Company will make smaller nuclear power plants
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Westinghouse, a company that produces nuclear reactors, will launch a smaller version of its flagship AP1000 reactor. The company expects the new reactor, called AP300, to be available in 2027.
Because nuclear reactors do not release greenhouse gases, the small reactor is an important milestone for the nuclear industry.
According to Westinghouse, the AP300 will generate around 300 megawatts of energy, which can power about 300,000 homes. The bigger AP 1000 generates 1,200 megawatts. The AP300 will also have all of the same safety features as the AP 1000.
The AP300 is estimated to cost around $1 billion per unit, which is much less expensive than the AP1000, estimated to cost around $6.8 billion.
Small nuclear reactors are not only cheaper but more flexible. The reactors are attractive to industrial producers because they are a carbon-free source of heat for making steel and other materials.
Small reactors like the AP300 produce the same amount of electricity as coal plants, so it will be easy to replace them.
In the US there is interest in small nuclear reactors, but outside of the US, there is still high demand for larger reactors.
Westinghouse already has agreements to build AP1000s in Europe, including in Ukraine, and Poland.
Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, are also interested in larger nuclear reactors, which are more expensive to build but produce electricity at a lower price than smaller reactors.
Vocabulary27 words
- Produce
- to create or make something
- Nuclear reactor
- a facility that generates heat and electricity through the use of nuclear reactions
- Launch
- start selling something; introduce a new product or service; to start using a new thing
- Version
- a copy of something that has been changed so it’s a little different; something a little different from others of the same type
- Flagship
- The main or most important product, service, or location of a company
- Expect
- to think something will happen; forecast; predict; suppose
- Release
- make available to everyone; launch; put on the market
- Greenhouse gas
- gasses in Earth's atmosphere (sky) that trap heat; gasses that are bad for the environment
- Milestone
- An important stage or event in the development of something or in someone’s life; an achievement that marks a significant progress
- Industry
- business field; area of work or business; type of business
- According to
- as ‘someone’ said; as stated by ‘someone’; in the opinion of ‘someone’
- Generate
- produce; create; cause; make
- Megawatt
- A unit or measure of power equal to one million watts
- Power
- to produce or give energy/electricity to something
- Estimate
- guess; approximate; judge; suppose
- Unit
- one item; single piece;
- Flexible
- able to bend or change shape easily without breaking
- Attractive -
- Industrial producer
- A company that manufactures/makes goods on a large scale
- Carbon-free
- Not producing any carbon emissions or greenhouse gases
- Source
- the place or thing that something comes from or starts at;
- Steel
- A strong, durable metal made primarily from iron and carbon
- Coal
- a black or dark brown rock that burns strongly, a rock used to make big fires
- Plant
- a factory; a place where a product is built or made
- Replace
- to take the place of; to substitute; to come after; to fill in; swap; exchange
- Demand
- a need for goods or services that customers want to buy or use; a need or want; a need for something to be sold or supplied
- Agreement
- an understanding, plan or contract made between two or more people/groups
Discussion questions
- Do you think small nuclear reactors like the AP300 will be more popular than larger reactors in the future? Why or why not?
- In your opinion, is nuclear energy a good solution to combat climate change?
- What are some advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy compared to other forms of renewable energy like solar or wind power?
- How can countries ensure the safety of nuclear reactors?
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