Mini Nuclear Power Plants For Your Neighborhood In Five Years
Scientists at the US government laboratory which developed the first atomic bomb say nuclear power plants smaller than a garden shed and able to power about 20,000 homes will be available within the next five years. The miniature reactors will be factory-sealed, absent of any weapon-grade materials, and also have no moving parts.
Awesome. Call them Nükleer and we can sell them at Ikea!
- » See also: Wave Energy Looking for Breakthrough — Using Aerospace Design
- » Get CleanTechnica by RSS or sign up by email.
The company plans to set up three factories to produce 4,000 plants between 2013 and 2023. ‘We already have a pipeline for 100 reactors, and we are taking our time to tool up to mass-produce this reactor.’
The reactors must be refueled every seven to ten years. Because the reactor is based on a 50-year-old design that has proved safe for students to use, few countries are expected to object to plants on their territory. An application to build the plants will be submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission next year.
‘You could never have a Chernobyl-type event - there are no moving parts,’ said Deal. ‘You would need nation-state resources in order to enrich our uranium. Temperature-wise it’s too hot to handle. It would be like stealing a barbecue with your bare hands.’
Eh, I dunno…I wouldn’t want to be a beta tester, I’ll tell ya that.
Source: guardian.co.uk | Image: tico24 on Flickr under Creative Commons
The units might be clean when running, but what about the industrial process to build them ? The difference between traditional fossil fuels (oil, coal) and enriched uranium is that a ridiculous amount of uranium can cause cancer, even if you don’t ingest it but simply if you are in its immediate neighbourhood.
The concept is intriguing, but the reality of thousands of these devices stationed around the world is not reassuring. Even if the fuel is not weapons grade, it is poisonous to a degree that prevents widespread use.
Small nuclear is a realistic solution to both our energy needs and carbon reduction. This power does not contibute to the global warming. It is my understanding that due to the small size the plants would be underground to help alleviate security/terrorism concerns.
One thimble of nuclear fuel is equal to a ton on coal and has no emissions. This fuel can also be recycled after years of production.
One thimble of nuclear power equals a ton of coal and it does not emit greenhouse gases or add to global warming. These plants can be underground because of their size which minimizes security concerns.
This fuel is stored safely now and can also be recycled. If viewed rationally and not radically it is needed now and will help our energy needs and lessen the US carbon footprint.
re: Mr Smith
Safer to buy solar panels too!
re: Global Patriot
I am with ya. I have to say the idea of living near one of these is more than unsettling.
who is doing your math?
I don’t think this would ever happen in the US. These reactors are actually very safe in the right hands. The only real danger is if someone gets a hold of the waste and wants to make a dirty bomb. I’m a strong proponent of nuclear power mainly because of the alternatives. Let’s face it, solar and wind can’t supply anywhere near the amount of power we need soon enough. Let’s stick with the large traditional nuclear power plants. We can learn a lesson from France; they actually generate more than they can use!
Humm, still undecided … So much so that as long as our government officials (fed, state, local) put these things in THEIR backyards first, under the white house, congress, senator & rep homes, etc and LIVE right there with them, children, pets and all, for the next 5 years - and no related lionesses occur, then I will go for it, back it and promote it.
Until then, if the government isn’t willing to put these in their backyards and live with them, then I don’t want one in my backyard.
Don’t get me wrong, we need more power sources for our electricity addiction and hopefully they will be clean, but I just don’t trust this in a spread out area across the U.S. - especially if we start releasing terrorists and other wack jobs into our streets.
In my book, humans are just too error prone and nuclear energy just too dangerous (one mistake is one too many for decades) to make this trustworthy.