Small nuclear reactors could replace fossil plants after key supply win
Each micromodular nuclear reactor has a capacity of 1 MWe but can be scaled up to generate 1 GW of power.
Terra Innovatum Global N.V., an Italian developer of micro-modular reactors, has confirmed that it has secured its supply chain for both critical and non-critical components for its SOLO reactor unit. This is a major milestone for the company as it prepares to deploy its uniquely sized nuclear reactor starting in 2028.
As the world looks to move away from fossil fuels, non-carbon-emitting alternatives are being sought. Nuclear fusion energy might be a few years away from being commercially viable, but fission energy, which has been around for decades, can also perform this role.
Instead of building large-scale fission reactors, which are often accompanied by time and cost overruns, efforts are underway to switch to small modular reactors (SMR) that can be built at scale at a central facility and deployed easily worldwide.
With the SOLO, Terra Innovatum is going a step further by building micromodular nuclear reactors with extremely small footprints, making them even easier to deploy.
What is SOLO?
Conceptualized in 2018, SOLO has been in development ever since, with over six years of intense engineering efforts to bring it closer to reality. Last year, Interesting Engineering reported that the reactor design had been submitted to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a safety review.
The reactor design is unique because it uses off-the-shelf components, which can deliver cost-effectiveness and rapid deployment. Additionally, it offers fuel flexibility by supporting both LEU+ and HALEU, allowing the reactor to transition to newer fuels when they become available.
The nuclear reactor has a maximum capacity of 1 MWe but, given its modular design, can be scaled up to deliver up to 1 GW of power. With a small footprint, these reactors are ideal replacements for fossil-fuel-powered thermal power plants and can be configured to deliver electricity, heat, or both to industrial processes in off-grid or mini-grid settings.
Securing the supply chain
In a recent press release, the company confirmed that it had secured the supply chain for both critical and non-critical components for its SOLO reactor. The critical components include nuclear-grade components such as the pressure vessel, cooling tubes, control and shutdown mechanisms, instrumentation, and controls, as well as the reactor fuel.
These are the highest barriers to entry for nuclear reactor construction. Securing the supply chain for these demonstrates Terra Innovatum’s manufacturing and deployment readiness. The company has also secured the supply chain for non-nuclear grade components.
While the entry barrier for these may not be high, they are mission-critical as well. These include helium circulators, turbines, steam generators, pumps, and instrumentation and controls for the reactor’s power and heat generation.
“Our progress across both the nuclear and non-nuclear supply chain reflects disciplined engineering and a design philosophy centered on execution and on exploiting consolidated R&D and past experience”, said Marco Cherubini, Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer & Product Director in the press release.
“This momentum strengthens our path toward commercialisation and reinforces Terra Innovatum’s role in producing and delivering the next generation of scalable, reliable energy solutions.”
Put one in Kaikohe. Now.
sorry to disappoint you T but its a nuclear power plant, not a nuclear bomb. but dont worry im sure the local native population will ensure the place looks and feels as if it has been nuked
Tarquin
A great idea, but unless the local weather patterns change it is unlikely happen in NZ!
In the early 1960’s (!961 from memory), the-then NZ Electricity Dept, investigated the use of Nuclear fusion as a possible source of electricity generation in NZ, eventually concluding that, to make best use of the process and to enable the electricity to be conveyed to Auckland and Whangarei in the most economical manner, the ideal location was at the southern end of the Kaipara Peninsula – where the RNZAF live-firing range was/ is located.
This site had everything going for it – isolation, availability of cooling water and it would be on otherwise ‘useless’ land.
Great was the enthusiasm for the site!
Until however someone (With the 1957 Sellarfield nuclear power station disaster in mind) asked, ‘What happens if there is a reactor failure at the proposed site? Where would the radiation cloud go’?
Hadn’t thought of that!
A review of the area’s meteorology followed, with particular emphasis on the area’s seasonal wind flows, and it was eventually determined that, in Winter (when the prevailing winds are from the Antarctic), any radiation cloud would go Northwards (over Whangarei, Kaikohe, most of Northland, then out into the Pacific), while in Summer (the ‘Hurricane Season’ – when winds come down from the Pacific), a radiation cloud would drift Southwards, over Auckland, then Hamilton and, eventually, would even reach Wellington..
This was definitely NOT a good thing!
As weather patterns don’t change to any degree, the winds could not be altered, and as a result it was decided that the project was simply not viable, especially as there was no way to predict or prevent reactor failure (The subsequent Three-mile Island, and Chernobyl failures only serving to emphasis the point).
Essentially, over time, little has changed, no ‘absolutely fail-safe’ nuclear reactor has so far been built’ and the possibility of reactor failure still exists.
Solve THAT particular problem and nuclear power generation in NZ MIGHT become viable, but until then…
sounds ideal.
But let’s be sensible. We have had nuclear-powered submarines, aircraft carriers and Russia, (always the leader), has nuclear powered Ice breakers.
https://www.virtuemarine.nl/post/arktika-nuclear-icebreaker-a-marvel-of-engineering
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xdohpKdQN8Y
Fusion technology will overtake this in time for local energy.
Back late 50’s, the DSIR guys at Gracefield were talking about mini stations. Bloody brilliant guys. as a young fellow used to listen to them all talking. So not a new concept, but other things like hydro took all the money oh and stem from Wairakei.
Did you know that the most resistantmetal to the Wairakei steam was gold.
As for fusion, there is a group of guys in wellington very well advanced with this.
Waiheke island, sounds like a good place!
Sooty
So you’re not a fan of Jaffastan then?
(Asking for a friend).
Don’t they all live or have a batch at Waiheke island!
More details at https://www.terrainnovatum.com/ The entire reactor is a 10 x 10 metre cube so the perfect site would be adjacent to deep water where the entire plant could be deep sixed in the very unlikely event of a thermal runaway.
Other interesting points about the “SOLO MICRO-MODULAR REACTOR”:
#. It requires no emergency zone area.
#. The manufacturers claim a cost of $0.07/kWh (levelised)
#. 15/45 Years refueling Intervals.
Nimbys should be given the option of freezing to death in the dark.
Yep
we don’t need to worry about corruption entering NZ
so long as we all learn to be corrupt
then we can feel good about ourselves you dumb left fuckheads
.. yes yes correct, quite prepared to offer my tutorage
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
oh yeah and
light up the electrons baby
no we dont.
itll take 20yrs to build one here, be 80x over budget and end up with crippling power bills to pay for it. even modular we will somehow get screwed and itll cost us 300billion just to get iwi approval.
we just need more hydro. build a couple of big dams and a few dosent run of the river types aswell. fuck the greens, just do what muldoon done with think big and just get the fuck on with it.
screw the alpine fault, just dam some big rivers on the coast. the haast/landborough, arawhata, whataroa etc. if theres a big quake theres not much population at risk, theres noone to really have to buyout and its all unproductive land except for a few thousand hereford cattle getting grazed on the flats.
A plasma reactor is so much safer and requires no fuel, thats no radiation at all.
It harnesses the power of the sun, its backwards compatible with steam technology, so can be added to dams and coal fired power stations, fits in a container and can be utilized anywhere, in short no Greenies gonna be able to squeak pollution.
Oh bye the way the suns a giant plasma reactor not a nuclear reactor in space, we live in an electric universe