Former U.S. regulator questions small nuclear reactor technology,
Business case for small reactors ‘doesn’t fly,’ says expert on nuclear waste,
Jacques Poitras · CBC News Jan 15, 2021 A former head of the United States’ nuclear regulator is raising questions about the molten-salt technology that would be used in one model of proposed New Brunswick-made nuclear reactors.
The technology pitched by Saint John’s Moltex Energy is key to its business case because, the company argues, it would reuse some of the nuclear waste from Point Lepreau and lower the long-term cost and radioactivity of storing the remainder.
But Allison Macfarlane, the former chairperson of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and a specialist in the storage of nuclear waste, said no one has yet proven that it’s possible or viable to reprocess nuclear waste and lower the cost and risks of storage.
Bill Gates, while motivated to help fight climate change, has also long been trying to make a success of his nuclear technology company Terra Power. The climate emergency presents him with the perfect opportunity to promote this, and especially, to get tax–payer funding to do it, as he suggests in his new book.
Elon Musk and Bill Gates: beware of gurus toting solutions to climate change
Elon Musk has grand plans to save the world. Bill Gates has just published his book ”How To Avoid a Climate Disaster”. They both envisage tax-payer funding for their solutions. But beware of gurus toting the solution to the planet’s crisis.
Posted: Jan 15, 2021 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: January 15
Allison Macfarlane, director of the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia, says she has a lot of unanswered questions about molten-salt technology.(University of British Columbia)
The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on advancing a wind-hybrid energy project in North Wales which aims to produce 3 GWe of zero-carbon energy and over 3 million kg/y of green hydrogen.
Shearwater Energy, which describes itself as a UK-based hybrid clean energy company, is developing a wind-small modular reactor and hydrogen production hybrid energy project in North Wales. Shearwater says it has selected the SMR technology being developed by NuScale and has signed a memorandum of understanding with the US company to further collaboration in advancing the proposed project.