Is the AP300 the future for nuclear in the U.S.?

HDGristle's Avatar
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/04/west...r-reactor.html

Smaller and less expensive but basically old tech for the most part. Is this the future of nuclear in the U.S. as wind and solar expand, battery storage improves and fossil continues to decline?

Still a good local company. One of a few solid players in the power industry in Pittsburgh, actually.
The_Waco_Kid's Avatar
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/04/west...r-reactor.html

Smaller and less expensive but basically old tech for the most part. Is this the future of nuclear in the U.S. as wind and solar expand, battery storage improves and fossil continues to decline?

Still a good local company. One of a few solid players in the power industry in Pittsburgh, actually. Originally Posted by HDGristle



scalable nuclear power is the future. several companies are developing small-scale plants that are much more affordable than the older plants. there's still some justification of large scale designs in certain areas i.e. near large metro areas but small scale can be used in more rural areas.


here is another very recent article on this



Five of the World’s Leading Small Modular Reactor Companies

https://c3newsmag.com/five-of-the-wo...RoCaPwQAvD_BwE


this artist's rendering looks like an office complex rather than a reactor.


HDGristle's Avatar
The Kemmerer demo was very goddamn interesting. You familiar?
The_Waco_Kid's Avatar
The Kemmerer demo was very goddamn interesting. You familiar? Originally Posted by HDGristle



i am now and it's a perfect example of how scalable solutions can bring this tech to rural areas .. like Kemmerer, WO


TerraPower confirms Kemmerer Wyoming for reactor demo project

https://www.powerengineeringint.com/...-demo-project/


actually, small scale nuclear power has been around since the 1960's in both aircraft carriers and subs. this could have been used to build power stations a long time ago but what's the first rule of government spending?



"why build only what you need when you can build twice as big for three times the cost"


bahhahahaa
HDGristle's Avatar
You ok with the Gates connection?
The_Waco_Kid's Avatar
You ok with the Gates connection? Originally Posted by HDGristle



in this specific instance .. yes. others .. not so much.
HDGristle's Avatar
See? Common ground
A friend of mine who's an engineer believes that a combination of nuclear and renewables is the way forward. He's one of the smartest people I know in regards to science, so I'll defer to him on this one.
HDGristle's Avatar
https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/economic/914265.html

Seems it could also be the future of nuclear in Ukraine