THE EDIT
Your monthly briefing on the journey to fossil freedom
Issue #6, Nuclear, September 2023
The “impossible” experiment worked twice. Now what?
What to know: Nuclear fusion, which keeps the Sun shining, has long been the promise on the horizon for clean energy. In July, Californian scientists succeeded in their second fusion experiment. What formerly seemed impossible – to produce more energy than is used – has now worked out twice. “This is the main breakthrough,” Constantin Häfner, head of the expert commission at the Fraunhofer ILT Aachen, tells THE EDIT.
Why it matters: For the first time, there is now good reason to believe that clean energy solutions, using fusion power, could become a reality. The first fusion power plant suddenly seems nearer.
Does size matter? Why small nuclear reactors are the next big thing
Reliable and sustainable plannable power is crucial as the use of weather-dependent energy sources increases. Options for fossil-free technologies are limited, but one of the most promising solutions is small modular reactors, SMRs. Canada is the frontrunner with a first construction license expected next year.
Come earthquakes and ice ages – Finland opens the first final disposal of spent nuclear fuel
Finland is the trailblazer in building a repository for spent nuclear fuel located around 430 metres deep within the bedrock. The repository is expected to receive its first spent nuclear fuel within the next few years.
Enough?
Global investment in energy efficiency, electrified transport, district heating, heat pumps, and other energy transition technologies increased 70 per cent between 2019 and 2022. However, scientists say that the current pace of investment remains insufficient.
Why adding several reactors is a better choice
Starting this month, Anna Borg, CEO of Vattenfall, and the company's top management team will conduct a fact-finding tour of several leading countries in nuclear power, including Canada, France and the UK, ahead of a possible decision to build new reactors in Sweden.
News flash
3 x quick updates from the energy world
Space-based solar power
Why not gather solar power where the sun always shines? The European Space Agency is embarking on a mission to find out the answer.
(esa.int)
Compact nuclear energy
When SMR isn’t small enough: US company USNC is planning to demonstrate its first Micro Modular Reactors, MMRs, before 2030. Image courtesy of USNC.
(usnc.com)
Catching rays in the calm
Small waves and calm winds make certain areas around the equator ideal for floating solar power. The region could generate one million terawatt-hours per year, researchers say.
(mdpi.co)
And finally …
Take a hot shower powered by your computer
British start-up Heata has created a solution in which waste heat from computers is used to heat boilers in people's homes. A single computer server heating a home could prevent emissions of one tonne of carbon dioxide per year – and saving homeowners lots of money, writes MIT Technology Review.