Aker nuclear power process wins IChemE energy award
19 Nov 2010
London - Aker Solutions’ Accelerator Driven Thorium Reactor (ADTR) has won the Energy Award at this year’s IChemE Innovations and Excellence Awards.
ADTR is Aker new design of a nuclear power station. Given world-wide expansion in nuclear power generation, it allows the use of thorium as an alternative fuel to uranium.
Aker 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 3,500kt of mined coal.
Moreover, 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.
According to Aker, the ten-year fuel cycle gives the ADTR significant economic benefits over current uranium fuelled nuclear reactors.
As the accelerator is the main source of reactor control, turning off the accelerator means the reaction reduces virtually instantaneously. The 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, said Aker.
