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Small nuclear reactors could be the future of energy

NuScale’s SMR modules are 76 feet tall, 15 feet in diameter, and can generate 77 MW(e). They are made to be built in factories and shipped for the final installation. 0:00​ Introduction 0:27​ What are SMRs? 0:48​ Why Small Modular Reactors? 1:16 NuScale’s Modular Reactors 1:58 Interview with José Reyes, CEO of NuScale 2:34​ Clean…

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NuScale’s SMR modules are 76 feet tall, 15 feet in diameter, and can generate 77 MW(e). They are made to be built in factories and shipped for the final installation.

0:00​ Introduction
0:27​ What are SMRs?
0:48​ Why Small Modular Reactors?
1:16 NuScale’s Modular Reactors
1:58 Interview with José Reyes, CEO of NuScale
2:34​ Clean energy
4:08 Safety and waste
6:20​ Interview with Todd Allen, Chair of the Nuclear Engineering Department at the University of Michigan
7:04​ When will we see these SMRs in operation?

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This is a nuclear reactor, but it is not your
normal nuclear reactor.

It’s a Small Modular Reactor, and the company
behind it, called NuScale, wants to revolutionize

clean energy by providing simpler, cheaper,
and safer nuclear power.

Is that even possible?

Let’s take a look.

A Small Modular Reactor (SMR) is generally
defined as an advanced reactor that produces

up to 300 MW(e) per module.

They can be deployed alone or as part of a
plant with several modules, and are designed

to be built in factories and shipped wherever
they’re needed for the final installation.

A bigger nuclear reactor may be more cost effective,
but some markets don’t have the grid or

the capital to support a traditional nuclear
plant.

A small reactor may make sense in smaller
or more remote areas that want a dedicated

power supply that is not a fossil fuel.

Right now there are around 50 designs and
concepts for this kind of technology around the globe,

including a few in the US.

NuScale’s SMR is the first one to receive
design approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Their modules are 76 feet tall, 15 feet in
diameter, and can generate 77 MW(e).

These reactors can be combined in power plants
with four, six or twelve individual modules.

This is way less than the common gigawatt
sized nuclear facilities, but the idea is

that this scalable model can be deployed in
a much faster and cheaper way.

José Reyes, the CEO and cofounder of the company
and one of the designers, lists some of the advantages.

It’s all factory manufactured. So that means we can build the modules in a factory

and then you do the construction at the site, the civil construction, in parallel.

Instead of a five year construction
period we look immediately at a three year

construction period so it’s a greatly reduced
construction period.

It gives you greater financial certainty because
you know exactly how and when the modules

will be built and delivered.

And it also provides a lot of flexibility,
which we don’t have in the nuclear power industry

today.

So being able to load follow wind and solar,
for example, we built that capability into

our design.

Nuclear does not generate carbon emissions,
and this is key.

The concerns over climate change are becoming
more pressing, and nuclear provides energy

without the emissions that come with other
sources such as coal, or oil, or natural gas.

And while it’s true that wind and solar
have become more and more affordable in recent

years, it’s unclear that transitioning to
100% renewable energy is feasible, at least

in the short term.

Experts definitely disagree.

Let’s get some background here.

At the end of 2020, the US had 94
operating commercial nuclear reactors, with

an average age of about 39 years.

That means, they’re getting old.

In recent years, several power plants have
been retired and the newer projects

are not something that you would
call exactly successful.

In 2017, the construction of two new reactors
in South Carolina stopped after years of delays

and overscosts.

Another two planned reactors in Georgia are
still under construction, but they have also

accumulated delays and cost overruns.

Nuclear is still a very polarizing subject.

A poll this year by the Pew Research Center
showed that most Americans say that reducing

the effects of climate change needs to be
a top priority, and a majority favor expanding

solar and wind.

When it comes to nuclear, support and opposition
go almost half and half.

Safety is one of the main concerns, and it’s
not an unreasonable one, if you remember the

Fukushima and Chernobyl disasters, or here
in the US, the Three Mile Island accident.

Going back to Small Modular reactors and to
NuScale, José Reyes, who also worked for nearly

ten years as a research engineer in the Reactor
Safety Division of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, says that this has been a main
part of their design, and that the smaller

size also helps.

