Nuclear facility unveils revolutionary fast neutron reactor, set to surpass nuclear waste production
The French startup Stellaria, a spin-off from the CEA and Schneider Electric, has secured €23 million in funding to develop a groundbreaking nuclear reactor. This fourth-generation fast neutron molten salt reactor, named the Stellarium, promises to generate more energy than it produces in terms of waste and significantly reduce long-lived nuclear waste.
The Stellarium is designed to employ molten salt technology and operate in a closed fuel cycle. This means it can continuously recycle its nuclear fuel rather than depending on fresh uranium inputs. Key features include a fast neutron spectrum that allows efficient fission of a wider variety of nuclear materials, including actinides found in nuclear waste.
The fuel is in liquid salt form, acting both as fuel and coolant, enabling higher operating temperatures and enhanced safety. The reactor is also designed to transmute and burn up long-lived radioactive isotopes in spent fuel, leading to a net reduction of nuclear waste volume and toxicity compared to conventional reactors.
Stellaria aims to achieve the first nuclear fission operation by 2029 and expects industrial commercialization by 2035. The funding, led by US-based At One Ventures and France's Supernova Invest, will support the technical and regulatory steps necessary for creating a licensed nuclear installation in France.
Laurie Menoud, partner at At One Ventures, stated, "Stellaria is addressing the key technical and economic bottlenecks of nuclear energy." Giuseppe Sangiovanni from Exergon added, "The project can meet growing demand for dispatchable, low-carbon electricity at both European and international levels."
The technology is built to meet the needs for stable, long-term energy pricing and high power for electro-intensive industries. Stellaria plans to double its workforce, ramp up research in Grenoble, and expand its network of scientific partners. The latest funding round brings Stellaria's total funding to €33 million, including €10 million through the France 2030 program.
The Stellarium's unique design, combining fast spectrum neutrons and molten salt technology, is known from nuclear research to be advantageous for waste destruction and fuel sustainability. However, detailed technical specifications such as reactor power or exact waste transmutation rates were not available in the search results.
In conclusion, the Stellarium, with its fast neutron molten salt design and closed fuel cycle, offers a promising solution to nuclear waste management and sustainable energy production. The successful funding round marks a significant step forward in the development of this innovative technology.
- The Stellarium's innovative design, combining technology, science, and industry, is comprised of a fast neutron molten salt reactor that aims to address key economic and technical bottlenecks in nuclear energy.
- The secured funding, mostly from finance sources like At One Ventures and Supernova Invest, will be used to support the technical and regulatory steps necessary for the creation of a licensed nuclear installation in France, thus propelling the advancement of science and technology.
- By employing a closed fuel cycle and transmitting and burning up long-lived radioactive isotopes, the Stellarium shows potential for substantial energy production while significantly reducing nuclear waste volume and energy waste compared to conventional reactors, making it a beacon of innovation in the energy sector.
