Ikusasa lama-Fission Reactors Lingase libe Lincane

Use isiqhingi sase-Hainan, eningizimu yeShayina, ikusasa elilodwa elingaba khona liyamila ngaphakathi kwelebhu elihlangene likakhonkolo nensimbi. NgoJulayi odlule, i-crane phakamisa ingxenye engaphezulu yegobolondo lensimbi yokufaka endaweni. Kancane, kancane, abasebenzi bahlanganisa isiphehli senuzi esincane.

Lokhu Linglong One, ubukhulu bayo obunciphile buwushintsho olukhulu ukusuka kumaphrojekthi esikali se-gigawatt abusa amandla enuzi namuhla. Kodwa uma iqembu eliqhubekayo labanethemba lenuzi lilungile, khona-ke i-Linglong One ingaba imodeli yekusasa le-fission enkathini yamandla ahlanzekile.

Ama-reactor amancane ngeke alondoloze usuku okwamanje; kuye ngezwe, kusenezinkinga eziningi zokulawula nezokusebenza okufanele zixazululwe. Kepha, ochwepheshe bathi, ama-2020s angasiza ekubekeni izisekelo zokuqhakaza kwenuzi emashumini eminyaka ezayo.

Uma ama-reactors enuzi bekuyizindiza, cabanga nge-SMR namuhla njenge-biplane yenkathi yama-1910s. Futhi isasebhodini lokudweba.

“Isikhathi esijabulisa ngempela embonini yenuzi,” kusho UVictor Ibarra Jr.unjiniyela wezikhali zenuzi e-Nuclear Innovation Alliance.

Uma ingena ku-inthanethi ngo-2026, i-Linglong One izoba nomthamo wamamegawathi angu-125 kagesi (MWe)—okulingana nama-turbines omoya asogwini angaba ngu-40. Eduze kwe-reactor enkulu (imvamisa ingaphezu kuka-1,000 MW), u-125 MW ungabonakala ungabalulekile. Kungani, ngemva kwakho konke, umklami we-nuclear reactor onesifiso sokufuna ukuba mncane?

Ngokwengxenye ngoba ama-reactor amakhulu angabiza futhi abambezeleke. Amawele angama-1,110 MWe ama-reactors e-Georgia’s Isitshalo seVogtleokuyizona kuphela ezisakhiwa e-US, zizongena ku-inthanethi iminyaka eyisikhombisa ngemuva kwesheduli. I-reactor engu-1,630 MWe esakhiwa eFlamanville eFrance useke wabhekana nakho ngaphezu kweminyaka eyishumi yokubambezeleka. Okudumazayo nakakhulu, izindleko zeyunithi ngayinye yenuzi linyuke ngamaphesenti angama-26 phakathi kuka-2009 no-2019—ngenkathi amanani kagesi welanga nawomoya ehla esikhundleni salokho.

Noma kunjalo, ukuvumelana okuqinile kusasele ukuthi amandla enuzi awafiseleki nje kushintsho lwamandla ahlanzekile—kuyadingeka. Kodwa abanye abagqugquzeli benuzi banomuzwa wokuthi ukubeka amaqanda enuzi amaningi kakhulu kubhasikidi owodwa we-megaproject kuwumbono omubi. Kunalokho, bacabanga ukuthi uguquko lwamandla ahlanzekile lungasetshenziswa kangcono ngoxhaxha lwama-reactor amancane, amamojula amaningi—njenge-Linglong One. Ngakho-ke igama: ama-reactors amancane (ama-SMR).

Ama-SMR angase abe mancane kune-reactor yanamuhla, kodwa futhi ashibhile, anengozi encane, futhi avumelana nezimo. Esikhundleni sokwakha isikhumulo sezindiza, isifaniso esisodwa siya, ukwenza i-SMR kufana nokwakha indiza. Futhi uma ama-reactors enuzi bekuyizindiza, cabanga nge-SMR namuhla njenge-biplane yenkathi yama-1910s. Futhi isasebhodini lokudweba.

Lapho inqubo yokukhiqiza ikhuphuka-uma ike yakhuphuka-abenzi be-SMR banethemba lokuthi bazokwazi ukwenza izingxenye zabo efektri eyodwa, bazikhiphe, futhi bazihlanganise esizeni njengefenisha ye-flatpack fission.

I-Linglong One iyona yodwa yohlobo lwayo esakhiwayo namuhla. Uma kuyimpumelelo, China kuthiwa izinhlelo ukusebenzisa idizayini yayo ukunika amandla inani elingenakubalwa lamaphrojekthi wokwakha kanye nezindawo zokususa usawoti emanzini. Vumela izimbali eziyinkulungwane ziqhakaze.