Under the worst case conditions,

the reactors will safely shut down without
any operator action without the need for any

AC or DC power and remain cooled for an unlimited
period of time

without the need to add water so that’s a
huge breakthrough in the industry and we’re

the first ones to do that in terms of the
commercial nuclear power industry.

Let’s say, something does happen, you have
a one in a billion year event, what would

happen to the plant and what would happen
to the surroundings?

And what we found was that, under those worst
case conditions, you know, once in a billion

year event that you damage your fuel,

we don’t exceed the regulatory doses at the
site boundary. So instead of the large ten mile

radius around the plant, which is typically
required for a emergency planning zone, we’re

at the fence, we’re at the site boundary.

Waste is the other main concern, and one that
hasn’t been fully solved, although the total

amount is relatively small compared to the
energy produced.

Used fuel can actually be reused but part
of it will still need to be stored and disposed

safely.

Of course, convincing regulators is one thing,
but the general public is another.

Internationally, the situation and the views
toward nuclear vary a lot country by country,

and some places like Germany already decided years
ago that they would stop using it.

In the US, president Biden’s administration
has expressed support for nuclear as an element

to meet its climate goals.

The department of Energy has specifically
supported the development of small modular

reactors.

The reactions are varied.

Todd Allen is a Professor and Chair of the
Nuclear Engineering Department at the University

of Michigan.

An engineer saying, my system is safe, and

a community saying, they’re happy having the
system there, are two totally different questions.

So I think that has to be proven also.

And if people get comfortable with the fact
that small reactors have a different hazard

then you might see them in more places.

So I think every country is going to be different…

But I would say, compared to twenty years ago,
I think more of them are more willing to think

about nuclear…

I think the fact that SMRs are moving towards
deployment will bring some people, some countries

into that discussion.

Right now, NuScale is looking at 2029 to see
its first SMR power plant in operation, in

Idaho Falls.

This is part of an initiative lead by the
Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, but

the company is in conversations with other
entities and possible customers, not only

here, but around the world, so this could potentially
happen sooner.

So what are your thoughts on nuclear and these
small modular reactors?

Is this how we solve climate change?

Leave your thoughts in the comments and check
CNET for more videos about the future

of energy.

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80 Comments

80 Comments

  1. CNET

    October 20, 2021 at 4:02 pm

    What are your thoughts on SMR and nuclear energy? What should we do to fight climate change? Let us know in the comments!

    • Marvin Gershowitz

      October 20, 2021 at 4:09 pm

      I know people who have investment in this Tech for Many Years rubbing their hands together to see it replace the FIRE HYDRANT on every block.

    • Rahul

      October 20, 2021 at 4:23 pm

      Whats wrong with this overtly thickish/obnoxious accent

    • mbarbe007

      October 21, 2021 at 6:15 am

      @Rahul she’s not an IG / TikToker / content creator. This is a scientific advancement news report. English might not be her first language and so what, the content is amazing. 🙄🤦🏻‍♂️

    • Altus Talent

      October 21, 2021 at 10:50 am

      My gosh the thickness of that accent. Definitely nothing ambiguous about it’s ethnic origin. I’d purposely make her explain literally everything to me and then tell her I didn’t understand a thing so she can just keep talking forever.

    • Bob Schrempp

      October 21, 2021 at 1:31 pm

      I say it is about time, yes 100%, go go go.

    • Eric Meyer

      October 21, 2021 at 2:23 pm

      Conventional nuclear set world records for most energy added per person per year back in the 80s in Sweden and France. They decarbonized their entire grids in under 15 years. SMRs could be even faster and may be the only way we can limit global warming AND eliminate energy poverty at the same time.

    • VAMobMember

      October 21, 2021 at 6:26 pm

      Great idea, never going to happen. Libs don’t want America to ave cheap power

    • Daniel Larson

      October 22, 2021 at 2:19 am

      @Daniel DeMaio If they are going to be powering a conventional steam turbine – generator, the water will be needed for the condenser. This cools the water that goes through the steam turbine. By the time they are building the power plants for purposes such as you envision, they should be well established.

    • Daniel DeMaio

      October 22, 2021 at 4:04 am

      @Daniel Larson I thought they were using helium.

  2. Nouel Toma

    October 20, 2021 at 7:40 pm

    SMOLL RRREACTORR!!

  3. Matt Acosta

    October 20, 2021 at 7:42 pm

    Idaho?

