New-wave reactor technology could kick-start a nuclear renaissance — and the US is banking on it | CNN
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The US government and companies are plowing billions into small modular reactors. China is leading in the tech, Russia is making almost all the fuel. The US is playing catch-up.

Off the Siberian coast, not far from Alaska, a Russian ship has been docked at port for four years. The Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first floating nuclear power plant, sends energy to around 200,000 people on land using next-wave nuclear technology: small modular reactors.

This technology is also being used below sea level. Dozens of US submarines lurking in the depths of the world’s oceans are propelled by SMRs, as the compact reactors are known.

SMRs — which are smaller and less costly to build than traditional, large-scale reactors — are fast becoming the next great hope for a nuclear renaissance as the world scrambles to cut fossil fuels. And the US, Russia and China are battling for dominance to build and sell them.

  • aelwero@lemmy.world
    41·
    10 months ago

    The risk of anything whatsoever happening to any given individual from nuclear is miniscule compared to the very real risk to literally everyone everywhere posed by coal and gas power…

    We’re all on a runaway train barreling towards catastrophe, and you’re essentially saying the bathroom needs a floor mat so someone doesn’t slip and fall. That’s about how the risks compare

      • KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        4·
        10 months ago

        statistically they have a point. Coal mining has killed SEVERAL orders of magnitudes more people over its history, even oil and gas are relatively dangerous compared to nuclear. Nuclear is inline with both wind and solar roughly with the amount of yearly sustained injuries.

        • roastedDeflator@kbin.social
          12·
          10 months ago

          Personally, I don’t care about these statistics. The point I was trying to make was that under capitalism any industry has the goal to make huge amounts of profit. Coal, nuclear you name it. Nothing is about sustainability, unless it is related to greenwashing. So I don’t trust their approach, including the safety of these places. Also the need for more power is for industry expansion, not to heat our homes for instance.

          [By the way, I am not a communist. Mondragon is a model of non-capitalistic industrial development that has been successfully expanding since the 1950’s. By no means am I saying their approach is perfect, nor that perfection is the goal. Their example is important tho cause we can learn from them. For the Cleveland Model, they used Modragon’s input. They refers to Gar Alperorovitz amongst others]

          • KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            2·
            10 months ago

            fair enough i guess. You’ll be mused to know that nuclear is just about as unprofitable as it gets. So maybe that will rouse some feathers so to speak.

            Realistically, i agree with you, get rid of all humans, no more sustainability problems. Problem solved.