Idaho National Laboratory (INL) plans to build a fast neutron testing reactor that will produce ten times more energy, and its waste will be easier to manage, an article published by Forbes says.
According to the article writer, Dr. James Conca, who is a scientist specializing in energy-related research, the Senate and the House have already had the corresponding bills, which imply financing the creation of such a reactor. Most likely, he notes, the bill will pass.
Mr. Conca has listed a number of reasons why the project should be implemented — from economic efficiency to national security. The development of the nuclear industry will change the way electricity is produced worldwide, ensuring reliable electricity 24 hours a day over the course of a thousand years. Such reactors cannot melt, they are modular, cheaper and durable, with a service life amounting to a hundred years. What draws public attention is waste though. In this respect, the fast neutron reactor is particularly good, as it is capable of burning old waste and generating ten times more energy.
And this is what the Chinese and Russians are already constructing, Mr. Conca stresses. Therefore, he writes, it will be wise if the US creates its own testing reactor on fast neutrons. This mission, according to the author, should be performed by Idaho National Laboratory as the country’s leading laboratory engaged in nuclear energy research.
“We also shouldn’t be beholden to Russia in light of their ongoing attacks against our energy infrastructure”, Mr. Conca insists. “Fortunately, they could not get into our nuclear plant control rooms, and all new reactor designs make sure they won’t in the future either,” he said.
