A Nuclear Dinner: Small Modular Reactors Make Nuclear Power more Appetizing

A single B&W mPower nuclear reactor module inside its own independent, underground containment.

With Chernobyl-phobia passing away, the U.S. nuclear energy industry is undergoing a rebirth. President Obama approved a $54.5 billion stimulus for the industry saying that nuclear energy is “a necessary step” in eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels. But there are more than greenbacks fueling this nuclear renaissance. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are dissipating nuclear fears and renewing interest in the 30-year stagnant industry.
 
That’s because SMRs may succeed where older nuclear reactor designs fall short. From a utility’s perspective, SMRs are less capital-intensive and easier to install. Instead of adding 1+ GW all at once to the grid’s base-generation, SMRs add a manageable 30 MW to 300 MW. But utilities don’t have to stop at one SMR. They can chain them together on the same plant. The Babcock and Wilcox Company’s mPower reactor, for example, can chain 10 or more SMRs together on the same site, giving them the power of a bigger reactor with the advantages of a smaller one.
 
Utilities and their regulators, however, are not the only people developing a taste for SMRs. Many Americans are becoming aware of their increased safety measures. The mPower light water reactor (LWR), for instance, has the ability to perform a passively safe power-down—which means no more Chernobyls. Meltdowns can theoretically occur when the loss of coolant triggers an uncontrollable reaction. This reactor, however, is designed to slow down the fission rate without a coolant, or even action, by a human agent.
 
In addition to safety, the newer reactors are also tackling the problem of waste. The United States has upwards of 77,000 tons of it. This waste, however, has 90% of its potential nuclear energy still locked inside. Hoping to take advantage of these remains, General Atomics is designing the Energy Multiplier Module (EM2), a breeder reactor that uses some of that leftover energy. Nuclear waste may be a reality for now, but at least newer reactors are getting more out of it.
 
Reduced radioactive waste still presents a serious drawback for nuclear power. Finland is not opposed to burying it, but Obama did not approve the same approach for Yucca Mountain. With a half-life around five times the amount of recordable history, nuclear waste is not easy to dispose of. Nuclear power may alleviate GHG emissions but, at the same time, threaten our planet with dangerous material. Although SMRs have once again made nuclear palatable, we may always have the radioactive leftovers.