  4. Akash Singh

    October 20, 2021 at 7:46 pm

    Is she Spanish ? The accent seems to.

  5. ɌJ

    October 20, 2021 at 7:52 pm

    Why do I love her already…

  6. Rocket Rob

    October 20, 2021 at 8:15 pm

    Those R’s are doing a lot more than just rolling. Very attention-grabbing.

  7. Highly Suggestible

    October 20, 2021 at 8:16 pm

    What do you call a small group of reactors?
    YouTubers. ✌🏻

  8. me-click Ltd

    October 20, 2021 at 8:59 pm

    My dreams are coming true, small NUC is the future

  9. Steven Mancera

    October 20, 2021 at 8:59 pm

    What will happen to the Nuclear Waste in it, on this smaller scale ones

    • Hadeks Marow

      October 21, 2021 at 12:43 am

      Yeah, I don’t get it either. How can you call this clean if it still leaves waste?!

  10. Ian

    October 20, 2021 at 9:00 pm

    Rrrrrrrrrooooollllllle all de rrrrrrrrrssss

  11. Richard Gray

    October 20, 2021 at 9:27 pm

    wish nukler go away like some power all go away

  12. Richard Gray

    October 20, 2021 at 9:28 pm

    such bullcrap clean energy lets break down lie nukler waste never goes away could get in water killing millions out most know it quit lieing

  13. Richard Gray

    October 20, 2021 at 9:35 pm

    i keep reading comments of people have little brains saying great idea wow why dont we make drinks with nuke waste in it prepare kids for fallout these idiotic ideas make more nuke plants

  14. Booty

    October 20, 2021 at 9:36 pm

    Them r’s be rollin

  15. The purdy channel

    October 20, 2021 at 9:37 pm

    Molten salt reactors are great

  16. D K

    October 20, 2021 at 9:58 pm

    Shinra corp has logged into the chat

  17. emdec55

    October 20, 2021 at 10:02 pm

    ArrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriba

  18. revisionfour

    October 20, 2021 at 10:07 pm

    I feel like I’m being attacked by Rs.

  19. Robert Eagles

    October 20, 2021 at 10:12 pm

    And who’s going to protect it from terrorists

  20. Ira Berkowitz

    October 20, 2021 at 11:31 pm

    Don’t know about the tech or appropriateness of use. But fun to learn about. TY.

  21. crazymohawk86

    October 21, 2021 at 12:03 am

    I think these will excel in space exploration. These will be more likely suited for space colonies like the Moon Mars where else will go

  22. Moises Harari

    October 21, 2021 at 12:46 am

    This is how frostpunk started :v

  23. codprawn

    October 21, 2021 at 12:54 am

    Rolls Royce are launching these. Why no mention of them? They have decades of experience building SMRs for nuclear submarines. Rolls Royce have been pushing them for years but the anti nuclear lobby has been too strong. Finally people are waking up.

  24. Mariachee Bandidos

    October 21, 2021 at 1:04 am

    cool southern accent

  25. James Diaz

    October 21, 2021 at 1:09 am

    Probably shouldn’t have thrown away my opportunity to get into the Navy Nuclear program 🙁

  26. Ezra Mantini

    October 21, 2021 at 8:44 am

    Let’s bet. If this works well, they are taking one to power mars aboard Elon musk starship

  27. Adi Dsgn

    October 21, 2021 at 8:57 am

    They resemble my fictional “Neutron Power Cell ” that powers my fictional concept robots and cars. Design concept that i did in the year 2014.

  28. Marley Momo

    October 21, 2021 at 9:26 am

    I rreally loved herr prresentation.. 😂 errrr..

  29. Joseph Rotello

    October 21, 2021 at 10:24 am

    Be prepared to stop talking about, as has been for perhaps the past 35+ years, and start doing. 2. Safety first, have you contacted Oak Ridge National Laboratory (through UT-Battelle, LLC – a collaboration between Battelle and the University of Tennessee) to discuss any certification ? 3. Can you demonstrate unit, safety and actual application to the American people ?

  30. SunnyD88

    October 21, 2021 at 11:19 am

    lol like the eco fascists pushing solar and wind and the big oil companies are ever gonna let this happen

  31. Ben Jamin

    October 21, 2021 at 11:22 am

    Rrrrrrrr-Egulian!

