{"id":542573,"date":"2023-01-23T17:11:14","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T14:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-big-idea-bring-back-nuclear-power\/"},"modified":"2023-01-23T17:11:14","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T14:11:14","slug":"the-big-idea-bring-back-nuclear-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-big-idea-bring-back-nuclear-power\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Big Idea: Bring Back Nuclear Power"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2a855b22865\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2a855b22865\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-big-idea-bring-back-nuclear-power\/#%E2%80%9CThe_Big_Idea_Bring_Back_Nuclear_Power%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;The Big Idea: Bring Back Nuclear Power&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CThe_Big_Idea_Bring_Back_Nuclear_Power%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;The Big Idea: Bring Back Nuclear Power&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n                            Small modular reactors, also known as SMRs, are a third of the size of traditional ones and open a new road to net zero.\n                        <\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">David Novog <\/span>is the director of the Institute for Energy Studies and a professor of engineering physics at McMaster University.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">As a teenager in the \u201980s,<\/span> long before anyone cared much about climate change, I did a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> project that showed the tremendous amount of power that could be produced from just a tiny amount of uranium. Even then, I knew fossil fuels were finite and that we would one day need an alternative source of energy. Renewables like hydro, wind and solar are great, but we shouldn\u2019t forget the reliable, low-emissions standby that is nuclear power. People have plenty of reservations about nuclear: it\u2019s scary, it\u2019s costly and what to do with all that waste? And yet there\u2019s no path to net zero by 2050 without it. Excitement is building around one model of reactor in particular. It just might require Canadians to think smaller.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\">Small modular reactors, also known as SMRs, function in much the same way as larger reactors\u2014but at a fraction of the size. The science remains the same: an atom-\u200bsplitting process, known as nuclear fission, generates a huge amount of heat, which is <\/span>then converted into steam that drives tur<span class=\"s2\">bines that electrify our cities. But where traditional reactors can generate between 600 and 1,000 megawatts of electrical energy, SMRs generate less than 300\u2014still enough to power communities of up to 10,000 people for a decade. The \u201cmodular\u201d part means that SMRs can be made in factories and transported by truck, train or barge and assembled wherever they\u2019re needed. The cores of many SMR reactors aren\u2019t much bigger than the average office desk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Military aircraft carriers and submarines have been using SMRs for more than 50 years. The new idea is to deploy them for commercial electricity production. Canada\u2019s grids are fairly green already, de<\/span>pending on where you live. (Ontario, B.C. and Quebec, for example, are abundant in hydro and other forms of low-carbon electricity.) But we need to cut fossil fuels in many other areas im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely\u2014especially in high-emissions industries like transportation, agriculture and heating, which accounts for two-thirds of Canada\u2019s carbon footprint. To do so, we\u2019ll need to double or <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>le our electricity generation in the next 20 to 30 years. Right now, we don\u2019t have the ability to swiftly double Canada\u2019s hydro capacity. That\u2019s where SMRs come in.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>READ: Why we need to embrace the future of\u00a0farm-tech<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">New SMR-centric projects are popping up <\/span><span class=\"s2\">all over the place. In the States, Portland\u2019s NuScale Power recently got the green light from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build its own model, a billion-dollar design. In the U.K., Rolls-Royce has designed an SMR that could power a city the size of Leeds.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\">The Canadian government is also investing in SMRs: in 2020, it released Canada\u2019s<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> SMR Action Plan, which outlined recommendations for nuclear-waste disposal, regulation and partnerships with Indigenous communities. The Canada Infrastructure Bank recently struck a $970-million deal with Ontario Power Generation, or OPG\u2014which is responsible for more than half of the province\u2019s <\/span><span class=\"s2\">power generation\u2014to build the country\u2019s<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> first SMR right next door to the existing 3,500-megawatt Darlington Nuclear <\/span><span class=\"s2\">Generating Station in Clarington, Ontario.<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> (OPG estimates that its new reactor will produce 740,000 fewer tons of green<\/span>house gas every year than existing re<span class=\"s3\">actor models, a figure equivalent to the emissions of nearly 160,000 gas cars.) The site is large enough to eventually house four SMRs of a similar size. Provinces like New Brunswick are already busy conducting their own impact assessments.