Page 9 - AsiaElec Week 01 2021

AsiaElec NUCLEAR AsiaElec

JAEA, Mitsubishi Heavy to develop

new generation of US fast reactors

CHINA THE Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and hopes to use Japanese technology to overtake
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are to work with China and Russia, and seize the initiative in the
Bill Gates-connected TerraPower to develop a development of next-generation fast reactors.
next-generation fast reactor in the US. The envisioned fast reactor, with an output
The two Japanese industrial giants will sign capacity of 345 MW, will use sodium as a cool-
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) this ant. The construction cost is expected to reach
month at the earliest with TerraPower, a US some $4bn.
atomic energy start-up linked to Microsoft The Japanese government-affiliated JAEA
co-founder Bill Gates, and the US Department operates the Monju prototype fast-breeder
of Energy (DoE), news agency Jiji reported. reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, and the
The two sides agreed to consider mutual Joyo experimental fast reactor in Oarai, Ibaraki
co-operation in the project, aiming to start oper- Prefecture.
ating the nuclear reactor in Wyoming in 2028. The Japanese parties are expected to provide
The deal represents the US’ desire to keep up reactor-design technologies and reactor-oper-
with the nuclear technology being developed by ation data. Safety tests may be conducted at a
rivals in China and Russia. JAEA facility. The co-operation will also benefit
Nuclear energy is again drawing attention in Japan in terms of obtaining know-how and per-
Europe and the US amid the trend of decarbon- sonnel training, sources said.
isation, as nuclear power plants (NPPs) do not Japan’s industry and science ministries, which
emit carbon dioxide when generating electricity. oversee the JAEA, will support preparations for
In Europe, the EU has recently proposed the safety tests.
classifying nuclear power as sustainable. NPPs Fast reactors, which involve fast-moving neu-
can create nearly zero-carbon baseload energy trons in a fission reaction, produce heat more
supply, albeit producing radioactive waste in the efficiently than the light-water reactors that are
process that must be safely stored. used widely.
The US side is seeking partners in Japan Fast reactors use sodium, a highly reactive
because full-scale development of a fast reactor metal that is hard to handle. In 1995, a sodium
has not taken place for many years in the US. leak caused a fire at Monju, which is now in the
With the technological co-operation, the US decommissioning and dismantling process. ™

Week 01 05•January•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9