SMRs are hitting strong headwinds

[begreen]

As promising as Small Modular Reactors sound there are some big issues to solve. One is waste. They may create a lot more radioactive waste than conventional reactors and the US still does not have a good, long-term storage plan for this waste.

Smaller reactors may still have a big nuclear waste problem

The US needs to figure out what to do about its radioactive garbage.

arstechnica.com

The other elephant in the room is cost, which is growing quickly. The promise of low cost due to factory production is having trouble penciling out.

The Dream of Mini Nuclear Plants Hangs in the Balance

A cluster of reactors that are just 9 feet in diameter is supposed to start a nuclear energy resurgence. Mounting costs may doom the project.

www.wired.com

 

[woodgeek]

<--- this is my surprised face.

 

[EbS-P]

Cost over runs and waste storage for nuclear reactors…where have we heard this before??

 

[dznam]

As promising as Small Modular Reactors sound there are some big issues to solve. One is waste. They may create a lot more radioactive waste than conventional reactors and the US still does not have a good, long-term storage plan for this waste.

Smaller reactors may still have a big nuclear waste problem

The US needs to figure out what to do about its radioactive garbage.

arstechnica.com

The other elephant in the room is cost, which is growing quickly. The promise of low cost due to factory production is having trouble penciling out.

The Dream of Mini Nuclear Plants Hangs in the Balance

A cluster of reactors that are just 9 feet in diameter is supposed to start a nuclear energy resurgence. Mounting costs may doom the project.

www.wired.com

And exactly what is the issue with Yucca Mountain?

 

[stoveliker]

And exactly what is the issue with Yucca Mountain?

lol, it's in my backyard (say very few people, but enough to get it killed, in particular when you have the majority leader in the senate).

I thought that technically it was the best solution we would have (at least now and in the next few decades).

 

[dznam]

Lovely...

 

[ABMax24]

Put the waste back into the rock from which the uranium was originally mined. It's radioactive down there anyway, we've got a few empty uranium mines in northern Canada that could be filled back up.

 

[begreen]

Despite headwinds, Westinghouse announced the launch of their AP300 SMR today. It is based on the successful AP1000 reactor.

https://www.westinghousenuclear.com/energy-systems/ap300-smr

 

[begreen]

Cool short video of a SMR power module being forged.