Intrinsically secure fast reactors for long-lived waste free and proliferation resistant nuclear power

Slessarev, I.

doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2007.08.012

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…These designs could be water, gas or molten salt cooled, and could operate in the thermal or fast neutron spectrum 5 . Proponents of each of these designs claim major benefits, including reduction or even elimination of the production of nuclear waste (e.g., Parmentola & Rawls, 2011; Slessarev, 2008), or greater proliferation resistance (e.g., Benchrif et al, 2013; Senor et al, 2007; Shropshire, 2011). In reality, no single design solves all of the problems confronting nuclear power (Ramana & Mian, 2014).…”

Section: What Are Smrs?mentioning

confidence: 99%

A hopeless pursuit? National efforts to promote small modular nuclear reactors and revive nuclear power

Thomas

Ramana

2022

WIREs Energy & Environment

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Nuclear power plant construction has historically been challenged by problems of high cost, cost escalation, and construction delays. The newest set of large reactor projects have also been overbudget and overtime. This has prompted interest in new reactor technologies that proponents claim would not suffer these problems, specifically small modular reactors (SMRs), a class that encompasses a wide range of technologies. This article examines national efforts in three countries, Canada, the UK, and the United States, which are pursuing SMRs vigorously and where the government has funded their development generously. We compare the different strategies and foci of these national strategies, analyzing the various forms of support offered by the separate agencies of the government, and the private companies that are trying to develop SMRs. We also offer an overview of the different types of reactor technologies being pursued in these different countries. Following these, we outline the main challenge confronting SMR technologies: their ability to generate electricity in an economically competitive manner, highlighting the problems resulting from economies of scale being lost. By examining the experience so far, we find that even designs based on welltested technology cannot be deployed till after 2030 and the more radical designs might never be.

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Section: What Are Smrs?mentioning

confidence: 99%

A hopeless pursuit? National efforts to promote small modular nuclear reactors and revive nuclear power

Thomas

Ramana

2022

WIREs Energy & Environment

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“…This vision is particularly influential because it takes two of the most common reasons for opposing nuclear power—its poor environmental record and its legacy of long-lived radioactive waste—and turns them into advantages. Studies from our sample posited that the issue of nuclear waste represented a “painful point” for the industry (Slessarev 2008, 636), and the nuclear industry’s “future has been clouded” by, inter alia, the “challenges of radioactive waste disposal” (Kessides 2012, 187).…”

Section: Environmental Nirvanamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some SMRs offer the vision of waste-free energy. One study states, the “elimination of long-lived radioactive wastes” could be “quite realistic” with SMRs, leading to a “long-lived waste free strategy” (Slessarev 2008, 637). In parallel, the final report of an IAEA-coordinated research project declared that SMRs can entirely “eliminate the obligations of the user for dealing with fuel manufacture and with spent fuel and radioactive waste” (IAEA 2010, 6).…”

Section: Environmental Nirvanamentioning

confidence: 99%

Back to the Future

Sovacool

Ramana

2014

Science, Technology, & Human Values

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In this article, we argue that scientists and technologists associated with the nuclear industry are building support for small modular reactors (SMRs) by advancing five rhetorical visions imbued with elements of fantasy that cater to various social expectations. The five visions are as follows: a vision of risk-free energy would eliminate catastrophic accidents and meltdowns. A vision of indigenous self-energization would see SMRs empowering remote communities and developing economies. A vision of water security would see SMR-powered desalination plants satisfying the world's water needs. A vision of environmental nirvana would see SMRs providing waste-free and carbon-free electricity to preserve the earth's biosphere. A vision of space exploration would see SMRs assisting in the colonization of the moon, Mars, 1 Downloaded from and possibly other worlds. These visions help create a symbolic convergence among promoters, serving to attract political and financial support, and erasing previous nuclear failures from public discourse. Moreover, underlying these visions is a technological utopian ideal world where SMRs would generate plentiful energy of multiple kinds (electricity and heat), offering the necessary means for a life of comfort for all people by meeting various needs (lighting, temperature control, drinking water, and provision of scarce minerals) and without any environmental externalities or cause for concern about accidents.

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“…Light water-based small modular reactors SMRs are anticipated to utilize low-enriched uranium as fuel, which is comparable to the fuel used in current large-scale NPPs [105,106]. Further, IV-generation SMRs based on non-light water reactor coolants could be more effective at dispositioning plutonium while minimizing the amount of waste requiring disposal and offering high operating temperatures suitable for the industry and the direct retrofitting of conventional power plants [63,107,108].…”

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confidence: 99%

Selected Legal and Safety Aspects of the “Coal-To-Nuclear” Strategy in Poland

Chmielewska-Śmietanko,

Miśkiewicz,

Smoliński

et al. 2024

Energies

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Poland is actively exploring the application of nuclear power as a substitute for its present reliance on fossil fuels for the generation of heat and electricity. This change reflects a calculated attempt to reduce carbon emissions, diversify the nation’s energy sources, and enhance the sustainability of its energy infrastructure. However, the implementation of nuclear technology faces many challenges, such as radiation exposure, the production of radioactive waste, the off-site effects of nuclear accidents, and high capital costs. Addressing such nuclear-safety-related issues is crucial for nuclear technology’s successful deployment. An extended analysis of the “coal-to-nuclear” process in terms of its safety has to be performed. Therefore, this review paper covers multidisciplinary studies related to the rollout of nuclear energy in Poland. The first stage of this study was the identification of the key areas of analysis, which included (i) formal requirements and recommendations imposed by international and national organizations on the process of designing and operating nuclear power systems; (ii) potential nuclear hazards for the personnel working at a nuclear reactor unit and the local population; (iii) the applied solutions of the security systems of a reactor itself, the steam turbine cycle, and the auxiliary infrastructure; and (iv) the management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. This methodology, developed based on a review of the literature and international standards, was tested for the selected country—Poland.

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Intrinsically secure fast reactors for long-lived waste free and proliferation resistant nuclear power

Cited by 8 publications

References 5 publications

A hopeless pursuit? National efforts to promote small modular nuclear reactors and revive nuclear power

A hopeless pursuit? National efforts to promote small modular nuclear reactors and revive nuclear power

Back to the Future

Selected Legal and Safety Aspects of the “Coal-To-Nuclear” Strategy in Poland

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