Innovations: tomorrow’s nuclear energy

Nuclear power is already an extraordinary form of energy: safe, very low-carbon, with waste that we know how to reprocess very well… How can we go further? In reality, there are still areas where we can improve, such as fuel requirements and waste reprocessing capacity, or the weight and cost of power plants. These are exactly the issues addressed by the innovations shaping tomorrow’s nuclear power: 4th generation reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs). On a more distant horizon, however, a new kind of nuclear energy is becoming increasingly apparent: fustion. It holds the promise of infinite, even cleaner energy.

The future of nuclear fission: 4th generation reactors

Most existing power plants are of the second generation, and a few 3rd-generation reactors are beginning to appear. However, there is a 4th generation of reactors, which could be the advent of nuclear science.

At present, most nuclear power plants use uranium (normally 238) enriched in uranium 235. However, uranium 235 represents only a small fraction of the uranium found in nature. What’s more, once used, it reverts to uranium 238. Being able to use the latter would multiply the supply several tens of times and facilitate reprocessing. Among the 4th generation reactors, there are precisely those that enable “fast breeder” reactors, which not only make full use of this uranium 238, but also reduce the lifespan of nuclear waste: fast neutron reactors. Other technologies use thorium.

There are 6 reactor technologies that are considered relevant, but currently two in particular are being explored: sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR) and molten-salt reactors (MSR). These technologies were first developed in the 1950s. However, the low cost of uranium led to a reduction in funding and the closure of projects. In particular, the French Superphénix project, a working industrial prototype of a fast neutron reactor, was shut down.

Today, there are two working reactors in Russia and one under construction in China.

To find out more, see our page on 4th generation reactors.

The future of nuclear power plants: SMRs

Without being tied to a fixed technology, one approach is becoming increasingly important: the design of small modular reactors (SMRs) that can be built in an assembly line in a dedicated plant. This would have a number of advantages: faster design, lower cost and better quality.

• All facilities are dedicated to the design of the reactor, unlike conventional construction, which is carried out on site.
• The models are all the same, so there’s better quality control and knowledge.
• It’s easy to export, and less skilled labor is needed on site.
• Plant installation is much faster from groundbreaking to launch.

There are numerous projects to develop such reactors: more than 70 by 2022. The models can be pressurized steam, like our conventional power plants, or 4th generation.

To find out more, read our article on small modular reactors (SMRs).

Nuclear fusion

This is the ultimate in nuclear energy, the reaction that makes the stars shine: nuclear fusion. It involves bringing atoms, normally deuterium and tritium, together under extreme conditions of around 150 million degrees Celsius. At some point, the energy produced by the fusion of these atoms is strong enough to sustain itself. This is the point of ignition. It could produce virtually infinite energy

The challenges are many and varied. One of the main ones is to design materials that can withstand such terrifying conditions.

To find out more, read our article on nuclear fusion.