Western countries are procuring nuclear reactors in the bulk size of 1200 MW. However, ORNL part of project to help power developing nations explains that size is not appropriate for developing countries. Usually their national power grid is not sufficiently large or mature enough for a 1200 MW nuclear power generator. Equally important is that nuclear reactors around 250 MW can be operational in half the time of the larger plants. 70 percent of the global growth in energy requirements will come from developing nations, hence, the need to quickly provide the proper reactor size for these nations.
But there is a problem - economy of scale. Today's commercial offerings are only economically viable around 700 MW. Financing, talent, risk, and the existing architectures, limit the product available to developing nations. The International Atomic Energy Association has published a booklet, Considerations to Launch a Nuclear Programme.
Their recommendation is no single facility should provide more than 10 percent of the grid's capacity. A typical staffing for a facility is between 200-1000 people. Obviously the required expertise spans almost all of engineering disciplines, including chemistry. History shows it takes 10-15 years from initial policy decision to an operational plant.
Sandia team developing right-sized reactor explains the new facilities will be approximately half the size of a large office building. Instead of the traditional light-water design, the smaller reactor would be based upon a small uranium core submerged in a tank of liquid sodium. With adequate demand, the plants could cost as little as $250M. They are intended to produce their own fuel and thus designed for a much longer lifetime. The goal is electricity at 5 cents per kW-hr.
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