(Metro photo)

By: Robert McTaggert

Updated: 8 hours ago / Posted Oct 27, 2023

Editor's note: This Speakout was submitted by Robert McTaggert, assistant department head, chemistry, biochemistry and physics atSouth Dakota State University.

Despite the growth of renewable energy, industries still rely upon fossil fuels for the energy intensity they require for manufacturing. This emits almost as much carbon as transportation does. The good news is that several new nuclear reactors can work with renewables to remove carbon emissions from industry.

Recently, the Dow corporation partnered with X-energy to plan the use of helium-cooled, graphite moderated pebble bed reactors (the Xe-100) by the end of the decade to avoid emitting carbon in some of its manufacturing processes.

The fuel and any resulting waste are trapped within ceramic pebbles that do not melt. Heat removal occurs passively, so there is no need to power emergency pumps with diesel generators. The safety measures are so robust that instead of the usual 10-mile radius for emergency planning, the safety perimeter has a radius of less than 400 meters.

The helium does not become radioactive in the reactor, and it is chemically inert. It allows for higher temperatures, greater efficiencies, and the generation of process heat for industrial use. It also offers flexibility to utilities by being able to reduce power from 100% to 40% in 12 minutes and follow electrical loads.

Nucor, the leading steel manufacturer in the USA, is partnering with NuScale to use their water-cooled small reactor to make steel without emitting carbon.

NuScale improves current reactor technology to deliver similar passive heat removal as well as the flexibility to work with renewables in a small physical footprint. The design is resilient to tornadoes and attack by electromagnetic pulse.

Another reactor of interest is the Natrium reactor by TerraPower that is supported by Bill Gates. Like the other reactors, it is suitable for replacing coal plants.

The reactor is sodium-cooled and paired with a molten salt energy storage system that can also store excess energy from renewables without batteries.

Microsoft is considering small nuclear reactors to help power its data centers and computational needs for artificial intelligence. Estimates are that the power demands of artificial intelligence will grow five-fold by 2028. Nuclear energy can help meet that demand with carbon-free electricity.

While there is much interest in using hydrogen to complement renewables like natural gas does, hydrogen has other uses. For instance, it can be combined with carbon dioxide to produce new drop-in biofuels. We can all but eliminate carbon emissions from hydrogen production if the electrolysis of water were powered by nuclear and renewable energy.

Renewables need help to eliminate carbon from industry. Lets build the new nuclear reactors that are cheaper to build, last a long time, significantly reduce waste, leave more land for agriculture, and are completely walk-away safe.

Originally posted here:
Brookings Register | Speakout: Decarbonize industry with nuclear ... - Brookings Register