Another SMR on the Horizon

[gleem]

The nuclear reactor startup OKLO is working with Idaho National Lab to get its liquid metal-cooled fast reactor design (AURORA, 15MWe) up and running by 2027 which Open AI CEO Sam Altman intends to use for his company's power source. Details here.

They also have a different business model.

Unlike many other nuclear companies, Oklo will have customers sign a long-term energy agreement plan instead of a licensing agreement. This "takes the burden away from our customers" of having to create a plant to use the technology. Oklo will simply supply the energy.

"It's taking a different approach to the business model," DeWitte said. "We've had a lot of traction with that because we make it easier for folks to buy what they're interested in in a nuclear system, which is the energy. They don't have to buy the reactors and everything else with it."

 

[Vanadium 50]

I see no universe where the US government will support building fast reactors.

 

[berkeman]

The nuclear reactor startup OKLO is working with Idaho National Lab to get its liquid metal-cooled fast reactor design (AURORA, 15MWe) up and running by 2027 which Open AI CEO Sam Altman intends to use for his company's power source.

Um, there was already a movie about this, where a sentient supercomputer with its own dedicated fission reactor power source went a bit sideways. Hopefully the Russians aren't planning the same thing...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus:_The_Forbin_Project

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064177/

 

[gleem]

The US Government has partnered with Valar Atomic to build a micro reactor (SMR?). It has been completed and shipped to a testing facility in Utah. It is expected to go critical this July. This is Valar Atomic's first reactor.
https://www.twz.com/uncategorized/this-is-a-nuclear-reactor-packed-into-a-c-17-globemaster-iii