Expanding Nuclear Applications and Technologies for a Clean Energy Future

Dear Colleagues,

As the world enters a formative period of transition to clean energy economies, commercial nuclear energy markets enter their sixth decade of existence. Today, nuclear energy accounts for over 10% of global electricity generation, and the number of nuclear reactors deployed continues to grow steadily. These reactors, however, are principally deployed to serve baseload electricity markets, and the complexity and cost of deploying these large legacy-technology reactors can be prohibitive for emerging and transitioning energy markets, and thus inhibit the fullest possible benefit of a key resource in establishing clean energy economies.

To address these and other challenges, a new generation of technologies is envisioned, which promise to enable the expansion of nuclear energy in transitioning and emerging energy markets. These systems and technologies, typically much smaller in size, and including “cartridge core” type systems utilizing intelligent monitoring and control unprecedented in today’s fleet, are envisioned to be integrated into industrial operations, operate semi-autonomously or by remote-control, provide heat and power in remote geographies or in relatively under-developed infrastructures, and provide load-follow options as part of resilient hybrid nuclear–renewable energy grids. As such, the technology may open a path for the global deployment of nuclear energy much different than that of the past six decades, one characterized by large fleets of small reactors integrated into community and industrial systems. These approaches, however, will require not only new classes of technology, but also the dedicated, deliberate development of social license among stakeholders, as well as a re-examination of the norms and standards guiding export and operations.

This Special Issue seeks to contribute to the understanding of the potential for a new class of nuclear technologies, nuclear operations, and deployment approaches in establishing the foundation for clean energy economies, as well as to the deep understanding of related technology, and to describe social and policy issues key to realizing the potential of the technology. To this end, we invite papers describing advances in novel small reactor designs and enabling technologies and techniques key to their deployment, such as the use of digital twins, advanced monitoring and controls, and other techniques; systems integration and hybridization architectures and enabling technologies including energy storage, hydrogen generation, and carbon conversion using nuclear energy; and research and development focused on next-generation nuclear technology acceptance in a variety of socioeconomic environments.

Dr. Steven E. Aumeier
Dr. John C. Wagner
Guest Editors

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