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">There are no silver bullets in the energy world. In large economies with extensive resource and manufacturing sectors, like Canada, you need a mix of power sources. This is how I explain it to my students: you need a fossil-fuel-free backbone of energy that can be your go-to when other sources aren\u2019t available, like solar panels <\/span>on a cloudy day. In many countries, nuclear <span class=\"s3\">power serves as that backbone, and does so with one tenth of the emissions of fossil fuels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">For all of its benefits, nuclear is still a divisive topic. Whenever I speak on the subject, the same two flags get raised: cost and safety. The cost issue isn\u2019t unique to nuclear reactors; many large construction projects are just as expensive and often go off the rails. SMRs on the smaller side could cost anywhere from $300 million to $500 million, but the price tag could drop as low as $150 million for subsequent reactors\u2014especially as production becomes more streamlined. Because SMRs can be fabricated in factories, they won\u2019t be delayed or run over budget to the same extent as other outdoor builds. On the safety side, people are well aware of the devastating impacts of Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima in 2011. These were tragedies, full stop. But SMR reactors are much more compact, and therefore contain much less radioactive material, so there\u2019s less potential for widespread contamination in the unlikely event of an accident. Put simply: an SMR\u2019s core could never melt in the way Fukushima\u2019s did.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Lots of people have an image in their minds of unsightly reactors protected by barbed wire and armed guards. At <\/span>McMaster University, where I work, we have a five-megawatt research reactor on<span class=\"s3\"> campus, which is used to produce radioisotopes for use in hospitals in Canada and abroad. The building is windowless and half of it is underground, so every day, students walk right by it as though it were a city-owned swimming pool. There\u2019s no barbed wire; there are no guards. If more Canadians could experience that small footprint for themselves, they might be more willing to embrace reactors, minuscule or large. In fact, communities with existing reactors tend to be the most supportive of nuclear <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>MORE: The Big Idea: Treat employees like people<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">I don\u2019t believe that SMRs should be installed in every single Canadian town. Lots of grids across the country are already well-served by hydro, but SMRs could fill existing hydro gaps in, say, remote northern communities. Whether or not an SMR is deployed depends on what communities want to do with them: one SMR could heat a group of greenhouses to grow food; a larger one could power a fleet of buses, purify water or sell excess steam and hydrogen for industrial use (and extra income).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">It\u2019s estimated that the global nuclear <\/span><span class=\"s4\">industry could gross $150 billion annually<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> by 2040. The first SMRs may be operable within the next five to 10 years, but it will take some time to produce them in quantities large enough to make a dent in Canada\u2019s emissions. To those who argue that the environment will be in much worse shape by the time we\u2019re able to roll out these mini reactors en masse, I would say it\u2019s nonsense to discount any workable technology, especially now. I would have liked to have seen this swell of enthusiasm 20 years ago, but maybe it took widespread acknowledgment of the seriousness of the climate crisis for us to recognize that we need all power sources on deck.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">The government is listening: in June, I <span class=\"s3\">spoke about SMRs at a parliamentary committee on nuclear energy innovations. As engineers, we\u2019re not often called to give input directly to politicians, but these tiny reactors have the potential to influence environmental outcomes for the next 30 years. Small, yes, but mighty.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em>This article <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ears in print in the February 2023 issue of<\/em> Maclean\u2019s <em>magazine. Buy the issue for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/canadianmags.ca\/products\/copy-of-macleans-january-2023\">$9.99<\/a> or better yet, subscribe to the monthly print magazine for just\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/secure.macleans.ca\/\">$39.99<\/a><\/em>.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1242897 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/FebCover-e1673528760807.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"666\" height=\"895\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/society\/big-idea-nuclear-power-reactor-net-zero\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The Big Idea: Bring Back Nuclear Power&#8221; Small modular reactors, also known as SMRs, are a third of the size of traditional ones and open a new road to net zero. David Novog is the director of the Institute for Energy Studies and a professor of engineering physics at McMaster University. As a teenager in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":542574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/NuclearEnergy_FINAL-766x431.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[77940,138812],"class_list":["post-542573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-net-zero","tag-nuclear-energy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542573\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/542574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}