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Nuclear Energy Power: Innovations in Nuclear Reactor, Fuel Cycles, and Waste Management

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B4: Nuclear Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 May 2025 | Viewed by 932

Special Issue Editor


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Centre for Nuclear Technology Applications, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, 16 Dorodna, 03-161 Warszawa, Poland
Interests: nuclear fuel cycle; advanced reactor’s fuel cycle; radioactive waste management; recovery of valuable metals from waste; circular economy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is difficult to imagine modern human life without using nuclear techniques. Nuclear technologies have various applications. It is well known that nuclear power contributes much of the world’s electricity. The life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of nuclear power plants are very close to those of hydropower and wind, making it a sustainable and clean source of energy that can supply the needs of industry and achieve climate goals. Many innovative and advanced nuclear reactor concepts are currently being developed to provide efficient, clean energy production while improving safety, such as Small Modular Reactors, Liquid- and Metal-Cooled Fast Reactors, Gas-Cooled Reactors, and Molten Salt Reactors. These designs use new nuclear fuel types with features that differ from currently used nuclear fuels. Like all electricity generation technologies, including renewable energy, nuclear energy generates waste. The suitable, safe and effective management of radioactive waste remains problematic for nuclear technology applications.

This Special Issue will present research on innovations in nuclear reactors, fuel cycles and waste management, as well as discuss advanced reactors’ energy efficiency and safety.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The role of new-generation  reactors in future electricity generation;
  • The key chemical and engineering aspects related to the development of Generation III+ and IV reactors;
  • Chemical and engineering aspects related to SMR development;
  • The safety of the advanced nuclear fuel cycle;
  • The challenges associated with reprocessing fuel used in advanced reactors;
  • novel strategies for radioactive waste management;
  • The advanced protection of the radioactive waste in disposal and storage;
  • Challenges associated with the management of radioactive waste generated by SMRs.

Dr. Katarzyna Kiegiel
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced nuclear reactors
  • advanced nuclear fuel cycle
  • innovations in radioactive waste management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 636 KiB  
Article
Competitiveness Strategies and Technical Innovations in Light-Water Small Modular Reactor Projects
by Ludwik Pieńkowski
Energies 2025, 18(5), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18051268 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 627
Abstract
It is widely recognized that economies of scale enhance the competitiveness of large-scale nuclear reactors compared to light-water small modular reactors (SMRs). As such, choosing an appropriate strategy to enhance competitiveness is crucial for the future of SMRs. Their development is still in [...] Read more.
It is widely recognized that economies of scale enhance the competitiveness of large-scale nuclear reactors compared to light-water small modular reactors (SMRs). As such, choosing an appropriate strategy to enhance competitiveness is crucial for the future of SMRs. Their development is still in the early stages, and among the leading projects, two distinct approaches to technical innovation can be observed. In some projects, technical innovations are rejected because they are perceived as triggers for risky, costly, and long-term processes. In short, this means that the competitive advantage is based primarily on modular design and the benefits of long production runs, which might require at least a few successful implementations. Examples of this approach include the Westinghouse AP300 and Rolls-Royce SMR designs. In other projects, technical innovations are viewed as a means to achieve substantial cost reductions. Here, the initial challenge is to prove that the proposed solutions are safe. Next, it must be demonstrated that their implementation and operation meet the designers’ expectations. These goals can be achieved with the first implementation. Such an approach is exemplified, for instance, in the NuScale and GEH BWRX-300 projects. Currently, available economic analyses show that it is challenging not only to identify the most promising SMR projects but also to determine which approach to technical innovation will ultimately be more effective. Therefore, it is worth examining how leading SMR projects have improved their competitiveness. Additionally, it is important to remember that, even if light-water SMRs are not deployed, it is likely that some of their innovative solutions will be incorporated into other advanced nuclear power plant designs and potentially applied beyond the nuclear industry. Full article
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