US Small-Scale Nuclear Reactor Industry Gains Traction In Missouri

trichard writes with this quote from an AP report: "Ameren Missouri is vying to be the first utility in the country to seek a construction and operating license for a small-scale nuclear reactor, a technology that's appealing to utilities because of the smaller upfront costs and shorter development lead times. The small reactors, about a fourth or less the capacity of full-size nuclear units, are appealing to the nuclear industry because they could be manufactured at a central plant and shipped around the world. By contrast, building nuclear reactors today is a more cumbersome process that must be done largely on site and takes years."

Comments

Re:How does the MTBF scale?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, let's downplay the need for safety measures. What could go wrong? Whatever you do, don't employ the truly fail-safe measures that CANDU reactors have proven effective since the 60's. I mean, where's the fun in that?

I see your CANDU and I raise you LFTR reactors

Re:How does the MTBF scale?

[honestmonkey]

The folks (I was going to say idiots, but perhaps they just don't understand science) commenting a few levels up and down around here that worry about safety need to read about this - LFTR reactors. From Wikipedia and memory, they can be made inherently safe. That is, they can't melt down. No China syndrome. It's not that they have absolutely no safety measures, it's that you need fewer of them, and don't have to worry about the reactor like those in Fukushima. If something happens to the cooling, the reactor automatically shuts down. Not "the sensors pick up a rise in temperature so the blast doors start to automatically close" kind of shut down, but "the thing doesn't work if the cooling isn't in place, so no reaction".

Anyway, yeah, I'm just a shill for the nuclear industry. Caught me. Dang.

Re:How does the MTBF scale?

[mhotchin]

The Japanese reactors are over 40 years old. Comparing modern designs to that is like saying my 2008 Lexus will have the same kind of failure rates as a 1968 .

The two are not even comparable.

Re:How does the MTBF scale?

[jamstar7]

A good portion of the 'high upfront cost' is that the company still has to keep the construction workers on the payroll while they grind the injunctions through the court system to get them lifted. Lawyers aren't cheap. Neither are construction crews. And when the injunction is lifted, they have to inspect 100% and repair any damage caused to the portions of the plant exposed to the elements while work is stopped waiting for the courts to dismiss those injunctions.