades, the regulatory process needs to be a methodical one. He added that “There is a chance to make serious mistakes if we sprint to the goal.”
AI boom is great news for the nuclear power dreamers theregiater.com
Changes proposed to Pennsylvania’s nuclear emergency alert system mytwintiers.com
Realpolitik and Fake News Complicate Nuclear Deterrence globalsecurityreview.com
Voters, please think about the menace of nuclear annihilation washingtonpost.com
Ambient office = 77 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 128 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 131 nanosieverts per hour
Green onion from Central Market = 93 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 69 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 63 nanosieverts per hour
