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Mini nuclear reactor on a container truck provides clean energy to remote areas
Mini nuclear reactor on a container truck provides clean energy to remote areas
Startup Nano Nuclear Energy is developing a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) that can be transported on a shipping container to bring clean energy to remote areas.
Nano Nuclear Energy's mini reactor can fit on a shipping container. Photo: Nano Nuclear Energy
This mini reactor uses low-enriched uranium (Haleu) fuel containing 20% uranium, a higher content than fuel used in conventional reactors but allowing the SMR to operate more efficiently and increase the life of the device.
Nano Nuclear Energy is now manufacturing Haleu at its US facility and designing a second version of the reactor called Zeus.
Nano Nuclear focuses on operating the reactor with the least amount of intervention, ensuring smooth and safe operations.
The components of the entire reactor system can fit into a standard shipping container, making it easy to transport to remote locations to provide clean energy with a capacity of less than 20 megawatts (MW).
In addition to electricity generation, mini reactors can also be used to exploit the heat generated in fission reactions and have many direct applications.
According to Nano Energy, this miniaturized version of a fission reactor could help reduce carbon emissions and construction costs. Nuclear power plants are typically built on a large scale to reduce energy production costs, but require significant costs and installation time before the facility can begin operating.