Ngaphandle kwalokho ama-reactor amabili aguquliwe asolwandle esikebheni e-Arctic yaseRussia, zonke ezinye i-SMR, yonke indawo emhlabeni, zihlala zicabanga.

“Ngicabanga ukuthi, eminyakeni eyi-15, 20 ezayo, kuzoba nethuba langempela lokuthi ama-SMR atholakale ngokwezentengiso futhi asatshalaliswe kabanzi.”
—UGiorgio Locatelli, wasePolytechnic University yaseMilan

Kepha izinhlelo ze-SMR azishodi. Okungenani onjiniyela abayisikhombisa abahlukene uhlelo ukuze kusetshenziswe ama-SMR e-US ngaphambi kuka-2030. Iningi lawo ama-reactor emiboniso, angaxhunywanga kugridi enkulu, kodwa iyisitebhisi esibalulekile esibheke kuwo.

Mhlawumbe umkhiqizo omkhulu we-SMR namuhla, okungenani ngaphandle kwe-China, i-US yokuqalisa i-NuScale. Le nkampani ithuthukise i-77 MWe SMR; babona ngeso lengqondo behlanganisa ama-reactors amane, ayisithupha, ngisho nayishumi nambili ndawonye abe yimishini emikhulu kagesi. I-NuScale inezinhlelo zokwakha imboni yase-US Idaho ngo-2030; inkampani ibandakanyeka ku E-UK, Polandfuthi I-Romania kanjalo. (Okubalulekile ukukhumbula, ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukuthi ngo-2010 I-Spectrumindaba ngekusasa lamandla enuzi iqukethe lokhu kuqagela: “I-NuScale isezingxoxo nezinsiza ezimbalwa ezingadalulwanga futhi ilindele ukuthi isitshalo sokuqala sisebenze ngo-2018.”)

NgoDisemba, uRolls-Royce ohlwini olufushane iziza ezintathu eNgilandi zefekthri, ethemba ukuthi, ekugcineni izokhiqiza izingxenye ze-reactor engu-470 MWe. I-Rolls-Royce inethemba lokuthola eyokuqala yama-reactor ayo kugridi ngo-2029.

Amanye amazwe aseYurophu baye babonisa isithakazelo kuma-SMR, ikakhulukazi ngokubambisana namafemu ase-US. Inkampani yezamandla ephethwe nguhulumeni waseCzech beka eceleni umhlaba esiFundeni sezwe saseNingizimu Bohemian ukuze kwenziwe iphrojekthi ye-SMR. Ngisho neFrance, isizinda samandla enuzi esivamile, izinhlelo utshalomali lwamabhiliyoni ama-euro ekuthuthukiseni imboni ye-SMR ngo-2030.

“Ngicabanga ukuthi, eminyakeni eyi-15, 20 ezayo, kuzoba nethuba langempela lokuthi ama-SMR atholakale ngokwezentengiso futhi asatshalaliswe kabanzi,” kusho. UGiorgio Locatelliuchwepheshe wephrojekthi yenuzi e-Polytechnic University of Milan e-Italy.

Imiklamo eminingi ye-SMR namuhla idinga uhlobo lukaphethiloli okwamanje oludayiswa inkampani eyodwa kuphela—inkampani engaphansi kukahulumeni waseRussia yamandla enuzi, i-Rosatom.

Futhi, nokho amandla aphikisayo, umthethonqubo, sekuyisikhathi eside kwaziwa kabi ngokusebenzisa amabhuleki okuxwayisa.

Okunye okukhathazayo kwalabo balawuli kuza ngendlela yemibuzo engaphenduleki. Njengozakwabo abakhulu, ama-SMR azokhiqiza imfucuza yenuzi. (Ngokuvumelana ne ucwaningo lwakamuva lwaseStanford kanye neNyuvesi yaseBritish Columbiaama-SMR akhiqiza imfucumfucu yenuzi eyengeziwe kunezimboni zenuzi ezivamile.) Iziphathimandla zenuzi zizokwenzani ngaleyo mfucumfucu? Akekho owaziyo, ngokwengxenye ngenxa yokuthi idizayini ngayinye ye-reactor ihlukile, futhi akekho oqinisekile ukuthi izimoto ze-SMR zizobukeka kanjani eminyakeni eyishumi noma amabili. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abanye abahlaziyi ukukhathazeka ukuthi abalingisi ababi bangasebenzisa imiklamo ethile ye-SMR ukuze bakhe i-plutonium yezinga lezikhali.

