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AKE: Arbeitskreis Energie

AKE 2: Processes and Materials for fossil-free Energy Technologies

AKE 2.2: Vortrag

Dienstag, 11. März 2025, 11:30–11:45, HS HISKP

Brave New Nuclear World? — •Friederike Frieß — Institute of Safety and Risk Sciences, BOKU University, Peter-Jordan-Straße 76, 1190 Vienna, Austria

There are about 400 light-water reactors in operation around the world. The energy they produce is expensive and there are a number of safety issues. Nevertheless, nuclear power is seen by many as an integral part of the future energy system. For nuclear power to make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, alternative reactor designs must be used. These include small modular reactors (SMRs) and alternative reactor designs often referred to as Generation IV or advanced reactor designs. These reactors are said to produce cheap, safe and reliable green energy. We take a look at the most prominent of these reactor concepts, including reactor concepts such as the sodium-cooled fast reactor (the Russian BN-800 type) and the high-temperature pebble-bed modular reactor, one of which was commissioned in China in 2023. Based on historical experience and available data on advantages and disadvantages, we discuss why this technology cannot be an integral part of the solution to reach net-zero by 2050.

Keywords: nuclear energy; nuclear reactors