Laying the Foundation for Advanced Nuclear Reactors

The world confronts an existential challenge in responding to climate change, resulting in an urgent need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. While there will certainly be increased dependence on renewable energy, other low-carbon technologies must play a role.

Nuclear power provides a significant portion of the world’s low-carbon electricity and it is widely recognized that existing nuclear power plants are essential to meeting carbon-reduction targets. Many companies are pursuing development of advanced reactor technologies and targeting demonstration and deployment in coming years. The vendors claim that the new designs offer improved safety, lower cost, shorter construction times, and increased operational flexibility. For some technologies there is also the potential for higher thermal efficiency, higher temperature operation (opening opportunities for process heat applications), greater fuel utilization, stronger security, improved proliferation resistance, and reduced need for regulatory constraints on deployment. If achieved, these outcomes would be significant, with the result that advanced reactors could be an important component of our energy future.

If advanced reactors are to play such a role, there is a need to consider the uncertainties bearing on future deployment. The uncertainties encompass the evolution of energy policy, comparative economics with other energy technologies, future energy demand and the structure of the grid, societal preferences, and the prospect of using nuclear energy for purposes beyond electricity generation. Uncertainties also arise from the need to provide strong assurance of safety and security, regulatory hurdles, international market opportunities, waste disposition, nonproliferation concerns, and the availability of fuel and necessary supply chains. It is important to address these uncertainties now to the extent possible to lay a foundation so that advanced reactors can contribute to resolution of the climate challenge.