Ungalicishi ikhandlela kuma-SMR ngaphesheya kosebe lwaseChina okwamanje, noma kunjalo. Abalawuli abambalwa benuzi okungenani sebeqalile ukugoba kuma-SMR.

Ngokuvumelana ne UPatrick White, uchwepheshe wemithetho yenuzi ku-Nuclear Innovation Alliance, i-US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) ibiphakathi kwabo, ibandakanya abathuthukisi be-SMR. Ngo-2018, iCongress yase-US kugunyazwe ukuthi i-USNRC idale inqubo entsha eqondiswe ngqo kumadizayini we-reactor azayo. Umphumela, obizwa Ingxenye 53ihlelelwe ukuthi ibe inketho yabathuthukisi be-SMR ngo-2027, nakuba u-White ethi ingase ivuleke ngo-2025. Ukuthi Ingxenye 53 izobukeka kanjani akukakaqinisekwa.

Uhulumeni wase-UK, ophonse isisindo sakhe kanye noxhaso ngemuva kwama-SMR, kuvuliwe inqubo yokugunyaza yokulawula eshintshiwe kubathuthukisi be-SMR ngo-2021; URolls Royce ube ngowokuqala ukulandela, kanti ezinye izinkampani eziyisithupha sezifake izicelo. NgoJuni, abalawuli besiFulentshi, isiFinnish, nesiCzech kumenyezelwe ukuthi babesebenza ndawonye ukuze babuyekeze i-Nuward, idizayini ye-SMR esekelwe ngokwengxenye uhulumeni waseFrance; le phrojekthi, bathi, iwumsebenzi onzima wokuthola ilayisensi ye-SMR yesikhathi esizayo.

Pho, opharetha be-SMR bangaphendukela kuphi ukuze bathole uphethiloli?

Iningi leziphehlimandla zenuzi ezinkulu zanamuhla zisebenzisa uphethiloli ngamaphesenti ama-3 kuya ku-5 i-uranium-235-i-uranium isotope etholakala ngokwemvelo engasekela ukusabela kweketango lenuzi. Nakuba imiklamo ye-SMR ihlukene, abaningi bazodinga uphethiloli ofana namaphesenti angu-5 kuya kwangu-20 e-uranium-235. Lolu hlobo lwakamuva lukaphethiloli lwaziwa ngokuthi i-uranium ene-high-assay low-enriched (HALEU). Namuhla, yinkampani eyodwa kuphela edayisa i-HALEU: I-Techsnabexport (TENEX), inkampani ephethwe yi-Rosatom—inkampani kahulumeni yaseRussia yamandla enuzi.

Kuze kube manje, iRosatom igweme unswinyo lwaseNtshonalanga ngenxa yodlame lwaseRussia e-Ukraine. Kepha i-TENEX ayikakwazi ukusebenziseka kumakhasimende ayo amaningi angaba ngamakhasimende. Isibonelo, iTerraPower, eyayinethemba lokushintsha i-SMR yokubonisa endaweni yamalahle ehoxisiwe e-Wyoming ngo-2028, ibambezelekile yethulwa ngeminyaka emibili ngenxa yezinkinga zikaphethiloli.

“Ngaphandle kwabadlelana neRussia, akusona nje isithiyo, kungumgoqo ocacile njengamanje,” kusho. Adam Steinumhlaziyi wezamandla enuzi e-Breakthrough Institute.

I-US isiqalile ukuyibhoboza. Umthetho Wokwehliswa Kokwehla kwamandla emali wangowezi-2022 etshaliwe U-$700 wezigidi ukucwaninga nokuthuthukisa izindlela zokukhiqiza nokuthutha i-HALEU ngaphakathi kwezwe. U-Ibarra uyakwamukela ukutshalwa kwezimali, kodwa ngokusho kwakhe, “kuyisixazululo sesikhathi esifushane kuya kwesimaphakathi.” Kungenzeka akwanele. Isilinganiso esisodwa iphakamisa i-HALEU egcwaliswe kabusha ngeke ilunge kuze kube ngu-2028.

Kumaqembu amaningi anentshisekelo ye-SMR, i-HALEU ingase ibe umgomo oyinhloko eminyakeni ezayo: ukusungula uchungechunge lokuhlinzeka nge-HALEU lomhlaba wonke olungancikile kangako e-Russia, olungangenwa kalula yi-geopolitics yomhlaba. Kusazobonakala ukuthi i-Europe noma i-UK izophendula kanjani—uma izovumela i-US ukuthi ihole, noma izozithathela izinyathelo ngokwayo.