  32. husseyn

    October 21, 2021 at 11:39 am

    i love how she says “nuclear reactor”

  33. tikslolo

    October 21, 2021 at 11:41 am

    Fallout

  34. Boko Gigani

    October 21, 2021 at 11:53 am

    Her accent for my ears like a nuclear reactor.

  35. Bob Schrempp

    October 21, 2021 at 1:31 pm

    I say yes to SMR, it is about time.

  36. Martin Dubé

    October 21, 2021 at 3:16 pm

    What about the required employees to run them!? How many does a unit needs to be operated? Do they need to be nuclear specialists or local John can be trained to ru them?

    But over all yes, small and modular, that is the future. I was thinking about the same approach for fossile fuel refineries, instead of relying on those few giant refineries in the Mexican golf why not have it in a container size form that can be shipped across the globe like in northern Canada.

  37. paxus calta

    October 21, 2021 at 4:05 pm

    SMR is a joke. It holds almost all of the problems of conventional reactors (expensive, inflexible, complex and thus error prone, proliferation risks, waste handling problems). AND because it is small, it does not enjoy economies of scale. Conventional reactors are uncompetitive. SMRs are more expensive per KWhr than conventional reactors. Stick with wind, solar and predictive software and batteries, cheaper, faster, cleaner and less likely to kill people you might care for.

  38. logical spartan

    October 21, 2021 at 7:37 pm

    Mass produce them and use them for desalination plants too.

  39. Chan

    October 21, 2021 at 8:20 pm

    still not feasable.. everything is a pipe dream. against fossil fuel companies and Politions invested into those companies this is not going to win. plus we still do not have a place to store the used material how ever small. Cost against Natural Gas ya its never going to get close to trying to beat it.

  40. David Burgess

    October 21, 2021 at 9:14 pm

    SMRs have been the basis for my sustainability project to multitask desalinating seawater and provide energy to the grid. The ability to load follow with renewable energy sources opens up so much more possibilities for climate mitigation and security for developing countries.

  41. Chris Conklin

    October 21, 2021 at 9:20 pm

    The US Navy has 83 small nuclear reactors located in it’s naval ships. I find it interesting that this small nuclear technology has never been applied ashore. I am not saying that we should get rid of nuclear, there maybe places for it. But, dollar for dollar our money is best spend on solar, wind, distributed generation, hydro power(geothermal, tidal), distribution, and grid scale storage.

    • Daniel Larson

      October 22, 2021 at 2:29 am

      You know – If they can crank these things out in goodly quantities, they may not be so expensive and not cover the large amount of land that solar would require.

    • Chris Conklin

      October 22, 2021 at 9:11 am

      @Daniel Larson Nuclear energy has always been a promise, and if private funding is willing to invest then do so and not just being a marketing scheme. For me both private and public money should go to the technologies I list above. As to the space taken by said technologies, it is not as much as you think, especially when you consider distributed solar on the roof tops. The biggest problems are the storage and distribution of renewable energy over long distances. The technology (HVDC) exists, but there is resistance to more powerlines. The point here is that the sun, wind, and water are always available somewhere.

    • Daniel Larson

      October 22, 2021 at 1:05 pm

      @Chris Conklin More than a promise – The US has generated 20 percent of it’s electricity from nuclear for many years. It is not right to penalize a valid solution to global warming by denying government funding. Nuclear should also receive the generous tax breaks given to other technologies. This is not to deny the other technologies. Do not deny people the choice of nuclear. They should be free to choose many options to save the planet. Do not deny people the progress that can be achieved by this technology that is a reality and not a promise.

    • Chris Conklin

      October 22, 2021 at 2:40 pm

      @Daniel Larson You say: ” Do not deny people the choice of nuclear. ” I have been careful not to denigrate nuclear energy. My position is that our resources would be better spent on other renewables. Yes, continue the research, but cutout the nuclear industry’s marketing hype.

  42. Log Dog

    October 21, 2021 at 9:26 pm

    “Its pronounced Nu-clea-rrrrrrrrr”

    – Homer Simpson, probably

  43. Design Dojo

    October 21, 2021 at 10:04 pm

    her accent ❤

  44. The Arisen

    October 21, 2021 at 10:07 pm

    Nuclear is actually already very safe. It’s deaths per KW is better than all other energy sources at 90 per KW compared to 150 per KW for Wind & 440 per KW for Solar. I think Nuclear’s unmatched reliability needs to also get more press as it’s 92.5% reliability is a huge deal. Wind is at 35.4% & Solar is 24.9%.

