Advanced Nuclear Reactors around the Globe

One third of the 637 nuclear reactors worldwide are built in part or completely by United States' companies. Roughly ten percent of global electrical production comes from nuclear. In order to produce the next generation reactors that will power a majority of the world, in a decarbonized future, the NRC and IEAE will have to come to agreements in fields as far afield as loan guarantees, virtual twin regularization, and supply chain management. The advanced nuclear world has started with the AP1000 reactor in Vogtle at a cost of roughly $6.8 billion but this price will come down as FOAKs designs become standard practice. SMRs, sodium fast reactors, and thorium salt reactors are all players in the advanced nuclear game. It might be premature to address the HALEU fuel concerns and the TRISO and uranium nitride camps, but there will likely be a change in the type of fuels used in advanced reactors. Uranium oxide will be replaced with more fissile material. In addition, some are working to develop reactors utilizing heat from spent fuel. It is not known if this unproven technology will produce electricity.

The advanced nuclear reactor startup space is filled with economic and political hurdles. Nuclear faces strict regulation, more so than fossil fuels, and it will likely remain stigmatized due to the false associations of nuclear accidents. What remains clear is nuclear's possible outcomes; cheap, reliable, clean, space efficient, and a proven winner are nuclear.