Mini Nuclear Plants to Power 20,000 Homes

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/09/miniature-nuclear-reactors-los-alamos
"Nuclear power plants smaller than a garden shed and able to power 20,000 homes will be on sale within five years, say scientists at Los Alamos, the US government laboratory which developed the first atomic bomb.

The miniature reactors will be factory-sealed, contain no weapons-grade material, have no moving parts and will be nearly impossible to steal because they will be encased in concrete and buried underground.

The US government has licensed the technology to Hyperion, a New Mexico-based company which said last week that it has taken its first firm orders and plans to start mass production within five years. 'Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world,' said John Deal, chief executive of Hyperion. 'They will cost approximately $25m <£13m> each. For a community with 10,000 households, that is a very affordable $250 per home.'

http://www.hyperionpowergeneration.com/
from the website:
"Invented at the famed Los Alamos National Laboratory, Hyperion small modular power reactors make all the benefits of safe, clean nuclear power available for remote locations. For both industrial and community applications, Hyperion offers reliable energy with no greenhouse gas emissions. Hyperion power is also cheaper than fossil fuels and, when you consider the cost of land and materials, watt to watt, Hyperion’s innovative energy technology is even more affordable than many developing “alternative” energy technologies.

Small enough to be transported on a ship, truck or train, Hyperion power modules are about the size of a "hot tub" — approximately 1.5 meters wide. Out of sight and safe from nefarious threats, Hyperion power modules are buried far underground and guarded by a security detail. Like a power battery, Hyperion modules have no moving parts to wear down, and are delivered factory sealed. They are never opened on site. Even if one were compromised, the material inside would not be appropriate for proliferation purposes. Further, due to the unique, yet proven science upon which this new technology is based, it is impossible for the module to go supercritical, “melt down” or create any type of emergency situation. If opened, the very small amount of fuel that is enclosed would immediately cool. The waste produced after five years of operation is approximately the size of a softball and is a good candidate for fuel recycling."

Touting how nuke plants were completely safe, no chance of problems arising, etc. etc. We saw how that bullshit worked out. I wonder how long before these damn little nukes start leaking into our groundwater:shrug: Not to mention the myriad of other problems that could arise.

When are we going to realize two things, that nuclear power is a dead end, and that there are enough clean alternatives such as wind and solar to fully power our country? Probably not until there's enough lobbyists in DC to correct that misconception

Lots of good information.

I need a lot more information.

spacecraft.

A tiny, sealed version of one of these could power a car for twenty years with no refueling.

but I admit, I would rather decommission the plants we now use and have a bunch of these.

Plus one of them could mean the difference between life and death for many poor nations unable to pump or purify water for their population.