2 ms·
It's great to see more thinking, that said, the issue with Nuclear is 'proliferation' which greatly increases risk. I'm very skeptical of microreactors from th
by jollybean 5y ago
It's great to see more thinking, that said, the issue with Nuclear is 'proliferation' which greatly increases risk.
I'm very skeptical of microreactors from that perspective: lower overhead, smaller businesses don't have the economies of scale to have all of risks mitigated. Surely most of them well, but it's the 1% 'cutting corners' that makes it a problem.
A whole host of other problems arise in the more expansive categories, but at least at a certain scale, I think there can be more comprehensive oversight, down to having 1 or 2 regulators on site at all times. I think there are only 50 Nuclear reactors operational in the US, so that's limited scale.
Especially in developing countries with weak oversight, it keeps the bar high.
A large nuclear facility in Mexico that happened to be near Gang Turf ... if there was a problem the Federales could step in and worst case scenario literally US Marines.
But 1000's of mini nuclear facilities all over North America ... that should give us pause to contemplate the systematic risk.
And FYI spent nuclear fuel also sits at these installations for some time as well. How much security can be justified at a tiny, 'micro facility' vs. a more mainstream facility?
I wonder if even this reactor design passes muster, if the actual construction and operation of such a facility would also pass muster ...