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| Science & Technology |
| TechnologyReview features the modular Nuclear Reactor |
| 2009-06-18 |
| A new type of nuclear reactor that is designed to be manufactured in a factory where standardization could eventually reduce the cost big time rather than built at a power plant could cut construction times for nuclear power plants almost in half the time required to build the plant increases the financing costs in to the stratosphere and make them cheaper to build. That, in turn, could make it possible for more utilities to build nuclear power plants, especially those in poor countries. The design comes from Babcock and Wilcox, a company based in Lynchburg, VA, that has made nuclear reactors for the United States Navy ships for about 50 years. Two other features of the design could also cut down on operating costs. First, each reactor will be housed in a containment structure big enough to store all of the waste generated by the plant during its 60 year life span, eliminating the need for a separate storage facility. That could be especially important, as nuclear plant operators may have to store their own waste while they wait for the government to provide a permanent storage facility, which it is obliged to do by law. but which Congress has screwed up Second, the reactors are also designed so that fuel has to be replaced only once every five years, instead of the usual two years. That will increase the amount of time that the plant can operate. |
| Posted by:Lord garth |