Article

2011-12-07 Science & Technology

Gates discusses nuclear reactor with China

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has confirmed he is in discussions with China to jointly develop a new and safer kind of nuclear reactor.

"The idea is to be very low cost, very safe and generate very little waste," said the billionaire during a talk at China's Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday.

Gates said he had largely funded a Washington state-based company, TerraPower, that is developing a Generation IV nuclear reactor that can run on depleted uranium. TerraPower says it has discussed its plans with India, Russia and other countries with nuclear energy programs.

The general manager of state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), Sun Qin, was quoted in Chinese media last week saying Gates was working with it to research and develop a reactor.

"TerraPower is having very good discussions with CNNC and various people in the Chinese government," said Gates, cautioning the talks were at an early stage.

Gates says perhaps as much as a billion dollars will be put into research and development over the next five years.

TerraPower says its travelling wave reactor would run for decades on depleted uranium and produce significantly smaller amounts of nuclear waste than conventional reactors.

"All these new designs are going to be incredibly safe," Gates told the audience. "They require no human action to remain safe at all times."

"It takes safety to a new level," he said.

Posted by tipper 2011-12-07 12:46|| || Front Page|| [11138 views ] Top

#1 Mr. Bill Gates...the guy that built his house on outsourcing tech jobs is now planning the same for energy.

Posted by Skidmark 2011-12-07 18:57|| 2011-12-07 18:57|| Front Page Top

#2 guojin mintui translates something like while the state advances, the privates retreat..

They will take what they need from Gates and do it themselves. Uranium is just about to explode in value. We have been getting Uranium dirt cheap for years now from Russia but that has just stopped. One who posts here who cannot be named, no, I just forgot who it was. Has really been interested in Thorium power. We dropped the ball and I understand India has gone on and developed a system themselves. Much better system from the looks of it.

Posted by Dale 2011-12-07 19:37|| 2011-12-07 19:37|| Front Page Top

#3 Gates is wrong headed on this. No one should support or advocate uranium based power. Thorium is so much less bad, we need innovation there. Not in uranium.

Uranium power inevitably produces Plutonium. Plutonium is properly named for the God of the Dead. Plutonium results in death. It is poisonous, radioactive, and suitable for nuclear weapons. Just about the worst trifecta in the history of man.

It is in the long term survival of the human project that we step away from uranium based power. It cannot happen today, but needs to happen over the longer term.

Posted by rammer 2011-12-07 21:28|| 2011-12-07 21:28|| Front Page Top

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