A simultaneously “nuclear”, permanent, and in-time solution to mankinds energy-related problems would require the relatively rapid manufacture of 10, 000–30, 000 genuinely sustainable, full-sized (~1 GWe) reactors. This “nuclear renaissance” would have to be implemented with breeder reactors because todays commercial nuclear fuel cycle is unsustainable and based upon a fuel (235U) that is intrinsically expensive and politically problematic. The purpose of this paper is to point out why a simple/cheap “minimal reprocessing” implementation of the European Unions (EUs) molten salt fast reactor (MSFR) concept represents the most promising way to implement that technical fix: Its primary drawback is that it would require virtually everyone currently involved with managing, researching, implementing, regulating, or “helping” the USAs nuclear power industry to embrace a massive paradigm shift.
Abstract
A simultaneously “nuclear”, permanent, and in-time solution to mankinds energy-related problems would require the relatively rapid manufacture of 10, 000–30, 000 genuinely sustainable, full-sized (~1 GWe) reactors. This “nuclear renaissance” would have to be implemented [...]