Advanced reactors: Now comes the hard part

January 28, 2022, 2:26PMNuclear NewsMatthew L. Wald

Designing a reactor is complicated but building one may be harder. Even companies that have had lots of practice haven’t always done it well. And all the power reactors in service today were built by companies that had years of experience in other kinds of big steam-electric power plants. In contrast, some of the creative new designs now moving toward commercialization come from start-ups that have never built anything at all. How should they prepare?

To continue reading, log in or create a free account!

How robust is HALEU from a nonproliferation perspective?

May 13, 2024, 3:10PMNuclear NewsShikha Prasad

High-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) has emerged as a popular fuel choice for advanced small modular reactors due to its long power production periods before refueling. It is currently...

U.S. nuclear capacity factors: Ideal for data centers?

May 10, 2024, 3:00PMNuclear NewsSusan Gallier

Baseload nuclear generation doesn’t get the respect it deserves, if you ask nuclear operators. But the hyperscale data centers that process our digital lives—like the one right next to the...

Developing a new regulatory framework for advanced reactors: Update on Part 53

May 3, 2024, 7:01AMNuclear News

The American Nuclear Society’s Risk-informed, Performance-based Principles and Policy Committee (RP3C) on March 29 held another presentation in its monthly Community of Practice (CoP)...

NRC wants input on Hermes 2 test reactor construction permit

April 29, 2024, 3:02PMNuclear News

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking input on its draft environmental assessment and draft finding of no significant impact for Kairos Power’s application to build the Hermes 2 test...

Wyoming as a hub for new nuclear manufacturing and microreactor deployment?

April 29, 2024, 12:02PMNuclear News

A 60-year-old Wyoming industrial machinery company is partnering with nuclear innovator BWX Technologies to deploy 50-megawatt microreactors in America’s heartland over the coming years to...

Vogtle-4 enters commercial operation

April 29, 2024, 9:32AMNuclear News

Unit 4 at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle has entered commercial operation, the company announced today. The new unit can produce enough electricity to power an estimated 500,000 homes and...

BWXT announces nuclear manufacturing plant expansion

Investment banking on higher demand for SMR and large nuclear reactors

April 19, 2024, 9:30AMNuclear News

BWX Technologies announced today plans to expand and add advanced manufacturing equipment to its manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.A $36.3 million USD ($50M CAD) expansion will...

Geological work begins on Poland’s first nuclear plant

April 25, 2024, 9:30AMNuclear News

Project management firm Bechtel started site geological surveys for Poland’s first nuclear power plant project, the company announced on Wednesday.Bechtel will conduct in-depth geological...

X-energy receives federal tax credit for TRISO fuel facility

April 24, 2024, 3:12PMNuclear News

Advanced reactor company X-energy has been awarded $148.5 million in tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act for construction of its TRISO-X fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn....

Argonne researching “climate-ready” nuclear plant design

April 24, 2024, 12:06PMNuclear News

Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have partnered with Washington state–based Energy Northwest to look at alternative ways to cool nuclear reactors as climate change impacts...

Advanced reactors: Now comes the hard part

Related Articles