| Nuclear power
The Natrium reactor is coupled to what is called an Integrated Energy System (IES), the molten salt loop that transports heat from the nuclear island to the energy island. This minimises the amount of high-cost equipment and structures on the nuclear site and enables load following, coupling to thermal energy storage, and industrial heat applications (making use 500°C heat output). Use of molten salt technology aims to reduce cost and eliminates the difficulties of managing the sodium- to-steam heat transfer interface.
According to TerraPower, the higher operating temperature and constant thermal output make Natrium an ideal match for thermal energy storage using molten salt, a technology that is commercially deployed in the solar industry. Hot sodium from the reactor transfers its heat to the molten salt loop, which carries heat off the nuclear site where it can be stored, converted into electricity, or used for industrial process heating. This “decoupled” architecture minimises the size of the nuclear site and allows the reactor to operate at constant conditions, while the energy island meets variable energy demands, TerraPower notes. The Natrium project is aiming for a
construction time of 36 months (nuclear concrete pour to fuel load) and is one of the first nuclear power projects to benefit from Bechtel’s suite of digital tools and systems, “which have been proven to deliver exceptional results on other large energy facilities.”
Contract awards announced to date for the Natrium project include the following: Sargent & Lundy: Kemmerer training centre design;
Framatome: HALEU metallisation pilot plant; design of ex-vessel fuel handling machine and bottom loading transfer cask; GERB Vibration Control Systems: seismic isolation equipment;
Thermal Engineering International: design and fabrication of the sodium–salt heat exchanger;
Hayward Tyler: design, fabrication, testing and qualification of primary and intermediate sodium pumps;
Teledyne Brown Engineering: design, fabrication, and testing of in-vessel fuel transfer machine;
Western Service Corporation (WSC): software and engineering services for Natrium engineering simulator; James Fisher Technologies: injection casting furnace system; BWXT Canada: design of intermediate heat exchanger;
Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Service, LLC: development of reactor protection system; Global Nuclear Fuel–Americas: fuel; and Centrus: development of commercial HALEU production in USA (original plan had been import from Russia).
Kairos begins Hermes construction Meanwhile, at Oak Ridge, TN, Kairos Power (founded 2016) has started construction of its 35 MWt (heat only) Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor, the first and only Gen IV reactor to be approved so far for construction by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the first non-light-water reactor to be permitted in the USA in over 50 years. The NRC issued the construction permit in December 2023. The fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor will make use of technologies that originated in Oak Ridge — a novel combination of TRISO coated particle fuel pebble bed technology and FLiBe molten fluoride salt coolant, which yields robust inherent safety while simplifying the reactor’s design. FLiBe is a chemically stable mixture of lithium fluoride (LiF) and beryllium
fluoride (BeF2). It is both a nuclear reactor coolant and solvent for fertile or fissile material. It served both purposes in Alvin Weinberg’s Molten- Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the late 60s. Hermes’ primary objective is to demonstrate production of affordable nuclear heat. Aiming for operation in 2027, it is a joint effort by Kairos Power and its partners, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, EPRI, and Materion Corporation. In addition, Kairos Power is partnering with Los Alamos National Laboratory to produce TRISO pebble bed fuel for Hermes in the lab’s Low-Enriched Fuel Fabrication Facility. Kairos Power has also established a co-operative development agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority to provide engineering, operations, and licensing support for Hermes. Barnard has been contracted to perform site work. In tandem with Hermes, Barnard and Kairos have also started collaborating to build the third Engineering Test Unit (ETU 3.0) — a non- nuclear demonstration co-located in Oak Ridge that will generate supply chain, construction, and operational experience to inform the Hermes project. This iterative approach will allow lessons learned from ETU 3.0 civil construction to transfer seamlessly to the Hermes facility, says Kairos. Rising from the footprint of the historic Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, the project will continue the region’s distinguished nuclear legacy and promote its resurgence as a hub for advanced nuclear innovation, Kairos believes. Kairos Power has committed to invest at least $100 million, while the US Department of Energy will invest up to $303 million in the project through a performance-based milestone contract funded by the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
An advance in US nuclear power
A further positive development for nuclear power in the USA over the summer of 2024 was the signing into law of the bipartisan ADVANCE (Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy) Act. The ADVANCE Act aims to:
Facilitate American nuclear energy leadership by: Empowering the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to lead in international forums to develop regulations for advanced nuclear reactors. Directing the DOE to improve its process for approving the export of American technology to international markets, while maintaining strong standards for nuclear non-proliferation.
Support development and deployment of new nuclear energy technologies by: Reducing regulatory costs for companies seeking to licence advanced nuclear reactor technologies. Creating a prize to incentivise the
successful deployment of next- generation reactor technologies. Requiring the NRC to develop a pathway to enable the timely licensing of microreactors and nuclear facilities at brownfield and retired fossil-fuel power generation sites. Directing the NRC to establish an accelerated licensing review process to site and construct reactors at existing nuclear sites.
Preserve existing nuclear energy by: Modernising outdated rules that restrict international investment.
Strengthen America’s nuclear energy fuel cycle and supply chain infrastructure by: Directing the NRC to enhance its ability to qualify and licence accident tolerant fuels and advanced nuclear fuels that can increase safety and economic competitiveness for existing reactors and the next generation of advanced reactors. Tasking the NRC to evaluate advanced
manufacturing techniques to build nuclear reactors better, faster, cheaper, and smarter.
Improve NRC resources and efficiency by: Providing flexibility for the NRC to better manage and invest its resources in activities that support NRC’s modernisation efforts and address staffing issues. Providing the NRC Chair with the tools to hire and retain exceptionally well- qualified individuals to successfully and safely review and process applications for advanced nuclear reactor licenses. Requiring the NRC to update its mission statement to reflect modern beneficial use of nuclear material and energy. Mandating the NRC to establish a licensing structure to support an efficient, timely, and predictable regulatory review. Charging the NRC to streamline the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) review process.
www.modernpowersystems.com | September 2024 | 27
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