Study: Small modular nuclear could bring energy benefits for Purdue
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The use of nuclear power from small modular reactors creates a promising, carbon-free energy option for Purdue University that should be further explored, according to an interim report from Purdue and North Carolina-based Duke Energy.
The partners began a feasibility study in April 2022 and spent a year studying whether advanced nuclear technologies could power Purdue’s West Lafayette campus and supply excess energy to the state’s electric grid in the 2030s and beyond.
While the interim report said no decision is being made yet on whether to build a small modular reactor, or SMR, at Purdue or on Duke’s Indiana system, Purdue Associate Vice President for Administrative Operations Ryan Gallagher said the partners would be well served to continue investigating the option.
Gallagher told Inside INdiana Business that Purdue may be well situated to help with not only public education around the use of nuclear for energy needs, but also workforce development.
“If we go down this path, as a nation, as a state, we’re going to need construction engineers, civil engineers. We’re going to need nuclear engineers and operators,” Gallagher said. “So, Purdue and universities like us are well positioned to help out with that.”
Gallagher said efforts are being made at the federal level around nuclear energy, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, which is initially investing $160 million to support the development of SMRs.
Additionally, incentives for nuclear were included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, but the interim report found the federal licensing process is complex and lengthy, and streamlined planning, design, construction and financing are needed.
Small modular reactors vs. conventional nuclear reactors
Small modular reactors are advanced nuclear reactors that have the capacity to generate up to 300 megawatts of power per unit, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. That’s about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional reactors.
The “modular” portion of the name refers to the ability for the systems and components to be assembled in a factory and installed on-site.
The interim report said SMRs can operate continuously and adjust their energy output to meet power demand, making them complementary to renewable energy sources.
Additionally, unlike traditional reactors, SMRs are designed with enhanced safety systems that don’t require an operator to shut down and cool the reactor when a problem arises.
“They are able to improve upon what the industry has learned from from traditional nuclear,” Gallagher said. “So, building on things like, for instance, passive safety systems. In many of these designs, in the unlikely event that there that there would be an issue, [there is] no power needed, no operator intervention required. It’s just physics of the flow of the coolant and gravity and things like that help to ensure that they’re safer in those instances.”
The IAEA adds SMRs have reduced fuel requirements by needing to be refueled every 3-7 years, as opposed to 1-2 years for conventional reactors. Some SMRs are being designed to operate up to 30 years without refueling, the agency said.
Barriers to SMR energy production
A first-of-its kind small modular reactor is yet to be built; the first SMR is expected to be in service later this decade or in the early 2030s.
Because of this, Gallagher said the cost associated with SMRs is still an unknown.
“People want to invest in things that are going to start delivering on them as soon as possible. So that’s a barrier,” he said. “There’s some things that we recommend, for instance, maybe a federally backed insurance program for some of these cost increases that we’ve seen in traditional nuclear sites.”
Purdue and Duke said in the report that a more detailed analysis of the technology and capital costs is expected, but it is “simply too soon in the technology’s development to provide a reliable estimate of costs.”
Next steps
Gallagher said Purdue and Duke are currently evaluating what issues surrounding the development and use of SMRs they want to tackle first, but both agree that more study is needed The partners said the process to site, permit, receive regulatory approval, build and bring a new nuclear plant online currently takes about 10 years to complete.
“If we decide to go down the path building or working with Duke to build one of these, there’s going to be a number of studies needed,” said Gallagher. “So, things like an economic impact analysis – what would this mean for Purdue, for the region, for the state of Indiana? What are the cost implications for Purdue University?”
Purdue and Duke said if they do decide to pursue the development of SMRs near campus or elsewhere in Indiana, public and stakeholder input would an important first part of the process.
“To reach a clean, carbon-free future, we need to explore a broad range of technologies, including advanced nuclear,” Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar said in written remarks. “We need to study this and other options further, and this report starts a conversation about how we might transition to carbon-free power that can operate on demand in concert with renewable energy, such as solar and wind.”
You can connect to the full report by clicking here.