usatoday24
The future of fission energy is unquestionably linked to Modular and compact nuclear reactorsknown as SMR for its English denomination (Small Modular Reactor). They carry out more than two decades, and some of them are being designed according to The principles and requirements established for equipment Fourth Generation Nuclear Fission. In fact, they are being devised for the purpose of not being weighed down by the deficiencies introduced in the previous generations.
One of the characteristics that, in theory, allows them to outdo conventional nuclear reactors is that their commissioning and maintenance costs have to be comparable to the expenses required by other energy sources. However, for the moment they are not. Csiro, the National Scientific Agency of Australia, has prepared a report in which it analyzes the cost of the energy sources currently used, and the renewables are the cheapest. This conclusion was predictable, but the surprising thing is that next -generation nuclear reactors are the most expensive energy generation technology.
To reach this conclusion CSIRO has analyzed the costs of the Darlington (Canada) SMR Nuclear Nuclear Plan SMR plan, which in principle will ascend to 23.200 million dollars. China and Russia already have SMR reactors In operation, but Darlington’s will be the first built in a western country. The shocking thing is that, According to Csirothis project will be much more expensive than any other option, including a conventional nuclear power plant. Cheaper energy generation technologies are photovoltaic and wind solar. Secondly, the gas resides, and then the nuclear on a large scale, the coal, and, finally, the SMR reactors.
Despite all SMR reactors are the future of nuclear energy
Before moving forward it is important that we keep in mind that the costs derived from the Darlington nuclear project will probably be reduced in other posterior SMR reactor facilities. This plan is a pioneer in the West, and, therefore, everything is new and presumably expensive. Even so, for the moment it is not clear if this technology will really equate its costs with those of other generation sources. It is currently difficult to anticipate that in the future an SMR reactor plant will have costs similar to those of a photovoltaic or wind solar installation.
4th generation designs can be very different from those of previous generations
In any case, the SMR reactors that respect the established principles for fourth -generation nuclear fission equipment have other advantages that are worth not overlooked. On the one hand they have to reach the maximum possible sustainabilityso that the fuel is maximized to produce energy, the amount of radioactive waste resulting from the process is minimized and its management is as efficient as possible.
In addition, modular and compact reactors can be installed in locations where it would be unfeasible to build a conventional nuclear power plant, such as, for example, On a floating platform. And finally, something also very important: their safety and reliability must be high enough to minimize the probability that the reactor core suffers damage. In addition, if an accident occurs, it should not be necessary to take emergency measures beyond the facilities of the nuclear power plant.
Image | Nuclear forum
More information | Indaily
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings