Bobby now this might be a bit more encouraging for you as it seems to be fair dinkum.A Thorium Molten Salt Reactor When and Where You Need It05/01/2019 | James M. Hylko
ThorConIsle is an offshore 500-MWe thorium molten salt reactor constructed inside a ship’s hull, ready to provide power from navigable waterways. The ThorCon “pot” operates at a pressure of 3 bar gauge, similar to garden hose pressure, has one moving part—the pump impeller—and uses a four-loop steam cycle, attaining 45% efficiency. The design could be a game-changer for the nuclear industry.Numerous factors are considered when screening candidate sites to construct and operate a land-based nuclear plant. Important site characteristics (such as access to cooling water, distances to large population centers, and seismic activity in the area) are verified through field reconnaissance, and weighting factors are combined with decision-analysis methods to differentiate and select acceptable sites. The process appears straightforward, but the subjective nature of balancing environmental amenities against economics, social benefits, and other agendas can create indefinite delays. A reasonable alternative to accommodate these desired site characteristics is to look offshore.
ThorConIsle
POWER has previously reported on Indonesia’s interest in ThorCon’s thorium molten salt reactors (see “Indonesia Considers Thorium Molten Salt Reactors” in the May 2017 issue and online at powermag.com). ThorCon co-founder, Robert Hargraves, recently spoke to POWER and provided an update on ThorConIsle, an offshore 500-MWe nuclear plant (Figure 1).
Figure 1. This plan view of ThorConIsle (with dimensions in meters) shows the fission island on the left, which takes up about one-third of the ship’s total length, turbine hall in the center, and gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) hall on the right. Pre-fabricated, modular power blocks are encapsulated inside the hull using a shipyard-style assembly process. Courtesy: ThorCon
Surface and submerged offshore nuclear plants have operated for decades, specifically by the U.S. Navy’s fleet of aircraft carriers and submarines, among others. A civilian example is the Academik Lomonosov floating nuclear plant, which is being deployed to provide power in Pevek, Russia (see “Novel Floating Power Plants on the Horizon” in the December 2018 issue).
There is also an extensive history with sodium-cooled reactors. The Los Alamos Molten Plutonium Reactor Experiment (LAMPRE) and the USS Seawolf (SSN-575) offer a couple of examples. Thus, the ThorCon design needs no new technology and reflects a scaled-up version of the molten salt reactor experiment conducted at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee in the 1960s (see “Molten Salt Reactors: Military Applications Behind the Energy Promises,” in the December 2018 issue).
ThorConIsle can be located on navigable waterways, with its electrical power transmitted to a land-based switching station. This is significant because half the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers of the sea, so coastal power is in high demand. A breakwater and water depth protect against maritime traffic collisions and tsunamis, respectively.
Feasibility Study: IndonesiaIndonesia is an 18,000-island archipelago in Southeast Asia. The majority of the country’s power comes from coal-fired generation (56% in 2015), with natural gas (25%), oil (9%), hydro (6%), and geothermal (4%) also in the mix. A commitment to reduce emissions by 29% is expected by 2030.
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