Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

neutronbytes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 108 posts

Re: TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

#61

Post by lazide »

devmor wrote: post #60
mpweiher wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I doubt it. There used to be separate construction and operating permits, and sometimes you got the building permit, built the plant and then never got the operating license. This has now been streamlined with a combined construction/operating license. If you built what you promised to build, you get to operate it.

Can you give an example of a plant that has been built under this streamlined process and what kind of timeline it had? The only recent nuclear buildouts that I personally have knowledge of are expansions to existing plants and thus have a lower barrier to get going.

Since it was just released, that’s pretty hard to do eh?

I’m familiar with the reactors built on other previous ‘expedited’ processes that ended up being anything but fast. We’ll see how it goes eh?

Re: TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

#62

Post by bulder »

tyre wrote: post #39
kamranjon wrote: post #16

Does anyone understand how Meta is able to spend so much money on AI with basically no AI product to speak of? Especially after sinking billions of dollars into a failed VR product? I just don't really understand why they are investing in data centers, I don't know of any actual product they offer that anyone is seriously considering using in the space.

Imagine buying ad space on their platforms, but instead of writing copy and providing images, you simply give it your website. Then they generate unique copy and images for each user (or hyper-targeted bucket of users), tailored to what would make them click. All continuously A/B tested.

I'm imagining it, and it'd at best be the same as if you gave your website to an ad sales agent without any instructions as to what your actual product or target audience is. At worst it'd be writing copy that is fully fabricated, doesn't match your brand language, and opens you up for false advertising claims.

Re: TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

#63

Post by fsuts »

Meta have recently appointed a new president, ex Wall Street with connections to sovereign wealth and also she is married to a republican politician

Financial press saying they are exploring all means of raising large sums of money for AI investment

Also rumours Meta is going to start a Cloud business.

Re: TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

#65

Post by gottorf »

victorbjorklund wrote: post #64

At least we might get some good things from the AI bubble.

Yes! Almost every human problem boils down to an energy problem. I welcome the future in which we have so much nuclear power (and other power sources) that electricity is too cheap to meter.

Re: TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

#66

Post by dopa42365 »

doodlebugging wrote: post #44

I think it is a bad idea to allow Meta to participate in nuclear reactor operations. Nuclear reactors and other power infrastructure should be utility-owned and managed under clear regulations designed to eliminate the possibility of control by outside interests who might, or would, be tempted to unload byproducts suitable for production of weapons to anyone who had the money to buy them. They should be prohibited fr…

Most nuclear power plants worldwide are owned and operated by private companies rather than governments?

If anything, nuclear tends to be much more strictly regulated than the 73 GW (wtf) of off-grid mostly gas plants to power datacenters for example.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/fast-tracked-power-p...

Re: TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

#67

Post by TiredOfLife »

mpweiher wrote: post #8
pico303 wrote: post #7

Their first demonstration reactor is scheduled to go online in 2031. But they’re going to build 8 production reactors, with all the regulatory hurdles, in any reasonable length of time? Right. The headline should probably be, “Meta invests in nuclear startup” and leave it there. My guess is this deal is quietly swept under the rug when the first reactor fails to go fully online by 2032.

While Wyoming is a demonstration plant, it is a demonstration plant of exactly the reactor they plan to build in series. And they have received NRC approval. https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-the-nrc-issues-con... So not sure what additional regulatory hurdles you see. Can you enlighten us?

They must investigate how it affects the whales. But won't be told which whales and where

Re: TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

#68

Post by devmor »

lazide wrote: post #61
devmor wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you give an example of a plant that has been built under this streamlined process and what kind of timeline it had? The only recent nuclear buildouts that I personally have knowledge of are expansions to existing plants and thus have a lower barrier to get going.

Since it was just released, that’s pretty hard to do eh? I’m familiar with the reactors built on other previous ‘expedited’ processes that ended up being anything but fast. We’ll see how it goes eh?

If it was just released, then your claims about it are entirely hypothetical and best-case-scenario. Of course we have to "see how it goes" - there's no merit but hopefulness to your stance...

Re: TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

#69

Post by Unicironic »

pico303 wrote: post #7

Their first demonstration reactor is scheduled to go online in 2031. But they’re going to build 8 production reactors, with all the regulatory hurdles, in any reasonable length of time? Right. The headline should probably be, “Meta invests in nuclear startup” and leave it there. My guess is this deal is quietly swept under the rug when the first reactor fails to go fully online by 2032.

This is the correct response

Re: TerraPower in deal with Meta for eight Natrium 345 MW nuclear plants

#70

Post by jauntywundrkind »

AngryData wrote: post #27
capnrefsmmat wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From your link, > TerraPower must still complete construction, submit an operating license application, and satisfy all applicable safety and regulatory requirements before loading fuel and beginning operations.

I mean that doesn't sound like very big hurdles. It is an inspection of a completed reactor to make sure it wasn't managed and built like trash. Every factory and business and powerplant is subject to an inspection before it can operate. Even most residentual homes require an inspection before people can live in it.

This is a sodium fast reactor, which is far more advanced than most nuclear reactors, at high temperatures (not that bad: "only 510 C, 950 F). Sodium is infamously hard to deal with, incredibly reactive to water, capable of embrittling metal, and any impurities in the incredibly hot loop can dissolve and transfer and create incredibly corrrosive systems.

Superphenix in France (1973-1998) and Monju in Japan (1994-1995, 2010-2016) have both had significant technical challenges. The Soviets built have some sodium reactors.

I used to be very for a PRISM style reactor like TerraPower is working for, especially with something like Integral Fast Reactor's on-site non-proliferation-safe pyroprocessing. But man, over the years, I just appreciate more and more how hard it is to build and maintain well. I'm both rooting for TerraPower, but also, it low key feels like an "if not when" situation, that this an incredibly energetic unsafe system to be dealing with, and it seems hard to imagine this being a safe long term cost effective solution. I hope the inspections are very very for real, very in depth, very detailed, given the scope of what is being built. It's not even a big reactor! But that much very high temperature sodium going around, right by a big nuclear reactor (smartly TerraPower has separate nuclear and energy "wings), is deeply concerning, and needs incredibly detailed inspections if this is to provide the lasting safe value it is purporting to deliver.

Post reply on HN