UK MOVING AHEAD WITH SMALL MODULAR NUCLEAR REACTORS

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Britain’s nuclear regulators have approved early designs for small modular reactors (SMRs) developed by Rolls-Royce SMR as a first step towards significantly expanding the UK’s nuclear power capabilities.

The firm is offering a different approach to delivering new nuclear power that is easier to scale and more affordable than building larger nuclear power plants. 

It’s an approach that aims to deliver an entirely factory-built nuclear power plant that would be transported as modules and assembled on-site, radically reducing construction activity and making the SMRs a commodifiable product.

The previous government had an ambition to increase nuclear capacity in the UK from around 6GW to up to 24GW by 2050, as set out in the 2022 British energy security strategy.

The SMRs designed by Rolls-Royce will only provide around 470MWe of energy, but are significantly cheaper than major plants like the upcoming Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C. 

The Environment Agency, Office for Nuclear Regulation and Natural Resources Wales confirmed that the firm has completed step 2 of a generic design assessment (GDA).

The GDA process assesses new nuclear power plant designs for deployment in the UK, demonstrating they can be built, operated and decommissioned in accordance with strict regulations on safety, security, safeguards and environmental protection.

Step 2 of the GDA began in April 2023, and since the design has now been approved, it can move onto step 3 which will entail more detailed scrutiny.

 Saffron Price-Finnerty, the Environment Agency’s new reactors programme manager, said: “Our team of specialist assessors have worked diligently to assess hundreds of submissions and documents provided by Rolls-Royce SMR Limited and attended numerous technical meetings with the company.

“We have not currently identified any significant issues or concerns with the design and Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has been able to demonstrate that environmental protection and radioactive waste management are key areas of focus for its developing design.”

Rolls-Royce SMR said that today’s announcement puts it ahead of any other SMR manufacturer in Europe.

Helena Perry, Rolls-Royce SMR’s safety director, said: “The completion of step 2 of the GDA is the most important milestone to date in advancing deployment of Rolls-Royce SMRs in the UK.

“We have built fantastic momentum, and the team will move directly into step 3 of this rigorous independent assessment of our technology – ideally positioning us to deliver low-carbon nuclear power and support the UK transition to net zero.”

However, four companies, GE Hitachi, Holtec, Westinghouse (Canada), and Rolls Royce SMR have been shortlisted following two rounds of assessment by GBN, the government’s expert nuclear delivery body.

GBN will negotiate with all four before final tenders are submitted, with final decisions to be taken in the spring.

Each of the four designs was subject to a robust analysis to reach this stage. GBN has evaluated each technology, including aspects such as safety, deliverability, and their ability to support development of a fleet of SMRs. GBN considers the designs, each of which is proceeding through the UK’s regulatory process, are viable options for development. Subject to negotiations, GBN consider any one of these designs would be fit to use in the UK nuclear programme.     

GBN’s Chair, Simon Bowen said, ‘This is a significant moment for the SMR programme. Our technical experts have assessed each design in detail and are very confident these SMRs could play a key role in the UK’s future energy.

Once again this news strengthens Peter Dutton’s proposal for Australia to include nuclear in our energy supply mix.

ARE WIND FARMS, SOLAR, AND BATTERIES OUR BEST ENERGY OPTIONS?

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“The Extinction Rebellion types who like gluing themselves to roads are right about one thing. It makes no logical sense to rail against coal and gas like Bowen does and yet export it to major ‘polluters’ like China and India. If you truly believe that CO2 will cause a climate catastrophe or global ‘boiling’ then why would you extract and export the stuff to be used by others, while investing $billions (perhaps $trillions) in solar panels and windmills imported from China in particular who has burnt our carbon to make the panels and windmills?

“And why would you cover thousands of square kilometres of our arable land and wildlife habitat with solar panels, windmills, and transmission corridors Doesn’t this mean we are actually paying China to pollute and destroy our wildlife and the planet? And if you don’t believe that the planet is going to boil then why spend all that money on Chinese imports when we could just burn the carbon ourselves in our own power stations? Doesn’t this seem mad? The logic of Labor is so conflicted that we are willing to impoverish ourselves for nothing. Indeed it is mad.”

“Bowen asserts that an SMR (small modular reactor) would cost $5 billion. Well, that means we could build at least 4 SMRs that would be hooked to the existing grid and generate at least 1GWh of electricity on 24/7 basis for 60-80 years! Bowen has not been keeping up with what Rolls Royce SMR is doing.

Rolls-Royce SMR will move away from the high cost and high-risk complex construction programme principles into predictable factory-built commodities. Approximately 90% of manufacturing and assembly activities are carried out in factory conditions, helping to maintain an extremely high-quality product – reducing on-site disruption and supporting international roll out.

“An equivalent solar farm would need to have a theoretical output of 3+GW and would need replacing at least 4 times in addition to the $20+billion for rewiring. These are your figures – nuclear is a bargain.”

SMALL MODULAR NUCLEAR REACTORS ARE THE WAY TO GO FOR AUSTRALIA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD. If that is the case then I suggest you look at investing in the two companies that look set to dominate this market. BWX Technologies and Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd. Westinghouse is also developing the “eVinci” Small Micro Reactor so it may be worth your while following its progress.

Whilst my calling is to alert the world to what God has next for this world – Jesus Millennial Kingdom, I could not resist bringing this opportunity to the followers of http://www.livingeternal.net. God has given me a talent for business and I am sure that Jesus will use me in business during His Millennial reign in some capacity. What about you, have you ever thought about how Jesus may use you during His Millennial reign on this earth? Remember, the curse has not been lifted, people are still born and die and Jesus and the Saints need to rule with a rod of iron. Remember, also that Satan is bound for most of the thousand years but when he is released he is still able to raise an army, their number like the sand of the sea, to come against Jesus and the Saints.

What is next on God’s agenda is not the new heaven and the new earth where only the righteous dwell.