  45. Owen Chua

    October 21, 2021 at 10:35 pm

    Neewclearrr rrrreeaacter!

  46. Ahmad Zaim Hilmi

    October 21, 2021 at 11:16 pm

    Much like plastic waste, pretty we’re gonna have to ship nuclear waste out somewhere.

  47. 0tube0user

    October 21, 2021 at 11:28 pm

    Any nuclear plant must be disassembled at the of its life and buried, even future fusion reactors. As more reactors, even as these seemingly safe reactor, more mining will need to be mined and refined. More nuclear waste will come into the existing waste stream and escape into the environment. Pros and cons will meet at demand of energy with need defining the risks society will take to supply energy.

  48. Chronokun

    October 21, 2021 at 11:50 pm

    SMRs are cool, so are big reactors, so are MMRs

    I hope the smaller scale helps them to penetrate the market faster and bring costs down, but looking at the timelines with the first plant not scheduled to be complete until the end of the decade, I worry the regulatory environment has already killed them before they had a chance

  49. Verse

    October 22, 2021 at 12:54 am

    It’s hard to understand what she’s saying with her huge accent… HORRIBLE english.

  50. Hector Manuel Turbi Castillo

    October 22, 2021 at 4:00 am

    I love her and all of her old videos on cnet en Español.

  51. Jimmy Rice

    October 22, 2021 at 5:25 am

    I want a nuke-sniffer reactors

  52. srikar k

    October 22, 2021 at 6:02 am

    If SMR’s are really safe as advertised then this can be an alternative to fossil fuel plants. We have Solar and Wind for electricity generation but in order to expedite the process of being independent of fossil fuels, we need to include SMR’s as well. Also, we need to come up with ways to utilize spent nuclear fuel, like nuclear batteries which last for thousands of years.

  53. vivek praseed

    October 22, 2021 at 8:12 am

    Can’t one or more of these be put into spacex’s BFR to power an ion propulsion engine. Wouldn’t the acceleration be enough to get the BFR into the nearest star?

  54. Jason Whittle

    October 22, 2021 at 10:48 am

    Nuclear is the future. The only reason is is not already is because Mr.Burns was the face of Nuclear. This lady will trigger the least number of people possible.

  55. JSerenity

    October 22, 2021 at 10:50 am

    I hope they succeed. We are getting ridiculously power hungry species

  56. Alejandro IG

    October 22, 2021 at 11:11 am

    RRRRRReactor

  57. Joe

    October 22, 2021 at 12:34 pm

    I suppose the REAL question isn’t “do you support nuclear power”, it’s “do you support nuclear power in YOUR county or town”. If that survey question has very weak support (I suspect it does) then you’re going to have a hard time with SMRs. 

    You need a large number of small sites, rather than a small number of large sites… that’s a lot of paperwork and red tape in counties across America that will be keen to push back against this. I support SMRs assuming they receive regulator approval, but I don’t see society trending towards trusting professionals and regulators more in the near future.

  58. Lawlzinator

    October 22, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    Good that people are finally admitting that nuclear is really the only way forward. Solar and wind are expensive and inefficient

  59. Katsufumi Wang

    October 22, 2021 at 3:11 pm

    ASMRRRRR > SMR

  60. Brian Embry

    October 22, 2021 at 4:51 pm

    It is about damn time!!! Nuclear is the answer. I am pro wind and solar, but the technology just isn’t there for a HUGE scale rollout. I thinkl that nuclear is the best short term solutions.

  61. icyliciousblue

    October 23, 2021 at 12:20 pm

    reactorrrrrrrrrr 😜

  62. Ashik Antu

    October 23, 2021 at 12:50 pm

    Her R’s are more powerful than a nuclear bomb itself 😌

  63. Mihai

    October 23, 2021 at 1:51 pm

    That accent makes me wanna close the video …

  64. Chinedu Nwokeafor

    October 23, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    We need more from her! I love her voice!

  65. tomble womble

    October 23, 2021 at 3:03 pm

    I want my ringtone to be her saying “Nuclear Reactor”.

  66. Wilson

    October 23, 2021 at 9:25 pm

    Next Christmas, Opera will give her entire audience modular nuclear reactors

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