The next big thing in nuclear power could be tiny — little reactors that are far smaller and far cheaper than the traditional massive nuclear plants topped by giant concrete cooling towers
Last Energy CEO Bret Kugelmass explains how power could be produced from a nuclear microreactor during a tour inside the company's demonstration unit that contains a prototype reactor, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, in Brookshire, Texas. Kugelmass, a technology entrepreneur and mechanical engineer, said the 20-megawatt microreactors could replace carbon dioxide-emitting fossil fuels that power factories or data centers.
Universities are interested in the technology not just to power their buildings but to see how far it can go in replacing the coal and gas-fired energy that causes climate change. The University of Illinois hopes to advance the technology as part of a clean energy future, Brooks said. The school plans to apply for a construction permit for a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor developed by the Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, and aims to start operating it by early 2028.
Last year, Penn State University signed a memorandum of understanding with Westinghouse to collaborate on microreactor technology. Mike Shaqqo, the company’s senior vice president for advanced reactor programs, said universities are going to be “one of our key early adopters for this technology.” Purdue University in Indiana is working with Duke Energy on the feasibility of using advanced nuclear energy to meet its long-term energy needs.
One company that is building microreactors that the public can get a look at today is Last Energy, based in Washington, D.C. It built a model reactor in Brookshire, Texas that's housed in an edgy cube covered in reflective metal. The total cost of Last Energy’s microreactor, including module fabrication, assembly and site prep work, is under $100 million, the company says.
But not everyone shares the enthusiasm. Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, called it “completely unjustified.”
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