Source: Aker Solutions
Aker Solutions' Accelerator Driven Thorium Reactor™ (ADTR) has won the prestigious Energy Award at this year's IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers) Innovations and Excellence Awards. The Energy Award recognizes the best project or process to demonstrate innovation in renewable energy, alternative energy sources, efficient energy use or the development of energy production methods that reduce energy and water intensity.
More about the ADTR(TM) power station
The Accelerator Driven Thorium Reactor™ (ADTR) power station is the name given by Aker Solutions for the company's new design of a nuclear power station. Given world-wide expansion in nuclear power generation, driven by many countries to combat climate change and meet growth in energy demand, the ADTRTM provides the ideal solution to use thorium as an alternative fuel to uranium.
Aker Solutions has developed the concept design of a 600MWe ADTR™ power station with Nobel Prize winner Professor Carlo Rubbia of CERN. The design is an accelerator driven, thorium fuelled, lead cooled, power producing, fast reactor. Thorium is an abundant mineral deposit; there is 3 to 5 times more thorium in the world than uranium. One tonne of mined thorium produces as much energy as 200 tonnes of mined uranium, or 3,500,000 tonnes of mined coal. Thorium has non-proliferation benefits as it does not require the expensive enrichment process often associated with military use.
The ADTR™ power station can be configured to burn radioactive wastes from current uranium fuelled reactors, thus reducing the long term waste burden and environmental risks with waste storage. The ten year fuel cycle gives the ADTR™ significant economic benefits over current uranium fuelled nuclear reactors.
A key advantage of accelerator driven, sub-critical systems over conventional nuclear reactors, is that the accelerator is the main source of reactor control; turn off the accelerator and the reaction reduces virtually instantaneously. This system also enables simple load following control capability.
"This technology offers the potential to supply even small grids from compact 600MW reactors constructed safely underground," says Gary Mandel, executive vice president of Aker Solutions' Process and Construction business.
The ADTR™ power station is targeted at the global energy market, aligning itself with fourth generation nuclear reactor concepts that will come to fruition by 2030.
