CEAC-2020-11-November

test reactor described as one of the most ambitious U.S.
nuclear projects in decades. The Versatile Test Reactor is in
an environmental review stage with a draft environmental
impact statement expected to be released in November.
“Outside Russia right now this capability does not exist,” said
Kemal Pasamehmetoglu, executive director of the project.
“This will be a unique capability in the Western World.”
The test reactor would be fueled by about 1,000 pounds (454
kilograms) of plutonium, preferably surplus weapons-grade
plutonium, Pasamehmetoglu said.
The reactor would be the first new test reactor built in the
U.S. in decades and give the nation a dedicated “fast-neutron-spectrum”
testing capability. Such reactors are called
fast reactors, and Pasamehmetoglu said they are needed to
do testing for a new wave of modern nuclear reactors.
The Union of Concerned Scientists has expressed concern
about the reactors, saying the plutonium could be turned
into a devastating weapon if it falls into the hands of rogue
groups.
The group, whose objectives include reducing the threat of
nuclear war, also said those reactors produce waste that is
more hazardous and difficult to dispose of than waste from
conventional reactors.
The Idaho National Laboratory and the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory in eastern Tennessee are the two possible
locations for the test reactor and the final location will be
selected through the environmental review process. Pasamehmetoglu
said the reactor could be in operation at the
end of 2026.
The commission also heard a report about progress on a
commercial effort to build small modular reactors at the
890-square-mile U.S. Department of Energy site that includes
the Idaho National Laboratory.
Doug Hunter, chief executive officer and general manager of
an energy cooperative called the Utah Associated Municipal
Power Systems, said plans for building up to a dozen of the
small module reactors remain viable as various entities sign
up to receive power.
The small reactors can produce about 60 megawatts of energy,
or enough to power more than 50,000 homes. The first
would be built in 2029, with the rest constructed in 2030, if
regulatory agencies approve.
System
Efficiency
Starts With
Valves &
Actuators
M9220 SERIES
Direct Couple
Spring-Return
Actuator
VG7000 SERIES
Brass Trim
Globe Valves
VG2000 SERIES
Cast Iron Flanged
Globe Valves
Volume 85 · Number 11 | 15