Molten salt reactors could save nuclear power
FreethinkNov 11, 2022
In a letter published Tuesday, a group of former nuclear regulators urged the US Department of Energy (DOE) to re-think its Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) at the Idaho National Laboratory, which intends to use weapons-grade uranium for nuclear power research.
The experts say "the damage to national security could exceed any potential benefit" by encouraging other nations to increase their production of highly enriched uranium (HEU), going against a "decades-old" US policy against HEU proliferation.
Decades-old technology might hold the key to unleashing the full potential of nuclear power around the world, as molten chloride reactors could generate more electricity, be cheaper to produce, and be safer and more reliable than current reactors. The risks of the MCRE using highly-enriched uranium will be offset by the adoption of clean, safe, and economical nuclear power.
Dismal performance metrics have been the fruit of all prior molten chloride experiments, as there isn't a single material that can reliably withstand the highly corrosive and radioactive conditions inside the reactor. Energy agencies also doubt that one could ever be economical to deploy. The risks of nuclear proliferation for the sake of an all-but-doomed experiment are too grave to continue the MCRE.
There's a 50% chance that at least 7.27% of the world's primary energy consumption will be produced by nuclear power in 2040, according to the Metaculus community prediction.