Advanced Nuclear Energy

The report advocates for a transition from conventional light-water reactors to advanced nuclear technologies to achieve a low-carbon energy future. It highlights that meeting climate targets may require up to 1,600 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2035–2050, necessitating a tenfold increase in current build rates. Advanced reactors offer potential improvements in safety through passive systems, reduced waste via fast neutron spectrums, and lower costs through modular factory manufacturing. The document identifies significant institutional obstacles in licensing and export controls and proposes internationally harmonized standards to accelerate global deployment.

• To meet global climate targets, nuclear capacity may need to reach up to 1,600 GWe by 2035–2050, which would require an annual deployment rate of 90 GWe or more per year, roughly ten times the 2015 rate of 9.4 GWe.
• Advanced reactors can significantly reduce radioactive waste; while light-water reactors use less than 5% of fuel energy, fast neutron spectrum reactors can use up to 95%, reducing waste volume and shortening toxicity half-lives from tens of thousands of years to hundreds of years.
• Advanced nuclear designs improve safety by utilizing non-water coolants and passive safety systems that rely on natural laws rather than external power, reducing the probability of temperature or pressure events that lead to fuel damage.
• The report identifies a potential for radical cost reductions by shifting from 'stick-built' construction to a manufacturing model (factory or shipyard), which could reduce construction times by over 50% and lower total plant mass of concrete and steel by up to two-thirds.
• A survey of 12 advanced reactor developers suggests that 'nth-of-a-kind' capital costs could be between 33% and 80% of current US large light-water reactor levels, with construction times slightly exceeding two years.
• Advanced reactors offer versatility beyond baseload electricity, including the ability to perform load following to complement wind and solar, and providing high-temperature process heat for desalination, hydrogen production, and the chemical or steel industries.
• The report recommends several policy initiatives to accelerate deployment: creating internationally harmonized safety and quality standards, implementing risk-informed and nonprescriptive regulatory processes, providing test infrastructure for new materials, and streamlining US export control procedures.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2018). Advanced Nuclear Energy. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/21094513/Advanced_Nuclear_Energy.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Advanced Nuclear Energy. 2018. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/21094513/Advanced_Nuclear_Energy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Advanced Nuclear Energy |date=April 2018 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/21094513/Advanced_Nuclear_Energy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2018advanced, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Advanced Nuclear Energy}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2018}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/21094513/Advanced_Nuclear_Energy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }