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Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

New Nuclear

Pebble bed reactor safety demonstration test – ABC video from 2007

November 20, 2011 By Rod Adams

I spent about 15 years trying (unsuccessfully) to get a small modular reactor company off the ground. Our concept was based on an adaptation of the successful German pebble bed demonstration reactor called the AVR. In 2003, Tsinghua University in China completed the construction of the HTR-10, which was essentially a direct copy of the […]

Filed Under: Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, New Nuclear, Pebble Bed Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants, Smaller reactors

The need for more rational radiation protection standards

November 19, 2011 By Rod Adams

A frequent commenter on Atomic Insights is a very experienced nuclear professional who often keeps me on my toes by sharing thoughts that are fairly common in our community. I have recently been posting quite a number of blogs on the need to revise radiation protection standards to base them on a more accurate model […]

Filed Under: Contamination, Health Effects, New Nuclear, Nuclear regulations, Radiation

Reducing nuclear operational and capital costs by improved technology

November 18, 2011 By Rod Adams

I received a link from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to a fascinating video about their recent efforts to develop CoSecTM, a new resin technology that is more effective at capturing cobalt-60. Most of the radiation doses that nuclear workers receive come from this single isotope. One possible cost savings aspect of this technology […]

Filed Under: New Nuclear, Nuclear Cost Data, Nuclear regulations

TEDx New England – Nuclear entrepreneurs aiming to use waste for fuel

November 16, 2011 By Rod Adams

Two young graduate students describe their plans to develop something called the Waste Annihilating Molten Salt Reactor (WAMSR). The biggest applause line in the talk was the following: Right now in the world there are about 270,000 metric tons of high level waste that exists. We can take that waste, put it into our reactors […]

Filed Under: Fuel Recycling, New Nuclear, Nuclear Waste

Rowe states that merchant power generators cannot make long term investments

November 10, 2011 By Rod Adams

Monthly Natural Gas Price for Electric Power Producers

A November 9, 2011 Platts headline caught my attention this morning New Calvert Cliffs nuke ‘almost inconceivable’: Exelon CEO. I have been following the Calvert Cliffs Unit 3 story for several years. I used to be a Maryland resident and made a couple of trips down to Calvert County for public meetings on the proposal […]

Filed Under: Fossil fuel competition, New Nuclear

The moral imperative to build new nuclear power stations

November 7, 2011 By Rod Adams

On Friday, Nov. 5, I heard an inspirational talk given by a man who had a big influence on my early career; he was the Brigade Commander who welcomed the class of 1981 to the US Naval Academy on July 6, 1977. Col. Art Athens, USMCR (Ret.) is now the Director of the Stockdale Center […]

Filed Under: Editorials, Fossil fuel competition, New Nuclear

Stephanie Cooke thinks NRC’s post Fukushima proposals should be implemented NOW

October 18, 2011 By Rod Adams

Stephanie Cooke is a reporter, editor and author. She recently published a book titled In Mortal Hands: A Cautionary Tale of the Nuclear Age. I first became aware of her work earlier this month when I read a discouraging column that she had written for the New York Times titled After Fukushima, Does Nuclear Power […]

Filed Under: Antinuclear activist, Health Effects, New Nuclear, Politics of Nuclear Energy

How fast can offshore wind be deployed? What are infrastructure requirements?

October 16, 2011 By Guest Author 16 Comments

Offshore wind farm

Guest post by Andy Dawson One anti-nuclear argument that’s frequently made is that nuclear is slow to deploy – that renewables can make inroads into carbon production rather faster than can building new nuclear stations. I was recently provoked into taking a look at this, in the context of the UK’s 2020 and 2030 CO2 […]

Filed Under: New Nuclear, Unreliables, Wind energy

Is the NRC the “gold standard” of nuclear regulation or the “DMV standard”?

October 15, 2011 By Rod Adams

On October 13, 2011 the Reuters news service published an article titled NRC delays reactor certification to study Japan damage that led with the following paragraph. WILMINGTON, N.C., Oct 13 (Reuters) – U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification of new reactor technology has been delayed by the agency’s evaluation of the earthquake and tsunami damage to […]

Filed Under: New Nuclear, AP1000 saga, Nuclear regulations, Politics of Nuclear Energy Tagged With: license, NRC

Argentina’s political leadership is proud of its recent nuclear accomplishments

October 3, 2011 By Rod Adams

Argentina recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Atucha II Nuclear Power Plant, on the occasion of completing its construction – thirty years after breaking ground in June 1981. The project is a source of immense pride in a country that was once a leader in nuclear energy development in Latin America. According to […]

Filed Under: International nuclear, New Nuclear

Does the end of cheap, easy oil really mean the end of cheap, reliable energy?

September 15, 2011 By Rod Adams

A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (2/2) (PL) by DobrySamarytanin Part 2 of A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash adds more stark images and historical footage that shows the importance of energy in the form of readily accessible oil, but it also illustrates some of the toxic hazards and armed conflicts that we have accepted […]

Filed Under: Fossil fuel competition, New Nuclear, Peak Oil

Responses to BRC on America’s Nuclear Future from fast reactor experts

September 8, 2011 By Rod Adams

I am a subscriber to a Google group of fast reactor experts and advocates who strongly believe that the Clinton Administration’s decision to eliminate funding for the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) project was an enormous political mistake that has had long term impacts on America’s national security and economic vitality. Recently, two members of the […]

Filed Under: Fuel Recycling, Guest Columns, New Nuclear, Nuclear Fuel Cycle

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