New nuclear plant design could be as cost efficient as natural gas

MIT Technology Review : A new design for a nuclear plant proposed by General Atomics has the potential to be cost competitive with natural-gas plants. Besides being smaller than current nuclear reactors, the new design is also more efficient due to the use of helium as a coolant, which allows for higher operating temperatures. The reactor also incorporates a new gas turbine design. General Atomics claims that the reactor will have a 53% heat-to-electricity conversion rate, which is significantly higher than the 32% efficiency of current plants. And, by using much of the normal byproducts as further fuel, the reactors would also reduce the amount of waste generated. The company claims the design is much safer than that of existing plants because, in the case of a power failure, the reactor will shut down and cool without needing to continuously pump coolant. However, the company’s claim that the new design will cut the cost of nuclear power by as much as 40% has been called unrealistic. General Atomics is applying for a Department of Energy grant with which it hopes to be able to commercialize the reactor within 12 years.